#happy b-day scully ❤️

[misslilli]

Felix Felicis

MSR. AU. E. | tagging @today-in-fic | read on AO3

Chapter 5 - Happy Birthday, Dana!

[ Felix ]

“Tell me the story again!”

“Suzie, I’ve told you this story a gazillion times already!” The second the recess bell rang, Suzie's all up in my face, begging to be entertained.

“I knowww but inside recess is really boring and this is one of your good stories!” Is she implying that I also have bad stories? No, that can’t be! “Pleeease I wanna hear it again, just one more time!” With nothing better to do, I give in with a sigh, she did say please.

“Alright fine, settle in.” I clear my throat and slip into storytelling mode. “This is the story of February 23rd, we were celebrating the specialest of special women's birthday. It is also the fateful day when I met The Captain for the very first time.”

As you can imagine, I was terribly nervous for a whole week knowing that at the end of it, I’d come face-to-face with the man I’ve heard so many stories about already. Dead set on making a good impression, I’ve spent the majority of our time at Sam’s reading up on ships and sailing and the Navy, anything I could get my hands on.

I wasn’t the only one who was terribly nervous though, I could see it on Dad’s face and overhear it in the conversations with Auntie Sam. A lot of “What if they don’t like me?”s, “What if they think I’m not good enough?”s and “What if I say something stupid?”s. I thought the first two questions are absolutely ridiculous, who in their right mind wouldn’t like my dad, he’s awesome! But I was a little concerned that he might say something stupid, he does that when he’s nervous.

So nervous, in fact, that he cut himself shaving three times and desperately needed Dana’s help with tying his tie. Thankfully, I only had a clip-on and only pretend-shave, to be more like Dad and to not miss out on their conversations in the bathroom. I was proud to say that I managed to dress myself in my bestest suit without incident. Also, I was proud that I didn’t forget to grab Dana’s birthday present before we had to leave for the Beach House, one I’ve picked out and paid for with my own money,

I wasn't nervous at all, okay maybe a tiny bit, until I've counted 18 place settings on the table the three friends have dragged out of the kitchen and into the living room, they've also had to add the table from the deck to make room for 18 people. Eighteen. That's a lot of people to impress and a lot of names to remember.

The first guests to arrive, to my relief, is Missy and her family, who I felt are good to meet right away as they are the least scary people. It went effortlessly well, she gave us all a big hug, the men shook hands and then the girls, Sofia and Elise, dragged me off into Dana's office to play.

"You any good at Uno?," Elise squinted at me and I put on my most innocent expression, I'm not only 'any good', I always win against Dad but I didn't want to brag.

We played Uno for a bit and I let them win a couple of times, so they’ll like me, I’m smart like that.

“Your mom looks really nice!,” I told them, pretending to grumble when I have to draw 4.

“Missy? Yeah she’s great, but she’s not our real mom. Our real mom, she … died when we were very little.” Oh dear, that’s terrible, I never know what to say when people tell me stuff like that, except an awkward “I’m sorry to hear that!”

“It’s okay, she’s in heaven now and watches over us so no bad things happen to us!,” Sofia shrugged and I was impressed, a guardian angel, that’s kind of cool. But I still made a mental note to hug my mom a little extra tight next time I see her.

“Guys, you better come say hello, Grandma and Grandpa are here!”

Uno cards flying, the girls scrambled to their feet, smoothed out their dresses and hairdo and I followed their obediently slow walk out into the living room.

Suddenly terribly nervous again, I hid behind Dad’s legs and peeked around them just a bit to watch the girls shake their Grandpa’s hand with a “Hello, Sir!” - weird - and receive their warm hugs from their Grandma.

“Fox Mulder, nice to meet you, Sir!,” Dad’s voice was unnaturally high and I swear I felt him wince at the handshake the Captain gave him. “Nice to meet you, too, Mrs. Scully!”

Definitely not as stiff and stern as her husband, Mrs. Scully also gave Dad a hug he awkwardly returns and uh-oh, it was my turn now.

“I heard there’s a smart little boy around here somewhere, I’d very much like to meet! Where did you hide him?” She’s just like her daughter, kind, warm voice and everything.

“Oh no, I think we forgot him at home!” Dad made such a show of looking around for me, I couldn’t help but giggle and give up my hiding spot.

"Dad you're so silly, I'm right here! Hi Mrs. Scully, I'm Felix!" Beaming up at her, I wasn't sure what to do with myself, do I shake her hand? Hug her? Maybe a little early for a hug.

"Oh my, aren't you handsome, in your suit and matching tie! Please, call me Maggie!" I noticed right away that she doesn't look too much like Dana, except for her eyes that wrinkled a little more when she smiled down at me and her hand on my cheek was so grandmotherly and sweet, I'm instantly in love with her.

After a deep breath and Dad's hands on my shoulder for extra courage and to calm my hammering heart, I turned to face the Captain, back straight, head held high like I've practiced countless times at home.

"Good evening, Captain!" Heels together, hand raised in a salute, I solemnly recited the greeting I've carefully crafted in my head beforehand. "Seaman Recruit Felix reporting to duty, Sir!"

The raised eyebrow and the sharp nose down which he looked at me are so familiar, I almost break my salute with giggles. Nope, don't laugh now, Felix!

He cleared his throat, straightens up a bit himself and reached out a hand to readjust my salute that he apparently deemed too sloppy.

"Look at that, a Seaman Recruit. Alright, hand flat, thumb not tucked in, fingertips at your eyebrows, don't show me your palm. There you go, that's a proper salute." I could only stare at him wide-eyed and open-mouthed, oh crap on a stick, have I blown it already? "At ease, Seaman Recruit! That means you can relax and sit down, Felix!," he added the explanation for me with a little wink that gave me the courage to ask about something else I've noticed on our way to the table.

"Can I ask you something, Sir?" Head tilted, I peer up at his balding head curiously. "Did you forget your Captain's hat?"

I could tell he doesn't break into a smile often and it was really really tiny, but it was definitely there for a split second before the stern look appeared again.

"I don't wear my Captain's hat or my uniform to an informal dinner, Felix - that's for special occasions only!" I snort in my head, I can't imagine a more special occasion than celebrating Dana's birthday, but okay.

"Mhkay…Maybe you can show me one day?," I asked him hopefully, adding a "Sir?" to my question I knew he'd appreciate.

All of a sudden, we were just about ready to sit down, the front door burst open so loudly, it all startled us and made us turn our heads towards the commotion. Mouth hanging open, I slid into my seat slowly to see what was going to happen next.

"Hold onto your hats family and friends, the favorite, coolest Scully is here!" Arms thrown out wide, the entrance the youngest brother made is impressive even to me, who knows a thing or to about making an appearance. He strode over to Dana and Dad, swooped up his surprised sister in a crushing hug and planted a sound, wet smack on her cheek. "Happy birthday, sis!"

He also grabbed and shook Dad's hand so violently, I was a bit scared for Dad's arm. "Good to meet you man, I've heard so much about you!"

His friend Pete's introduction was a lot quieter and gentler on the arm and Charlie only gives a wide wave to the rest of the family instead of a proper greeting.

"Hello everyone, are we ready to eat, I'm starving! Hey new kid, this seat taken?" Before I could answer, he had already flopped down onto the chair next to me, so now I was wedged between Mrs. Please-call-me-Maggie Scully and Cool Charlie.

"I'm not 'new kid', my name's Felix!," I told him with an air of importance, trying to mimic his cool nonchalance.

"Well, New-Kid-Felix, do you know what one has to do to get some dinner around here?" He threw a pointed look at his sister down the table, who rolled her eyes at him and deferred him to Holly, Sarah and Alex. Instead of a birthday present, the friends play waitresses for each other at birthday parties so the birthday girl can enjoy her evening.

During dinner, I entertained Cool Charlie and his friend Pete with the skills I've acquired over the past week, they give me the toughest words they can find to spell out with the phonetic alphabet.

"So Mr. Mulder, Dana tells me you work for the FBI?" Mrs. Maggie leaned forward during dinner, to address Dad across the table, who quickly swallows his steak bite with a nod. This was a good move, Dad loves talking about his job and it's really interesting too, what he has to say! By now, he had everyone's attention.

"Yes Mrs. Scully, I'm a profiler, I work closely with the guys up at the Boston Field Office."

"You're some sort of fancy head shrinker for the Feds then?" Mean-Brother-Bill joined the conversation and I turned my attention to them fully now, fists balled under the table thinking 'I swear, if he's mean to Dad, I'm going to… no idea what, something!'

"No, I'm not a therapist, if that's what you mean. I try to put myself into an offender's mind to get an idea of who they are and to help the Agents predict their next move." Dad was surprisingly calm and explained it to Mean-Brother-Bill as if he's five years old. You go Dad!

"Oh, so you're a psychic, too?" I gritted my teeth at Mean-Brother-Bill's sneering condescension, I think he's adopted, he absolutely can not be related to Dana, who only placed her hand over Dad's, to calm him down or to keep herself from stabbing her brother with a fork, I wasn't sure.

"Finding human behavior patterns and predicting their next move has nothing to do with being psychic, Sir.," Dad replied cooly but there's a twitch in his jaw I'm very familiar with, he always gets it when he's mad at me but doesn't want to show it. "But it is hard work and quite emotionally draining to put oneself into the mind of a psychopath."

"I bet it is hard work, sitting at your desk thinking yourself into the head of the scum at the bottom of the earth's shoe in your little office while we're out there fighting for our country!"

"That's enough, William Junior!" My anger was burning a hole through my stomach, I was just about to open my mouth when the Captain's palm-down slap onto the table made the glasses clink. His booming voice sent a startle through everyone, we all froze, forks and glasses mid-way to our mouths, including Mean-Brother-Bill. Who bristled at being scolded by his father at his age but shut his mouth into a thin line.

"Yeah, William Junior, stop being a giant asshat, we're trying to have a nice dinner here!," Cool Charlie piped up from next to me to diffuse the situation. "Felix here can spell Federal Bureau of Investigation perfectly, show them little man!" This is my moment to shine and to impress the Captain all at the same time, awesome!

"Uh huh! Foxtrot, Echo, Delta, Echo…" Wriggled to full height in my chair, I'm never one to pass up an opportunity to be the center of attention and show off my skills.

Emboldened by the praise I've received when I end with November and a flourish, I slid out of my chair and sidled up to the Captain slowly.

"Excuse me while I… ooh careful of the glass…lemme just.." Careful not to tip over any glasses on my climb onto the surprised Captain's lap, I was absolutely ready to tell the story I've been rehearsing. "Sir, do you know the story of the Carpatia? I just read about it this week and I have to tell you about it! It's an awesome story!"

"Oh dear God, Felix…," Dad groaned quietly into the hand passing over his face but I was on a roll and I had the Captain's full attention. The story of the Carpatia, the ship that went out of its way to rush to save the sinking Titanic's survivors, is actually just as interesting as the Titanic's and not many people know what happened back then.

"… and did you know that they went so far above the speed the ship was built for, the Chief Engineer hung his hat over the main pressure gauge so no-one - including himself - could see how far its needle was into the red! Isn't that so interesting?"

The Captain nodded all through my story, he doesn't smile but I could tell he was listening very closely and I got a little rush of excitement when he sincerely thanked me for the story - he'll tell it to his Navy buddies at their next get-together - before he sent me back to my place.

The rest of the evening was just a blur of "Happy Birthday, dear Dana!" and birthday cake and games and then it was finally time for presents. Lightning fast and unable to wait any longer, I raced out into the foyer to dig my carefully wrapped present out underneath my pajamas in my overnight bag and placed it into Dana's outstretched hands.

"I know it's really small but I picked it out myself and I paid for it with my own money!," I told her proudly, leaned into her side to watch closely as she unwrapped it far too slowly for my liking.

My heart was beating so fast in my puffed out chest as I watched her pull out the bag tag that has Mickey's hands forming a heart on it with a rainbow inside. When I saw it, I knew it was the perfect gift and I just had to get it. I hoped it shows how special she is to me, I don't spend my hard-earned pocket-money on just anyone!

"Ooh… thank you Felix, it's very beautiful! You know how I love Mickey and Rainbows!"

"It's for when you come with us next time! Happy Birthday, Dana!" My birthday wishes came out a little mumbled, cheek squished together from the kiss I get as a reward for my present.

She also absolutely loved the goofy gift Dad got for her, laughing at the T-Shirt that says "Hogwarts wasn't hiring so I'm teaching Muggles instead!" so she doesn't always have to steal his shirts to sleep.

"Two minutes left, kids!," Miss Anderson's voice drifts into the story but I shake it off, I'm not done yet and turn back to Suzie to tell the rest of my tale.

"Personally, I think he could've gone for something more romantic but eh, we can't all be good gift givers, right? Why he didn't get her the matching pajama set for all of us that I suggested, to show that we belong together, I'll never know… Next time we're at Disney, I'll talk them into buying it, that's for sure!

I was dead on my feet by the time the guests said their goodbyes, exhausted from meeting all these new people, some nice, some awesome, some cool and some very mean and-" The recess bell brings my story to an abrupt end and I quickly finish it with "And this was the story of how I met The Captain, thank you for your attention!"

[far-away-from-the-darkness]

Happy B-Day my Scully❤️Love forever!

Happy Birthday, Dana Katherine Scully! (February 23, 1964)