TITLE: Ersatz Matriarch 
AUTHOR: jeri
E-MAIL: richterlax@yahoo.com
RATING: PG
CATEGORY: SR

SPOILERS: Have basic knowledge of everything through season six up to 'The
Rain King'

KEYWORDS: MSR all the way! I simply can't write anything else. Believe me,
I've tried.


DISCLAIMER: They ain't mine. Get over it. Don't sue. Chris - you made 'em,
you get the moolah. Gillian, David, etc. - you bring them to life, so you
get some moolah too! 1013, Fox - by the power invested in contracts, you
get some moolah as well. Me - I love y'all to death, and I make *NO*
moolah. When you look at it from my POV, it just don't seem fair, huh?
Well, I do own all those you don't recognize. But I still don't make any
moolah. :(

DEDICATION: To Lex, my Baboo! Thanx for the great beta read, darlin'!
Can't wait till Tuesday! ;)

SUMMARY: Having been in a secret relationship for almost a year, Mulder
and Scully decide to make a drastic move, but also devise a way to keep it
a secret.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
DECEMBER 18, 1999
4:32 PM EST


Mulder approached his new desk area with the face of a kicked
puppy. Kersh had spent the better part of three hours chewing him out, in
a way that not even Skinner had gotten close to. At this point he just
wanted to call it quits early, take Scully, and go home. Unfortunately,
she didn't quite agree.

"Mulder, it's a week before Christmas. We...I...I still haven't
gotten my tree," she whispered as Mulder began to pack his briefcase.

He groaned, then whispered back, "Do ya hafta have a tree?"

"Yes, I do. I know you don't normally follow any religious
holidays, but being of the Catholic Church has ingrained in me many
necessary traditions. A tree is one of the most necessary."

Scully watched several emotions play over her partner's face,
enjoying the fact that she knew she would win this particular battle.

Sighing, Mulder conceded. "Fine. You win. I'll help you pick up
the tree, and if you spring for dinner, I'll help you trim it, too."

Flashing a blinding victory grin, Scully began packing her things.
"Deal."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

SCULLY'S APARTMENT
8:10 PM EST


Mulder had to admit Scully had a talent for trimming a tree. It
was gorgeous, but gorgeous in a simple way. She hadn't used too many
lights, and the ones she did use were small colored ones spaced in just
the right intervals. Her ornaments all seemed to be from family
collections, nothing at all fancy or out of place.

Actually, it occurred to him that she decorated the tree like she
'decorated' herself. Light makeup, with nothing outrageous or out of
place. He loved the tree even more with that analogy.

Scully returned from the kitchen, holding two goblets and a bottle
of red wine in her arms.

"Wow. We did that in record time. You're gonna have to come over
every year."

"I intend to," he grinned, taking a glass from her hands.

"Of course," she mused, pouring the drink, "maybe you shouldn't
have to come over each year."

Mulder caught the hidden meaning and bit his lip. "Let's not get
carried away. We haven't even told your mother that we got involved. We
agreed..."

Scully nodded. "I know, I know. And I suppose there's the rare
possibility that we won't stay together after we expose Them..." They
looked at each other, serious for a moment, then grinned.

"Nah!" they exclaimed in unison.

She settled onto the couch next to him, and his arm found its
familiar spot across her shoulders. They sat in silence for several
minutes, listening to the Christmas music from Scully's stereo. Finally,
the song they'd both been waiting for came on.

Have yourself a merry little Christmas
May your heart be light
From now on our troubles will be out of sight


Mulder smiled. "Ah, my favorite seasonal song. Is it my
imagination, or did we almost shoot each other to this song last year?"

"Oh, yeah, that was a good time," she chuckled. "I liked the way
you apologized, though."

"Me too. Remind of that technique the next time we have a fight."

"If my memory serves me correctly, we decided nothing happened,
actually."

Mulder was quiet for a second, then said, "Nothing happened when?"

"Exactly."

He tightened his arm around her shoulders, and she playfully
squeezed his thigh.

"Ooo, that may have been a mistake," he leered.

"I guess that depends on what my intentions were," she replied,
moving her hand closer to his hip and squeezing a bit harder.

"That's it, you've backed me into a corner, and I'm gonna come out
fighting. Take off your clothes, I'm making love to you under this tree.
It's time to add another tradition to this holiday."

Scully quickly complied.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MARGARET SCULLY RESIDENCE
DECEMBER 25, 1999
2:05 PM EST


Maggie wiped her hands on her apron as she went to the door to
greet the person who'd just entered. As she expected, it was Dana.

And Fox.

"Dana, hi. I'm glad you could make it this year!"

"Yeah, I made Mulder promise not to go on any stakeouts this year,
and the only way he would was if I promised him a nice Christmas dinner.
So I'm sorry for not calling, but..."

Maggie shook her head, smiling. "That's fine, dear. I'm so glad
you came, Fox."

"Thanks for not being mad, Mrs. Scully. It's just that I had a
great plan for tonight, but Scu- Dana refused to help me out."

"Fox, really, it's no big deal. In fact, Charles just called. He's
snowed in, so I have five extra seats. If you have four other friends you
want to come over, they're welcome to."

Scully shook her head vehemently. "No, no one else. Where can I
put these presents?"

Maggie directed her daughter to place the bags in the living room,
assuring her that the youngest Scully-sibling would show up eventually.

Mulder puttered around, mostly staying out of Bill Junior's way.
As he went from the dining room to the back hall, he gleefully noted a
sprig of mistletoe dangling from the doorway. He continued on his way,
determined to get Scully back there later that evening.

"Mulder!" a voice called.

"Back here!" he responded, and he quickly leaned against the
doorframe.

Scully rounded the corner with an older-looking Matthew in her
arms. She paused when she saw the devilish look on her lover's face.
Glancing up, she broke into giggles.

"Later, Mulder, I promise. But now Tara has entrusted me with her
son. Matt, I bet you don't remember Mulder, do you?"

The almost-two-year-old shook his head.

Scully nodded. "Yeah, well, you were only two days old when you
last saw him. Matt, this is my friend Mulder; Mulder, this is my nephew
Matt."

Mulder stepped forward and extended his hand. "Nice to see you
again, Matt."

"Hi, Mudder," Matt replied shyly. He squirmed a bit and Scully put
him down.

Matt looked up at the adults and then pointed at the ceiling. "An'
Day! Kiss!"

Scully smiled, bent down, and gave the little boy a peck on his
cheek.

Matt next tugged on Mulder's pant leg. "Mudder! Kiss!" he
exclaimed, pointing to his aunt.

Mulder grinned. "Someone's been trained," he murmured before
placing a chaste kiss on Scully's lips. Matt clapped gleefully.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

5:20 PM EST


"So, Mom, did you get everything you wanted for Christmas?"

Maggie looked at her daughter. She thought of the little scene
she'd witnessed just before dinner. Matt had been such a wonderful
conspirator, mostly because he hadn't known he was conspiring.

"Yes, Dana, I think I did get everything I wanted this year.
Actually, I got something I've wanted for years." She smiled as Dana's
face contorted in confusion.

Scully looked at Mulder, then her brother and sister-in-law,
seeing the same mystification on their faces. The four shrugged in unison.

"What about you, Dana? What did you get for Christmas?"

Scully got the hidden meaning but ignored it. "You gave it to me,
Mom. You should know."

"Oh? Nothing extra?"

"Nope."

Frowning, Maggie turned to Fox. "What about you, Fox? Did you get
anything special?"

"No, Mrs. Scully. Just some supposedly 'tasteful' ties.
Personally, I don't think a tie is a tie unless you can see it coming from
five blocks away."

Bill rolled his eyes.

Maggie tried again. "Are you sure you didn't get anything else
this year?"

Scully couldn't take it anymore. "Mom! Stop looking for things
that aren't there! Can we please change the subject?"

Tara came to the agents' rescue. "Bill go upstairs and get those
pictures we brought."

"Which ones?"

"You know, the ones from Matt's christening. And the Christmas
before that."

"Okay," said Bill, reluctantly heading to the stairs.

Dana's eyes widened, and she bit her lip nervously.

Mulder leaned over and whispered, "If you want to beg out before
you have to see those pics, it's fine by me."

Dana shook her head. "No, I should really see the pictures.
They'll all be of Matt, so I'll be okay."

Mulder nodded and sat back, just as Bill came back downstairs. The
family crowded around the coffee table, ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the
frozen pieces of time. Just as Scully had said, most of the pictures were
of Matt, and the agents were nowhere to be seen.

Until the most beautiful picture Maggie had ever seen came up.

It was taken at the church where Emily's funeral was held. Mulder
was embracing Scully in the background; the picture must have been taken
with a zoom lens. Light flowed in from the stained glass windows, casting
a glow over the couple. So many things could have been interpreted from
that Kodak moment, but more than likely the real situation would remain
unknown to all but the subjects of the simple beauty.

Scully sat back, tears forming in her eyes. The room grew silent;
Maggie stood and walked over to her daughter, hoping to give comfort.

"Dana, come here," she whispered, moving to wrap her arms around
Scully.

Scully pulled away. "No, just let me alone right now." She stood
up and headed for the door. "I'll be right back," she choked out, leaving
the house.

After several moments of silence, Mulder stood and headed in the
same direction. "I'll make sure she...whatever," he said, hurrying after
her.

He ran down the walkway, cursing the early darkness of winter.
"Scully?!" he called, hoping she'd answer him. Even though they'd become
so incredibly close in the last year, she still refused to speak of Emily
to him; but he knew she cried herself to sleep every once in a while.
"Scully?!"

He heard a small, "Over here" in reply to his calls. Mulder
followed her voice around to the back of the house. Scully was standing at
the edge of the woods, facing away from him and the lights of the house.
He hurried to her side.

"You okay, Scully?" he asked gently, not touching her, fearing his
embrace would push her further away from him emotionally.

Scully turned and looked up at him. "No, Mulder, I'm not okay. I
haven't been for a while. Come walk with me," she requested, taking his
hand.

They headed into the woods in silence. Mulder wished he'd brought
a flashlight along, but noticed that Scully seemed to know where she was
going. After about a quarter of a mile they entered a clearing.

A few moments later, Scully broke the silence.

"It just wasn't fair, Mulder. One week, that's all I had. I missed
out on three years."

He placed his arms around her. "And she missed out on her whole
life."

"I know," she whispered. "And that makes it all the worse." Scully
was quiet again.

"No, Scully, that isn't the worst. The worst is that They won't
let you *ever* experience the satisfaction that your mother did, that Tara
feels. Or, at least, They think They've taken that from you," he added,
whispering conspiratorially in her ear.

She turned and looked him in the eye. "What do you mean They
'think' They did that to me?"

Mulder fixed his gaze skyward, to the crescent moon that broke
through the snow-heavy clouds. He decided it was time she knew everything
that he did.

"Scully, I just might be able to give you that extra-special
Christmas present your mom was asking about."

He pulled her back into the woods toward the house.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MULDER'S APARTMENT
7:12 PM EST


They entered his apartment in the same silence they'd left the
woods. Mulder hesitated before motioning for Scully to sit on his couch.
He would remain standing.

"Scully, you want anything to drink?" he stalled.

She frowned. "Just tell me what you meant back at Mom's house."

He took a deep breath. "Okay. But I'm going to start out by
explaining why I didn't tell you this earlier. I really have a legitimate
reason. At least, it's legit to me." Scully arched an eyebrow, indicating
he should continue. "I found this out a couple years ago, back when you
first found out you had cancer and we went up to Allentown. It was just
before I found you in Penny's room, before she died. I didn't tell you
right then because I knew you had enough worries on your mind, and I
didn't want you to get sicker or anything. I assure you, if the time ever
came when it would have been proper for you to know, I would have told
you. I never had the intention of keeping this from you forever.

"I was going to mention this when we were in San Diego two years
ago. But then you got that phone call, and the rest of the time you were
with Emily in the hospital. That wasn't the right time then, either. But
now it's just weighing on my mind, and I'm beginning to feel guilty
knowing this when you don't. So please, please don't be mad at me, or be
mad if you want, but please understand why it's taken me almost three
years to tell you."

Scully sighed. "Mulder, just tell me for crying out loud. If you
keep me in suspense for much longer, I may have to shoot you again."

Her joke fell flat. "The boys and I broke into the Lombard
Research Facility; that's where I saw your doctor's name listed. I also
came across a lab room where the scientists were Kurt Crawford; he was a
clone. One of the clones brought me into a room with hundreds of stainless
steel drawers. I was told they contained human ova. Obtained by
super-ovulation, rendering the various women infertile. One of the drawers
had...it had your name on it."

Instead of the shocked gasp Mulder had expected to hear from her,
Scully only nodded, as if this was what she was expecting.

He saw the end of the tunnel come into view and headed for it.
"So, I opened the drawer to investigate its contents, like any good little
FBI agent would, pulled out one of the vials, and promptly pocketed it. I
also 'borrowed' a container to keep it in, and when we got back home I
placed them in a rented freezer, under a pseudonym, in Fairfax Hospital.
Figured no one would expect me to go there, you know?" He shrugged, ending
his tirade.

Scully was quiet for several moments, tossing this new information
around in her head. All of her immediate questions had been answered in
his introduction. Finally, one unanswered one came to mind.

"Why didn't you tell me when we got involved?"

Mulder stayed silent, not really having an answer quite yet.
Finally, he stammered, "I...I didn't...it never occurred to me that you'd
want..."

She shook her head, slightly in amusement. "See, now I'd thought
I'd exorcised you of the Insecure Fox Mulder. Guess I was wrong." His
eyebrow quirked up, poorly impersonating her trademark look. "It never
once occurred to you that I would love to be..." She trailed off,
realizing what she was about to put into words. To be perfectly honest
with herself, it had never occurred to her, either. "Okay, I guess I can
understand why it never occurred to you. I admit, I just figured it out
myself."

"What did you just figure out, Scully?" He had a pretty good idea
of what she was going to say, but wanted to hear it come from her lips.

Tears began to form in her eyes. "I'd love to...I want to give
birth to your children."

He was at her side in less than a nanosecond, his arms around her
as the tears spilled over. As she cried softly, he felt his own cheeks
moisten with silent, salty tears.

Many minutes later, when they were both cried-out, Scully turned
to him and asked, "How soon can we get down to the hospital?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FAIRFAX HOSPITAL
DECEMBER 26, 1999
9:42 AM EST

"Ms. Fox?"

Scully turned around, taking her eyes off her unborn children for
the first time in nearly fifteen minutes. "Yes?"

The nurse looked rather uncomfortable in the freezer. "Um, Dr.
Sands would like to know when you'd like to have the procedure done."

It took Scully several seconds to process the statement. "Oh! No,
I'm not ready to have the procedure done yet. I still have to figure some
things out first."

The nurse leaned in to whisper privately. "Look, hon, don't do the
sperm bank thing, okay? It just makes it awkward for you and the kid when
he wants to know who his daddy is."

"I have no intention of doing that!" Scully cried, shocked that
the nurse would even suggest this when Mulder was in the room. "Not only
would the child be upset, so would my husband!"

Mulder's eyebrows shot up, surprised that she said it. It made
sense, it just surprised him. The nurse also looked surprised and turned
to include him as well.

"Oh, so sorry, Mr. Fox. I didn't think you two were...I mean, you
aren't wearing rings, so I didn't think..."

Mulder nodded and played along. "Well, I'm glad we fooled you. We
haven't told her mother yet, and we felt it was best to do it subtly.
We're going to visit today. Thus, the absence of rings."

"Gotcha," winked the nurse. "How long you been married?"

"Ahh, almost eight years. Yeah, eight in March."

Mulder stepped in. "March seventh, to be exact."

The nurse was shocked and amazed that a man would remember his
anniversary.

"Well, I better go tell Dr. Sands that she's gonna hafta wait for
this one." With a smile, she left the freezer.

"Well, Scully?" His tone was timid, as though he feared she would
lash out at him.

"I don't know what to say, Mulder. This is amazing." She put the
vial back into it's holder, then closed the door. "You are amazing. I love
you." She stepped over to him, reached up behind his head, and pulled his
lips down to hers.

When they separated, Mulder hugged her close, saying, "I guess
that's one way to ignore the cold in here."

"Cold? Here? No, cold is being naked in the Antarctic. *That's*
cold!"

"I suppose it would be. But this is rather chilly as well. So why
don't we get outta here, okay?"

She agreed, and they left the freezer that held their future.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
JANUARY 3, 2000
10:13 AM EST


Scully entered the bullpen, folder in hand. She made her way to
her desk, noting that Mulder was nowhere to be seen. Not terribly worried,
she sat down and began to read over their newest case. Mulder would not
appreciate it, having no X-File in it anywhere.

A woman in Denver, Colorado had kidnapped one of the three babies
that she had been a surrogate mother for. Apparently, the woman, Darlene
Eckerd, had fallen in motherly love with the babies and had asked the
biological mother if she could keep one. When the biological mother,
Kelsey Johnston, had rejected that request, Eckerd kidnapped one of the
children, Brittany, and took her into Wyoming. Denver police had requested
FBI assistance since she'd crossed state lines.

Scully frowned. She felt for Kelsey. She'd only known her babies
for three days before one was unlawfully ripped from her home. Scully made
a promise to herself that she would find this woman's child.

She closed the file and went off to find Mulder.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

11:21 AM EST


Mulder arrived at his desk, surprised to find that Scully was not
there. He knew she'd been called into Kersh's office earlier to be briefed
on a new case for them, but he'd assumed that she'd be back by now.

He himself had been back in their old stomping grounds, back in
the basement for a bit of snooping. He'd looked into the files to see if
the one on the Allentown women had been recovered. It hadn't. Diana had
returned then, and they chatted briefly, mostly reminiscing about old
times. She spoke of their marriage as 'happier times', while Mulder felt
that it was just as bad as his relationship with Phoebe. Only with a ring.

But all that had ended when he became immersed in the X-Files.
Mulder no longer paid attention to his wife, and so she asked for a
divorce. They split up, and she got her LEGAT assignment. Mulder was
assigned a partner to 'spy' on him, and that, as they say, was that.

Mulder noticed a file on Scully's desk. He picked it up and read
it; the case was almost disturbing. He wondered if Scully went back to
Kersh's office to see if she could refuse it. He wouldn't blame her, and
he hoped their boss of just over a year knew enough about her background
to understand her feelings. But with their luck, he'd make them both SACs
for this case.

"Mulder, there you are," Scully said, her voice sounding relieved.

"Here I am? There you are. Where were you?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Looking for you. We have a new case."

"Yeah, I saw it. I thought you'd gone to Kersh to try and get off
it." He immediately regretted that statement.

"Mulder, I've dealt with this for two years, I can handle a simple
case. If I felt I couldn't handle any case with kids in it, I'd be out of
a job, don't you think?"

"I know. I just thought that after this weekend..." he trailed
off, not wanting the pain-in-the-ass rumors to flare up again.

Scully simply nodded and motioned for him to get to work. He
turned away from her, pulled out a large book of motels and began
searching for one for them to stay at in Colorado. Scully got onto the
Internet and booked a flight for them that left that night. Then she
jotted down a note and passed it to him, feeling like she was back in high
school.

Mulder opened the note and read it:

//Flight #925 at 7:10.//

Not turning around, Mulder nodded, seemingly to himself, but
Scully knew it was intended for her and smiled.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

EN ROUTE TO WASHINGTON, D.C 
JANUARY 8, 2000
1:47 PM EST


The case had been easily solved, due to the fact that Darlene
Eckerd had returned to Denver with Brittany Johnston just two days after
Mulder and Scully began their investigation. She confessed, and would have
a small trial the next week. The FBI agents were told they weren't needed
any longer, so those based in Denver moved on to other cases, and Mulder
and Scully flew back to Washington. Scully had been quiet for the last two
days, and Mulder decided it was time to get her to talk.

"Scully, what's up?" he asked, drawing her attention away from the
window.

She turned to look at him and sighed. "I've just been thinking."

"About the case?"

"Kinda. About the way Kelsey and Jason reacted to getting their
baby back. I can't remember the last time I felt that way, the pure
happiness they seemed to have. It was like, the world could have ended
right then, but they'd die happy. Like every dream they ever had came
true, and material things lost all value."

She had a wistful look on her face, and Mulder could tell she
wished she could live that way. He decided to let her in on a secret.

"You know, I spoke to Jason for a few minutes while you were
helping Kelsey with the boys. I told him that I was considering becoming a
father, and I asked if the feeling of getting his child back overpowered
the feeling that he had when they were born, when he first held them. He
said nothing could ever feel better than looking at a wrinkled little face
for the first time ever and know that it was a part of you. He told me to
make sure I truly loved my wife more than humanly possible, because that
only adds to the joy. 'Knowing that you made a person is wonderful, but
knowing you and your soul mate did it together is icing on the cake.' His
exact words."

He stopped to take a breath, and Scully was silent. Finally, he
finished in a whisper. "And I decided I want to know what the hell he's
talking about, ASAP."

Scully looked up at him, and she saw his eyes glisten with tears
that would not drop. She reached up and stroked his hair, finding her own
emotions becoming unbearable to keep to herself. His eyes also held an
eager look in them, as though he were waiting for her judgment. Smiling
softly, she decreed, in a trembling voice, "I'm ready when you are."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

1:52 PM EST


Mulder looked down at his partner/lover. "You serious? You really
think that you're...that *we're* ready for this?"

Scully nodded. "You just said you were. You said you wanted it 'as
soon as possible'. I'm ready. Hell, I've been ready for two years. Now
that I know my other half feels the same, what's stopping us?"

He hated to ruin her mood, but it had to be said. "What about
Them?"

"Well...we thought we'd run into trouble by getting involved, but
I've heard not a peep from even the bullpen."

"Yeah, but having a secret affair is easy. If it weren't, the
divorce rate wouldn't be so high. Having a secret pregnancy...that's a
different story. Pregnant women are usually found out by the fifth month
or so."

Scully bit her lip. "Well, I could take a leave of absence. I'd
have to go on maternity leave anyway...we could always say my cancer came
back..."

"No! I don't even want to kid around about that." She nodded in
understanding; he continued to ponder their predicament. "I've got it. We
aren't planning on getting married any time soon, right?"

"Right. That would complicate things way too much."

"Well, no one has to know it's mine...you could say it was a one
night stand thing. People will buy it. For all they know you haven't been
laid in almost eight years."

"No, they think I've been sleeping with you for almost eight
years."

"Nah, they don't really. If they did, the secretaries wouldn't hit
on me so much. And they haven't stopped, so we're doing a good job of
fooling them."

"But regardless, Mulder, I can't 'get pregnant'. And while that
isn't general knowledge, certain people do know about it. Skinner, for
one. And I think Kersh does, too. Karen Kosseff knows. So if I suddenly
show up at work as big as a house, somebody's alarms are going to go off."

Mulder frowned at stared without seeing at the file in his lap.
Suddenly, the proverbial light bulb lit over his head.

"What if you don't get pregnant at all?"

"What do you mean?" she asked, fearing he had changed his mind.
Scully then saw that he was staring at the case folder. "Wait, you
mean..."

He moved his attention to her. "Yes. What if we find a surrogate
mother? That way we won't have to hide it. And if we don't use our real
names, no one would connect her to us!"

Scully shook her head. "I don't know if I want that. Part of the
excitement is going through the pregnancy. That's what gives the mother
and baby their special bond."

Mulder nodded. "I understand. I feel the same way. I'd love to
look at you and know you were huge because of something *we* created. But
if you want that, then maybe we should wait until we get married, after
They have been exposed."

"I don't know if I can wait that long. Not now that we've decided
we want this."

"But if you get pregnant, then you'd be putting yourself in
danger. I couldn't live with that."

The flight attendant stepped over to the couple, hunched over and
whispering, "Sir, ma'am? Can you please return your seats to their full
and upright positions?"

"Sure," said Scully, pulling out of Mulder's arms. "How long until
we land?"

"About twenty minutes. Fifteen if we're lucky."

"Thanks." The attendant left to go pester some other passengers.
"Mulder, maybe we should discuss this with a doctor before we make any
rash decisions."

He thought for a moment. "Yeah, maybe that's a good idea. Are you
even sure you're...um...equipped to carry a baby?"

"I...well, I actually never thought of that. I was only told that
I was unable to conceive. I never thought to ask..."

"When we get home we'll call Dr. Sands and set up an appointment,
okay?" he suggested, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

"Yeah, that sounds good."

Thirty minutes later, they stepped into the airport terminal, hand
in hand. The airport was slightly more crowded than usual, and
consequently they didn't notice the person waving to them. Finally they
heard him.

"Mulder! Scully!"

They dropped their hands, seeing their old boss materialize in the
sea of travelers.

"Sir?"

"Agent Scully, I've been asked to deliver this note to you at the
earliest possible moment. And so here I am." He handed her a slip of
paper.

Scully nervously opened it and read it:

//S- M told us to keep an eye on the kiddies, but by the looks of
things, they won't hold up much longer than six months. Thought you should
know. -TLG//

Her eyes widened in fear and sadness.

"Scully? What is it?"

Biting her lip, she answered carefully, "I've just been informed
that some family members won't live much longer. I have to go take care of
them."

Mulder's eyes opened in fear, wondering if was someone he knew,
like Maggie or Bill, or a distant cousin. "Scully, you want me to take me
to your mom's?"

"No, Mulder, you need to come too. We're going to Fairfax
Hospital."

He realized what she meant. "Oh! Sure, no problem." He turned to
Skinner. "Thank you, sir, for getting this here so quickly."

Skinner nodded and turned to leave quietly.

Scully looked at Mulder. "I guess one of those difficult decisions
has been made for us."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

OFFICE OF DR. ELISABETH SANDS 
JANUARY 10, 2000

2:15 PM EST


Scully waited nervously with Mulder as they sat in the waiting
room of Dr. Sands's personal practice office. They'd called her as soon as
they'd gotten into their car at the airport. Ten minutes later they had an
appointment with Dr. Elisabeth Sands at two-fifteen on January tenth.

They had arrived just a moment earlier, not expecting a busy
OB/GYN to be on time during the week.

To their complete and utter surprise, the receptionist called,
"Mr. and Mrs. Fox?"

Mulder stood, thinking that she wanted to give him the insurance
paperwork to fill out, but instead she asked them to follow him to follow
her back.

"Um, don't you need our insurance?"

"Oh, don't worry about that right yet. Dr. Sands is available, and
she doesn't like to get behind on her appointments. We believe in the
honor system, Mr. Fox. You can fill out the info later."

He turned back to Scully and shrugged. "C'mon, Kate. The doctor
awaits."

She rose and followed him and the nurse into the bowels of the
office. They rounded several corners, and finally came to a halt in front
of a sterile-looking examining room.

"Okay, the doc should be with you in a moment. Trust me, she lives
for punctuality."

"Thank you," Scully said, slightly in awe of the whole situation.
The nurse left the room, thinking how cute this young couple was.

"You absolutely positive you want this?" Mulder asked gently,
knowing what her answer would be.

"Just as much I want you," she proclaimed confidently. "I just
wish we had more time to prepare for this. Six months isn't a hell of a
lot of time. If the procedure doesn't work, or we can't find a suitable
host, then...we may have to make some sacrifices."

Before Mulder could respond, an attractive woman entered the room.

"Mr. and Mrs. Fox?"

Mulder and Scully nodded.

"Great. I'm Dr. Elisabeth Sands. I'm so glad you two decided to
get started. Now, Mrs. Fox, I hear that you are concerned about your
ability to carry a fetus."

"Yes, that's correct. I'm sure you're wondering about how my ova
ended up in a tiny vial, anyway, aren't you?"

Dr. Sands smiled. "I must admit, I was a tad curious. I don't
think I'll need to know, however, so if you feel it's personal..."

Mulder took a breath and admitted, "Well, to be honest, if we told
you about the circumstances surrounding...us, we'd be putting your life at
stake."

Dr. Sands considered this a moment, then said, "You're right,
don't tell me. Can I just assume that these same mysterious circumstances
may have possibly cause you to become incapable of carrying?"

Scully nodded.

"So, Mr. Fox, Mrs. Fox..."

"Please, Kate and Will," Mulder said, using their pre-determined
pseudonyms.

"Fine, Will. You can call me Beth. As I was saying, there is no
one way to test for your particular worry. Will the results effect your
decision to have a child?"

Scully replied, "Sorta. We're pretty sure that we'll want a
surrogate mother right now anyway, but we're just curious about the
future."

Beth nodded. "I understand. So the test doesn't have to be done
anytime soon?"

"No."

"Okay then. So right now you are more concerned with finding a
suitable house for the fetus. Well, you're in luck. Through my work at the
hospital, I am in contact with many women who have had to hear that they
are incapable of bearing children. I also came to know several women who
were entirely capable, but who didn't have a partner, but didn't believe
in SB's. So I started a program that can pair couples who can't conceive
with women who can do it for them. If you want, I can get your stats and
enter you in the program."

Mulder and Scully looked at each other, using their renowned
silent communication.

Mulder turned back to the woman. "That sounds good, Beth. Let's
give it a try."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

SCULLY'S APARTMENT
 JANUARY 22, 2000
7:22 PM EST


"Hello?" Scully answered her phone in the precise way she'd been
training herself with since she gave Dr. Sands her number. Can't have the
good doc knowing their little secret, eh?

"Kate Fox?"

"Yes, this is she."

"This is Dr. Sands. I'm calling to inform you and your husband
that I have a woman in our program who could be a very good match for you
two."

Her enthusiasm was catching, and Scully grinned over at Mulder.
"Really? That's great! When do you want to schedule a meeting?"

"How about Monday? At one-fifteen?"

"Um, can we do it later in the day?"

"Sure. How about four-thirty?"

"Hang on." Scully covered the receiver and asked Mulder, "What
time you think Kersh will be finished with us on Monday?"

He shrugged. "'Bout three-thirty, I guess. If I behave."

Rolling her eyes, Scully turned back to the phone. "That's fine.
I'll see you then, Beth."

"'Bye, Kate."

Scully hung up the phone. "She thinks she found a woman who'd be a
great match. Monday at four-thirty."

He raised his eyes in surprise. "So fast? Wow. So, what are we
gonna do? If she fits medically, are we gonna give the go-ahead?"

Scully smirked. "Well, she's going to get a complete psych profile
done on her, just to make sure she won't kidnap the kid once he or she's
born, but other than that, yeah. If we like her."

"What if I like her and you don't? Or vice versa?"

"Then I'll yell 'Draw' and whoever's left standing wins," she
joked with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Sounds fair. You want some iced tea?"

Scully was confused with this sudden change of subject. "Uh, sure.
Bring in that bowl of seeds, too."

He grinned as he walked into the kitchen. "I knew it was you who
was sneaking my stash at work!"

"Well, who else would it have been?"

"True." He stayed silent until he came back to the couch, carrying
two champagne glasses of iced tea and a bowl of sunflower seeds. "So, when
did you discover the wonderful world of seeds?"

"A couple years ago, actually," she admitted, taking a handful.
"We were on a case in the middle of nowhere, and I stopped by your room to
go over a few files. We decided to get dinner, but there were no delivery
places, only take-out. So we flipped for it, and you went out to get it. I
was starving, and decided sunflower seeds were better than pillow mints."
She shrugged. "I got addicted."

"Hmmm. Interesting." He held up his glass, and she followed suit.
"To seeds!" he toasted.

"To seeds," she echoed, gulping down her glass's contents in two
seconds.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

AD KERSH'S OFFICE
JANUARY 24, 2000
3:48 PM EST


"...I know you had a case over New Year's, but I can't find a way
to get you two out of this. Someone, I think Assistant Director Skinner,
recommended you for this, and unless a huge case comes up and we're short
manpower, there's nothing to ground you here. I'm sorry, but you'll be
going to the conference."

Scully sighed, keeping her complaints to herself. She knew it was
useless to argue; the only thing that would get her was a suspension, and
that just wouldn't do.

Mulder, on the other hand...

"Sir, please forgive my rashness, but I simply *cannot* go to
England at this time! I'm in the middle of a...family thing, and I'm
desperately needed here!"

Kersh adjusted his glasses and sat up straighter. "Agent Mulder.
If you are experiencing personal problems that extend into your family,
then you should have put in for an LOA. That would have grounded you. But
since you didn't..."

Mulder rose from his chair. "This...thing will last more than a
week or two!" he ranted. "It's only beginning, and frankly, I need to get
the hell out of here!"

Alvin Kersh frowned. "I thought Agent Scully had to be out by a
certain time."

Scully spoke up. "Yes, sir. I have a doctor's appointment."

"What about you, Agent Mulder?"

"I have to meet someone," he mumbled, calmer.

"Is it related to your 'family *thing*'?" Mulder nodded as he sat
down again. "Fine. You're both dismissed. But we will continue to discuss
this tomorrow morning, all right? Ten o'clock, sharp!" Kersh opened his
appointment book, his way of saying the matter was settled.

Quietly, the agents left the room in a hurry, hoping to have
enough time to catch the Metro to the hospital.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

OFFICE OF DR. ELISABETH SANDS
4:32 PM EST


The waiting room was surprisingly empty, save Mulder, Scully, and
a young woman. The woman had blonde hair and looked extremely frightened.
Scully figured she had found out she was pregnant, but that this pregnancy
wasn't planned for or wanted quite yet.

The nurse called them back into Beth's private office, and they
expected to see another woman already in the room. It was empty.

"The doc will be right with ya," said the nurse, who's name was
Judy.

"Thanks Judy," smiled Scully.

"I hope it works out, Kate. I'd love to see what kind of beautiful
kids you two could produce." Judy winked and closed the door behind her.

Before either could say anything, the door opened again.

"Kate, Will, I'm glad you could come. "

Mulder smiled. "Thank you, Beth, for finding someone so quickly."

"It's my job. Kinda. Anyway, I don't want to prolong the awkward
moment, so I'll bring her in." Beth popped her head out the door. "Come
on, sweetie."

Beth opened the door fully, revealing the young woman from the
waiting room. Her face registered surprised, along with a bit of relief.

"Will and Kate Fox, this is Marian Moll. Why don't we all sit down
and have something to drink?"

The group complied, and they all gathered around a small, circular
conference table in one corner of the room. Beth reached into a small
refrigerator and brought forth four Snapple Iced Teas.

"Marian, if all goes well, this should be the last time you get to
drink iced tea for almost a year, so enjoy!" Beth said happily.

"Now, let's go about introducing ourselves. Kate, Will, why don't
you start?"

Mulder looked at his 'wife' and indicated that she should go
first.

"Well, we've been married for almost eight years. We're both
teachers at Georgetown. I teach physics, and Will teaches psychology.
Nothing too spectacular, Marian." They'd come up with this 'description'
over the weekend, and gotten the Gunmen to set up dossiers at the
University for them.

Marian smiled weakly. "Psychology, huh? This could work out great.
I was married for about a year and a half, but he was a prick who was
working at least two mistresses on the side. I found out from his mother.
One of the whore's was her cleaning lady, and she caught them on night.
Regardless, I got out of that as fast as I could. Problem was, I was two
months pregnant. He let me go without any trouble, but the stress of the
divorce was enormous. Beth thinks that's what help cause the miscarriage."

Scully felt for this poor young woman. "I'm so sorry, Marian..."

She shook her head. "I'm not. Seeing that child every day would
have reminded me of Dave. I wouldn't have gotten an abortion -- I'm a Born
Again Christian -- but I can't deny that I was a bit happy when I lost the
baby." Her eyes widened a bit. "Don't get me wrong, okay? I would love to
have a baby. Just not his. But I couldn't handle a baby right now. I'm in
no condition to try and find a new husband, and I couldn't take care of
someone by myself. But having that baby inside me for those eight precious
weeks...I wish I could have carried it longer. That's why I agreed to this
thing. If I could make you happy by allowing your baby to use my body,
then I feel God will bless me and I'll be a better person for it."

Mulder loved her. She was honest, to the point, and had great
moral values. He doubted she'd run off with his kid at any point. Scully
as well had a good feeling about Marian Moll. Not only was she honest
about her past, she shared the same religious beliefs as Scully did. Well,
almost. Catholics and Christians did have some different beliefs, but the
important thing was that they both believed in God and His power to affect
life on Earth.

Scully looked at her partner. His eyes gave it all away, that if
she liked this woman, then it would be settled.

"Beth," she said, "you said physically she was a great match to
us?"

The doctor nodded. "Yup. It's up to you two."

Scully looked at the young woman again. She studied her like she
studied a corpse during the external exam, searching for the tiniest
detail. She smiled when she saw it.

"Marian, I love your necklace. It looks awfully familiar to me..."
Grinning, she pulled her cross out from under her shirt for Marian to see.

Marian smiled and fingered the cross at the base of her own neck.
"That store on K Street?"

Scully shrugged. "No idea. Christmas present when I was fifteen."

Mulder took a closer look at Marian's necklace. "I think it's an
omen," he said, his voice full of wonder. Imagine, these two women having
the exact same symbol of their faith!

"Let's do it," said Scully, reaching her hand out to take
Marian's.

"Really?" gasped Marian, not believing it. "You want me?"

Mulder nodded. "Yeah. Beth, where's that paperwork?"

Beth just laughed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

5:23 PM EST


"Now, there's just one problem..." Scully said. Mulder rolled his
eyes. "It's a scheduling thing. I've got a conference in England next
week. Will's coming with me. I just found out about it today."

Beth shook her head. "That shouldn't be a problem. I can perform
the operation before you leave, and we can call if we get anything."

Mulder nodded. "It's only four days -- Thursday, Friday, Saturday,
and Sunday."

"Not until then? That's fine. We may know by then anyway. Marian,
when are you free?"

Marian shrugged. "Anytime, really. I work at a daycare center, so
my boss will understand."

"That's great. How does...this Friday afternoon sound? Say
at...one-ten? You come here then, and I'll personally drive you over to
the hospital."

"Shouldn't be a problem."

"Wonderful. Kate, Will, you two want to come watch?"

Scully opened her mouth to answer in the affirmative, but caught
the question in Mulder's eye and decided against it. "Um, can we have a
minute?"

Beth nodded. "Sure. Marian, why don't I take you to me Dr. Durant.
He'll probably be your surgeon." Dr. Sands and Marian left the room.

"Scully, before we rush into things, lets consider our job. Kersh
is going to get suspicious if we keep needing to leave at the same time
for different things."

"But, Mulder, I'm a doctor. I want to be able to watch at least.
Look, Kersh knows I had a doctor's appointment today. I'll just explain to
him that it's a routine check-up with my oncologist, and that I'm going to
need you to drive me because of some tests. No problem."

"Scully, I'd really rather not use your cancer as an excuse. And
how do you know Kersh won't call your oncologist to make sure you were
telling the truth?"

She frowned. "I don't think I ever have discussed my cancer with
Kersh, so how would he know my doctor? Besides, it's a legitimate excuse.
I only stopped having quarterly exams two months ago. It'll be fine. Trust
me."

He smiled softly, brushing a piece of hair from her face. "Only
you, Scully. Only you." He leaned down and captured her lips in his.

"Knock-knock!"

Mulder and Scully separated and looked to the door. Judy stood
there, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

"Beth just told me. I'm so glad for you two. I'm glad for Marian,
too. Poor girl, nothing seemed to go right for her. Now she'll get to do
this wonderful thing. It's just so great! Good luck!" She disappeared just
as fast as she showed up.

Mulder shook his head in amusement. "So, we're going to go watch
it?"

"I'd really like to. But if you think it would be easier not
to..."

Before Mulder could answer, the door opened again and Beth and
Marian entered the room.

"Well, we're all squared away," Beth said, cheerfully. "How about
you two?"

Scully nodded. "We'd like to watch on Friday."

"Great! I hope neither of you are terribly squeamish, because the
surgery won't be done in a stadium OR. You'll just be standing and
watching. We think it helps the biological parents understand what's
really going on."

"I know I can handle it," said Mulder, grinning, "but I'm not so
sure about her..."

Scully rolled her eyes. "Will, don't say things like that." She
turned to Beth. "I'll be fine."

"Okay then. Well, I've got an appointment in five minutes, so how
about we all reconvene here on Friday at one-ten, right?"

"Yeah," agreed Marian, who was beaming.

"Wonderful. See you then!" Beth left the room in search of her
next patient.

Marian turned to Mulder and Scully. "I just want to thank you so
much for letting me do this for you. It really means a lot to me."

Scully walked over to her and gave her a hug. "It means a lot to
us, too."

Marian grinned. "Dr. Durant warned me that this type of conception
often results in multiple births. Wouldn't that be fantastic?"

"It would be awesome," Mulder acknowledged. He pulled a sheet of
paper from his pocket. "Here's my cell phone number, if you ever need to
call me during the day. It's on almost all the time, and more reliable
than the work number. With that, you'll almost always get a machine."

Marian nodded. "Thanks. Well, I've got to get back to work."

Scully nodded. "So do we. Barring any unforeseen contingencies,
we'll see you Friday?"

"Yup."

The small group left the building and went their separate ways.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

OXFORD UNIVERSITY
FEBRUARY 4, 2000
OXFORD, ENGLAND
5:49 PM GMT


"Thank you all for listening to the preceding speeches. Scotland
Yard invites everyone back here tomorrow for the presentation from
representatives from the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.
They shall begin at noon. Please, feel free to indulge yourselves in the
many activities we have prepared for you. Unfortunately, due to inclement
weather, the cricket game has been cancelled."

A unanimous, yet sarcastic groan came from the crowd.

Gerald McDougal smiled and decided to wrap it up. "Have a lovely
stay."

The large lecture hall filled with the gentle noises of people
mulling around, having nothing better to do. An occasional yell sounded
across the room as separated acquaintances found each other in the sea of
law enforcement officers.

Mulder and Scully had strategically positioned themselves in aisle
seats; this allowed them to get fairly close to the door before a blast
from the past stopped them.

A distinctly British female voice shrieked, "Fox! Agent Scully!
Back here darlings!"

The pair looked at each other and read the dread in the other's
eyes. Secure in the fact that neither looked forward to this encounter,
they reluctantly turned to face the voice.

Mulder spoke first. "Inspector Green, what a...pleasant surprise."

"Surprise? Fox, my boy, you're losing your touch. This whole
shindig is being hosted by Scotland Yard. You know, the place where I
work?" Phoebe smiled smugly. "How are you, Agent Scully?"

"I'm...pretty damn good, Inspector Green. Yourself?"

"Can't complain. So, are you still working with this miserable
bugger?" said the inspector, grinning evilly.

Scully ignored the swipe at her partner's ego. "Yes, I'm still
Agent Mulder's partner."

Mulder stepped in. "We're off the X-Files, though."

"Oh? What a pity. Say Fox, why don't you join me for dinner this
evening?"

"First of all, since this is a semi-formal affair, I'd like it
better if you called me Agent Mulder, Inspector. Secondly, I'll have to
decline your invitation. Agent Scully and I already have plans to meet up
with some other agents to go over tomorrow's presentation."

Phoebe Green was not about to be deterred. She stepped up close to
Mulder's ear and whispered, "You sure you can't blow it off? We're back at
Oxford, the home of our time together. I'm just 'dying' to recreate some
unforgettable memories..."

Mulder rolled his eyes. "Inspector Green, our 'time together', as
you put it was over fifteen years ago. I have moved on in life, and have
no desire to recreate so-called 'unforgettable' memories." With that, he
turned from the gawking Yard Inspector and escorted Scully out of the hall
with one hand at the small of her back.

Once in the fresher air under the canopy out side the lecture
hall, they looked at each other and broke up in giggles.

"Well, it certainly was a pleasure to see Inspector Green, now,
wasn't it?"

Mulder rolled his eyes. "Thank God you were here. If I was alone,
she wouldn't have had the decency to ask my permission before jumping me."

Scully just nodded, knowing how truly grateful he was.

"So, your phone never rang?" she asked, gladly changing the
subject.

He shook his head sadly. "No. I told them not to worry about the
time difference. We deserve to be woken up."

Scully reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze. "We still have
time. And if this first try doesn't work, we'll just try again."

The door opened, the agents resumed their working persona.

"There you two are!" said Agent Peter van Dyke.

"You looking for us?" asked Mulder.

"Yeah. Ah, Sunter and I wanted to know what time we're getting
together tonight. And where."

Scully stepped forward. "We were just wondering the same thing.
Why don't we find a tasteful pub around here and meet at
about...six-thirty?"

Van Dyke nodded. "Sounds good. Know any locals who can name a good
pub?"

Mulder grimaced slightly and nodded. "Yeah, I know someone..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

THE BEER MUG HANDLE
OXFORD, ENGLAND
6:51 PM GMT


The four Americans were spread out at a table for eight, putting
papers and AV's in presentation order. Drinks had been served, and they
all were quite relaxed.

"Scully, you have your pathology cases in any particular order?"
asked Sunter, pulling an autopsy picture from a folder.

"Yeah, in alphabetical order. Don't worry, I can put them back."

"And my forensics samples are sorted by date," added van Dyke.

The group continued sorting for a long half-hour, going over each
person's role in the next day's presentation. When dinner arrived, the
paperwork was pushed aside, and they ate in a comfortable silence.

Then a phone rang.

All four agents reached for their own cell phones at the same
time, but only Mulder came up with the winner.

He swallowed, then said, "Hello?" He listened to the voice on the
other end, and his eyes widened in excitement. "Yeah, it's me. Hang on,
I'm in a pub." He turned to his colleagues. "Excuse me. Scully," he said,
gesturing for her to follow him.

Her eyes also lit up, and she quickly excused herself and left the
room with her partner. When they were out of sight, Sunter turned to his
partner.

"Wonder what's up with Mr. and Mrs. Spooky?"

Van Dyke smirked. "Let's find out." The eavesdroppers quietly
followed after Mulder and Scully.

When they got into the hall, Mulder motioned for her to listen
with him. "We're both here."

"Great!" Marian's voice floated through the receiver. "So I just
wanted you guys to know...we did it!"

Scully grabbed Mulder's hand. "You're pregnant?!"

"Yup! You guys are going to have a baby!"

"Oh my God!" Scully cried, throwing her arms around Mulder.

With his free arm, he hugged her back. "That's amazing!
I...I...I'm speechless."

"First time for everything," teased Scully. Into the phone, she
said, Thanks for calling us, Marian. We'll reimburse you."

"No, don't bother. Beth says she'll cover all charges while you
two are in England."

Scully heard a slight noise from behind them, and in the
reflection in the window saw the two other FBI agents watching them. She
decided to wrap up the call. "Marian, you are...a goddess. We'll be back
on Sunday, so we'll see you then. Call if you get any more info, okay?"

"Sure. 'Bye, mommy, daddy."

Mulder was close to tears. "Goodbye!" He clicked off the phone and
squeezed Scully's shoulders. He was going to get closer, but Scully held
him off.

"We've got a trail," she whispered, referring to their nosy
companions.

Nodding ever so slightly, Mulder said, "We'd better get back to
the table before they think we've left them hanging." After waiting a
beat, they reentered the dining room, finding Sunter and van Dyke at their
seats, waiting patiently.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

CHAMBERLAIN HOTEL
OXFORD, ENGLAND
11:28 PM GMT


That night, Mulder snuck down the hall to Scully's room. They had
tried to get connected rooms, but there were no more available by the time
they arrived. So they got separate rooms on the same floor and left
Mulder's untouched.

She was lounging on her bed when he entered. "What took you so
long?" she purred.

"I was on the phone with Kersh. I tried to get us back home after
tomorrow's thing. He refused. Well, we can go, but the Bureau won't pay."
Shrugging, he plopped onto the bed next to her.

"Well, we can keep in touch with Marian until then. But now, I
picked up something for you in the gift shop."

He grinned. "I got something for you, too."

Scully quirked an eyebrow. "On three. One..."

"Two..."

Together, they said, "Three!" and pulled out the gifts: Identical
'Name Your Baby' books. They laughed.

"Well, I'm glad we're both optimistic about all this," Mulder
admitted.

"Actually, I only got this in case you detested my ideas. I've had
a few picked out for a while."

Mulder leaned back, interested. "Oh? When did you start thinking
about it?"

She smiled. "Well, every little girl picks out the names for her
children. When I was about eight years old I was determined to name my
baby girl Lucille Margaret after 'I Love Lucy' and my mom. My son was
going to be William Donald after my dad."

"You know, Sam did the same thing. I didn't appreciate it at the
time, but she was going to name her son Anthony Fox. I used to tell her to
call me Anthony. It never worked. She refused to name her daughter yet
though. She wanted to meet her 'best-best friend' before she did that." He
smiled in remembrance.

"That's really sweet, Mulder. Well, one of the names I picked out
*did* have 'Fox' in it." He groaned loudly. She giggled. "Don't worry,
it's the middle name. I like William, too, though."

"William Fox? No, that's not obvious..."

"Mulder, I haven't set my mind on anything yet. I want your input,
too."

He thought for a moment. "You know, I've always like the name
Christopher. That was my roommate's name at Quantico."

"What about girl names? Would you want Samantha?"

"Maybe. Samantha Emily sounds good. So does Melissa Margaret."

She smiled. "Hey, what if it's twins? I guess we're set for
girls."

He was quiet for a moment. Finally, he said, "Look, let's not get
carried away. We've got a full nine months to think about this. I think we
have more pressing issues to discuss first."

"Such as?"

"Getting back, telling your mom..."

Scully's eyes widened and she rose from the bed. "Whoa, whoa! My
mom?! Are you sure, Mulder? That might not be a good idea. I mean, we
haven't even told her about...you know...us."

Mulder nodded. "I know, but I think we should tell her by now. I
mean, she has the right to know that she's going to get another
grandchild."

She nodded slowly. "Fine. You're right. We'll visit when we get
back. But on Monday, we tell Skinner."

"Huh?! What are you talking about? We have no idea who could be
listening in on him!"

"I don't mean telling him in the building! We could meet him
somewhere. Mulder, if it weren't for him, we wouldn't be 'pregnant' right
now. He deserves to know, too."

"All right. And we tell the Gunmen, too."

"Understandable."

Once they reached this agreement, they sat in silence. Finally,
Mulder couldn't take it anymore.

"Wanna make love?"

She waited a beat, then said, "Yeah."

They got to bed quite late that night.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

AD SKINNER'S OFFICE
FEBRUARY 7, 2000
10:02 AM EST


Skinner frowned when his secretary announced the two agents who
were presently waiting outside his door.

"Send them in," he said gruffly. In truth, he'd been hoping they
would stop by. He wanted to know how the conference went, as well as how
Scully was holding up. He hadn't heard any more about her family members,
but Scully hadn't taken a leave of absence. Skinner wasn't sure if that
was a good thing or a bad thing.

They entered together, Mulder's hand at the small of Scully's
back. For a moment, Skinner thought they were here to report on a case. He
had to admit, he missed their antics. Spender dismissed many cases, too
many in Skinner's opinion. Perhaps he didn't feel they were 'paranormal'
so to speak, but at least they were crimes; there was *something* to
investigate. When Diana was in town, they worked well together, but the
rest of the time...

The three sat in silence, looking each other over, trying to
forget their past times together. Finally, Skinner broke the eerie quiet.

"So, I assume you two had a reason for showing up unannounced?" He
hoped he sounded annoyed.

Mulder smirked. "Not really. We just missed you."

"Mulder..." growled the Assistant Director.

Scully was more helpful. "Sir, we came to...um...thank you for
that delightful trip to England."

He heard the sarcasm in her voice. "That bad, huh?"

Mulder shrugged. "The timing was just off. Being out of town this
weekend made certain things more difficult for me." He reached into his
jacket pocket to retrieve a piece of paper while he continued speaking. "I
did run into an old...uh...colleague. She was quite...excited to see me.
Being back at Oxford certainly was strange."

Skinner was confused by this small talk. Mulder pushed a folded
sheet of paper across his desk, and Skinner picked it up, reading
silently.

//Need to talk. Not here. The walls have eyes and ears. Meet at
Luziano's at noon.//

Mulder was still rambling. "That's a picture of my old dorm room.
Pretty nice, huh?"

"Huh? Oh, yes, it is. Anyone living there now?"

The agent shrugged. "Not right then. Maybe next semester."

Scully stepped into the conversation. "Oh, Mulder, we've got stuff
to do. I think Kersh wanted to see use at three, so let's get everything
else done so I can go home after and sleep off this jet lag."

Mulder nodded. "Good idea. Well, we just wanted to tell you about
the trip. Hope to see you around." He and Scully rose as a single unit and
quietly filed out of the office.

Skinner looked at the note again and shrugged. He waited a few
minutes, then buzzed his secretary.

"Kim, cancel my lunch appointment with Sharon. Tell her
something's come up, but I'll call to reschedule."

"Yes, sir."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

LUZIANO'S ITALIAN EATERY
11:58 AM EST


Maggie Scully entered the restaurant, but saw no sign of Dana nor
Fox. She did recognize one person: Walter Skinner, their old boss. He
seemed to know her, too.

"Mrs. Scully? Are you here to meet your daughter?"

Maggie nodded. "Yes. Did they invite you as well?"

"Yes. I thought that perhaps they had some sensitive information
to give me, but if you're here..."

The older woman's eyes lit up. "Do you think it could be
personal?"

Skinner sighed. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Before they could speculate any more about Mulder and Scully's
motives for this arrangement, a man in a suit and sporting a neatly
trimmed beard approached them.

"Skinner. Nice to see you again. Mrs. Scully?"

"Yes?"

The man spoke. "I'm a friend of your daughter's. I've been sent to
bring you to them."

Maggie was reluctant, but Skinner nodded. "It's okay. I know him,"
he whispered in her ear.

"Okay. Let's go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

HQ OF 'THE LONE GUNMEN'
12:34 PM EST


Byers, Maggie, and Skinner entered the safe haven in great
anticipation. They had discussed the reason for being summoned in the van,
and found that Byers had no clue, either. But when Skinner asked about the
ailing family members, Maggie became only more confused, and Byers's eyes
widened in realization. He said nothing of his suspicions, however, not
wanting anyone to be disappointed if he was wrong.

Frohike and Langly had cleaned the office when they heard that
Scully's mother would be visiting. They were now waiting in their living
room equivalent by themselves.

"Mr. Frohike, Mr. Langly," Skinner acknowledged. "Any clue what
the hell's going on?"

"Where's Dana?" asked Maggie, seeing neither agent in the area.

Langly motioned towards the front door. "They're still out. They
thought of another person to call at the last moment and went to pick them
up."

Frohike stood and added, "They told me to tell you to call them
'Kate' and 'Will' when they come back with this person. And Mr. Skinner,
you're supposed to be just a friend of their's from the University."

Skinner frowned. "What have they gotten themselves into?" he
pondered aloud.

The balding Gunman shrugged. "No idea."

Before anyone could pose further questions, there was a pounding
at the door.

"Open up, guys, it's us!" Mulder's voice called from beyond the
steel. Byers quickly opened it, and in walked Mulder, Scully, and a young
woman who looked shocked, amused, and a bit scared.

Scully went over to her mother and gave her a hug. "Hi, Mom.
Thanks for going along with all our precautions. We needed you to be here
for this."

"Sure, D- Kate, no problem." Scully gave her mother an extra
squeeze for playing along.

Skinner walked over to Mulder. "Will, what the hell's going on?
Maggie and I are quite confused, and we think that you and Kate need to
give us some answers."

Mulder nodded. "That's what we're here for. Why don't we all sit
down." He bit his lip. "We have a lot of confessions to make, to all of
you."

Everyone promptly found a seat, including the young woman, who was
now looking a bit suspicious.

It was predetermined that Scully would break the ice. "First,
let's get everyone knowing each other." She pointed to each person as she
introduced them. "This is my mother, Maggie. This is a friend of ours,
Walter. The three weirdos are also friends, John, Ringo, and Mel. This is
Marian, who you will learn more about in a moment."

Mulder picked up. "First confession. Marian, our names aren't Kate
and Will, and we aren't married." Skinner let out a held breath. Mulder
grinned. "Yet." Maggie let out her breath. "Well, they're our middle
names. I'm Special Agent Fox Mulder with the FBI, and she's my partner,
Dana Scully. Walter is a friend, and also our previous boss. Those three
are actually better known as the Lone Gunmen, and liked to be referred to
by their last names, Byers, Langly, and Frohike. Maggie really is Dana's
mother."

Marian's eyes were wide open now. "So, why did you-"

Scully cut her off before she gave everything away. "To protect
you, Beth, and everyone else involved." Swallowing, Scully turned to the
rest of the group. "Next confession. Mulder and I have been involved for
over a year now."

Maggie grinned. "I knew it! I saw you two under the mistletoe at
Christmas," she announced proudly.

Scully gaped. "How did...you set us up, didn't you?"

"Matt's a great little conspirator, you know."

Covering her face with her hands, Scully groaned. "Wonderful. No
wonder I haven't heard from Bill since Christmas."

Skinner was trying hard to keep from cracking up. "So, do you have
anything else to tell us?"

Mulder nodded. "Uh, yeah. This is where Marian comes in..." She
nodded, now understanding the situation. "Marian is going to...she's doing
something really wonderful for us..."

Maggie couldn't help it. "Food, flowers, or photos?"

"None, actually."

"Are you a Justice of the Peace?"

Scully interrupted. "Mom! Mulder and I aren't getting married
tonight. And we won't be for a long while."

"You're waiting until the smoke settles," nodded Skinner.

"Interesting way of putting it," chuckled Mulder. "But yes, we're
waiting until the smoke settles. We would have waited to do this as well,
but as the Gunmen informed us, time was of the essence."

Langly gaped. "Oh. My. God."

Frohike turned a distinct shade of gray.

Byers smiled approvingly.

"I think they know what's going on," Mulder stage-whispered.

Scully walked over closer to her mother. "Mom," she looked to
Skinner, "sir," she took a deep breath, "Mulder and I are going to have a
baby."

The room was silent. Scully feared her mother disapproved and
stepped back into Mulder's waiting arms. From there, she tried to get a
response. "Mom? Are you okay with this?"

Maggie nodded absently. "Sweethearts, there's nothing I'd want
more. It's just that I thought you couldn't..."

"I can't. That's why we have Marian. She's going to be our
surrogate. The procedure has already been done, and Marian got
confirmation of the pregnancy a few days ago."

"She called us on my cell phone while we were in Oxford."

Skinner turned to Marian. "This is all true? You're carrying their
baby?"

Marian nodded. "Yes, I am. I was enrolled in a program to fix me
up with couples who needed surrogate mothers. I had a miscarriage about
seven months ago, and while I know I can't handle my own baby right now,
the desire to carry one to term has been overwhelming." She looked at
Maggie. "Mrs. Scully, I have every intention of giving birth to your
grandchild. I promise you, in nine months you'll have at least one new
family member."

Maggie finally smiled. "At least one?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MARGARET SCULLY RESIDENCE
JULY 4, 2000


Maggie had insisted that Marian come to the family Fourth of July
party. She claimed that Marian was just as much a part of the family as
Mulder was. Scully agreed to it, as long as the true nature of their
friendship would remain a secret.

And so they were gathered on a sweltering day in early July.
Everyone was calm and relaxed. Mulder was not being shy about his
involvement with Dana, but not even Bill made any comment.

That should have been the first clue.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

11:16 AM EST


Scully grinned as Marian came up the front walk. The young woman
had begun to show, to her delight, and was wearing a maternity tank top to
flaunt her pregnant state. They had all agreed not to mention that it was
anyone else's baby but Marian's; Mulder didn't feel like explaining it to
Scully's family so soon, when so much could still go wrong.

Chatting softly, Scully led Marian into the surprisingly large
back yard.

Maggie spied them coming and ran over to greet her. "Marian,
dear!" she exclaimed, enveloping her in a hug. "I'm so glad you could make
it." She stepped back to admire the slight girth. "I see you're
progressing along nicely, aren't you?"

Marian returned the hug. "Nice to see you again, Maggie. I can't
believe how big I've gotten so soon! I didn't expect it to be like this at
all. I love it!"

"It suits you. Come on, meet the rest of the gang," encouraged
Scully, dragging her further into the melee.

Mulder looked up from his intense game of chess with Charlie's son
Adam to see Scully introducing Marian to Tara and Bill. "I'll be right
back, Adam. No making any extra moves!" he quipped.

"Gotcha, Uncle Mulder," replied the ten-year-old, still eyeing the
game board.

He strode over to the group of adults, placing an arm casually
around his lover's shoulders. Bill grew a tad paler, but sucked up his
pride and gave Mulder a tolerant smile.

"Howdy, Marian. How's yer load?" he drawled.

She looked over at him and smiled. "Jest fine, thank yeh." After a
brief pause, she lost the Southern accent and added, "I stopped doing the
jumping part of 'Rambunctious Robics' two weeks ago, though." Tara gave
her an odd look, and Marian expanded. "I work in a day care, and when it
gets really hot or cold out, we do a children's aerobic program to let
them exercise."

"Oh, I think my neighbor has something like that. She baby-sits
kids at her home."

Marian appeared interested. "Really? I've been trying to decide if
I want to do that too. Tell me, does it bother you to have a bunch of kids
running around the neighborhood each day?"

Tara began to answer, and the rest of the adults zoned out. Mulder
was about to grab another Coke, when Adam called, "Uncle Mulder! Johnny
knocked the pieces over!"

Groaning, Mulder took Scully's hand and dragged her over with him.
"Geeze, just when I'm starting to get the upper hand on the kid," he
muttered, "his little brother ruins it for me. Geeze."

"You said that," Scully pointed out.

He ignored her remark and stared down at the board. Enough had
been knocked out of place so that he couldn't tell where any of them had
been. Johnny was crouched at the edge of the woods, looking guilty and a
bit fearful. While Mulder tried to figure out the mess, Scully went to
console her nephew.

"Uncle Mulder's not mad, is he?" whimpered the five-year-old.

Scully hugged him. "No, don't worry about it, sweetie. It was just
a game. No big deal." She secretly loved the way Charlie had, after only
meeting Mulder once, instructed his three children to call the mysterious
man their uncle. It melted her heart every time she heard it.

The third child, Cathy, a spunky, eight-year-old girl ran over to
witness the commotion.

"Whatcha do now, Adam?" she asked, smugly.

"Nuthin'," he answered defensively. "It was all Johnny. He ruined
our game! I was gonna win, too!"

By this time, Charlie had also arrived to see what the fuss was
about.

"Hush, Adam. He didn't mean to. He's just being a little brother.
I did the same things to Uncle Bill when we were kids." He paused, then
turned to Johnny, who'd left the sanctuary of his aunt's arms. "That
doesn't make it right, just tolerable." Problem resolved, Charlie gave
both boys a pat on the head and headed back to the deck, where he was
attempting to set up the stereo.

Mulder started up a new game with Adam, after Johnny had gone over
to play with Matthew.

Marian didn't need to be introduced to Charlie and his wife Julie,
as they had moved into the Baltimore area three months ago. They made
regular visits to Scully's apartment, and had thusly met Marian several
times. Charles and Julie did not know, however, who's baby Marian was
carrying. It was assumed to be her own.

Finally, the music system turned on, and a nice flow of soft rock
filled the air. Cathy put on quite a performance when she recognized the
song 'Lady in Red'. She was dressed in a patriotic red summer dress, and
made the connection immediately; she then asked Mulder to dance with her.
He complied, and lifted her up and twirled her around, singing along under
his breath. As Scully watched this display, she saw him dancing with their
own possible daughter. They could have found out the sex of the baby --
babies? -- but opted to be surprised. She put her arm around Marian and
laid the opposite hand on Marian's protruding tummy. Maggie noted this
gesture, and her face stretched into a wide grin.

When the song finished, Cathy thanked her unofficial uncle and
moved on to her father.

"Cat, there's a commercial right now. Wait till it's over."

During the lull in the entertainment, Marian rose and went on a
bathroom break, claiming indigestion.

The DJ came back on. "Next up, another thirty minutes of
favorites. Starting us off, we've got Marc Cohn and 'Walking in Memphis'."

Mulder grinned and ambled over to Scully, offering his hand to her
just as he'd done that night several years ago. And like before, she
accepted. The two danced silently and closely, neither singing, just
enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed together.

Until their fragile haven was shattered by a scream.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

12:43 PM EST


Scully pulled away from Mulder at the scream, looking fearfully
towards the house.

"What was that?" asked Adam.

Before anyone answered, Mulder and Scully ran into the house. They
hurried for the bathroom, where they found Marian writhing on the floor, a
small pool of blood around her.

"Dana...the baby..." she gasped.

Scully was frightened to death, but pulled on her doctor persona
and went to work to try and stop the bleeding. Mulder stayed in the hall,
pulled out his cell phone to call 911, then called Dr. Sands to let her
know of the situation.

He hung up and said, "The ambulance is on the way. I called Beth,
and she'll meet us at the hospital. What's wrong her, Scully?"

She looked up at him, and tears filled her eyes. "I think...I
think it's a miscarriage."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FAIRFAX HOSPITAL
1:13 PM EST


Beth walked out of the ICU with a relieved look on her face. She
went over to the agents and motioned for them to go with her. The three
stood outside Marian's room, watching as doctors and nurses fixed her up.

Finally, Beth broke the silence. "I have good news and bad news."
Mulder and Scully turned to look at her, not saying a word. "The good news
is, you'll still be parents. The bad news is one died."

Scully's motionless tears finally fell. "It was more than one?"

Beth nodded. "Triplets. The other two were fine, though. They
didn't seem to be harmed a bit."

They were quiet, then Mulder asked, "Girl or boy?"

"The girl died. The other two are boys. They're perfectly healthy,
I made sure of that. Please remember, Marian had a miscarriage about a
year ago. She just may be one of those people who that happens to."

Scully nodded. "Will an autopsy be performed?"

Beth shrugged. "If you want. I'm pretty sure it was just a common
infection, though."

"Then why weren't the other two infected?"

"Luck? I doubt we'll know the answer to that question. But I'll
request the autopsy."

"Thank you. Excuse me, I have to make a phone call." Scully turned
away from them and walked over to a pay phone.

Beth smiled sadly at Mulder. "Don't worry about this, Will. It's
common enough. There's nothing anyone could have done to stop this. You'll
still have the twins."

Mulder stared at her. "But my baby girl died." He turned away to
catch up with Scully.

She was on the phone, silent tears streaking down her face. "Mom?
We lost one. There are still two left. Mom, my little girl..." At the last
sentence she let out a sob, and Mulder wrapped his arms around her,
grieving with her.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

5:14 PM EST


Marian woke slowly, encouraged by the dull pain in her abdomen. In
a rush, the memories flooded her mind, and she cried out as she realized
what had happened. A warm hand took her own, and she opened her eyes to
see Scully standing over her.

"Dana," Marian whispered, unable to raise her voice to normal
levels. "Dana, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"Shhh. No apologies, Marian. You had no control over this. You
didn't lose them all."

"You mean...I'm still pregnant?"

Scully nodded. "Yes. We only lost one. You've still got two left."

Marian closed her eyes, processing this information. "Triplets. I
can't believe it."

Mulder entered the room, Dr. Sands in tow. "Kate, Beth has the
autopsy report back."

Scully nodded. "Marian, I'll be right back." She stood up,
stretched, and left the room.

"What did you find, Beth?" She wanted to examine the results
herself, but couldn't give her real occupation away.

"Well, this is rather unusual. According to this blood work, the
girl was not your baby."

Scully's jaw dropped. "What? How is that possible?"

"I have no clue. The girl was apparently Marian's. We can't
identify a father, however."

An idea crept unbidden into Mulder's brain. "Could she have been
pregnant before the other two were conceived?"

Beth shook her head. "I checked her thoroughly. She wasn't
pregnant before the procedure."

Mulder frowned. "Humor me here. What if, somehow, she conceived
her own child just after the procedure. Say in the next two days. Would it
be possible for all three to begin gestation?"

Beth shrugged. "I suppose so. But I cautioned Marian not to engage
in sexual intercourse until we confirmed a pregnancy. Wouldn't want Kate's
ova to be fertilized by someone else's sperm."

Mulder nodded. "No, that wouldn't be good. But, hypothetically,
there is that possibility?"

"Yes."

Scully asked, "You're sure you can't get a match on the father?"

"Well, we have no one to check against. Everything was set up so
that Marian wouldn't be ovulating at the time of conception, but we did
make sure none of Will's sperm had slipped through the cracks. It's not
him."

Scully was quiet, then asked, "Should we tell Marian about this?"

Beth stepped back. "That's up to you two. I won't mention it to
her, unless you think I should."

"No, I don't think so," said Mulder. "Not at this time."

"Whatever. Well, she can be released whenever. I'll continue to
look into this mess." Beth shook their hands, and walked down the
corridor.

Scully looked at Mulder. "You have a theory, don't you? You think
she was abducted."

He smiled weakly. "Eight years has rubbed off on you, my dear. But
I always knew you had powers beyond those of normal pathologists."

She smiled back. "Are you going to question her about it?"

He shook his head. "No. I don't think it matters. We won't mention
this to her." Mulder scratched his head. "I feel really guilty saying
this, but I'm glad it was hers."

"I think you mean, you're glad it's not ours."

"Yeah. Come on, let's get her back to her apartment."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

SCULLY/MULDER RESIDENCE
OCTOBER 20, 2000
8:22 PM EST


It was now only four weeks until the official due date. Having
heard nothing menacing from certain 'government' employees, Scully and
Mulder decided to take a chance and move in together. This decision was
fueled by the news that Special Agents Diana Fowley and Jeffery Spender
were engaged. They had been for two months, and both were still alive.
Mulder felt this was evidence that the Syndicate was off their backs for
good. So long as they stayed away from the Truth, they could be left alone
for good.

The agents trudged into the apartment that Friday night, surprised
to find an envelope taped to the television screen. The only writing on it
was their names.

"Do you think we should open it?" Scully asked, a bit nervous that
someone had entered their sanctuary.

Mulder pulled it off the screen to read it.

//Mulder and Scully: No doubt you are wondering who has snuck into
your apartment this afternoon. I assure you, this is the only thing that
was left behind. No bombs, no surveillance equipment, only this letter. I
wanted to assure you that your children will come to no harm. I myself
have a daughter, and am prepared to go public with the things I know if
she is harmed. I also use her father as a trump card. He does not know he
is a father, but if he is ever needed, I can reach him. I found your files
one day, and deleted all of the Syndicate's knowledge of your plans. You
can trust me: you are free to live a normal life. Enjoy it.  Marita//

Scully had been reading over his shoulder, and gasped when she
read the name at the bottom.

"As in the UN official?"

"That's the only Marita I know," Mulder responded. "I wonder how
much of this is the truth."

"Who do you think the father is?" Scully queried, with a soft
smirk on her face.

"Don't know. Don't care. It ain't me, that's for sure."

Scully studied the paper carefully. "Do you think it's really
over? Could we possibly lead normal lives?"

"Only one way to find out." He dropped the sheet and held her
hands tightly in his own. "Marry me, Scully. I mean, like next week.
Before the boys are born."

Scully blinked. "What?"

"I'm serious. We'll grab your mom and Skinner and get Byers to
marry us."

"Byers? He can do that?"

Mulder nodded. "Yeah. I think he did it just for us, you know? So
it could be kept under wraps? So, whaddya say?"

Scully paused only for dramatic effect. "I'm ready when you are."

><><><

HQ OF 'THE LONE GUNMEN'
OCTOBER 28, 2000
1:24 PM EST


The witnesses were gathered in the cramped living area behind the
Gunmen's offices. Maggie was a bit upset that her only living daughter
would not be having a traditional wedding, but she understood the wait and
the sudden urgency.

The bride-to-be waited in the general bedroom area, where she
questioned her sanity one last time.

The groom was sitting next to the main computer, fearing that the
woman he loved would question her sanity and back out on him.

The Justice of the Peace was standing with the groom, reassuring
him that all would go smoothly.

Finally, the ring bearer arrived, panting from hurrying and hoping
no one would notice his tardiness.

A voice came from the computer area. "Frohike! Where have you
been!"

Groaning, the short man entered the groom's lair. "I'm sorry,
Mulder. There was an accident on the Beltway. Traffic's backed up for
miles." He looked Mulder up and down, taking in the sight of the nervous
man's attire. "A polo shirt and khakis. A bit underdressed, wouldn't you
say?"

Mulder's face turned to one of panic. "We agreed not to overdo it.
Why? Have you seen her, is she really dressed up?"

Byers patted the man on his back. "Mulder, she could look really
dressed up in one of your enormous sweatsuits. Don't worry, you're fine."

There was a knock on the door, and Skinner poked his head in. "Is
everyone ready? I need to get back to the office."

Byers nodded. "We can get started. Come on, guys. Let's get this
show on the road."

They filed out of the room, and Byers instructed everyone where to
stand. "Mrs. Scully, do you want to get your daughter?"

"Yes. I'll be right out." She hurried into the room for her
daughter. "Dana? Everything's ready; Fox is looking very nervous."

Scully rolled her eyes. "I told him before he left last night that
I really did want this. He's amazing, Mom. He's so incredibly insecure."

Maggie chuckled. "It's endearing, isn't it?"

Scully nodded. "But it's still annoying."

"Sweetheart, your father was the same way when I agreed to marry
him. He'd convinced himself that I was just too nice to say no to him. He
kept telling me not to be afraid to be honest. But I just reassured him,
and the moment Father O'Reily pronounced us husband and wife, I saw all
his doubts leave his eyes. Fox will get over it, don't you worry."

Scully stood and straightened her long floral skirt. "I know this
isn't what you had in mind, Mom, but thanks for understanding our reasons.
To be honest, I always envisioned myself in a huge Catholic church,
walking down the aisle on Dad's arm, with a train that went on seemingly
forever."

Maggie hugged her daughter. "Actually, I think this situation fits
you two much better than a traditional church wedding. But we'll discuss
this later. I'm sure Fox is sweating bullets right now. Let's put his
fears to rest."

Agreeing with her mother, Scully opened the door and immediately
locked eyes with her husband-to-be.

Byers began reading his script. "These people are gathered today,
to bear witness to the marital joining of Fox William Mulder and Dana
Katherine Scully. If anyone present can find reason that these two not be
married, speak now, or forever hold your peace." The room was silent.
"That's what I thought. Fox, do you swear to honor and cherish Dana as
your wife? To protect her against any evil that may threaten her? To stay
true to her and her alone, even in difficult times?"

Mulder's eyes had never left Scully's. "I do."

Byers smiled. "Dana, do you swear to honor and cherish Fox as your
husband? To protect him against any evil that may threaten him? To stay
true to him and him alone, even in difficult times?"

"I do," she answered forcefully.

"May I have rings, please?"

Maggie and Skinner handed them to Mulder and Scully.

"Fox, place the ring on Dana's left hand and repeat after me: With
this ring..."

Mulder gently slid the ring on her slender finger. "With this
ring..."

"I thee wed."

"I thee wed."

"Through sickness and health..."

"Through sickness and health..."

"In times of wealth, and times of poverty."

"In times of wealth, and times of poverty."

"Until death do us part."

"Until death do us part."

Byers nodded approvingly. "Dana, place the ring on Fox's left hand
and repeat after me: With this ring..."

She went through the same routine, saying each phrase
purposefully. She hoped Mulder would realize that she wanted and needed
this as much as he did.

"Then, by the power invested in me, I now pronounce you husband
and wife."

Scully watched as a bit of the haze that had covered Mulder's eyes
left in an instant. She raised herself up on her tiptoes, and he leaned
down. Their kiss appeared chaste, but it was filled with promises not
spoken in the standard wedding vows.

When the separated, Byers announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, I give
you Mr. and Mrs. Fox Mulder."

Maggie rushed up to them, embracing the both and whispering her
love. Marian was next, her face covered by tears that were encouraged by
hormones. Skinner shook Mulder's hand and gave Scully a brief hug. The
Gunmen hugged them each quickly. Scully turned to Byers.

"Thank you so much," she whispered.

"Anything for you two," he grinned. "Well, why don't I drive you
to your nightlong honeymoon?"

Mulder nodded. "Can we get a minute alone first?"

"That's what the honeymoon's for, Mulder."

He chuckled. "Gotcha. But seriously?"

"Sure, just pick a room."

Mulder took his wife's...his *wife's*...hand and led her to the
makeshift bedroom.

They perched themselves on the edge of the bed. Scully gave him a
questioning look, and Mulder explained his actions. "I was too embarrassed
with your mom out there to give you a real kiss, so..." He pulled her lips
to his, almost roughly, and kissed her in a way that would definitely not
be called chaste. As their tongues dueled, Mulder reached for her left
hand, fingering the shiny gold ring that was so new, yet felt so right.

When they broke for air, Scully murmured, "I love you *so* much,
Mulder. Don't you ever forget that."

"I couldn't even if I wanted to," he whispered back. "You're mine
forever."

"Forever and ever."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
NOVEMBER 17, 2000
9:02 AM EST


Mulder rolled his neck around. He'd been at the office since five
that morning, finishing up yet another expense report. Scully had taken a
leave of absence, allowing her to watch over Marian carefully. She'd been
out of the office for two days now, and Mulder realized he needed her so
much more than he'd originally thought. And he'd always known he needed
her immensely, but she did so much around the office that he never thought
about.

His phone rang, and he picked it up. "Mulder."

"Please hold for Director Christianson."

Mulder's eyes widened. He'd never gotten a personal call from the
Director of the FBI. He wondered what it could be about.

"Agent Mulder. I have heard about your recent marriage to Agent
Scully."

Mulder gulped. This was it; they were getting split up. "I wasn't
aware that you had been informed of the situation."

Christianson chuckled. "Have no fear, Agent Mulder. I've called
you to let you know that despite any rumors you may hear from Assistant
Director Kersh or any other high-ranking official, you and Agent Scully
will not be split up. Your partnership is one of the most effective we
have. To spilt you up would bring more harm than good. Just thought you
should know, Agent Mulder."

True to Bureau 'policy', Director Christianson hung up without
saying goodbye.

Shocked and amazed, Mulder hung up, and contemplated this news.
Before he could determine Christianson's real motives, his computer beeped
with new mail.

Clicking on the icon, the message came up.

//You have a friend. Good luck with the kids. :)//

"What the hell?" he muttered. No address was given from the
sender. Sighing, Mulder picked up the phone and dialed his new permanent
phone number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me. I just got the oddest phone call."

"No, we aren't interested in a long-distance phone plan."

He chuckled. "Oops. But seriously, guess who called me?"

"I don't know, Mulder. Who?"

"Director Christianson. You know why?"

"He found out about us and we're being split up," she guessed,
with a slight tremor in her voice.

"Close, but completely wrong. He found out, and called to make
sure that we knew that our partnership is so important, he won't split us
up. Can you believe that?!"

"Mulder, that's fantastic! I wonder why he's so...tolerant of the
situation."

He opened his mouth to mention the e-mail, but from the other line
came a tiny commotion. "Scully, what's going on?"

"Mulder, come home. I think Marian's going into labor." She hung
up, Mulder was left holding the receiver to his ear, a wide smile
spreading across his face.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

FAIRFAX HOSPITAL
MATERNITY WARD
11:48 AM EST


"Okay, Marian, on this one you're gonna push. Ready? Push!"

Marian squeezed her eyes shut, pushing with all her might. She was
flanked by Scully and Mulder, each of them gripping her hands tightly.

Beth smiled. "I can see his eyes...there's a nose...that's Mom's
nose..."

Scully grinned. "Thank God."

"Amen," agreed Mulder.

Marian just pushed harder.

"Okay, whole face is out! Oh, he's a handsome boy. Now, one more
big push for the shoulders."

Marian complied.

"Heeeeeee's out! Mark birth at 11:51 a.m. Okay, Marian I think the
other one will be a bit longer. Just relax. Kate, Will, come see your
son." The room was filled with the baby's cries.

Scully gave Marian a kiss on her forehead. "Good job, sweetie."

Marian nodded. "Go...see your baby."

They both squeezed the hand they were holding, and they walked
away from the bed. A nurse held out the boy to Scully, and she took him
gently into her arms.

Softly, she whispered, "He's beautiful."

Mulder gently stroked one of the boy's cheeks. "He's perfect.
Jason was right."

She looked up at him, a question on her face.

"That case in Denver? Jason was the husband's name," he explained.

"Oh. You want to hold him?"

"Yeah." They carefully made the transfer. "So, what are we naming
him?"

Scully studied the baby. "This is William." She turned around to
find the doctor. "Beth? Can we have the birth certificate?"

Beth nodded. "Just a moment. Marian, here we go again..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

9:12 PM EST


Mulder yawned, the rocking motion being rather tiring. He smiled
down at his son. His *son*! This one came out nose first; he definitely
took after his daddy. They filled out birth certificates after Beth had
left the room, so she didn't know their real last name. The first one was
William Walter; the second was Christopher Fox.

Christopher began to fuss, and Mulder calculated that he probably
needed to eat again. He reached down for one of the bottles of breast milk
that Marian had filled before she fell asleep. Unfortunately, there were
no bottles left.

"Scully," he whispered, "I need a bottle."

She snickered. "You need a nap, too. When did he eat last?"

"Who cares? He's fussing."

"Mulder, you're going to spoil the boy. Anyway, the nurse will be
back soon to take them to the nursery. We have to go home then. Can you
call in sick tomorrow?"

He shrugged. "I guess. When are you going to call Charlie?"

"Tonight, I guess. And Bill, too. We can tell them the truth now."

"Goody. Did you ever tell Bill about the wedding?"

She smiled sheepishly. "No. Charlie probably told him, though. I
don't mind." She was quiet again, staring at William. "Will we tell Beth
the truth?"

Mulder shrugged. "Maybe at the Christening..."

Scully whipped her head around, staring at him in shock. "You want
to have a Christening?"

"Why not? I figure you'll want to raise them Catholic, right? Then
they'd get a Christening."

"Mulder, I honestly never thought about it. I don't go to church
every week or anything, just on Christmas and Easter, if I can."

He nodded. "Then we'll do that. Do you want a Christening?"

"If you do. If you think it would be better that way."

"I think your family would want that. And now that I'm a part of
your family, I want to do things just like they would."

Scully nodded, a sof smile on her face. "What'd I ever do to
deserve you?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

DECEMBER 24, 2000
CHARLES SCULLY RESIDENCE
3:22 PM EST


Cathy ran to answer the door. "Hiya Aunt Dana!"

Scully knelt down to give her niece a hug. "Hey kiddo. This hug's
from Uncle Mulder, too, 'cause he's got his hands full."

Cathy's eyes lit up. "Ooo! You brought the babies?"

Mulder took a step into the house. "Of course we did, Cat. They
were begging to see you."

Cathy raised an eyebrow in an obviously genetic trait. "Uncle
Mulder," she chided, "babies can't talk."

Mulder shrugged. "What, you never watch 'Rugrats'?"

"That's just a TV show."

He turned to his wife, not surprised to see the same skeptical
look on her face. "You've got a Junior Agent here, Agent Scully."

"Scully shut the door and led the way into the house. Maggie ran
out from the kitchen.

"Is that Dana and Fox?" She appeared, immediately reaching for one
of the boys. "Oh, they're so adorable," she cooed.

Scully whispered, "Is Bill here yet?"

"No, dear. They'll be here around 5:30. So, who is this?"

"That's Willy. It looks like he's going to have red hair, Mom."

"Score one for the Scullys. What about Chris?"

Mulder coughed, and Maggie turned her head to look at him. "We
evened out in the end."

"Well, that's wonderful. They'll be so handsome. Just like their
daddy."

Said daddy blushed bright red. "Gee, thanks Maggie."

"Fox..."

"Sorry. Thanks Mom."

Maggie smiled smugly. "That's better. Now, bring the babies into
the living room. Charlie and his crew are dying to see them."

Scully snickered. "They stop by every weekend. They know Will and
Chris better than you do."

A female voice floated from inside the depths of the home. "Bring
those angels in here!"

Scully looked down at her son. "Get used to it, kid," she
murmured, then took him back from his grandmother and headed for the
family room.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

5:43 PM EST


The babies woke up hungry, so they were changed and fed. Scully
took Chris; Mulder had Will. The bottles were just about empty, when there
was a commotion at the front door.

"We're here!" called Bill, his footsteps coming closer.

Scully looked at her husband. "Oh, crap." They'd hoped to get the
boys into another room before the eldest Scully brother arrived. But
now...

Matthew ran into the room first, heading right for Maggie. "Nana!"

"Hiya Matt," Maggie replied, hugging him fiercely.

Bill and Tara sauntered into the family room. He gave a general
glance around, his gaze halting at the sight of his sister and her partner
each feeding a tiny baby.

Before he jumped to conclusions, he asked, "Uh, is Marian here?"

The room was silent for several moments. Each second, Bill grew
increasingly more worried.

Finally, Scully answered, "She's in the Mid-West with her family."

Bill had one last hope. "So, who's...?"

Scully gave a tiny nod, and both she and Mulder rose and carried
the babies over to the very nervous man.

"Bill," she said, "meet your nephews."

The man's face turned beet red. "Dana," he said through gritted
teeth. "May I speak to you for a moment?"

"Sure," she answered. "Mulder, Chris is done eating. Um, Cathy
wanted to hold him."

He nodded. "Gotcha," he answered, taking Chris in his free arm.

Scully led her seething brother into the dining room. She crossed
her arms and looked him right in the eye.

Bill said, "Please tell me you adopted Marian's kids."

She shook her head. "They're mine, Bill."

One last hope. "Yours and...?"

"Mulder's. You better go out there and welcome him as nicely as
Mom and Charlie did." She casually scratched a spot on her head with her
left hand, allowing Bill to se the gold band on her finger.

He looked at the ground. "Dana, tell me. How can you deal with
that guy after all he's done?"

Scully had a speech prepared. "Bill, all you've seen and heard
about are the bad things. You hear about my cancer, about Emily, and
Melissa. But he has saved my life *so many times*! You have no idea how
much I rely on him being at my side. I've gotten myself into some pretty
sticky situations before, without him around. But I don't feel as scared,
knowing that he'll come save me. I couldn't imagine being with anyone else
for the rest of my life."

Bill absorbed all this, then said, "So he makes you happy?"

She nodded, a tiny smile curving her lips. "Yes. And I love him
more than anything."

Sighing, the defeated man stepped forward and embraced his sister.
"Okay, Dana. I don't get it, but I'll accept it. I'll act civil to Mulder.
But you have to swear to me that if he ever treats you wrong, you'll tell
me so I can kill him."

Scully pulled back and gave Bill a look. "Trust me. He'd never
risk losing me. And I'm not being vain, I'm telling the truth."

Bill started walking back to the living room. "Can I see my
nephews now?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

10:58 PM EST


Mulder and Scully flopped onto the small double bed that they were
using for the next two evenings. The twins were sound asleep in the
Fold-a-Crib at the foot of the bed.

"That was fun, Scully. We gotta get a sprig of mistletoe at home,
too."

"Mr. Mulder, you don't need a plant for a kiss from me. Just ask
nicely," teased Scully.

Mulder leered. "All right, Mrs. Mulder. Can I have a kiss,
please?"

"Of course you may." She leaned across the bed and gave him a
sweet peck on his lips. "I love it when you call me Mrs. Mulder. You
should do it more often."

"With pleasure, Mrs. Mulder," he whispered and engulfed her mouth
in his. They fell asleep in their clothes.

They had set the alarm for 5:45, but the twins' internal clocks
set them wailing promptly at 5:40.

"Scully, we've got to get them on our schedule."

She leaned up on one elbow and raised an eyebrow at him. "Mulder,
they *are* on our schedule."

"Yeah, during the work week."

"Isn't that what matters? Well, everyone else deserves another ten
minutes," she said, crawling to the edge of the bed and standing.
Stretching, she picked up William and walked to the diaper bag to grab a
bottle of formula. Mulder did the same with Christopher, and they quietly
went downstairs.

After the bottles warmed, the fledgling parents curled up in an
afghan on the sofa and fed their children. Half a bottle later, the
pounding of footsteps interrupted their quiet bliss.

"Merry Christmas!" yelled Charlie's boys as they tore into the
family room. They halted in front of the massive tree and looked eagerly
at the piles of wrapped goodies.

"Merry Christmas guys. Did you sleep well?"

Adam nodded, his eyes not leaving the tree.

Before anything else could e said, a groggy Charlie and Julie
entered, being dragged by the hands by their daughter.

"Morning, Char. Get enough sleep?" Scully chuckled, pulling her
son to her shoulder to be burped.

"No," Charlie grumbled. "Who started this 'meet at six' thing,
anyway?"

"I think it was Bill..." smirked Maggie, who'd also just come
down. "He'd be up early and wake up your father and I. Finally, we made it
tradition."

Charles grimaced. "I'll kill him."

"Kill who?"

Every adult turned to look at Bill. Bill had a glimmer of hope
that his brother was referring to their brother-in-law.

Charlie just shook his head.

Maggie clapped her hands. "Well, let's get started, shall we?"

It was the best Christmas everyone present had ever had.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING
DECEMBER 27, 2000
1:23 PM EST


People walked through the halls, stopping briefly to stare in
surprise at the couple who was approaching the AD's office. It wasn't who
the couple was; they had been partners forever it seemed. Nor was the
surprise the office they were heading for. No, the big shocker was the
presence of the two babies being carried by the couple.

Agent van Dyke nudged his partner. "When the hell was Scully
pregnant?"

Agent Sunter shook his head. "Now *there's* an X-File."

Ignoring the blatant stares, Agents Mulder and Scully continued on
their way to Skinner's office. He'd called them in to speak with them and
requested that they bring the twins. Skinner was unable to attend the
Christening the week before, and he had yet to meet them.

They entered the outer office, and Kimberly grinned when she saw
them. "Oh, hi!" She stood and walked around her desk to get a better look
at the babies. "Congratulations, you two. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks, Kim," said Mulder, holding out William for the secretary
to hold.

"They're so cute! But they aren't identical, are they?"

Scully shook her head. "And thank God for that. William, the one
you're holding, has my hair and nose and Mulder's eyes. Chris here's got
Mulder's hair and nose, and my eyes."

Kim peered more closely at Will. "It's a good thing you got two.
There's just no way to get all of each of you in one. But they'll be
drooled over when they grow up, that's for sure." She handed the boy back
to his father, then said, "Skinner's waiting for you. I have a vague idea
of what's going on, and I think you'll love it." She winked and pressed
the buzzer on her desk.

"Yes?" came Skinner's voice, tinny through the speaker.

"Agents Mulder and Scully to see you, sir."

"Send them in."

Thanking their favorite secretary, the family ventured into their
old boss's inner sanctum.

Skinner was on his feet in a second, hurrying to see the twins.
His eyes asked permission to hold them, and Mulder and Scully quickly
agreed.

"Agents," he whispered after a quiet minute studying the twins,
"these are with out a doubt the most beautiful babies I have ever seen in
my entire life. What are their names?"

Scully answered softly, "The one in green is Christopher Fox, and
the one in blue is William Walter."

Skinner's head shot up, looking at his former agents. "Walter?"

Mulder coughed. "Uh, yes, sir. We figured, without you we wouldn't
have them."

The Assistant Director blinked back the tears that were forming in
his eyes. "Thank you. That means so much to me." They stood looking at
each other for a few moments longer before Skinner handed the twins back
to their parents and walked behind his desk.

"Please, sit," he said gruffly, trying to hide the emotion in his
voice. They sat in their old seats, lying the babies across their laps. "I
called you in here to inform you of some changes that will be occurring
with the advent of the new year."

"New millennium," added Mulder.

"Right. As you may know, Agents Spender and Fowley have become
engaged. The Director has instructed that they be split up." The partners'
eyebrows rose. "Fowley will remain with the X-Files, but Spender will take
an ASAC position in the VCS. Another change is being made. Your present
superior, AD Kersh, will be leaving the Bureau in a few months for medical
reasons."

Mulder frowned. "So, where do we fit in?"

Skinner smiled a bit. "Agent Mulder, you must know that Agent
Fowley will need a partner. The Director is convinced that you and Agent
Scully are the only ones qualified to work on the X-Files, and you will
once again report to me."

Their faces were ones of complete shock.

"You're kidding, right?"

"No, I'm not, Scully. Beginning January second, or whenever your
leave is up, you will both go back to work in the basement. I've already
ordered extra desks and nameplates."

Mulder finally closed his gaping mouth. "Sir, I don't know how to
thank you."

Skinner indicated the little baby in blue is thanks enough. That
department needs agents who are interested in its cases. Spender shredded
so many legitimate crimes...God, it just makes me sick. I hope you enjoy
your new assignment."

Realizing they were being dismissed, Mulder and Scully picked up
their children, mumbled good-byes, and left the office wondering who
exactly the Director thought they were.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

MULDER RESIDENCE
DECEMBER 31, 2000
11:54 PM EST


"We'll be right back with the final minutes of the millennium!"
Mulder hit the mute button as Dick Clark was replaced by a loud
commercial.

Scully shifted in his arms. "Let me go get the champagne." She
stood and walked into the kitchen. He listened to the sounds of glasses
clinking as she looked for the flutes. Mulder had been married just over
two months, and he'd loved every minute of it. He hadn't realized how much
he'd missed those simple domestic sounds: kitchen sounds, the sounds of
the vacuum cleaner, even the sound of Scully's breathing had almost a
different timber to it now.

She returned, balancing two flutes in one hand and the bottle in
the other. Setting them on the coffee table, she handed the bottle to her
husband. "Open this, Mulder?"

He nodded. "Right. This is a job for a manly-man," he joked in his
best 'Ah-nald' voice.

Scully took the bottle back from him. "In that case, let me wake
the twins."

"Ha-ha," he deadpanned, reaching for the bottle again. Scully gave
it to him, and with little effort, he opened it. "For you, my darling," he
said, pouring a tiny bit into her glass, then his own.

"Oh, it's back!" She turned up the volume.

Dick Clark smiled enthusiastically from his spot in Times Square.
"Well, here it is folks, the last two minutes of the Twentieth Century!
The excitement is building here at Times Square, where almost two million
people have gathered to watch this once in several lifetimes event!"

Mulder and Scully sat in silence as they watched the onscreen
clock slowly tick down. Finally, there was fifteen seconds left.

They began to whisper, "Fifteen, fourteen, thirteen, twelve..."
Still counting, they stood, grabbed each other's hand, and picked up their
glasses. "Eleven, ten, nine, eight, seven, six..." They looked into each
other's eyes. "Five, four, three, two, one!"

Scully's eyes filled with tears. "Happy New Year!"

Mulder leaned down and rested his forehead against hers. "Happy
New Millennium," he whispered, and captured her lips in his for their
first New Year's kiss as spouses and parents.

With 'Auld Lang Syne' being played and sung in the background, Fox
Mulder and Dana Scully-Mulder kissed well into the new millennium.

THE END!