Title: Collision
Author: Cathey Scully
Rating: Strong R
Spoilers: William, The Truth
Category: R, S, A
Keywords: Mulder/Scully Romance

Archive: Ooo!  My fic and I are going on a trip?  Sure, just tell me where you°re 
taking us, because we would love to come visit.

Feedback: Please!  Catheyscully@the-pentagon.com or 
foreverxphile@adelphia.net If I°m listed in your address books as having a 
prestige address, please make note that foreverxphile@adelphia.net is my new 
email address.

Summary: Paths collide toward and inevitable future.

Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully and William all aren°t mine.  If they were, I°d have a 
whole lot more money than I do now, which is none.

To read more of my fics, visit: http://catheysfic.tripod.com


~ * ~

Fate wasn°t on her side today.  Not that the cosmos had been that nice as of late 
anyway.  But today, today, well today was the pie in the face of the divine 
practical jokes.

Scraping a hand over her face, she considered her current situation.  Sitting in 
the çwaitingå area of some small town auto shop while Mulder haggled with the 
mechanic to work on their car *now*, not later.  After all, they were on a tight 
schedule, they needed to be in Oregon within the next four days, or they°d miss 
their window.  A busted radiator wasn°t top priority apparently.

She watched as Mulder nodded and signed the mechanic°s clipboard.  He warily 
made his way into the barely heated area and settled beside her chilled form.

çSo what°s the verdict?å she asked.

çWe should be out of here by nine tonight,å he answered, offering her his 
jacket, with him still in it.  She shook her head negative, so his hand found her 
own and curled around it.

çNine?å she asked, looking at her watch, çThat°s nearly 12 hours from now.å

çI know.  But that°s the best he can do.  Ed promises me though, that there°s a 
decent restaurant a few doors down, they won°t mind us camping out in there.å

çAlright.  Not much else we can do.å

çExactly,å Mulder squeezed her hand gently.  She blinked and looked up at him.  
He smiled softly, trying to get her to do the same.  Instead, she stretched up and 
kissed his lips quietly.  He kissed her back, stroking her cheek.  After a moment, 
he broke away, and stood, tugging her with him.

çWhere are we going?å she asked, letting him guide her through the decidedly 
empty street.

çSome place more romantic than âEd°s Auto Shop.°å

Scully snorted, çAny place is more romantic than that.å

Mulder stopped, çAlright then, this is good.å

çWe°re in the middle of the road,å she grinned for the first time since last night.

çScore one for the ever observant Dana Scully,å he teased, laughing as she 
half-socked him in the arm.  çDoes good things for spontaneity, though,å Mulder 
offered, rubbing her cheek.  Taking his face in her hands, she stood on tiptoes 
and kissed him again.  He smiled against her lips, deepening the kiss and holding 
onto her waist tightly.

Loud honking startled them apart, making them both laugh nervously when they 
saw the car less than a foot from their legs.  An unamused man in his early 40°s 
sped past them, shooting them dirty looks.  Their embarrassment only grew when 
they spied a child°s car seat in the back.

çI think we°ve done enough damage here,å Mulder murmured, allowing her to slip 
an arm around his waist.  çYou hungry?å

çVery,å she answered, lacing her fingers with those draped across her shoulder.

Conversation was limited, as always.  They never needed much more than 
companionable silence.  The unspoken words were all the communication they 
needed.

çMmm, Scully try this,å Mulder held out part of his hamburger to her.  As always, 
he°d ordered the greasiest damn thing on the menu.  Scully shook her head, but 
Mulder insisted.

çIt°s really good, Scully.  Just one bite.å

Sighing, she took a small bite.  çThat is pretty good,å she admitted.

çTold you,å he grinned, pushing the other half of the burger toward her.  She 
shook her head.

çMulder, you need to eat it.å

çNot that hungry,å he answered, idly chewing a French fry.  Scully frowned 
disapprovingly.  One thing that had changed about Mulder in his absence had 
been his appetite.  It used to be where he°d finish his lunch and part of hers as 
well.  Now it took all her wheedling abilities to even get him to finish his plate.  
Although he never talked about his time in the brig, she was sure his new eating 
habits were courtesy of the çstar §studdedå treatment he°d received there.

çMulder,å she requested his attention, knowing that use of their real names 
should be limited.  çYou always used to harp on me about eating.  Now it°s my 
turn, eat,å she ordered, pushing the plate back.

Grudgingly he managed to finish the rest of his burger, and so she refrained from 
commenting on the abundant amount of fries left on his plate.  She smiled, 
relieved that he°d eaten something.  He reached for her hand.

çWhat now?å she asked.  çWe°ve already scarred some poor child for life and only 
killed one hour, so what should we accomplish now?å

Mulder grinned, kissing her knuckles.  çLet°s take a walk.å

çMulder, it°s cold,å she whined playfully.

çI°ll keep you warm,å he promised, squeezing her hand.  She sighed, but 
nodded.  Mulder reached into his pocket and pulled out enough cash to cover the 
meal and a tip while Scully stood, waiting for him.  When he joined her, he 
reached for her hand automatically, and led her from the diner.

~ @ ~

Nine hours later, and two earlier than expected, their car was finished.  Scully 
stood off to the side while Mulder paid the rather hefty bill.  He shook Ed°s hand 
and thanked him for the hard work.  The man nodded and winked at her.

çDidn°t do it for you,å he told Mulder, çI did it for your pretty lady there.å

Scully blushed, and continued to blush until the cool air hit her face as Mulder led 
her outside.

çMaybe I should have let you handle negotiations this morning, would have saved 
me the antacid.å

çI°ll keep that in mind for next time,å she replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

She tugged his arm from her shoulders and wrapped it around her waist during 
their short walk to where their car was parked underneath a dim streetlight.  She 
stopped when she saw the dark lump on the trunk of the car.

çMulder, shh,å she ordered, touching his chest and stepping forward.  Slight 
movement made her realize that the çlumpå was a child.

çSweetheart, are you lost?å she asked, touching the child°s shoulder.  He looked 
up at her, but said nothing.

çDo you know where your mommy and daddy are?å she asked softly.

He nodded slightly.

çCan you tell us so we can take you to them?å

The child stayed silent.

çDo you know your name?å

He nodded again, but never offered the information.

çCan you tell us?å Scully tried, smiling slightly.

çWilliam,å he whispered, a slight lisp present.  Scully gasped, neither she, nor 
Mulder readily mentioned their son.  It was far too painful to discuss their 
William.

çOkay William,å she bit her lip as she faltered over the name, çCan you tell us 
how to get you home?å

William was silent once more.

çWilliam, my name is Dana, and his name is Fox.  We°re not going to hurt you.  
We want to get you home to your mommy and daddy, because they°re probably 
very worried about you.  Can you tell us where you live so we can take you 
home?å

William shook his head, making the gentle hand she°d placed on his hair slip down 
to his cheek, causing her to realize how cold he was.

çMulder, get the blanket from the back, he°s freezing.å

Mulder did so and soon, Scully was tucking the blanket underneath William°s chin.

çIs that better sweetie?å she murmured to him, bending to meet his wet eyes.  
çWhat°s wrong, William?å

Instead of answering, William reached out for her to hold him.  Scully did, and 
realized that the child in her arms couldn°t be more than two years old.  Her 
heart ached once more for her own William, who°d be 18 months old in a few 
days, making it a full nine months since she°d given him up.

çWilliam, do you know how to get to your house?å Scully asked again.  William 
shook his head.  çOkay,å she sighed, ç we°re going to take care of you until we 
can get you home.å

çMommy and Daddy gone,å William murmured.

çWhere°d they go, William?å Mulder asked, his hand joining Scully°s in stroking 
the boy°s back.

çGone,å William whimpered.  Scully stroked his soft hair as he began to cry softly.

çIt°s okay sweetheart,å she whispered to him, pressing a gentle kiss to his 
temple, which was when she smelled the blood.

çWilliam, do you have a booboo on your head?å she asked.  William shook his head 
again.  At the negative answer, Scully looked up at Mulder.  He leaned down so 
she could whisper directly into his ear.

çThere°s blood, Mulder.  If he°s not hurt, I think his parents were.  Either way 
he°s terrified, I can feel it.å

Mulder looked around, taking in their surroundings for the first time.  Could this 
be a trap?  They had to know how a small child would affect them.

çLet°s get out of here.  We can find a hotel in the next town where you can look 
him over, and we can get some rest.å

Scully nodded, sensing his thought pattern.  She turned her attention back to 
the small child contained in her arms.  çWilliam, sweetheart, we°re going to take 
you with us.  You°ll be safe.  Okay?å

çâKay,å the baby echoed, going slack in her arms, allowing her to load him into 
the car and settle in beside him.  She buckled William into the middle seat and 
wasn°t surprised when he draped himself across her lap.  Regardless, Scully felt 
her eyes water at the action, wishing he was her baby, her Willy.

çClose your eyes,å she murmured, stroking his forehead.  çGo ahead and sleep 
sweetheart,å she smiled tearfully at his innocence.  William did as she said, 
clutching her arm like a lifeline.  çWhat a sweetie,å she whispered.

çYou okay, Scully?å Mulder asked.  She wiped her eyes, nodding.

çI will be.å

~ ~ ~

By the time they reached a hotel with vacancies, Scully too had nodded off.  
Mulder checked them into a room and drove the car around to their temporary 
home.  He turned, watching her sleep for a moment before waking her gently.

çCome on, Scully.  I can°t carry you both inside,å he mumbled, stroking her 
cheek.  She leaned into his hand before opening her eyes.

çI°m awake.  You get our bags, I°ll carry him.å

Once inside, Scully settled William down on one of the double beds.  Motherly, 
she rubbed William°s back until he opened his baby blue eyes.  She bit her lip 
when she noted yet another similarity to the infant she°d had to give up.  Smiling 
down comfortingly at him, she stroked his chestnut streaked auburn hair, trying 
to ignore the stickiness she felt.

çDo you feel bad William?å she asked, noting that he was a little warm.

çWant Mommy.å

çI know you do, but can we play pretend for a little while and you pretend that 
I°m your mommy?  Just for a little while,å she assured.

William nodded somberly, çI go home?å

çNot yet sweetie.å

Mulder took that opportunity to sit beside her, averting William°s attention to 
him instead.  The young boy studied him curiously, making Mulder smile at the 
familiar intensity.

çWilliam, can you tell us what happened?  Why you°re so scared?å

çMommy an° daddy get booboos and go âway.  I want my mommy,å he 
whimpered, reaching for Scully.  She rubbed his back, whispering softly to him.

çWho hurt them, William?å Mulder asked.

çScary,å he mumbled.

çI know, sweetheart, I know,å Scully pressed a kiss to his head.  çWe°ll keep you 
safe, I promise.å

William hiccupped, wanting Scully to hold him tighter, which she did.  Mulder 
took a deep breath and tugged William from Scully°s arms into his own.

çDo you remember what the scary people looked like?å he asked softly.

William shook his head, resting his cheek on his shoulder.  Mulder ran a 
comforting hand over the boy°s back.

çOkay, that°s fine William.  You want to try to go back to sleep?å

çNot yet,å Scully interrupted, çI think he°ll feel better after a bath,å she smiled 
encouragingly at William, and tugged him into her arms, settling him against her 
hip and carrying him into the bathroom to fill up the tub.

She hummed softly to William, trying to put him at ease as she peeled his very 
dirty clothes off of his body.  He rubbed at his eyes tiredly and Scully kissed his 
nose.  Scully stopped when she noticed the diaper.

çMulder,å she called, fighting to be heard over the din of the TV.  He appeared 
after a few moments.  çWe need diapers,å she explained.  Mulder nodded, having 
made diaper runs before during his short time with Scully and their son.  "And 
clothes," she added.  "But I'm not sure you'll be able to find anything open at this 
time of night."

çI°ll be quick,å he promised, bending to kiss her temple, a ritual that he°d 
established for every time they parted after their reunion in early May.  He 
directed a short hair ruffle to William and grinned when he smiled at him.  çShe°s 
gonna take good care of you.å

Scully smiled into the matted hair before leaning over to test the water 
temperature.  çFeels good.  Ready to get squeaky clean?å she cooed.

~ ^ ~

Twenty minutes later, Mulder returned from the closest, and the only open 
store, a rundown quickie mart, having bought enough diapers to last them over a 
week, and gotten information about the child in their care.  A gleeful squeal from 
the bathroom brought a small smile to his face.  Despite her own pain, Scully was 
amazing with the little boy.

çI°m back,å he called, tossing his coat and his keys on the bed, and opening the 
package to pull out a single diaper.  He looked into the bathroom, propping 
himself up on the door jam.  Scully and William were splashing at each other 
playfully, and Mulder saw the amazing change in the little guy.  Suddenly, William 
stopped his splashing, making Scully reach over and tickle him.

çWhat is it?å she asked, picking up one of his hands and pretending to nibble on 
his fingers.  William pointed, and she turned to face Mulder.

çWell there he is,å she smiled teasingly.  çWe were afraid we would be prunes 
before you got back.å

çNope, I°ve just been watching you guys play.  Here°s a diaper.  There°s more in 
the other room.å

çWell, I guess it°s time to get out then, come on William,å she reached past him 
to tug the plug out of the drain.  She grabbed a towel and when William stood, 
wrapped him securely in the soft cotton.  Giving him an Eskimo kiss, she scooped 
him up and carried him into the main bedroom.  Setting him down on the bed, 
she grabbed the diaper from Mulder°s outstretched hand.  Quickly she dried 
William off and set about re-diapering his behind when she noticed the small 
brownish mark on his hipbone.

She looked up at Mulder, her shock stopping all other movement.  Mulder sat 
beside her, and reached for her wrist.

çWhat is it?å he asked.

çMulder, it°s, it°s William,å she murmured, her eyes telling him what her lips 
couldn°t.

çAre you sure?å he asked.  çAside from the noticeable similarities.  Are you 
positive?å

çI knew there was something about him, Mulder.  The moment I touched him, I 
could feel it.  Now I°m sure.  The mark, Mulder.  He°s got the same mark.  The 
same one you have,å she murmured, turning her attentions back to the drowsy 
child on the bed and brushing her index finger over the birthmark.  Mulder 
himself had been the first to notice when William was an infant, and now seeing 
it again, on a boy who was roughly the same age as their child, and who looked so 
much like them, she was certain.  This was her baby boy.

Mulder squeezed her wrist, communicating that he believed her.  She nodded 
and finished changing William.  Picking him up, she cradled his damp head 
underneath her chin and found a faded t-shirt of hers that, while it would be big 
on him, would keep William warm during the night.

çI got some formula, and a bottle of apple juice too.  I didn°t know which he°d 
want.å

çI think we°re set for tonight, but it°ll be good for in the morning.å

çOkay,å Mulder sighed.  Scully turned to him, stepping into his personal space 
and resting her cheek on his chest.

Mulder wrapped one arm around her waist and he stroked William°s back.

çI found out something,å he murmured, çabout his parents.å

Scully looked down at the baby in her arms.  Seeing her reaction, Mulder lifted his 
arms to take William.  Scully watched as he cradled William and rocked him 
slightly.  Her mind flashed to the best memory she had, watching Mulder hold 
their newborn son while she lay in a hospital bed, recuperating from the 
strenuous birth.

çIt°s him, Mulder, I know it,å she murmured again, brushing William°s hair off his 
forehead.

çScully, please, I don°t want you to get your hopes up.  Especially in light of what 
I found out.å

Scully nodded, sitting down and motioning for him to do the same.

çHe°s adopted, Scully.  He came to them nine months ago.  Tonight, his adoptive 
parents were found dead in their car.  They°d been, let°s just say it wasn°t 
pretty.  There was no sign of William in their car, save for his car seat.  He°s 
assumed dead, and they°re apparently leaving it at that.å

çThey took him, Knowle Rohrer, or whoever the hell it was took him.  But 
somehow he got away, he came to us.å

Mulder shifted William, holding his small body tighter.  çDid he look okay?  I mean, 
he wasn°t hurt, bruised or anything?å

çHe looked fine, perfect.  Just like he did the night he was born.å

Mulder stared down at the child, trying to think of other reasons why he would 
have been released.  çWhat about,å he started, çwhat about implants?  Did you 
check him over for those?å

Scully shook her head.  çI didn°t think it was,å she stopped, and realized what he 
was trying to say.  She nodded carefully and picked up William°s hand, starting 
there to check him over thoroughly.  Thankfully, there were no implants.  
Relieved, she kissed William°s forehead and temples before meeting Mulder°s lips 
with hurried, thankful kisses.

çHe°s okay,å Mulder whispered, nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

çWhat do we do now?å

çWe leave tomorrow, drive as far away from here as we can, and find someplace 
safe to settle with him.å

çWhat about Oregon?å

çForget about it, Scully.  Neither of us is going to risk going back out there, it°s 
not worth it.å

çOkay,å she agreed, squeezing his bicep gently.  çLet°s go on to sleep, I want to 
get out of here before they do decide to come after William.å

çAgreed, I°ll put him down now.å

Scully smiled softly, leaning over to kiss William°s nose.  çSleep well, sweet Willy.å

With happy tears stinging her eyes, Scully pulled away and grabbed her hastily 
packed pajamas from her bag.  Turning away from Mulder°s form, she changed her 
clothes.  She was just about to tug on her silk pajama pants when Mulder°s 
wrapped his arms around her waist.

çJust the shirt,å he growled into her ear.  çI want to be able to feel at least part 
of your skin.  Since we won°t be able to fulfill at least one thing I had planned for 
tonight.å

çOkay,å she sighed, mock-dramatically.  She turned in his arms to see that he had 
stripped down to boxers and was smiling heartily, despite his broken plans.

çWhy don°t we see how deeply he sleeps, and go from there regarding our 
extracurricular activities for tonight,å she suggested, stroking his chest.

çI like how your mind works, g-woman,å he grinned, leaning down to kiss her.  

She responded carefully, letting the tension between them build before it 
became too hard to control.  He pushed her gently back towards their bed.  She 
let him be the one to support her as she fell backwards on the comforter.  He 
raised himself up onto his hands but never ceased his mouth°s assault on hers.  
She was the one to break the contact out of the need for air.

She reached over and turned off the alarm, before stretching up to kiss his bare 
shoulder.  She trailed soft kisses from his shoulder, onto his collarbone, and 
suckled gently on his Adam°s apple.  He groaned, grinding his hips into hers.  She 
smiled, moving to kiss his other side.  She stopped at one of his newest scars; 
acquired during one of the beatings he°d received during the time in the brig.

çI think he°s asleep,å she whispered, kissing his jaw.

çYou do?å he asked, ducking his head to bite gently at her pulse.

She nodded, grinning as she ran her nails up and down his back gently.

çWhat should we do?å

Scully grinned again, çget naked, g-man.å

Mulder nodded, helping her pull his boxers down.  He kicked them off and pulled 
the covers over them to keep them warm.  She jumped when she felt his hands 
removing her panties.  He unbuttoned her pajama top and fanned it down around 
her body.  She gasped as he bent to kiss her breasts.

çMulder, don°t make me wait,å she ran a hand through his hair.

çAre you ready?å he asked uncertainly.  She nodded.

çYou can make it up to me with hours of foreplay later,å she whispered, çI want 
you now.å

Mulder nodded, biting his lip.  She lifted up on her elbows and took hold of his 
bottom lip between her own.

çDon°t worry,å she whispered, laving his soft lip.  çMulder, I°m satisfied just lying 
in this bed with you.  I know we°re toying with time, so just make love to me.  
That°s what I want.å

Mulder nodded again, tugging her arms around his shoulders.  He wrapped his 
own arms around her torso, pressing his palms into her back.  He lined their hips 
up and slipped inside of her.  Scully moaned softly, clutching his hips with her 
thighs.  She hooked her feet at the ankles behind his back.

çWait,å he groaned, moving slightly within her.  She opened her eyes.

çWhat is it?å she whispered.

çThe lights.  Let me turn them off.  Less chance of him getting a show if they°re 
off,å he freed a hand and reached over to flick the lights off.

William shot up in his bed, screaming in terror.  Scully pushed Mulder off of her 
and frantically scrambled for her panties.  As she crossed the small divide, she 
buttoned her pajama top enough to cover herself decently.

Mulder sighed, willing himself to relax, to keep from needing to make the trip to 
the bathroom.  His deep breaths were followed by the sounds of Scully 
comforting the boy; their son.

çShh, Willy, baby, mommy°s here.  You°re safe sweetheart,å she whispered, 
guiding William°s head to her shoulder.  William continued to wail, and so she 
turned to Mulder.

çCan you get the lights?å

He nodded, giving the room a soft glow immediately.  She turned back to William 
as he pulled on his boxers.

çMama?å

çYes sweetie, I°m here.  Don°t be scared, both your daddy and I are here.  We°re 
here.  Don°t cry, you°re okay,å Scully repeated into her son°s hair.  William 
whimpered.  çIt was just a nightmare, baby.  Just a nightmare.å

çWan° go home.å

çWe°re going to take you to a new home.å

çWant Mommy.å

çI know.  But both she and your other daddy are in heaven now,å Scully stopped, 
waiting for Mulder to join her.  çWilliam, you°re a very special little boy,å she 
whispered.  çI had always wanted to have a little boy, and then I was given a gift; 
you.  When you were very, very little, you grew in my tummy.  Your daddy and I 
were so happy, but there were a lot of very bad people, and when you were a 
little baby, they wanted to hurt you.  So Daddy and I decided that we needed to 
give you to the people you°ve lived with until now.  But now we°re here to take 
you home with us, and you°re going to be safe and everything°s going to be 
okay,å she spoke softly, running her fingers over his cheeks.  William bit his lip, 
something she did when she was nervous.  Scully gently stroked the lip out of his 
mouth, rubbing his back in the meantime.

çWilly, I know you don°t remember me, but I love you more than anything.  So 
does your daddy, right Daddy?å  Scully asked Mulder, shifting the baby in her 
arms.  Mulder nodded, holding both of them close.

çGo back to sleep son, everything°s okay,å Mulder whispered, half-ruffling 
William°s hair.  çYour mommy°s right.  We°re going to protect you.å

They continued to hold their son until he drifted off to sleep.  Smiling sheepishly 
at him, Scully brushed her hand over Mulder°s cheek.

çRain check?å

çI°ve never been so happy to have not gotten laid in my life,å Mulder answered, 
settling William back against the pillows and leading her back to bed.

They slept with the lights on.

~ ~ ~

Gradually William adjusted to life with them.  After giving it a lot of thought, they 
decided that settling down would be the best thing for William.  Slowly they 
relaxed into a routine and William began opening up even more to Scully.

"Mama?"

Scully looked up to find her two year old perched at her feet.  She tugged him up 
into her lap and kissed his nose.

"What is it baby boy?"

"Daddy comes home soon?"

"Of course.  Daddy'll be home tonight in fact.  Don't worry, he's just fine," Scully 
told him, trying to convince herself as much as him.  Mulder had gotten a lead off 
of the Internet that they both agreed he had better check out.

"Miss him."

"I know," Scully smiled, "I miss him too, Willy."

"Miss who?"

They turned to meet Mulder's grinning face.  William jumped off of Scully's lap and 
rushed into Mulder's arms.  Mulder was the only one to notice when he stiffened.

"You're home," William smiled slightly, acting as if the previous feeling hadn°t 
been there.

"Yeah buddy," he leaned down and picked William up.  "I'm home.  What's the 
matter?" he asked, noticing William turn away from him.

"Nothing," William answered, squirming.  Scully frowned at the baby's 
evasiveness.

"Tell Daddy what you told me," she murmured, rubbing William's leg gently.

"No," William refused, crossing his arms.  Grinning, Mulder turned him over and 
held him upside down.  William still had his arms crossed over his chest.

"He said he missed you," Scully explained to Mulder, upset that while William had 
bonded with her, he was still quite distant to his father when he was around.   
Except for when she and William were alone, he would never refer to Mulder as 
'Daddy', nor would he be affectionate.

"NO!" William screeched.  Mulder turned him back over and set him on his feet.  
William wrapped himself around Scully's leg and sat down.  Scully bent and stroked 
his cheek.

Mulder squatted.  "It's okay, Will, even if you don't wanna tell me.  I know you 
missed me, because I missed you too," Mulder stood and stroked Scully's 
hipbone.  "And I missed you too," he grinned, leaning down to kiss her.

William shot out to push him away.  "Leave Mama 'lone!" he yelled.  Scully stared 
down at her son in shock.

"Willy, Daddy was just giving me a kiss.  He wasn't hurting me, see?"  Scully bent 
and kissed her son's cheek gently.  William continued to glare at Mulder.

"Okay, Pal.  Mama's yours.  I won't touch her," Mulder backed off slightly.  Scully 
shook her head.

"No Mulder, stay here.  This is something for all of us," she reached out for 
Mulder's hand.  Seeing the contact, William stretched up and bit into Mulder's 
hand.

"William!"  Scully berated, pulling him over to the couch.  "William Andrew Mulder, 
we do not bite people.  We especially do not bite our Daddies." Scully took his 
chin in her hand.  "I want you to stay right here and think about what you just 
did.  When I'm done making sure Daddy isn't hurt, I'll be back.  I better find you in 
this exact spot; ready to say you're sorry to your father.  Do understand me?" she 
asked sharply.  William looked at her defiantly.  "William, I am very angry at you.  
You were a very bad boy.  Stay here and think about what you've done," Scully 
stood and followed Mulder into the bathroom.

When they returned, Mulder was now sporting a bandage on his hand.  They 
stopped to observe their son, and found him lying on the couch, sobbing.  Scully 
felt her heart clench, but knew that he'd had to be disciplined.  Internally Mulder 
smiled.  This was easier than he'd thought.

"Let me talk to him," Mulder touched her cheek.  "Don't worry, I°m not gonna die 
of blood loss."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"I guess I could get dinner started."

"Okay, we'll yell if we need you."

"Kay," she whispered.  "I don't understand what's wrong."

"Don't worry," he assured, kissing her gently.  He nudged her off toward the 
kitchen and made his way over to the edge of the couch.  He knelt beside 
William's head and stroked his hair.

"Will, do you want me to go away?" he asked quietly.

William sniffed and looked up at him.

"Do you not like me, William?" Mulder asked, finding this act quite easy.

William was silent.

"I don't understand," Mulder continued.  "I know you love your mother, so why 
don't you like me at all?"

Mulder brushed the tears away from William's eyes.  "I do love you, William.  And 
I'm not angry that you bit me.  I just don't understand why you don't want me 
around," he leaned in and kissed William's temple.

"Daddy?"  William sat up.  "I'm sorry."

"I know."

"You hurt Mommy?"

"No, son.  I was kissing her.  Like I'd kiss you.  Because I love you, and I love her.  
I'd never hurt mommy, or you," he lied, keeping his voice calm and smooth.

"I'm sorry Daddy," William repeated.

"I know.  I just don't understand.  Don't you want me around?"

"I do," William answered.

"Are you sure?" Mulder asked.  He held out his arms to William, who stood and 
jumped into the embrace.

William nodded.  "Daddy?"

"Yeah son?"

"Love you."

"I love you too, William."

~ ~ ~

"Hey, you guys," Scully began rounding back into the room.  She stopped when 
Mulder looked up at her from his position against the couch.  He held up a finger 
to shush the stream of vocals from her lips.  William was curled up against his 
father's chest, clutching a fistful of his t-shirt.  Scully lowered herself down 
beside him and smiled slightly.  "What happened?"

"He was afraid."

"Of what?" Scully asked, stroking her hand down Mulder's cheek.  She noticed that 
his skin seemed cooler than normal, but brushed it off.

"A little bit of everything.  He thought that when I kissed you, I was hurting you."

Scully smiled slightly and touched Mulder's temple again before rubbing William's 
back.  

"Some days I think that he remembers his adoptive parents' death," she 
answered, kissing William's forehead.  "He may be afraid that the same things are 
going to happen to us."

"Either way, I think he's got the protective angle down.  He's got a heck of a 
bite," Mulder chuckled, finding this new role easy to play.  "He's tough, like his 
mommy."

Scully smiled softly.  "Is everything okay now?"

"Yeah.  The other thing was that he thought since I went on a business trip, that 
I was going away for good."

"You're already done that once in his lifetime, so you better not.  I'm not paying 
for another damn funeral," Scully half teased, surprised that she was able to make 
a joke about that time in their lives.

"Hey Scully?"

"Yeah?"

"Marry me?"

"You tried that line already," she reminded, "twice," she amended, standing and 
helping him up.  She lifted William away from him and held him tightly.  "The sad 
thing is, it worked," she laughed, leading him into the kitchen for dinner.

"Ha, ha," Mulder mocked, grabbing her waist.  Scully woke William gently, and set 
him in his high chair.

"Get your son some milk, Mulder."

"You know, I like bossy women."

Scully rolled her eyes, but smiled as she said it, "Shut up, Mulder."

Mulder grinned back at her, but didn't say a word.

~ # ~

Later that night, 'Mulder' lay awake.  One arm was wrapped around Scully's bare 
waist and the other was clasping her hand, as it tightly held his own on his 
chest.  Their limbs tangled as their bodies cooled from making love.  Scully had 
been so enthusiastic, so passionate, that she barely noticed when he didn't 
participate at the same level he once had.

Scully snuffled and kissed his neck.  Once more he thanked his training, and the 
superior evolution he'd undergone.  She didn't know the difference.  She 
couldn°t sense that he wasn't him.  Smiling, he realized that she'd been too far 
out of circulation; she didn't want to think that something could happen to him.  
Too bad it had already happened.

The child though, the child knew almost immediately.  The child was still 
suspicious, even after the sugarcoated lie through his teeth that his 'father' had 
told him.  The child would make an excellent subject.  If the child resisted, he 
would be removed.  Killed if needed.

'Mulder' grinned in the dark.  This infiltration would work.  After all, as long as he 
kept Scully sexually satisfied, she'd never know.  The replications could go off 
without a hitch.  And if not, Scully and the child could die.  They would die.

To be continued.

The sequel will be produced faster if I get the fuel we all know as feedback: 
Foreverxphile@adelphia.net or CatheyScully@the-pentagon.com