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Today was Father's Day.
Fox Mulder had been looking forward to this day ever since he and Scully finally tracked down their missing son, William, three months earlier. He wasn't delusional enough to entertain the idea that Will would do anything special for him; they'd made plans to spend the day together, just playing it loosely.
It was Father's Day, and it was the first one Mulder would actually get to spend with the son he'd previously only known in person for 48 hours, in what felt like a lifetime ago. He became a father fifteen years ago, but this was the first "Dad's Day" he would spend in active duty. Mulder's nerves were nervous. Will was flying into DC for his day with Mulder. He didn't want to overload the kid with any kind of significance; it was just a "getting to know you day" for both of them. The timing just happened to work out that Will would be arriving on Father's Day.
Due to Will's school schedule, he and Scully had only gotten to meet Will in person once. Still, Mulder was stunned by his son's appearance. He definitely bore a strong resemblance to his mother. Will was actually a good mix of both of his parents. He had Scully's eyes and nose, Mulder's strong jawline, and thankfully, to his parents' mutual relief, some of his height. It was all topped off by a mop of reddish-brown hair. Will still had some room to grow into his lanky frame, but he'd somehow managed to avoid the acne and braces awkwardness that befell plenty of boys his age.
Will was very interested in his newfound birth parents' work on the X-Files. Mulder thought he might swing them by the basement office so he could show Will some of the cases he and Scully had pursued over the past two decades. Flukeman wouldn't scare a 15-year-old, right? He thought he might save the whole super soldiers, black oil, and aliens thing for another day, though. He didn't want to completely overwhelm Will on the first day.
Mulder couldn't wait to find out more about Will, too. What did he like? What were his hobbies? Did he have someone special, or was it too early for that? Mulder definitely had some sage fatherly advice to pass on to his son: Should Will ever find the one, don't wait seven years to do something about it. He would emphatically pass along that little nugget of wisdom he'd himself had to learn the hard way. There was so much he wanted to tell him.
About everything.
Scully was the Catholic, but Mulder was suddenly overcome with the need to confess the sins that brought them to where they are.
Mulder had never been very close to his own father, or rather, the man he grew up believing was his father. Then there was the matter of the black-lunged sonofabitch who wouldn't die; the one who quite possibly most likely sired him. That asshole wasn't getting a card from him this year.
Or ever.
This was Mulder's chance for new beginnings. He'd experienced so many instances of how not to be a father; he wanted nothing more than to be the exact opposite of that. It was a simple wish from a good place in the small part of his heart that never succumbed to bitterness; the part of him that still believed in redemption.
He wanted Will to understand that he was placed for adoption because of how much he was loved; that his mother made the ultimate sacrifice because of the depth of her love for him. William was the result of a union of love, devotion, and maybe a dash of miracle. He was never unwanted; he was wanted more than anything. Scully truly believed she was giving him a better life when she made the decision that shattered her heart. Mulder hoped Will harbored no resentment towards either of them.
He impatiently checked his watch for the third time in twelve minutes; he wanted Will's plane to be here already so he could spend the day with his son.
His son.
The words alone brought a smile to Mulder's face. His first real Father's Day was going to be the best one.
"Excuse me."
The old woman's arm lightly brushed Mulder's sleeve as she reached past him to retrieve a small bag of peppermints from the peg of the convenience store snack aisle where Mulder had inadvertently become an immovable statue; a man who appeared to be thoughtfully studying a shelf display through vacant eyes.
He blinked himself back to the present and moved out of the woman's way while mumbling an apology. As she passed out of his field of vision, the sign attached to the top of the display again caught his attention.
DON'T FORGET! FATHER'S DAY IS JUNE 19TH!
Today was Father's Day.
Mulder exhaled heavily as the familiar leaden weight filled his gut.
He pulled a bag of sunflower seeds off its peg and wordlessly made his way to the cashier.