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atths--twice · 1 year

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Chapter Twenty One

Plans continue to be made, the future becoming more secure.

Late March

“I have something I want to run past you,” Fox said as Dana sat down to join him on her lunch break.

“Uh oh,” she said with a smile, arranging their plates and picking up a spoon to eat her soup. “Do those words ever come before bad news of some sort?”

“I would say usually you’re right,” he said with a chuckle. “But in this case, I hope it’s not.”

“Okay. Lemme hear it,” she said, exhaling deeply and smiling.

“It’s about finding a house. I’ve been looking at listings this morning and I have found a few, but…” He shrugged as he picked up a french fry and ate it.

“But what?” she asked, pausing mid bite. “None are good?”

“No, they are. But, I wanted to ask you something before I contacted anyone to look at them.”

“Okay.”

“What would you think about instead of looking here, we found a place closer to your family?” He stared at her as she set her spoon in her soup and then clasped her hands together.

“I… I don’t know. I hadn’t thought… I mean, I had, but I wasn’t sure if you or even if I… Would you want that?” She looked at him and he schooled his emotions, not wanting to sway her opinion.

“I’m asking you,” he said quietly. “You moved here, making a personal decision to do so. I wouldn’t want to diminish that decision by suggesting you move back if you didn’t want to.”

“Fox,” she said, shaking her head and sighing. “I… I haven’t told you my whole reason for moving here.”

“You said you needed a change.”

“Yeah, I did. I also… God… I was feeling very confident in myself as a “do it all” type of mom,” she said, laughing and shaking her head. “I thought moving someplace on my own, with Ivy of course, would be… romantic. Not in a romance type way, but more grandiose, like a heroine striking out on her own.” She looked at him and he smiled. “Once I was here, I realized how hard it was without a family or friend unit around to lean on. I was very naive.”

“Naive? No. You were young-”

“Hardly,” she scoffed, shaking her head. “It was a year and a half ago. I can hardly use “young” as an excuse as I was nearly twenty eight years old.”

“That’s not young?” he asked with a smile.

“No. Not… not enough to have those romantic types of ideas.”

“Oh, Dana. Don’t ever say that,” he said softly, reaching for her hand. “Romantic ideas are always good to have. If you hadn’t moved… if I hadn’t moved…” He smiled as she placed her hand in his and he squeezed. “Maybe it wasn’t for this type of romance, but we found it nonetheless.”

“We did,” she admitted, squeezing his hand. “And it has been hard to be on my own with Ivy at times, but I think I did a good job.”

“Good?” He shook his head and smiled. “You’ve done a fantastic job. You’re an amazing mother and Ivy is lucky to have you as the one who has nurtured and loved her.”

“Stop,” she said softly, blinking quickly and looking around, her eyes wet.

“Sorry, hon,” he replied, squeezing her hand again before letting go.

“Do you want to move out of the city?” she asked, picking up a napkin and dabbing at her eyes.

“Can I be perfectly honest with you? And not have it sway your own decision?”

“Of course,” she said and he nodded as he let out a breath.

“I would like to move away, yes,” he said, watching her as he spoke. She inhaled deeply, remaining silent as he swallowed. “I’ve enjoyed spending time with your family the times we’ve gone to visit. Very much so, in fact. Your brother seems like a great guy, always quick with a wonderfully awful dad joke. Tara… I swear that woman could run the world if someone only asked.”

“She could,” Dana agreed, laughing out a quiet sob.

“Melissa and Artie, they’re amazing. I appreciate the protectiveness he feels, especially after knowing how much he hated Jordan. Your sister… She's like a slightly older version of Samantha and I felt an immediate connection to her when we met. The day when she and Sam meet, I know it’s gonna be wild.”

Dana laughed again, blowing her nose on a napkin and reaching for another to wipe her eyes.

“But your parents, Dana…” he said, swallowing past the lump in his throat. “They… Your dad… the way he finds a way to be by your mom, always winking or smiling at her. The way she rolls her eyes, but I see her smile. Hearing your mom laugh and your dad answering with his own chuckle, it’s so reminiscent of my parents. The love I always saw between my dad and mom, it seemed embarrassing when I was younger, but as I grew older, it was different. I saw it in a new light. And then it was gone.” He drew in a deep steadying breath and she grasped his hand, taking a shuddering breath of her own. “I didn’t know how much I missed seeing that, being around it, until we were at your parents house. It was like… like I had mine back for a moment.”

“Fox,” she breathed, squeezing his hand tightly.

“I moved here thinking I needed a change. To shake off the stagnancy of where I’d been. To move forward.” He laughed softly and looked at her. “But, what I want now is to go back. To be around family. I have Samantha, yes, but she has her own family unit in Greg and his family. I’m beyond thankful that she has that and for the time I have spent with them over the years. But now… I want that for myself. The spontaneous dinners, weekends planned together, school functions to attend, cousins coming over, birthdays and holidays together. I want all of that. I want that for me, for you, and especially for Ivy. I want her to grow up with her cousins as her first best friends, the secret keepers, the ones who hold her unbreakable trust.”

“And my decision is not supposed to be swayed when you say something so beautiful?” she asked, letting go of his hand and reaching for the napkin holder, taking out at least ten napkins. He laughed and shook his head.

“I was content on my own, living vicariously through my own stories and those of others, until I met you. And Ivy. And your family. Experiencing the happiness you all share, the stories, the memories… I want to be a part of it. I’ve missed it so much.”

She let out a very long breath and blew her nose. Wiping her eyes again, she looked at him and smiled.

“I want that too. Especially for Ivy.” She sniffled and let out a breath. “I’ve liked being here, I really have. I feel like it forced me to grow up and appreciate things differently. I also felt like I had to because going back was like admitting defeat. But going back now? Because it’s what we all want? Well, that doesn’t make me feel like I’ve failed.”

“Not one bit have you failed,” he said quietly.

“No. I haven’t. I’ve thrived. I’ve grown and… going home now, with you and Ivy, will be different than when I left.”

“You came to the city to find yourself and instead you found your soulmate,” he teased and then his eyes widened. “Oh... I should write that down. That’s a great idea for a book.” She laughed, blowing her nose once again, and shaking her head.

“It sounds incredibly cheesy, but it’s the truth. I never expected you, Fox Mulder.”

“I feel the same, Dana Scully,” he said, smiling at her and she smiled back. “So… we’ll get out of this city?”

“If you’re sure it’s what you want.”

“Count of three. Eyes closed, no peeking. Thumbs up or down. Ready?” he asked and she grinned despite her tears.

“Ready?”

They closed their eyes. He counted to three, sticking his thumb up the entire time. Opening his eyes, he saw her thumb up as tears were shining in her eyes again. Bumping his knuckles to hers, their thumbs kissed and he smiled.

“So, should we look at some houses now? Or wait until later?”

“Now,” she said, sniffling and reaching for a napkin as she rose from her seat and squished beside him as he reached for the laptop.

“A tub,” she said, as he began to type. “I want a bathroom with a big tub.”

“I already have that as a prerequisite on my mental list,” he said with a smile and a nod. “I know how much you enjoy the one at my apartment, so if I don’t see it in pictures, that’s a hard pass.”

“Seriously?” she asked with a laugh and he nodded.

“Remodeling or renovations is not what I want to be dealing with when it comes to finding a place. We’re looking for a place that’s ready to move into, with no issues. And if it doesn’t have your tub, it’s not worth our time.”

She leaned close and kissed him, a hand gently pressed to his cheek.

“I love you,” she said, kissing him again.

“I love you too. Any other specific requests?” He asked as he pulled back and began typing.

“A yard. A decent sized one. For Ivy and… a dog?”

“A dog?” he asked, looking at her, his fingers pausing on the keyboard.

“Would that be okay? You’re not allergic are you?” she asked.

“I’m not,” he said with a smile.

“So we could get one?”

“I don’t see why not.”

She smiled and then laid her head on his shoulder with a sigh.

“A yard, please. For a dog,” she whispered and he smiled, kissing the top of her head as he began the search to find their new home, when something else occurred to him.

“A fireplace. We need a fireplace for Santa to come down,” he said as she wrapped her arm around his and squeezed gently.

“Yes,” she said, kissing his shoulder. “We definitely need a fireplace.”

________________

“We’re all so glad you’re coming back, Dane,” Bill said on Saturday, picking her up in a bear hug that made her laugh. “The kids were so happy to hear it last night, they kept asking when Ivy would be coming over.”

“I know,” she said, when he set her down. “Saffy and Delilah were dancing around her when we got here last night, all of them then running off to play, completely forgetting about us.”

“Sounds about right,” Bill said with a laugh. Smiling at Fox, he shook his hand and clasped it with the other. “Good to see you, Fox.”

“And you, Bill.”

“Come on, let’s get going.”

Bill drove them to the nearby coffee shop where they met Carson, one of Bill’s old friends who was a real estate agent. After getting a coffee, they piled into Bill’s truck. Fox took Dana’s hand and squeezed as they listened to Carson describe the homes they would be seeing.

“Most of them are brand new and waiting for the perfect buyer. Bill actually built a lot of them. Or his company did as he’s passed the buck onto his crew and I can’t say I blame him. That’s a younger man’s game,” Carson said and they all laughed.

“My dad was at a few of the builds helping on the weekends,” Bill informed him and Carson shook his head.

“Your dad is a force unknown to others, that’s why.”

“True,” Bill and Dana said together, as they laughed again.

They toured three of the new houses, and while they were all beautiful and ready to move in, they did not exactly meet their personal criteria. Fox could tell Dana was feeling discouraged and he hoped the next house would be better.

“This one,” Carson said as Bill drove. “Was recently renovated. It has four bedrooms, four bathrooms-”

“Oh, the stained glass house,” Bill interrupted with a nod. “Hmm… oh… yeah. Yeah, I think you’ll like this one.”

When they drove up to it, Dana gasped.

“Oh…” she said as they walked up to the front door and reached for Fox’s hand. “Look at that, it’s beautiful.”

At the top of the white front door, there was a rectangular stained glass window with ivy in the corners, that joined together to meet pale pink flowers in the middle.

“Ivy on the door,” Dana had whispered, squeezing his hand. “I think that’s a sign.”

“I think it just might be,” he responded, knowing for certain when the door opened and Dana gasped again, holding his hand tightly.

“Oh,” she said, stepping into the entryway and seeing the built-in bench and space for coats. “I know it’s just the entryway, but Bill, I think you’re right. I do like it.” He smiled at her as they continued inside.

The floor plan was open and airy, walls recently removed to make it so. A small room off the living room would be perfect for his office. The main bedroom, kitchen, laundry room, full guest bathroom, and large living room were on the first floor. The remaining three bedrooms, plus a bonus living area, were upstairs. Two of the bedrooms shared a bathroom- Jack and Jill style. The other room had its own full bathroom attached to it.

“I need to see the yard,” Dana said, letting out a deep breath. “It can’t be this perfect. There has to be a catch.”

“Well,” Bill said, laughing as she started to run down the stairs and they followed after her.

“Oh…” Dana said as she opened the door and stepped onto the deck. “It’s… it’s so…”

“Perfect,” Fox said, looking at the string lights hanging overhead and imagining sitting under them on his outdoor furniture, perhaps with a small fire pit as well.

“Ivy will love it,” Dana said, stepping down the stairs and walking around the high fenced yard.

“Look at this tree. It’s like it was meant for a little treehouse. Something we can…” She turned around and looked at Fox. “I want this house. Tub, yard, and a fireplace.” She ticked off the small list of wants and smiled. “Stained glass ivy on the door.”

He smiled back and looked at Carson, who smiled back with a nod.

Mountains of paperwork were signed, negotiations made, inspections arranged and passed. When the green light came in quickly, as a large upfront payment was always appreciated, they purchased their new house with only two weeks to go before their wedding.

When they took the train up to sign the last of the paperwork, pick up the keys, and walk through the empty house one more time before beginning their move, Ivy ran around upstairs, shouting with happiness.

She had picked out her room the first time she came to see it and asked if the walls could be pink instead of white. A call to Bill, had led to a call to Maggie, who said it would be taken care of before they moved in, whatever shade of pink Ivy wanted.

“Grandma will paint my room!” she called out and Fox and Dana laughed as they watched her from downstairs.

Dana took his hand and squeezed, looking at him, but saying nothing. He smiled and squeezed back, sighing contentedly.

“Will it be done before we move our stuff here?” Ivy asked, breathing hard as she stopped running and looked down at them, holding onto the white railing spindles. “Will it be pink before we move up here?”

“It will,” Dana said, smiling up at her. “Grandma will see to it. We just need to tell her the exact color you want. We’ll pick it out tomorrow and tell her.”

“Yay!” Ivy shouted, running back and forth again.

“Ahh, to have the energy of a six year old,” Fox said and Dana laughed, squeezing his hand again and then letting go.

“You ready?” she asked and he nodded.

They would be moving in next week, but for the moment, to mark the occasion and show it was truly theirs, they had each brought one thing to leave behind.

“Ivy, honey?” Dana called up and Ivy came to the railing again, breathing hard.

“Yes, Mommy?”

“We’re going to join everyone for dinner soon. We need to put out the things we brought to christen the house as ours before we do, so let’s do it now.”

“Okay!”

She ran to the stairs and then sat on her bottom, sliding down the slightly curved carpeted staircase. Fox laughed and Dana shook her head with a smile when Ivy stood up and grinned at them.

“That was fun!”

“I’m sure it was,” he said. “Come on, wild girl.”

He took her hand and they walked to the entryway where he took his item from a shopping bag.

“My dad always had his winter coat hanging in our entryway,” he said, hanging his black coat on a hook. “Sometimes he’d put candy in the pockets. Or money. But we had to remember to check. Samantha and I would race to see who got to it first, but there was always something for both of us. I’d like to do the same with my coat hanging here.” He looked at Dana and then Ivy. “Like a… pocket mailbox.”

“Fox,” Dana said, wiping the tears from her eyes. “I love that idea.”

“Me too,” Ivy said, looking at his coat. “Is there anything in there now?”

He shrugged with a smile and she grinned as she leapt forward to search the pockets.

“Ahh!” she shouted, pulling a lollipop from one pocket and a pink heart shaped piece of paper from the other. She stared at them and then looked at Dana. “Can I have the lollipop?”

“Of course you can,” Dana said with a quiet laugh.

“You can have Fox’s heart,” Ivy said, handing her the pink paper heart. Opening the lollipop, she put it into her mouth.

“Yes, you can,” Fox said to Dana, winking at her as she slipped the piece of paper into her pocket.

“Better than a lollipop any day,” she said, stepping closer to him to give him a kiss.

“Hmm,” he hummed, kissing her again. “Your turn.”

They all walked to the large built-in bookcase by the living room and Dana took her collection of Ella’s books from her bag. Standing them lovingly and carefully, she smiled at Fox.

“The trip to the bookshop and you sharing these books… that was the turning point. The slow moving turning point, because I definitely fought it,” she said and he smiled. “But being in there, sharing our love for books even further…” She shook her head and gently stroked the spines of the books. “These are something I will always treasure and I wanted them to be the first thing of mine in our home.”

“I love it,” Fox said and Ivy nodded, though he wondered how much she truly understood. “Well, that leaves you, Miss Ivy. What did you bring?”

She grinned and pulled her lollipop from her mouth. Handing it to him, she turned around and ran upstairs.

“Oh, I guess I’m holding this,” he said in surprise, looking down at the lollipop as Dana chuckled.

“Just be glad it wasn’t gum,” she said and he chuckled as he nodded.

Ivy came out of her room, ran to the stairs and slid down them again, her small unicorn backpack in her hands.

“Is that how you’re planning to always come down the stairs?” Dana asked and Ivy nodded.

“Yup! It’s very fun. And fast,” Ivy said, grinning at them.

“Can’t say I blame you,” Fox laughed, offering her lollipop to her, but she shook her head.

“I have the thing I want to leave here in my backpack, but you have to close your eyes and wait here,” Ivy said, looking from one to the other. “Close your eyes.”

“Okay,” Dana said and Fox nodded as he closed his eyes, covering them with his unoccupied hand.

“Don’t peek!” Ivy shouted, and he heard her running quickly from the room.

“Hmm,” Fox said, taking his hand off his eyes, but keeping them closed as he reached out blindly for Dana’s hand. Finding her doing the same, their hands met halfway. “What do you suppose she’s doing?”

“No idea,” she said, chuckling as she interlocked their fingers. “But she left her lollipop behind. It’s pretty serious.”

He chuckled and squeezed her fingers as he held the lollipop in his other hand.

“Okay!” Ivy called. “I’m ready, but you have to keep your eyes closed. I’ll bring you to it.”

She took Dana’s hand and they all laughed as they went where Ivy led them, shuffling along slowly.

“Stop! But don’t open your eyes yet,” Ivy said and they stopped, Dana squeezing his hand as they waited patiently.

“Okay,” Ivy said softly. “You can look now.”

Opening their eyes, it took a second to focus on what they were supposed to be seeing. But then, Dana let go of his hand and walked toward the dishwasher with a slight sob as she looked at the picture that had been placed there.

“It’s us, Mommy. See? You and me and Fox. It’s us at the new house, standing in front of the ivy door. It’s all of us as a family. We’re going to be a family here now.”

“Ivy,” Dana said, reaching for her as she cried and he stepped forward to look at the picture she had drawn of the three of them, laying the lollipop on the counter.

Ivy was standing in the middle, holding both of their hands, all of them beaming. The ivy door could be seen behind them, the pink flowers a perfect match to the real stained glass.

“You brought magnets with you,” Fox said, kneeling down to look closer at the picture, amazed at her foresight to bring them.

“I couldn’t find the tape,” Ivy explained and he laughed quietly as he shook his head. “Grandma’s dishwasher has magnets on them, so I thought it might work here too. Do you like it?”

“Oh, Ivy… I love it,” he said, looking at her and smiling. “It’s a beautiful picture.”

“It’s what I wished for on my birthday. I can tell you my wish now because it came true.”

“You… wished for a house?” Dana asked through her tears.

“No. I wished for us to be a family together. To live together as a family. I wished for it two times on my birthday. At home and then when we were at grandma’s house.”

“Ivy,” Fox said, completely shocked as he reached for her and pulled her close, crying quietly as he held her. Dana’s arms went around both of them as she also cried, thanking Ivy for her wish and the beautiful picture she had drawn of them to show how her wish had come true.

_________________

June 7th

11:30 a.m.

Fox stared at his reflection in the hotel room mirror and he shook his head as he exhaled deeply.

“Why is this so hard? It’s like I’ve never worn a tie before,” he muttered as he untied his tie for the third time and hung his head as he closed his eyes.

A knock sounded at the door and he let out a sigh of relief thinking it was Samantha, having forgotten her key. Hurrying to the door, he flung it open, prepared to ask for her help.

But it was not Samantha, it was Dana’s mother.

“Maggie,” he said in surprise.

“Fox. May I come in?” she asked with a smile, holding a small plastic container that held his boutonnière.

“Of course,” he said, opening the door wider and letting her enter.

“Samantha is helping Ivy with her dress, so I offered to bring you your boutonnière.”

“Oh, thank you,” he said. “If you leave it on the table, I can-”

“Would you mind if I put it on for you?” she asked softly, smiling kindly at him. “And maybe I could help with your tie?”

“You don’t have to do that. Samantha is…” He stopped speaking and took a deep breath as he realized what exactly it was that Maggie was offering him. Swallowing hard, he nodded slowly. “I… I’d like that.” She smiled as she set the boutonnière on the table and walked over to him.

“My father always wore a tie to work,” she said as she reached for his tie and he felt a lump lodge itself in his throat. “He showed me how to do it one day and then insisted I do it every morning, always patient when I would get it wrong. He said I would need to know how to do it in order to help my own husband one day. Well…” She chuckled and he forced a smile, his emotions near the surface. “Imagine his surprise when I married a man who has worn a tie only a handful of times in his entire life. A man who prefers to wear flannel shirts and jeans everyday. He has no need for ties, but I’m glad to have learned how to do it anyway.” She chuckled and he exhaled with a soft smile as she tapped the knot she had made. “There. How’s that?”

He stepped past her and looked in the mirror, nodding with extreme relief.

“It’s perfect. Thank you so much, Maggie.”

“Of course, dear. Now, we just need to pin your boutonnière onto your jacket. Slip it on and we’ll get that taken care of.”

He hurried to do her bidding, taking his black jacket from the chair and sliding it on.

“Hmm,” she hummed as she smoothed the back down and then adjusted the lapels. “It’s a very handsome suit and you wear it very well.”

“Thank you,” he whispered, swallowing hard once again.

“I know you know about… Jordan,” she said as she took from his jacket pocket, the folded white pocket square that matched Dana’s dress. “I hated what he did to my girl. To both of them.” She arranged the pocket square and then placed it back into his pocket, fussing with it a bit more until it was just right. “I wasn’t sure she would ever find someone deserving of her. Someone who loved and appreciated Ivy. But…” She smiled at him and patted his chest, turning to pick up the container holding the boutonnière.

He stood still, trying not to cry, thinking of his own mother doing this for him. What she would have said to him in this private moment. How much she would have loved Dana and Ivy, doting on them both and spoiling Ivy with gifts and treats every time she saw her. He let out a shaky breath, tears filling his eyes despite his best efforts to stop them.

“Here, dear,” Maggie said softly and she handed him a few tissues.

Taking them from her with a nod, he wiped his eyes, blew his nose, and then wiped his eyes again.

“Would you rather do it yourself?” Maggie asked just as softly, holding the boutonnière in her hand. “Or wait for your sister?”

“No,” he said in a raspy voice. Clearing his throat, he took a deep breath and shook his head. “I’d like you to do it, please.” She smiled and nodded, stepping closer to him.

She did not speak as she pinned the boutonnière to his lapel and for that he was thankful. Sniffling and wiping at his eyes, he drew in another deep breath.

“There,” she whispered when she was finished, stepping back slightly and patting his chest again. “It looks great.”

“Thank you, Maggie,” he whispered, sniffing again.

“Thank you, Fox. For loving my girls and bringing them back home,” she said, placing a hand on his cheek. “I’m so happy you’re part of our family.”

“Me too,” he whispered and she smiled, patting his cheek gently.

The door beeped and then opened, both of them turning to see Samantha standing there. She smiled and Maggie dropped her hand from his face. Squeezing his arm, she smiled at him again.

“That’s my cue to go see how things are going. See you out there soon, Fox.”

“Maggie,” he said, bending to kiss her cheek. “Thank you again.”

“Of course, dear.” She patted his arm and walked past him, squeezed Samantha’s arm, and left the room.

Exhaling a long breath, he looked at Samantha and knew at that moment that she had sent Maggie to him. There was nothing that needed to be done with Ivy’s dress. She had sent Maggie to him because she knew he needed her there.

“Sammy,” he breathed and she came to him, taking his hands and squeezing. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, brother,” she whispered, their foreheads touching as they each drew in a breath. Squeezing his hands again, she pulled back and smiled at him. “You ready?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then let’s get this show on the road,” she let go of his hands and began running through the checklist of items they needed. He nodded to each one and she grinned. “Let’s go get you married.”

He laughed and nodded, exhaling once again.

______

Walking out from a side door with Samantha, his best woman, he let out a deep breath as he stood beside the wedding officiant. Everyone seated looked at them, smiling happily. Trying to smile back, he suddenly felt incredibly nervous and anxious.

“It’s okay,” Samantha whispered, the backs of her fingers brushing his, her pinky locking with his for a quick second. “Breathe, Fox. We can’t have you fainting on us.”

And that was enough to ease his anxiety. Picturing himself falling face first to the ground, everyone gathering around and worrying over him, made him want to laugh. Glancing at Sam quickly, she smiled and nodded, all of his nervousness gone.

Music began to play and his attention was drawn to the back of the room, his heart beginning to beat faster.

Melissa, Dana’s matron of honor, entered the room from his left and paused at the end of the aisle before continuing down. She winked at him as she then stood to his right, holding a small bouquet of long stemmed gerbera daisies.

Ivy, in a dress with a pink bodice and a light pastel rainbow full skirt, her hair pulled halfway back in an intrinsic braid, the rest of it in loose curls, came down the aisle next. Holding tight to her golden flower basket, with rainbow ribbons woven through it, a special small seat created by Maggie on which Pandy was secured so as not to miss out on the activities, Ivy grinned and fairly skipped as she dropped silk flower petals onto the ground.

She smiled with excitement when she reached the front, standing beside Melissa and glancing often at Fox who winked at her with a grin.

When Dana entered the room and stood with her father at the end of the aisle, everyone rose to their feet, and Fox drew in a breath.

In a simple, yet elegant white dress, her hair done in an elaborate side knot near her neck with stray pieces curling loosely around it, she beamed as they seemed to float down the aisle. Her eyes on him and him alone, made his heart race and his mouth go dry.

She handed Melissa her bouquet of flowers and then took his hands in hers, her eyes shining as she smiled. The officiant began to speak, but Fox did not hear a word, his thoughts and attention on Dana only.

“Fox,” Samantha hissed behind him and he blinked. Dana bit her lip as she smiled and he knew he had missed something.

“Sorry,” he whispered and Dana squeezed his hands as he heard laughter from the guests.

“I asked if you came here today of your own free will and without reservation,” the officiant said with a smile.

“No. No reservations,” he said, smiling at Dana.

“Me either,” she said, glancing at the officiant and then looking back at Fox. “No reservations.” He grinned at her and she smiled back.

Again, he heard nothing until Dana’s eyes widened and she cut her eyes to the officiant.

“I’m sorry,” he said and another chuckle was heard.

“Did you have something you wanted to share?” the officiant asked.

“Yes,” Fox said, nodding at Dana and licking his lips. “Dana, I told you before that I never expected this to be my journey. Never thought I’d be here. But then… I walked into a diner and saw your crooked apron bow and heard you laugh, and I was gone.” He smiled as she drew in a deep breath, tears filling her eyes. “It was meant to be. A part of the journey I didn’t even know about yet- to spend the rest of my life loving you.”

“Dana?” the officiant said, smiling as he looked from Fox to her.

She let go of Fox’s hands and accepted a tissue from Melissa to wipe her eyes before she drew in a deep breath, took his hands again, and began to speak.

“Fox,” she said, shaking her head. “My life plan did not include you. Did not include so much. But… plans don’t stay the way we feel they should. Sometimes it’s bad, but sometimes it’s good. So very good.” She smiled and shook her head again. “I’m beyond happy you came into the diner. Into my life, to join me on my path. On our path.” She glanced at Ivy, who was touching the ribbons on her basket, and she smiled. “Our lives will be much better with you by our side.”

He grinned at her and then Samantha was handing him Dana’s ring and he was placing it onto her finger, his hands shaking as he promised to love and honor her all the days of his life.

She smiled, tears shining in her eyes, as she then placed his ring onto his finger and repeated the same promise.

“By the giving and exchanging of rings, the promise to one another in their vows, and the power vested in me-”

“Here it comes!” Ivy said in an excited squeaky voice, interrupting the officiant.

Fox and Dana both looked at her with a smile as everyone laughed. Her basket was hanging on her arm and she held Pandy in her hands, close to her face, her smile and excitement infectious.

“Well,” the officiant said with a chuckle. “Not wanting to keep anyone waiting… by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Fox leaned in, pressing his lips to Dana’s and kissing her softly. As everyone clapped and shouted, it was Ivy’s shout of happiness that was the loudest in the room and heard above all others.

_____________

Fox took Dana and Ivy by the hand, leading them to the table where the marriage license was to be signed. Melissa, Samantha, and the officiant had just signed it and now it was time for him and Dana to add their signatures.

But there was something he needed to do first.

“Ivy?” he asked, stopping at the table. “Do you remember what we talked about a few days ago? How your mommy and I have to sign a licensed document in order to be married?”

“Yes, I remember.”

“And you remember what else we’ve talked about a few times, about me adopting you?”

“That when you adopt me, you’ll be my really daddy,” she said with a smile.

“That’s right,” he said, grinning at her. “Well, in order for me to adopt you, Mommy and I have to be married.”

“And now you are married!” she said with a smile.

“Right again,” he said, smiling back at her. “So, I wanted you to be here when Mommy and I add our signatures to the marriage license because then-”

“What’s a signature?”

“It’s like this,” he said, reaching for the marriage license and squatting down to hand it to her, showing her where the other signatures were already written. “This is your auntie’s, my sister’s, and the officiant’s. Writing it this way is called a signature and putting it on a document is important and serious. It means that the people who signed it today agree that Mommy and I should be married.”

She touched the names, tracing the inked signatures and she nodded.

“It’s like a promise,” she said softly and he grinned.

“That’s exactly what it is,” he agreed and she smiled.

“You promise to be married and to love Mommy.”

He looked up at Dana, her eyes wet and a hand covering her mouth, and he nodded.

“I do promise that, Ivy. I promise it to Mommy and to you,” he said, looking back at Ivy. “I promise to always love your mommy and to love you. I love you both so very much.”

She put the license back on the table and wrapped her arms around his neck. He smiled as he pulled her close to him and closed his eyes as he let out a deep breath.

“I love you too, Fox. I promise to love you forever, with all of my heart.”

“Oh, Ivy,” he said shakily, squeezing her even tighter. “I promise with all of my heart too.” He heard Dana choke back a sob and he looked up at her, his own eyes wet with tears.

When Ivy pulled back, she smiled and he laughed softly. Kissing her forehead, he stood up and clapped his hands once.

“Okay, let’s sign this license!” he said.

Dana signed first, Ivy standing on a chair and watching as she did. Fox was next and when he was done, he looked at Ivy, who grinned at him.

“Now, there are two more things to sign,” he said, taking an envelope from his inside jacket pocket. “One is the official adoption document and the other is one that I made for us to all sign, even you Ivy.”

“I don’t know how to do the signature like you and Mommy did.”

“That’s okay. I can show you. It’s pretty simple.”

He laid the one he had made onto the table and unfolded it.

“Can you read this one to me?” he asked her.

“I know some of the words,” she said. “But not all of them. Can you read it instead?”

“I can,” he said, taking her hand and then Dana’s as he began to read the paragraph. “Today, we become a family. We did not start out on this journey together, but we met along the way and have decided to continue on it together. We promise to love each other, talk about our feelings, be kind, adventurous, silly, and loving. We will always be a family and by signing our names below, we make it official.” He looked at Ivy and smiled. “It’s a promise to always be a family and be together. Will you sign it, Miss Ivy?”

“Yes, but you have to help me.”

And he did, showing her how, and then guiding her hand until it read Ivy Scully on the paper. He added his own name and then Dana added hers along with the date.

“Two Scullys and a Mulder,” he said, grinning at them. “That would be a good band name.” Dana laughed and Ivy smiled.

“Okay, now it’s time to sign this one, the one we send away to the state and then it becomes official and true that we are a family. Once I sign this paper, I will be stating that I want to be your daddy.”

“My really daddy,” she corrected him softly.

“Your really daddy, yes,” he said, kissing her head. “I love you, Ivy.”

“I love you too, Fox.”

“Ready?” She nodded and reached for his hand. He grasped it as he picked up the pen and took a deep breath before letting it out.

He located the places he needed to sign his name and add any initials. Adding the date, he signed once more. Setting the pen down, he smiled and looked at Ivy expecting to see a matching smile, but instead he saw silent tears running down her face.

“Ivy…” he said, letting go of her hand and wrapping his arms around her. She cried as she clung to him and he said nothing, simply let her cry.

When she calmed, she pulled back and looked at him. Touching his cheeks, he waited for her to speak, not wanting to push her.

“You’re my daddy now,” she whispered. “I love you, Daddy.”

“Oh, Ivy,” he said, tears filling his eyes. “I love you too.”

He pulled her close again and reached for Dana, who was also crying. The three of them held each other, crying and then laughing at their tears.

“We’re a family now,” Ivy said. “A really family.”

“That we are, my love,” Dana said, smiling at Fox, who was unable to speak past the large lump that resided in his throat. “That we are.”

_______________

Six months later

Fox laughed as he typed, shaking his head at the direction the story had taken.

“And the secret was finally revealed, Ollie the Octopus was actually Queen Ophelia from the Aquamarine Kingdom,” he said softly as he typed.

A mug slid into his line of vision and he turned to see Dana standing beside him with a smile.

“Hey,” he said as she set the mug down onto his desk. “Thank you.”

“You’ve been busy in here,” she said, leaning against the side of the desk and looking at the screen. “What? Ollie is actually the queen? Oh, I didn’t see that coming.”

“Me either!” he said happily. “Isn’t it great? Ivy said it last night and my mouth dropped open. I think she’s had this planned from the beginning, but kept it very tightly under wraps.”

“Sounds like she’s been spending time with a writer,” Dana chuckled.

“Hmm,” he hummed with a smile, looking at her as he leaned back in his chair. “Where are you off to looking so beautiful?”

“Beautiful?” she scoffed, looking down at her clothes. “I’m wearing jeans and a sweater.”

“Mmhmm,” he said, reaching for her and pulling her onto his lap. “Like I said, beautiful.”

“Hmm,” she hummed, kissing him, her arms wrapping around his neck. “Thank you, first of all.” He chuckled as they kissed again. “Second, I’m going to lunch with mom and then we’re meeting up with Missy to do some birthday and Christmas shopping.”

“That’s right.” He smiled at her, rubbing his thumb along the bit of revealed skin where her sweater lifted in the back.

“You’re still good to get Ivy from school?” she asked, her fingernails scratching gently at his neck.

“Mmm, yeah,” he said, closing his eyes and exhaling, pulling her closer.

“Fox,” she said warningly and he opened his eyes.

“What?”

“You know exactly what,” she said, kissing him quickly and rising from his lap with a smile.

“To be continued then,” he said and she laughed softly.

“Yeah. To be continued…” she said, kissing him again, a hand on his cheek. “And you wonder where Ivy gets her storytelling skills.” She looked at the computer and nodded.

“Nah… she’s always had a great imagination. I’ve just added to it with my own ideas.”

“This is true. You two have compiled quite a story. I love that you write it down every day so you can look at it each night, keeping the storyline straight.”

“Not like that series we watched last week?” he teased and she put her hands up as she shook her head.

“Don’t even get me started on all the plot holes in that series.”

“But you still want to finish it?” he asked with a laugh.

“We have two episodes left. Do you seriously expect me to not watch it? To not finish that hot mess so I can laugh at it later?”

“No, I don’t,” he laughed again, knowing her well.

“If you and Ivy had been in charge of that show, it would have been much better,” she said with a smile. “Okay. I gotta get going. You have fun adding to the story. I’ll pick up dinner and see you both later.”

“Sounds good, hon. Have fun. Say hi to your mom and Missy for me.”

“I will, love. Bye.” She kissed him one last time and started to walk out of the room.

“See ya, beautiful,” he said, turning in his chair to watch her walk away. She looked over her shoulder with a wink and then she was gone.

He smiled as he turned around again and looked at the computer screen. Clicking the home button, he went to the very beginning of the story that he and Ivy had started months ago and began to read it for at least the twentieth time.

“Nope, no plot holes here,” he chuckled as he read about kingdoms of animals who worked together, sometimes plotted against one another, and then made peace when things went awry.

“Huh,” he said, leaning in and reading more intently, thinking of the sketchbook somewhere in Ivy’s room that held the drawings that they had made of the characters.

“Huh,” he said again as he got up and went up to her room to find it.

Hazel, the three year old golden and white springer spaniel they had adopted from a shelter two months ago, was asleep on the foot of Ivy’s bed and he smiled at the sight of her.

She was a sweet little dog who had caught their eye, her whole body wiggling with excitement when Ivy had approached her kennel.

“Oh… there’s a cat in there too!” Ivy had exclaimed when she looked closer. “Why is there a cat too?”

“They were surrendered together,” a volunteer had informed them. “The woman who owned them had a stroke and was unable to care for them any longer. Her children didn’t want the responsibility of an animal, much less two, so they brought them here. We’ve tried to put them in separate areas, but Hazel stops eating and Willow, the cat there, cries and cries unless she’s with Hazel. So, we let them be together and everyone is happy.”

“So they need to be adopted together?” Fox had asked, his heart aching as he had looked at the animals.

Hazel had been licking Ivy’s fingers through the chain link fence, whining as she tried to get closer. Willow, the small black and white cat, had gotten up and stretched, coming over to also receive pets, pressing her head against the fence.

“Yeah, they do,” the volunteer had said with a sigh. “I can’t imagine how they would get on if they were separated. Both of them are incredibly sweet, as you can see, but not everyone wants the responsibility of two animals.”

“We’ll take them,” Dana had said, taking Fox’s hand and squeezing it. “We’ll take them today if we can.”

“Let’s see what we can do,” the volunteer had said, smiling happily as she walked away and Ivy had laughed when Hazel had barked and wiggled excitedly.

“They can’t be separated,” Fox had whispered, looking at the animals, but thinking of himself and Samantha.

“And they won’t be,” Dana had said, squeezing his hand again. “We leave with both today, or we keep coming back until we do.”

He had pulled her to him and whispered his thanks and love, kissing her head as he had released a deep breath.

Two hours later, after spending time with Hazel and Willow, speaking to the supervisor, filling out paperwork and paying the adoption fees, they had left with both animals.

Stopping at the pet store, Dana had stayed in the car with Willow while Fox and Ivy had taken Hazel into the shop to pick out whatever toys she wanted, and pick up supplies for both animals.

Once home, they had all adjusted quite well. Hazel loved the yard, running around and around as she had chased after Ivy, whom she adored. Willow had been content with finding places to nap throughout the day, coming around for attention when she wanted it, her purr loud as she cuddled close.

When Ivy was in school, Hazel could often be found laying on her bed, watching out the window and awaiting her return.

“Hazy Hazel,” he said softly, giving her a pet and rubbing her silky ears. “Just waiting for our girl?” Hazel licked his fingers, but did not stir further. “Yeah, I know. She’ll be home soon, I promise. Now I need to find that book.” A final pat and he turned around looking for the sketchbook.

Finding it under a book about dragons and unicorns, he thumbed through it as he hurriedly walked back to his office.

Reading the story again as he looked at the corresponding drawings, an idea began to form and he grinned.

He would have to ask Ivy and Dana first, see what they had to say, but as the idea grew and took on a life of his own, he opened up his email and began a new message to his agent.

Susan,

Had an idea for a story, something different than what I usually write. Not sure just yet how it will go, but I had to tell someone. Not even sure if it will work, but really hoping it can.

Fox

Pressing send, he leaned back and ran a hand across his mouth. Laughing, he shook his head and spun the chair around in a circle.

Willow ran into the room, the bell on her purple collar jingling quietly. Fox smiled as she jumped onto the desk and blinked her bright green eyes, purring loudly.

“Willowy Willow. Been sleeping the day away and now it’s time for some love?” he asked, scratching under her chin as she closed her eyes and leaned into his hand. “Yeah… you know how to do things right. You-”

A ding sounded and he looked at his email, finding a response from Susan.

“Well, that was fast,” he said as he stopped petting Willow and clicked on it.

Fox,

I have come to expect nothing but the unexpected from you. When you have it figured out, send me some pages.

Susan

“Yes!” he said with an excited laugh. Glancing at the clock, he saw he had two and half hours before he would need to pick up Ivy.

“Okay,” he said with a nod. “Okay, Willow, let’s see what we can do.”

Willow lay on the long desk, twitching her tail and then eventually falling asleep as he edited, copied and pasted, scanned images and added them into the documents, until it was a rough assembly of an illustrated book. He saved the document one last time and made sure his tablet was fully charged.

Giving Willow a quick pet and a kiss, he called for Hazel who came hurrying down the stairs, wiggling happily. Grabbing her leash, his coat and backpack, they ran out the door.

Hazel secured in the backseat, they started toward Ivy’s school.

He hoped that once he showed Ivy how amazing the story looked, she would love the idea of creating a real book that others could also enjoy.

Grinning, he turned the music up in the car and sang along as he drove to pick up his little girl with the big imagination.

#the x files #xf fanfic #msr #alternate universe #modern setting #christmas #fluff #happiness #plans for the future #love and happiness #kissing #hugging #family

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