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atths--twice · 2 months

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Valentine's Day, 2024

Valentine's Day is here once again. With a little girl who loves big, there is no way to ignore the day. 💓

I cannot begin to express how much I adore writing domestic MSR. The happiness it brings me is seriously unmatched, it just flows from my fingertips, unable to be stopped.

I hope you enjoy this next installment in the family series.

And happy Valentine's Day. 💓💓

February 14, 2024

“Mommy!” Faith yelled when she saw Scully, running to her and throwing her arms around her neck as Scully squatted down to catch her. “I thought Daddy was coming to get me. I didn’t think you would be here.”

“Did I surprise you, my love?” Scully asked with a chuckle.

“Yes, Mommy. You did,” Faith said, pulling back to smile at Scully. “I’m happy to see you today.”

“Well, I’m happy to see you too, honey,” Scully said, a lump forming in her throat as tears pricked her eyes. “How about you go get your things and we’ll get out of here?”

“Okay!” Faith said happily, releasing her hold on Scully and running to collect her backpack, lunch box, and any other items from her cubby.

Scully sighed as she stood up and quickly wiped her eyes as she watched Faith in her now slightly dirty white tights, black fuzzy boots, denim skirt, and her red Valentine’s Day sweater with white hearts. Her hair was pulled back halfway and then braided into two braids to look like a heart, a style which she had begged to have after seeing it in a tutorial video.

She was a walking valentine.

Smiling as she saw Faith laughing at something one of her friends said, Scully shook her head. It hit her at the oddest of times, how quickly Faith was growing up and becoming her own person.

Of course she saw her every day and was privy to everything happening in her life, but there were moments when she would do a double take as she looked at Faith, seeing not the five year old girl, but someone older she did not know yet. It took her breath away at times, not wanting life to move so fast.

“Mommy,” Faith said, walking toward Scully with her backpack on, her arms full of papers. “Can you help me with all these?”

“Of course, my love,” Scully said, reaching for the crinkly pages of artwork. “Wow, you have a lot of papers here.”

“Uh huh,” Faith nodded, rocking up on her toes. “We made love heart trees.”

“Oh… I see that. Oh, honey. It’s so beautiful. I love the colors you chose.”

“Thank you, Mommy. But that one’s not for you.”

“Is it for Daddy?” Scully asked, looking at the different shades of blue paint that she had used to make a large heart shaped tree. There were brown branches added to it, some larger than the others, and a thick trunk at the bottom with a large knothole in the middle. “Is this hole for the animals to sleep inside?”

“Uh huh,” Faith said again, reaching up to look at the stack of papers. Scully bent down a little so she could see it better. “A squirrel lives in this tree, but he’s out gathering nuts to eat later.”

“I see,” Scully said with a smile. “Well, you’ll have to tell Daddy all about the squirrel when you give it to him.”

“No, Mommy,” Faith said, shaking her head. “This one isn’t for Daddy.”

“Who’s it for then?”

“For Jacob,” she said matter of factly and Scully raised her eyebrows. “Daddy’s is different colors. Let me find it.” She took the papers and laid them on the floor, slipping her backpack off as she spread out the papers, despite other children and parents walking around her.

“Honey, you-”

“Here it is!” Faith said triumphantly, picking up a multicolored tree and handing it to Scully.

“This is beautiful, Faithy, but I think maybe we should move over to the table? Or the top of the bookcase there, so your pictures don’t get stepped on? I think that would be better.”

“Okay, Mommy. I’ll pick them up. Can you get my backpack?”

“Yeah, baby. I got it.”

They walked to the low bookcase and Faith set the stack of papers down.

“This one is for Jacob,” she said, laying the one Scully had already seen beside her larger pile of papers. “This one is for Unco. It’s all yellow and orange because he was the coward lion for Halloween.” She giggled as Scully laughed softly, remembering Skinner in the Cowardly Lion costume. “This one is for Liz Beth, because she likes pink, purple, and little blue.”

“Light blue,” Scully corrected her in a whisper, smiling as she looked at the tree for Elizabeth.

“This one is for Raycho,” Faith continued, moving Elizabeth’s drawing over. “It’s blues and purples like her ballerina painting. I like that painting. It makes me happy.”

“Oh, Faith,” Scully breathed, shaking her head slowly.

“And this is yours, Mommy. I made this one for you. See?” Moving Rachel’s drawing, Scully gasped at the heart tree Faith had made for her. “Do you like it, Mommy?”

“I love it. It’s so beautiful,” Scully whispered, squatting down to look at it closer.

“It’s the colors of your office. The green walls of the office. And black and white and gray. All the colors in there, Mommy. Oh, and little brown, like the bookcases.”

“Faithy,” she said, touching the drawing and tracing the darker brown of the tree up to the light yellow in the center. “It’s so beautiful, honey. Can you tell me what the yellow is in the middle?”

“That’s the light,” she said, looking at Scully in confusion. “Like the light on your desk.”

“Of course it is,” she whispered with a small chuckle.

“I have to write my name still. The paint was too wet. I can do it later at home, right? Before we go to Unco’s house?” Faith asked, her eyebrows knitting together in concern.

“Yes. We’ll have time for that,” Scully reassured her, as she continued to look at the heart tree. “How did you make these?”

“With my fingers,” Faith said, wiggling them at Scully with a giggle. “We did heart finger painting.”

“And you made one for everyone,” Scully said softly.

“Welllll…” Faith said, looking around the classroom. “Miss Cole said it was supposed to be only one… maybe two, but I made more.”

“I can see that,” Scully laughed quietly.

“She said it was for our family, for Valentine’s Day. But, I have…” She held up her hand and pointed to each finger as she named them. “Unco, Raycho, Jacob, Liz Beth, Daddy, and you, Mommy. That’s six people in my family. I had to make six.” She shrugged and Scully set Mulder’s heart tree onto the pile as she reached for Faith, pulling her close and closing her eyes.

“Do you know how much I love you, Faith Mulder?”

“Yeah,” Faith said as she hugged her back. “As tall as the mountains, as deep as the sea, and all the way to the farthest planet.”

“Plus…”

“Infinity,” Faith said and Scully smiled as she let her go and smoothed back her hair, kissing her forehead softly. “I love you all those things too, Mommy.”

“I’m so happy you do.” Faith nodded and Scully kissed her forehead once more before collecting the papers. “What do you say to lunch and then the park?”

“The big park?” Faith asked, her eyes lighting up.

“Yeah, the big park,” Scully said, smiling at her.

“Can Daddy come with us? He always pushes me so high on the swing.”

“We can call him in the car and ask him if you’d like,” Scully said, knowing full well Mulder’s answer would be yes, leaving behind the project he had nearly completed for Faith.

“I just need like an hour more,” he had said, hanging yet another large tissue paper heart from the ceiling as she had walked out of her office.

“Mulder,” she had said, shaking her head. “This is a lot.”

“Raising the bar, Scully,” he had said, winking at her. “Letting her know that she shouldn’t settle for less than complete adoration when it comes to holidays.”

“So is this also meant for me? To represent your love and adoration of me?” she had asked, raising an eyebrow as she looked at him. “Because… while it is lovely and sweet, I tend to prefer coffee, wine, or something… sparkly.” She had gestured to her ears and then her wrist as he had laughed, stepping off the step ladder and walking over to her.

“We haven’t even exchanged gifts yet,” he had said in a low voice, pulling her to him and swaying them back and forth as he had smiled at her. “You act as though I don’t know you, woman.”

“I was just teasing. I don’t need anything,” she had said as she slowly wrapped her arms around his neck and he brought his forehead to rest against hers, fully aware she had a gift for him wrapped and ready to be given later.

“No more of no gifts between us,” he had whispered. “We were different then. We have a girl watching us who sees how love should be expressed and celebrated on special occasions. We have a legacy to protect.”

“Stop being cute and quoting Hamilton at me,” she had whispered back and he had laughed quietly.

“Wait for it. Wait for it,” he had sung softly, spinning her suddenly and then dipping her, both of them laughing before he had kissed her.

“I’ll pick her up,” she had whispered against his lips. “You finish up here.”

“Thanks, love,” he had said, kissing her once more before pulling her back onto her feet and returning to his task.

Hopefully he’s finished by now, she thought as they walked to the car and she glanced down at the many heart tree drawings in her hand.

“Can you call Daddy now, Mommy?” Faith asked as they began to leave the school.

“Sure, honey,” Scully said, pressing a button on the Bluetooth.

“Can I say it?”

“Sure.”

“Call, Mulder,” Faith said loudly and clearly after she heard the beep, Scully grinning as she glanced back at Faith.

“Calling… Mulder,” the voice said and Faith smiled as the phone started to ring.

“Jello,” Mulder said when he answered and Faith giggled.

“You’re so silly, Daddy. You’re supposed to say hello, not jello.”

“Oh. Silly me. I must have forgotten,” he said and Scully smiled again.

“Daddy, we’re going to get some lunch and then go to the big park,” Faith said, opening her arms to emphasize the size of the park.

“Hey now, but what about me? What if I want to go to the park?” he asked and Scully could practically see him pouting.

“We’re inviting you, Daddy! This is your own special invitation. Will you RSVP?”

Mulder choked and Scully covered her mouth as she let out a harsh laugh of surprise.

“Will I… RSVP?” Mulder asked, coughing over a laugh.

“Yeah. That means to tell me yes you will or no you won’t,” Faith explained, looking down at the hearts on her sweater.

“I see,” he said, clearing his throat. “Well then, I RSVP… yes. Yes, I will meet you at the park.”

“The big park, Daddy.”

“Yes, the big park. I’ll be there, my love.”

“Yay! Thank you for the RSVP, Daddy.”

“You’re welcome, my girl,” he said, laughing softly. “Scully?”

“Yes?” she asked, laughing softly herself as Faith began singing quietly.

“Could you grab me something to eat too? S'il vous plait?”

“Of course, mon cheri,” she said and he hummed.

“Oh, Tishhhh,” he said softly and she laughed.

“See you at the big park,” she said, laughing as she disconnected the call, shaking her head.

As they waited for their food order, she sent a message to Rachel and Skinner, inquiring of their plans for the afternoon and if they wanted to possibly change them and join them at the park. Rachel quickly replied that they would indeed be there, needing to get out of the house for a little while.

While they ate their lunch at a picnic table, Scully helped Faith write I love you, Love Faith on all of her drawings and then placed them into an extra folder Scully found in the car.

Mulder arrived, kissing them both hello before he ate his own meal hurriedly in order to push Faith on the swings.

When Skinner, Rachel, and the twins arrived, Faith was beside herself with happiness. She ran over and hugged them all, telling Elizabeth she liked her beautiful heart dress, which used to be Faith’s.

“Did you want to give them their drawings, honey?” Scully asked and Faith hurried over to grab the folder, giving out the drawings and telling why each color had been chosen for that specific person.

Rachel cried at her drawing and the twins, but then laughed when she heard Skinner’s.

“Aww, you big ol’ lion,” she said, patting his face as he growled, showing his teeth. The kids laughed and then screamed in excitement as he stood up and started to chase them.

They ran to the playground and he swooped Faith up, hugging her close before setting her onto the play structure. He put the twins in the child swings and pushed them as Faith laughed about something and he smiled back at her.

“I should probably go give him a hand,” Rachel said, looking at all of their heart trees one more time. “She’s such a sweet girl. So smart. Observant and creative. What will she be when she’s older?” She put the drawings back into the folder, smiled at them, then stood up to join Skinner.

“What will she be?” Scully echoed in a whisper.

“Amazing. At whatever she does,” Mulder said, squeezing Scully’s thigh gently.

“Yeah,” she agreed, looking at his drawing. “All the colors, Mulder. You got all of them, just like her treehouse at home. All the colors, because that’s who you are to her. All the happiness and color in the world.”

“And you’re her calm, Scully,” he said, nodding to her heart tree. “The peace and comfort she needs when things get to be too much.”

“Yeah,” Scully nodded, tears pricking at her eyes for the second time that day. “I suppose I am.”

“She’s a pretty great kid,” he whispered, watching her help push the twins, laughing as they began to laugh.

“She is at that,” Scully replied with a smile.

“I’m gonna head over and join the group,” he said, turning his head to look at her, a smile tugging at his lips. “But might I first trouble you for a kiss? Can you RSVP on that question?”

They both laughed loudly and she wiped tears from her eyes as she shook her head. She kissed him, both of them still laughing, before he stood up and extricated himself from the table.

“RSVP,” he said under his breath as he walked away, shaking his head with a chuckle.

She smiled as she gathered up their drawings and added them to the others. Putting Faith’s backpack on top of it to keep them from blowing away, she stood up from the table.

She joined Rachel, who was now pushing Elizabeth in the swing. Faith and Jacob, both suddenly screamed excitedly as they ran across the suspension bridge, their laughter soon filling the air, as Mulder and Skinner played the mean trolls waiting beneath, growling and grabbing at them as they passed.

What will she be? Scully wondered as she watched Faith, breathing hard and smiling as she whispered in Jacob’s ear. He nodded, his eyes locked on Mulder.

Amazing, beyond any of our wildest expectations, she thought as Faith and Jacob shouted and ran back across the bridge, laughing and screaming in delight. She couldn’t possibly be anything less.

#the x files #xf fanfic #msr #family #fluff #Family Life: The Story Beyond the Series #Valentine's Day #family fluff #Domestic #Domestic Fluff #Preschool #Arts and Crafts #Picnics #Phone Calls #Laughter #Happy #Love #kissing

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