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atths--twice · 6 months

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October 31, 2023

It's Halloween! And also the birthday of a very special little girl.

October 29, 2023

“Oh, these look amazing, Violet,” Scully said as she looked at the costumes their neighbor Violet had been furiously sewing to have them finished before Halloween. “I can’t thank you enough for helping us out. I am not a seamstress by any means.”

“Not to fabric perhaps,” Violet said with a smile. “But you are a doctor who has stitched skin and that is very impressive.”

“I’ll remember that when I chastise myself for not being able to work a sewing machine,” Scully laughed and Violet joined with a chuckle of her own. “Rachel will love these little patches you’ve added to Jacob’s costume and this Dorothy dress for Elizabeth is too perfect. Such a better feel than the costumes in the store.”

“And not a fire hazard,” Violet added and Scully nodded, her eyes wide.

“And I love the star tulle overlay on Faith’s dress. I know she’ll be scrambling to try it on and test out how it spins, as soon as she comes inside,” Scully said and Violet hummed in appreciation.

They had all come over to Violet and Denis’s house after dinner, to both take a walk and pick up the costumes Violet had been working on for a few weeks. Mulder was outside with Faith and Denis, looking for the wooden animals Denis had carved years ago and had scattered throughout the yard, so Faith could greet them and see how they were doing. Bella ran along beside them, sniffing for rabbits that were too clever to be out and waiting to be chased by an often clumsy black dog.

“You all will be the best looking group, I’m sure of it. You might run into others dressed similarly, but not as well done as you,” Violet said and Scully agreed. “Oh… and I made a little something extra for Faith.”

“You did? That was kind of you, but you didn’t have to go to any extra trouble.”

“Oh, it wasn’t any trouble at all. I enjoyed doing it. I don’t have much that fills my days and I definitely don’t have little ones here to spoil, or too close by, so I was happy to do it. Besides, it’s her birthday gift. Well, it’s… part of it, because we do have something else for her, so it’s just because I can.” She nodded at Scully matter of factly and Scully laughed.

“I’m sure that whatever it is, she will love it. Plus whatever else you got her.”

“It’s-”

“Hi, Miss Violet,” Faith said as the door squeaked open and she walked inside, followed by the men. “Mister Denis put new animals in the yard, Mama. A purple porcupine and a red wolf. They are very pretty.”

“You’ll have to show me when we leave,” Scully said, placing a hand on Faith’s head and smoothing her hair back. “Do you want to see your costume, my love? Miss Violet did such a good job sewing it for you.”

“Yes!” Faith exclaimed, clapping her hands and jumping up and down.

Violet laughed and nodded, picking the pink dress out of the pile of costumes and showing it to Faith. Her mouth dropped open as she stepped forward to touch it.

“It’s beautiful,” Faith whispered, running her finger over the gold and silver stars on the tulle. “It’s so pretty. I love it. It’s like a… magic fairy princess queen dress. I love it. Can I wear it right now?”

“Of course,” Violet said, smiling at her and Scully took Faith into the bathroom to try on the dress.

“I LOVE IT!!” Faith yelled, spinning back into the room a few minutes later, her arms above her head. “It’s so spinny! Watch me, Daddy!”

She spun around and around, all of the adults watching her and smiling. When she stopped, she wobbled slightly, her eyes needing a second to focus.

“So, I take it you like it then?” Denis asked teasingly and she nodded, spinning around again.

“You forgot part of the costume,” Violet said and Faith stopped spinning, dizzy and a little out of breath. “You need your wand and crown, Miss Faith.”

Faith ran over to Violet and let her place the silver crown made from felt, which fit perfectly, onto her head. She then handed Faith the silver star wand that she had made from sequined material.

“There. Now you’re ready,” Violet said and Faith grinned as she looked at her, holding the wand and waving it slowly.

“Are you a good witch or a bad witch?” Faith asked in a lilted voice and they all laughed as she spun around again, waving her wand in the air.

When she had quieted and stopped spinning, Violet told her she had an extra surprise for her.

“What is it?” Faith asked, setting her wand down and smiling at Violet.

“I’ll go get it. Stay right there.”

“Okay,” Faith said, looking at Scully. “Miss Violet has a surprise for me. I wonder what it is.”

“I guess we’ll find out in a minute,” Scully said, curious herself what it could be.

“Okay,” Violet said, coming into the room with something on a hanger that was covered by a white plastic bag. “Because I don’t want anything to happen to your beautiful dress before Halloween, I thought you might like a different costume to wear to school tomorrow. I know you like these because we’ve talked about them before. So…” Violet took the bag off the hanger and Faith and Scully both gasped.

It was a mermaid costume with a shiny teal and pink ombre long sleeved top. It blended into a long shiny skirt with scalloped scales in shades of pastel blues and pinks. The tail was made of the same material, but it fell in full folds, assuring the spinny effect Faith would love.

“It’s so pretty,” Faith whispered, coming closer to touch it. “It’s shiny, but not like a light. Like… like happiness.”

“Happiness?” Violet asked, looking at Scully who shrugged, not understanding what exactly she meant.

“Yeah,” Faith nodded. “Like how you feel when you’re happy.” She smiled and nodded again. “It makes me feel happy and shiny.”

“Well,” Violet said, taking it from the hanger. “I don’t think any praise will ever compare to that, Miss Faith. Would you like to try it on?”

And she did, coming out and spinning once again, the tail of the costume flying out around her knees. It landed just above her ankles, the perfect length for her to avoid tripping.

“I can wear the mermaid costume to school tomorrow?” Faith asked as they left, thanking Violet again and waving goodbye as they walked down the driveway.

“You sure can, baby,” Mulder said, lifting her up and putting her onto his shoulders. “You’re going to be a beautiful mermaid.”

“Yes, I will,” Faith said, calling goodbye and blowing kisses to Jafadine, the life-sized giraffe that stood in Violet and Denis’s yard, and Mulder laughed.

_____________

October 31st

“You’re sure this will wash off easily?” Mulder asked as Scully began to apply silver face makeup onto him, to transform him into the Tin Man.

She stood between his legs as he sat on the closed toilet seat in the upstairs bathroom at Skinner and Rachel’s house, carefully spreading the makeup evenly.

“Well, if it doesn’t, then we’re both in trouble, aren’t we?” she asked, stepping back to look at him and then glance at herself in the mirror, her own face painted green.

“I think you look good,” he stated, grabbing onto the backs of her thighs and pulling her a little closer to him.

“Absolutely not,” she said, leaning back and shifting out of his grasp as Faith and the twins ran down the hallway, laughing about something.

“Absolutely not about what?” he asked, looking up with innocent eyes, but she was not falling for that this time.

“If you get up to any funny business, I’ll have to reapply this makeup and it took a long time to get it right. It’s finally dry now and I do not want to start over.”

“Mmm, why is it so sexy hearing that while your face is so green?” he asked, looping his arms around her waist.

“Mulder,” she warned, shaking her head.

“One kiss. I promise I’ll be good. I won’t even mess up your makeup.”

“Yours will merge with mine and it will be a mess.”

“We don’t create messes when we merge, only beauty,” he said as Faith shouted for Jacob and he laughed hysterically.

“Mulder,” Scully laughed, her arms going around his neck, unable to resist him.

“One kiss.”

“One. Gentle and easy. I’m serious.”

“Tin Man’s honor,” he said, holding up one hand and then placing it over his heart. “Or may I be struck down by rust.” She laughed again and he grinned up at her, silver paint on half his face. He pursed his lips and she began to lower her head to meet them when a loud scoff sounded at the bathroom door.

“Jesus Christ, you two. You’re supposed to be getting ready,” Skinner said gruffly and they both turned their heads to look at him. He sighed loudly and Scully grinned.

“We are.”

“Bullshit. Stop all that,” he said, gesturing to their current positions. “Get ready. We’re on a schedule.”

“Walter?” Rachel called from down the hall. “Can you bring the kids in here? I’m nearly done and you still need to get ready too.”

“Yes, hon. I’m on my way,” he called back, turning to look in her direction. Looking back at them, he raised his eyebrows and then walked away, calling for Elizabeth and Jacob.

“Ohhh... Dad got mad,” Mulder whispered and Scully chuckled as she quickly kissed him and then stepped back. “Hey! That’s not fair. I wasn’t ready.”

“Tough shit. We gotta get a move on.”

“Mama, can I get ready now?” Faith asked, walking into the bathroom wearing her mermaid costume and a purple sash with Birthday Girl written in rainbow letters. “Oh, Daddy! You look silly.” She giggled as she came closer, stepping between them as Scully continued putting the silver makeup on him. “Does it feel funny?”

“No. It’s just kinda cold,” he replied.

“Shh. No talking,” Scully said. “Or you’ll get creases. I’m nearly done.”

A few minutes later, Faith giggling as she sang the Tin Man’s song, tapping out the beat on Mulder’s legs, Scully was finished.

“There. Now let it dry for a bit and then get your costume on,” she said, wiping her hands on the paper towels she had brought into the bathroom. “Your turn, my love.” She smiled at Faith and she grinned.

“I’m very excited,” Faith said and Scully laughed as Mulder stood up to look at his reflection in the mirror.

“Well,” he said, turning his head from left to right. “It looks odd on its own, but once I’ve got the costume on, it will work. Thanks, love.” He put his hand out and Scully high fived him before he left the room.

“Let’s get you up here on the counter. I’ll curl your hair and then we’ll put a little bit of makeup on you.”

“But not like yours or daddy’s, right?” Faith asked, looking at Scully in the mirror, her eyes slightly worried.

“No, love,” Scully laughed, testing the curling iron she had plugged in earlier. “Not like ours. Just a little bit of blush and maybe mascara and then we’ll put on your dress.”

“Okay, Mama. I’m ready.”

________________

Thirty minutes later, everyone was downstairs, laughing and commenting on how they all looked.

“Unco Fox,” Jacob laughed, tapping Mulder’s leg. “Wobot.”

“No,” Faith said, shaking her head. “He’s a tin man, Jakey. He’s made of silver tin. It will be rusty if he doesn’t use his oil can.”

Mulder stopped walking and made squeaking sounds which caused Faith and Jacob to giggle.

“Oilllll caaaaan,” he said through clenched teeth.

Faith and Jacob laughed as they took turns using the small can that came with his costume to pretend to oil him up.

“Oh… oh, thank you. I can move again,” he said, moving his jaw and opening and closing his mouth. He rotated his arms and then stuck his hands out to both of them. Shaking their hands simultaneously, he crossed them back and forth, causing them to laugh again.

Scully turned her attention from them to Skinner and had to fight back laughter of her own.

They had planned their Wizard of Oz costumes nearly two months ago, discussing who would be which character. When the decisions were final, Skinner had grumbled a bit, but Scully had also seen the smile tugging at his lips.

She had known who he would be, but seeing him in his costume as the Cowardly Lion was nearly too much.

“Okay!” Rachel shouted with a smile, adjusting the strings on the bonnet of her Lullaby League ballerina costume. “We’re going to take some pictures in the backyard and then we’ll head out to go trick-or-treating. We all look so good. I absolutely love these costumes. This was such a great idea. Let me get the phone set up out there.”

They all trooped out to the backyard, grabbing the props for their costumes on the way. Bella, who had been brought along as Mulder, Scully, and Faith would be spending the night, ran up to give them all some licks, her tail wagging excitedly. She was placed inside the house for a moment so she would not be in the way as everyone then got together for the picture.

Mulder, the Tin Man, stood beside Scully, the Wicked Witch of the West, with Faith, Glinda the Good Witch, in front of them. Skinner, the Cowardly Lion, had Elizabeth, Dorothy Gale, and Jacob, the Scarecrow, in front of him. Vivian, Rachel’s mother, who had arrived only minutes before, stood next to him. She was dressed as the tornado that had brought Dorothy to Oz, complete with the images Dorothy had seen inside the tornado stuck to her outfit.

Scully smiled as she looked at all of them, even as she felt an unexpected lump forming in her throat. She felt Mulder place his hand on the small of her back and she nodded, letting out a deep breath.

“Good?” he asked in a whisper and she nodded again.

“Okay!” Rachel shouted, smoothing her pink ballerina costume. “We’ve got ten seconds. Get ready!” She pushed the timer and rushed over, squeezing in between her mom and Skinner. “Everyone say Pizza!”

“Pizza!” they all shouted and the phone flashed down from ten to one, snapping a burst of photos.

“Let me check it, but I’m sure we got a good one in the bunch,” Rachel said, walking toward the phone.

A few more pictures were taken and then they all left the house with their assortment of props, coffee tumblers full of wine, and Bella in tow.

Many families were already out, the children shouting and running from house to house. Scully smiled as Faith and the twins walked up the first driveway, calling out trick or treat before the door was even open.

People stopped them as they continued through the neighborhood, telling them how much they loved their costumes.

When the twins began to slow down and lose interest, they walked back to the house, Faith dancing and spinning ahead of them.

Not bothering to change out of their costumes as they still had one last celebration to attend to, they gathered in the dining room.

The pink ombré cake that had been placed onto the table after dinner was lit with a golden number five candle and the lights were turned out.

Happy birthday was sung to Faith, her blue eyes shining in the light of the flame, as she looked at each of them in turn, in her sparkly pink Glinda dress and silver crown, and she grinned.

#the x files #family #family life the story beyond the series #halloween #halloween birthday #friends and family #family life #msr #happy #love #domestic life #domestic fluff #trick or treating #group costume #fun and happiness

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