Regia, Crede Mihi, Res Est Succurrere Lapsis
 
 

MICHAEL:

June 21, 2001

I've been staying at the prof's.

I made this decision for two reasons. One, the prof is staying, at least some of the time, at our house. He'll go home to see the cat, but he won't sleep there. Says he can't. So he stays at my dad's, and I come over here.

I definitely have the better deal. The second reason is really why: Kelly stays with me here at night. It's been so awesome.

Juliet and the prof, they've got the most comfy bed on the planet, considering it's not even a waterbed. I told the prof, you're gonna sleep in my bed, I'm going to your house, he said that was cool. I didn't say anything about Kelly, but I suspect he doesn't care. He's got way enough on his mind right now. I think Dad's got it figured out, too, but he hasn't said anything about it, he's probably way too busy, and I am too. It's like the only time I really get to see Kelly is late at night right now, so being able to share a bed with her, that is like so great.

And it's really nice because it's not like we have to keep an ear out for Dad to wake up or Miranda to bang on the door or Patrick to yell that he wants me to play with him. We can just stretch out and let it happen.

And there is that unlimited supply of condoms-well, seems like there is, anyway. Way things are going, the prof and Juliet better be prepared to have some unsafe sex when Juliet gets home.

Which looks like it's gonna be a long time. She's having hip surgery tomorrow. I talked to the prof about it a little. He's way nervous, but he's better than he was a few days ago, which is good. I figured the guy was just gonna give up and crawl inside a bottle or go completely nuts then. I mean, the prof is no weakling, no way. But he's had way more than he can take, with Juliet's dad dying-and it sounds like he and the dad really liked each other. Which would be good, because Byers's dad is such a fucking asshole. He leans on my dad a lot, but it's really cool that Juliet's mom and dad really care about him. Him dying on him really sucks.

I don't think that would happen with Kelly's mom. Kelly's been trying to hook up with her, but her mom, it's like, every time Kelly tries to talk to her, her mom just gets all bent out of shape, and she ends up telling her to go away. And Kelly's been worrying about Tracy, who moved in with another in her string of total losers. Tracy's knocked up again, Kelly's worried as hell, she thinks this dude knocks Tracy around a lot, and she's scared. She wants to get Tracy the fuck out, but she's got no idea what to do...she doesn't make enough to even support herself, forget about her little sister, and she's sort of up in the air on that.

She still cries about her mom. I mean, I don't know. Mom's moved on to her newest flavor of the month, but her business got real bad after Kelly had the dude nailed and put away. It was a real short trial, and Troy is basting in his own juices in the state penitentiary. And she blames Kelly. I think she blames Kelly because she's stupid and she can't figure stuff out.

This really pisses me off.

I been trying to put the July issue together...so far, I've managed to get it about pretty well done. Which is good. We need to hit the cyberstands like in a week. Dad says he might have some stuff from working with Miss Russell, so he wants me to leave him some room. He has no idea how happy he made me when he said that. It's like, I finally remembered to breathe.

Which I don't get to do much of. I like have to almost sneak into the offices. If Patrick sees me, or my car, he's like this human rocket and lands right on me. And when he lands, he's a permanent fixture. I thought Alex Sternberg and the Mulderette were tough.

I'm getting ready to bail out the door to go to class after feeding the kitty-Kelly already left for work-and the phone rings. I think about not answering it-it's probably for one of them, so it might as well go to voice mail, but in the end, I pick up.

"Michael." Familiar male voice. It's Mulder's voice.

"Hey, Mulder. What's doing? Byers isn't here."

"I know he's not. I'm calling you."

"How'd you know I was there?"

He laughs. "I have my sources."

"Yeah, let me guess, Dad and Byers told you."

"Hey, sometimes it's easy."

"So what'd you call me for, Mulder? If it's money you wanna borrow, forget it. I got 27 bucks till payday." I know this is a joke, and so does he. Mulder's got bucks. Lots of 'em. I mean, he hasn't made any money in months...and they're sure as hell not starving.

"I wouldn't borrow your money. I'd win it off you."

"At what?"

"Pool."

"Not a fucking chance. You'd lose."

"Uh-huh. But can you play basketball?"

"Mulder, you dumbfuck, I'm five-six! And you didn't call me to ask me to play b-ball, and I got to get to class-"

"Could you watch the girls tonight? Scully and me, we want to go see Byers and Juliet. Scully's gonna talk to Juliet about the surgery and stuff, mostly just as a friendly face, but I really gotta see Byers, I feel bad we haven't gone up-"

"Okay if I bring Kelly?" I don't have time for Mulder to guilt-trip.

"Sure. Just not in front of the children, okay?" I can see him waggling his eyebrows.

"Like you're one to talk, Mulder."

This gives him a good laugh. "So when can you be here?"

"I'll have Kelly meet me there around six."

"That'd be great. Rebecca'll love it. And Michael? Do me a favor while you're there?"

"Besides keeping your kids alive, what?"

"Um...I got to go out of town tomorrow...and I'm gonna take Becca with me...but Scully doesn't know it yet...and she's not packed. Think you could pack enough stuff for about three days?"

"How come Dr. Scully doesn't know?"

"Because if she knew where I was going, she'd tell me no way was I taking her."

"So you're gonna sneak her out?"

"Hey, sometimes apology is better than permission. See ya at six." He rings off.

I don't know why Dr. Scully hasn't murdered him yet.
 

I finish my class, we get our papers back, the one Kelly wrote for me, then I tidied up. I get an A. I'm happy. This class is cake, even if the instructor is a world-class jerk. Kelly and me sit together near the back-usually Kelly likes to be down in front, but even she admits this guy is a prick.

I almost fall asleep leaning on Kelly's shoulder. I'm so damn tired.

We're all tired. And it's only the first day of summer.

Kelly's got to head up to DC to work, and I got to head back to the offices and keep dogging at July. Langly promises he'll help me tonight. He helped a little last night, but mostly, Patrick keeps him and Ally and Miranda running around and screaming. That kid is wild.

I think Langly's crazy about him. I was working out back about ten o'clock last night, getting ready to leave, and went in the kitchen to grab a beer. I peeked in the living room, and there on the sofa was Langly fast asleep with a sleeping little kid on his chest.

God, do they look alike. And I bet you anything Langly was just like Patrick when he was a little kid.

A total brat. But got to admit, this kid is cute as all get out. Course, I think almost all kids are cute. I don't know why I like the little bastards, and they think I'm just great. It's weird. I mean, I don't really do anything different than anyone else, but little kids just glom on to me. Which is okay. I mean, let's face it, kids ask way better questions than most adults do. "Why does a cow say moo?" "Can I have a glass of milk?" and "Why do we have stars at night?" are way better questions than, "Where's your assignment?" "Why's your article late?" and "Who's your parole officer?"

I ended up spending part of yesterday playing Legos with Patrick. Now I'm gonna hang with the Mulderettes tonight. Somebody out there is plotting to train me for fatherhood.

Which I think about these days. Not like I wanna do it now or anything. But I mean, not long ago, I never even would've thought of it. It would be like this alien concept, something I'd never even imagine myself, even a thousand years in the future, doing.

Now I do. I wanna do it with Kelly someday. Course, she's got tons of school left, and I do, too, but who knows. We'll get around to it. I hope.
 

I get over to the offices, I'm trying to sneak in quiet because if Patrick sees me, I have a hard time getting stuff done. I got to admit it. I'd rather sit and play Legos today. Or throw balls, or fly kites, or just do anything like that. I'm getting kind of tired of hearing about the nasty stuff adults do, and believe me, they're doing a lot of it these days. Give me the kids. Let me play. Let me be a kid myself.

Not a fucking chance. Ally's out back talking to these two dudes, and Patrick's there with her, Miranda too. Miranda looks like she's gonna crucify the kid if he doesn't settle down. He keeps pulling on Ally's arm, and Ally looks like she's trying to talk to these two guys, and when she sees me, she asks me would I keep an eye on him for a few, she's trying to talk to the pool contractor.

Pool contractor? Oh God. YESSSS!!!

I'll take your goddamn kid to the moon, lady, if you can get that pool in ASAP.

This is gonna be so cool.
 

LANGLY:

Ally and me decided, we're gonna get a swimming pool. Yeah, it's 20K, but hey, if Patrick makes us too crazy, we can always drown him.

That alone would make the investment worthwhile.

Frohike and me checked out about a hundred contractors before we found a couple we'd let in to the premises. The compound, Ally calls it. I think sometimes the motion detector fence, the video surveillance, and the multiple alarm systems still freak her out. She says she's used to it, but I don't know. I think she's so upper-middle class comfortable in her heart, that when things go south, she's still surprised.

She calls me after lunch, to tell me that she interviewed two of the contractors this morning, and one didn't show. Do we want another estimate?

Yeah, we do. I can hear her shake her head and roll her eyes, seriously, but she goes with it. I tell her to ask Frohike for another name. Then I remember Frohike's out working for Lu Russell, so no dice there.

She also tells me she starts back at work next week.

I wasn't expecting that. I sort of thought she'd take the summer off, then she'd be ready in the fall to go back...but she talked to Scully this morning for a real long time over the relay, and they've got lots of work to do, and Ally wants to get back to it. This does not make me happy, particularly since Scott asked if we could keep Patrick for at least another week. Seems Krista decided to stay longer where she was.

My guess is, Krista ain't coming back.

And if she's not, then, who the hell's gonna take care of Patrick?

"Langly. Day care. Ever heard of it?"

"You think that's a good idea?" I am not convinced.

"Yes." She seems pretty firm on this one. "I had Miranda in day care till she was old enough to look after herself."

Okay, so Miranda is responsible and smart and cool. But I think that's more her mom and dad than anything to do with day care.

"Yeah, but, he's having a hard time...and I mean, we're gonna lose Scott..."

I can't finish the sentence. Shit. I barely know this guy. I don't even know if I like him, or trust him, or even if I can forgive him...but I think he's my family...

"Langly. All the more reason to work him into a regular routine. He doesn't have one right now, and I get the impression he's never had a very firm one. Kids like routines. They like knowing what to expect."

So do adults.

"And he needs other kids to play with."

"Junior plays with him. You play with him. I play with him. Even Miranda does, sometimes."

"And we're generally all ready to kill him after a while. Look, it's not as if we're shipping him off to Siberia. And I'm talking about kids his own age. Other three and four-year-olds. Not adults posing as children." A bit of a jab there, and I know she meant it deliberately.

"And quit sticking your tongue out at me," she scolds from the other end of the phone.

Damn. Busted.

"You really gotta go back to work so soon?"

"Langly, are you more worried about Patrick's well-being, or your own?" Ally is in the mood to deliver a sharp left today, and she's doing it.

"Hey, that's not fair-"

"Langly. I'm going back to work. I'm going to grad school in the fall. I don't want to hear any more bitching about it. The subject is not negotiable." Her voice is still real quiet, girlish, but you can hear the steel in it.

"Yeah...but...I was kind of hoping-"

"For what? Do you feel THAT neglected, Langly?" She's shooting at me, and I don't like it.

"Actually...yeah..."

"Look, I do take care of you. I do everything I can for you. All of you. But I need to get back to work."

"Scully didn't make you, did she?"

"Get real. This is Dana. She encouraged me to take more time off, if I wanted it...but I don't. I've been out of my real life for too long, Langly. I need to get back to it."

"Were you gonna do this if...if..."

"Yes, I was."

Wow. Guess we never went over that part.

Maybe in a way, it was lucky we didn't have this baby. Because when she says it, something sort of clicks...it doesn't make me happy, but it's like, it sort of becomes clear...

We were maybe meant for other things.

And I realize, God, do I miss her.

"Langly? Are you still there?" I guess I went speechless there for a while.

"Uh-huh."

"Look, I have to do a lot of things before I go back...I need to interview some nursery schools this afternoon-"

"Did you e-mail me the names?"

"Yes, I did, open your mailbox, you'll find it. Langly...I just need to feel somewhat normal again...at least what passes for normal with us..."

"Tell me about it."

"I am."

Guess she is, and I guess I better listen up.

I have missed her so much...it's like...it's been so damn long...

And I am so fucking horny...

She seems to know this, or maybe she's just the same way, because I hear her giggle, and that's like music to me...I haven't heard her giggle much lately...

"Soon as I stop bleeding, you'll be the first to know." She giggles more, then hangs up the phone.
 

It's kind of a strange afternoon. I'm still like, I'm in this fog, but it's sort of like you can see patches of it burn off.

I wanted this baby. Real bad. And yeah, I'm sorry it didn't happen. Me and Ally, we'd have made a great kid...

But maybe that's not what we're supposed to be doing in this world...and it looks like we already got plenty of kids to take care of. God knows we've done enough of it...and it looks like no matter what, Patrick will be with us...

I don't think I could give him back...well, okay, sometimes I could...

And I don't think Ally's putting him in nursery school is necessarily the right thing, but she's made it clear, she's doing it.

Could I say I'm happy at this moment?

No.

But for a change, I don't feel paralyzed.

I can go forward now. A little bit. Start tackling the things in front of me, and God knows, there's plenty there...

And hope that pretty soon, Ally's all better...I can't wait...

I actually get work done this afternoon.
 

MICHAEL:

Chateau Mulder makes Chateau Langly look low rent. They have a NICE house. Dr. Scully says it's Tudor style, whatever the hell that is. And it's big.

You'd think in a place that size, you could hide out...but Becca races to the door when I get there and almost knocks me over before I can pick her up. Christ, that kid is growing like a weed.

What a mankiller that kid's gonna be. She's like, she looks like Mulder, but on her, it's pretty. She's got a real pouty mouth and big green eyes and real long, straight dark hair. She's gonna have to beat the guys off with a stick when she grows up.

Course, all she's gotta do is introduce them to her old man...that should weed out the ones that are just fucking around...I mean, Mulder's not the type that would pull a gun on them when he meets them...but he's pretty weird. Most guys deal better with guns than weirdness.

Dr. Scully hands me the younger Mulderette, who's like four months old now, and she's bigger every time I see her. Prettier, too. She's got more of her mom in her, like she's a cross between Mulder and Dr. Scully, where Becca is Mulder's little girl, all the way.

Younger Mulderette smiles now, and she even smiles at me...I expect her to start crying when her mom hands her off to me, but no, the kid decides to play nice.

At least till she needs changing, anyway. I offer her to Kelly, and Kelly's like, hey, you do it.

Like I said, maybe someday. But not now.

Definitely not now.
 

BYERS:

It's been a long, hard couple of days. I was so worn last night, I actually went to Frohike's to sleep. Michael said he was going to Juliet's and my place, and that's fine. At least then Tivvy won't be lonely. I suspect that Kelly is accompanying him. I think Frohike suspects it, too-it's a bit of a sore subject with him. But I don't have time to play moral guardian at this time, and it's not my place, anyway.

I'm assuming Frohike has advised his son on the facts of life...I don't feel the need to add to the discussion. And Michael is of majority in every state in the union.

Not to mention that he is an excellent cat-sitter. He says that Tivvy misses us, but she's looking mighty glossy and well-fed and content for a cat that's supposed to be miserable.

I'm actually grateful he has somewhat taken over our home. I go to visit with Tivvy, but truth be told, I can barely stand to be there without Juliet. It's as if I were in a stranger's apartment. I hardly recognize it as my own.

This is because it's not my own. It's mine and Juliet's, and without her to complete it, it simply isn't home.

I still can't sleep very well, but at least I can get a few hours in when I'm at Frohike's.

Even if the place does resemble the Black Hole of Calcutta. He and Michael are two bachelors living together, and the apartment evidences that, in spades. I don't think they bother with dishes until the situation becomes desperate, and if they've ever vacuumed the living room, it would come as a complete surprise to me.

I mentally debate as to whom has the messier home, Langly or Frohike. Since Ally's been laid up, it's a toss.

As I mentioned, I think about the oddest things at the most inappropriate times.

While I'm mentally musing the housekeeping shortcomings of my friends and associates, I'm greeted by two visitors. It's Mulder and Scully, carrying a large bunch of bearded irises in brilliant colors. Mulder slaps me lightly on the back and shakes my hand, and Scully gives me a brief embrace. She then begins to study Juliet's chart and proceeds to look her over, first as a friend, then as a clinician. She grabs some paper and begins to write out a conversation with Juliet.

While the two of them are engrossed in trading notes, Mulder motions me out of the room.

"Byers. Going out of town tomorrow."

"Where to?"

"Some of the places on our lists...I can't get anyone to talk to me on the phone."

"Your charm must be in its dormant phase," I remark dryly.

"Yeah, either I'm losing my touch, or this is-anyway, I have a plan."

"What's the plan?"

"Simple. I visit them in person. Unannounced. And accompanied by my older daughter."

"Mulder. You're not taking your daughter on a case with you?"

He laughs. "Look. Who can resist Rebecca? My charm may be wearing thin, but she has it in abundance."

"You're using your own daughter to work a case?"

He grins. "Besides, I'd miss her!"

"How does Scully feel about this?"

"Well...she doesn't know yet. But she will. I'm not going to do anything that would be harmful to her. You know I wouldn't do that to my daughter."

"I know..."

"Look, I've had my share of my parents putting me in harm's way...and you have, too. I'm not going to do anything that would compromise my little girl's safety."

I know he won't...but the question is, will Scully believe him?

She might, but I get the impression that she might kill him, anyway.

So what's the first thing I think of when he tells me this? That I'm worried for his daughter's well-being? That Scully is going to be terribly upset about her daughter?

No, my first, and rather malicious thought is, I'd love to be a fly on the wall when that conversation occurs.

I am so terrible.
 

Scully answers all of Juliet's questions regarding her surgery, at least, the ones that are answerable. Granted, Juliet has a very accomplished orthopedic surgeon working with her, but she has met Scully, and while Scully's general bedside manner could not be termed as warm, when she is with a person she cares about, or who is affiliated with a person she cares about, you can sense a depth to her compassion that she keeps well-concealed from all but those in her inner circle.

Scully is rather like a cat. Her affection is not easily won, but once it is, it's not for sale.

I'm surprised they don't have one...but Mulder says she's allergic to cats, which is one of the reasons that they have a dog. A large dog. They've got some type of shepherd-collie mix.

I don't think I could be comfortable with a large dog living in my home. Maybe a Jack Russell terrier. Or a Dachshund. I know they look somewhat strange, but I think they're quite adorable.

I realize that I am very nervous...I find my mind racing in all kinds of bizarre directions, which is what happens when I am. But at least I am no longer frozen. I'm tired, and worried, and not looking forward to the days ahead.

But I'm not in the paralytic state I was in the other night.

I need to remember to e-mail Gizzie and thank her.

Once again, in the midst of it all, I feel I am a very lucky man.
 

MICHAEL:

We read stories. We watched Winnie the Pooh. We changed diapers like crazy.

And now, the Mulders senior have gotten home, kissed their daughters goodnight, and sent Kelly and me on our way.

I nodded at Mulder on the way out. Kelly and me packed for Becca-I'm not sure we did it right, I have no idea how you pack for a baby, but we tried. We threw in a bunch of shirts and shorts and about a thousand diapers. Kelly said not to forget the PJ's, so we tossed those in, too.

Personally, I think he's nuts. Not because I think he'll get Becca into trouble-he's like so protective of those kids, no way would anything happen to them. I feel sorry for the guy that ever breaks one of their hearts. Mulder will have their sorry asses. Dr. Scully, too.

I think Mulder is taking a wicked chance with Dr. Scully, but hey, he married her...he oughta know better by now.

And the idea of her stringing him up by his balls is kind of amusing.
 

Time to go to the prof's house.

It's dark and it's quiet...when we get there, instead of turning on the lights, we light a few of the candles they leave around. You can definitely set the mood in the prof's house.

Plus he's got AC.

It's gonna be a great night.

END OF PART 48