Father To Son Series - ten stories Title: Father to Son: Bedtime Beasties and Other Scary Stuff Author: Susan Frankovich Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Spoilers: References to Tooms, Ice, Quagmire, and How the Ghosts Stole Christmas Archive: No. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the first in a series of conversations that Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Summary: Mulder and William have a little night-time chat about some strange and scary stuff. *********************************************************** Bedtime Beasties and Other Scary Stuff "Tell me a story, Dad." "It's getting kind of late, buddy, and I'm not sure your mom would appreciate me keeping you up later than you should be. You should probably get to bed." "Yeah, I should, but that doesn't mean I will." "You know, William, you're sounding more like me every day...and that's not necessarily a good thing." "I think it is." "Just don't tell your mother that." "Okay, I won't. So, are you going to tell me a story or what?" "What kind would you like tonight - scary or gross?" "Well, since Halloween is almost here, how 'bout something scary?" "Okay, let me think...I could tell you about the time I was chased through an underground tunnel by a liver eating mutant." "You already told me that one, Dad. Don't you remember?" "Yeah, now that you mention it...I guess I did tell you about Tooms. Hmmm...how about the time your mom and I were trapped in a haunted house with a couple of ghosts on Christmas Eve?" "That's a pretty good one, but you just told me that one last week." "Alright then, how about when I thought I was being chased through the woods by Big Blue, the sea monster, but then it turned out to be an alligator?" "That was awesome, you shooting that alligator right between the eyes just in the nick of time. I bet you were really scared then. I would've been." "Yeah, I was." "Well, I really do like that story, but I think I want to hear about something else tonight, something that *really* freaked you out." "Okay, okay, I got it...how about the time someone tried to put a worm inside of my ear?" "I said I wanted to hear about something scary, Dad, not something gross." "You're right, it was gross, but when I was pinned down on that floor struggling to get free, I was never more scared in my life. If that doctor would've put that worm in my ear, I would've gotten infected and eventually died." "I'm sorry." "There's nothing to be sorry for, son. Your mom and I were involved in a lot of dangerous situations when we were working on The X-Files, but it was our job, and we always tried to do our best at it no matter how difficult it was at times." "I'm glad you don't work on The X-Files anymore. I mean, it sounds really cool and all, but I don't think I'd like it if you and mom had to go out on cases like that now." "As much as I loved what your mother and I did back then, I'm glad we have jobs now that keep us closer to home...and to you, Will." "So am I, Dad." "So do you still want to hear a scary story or are you ready to turn out your lights and call it a night?" "How 'bout I turn off my lights, and I tell *you* a story?" "Okay." "You wanna hear something scary or gross tonight, Dad?" "Surprise me." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: Love, Livers, and Other Important Life Stuff Author: Susan Frankovich E-mail: sus...@ticnet.com or filesfa...@yahoo.com Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Spoilers: Tooms, The Host Archive: After the Fact site. Anyone else, please ask first. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the second in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Summary: Mulder and William talk about some of the important things in life. ***************************************************** Love, Livers, and Other Important Life Stuff "So Dad, who's this Tooms guy I heard you and mom talking about last night?" "He was a man who ripped out people's livers with his bare hands, and then ate them." "Yeah right." "No, it's true. Ask your mom." "He ate people's livers? Why?" "Because he needed them to survive. Eating five livers enabled him to hibernate for a thirty year time period. Then he would get out of his nest and do the same thing all over again so he could hibernate for another thirty years." "But that's impossible." "That's what your mom thought at first too." "And then she changed her mind?" "Yeah, she did." "How come?" "The evidence. We found enough of it for her to believe that it was really true." "So, what happened to this guy anyway? Did you and mom catch him?" "Well..." "What'd you do, Dad? Did you...um...kill him?" "Actually, an escalator did." "An escalator? Really? How?" "Well, first we figured out where his nest was, which happened to be underneath where a new mall was built." "Which mall?" "City Square." "No way." "Way." "So you went there, and then what happened?" "After we figured out that his nest was in a shaft beneath one of the escalators, I crawled down there and went after him." "Were you scared?" "Not at first." "But then you were?" "When he jumped out at me and chased me through that narrow tunnel, yeah, I was pretty scared." "But you got away from him, right?" "With your mom's help, I did. When I reached the end of the tunnel, and I saw your mom's hand reaching down for me, I knew I was gonna be okay." "But you said Tooms was killed by an escalator." "He was. Once your mom helped pull me up out of there, I quick reached over, pressed the button that started the escalator, and..." "He got sucked inside, didn't he?" "Let's just say that we don't have to worry about him eating anybody's livers anymore." "Wow, that's really cool, Dad." "Thanks, buddy, but you know...I couldn't have done any of it without your mom's help." "You guys were really good partners back then, weren't you?" "Yes, we were, but just because we don't work for the FBI anymore doesn't mean that we aren't partners anymore." "What do you mean?" "We may have officially started out as FBI partners, but we'll always be partners for life." "That's pretty corny, even for you, Dad." "I don't care if it sounds corny, William. It's the truth." "I know." "Someday you'll be lucky enough to find someone you'll want to have as your partner for life, and then you'll understand what I mean." "I suppose, but how will I know when I find the right partner?" "You'll just know." "I knew you were gonna say that." "I'm that predictable, huh?" "When it comes to how you feel about mom, yeah, you're pretty easy to read. Hey Dad, the next time we're at the mall, do you think you could show me where all that stuff happened?" "We can do that." "And maybe sometime you can tell me about some of your other unusual cases?" "Sure, if it's alright with your mom." "Cool, because I saw this one file of yours that had some pictures in it of this thing that looked like a giant worm with a man's face." "Ahh...that would be flukeman." "Flukeman?" "Actually, that wasn't its official name. I just called it that because I thought it sounded cool." "So what'd this flukeman thing do? Did it go around eating people, but then you found it and killed it?" "Something like that." "Tell me about it, PLEASE Dad." "Well, okay... It all started when the X-Files were closed down and your mom and I were separated, and..." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: Awesome Dreams Author: Susan Frankovich Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Spoilers: None Archive: No. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the third in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Summary: Mulder and William talk about dreams and the consequences of eavesdropping. ******************************************************* Awesome Dreams "Hey Dad, remember when you told me about that Tooms guy, you know, that guy who ate people's livers?" "Yeah, what about him?" "He's really dead, isn't he?" "I watched him get crushed in an escalator from not three feet away, so yeah, I'd say he's pretty much hamburger." "Good." "So, why do you want to know about him all of a sudden?" "Well, I..." "What is it, buddy? Have you been having some of those bad dreams again?" "Yeah." "They're just dreams, William. They aren't real." "They seem real." "I know, but they aren't." "Do you ever have bad dreams, Dad?" "All the time, although not as much as I used to." "So, how do you make them go away?" "I don't, but I can control them." "What do you mean?" "Your mind is a powerful thing, William, and I believe that even in your sleep, you have the power to control some of your dreams." "If that were true, Dad, then how come you still have nightmares? I mean, if you can control what you're dreaming, then you should be able to always dream about good stuff." "You're right, you should, but it doesn't always work that way, son. Sometimes no matter how badly you want to push certain dreams out of your mind, you just can't... at least until your mind is ready to anyway." "You mean like the dreams you have about something bad happening to me?" "Have you been eavesdropping on your mom and me again? You know the rules about that." "Yeah, I know, but sometimes I accidentally overhear you." "Accidentally, William?" "Well, kind of accidentally on purpose." "Now that sounds like something I'd say to your mother." "Actually Dad, I *did* hear you say it to her once before." "Oh, when was that?" "I'd rather not say." "That's probably a wise choice at the moment, son." "I'm in trouble, huh." "Not in trouble, just on probation." "I guess that means I have to go to bed right now then." "Yeah, I'd say that's an accurate assumption." "Okay, I'm going." "Good night, William. Have sweet dreams." "Dad, I'm not a baby anymore." "Okay then, have *awesome* dreams." "Dad..." "Just get a good night's sleep tonight, okay?" "Okay...and Dad?" "Yeah?" "Thanks..." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: Better Than Okay Author: Susan Frankovich Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Spoilers: Reference to the beginning of season six. Archive: No. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the fourth in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Author's notes: This dialogue is dedicated to the wonderful susanstuff gang, and as soon as they start reading it, they'll know why I wrote it. Summary: Mulder and William discuss the first day of school. ******************************************************** Better Than Okay "So, how was your first day of school, William?" "It was okay." "Just okay?" "Yeah." "You don't sound very enthusiastic. Don't you like your new teacher?" "She's okay. It's just that..." "It's just that what?" "We didn't really get to learn much. We had to spend all this time listening to her explain all these rules and procedures, and we didn't really get to use our new books at all or do anything interesting." "I can see why you thought it was 'just okay', but it's only the first day. Teachers need to explain the rules and procedures so that you'll get into a routine with using them." "But they're so boring." "I'm going to be honest with you, buddy. Not everything in life is fun and exciting. Some tasks can be pretty dull and tedious no matter how much you try to make them not be." "I bet you never had to do anything boring when you were working on The X-Files though." "Well, I did work on a lot of fascinating cases over the years, but there were also times when I had to do jobs that I wasn't particularly fond of." "Like what?" "Well, there were a few months when your mom and I were on fertilizer duty." "Fertilizer duty? You're kidding, right?" "No, I'm not, and I wasn't very happy about doing it. Neither was your mom for that matter, but we did it, and eventually, we got to go back to working on the good stuff." "Well, after Mrs. Carlton spent all that time telling us about the rules and junk, she did show us how to do this awesome number trick." "Oh?" "Yeah, it was really cool. You start by writing down the year you were born, and then you do all these things to that number like adding and multiplying and stuff, and if you do it right, the final number you end up with is your age." "That does sound pretty awesome. Would you like to see if it works with my age?" "Okay, but I have to go get the paper out of my backpack that tells how to do it." "Hey buddy, before you go..." "What?" "I guess your first day wasn't so boring after all, was it?" "No, I guess not. Thanks, Dad." "You're welcome. Now hurry up and get that paper so we can see how to do the trick. I want to learn it so I can try it out on your mom..." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: On Being Dead Author: Susan Frankovich Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Spoilers: Reference to the end of season eight. Archive: No. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the fifth in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Summary: "Dad, what did it feel like to be dead?" *********************************************************** On Being Dead "Dad, what did it feel like to be dead?" "What?" "What did it feel like, you know, when you were dead?" "What are you talking about?" "I'm talking about when you were dead, when they buried you and then dug you up again. I heard you and mom talking about it last night." "William...you know how we feel about you listening in on our conversations. We've talked about it before." "I know, but I didn't listen on purpose. I just kind of walked by your bedroom and happened to hear some of what you were saying, that's all." "So, it was that 'accidentally on purpose thing' again, huh?" "Ummm...yeah, I guess so." "Hmmm..." "Well, is it true, Dad? Were you really dead and they buried you in the ground?" "Yes." "Wow...that's cool." "There wasn't anything cool about it. It was the worst experience your mom and I ever went through." "I'm sorry... I didn't mean 'cool' like it was awesome or something. I just meant that it was cool that you were actually dead, but then you were alive." "I'm a very lucky man." "I bet you didn't think you were so lucky back then though, did you?" "No, I didn't." "So, what did it feel like...I mean, did it hurt? Were you cold? When you were underground, did it feel like you were trapped?" "To tell you the truth, I didn't feel anything, which is probably a good thing." "I bet mom was really scared." "Your mom's pretty tough, but yeah, she was scared, and she was sad, and it was all very hard for her." "It was probably even harder for you though." "I'm not going to lie to you, buddy. Actually being dead wasn't the hard part. It was the being alive *after* being dead part that was the hardest." "Yeah, but you got through it, and then you and mom had me, right?" "That's right." "So, what was that like? Was I all squishy and wrinkly when I was born? Did I scream a lot?" "Anyone ever tell you that you ask a lot of questions, William?" "Yeah, you do all the time." "You're right, I do, but that's good because that's exactly what you should do. Ask questions. Pay attention to the things that go on around you, and learn everything you can from your experiences." "Geez Dad, you sound just like my teacher." "That's exactly what I am. Now go on, you've got a lot of homework to do." "Alright, I'm goin'." "And William?" "Yeah, Dad?" "Next time, do your eavesdropping on somebody else, okay?" "Okay." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: Dealing with the Devil Author: Susan Frankovich Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Spoilers: The Jersey Devil Archive: After the Fact site. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the sixth in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Summary: "Why would you want to save something that wasn't a real person?" ******************************************************* Dealing with the Devil "Hey Dad, what's the Jersey Devil?" "What?" "The Jersey Devil, what is it?" "Where'd you find out about that, William?" "Ummm..." "Ummm, what? William, were you snooping in some of my old files again?" "I didn't mean to. I kinda stumbled across 'em when I was cleaning down in the basement." "Stumbled as in you saw some boxes that were taped shut and marked confidential, and you decided to open them up anyway?" "Sort of." "Now why doesn't that surprise me?" "Probably because you used to do stuff like that all the time. Mom told me." "Oh, she did, did she?" "Yeah, she also said that you were attacked by this Jersey Devil thing...or at least the female one." "And what else did she tell you?" "She said that you were fascinated by it and that you tried to protect it." "Well, she was right. I did try to protect it, but unfortunately I was too late. I couldn't save her." "I don't get it, Dad." "What's that?" "Why would you want to save something that wasn't a real person?" "But she *was* real, buddy." "No, she wasn't. She was like some sort of beast or something. And I read that she tried to kill some people." "She did it to survive. It was all she knew." "But I still don't get it. I mean...she attacked you. Why didn't you fight back?" "It was never my intention to hurt her. I only wanted to learn from her, and besides when she hit me in that warehouse, she didn't really want to hurt me. She just did it because she was afraid." "You know, sometimes I just can't figure you out, Dad." "Your mom tells me that all the time." "I know. I've heard her say it like a million times." "A million?" "Well, okay, maybe a thousand." "So, when you were doing all this snooping of yours, did you actually bother to read my whole report or did you just skip right ahead to the gory parts?" "I read it all. So, you think she might've actually had a kid that was left out in the woods?" "Yes, I do. Of course, no children of hers were ever found out in that area, but that doesn't mean there weren't any." "Hey Dad, maybe we could drive out there some weekend and go look for one." "I'm not sure your mom would be too thrilled with that idea, and besides...it's been about twenty years since that all happened." "But that doesn't mean that it still couldn't be possible, does it?" "No William, I guess it doesn't." "Then can we go there sometime, Dad?" "Yes, but only if we take your mom with us." "Great! Then it'll be like we're going out on a real case together." "You know, there just might be some hope for you yet...but don't tell your mom I said that. Deal?" "Deal." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: The Friendship Factor Author: Susan Frankovich Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Archive: No archive without permission. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the seventh in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Summary: "You can never have too many friends, William." ************************************************************ The Friendship Factor "Dad?" "Yeah?" "Can I ask you something?" "What is it, buddy?" "How do you know if a girl likes you?" "Well, it depends." "On what?" "On a lot of things...it could be a certain look she gives you, it could be the way she speaks when she's talking to you, or it could even be that she likes to do things she knows will irritate you." "I think it might be that last thing." "Oh?" "Yeah, there's this girl in my class, Amanda...she's always doing stuff that bugs me." "Like what?" "Whenever I'm at my desk working on something, she always has to walk by me when she needs to sharpen her pencil." "Is the sharpener near your desk?" "No, it's on the counter on the other side of the room." "So you think she walks by you just to bug you?" "Yeah, and she always hits me on the shoulder with her pencil when she does." "Have you told your teacher about it?" "Yes." "And what'd she say?" "She says that Amanda's probably doing it because she likes me." "I'd say Ms. Hughes is a smart lady." "Dad..." "No, she's right, pal. It sounds to me like your friend Amanda's got a big 'ol crush on you, and the safe way for her to let you know that is by doing things she knows will get your attention...even annoying things." "But she drives me crazy. She bugs me at lunchtime too, and sometimes after school when I'm getting on the bus." "Boy, she's really going all out, isn't she?" "So what am I supposed to do about it?" "What do you want to do about it, William?" "I'm not sure." "I know you said you didn't like *what* she does, but do you like *who* she is?" "What do you mean?" "I mean, do you like her personality? Is she nice... does she have a sense of humor...is she smart?" "She's okay, I guess...for a girl." "Well then, there you go." "But I don't like her *that* way...at least I don't think I do." "And no one says you have to. Just enjoy the fact that another person likes you and wants to spend time with you." "Yeah, I guess so, but I don't really understand why that's so important. I mean, I have other friends who like me and want to spend time with me." "You can never have too many friends, William." "But what about you, Dad? You don't have that many friends." "You're right, I don't, but the ones I do have mean a great deal to me." "Like Mr. Skinner?" "Yes." "I like him." "And so do I, but we weren't very friendly with each other at first." "Really?" "Yeah, he did things that irritated me and made decisions I didn't like, but once I gave him a chance and got to know him better, I came to trust him and we became good friends...and who knows? It might turn out to be the same with Amanda...if you give her a chance." "Do I have to?" "No, but I'd like you to." "Oh, alright, but if I come home from school tomorrow with lead marks and a bruise on my shoulder, it's gonna be all your fault." "I'll take full responsibility for any bodily marks you may incur at school tomorrow." "I knew you were going to say that." "Oh, you did, huh?" "Yeah, you always say stuff like that, Dad." "Well then, since you know me so well, I guess you already know what I'm going to say next." "It's time for me to go to bed?" "Exactly. Now go tell your mom goodnight and hit the sack. It's getting late." "Okay. See ya in the morning...and Dad?" "Yeah?" "Thanks." "Anytime." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: The Coolness Factor Author: Susan Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Archive: No archive without permission. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the eighth in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. *This is dedicated to the members on the susanstuff list and was inspired by the fact that tomorrow is my first day of school with my new students.:) Summary: "A lot of kids feel nervous about the first day of school." ************************************************************ The Coolness Factor "So Will, are you nervous about the big day tomorrow?" "Not really." "Not even a little?" "Well, maybe a little." "That's okay, buddy. A lot of kids feel nervous about the first day of school." "Did you, Dad?" "Yeah, some years I did...like when I moved from junior high to high school. It was hard going from being the big fish in the sea to being a little guppy in the ocean." "Huh?" "When I changed schools, I pretty much went from being a hot shot eighth grader who knew how to do everything to being a ninth grade punk who knew nothing." "You were a punk, Dad?" "Well, not really a punk...just a kid who tried to be cool and act like he knew what he was doing." "You mean kind of like you act now." "Hey..." "Just kidding, Dad." "You better be." "So, once you were in junior high for awhile, you started to feel less nervous about things though, right?" "Yeah, I did, and you will too, buddy. I have no doubt that you're going to do just as great in sixth grade as you did in all the other grades." "Thanks. I think I'll be okay in most of my subjects, but I'm kind of worried about Science. I hear Mr. Banks is really tough." "Well, that's where your mom comes in. She's one of the best scientists around, you know." "Yeah, I know." "So, what time is the bus supposed to come by tomorrow anyway?" "8:00, I think." "I could drive you instead if you want since you have all those supplies to carry." "Okay." "Are you sure? It wouldn't be cramping your style to have your dad drop you off instead of the bus?" "No way, Dad. Everyone thinks you're cool." "Really?" "No." "William..." "Sorry Dad, but sometimes you're just too easy." "Yeah, and you're too smart for your own good. Now I suggest you get to bed before I change my mind about driving you to school tomorrow." "Alright, I'm goin'." "I'll see you in the morning, okay, buddy?" "Okay...and Dad?" "Yeah?" "I really do think you're cool." "Well, I think you're pretty cool too. Good night, Will." "'Night, Dad, and thanks." "For what?" "Listening." ~end~ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: Between You and Me Author: Susan Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Archive: No archive without permission. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: This is the ninth in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven year old son William. **Can you believe it's been almost a year since I wrote one of these? I guess I figured that since it's Father's Day today I should probably do a little eavesdropping and see what's going on in the Mulder household. Summary: "It's not much, but I thought you might like it." **************************************************************** Between You and Me "Happy Father's Day, Dad." "Thanks, William." "Here, I got something for you." "You didn't have to do that." "I know." "But I'm glad you did." "It's not much, but I thought you might like it." "Of course, I'll like it. It's from you, isn't it?" "Dad..." "Yeah, I know what you're going to say. All dads are supposed to say that kind of stuff to their kids, right?" "Well, they are, aren't they?" "I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it, buddy. It's nice that you got me something." "So, are you going to open it or what?" "Don't you want to wait until mom's done out in the kitchen? I'm sure she'll want to see this." "That's okay. You can open it now." "Are you sure?" "Well...um... I kind of wanted you to open it up alone." "So, it's a man-to-man type present then, huh?" "Not really. I just wanted it to be between you and me, that's all." "Okay. Nothing's going to pop out of this box and explode in my face, is it?" "No, I got you something like that for your birthday." "Very funny." "I try to be." "You know, you're getting to be more and more like your old man every day, and that's not necessarily a good thing." "I think it is." "Well, I'm not sure your mother would think it is." "Come on, Dad. Just open the box." "Okay, here goes." "So, do you like it?" "William...I don't know what to say." "I used an old photograph as a reference." "It's...wow..." "I thought I'd have a hard time getting it just right, but it didn't take me as long as I thought it would." "I didn't even know you knew how to do this." "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Dad." "I guess there are." "So, aren't you going to ask me why I chose this particular picture to use for my sketch?" "I'm still kind of surprised by this whole thing... I mean, I knew you were pretty good at drawing, but this...this is just...it's beautiful, son." "I chose it because it's one of Mom's favorite pictures of you and her when you worked together at the FBI." "Your mom knew you were drawing this for me?" "Yup, she helped me get the picture and supplies... plus she kept you out of the house whenever I was working on it." "So, it was a conspiracy between the two of you then, huh?" "Something like that." "Well, it's wonderful. Thanks, Will." "You're welcome. I'm really glad you like it." "I do, but now I need to decide where the best place is to hang it." "How 'bout in your office with your 'I Want to Believe' poster and all your newspaper clippings and stuff?" "That's the perfect spot. You want to go out in the garage and get me the hammer and nails so we can hang it up?" "Sure." "You're a great kid, you know that?" "Yeah, I am pretty thoughtful sometimes, aren't I?" "Yes, you are. Now go get me those things before I change my mind about how wonderful you are." "Thanks, Dad." "Thank *you*." ~end~ Happy Father's Day to all the wonderful dads out there! I hope your day's a special one.:) ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Title: Father to Son: Stitches and Stuff Author: Susan Classification: vignette written entirely in dialogue Spoilers: references to Alone and Essence Archive: No archive without permission. Disclaimer: Mulder and William belong together, just as Mulder and Scully do. I just wish it was in my power to keep them that way. Author's notes: Written for my son, who got his own set of stitches two nights ago and was a very brave boy.:) This is the tenth in a series of conversations Mulder has with his eleven-year-old son William. Summary: "How many stitches do you think I'll need?" ********************************************************* Stitches and Stuff "Is it going to hurt, Dad?" "I'm not going to lie to you, William. It's going to sting a bit when the doctor first deadens the nerves, but after that, it'll be clear sailing." "Are you sure?" "Of course, I'm sure. If I can get through it, you can." "But I'm gonna have a scar there." "Probably, but it'll make you even more attractive to all the girls." "Dad..." "I know what I'm talking about. Just ask your mom." "If I ask her, you know she'll just say you did something you weren't supposed to, and that you never should've gotten hurt in the first place." "And she'd be right. Back then I did do a lot of things I probably shouldn't have, but I'm not sorry for them because at the time I believed that what I was doing was right." "Just like I thought that what *I* was doing was right." "Sneaking outside and riding your skateboard without a helmet on after both your mom and I told you to wear it wasn't right, and you know it." "I guess so." "Then why'd you do it?" "Ummm...well...I guess I was trying to be cool or somethin'." "Being cool doesn't involve splitting your head open." "I know." "And did you also know there are about 67,000 head injuries a year because of people not wearing helmets, and that up to 88 percent of them could be prevented if those same people had simply worn their helmets?" "No." "It's true, and while I understand why you did what you did, I want *you* to understand just how dangerous it is to risk getting a head injury or even worse, risk injury to your brain." "I understand." "And you won't be doing it again, will you?" "No, dad." "Good. Now the doctor should be in here soon, and this will be all over before you know it." "Are you sure it's not going to hurt too bad?" "It'll be okay, buddy." "How many stitches do you think I'll need?" "Judging from the length of it and how deep it is, I'd say at least eight, maybe more." "It's gonna leave a big scar right where everyone can see it." "Not if the doctor does a good job on it, it won't." "Really?" "See this spot right here?" "Yeah." "Several years ago, your mom patched it up, and now you can barely tell that there's anything there." "You're right. I can hardly see it." "And you were actually there when she fixed it too." "I was? I don't remember that." "That's because your mom was pregnant with you at the time." "No wonder I don't remember." "It was over twelve years ago, and there were a lot of important things going on with us back then." "Like what? Did you get hurt because you and mom were investigating a dangerous case?" "Something like that." "You're not going to tell me what it was, are you?" "No." "Because it had something to do with me, right?" "Yes, it did." "Then I should know about it." "Yes, you should, but this isn't the right place to discuss it, or the right time." "What about later?" "We'll talk about it later, but when mom's there too, okay?" "Okay. Hey, Dad?" "Yes, Will?" "Thanks." "For what?" "For not treating me like a kid, for talking to me about stuff..." "You're welcome." "So, when do you think the doctor will get here?" "It probably won't be too much longer." "Could you stay in here while he stitches me up?" "Are you sure, because I can go out in the waiting room if you want me to." "I'm sure." "Of course I'll stay with you." "So what about some of the other stuff that happened while mom was pregnant, you know, the stuff you *can* talk about here." "Ah well, let me think...there was this one guy we investigated who could actually change himself into a reptile." "No way." "Way." "Really?" "Yeah, really." "Can you tell me about him while we're waiting?" "Well, it all started with a piece of slime and a man named Herman Stites..." ~end~