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Mulder closes the door of the bedroom; he has changed into a soft white t-shirt and a pair of yellow pajama pants. As he makes his way down the stairs to go into the kitchen, he is thinking about the day.
He had been exonerated after helping the FBI with the Father Joe case. So, they had finally decided to take that long awaited vacation in the Caribbean. When they got back home, he could tell that Scully was struggling with something. One night, she said out the blue that she wants to try and re-connect with her mother. She missed her so much and now that Mulder was not a wanted man anymore, maybe she can come to their house for a visit.
Mulder thought it was great idea, but he worried that Scully was setting herself up for heartache. What if Maggie did not want to see her daughter or even worse, not accept him and Scully together, and gives her some sort of ultimatum.
Scully contacted Maggie, the two talked for a while and made plans for Maggie to visit in two weeks and spend the night.
When Maggie’s car finally pulled up to the house, Scully ran out of the house and into Maggie’s arms for a hug that lasted several moments. Mulder just stayed on the porch and watched over the exchange with tears in his eyes.
After they pulled apart, Maggie turned to Mulder, and gave him a small smile. Mulder walked off the porch and went over to the car. “Hi Maggie, it is good to see you again, I can get your suitcase out of the car and bring it in,” he said.
Maggie said, “Thank you Fox, that is very nice of you, it is good to see you too.” Mulder did sense a colder tone toward him, but Scully did not seem to notice it, so he moved past it. Mulder carried the bag into the house. Scully put her arm through her mother’s arm, and they followed behind Mulder smiling at each other.
Maggie entered her daughter’s house that she shared with Fox and looked around at the unremarkable house.
Scully said to her mother, an anxious nervous tone to her statement. “I know that it is not much to look at, but we really like it here and I am happy with the home I have made.”
Mulder knew how anxious Scully was on how her mother would like the house and just kept silent while Maggie looked around, letting Scully give the tour. Maggie was going to sleep in the small den room they had on the first floor that Mulder uses as his office.
After the tour, Scully told Maggie of their plans for a nice walk through the downtown area and then they will have dinner.
Mulder is brought back to the present as he walked down the stairs. He felt the day when well. When they got back to the house it was late. Maggie said she going to retire to her room. Mulder and Scully went up to their bedroom to change and get ready for bed as well. Thinking about everything, he thinks he saw a change come over Maggie from when she first arrived to when they got back to the house. He was optimistic that Maggie will keep in touch with them going forward.
As Mulder came into the living room, only a low lamp was on, this is why he did not see Maggie sitting on the sofa when he walked by.
“Hi Fox”, she said. Mulder jumped a bit and put his hand on his chest.
“Maggie, you scared me, I did not see you sitting there. We thought you went to bed” He stated.
"I have trouble sleeping now a days, I came out to sit on the couch for a bit and was going to read but started thinking over the day.” She said.
Maggie, had decided that she was going to keep an open mind and observe her daughter and Fox. What she saw was not what she expected. They were a loving normal couple. Fox, she realized is a true gentleman and completely dotes on her daughter. At one point, while they were walking along the street that had cute quaint shops, Maggie, wound up walking behind Fox and Dana and saw how they had their arms wrapped around each other as they walked. It was bit cool out and Dana would sometime put her head into his chest when the wind blew a bit. Maggie realized without a doubt that her daughter was 100% in love with Fox Mulder. She has never seen her daughter so happy in a relationship before. Maggie realized then that she had been misjudging them, especially Fox for what had happened with William. She would need to rectify this; she wanted her daughter in her life. When this revelation came to her, Maggie’s whole demeanor changed, and she enjoyed the day even more.
“I just came down to get some water for Dana and lock up. She likes it in a mug, which is weird, but if that is how she likes who am I to say anything, I eat sunflower seeds all day.” He said.
Maggie just stared at Mulder when he said the word mug, he did not see her staring at him, he just kept talking and Maggie was just looking at him.
“She knows she wants water in a mug every night, and sometimes she remembers and brings it upstairs, but I think she forgets on purpose sometimes so that she can make me go get it for her. Then I make a big show of how annoying it is, but I love going to get it for her. It’s a little game we play. I know it’s silly, but it’s just who we are.” Mulder than realizes Maggie is staring at him and stops talking and looks at her.
“Well, now I am glad you came down, because I want to talk to you.” She said.
Mulder walked over and sits down on the recliner next to the couch. He was a little apprehensive on what she was going to say but was trying not to show it. However, it must have shown on his face, because Maggie gave a small chuckle, “it’s okay Fox, I am not going to bite your head off, I am actually going to apologize to you.” She stated.
Mulder was taken back by what she said and had a look of shock, but did not say anything, just nodded at her to continue.
“I have treated you badly and I think I kind of hated you for a bit, but after today and after what you just said, I really need to make amends on how I have been behaving.”
Mulder said, “what, I don’t understand, you have been great today”
“No, not for today, after you left when William was born. Its one of the big reasons, I stayed estranged all these years from you and Dana.”
“I want to tell you a story,” Maggie said.” When you just mention about Dana and her mug of water it brought back some memories. When Dana was little, she wanted to have water by her bed at night. Charlie did too, but not Missy or Bill. Charlie was fine with a glass, but not Dana, she had to have it in a mug. She said it was because this water was for night and at night when you put liquid into something it goes into a mug not in a glass. Not sure where she got this concept from, but she was so insistent. So, it began that every night Dana had to have a mug of water by her bed to go to sleep.” Maggie paused the story for a moment smiling to herself with the memory.
Mulder just looked at her and smiled to himself, picturing Scully even as a kid with her logic.
“Years later when she was involved with a man named Ethan. Do you know of him Fox?” Maggie asked.
Mulder nodded, “Yes, not much, just that they dated right before we had met and that your husband and Bill Jr. liked him.”
“Yes, that is him, my husband really liked him for Dana and there was already talk of a pre-engagement. However, even then, I can sense that Dana was just going along with that relationship because she thought that was what was expected, and Ethan checked all the boxes. He even didn’t mind that she was working for the FBI when they met. At that time, she had normal hours, home by 6 every night and home on the weekends,” Maggie looked at Mulder when she said this smirking.
Mulder just kind of ducked his head and nodded for her to continue knowing of course that he was the one responsible for the crazy hours she was working while on The X-Files.
“Pretty much the last nail on that relationship was when she met you and started doing field work and was going to be gone all the time, Ethan did not like that, and Dana was not going to ask for a re-assignment.”
"However, I could feel her turning away from Ethan even before she met you. One weekend I was over her apartment, she had bought some new drapes and had asked me to help hang them. I was surprised that Ethan was not over helping, but Dana said, ‘oh, he is not really into home improvement work.’ I nodded, was going to say something, but I let it drop. We were in the bedroom working on the curtains, when I knocked into her nightstand and there was a mug of water on it, my bumping had knocked the mug over onto the floor spilling the water. There was not much but it made a wet mark on the rug. Dana went and got some paper towels and we started to clean it up, and I just smiled at her and said, ‘still with the mug of water at night.’ She just tucked her head down a bit embarrassed and shrugged her shoulders. Then she said, ‘it just feels liked comfort now.’ Then still looking down and cleaning the spot, she said out of the blue. ‘Ethan thinks it is so stupid and he hates that I do this. Pretty much told me not to do it. So, when he is over, I don’t use a mug. I guess I always thought I would meet someone who maybe did not understand the mug, but did not make me feel stupid about it, or demand that I not do it. Someone, who when I am in bed and forget to get it, he would just automatically go get it for me, because he wants to and loves me.’
Then, she suddenly realized what she said and looked up at me and laughed embarrassed. ‘Stupid, right?’ She said, ‘I guess in relationships you have to compromise, if this is the one thing that he does not like, I guess it is okay, when overall he checks off all the boxes.’ Then she dropped it and we never spoke about it again. Then two months later, she met you and the rest is history.” Maggie said.
She looked up at Mulder and he had tears in his eyes. “Thank you for telling me that story”. He said.
“No, thank you for being that man that brings my daughter a mug of water at night just because she wants it. You have always been there for since you met her” she said.
“That is why I was so confused when you left after William was born, but Dana assured me that it was a decision that was discussed and that you did not abandon them.” Mulder went to interrupt, but Maggie held her hand out to stop him.
“I know I never really understood the work that you and Dana did together and the enemies you made, but at the time, I just did not understand how you could leave your family. I watched Dana struggle for months with threats against William and missing you so much. Then she calls me one night and tells me that William is gone, she gave him up for adoption. I was beside myself; I could not believe that she did that and in my mind a big reason why she did this was because you were gone and not there to support her. Then a month later, my daughter was gone too on the run with you, a fugitive from jail. God, I cursed you for taking away my daughter and grandchild.” Maggie said.
“Now, after seeing the home the two of you have built and I see how you are together as a couple, I realized that I was angry over something that I did not understand, and realized it is not my life, but yours and Dana’s. I never really got to see you two together as a couple before you were gone, Dana told me you had been together for most of year before you were taken. Then when you came back and I would visit Dana you were never at the apartment, even though I had the impression you were practically living there.”
Mulder smiles shyly at this. They were so busy keeping their relationship a secret and not telling anyone that he was the father of Scully’s baby, they never really considered the optics of it all. Especially to someone like Maggie. Wow, he thought, if I was in her shoes, I would be confused as well.
"Maggie,” Mulder said, “I love your daughter and our son. Your right, I did abandon, them, but it was not intentional. It was for my safety, but that is no excuse because I left the love of my life and my son alone and vulnerable. Dana had to take care of him by herself while trying to thwart our enemies at the same time. She did what she had to do, and I don’t fault her for it. We both have regrets about that time, but we had to move forward and being on the run was the only way for us to be together. It was not an option to be apart anymore. It was hard at times, and she missed you and her brothers so much. So, all that I ask is that you don’t stop talking to Dana and that you will stay in our lives going forward.”
“Yes, that is the plan, especially after this wonderful weekend together and out conversation tonight.” Maggie said.
“Well, I better get this mug of water up to your daughter before she sends out the national guard looking for it.” Mulder said.
Maggie laughed. “Yes, you better, see you in the morning Fox, have a good night.”
Then she stood up went into the den room and closed the door. Mulder then made his way back upstairs to the bedroom with the mug of water.
When he got into the bedroom, he placed the mug of water on Scully’s nightstand then he went around to his side of the bed and crawled in next to Scully.
Scully, who had been dozing waiting for him, felt the bed move and turned toward him as he got into bed.
“What took so long?” She said.
“Sorry, your mother was up, and we got to talking.”
“Everything all right?” she asked slightly worried.
“Everything is fine, great actually, I will tell you more tomorrow, but lets’ just say that I believe I redeemed myself to her again, all with a mug of water.” Mulder said.
Scully just looked at him, questioning his comment in her mind, but the adrenaline from the day was getting to her and she was fighting to stay awake, but first she reached over and took a sip of water from her mug and then burrowed under the covers and fell asleep. Mulder just looked over at her smiled.