Title:  Absentee Father 
Author:  ML
Email:  msnsc21@aol.com (feedback, pretty please?)
Distribution:  just please let me know where so I can visit 
Spoilers: Requiem, Redux II, Emily.
Rating: PG-13 for salty language!
Classification: V
Keywords: MSR implied
Summary:  Bill Scully speaks his mind.

Disclaimer:  All of the characters mentioned herein are the property of Chris 
Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, and Fox.  I mean no infringement.

Author's notes:  I started out with one post-Req fic in mind, and this is 
number four.  The others are: You Come and Go Again, The Will to Fight, 
Seeing and Believing. It's not necessary to read one in order to get the 
others but I hope you will, anyway!

Absentee Father (1 of 1)
by ML


That son of a bitch got my sister pregnant and then he ran off.

Just what I would have expected from him.

I know Dana wasn't going to tell me.  I'm not sure Mom would have either, but 
she let something slip when she last talked to Tara.

"Did you know Dana's pregnant?" Tara asked over dinner that night as she 
recounted her conversation with Mom.

The mouthful of potatoes I was chewing suddenly tasted like sawdust.  I 
choked them down and said as calmly as I could, "WHAT did you say?"

Tara realized right away that this wasn't the best way to break the news to 
me.

It's my worst nightmare.  As much as Dana always tries to hide it, I know he 
has her fooled.  She claimed they were only partners that Christmas two years 
ago--when Dana found that little girl.  Maybe that was true, then.  But he is 
obviously a very persuasive guy.  I didn't want Dana working with him, let 
alone having any kind of a personal relationship with him.  As the man of the 
family, I saw it as my duty to warn her.

I warned him, too.  I should have kicked his ass when I first met him.  But 
Dana was sick; we thought she was dying.  I didn't want to upset her any more 
than she already was.  I just wanted him gone.  But he's a persistent 
bastard.  He stuck around.  He made himself scarce whenever I came into 
Dana's room, which was just the way I liked it.  But I could see Dana's eyes 
following him as he went out the door.  He just hovered around in the hallway 
until I left.

Obviously, he was still in the picture after Dana recovered.  I'd hoped that 
her illness would make her take stock, maybe decide to get out of the FBI, be 
a real doctor, maybe meet a normal guy and have a normal family.  Of course, 
I didn't know then that she couldn't have kids.

He came out to San Diego that Christmas.  Dana asked him to come out when she 
found that little girl.  At least she warned me he was coming.  And he did 
his best to keep his distance from me, even though he slept on our couch.  I 
was civil--said as little as possible to him, in the interest of keeping the 
peace.

And even though Dana admitted there was nothing between them--after telling 
me to mind my own business, that is--anyone could tell by looking at him that 
*he* wouldn't be satisfied until he owned her, body and soul.  The whole time 
he was there I had this awful feeling in my gut that he was going to ask her 
to marry him so they could adopt Emily.  But Dana seemed to become more 
distant from him the sicker Emily got and I began to breathe easy.

I felt terrible for Dana when Emily died.  But at the same time her death 
seemed like a disaster averted.  It drove a wedge between Mulder and my 
sister, and I couldn't be sorry about that.

The irony of Matthew's birth happening at the same time wasn't lost on me.  
I've never been good at showing my emotions--who would want or expect that of 
a guy, anyway?  But becoming a father gave me some idea of the pain Dana must 
have felt.  Getting pregnant hadn't been easy for Tara, and if we had lost 
Matthew and knew we could never have another--well, I just don't know what I 
would have done.  

Dana was fairly calm throughout the whole business with Emily.  She has 
always had the ability to withdraw deep within herself.  I know to keep my 
distance when she's like that.  Mulder doesn't seem to notice or care, 
though.  He's always hovering, right there at her shoulder.  And she never 
tells him to get lost, like she would her own brother.

My sister is no dummy.  I don't understand how she could be so taken in by 
this guy.  Mom even likes him.  She won't hear a word against him, though now 
I bet that's changed.

My first impulse when Tara told me the news is to get Dana on the phone and 
demand to know the truth.  Then ream her out for allowing it to happen.  But 
I know she'll probably just tell me to go to hell, so I do what any big 
brother would do.  I call Mom.

Mom isn't very sympathetic to my point of view.  "Bill, it's really none of 
your business."

"But he should never--she should never have--"  I splutter.  I can't seem to 
say the words, "have sex" to my mom.  I say lamely instead, "He knows the 
risks of his profession." 

"And so does Dana."  Mom says simply.  "Bill, what happened between Fox and 
Dana was a mutual decision between two adults.  I won't deny I would rather 
they'd gotten married before taking that step, but it's their business."

"But I thought Dana couldn't have kids!"

"Maybe it's a miracle," my mother says softly.  "Dana says she can't explain 
it herself.  But she's happy about it."

"Well, she's nuts," I say.  "Why would she want to raise a kid on her own?"

"I don't think that's her plan," Mom says.  "Dana has faith that Fox is going 
to return."

"But what if he doesn't come back?"  I continue.  

"Dana will deal with that if it happens.  But right now she's not even 
considering that possibility.  She's absolutely certain he'll come back.  She 
says she'd know if he wasn't."

"God, she's buying into his mumbo-jumbo now!" I exclaim in frustration.  
"What'd he do, hypnotize her?"

"It's called faith, Bill.  You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Mom can still put me in my place.  But I don't stay there long.

"I still say he's run off because he knows I'll kick his ass," I mumble.

"Bill."  Mom's voice has that tone.  I remember that tone from childhood.  
It's the warning:  proceed at your own risk.  I pause in my tirade and wait 
for her to continue.

"Fox doesn't know about the baby," she says.  "Dana wasn't sure before he 
left and so she didn't say anything.  And then of course, she *couldn't* tell 
him."

I have no response to this.  After a second, Mom continues.

"Bill, you haven't been around enough to see what a good man Fox Mulder is.  
When Dana was missing a few years ago, and then when she came back, he never 
gave up, he never lost hope."

"Yeah, and then he got Melissa killed,"  I say.  I realize my mistake as soon 
as the words leave my mouth.

"I don't blame Fox for Missy's death, and neither does Dana."  My mom is 
getting exasperated with me.  She doesn't often raise her voice, but I can 
hear it coming.  "And if I were you, I wouldn't bring up any of this 
conversation with Dana when you talk to her.  In fact, it would be better if 
you didn't talk to her at all until you can get control of yourself."

Silence down the phone lines as we both calm ourselves.

"What if he doesn't get back before the baby is born?"  I finally ask.  "What 
then?"

"Dana will be able to handle t.  I'll be here to help her, and I hope the 
rest of the family will, too," she says pointedly.  "Do I have to remind you 
that your father was away at sea when you were born?"

No, she doesn't.  It's a family legend.  "That's different,"  I say, and I 
sound whiny even to me.

"How is it different?  Fox has a job to do, same as your father did.  
Sometimes that means having to be away when he'd rather not be."

"But Dad had no choice,"  I say.  I don't like her comparing Mulder to my 
father, even indirectly.  It's true that Dad was away a lot.  But he was 
still a great dad when he was home.  Of course I would've liked it better if 
he'd been able to come home every night, have a game of catch with me, go 
fishing on the weekends.  Still, when he was home, he was *home.*  And I have 
great memories of the times we had together as a family.  When he had to go, 
Dad always left me in charge.  It's a responsibility I take seriously even 
now.

"What makes you think Fox has a choice?"  Mom continues, breaking into my 
thoughts.  "Look, I don't pretend to know everything about the work Fox and 
Dana do.  But Dana says it's important, and not just to them.  And even if I 
didn't trust Fox, I'd trust Dana's word."

"Don't tell me that their `work' is a matter of national importance, or the 
future of the world," I still can't believe she's defending him.

"Dana thinks it could be," Mom says quietly, and something in her tone chills 
me.

"Little green men?"  I'm so outraged my voice goes up an octave.

"Dana says it's a lot more than that.  And I believe her.  Why else would so 
many things have happened to them both unless they are on to something 
important?  Don't be so quick to dismiss something because you don't 
understand it."

I change tactics a little.  "Mom, don't you think I have a right as Dana's 
brother, as head of the family, to be concerned about this?"

"That's a very old-fashioned thing to say, Bill.  Are you considering a 
shotgun wedding?"  I hear a tinge of amusement in Mom's voice, but I go on.  
"Mom, I'm just trying to do what I think Dad might have done."

"Your father would never have treated Fox the way you have.  He may not have 
liked the path Dana chose but he respected her right to follow it."

Another statement I have no answer to.  Finally, I mutter, "He's not good 
enough for her.  He doesn't deserve her."

"Dana says Fox has said the same thing to her,"  Mom says surprisingly.  
"Dana has tried to convince him otherwise."

"Why do you like him so much?"  I ask her.

"Bill, I've been trying to explain it to you.  He's a good man.  He cares 
very much for Dana, and Dana feels the same way about him.  I think your 
father would have liked him, too."

There seems no point in arguing any more.  Mom seems as hoodwinked as Dana by 
this guy, so I concede the point, but not the game.  We talk for a few more 
minutes about nothing much and then I say goodbye.

Sometimes I wish I was still at sea.  It's much simpler out there.  There are 
rules and routine, there is protocol.  Life on dry land is a lot more 
complicated.  But I requested shore duty when I found out Tara was pregnant.  
I was there throughout most of Tara's pregnancy, and I was there when Matthew 
was born.  I don't want to be away for months at a time the way Dad was.  I 
want my son to know who I am.

I still think Mulder's a sorry son of a bitch for doing what he's done.  But 
I'll keep my opinion to myself around Dana and Mom.  Part of me almost wishes 
that he won't come back but I can't do that to Dana.  Besides, a kid needs 
his dad, and even a dad like Mulder is better than nothing, I guess.  And if 
he doesn't do right by Dana and the baby, I *will* kick his ass.

I wish Dad was still here.  Despite what Mom says, I think he would 
understand what I'm talking about.  But I'll just have to do the best I can 
with this situation on my own.

end.

Thanks for reading!

Dedication:  to my own dad, whose name was Bill, and who served in the Navy, 
and there any resemblance to the Scully men ends.  He was always there, and I 
will always miss him.

feedback plug:  send any comments to msnsc21@aol.com