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Title: Sarah 08. Staying with Margaret Summary: Mulder and Scully take an out of town case, and Sarah goes to stay with Mrs. Scully. Mulder read the information again, pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "I can't take this case, Scully," he said, closing the file. "Why not?" "It's in Wisconsin, and that means I'd have to leave Sarah. I still haven't found anyone who could look after her when I'm away. Mrs. Flansburg is fine for after school care, but she can't do overnight. I guess it's just luck that all our recent cases have been fairly local." Scully tapped her pen thoughtfully on the desk. "I know someone who would take her." "Who?" "My mom. She'd jump at the chance. You know how she is with kids, Mulder - and at least Sarah would be with someone you know and could trust." "Scully, I couldn't impose on your mom like that..." "Nonsense. She's very fond of you, and she'll love Sarah. She's dying to meet her. It's certainly something to think about, isn't it?" He had to admit that the idea was a good one, and Scully was right. Margaret Scully was someone he knew and trusted. He was also desperate to get his teeth into a really good case, not the pedestrian offerings they had dealt with recently. Scully could see him weighing up the pros and cons in his mind. "Would you like me to call my mom and ask her?" she enquired. Mulder shrugged - he had nothing to lose and everything to gain. "Okay." One phone call later and it was all arranged - they would take the case in Wisconsin and Sarah would stay with Margaret Scully. Now all he had to do was tell Sarah. Mulder broke the news on the way home from the sitter. "Sarah - I have to go away for a couple of days." He took his eyes off the road momentarily to look sideways at her. "Can I come?" she asked. "No, sweetheart - I have to go away because of work. I thought you might like to go and stay with Dana's mommy." "But I want to stay with you," said Sarah tremulously. "I know, baby, but sometimes my job takes me away from home." "Are you going to come back?" The tears weren't very far away. "Of course I am, Sarah. I would never leave you, sweetheart. I love you very much, and I would be very sad not to see my little girl again." He reached out and tenderly pushed her hair behind her ear. Mulder had dreaded the day that an out of town case landed on his desk and he would have to leave his daughter. Things had improved somewhat since Sarah had first come to live with him - she had settled down at school, where she was doing well and had made new friends. The bad nights were becoming less frequent and she wasn't so nervous around strangers. Now that Christmas was over and they were into a new year, Mulder felt that things could only get better. Mulder put the last of Sarah's things into her overnight bag. Amongst the items he had packed for her was his old Knicks T-shirt. She had adopted it as some sort of security blanket and she wouldn't go to sleep without it. Sarah liked to cuddle it as her father read or sang to her at bedtime. "There - all set," he said with a smile. "You forgot Mommy," announced Sarah, pointing to the photograph on the nightstand. "Oh, so I did," replied her father and he placed the portrait of Annie in the top of the bag. Sarah still looked troubled. "What is it, sweetheart?" "I don't have a picture of you, Daddy," answered the little girl. Mulder smiled again. "Well, let's see if we can find one, shall we? Then when I come home, we'll have a picture taken together. How about that?" That cheered Sarah considerably. Mulder managed to find a photo of himself - one that Margaret Scully had taken in her garden at the Scully family's summer barbecue, which Dana had bullied him into attending, against his better judgement. He had actually thoroughly enjoyed himself, but he hadn't given Scully the satisfaction of knowing that, although the photo was all the evidence she needed. Margaret had caught him in an unguarded moment, smiling and looking totally relaxed. "How about this one?" He showed the picture to Sarah and she nodded, so he packed it into the bag. In another bag he packed some of her toys and books, her coloring things and a list of her favorite songs, in case she wanted one sung at bedtime. Margaret Scully watched from the window as the tall man walked up the path with the young girl at his side. Fox Mulder and his daughter. She had been every bit as surprised as Dana when Scully had told her about Sarah. The child was holding his hand tightly and he kept glancing down at her, as if to reassure her, a comforting smile on his face. At the sound of the doorbell, Margaret hurried to the front door. "Fox! How wonderful to see you!" Then she bent down. "You must be Sarah. Dana's told me all about you." They followed Margaret into the house. Sarah removed her coat and hat and Margaret hung them on a coat hook. "Now Sarah - I'm Dana's mom and my name is Margaret. You can call me Auntie Margaret if you like. I have a nice bedroom all ready for you. Would you like to see it?" Mulder felt Sarah's grip on his hand tighten just a little. "That'll be fine, Mrs. Scully," he replied. She led them up the stairs to what had once been Scully's room. There was a pleasant view out over the back garden. By the window sat a rocking chair, covered by a throw. "Just put her things on the bed, Fox," instructed Margaret. "We'll sort everything out later." They went back downstairs and Mulder started to run through details with Margaret. "Sarah usually has a bath before she goes to bed - around eight o'clock. She likes to have a story or some songs before she goes to sleep. Oh, and make sure that she has the Knicks shirt in bed with her. Sarah wakes up around seven, and has breakfast before she gets ready for school." He delved into his pocket for another sheet of paper. "I've written the name, address and phone number of the school on this sheet. I've told them you'll be collecting Sarah, so they'll be expecting you. I've also written down my cellphone number in case you need to get hold of me in an emergency." Margaret Scully listened patiently as he ran through all these details. Then she said softly, "Fox." He regarded Mrs. Scully. "You don't have to worry. I'll take good care of her." Her hand rested lightly on his wrist. "I know you will... it's just that..." he trailed off. "I understand, Fox. You're not the first father that ever had to leave his daughter." Margaret's comment made him pause for a moment. Had it been like this for Scully's father every time he went away to sea? Mulder gave a wan smile, then he turned to Sarah, crouching down until he was at eye level with her. Her dark brown eyes gazed solemnly back at him. "I'll call you before you go to bed, okay?" said Mulder softly. "And you be good for Auntie Margaret." The lump in his throat was threatening to choke him. He didn't want to leave her. "She'll be fine, Fox," said Margaret. "You'd better go, or you'll miss that plane." He reached out and gathered Sarah into his arms, drinking deeply of her fragrance. Her small hands clasped his neck and she squeezed. "I love you, Sarah," said Mulder softly. "I love you too, Daddy," answered the little girl. He held her for a moment longer, then very reluctantly broke their connection. "I'd better go," he said thickly. Mulder strode down the garden path without a backward glance - he knew that if he saw Sarah standing on the doorstep he would not be able to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill out of his eyes. Only when he was seated in the car did he allow himself to look back and wave to his daughter before pulling away and driving off. Margaret Scully placed an arm around Sarah's slim shoulders and drew her back into the house, closing the door behind her. "Dana tells me that you like chocolate milk and chocolate chip cookies," said Margaret. Sarah looked up at her hostess and nodded. "Well, shall we go and see what we can find in the kitchen?" One glass of milk and two cookies later, Sarah seemed to have relaxed a little. Margaret offered up a silent prayer of thanks to her daughter for passing on Sarah's likes and dislikes. "What are we going to do now?" asked the child. "I don't know, Sarah. What would you like to do?" asked Margaret. Let the child set the pace - don't force her into anything. "Can I do some drawing, please? Daddy packed my paper and pens in the other bag." "Well, let's go and get them, shall we?" Scully suddenly realized that she had been talking to herself for the best part of the last five minutes. She closed the buff folder on her lap and turned her attention to her partner. "Mulder," said Scully softly. No response. He was staring into space, his thoughts miles away - back in Washington to be precise. Scully passed a hand in front of his eyes, once, and then again. "Mulder," she said again, a little louder this time. Success. "What?" He started, as if coming out of a trance and saw Scully looking at him with concern. "Scully - I'm sorry. I was miles away. What were you saying?" Scully smiled. "It doesn't matter, Mulder. We can talk about it later. Are you okay?" Her voice was full of tender concern. "I'm fine, Scully," answered Mulder. "I'm just worried about Sarah." "She'll be fine - she's in good hands." "I know you're right, but I feel like a character from a Dickens novel, as if I just abandoned her at the gates of the orphanage." Scully took his hand in hers and lightly stroked the fingers. "You're no such thing, and you know that. The first time is always the worst, Mulder. You'll get used to it, and so will she." "Will I, Scully?" he asked doubtfully. "You know, I couldn't even look back until I was in the car. I felt so choked up... I didn't dare turn back to look at her face. This is the hardest thing I've had to do since she came to live with me." "I don't doubt that, Mulder, but you also have a job to do," replied Scully softly. "You can't do that job with half your mind back in Washington." "I know that, Scully, and I promise I'll give the job one hundred percent concentration." "I know you will," said Scully, patting his hand. Mulder's fingers closed around hers and squeezed gently. "Thanks, Scully," he said softly. "What for?" "Being so understanding." He was quiet for a moment, then, "Sarah asked if I was coming back. I think she's frightened that I'm going to leave her, like her mother did." "What did you tell her?" asked Scully. "I said that of course I was coming back, and that I would be very sad not to see her again." He looked at Scully. "What?" she asked. "What was it like when you were Sarah's age and your father went away?" asked Mulder. "How did you feel?" Scully gave a fond smile as she thought of her father. "I was always afraid that he might not come back. I used to cling to him, begging him not to go, but it was something he had to do. It got better as I grew older - I was more able to understand why he went away, that it was his job. My father loved his job - the sea was in his blood. He would have hated to have been stuck behind a desk all day, every day - the same way that you hate being chained to your desk. You and my father are very much alike in that respect." Mulder was chewing the inside of his cheek and nodding, his brow wrinkled. "Is there something else, Mulder?" asked Scully. "Sarah's question started me thinking," he said. "What if something did happen to me? Who would look after her?" He reached into his briefcase and drew out a long, official looking manila envelope, handing it to Scully. "That's why I had this drawn up." "What's this?" she asked. "Open it," said Mulder. Scully did just that, and unfolded the sheets of paper. She read it, her lips parting in surprise as she did so. "Mulder... I don't know what to say!" The papers named Scully as Sarah's legal guardian in the event of anything happening to her father. "I can't think of anyone I'd rather have taken care of Sarah if anything happened to me, and I know she's very fond of you," said Mulder. "I know I didn't go about things the right way when I first brought Sarah to you, and you'll probably want to shoot me for doing this, but this is very important to me, Scully. I need to know that she'll be in good hands, and that you would look after her." "You know I would, Mulder," replied Scully, still overcome. "I'm honored, I really am, and I promise that if the time ever comes, I will do everything to raise Sarah in the way that you would want and make you proud of her." With that, the announcement to buckle up ready for landing came over the aircraft's PA. Back in Washington, Sarah had been bathed and was wrapped up in her nightgown and robe. She played quietly at the kitchen table as Mrs. Scully washed up the few items from earlier. "What time will Daddy call?" asked Sarah. "It should be anytime now," replied Margaret with a smile. "He won't forget, will he?" "I shouldn't think so, Sarah." Margaret dried her hands. "Shall we go next door and wait for him to call? You can show me one of your books while we wait." The little girl slipped off the chair and followed the older woman into the comfortable living room. Margaret had just sat down when the phone rang. Sarah came immediately to her side. "Is that Daddy?" she asked expectantly. "Let's find out, shall we?" answered Margaret, lifting the receiver. It was indeed Mulder. "Hello, Fox. Yes, she's fine - she's right here. I'll put her on." Margaret smiled affectionately at the child hopping from one foot to the other by her elbow. "Sarah, honey - it's your Daddy!" Sarah took the receiver and cried, "Daddy!" "Hello, sweetheart," said her father softly. "What have you been doing? Have you been a good girl for Auntie Margaret?" "Yes, Daddy. I've been doing some drawing. Auntie Margaret says that when I come home from school tomorrow I can do some finger painting!" "Well, that's very nice of her. I hope you remembered to say thank you'." "Of course I did, Daddy!" Sarah's indignant tone made him chuckle softly. "I'm sure you did," he replied warmly. "I have to go now, sweetheart. I'll call you again tomorrow night before you go to bed, okay?" "Okay, Daddy. When are you coming home?" "In a couple of days' time. Now, sleep tight, and don't let the bedbugs bite!" Sarah giggled at that. It did wonders for Mulder to hear his daughter laugh, and his worries began to lessen. It really was time to go. "I love you, Sarah," he said softly, "and I'll see you very soon." "I love you too, Daddy," replied the child, then she passed the receiver back to Mrs. Scully. She had a quick conversation with Mulder, during which he told her that he would have a better idea the following day of when they would be home, before he ended the call. "How was she?" asked Scully when Mulder put the phone back on the hook. "Fine," he replied. "It seems your Mom is keeping her fully occupied." Scully smiled. "Don't forget, Mulder - she's had a lot of practice!" "Sarah asked when I was coming home - well, you heard what I said, and what I said to your Mom." His mind at rest, he turned to the buff folder lying on top of his bed covers. "Now, shall we go over this file?" Margaret Scully closed the copy of "Peter Rabbit" that Sarah had brought with her and placed it quietly on the night stand. The child had fallen asleep as she read, Sarah's small hands grasping the old Knicks shirt that had belonged to her father. Margaret watched Sarah sleeping. The child was a delight, and so pretty. Sarah was just how she would have imagined a child of Fox's to look. Sarah was wearing the little gold cross that Scully had given her for Christmas, and it caught the light momentarily. Margaret leaned over, put her lips to the child's brow and whispered softly, "Goodnight and God Bless, Sarah." With that, she rose quietly and left the room. Anguished sobbing brought Mrs. Scully to full wakefulness. Immediately she was out of bed and along to Sarah's room. The child was out of bed, distressed and disoriented. She'd woken suddenly in the night, and found herself in strange surroundings. Nothing was familiar, except for the pictures of her mother and father by the bed and her father's T-shirt, which she was clutching to her chest. "Sarah, honey - what's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?" Margaret tried to gather Sarah into her arms, but the child pulled away. "I want Daddy," she sobbed, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. "Daddy had to go away for a while," said Margaret softly. "He asked me to look after you while he was gone." Margaret reached out again, but Sarah would not let her near. "I want my Daddy!" she cried, her sobs getting louder. "Sweetheart, Daddy will be home real soon," said Margaret. "Come here, let me hold you." "No!" Sarah twisted away and ran towards the bedroom door. "I want to go home - I want my Daddy!" "Honey - Daddy isn't at home," said Margaret patiently. Her heart ached for the child. "Come, Sarah - come here. Sweetie, I'm not going to hurt you. I'm Dana's Mommy, don't you remember? Just let me hold you." Margaret moved closer until she was able to gather Sarah into her arms. Sarah's sobbing was heartrending. Margaret held her and just let her cry, watching her small chest heave with the wracking sobs that shook her body. She stroked Sarah's hair, whispered comforting words to her, but the child would not be consoled. She was still asking for her father. "Daddy will be home in a few days, Sarah. He had to go away to do some work." "Is he coming back?" asked the child tearfully. "He'll be back in a few days, when his work is finished. That's not too long to wait, is it?" Margaret's question was met with more sobbing. She was beginning to wonder if she should call Fox and ask him to have a word with his daughter, to try and calm her down, but she decided against it. She didn't want to worry him. "Sarah, your Daddy loves you very much, and he wouldn't leave you unless it was really necessary," said Margaret softly. She felt for the child - she had been through so much trauma and upheaval for one so young. The loss of her mother, leaving the home and family that she loved, moving to a new city to live with a father she hardly knew. Enrolling in a new school, having to make new friends - all of which was very daunting if you were only six years old. From what Dana had said, Fox had coped well. He took his responsibilities as a father very seriously and it was obvious that Sarah brought him great joy. Margaret carried Sarah to the rocking chair and sat down, cuddling the child against her, rocking gently and humming softly. Her free hand smoothed Sarah's hair and caressed her cheek. Gradually the sobs lessened, then stopped altogether. She had cried herself to sleep. Margaret sat for a while longer, to make sure that Sarah really was asleep, then placed her carefully in the bed, pulling the covers over her. Mulder woke suddenly, a strange feeling settling on him. Sarah, where was Sarah? Then he remembered - he was in Wisconsin and she was back in Washington with Mrs. Scully. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and he debated whether to call just to check that everything was all right. In the end he decided against it - Mrs. Scully probably wouldn't take too kindly to receiving a phone call in the middle of the night. Mulder swung his long legs to the floor and headed for the bathroom. He ran the tap, filled a glass with water, and drank. When he'd had his fill, he stared at his reflection in the mirror, and wondered what the hell he was doing in a ratty motel, in a town in Wisconsin that barely merited a dot on the map. "I should be at home with Sarah," thought Mulder guiltily. "Not chasing round after UFO abductees." Then he recalled Scully words - how he and her father were alike. He smiled - Scully, the voice of common sense and reason, as ever. She was right of course - there was no way he could ever be content with just sitting behind a desk all day. On the odd occasion he'd been confined to the office, he'd nearly climbed the walls in frustration. No, it wouldn't do him or Sarah any good if he had to stop doing the work that he loved. He would come to resent his enforced separation from the job, and that in turn would lead to resentment of Sarah. Mulder sighed, snapped off the bathroom light and headed back to bed. Maybe he'd feel better in the morning. "You okay, Mulder?" asked Scully over breakfast. "I thought I heard you moving about last night." "I'm fine, Scully," he replied less than convincingly. "I was thirsty - I got up to get myself a drink." She watched him as he toyed with his scrambled eggs. There was more. Mulder looked up, his hazel eyes meeting her blue ones. It was hopeless - he couldn't keep anything from her, she knew him too well. "I was worried about Sarah," he admitted. "I woke up with the awful feeling that something had happened to her. I thought about calling your Mom, but I didn't think she'd be too pleased." He met Scully's eyes again. "Am I being silly, Scully? Am I worrying too much?" Scully's hand stretched across the table and covered his. "No, you're not being silly at all. It's perfectly natural for you to worry. It's the first time you've left her, so you're bound to worry. I'd be doing the same if it were me leaving my child for the first time." A brief image of Scully cradling an infant flashed through his mind as his eyes held hers for just that moment longer. Mulder turned and stared out of the window for a second. When he turned back there was such anguish in his eyes. "Scully, do you think Sarah will hate me for leaving her?" Her fingers stroked the back of his hand. "No, Mulder - Sarah won't hate you for leaving her. She might find it a little hard to understand at first, but she won't hate you." How she wanted to get up and slide in beside him and hold him, soothe away all his fears. "Mulder, if there had been a problem, my Mom would have called, you know that, don't you?" Mulder nodded. This type and level of anxiety was new to him - he guessed it came with the territory. It was what being a parent was all about. "If it makes you feel better, why don't you give my Mom a call?" suggested Scully. "No," replied Mulder. "I need to get over this sometime - I guess I might as well start now. I'll call tonight as scheduled." Scully smiled. She knew how hard it was for him to resist making the call. "Scully, does the worrying ever end?" he asked as he rose out of his seat. "No," replied Scully, shaking her head for extra emphasis and smiling. "You'll still be worrying about Sarah when you're old and grey, and she's forty, with a family of her own!" "Just as I thought," said Mulder mournfully. Then he smiled down at his partner. "Come on - we've got a case to solve!" Margaret Scully brushed Sarah's thick hair until it was tangle free, then put it into the scrunchie that her father had given her for Christmas. The child looked very smart in her red plaid pants and plain red henley style top. On her feet she wore the black pumps that Scully had bought for her to wear on Christmas day. "Is Daddy going to call this morning?" asked Sarah. "Not this morning, honey," answered Margaret. "He'll call tonight before you go to bed." She watched the child carefully - she seemed none the worse for her bad night. Margaret decided not to refer to it again - she didn't want to upset the little girl. "Now, are we all set? Where's your backpack?" Sarah picked up her panda backpack from the floor and they went downstairs and put on their hats and coats. At the school, Margaret introduced herself to Sarah's teacher so that there would be no confusion when she came to collect the child later. "I understand that Sarah's father notified you as to the temporary change of arrangements," said Mrs. Scully. "I spoke with Mr. Mulder the day before yesterday," replied Miss Smythe, Sarah's teacher. "Thank you for introducing yourself - I'll know who to look for now. Is this likely to be a regular thing? Mr. Mulder led me to believe that his work takes him away from home quite often. I'm just concerned about the effect this might have on Sarah. She's had a lot of changes on top of one another for one so young, and what with recent events..." The teacher trailed off, unsure as to whether Mrs. Scully knew about Sarah's recent problems. "What she really needs is a period of stability." "I'm sure that her father is well aware of that," said Mrs. Scully politely. "He wouldn't do anything that would be detrimental to Sarah's welfare." She looked over at the young girl, who was busy chatting to a friend, then back to the teacher. "If you'll excuse me, I'd better let Sarah know that I'm going. If there are any problems, please call me. I understand that Sarah's father gave you my name, address and telephone number?" "Yes, he did. Mr. Mulder was very thorough in his arrangements," replied Miss Smythe. Margaret smiled - she wouldn't have expected anything less from Fox. Mulder glanced at his watch. It was nearly one thirty. He had been so absorbed in their new case that he hadn't noticed the time passing until his stomach reminded him that he needed to eat. "Time for lunch, Scully," he said with a grin. "What delights can you offer me today?" "Well, there's Tony's Rib Shack or Dave's Diner - take your pick," answered Scully without enthusiasm. "Shall we toss for it?" suggested Mulder, fishing a coin out of his pocket. "I'll even let you decide which is which." "Mulder, your generosity knows no bounds." Scully's tone was dry. Mulder grinned, and gave a little bow. "Heads it's the ribs, tails it's the diner." He flipped the coin into the air, and watched it land in the dirt. "Well?" asked Scully. Mulder inspected the coin on the ground. "It's tails," he smiled. "I guess that means it's the diner!" Despite her misgivings, the diner wasn't too bad. At least it was clean and the seats were comfortable. For a small town, the menu was quite extensive. "Cheeseburger for me, I think," declared Mulder with a smile. Scully shook her head. "What?" "I was just wondering what happened to all your good intentions!" she replied. "That's the second cheeseburger you've had in as many weeks." "I didn't know you were keeping score, Scully!" Mulder's eyes twinkled. "Anyway, I've been really good since Sarah arrived - surely the occasional lapse won't hurt?" Scully rolled her eyes at him. She was sure that he had been weaned on the stuff. "I suppose not," she replied. "Just don't come complaining to me when your arteries are all furred up!" Then she smiled at him affectionately. "What?" "I know how much you love your junk food, Murder. It must be hard for you to give it up. I think you've done very well." "It hasn't been that hard. It's fine as long as I can have an occasional cholesterol fix!" grinned Mulder. "I've got back into the habit of eating a lot of things I used to eat when I was a kid, and that's all thanks to Sarah." He picked up his fork and waved it at her. "You know, Scully, for one so young, she has a very sophisticated palate! She eats Chinese, Indian - we even had some Thai food the other day. There's not much that Sarah doesn't eat." Conversation came to a halt as Mulder's cheeseburger and Scully's salad arrived, and they both tucked in hungrily. Sarah was waiting in the schoolyard, just as Margaret Scully had instructed. Before leaving home, Margaret had got out everything that Sarah would need for finger painting, so that the child could make a start straight away. As she drove, she listened as Sarah talked animatedly about her day at school. At least she seemed to be enjoying her lessons, and from what Dana had told her, Fox was very pleased with his daughter's progress. "Can we still do finger painting when we get home?" asked Sarah. "Of course we can, sweetheart. I've got everything ready for you," answered Margaret. "I'm going to paint a picture for Daddy to hang in his office." "That's a good idea, Sarah. I'm sure your Daddy will be very pleased with that." Margaret helped Sarah into a cover-all to protect her clothes from any accidental spilling of paint. "What are you going to paint?" asked Margaret. "It's a surprise," answered Sarah, then she proceeded to dip her finger into some paint and began her painting. "I'll leave you to get on with that while I put the dinner on," said Margaret. "What are we having for dinner?" asked Sarah. "Roast chicken, with roast potatoes and vegetables." "I like roast chicken," said Sarah enthusiastically, licking her lips. Margaret smiled. "I know you do - your Daddy told me!" "Daddy lets me have a leg," Sarah informed her hostess, at the same time continuing with her painting. "He lets me pick it up in my fingers to eat it." Margaret chuckled, and proceeded to put the chicken into the oven. Then she peeled the potatoes, at the same time keeping an eye on Sarah, who was engrossed in her painting. "I've finished," announced Sarah at last. Margaret was sitting opposite drinking a cup of tea. The child brought the painting round to show her. Sarah had painted a house, with a man, a woman and a child standing outside. Up in the top left hand corner she had placed the sun, in the other corner was an as yet unidentified splodge. "This is very nice, Sarah. I think Daddy will be very pleased with it. Can you tell me about your painting?" "This is our house, and this is Daddy," replied Sarah, indicating as she spoke. "Who is the lady? Is it your Mommy?" "No - it's Dana." Margaret should have realized, seeing the that the woman's hair had been rendered in red. "And what's this up here?" Margaret pointed to the splodge in the corner. "That's Mommy," answered the child. "Daddy said that when Mommy died, she went to Heaven and became a star in the sky. Then she can always watch over me." Margaret found herself with a sudden lump in her throat. She thought that was a wonderful way of explaining things so that a child would understand. She blinked back a tear and said, "I have just the thing to make your star sparkle." With that, she went to the cupboard where she kept all the craft things that her grandchildren used and came back with some silver glitter and glue. "Now, Sarah - if you put a little glue on there..." Margaret watched as the little girl put a dab of glue on the star,' "... then sprinkle on some glitter." She watched as the child did that, then told her to shake away the excess glitter very carefully. "There," said Margaret. "Doesn't that look good?" Sarah smiled, pleased with her effort. After dinner, and following Sarah's bath, Margaret settled the child down with a jigsaw puzzle. It was a fairly simple one that Margaret kept to entertain her grandchildren. Around 7.45, the telephone rang, and Sarah jumped up excitedly. "Is that Daddy?" she asked. "Why don't you answer it and find out?" smiled Margaret. Sarah was hesitant for a moment - her father didn't allow her to answer the telephone at home. Margaret nodded encouragingly, and Sarah lifted the receiver. "Hello?" she said tentatively, then a big smile spread across her face and she squealed, "Daddy!" "Hi, sweetheart!" replied Mulder. "How's my big girl today?" "We had roast chicken for dinner, and I had a leg!" she informed her father. "And I had three roast potatoes!" "Three?" echoed Mulder. He was relieved to hear that there was nothing wrong with his daughter's appetite. "So what have you been doing today? Did you have a good day at school?" "Yes, thank you," answered the child. "I did some finger painting when I got home and I made you a picture to hang on your wall at work." "Did you? What sort of a picture is it?" "It's a surprise!" Sarah informed him. "Daddy, when are you coming home?" "I'll be home tomorrow afternoon." "Yes!" cried Sarah, jumping up and down on the spot. Her father chuckled, as did Margaret. "Okay sweetheart - let me speak to Auntie Margaret now." Sarah passed the receiver to the older woman and said excitedly, "Daddy's coming home tomorrow!" "That's good news," answered Margaret as she took the receiver. "Hello, Fox." Mulder informed Margaret of the time he expected to collect Sarah the next day, which was a Saturday, then spoke quickly once more to Sarah to wish her sweet dreams before ending the call. "Everything okay?" asked Scully . "Fine. Sarah seems to be enjoying herself." He chuckled. "My being away hasn't affected her appetite, that's for sure! She had three roast potatoes at dinner!" "That's good, Mulder," replied Scully with a smile. "Do you feel any better about leaving her now?" "I don't think I'll ever feel good about it, but I feel a little easier about leaving her, put it that way." He was silent for a moment. "I guess I'll just have to wait until I get home and see how Sarah is for myself. She sounds happy enough, I guess that's a good sign." Sarah was looking forward to her father's return later the next day. She was like a cat on hot bricks, much to Margaret's amusement. "Sarah, how would you like to make some gingerbread men?" asked Margaret. She had to do something to calm the child down, and making gingerbread men always went down well with her grandchildren. "Can I make one for Daddy?" asked the child. "Of course you can, Sarah," replied Margaret, running a hand over the little girl's thick hair. The child was squeezed in beside her in an armchair. Margaret had managed to get her to sit down for five minutes instead of darting here, there and everywhere. Despite being told that her father would not be home until the afternoon, Sarah kept going to the window to look out. Before Margaret could say another word, Sarah was half way to the kitchen. "Come on, Auntie Margaret!" she said. "Daddy will be home soon. We have to have the gingerbread man ready!" Under Margaret's watchful eye, Sarah measured out the flour and other ingredients for her gingerbread men. Surprisingly she made little mess. Once the dough was ready, Margaret showed Sarah how to knead it then roll it out. That done, she handed Sarah the cutter. The child pressed the metal cutter into the dough. She had enough for six gingerbread shapes - she made three men and three women, using raisins for their eyes. Margaret placed the shapes onto a baking sheet, then put it into the oven. As they waited for them to cook, they enjoyed a cup of tea together. Once the gingerbread men had cooled down, Margaret showed Sarah how to make icing. "Which man do you want to give to Daddy? How about this one?" Margaret pointed to the cookie furthest away from them, and Sarah nodded enthusiastically. She then proceeded to show Sarah how to ice in a mouth, and the child finished the remaining five cookies. "Now, how are we going to make this one special for your Daddy?" asked Margaret. "I know!" cried Sarah. "I'm going to give him a tie!" "What color shall we make his tie?" "Red," answered Sarah. "Let's see if we can find some red food coloring, shall we?" With that, Margaret went back to her food cupboard and found just what she was looking for. She kept a selection of things handy for when her grandchildren visited. They loved to make cookies and ice them. Margaret put a tiny amount of the coloring into the white icing and carefully blended the two together. "There we are, Sarah. You can ice in the tie now." Margaret handed her the icing bag and watched as Sarah very carefully iced in her interpretation of a tie, the tip of her tongue just visible between her lips. "Is that right?" asked the child, seeking Margaret's approval. The older woman looked over the little girl's shoulder. "That's very good, Sarah. I'm sure Daddy will be very pleased with that. We'll leave it to dry now so that the icing is nice and hard and won't break when you take him home." "Can I do a lady for Dana? I could put a skirt on it so that she would know it was a lady." "That's a lovely idea, Sarah. I think Dana would like that very much," answered Margaret. "What color icing do you think we should use?" "I like green," replied the child. Once more, Margaret went to the cupboard and came back with the appropriate food coloring. Again, she put a few drops into the white icing and blended the colors together until she had a pale shade of green. Margaret passed the icing bag to Sarah, who carefully executed a skirt on her chosen gingerbread lady. "That's very pretty, Sarah. We'll leave her to dry like the other one," said Margaret, setting the cookie to one side. After they had cleared up, Sarah took up position at the window to watch for her father, while Margaret read a magazine. After about an hour Margaret heard, "He's here! Daddy's here!" With that, Sarah ran out to the front door and danced in front of it, waiting for Margaret to open it. Before she knew it, the child was flying down the path, her hair billowing out behind her. "Daddy!" Mulder turned, and a beautiful smile spread across his face. He crouched down, his arms wide open. Sarah jumped into them and he closed them around her, sweeping her up into the air and twirling her around. She squealed in delight as he buried his face in her hair, drinking in her familiar fragrance. "Oh baby - I missed you," he said softly. "I missed you too, Daddy. Auntie Margaret showed me how to make gingerbread men and I made one for you." Sarah was already wriggling out of his arms, despite his attempts to hold on to her for just that moment longer. "Is Dana coming? I made one for her too!" "She was right behind me," replied her father. "I guess she got caught in traffic. She'll be along in a while." Margaret watched the happy scene from the doorway. Fox clearly adored his daughter, and had missed her terribly by the looks of it. At that moment, Scully's car pulled up behind Mulder's. "Here's Dana!" cried Sarah excitedly. She waited until Scully had caught up with them then gave her a hug. Scully was always pleased at this gesture from Sarah, and she gave her a warm hug back. It had been a while since she had seen the little girl - after Sarah's attack of hysteria, Mulder had felt it better that they spend some time alone. Scully was pleased to see that there seemed to be no lasting side effects from Sarah's outburst. The child appeared to be back to her usual engaging self. "Come and see my gingerbread men, Daddy," urged Sarah, pulling on her father's coat sleeve. "I'm coming, I'm coming!" laughed Mulder. He was so pleased to see Sarah happy. She took him through to the Scully kitchen and pointed proudly at the table. "There he is!" Mulder burst out laughing when he saw the red tie. "I'd say that Sarah has you pegged very well," said Scully drily. "He's very nice Sarah," said her father, bending down to lift her into his arms. "I made a lady for you, Dana," announced Sarah. "Auntie Margaret let me use the icing bag and I did it all myself!" "I'm very impressed," declared Scully with a warm smile. She reached up and ruffled Sarah's waves affectionately. Mulder marveled at Margaret Scully. She had always been more motherly towards him than his own mother, and now she was doing the same for Sarah. He couldn't for one moment imagine his mother taking time to make gingerbread men with Sarah. She just didn't have that grandmotherly touch that Margaret Scully had. After tea all round, Mulder followed Margaret up to Sarah's room to collect her things. He also wanted the opportunity to speak to her privately. "How was she?" he asked. "Fine," replied Margaret, handing him Sarah's things. "We had a bit of an upset the first night, but it was all right after that." "What sort of upset?" Margaret caught the undertone of alarm in his voice. "Sarah woke in the night asking for you. She was upset and crying, but I managed to get her back to sleep." "You should have called me, I might have been able to help." "I think it was better that I didn't," answered Margaret. "It wouldn't have done you or Sarah any good. You would only have fretted about her even more." Mulder couldn't argue with that. "Well, Sarah - we should be heading home. Have you got your gingerbread men?" "Yes, Daddy. Auntie Margaret wrapped them up for me." "What about your painting?" he asked. "Goodness - we nearly forgot it!" cried Margaret. She dashed off to retrieve the finger painting, rolling it up and fastening it with an elastic band. "There you are, Sarah." The child took the painting and handed it to her father. "It's time to say goodbye, sweetheart," said Mulder softly. Sarah looked up at Margaret. "Goodbye, Auntie Margaret. Thank you for having me." "You're welcome, sweetheart. You can come anytime you want. Maybe Dana could bring you over one day." Margaret looked at her daughter, and Scully nodded. "Well, thank you for having her, Mrs. Scully," said Mulder. "It was a pleasure Fox, and I meant what I said just now. Any time she wants to come over, she's welcome." "Thanks," replied Mulder warmly. He turned to Sarah. "Okay - let's hit the road." Sarah chatted excitedly all the way home. She had clearly enjoyed her stay at Margaret Scully's. "Can I go to Auntie Margaret's house again?" she asked. "Next time I have to go away," answered her father. He looked down at her happy little face. He would never be able to thank Scully enough for suggesting her mother look after Sarah. It seemed to have worked out well all round. "So Sarah, what else did you do at Auntie Margaret's?" Back in her own home, Sarah cuddled up against her father, overjoyed at having him home again. His arm hung around her loosely, his hand caressing her absently. Sarah burrowed closer still, and her thumb stole into her mouth. Mulder glanced down at her fondly, smoothing the hair away from her forehead. "Are you tired Sarah?" he asked, and she nodded. "I have sleepy dust in my eyes," she replied. "Come on then, let's get you to bed." Sarah slipped her arms around his neck and he carried her to the bedroom. "You get into your nightclothes and I'll get your toothbrush ready." Teeth cleaned and hair brushed, Sarah climbed into her bed. "Rub my back, Daddy," she asked sleepily. She loved having her back stroked. It helped relax and soothe her. Annie had been a big advocate of baby massage and had taught Mulder how to do it when Sarah was a baby. As his hand moved slowly and rhythmically over her back he fondly recalled massaging her chubby little body and limbs when she was a baby. "I didn't show you my painting," said Sarah. Her eyes were heavy, and she was almost asleep. "I'll look at it tomorrow," replied her father. He continued stroking her back for a while longer, then pulled the covers over her, kissing her as he did so. Mulder sat for a few minutes to make sure that she was indeed asleep, then went out into the living room. He spotted the painting on the table where Sarah had left it. He unrolled it and studied it. Beneath each figure, Sarah had added a name. He saw Daddy, Sarah and Dana. Beneath the star, she had written Mommy. Mulder lay down on the couch. It was late, and sleep was elusive as usual. He was glad to be home, glad to be with Sarah again. She appeared none the worse for their separation, but all the same, he hoped that it wouldn't happen again any time soon. The End
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