This in the final fic in The Truth series. Previous vignettes in this series:

1. Big Brother Bill Bill receives a message.
2. Mother Maggie My son has been hiding something from me...
3. Sister Tara Tara has to know...
4. Mr. Mulder Mulder thinks about the changes in their lives.
5. Daughter Dana The Scully family gets together for the Fourth of July.
6. Doctor Morris Scully's first day on the job.
7. Professor Morris Mulder's first day on the job.
8. Best-Costume Award Mulder and Scully receive a letter at Halloween.
9. Empty Place Settings Thanksgiving at the Scully house.

summary: New Year's Eve 2002.

By Shoshana

Mommy won't stop crying and Daddy holds me too tightly sometimes. But I'm glad I'm home, my real home.

I loved being with Granna this year. She talked to me all the time and told me how much Mommy and Daddy love me. I was confused when I was in Wyoming, but I wasn't there all that long. I don't really understand things very well, I'm only a few months shy of two years old, you know.

Granna told me my adoptive parents hadn't given me up because they didn't care about me. They did it because it was the right thing to do. I still don't understand why they would give me back to the Scully family. I guess I'll have to wait until I'm older to find out.

Granna told me I would get a big surprise for Christmas this year and I couldn't wait. We watched the Grinch and all my other Christmas movies for a week before Mr. Skinner came and got us. We all got on a plane and flew for a long time.

Mr. Skinner kept on talking to Granna about the great 'deal' he got Mommy and Daddy. I don't understand that word but I know that the 'deal' got me back where I belong, so it must be a good thing. Granna was crying a lot on the way to Los Angeles. Mr. Skinner cried too, but I think he was trying to hide it from Granna.

We got off the plane at the airport and Mommy and Daddy ran up to us in the airport. Daddy looks funny in his beard and blonde hair. I shouldn't remember that much about him, having only seen him for a few days after I was born. 'Cept Mommy kept showing me his pictures and playing his voice on a little tape recorder. She even had a video of him from a FBI seminar he was in. It was hard to see his face, but I could hear him talk. I must have watched that one a million times since I was a baby. Granna even had it up in New York.

I'm gonna miss Ana, my 'nanny.' She wasn't really my nanny; she was with Granna and me to protect us. We were in a small town in New York and if Ana was with us we could go to the grocery store and even out to the mall. She was a Marine. Mr. Skinner knew her Daddy and she was always carrying her gun around. No one was supposed to see it but I knew she had it.

Granna told me to never, ever pick up a gun. I didn't understand that when I was younger but now I know that little kids shouldn't have guns. I know that because I watched the news sometimes when Granna fell asleep. She didn't know I was changing the channel without the remote, and I wasn't about to tell her. I don't think I can tell Mommy and Daddy either. They might get mad. Mommy got so upset about my mobile, I don't think she'd like to know what I can do now.

I must be a lot smarter than other kids my age because I don't hear the stuff I think about in their minds. They are mostly thinking about food, cartoons, or their stuffed animals. I think about all that stuff too, but not constantly. I like to watch TV and I can read some words already. Nobody knows about that yet. I saw on TV that some kids can read when they are three or four. Maybe I'll be able to read too. Right now I can just make out the letters and a few words, just the stuff I learn on Sesame Street.

We had a big Christmas celebration in someplace called Los Angeles at Mommy and Daddy's condo. Unca Bill and Auntie Tara came with my cousin Matty. He's four years old now and he can't read anything but his letters and numbers. I don't think he's stupid, just different than me. We get along real well. He likes to hold me in his lap while we watch cartoons and he is gentle with me when he picks me up.

I got lots of good presents for Christmas... lots of stuffed animals and a whole bunch of little cars and ships from Uncle Bill. I'm not allowed to touch all of them yet because I'm too young to play with them. I want to tell everyone I won't swallow them, but I don't think they'll believe me.

I also got a whole lot of fun videos to watch. We never kept them back in New York, just returned them to the store every few days. We didn't have that much stuff there, but Granna told me all my old stuff would be shipped to LA soon. Mr. Skinner had stored all of Mommy and Daddy's things for them and the government was paying to send it to them.

Mommy and Daddy can go back to the FBI if they want, I guess. I'm not really sure what that is, but I know that if you're in it you carry a gun and save people in trouble. I don't think they've made up their minds what to do yet. They want to stay in LA and they don't want to get new partners. So, they have to wait and see what Mr. Skinner can find for them to do.

Granna is going to go live in San Diego with Unca Bill and Aunty Tara. She says they have an extra bedroom for her and they will be needing her help soon. I don't really know what kind of help that might be, but right now Tara needs help getting around because of her really big tummy.

I guess she's having a baby, but I still don't understand how the baby gets out of there. I didn't get to see that on TV yet, but I'm sure I will now that we have cable and I can watch The Learning Channel. I have to be careful that no one sees me change the channel though.

Tonight is New Year's Eve and we had a really nice party, with cake and ice cream. We are all going to watch some ball drop in a place called Times Square at midnight, even though it's already dropped already and it's just a replay. Granna says it's a tradition in the family to watch together if they can. Mommy and Daddy are sitting close together on the couch and I'm on Granna's lap. Unca Bill and Auntie Tara are over on the loveseat, holding hands. Matty is asleep on their laps and everyone thinks I'm asleep on Granna's lap. I'm not.

The countdown starts and the ball starts falling, falling toward the bottom of the screen. Mommy and Daddy are looking at each other with tears in their eyes. They're holding hands and looking at me when they aren't staring at one another. Granna is smiling at them and they smile back at her.

Five, four, three, two, one... at midnight everyone says "Happy New Year!" Then Mommy and Daddy kiss for a real long time, longer than Unca and Auntie. Granna leans down and kisses me on the forehead and I know she has tears in her eyes because one slips down on me.

Nobody knows I'm still awake on Granna's lap. I smile and close my eyes. I'm finally back where I belong.

fin