TITLE: Mother's Day
AUTHOR: Gabi Fisher
SPOILER WARNING: Christmas Carol/Emily
CLASSIFICATION: VA
SUMMARY: Mulder brings Scully a hear-warming Mother's Day, though his words are
better than any gift could possibly be.
DISCLAIMER: No, silly. I don't own them. I'm just borrowing them. I'll consider returning
them to CC when I'm done.
*****
The doorbell rang, and Scully glanced at the clock as she made her way to the door. Her head was tilted to one side, as she was putting an earring in. It was only 8:58. It was too early for her mother to be coming over to get her. They would be going to brunch, but not until eleven. Her mother would not be picking her up until ten thirty. The only other person that could be at her door would be Mulder. Only he and her mother ever came to see her. Occasionally an old friend, or Bill, or some other relative would, but never at nine o’clock on a Sunday morning.
She unlocked and opened the door, walking back into her room to retrieve her other small diamond stud. "Hi, Mulder," she called back. "Have a seat. I’ll be out in just a second… I just have to get this earring in."
"That’s fine," he replied, shutting the door behind him.
A few seconds later she stepped out. Mulder looked her over. Her hair was done more nicely than usual. The diamonds in her ears sparkles as much as her eyes did when she laughed. She had not yet done her make-up, but he knew she would before she left for where ever she was going. "You look nice, Scully," he said.
For a moment Scully was surprised by his comment. He rarely offered compliments. But she smiled and thanked him.
"How’d you know it was me?" he asked, finally crossing to the couch and sitting down in one corner.
Scully sat in the other corner. "Because it’s nine o’clock, which is too early for my mother to be coming, and who else comes here early on Sunday morning?" she responded with a smile.
Mulder returned Scully’s smile with one of his own rare smiles. He gestured to her outfit, he said, "Where are you going?"
Scully looked down at her hands before looking back at him. "It’s Mother’s Day," she stated. "I always go to brunch with my mom and either of my brothers, if they are around."
"Oh," Mulder simply replied. It was obvious he was not used to doing such things with his mother. Most likely he hadn't even remembered to send her a card. And just as likely, Mrs. Mulder was probably not expecting a card. Not after all these years of not seeing one come in the mail.
An uncomfortable moment passed between the two, both looking away from each other. Finally, Mulder spoke. "Well, I suppose I should go then if you had plans. I didn’t mean to interrupt anything." He stood up, and Scully followed suit. He reached into his coat pocket and pulled something out. It was a card and a small wrapped package. Wordlessly, he handed it to her. She took it from him, but gazed questioningly into his eyes. Mulder shrugged. "It’s for Mother’s Day," he said, as if that explained everything.
"But Mulder, I’m not a mother."
"Yes, you are. Maybe not physically, but in every other sense of the word you are."
Scully was silent, though tears welled in her eyes. Tears of happiness at Mulder’s thoughtfulness and tears of sadness and regret about Emily.
"In the short time you knew Emily, you loved her as much as if you had been the one to raise her. You had so much love for her. An experience like that makes you a mother forever," Mulder continued.
One tear slowly fell down Scully’s cheek, which was followed by another and another. Mulder pulled her into a hug, and she decided the best Mother’s Day present she could receive was those words from him.
Quietly, she whispered, "Thank you, Mulder."
*****
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