Day 1 of @fictober and also tagging @today-in-fic
Written for a prompt sent by @contrivedcoincidences6 ‘That’s a fact Jack’
“William Mulder I think you need to go right to your room please.”
I glance up from where I have my nose buried in the latest copy of the National Enquirer and raise my eyebrows in the direction of the four- feet- nothing of piss and vinegar who is now stomping up the stars and muttering angrily to himself. I mean, Will is no saint and at seven years old he has tested just about every boundary in existence because let’s face it, while he might have inherited Scully’s colouring, he is, in every other way possible, his father’s son; but on the whole he is a good kid and bedroom banishment, while not unheard of is thankfully a rarity.
I wince slightly at the sound of the door slamming in it’s frame and I swear the house trembles slightly from the force of his anger, before switching my attention to my tight-lipped, recently- returned -from- sunday- service- wife who is staring at me right now like I am something particularly unpleasant that she has tracked in on her shoe. And call me Spooky but I suddenly have a bad feeling. A very bad feeling as to the reason for her anger.
“He practised his rhyming skills Mulder. In church.”
Better get my defense in quickly.
“You can’t blame me for this Scully.”
“Of course I blame you Mulder! Who spent the whole weekend teaching him this stuff? Who thought it was so hilarious when I told you that it was inappropriate? Who told me I was over reacting when he finished off a conversation with Walter on friday evening with the words ‘you’re a winner Skinner?’ and then fucking laughed at me when I said he was being disrespectful?”
“No not this time Mulder. And don’t look at me like that. Because thanks to you, our son stood up in front of a packed congregation, in front of my Mother, in front of a Goddamn visiting Archbishop and shouted ‘That’s a fact Jack’ at Father Jacob at the end of his sermon and even worse when Mom tried to shush him he told her to take a chill pill mom of Bill……. I mean what the fuck Mulder?”
“I was helping him with his english assignment…”
“His English assignment was to write a short poem about Summer Mulder. Not to parody the names of his entire circle of friends and family.”
She huffs in annoyance when I get to my feet and shrug lightly, turning on the patented Fox Mulder puppy eyes that experience has shown me over and over she is powerless to resist. Couple that with a heartfelt apology and she is putty in my hands.
“I’m sorry Scully. I messed up and I will talk to him I promise.”
I use my finger under her chin to tip her face up so I am looking directly into her eyes.
Another small huff but I can tell she is wavering, as always incapable of staying mad for long so I drop a quick kiss on her forehead and decide to strike while the iron’s hot.
“I’ll go up there right now in fact.”
Ten minutes later I am back in front of Scully with a gently berated but suitably repentant William at my side.
“What do you say to your Mom Will?”
And Scully’s expression visibly softens when he stammers out an apology as his blue eyes film with tears and his breath hitches in his attempt not to cry. Because just like me, my son has a knack for saying and doing stupid things but his intentions are generally good and there few things that distress him more than disappointing or hurting this remarkable woman who gave him birth.
“I’m sorry I said that thing in Church and to Uncle Skinner and made Grandma breathe funny when I said about Uncle Bill.”
He throws his arms around Scully’s waist and she smiles down at him, runs her fingers soothingly through his thick red hair, his earlier misdemeanor instantly forgiven in the face of such obvious distress.
“It’s alright baby, just don’t do it again okay?”
His head is still buried but slowly he emerges and stares up at her.
“Okay I promise….I love you…”
“Cos you are da bomb Mom.”
And to my surprise Scully starts to laugh as she catches my eye, opening her arms to invite me in and I join my small family in a the circle of love she has created, that we have created, nuzzling her in that sweet soft spot behind her ear, breathing her in as I close my eyes in wonderment as to how I ever got so lucky.
“Did you teach him that Mulder?”
“Nope. He’s a smart kid Scully and I think he figured that one out all by himself.”
