By Christine Leigh
leighchristine@hotmail.com

DISCLAIMER: All characters are the products of Chris
Carter. They also belong to Ten-Thirteen Productions and the
Fox Network. No copyright infringement intended.
 
TITLE: Mother's Day
AUTHOR: Christine Leigh
E-MAIL: leighchristine@hotmail.com
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: V, MSR
SPOILERS: None.
SUMMARY: Mother's Day events, present and past.

Mother's Day
By Christine Leigh

Scully was dreaming of the time that Melissa had come home
on the Saturday night before Mother's Day.  Missy hadn't even
known it was the night before that holiday, so wasn't prepared
for the wave of emotion that her sudden appearance had
brought on.  Mom had been so happy, that the reasons for her
older daughter's recent absence from family life hadn't even
come up by the time Tuesday arrived and Missy was once
again headed out.  In her dream Scully was seeing the looks on
their faces that she'd seen on that Sunday night before leaving
to return to school.  They'd communicated on those matters
only through glances, choosing instead to enjoy and share the
love that they could.  The rest would come another day.  In her
sleep, she sighed aloud.  Another day.  She wanted it so.

*****

Mulder had been up since five and was now sitting in the
kitchen ostensibly reading the paper, but in fact was trying to
sort through his thoughts.  Today was a tough one.  Mulder
had been thinking about it for the past two weeks.  Every store
he'd been in, every time the television or radio was on,
everywhere, it was difficult to miss the fact of Mother's Day.
Until this year, in his mind it had always been a silly thing,
and something he'd not partaken in for the last ten years at
least.  He remembers sending his mother a card shortly after
joining the Bureau, but after that had only spoken to her by
chance on this particular day.  Sometimes she'd been away
traveling, and most of the other times he just hadn't called.
Even after her stroke, he hadn't changed his habit.  Now, he
wishes he had.  It was lousy of him not to have given her that
little bit of himself one day a year.  Really lousy.

But this year it's a whole new ball game of lousy.  This year
it's Scully he's worried about.  She hasn't said a word about it;
she wouldn't, he knows.  But how could she not be feeling
something with this damned holiday staring them in their
faces?  He wonders if there is a town nearby that they can
drive to for the day where there are no retail venues, and no
restaurants with those never-ending brunches.  He wants to
take her to a place where she won't be visually assaulted at
every turn.  He can't do anything about the assault of her heart;
the other perhaps he can lessen for a day.  Just for a day.

*****

Dana had been in the kitchen chopping green onions.  She'd
come home from school late Friday, the night before, and now
was helping her mother prepare dinner.  Charlie was in the den
watching the basketball game and Ahab and Bill were at sea,
so it would be the three of them this Mother's Day weekend
along with Maggie's mother tomorrow for an early dinner.
Dana wasn't too inclined toward cooking, but she could chop,
and she and her mother had been chatting and chopping and
tossing salad greens while enjoying glasses of wine, when
another voice joined in.

"Will a third cook be one too many in the kitchen?"  Maggie
turned and dropped her glass.  She met Missy halfway and
they were in a hug before Dana could even register her own
surprise at seeing her sister.

"Melissa, oh my Melissa."  Maggie uttered this many times
before letting goes of her.  They both wiped their tears then,
and Dana went to get another couple of glasses and did the
honors of pouring.

"Missy, I'm so happy to see you."  Dana said this quietly, but
she was genuinely happy.  It had been just over a year since
she'd spoken to her sister.  She set the bottle on the table and
the three of them just sat there in silence for a few seconds.
Then they all spoke at once, of course.

"Mom, I know this is......"

"Missy, you look good.  You look......."

"Dana, you're home.  I was hoping this might be a weekend
you'd be here."

They all laughed.

"Well, it is Mother's Day tomorrow."  She figured Melissa
hadn't known that.  Her sister didn't live by any calendar that
could be pinned on a wall.

"Oh my God.  I didn't know.  I really didn't.  I just thought it
was time to visit.  Mom, I didn't know."

"Honey, you're here, and I don't care what day it is."  She took
Melissa's hand and squeezed it.  And then took Dana's and did
the same.  This was a precious moment for Maggie.

"Is it just you two, or is anyone else here?"  Maggie could hear
the note of concern in Melissa's voice as she asked this.

"Charlie.  He's in the den watching the game.  Dad and Bill are
on duty."  Melissa nodded, more to herself than to her mother.

"Well, shall I go surprise little brother, or just wait to see if he
notices another body at the table?"

Maggie grinned and took a sip from her glass.  "The table,
definitely.  That'll be more fun."

*****

Christmas Valley.  That was its name.  Even in May, there was
still a little snow on the ground, and Mulder could see where it
would be very pretty in its full winter glory. Very Currier and
Ives.  He'd found it on an old map in a book he'd perused at
the library a few weeks back and had made a mental note.  It
wasn't labeled on any of the current maps, and he'd wondered
if it was really there.  Which evidently it was, since they were
now driving through it.  Markleville would be the town on the
other side if they drove that far, but probably they would not.
They were in search of a spot to stop and have a picnic lunch,
and would most likely turn around and head for home after
that.  Scully had been quiet, but she seemed all right.  He
glanced at her.  They'd been holding hands for the entire drive.
It was a quiet road and he could navigate the road with his
other hand and not worry about safety.  They'd seen one other
car in the last half hour.

"Mulder, this is pretty.  It's probably quite beautiful in the fall
with the aspen in full color."

"We'll have to come back for a warmer weather picnic if we're
still here then."

"That would be nice."  She smiled.  It wasn't a heartfelt smile,
but it was a smile that he understood.  It was the smile that
she'd learned after she'd decided that she couldn't go through
life and never smile again.  No small decision.  She'd made an
accommodation in order to keep on living and trying to go
forward without going crazy.  So far, it was working.  Today
was a good day, despite its designation.  She was with the man
she loved and would always love beyond reason.  And if he
was the cause of the heartbreak that nearly killed her, he was
also the cause of a level of happiness that she'd never thought
she would experience in this life, and she clung to that.  As did
he.  They had each other, and if it would never be enough, it
was enough for today.  This is their life.

*****

It had been a good lunch.  They had enjoyed their sandwiches
and drinks and had even finished off a couple of good sized
brownies each.  They'd found a spot by a creek and now sat on
their picnic blanket looking up at the trees and listening to the
water.  They were bundled up enough to keep warm, but it
would get chilly as the sun fell further, so they had another
couple of blankets waiting to pull over them if necessary. The
world they'd left behind would call them back, but just now it
was heavenly being here and not there, and they were making
it last.  That was another thing they'd both become adept at
over the last year.  If a good moment presented itself or if they
managed to carve one out, they'd milk it for all they could.
This was aside from the nights.  Their nights would always be
in another realm.  But their waking moments needed this
support system, such as it was.

"Scully, I think I'm getting old.  I could sit here for days.  I like
this quiet; it's a perfect quiet.  Not scary or weird."

"I never considered that, Mulder."

"There's a beauty to it, Scully."

"Getting old?"

"The quiet."

She turned her head to look at him.  There were lines that
hadn't been there two years ago, but he was still impossibly
gorgeous.  Women would never stop looking.  "Mulder, I don't
think you need to worry.  At least not about your looks.
They're holding."

He grinned at her.  He hadn't been serious about the age
remark.  They should both look at least a hundred years old for
all that they'd experienced.  Yet, Scully still looked like a
teenager at times to him.  Catch her with no makeup and her
hair in a ponytail doing work around the house or apartment,
and anyone would think she was the babysitter.  That is, if one
were required.  He turned away from her at that thought.  She
noticed the change in him immediately.

"Mulder, what is it?"

"Nothing."

"Don't say that, please."

"Just some thoughts.  That led to some other thoughts."

"About?"  It was no use to hold back, so he told her.

"I was thinking that when you have your hair in a ponytail and
are doing housework that you don't look any older than
someone's babysitter."

"Oh, I see."  And she did.  That was another thing at which
they were both good, system maintenance.  At any given
moment a random thought or comment could bring the whole
thing to a crashing halt if they weren't careful. Careful in this
case meaning that they didn't speak for a few minutes.

"Mulder, I'm okay."

"I'm sorry.  I didn't want to go there today."

"I know.  But, you know Mulder, are we really ever not there?
I know we've made adjustments and accommodations, but are
we really ever not thinking about him?  About William?"
That was hard, but then in an instant she felt better.  She had
needed to say his name aloud.

"No."

"Then it's all right.  I feel better having said his name.  What
about you?"

He wasn't sure he could.  But he looked at her face and knew
that it must make it better somehow.  She actually had a spark
in her eye that hadn't been there before.  He pulled from her
what he needed to, and then spoke.

"William."

They remained there for another half an hour and then packed
up their picnic.  They didn't say another word.  There was no
need to do so.

*****

It had been a delicious and fun-filled dinner.  Charlie hadn't
disappointed them.  Upon seeing the extra body he'd thrown
himself on the floor in a mock fit of surprise.  Now he was
happily consuming his dinner and plotting.

"Mom, do you mind if I go over to Walt's tomorrow after
church?  We have some stuff to do for Monday at school."

Maggie was fully aware that her youngest child was working
the 'Melissa's home' angle for all it was worth, but couldn't do
anything but say yes.  He was definitely more spoiled than the
others had been, but tonight she was a sucker for his wiles.

"All right.  As long as you're home for dinner.  Grandma will
want to say hello to you.  I'm sure she'll want to hear all about
your project.  You know how she enjoys basketball."

Charlie grinned.  "Thanks, Mom."

"You're welcome."  She was one happy woman tonight.

"Missy, I'm glad you're here."  This from Charlie.

"Yeah, I can feel the love."  Her little brother would always be
the family goof as far as she was concerned, but she had to
admit that she'd missed him.  Just not too loudly.

"Dana, how's your semester going?"

"It's going.  It's harder than I'd thought it would be, but I'm on
top of things."

"Surprise, surprise."

"I like it.  I don't regret any of my choices."

"That's good to hear Dana.  I know how much it means to you
to succeed in your chosen field.  And, I've no doubt you will."

Dana blushed slightly.  Two years ago Melissa would have
been more interested in her personal life than her potential
professional one.  It was kind of nice to have her interested in
that aspect of her life, but in a way it was also a little sad.
Missy was the one person who always made her feel like she
wasn't just a good daughter and student, but one of the girls as
well.

"So, any boyfriend?"

Dana laughed now. Her sadness had been premature,
obviously.

"No, Missy.  Sorry.  There really hasn't been much time to
date or even think about it."

"Maybe next semester.  Any cute professors?"

"Melissa, you're incorrigible."  This from Maggie.

"No, just hopeful."

"Mom, may I be excused?"  This from Charlie.

"Of course.  The second half must have started by now.
You're late."

Charlie got up and planted a kiss on his mother's cheek.
"Mom, you really are the coolest."

"Oh, well, then maybe I'll bring dessert into you shortly.  Go,
enjoy."

He was gone.

"Mom, I'm going to start cleaning up.  You and Missy stay and
talk."

"Sweetheart, thank you, but you stay.  We'll clean up together.
There's no rush.  I want to enjoy having both of my girls with
me."

Dana got up and walked to where Maggie was sitting and
wrapped her arms around her mother's neck in a tight hug.
Maggie was surprised and thrilled.  Her younger daughter
wasn't always the most demonstrative person.

"Mom, I've always thought that Mother's Day was a kind of
silly, made-up holiday, but I don't feel that way now.  I know
I'm a few hours early, but happy Mother's Day.  I'm so glad
we're here together."  She nodded to include Melissa in her
comment.

"Sweetie, you're a very special girl.  I don't know what you see
for yourself down the road, but I think that one day you'll be a
special mother, too.  And you too, Melissa.  The two of you
are so different, but in your very individual ways I think that
you will make wonderful mothers if that happens in your
lives."

Dana was amazed to hear her mother say these things.  She
didn't even know if she wanted to be a mother, but she felt all
warm inside knowing that her mother felt this way.  She
wanted to hold onto this feeling.

"Now, how about some dessert?"  Maggie knew when to move
on.

"I'm ready.  Very ready.  That's the real reason I stopped by,
you know."

"Of course."  It was good to know that Missy's sweet tooth
hadn't disappeared over the year.

"So, I say I make some coffee, slice up the cheesecake and
we'll settle in."  Maggie got up and went to the kitchen,
leaving her daughters to muse over her comments.  Melissa
spoke first.

"Dana, you know, I do want to be a mother.  Not right away,
but someday."

"You'll be good at it Missy.  I don't know if I'm cut out for it,
though.  Maybe I'll just be an aunt."

"No, Dane.  You'll be a mother.  I can see it.  Really, I can."

"Okay, how many?"

"Two, maybe three."  Melissa was starting to have fun now;
Dana looked a little pale.

"Okay, how about one for starters?"

"That sounds better."

"Well, happy Mother's Day to us, then.  One day."

"Melissa, thanks for coming home."

"You're entirely welcome."
 

- end  -

leighchristine@hotmail.com