Like a Valentine

Part Four

"Mommy?"
"Emily?" Scully looks up over the rim of her glasses, perfectly plucked brow rising in question.
"I think Mulder should pick me up from daycare tomorrow."
Where has this come from? All these surprise left-fielders.
"Why?"
"Because I want to ride with him in his car."
"What's so special about his car?"
"No'fin. I think he said he wanted to pick me up from daycare though."
He did nothing of the sort. This is ALL pure Emily.
"Is that so? And why would he want to do that?"
"Because he told me he wanted me to have ice cream."
Ohhhh. There it is.
"Ice cream? Hmm, that's awful nice of him."
"Yep," Emily shrugs like it's the most natural thing she's ever said.
"He can come pick me up today. I think that's what he wanted."
Scully actually laughs this time and closes the manila folder in front of her.
"Baby, Mulder and I have work today. We'll be leaving at the same time. I'm sure he's got things he needs to do after."
"No. I don't really think so. B'cause...well... he told me that."
"Uh-huh. Okay, well. I think we should ask him if today is what he really meant. Okay?"
Emily nods, still completely standing her ground.
"I think you should call him and tell him." She adds after a minute of thinking.

"—and so apparently you promised her ice cream after daycare." Scully's smiling down the line, as if he could see it.
"Oh. for some reason that conversation completely doesn't ring a bell," He laughs, smiling too.
"But I don't mind at all. I'd love some ice-cream...and the real stuff. Not that nonfat Tofutti rice dreamsicle stuff."
"I will call and add you to the pickup list then,' He can't see, but she's definitely rolling her eyes. "Excuse me, but they're good!"
"Right, you keep telling yourself that, Scout."
"See you in an hour, Mulder."
"Bye, Scully. Tell Emily I'll be picking her up around three"

A single scoop of chocolate later, and Mulder is automatically Emily's new favorite person.
He picked her up at daycare and she chatted his ear off the entire car ride to Hoggy's Ice Cream parlor.

"Yeah, I love chocolate. So does Mommy. But she hides it. She doesn't want people to know she likes it."
"Really?" Mulder bites down on his cone.
"Yep. She says sweets will make your teef fall out."
"That's why we brush our teeth three times a day," Mulder adds, finishing off the last of his cone.
"I'm going to lose my teef anyways...and the toof fairy will come give me money."
Oh, joy. The ole' tooth fairy.
"That's right. But you should still listen to your mommy. She's a medical doctor, after all. What she says goes, and is best...She's even my doctor."
"Really? My mommy takes care of you when you're sick?"
Mulder nods, "Sure does."
"What about if you're sick at night and you need her to make you better?"
"I usually call her right up."
Emily looks away for the moment, processing.
"Hmm, Okay...but I think if you get sick you should come stay at my house."
"I will definitely tell her you said so."