Fic: Consanguinity 2/?
I guess this is my Mother's Day gift to you all.
**********
After showing them where they could stow their outerwear, Alex led them into the living room, where a fire blazed merrily in a huge stone fireplace. A tasteful grouping of upholstered furniture arced around the fire.
"I'm Maggie Scully, Dana's mother," said Maggie, introducing herself. "These are my sons Charles and Bill, and this is Bill's wife Tara and their two children Matthew and Abigail."
"Alex Krycek," he responded, not offering his hand. "Can I get you something hot to drink? Coffee, tea?" he asked.
"Hot chocolate?" asked Abigail hopefully.
Alex's mouth curved up in a slight smile. "Sure," he responded.
"Are you sure it's not too much trouble?" asked Maggie.
Alex shrugged. "No problem."
Maggie and Tara asked for tea while the men asked for coffee. Scully remained silent. He looked at her for minute, watching her chew her lip. "I'll bring tea for you too."
Scully watched him pad out of the room, clad in jeans and thick grey thermal socks. As soon as he was out of sight, Bill leaned in.
"What's up sis? Who IS this guy? You don't seem to like each other."
She didn't know how much to tell them, so she stuck to the bare minimum. "He used to be an agent. He was Mulder's partner when I first got reassigned from the x-files."
"What did you mean when you said you thought he was dead?" asked Tara.
Scully sat down beside her mother, watching Charlie warming his hands at the fire. "He was shot. But his body disappeared."
"It disappeared?" Matthew asked, eyes wide.
"Not 'vanished before your eyes' disappeared. I mean his body went missing. Nobody knew what happened to it. But I'd rather know what he's doing here!"
"The answer to that could be right here," said Charlie, standing near the fire.
"Huh?" Scully joined him by the fireplace. He pointed to a framed photograph in the center of a group of pictures on the mantle.
Her mouth dropped open as she gazed upon a photo of Mulder and Krycek dressed to the nines, cutting a cake. A wedding cake. A wedding cake with a two-groom cake topper.
Bill snorted. "Figures."
Scully's knees felt like jello as she backed away from the fireplace, hand groping behind her for the arm of the sofa. Charlie took her arm and helped her sit. Clinking glass drew their attention to the other side of the room, where they saw Krycek putting a bottle back on a wheeled cart serving as a bar.
He brought a glass over and offered it to Scully. "You probably need this."
She took it gratefully and tossed the alcohol back in one go, ignoring her mother's gasp and Charlie's approving chuckle. She thrust the glass at Krycek and jerked her head at the bar.
He took the glass but shook his head. "I don't think so." A drunk Scully would most assuredly be very dangerous. She may not have a gun on her, but he'd bet she had one packed in one of her suitcases. The whistle of a tea kettle drew him back into the kitchen.
"You didn't know?" asked Bill nosily.
She shook her head.
Krycek reappeared carefully balancing a small tray with mugs for the children. Tara jumped up and took it from him and set it on the coffee table.
"Thanks," he said.
"Would you rather they sat somewhere else, like the dining room?" she asked.
"No, there's nothing here they can really damage. We've spilled plenty of stuff on the rug. It cleans up pretty good. I'll get your tea," he told the women.
Scully stood. "I'll help," she said, throwing him a look that said she'd brook no objections.
He nodded and preceded her into the kitchen. On the way, they passed through the dining room, which was uniquely partially separated from the living room by a floor to ceiling dark wood divider that mimicked an open stud wall.
He already had slices of lemon and bowls of sugar and cream sitting on a tray. As he placed more mugs on the tray, she confronted him.
"How long have you and Mulder been...together?"
Alex shrugged. "Long enough."
"You're married? How could he? After you killed his father!"
A mug clanked hard on the metal tray. "Scully, you'll need to ask him that question. I've asked it. Maybe you'll understand his answer. Frankly, I don't."
She put the tea kettle on the tray. "Why didn't he ever tell me?"
"Again, you'll need to ask him."
"How did you survive?"
"I was never really shot. Skinner helped us set it up so it'd look as if I were."
She frowned. "Skinner knew? About you and Mulder?"
"He...found out."
"How?"
Alex chuckled. "Kim went slumming with friends to a gay bar. Mulder and I were there. She told Skinner. He confronted Mulder. Shall we take this out?" He motioned toward the tray.
There was no room on the tray for the coffee pot. "I'll take the tray if you'll bring the coffee. I'm surprised Kim didn't say anything to anyone else."
"Skinner swore her to secrecy. They're dating, you know."
Scully's eyebrows rose. She hadn't known. She picked up the tray, but hesitated before she turned toward the door. "If my mother brings up Melissa, don't you DARE react! I know you weren't the one that pulled the trigger, but I don't think she'd be so understanding!"
"Like you are?" he said sarcastically.
She glared at him. "Don't push me, Krycek!" she threatened, and walked out.
After making sure everyone had their drinks, Alex poured some hot water in his own mug for some tea. Dropping in a tea bag, he settled on an ottoman off to the side. "So what brings you up here?"
"The weather!" said Maggie. "We were trying to get to my cousin's to spend the holidays, but the road was closed due to flooding. We had to turn around to find an alternate route, but then the bridge washed out, so we're more or less stranded. I remembered Dana mentioning that Fox had moved up here, so we took a chance that he'd allow us to stay the night."
"Of course you can stay. But I'm afraid you're in for the long haul. This weather isn't going to get better any time soon."
"I hate to inconvenience you like this..."
"Really, it's no problem. We've got three bedrooms sitting empty upstairs and we've plenty of food. And we'll have a lot more if Fox ever gets back." He frowned at the front door as if that would bring his errant lover home. "I'll just need to open up the registers in the rooms. We'd closed them off since they weren't being occupied." He stood. "I'll go do that now." Anything to get out of the room.
**********
As Mulder neared the turnoff onto the road that led to their house, he saw a figure up ahead stumbling toward him in the snow.
"What the hell?" No one should be out on foot in this weather. Especially with the forecast. He braked and put the vehicle in park. Opening the door, he stepped out onto the running board and yelled to the person. "Hey! You need a lift?"
The figure stopped and pushed their hood back a bit so they could see who was yelling, then made their way to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door.
Mulder ducked back in and watched the person climb up into the high 4 wheel drive vehicle, pushing a small backpack onto the floor ahead of them.
"Thanks," said a feminine voice from under the furry edge of their hood as she settled herself.
"You're welcome. Where are you headed?"
"Anywhere."
Oh boy. "What do you mean, 'anywhere'?" he asked.
"Just exactly that. I don't have a definite destination in mind. Just away."
"Away from...?"
The woman sighed. "Home. As far away as I can get." She pushed her hood off of her head. She was young, perhaps too young.
"How old are you?" asked Mulder suspiciously.
She laughed. "Don't worry. I'm legal." She reached down for her backpack and unzipped a compartment. Pulling out a small purse, she opened it and pulled out her driver's license and showed it to him.
"Mary Cleaver?"
"That would be me." She put the license away. "Anywhere you can take me, mister, I'd appreciate it. Though I notice you're heading the way I was coming from."
Mulder smiled. "Yeah, I noticed that too. You live up there?"
She shook her head. "Uh uh. My in-laws kicked me out a while back. Had nowhere to go, so have been bumming rides from people ever since. Figure I'll find the right place for me sooner or later. I've been staying in an old shack up the mountain, but the roof caved in this morning. All the rain, you know. It was already pretty rotten...and leaky. I was going to be moving on anyway, but was hoping to wait until the rain stopped." She motioned out at the snow. "I wasn't counting on this though."
"What about your husband?"
Her eyes dropped. "He's dead. He was disarming a bomb. Something went wrong. He was hurt pretty bad. He died three days later."
"I'm sorry. Law enforcement?"
"Army."
"This is a heck of a time to be without a place to stay. What about your family?"
"Don't have any anymore. My mom died when I was still a baby. Dad went a few years ago. No aunts or uncles. Just me and this one," she said, placing her hand on her stomach.
Mulder closed his eyes. Great. She's pregnant. Couldn't tell with that heavy coat on. "When are you due?" he asked.
She laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not about to pop in your truck. Not for a few weeks yet."
I can't just put her out on the street. What should I do? He sat silently for a minute, then put the truck in gear. He pulled forward and turned onto his road. When he reached their driveway and turned in, he spoke. "You can stay with us for a while."
"I don't want to put you out, but given the circumstances, I accept your offer. I'll leave as soon as it's safe."
"I'm Fox Mulder, by the way. Thought I'd better at least introduce myself."
"Glad to meet you, Fox Mulder. Quite a name."
"Most people call me Mulder," he informed her, letting her know that's what he preferred.
Mulder stopped the truck short of the garage. "Who's vehicle is that?" he muttered curiously, seeing the rented SUV parked in front of the small garage door. "We weren't expecting company." He frowned, not sure whether to be worried or not. Alex was quite able to take care of himself, and besides, surely if someone had come with an intent to harm, they wouldn't drive right up to the house. He hit the opener, and when the garage was open to them, he pulled in.
**********
After showing them where they could stow their outerwear, Alex led them into the living room, where a fire blazed merrily in a huge stone fireplace. A tasteful grouping of upholstered furniture arced around the fire.
"I'm Maggie Scully, Dana's mother," said Maggie, introducing herself. "These are my sons Charles and Bill, and this is Bill's wife Tara and their two children Matthew and Abigail."
"Alex Krycek," he responded, not offering his hand. "Can I get you something hot to drink? Coffee, tea?" he asked.
"Hot chocolate?" asked Abigail hopefully.
Alex's mouth curved up in a slight smile. "Sure," he responded.
"Are you sure it's not too much trouble?" asked Maggie.
Alex shrugged. "No problem."
Maggie and Tara asked for tea while the men asked for coffee. Scully remained silent. He looked at her for minute, watching her chew her lip. "I'll bring tea for you too."
Scully watched him pad out of the room, clad in jeans and thick grey thermal socks. As soon as he was out of sight, Bill leaned in.
"What's up sis? Who IS this guy? You don't seem to like each other."
She didn't know how much to tell them, so she stuck to the bare minimum. "He used to be an agent. He was Mulder's partner when I first got reassigned from the x-files."
"What did you mean when you said you thought he was dead?" asked Tara.
Scully sat down beside her mother, watching Charlie warming his hands at the fire. "He was shot. But his body disappeared."
"It disappeared?" Matthew asked, eyes wide.
"Not 'vanished before your eyes' disappeared. I mean his body went missing. Nobody knew what happened to it. But I'd rather know what he's doing here!"
"The answer to that could be right here," said Charlie, standing near the fire.
"Huh?" Scully joined him by the fireplace. He pointed to a framed photograph in the center of a group of pictures on the mantle.
Her mouth dropped open as she gazed upon a photo of Mulder and Krycek dressed to the nines, cutting a cake. A wedding cake. A wedding cake with a two-groom cake topper.
Bill snorted. "Figures."
Scully's knees felt like jello as she backed away from the fireplace, hand groping behind her for the arm of the sofa. Charlie took her arm and helped her sit. Clinking glass drew their attention to the other side of the room, where they saw Krycek putting a bottle back on a wheeled cart serving as a bar.
He brought a glass over and offered it to Scully. "You probably need this."
She took it gratefully and tossed the alcohol back in one go, ignoring her mother's gasp and Charlie's approving chuckle. She thrust the glass at Krycek and jerked her head at the bar.
He took the glass but shook his head. "I don't think so." A drunk Scully would most assuredly be very dangerous. She may not have a gun on her, but he'd bet she had one packed in one of her suitcases. The whistle of a tea kettle drew him back into the kitchen.
"You didn't know?" asked Bill nosily.
She shook her head.
Krycek reappeared carefully balancing a small tray with mugs for the children. Tara jumped up and took it from him and set it on the coffee table.
"Thanks," he said.
"Would you rather they sat somewhere else, like the dining room?" she asked.
"No, there's nothing here they can really damage. We've spilled plenty of stuff on the rug. It cleans up pretty good. I'll get your tea," he told the women.
Scully stood. "I'll help," she said, throwing him a look that said she'd brook no objections.
He nodded and preceded her into the kitchen. On the way, they passed through the dining room, which was uniquely partially separated from the living room by a floor to ceiling dark wood divider that mimicked an open stud wall.
He already had slices of lemon and bowls of sugar and cream sitting on a tray. As he placed more mugs on the tray, she confronted him.
"How long have you and Mulder been...together?"
Alex shrugged. "Long enough."
"You're married? How could he? After you killed his father!"
A mug clanked hard on the metal tray. "Scully, you'll need to ask him that question. I've asked it. Maybe you'll understand his answer. Frankly, I don't."
She put the tea kettle on the tray. "Why didn't he ever tell me?"
"Again, you'll need to ask him."
"How did you survive?"
"I was never really shot. Skinner helped us set it up so it'd look as if I were."
She frowned. "Skinner knew? About you and Mulder?"
"He...found out."
"How?"
Alex chuckled. "Kim went slumming with friends to a gay bar. Mulder and I were there. She told Skinner. He confronted Mulder. Shall we take this out?" He motioned toward the tray.
There was no room on the tray for the coffee pot. "I'll take the tray if you'll bring the coffee. I'm surprised Kim didn't say anything to anyone else."
"Skinner swore her to secrecy. They're dating, you know."
Scully's eyebrows rose. She hadn't known. She picked up the tray, but hesitated before she turned toward the door. "If my mother brings up Melissa, don't you DARE react! I know you weren't the one that pulled the trigger, but I don't think she'd be so understanding!"
"Like you are?" he said sarcastically.
She glared at him. "Don't push me, Krycek!" she threatened, and walked out.
After making sure everyone had their drinks, Alex poured some hot water in his own mug for some tea. Dropping in a tea bag, he settled on an ottoman off to the side. "So what brings you up here?"
"The weather!" said Maggie. "We were trying to get to my cousin's to spend the holidays, but the road was closed due to flooding. We had to turn around to find an alternate route, but then the bridge washed out, so we're more or less stranded. I remembered Dana mentioning that Fox had moved up here, so we took a chance that he'd allow us to stay the night."
"Of course you can stay. But I'm afraid you're in for the long haul. This weather isn't going to get better any time soon."
"I hate to inconvenience you like this..."
"Really, it's no problem. We've got three bedrooms sitting empty upstairs and we've plenty of food. And we'll have a lot more if Fox ever gets back." He frowned at the front door as if that would bring his errant lover home. "I'll just need to open up the registers in the rooms. We'd closed them off since they weren't being occupied." He stood. "I'll go do that now." Anything to get out of the room.
**********
As Mulder neared the turnoff onto the road that led to their house, he saw a figure up ahead stumbling toward him in the snow.
"What the hell?" No one should be out on foot in this weather. Especially with the forecast. He braked and put the vehicle in park. Opening the door, he stepped out onto the running board and yelled to the person. "Hey! You need a lift?"
The figure stopped and pushed their hood back a bit so they could see who was yelling, then made their way to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door.
Mulder ducked back in and watched the person climb up into the high 4 wheel drive vehicle, pushing a small backpack onto the floor ahead of them.
"Thanks," said a feminine voice from under the furry edge of their hood as she settled herself.
"You're welcome. Where are you headed?"
"Anywhere."
Oh boy. "What do you mean, 'anywhere'?" he asked.
"Just exactly that. I don't have a definite destination in mind. Just away."
"Away from...?"
The woman sighed. "Home. As far away as I can get." She pushed her hood off of her head. She was young, perhaps too young.
"How old are you?" asked Mulder suspiciously.
She laughed. "Don't worry. I'm legal." She reached down for her backpack and unzipped a compartment. Pulling out a small purse, she opened it and pulled out her driver's license and showed it to him.
"Mary Cleaver?"
"That would be me." She put the license away. "Anywhere you can take me, mister, I'd appreciate it. Though I notice you're heading the way I was coming from."
Mulder smiled. "Yeah, I noticed that too. You live up there?"
She shook her head. "Uh uh. My in-laws kicked me out a while back. Had nowhere to go, so have been bumming rides from people ever since. Figure I'll find the right place for me sooner or later. I've been staying in an old shack up the mountain, but the roof caved in this morning. All the rain, you know. It was already pretty rotten...and leaky. I was going to be moving on anyway, but was hoping to wait until the rain stopped." She motioned out at the snow. "I wasn't counting on this though."
"What about your husband?"
Her eyes dropped. "He's dead. He was disarming a bomb. Something went wrong. He was hurt pretty bad. He died three days later."
"I'm sorry. Law enforcement?"
"Army."
"This is a heck of a time to be without a place to stay. What about your family?"
"Don't have any anymore. My mom died when I was still a baby. Dad went a few years ago. No aunts or uncles. Just me and this one," she said, placing her hand on her stomach.
Mulder closed his eyes. Great. She's pregnant. Couldn't tell with that heavy coat on. "When are you due?" he asked.
She laughed. "Don't worry, I'm not about to pop in your truck. Not for a few weeks yet."
I can't just put her out on the street. What should I do? He sat silently for a minute, then put the truck in gear. He pulled forward and turned onto his road. When he reached their driveway and turned in, he spoke. "You can stay with us for a while."
"I don't want to put you out, but given the circumstances, I accept your offer. I'll leave as soon as it's safe."
"I'm Fox Mulder, by the way. Thought I'd better at least introduce myself."
"Glad to meet you, Fox Mulder. Quite a name."
"Most people call me Mulder," he informed her, letting her know that's what he preferred.
Mulder stopped the truck short of the garage. "Who's vehicle is that?" he muttered curiously, seeing the rented SUV parked in front of the small garage door. "We weren't expecting company." He frowned, not sure whether to be worried or not. Alex was quite able to take care of himself, and besides, surely if someone had come with an intent to harm, they wouldn't drive right up to the house. He hit the opener, and when the garage was open to them, he pulled in.