Title: Happy Girl Author: MainerIA Rating: NC-17 Spoilers: DeadAlive Disclaimer: The X-Files characters are not mine and are merely borrowed from Fox and 1013 Productions. Summary: Dipper Fiction ~*~*~ AUGUST 5 9 PM SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI The night was cloudy and warm. The wind whistled softly in the trees, as Amanda walked along the wooded path on her parents' property. She knew that her mother had forbidden her to go out alone at night, but she didn't really care. Her mother was an old bat, who only wanted to control Amanda's life. Besides, at 15, she felt she was almost a grown woman and fully capable of doing what she wanted. Amanda followed the path, as it wound around and ended, just at the water's edge. She sat down on the wooden bench that was there and watched the moonlight sparkle on the ripples that played across the surface. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, allowing the soft music of the pond to soothe her, allowing her to forget about the earlier fight with her mother. She never heard it come out of the woods and up behind her. ~*~*~ AUGUST 6 7 AM FALLS CHURCH, VIRGINIA Agent John Doggett rolled over and looked at his alarm clock. 7:01 am. He supposed he should get up and get ready to go to work, but he really wasn't looking forward to it. Today was supposed to be his first day of being partnered with Agent Mulder. After his initial meeting with the man, he wasn't sure that this "partnership" was going to work at all. And Scully wouldn't be at work today, because it was the first day of her maternity leave. John Doggett decided that today would probably not be a very good day at all, as he headed for the shower. ~*~*~ 7:30 AM FBI HEADQUARTERS, WASHINGTON DC. Agent Fox Mulder usually didn't get to work much before 8 (or later, depending upon his mood), but today he decided to arrive early. It was going to be his first day of being partnered with this, Agent John Doggett, a man he decidedly did not like, and he hoped that by arriving at work before Doggett, he would demonstrate, that he was still in charge of the X-Files. Mulder looked around the office. Everything looked in order, but something felt strange. He shook his head. Perhaps it was just because he knew Scully wasn't going to be coming in to work today. Whatever the feeling was, he had a new X-File on his desk to start reading. Mulder sat down and propped his feet up on his desk, picking up the file. He tilted his chair back and began to read. A few moments later, Agent Doggett stepped out of the elevator and walked towards the office that he had begun to think of as partly "his" in the short time that he had shared it with Agent Scully. He noticed that the door was open, even though it was before 8. ::Perhaps Scully had decided to drop by after all?:: He quickened his step and entered the office. "Good morning, Agent Doggett!" Doggett was slightly irritated at the fact it was a cheerful Mulder that had greeted him; but he was also irritated at himself for hoping that it might have been Scully. "Morning, Mulder." Mulder immediately took the initiative. "I've been looking over our new case here, Agent Doggett, and I was just getting ready to make our flight arrangements. It looks as if we're going to be heading to a small town in Southern Mississippi today." "And why's that, Mulder?" "Here's the file, Agent Doggett. I suggest we get started on our way. You can read over the file on the plane." ~*~*~ NOON SOMEWHERE IN US AIRSPACE Doggett glanced over at Mulder before opening the file. Mulder was humming softly and smiling as he looked out the plane window. ::Mulder seems to be enjoying himself. I wonder why?:: Agent Doggett was slightly grouchy, not having gotten much sleep last night, and grumbled to himself, as he opened the file on the case they were going to investigate. There weren't many facts. A young girl had been murdered on her parents' property the night before. She was found in the lake, nude. There were no bruises or cuts on the body...save for two small puncture wounds on the back of her shoulder. The only other distinguishing feature about this murder, is that the body had been exsanguinated. ::Hmmm...seems like a natural murder, by someone with a penchant for human blood.:: He looked at the info in the file again. It didn't say exactly how she died though. Doggett figured she had probably been drugged and then died, as her blood was removed, seeing as how there weren't any other bruises or cuts on the body. If anything, he thought this murder probably had something to do with some sort of a ritual. Doggett looked over at Mulder, wondering if he should tell him that he didn't really think this was an X-File. Mulder appeared to be asleep. Doggett shrugged and looked at his watch...an hour left in the flight, he should try and get some sleep as well. ~*~*~ 3 PM JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI As they got off the plane and headed towards their rental car, Doggett decided to broach the subject with Mulder. "So, Mulder, what do you really expect to find here?" "Isn't it obvious to you, Doggett? Two puncture wounds and no blood?" They got in the car and started driving towards the small town where the murder had occurred. "So what is it, Mulder, you trying to tell me this was a vampire?" "You got any proof that it wasn't?" "Well, no, Mulder, I don't...but I think it'll be easier to prove that it was a human who committed this murder and not a vampire." ::At least he didn't suggest little green men.:: Mulder just rolled his eyes. ::Skeptic.:: The rest of the ride continued in silence. ~*~*~ MEANWHILE, BACK IN DC... Dana Scully walked out of her doctor's office into the bright sunshine to hail a cab. This was one of her last appointments before she delivered. ::Only 10 more days.:: She was hoping for another miracle, for her baby to be healthy. As Scully reentered her apartment, she thought about her maternity leave. She was missing work, even though it was her first day away. Work had been somewhat of a mixed blessing ever since Mulder had been found. It was hard working with Doggett, a man she trusted and respected now that her partner was back. She almost felt like she was betraying Mulder by working with another partner, one that she liked working with. Plus, every day, she debated whether or not she should tell Mulder the truth about her pregnancy. Working at least, had given her something to distract her mind. Now that she was on leave, she couldn't think of anything else. It would only be fair to tell him...after all they had been partners for over 7 years and best friends for most of that. It seemed strange to her not to confide in Mulder. ::It's only 10 more days. Why not wait until you give birth to tell him? If something should go wrong, wouldn't it be more kind for him NOT to know?:: ::But shouldn't he know anyway?:: Scully was getting a headache from all of the arguing she was doing with herself and decided to take a nap. ~*~*~ By the time that Doggett and Mulder arrived at the small town where their investigation was centered, it was almost dusk. Doggett thought that they should go to the motel and begin in the morning, but he knew that Mulder would not take kindly to his suggestion, so he just kept his mouth shut. As they drove down the main street(one of the few that there were), they noticed a large crowd gathered outside what appeared to be the jail. Mulder pulled over to the side of the road and both men got out. Looking around the crowd, Mulder decided the short man in the front with the little gold star pinned to his chest must be the one in charge. He walked up to him and flashed his badge. "Agent Mulder, FBI. What's going on here?" "Nice to meet you, Agent Mulder, I'm Sheriff Muldoon. Appears that you boys came all the way down here for nothing." "What do you mean?" Doggett asked quietly, as he also produced his badge. "Well, boys, we seem to have caught the murderer." "What? Who?" asked Mulder, almost in disbelief. ::They solved the case before we got here?:: "A local teenager named James Shannon. He's got a history of peeping in windows and the such. When we brought him in for questioning today he confessed to the murder." "That so? Did he tell you how he had done it?" Mulder continued to fire questions at the man. ::I don't believe that this kid really committed this murder. And if he did, I'd like to know how he did it.:: "Well, no, Agent Mulder, we didn't ask him for any details. Seeing as how he said he done it, we figured he must be telling the truth. Why would an innocent man admit to doing something as horrible as this?" Agent Doggett stood back a little, listening quietly to the whole exchange. It was kind of interesting to see how Mulder worked. "Well, Sheriff, seeing as how you already caught the killer, I don't suppose you'd mind if I went ahead and had an FBI Agent do an autopsy, would you? I'd like to have the report to put in our files when I make my report. And of course, anything they find could only help your case." Doggett glanced at Mulder, raised an eyebrow. ::What was he trying to prove now? :: "Well, son, I guess you're right. Can't hurt none." "Thank you for your time, Sheriff. I'll go make the arrangements," said Mulder as he walked away. Doggett hurried to catch up to Mulder. "What's the autopsy for, Mulder?" ::Probably still trying to prove it's an X-File. :: "Just covering all of my bases. Why don't we get some food and try and get some sleep?" It was about 9 pm when Doggett got back to the motel. Mulder had decided to go for a walk. Doggett kicked off his shoes and stretched out on the bed, thinking about his earlier dinner with Mulder. It had been a pleasant enough meal. They'd talked about nothing of great import: sports, cars, and the weather. He'd tried to get Mulder to talk about the case, but all Mulder would say, was that it was too early to form a theory. Doggett was sure that was bull. Mulder's mind had probably been working 100 mph since he'd first opened this file. Fox Mulder always gave his all to his work. Doggett sighed. ::All in all, today wasn't too bad.:: He rolled over and set his alarm for 7 am. ::I wonder what Scully is doing right now.:: ~*~*~ Dana Scully hung up the phone and sighed. She knew she shouldn't have let Mulder talk her into going to Mississippi, but when had she ever been able to tell him no? Besides, all he needed her to do was an autopsy, so why was she having second thoughts about going? ::Because of Agent Doggett. Because even though I love Mulder, I have feelings for Doggett too. Feelings I don't want to deal with, at this stage in my pregnancy, if ever.:: Scully sighed again and reached for the phone. ::The sooner I get this over with, the better.:: The man in DC listened to the taped phone conversation again. So, Dana was heading to Mississippi. He knew she would go, would do whatever Mulder asked of her. No matter. His plan would succeed whether in Washington DC or rural Mississippi. He reached for his phone. Scully parked her rental car in front of the Sleep E- Z motel and got out to stretch. She looked at her watch: 5:05 am. Mulder probably wouldn't be happy to get woken up so early, but she was here now and wanted to get the job over with. She entered the lobby of the motel and looked around. A chair, a desk, a TV, and a lamp. Scully smirked. ::How quaint.:: There was no one at the desk for her to speak to, nor a bell to ring for assistance. The register, however, was lying on the desk. She turned it around and immediately spotted his familiar handwriting. Fox Mulder, room 234. She picked up her bag and headed for the stairs. ~*~*~ Mulder was dreaming. He and Scully were on a beach with their child building sandcastles. The day was warm and sunny. Then he heard a noise, a loud knocking. He looked around, but couldn't find the source. Slowly he came awake and realized the knocking was someone pounding on his door. He opened one eye and looked at his watch: 5:10. "Go away," he growled. "Mulder, it's me. Get up and let me in." Mulder got up to open the door. ::Scully?:: "Scully?" "Yes, Mulder. Were you expecting someone else?" "No, Scully...it's just that it's 5am. What are you doing here?" "I believe I was called here to do an autopsy." "At 5am?" ::I'm puzzled.:: "Mulder look...I've been traveling all night and I'm not in the mood to play twenty questions. Give me the file and I'll read it while you go and get a shower." "Sure, Scully. Whatever you say." Mulder returned 20 minutes later looking much more awake. "So, Scully, whaddya think?" "Well, Mulder, looks like an unsolved murder, not necessarily an X-File." "C'mon, Scully, a dead body with no blood left and two puncture marks?" "Well, Mulder, until I complete my autopsy, I'd rather not come up with a theory." "OK, let's go!" Mulder got up and walked to the door. "Wait, Mulder" Scully bit her lip and frowned. "Shouldn't we invite Agent Doggett?" ::Doggett?:: Mulder frowned. ::Oh yeah. I forgot about him when Scully got here. It was just like old times. Why is she worried about him anyway?:: "Nah, Scully, we should probably let him get some sleep. He looked pretty worn out yesterday. Why don't we wake him when we get back with the results? Then we can talk about the case." ::There. That should satisfy her.:: "Fine, Mulder. Let's get moving then." ~*~*~ After dropping Scully off to do her autopsy, Mulder went across the street to the jail. ::How convenient that everything is located so close together.:: Mulder thought sarcastically. Mulder walked up to the front desk. "Fox Mulder, FBI. I'd like to see James Shannon please." The deputy at the desk looked up and shrugged. "Sure, sign here, down the hall to the left. Only occupant we have." Mulder scribbled his name and walked away. He stopped at the last cell on the block and looked inside. He saw a young boy who looked to be no more than 15 or 16, sitting on the bunk staring at the floor. He looked up and asked belligerently "Who're you?" "Fox Mulder. I'm an agent with the FBI. Mind if I ask you a few questions?" "Whatever." He looked at the floor again. "They tell me that you confessed to murdering that young girl. Why did you do it?" James didn't say anything, didn't even look up. "How did you kill her?" Still no answer. Mulder sighed. "Look kid. Talking to me may be your only chance to help yourself." James finally looked up. "I don't need your help. I did it. I should be punished. Now please, go away." He looked back down at the floor. Mulder continued looking at James for a minute, then shrugged and walked away. Scully stood up straight and stretched, massaging her back. She really should have told Mulder that she didn't want to take this case. She didn't need this stress. It was looking like this might be an X-File after all. Scully heard the door open behind her. "Mulder," she began as she turned around. "I hate to admit it-" She stopped and stared in shock. "Krycek!" she hissed, as her brilliant blue eyes snapped with fire. "What are you doing here?" Krycek leaned back against the door and smiled, grimly. "Scully, I know you won't believe me, but I'm here to help. To give you a warning. They're coming after your baby. You need to leave-now." "Who is coming, Krycek? Who wants my baby? Why?" ::What is he babbling about?:: "I can't tell you. I shouldn't even be here warning you. Please, Scully, whatever you do, watch your back...and protect your baby." And with that, Alex Krycek was gone. Scully just stared at the door after him. ~*~*~ Doggett awoke with a start, breathing hard and sweating. He looked at the clock: 6:35 am. He'd been having the dream about finding Luke in the woods again. Only this time it was different. It wasn't Luke who was lying on the ground dead. It was Dana Scully. ~*~*~ Scully jumped, as her cell phone started ringing. "Scully" she answered nervously. "Good morning Agent Scully." "Agent Doggett." Scully smiled, only part of that smile from relief. "What can I do for you?" "Actually Agent Scully, I was just calling to see how you are doing. Is everything all right?" Scully frowned. ::How did he know to ask that question? Does he know something? Or am I just being paranoid?:: "I'm fine, Agent Doggett. How are you?" "Me? I'm fine. I just thought I'd see how you were enjoying your maternity leave." Scully snorted, rather inelegantly. "Maternity leave? Some 'leave.'" "What do you mean, Scully?" "Didn't Mulder tell you?" she asked. "Tell me what, Scully?" Scully sighed. "Tell you that I'm here in Mississippi, doing the autopsy for your murder case." "You're what?" ::Now I know why he wanted to do an autopsy. :: Scully sighed again. "Yes, I'm here helping on the case, Doggett. I've been here since 5 am so I could do this autopsy. Listen...I just finished up. Why don't I find Mulder and we'll meet you at the hotel to talk about the case." "All right, Scully. I'll meet you guys in the lobby." ~*~*~ Mulder walked across the street from the jail just in time to meet Scully coming out of the morgue. There was something in Scully's face, in the way she walked. She seemed upset. ::I wonder what's up with her?:: "Hey Scully. How'd the autopsy go?" "It was ok, Mulder. I think I'll wait to discuss my results when we meet with Doggett." ::Now that's unusual. What is she keeping from me?:: "Any particular reason, Scully?" "Other than making sure Agent Doggett, as your partner on this case, stays informed? Nope. I spoke to Doggett, Mulder. Why didn't you tell him I was coming here?" "Well...I guess it just slipped my mind." "Ok, Mulder." ::Why do I even bother to ask? He always had a quick answer.:: "So, Scully, what's the plan?" ::Man oh man, do I hope she's not upset with me.:: "We're going to meet Doggett at the motel, so we can all discuss the case." ~*~*~ Doggett sat in the motel lobby waiting for Scully and Mulder to show up. He'd be happy to see Scully, but he knew it was going to be torture to see her together with Mulder. He knew that she loved Mulder, but he also knew that in the three months that Mulder was "dead" he'd come to fall in love with Dana Scully. Now he'd probably never have the chance to tell her how he feels. ::Why, oh why, didn't I just get out of the X-Files when I had the chance?:: Mulder and Scully entered the lobby, to see Doggett staring off into space. ::He looks so sad sitting there.:: thought Scully. ::I wonder if something is wrong?:: Doggett stood up, as Mulder and Scully approached. There was an awkward moment, as they all looked at each other without saying anything. Scully broke the silence. "Mulder, why don't we all go up to your room to discuss the case?" Both men nodded and followed her up the stairs. Scully sat in the only chair in the room, leaving the bed for the other two to sit on. ::Let's get this over with. I'm ready to go back on my maternity leave after today.:: "OK. I'll go ahead and start with the results of my autopsy. You just might be right about this being an X-File, Mulder. Apparently, the girl died of heart failure. She had a massive heart attack, although she had never had heart problems before. As for the two puncture marks and the blood being removed, that is a bit more puzzling. I can't figure out how the blood was taken from the body. The two puncture marks barely broke the skin. They didn't even get close to an artery or a vein. And there were no other wounds on the body." "So you're saying this girl's blood just disappeared? It was there and then it was gone?" This from Doggett, the Eternal skeptic. "Yes, Agent Doggett, that's what I'm saying. I'm sorry, but I just can't explain this one." Doggett grinned. "No apologies necessary, Scully. If I can't explain some of what I've seen with my own eyes, I certainly don't expect other people to be able to." Mulder watched as the two of them bantered back and forth for a few minutes. ::Just what kind of relationship did they have while I was gone? And more importantly, what kind of relationship do they have now?:: "So, Mulder, what do you think?" Scully's question interrupted his thoughts, which was ok, because his thoughts were disturbing anyway. "Honestly, Scully," he replied. "I don't have a theory on this one. I've never heard of blood just disappearing from a human body before." Mulder appeared just as confused as the other two felt. ::Mulder without a theory?:: Scully wondered. ::What's this all about?:: "Did you find out anything when you interviewed James Shannon?" Mulder shook his head. "Nothing helpful. All he would tell me, is that he's guilty and he should be punished for it." "So what do you think we should do now, Mulder?" asked Doggett, who had been listening silently for awhile, watching Scully and Mulder interact. "It definitely sounds like an X-File, but the locals have someone who confessed in custody. They seem happy. Should we pursue it?" ::Doggett is asking me what to do? Cool.:: "What do you think about giving it another 24 hours Doggett? If nothing happens by then, we'll head back to DC." "Sounds like a good idea to me. What do you say we call this meeting quits and go and get some food?" Mulder grinned. "Now that sounds like an even better idea." Scully reached down for the bag she had brought upstairs earlier. "Listen you guys go on ahead. I'm going to head back to DC." Mulder's face fell. "So soon?" "Yeah, Mulder. After all, I am on maternity leave." Scully smiled. Both men couldn't help but return her beautiful smile. "Have a safe trip, Scully. Make sure you call us when you get there," Doggett said as he gave her a quick hug. Mulder held Scully in a long embrace. "Be careful." he whispered in her ear. "I will. See you guys in DC." Doggett and Mulder watched Scully leave the room. They weren't the only ones watching Dana Scully's movements. ~*~*~ As Scully got in her rental car, to head for the airport, she thought about what had happened while she was in Mississippi. She was glad to see Mulder and Doggett attempting to work together...or maybe that was just for her benefit. She really wasn't worried about that right now. She was more concerned about the visit from Krycek. She wondered if she'd made a mistake, by not telling Mulder or Doggett about his visit. ::It just doesn't make sense. Who could be after my child? And why? He told me to protect my child, but what does he want me to do?:: She was so lost in her thoughts, that she failed to notice the black van that was steadily gaining on her. ~*~*~ Although Mulder and Doggett had gone ahead and had lunch together after Scully left, things were quiet and a little bit tense. Neither man was sure how to act towards each other, now that Scully wasn't there to defuse any potential bombs. Both men were lost in thought, as they left the restaurant. ::I'm not quite sure what to think about Mulder now. I was fully prepared, not only to dislike him, but to disagree with his methods before we even started this case. But so far he's played by the book and he's been willing to listen to my suggestions. He's even willing to head back to DC tomorrow, even though this is an unsolved X-File. Now that, is even more puzzling.:: Mulder, too, was thinking about the man he was partnered with. ::You know, not once has Doggett told me that I was crazy or weird or "spooky" for thinking that this was an X-File. Granted, he hasn't necessarily believed what I've said, but he hasn't put me down either. I wonder if we will get along after all. And, if we do get along, what will happen once Scully comes back from her maternity leave? Will one of us be getting the shaft?:: They were both so lost in thought, that neither of them realized that they had wandered to the edge of town, which wasn't a hard feat considering how small the town was. They continued walking down the road, until they reached a car parked haphazardly on the side of the road. The car looked like it had been beat up pretty good. The bumper was all banged in and the trunk lid looked like it wasn't going to close ever again. As they got closer, the car began to look familiar. "Hey. Mulder?" The comment from Doggett was so out of the blue, that Mulder practically jumped. "Yeah?" "Look at this car here. Doesn't that look like the car Scully was driving?" Mulder stopped at the side of the car and looked at it. Heck, he didn't really remember. He hadn't been too interested in her car. But it would be a good idea to check it out, just in case Doggett was right. Mulder reached for the door handle to see if it was unlocked. The door came open easily. Inside on the front seat was Scully's travel bag, her purse, and her cell phone...and stains that appeared to be blood. "Oh shit." "It's hers, isn't it Mulder?" "Oh shit," Mulder muttered again, as he sank to the ground by the side of the car, with his head in his hands. Doggett reached for his cell phone. He knew they were going to need some help. Assistant Director Walter Skinner's intercom buzzed just as he was leaving for the night. ::Damn. What now?:: "Yes?" "Sir, Agent Doggett is on the line. He says it's urgent." "Thank you." Skinner picked up the phone. "What is it, Agent Doggett?" "Sir, I'm not really sure the best way to tell you this, but Agent Scully is missing." "What? How? Where? What happened?" "Well, Sir, Agent Mulder had called Scully out here, to help us with this case, by doing an autopsy. She arrived early this morning and did her autopsy. After our meeting this afternoon, she got into her rental car, with all intentions of driving back to the airport and flying back to DC. Agent Mulder and I were taking a walk this evening, when we found her rental car on the side of the road. It's pretty beat up and there's blood inside. And no sign of Agent Scully." "What was she doing in Mississippi? She was on maternity leave!!" "Well, Sir, apparently Mulder can be quite persuasive." "Damn. How long has she been missing?" "We're not sure, Sir. We found the car 45 minutes ago. We've called in the local police, the State Patrol, and the local bureau. So far, no leads." "How is Mulder taking it?" "I'd say he's in shock, Sir. He hasn't said anything since we found Scully's car." "Ok, Doggett, thanks for calling. I'm on my way down there." Scully tried to sit up and look around. She tried to move her arms, only to find that they were tied behind her. She tried to open her eyes, but she couldn't see anything. She figured she'd been blindfolded. She tried to say something...no luck there either. It felt like she had something taped over her mouth. ::What is going on here? I remember driving down the road towards the airport. Then I looked in the rearview mirror, in time to see this van hit me. It hit me again and I think I hit my head. And then after that?:: Scully was frustrated. She could feel the tears seeping out from under the blindfold. ::What happened? Where am I? And why?:: Scully held her breath as she heard footsteps approaching and the door opening. She felt hands on her arms. "It's time Dana. Let's go." ::Time for what? Please God, help me and my child.:: Doggett sat straight up in bed again, in a cold sweat. He was breathing heavy. He stretched and rubbed his eyes. Again, the dream. If he didn't stop having that nightmare, he was going to go crazy from lack of sleep. The dream was the same as last time. He's walking through the woods with some other officers, knows that he's going to find his son dead on the ground when he gets there. But then, he walks into the clearing and it's not Luke that's lying on the ground. It's Scully. She's dead. Her eyes are open, but they're rolled back into her head. Her lips are blue and there are marks on her neck. It's at this point that he wakes up, shaking and terrified. ::What am I supposed to be getting from this dream? Does it even have meaning or is it just a dream?:: He shook his head to clear it and went to get a shower. Skinner got out of his rental car at the motel and stretched. He'd been traveling all night. He'd been on the phone to the local police, the state police, and the local bureau. Nobody had anything to report. Now, he wanted to talk to his two agents that he had down here, and see if they had anything to tell him. He walked into the lobby and spoke to the man at the desk. "Which rooms are Agents Mulder and Doggett in?" "Rooms 234 and 236." "Thank you." Skinner headed for the stairs. ::Oh God. I can't believe I just got back one of my top agents and now I've lost another one. What is going on here? I hope Scully and her baby are all right.:: Skinner stopped in front of Room 234 and knocked...loudly. There was no answer. He knocked again, this time even louder. The door to Room 236 opened. "Sir?" "Agent Doggett. I take it, this, is Agent Mulder's room? Have you spoken to him lately?" "No sir, not since last night. He seemed ok when I showed him to his room last night, just quiet. I've got another key to his room. Let me get it and we can go in." Doggett came back with the key. "Thank you Agent Doggett." Skinner inserted the key into the lock and swung the door open. He walked over to the bed, where Mulder was completely covered up. Doggett leaned against the doorway. "Agent Mulder?" Skinner shook Mulder's shoulder. Again, louder. "MULDER?" Startled, Mulder sat straight up in bed. "Sir?" He rubbed his eyes and looked confused. "What are you doing here?" Skinner sat down on the bed next to him. "I'm here to find Scully, Mulder. How are you doing? Doggett says you haven't said much, since Scully's car was found." "I'm ok, Sir. No...I'm not ok. I feel guilty. I asked Scully down here. I knew she was on leave and I knew she was in a sensitive situation with her pregnancy. But I needed her help, I needed her opinion, I wanted her here. All I could think about was me. I didn't think about her safety or protecting her, and now, because of me, she's missing and something could happen to her or her child. And it will all be, my fault." "Agent Mulder, you cannot think like that. You know that it will not be your fault. Just like it wasn't Scully's fault, that you were abducted months ago. Mulder, I need you to help me find Scully. You aren't going to be any help to me if you're going to sit in your room and feel guilty. Snap out of this Mulder." Mulder just shook his head. "I don't know if I can." Agent Doggett stepped into the conversation. "Mulder you're going to have a lot more to feel sorry for, if we don't get Scully back in one piece. The faster you snap out of it and help us, the better chance we have." ::Dear Lord, I know how he feels. I don't know if I'll be able to take it, if Agent Scully isn't found in one piece.:: "You're right, Doggett. Me sitting around here isn't getting Scully back to us any sooner. Let me get dressed and we'll go find her." Skinner smiled in relief. ::If only he speaks the truth. I hope that we can find her...unharmed.:: ~*~*~ Meanwhile, Scully was in a room, lying flat on her back. She felt as if she was on a table of some sort. They had brought her in here earlier and given her a shot in her arm. It hadn't had any effects at first, but now...she could feel contractions starting. She thought that it was something to induce her labor. ::Oh God, Krycek was right. Someone wants my baby. But who? And why?:: The contractions began to intensify and come faster. She was in such pain. She wanted to scream. ::Someone help me, please. Mulder. Doggett. Someone. Oh God, don't let them take my baby.:: She heard that voice again. Calm, soothing. "It's ok Dana. Everything will be fine. Calm down. No one is going to harm you...or your baby. We're just going to take your baby. You'll both be fine." ::No, oh God no, I won't be fine. It's my baby. You can't have it! Someone help me! It's my baby, I won't let you have it!!:: Scully began to struggle. She heard a sigh. "Dana, settle down or I'll have to give you something to knock you unconscious." She struggled even harder. She was NOT going to give into whoever these people were. She was going to do everything in her power to protect her baby. She felt another needle slide into her arm. She began getting warm. Her eyes felt heavy. She felt like she couldn't move. She knew that she was going to become unconscious, but she was trying to fight it all the way. "Shhh...Dana. It's ok. You'll be just fine. Everything will be fine when you wake up." Slowly, Dana slipped away from reality. The man smiled. Everything was going as planned. He looked at the doctor. "You may begin now Doctor. Please remove the child." ~*~*~ Not sure what else they should be doing to find Scully, Mulder, Skinner, and Doggett all joined the manhunt. They were fanning out through the woods by where Scully's car had been located. So far, no one had found anything or heard anything. Doggett and Mulder had completely forgotten about the case that they had been working on. Their one goal now, was to find Scully. They had been out in the heat searching all day long. They'd only taken a break once, to eat some sandwiches someone had brought out, and then gone right back to searching. It was nearing nightfall when they heard a shout. "Assistant Director! Over here!" The three men took off running through the woods and towards a clearing. Doggett faltered, realizing that what he was seeing was eerily similar to his dream. Skinner turned slightly, looked over his shoulder. "Doggett! Aren't you coming?" "In a minute, Sir," Agent Doggett replied, as he said a quick prayer that his dream was not about to become a reality. Mulder was the first one to reach Scully's side. "Scully! Scully, can you hear me? Are you ok?" Mulder was frantically searching for some sign of life. Doggett, in complete fear and unable to look, had stopped at the edge of the clearing. Someone called for the paramedics. It was complete chaos. Skinner knelt next to Scully, felt for a pulse. He found one, although it was weak. "It's ok, Mulder, she's still alive." Both Mulder and Doggett breathed a huge sigh of relief. The paramedics came running with a stretcher. "It's ok Mulder." Skinner repeated. "Let them do their jobs and get her to the hospital." ~*~*~ Scully had been taken to the emergency room and checked out. She seemed physically unharmed. It appeared that she had been drugged and that was the reason she was unconscious. Mulder couldn't help but interrupt the doctor, as he gave them his report. "What about her baby?" The doctor appeared startled. "I'm sorry?" "Her baby?" Mulder repeated. "How is her baby?" "Excuse me, sir, I'll be right back." The doctor hurried back to Scully's room. Mulder looked at the other two and shook his head. "He MISSED the fact that she's 9 months pregnant?" The doctor appeared, as quickly as he disappeared. "I'm sorry, gentleman, that I didn't catch the fact earlier. It would appear that sometime recently Ms. Scully has given birth. She is no longer pregnant." Mulder glared at the doctor. "What did you say?" "I'm sorry, sir, but the patient is no longer with child. It would appear that she gave birth sometime in the not so distant past." ::Oh crap!:: Skinner thought. ::Now what do we do?:: "Is she awake, doctor? May we see her?" Doggett asked quietly. "She is awake, but she's still exhausted. Please, don't push her." The three men nodded and walked towards Scully's room. The other two men hung back by the door, to let Mulder be the first one to talk to her. Mulder sat next to Scully's bed and reached for her hand. She was so pale, she looked almost dead, especially with her eyes closed. Mulder felt his heart racing out of fear. ::Oh God, what have I done? Look at what I've caused. I could have lost her and she would never have known how much I love her.:: "Scully?" he whispered. She slowly opened her eyes. When she saw it was Mulder, she began to cry. "Mulder, they took my baby away from me." Mulder's hazel eyes mirrored the sadness in Scully's blue ones perfectly. "I know, Scully, I know. It will be ok. I promise, I will find your baby if it's the last thing I do." "Really, Mulder?" Scully looked up at the man she loved so much, hope flickering in her eyes that were bright with tears. "Hey...you never gave up hope when I was missing. Don't give up now. I'll find your baby or I'll give my life trying." Mulder stood, bent, and kissed Scully on the forehead. ::I've got to find her child. I've just got to. I can't let her down this time. It would kill her.:: He turned to leave. Scully grabbed his hand. Mulder turned back around to look at her. "Thank you, Mulder," whispered Scully. Mulder's eyes filled with tears. He nodded and walked out of the room. Doggett followed, leaving Skinner alone to talk to Scully. "Dana," Skinner said as he sat down next to her. "Walter. What are you doing here?" "Doggett called when they found your car. Nothing was going to stop me from coming to find you." Scully smiled weakly and reached for his hand. "Thank you." Skinner nodded, not saying anything as he looked at the woman who was not only one of his best agents, but a very close friend as well. ::How can I find her child for her? I don't even know where to begin to look!:: "Do you think Mulder will find the men who took my child?" Scully interrupted his thoughts. Skinner shrugged. "I can't say for sure, but I do know that if anyone can find them, it is Mulder." Scully nodded. "I hope that you're right, Sir." There was a knock on the door and Agent Doggett reentered the room. "Mulder is waiting in the hall to speak to you, Sir." Skinner nodded and looked at Scully. "I'll be back to check on you before I head to DC." He got up and went to work out a plan of action with Mulder. Doggett took the seat Skinner had vacated. He had no idea what to say to Scully. ::She probably doesn't want to hear anything. I know that when Luke went missing, I didn't even want to be in the same room with people...not even with my wife. I sure as hell didn't want to talk to anyone.:: He reached out and took Scully's hand, wishing with all his heart that he could take away her pain. "Agent Doggett?" She up looked at him with eyes that were so blue, so beautiful, even when they were swollen and red from crying. ::Mulder is so lucky to have this woman.:: He squeezed her hand. "Yes, Scully?" "Why aren't you out on the search with Mulder?" ::Way to go, Dana, sound like you'd rather him not be here.:: "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I mean..." Doggett interrupted. "I understand what you mean. It's ok. I talked to Mulder. He'd rather work this case alone and I understand that. Besides, someone should be here to work the case from your end, in case you're contacted by the kidnappers." ::Never mind the fact that you're probably still in danger and someone needed to volunteer to be your bodyguard.:: Scully nodded. "Makes sense. Mulder probably wouldn't be good company right now anyway. But I warn you, I won't be pleasant for you to be around either." "That's ok, Scully. Believe me, I know what you're going through. Why don't you try and get some rest." "You won't leave me?" Scully was suddenly terrified at the idea of being in the room alone. ::What if those men come back for something else?:: "I promise, Scully. I'll be right here the entire time." ~*~*~ Mulder sat in his car in the parking lot of the hospital. He had a lot to think about. ::I have no idea where to start working this case. Skinner suggested Scully's car, and if this were a normal crime, that'd be a great place to start. However, this is not a normal crime and I'm sure that these are not normal criminals. How do I even find those that I suspect are involved? Most are presumed dead, the others are missing. Oh God, Scully, I'm so sorry that I brought you into this.:: Suddenly, the passenger door of Mulder's car swung open, and a dark, good-looking man, slipped into the seat. Mulder took one look at the man and reached for his gun. The other man slowly raised his hands in the air. "Don't shoot. I've come to help." "What kind of help could you possibly offer me?" Mulder growled, still pointing his gun at the other man. "Information, brother, about the whereabouts of your partner's child...your child." Mulder's eyes snapped fire. ::Mine?:: "Keep talking. It just might save your life." ~*~*~ Scully awoke with a gasp. She'd been having a nightmare about the kidnapping of her baby. She felt someone holding her hand and looked to see Agent Doggett asleep in the chair, one hand in hers, the other on his gun. Scully couldn't help but smile at the image. ::He stayed, just like he promised. I should have known that he would. John Doggett always keeps his word. Part of me wishes that Mulder had stayed with me though. I know why he wanted to go, but couldn't he have let Doggett go? Of course, why should he stay by my side? It's not like I ever told him how I felt. I never even told him that the child was his. Dear God, please let Mulder find our baby and return soon.:: Scully prayed, as she drifted back off to sleep. ~*~*~ Slowly, Mulder put his gun away. "You're sure it's the Smoking Man?" "I saw him with my own eyes," replied the other man. "Damn." Mulder grimaced. "That man will never die, will he?" The other man smiled, grimly. "Doesn't appear that way, does it?" Mulder looked at the man in the other seat. "So, Krycek, why come to me now? Why didn't you come forward and try to stop this? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Mulder was getting angrier by the second. Krycek could sense that and sighed. "I tried to, Mulder. I followed Scully to Mississippi and I warned her to get away and to protect her baby." "Don't you see, Krycek? They had already followed her here! Her, trying to leave, gave them the opportunity to attack her! If you were so concerned, why didn't you stay and protect her?" "And get myself killed for working both sides? Are you NUTS? Besides, I was sure that Scully would confide in either you or that other agent." "Well she didn't, Krycek!" Mulder took a deep breath. ::Getting angry with this man now will get us nowhere.:: "So Krycek, where do we go from here?" "Start driving. I'll tell you everything I know." ~*~*~ When Scully woke up again, her hospital room was bright with sunshine. She looked at her watch: 9:00 am. She looked at the chair next to her bed, expecting to see Doggett. The chair was empty. The panic began to rise before she could stop it. Then she noticed her door was open and Doggett was in the hall talking to Skinner. She sighed with relief. ::Am I always going to panic and look over my shoulder from now on? I hope this situation is resolved soon.:: Scully reached for the phone on the nightstand. ::I should call Mulder and see how the investigation is going.:: ~*~*~ Krycek looked at the ringing phone. Mulder was asleep in the passenger seat. ::Should I answer his phone? No, better not. It could be Skinner.:: Krycek picked up the phone and poked Mulder in the shoulder. "Mulder! Wake up, your phone is ringing." Mulder took the phone from Krycek with a muffled, "Thanks." "Mulder," he mumbled sleepily. "Mulder, it's me." Instantly Mulder was wide-awake. "Scully. Hi. How are you feeling today?" ::Duh Mulder, how do you think she feels?:: "Physically, I'm fine Mulder. How's the case going?" "I have some leads I'm working on. Nothing concrete yet. I'm sorry, Scully." Scully sighed. "I figured as much, Mulder. I just wanted to check in." "Scully, I promise you that I will call you as soon as I have something. I promise. Please, just take care of yourself. Keep your cell phone with you and I will call. OK?" "OK, Mulder. Thanks for trying to make me feel better." Scully hung up. Mulder looked at Krycek. "Any way you can make this car go any faster?" ~*~*~ Scully set the phone back on the nightstand and sighed. ::Now what do I do? I'll go crazy if I stay in the hospital. Should I stay in Mississippi or go back to DC? For all I know, my child could be halfway around the world by now. If it's even still alive!:: Scully began to cry. ::I don't even know if I had a boy or a girl!:: Scully put her head down on her knees and began crying in earnest. She felt someone put an arm around her shoulders. She looked up to see John Doggett sitting next to her. He offered her a tissue. Scully wiped her eyes and blew her nose. "Thanks." Doggett removed his arm from her shoulders, suddenly wondering if he'd overstepped his bounds. "No problem," he replied. "What were you and Skinner talking about, Doggett?" Scully asked with interest. Doggett shrugged. "He just stopped by to see how you were doing. Kersh called and Skinner had to head back to DC. He hadn't heard anything new from anyone. He's unsure of where to go from here." Scully started laughing uncontrollably. "He's unsure? I don't know what to do. I don't know if I should go or stay, sleep or stay awake, eat or not eat...." Scully broke down crying again. Doggett opened his arms. Scully leaned into them. ::It feels so good to be held. There's no harm in leaning on him for just a minute, right?:: Doggett stroked her hair, gently rocking her back and forth. "Shh, Scully, it'll be ok. What do you say we get out of this place, get our stuff, and head back to DC? Then you can figure out what to do from there." Scully pulled away and nodded. "OK." She got up and began to get her clothes together, so she could get ready to go. She turned back around. "John?" Doggett looked up, startled. Scully seemed shy all of a sudden. "Is it OK if I call you John?" He nodded. "Of course you can." "I just wanted to say thanks." "You're welcome...Dana." ::First name basis now huh? Wait, don't get your hopes up. There's still Mulder.:: Scully smiled at him weakly and turned around to finish getting ready to go. Scully unlocked the door to her apartment and turned to face the man standing next to her holding her bags. "Thanks, John, for bringing me up to my apartment. It wasn't really necessary." ::But it's very sweet.:: Doggett smiled down at her. "It's my pleasure. Is it ok with you, if I check the rest of your apartment, before I go? I'll feel more at ease if I do." ::Not that I want to leave, but if I have to, I want to make sure she's as safe as possible.:: Scully shrugged. "Sure, why not?" ::It'd actually be nice if he stayed longer. I'm not sure if I am ready to be alone in my apartment. What if those men decide they want me and come back?:: She followed Doggett into her apartment. And that's when it hit her. She'd moved into this apartment so there would be room for the baby. She sunk down on the couch. ::Have I lost my chance at ever having a child? :: She could feel the tears beginning to build and she desperately fought them back. ::I will not let John see me cry again. I will not. I don't want him to think that I'm weak.:: She wiped away the few tears that had managed to escape, as Doggett walked back into the room. "Well, Dana, everything appears to be secure. It's getting late, so I guess I should get home." "Are you sure you'll be okay to drive home, John?" ::I could offer him the couch.:: Doggett nodded. "Yeah, I'll be okay. But you call Me, day or night, if you need anything at all, ok?" ::Damn, man. Why didn't you say no, so you could stay?:: "You too, Dana. Good night." Scully made sure to lock the door behind him. She still didn't feel quite safe, so she drug a kitchen chair over and placed it under the door knob. Then she sat down on the couch, too much on her mind to sleep. ::It's been 48 hours since my baby was taken. I don't think that Mulder is going to have any luck. So where does that leave me? My miracle is gone. Should I go back to work or find something else to do? I feel so lost, so drifting, so...alone. I wish Mulder were here for me to talk to. Although, we're just friends and partners. I was hoping that this baby would change things. But now? Who knows? I guess I'll have to wait and see how Mulder acts when he returns.:: ~*~*~ Mulder looked around, but, as it was pitch black and raining, that didn't give him any clue to his surroundings. "Where are we?" Krycek glanced over at Mulder. "Finally awake, hmmm? We're in Maine." Mulder frowned, confused. "Why the heck are we in Maine?" Krycek shrugged. "Probably on a wild goose chase. But the best information I can get, has him holed up near the Maine/Canada border." "How far away are we?" "Couple of hours." Mulder nodded. "Let's get this over with." ::I want to get back to Scully. Now.:: ~*~*~ Doggett rolled over and looked at his alarm clock: 5:56 am. ::Well, at least I got most of a good night's sleep, before I had that nightmare again. Maybe I keep dreaming about Dana being dead, because she's come to mean so much to me? Because I'm afraid to lose the only person I've cared about, really cared about, since Luke?:: Doggett shook his head furiously. ::Stop trying to analyze your dreams! You're not a shrink and they probably don't mean anything anyway.:: Doggett sighed and headed for the shower. ::Time to start another day.:: ~*~*~ Krycek pulled the car up in front of a cabin in the middle of the woods and stopped. Both he and Mulder got out, drawing their guns as they approached the cabin. It appeared deserted. Krycek motioned to Mulder. "I'll take the back," he said quietly. Mulder nodded to him and stopped at the front door. He knocked loudly. "FBI!! COME OUT WITH YOUR HANDS UP!!" No answer. Krycek came back around to the front. "There are no doors or windows on the back." "What do you think?" Mulder asked. "Want to break the door down?" Krycek smiled at this suggestion. "Why not?" Mulder took a couple of steps back and kicked the door open. Krycek entered, gun leading. Mulder was close behind. There was no one in the cabin, and it appeared no one had been there, for several hours. "Damn," Mulder cursed under his breath. "How did he know we were coming?" Krycek shook his head. "I don't know, but he left you a note." One piece of paper was on the kitchen table. It merely read: "Give up, Mulder. You won't find us." Mulder turned the table over in his anger. "That bastard! I will find him!" Krycek could only imagine what Mulder was feeling. ::Dana Scully is an extremely special individual. And if I had a child with her, I'd walk to the ends of the earth for it.:: "So, Mulder, what now?" Krycek asked as casually as he could. Mulder's eyes were ice cold as he turned to look at him. "We find them." Krycek shivered at the tone in Mulder's voice. And it took a lot to unnerve Alex Krycek. ~*~*~ Scully awoke to find the sun shining in her eyes. She sat up and looked around to discover she was in the living room. ::Why did I sleep in here?:: Then she remembered. ::I was too lonely to sleep in my room.:: She sat there thinking for another minute, unsure of what to do next. Suddenly she nodded. ::Yes, that's what I'll do.:: She got up and headed for the shower. ~*~*~ At the same time, Agent Doggett was waiting to be seen by AD Skinner. "Agent Doggett? He will see you now." Doggett thanked the secretary and entered Skinner's office. "Please be seated, Agent Doggett." Doggett promptly sat down in front of Skinner's desk. Skinner looked up from his work. "Have you spoken to Agent Scully this morning?" "No, Sir. Have you?" Skinner shook his head. "No, Agent Doggett, I haven't. But I heard from Agent Mulder. It appears that a man named Spender, also known as the Smoking Man, has taken Scully's child. I'm still not entirely sure how he came by that information. He said something about an unlikely source of help. I do know, that he's not having any luck finding him. This is our file on the Smoking Man, Doggett." Doggett picked up the file Skinner handed him. Skinner continued. "I'd like you to look over the information and see if you can come up with anything he or I may have missed." "Yes, Sir." Doggett turned to leave, but stopped halfway and turned back around. "Sir?" "Yes, Agent Doggett?" "Will you tell Scully about the call from Mulder?" Skinner sighed. "No. Not yet." Doggett nodded and closed the door behind him. ~*~*~ Dana Scully walked purposefully down the bright, deserted hallway. She was confident that she had made the right decision. ::It was a good idea last time. I'm sure it will be fine this time.:: Scully entered an office and seeing no one sitting at the secretary's desk, walked straight to the interior door and knocked. "Come in," answered the man on the other side. Scully walked in and sat in front of the man's desk. "Good morning, Sir." Skinner looked up from the papers he'd been reading, startled. "Agent Scully! What are you doing here?" "Nice to see you too, Sir," Scully said with a faint smile. "I'm here because I'd like to return to work." "Already?" Skinner was visibly shocked. "Yes, sir. I've been thinking about it and I think that if I stay home, I'll dwell on it and become depressed. Work was the best thing for me while Mulder was missing and I think it will be the best thing for me now." Scully set her mouth in a determined line and gave Skinner a look. Skinner was visibly unnerved by the look Scully was giving him. He tried to maintain his composure. He cleared his throat. "Well, Agent Scully, if you think it's the right thing to do, then feel free to go back to work. But please, if it doesn't work and you need time off, come ask." ::Now, Walter. Now is the time to tell her about Mulder's call.:: "Thank you, Sir." Scully stood and turned to leave. "Agent Scully..." ::No! I can't tell her. Not now. The timing isn't right.:: "Yes Sir?" ::Quick, think of something!:: "Be careful, Agent Scully." "I will." Scully closed the door quietly behind her. Skinner put his head in his hands and said a quick prayer. Scully leaned back again the door to Skinner's office and sighed. She had been very confident in front of Skinner, but now she was having second thoughts. ::No. I can do this.:: She walked away from Skinner's office and headed towards the basement. ~*~*~ Doggett looked up, startled, as someone walked into the basement office he thought was, probably, the best place for him to be working...since he didn't have an office of his own anymore. Seeing it was Scully, he quickly shoved the file he was reading in a pile of papers. ::If Skinner didn't tell her about the Smoking Man, I'm not going to!:: He quickly stood. "Good morning, Scu---Dana." Scully smiled as Doggett stumbled over what to call her. "Good morning John." Doggett cleared his throat, slightly unnerved at Scully's sudden appearance. "So, Dana, what are you doing down here? Is everything ok?" "Everything is as 'ok' as it can be John. I haven't heard anything from Mulder yet, so I know he doesn't have any information for me. I needed something to distract me, so I decided to come back to work." Doggett looked concerned. "Does Skinner know?" "Yes, and he's ok with me being back at work." They were both silent for a moment. "So, John, what are we working on?" Scully looked at him expectantly. "Working on?" ::Think fast John!:: "Uh, actually, I was just going through all of the papers on Mulder's desk seeing if I could put them into any sort of order." Scully looked at Doggett skeptically, one eyebrow raised. ::Right. If he's organizing files, why did he just shove whatever he was reading into the middle of a pile?:: "So, what are you hiding from me John?" Doggett's eyes opened wide. "What makes you think I'm hiding something?" ::How does she know I'm hiding something from her?:: "Is it really necessary, that I explain how I know you're hiding something from me?" Doggett shook his head. "No, not really. Listen, Dana...have you talked to Skinner about your case today?" Doggett asked, desperately stalling for time. Scully frowned. "No. Why? John, if you know something, you'd better tell me." "Dana, I really think that you should talk to Skinner about this." "Oh, I will." Scully gave him one of those looks that could bring men to their knees. "But you're going to tell me what you know...now." Doggett sighed and avoided Scully's glare. He knew that he was beat. "Scully, do you know a man named C.G.B. Spender?" Scully gasped, her blue eyes widening. "The Smoking Man? What does he have to do with my case?" "You have to realize that what I'm telling you is third-hand information, ok? Mulder apparently has an informant who told him this Smoking Man has your baby. Mulder called Skinner and told him and Skinner confided in me this morning. That's all I know. I swear. I was just reading Spender's file when you came in, trying to get an understanding of him." Scully stood and began pacing the office in her frustration. "And why were you all keeping it from me? We are talking about MY child here! Of all people, John Doggett, I never ever expected you to keep things from me." ::Unbelievable. I just can't believe this.:: Scully marched towards the door. Doggett stood. "Dana? Where are you going?" "I'm going to see Skinner, Agent Doggett." Scully slammed the door on her way out. Doggett sank back down in the chair. ::Shit. Of all the stupid, nitwit things to do! Why didn't you just tell her the truth from the beginning? You know how important trust is to her and you may have shattered that trust forever. You idiot.:: Doggett shook his head and pulled the Smoking Man file back towards him, hoping to lose himself in his work. ::I hope she's right about work being a distraction.:: ~*~*~ Scully marched right past Skinner's assistant, who was shouting after her. "Agent Scully, you can't go in there! Agent Scully---" Scully slammed Skinner's door shut behind her. Skinner was on the phone. "I'll have to call you back," he said calmly as he hung up. "Dana. What can I do for you?" Scully took a deep breath before opening her mouth. ::Ok, I could yell at John and get away with it, but I probably shouldn't yell at my boss.:: "Well, Walter, I'll tell you why I'm here. I'm here because I found out you're withholding information about my case from me." Skinner sighed. ::I should have known that she'd find out. Why didn't I just tell her when she was up here earlier?:: "Have a seat, Dana. You're right...I was keeping it from you, because I wasn't sure how or when to tell you. I didn't have much information...I still don't. All I know, is that Mulder called and said that he had an unlikely source of information that told him, that Spender had your baby. That's all he would say and then he hung up. I'm sorry. I should have told you earlier." Scully sat listening to Skinner, quietly. ::He's right of course. I'm just so worried, not only about my child, but also about Mulder.:: "I'm sorry, Sir. You're right. Just please, next time don't keep anything from me. I can take it. Not knowing, is going to be worse, than knowing." Skinner nodded. "I promise, Dana, next time I hear something I'll tell you. For now, why don't you go ahead and go back to work." "Ok. Thank you, Sir, for not yelling at me for busting in here like that." Scully turned and left, Skinner staring after her, hoping that everything would work out. ~*~*~ Mulder dropped his bag on the floor of the room he was going to be sharing with Krycek for the night and plopped on his bed. He had no idea where they were. He knew that they were in the Midwest somewhere, but he'd let Krycek drive for awhile, so he wasn't sure where they'd stopped. He didn't really care though. All he wanted to do was find the Smoking Man, beat him senseless, and take Scully's baby home to her. That wasn't too much to ask, was it? Mulder looked over at Krycek who was lying on the other bed, reading through some information he got from somewhere. ::What am I doing trusting this guy? After all he's done to my family and Scully's family, here I am letting him call the shots? Why?:: "So, why did you believe me, Mulder?" Krycek asked, still reading his papers. Mulder was startled. ::Can he read my mind?:: "Well, you know me, Krycek, I always believe the unbelievable." Krycek laughed. "That's true. It's good to know that you haven't changed." Mulder nodded. "You're right...in that regard, I haven't. What about you, Krycek? Tell me what you've been doing since you left the Bureau." Krycek sighed. ::How much do I reveal?:: "Basically Mulder, I worked for Spender. For awhile. I screwed up by betraying you and Scully in the first place. Since I had already lost your trust, I decided to keep working for Spender and gathering information. I thought that, if I knew what was going on, I could protect the two of you. Unfortunately, that didn't work too well in this instance. Anyway, I stopped working for Spender about a year ago. I got tired of all the bullshit. I kept some of my contacts, so I could get information now and then, but I basically went into hiding. I didn't want to be involved in anything. I bought a cabin in the woods out west and I spend a lot of time there, trying to decide what I should do with my life." ::Not that I'm really ever at the cabin, I'm usually hanging at her apartment. It's just so relaxing being there, being supported by someone who cares so much.:: Mulder's eyes widened. ::Wow. Impressive story. I don't know if I should believe him or not. It does sound sincere. Well...I guess we'll just see how things go.:: Both men were quiet then, staring off into space, thinking their own thoughts. ~*~*~ Miles away, another man, was doing some thinking of his own. He looked down into the crib he was standing over. Inside was a beautiful baby girl with red hair and hazel eyes. The man couldn't help but smile, as he watched the girl sleep. He reached down and stroked the child's hair. ::Sleep well, sweet Samantha.:: He turned and went outside to have a cigarette. ~*~*~ Scully hadn't gone back to work like she was supposed to, after leaving Skinner's office. Instead, she got out of the building, as fast as she could, and just started walking. She was so angry that she needed someway to work it off. ::I know that they're only trying to protect me by keeping things from me, but it makes me so mad! I can deal with things better if I can meet them head-on.:: She kept walking, headed towards her apartment now. ::I think I'm maddest about John not telling me. Or maybe I'm just mad at myself for having come to trust him and to depend on him. Well, I can be independent. I don't need to depend on anyone.:: She thought, defiantly, as she unlocked her apartment door. She flung her coat across the back of the couch and was walking towards her bathroom to shower, when she noticed the light on her answering machine was blinking. A jumble of thoughts raced through her mind. ::Skinner? Doggett? Mulder? Oh God, let it be Mulder. Let him have good news.:: She quickly pushed the PLAY button. "Dana. It's your mother. I'm afraid I have some bad news...." ::She sounds like she's been crying. I wonder what's wrong?:: "...Your brother Bill was coming out here to see us today. He was killed in a car accident. Dana, please call me when you get this message...." Margaret Scully was openly crying into the phone now. "...I love you." Scully stood frozen to the spot, staring at the machine in complete shock. ~*~*~ Two days later, on a warm sunny afternoon, Scully stood next to her mother in a Virginia cemetery, listening to the priest talk about how Bill was in a better place now. Scully stared down at the casket, tears running silently down her face, her blue eyes sad and distant. ::First my child and now Bill. They say bad things come in threes. Who's next?:: Her thoughts flew to Mulder, then just as quickly, shifted to Doggett. She looked around the cemetery. Many of her friends from the Bureau were there, but not Doggett. Scully had hoped that he would be there. ::He must be afraid that I'm still mad at him, since I haven't spoken to him since our argument.:: Scully looked back down at the casket, wishing with all her heart that she had someone to comfort her. John Doggett stood back 50 yards or so from the group gathered around Bill Scully's grave. He still wasn't sure if he should approach Scully or not. ::What if she's still mad and refuses to speak to me?:: He thought. But then there was an answer from that nagging inner voice. ::She's had too much tragedy, to be angry over a stupid argument now. She needs someone to lean on, someone to comfort her. Be there for her John.:: Doggett stood there for another moment, still unsure, before he began moving forward. The mourners were beginning to leave. Scully knew it was time to go. ::No. Not yet. I don't want to say goodbye yet.:: Scully felt her mother's hand on her arm, urging her to leave. Scully shrugged her mother's hand off. "Give me a minute, Mom," she pleaded quietly, her blue eyes still shining with tears. Her mother nodded and headed towards the car. Scully closed her eyes, praying for her brother, remembering all the time she'd spent with him, saying goodbye in her own way. Doggett stopped a few feet behind Scully. He didn't want to interrupt what appeared to be a private moment. He watched her crumble a handful of dirt over her brother's grave. Scully stood and turned around, then saw him standing there. "John?" ::He came after all?:: Doggett thought that, maybe, he saw something in her eyes when she spoke his name. ::Or, maybe, it's just wishful thinking?:: "Dana. I'm so sorry." Scully nodded and tried to hold back her tears. She was unsuccessful. Doggett was unsure what to say, so he just held out his arms, remembering how he'd comforted her in the hospital. Scully gratefully stepped into his embrace, needing to be comforted by him. ~*~*~ Scully woke early the next morning to the sound of a phone ringing. She picked up her cordless, only to realize it was her cell phone ringing. She walked over to her dresser to pick up her cell phone, looking at the clock on the way: 6 am. ::Dear God, please don't let it be more bad news.:: She prayed, as she answered the phone. "Scully." "Scully, it's me. I just heard about Bill. I am so sorry." She could have cried with relief at hearing Mulder's voice. "How are you holding up?" He asked. "Do you need me to come back and be with you?" Scully's tears began to fall upon hearing the compassion and caring in Mulder's voice. "I'm ok Mulder. You don't have to come back. I appreciate the offer, I really do, but I need to have you working my case." Mulder nodded, even though she couldn't see him. He understood. He just missed her so much. He wanted to be with her. Something suddenly occurred to Scully. "Speaking of my case, Mulder, I want to know. Who is your informant?" Mulder cleared his throat. He'd really been hoping that she wouldn't ask that question. "Um, actually Scully, it's Krycek." His announcement was met with shocked silence on the other end of the phone. "Scully?" He was worried at the silence. ::I knew I shouldn't have told her!:: "Krycek, Mulder? Alex Krycek? Why? How do you know he's not involved? Maybe he's feeding you false information to keep you from the truth!" Mulder could hear the anger in Scully's voice. "I know, Scully, I know. Believe me, I don't like this anymore than you do. But at this point, he's the only lead I've got. Don't worry. I will find your baby." Scully sighed. She knew there was no arguing with Mulder. "Be careful, Mulder, ok?" "You bet, Scully. Look, I gotta go. We're heading out. Call me if you need me, ok?" "I will. Bye Mulder." Scully looked at the phone sadly, as she hung it up. Scully went over to her bed and crawled back under the covers, hoping against hope, that she'd be able to fall asleep. But her mind wouldn't let her. ::What have I done to deserve this? I've tried to always live by the book, play by the rules, be fair to everyone and look at what it's got me...Nothing! I have a job that I could lose if I tick the wrong person off, no one to come home to at night, no child...nothing. It's not fair!!:: Scully turned over and buried her face in the pillows, allowing the tears that she'd been fighting for so long, to flow freely, crying until she exhausted herself to sleep. ~*~*~ Scully was dreaming. She had pulled her car up in front of a beautiful old home with a large porch. There were flowers all over the front yard and a white picket fence. There was a child's playground set up next to the basketball hoop. She knew that this was her house. She got out of the car and walked towards the front door. A man opened it as she came up onto the porch and held his arms out to her. "Welcome home, Dana." He whispered, as she returned his embrace. "Mommy! Mommy!" yelled the little girl, who came racing down the hall towards her. "Hi, Sweetie! How are you?" She asked, as she scooped the little girl up. Then her alarm clock went off. Scully rolled over and turned it off, looking at the time as she did: 8:00 am. Scully lay in bed for another minute thinking of her dream, then got up to make coffee. She sat at the kitchen table with her cup, staring off into space. She was thinking about how precious life was, how she wished she had a normal life and someone to share it with. ~*~*~ Someone else was also thinking, about how nice it would be, to have a normal life. John Doggett was sitting on the front porch of his home, drinking his coffee, and reflecting on his past. Being so close to Scully, seeing her pregnant, had brought back so many memories for him. Memories of a time when he was in love and felt like he was on top of the world. Memories of being a father, having someone who loved him unconditionally. And memories of the day it had ended. The day he found Luke and knew he could never have his son back. His wife had left shortly after that. His whole world had collapsed on his head. He'd thrown himself into his work, anything to escape. And now? ::Look at the years I've wasted by drowning myself in my work. The chances I've passed up, the opportunities I've lost.:: Doggett sighed. For days, he'd been struggling, over whether or not he should tell Scully how he felt. He wanted to tell her now, but he was afraid it was too soon and she would reject him. He knew how she felt right now and knew how easy it was to make irrational decisions in this situation. But he also knew how precious each day was and was scared that if he waited his chance would be gone forever. "What should I do?" Doggett asked himself out loud. He shook his head and stood to answer the ringing phone. "John Doggett." "John. Hi. It's Dana," a voice said softly. Doggett's smile could have lit an entire stadium. "Good morning, Dana. Everything ok?" ::Duh. Of course everything isn't ok. But what else should I say to her?:: "No. Everything isn't ok. I was just sitting here thinking about everything and I needed someone to talk to, and I didn't know whom else to call. I just-" John interrupted her, speaking softly and soothingly. "It's ok, Dana. I know how you're feeling. I'm glad that you called me to talk about it, instead of keeping things bottled up inside you. When I lost Luke, I was unable to talk...to anyone, not even my wife. I was so angry...with the world, with God, with the man who took my son. But even more than that, I was angry with myself. I should have been there for him. I should have been able to protect him. He was my son." Dana was truly touched, not only by the emotional undercurrent raging in John's voice, but also by the very fact that he had confided in her. She knew that this was a part of his life that he hardly ever discussed with anyone. They were both quiet for a moment. Dana was unsure what to say, what words to use, to tell him how much it meant to her, for him to confide in her. She wanted to tell him how grateful she was to have him to talk to, but the words seemed stuck in her throat. On the other end of the phone, John was thinking back to the time when he lost Luke. He thought back to the week he had spent locked in his house, with the phone unplugged. He didn't remember much of it. He'd spent too much of that time drunk. He'd been so angry and hadn't known how to deal. He remembered how Monica had come and broken in his front door and told him that enough was enough. She had dragged him out of the house, forced him to get over his misery. And it had worked. She had made him realize that he wasn't in it alone, that people were there for him...that life was worth living. And he wanted to be there like that for Dana, more than anything in the world. John broke the silence. "If you aren't doing anything today, Dana, maybe you'd like to get out of the house and spend some time together." "John, you don't have to give up your weekend to spend time with me. I'll be ok. I'll read or watch some TV or something." As much as she wanted to spend time with him, she didn't want him to feel like he had to. Doggett shook his head on the other end of the phone. ::God, she is so independent sometimes. How am I going to get through to her?:: He looked out the window. It was a beautiful day outside, bright and sunny. The kind of day to show Scully that life is still worth living. "Actually, Dana, I was thinking of going to a park today. And it would be a lot more fun if I had someone to go with me. When I start talking to myself in public places, people kind of look at me funny." Scully smiled. ::Trust John to make me feel better.:: "Well, we wouldn't want people thinking the FBI hires lunatics, now would we? Should I meet you there?" "I'll come and pick you up. How does an hour sound?" "I think I can be ready in an hour." They both hung up, bright smiles on their faces. Scully hurried to get ready, her mood already brightened by the prospect of spending a day outside of her apartment...a day with John Doggett. ~*~*~ True to his word, John pulled up in front of Dana's apartment building exactly 59 minutes later. Dana laughed, as she came out the front door. "You're a minute early." John couldn't help but smile at her good mood. "Yes, well, guess that gives us more time to spend together. Come here." Dana walked over to John wondering what this was about. "Where we are going today, Dana, is a surprise. So you either have to promise to keep your eyes shut the entire time or I'm going to have to blindfold you. OK?" Dana giggled, looking younger and probably the most alive that John had ever seen her.. "Ok, I'll keep my eyes closed. No need to blindfold me." "All right then, let's go." John took her hand and helped her up into his truck before going around and getting in on his side. He looked at her, as he started the truck. She was watching him intently, her blue eyes alight with happiness. He tried to look sternly at her. "Close your eyes, Dana." She laughed at him trying to be stern, knowing that it was all a show, but leaned back and closed her eyes, hoping that the ride wouldn't be very long. ::Where in the world is he really taking me?:: ~*~*~ They had been driving for so long that Dana had actually fallen asleep. About 3 hours after they had left her apartment, John pulled the truck to a stop. He looked at where they were and prayed that she would like the surprise. He glanced over at her sleeping, her head resting against the window. ::She is so beautiful.:: John reached over and gently touched her arm. Immediately she was awake and, of course, forgot to keep her eyes shut. "John, where are we?" "Jersey." He couldn't help but smile. She hadn't seen the sign for the "park" yet. "Jersey. Why are we in Jersey?" "Well...I said I'd take you to a park." With that, he pointed at the sign. Dana read the sign out loud. "Six Flags Great Adventure? John?" He had to laugh. "Well...I didn't say I was taking you to a normal park." She started smiling. ::An amusement park? Oh my God! I haven't been to one of these in forever. I can't believe that he drove all the way to Jersey just to take me to an amusement park!:: Dana turned and looked at him, excitement flashing in her bright blue eyes. "Well, let's go! I haven't been to one of these since I was a kid." They got out of the truck and she grabbed his hand, eagerly pulling him along behind her through the gates that marked the entrance to the park. ~*~*~ It was mid-afternoon and they'd stopped to get some ice cream. They were sitting on the bench, each too busy trying to eat their ice cream before it melted to say anything. Doggett couldn't stop grinning. He could not remember the last time he had had this much fun. Scully's enthusiasm had been contagious. They had ridden almost every ride possible. Scully wanted to go on the water rides after they ate their ice cream. John really didn't care for water rides, but he knew he couldn't tell her no, so he had resigned himself to the idea. After they finished their ice cream, they sat on the park bench for another minute. John reached over and took Dana's hand in his. She looked at him, surprise evident in her eyes. He wondered if he was making a mistake, but she scooted closer to him on the bench before pulling her hand back so she could reach for the park map to check out the water rides. "So, John," she began as she leaned her head back into the crook of his arm, "It looks like there are 6 water rides in the park. I think we should start with the Tidal Wave. What do you think?" Dana looked up at him and smiled at the look of resignation on his face. He had told her earlier that he didn't want to go on the water rides, but she was hoping to talk him out of it. "Unless, of course, you'd rather not ride them? I'm sure that I could find someone in line who wouldn't mind sitting next to me on the rides." John tightened his arm protectively around her. ::Over my dead body!:: He sighed. "No, I don't think that's necessary. I'll ride the water rides with you." Dana jumped up, her face showing pure happiness. "Let's go! It's right over here." John grinned as he stood up and followed her over to the ride. ::Maybe this will be fun after all.:: It was. The ride was a blast. It was like riding a roller coaster in the water. By the time they got off the ride, they were both completely soaked. Dana stood next to the ride wringing the water out of her hair, John trying to shake the water out of his eyes, when they noticed people were staring at them and pointing. Trying to figure out what was going on, John looked down at Dana. He almost couldn't stop himself from laughing. She had a white T-shirt on. Dana followed John's glance and her face immediately went bright red as she turned and tried to hide herself from view. "Oh my God. I can't believe I didn't think of this before getting on that ride!" John tried not to grin, as she was so obviously embarrassed. He had a long sleeve shirt tied around his waist, so he took it off and handed it to her. "Here. Put this on. It should help." Dana looked up at him gratefully. "Thanks, John." She Said, as she quickly wrapped his shirt around her. She couldn't help but notice, as she put it on, that it smelled of him. ::Maybe I'll have to forget to give his shirt back to him.:: She could still feel people looking at her and thought that perhaps it was time to go. The park was going to be closing soon anyway. Scully looped her arm through John's and looked up at him. "I think I've ridden enough rides for today. How about you?" John smiled down at her. "Sounds good to me. Why don't we go get something to eat before we head home?" Dana nodded and they walked out of the park arm in arm. ~*~*~ It was evening and they'd gone to a fast food restaurant to get some burgers and were sitting outside on a bench eating them. "John?" He turned to look at her. "Hmm?" He asked inquisitively. On impulse she reached over and hugged him tightly. "Thank you for today. It was exactly what I needed." He wrapped his arms around her and held on tight, for as long as she would let him. It felt so right. "You're welcome Dana." They finished the rest of their meal in companionable silence then got back on the road. It was late when they got back to her place. Dana looked at him, unsure of herself all of a sudden. ::Was this a date? Do I invite him up? Or do I tell him I had a nice time and I'll see him later?:: She sat there for so long that John got out of the truck and went around to her door, opening it for her. "C'mon. I'll walk you upstairs." She took his hand, still unsure of what to say, and let him lead her up the stairs. At her door they both paused. He was as afraid as she was, of making the wrong move. Preferring to err on the side of caution, he bent down and kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Good night, Dana." She smiled at him, glad that she hadn't had to make a decision. "Good night, John." He gave her hand a squeeze and turned and walked away. ~*~*~ John knew that Christmas would be a lonely time for Dana. It was a holiday that had failed to be enjoyable for him since Luke had died. He knew that she was supposed to go to her mother's house, but that she didn't want to have to endure questions about Mulder, whom she hadn't heard from since August, or her still missing child. And so, John came up with a plan. He'd invite her to spend Christmas at his house. It would be just the two of them, drinking cocoa and watching old movies. They'd become close friends since their trip to Jersey, but things hadn't progressed any farther than that. John was hoping things would change soon. It was about a week before Christmas and John and Dana were in the office finishing up their report for the last case they'd worked. It had been about children being murdered and it had been very tough on both of them. They'd finished the first part of the report and were sitting, taking a break, lost in thought, before writing down their conclusions. John broke the silence. "Dana?" She looked up. "Yes?" "I was wondering...I know this is short notice, but would you like to spend Christmas with me? It won't be anything fancy. Just you and me, watching TV and drinking cocoa. What do you say?" He looked at her hopefully. Dana just sat there, with her mouth open slightly. They had been spending more time together outside of work since their trip to Six Flags. In the fall, she'd helped him plant flowers for the following spring, so his yard wouldn't look so much like a "Marine's yard," as he'd called it. Then he'd gone with her to help her buy a car. And just last week he'd helped her pack up the nursery and turn it into a guest bedroom. ::Well...I'd rather spend Christmas with John than with my family this year. At least with him, there won't be any pressure or uncomfortable questions. I'm sure my mom will understand.:: She looked back up at John, who was still watching her expectantly. "I'll bring dessert." John let out the breath he hadn't known that he'd been holding. "Great. How does noon sound?" She smiled. "That's fine with me." Grinning widely, they both returned to finishing up their report. Christmas morning, Dana woke up bright and early. She almost felt like a kid again, she was so excited about going over to John's house. She was hoping that maybe today, she'd get up the courage to tell John about her feelings for him. It had taken her a long time to admit her feelings. Before she'd been able to admit them, she'd had to let go of Mulder. It had been a very hard battle, but finally she was at peace with the fact that he and her child were probably gone from her life forever. She had given up hope sometime after Thanksgiving. She hadn't heard from Mulder for 3 whole months by then. She and John had spent an entire week in October doing nothing but trying to track Mulder, Krycek or Spender and had come up completely empty-handed. Even Skinner seemed to have given up hope. ~*~*~ Shortly after 11, Dana got into her car and headed over to John's house. She had had no idea what to get him for Christmas and so had fallen back on the standard "what to get any guy for Christmas": clothes. She had knitted him a dark blue sweater that she thought would complement his eyes. It had been ages since she'd knitted, but she thought that it had turned out all right, if she did say so herself. John met her at the door with a cup of cocoa. He kissed her lightly on the cheek. "Merry Christmas, Dana." She grinned as she took the cocoa, one of her favorite things ever. "Merry Christmas to you too, John." He was wearing a Santa Hat and an apron that said, "Kiss the Cook." ::He always knows what to do to lift my mood.:: She pulled out her gift for him, from behind her back. "Where should I put this?" "In here," he replied as he led her into the living room. There was a fire crackling in the fireplace and he had set up an enormous tree by the front window. "John it's gorgeous!" she exclaimed pointing at the tree. He blushed, slightly embarrassed at the attention. "Why don't you sit in here and relax, while I finish up our meal?" She nodded and sat down on the couch so that she could watch the fire as she sipped her cocoa. A few minutes later she heard John call out from the dining room. "Dinner!" Dana gasped when she got to the doorway. The table had a white lace tablecloth and lit candles on it. John had also strung white Christmas lights around the room giving it an ethereal glow. "Wow," she whispered. He walked to the table and pulled out a chair. "Your dinner awaits, Madam." She smiled, as she walked over to the offered seat. The meal looked wonderful. He had made baked ham, sweet potatoes, and green bean casserole. She had brought banana pudding for dessert. After the meal, they decided to go back into the living room to open gifts. They both sat on the couch, sitting close together, but not quite touching. After some friendly arguing over who would go first, Dana finally convinced John to open his present. He unwrapped his gift slowly, knowing that she was anxious to see his reaction. When he pulled the lid off, his mouth dropped open. "My God, Dana, it's wonderful," he said as he pulled the sweater out. "Did you make this?" Now it was Dana's turn to blush. "Yeah, I did," she whispered softly. He looked at her, love shining clearly in his eyes. "This is the best present I've ever received." Then he pulled a small rectangular box from behind his back. "Now, you open mine." He wasn't sure how she was going to react to what he had bought. Now it was her turn to prolong the suspense, by slowly taking the bow and paper off the box. She was surprised to see that she had unwrapped a velvet jewelry box. She opened the lid and gasped. Inside was a sapphire and silver bracelet. In the middle of it were silver letters spelling "I LOVE YOU." She lifted it out of the box and put it on her wrist and then just stared at it sitting there, glimmering on her arm. Nobody had ever given her anything like this before, in her entire life. It made her feel special...and beautiful. John was watching her expectantly. ::Oh God, why doesn't she say anything? She hates it. I know she does.:: When she looked up at John again, there were tears shimmering in her eyes. Finally she broke the silence. "I love you too," she whispered as she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him. ~*~*~ January 2, 2002 Agent John Doggett walked down the dim corridor to his basement hallway, whistling softly as he went. He was remembering the week after Christmas, in particular the conversation that he and Scully had had regarding Mulder. Doggett had been afraid to believe that Scully really loved him, until this conversation. They'd been sitting on the couch at Doggett's house, listening to the fire crackle in the fireplace. It was snowing softly outside and it was very cozy to be sitting in front of a warm fire. Scully had asked John about his past and he'd been telling her about the time when Luke had died and then his wife had left him. Doggett decided that it was now or never and so he asked her, "What about Mulder?" Scully had looked up at him, surprise and slight confusion evident in her eyes. She had thought that Doggett had believed that she loved him, but then she did understand. After all, it had been obvious that she'd been in love with Mulder. It was natural for him to want to be reassured that she was over Mulder. "What do you want to know, John?" "What about your feelings for Mulder?" Hope and fear were waging a battle in Doggett's blue eyes, as he looked down at her. Scully reached over and took Doggett's hand. "I will always have feelings for Mulder, John. He was the center of my life for many, many, years. He was also the father of my child." A look of sadness crossed Scully's face as she mentioned the child that she had never seen. "But I've come to terms with that. I realize that Mulder will probably never return...and if he did, he's not ready to settle down. I love him dearly, but I need more than he could have ever offered me. I need you, John Doggett. I need your strength and your stability. I will always love Mulder, but you're the one I want to be with." She reached up and pushed a lock of hair away from his forehead. "I love you," she whispered. He leaned back and looked into her eyes. He could see the love shining from her eyes and knew she was telling the truth. It wasn't that he doubted that she loved him, he just needed to hear it from her. He needed to know that Mulder was no longer a threat to him. Looking down at her, it dawned on him that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with this woman. He slowly leaned forward until his lips brushed hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, deepening the kiss. With a shake of his head, Doggett realized that he was getting bothered by his memory and should stop there, since he had to go to work and be professional now. He reached for the keys in his pocket, so that he could unlock the door to his office, when he noticed that there was a piece of paper taped to the door. Frowning, he reached up and tore it down when he saw that it had his name on it. He opened his office door and carried the piece of paper over to his desk. He sat down and took the lid off his coffee cup to let it cool a bit before opening the note. There were only three lines to the letter: My office. 9 am. AD Skinner. Doggett stared at the letter, as if he could get more meaning from those three lines. Hearing someone walk down the hallway towards his office, he quickly stuffed the note in the pocket of his jacket and pulled a file towards him. ~*~*~ Agent Dana Scully was in a great mood, as she made her way to the office for her first day of work since Christmas. ::Ah Christmas.:: She thought with a smile on her face. Christmas this year had been wonderful. It seemed as if maybe things were finally going to work out. Her relationship with John seemed to be getting off to a great start. They had spent most of the week together, alternating between spending time at his house or her apartment. And they had talked the entire time...about anything and everything. ::It was great. I could be myself and I didn't have to worry about defending my point of view, or Mulder interrupting me with his new great theory. And I didn't have to talk about aliens or doppelgangers or headless magicians. We talked about normal, ordinary stuff, like the price of gas and politics in Asia and the economy.:: Scully smiled, as she stepped off the elevator into the basement hallway. She felt something brush against her wrist and glanced down at the bracelet John had given her. ::I think this past Christmas was the best one ever.:: She opened the office door and saw Doggett sitting at his desk, feet propped up, reading a file. She had a fleeting memory of seeing Mulder sit like that, so many times, and shrugged off the twinge of guilt that she felt, as she sat down at her desk, the one that had been their Christmas present from Skinner. "Morning, John." She greeted as she pulled her coffee towards her, to warm her chilled fingers. He looked up and smiled at her. "Morning, Dana." "So what're we doing today?" "Well...I've got about 6 files for us to go through...Man found at bottom of lake, woman who sees death, you know, the usual." Scully raised an eyebrow at his tone of voice. "Anyway, why don't you take half and I'll take half and see if any are worth our time." Scully nodded. "Sure, why not. Give me the interesting ones, ok?" It was Doggett's turn to raise his eyebrows. "But I thought all the cases sent to this office were interesting ones?" Scully laughed and took the files he held out to her. "Whatever," she replied as she settled back and began reading. ~*~*~ A short time later, Doggett set down the file that he was reading and sighed. ::Almost time for that meeting with Skinner. I wonder what the heck this is all about.:: Scully looked up at him from the file she was reading. "Everything ok, John?" Doggett nodded, wondering briefly if he should tell her where he was going. Remembering what had happened last time he had kept something from her, he decided he'd better tell her. He just thought he'd put it off for a little bit longer. "Find anything interesting to read there, Dana?" She smirked at him. "Well I was reading about the man who was found at the bottom of the lake. It was kind of interesting, that even though he'd been there for about two weeks, he never floated to the top, even though he wasn't being held down by anything. But well, I hate autopsying bodies that have been in the water for that long. So we'll put that in the 'To be investigated when there is nothing else to do file'" She said, as she shoved it in the bottom desk drawer which was already overstuffed with files. She picked up another file and held it up in the air. "This one, on the other hand, is much more interesting. It's about a little 9 year old girl who claims that she sees dead people." Doggett snorted. "Sounds like a good movie plot to me." Scully grinned at that. It did, after all. "Yeah, I'll agree with you there. However, I wouldn't have to do any autopsies for this case. And well...the kid lives in Maui, so I think we should go." Doggett stood up to go to his meeting, immediately knowing he would be preoccupied by thoughts of Dana, in a bikini, on the beach. He cleared his throat. "Well, unless you find something more interesting in those other files, I'm all for going to Maui. But right now I have a meeting with Skinner to attend." Scully frowned, confusion evident in her blue eyes. "A meeting with Skinner? About what?" Doggett shrugged, plainly as confused as Scully. "I have no idea. I found this note on the door when I opened the office this morning." He explained, as he took the note from his jacket pocket and handed it over for her to examine. Her brow furrowed, as she looked at it, but she didn't get any hidden meaning from reading it. "Do you want me to go with you? What if it's about my case?" she asked. "If it's about your case, I'll call down to the office and have you come up, ok? So while you're waiting, how about making those travel plans to Maui?" He suggested, with a devilish grin on his face. She blushed slightly at the look in his eyes, but returned his grin nonetheless. "You're on." Doggett walked out the door, sauntering slightly and humming under his breath. ~*~*~ He was freezing his butt off sitting out here. It was COLD in Montana in January. Really cold. And he hated stakeouts. He wanted to just go inside and bust the door down and get it over with, but Krycek was right. Going in like the Marines was not going to solve anything. Besides, they didn't know for sure if the Smoking Man really was the one holed up in this cabin in these woods. So they were doing a stakeout. ::Damn, it's cold. I hate this. Only for Scully, would I put myself through this.:: He sighed, as he thought about Scully. He hadn't called her since August. Part of that, was because he'd lost his cellular phone, somewhere along the way. But part of it, was because it was easier for him to keep going, if he didn't hear her voice, didn't hear the longing she felt. He knew it was selfish to not call her, but he didn't have anything to tell her. And he felt that feeding her false hopes was cruel. He just hoped that she would understand when he came home. He needed her to still be there for him, to understand. He sighed again, rubbing his eyes, as he leaned back against the tree. He looked over at Krycek, who was standing about 50 yards away, involved in a deep conversation on his phone. He thought that Krycek must have a lady friend that he'd left behind, from the bits and pieces of conversation that drifted towards him on the wind. And just yesterday, when they'd gone into town for supplies, Krycek had bought a postcard to send to someone in Denver. He had been really confused about why Krycek had thought it necessary to buy a postcard with a buffalo on it, but whatever. What Krycek did was his own business. He didn't pry into Mulder's business and Mulder certainly wasn't going to ask him to explain a postcard. Mulder was still amazed that Krycek had stuck with the search as long as he had. He knew that Krycek was dying to go home; he'd hinted it several times. But, he also knew, that Krycek was going to do whatever it took to get Scully's baby home to her. And for that, Mulder was eternally grateful. He'd come to consider Alex Krycek a friend in these past few months and would miss that friendship when they parted ways. Mulder sighed again and looked at the light glowing in the cabin window. It was going to be a long day. Doggett didn't see Skinner's assistant anywhere, so he walked over to the inner door of the office and knocked softly. "Come in," a voice answered from inside. He opened the door slowly and walked inside. "You wanted to see me, Sir?" He asked as he took a seat in front of AD Skinner's desk. Skinner put down the papers he was reading and looked up. "Yes, Agent Doggett, I did want to talk to you. I have a case that I need for you to work on." "A case?" Doggett asked puzzled. "An X-File, Sir?" Skinner shook his head. "Not really. It may have something do with Agent Scully's case." "Then why isn't Agent Scully up here? No offense, Sir, but you know that I'm not going to keep anything from her anymore." Skinner nodded. "I realize that, Agent, but I'm not sure that it has anything to do with Agent Scully's case. As you know, I've had flyers of Mulder, Krycek, and Spender posted all across the country and yesterday I had a call from someone in Montana claiming to have seen the Smoking Man. I'd like for you to go out there and investigate it." Doggett shook his head. "No." Skinner was stunned. "What did you say?" Doggett was very firm in his response. "I said no. If I go, Agent Scully will be going with me. She is my partner and I refuse to work a case without her. If you don't want her to know about it, you'll have to send someone else." Skinner sat in silence, staring at the Agent in front of him. He knew that Doggett and Scully had become close friends, probably more than friends, but he never expected this. If anything, he would have thought that Doggett would have jumped at the chance to help Scully. ::Now what?:: Doggett sat there, returning AD Skinner's stare. ::How do I make him understand? I can't walk away from Dana. Not now, not ever. Not even for this. Besides, all he wants me to do, is follow up on a sighting of a man, that I've never seen and am not completely sure exists. Any Agent in this facility is qualified to do that!:: Doggett was trying to convince himself that he was doing the right thing by not going, that it would be better if he stayed with Dana, that he probably wouldn't find anything in Montana anyway. ::Montana of all places. I never want to go back out there.:: Skinner sighed and broke the silence. "Well, Doggett, if that's the way you feel, I'm not going to force you to go. I understand, if your answer to this request is also no, but would you please keep this conversation from Agent Scully? I would hate to feed her false hopes. You're right, it's probably nothing." Doggett stood. "I'll make no promises about keeping this conversation from my partner, Sir. I'll think about it and, if I think it's best, I'll not tell her." Skinner nodded. "I understand." Without another word, Doggett left the room and closed the door behind him. ~*~*~ "Unbelievable!" Scully exclaimed as she slammed down the phone. She turned to see Doggett enter the office. "Well, there goes our trip to Maui! Apparently the FBI has decided to do an internal audit to see if we are spending our travel funds 'wisely.' So we can't go anywhere out of DC until they're done." Scully frowned as she dropped back into her chair and threw the file in a desk drawer. Looking up at Doggett's face, she noticed he seemed preoccupied. ::Way to go, Dana. All worried about your plans, instead of asking about his meeting.:: "What was your meeting with Skinner about, John?" He had sat down at his desk with his face in his hands. He looked up at her question. "Nothing." Scully rolled her eyes. "You know that I can tell when you're lying to me right, John?" He just looked at her, unsmilingly. "Yeah. Sorry. I just don't want to talk about it right now, ok?" He pulled a stack of files towards him, signaling the end of the conversation. ::I wonder what's wrong with him?:: Scully sighed heavily and pulled open the desk drawer with the "To be investigated when there is nothing else to do" files. ::He'll tell me about it when he's ready. But whatever Skinner said, must have really ticked him off. He was in a good mood when he left the office earlier.:: Scully flopped open a file and began reading about a man who ate metal. ::Yuck.:: Doggett glanced over at Scully, who seemed to be absorbed in the file that she was reading. ::What should I tell her? I know that if I tell her what Skinner told me she'll want to go rushing off to Montana, travel fund or no travel fund. We could go out there, but if we don't find anything, she'll be devastated. Or worse, what if we do find something?:: Doggett sighed, completely frustrated by the fact that Skinner had confided this information in him. He knew that Scully deserved to know, but he didn't want to be the one to tell her. He didn't want to shatter what they had together. Doggett slammed down the file he was reading and abruptly stood. Scully looked up at him, raising an eyebrow but not saying a word. Doggett spoke, his voice soft but gruff. "Let's go get some lunch and talk." Scully nodded, closing her file, as she stood and reached for her jacket. He reached over and took her hand, as they walked out of the office together, closing the door behind them. ~*~*~ Doggett knew of a little coffee shop and diner that was off the beaten path and thought that it would be a good place for them to go for lunch. It was a great place to eat, but generally deserted, as not many people knew about it. He didn't want to tell Scully about his meeting with Skinner when there were lots of people around, just in case. He thought that he was beginning to know her, but he had no idea how she was going to react to this information. The waitress took their order almost as soon as they were seated. Scully ordered a salad and diet coke, Doggett a hamburger and fries. As soon as the waitress left, Doggett reached over and took Scully's hand. He took a deep breath before beginning. "When I told you my meeting with Skinner this morning was about nothing, I lied. Apparently there has been a sighting of the Smoking Man in Montana. Skinner wanted me to go out there and follow up on this sighting. He didn't want you to go, he doesn't want you to know about it, because, like me, he thinks it's a wild goose chase." Scully stared at him, unmoving, no emotion visible on her face. "What did you tell him?" Doggett had to look away from her. He couldn't stand seeing her like this. "No. I told him there was no way in hell was I going to work a case without my partner." Scully's grip tightened on his hand. Doggett looked back over her, amazed at not seeing anger in her face. He was seeing...gratefulness? Thankfulness? He couldn't begin to describe what he was seeing. "It's ok, John. I never expected you to take on my case, running all over the country searching for answers. That's something more suited for Mulder." A brief flash of sadness crossed her face at the mention of Mulder. She shook her head to stop the memories before they could begin. Doggett was stunned. "You're not mad at me? Don't you want to go out there?" Scully shook her head. "No. I...I want the answers, John, but it's been too long. For me to go out there Now, would be for me to reopen wounds, that I've tried so hard to let heal. It's been almost 5 months. Surely, if good news was coming, I would have received it by now." Right then, the waitress arrived with their lunch. Not knowing what to say to each other, they ate the rest of their meal in silence, both wondering if they would ever find the answers. Hundreds of miles away, another man was also wondering if he would ever find the answers. He shifted against the tree that he was leaning on. Both of his legs had fallen asleep, but he wasn't about to get up and move. ::Sure as I get up and leave, something will happen, and I will have missed it.:: He glanced over at the man sitting next to him, as the cabin door opened. They'd been working together for so long, it was almost as if they could read each other's thoughts. The first man wanted to go for it, to see what was in there. The second man shook his head almost imperceptibly, looking up at the sun. ::Not yet. Wait until dark.:: The first man nodded, and leaned back against the tree. He then did something he thought that he had given up long ago: he prayed. ~*~*~ After work that night, Scully had gone back to Doggett's place with him. He'd promised her that he'd cook dinner for her tonight and she was interested to see what he could come up with. She already told him that it had to be something different than he had made at Christmas. She barely managed to get some coffee made before he shooed her out of the kitchen, telling her he needed complete silence to concentrate on his "culinary expertise." She shrugged and took her cup of coffee into the living room. Doggett had this huge black leather recliner in his living room that she had absolutely fallen in love with. Not only was it comfortable, it was big enough for her to curl up in, and it smelled faintly of him. ::What more could I want in a piece of furniture?:: She smiled, as she set her coffee on the end table next to the chair and leaned over to pick up some of Doggett's magazines off of the floor. ::Field and Stream?:: She quickly tossed that one on the floor. ::Maxim? I don't think so!:: That one might have shocked her, if she hadn't been used to Mulder's collection of magazines. ::Time? Nah, who wants to read about world events?:: The last magazine that she came to was People, an issue claiming to have all the info on the hottest bachelors in America. ::Hmm.:: She thought, as she glanced towards the kitchen. ::Not that I need any of THAT information.:: She smiled to herself, as she opened the magazine and started flipping through it. Doggett stood silently in the living room doorway, watching Scully thoughtfully. He loved the way the light from the fireplace shimmered in her hair. It almost made her hair look as if it was on fire. She was curled up in his recliner, flipping through a magazine. He still couldn't believe that she was here with him, that she had accepted him into her life. He wanted more, though. He wanted to be her everything, just as she meant the world to him. He softly cleared his throat. "Dana?" he said, his voice almost a whisper. "Let's eat." She looked up at him from her place in the chair, almost sorry that she had to get up. She'd gotten so comfortable sitting there, that she could almost fall asleep. She hadn't been sleeping well lately. Her nightmares had returned to haunt her. Shaking her head to clear it, she got up and set down her magazine. "Well, John, let's see what you've managed to make with your 'culinary expertise'." Doggett smiled at her mocking his words, and held out his arm to lead her to the table. He pulled out her chair for her to be seated before going to his spot at the other end of the table. He'd taken the leaves out of the table before going to work that morning so that they would be closer together. Scully looked down at the meal. Fettuccine Alfredo. One of her favorites. She smiled as she took her first bite. "This is really good, John." He grinned. "Are you surprised?" "A little, yeah. I haven't known many men who can cook." "Oh there are lots of things you don't know about me, Dana." His smile turned slightly devilish. Scully blushed and looked down at her plate. She knew the attraction was there, could feel it pulling at her. She just wasn't sure that she could do this. She knew she wanted to, but she almost felt as if she'd be betraying Mulder. ::Mulder! I haven't heard from Mulder in months! Why should I feel like I'm betraying him. He's gone and I'm still here. I should get on with my life!:: She tried, so hard, to convince herself. She'd almost succeeded, until that little voice broke in. ::What if Mulder isn't dead? What if he is still out there, searching? What if he brings home your child and wants to be a family? What will you tell him then?:: ::SHUT UP! I WILL DO WHATEVER I WANT AND SLEEP WITH WHOMEVER I WANT!:: Doggett glanced at Scully, confused. He could see the emotions racing across her face, but he had no idea what she was thinking. "Everything ok, Dana?" She looked up, embarrassed that he had been watching her. "Yeah, fine. Sorry, I was just preoccupied for a moment." They both sat there in silence for a moment, trying to find a topic to talk about. They both worked together, so it's not like either one could ask about the other's day. They already knew what happened. Thinking back to the magazines she'd tossed on the floor, Scully asked "Do you fish, John?" He appeared startled. ::Why in the world did she ask that?:: Almost as if she could read his thoughts, "I saw your Field and Stream magazine in the living room. I was just wondering if you fished, or just liked to read about it." "I used to fish, years ago. I even took Luke fishing with me once. That was the last time I went fishing. I've just been too lazy to cancel my subscription." "Oh." She hadn't meant to touch upon something as sensitive as that. She didn't know what to say now. John spoke next. "Why? You want to go fishing sometime?" Dana wrinkled her nose at the suggestion. "You mean put warm, live, squiggly worms on a hook so I can catch something cold and slimy that flops at my feet? I think I'll pass on that one, thanks for the offer." John had to laugh at her description. He'd never thought of it that way before. He shrugged. "Just as well. I don't own any fishing equipment anymore and would have to go and buy some if you wanted to go fishing." "Lucky you." They continued the rest of the meal in companionable silence, each thinking about the other and where their relationship should or would go. Scully sighed as she pushed her plate away and reached for her coffee. "That was a wonderful meal, John." "Thanks. I'm glad that you enjoyed it. I don't cook much anymore, so I was afraid that it wouldn't taste very good. Why don't we go into the living room with our coffee and let our meal settle." Scully stood up and headed for the living room. "Just for a few minutes though. I'm getting pretty sleepy. You're going to have to take me home soon or I'll probably fall asleep on your couch." ::Not that it would be a bad thing if you did.:: John thought, as he followed her into the living room. He sat down in the corner of the couch, waiting to see where she would sit. He was hoping that she'd sit next to him, but he figured she'd go for the recliner. Safer, that way. Neither one of them would have to deal with the increasing tension then. But then she surprised him. She sat on the couch with him. And not at the other end of the couch either. She sat right next to him. There was only about 6 inches separating the two of them. Doggett inhaled sharply. ::Does she have any idea what she's doing to me right now?:: Scully heard Doggett's reaction. ::Am I sure about what I'm doing? Hell yes, you're sure. You're attracted to him. Why not? Just see where it goes.:: She moved closer to Doggett, putting her head in the crook of his arm. He put his arm around her shoulder, tightening it. He never wanted to let go of her. Never. But should he tell her that? They sat there like that for several minutes. Dana's breathing began to slow and John could tell that she was almost asleep. He slowly moved his arm from around her, trying not to wake her. It didn't work. She sat up, looked at him. She blushed slightly. "I fell asleep, didn't I?" He smiled down as he bent over her, passion simmering in his eyes. "Yeah, you did, but it's ok. You can stay tonight, if you want." He held his breath waiting for her response. She was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say, knowing that if she said 'yes', everything would be different from this moment on. She looked up into his eyes, seeing love shining clearly from them. It would be ok. She smiled and whispered "yes", as she wrapped her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her and lifted her from the couch. She was so tiny, so light. It felt like he wasn't carrying anything at all. Slowly, he made his way towards the stairs. He pushed open the door to his bedroom and slowly made his way across, careful not to run into anything with her. He laid her down in the middle of the bed and just looked at her for a minute. There was a soft glow from the moon coming in the window. He could see her eyes sparkle in the light. Her hair was all around her on the pillows. She looked exquisite. He leaned over her and looked deeply into her eyes. "Are you sure?" he asked quietly. She nodded slightly. "I'm very sure." She reached up and pulled him down for a kiss. He returned her kiss, feverishly. He made every move slowly, knowing that, at any time, she could tell him no, hoping that she wouldn't change her mind. He took turns being gentle and demanding, bringing her as high as he could again and again without pushing her over the edge. He wanted tonight to be a night that she would never forget. Afterwards, she lay spent in his arms. She had never ever had a night like this. Never had a man made her feel so special, so loved, so...desired. She snuggled closer to him, stifled a yawn. "I love you, John Doggett" she whispered in his ear. He tightened his arms around her. "I will always love you, Dana Scully." They both drifted off to sleep, arms wrapped around each other, smiles on both of their faces. ~*~*~ John awoke first in the morning, the sun streaming in through the blinds hitting him squarely in the eye. He looked down at Dana, who was sleeping peacefully, her head on his chest. He watched her breathing in and out, a lock of her hair being blown around by her breath. He reached up a hand and smoothed her hair away from her face. He was a very lucky man and he knew it. He just hoped it would last. He was somewhat afraid that she would regret what she had done, when she woke up, and he hoped that she wouldn't. He looked back down at her, as she started to stir. She rubbed her eyes and looked around the room before bringing her eyes up to meet John's. "Morning," she muttered sleepily. He bent down and kissed her on the top of the head. "Morning, Sweetheart. How are you this morning?" Her eyes had closed again. She opened one eye and looked at him. "Tired." John grinned widely at that remark. ::Well, I guess that's a good sign.:: "Well, that's too bad. I had planned on us having a picnic in a real park today and perhaps flying some kites. But, of course, if you're that tired, we could just spend the rest of the day in bed." Scully eyes widened at his wicked suggestion, although they were filled with amusement. "You know, I think I am really exhausted. I should probably sleep all weekend long, so I'm not too tired when I get to work on Monday morning." Dana couldn't help but giggle, as John quickly reached down and pulled the covers over both of their heads. ~*~*~ Monday morning Dana Scully woke bright and early in her own bed. It felt strange not to wake up next to John, but she needed a little bit of time to herself. She wanted to be sure that she wasn't making a mistake, getting involved with John. ::Well, it sure doesn't feel like a mistake to me.:: Dana hummed, as she got ready to go to work. She glanced at herself in the mirror and was surprised by what she saw. Her eyes were bright and she was almost glowing. ::I guess this is what happiness looks like, huh? It's been a long time since I've seen that.:: Dana grinned at her reflection, extremely pleased by what she saw. She picked up her suit jacket and swung it over her shoulder, sauntering slightly as she locked the door behind her. She had a meeting with Skinner this morning, to ask him about the Smoking Man and didn't want to be late. She had a good feeling about today. ~*~*~ Skinner sat down at his desk with a steaming mug of coffee, feeling slightly disgruntled. He really wished that Doggett hadn't told Scully about the sighting of the Smoking Man. He didn't think that anything good was going to come from this meeting. He sighed, as he added creamer to his coffee and took a sip. ::She's going to be really pissed that I kept this from her. I promised to be open with her.:: He pulled the latest report from his agents in Montana towards him and began reading. He sat up as his intercom buzzed. "Yes?" he replied as he straightened his suit coat. He heard his assistant's perky voice. "Agent Scully is here to see you, Sir." He sighed. "Please send her in." Agent Scully entered the room, closing the door softly behind her. She took a seat in front of Skinner's desk, thinking about how many times she had sat here, like this, with Mulder sitting next to her. She shook her head, stopping the memories before they could start. They were too hard to take, but it was getting better. She thought of him less often now than she did at the beginning. "Good morning, Sir." Skinner nodded and attempted to smile, knowing that he was going to get a major ass-chewing. "Good morning, Agent Scully. How are you?" He looked at her carefully, as he said that. There was something different about her, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. "As a matter of fact, Sir, I'm doing really well this morning. However I did have something that I need to talk to you about. I hear that there has been a sighting of the Smoking Man in Montana." ::Here it comes!:: Thought Skinner. "Yes, Dana, there was a sighting of him at a small grocery store in a village, about a week ago. Shortly after Agent Doggett turned down my request to go out there himself, I sent another pair of agents to investigate." He paused there. Scully looked at him expectantly. "And?" "And there is nothing more to tell, Dana. As a matter of fact, when the agents got out there, they couldn't even find the man who had spotted the Smoking Man in the first place. They canvassed the entire county and spoke to everyone that they could find. They came up with nothing. I'm sorry, Dana, that I don't have better news to tell you." Scully nodded and sighed. She had expected as much. It had been almost 7 months since her child was taken. She didn't think that she would be getting good news anytime soon. She stood abruptly. "Thank you for your time, Sir. I think I'll be getting back to the office now." She walked swiftly out the door, closing it firmly behind her. ~*~*~ John Doggett was whistling, as he opened the office door promptly at 8 am Monday morning. Even though Dana had decided to go back to her apartment on Sunday morning, it had been a good weekend. They had several long talks, about life, work, relationships...almost anything, They had decided that it would be a good idea to take things slow at first. Even though it had been months since she had heard from Mulder, John knew that she thought about him often. He also knew, that Mulder occupied a very special place in Dana's heart and he never wanted to intrude upon that. He also knew, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her and he didn't want to make any stupid mistakes to ruin that. He sat down his coffee on his desk and hung up his coat before sitting down at his desk. He looked at the pile of files in his inbox and groaned slightly. He was sure that all the interesting ones were probably all the way across the country. And since their travel budget still had a hold put on it, they couldn't go anywhere. He looked at the folders again and grimaced. ::Maybe I'll read the morning paper before getting to them.:: He opened the paper and began reading about the President's latest half-baked idea and other such political nonsense. ~*~*~ That was how Dana found him when she walked in the office 10 minutes later. She began smiling, as soon as she saw him there. It was an uncontrollable reaction. He looked up and returned her smile. "Morning, Dana." "Morning, John. Anything good in the paper?" She asked, as she sat down at her desk and pulled all of the crap out of her inbox. John frowned. "Is there ever? I was just reading about that intern who disappeared and how that Congressman is supposedly involved in it. I'm sure it's just one more thing our government will cover up." Scully looked shocked. "You sounded just like Mulder when you said that." Doggett looked up at her, surprised at the comparison. "Yeah, I guess I did. But after working in this office, I can see why he distrusts the government so much. Anyway, looks like we have plenty of files to go through. I already checked on our travel funds and they're still frozen. I guess we'll have to find some local cases to work on." Scully sighed and opened the file on top of her desk. "Figures." She muttered, as she began to read. ~*~*~ A few hours later, Doggett stood and stretched. They'd been reading case files nonstop for a long time now and he figured it was time for a break. The clock said that it was noon, so it was lunchtime anyway. He looked over at Scully, who was rubbing her eyes. "Hey Dana," he said softly, so as not to startle her. She looked up at him, still rubbing her eyes. "Yeah?" "Let's take a break and get some lunch. I know this great Chinese place about 10 minutes from here." He was reaching for their coats as he spoke, knowing that she was probably as ready to get out of the office as he was. She nodded enthusiastically and stood up. Just as Doggett was helping her get her coat on, there was a knock at the door. Scully looked at him, puzzled. He shrugged and opened the door. On the other side was a UPS delivery boy. "Special Agent Dana Scully?" The young man queried, although it was obvious to him that this giant in front of him, was definitely not, a 'Dana.' Doggett shook his head 'no', as Scully stepped in front of him. "I'm Agent Scully." She said, somewhat authoritatively. "Yes ma'am." The young man blushed and averted his eyes. "I have a package that I need your signature for." She held her hand out, tapping her foot somewhat impatiently. ::Why do these interruptions always occur when I'm ready to go on break?:: He held out his board for her signature. She quickly scribbled something and handed it back. "Here's your package, ma'am," the boy said as he handed her a small manila envelope. "Have a nice day." Scully nodded and absently waved him away, unable to take her eyes off of the envelope. Doggett looked at her, at the look on her face, wondering if he should speak. "Dana?" She looked up, startled out of her thoughts. She shoved the envelope in her coat pocket and looped her arm through John's. "Come on, let's eat. I'll open it later." ~*~*~ The restaurant didn't look like much from the outside. The interior, however, was very impressive. There were huge, plush area rugs scattered across the polished hardwood floor. There were brightly colored paintings hung on the walls. The lighting was dim, sort of soothing. Each table had a lace tablecloth and candles for intimate lighting. The maitre 'd approached them, walking swiftly, yet with a sort of elegance to him. "Right this way, Mr. Doggett." He said with a soft, cultured voice. Dana's eyebrows shot up, as she looked at John. "Come here often?" she asked, with a hint of surprise in her voice. John laughed and put his arm around her shoulder. "Yeah. I love Chinese cooking and as much as I've tried to imitate it at home, I've never succeeded. Just wait until you taste their crab ran goons." Scully smiled, somewhat distractedly. Her thoughts had centered again on the envelope that she could feel in her jacket pocket. She was almost sure that whatever was in it, could not be good news. John could sense the change in her mood, as he pulled out her chair for her. He sat down across from her and began reading his menu, even though he already knew what he was going to order. He figured she'd talk about it when she was ready to. The waiter came and took their orders. They both sat there in silence for a moment. Then Dana let out a huge sigh and pulled the envelope out of her jacket pocket. She carefully examined the outside before opening it. She dumped the contents out onto the table and gasped, all the color fading from her face, her eyes wide with shock. Spilled out across the table were about a dozen glossy photos. Some were wallet sized, some where a little larger. But there were all of the same subject: a beautiful little baby with bright red curls on her head and the biggest hazel eyes. Scully felt tears pricking at her eyes. She just knew that this had to be her little girl. She had Mulder's eyes and Mulder's mouth. Scully was unaware that the tears were now running down her face. She turned over each picture, looking to see if anything was written on it. On the last one was a name: Samantha. That was all that was written on there. She looked up when she felt John take her hand. "Are you ok, Dana?" He couldn't stand to see that pain in her eyes again, the pain he'd worked so hard to remove over the past six months. She shook her head, unable to speak. She just pushed the pictures towards him, her hands shaking slightly. John cursed under his breath. "Who would be cruel enough to send these to you?" Dana shrugged, her face downcast. "Maybe the man who took my child wants to torture me some more? I don't know. They sure don't give me much to go on though, do they?" Just then the waiter brought their food. John picked the photos up and handed them back to Dana, watching, as she just picked at her food. She looked crushed. He wasn't sure how to help her in this situation. "Hey Dana. Why don't we take those pictures over to the Gunmen and see if they can get anything from them?" She nodded, not looking up. Her mood from earlier in the day was completely gone. She knew that she needed to get ahold of herself, but after seeing those pictures. Who could be so cruel to her? They had her child, the child whose sex she just now found out, did they really need to taunt her with it? She wanted to go home and curl up in a ball and sleep for hours. She looked up at John, at the compassion, love, pain, in his eyes and she knew that she couldn't give up. Things may be really crappy right now, but she'd always have him. She reached across the table and put her hand in his. "Yeah, why don't we see what the boys can come up with?" John threw some money on the table and they both got up and left, their earlier happiness completely shattered. ~*~*~ Scully knocked long and hard on the boys' door. Doggett was standing back from her a couple of steps. ::I'm still not sure how to act around these guys.:: Scully stepped back a bit, as she heard several locks being released. Frohike pulled open the door. "Hey Scully," he said as he gave her a once-over. "What's wrong? You look upset." "Well aren't you observant, Frohike, or should we conduct our business out here?" Frohike frowned and stepped back to let them in, making sure that he walked behind Scully. Langly rolled his eyes at Frohike, as Byers stepped out of the back room. "Hey, guys, what's up?" asked Langly, while Byers was shaking hands with John. Scully and Doggett looked at each other, unsure of who should speak first. Scully nodded and pulled the envelope out of her pocket. "I got these delivered to me today. I wondered if you guys could examine them and tell me anything at all that you can get from them." She handed the envelope to Byers, who promptly poured the contents on the table. There was a sudden intake of breath from all three men. Byers spoke first. "Scully? Is this? I mean, are these...photos of your child?" Scully shrugged, determined to hold back the tears. "You tell me. I want it to be. She looks like Mulder to me. But it's torture to look at these pictures and not know where she is or who has her or why." Doggett put his arm around Scully's shoulder and hugged her close, as the three boys exchanged looks. Frohike looked up at Scully, after examining a couple of the pictures. "Well, all I can tell you so far is that they look to be real photos. I'll see if I can find any distinguishing remarks on them, find out where they were developed, stuff like that." Scully managed a weak smile for Frohike. "Thanks, you guys. Let me know whatever you find ok? Even if it's not good news." They all nodded and Frohike walked them to the door. He gave Scully a quick hug before she left. She was slightly surprised, but returned the hug nonetheless. "Thanks Frohike." He nodded, blushing slightly, as he locked the door behind them. ~*~*~ Dana and John stepped outside of the Gunmen's Lair and realized that the wind had picked up. Dana shivered and pulled her coat closer around her as she looked up at the sky. ::Great. Looks like it's going to start snowing soon.:: She felt John take her arm and followed him to the truck. They sat inside waiting for the engine to warm up. John reached over and took her hand. He wanted so badly to take her home and comfort her, but he knew how Dana cherished her independence. Besides, they'd already decided that they weren't going to spend every night together. Dana was afraid that Kersh would find out what was going on and fire them both for it. John shifted his truck into drive and began pulling away from the curb, as the snow started to fall. They were big flakes and they were coming down so fast that John had to turn his wipers on. It took them twice as long as usual, to make it back to Dana's apartment. When they got upstairs to her apartment, Dana noticed that a piece of paper was taped to her door. She quickly tore it off and flipped it open. It was a note. "Dana," it began. "I hope that by now you have received the pictures that I sent you. I meant no harm in sending them, but I thought that you might like to see your child. Her name is Samantha. She's 5 1/2 months old now. She's a beautiful child who never fusses about anything. I know that you'll never understand why I had to take her, but it was for your best interest. Yours and your child's. I'm sorry, Dana, but it had to be done. I just hope that this might bring you some closure. Yours, C.G.B. Spender." Dana crumpled the paper into a tight ball as she could feel the tears welling in her eyes. John could see the tension enter her body, but he didn't know the reason for it, as he hadn't seen the note. "Dana? Are you ok? What is it?" She handed him the crumpled up ball of paper, as she began to unlock the door to her apartment. She didn't quite trust herself to speak. She was having a hard enough time holding back her tears. She heard John shut the door behind him, as she walked over to the window. She watched the snow falling, looked at the people struggling through the blanket of snow that already covered the ground. She didn't realize that the tears had begun to stream down her cheek. ::Why now? Why at all? He should have let me think that she was dead. Unless he's going to give her back to me?:: Dana crushed that flicker of hope before it could become a flame. ::No. He's not going to give her back. He's just trying to get under my skin, to torture me. What other reason could he have for sending me those pictures? Closure? Doesn't he realize that he's reopening the wounds?:: Dana felt John wrap his arms around her. She sighed and leaned back onto him. He kissed her lightly on top of the head, not saying anything, just holding her close. She turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his waist, laying her head on his chest. She could hear the steady beat of his heart and it was comforting to her. She looked up into his eyes. Her tears had dried, but the pain was still in her eyes. He wanted to take it away, but didn't know how. ::Maybe I should have gone to Montana after all. Maybe if I'd found him I could have stopped this from happening.:: "You couldn't have stopped this John." It was almost as if she had read his thoughts. He shook his head. "Maybe, maybe not. But maybe I should have tried." It was her turn to shake her head. "Don't beat yourself up over this John. You may have ended up getting hurt or killed if you had gone out there. It's ok." She hugged him tighter. John shook his head, frustrated with himself. ::Here I should be the one comforting her, but it's the other way around.:: Dana released him and turned to look back out the window. It appeared as if there was already six inches on the ground and it didn't look like it was going to be letting up anytime soon. "John?" she asked softly. He had headed towards the kitchen to make some coffee, but turned back around when she spoke. "Yeah?" "Will you stay with me tonight?" her voice hardly above a whisper. John nodded, before realizing that she wasn't looking at him; she was still staring out the window. "Yeah, Dana, I'll stay." ::I'd stay every night if I thought I could.:: She nodded and kept staring out the window, lost in her own thoughts. John came back in a few minutes with two cups of steaming coffee, one black, one with creamer. He handed one to her. She turned away from the window and took it from him, grateful not only for the coffee, but for the distraction from her thoughts. She went over and sat on the couch with her coffee. John closed the blinds on the window before joining her. "Well," he began, "from the looks of things out there, we might be stuck here for a few days." Dana shrugged, and began to smile as a thought entered her mind. ::I could think of many ways to spend a few days trapped with him.:: She tried to quash the thought. She should be thinking of her daughter, and how to save her, not of making love to John. She could feel her cheeks began to turn red, and quickly turned away from him, flipping on the TV. She settled back against his chest, as the news began. He reached up and pulled the afghan from the back of the couch over them, thinking that being snowed in might actually be a blessing in disguise. John could hear Dana's breathing become steady, almost rhythmic, as the news came to an end. He picked up the remote control, turned the volume down, and began flipping channels. He didn't want to wake her up, not yet. He knew she was probably exhausted from the emotional roller coaster that she'd ridden today. He pulled the blanket up a little bit more and shifted slightly so that the arm of the couch wasn't digging into his back so sharply. He reached up and flipped off the light next to the couch, before settling in to watch "Top Gun." ~*~*~ Dana woke several hours later to the dim flickering light of the TV and the sound of soft snoring. At first she was disconcerted. Then she noticed John's arms around her and realized that they were on the couch. She began trailing her fingertips up and down his arm, mesmerized by how strong he was, when he was so gentle with her. She slid her fingers down to link them with his. As she drifted off to sleep in the safety of his arms, she thought about how lucky she was. John awoke with a start, not realizing where he was or why he had woken. Glancing at the TV that was still on, he figured that was what had woken him. He checked the time on his watch. 6 AM. ::I can't believe we slept the whole night on the couch...not that I'm complaining or anything.:: He looked down at Dana, who was still sleeping peacefully in his arms, her fingers intertwined with his. He laid his cheek on top of her head, breathing in the fragrance of her shampoo. At that moment, he felt like the luckiest man in the world. Dana stirred in his arms, here eyes fluttering open. He picked his head up, so she could tilt hers to see him. "Morning," she spoke softly, her voice still raspy from sleeping. "Good morning," he replied, grinning widely. He couldn't help but be happy when he was around her. "Want some breakfast?" he offered. She nodded, as she sat up and stretched. "Coffee first though, please." John stood and worked the kinks out of his neck. "Coffee it is, Madam." Dana giggled and headed in the direction of the bathroom. John had the radio on in the kitchen and was listening to some news program, when Dana walked in 15 minutes later, still drying her hair with a towel. "Mmm...something smells good in here," she offered, as she poured herself a cup of coffee. John grinned at her over his shoulder, from where he was standing at the stove. He was making omelets for breakfast and they were at the crucial stage where if he didn't watch them closely they could be ruined. Dana sat her coffee on the table. "Anything I can do to help?" she asked. John tilted his head to the side as he thought about it. "I suppose you could set the table if you want. Everything else is under control." "Ok" she replied as she got plates and silverware out of the cabinets and put them on the table. John carefully slid her omelet onto her plate, as she sat down. He then served himself and sat down across from her. Smelling the food made them both realize just how hungry they were. They'd skipped supper last night and neither one had eaten much lunch. They began to devour their food, too busy eating to talk. Dana sat back in her chair with a little sigh of contentment after she finished. "That was fantastic, John." He grinned at the praise. "Thanks. It's been a long time since I've cooked breakfast." She frowned slightly, her brows drawing closer together. "Why is that?" John shrugged. "It just seemed like too much of a hassle to cook for just me. After awhile my breakfast became cereal and coffee, then toast and coffee. Now it's usually just coffee. What about you? Do you cook much?" She shook her head. "Not really. I guess like you, I don't really see the point in it either. I usually have coffee and maybe some yogurt for breakfast. I'm generally too tired or too busy to cook when I get home from work and either have a sandwich or order something in." Just then a loud beeping coming from the radio interrupted their conversation. "Attention all listeners. All of the metropolitan area has been placed under a severe winter weather advisory for the next 24 to 48 hours. Snow accumulations of between 18 and 24 inches are expected..." John and Dana gaped at each other, ignoring the rest of the weather bulleting. "Well, John said with a smile, "Guess we won't be going into work for awhile." "Guess not." Dana grinned, pleased at the thought. "Guess I'll be stuck here for awhile as well," John remarked, his grin widening. Suddenly, Dana faked a yawn. "You know," she began with a mischievous light in her eyes, "I think I need to take a nap after eating that big omelet." She stood and stretched, faking another yawn. "Yeah," John agreed. "I think I need a nap too." John came around to her side of the table and, without warning, swept her up in his arms. She giggled and kissed him, as he headed down the hall towards the bedroom. She pushed the door shut behind them. ~*~*~ Several hours later, Dana's eyes flickered open. She rolled over in the bed and propped herself up on her elbows, so she could look down at John, who was still sleeping soundly. ::He looks so peaceful when he's sleeping.:: As if he could feel her looking at him, his eyes opened. "What time is it?" he asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Dana slid her eyes over to the clock on the nightstand and then back to his. "2:30. I can't believe we spent the whole day in bed." "Well," John looked at her, eyebrows raised. "The day isn't over yet." Dana swatted him playfully on the chest, before getting out of bed and wrapping her robe around her, tying it at the waist. As she headed to the bathroom, she tossed back over her shoulder, "And if we spend the whole day in bed, what will we do tonight?" "I hoped more of the same." John muttered under his breath, as he pulled on some clothes and headed for the kitchen to find some food. ~*~*~ He was opening and closing cabinet doors when Dana walked in. She leaned against the doorway as she asked, "Find anything good in there?" John jumped a little, startled, and turned to look at her. Leaning against the door, her robe tied haphazardly, and her hair all mussed, John thought she was more beautiful than he'd ever seen her. "Well," he said, pulling out a couple of cans. "How about some soup?" She nodded in agreement. "Sure. I'll make some grilled cheese sandwiches to go with it, if you'd like." "Grilled cheese?! I love grilled cheese!!" Dana grinned at the enthusiasm in his voice and for the next several minutes they worked side by side, as if they had been doing this for years. They sat down and, over lunch, discussed how they would spend the next couple of days. As it was still snowing outside, they both figured that they wouldn't be working tomorrow either. "Well, as I'm not here much, there probably isn't a whole lot to do." John raised an eyebrow at that comment. Dana blushed at the look and averted her eyes. "Well, besides that anyway." John acted confused. "And what's wrong with spending the next 24 hours in bed?" Dana laughed. "I guess nothing, really. I've just never done that before." John shrugged. "Me either. But they say there is a first time for everything." ~*~*~ The next 24 hours passed very quickly. Following John's suggestion, they'd surfaced from the bedroom only to eat or to use the bathroom. They'd finally decided to get up and venture outside to see if any damage had been done by the storm. They linked fingers as they walked down the streets, peering in the windows of the few shops that were open. The snowplows had gotten most of the streets cleared and traffic was starting to move more like normal. They came to a coffee shop that was open and decided to go inside and warm up. They sat side by side in a corner booth, sipping their coffee when Dana's cell phone rang. She pulled it out of her pocket. "Scully." "Hey, Scully." "Frohike. What's up?" She heard a deep sigh come from the other end of the phone. ::What's that about?:: She wondered. "I wish I had good news, Scully, but I don't. I wasn't able to get any information from the photos." Dana sighed and leaned her head on John's shoulder. "It's ok, Frohike. I knew it was a long shot anyway." "Yeah, well, I'm still sorry. I really wanted to find something. Anyway, we're done with the pictures if you want to come and pick them up." "Thanks. We'll probably be by later." She turned the phone off and put it back in her pocket and turned to face John, who was watching her intently. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm not going to flip out or fall apart." John smiled, the tension leaving his body. "I guess they didn't have any good news, huh?" She shook her head. "I wasn't expecting them to anyway. Mulder couldn't find anything." She really wanted to call Mulder. But the last time she'd tried, she got a message saying his cell phone had been disconnected. ::If he had news, he'd find a way to get in touch with me.:: John saw the emotions crossing her face and decided to break into her thoughts. "So," he said, laying some money on the table to cover their coffee, "should we go get those pictures now?" She nodded. "Yeah. But let's take a cab. I'm tired of walking." John agreed and they headed outside to hail a cab. ~*~*~ A few minutes later they got out of the cab outside of the Gunmen's Lair. "Thanks." Scully muttered as she handed the driver some money. Riding in cabs always made her uneasy for some reason. Scully knocked on the boys' door and stepped back so the camera was focused on her face. Frohike looked at the TV screen on the inside. "Hey guys-It's Scully and Doggett." Langly snorted. "The Dog Man huh?" Frohike interrupted. "Shaddup, Langly." Scully could hear the many locks releasing. She turned to John and rolled her eyes. The door slowly swung inward. "Come in and hurry up, you're letting the cold in," grumbled Frohike. Scully smiled, as she and Doggett followed him inside. "It's nice to see you, too, Frohike. Hello Byers, Langly." Doggett nodded to all three of them. He knew they were the good guys, but he still thought they were almost as paranoid as Mulder. He thought it probably best to say as little as possible. Byers came forward with a manila envelope for Scully. His eyes were sad. "I'm really sorry that we couldn't find anything for you Scully." She nodded and took the envelope. "It's ok. I didn't really think that you guys would." Langly spoke up. "Still no word from Mulder?" She shook her head. "No. I tried to call him a couple of weeks ago and found out that his cell phone had been disconnected. I take it you guys haven't heard anything from him either?" Langly shook his head sadly. "No. I hope he's ok." Scully nodded. "Me, too, but it's been almost 6 months." She quickly wiped away a tear. "Thanks guys. I think we'll leave now." Frohike nodded and walked them to the door. "See you guys later." Doggett took her arm and led her outside to find a cab home. ~*~*~ By the time they got home, neither one had the energy left to cook so they ended up ordering a pizza and sitting on the couch watching TV. Neither one said anything, but then, words weren't needed. John understood Dana's pain, to an extent. He also felt that she would talk about it when she was ready to. And so, they sat on the couch in silence, wrapped in each other's arms until it was time to go to bed. ~*~*~ The next several weeks passed peacefully. They spent their days working on local cases, since their travel budget was still locked up tight. They spent their nights at John's house. His house felt more like a home to Dana than any other she'd ever lived in. At first, she went to her apartment to get something every day. But the last time she'd been back to her apartment had been over a week ago. After the blizzard had finished wreaking havoc and John and Dana had spent their first night alone, Dana had decided that Kersh could take his rules and stick them. She deserved to be happy and being with John made her very happy. So she moved in with him. As far as John was concerned, he almost couldn't be any happier. Almost. The only thing that could possibly make him happier would be if Dana would agree to marry him. Humming under his breath, he wandered into a local jewelry store on his lunch break. It was almost Valentine's Day and John was going to ensure that this was a very memorable day for both him and Dana. ~*~*~ Valentine's Day dawned bright and sunny. The snow had melted off a couple of days before and it was warm enough outside to feel like winter was finally over. As today was a Thursday, Dana felt like she should have been at work. But there hadn't been any new X-File cases for almost 2 weeks now, so Skinner had agreed to let them take a long weekend. Dana didn't think she would have been able to concentrate at work anyway. Yesterday she'd received a dozen red roses from John. The card had been somewhat cryptic. It read "I'll be there at 7pm. Wear something elegant. Love, John." Thinking back to the note, Dana wrinkled her nose. ::Elegant? Like a dress? Guess I'm going shopping today!:: John hung up his phone and smiled. He'd just confirmed the limousine reservations for tonight. He fingered the small velvet box in his pocket. ::Tonight is going to be a great night...a new beginning.:: He picked up the phone again and began to dial. He wanted to double-check the restaurant reservations, just to be on the safe side. He was humming softly, as he waited for the call to go through. Dana walked into a fancy clothing store in downtown DC and gasped. Never in her life had she seen so many beautiful dresses all in one place. How in the world was she going to be able to find something to wear? A young perky salesperson came over, her blonde hair bouncing on her shoulders, as she moved. "Hi! My name is Allison, can I help you?" Dana groaned inwardly. ::This should be fun.:: "I hope so," she replied. "I have a date tonight, ::God I must sound stupid!::, and my boyfriend told me to wear something elegant." Dana swallowed and stood waiting, as Allison walked around her, scrutinizing her from top to bottom. When Allison again stood in front of Dana, she clapped her hands excitedly. "I have just the dress for you. Come right this way!" ~*~*~ Hundreds of miles away, Mulder waited in the trees, his body tense with excitement and fear. After weeks of scoping the place out, learning their routines, Mulder and Krycek had finally come up with a plan that they liked. And today they were putting that plan into action. Mulder looked up at the sky, as he felt a raindrop land on his head and run down his nose. ::A dark and gloomy day. A perfect day to fit my mood.:: He was anxious to get this over with. He'd wanted to go in weeks ago. He wanted it over with. But he knew he was thinking with his heart and not his mind. That was why he had let Krycek make the majority of the decisions. He looked over at his friend, who was also waiting in the trees in the rain. Just then the cabin door opened, as it had every day, for as long as they had been doing their surveillance. They knew the man walking out of the door was Mac, the man Spender sent on errands. Krycek waited until Mac had gotten in his truck and driven away before turning to return Mulder's gaze. Mulder raised an eyebrow. ::Now?:: Krycek nodded. ::Now.:: ~*~*~ Dana let Allison lead her through the massive store. It seemed like they had walked a mile, before they finally stopped in front of a mannequin. Dana felt her mouth drop open. The dress on display was absolutely breathtaking. It was aquamarine blue and floor length. The top was fitted, but the skirt flared slightly at the waist. It was held up by two thin spaghetti straps on each shoulder. The straps were lined with rhinestones and crossed over the shoulder blades before meeting the dress at the back. "Well?" Allison asked excitedly. Dana nodded her head, not once removing her stare from the dress. "It's absolutely beautiful." Allison grinned. "Wait until you try it on!" She took a dress off the rack and then grabbed Dana's hand, pulling her towards a fitting room. ~*~*~ John was grinning widely, as he walked out of a tuxedo shop downtown. The sun was still shining and the day had warmed up a bit. It was still pretty chilly outside, but it felt glorious after the snow. John put the tux in his truck, then shoved his hands in his jacket pockets, as he walked down the street. ::Only one more errand to run.:: He thought happily. Dana slipped the silk dress over her head and "oohed" at the mirror when the dress finally slid into place. She reached behind her and pulled up the zipper in the back before twirling in front of the mirror. She felt like a princess in this dress. It was perfect. Allison knocked softly on the door. "Dana? I have a few accessories that I thought you might like to try on with the dress." Dana opened the door and stepped out. Allison was holding a shawl, shoes, and an evening bag, all of them silver and shimmery. Dana held out her hand for them. "Wow." Allison whispered. "You look stunning." Dana blushed slightly, as she bent down to put on the strappy sandals. "Thanks." She straightened up and wrapped the shawl around her shoulders. The shawl was so thin it was almost invisible. But it sparkled in the light and that was the desired effect. Dana picked up the evening bag and turned to Allison. "What do you think?" she asked, excitement shining softly in her eyes, eyes that shone even brighter when complemented by the dress. Allison was smiling again. "I think you will outshine everyone else, in that dress!" Dana grinned and went back into the fitting room to change. ::I can't wait.:: ~*~*~ John walked out of the florist's office carrying two small white boxes. One contained a boutonniere for him, the other a small corsage for Dana's wrist. They were both made out of white roses. He carefully placed them on the passenger seat of his truck, before heading home. He glanced at the clock on his dash: 12:00. ::Only 7 more hours to go.:: He had a feeling that those 7 hours were going to feel like 7 days. Dana looked at her watch, as she walked out of the clothing store loaded down with bags. She gasped. ::Noon! I've got to get home!:: She hurried to her car, tossing her bags in the back seat before getting in and starting it. As she waited for the car to warm up she debated whether she should grab something to eat on the way home or wait until she got there and make something to eat. The thought of a cheeseburger won out and so she headed for McDonald's. ~*~*~ Mulder slowly pushed open the cabin door, Krycek covering him with his gun. "What'd you forget this time, Mac?" Called an irritated voice from the back of the cabin. Mulder pushed the door open the rest of the way, as CSM walked into the living room. "Mac didn't forget anything!" Mulder growled, his gun trained on CSM, as he entered the cabin, Krycek close behind him with his own gun out. "Agent Mulder?" The older man looked surprised. "What are you doing here?" Mulder's eyes roamed the room, taking in the crib near the fireplace, the box of diapers on the floor next to it. His gun, however, remained trained on Spender. Krycek had gone through the rest of the cabin, making sure they were alone. Mulder brought his eyes back to Spender's face. "Do you really need to ask why I am here?" Sarcasm was dripping from every word he spoke. Just then, there was a flash of lightening and a loud clap of thunder. The baby in the crib began crying. Mulder's baby, the baby whose sex he still didn't know. Mulder nodded towards the baby and Krycek went to pick it up. As much as Mulder wanted to go see his child, comfort it, he wasn't about to take his eyes off of Spender. Krycek picked the baby up and rocked it gently, murmuring soothing words. "It's a little girl, Mulder," Krycek spoke softly. "Yes, Mulder," Spender spoke up, looking more confident. "Her name is Samantha. How fitting that you should come to save her since you couldn't save your sister." Mulder lunged, his gun flying, his hands wrapping themselves around the elder man's neck. "Why? You sick bastard! Tell. Me. Why. You. Took. My. Child!" His words came out staccato fast, each one punctuated, by Mulder shaking the other man. Krycek was standing back watching, still holding the now cooing child. As much as he wanted to be the one strangling Spender, he knew that this was Mulder's moment. He looked down at the baby that was drifting off to sleep in his arms. She had beautiful red curls on her head and cute chubby cheeks. Krycek felt a tug at his heart, but shook it away, as he turned back to the confrontation on the other side of the room. "You have to understand Mulder." Spender croaked out. "I did it to protect the child, to protect you and Scully." Mulder loosened his hands slightly, so the man could speak. "Protect us from what?" he growled out. "From the aliens, Mulder. Your daughter is very special. The aliens left something of themselves in both you and Scully during your abductions. That has been passed on to your daughter, making her very unique. The aliens want her to study her, how her mind works, how her DNA is different than yours." Mulder snorted. "And how is it, that you can protect her better than I can?" "I...I just can, Mulder." The other man began to stutter, the fear returning to his eyes. "I-" Mulder cut him off. "Wanna know what I think?" Mulder asked, taunting. "I think you're full of shit. My daughter is special, yes, but the aliens aren't after her. We've been watching your cabin for weeks now and we know no one is after her, especially aliens." He looked at Krycek. "Anything else we should ask him?" Krycek shook his head. "Nope." Mulder turned to look back at Spender, hate flowing from his hazel eyes. "You're done interfering in my life. Adios." And with that, Mulder snapped the other man's neck. As the body fell to the floor, Mulder bent over and retrieved his gun. He turned to Krycek and held out his arms, eager to meet his daughter. He gently rocked her in his arms, whispering in her ear, as Krycek went over to rifle through the dead man's pockets. "No ID, nothing Mulder." Krycek shrugged. "What do you want to do?" Mulder had been packing stuff for the baby, getting ready to go. "Burn it. Burn it all." *** *** Dana picked up her favorite bottle of perfume, "Clinique Happy," and dabbed some behind her ears. She looked at her reflection in the mirror. She had curled her hair and piled it on top of her head so that a few loose tendrils framed her face. The tiny diamond earrings that she had put on sparkled under the bathroom light. She smiled and liked what she saw. She walked into the living room, her heels making a faint clicking sound on the floor through the carpet. She pulled her shawl around her shoulder and picked up her evening bag just as there was a knock on her door. She pulled open the door and felt her mouth drop open. John was standing outside the door holding a small white box. He was wearing a black tuxedo with a blue vest underneath it. He looked incredibly handsome. John had been stunned when Dana had pulled open the door. He knew that she was beautiful, but this...He thought he'd died and gone to heaven. The blue of the dress brought out her beautiful eyes. Her hair was piled on top of her head, but loosely, so that she looked both sexy and sophisticated at the same time. ::Wow!:: He cleared his throat, trying to find his voice. "I thought the card said 'elegant' not 'knock you on your ass stunning.'" He grinned and Dana blushed at the compliment. He handed her the small white box that he was carrying. "This is for you." She opened the box slowly, her eyes lighting up when she saw what was inside. "John, this is beautiful." He took the small white box from her, setting it on the table by the door, reaching inside to pull out the corsage that was inside. It was made of three small white roses, with baby's breath tucked around them. He carefully slipped it on her wrist. "Ready to go?" he asked, hoping that he didn't seem too anxious. She nodded and took the arm he offered. When they got to the front of the building, Dana was stunned again. In front of her was a white stretch limousine with a man waiting to open the door for them. "John?" she asked, looking up at him, the question in her eyes clear. He smiled down at her. "Happy Valentine's Day, Dana." She smiled back at him as they got settled in the limo. ~*~*~ Mulder and Krycek stood by the car they'd "borrowed" from Spender watching the cabin go up in flames. They'd placed Samantha in the car seat in the back and she'd fallen back asleep almost immediately. Mulder watched the sunset through the trees, glad that it was finally over. ::Now I can take my daughter and go home. My daughter.:: Those two words still sent a shiver down his spine. It seemed unreal. Then it hit him. He needed to call Scully. Now. He looked over at Krycek, who was also watching the cabin burn. "Hey, Alex, mind if I borrow your phone?" Krycek shook his head. "Not at all." He replied, as he handed his phone to Mulder. Mulder quickly punched in Scully's home number, tapping his foot impatiently as it continued to ring. He heard the machine answer and cursed under his breath, as he hung up and then punched in her cell phone number. Again, he only got her voice mail. ::Dammit!:: He looked at his watch. It was 7:30 in DC. ::Where is she?:: He handed the phone back to Krycek. "No answer, huh?" "Nope." Mulder replied, looking dejected. He'd wanted, no needed, to share this news with Scully. "Don't worry, Mulder. You'll get in touch with her." Krycek quickly calculated the drive time from there to Denver in his head. He needed to call Tammy and let her know he was coming home. They were about 5 hours away so that would work. He picked up his phone and dialed, smiling when she answered. "Happy Valentine's Day, Babe." He said huskily. He listened for a minute and then said, "I'm coming home, tonight." He held the phone away from his ear, so he wouldn't lose his hearing, to her screams of joy. "Listen, we have to get on the road. Meet us in the parking lot of Barnes and Noble at 10:30, ok? We will be in the dark green Taurus with Montana plates." He was silent again for another minute. "I know, Babe. I love you too." He hung up, sliding the phone back in his pocket and turned to Mulder. "Let's get out of here." Mulder turned away from the smoldering remains of the cabin and the Cigarette Smoking Man. He nodded. "I'll drive the first part," he offered. Krycek agreed and went around to get in on the passenger side. Mulder started the car and backed carefully out of the woods. He was smiling by the time he got to the interstate. ::We're finally going home Samantha.:: ~*~*~ Dana looked around in awe, as she and John entered the restaurant where they had reservations. The interior was done almost entirely in blue. The floor was covered in a royal blue carpet, so thick that Dana could feel her feet sinking into it. The walls were done in a blue gray color that almost looked like mist. The maitre 'd led them to their seats. It was a small, two-person, table set back in a somewhat secluded corner. There was a pale blue tablecloth that matched the chairs. On the table, there were two, small, white, rose-shaped candles for mood lighting. Their waitress, an attractive woman in her late 30s came their way. She had short dark hair and was wearing a well cut dark blue suit. ::What is it with this place and the color blue?:: Dana thought, rather amusedly. The waitress flipped open her order book and addressed them. "Hello, my name is Jayne and I shall be your server this evening. May I interest either of you in a bottle of wine?" She asked, displaying their wine list. Dana looked at John and shrugged. She wasn't too picky. John chose a wine and the waitress said she'd return in a moment to take their orders. This restaurant was known for it's fine seafood and, after perusing the entire menu, John and Dana both decided on swordfish. The waitress returned, poured their wine, took their orders, and left as swiftly and as gracefully, as she had arrived. As Dana sipped the Chardonnay that John had ordered, she wistfully eyed the dance floor. She hoped that John would ask her to dance. John had been watching Dana all night long and saw the look in her eyes, as she watched the couples twirling on the dance floor. Slowly, John pushed his chair back from the table and walked around to where Dana was sitting. He offered his hand, very much the gentleman he was. "May I have this dance?" Dana smiled and suppressed a giggle. She put her fingers in his, enjoying the feel of the warmth emanating from them. She shivered slightly, as she stood, her shawl falling into her chair. "I would love to dance." She replied, as the band began playing a slow romantic song. John wrapped his arms around Dana, pulling her close to him on the dance floor. She rested her head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. He put his head on top hers and they both swayed in time to the music, listening to the words of the male vocalists. "Every time our eyes meet This feeling inside me Is almost more than I can take. Baby when you touch me I can feel how much you love me And it just blows me away. I've never been this close to anyone or anything I can hear you thoughts I can feel your dreams..." Dana looked up at John, love for him shining in her eyes. He bent down slightly and kissed her cheek. She smiled and put her head back, on his shoulder. "I don't know how you do what you do I'm so in love with you It just keeps getting better I wanna spend the rest of my life With you by my side Forever and ever Every little thing that you do Baby I'm amazed by you... John pulled her closer, whispering in her ear. "I'm amazed by you." Dana looked up, slightly surprised. "I love you too." She whispered. "The smell of your skin The taste of your kiss The way you whisper in the dark Your hair all around me Baby you surround me Touch every place in my heart Oh it feels like the first time Every time I wanna spend the whole night in your eyes "I don't know how you do what you do I'm so in love with you It just keeps getting better I wanna spend the rest of my life With you by my side Forever and ever Every little thing that you do Baby I'm amazed by you..." John had planned to wait, but he knew that now was the right moment. He pulled away from Dana, her eyes slightly hurt. As the music kept playing, he pulled out a small black velvet box and got down on his knee in front of her. "Every little thing that you do... Oh every little thing that you Baby I'm amazed by you." As the song came to a close, John reached up and took Dana's hand. "You are my everything." He said softly. "Without you, Dana, I am but part of a man. You complete me. Will you be my wife?" Dana stared at him, tears in her eyes. She looked at the ring he was holding, waiting to put it on her hand. It was gorgeous. In the middle of the gold band was a marquise cut diamond. On either side of it were smaller, princess cut, diamonds. She began to nod, unsure of whether or not she could talk. Finally, she found her voice. "Yes, John, I will be your wife." John slid the ring on her finger and stood, wrapping his arms around her in a bone-crushing hug. Soon they were kissing each other, neither one realizing for a few moments that people in the restaurant were clapping. As they came to their senses, Dana realized that everyone was watching them, and blushing slightly, she took John's hand and led them back to their table. As they were seated, Jayne appeared with a bottle of champagne and their food. "Compliments of the management," she explained as she uncorked the champagne. John and Dana lifted their glasses to each other. "To our future." She offered. "To our future." He seconded, as they both took a sip, already giddy with happiness. ~*~*~ Krycek pulled the car into the crowded parking lot of a Denver Barnes and Noble and turned it off. He glanced over at Mulder, who was asleep in the passenger seat. ::I'll have to wake him soon.:: Krycek glanced around his familiar surroundings looking for her. ::It's good to be home again. I've been away too long.:: He noticed a pair of headlights turning into the parking lot. ::Teal Saturn. Time to go.:: He reached over and shook Mulder awake. "Wha-?" Mulder sat up rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Where are we? What's going on?" "It's ok, Mulder." Krycek said reassuringly. "We're in Denver. She's here." Krycek pointed to the woman walking towards them. As she passed under a light, they could see what she looked like. Mulder was stunned. She was about 5'8" with shoulder length chestnut hair. She was wearing all black, except for the green leather jacket. ::No wonder Alex was in a hurry to get home!:: They got out of the car and stood next to it, waiting to meet her. Mulder left his door open slightly in case Samantha woke up and cried out. Alex opened his arms, as she came closer. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her close. "Oh God, Tammy, I have missed you so much." He kissed her quick and hard before releasing her. "Tammy, this is Special Agent Fox Mulder. Mulder, Tammy." Mulder stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you." As she came closer to shake his hand, he noticed her eyes. They were emerald green and burned with an intensity like none he'd ever seen before. He felt himself becoming lost in the depths of her eyes and quickly released her hand, looking away. "So," she asked, her voice soft and alluring, "do I get to see why my Alex has been gone for so long?" Mulder jumped when she spoke, startled out of his reverie. "Yeah, sure, she's asleep in the back seat. Her name is Samantha." He slowly pulled open the Door, so that she could see his daughter. She leaned in and gasped softly when she saw the baby in the backseat. She was so perfect. She looked over at Alex, then Samantha, and then back at Alex. ::Nah, ours would be cuter.:: She turned back to Mulder and impulsively gave him a hug. "Good luck." Mulder looked at her strangely, but didn't say anything. Krycek cleared his throat. "You sure you're ok to drive back to DC alone, Mulder?" He asked, with concern showing on his face. Mulder nodded and smiled that heart-breaking, make- you-weak-in-the-knees grin of his. "Sam and I will be fine. I'll call you in a couple days, ok Alex?" Krycek nodded and walked over to Mulder, enveloping him in a bear hug. "Take care, Fox. Good luck." Mulder returned the hug, feeling a closeness to Krycek, a kinship, he'd only ever felt with one other person. "Thanks Alex, I owe you one. Take care." Tammy and Alex stood holding hands, watching as Mulder pulled out of the parking lot, before turning and heading back to her car. ~*~*~ Alex pushed the door shut and leaned back against it, sighing. It felt so good to be home. He watched as Tammy walked across the room, kicking off her boots and tossing her coat across the couch. He could feel himself becoming aroused just by watching her. It had been too long. "Tammy?" He whispered, his voice soft and husky. She turned around, flipping her brilliant red hair out of her eyes. "Yes?" Her voice, sultry. "C'mere." She walked towards him, feeling the excitement build in the room. She had missed him, so much. He opened his arms, as she came closer. He loved the way the moonlight from the window played in her hair, the way it shimmered in her green eyes. He felt his jeans tighten. She walked into his arms, loving the feel of him, his unique smell. God, how she had missed him. He reached a hand up, brushing her hair back from her face, following his hand with tiny butterfly kisses. She could feel her nipples beginning to harden just from his light touch. Suddenly, he spun her around, so that her back was against the door. He reached over and closed the blinds on the window. He tipped his head down, kissing her forehead, her eyes, her nose, before settling on her mouth. She gasped, slightly, at the invasion of his tongue, her surprise allowing him even deeper entrance. His tongue battled with hers, both of them becoming more heated by the second. He pulled back and drug in a deep breath. Her eyes had gone dark green with passion, almost as dark as his. His fingers pulled her shirt, tugging it from her pants, seeking entrance. He ran his fingers up her sides, making her shiver. She tipped her head back against the door and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his talented hands on her. He unsnapped her bra, quickly moving it out of the way. He cupped her breasts, gently kneading them. She gasped, feeling a pulsing begin between her legs. She wanted him to take her now, but knew that the exquisite torture would be worth it. Suddenly, he lifted her in his arms and walked away from the door. "I want to enjoy this." He whispered in her ear, kissing it, as he placed her in the middle of the bed. He kicked his shoes off, shrugged out of his coat, before climbing on the bed on top of her. Her hair was spread out across the pillows and he knew he had never seen her look more beautiful. He quickly pulled her shirt off, her bra following behind it, then sat back, gazing at her beauty. Her nipples were hard and stood out, begging for his touch. He was happy to oblige. He bent down and began suckling on one nipple, his hand playing with the other one. He began running his tongue around her nipple, then applied his teeth, gently, but enough to get a reaction from her. Her hips bucked, as she groaned out his name. "Oh God, Alex." He smiled against her chest, feeling his own excitement building. He wanted this to last though, wanted it to be special. He felt the need to make up for having been gone so long. Her hands roamed down his back, looking for the ends of his shirt. She found it and pulled it up and over his head, tossing it across the room. She ran her hands down the front of his chest, loving the feel. She teased his nipples with her fingertips, smiling, as she elicited a groan from him. With one move, her pants and underwear were gone. He couldn't let her get control, not if he hoped to last very long. He slid his hands back up her legs, his mouth never leaving her breasts. Her breaths began coming in short gasps. She was close, this Alex knew, but he was determined to push her, as far as he could, before he let her come. He stopped when his fingers were almost at the juncture between her legs. He could feel the heat coming off of her, felt her buck beneath his hands. He stopped and looked up at her, smiling evilly. "Oh God, Alex." She moaned. "Don't stop now. Please. I want you. Inside me. Now." She spoke softly, quickly, knowing what he wanted to hear. He nodded and was happy to oblige. He slid a finger inside of her, his thumb rubbing at her clit. She was so wet, so ready for him. He almost came when he felt her contract around his finger. He took a deep breath and slid another finger inside her, grinning widely, as she lifted her hips off the bed to meet him. He began to move back and forth, slow at first, then getting faster and faster. She began mumbling incoherently, her hips bucking wildly. With his free hand, he reached down and removed the rest of his clothes, letting them fall off of the side of the bed. He removed his fingers, knowing that she was almost there. She frowned and groaned slightly. He sat down and picked her up, impaling her on him in one swift move. She screamed, as she took him in, feeling herself climax around him. Alex began moving her up and down, almost removing her from him completely each time he picked her up. Her head fell back, her excitement building again. He leaned forward and nipped at her breasts, first one and then the other. She moaned. "Oh God, Alex, now. Now." He pumped into her harder, faster, feeling himself about to climax. He reached down with his hand, rubbing her clit with his thumb in time to his movements. She moaned and screamed his name and she climaxed violently, clutching him tightly within her. One more thrust and he came too, calling her name, Mumbling, as he felt his hot seed pour into her. He laid back on the bed, letting her fall onto his chest, not bothering to remove himself from her. They were both breathing hard. She ran her hands up his chest and into his hair. She leaned closer and kissed him softly on the lips. "I love you Alex." "I love you too, Tammy." ~*~*~ John and Dana giggled, as they stood outside waiting for the limo to be brought around. They had stayed at the restaurant until close and in that remaining time they had finished off both the bottle of champagne and the bottle of wine. Plus John had purchased another bottle of the champagne from the restaurant to take home with them. Dana wrapped her arms around John's waist and nibbled on his ear. "So," she asked, her voice low and seductive, "are we going to your place or mine?" "Yours," he whispered, his voice hoarse, as the limo pulled up. "It's closer." He grabbed her hand and practically dragged her to the open limo door, a huge grin on his face. ~*~*~ Dana awoke the next morning to the sunlight streaming in through her bedroom window. She was lying on her right side curled up next to John, her left hand on his chest. Her fingers were laying in the sunlight and she wiggled them, watching her ring send rainbows all over the room. She pinched herself. ::Nope, it's not a dream.:: And she giggled at herself, for being so silly. John opened his eyes at the sound, gazing at her beautiful face. She reached up and ran her fingers over his face, through his hair. He rolled over, so that she was underneath him and began kissing her, running his fingers through her red hair, urging her on. Soon, he was in her and they were moving to their own rhythm. He felt like his very soul was going to explode from what he felt for this woman. Afterward they both lay contentedly in each other arms. "Well." Dana said, the first words either one had spoken all morning. "Good morning to you, too." He laughed softly, Dana feeling the rumbling in his chest where her head was laying. He kissed her on top of her head. "I love you." She smiled into his chest. "I love you too, John." "So," he asked, pulling her closer, "what are we going to do with our day off today?" She knew what his suggestion would be. "Well," she said, raising herself up on her elbow so she could look into his face, "I thought that maybe we should begin by spreading the good news. I guess we should probably set a date first." "Tomorrow." John replied without a moment's hesitation, drawing a laugh from Dana. He smiled at her reaction, before continuing. "It depends. Do you want a big wedding or a small wedding, Dana?" She frowned slightly, wondering what kind of wedding his first had been. "Well...knowing my mom, she'll want to help, and we'll end up having a huge wedding. Is that ok with you?" He shrugged. "That's all right with me. But the sooner the better." Dana laughed again. "In that case, we'd better get up and get moving, hadn't we? I'll go make some coffee while you get cleaned up." John nodded and sighed. "Well, there goes my plans for the day." She picked up a pillow and hit him with it, playfully, on her way out of bed. "I thought that's what the honeymoon was for." She ran, laughing, through the bedroom door towards the kitchen, so that when he threw the pillow at her, he missed. ~*~*~ By the time they got home that night, it was late, and they were both exhausted. They'd decided to spend the night at her place again so that they could spend the weekend packing her apartment up. She'd told him earlier that after they were married she wanted to move into his house with him. Permanently. He had been more than happy with that news. Dana hummed softly, as she walked around the living room, picking stuff up. John had dropped her off and then gone to his house to get some clothes. Waiting for him to come back, she decided she needed some music to play on the radio. She went over to the stereo and turned it on, flipping through the stations until she found one that seemed to be playing upbeat music. She turned the stereo up as the female singer's voice filled the room. "I used to live in a darkened room / Had a face of stone / and a heart of gloom Lost my hope, I was so far gone / Cryin' all my tears / With the curtains drawn I didn't know until my soul broke free / I've got these angels watching over me" Dana began to listen to the words more intently, transfixed by how so much of it reflected her life. "Oh watch me go / I'm a happy girl / Everybody knows / That the sweetest thing you'll ever see / In the whole wide world / Is a happy girl" Dana smiled. ::That's me. I'm a happy girl now.:: She began to dance, as the music kept playing. "I used to hide in a party crowd / Bottled up inside / Feeling so left out Standing in a corner wearing concrete shoes / with my frozen smile / and my lighted fuse Now every time I start to feel like that / I roll my heart out like a welcome mat" "Oh watch me go / I'm a happy girl / Everybody knows / That the sweetest thing you'll ever see / In the whole wide world / Is a happy girl" "Laugh when I feel like it / Cry when I feel like it / That's just how my life is / That's how it goes" "Oh watch me go / I'm a happy girl / and I've come to know / that the world won't change / just cause I complain / Let the axis twirl / I'm a happy girl" Dana was so caught up in the music that not only didn't she realize that John had come in, but she didn't even hear the phone ringing. He answered it, then tapped her on the shoulder. She jumped and turned the radio off. She turned to him, smiling. "I'm sorry, I didn't hear you." He was holding the phone out to her, unsmiling. She frowned. "What is it John?" "Skinner's on the phone for you. He said it's important." She took the phone from him, a look of impatience crossing her face. "Scully." "Dana, it's Walter. I'm sorry to be calling you at home so late, but I have some news for you." "What kind of news?" "Can you meet me at GW Hospital? I'll tell you when you get here. It's urgent, so come now." With that, he hung up. Dana turned and looked at John, startled. "What was that all about?" he asked, looking very confused. She shook her head. "I'm not sure. He told me he had news and to meet him at GW Hospital as soon as possible." He grabbed the coat that he had just taken off. "Well, let's go then." ~*~*~ John pulled into the parking lot of GW Hospital, turned off his truck, and sighed. He could see the bright lights from the emergency room off to his left. He reached over and took Dana's hand. "Come on," he said softly, "let's go see what's going on." They walked across the parking lot hand in hand. Skinner watched them walk across the lot towards him with their fingers intertwined. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. He had figured that they had a relationship going outside of work, but since they kept it private, he hadn't found it necessary to remind them of the Bureau's policy. ::Well, now isn't the time to say anything.:: He sighed heavily, as they came closer. 'John? Dana?" He began. "I'm sorry to bring you out so late at night, but I felt this couldn't wait." "What is it, Walter?" Dana asked, holding John's hand tighter. Skinner swallowed, visibly nervous. "It's Mulder." Dana's face paled and John put his arms around her shoulders, afraid that she was going to collapse. "Mulder?" she whispered softly. "He was in an accident. He ... A drunken driver ran a red light and broad sided Mulder." Dana gasped. "Oh my God! How is he?" "He's critical. He's in surgery right now with internal injuries. He has a broken leg. They're going to check him for head injuries when he wakes. I guess he had a pretty nasty cut on the side of his head from where it cracked the windshield. But Dana, that's not all." John spoke for the first time, quiet but firm. "There's more?" His voice was tinged with a bit of disbelief. Skinner nodded. "He had a baby in the car with him. A little girl." Dana felt her knees buckle. ::Samantha. My baby. My little girl.:: Skinner reached out to catch her, but John already had his hands under her arms, holding her up. "How is she?" She whispered. "How's Samantha?" Skinner shook his head slightly. "I can't explain it, Dana, but she's fine. She doesn't have a scratch or a bruise on her." Dana slowly stood on her own feet again. "Can I see her?" Skinner nodded. "Follow me." ~*~*~ They walked swiftly down the bright white halls of the hospital towards the elevators. "She's in the nursery." Skinner explained, as he punched a button. He glanced over at them out of the corner of his eye. Dana was leaning back against John's chest, some of her color finally returning. He had his arms around her and she had her hands on top of his. ::Oh crap!:: Skinner groaned inwardly, noticing the ring for the first time. ::Now I really do, have to have that talk with them.:: The elevator stopped and the doors slid open, allowing them to see into the windows of the nursery. Skinner led them to the nurse station. He went up to the nurse in charge and flashed his badge. "We're here to see Samantha Mulder." ::Samantha Mulder?!:: John and Dana both thought in unison. The nurse, whose nametag said Lorna, smiled and nodded. "Right this way please." They began following her down the hallway, Skinner's eyes appreciatively taking in her long brown hair and hourglass figure. He mentally slapped himself. ::Knock it off Walter! You're supposed to be here for Mulder and Scully, not to check out the nurses!:: The four of them stopped in front of a door marked "PRIVATE." "Here you go," said Lorna. "Let me know if I can do anything else for you." With that she headed back to the nurses' station. Skinner looked at them. "I'm gonna go check on Mulder, ok? I'll be back." John nodded, reassuring Dana. "Go ahead, Honey. It's ok." She looked at him, her nervousness showing. "Come with me?" she asked softly, pleading. He nodded and she pushed open the door. There was a crib inside, along with a rocking chair, a bed and some monitors. Dana picked up the chart off the back of the door, needing a moment to compose herself. Satisfied, both with the chart and with her composure, she walked over to the crib. She gasped when she looked inside. Not only was the baby even prettier than in the pictures, but she looked like Mulder. This was her baby. Samantha was smiling up at her, her hazel eyes wide and bright. Dana could feel the tears begin running down her cheeks, as she reached down and picked up her daughter for the first time. Dana made her way over to the bed and sat down, patting a spot next to her on the bed for John to sit down. He sat down and put his arm around her. She began talking to Samantha just like she had all of those months when she was carrying her. "Hi Samantha. I'm your mommy." Samantha looked up at her, nodding her head slightly, as if agreeing. Dana smiled and wiped away her tears. "Samantha, I want you to meet someone. This is John." She looked up at him. "Do you want to hold her?" He nodded, his eyes bright with unshed tears. He carefully took Samantha from her mother's arms. "Hi Samantha." He whispered, rocking her back and forth, feeling both happy and sad at the same time. Dana smiled, as she watched the two of them together. She prayed that everything would be all right. Skinner opened the door about 10 minutes later. Dana was holding Samantha again and John was holding both of them. Skinner felt like he was intruding and was about to leave when Dana looked up. "What is it Walter?" "Mulder is out of surgery. He's still asleep," he cautioned, "but you can see him if you'd like." "How is he?" she asked anxiously. "His doctor is waiting upstairs to speak with you." She nodded and turned to John. "Are you going with me?" He shook his head, remembering the last time Mulder had been in the hospital. The look on Dana's face when she had sat with Mulder. He couldn't go through that again, especially now. "I think I'll stay here with Sam." He said quietly, unknowingly giving the child a nickname that she would use for years to come. Dana nodded, bewildered, but in too much of a hurry to ask questions. She handed Sam to John, giving them both a quick kiss. "I'll be back soon," she said, as she followed Skinner out the door. "Well," John said, looking down into Sam's big eyes, "guess it's just you and me kid." He slowly walked over to the rocking chair and sat down, cradling her in his arms. He began rocking back and forth, still talking softly to Sam. "You know, your Mom didn't tell you, but I'm in love with her. I have been ever since I met her." He sighed heavily. "I just hope she chooses me over your daddy." He whispered, his voice breaking. He hugged her closer, as the tears ran down his face, thinking of all he'd already lost. He prayed he wouldn't lose Dana too. ~*~*~ Dana and Skinner were met in the upstairs hallway by a tall, blond haired, distinguished looking man. "Hello, you must be Dr. Scully. I'm Dr. Ray. It's good to meet you. I'll tell you, Agent Mulder is a very lucky man. He does have a fracture in his left lower leg, but it's not bad and should heal within 6 weeks. His internal injuries were not as bad as we thought they were. We did have to remove his spleen and his liver is slightly bruised, but other than that, no damage was done. He does have a 6 inch gash on the left side of his head where it broke the windshield. We were able to stitch it up nicely, but, as he is still unconscious, I don't know if he will have any head trauma. Would you like to see him?" Scully nodded, absorbing all of the info she had just been given. "Yes, please." "Right this way." He stopped in front of a room marked Recovery Room 4. "If you have any questions, you can have a nurse page me." She nodded again. "Thank you Dr. Ray." She turned and looked at Skinner. "Shall we?" "Are you sure you want me to go in with you Dana?" "Yeah. I'm sure." They both entered the room. Mulder looked very strange lying there with tubes running out of his body and his head bandaged. His leg was up in a sling. Dana grimaced slightly, remembering a time, not so long ago, when she was sitting with Mulder in a hospital. She sat down next to the bed, holding his hand. Skinner stood slightly behind her. Suddenly, Mulder moved and his eyes began to open. "Mulder?" Dana whispered softly. "Can you hear me?" He opened his eyes and blinked them a few times, trying to clear them. He looked around the room before his eyes settled on the beautiful face looking down at him. "Mulder? Can you hear me?" He nodded, a look of confusion on his face. "Who are you?" Dana's eyes opened wide, almost as wide as her mouth did, yet she was unable to say anything. ::Is he joking with me?:: Mulder looked at Skinner next. "Agent Skinner? What are you doing here? What's going on?" Skinner was as shocked as Dana was. ::What the heck? Agent Skinner?:: Neither one of them was able to speak. Mulder continued to look around the room, unaware that he was still holding onto Dana's hand. He finally turned back to Skinner, "Agent Skinner, what is going on here? Why am I in a hospital? Where is Diana?" At that last question, Dana gasped and dropped Mulder's hand. ::Diana? Diana Fowley? Oh my God.:: A thought hit Dana like a lightening bolt and she turned to Skinner. "I'm going to find Dr. Ray." She mumbled, as she quickly left the room, praying she'd make it outside before she broke down. Skinner took the seat that she had vacated. He had no idea what to say to Mulder. ::What is wrong with him? Well, here goes nothing...:: "Agent Mulder, you were in a car accident earlier this evening. You sustained severe internal injuries and were brought to the hospital. You were released from surgery about an hour ago." Mulder nodded taking in the information. "I see. Who was that woman who was just in here?" Skinner could tell that Mulder wasn't joking by the look on his face. "That was Special Agent Dana Scully. She's your partner." Mulder's jaw hit the floor. "What? She's not my partner. Diana Fowley is my partner. Where is Diana?" Skinner shook his head, wondering how to explain this one, when Dana returned with Dr. Ray. "Hello there, Mr. Mulder." Said Dr. Ray, looking as calm and cool as he had earlier. "I'm Dr. Ray. I'm the surgeon who operated on you. How are you feeling?" Mulder looked at him, and shook his outstretched hand. "I'm rather sore, but I feel fine." "I see. Can you tell me, Mr. Mulder, what today's date is?" Mulder frowned. ::What kind of quack is this guy?:: He looked at the calendar on the wall. "It's February 15." Dr. Ray nodded. "What year is it?" ::Is this guy on crack or something?:: Mulder wondered. "It's 1993, of course." ~*~*~ Dana sat in a chair out in the hallway, her head in her hands. After Mulder had said that it was 1993 she hadn't been able to stay in the room any longer. She knew what had happened. She had read about this kind of amnesia before, where years disappear from people's memories. The only problem was, no one knew for sure how to solve it. She could feel the tears seeping out from under her eyelids again and wished she had better control over her emotions. She quickly wiped them away. ::Now what do I do? If Mulder doesn't remember me...Or the X-Files...How will I explain to him about our child? Oh God...how will John react? I'm so torn. I want to be with John, but Mulder is my best friend. I want to help him remember. Oh God.:: She could feel the tears beginning again, this time in earnest, the tears she hated to let fall, but knew that she couldn't stop. She felt a hand on her shoulder. She quickly wiped her eyes dry before looking up. "Are you ok, Dana?" A soft, gentle, caring voice asked. "I'm fine Walter," she said, without conviction. ::Fine. Yeah right.:: He sat down in the chair next to her and gave her a quick hug. "I'm so sorry Dana. I wish I could fix this." She tried to smile at him. "It's ok Walter. It's not your fault. You couldn't have known that Mulder wouldn't remember me. Besides, you've given me Sam." She stood up. "Speaking of Sam, I think I'll go downstairs and see how she is. Excuse me." Walter stood and watched, as she walked down the hall towards the elevator, shoulders slumped, the fire gone. He felt horrible. Dana peeked in through the window of Sam's room, before going inside. John was sitting in the rocking chair, holding Sam. They were slowly rocking back and forth. It looked as if John were talking to her. Dana felt her heart tug, watching them. She knew that this was meant to be, this was where she was meant to be. She slowly pushed the door open and could hear that John was singing to Sam. Dana smiled. He was singing "their" song, "Amazed" to her. She walked over to them. John looked up. "Hey." He noticed the look on her face. "What's wrong?" Dana held out her arms for Sam, needing to hold her. She took Sam in her arms and hugged her, before answering John. "He doesn't remember me." John was shocked. How could someone forget this beautiful woman? "He doesn't remember you?" She shook her head. "He thinks it 1993...before he met me, before he started the X-Files, before everything." She blinked quickly, hoping to stop the tears. She'd cried enough about it, she refused to cry anymore. John stepped closer and wrapped his arms around her and Sam. He kissed the top of her head. "I'm so sorry, Honey." She smiled, a small one, but the first real smile since she'd been to Mulder's room. "I know. It's ok. I'll learn how to handle it. It'll just be hard at first. His not remembering me, is like removing 9 years from my life." "We'll help him Dana. It'll be ok." She tilted her head up and kissed him, Sam cradled between them. ::I hope so.:: ~*~*~ Mulder looked around his cold, smelly hospital room. He hated being in the hospital, he always had. He rubbed his eyes with his hand. He was so confused. The doctor had left awhile ago, after explaining to him that it was 2002, not 1993. Skinner had told him that he would be back in a little while and would answer any questions that Mulder had. So that left him alone. Alone in his misery to wonder what had happened. ::Who was that woman in here? Scully. Right. Skinner said she was my partner, had been for 8 years. She looked crushed when I didn't remember her.:: He felt bad, not remembering her. He couldn't believe he could forget a face like that. Yet, he didn't remember. He shook his head. ::Maybe they can start me on some kind of therapy or something to help me remember.:: He closed his eyes and prayed that things would be different when he woke up. ~*~*~ John awoke early the next morning and looked around, disoriented at first. Then he remembered. ::Samantha and Mulder.:: He and Dana had stayed up late last night talking. He had been very afraid that Dana might want to take Sam and be a family with Mulder now, and he had told her so. He grinned, as he remembered what she had told him. "John Doggett!" She had said, her voice firm. "Of all the things I want at this point in my life, being part of a family with Mulder, is not one of them." They had decided that they would go ahead with their plans for their life together. Besides, they'd already told Dana's landlord that she was moving out. They were going to take things one day at a time and see how it went. John sat up on the bed and stretched. Dana was in the rocking chair next to the crib, fast asleep. He'd tried to persuade her to sleep in the bed with him, but she'd wanted to be close to Sam. "Just in case." She'd said. He couldn't fault her. If he had been Dana, he probably would have wanted to hold Sam all night long. He looked at his watch as he stood up and nodded in satisfaction. 6:30 am. ::Plenty of time.:: He quickly scribbled a note for Dana and headed out the door. Mulder awoke that same morning with a pounding headache. He opened his eyes and closed them just as quickly, when he realized the sun was shining in them. He was very irritable and thought about going back to sleep when a bright, entirely too cheerful voice, broke the silence. "Good morning, Mr. Mulder." The voice chirped from over by the window. The sunlight disappeared and he opened his eyes again, much slower this time. Standing in front of him was a very pretty, but very young, nurse. "My name is Lorna, Mr. Mulder and I am the nurse in charge of this floor. I thought I'd stop by and see if you needed anything." Mulder winced at the cheerfulness in her voice. "Yes. Yes I do. First it's just plain Mulder. No Mr. And second, do you have any painkillers? I have a bitch of a headache this morning." He groaned and closed his eyes. Lorna smiled, as he closed his eyes. Oh, he may seem difficult, but those were her favorite kind of patients. "I'll be right back with some painkillers, Mulder." She replied in a much softer tone of voice, as she left the room. ::Oh yes.:: She thought. ::This should be fun.:: ~*~*~ A couple of hours later, Alex opened his eyes and sighed. Tammy was lying on her side facing him, her head pillowed on her arms, her hair splayed across her arms, a lock falling onto her forehead. Alex reached out with a hand and gently brushed the lock of hair behind her ears. She opened her eyes slightly and smiled. "Hi." She whispered. "Hi yourself." He gave her that beautiful smile of his, the one that always made her heart melt. He leaned over and positioned his lips directly above hers, stopping for a moment before making contact, teasing her with the feel of his breath on her mouth. He closed the gap and brushed his lips across hers lightly, so very light that she almost didn't feel them. She reached up and ran her fingers through his hair, locking them behind his head, and pulling him down, kissing him, soft and slow at first, then deepening the kiss, kicking her legs to get the sheet out of the way. She wanted to feel him on her...feel all of him on her. Not only on her, but in her. Last night he'd had his chance to be in charge, but Now, she was going to take charge. She rolled him over so that she was on top of him. She ran her fingers down his chest, following them with her lips. She stopped with her mouth, teasing his nipples, first one and then the other, her fingers making circles on his abdomen. He gasped, allowing a soft groan to escape from him. She began moving farther down with her mouth, bypassing the part of him that was aching for her touch. She slowly ran her mouth down one leg and up the other, pressing soft kisses everywhere before coming back to his penis. His proud erection, standing tall, the tip gleaming. She ran her fingers up and to the top, rubbing the small opening with her thumb. She felt the moan before she actually heard it. She smiled and knew she had him. She leaned down and kissed the tip of his penis, running her tongue around the head and pressing kisses along its entire length. She then ran her tongue from base to tip before opening her mouth and taking him in, slow, smooth, teasing him with her teeth. She ran her mouth up and down, slowly sucking on him, feeling him pulse within her mouth. She moved faster, feeling the excitement building when suddenly, he sat up and reached down and pulled her up off of him. "No." He whispered. "Together." He laid her down on the bed and climbed on top of her, loving the way that her eyes went so dark that they were almost black when she was excited. He smiled down at her heaving chest, her nipples erect. He bent over and took one of her nipples in his mouth, nibbling on it, at the same time he entered her. He moved slowly, surely, wanting to bring her to the same level of excitement that she had brought him to. He moved a hand lower, massaging her clit. He brought his mouth up to her lips and kissed her deeply, the movements of his tongue, matching his movements within her. She began to thrash back and forth, her breath coming in small gasps. She pushed as hard as she could against him, striving to get him deeper inside her. "Oh God, Alex," she moaned. The sound of her voice excited him, causing him to move faster, harder, deeper. Suddenly he felt her clinch around him, hear her moaning his name, and felt his own climax begin to wash over him. His seed ran inside her as he collapsed on top of her, kissing her hair. "Wow," she muttered. "Wow, is right." He answered, smiling against her head. He propped himself up on one elbow so he could see into her eyes. She smiled up at him. "I love you." "I love you too, Babe. Will you marry me?" Tammy stared up at Alex, love and surprise battling in her emerald eyes. She gazed deep into his face, hoping, praying that he meant what he said. She knew he loved her, but she'd never thought that he would be ready to take the plunge. She almost cried at what she saw in his eyes. Love, trust, everything she had ever wanted. She leaned up and kissed him softly. "Yes, Alex, I will marry you." He smiled and moved over to where his pants where lying on the floor. He pulled a small box out of his pocket and sat up in the bed next to Tammy. He really hoped that she liked the ring. He had decided not to go for just diamonds. When the hell had he ever been traditional? He kind of kneeled on the bed in front of Tammy and slowly opened the box. She gasped when she looked inside. He slowly slid the ring on her finger. In the middle was a 3/4 carat, emerald cut ruby, and on each side was a 1/4 carat, round cut diamond. He kissed her hand after he slipped the ring onto it. "I will always love you, no matter what." He whispered. He tugged on her hand, pulling her out of bed. "Let's go get some breakfast." She smiled at him. "Maybe we should get dressed First, if we're going out?" He looked down at himself, then back at her. "Yeah, maybe." ~*~*~ A couple hours later they returned from The Westwood Inn, Tammy's favorite place to eat breakfast. They were lying around the house, watching TV, when Alex had a thought. "Hey," he said, looking at Tammy who was lying on the floor almost asleep. "Yeah?" "Think I should call Mulder? I know he said he'd call me in a couple days, but I have this funny feeling." Tammy shrugged. "Sure, why not? I don't figure he'll be pissed at you for checking up on him. Tell him you wanted to know how Sam was, if you feel you need an excuse." He grinned that one-of-a-kind-make-you-weak-in-the- knees smile. "Me? Need an excuse?" He ducked, as she tossed a pillow at him, and went into the kitchen to pick up the phone. He returned about 5 minutes later and stood in the doorway watching Tammy. His soon-to-be-wife. He smiled. After everything he'd been through in his life, everything he'd done wrong, he never thought that he'd find acceptance. But with Tammy, he'd found more than acceptance. He'd found trust, friendship, and even love. He slowly made his way over to where she was resting on the floor. She was lying on her right side, facing the TV. Some of her hair had fallen over her face and it moved gently when she breathed. He could tell that she'd fallen back to sleep. He looked at the clock and wasn't surprised. It was only 7 am. He bent down and brushed her hair away from her face. She murmured slightly but didn't wake. He gently lifted her from the floor and carried her to the bed. He set her on it and laid down behind her, wrapping his arms around her stomach. After having been gone for so long, he never wanted to leave her again. She snuggled closer to him in her sleep. He smiled and closed his eyes, praying that things would be quiet for awhile. ~*~*~ Dana sat up and stretched, moving her head from side to side. She had a headache from sleeping in the rocker all night long, but it was worth it to be close to her daughter. ::My daughter.:: She smiled, as she stood up, bringing her hands above her head to stretch the rest of her body. She looked around the room, expecting to see John still asleep in the bed. She frowned when she didn't see him on the bed behind her. ::Where is he?:: Then she noticed a piece of paper propped up on the table next to Sam's crib. She hurried across the room to pick it up, peeking in the crib at a sleeping Sam, as she passed. She flipped open the note and held it up to the light to see it better. "Dear Dana," it began. "Good morning, Dear. I had to run a few errands this morning before we took Sam home. I hope you don't mind that I left you alone for a bit. I should be back by 10. I love you, John." Dana looked at her watch. It was 8:00. ::A couple of hours until John comes back.:: She smiled, knowing that when John came back, they would be able to take Sam home. ::A real home. Mine and John's and Sam's. I can't wait.:: She was humming when there was a soft knock upon the door. ::Must be the nurse coming in to check on Sam.:: She pulled open the door. "Walter?" She said, somewhat surprised to see him there, so early in the morning. She knew he had been up with Mulder until late the night before and had figured that he would sleep in. "Morning, Dana," he said, looking tired, the bags under his eyes making him look older than he really was. He held out the bags he was carrying. "I brought breakfast." He said, as she took them from him. He looked around the room. "Where's John?" "He went to run some errands." She replied, as she set out the muffins and the coffee on a table near the bed. She picked up an apple cinnamon muffin and a cup of coffee and sat on the bed. "Here." She said, motioning to a spot on the bed next to her. "Have a seat." Walter picked up his own coffee and sat next to her, somewhat glad that John wasn't there. It would make it easier to have this conversation with Dana. "So, Walter?" Dana began, not one to beat around the bush. "What can I do for you this morning?" Skinner sighed. He had been hoping that perhaps they could make some small talk first. "Well, Dana," he said, afraid he would stumble over it and alienate her. "I noticed your ring last night." She smiled as she moved her fingers, so that her ring sparkled in the light. "Yes, John asked me to marry him." He smiled at her obvious happiness. "Congratulations. However, I know that this isn't a good time and this isn't a topic that I want to broach, but I feel-" Dana interrupted, finishing his sentence. "That you must remind me of the Bureau's policy regarding interoffice relationships." Skinner nodded, relieved that she seemed to be ok with discussing this. "Yes." She smiled at him, now understanding what his earlier nervousness had been about. "I understand your position here, Walter. And I will be talking to John about that shortly. Right now I would like to ask you if I may take my maternity leave now?" He nodded again, glad to have that conversation over with. "Of course you may, effective immediately. Just let me know when you'd like to come back to work." "Thank you, Sir, I will." With that they finished their breakfast in companionable silence. ~*~*~ 15 minutes later, Skinner stepped off the elevator in an upstairs hallway. He walked down the hall towards Mulder's room, wondering in the back of his head if Lorna was working today. He slowly pushed open the door to Mulder's room. He was almost more nervous about seeing Mulder, than he had been about seeing Dana. He had no idea where to begin explaining things to Mulder. ::How do I begin to make him believe all the things that have happened in the past 9 years?:: Skinner shrugged to himself and entered the room. He just prayed that he'd know the answers, when Mulder started with his questions. He looked at Mulder lying there in the bed. His eyes were closed and so Skinner crept quietly across the room, hoping he didn't wake him, as he sat in the chair. He sat there for about 10 minutes or so, just watching Mulder, lost in his thoughts, when Mulder began to stir. He rolled his head to the side and looked at the man sitting next to him. "Skinner." "Good morning, Mulder. How do you feel?" "Like shit. How are you this morning?" Skinner smiled, thinking that this sounded like the Mulder he knew. "I'm ok. Tired, but ok." "Really? Cause you look like shit." Skinner laughed out loud. "Thanks Mulder, but you don't look much better." Mulder sighed and looked at the ceiling again. Skinner sat there quietly, knowing that Mulder would talk when he was ready to. "Agent Skinner?" came the voice softly from the bed. "Actually, it's Assistant Director now, Mulder." Mulder looked at Skinner again, the shock obvious in his hazel eyes. "AD huh? Congratulations." Skinner blushed slightly. "Thanks Mulder. What was your question?" "I just wanted to know if this was a dream, or if I really did forget 9 years of my life. But you just answered that question." Skinner sighed, unsure of how to help his friend. "I'm sorry." Mulder nodded, sure that he was, but knowing that hearing it didn't make him feel any better. "Where are my parents?" Skinner lowered his eyes. "They're dead, Mulder." Mulder's eyes widened and filled with tears. "Dead?" Skinner nodded. "And Diana?" "She's dead, too, Mulder." It was then, that Mulder couldn't hold back the tears anymore. He rolled his head back so he was staring at the ceiling, not wanting Skinner to see his torment. Skinner stood up, understanding Mulder's unspoken request. "I'll be back later," he promised softly, as he closed the door behind him. Mulder began crying in earnest when he heard the door click shut behind Skinner. ::Dead. They're all dead. I wish I had died too, instead of forgetting everything. What do I have left to live for?:: ~*~*~ Skinner went back downstairs to the nursery, turning towards Sam's room when he got off of the elevator. He had an idea, but he wanted to run it by Dana first. He slowly opened the door, smiling at Dana sitting in the rocking chair, singing softly to Sam. She looked up at him, her eyes bright, some of the happiness having returned. She sat up straighter, the smile dropping from her face, when she saw the look in Skinner's eyes. "Sir? What is it?" unknowingly reverting to the term of respect that she always used when things got bad. He shook his head, as he sat down on the bed. "I just went to see Mulder." She nodded. "How is he this morning?" "He still doesn't remember anything. This morning he asked about Diana, about his parents." Dana's eyes flashed understanding of where Skinner was going with this, and compassion for what Mulder was feeling. "How did he take it?" "Not well. That's why I'm here. I...I have this feeling that Mulder doesn't think he has anything left worth living for, and well..." he gestured around the room. "You'd like for him to meet Sam?" she asked. "Only if you're comfortable with it." He was quick to reassure her. "I just thought that, well, she is his child and even if it doesn't help trigger his memory, it might make him realize that life goes on." He shrugged. "It was just an idea." She nodded. "Yeah, it's an idea. Not a bad one. Let me think about it, would you please?" He nodded and stood to leave. "I couldn't ask for anything more from you." ~*~*~ Dana was still sitting, contemplating Skinner's idea, when John returned. She looked up and smiled at him. "Good morning." "Good morning yourself, Beautiful," he replied as he bent down to give her a kiss. "What had you looking so preoccupied when I came in?" "Skinner stopped by to see me this morning." "Yeah?" John replied as he held out his arms for Sam. Dana gently handed her over. "Well, he had two things that he wanted to talk to me about. The first was he wanted to remind us of the Bureau's policy on relationships within the Bureau." John sighed. "Don't worry," Dana was quick to reassure him. "We have the entirety of my leave to think about that." "Good," John grinned. "Also he wanted to talk about his visit this morning with Mulder." John's grin dimmed slightly. "How is Mulder doing?" Dana shook her head. "I haven't been up to see him yet today, but Skinner says he's not doing too well. I guess Mulder asked about his parents and Diana this morning." At John's confused look, she explained. "Diana was his girlfriend in 1993. She was murdered. Both of his parents are dead as well." "Oh God," John said as he sand down onto the bed, still holding onto Sam, a bit tighter now. "I can imagine how he feels." Dana continued, "Skinner had a suggestion to make and I wanted to discuss it with you." John nodded. "Skinner thinks that Mulder feels he has nothing left to live for. He thought that, perhaps, it might give Mulder some meaning, if he were to meet Samantha." Dana bit her lip and looked at John. He was frowning slightly, the lines on his forehead indicating that he was deep in thought. They sat in silence for a minute when John suddenly spoke up. "You should do it." Dana looked at him, surprise evident in her blue eyes. "You think so?" John grinned and nodded. "Yeah, I do. If anything is going to give him the will to live, it'll be this heartbreaker." Dana smiled at him and held her arms out for Sam. "If it's all right with you, I think I'll introduce them before we go home. Want to come with me?" John shook his head. "I think it would be easier if I didn't go this time. If I did you would not only have to inform Mulder that he's the biological father of Sam, but that the man standing next to you is going to be the one marrying you." Dana nodded. "That's true. I don't want to spring too much on him at once." "I'll tidy up here while you go see Mulder. I'll be here when you get back." Dana started to leave, but stopped and turned around at the door. "John?" "Yes, Dana?" He looked up for where he was making the bed. "Where did you go this morning?" John got a gleam in his eye. "It's a surprise. You'll see." Dana stuck out her tongue at him and quickly hurried out the door. John whistled softly, as he wandered around straightening up the room. ~*~*~ Mulder was sitting up in bed, flipping through the channels, bored out of his mind. He wanted to go home, but Dr. Ray said he wanted to make sure that he didn't have any severe head injuries. Mulder had had to hold back a laugh when Dr. Ray had said that. ::What? Losing 9 years of memories isn't severe enough?:: He looked up, as he heard a soft knock on his door. ::I wonder who could be visiting me. It's not like I have any family left.:: He thought bitterly. ::Must be that nurse, Lorna.:: That brought a small smile to his face. "Come in," he called. The door opened slowly and in walked the redhead from the night before, carrying a small child. Mulder racked his brain but couldn't think of her first name, so he just said, "Hey." "Hey," she replied somewhat shyly, sitting on the chair by his bed. She could tell he still didn't really remember her, so she shifted Sam to one side and stuck out her hand. "I'm Dana." ::Dana? Not Scully? Well no, I'm not Scully anymore. I just want to be Dana, wife and mother.:: He smiled, glad that she understood. "I'm Fox," he said as he shook her hand. ::Wow!:: Dana thought. ::'Fox' huh? He must've been hit harder on the head than we thought.:: She thought maybe she'd try and make small talk first. "How are you feeling today?" Mulder made a face. "My head hurts like a bitch." Looking at Sam, he blushed slightly. "Uh...I mean, I have a headache. How are you today?" "I'm doing great." Still looking at Sam, he remarked, "She sure is pretty." Dana nodded. "It's surprising, since she looks so much like her Dad." Mulder laughed. "Poor guy." Dana giggled, at ease with Mulder once again. "Actually, that 'poor guy' is you, Fox." ::God it seems weird to say 'Fox'.:: His jaw fell in surprise, as Dana rushed to explain. "We worked together for 8 years. In that time, you became my best friend. You knew that more than anything in the world, I wanted to be a mother. At the time I was unattached." She glanced down at her engagement ring, Mulder's eyes following. "So, you agreed to be a donor." Mulder's eyes widened. "A sperm donor?" Dana nodded, praying he didn't ask when she'd had the Invitro. Mulder was quiet for a minute, a look of intense concentration on his face. He shook his head, indicating that he didn't remember. "So...what's my daughter's name?" He grinned at Dana and held out his arms. "Sam...Samantha Katherine Mulder." She'd found the middle name on a birth certificate that had been in Mulder's personal effects. Mulder looked up at her, his hazel eyes glistening with unshed tears. "Samantha? After my sister?" Dana nodded and watched, as he interacted with their child. "Hi Sam," he said making silly faces at her. "I'm your Daddy." Watching him play with Sam, Dana prayed he would be ok with John being a dad to Sam too. As if reading her thoughts, Mulder turned to her. "So, Dana, when do I get to meet the man who's going to be Sam's step-dad?" He tried to put on a serious face. "After all, I should approve him first, right?" As Dana looked shocked and opened her mouth to argue, Mulder began laughing. Realizing that he was only kidding, Dana laughed too. "You can meet John whenever you want to." He nodded. "Good. I should be out of here in a day or so. Maybe we can all get together then." She nodded, but didn't say anything as Mulder had already turned his attention back to Sam. ~*~*~ About half an hour later, Dana returned to Sam's room to meet John. The meeting with Mulder, ::No, Fox.::, had gone much better than she'd expected. She was surprised at how easily he had seemed to take to Sam, but then again this wasn't the same Fox Mulder who had gone to find their daughter so many months ago. She shrugged, as she opened the door to Sam's room. Who was she to argue with it? Dana gasped as she walked into the room. On the table in the middle of the room were a dozen white roses. Thinking they were for her, Dana walked over and pulled the card out. She giggled when she realized that they were addressed to Samantha Mulder. Opening the card she found a little note. "Welcome home, Sam. Love, John." Dana had to wipe a small tear of happiness from her eye, as she read the note. "Look Sam," she said, pointing to the flowers. "These are for you." She heard a noise behind her and turned around. John was leaning against the door, holding a small white teddy bear. She'd never seen him look more adorable. "So," he said, emotion clouding his voice. "Ready to go home?" Dana nodded happily, as she held out Sam for John to take, so she could put her coat on. "I'm more than ready to go home. John, the flowers are beautiful. You didn't have to." He smiled. "I know. But I wanted to. What's a hospital room without flowers in it?" Dana walked over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you." He hugged her tight, still holding onto Sam with his other arm. "Let's go." Arm in arm they walked out of the hospital, the three of them lost in their own special world. John pulled his truck up in front of his house and went around to help Dana and Sam out. He couldn't wait for them to get inside. He hoped that Dana liked his surprise. He couldn't help but grin with his excitement. Dana noticed. "What're you grinning about, John?" she teased. "Oh, just that I'm bringing home not one, but two beautiful girls." "Yeah, right." She grinned at him, pleased with how everything seemed to be working out. As they walked through the front door, Sam yawned rather loudly. "Uh oh, I think somebody's ready for a nap," Dana said. "C'mon, let's go put her down for a nap," John said, beckoning her to the stairs. "Well...we don't have a crib for her here. It's still in storage. I guess we can put her on your bed and surround her with pillows." "I guess," John answered noncommittally. At the top of the stairs, John stopped at the door right before the master bedroom, the bedroom that would soon be his and Dana's. "John?" Dana asked. He nodded towards the door and she slowly pushed it open and gasped. Inside was all of the baby stuff that she had bought to make her second bedroom into the nursery. It had all been set up exactly as it had been in her apartment. She turned and looked at him, love shining in her eyes. "Do you like it?" he asked anxiously. "Like it? I love it! John this is perfect!!" He smiled and handed Sam over to Dana so that she could put her down for her nap. ::Well, part one of the surprise is done.:: He watched, as Dana cooed at Sam softly, as she tucked her blanket in around, laying the small white teddy bear from John next to her. John walked over and stood next to her, looking down into the cradle, as she rocked it slowly back and forth. It took all of about 60 seconds for Sam to fall asleep. John wrapped his arms around Dana's waist and they stood like that for another minute, just watching Sam sleep. John kissed Dana on the side of the neck and she smiled. "Come here, I want to show you something." Dana turned and looked up at John? "Another surprise?" He grinned and took her hand, leading her out of the room, stopping to turn on the baby monitor on the way out of the door. They walked down the hall and into the master bedroom. Dana frowned, looking around the room. ::Nothing's different.:: He pulled her over to the closet. "Ok," he said, the nervousness obvious in his voice. "Open the closet." Dana pulled open the closet door, expecting to see it filled with John's stuff as it usually was. ::I really should get over to my apartment and finish packing my stuff.:: She gasped when she got the door completely open and turned to look at John. "You didn't!" she said, shocked. He grinned that beautiful smile of his, his blue eyes lighting up. "I did." Suspicious now, Dana walked over to the master bathroom. There, lined up on the sink, were all of her cosmetics, stuff she'd left at her apartment until she could manage to get it all packed up and moved to his house. Just like all of her clothes were side by side with his in the closet. She could feel him standing behind her and turned and wrapped her arms around him, too happy for words. He bent to whisper in her ear. "I hope you don't mind that I took the liberty of having all your stuff packed and brought over here. I thought that you might be kind of busy with Sam around." She smiled up at him and kissed him softly on the lips. "Mind? John, it's almost as if you read my mind. I feel as if I should do something in return for you." John leaned forward and planted kisses on her forehead, her nose, and finally her mouth. "I can think of something you can do for me." Dana laughed. "Is that all you men think about?" "Where you're concerned, I'm sure." Dana blushed slightly at his comment and put her arms around his neck, pulling him down for another kiss. John slowly began backing them towards the bed when they heard a sound on the monitor. Sam crying. John and Dana moaned simultaneously. He looked at Dana and winked. "Why don't you stay here while I go get her? Don't worry. I'll be back." Dana smiled and nodded, as he turned to leave the room. ~*~*~ Dana smiled to herself and went to the bathroom to splash water on her face, as she waited for John to return. Hearing a noise from the bedroom, she walked back out to see what was going on. There wasn't anyone in the room. She frowned, as she looked around and realized the sounds were coming from the baby monitor that John had set up next to the bed. ::He's so thoughtful.:: She sat down own the bed, taking the monitor in her hand so she could listen to what was going on in the other room. John was making baby talk to Sam. It sounded like he was sitting in the rocking chair with her. ::He's so sweet. How did I ever get so lucky?:: She curled up on the bed, tucking her legs between her, leaning back against the headboard. She smiled, as John began softly singing lullabies to Sam. About 15 minutes later, John walked back into the room. Dana was still curled up, holding the monitor, staring off into space. ::God she is gorgeous.:: He walked softly across the room and took the monitor from her hands, setting it on the bedside. She looked at him startled. He took her face in his hands. "Now where were we?" he murmured as he lowered his lips to meet hers. He brushed his lips across hers softly, so soft that she barely felt them. He softly tugged on her lower lip with his teeth, bringing it into his mouth, running his tongue along her teeth. She moaned softly and sank back onto the bed bringing him along with her. He took advantage of her moan to deepen the kiss, running his tongue just barely inside, teasing hers with the tip of his. She returned the favor, dipping her tongue inside his mouth, running her fingers up and down his back as she did, creating little whispers of sensation all throughout his body. He could feel himself straining against his jeans. God, he loved this woman so much. He slowly reached down with his hands, grasping the bottom of her shirt and pulling it up and over her head, tossing it on the floor. She gasped, as the cool air hit her chest, right before John covered her with his body again. She could feel the warmth of him through his shirt, but wanted him closer. As he bent down to kiss her neck and then her chest, she untucked his shirt from his jeans, landing it on the floor nicely next to hers. He smiled and made short work of her bra, sending it sailing. Dana laughed, as it got caught on the bedpost and he watched how her laugh made her breasts move, almost as if teasing him, tempting him. He leaned down and flicked his tongue over one erect nipple, smiling at her indrawn breath. He slowly took her nipple into his mouth, teasing it first with his tongue and then with his teeth, as his fingers did the same for the other nipple. She groaned and leaned into his mouth, wanting more. He knew what she wanted, but he wanted to go slow. He slowly slid his fingers of his other hand down to her jeans, undoing the button and slowly unzipping them. He kissed his way down to her stomach, sliding her jeans and underwear off of her in one swift move. He moved his mouth lower, feeling the warmth of her. He flicked his tongue against her swollen clitoris and she jumped at the sensation. Then his tongue was inside her, slowly sliding in and out, back and forth. She was bucking against him. He reached down and removed the rest of his clothes, never stopping his movements with his mouth. He stopped right before she climaxed and positioned himself above her. She looked up at him, her blue eyes so dark with passion that they were almost black. She saw the unspoken question in his eyes, loved how he always asked her permission, even though she'd never turn him down. She reached up and locked her fingers behind his head, pulling him down for a kiss. "Please, John," she whispered in his ear. "Make love to me." Needing no further encouragement, he slowly slid inside of her until she felt that she would explode from his size. He moved in and out, pulling himself almost completely out each time, so as to increase the friction. She began moving against him, tossing her head from side to side. He pumped faster, harder, wanting to climax, as badly as she did. He reached down with his thumb and rubbed her clitoris in time to his movements. That did her in. She arched against him, moaning his name. Feeling her squeeze around him, he climaxed as well, his hot seed spilling into her. He slowly lowered his weight on top of her, not removing himself from her. She pushed a lock of hair back from his head as she slowly returned to earth. She kissed his temple. "I love you," she whispered. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her close. "I love you too." ~*~*~ After dinner that night, they sat in front of the TV watching the news. Not that Dana really enjoyed watching the news. There was too much violence and heartache in the news these days. But John liked keeping up on world events. And he wanted to make sure that the new President wasn't going to start another war. So, they sat and watched the news. As the program came to an end, Dana stood. "Would you like some coffee, John?" He looked up at her, noticing that she seemed to be nervous. "Sure." She nodded and quickly walked out of the room. She didn't know why she was nervous. She really didn't think John was going to be mad at her or anything. ::I guess it's just because I'm not used to living with anyone and sharing my ideas and plans with them. Too used to being independent, I suppose.:: She smiled, as she waited for the coffee to brew. ::I wonder if John has any of that hazelnut creamer in here.:: She was rummaging around in the refrigerator when John poked his head in the door. "Hey, I'm gonna go up and check on Sam while you're doing that, k?" She looked up, a smile on her face. "Yeah, sure. But don't take too long." He blew her a kiss and headed up the stairs. About 10 minutes later, John came back into the kitchen, just as Dana was pouring two cups of coffee. "Mmm, smells good," he murmured, as he planted a kiss on top of her head. She turned around and handed him a cup and they both sat at the table. "So," John began, "What's up?" She looked down into her cup for a minute. "Nothing, really. I mean, it's not bad or anything, I just wanted to talk to you about a couple of things." He nodded and took a sip of his coffee. He stared at his cup. ::Did she put CREAMER in my coffee?:: Dana laughed at the look on his face. "Guess you don't like it huh?" He smiled through his distaste. "It's great, Honey. What did you want to talk about?" She took a deep breath. "Mulder gets out of the hospital tomorrow. I was thinking that since you have to work and I'd be home alone with Sam, maybe I should go and give him a ride home from the hospital." John nodded. "Nothing wrong with that. He might not even remember where his apartment is." Dana let out a little breath, glad to have that over with. She had thought for some reason that John might resent Mulder coming back, might be angry that she wanted to help Mulder out. "The other thing I wanted to talk about is me going back to the FBI." John frowned slightly and motioned for her to continue. "John, I don't want to go back." He almost choked on his coffee. "What?" "I don't want to go back to the FBI. I want to find some simple 9 to 5 job where I can come home and cook dinner for you and Sam every night." John grinned, pleased by the news. "Are you sure about this? Because if you quit, they won't hire you back." She nodded, exuding confidence. "I'm sure. I think I might go back into medicine. I have some friends here in town who would offer me positions at their clinics." John reached across the table and took her hand. "Ok, Honey. If it'll make you happy, I'm behind you 100%. Besides, I will love having you home every night and not having to worry about you working some crazy case that might get you killed. Now I just have to find a new partner." Dana swatted at him playfully. "It'd better be a man." He shrugged. "Girls are all right too, you know." She rolled her eyes. "Whatever." "Maybe I'll see if Mulder will come back to the FBI," he suggested. She nodded thoughtfully. "It's worth a shot. Might do him some good. You'd have to run it by Deputy Director Kersh though." John frowned at the mention of that man. "I'll talk to Skinner tomorrow and see what he says." Suddenly Dana yawned and clapped her hand over her mouth, trying to hide it. John grinned at her. "What do you say we head to bed now?" She stood and put their coffee cups in the sink and took his hand, kissing him on the cheek. "Sounds good to me." Dana groaned, as the alarm clock started beeping in the morning. She opened one eye and looked at the clock as she smacked it, trying to make it stop. 5 am. Lovely. She'd been up half the night with Sam, who apparently was having a hard time adjusting to a new home. She rubbed her eyes and smiled as she listened to John snoring next to her. She rolled over and jabbed him softly in the ribs with her elbow. He grunted in return. "What?" "Get up John. It's 5 am." He groaned. "Do I have to? Can't I call in sick today?" She grinned and pushed him towards the side of the bed. "No, you can't. You have things to discuss with Skinner and I don't want you underfoot all day. Now move it, Mister." As she went to push him again, he suddenly rolled over and pinned her to the bed, planting kisses all across her face. "Are you sure I can't play hooky today?" he asked, lowering his face for another kiss. She laughed and kissed him back. "No, Sweetheart, you can't. But don't worry, I'll be here when you get home." John sighed and got out of bed and headed for the bathroom. Dana rolled over and pulled the covers over her head, hoping that she could fall back asleep for just a little bit longer. John came out of the bathroom about half an hour later dressed for work. He looked over at Dana who was still curled up in the bed. He thought she looked like an angel in her white satin pajamas. Her hair was strewn all over the pillows and her arms were tucked under her head. ::Watch it John, or you'll be climbing back into that bed with her!:: He walked over to the bed and planted a kiss softly on top of her head. "John?" she murmured. "It's me, Honey," he answered as he brushed her hair back from her face. "I'm gonna check on Sam and then head to work. You stay here and get some rest, ok?" She nodded, never opening her eyes. "Love ya," she muttered. "I love you, too." ~*~*~ At 8 am the alarm began ringing again. Dana sighed and sat up, almost knocking the thing to the floor in her haste to shut it off. She really wished that John would get a new alarm. The sound this one makes was about to drive her crazy. She stood and stretched. Mulder was supposed to be getting out of the hospital around 9:30, so that gave her an hour to get dressed, get Sam ready, and head over to the hospital. She peeked in on Sam, who was still sleeping, then padded downstairs to make some coffee. She smiled as she saw the coffee pot already filled with coffee, and the warmer left on. Her coffee cup was set out on the counter and there was a note under it. "Love you, have a good day. John." She grinned, as she poured a cup of coffee and added a liberal amount of creamer. She had no idea how she had gotten so lucky to have this man in her life, but she definitely was not going to question it! She hummed softly, as she wandered upstairs to take a shower. She left the bathroom door open slightly, so that she could hear Sam if she happened to cry out. Half an hour later, dressed and ready to go, she made her way down the hallway to wake up Sam. She decided she'd better feed Sam before putting her clothes on, as she was still at the spitting-out-her-food stage. She gave her some banana-pear concoction then took her upstairs to get her dressed. Her mom had dropped off some baby clothes this weekend and she dressed her in a light blue turtleneck and jeans. She put her coat on her and carried her out to the car. About 10 minutes later, she parked in front of the hospital, the space reserved for loading and unloading patients. ::Well, at least I don't have far to walk.:: She thought, as she put Sam on her waist and entered the door. She took the elevator up to the surgical recovery floor and when it stopped, she headed for the nurses' station. A nurse glanced up at her, as she approached. Dana smiled, recognizing her as the charge nurse, Lorna. Lorna's gray eyes sparkled, almost looking silver. Dana walked up to her. "You work here and down in the nursery?" Lorna shook her head. "No, I'm usually up here. They were short down there that night, so I filled in." Dana smiled and nodded. "I see. Anyway, I'm here for Fox Mulder. Is he ready to go?" Lorna's grin widened a bit at the mention of Mulder's name. "Yeah, Mulder should be almost ready to go. Right this way." Dana frowned. ::Ok, I call him Fox, she calls him Mulder? What the?:: She shook her head as she followed Lorna down the hall. Lorna knocked softly on door 667. ::Oooh.:: Dana thought. ::Almost 666.:: She grinned at herself, remembering how the old Mulder would have been paranoid and noticed something like that. "Yes?" called a slightly grumpy voice from the inside. "Mulder, Miss Scully is here to take you home." The door was yanked open. Mulder was standing in front of them barefoot and shirtless, still buttoning up his jeans. "Yeah, come on in," he grumbled. "I'm almost ready to go." Dana watched as Lorna's eyes roamed up and down Mulder's body appreciatively. She shrugged and thought that this could be a good thing. Mulder pulled his t-shirt over his head and slipped on his shoes. He grabbed his coat and looked at Dana. "Morning," he said sheepishly, somewhat embarrassed for his earlier bad mood. "Morning," she replied, grinning at him. "Ready to go home?" He nodded. "Yeah, just one question," as he held out his arms to hold Sam. "Where's my home?" Dana put her arm through his and led him out into the Hall, so he could sign his release. "Don't worry, I'll show you." ~*~*~ A while later, Tammy's eyes flickered open and she looked around a bit, confused. ::How did I get in my room?:: She tried to move, only to realize that a strong muscular arm pinned her down. She smiled and locked her fingers with Alex's. She bent her head down and started planting kisses along his arm, starting at his fingers and going as high as she could go. Suddenly, she found herself on her back staring up into those deep green eyes and that beautiful smile. She felt butterflies in her stomach just looking at him. He bent down, as if to kiss her, but turned his head at the last second, brushing his whiskers across her face. She opened her eyes wide in surprise. "Gotcha," he whispered, before lowering his mouth to her own. He sucked softly on her lower lip, dragging his teeth along it. She shivered with anticipation. There would be no mad rush this time. It would be soft, slow, and sensual this time. He moved his mouth over to her ear, licking around the outside of it, dipping the tip of his tongue inside, before pulling her ear lobe into his mouth. She groaned slightly, running her fingers through his hair, wrapping her legs around his waist. He moaned and ground against her. She brought his lips back to hers, slowly slipping her tongue inside his mouth. He slipped his tongue in hers, caressing the roof of her mouth before pulling his face away. He wanted her naked against him...NOW. A few quick movements and all of their clothes were lying in a heap on the floor. He slowly pressed his body back against hers, running fingers through her hair. He began smoothly kissing down her neck to her breasts. He ran his tongue around a nipple, blowing on it softly. As she shivered with the sensation, he took her nipple in his mouth, sucking gently while he teased her other breast with his hand. She moaned and moved against him. He took his mouth from her breast and slowly began kissing his way down her abdomen to her warm, wet center. He stopped and she could feel his breath against her inner thighs. She writhed, but he held her to the bed, with his hands on her hips. He flicked the tip of his tongue against her clit and she screamed his name, almost climaxing then and there. He slid his tongue down into her, tasting her warm wetness. He moved his tongue in and out, slow but sure. She bucked against him, moaning his name. He increased the movements of his tongue, feeling her climax around him. But he wasn't done yet... He moved his mouth back up to her breasts, teasing first one and then the other. He slowly rubbed his thumb against her clit, feeling the excitement building in her again. "Oh God, Alex, what are you doing to me?" He brought his head back up, crushing her with a kiss. "Now, Alex," she begged. "Now." He was happy to oblige, slipping himself deep inside her. He moved slowly within her. She wrapped her legs around him and moved against him, begging him to increase the tempo. He pounded into her, faster, harder, both of them breathing in shorter breaths now. She grabbed his face and brought it down for a kiss, slipping her tongue into his mouth just as starts exploded in her mind. She clenched him tight, causing him to lose control. He spilled his seed within her, as he returned her kiss. Sighing deeply, he collapsed on top of her, sated. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, closing her eyes. ~*~*~ As Dana pulled up in front of Mulder's building, Mulder let out a gasp. He turned and looked at Dana in disbelief. "Dana...are you telling me, that I STILL live in this building? In the same apartment that I've lived in for years?" Dana grinned at him, as she put the car in park. "Yeah, Mu...Fox. Yeah, you do." He shook his head. "Surely I could have afforded something better by now?" Dana shrugged. "I suppose so. I guess you figured it wasn't worth it since you were hardly ever home." He looked at her in confusion. ::Oh man, I thought Skinner would have explained more of this!:: She got out of the car and went around to get Sam out from the backseat. "C'mon Fox, let's go inside and I'll start explaining the past 8 years to you." He nodded and got out of the car, leading the way upstairs. They stopped in front of door 42 and Mulder fitted his key in, turning the doorknob, opening the door slowly. He stood in the middle of the room and stared. ::Nothing has changed. Ok, so there are more files piled on the floor, and it looks like I've lost a couple fish, but other than that....:: He collapsed onto the couch while Dana went into the kitchen to make them some coffee to drink. She came back carrying, not only two cups of coffee, but Sam as well. Mulder looked up at her. ::How in the world did she manage that?:: She handed him his cup and then sat down next to him, gently bouncing Sam on her knee. "Well, Fox...where do you want me to start?" He sighed. "What have I been doing for the past 8 years?" "In 1993 you and I were paired together on something called the X-Files. You'd actually already been investigating them on your own." Mulder interrupted. "You mean my investigations into the paranormal and to find my sister." She nodded, glad he remembered that much. "Yeah. I was made your partner in 1993 to sort of...debunk your conclusions. I was there to spy and see if I could get the X-Files closed down. Needless to say, it didn't work. You won me over." She smiled wryly at Mulder. ::No need to get into that now.:: "Anyway, we ended up traveling all over the US and even to Antarctica in your search for the truth. So you weren't home too much." He nodded. "Did I find Sam?" She looked at him. "In a way." ::God, I do not want to have to explain that. I didn't even see what he saw, so how would I?:: He seemed to accept her answer though. ::I bet I can find a file I wrote and read that. I used to be meticulous about keeping records,:: he thought, as he looked at the mess of files and papers on his desk and on the floor. "Do I still work at the FBI?" "Yeah. With John Doggett." Mulder frowned thoughtfully. "John? Is that the same John that you're engaged too?" Dana was shocked for a minute. She'd forgotten that she'd mentioned John's name to him. She nodded. "The one and only." Mulder put on his cocky grin. "Guess that's why you're not working on the X-Files anymore then huh?" She smiled back at him. "Yes and no. The bureau was going to crack down on us for violating their policy, but that's not the only reason. Since you brought Sam home, I now have another reason for not wanting to travel all the time." She got up to put her coffee cup in the sink and noticed that his answering machine light was blinking. "Hey, Fox. You got a message on your machine." She looked over her shoulder and noticed that he was engrossed in talking to Sam. "Yeah yeah," he answered distractedly. On the way back from the kitchen, Dana walked over and pushed play on the machine. There was only one message. "Hey, Mulder. It's Krycek. I know you said that you'd call me in a couple days, but...I had a funny feeling and I thought I'd call and see if you were ok. Call me back, will ya? I'm at Tammy's. 303- 555-0724. Later." Mulder looked up at Dana, the confusion evident on his face. "Who was that?" She sat back down next to Mulder, taking his hand in hers. "Ok. In the past 8 years, we've become involved with some pretty nasty people, who have done a lot of mean things to us. The last thing these people did was take Sam away from me...Before she was even born." She paused, and wiped away a tear. "You and Krycek...Alex Krycek...you went to track this man down and bring my baby home to me." Mulder nodded. "How do I know Krycek? Is he another Agent?" "Once upon a time he was. But then, he went to work for this other man, the man who stole our child. I can only assume that he got tired of working for that man when he stole our child and decided to help you find Sam. I don't know. You were the one who decided to work with him. You didn't tell the rest of us the reason why." Mulder shook his head slowly. "I think that's a lot of information for me to sort out in my head." Dana nodded. "Yeah, I'll take Sam and we'll go home. Here, " she scribbled something down on a piece of paper. "If you need anything, call me, ok?" Mulder stood, handing Sam back to her and giving her a hug. "Thanks, Dana." "Hey," she said, looking at him with tears in her eyes, tears of happiness. "That's what friends are for, right?" He grinned as he closed the door behind her. ::Yeah. That's what friends are for.:: ~*~*~ Dana hummed, as she bustled around the kitchen making lunch. John had called shortly after she had returned home from Mulder's apartment and had said that he would stop by for lunch today. She'd decided to make a meatloaf, since it was chilly out today and looked like it might start snowing again. John had said that he talked to Skinner this morning and would tell her about it when he got home. She had lunch set out on the table when John walked in the door and was patiently trying to get Sam to eat some green bean mush. He walked over and kissed first her, then Sam, on top of the head. "How are my two favorite girls today?" He asked, with a huge grin on his face. Dana smiled up at him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm good. But Sam is kind of grumpy." John dropped his briefcase on the floor and sat down at the table. "Let me take her so you can eat." "John, you need to eat too. You have to be back at the office by 1." He looked up from his lunch. "Actually, I don't. I have the rest of the day off." She was shocked. "You do? How'd you manage that one?" He grinned, knowing that she was going to enjoy the news he had for her. He bounced Sam up and down and motioned for her to start eating. "Have you seen the news today, Dana?" She shook her head. "No, you know watching that stuff depresses me. Why?" "Well, a plane went down in the middle of Iowa late last night. A plane that was headed from Washington DC to Seattle. There were no survivors." "Oh, that's so sad. But what does this have to do with us?" "Deputy Director Kersh was on the plane." Dana dropped her fork. "What???" John bent down and picked her fork up off the floor for her. "Apparently he was going to some conference in Seattle. Took a late flight last night, instead of one this morning." Dana couldn't speak for a minute, so John continued. "They have already assigned someone to his position." Dana raised an eyebrow. "Really? Who?" John grinned even bigger. "Walter Skinner." Dana's jaw hit the floor. "Oh my." John held up his hand. "But wait...there's more." "More? John, what else could there be?" "Skinner asked me to offer you his position as AD." Dana just stared at him. She had no idea what to say. So many thoughts were racing through her head. Yes, she'd love to be AD, she'd always wanted to advance in the bureau, but now she had Sam and John and she wanted to be a family. She didn't know if she could do both. She sighed. John watched the emotions roll across her face. He could tell what every one of them was by now. He had known that this wouldn't be an easy decision for her to make, but he had promised Skinner that he would offer it to her anyway. He reached over and took his hand in hers. "Hey," he said softly. "You don't have to decide now. You're still on maternity leave, remember?" She looked at him and smiled. "Yeah. I know." Her look returned to one of brooding and John knew that she was going to argue the subject in her head until she made up her mind. He leaned over and kissed her softly on the cheek. "I'm gonna take Sam upstairs and put her to bed, ok?" She nodded, still lost in thought. ~*~*~ Mulder paced around his apartment. He was too restless to sit down. He was frustrated and angry. He wanted to scream and yell and throw things. He couldn't believe that the past 8 years of his life were gone from his memory. He kicked a trashcan across the living room and plopped on the sofa. He knew he needed to find something to get his mind off of this, but he had no idea what. He knew he should probably call that Krycek guy back too, but what do you say to someone who remembers you quite clearly, but you can't even recall his first name? Mulder sighed and stood up. ::Maybe if I go for a run, it will clear my head.:: Just then, there was a knock on his door. ::Now who could that be?:: He stared, as he opened the door. "Hi, Mulder," came the beautiful, soft, sexy voice from the other side. "I, um, I hope you don't mind me dropping by. I thought you might like some company." He finally found his voice. "Lorna. Hi. No, I don't mind at all. Come on in, but be warned the place is a mess." She smiled, as she stepped inside. She knew he was a bachelor and had a pretty good idea of what to expect. She felt kind of guilty about being there. She had copied his address from his hospital file, which was definitely against regulations. She just felt so...like he needed a friend. Mulder motioned towards the couch. "Have a seat. Did you want some coffee to drink?" She nodded and slipped her coat off. "Sure, why not?" Mulder turned and went to the kitchen to get them both some coffee to drink. He had a huge smile on his face by the time he entered the kitchen. ~*~*~ Half an hour later, when John returned from rocking Sam to sleep, Dana was still sitting at the table frowning. She looked up, her face clearing as John entered the room. He sat down across from her and took her hand. She smiled at him and squeezed his hand before she began speaking. "You know, John, when I first came to the Bureau, I was young and I wanted to prove myself. To my friends and to my family. And I wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, I could make it big in the Bureau. I dreamed of being offered a position like the one that Skinner has just offered me. But, over the past 8 years, I've changed. And so have my goals in life. I want more than just a good job, prestige, authority. I want a family. I want someone to love me, to care about me, to be there for me. I want to be home every night. I don't want to go on wild goose chases all over the country anymore." She took a deep breath. "So while I am honored that Skinner would choose me, as his successor, please tell him that I don't want the job." John nodded. He had known that she wouldn't want the job anyway, but he wanted her to make her own decision. He smiled at her. "If you makes you happy, Babe, then I am behind you all the way. You know I'd support you, even if you wanted to stay around the house and watch soap operas all day long." He made a face, as he said that and Dana laughed at him. "Yeah. I can just see me sitting around watching Days of our Lives all day long." She snickered. "Anyway, we have much more important things to discuss." John looked at her, a bit of fear flickering through his eyes. "Such as?" "Our wedding date." After they'd talked about important things like the wedding date and where they were going to have it, John had decided that he should probably stop back by work to let Skinner know of Dana's decision. Dana had been pleased with the idea, knowing that she needed to call her mother this afternoon and let her know about the wedding plans. She also wanted to call Alex Krycek. She wasn't sure why. She knew that he had called asking for Mulder, not for her. But she also wanted some answers. She wanted to know what had happened out there. And she wanted to know why Mulder had suddenly trusted this man. And, if he really was trustworthy and had been there for Mulder, then he deserved to know Mulder's condition. She put the dishes in the dishwasher after kissing John good-bye. She made sure Sam was still sleeping peacefully in her crib before reaching for the phone in John's room. She felt the butterflies in her stomach as she dialed the number. She could only hope that he would talk to her and be willing to answer her questions. "Hello?" The voice on the other end of the phone jolted her out of her thoughts. The voice was female. ::This must be the "Tammy" he referred to in his message.:: "Yes, I'd like to speak to Alex Krycek please." There was a pause on the other end of the line. "May I ask who is calling please?" "This is Special Agent Dana Scully with the FBI." Pause. "Just a moment." Dana waited, her fingernails tapping anxiously on the top of the bed. "Agent Scully?" came the voice from the other end of the line. The voice that brought forth the face, that for so long, she had acquainted with nightmares. "Krycek," she responded, unsure of exactly how to broach the subject. "What can I do for you, Agent Scully?" he asked, sounding polite, nice, almost like a gentleman. She took a deep breath. "You called for Mulder. I'm returning your phone call." Silence. "I see. And why isn't Mulder returning my phone call." "He...." She paused, searching for the words. "Mulder was in a car accident when he returned to DC. He has amnesia. He doesn't remember the past 8 years of his life. He doesn't remember you." The silence was almost deafening this time, it stretched out for so long. When he spoke again, his voice reflected caring and concern. "How are you handling it?" This was not the question that she had expected. "Ok, I guess. I...it's strange. It's like I've lost my best friend, but I haven't." She shut her mouth. Why oh why was she confiding in this man? "Can I do anything to help?" She shook her head, not realizing at first that he couldn't see it. "No. Not for Mulder." "What can I do for you, Dana?" She realized that he used her first name. It seemed strange, yet not wrong. "What changed, Alex? Why did Mulder trust you? And what happened out there?" She swallowed, hoping that her voice wouldn't break. She didn't know why she was getting so emotional about this. ::Treat it like another case,:: she told herself. The only problem with that was, she couldn't. She had too many emotions invested in this. She needed answers. "I changed, Dana. I...I got tired of being on both sides, although you and Mulder didn't know it. I...I fucked up, big time. And I lost your trust, both yours and Mulder's. I went to work for that man, hoping that by being privy to his information I could protect the two of you. It worked...kind of. Up until your daughter. I think he'd begun to suspect. I had no clue that it was going to happen. And I felt so guilty afterwards. I wanted to help, to make up for all the wrongs that I had done. I went to Mulder, explained it all to him. I'll never know why he took my word for it, but he did. He gave me a second chance to prove myself." She wiped away a tear, on the other end of the phone. She could hear the raw emotion in Alex Krycek's voice and it tore at her heart. He continued. "We found Cancer Man. Holed up in a cabin in Montana. Just him and Samantha and a man for protection. We staked him out, watched his routine. And when he was alone one day, just him and Samantha, we went in. And killed him." She could hear something change in his voice. There was something he wasn't telling her. "Who killed him? How?" Her voice was barely above a whisper. There was a pause. She knew he was contemplating telling her something. "Mulder did it, didn't he?" His voice was as soft as hers was. "Yeah, Dana, Mulder killed him. Broke his neck. We burned the place to the ground. I'm sorry, you shouldn't have to hear that." "It's ok. I needed to know. Thank you." "Are you going to be ok?" he asked, the concern returning. "Yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks, Alex," she said as she returned the phone to the cradle. She wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them close to her chest. And she sat like that for a long time, rocking back and forth, one thought running through her mind. ::It's finally over.:: ~*~*~ When John came home half an hour later, he found her just like that on the bed, lost in her thoughts. He knocked softly and she turned her face towards him. For once he couldn't read the look in her eyes. "Dana?" he questioned quietly. In response, she held out her arms. He sat on the bed next to her, stroking her hair. "What is it Honey? Is everything all right?" She nodded and looked up at him. "Oh yes, John. Everything is all right. It's more than all right. It's finally over." He looked at her, the confusion evident in his blue eyes. "What do you mean?" She took his hand and laced his fingers through hers. "I mean that I can stop worrying whether or not the Smoking Man will come and abduct Sam again. He's dead. The Smoking Man is finally gone and I can get on with my life. My new life with you and Sam." He was overjoyed at the news, but.... "How did you find this out, Dana?" "I called Alex Krycek today." "Krycek?" He tried to remember what he had learned about this man when he read through all of Mulder's files. "That murdering ex-Agent? Why?" She sighed. "Because he was Mulder's unlikely source for help in finding Sam. Because I needed answers. I had to know what happened out there. And now I know. I can put it all behind me." He kissed the top of her head. "Good." She grinned up at him. "There's just one more problem to tackle now." John looked at her, trying to imitate her questioning look by raising one eyebrow. "And what's that?" "Calling my mother. I know she's going to complain that we're not giving her enough time to plan a big wedding." John groaned. "Are you sure we can't elope?" Dana swatted him playfully with a pillow. "I am very sure. I only plan on doing this once and I want it to be perfect." "Well that's good news." He leaned over and kissed her gently, then stood up. "I think I'll go check on Sam, while you tackle your mother." She rolled her eyes. "Gee thanks, John." She could hear John talking to Sam on the baby monitor in their room and leaned over to turn it down. She sighed, as she picked up the phone to call her mother. This was going to be a long conversation. "Hello?" "Hi Mom, it's Dana." "Dana, Honey! I haven't heard from you in ages. How is everything? What's going on?" She took a deep breath. "Actually, Mom, I have lots of news for you. Mulder's back. He found our daughter and brought her home. Her name is Samantha Katherine." "Oh Dana. When can I see her?" "Soon, Mom, I promise. There's more though. Mulder has amnesia. He doesn't remember the past 8 years of his life." "Oh my goodness. How are you handling this? I know how close the two of you are." "I'll be fine, Mom, really. I, actually, have even more news that I was calling to tell you." On the other end of the phone, Maggie Scully sat down in a chair, feeling as if she would need it. "More, Dana?" "Mom, you remember my new partner John Doggett, right?" "Oh yes, that nice man who was at Bill's funeral." "Yeah Mom, that's him. Well...he and I are getting married in 3 months." There was complete silence on the other end of the phone. "Mom?" ::Oh God, I hope I haven't caused her to have a heart attack!:: "I'm fine Dana. That's just...well that's a lot of stuff for me to take in at once. 3 months you say? You've set a date then?" John walked back into the room, holding Sam, just in time to see Dana roll her eyes. "Yes Mom. May 11." "Where are you having it at? Who will be in your wedding party? Dana, do you realize how much stuff has to be done before your wedding?" "Yes, Mom, I realize that. And that's why I'm calling you. I thought you might like to help me plan my wedding." John snickered from the other end of the room and Dana glared at him. "Of course I would, Honey!!" "Good, Mom. Why don't you come down on Saturday and we'll discuss it then." "Ok. Oh, Dana...what about your job?" "At the FBI? I quit, Mom. I want to find a job where I can be home for my family in the evenings." Maggie Scully was thankful that she had found that chair to sit down in. "I see. Ok, well, I will call you on Friday and we can set up a time for Saturday, ok?" "Ok Mom. I love you." "I love you too, Dana." Dana couldn't hang up the phone fast enough. "Well, that's done with." John came over to sit down next to her, handing her Sam. "That's good." She made faces at Sam and then looked at John. "How was the meeting with Skinner?" He smiled. "It was good. Really good." "How'd he take me turning down his offer?" She was talking to John, but she was looking at Sam again. "Actually, he had expected it. He had figured that when you left on maternity leave, you wouldn't be returning to the Bureau at all." Dana nodded. "So who's gonna get his job then?" "Me." Dana turned and stared at John. "You're gonna be AD?" He nodded. "Wow." She wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. "Congratulations!" He blushed slightly. "Thanks." "I guess we should go out and celebrate tonight then." She was quiet for a minute. "Who does that leave on the X-Files then?" He knew that she would ask that question sooner or later. "Actually, I'm going to talk to Mulder tomorrow about returning to work. And then I'm going to call Monica Reyes and see if she'd be willing to transfer up here." "Oh, that's a good choice. I always liked her, John." "As long as she wasn't going to be my partner, right?" She grinned. "I was just teasing. I know I can trust you. Now, where are we going to celebrate?" ~*~*~ John and Dana had decided to go to a nice family restaurant to celebrate. That way they could take Sam with them. Dinner was fun. They didn't have to talk about anything important and for that Dana was grateful. They were fighting over the last bite of the apple dessert they had ordered, when Dana's cell phone rang. As she reached for her phone, John stole the last piece. She glared at him, as she answered the phone. "Scully." ::You know, Dana, you don't have to answer your phone like that anymore.:: "Dana?" came the questioning voice. "Hi Fox. What can I do for you?" "Well...um...." He sounded nervous. "I...well, I was wondering if I could possibly see Sam for awhile this evening. It's just that-" Dana interrupted him. "Of course you can see Sam this evening, Fox. You don't have to explain why you want to." John got up to pay the check while Dana was talking to Mulder. "When would you like for me to bring her over?" "Anytime is fine." Dana nodded. "John and I will drop her off in about half an hour then. Is that ok?" "That's great." Mulder's voice had brightened considerably. "Thanks Dana." "No problem Fox. See you in a bit. Bye." "Bye." John had returned for the end of the conversation and had already helped Sam into her coat. He was waiting to help Dana into hers. "Do we need to stop by the house and get anything before we head to Mulder's?" he asked as he picked up Sam. "Nope," she answered, as she shouldered the large diaper bag. "I think there's enough stuff in here for someone to keep Sam for a week." He laughed and they headed for the door. ~*~*~ True to her word, half an hour later, Dana was knocking on Mulder's door. He opened the door with a big grin on his face. "Hey guys, come on in." He held out his arms for Sam. John handed her over while Dana went to put some of Sam's stuff in the fridge. Mulder put Sam on his hip and thrust his free hand towards John. "Fox Mulder." "John Doggett." He shook Mulder's hand. Mulder motioned towards the couch and they both sat. "So," Mulder began. "You and I work together at the Bureau." John cleared his throat. "Well, not as partners anymore." Mulder looked at him questioningly. John continued. "Skinner got promoted to Deputy Director and I got Skinner's job as AD." Mulder nodded. If he wondered why he didn't get the promotion, he didn't show it. "Congratulations." "Thanks." There was an awkward silence before John spoke again. "So...do you want to come back to work on the X-Files? You don't have to come back until you're ready. I just wondered if I needed to find one or two Agents." Mulder nodded. "I'll be back to work Monday." "Ok. Let me know if you need more time though." Just then, Dana came back into the living room. She hadn't really needed that much time in the kitchen, but she wanted John and Mulder to be able to talk. "Ok. Sam's food and formula are in the fridge. Remember to warm the formula before you give it to her." Mulder rolled his eyes. "Anything else, Mom?" She stuck her tongue out at him. "Yeah. What time are we picking her up?" He shrugged. "Couple hours." She nodded as John stood. "Sounds good. See you guys then." "Have fun," John added. John pulled Dana close to him after Mulder shut the door behind them. "Now we can really celebrate," he whispered in her ear. ~*~*~ John held Scully's hand, as he lead her back down to his truck, which was parked in front of Mulder's building. He helped her get in and then went around and got behind the driver's seat. They sat there for a few minutes, waiting for the truck to warm up. "So, now where are we going?" Dana asked. John smiled, as he pulled away from the curb. "You'll see." She stuck her tongue out at him and slumped back into the seat. "You know, Dana, you keep doing that and we won't ever make it to our destination." She grinned and thought about sticking her tongue out at him again, but she really wanted to know where they were going. She turned and looked at the scenery passing outside the window. It looked as if they were going back to the house. She wondered what kind of "surprise" he had planned for there. She started to ask him about it, when she noticed that he had turned off their usual path home. He was driving down a fancy residential neighborhood. Dana loved the houses there, but they were so expensive. John stopped the truck in front of a large white house. It was two stories tall and had a wraparound porch on the front. Dana turned to question John, but he had already gotten out of the truck and was headed to her side. She pushed open the door. "John? What are we doing here?" she asked, as she closed the truck door behind her. "You'll see," he answered, as he led her up to the porch. He fitted a key into the lock and the door swung open easily. Before she could get inside, John swept her up into his arms and carried her inside, kicking the door shut behind him. "Welcome to our new home, Dana," he said, as he sat her down. She looked at him in shock. "Are you serious?" He nodded and she went from room to room exploring while he lit a fire in the fireplace in the living room. She came back from her exploring. "John this is wonderful!! But what's wrong with the house we live in now?" He pulled her into his arms, kissing her on top of the head. "Nothing. But I want a new house for us to start over...as a family. You and me and Sam. I don't need those old memories of when I lived there alone." She smiled and kissed him softly. "Thank you." John grinned mischievously. "You'll be thanking me more in a little while." Dana laughed and he slowly laid her down on the rug in front of the fireplace, watching the light from the flames dance in her hair. She was so beautiful. He ran his fingers through her hair and began kissing her softly. First her forehead, then her cheeks, her nose, and finally he took her mouth in his own, probing it softly with his tongue. She could feel the passion already burning inside of her and wanted him...but she wanted to excite him first. She pushed him over onto his back and began kissing him...hard and deep. He groaned, excited by her aggressiveness. She pulled his shirt over his head and began running her fingers up and down his chest, sucking on his lip all the while. He gripped his fingers in her hair loving every minute of this. She slowly pulled his fingers from her hair, so that she could move her head down farther. She kissed down his chest, stopping to examine each of his nipples with her tongue. Her fingers were working at the buttons of his jeans, trying to open them. As she kissed her way down to his stomach, her hands succeeded. She dipped her tongue in his navel, as she pushed his jeans off of him, boxers going with them. Now he was naked before her. She looked at him in the firelight and couldn't believe how lucky she was. She slowly moved her mouth down to his penis, licking it with soft, sure strokes, her hands cupping his balls and massaging them. He moaned as she ran her tongue over the tip of his penis. "Oh God, Dana, don't stop." She had no intention of stopping. She slowly took him into her mouth, running her tongue in circles around him. She moved him in and out of her mouth, taking him in more and more each side, until he was completely in her mouth. He couldn't help it. He locked his fingers in her hair, trying to get her to move faster, take him deeper. She was willing to comply and with a loud moan, he came in her mouth. Smiling, she moved back up him, pressing little kisses all the way up. He lay watching, as she moved off of him and began removing her clothes in the firelight. He watched as her shirt, her bra, then her pants and panties all piled up behind her. Watching her move seductively, he could feel his passion returning. When she was naked, he reached up and pulled her back down to the rug, positioning her under him. He kissed her deeply then, wanting her to be as ready as he already was. He ran his fingers down to her warm center, inserting one, moving it back and forth. He could feel her beginning to get excited. He rubbed his thumb on her clit, inserting another finger. He moved his tongue in her mouth to the rhythm of his fingers. Suddenly he pulled his fingers out. She could feel him pressing at her entrance and she was ready for him. She wrapped her legs around his waist and he thrust into her. She moaned, but his mouth caught the sound. He brought his hands up to tease her nipples, as he slowly began moving inside of her. She gripped him tighter with her legs, wanting him to go faster. She tangled her fingers in his hair, loving what he was doing to her. He moved swiftly now, wanting her to climax before he did. She clenched him tightly then, gasping his name out. He pumped once, twice more, before coming deep inside of her. She could feel his warmth running into her, as he collapsed on top of her. He smiled at her. "Welcome me home like that every night?" he asked. She kissed him softly. "Only if you're good," she whispered. ~*~*~ The entire way back to Mulder's to pick up Sam, Dana couldn't stop thinking about the house that John had bought for her...for them. It was as if he'd read her dreams. She was already imagining where she would put the furniture and what she would buy to put on the wraparound porch. Although she thought that getting a house with four bedrooms was probably wishful thinking. She sure as hell hoped that he didn't get that many bedrooms, so that her Mom could come visit all the time. She grinned at that thought. As they pulled up in front of Mulder's building, they noticed a car with Colorado plates parked out front. ::Who in the world is that?:: thought Dana, as they went up to Mulder's apartment. She knocked lightly on the door, as John stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her. Her jaw hit the floor when the door swung open. She was greeted by one of the most stunning women she'd ever seen. She was about 5'8" and had shoulder length reddish hair. Her green eyes seemed to pierce through Dana. "Can I help you?" she asked, a bit of a Southern drawl in her voice. "Is Fox here?" Dana asked, annoyed at the bit of jealousy that crept into her voice. "Yeah, come on in." The redhead turned and yelled into the bedroom. "Mulder! Company!" Mulder came out of the bedroom carrying Sam, at the same time that Krycek stepped out of the kitchen with two cups of coffee. Dana just stared. She felt as if she were in an alternate universe. Although, it gave her a bit of comfort, to see the stunned look on her face reflected in Krycek's. Dana decided to ignore the other two and she and John walked over to Mulder. Dana reached out for Sam. "How was she?" she asked Fox. He grinned at Dana. "She was a gem. She must take after me." Dana swatted him on the arm. "As if. She takes after me, you just haven't learned it yet." He grinned and pointed to the other two in the room. "Alex Krycek, Tammy Aiken." He pointed to the two standing next to him. "Dana Scully, John Doggett." John eyed Krycek, as Tammy eyed Dana, all of them sizing each other up. Tammy was the first to break the silence. She stuck her hand towards Dana. "Nice to meet you." Dana shook it reluctantly, somewhat uncomfortable about the whole situation. Yes, she'd talked to Krycek on the phone, but being in the same room with him still made her uncomfortable. It was obvious to John that Dana was ready to go. He quickly shook hands with Krycek then made their excuses. They said good night and headed out the door. Dana rocked Sam gently, as they went to the truck. "Thanks, John." He nodded and leaned over to kiss her after starting the truck. "Anytime, Hon." ~*~*~ The months passed and winter turned into spring. Dana was very happy. She'd not yet found a job; but then again, she was waiting until after the honeymoon to find full time work. For the most part, she stayed at home with Sam. She did attend some therapy with Mulder once a week to try and help him regain his memory. So far, they hadn't had any luck. But Mulder wasn't giving up and that was a good sign. Krycek and Tammy had moved into John's old house when he and Dana and Sam had moved into the new one and they were trying to help Mulder as well, when he wasn't out working an X-File or hanging out with Lorna, who was now officially his girlfriend. Dana also spent some time hanging out with Monica Reyes. Shortly after Monica had transferred up to DC, they had gotten together, each of them feeling the need for a gal pal. Dana had liked Monica from the first time she'd met her, and now Dana considered her the closest girl friend she'd ever had. So close, in fact that Dana had asked her to be the maid of honor at her wedding. Dana smiled, as she thought about her wedding. It was in exactly 7 days and she was so excited, that she could barely contain it. She was also excited for another reason and she couldn't wait for John to come home to share it with him. Dana was unpacking some of the boxes in the guest bedroom when she heard the doorbell. She hurried downstairs to see who it was. "Mom. Hi." Dana said, slightly surprised. "Hi, Honey!" her mom exclaimed as she wrapped her arms around Dana. "I didn't think you were coming until tomorrow Mom," Dana was trying to pry her mother's arms away from her. "I know, but I just got so excited thinking about your wedding, and I thought that I would come and spend some time with you and Sam before the big day." Dana sighed, but tried to hide it form her mom. She was sure that her mom only meant well. "Well Mom, I was just getting your guest bedroom ready. Why don't you follow me upstairs and I'll show you where it is and then we'll go check on Sam. She should be waking up from her nap right about now." Maggie nodded and picked up one of her bags, while Dana picked up the other, following her daughter upstairs. Maggie looked around her, as Dana showed her into the room. "Oh Dana, this is beautiful!" she exclaimed. All the floors in the house were hardwood, and Dana had put colorful area rugs in all of the rooms. This room was decorated in forest green and mauve. There was a queen size bed, a rocking chair, a nightstand and a dresser in the room, all of them made out of oak. Maggie sank down on the bed, enjoying the way she sank into the mattress. "This is fabulous. You know, Dana, I'm a bit tired. Would you mind if I took a nap?" Dana shook her head. "Not at all Mom. I need to feed Sam and then I still have some boxes to unpack downstairs." Maggie nodded at her, her eyes already sliding shut. "Make sure you wake me in time for dinner." Dana smiled and closed the door silently behind her, leaning against it, as she did. She hoped that this week would pass quickly. She and John had planned to go to Hawaii for their honeymoon, while Maggie kept Sam. She couldn't wait. Dana was in the kitchen fixing dinner that night when her mom came downstairs. "My goodness Dana, you sure are making a lot of food." Dana slipped the second pan of lasagna into the oven and turned to her mom. "John and I are having a dinner party tonight, remember?" Maggie shook her head. "No, I don't remember, Sweetie. Should I remember?" "Yes, Mom. I had originally asked you to come today and you told me that you couldn't because you had something to do." "I see," said Maggie taking a seat at the table. "Who all will be here?" "You, me, John, and Sam. Fox and Lorna. Alex and Tammy. Monica and her latest fling. Oh yeah, and Walter, too." Maggie nodded again. "Why are they all coming to dinner?" ::Do I have to explain everything?:: Dana thought, as she answered her mother. "Well, for one, because we're all friends and we hang out. And two, so that we can discuss last minute details for the wedding." "Ok." Dana turned back to the counter and opened a glass of wine. "Would you like a drink Mom?" "Yes. Yes, I think I would." And so they sat in silence for awhile, sipping their wine, Dana getting up occasionally to check on dinner. Maggie was in the kitchen feeding Sam, while Dana was making breadsticks and salad when John came home. Dana sensed his presence before he said anything and she turned and smiled brightly at him, wiping her hands off before going to give him a hug. "Hey Honey. How was work today?" He grinned at the welcome and kissed her on the cheek. "Oh, you know. Same old stuff. Listening to Mulder's outrageous theories, then listening to Monica's. Skinner, wanting to know why my agents spend so much money traveling. Really, he should know that already. He doesn't need to harass me about it." John seemed to notice Maggie for the first time. "Hi Maggie. How are you?" She grinned at her soon to be son-in-law. "I'm good. A bit tired from traveling, but doing good." Just then, the doorbell rang and John rolled his eyes. "Tonight is the night that the whole crew is coming over, isn't it?" Dana smiled at his expression. He had been the one to choose the date originally. "Yes, dear, it is." "Well, while you guys finish up in here, I think I'll go and answer the door." He swatted Dana on the behind, as he left the kitchen. Tammy sauntered into the kitchen a few minutes later. "Hey Dana...Can I help?" Dana turned and smiled at Tammy. She had grown to like her. And she definitely appreciated Tammy's wacky sense of humor. "Hey you. Yeah, you can help. Want to put the salad on the table while I get the breadsticks and the lasagna out of the oven?" She nodded. "Sure thing. Anything else?" "Oh you know, the usual. Salad dressing, extra napkins for the men." She smiled and Tammy laughed at her. Monica made her way into the kitchen then, followed closely by Lorna. "So," said Monica, "I see this is the room where the intelligence hangs out." Dana started laughing so hard, she about dropped the breadsticks. Lorna ran to help her. "Whatever you do, Monica," Dana managed to squeeze out, "Do not say that in front of John." "Or Mulder either," inserted Lorna, as they all exchanged conspiratorial glances, knowing how Mulder's ego was. 10 minutes later they were all seated around the table, eagerly devouring the food, talking about nothing in particular. As Monica brought out the cherry pie that she had brought for dessert and Dana began serving coffee, the talk turned to the upcoming wedding. "So," Dana asked. "Everyone remembers the rehearsal dinner is on the 10th at 6pm, correct?" Most of the guys rolled their eyes at this. Dana had been reminding them about this every day since May 1st. "Yes Dana," everyone chorused and she laughed. Just recently, she had begun to realize how much her friends meant to her and, as she looked around the table, she realized that she was thankful for each and every one of them to be there. "Well, I guess you all will remember that then, huh?" she remarked. "Does anyone have any other questions then?" Mulder raised his hand and they all laughed. "Yes, Fox?" asked Dana, sounding very much like a schoolteacher. "Is there something you'd like to share with the class?" He grinned his goofy grin at her. "Yeah. I'm supposed to be holding your ring, right? Does someone have that? When are you giving it to me? Please don't give it to me too early, I might lose it." They all laughed then. Dana held John's hand close, as he answered the question. "Actually, Mulder, I'm skipping out on work tomorrow so that we can go and pick out the rings." Mulder nodded. John continued. "I'll give it to you about 5 minutes before the ceremony. Think you can hold onto it that long?" Mulder did his best to look serious. "I'll try." John looked around at his group of friends and smiled. They almost felt like family and it was a good feeling. He wished that his parents could be here for his wedding, the one that would last forever, but it wasn't meant to be. They had died in a car crash about 6 years ago. Dana caught the look of sadness in his eyes and squeezed his hand. She knew what he was thinking. He turned and smiled at her. "So," she asked, anxious for everyone to go home. "Is that it?" Alex Krycek, of all the people in the room, seemed to be the only one to pick up on her intentions. He faked a huge yawn. "I hope so Dana, because I'm about to fall asleep here. Thank you for the wonderful dinner though." She smiled her thanks at him, as everyone got up to leave. She took turns hugging everyone, as they went out the door. When everyone was gone, she and John headed towards the kitchen to clean up, but Maggie quickly shooed them back out. "I didn't help make the dinner, the least I can do is clean it up." John shrugged and Dana smiled. Who were they to argue with that? Dana locked her fingers with John's and led him upstairs. They stopped by Sam's door, seeing that she was sleeping peacefully. She was 9 months old now and slept straight through the night, which Dana was immensely grateful for. When they got to their room, Dana pushed the door shut behind them. John began getting ready for bed, when he noticed that Dana was still standing by the door. He turned at her, his eyes showing confusion and a bit of alarm. "Dana? Is everything ok?" She smiled at him then, a smile so big it could light up the room. "Actually, John, everything is more than ok." He came over and took her in his arms. "How's that?" "Well, John, I guess it's a good thing you bought a big house after all. I'm pregnant." He looked at her, surprise and happiness warring in his eyes. "Really? How?' "John Doggett, did your mother never have the birds and the bees talk with you?" He laughed. "You know what I meant." She kissed him on the lips and laid her cheek against his check. "I know. But I don't have an answer." He held her closer. "That's ok, I don't need one. How far along are you?" "6 weeks." He tipped her head up until her eyes met his. He kissed her softly, deeply, showing her exactly how he felt about it. When the kiss ended, she whispered softly in his ear. "I know. I love you too." ~*~*~ May 11, 2002 dawned bright and sunny. Dana got up at 6am that morning, too nervous to sleep any longer. The wedding wasn't until 2, but she knew that she had a million things to finish before then, although when her mom asked her what still needed to be done, she simply shrugged because she suddenly couldn't remember any of them. John left shortly after breakfast that morning. He would be going over to Fox's apartment to get ready, so that Dana could have the house to get herself ready. He knew that all the women would be congregating there shortly and he did NOT want to be around for that. When the doorbell rang at 8am, Dana ran to answer it. On the other side were Tammy and Monica, Dana's two bridesmaids. She hugged them both and they laughed at her obvious exuberance over getting married. "Gee, Dana," teased Tammy, "I hope that I'm this excited when I get married!" They all grinned, knowing that when Tammy's turn came to walk down the aisle, she'd probably be more hyper than Dana was at this very moment. "Have you guys set a date yet?" asked Monica, as they all trooped upstairs to Dana's bedroom to get her ready. "Actually, Alex and I talked about it last night. Dana, you guys aren't leaving for your honeymoon until the 14th, right?" Dana nodded. "Yeah, we had to wait until then to get some cheaper airfare or some such nonsense. But Mom is leaving and taking Sam home with her after the wedding, so we all know the honeymoon is really gonna start tonight." Tammy laughed and Monica just stared, still unable to Believe, that the professional Dana Scully she first Met, could say stuff like this. "Anyway," continued Tammy, "Alex and I decided that we don't want to have a big wedding. So tomorrow, at noon, we're going to go to the courthouse and get married by a justice of the peace. And I want both of you to be there." They had just stepped into Dana's room when Tammy made that announcement and Dana turned and hugged Tammy. "Well, noon will be kind of early," Dana winked. "But we'll try and make it there." The three girls collapsed into giggles, as Maggie Scully walked into the room. She tried to look sternly at them, but it didn't work. She clapped her hands. "Come on girls, let's get this show on the road." ~*~*~ Over at Fox's apartment, John was just as nervous as Dana was. He kept double-checking his pocket to make sure that he had the ring. Alex finally reached over and took the box out of John's hand. "I'll hold onto this until it's time to give it to Fox, ok?" Fox grinned and John nodded, still looking nervous. But then again, it could be because he had a huge hangover from last night's bachelor party. "So Alex," Fox broke the silence. "When are you getting hitched?" Alex mock glared at Mulder before answering. "Tomorrow, actually. Tammy and I decided to get married by a Justice of the Peace at noon tomorrow. I hope you guys can be there." John smiled at Alex. Alex was still a mystery to him, but over the past few weeks he'd grown to like the guy. "Yeah, well, hopefully I'll be able to get Dana out of bed by then." Alex laughed, but Fox seemed to be lost in thought. "Fox?" John asked. "You ok?" Fox shook his head and grinned. "Yeah, sorry. Just a bit of a headache. I'd better go take something for that." He walked down the hall towards the bathroom, a frown on his face. He's just had the oddest vision. When John mentioned getting Dana out of bed, he had "seen" himself in bed with her. He shook his head, as he downed some aspirin. He'd been having visions like that for the past two days, but today, he wasn't going to worry about it. Today was John and Dana's day. Tomorrow he'd ask his doctor about it. Alex was helping John get his tuxedo out of the protective bag, when Fox walked back into the room. He clapped John on the back. "Well, my friend, kiss goodbye to being able to make your own decisions." They all laughed and started getting John ready for the wedding. ~*~*~ The men arrived at the church at 1:30. They knew that the ladies were arriving at 1:45 and that gave them 15 minutes to get everyone in place. John was so nervous that he couldn't seem to stand still. Alex and Fox were both standing up front at the altar trying not to snicker, as John walked back and forth. Fox looked out into the crowd. Most of the faces he didn't know, but a few were familiar. He smiled when Lorna waved at him. He saw Skinner sitting out there with a very pretty redhead. He turned and looked back at John, as John finally took his place at the front of the altar. He frowned, as he was assaulted by another flash of memory, this one of him and John arguing in Skinner's office. ::What is that all about?:: he wondered, as he shook his head. He felt someone nudge him and he turned to his right. Alex was holding out a small gold band. He grinned at Fox. "Think you can manage to hold onto this until it's time?" he whispered. Fox glared, as he wrapped his hand around the ring. "I think so." They turned to face the back of the church, as the music began. Monica walked down the aisle towards them, followed by Tammy. They were both wearing long pale blue dresses. Alex smiled, as he watched Tammy walk towards him. He couldn't wait until tomorrow when she would be walking up the aisle to greet him. The music changed and everyone stood up a bit straighter, watching for Dana and her mother. Although it was tradition for the father to give away the bride, Dana had felt that the honor belonged to her mother. The men could only start, when Dana began to walk towards them. She had chosen a simple, yet elegant white dress. It was floor-length with a short train flowing behind it. The waist was fitted, the skirt falling freely from there. The dress was held up by three thin straps over each shoulder. The bodice was slightly v-cut and covered with tiny white beads. She was carrying a small bouquet of yellow roses. She looked stunning. Fox watched, as Dana began her slow walk towards the front of the altar. Images began flashing through his mind, some fast, some slow, but all of them had Dana in them. He saw her the first day she walked into his office, when they were trapped in the woods running from insects, solving the mystery of the frozen man, pretending to be married, trying to convince her that he really wasn't Morris Fletcher. He blinked, as she got closer. This was his Scully. He looked around. ::Doggett? She's marrying Doggett? What the hell?:: He was stunned. He tried to pay attention to what was going on around him, but he was lost in his thoughts. He came back to the present in time to hear the preacher ask if anyone had any objections. "Wait!" Mulder shouted. Everyone in the church stopped and stared at Mulder. Dana just looked at him, surprise flaring in her eyes. "Fox? What is it?" Mulder frowned, thinking fast. Not only had he remembered everything from the past 9 years, but he also remembered these past few months, where he had been watching John and Dana spend time together. And he knew, in his heart, that they were meant for each other. And if he loved her, he would let her go now. He took a deep breath and let it out, then grinned his famous goofy smile. "Sorry...I dropped the ring." He quickly bent down and picked up the ring, as the wedding party laughed softly. The preacher smiled at him when he was standing up again. "I take it we can continue now?" Mulder stood silently watching the wedding unfold in front of him. He remembered to hand over the ring when he was supposed to. He was torn, seeing them with each other. He was so happy that Scully had found someone who could give her the stability that she has wanted for so long, but he was also sad because for a long time, he had hoped to be the one for her. He put a smile on his face and turned towards the crowd with the rest of the wedding party as the preacher announced: "Ladies and Gentleman- John and Dana Doggett!" There were claps and cheers, as the bride and groom hurried down the aisle followed by the rest of the wedding party. ~*~*~ An hour later they were all seated at the tables in the reception hall. They had eaten and were sitting around enjoying their champagne. Mulder shifted nervously in his chair, knowing that it was his turn to give a toast. Mulder coughed nervously and tapped his knife against his glass before standing. "May I have everyone's attention please?" The room quieted and they all turned to look at Mulder. "I um...well, I hear that I'm supposed to give a toast." People laughed quietly and he grinned. "I'll try and make it short and pleasant. Today I have had the opportunity to witness one of the greatest things on the face of this earth. True and absolute love. And what made it even better, is that it is a love between two of my best friends. A love that I've had a chance to see grow and blossom. A love that I know will last throughout all time. I would give you both wishes for the very best, but having spent time with you, I know that things will only get better from here. John, thank you for being there when I needed a friend, and being understanding when I needed your help. And, Scully...I owe you more thanks than I can ever give. Not only for being my friend, but for everything else that you have given me over the years." He smiled and sat back down, as people began to clap. Dana was sitting next to him and she leaned over and looked at him closely. He gazed back at her. "Mulder?" she asked softly, wondering if it was true. "Hey Scully, it's me." And with those familiar words, she knew. She could not have asked for a better wedding present, than to have her best friend back. She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly. "I missed you." He smiled and held back his tears. "I missed you, too." She reached over and squeezed his hand before turning back to her guests and to her new husband. John and Dana went over and began to cut the wedding cake. She picked up a piece to feed to John and smiled slyly at him. He frowned, knowing what was coming. "Open wide," she said, as she crammed as much of the cake as she could into his mouth. The crowd laughed, as pieces of the cake dropped onto his tux and the floor. He wiped his face with the towel that someone had thoughtfully provided and picked up his own piece of cake, which to Dana's eyes looked huge. She knew that he would get her back. She opened her mouth and closed her eyes, knowing what was coming. When nothing happened she frowned and opened her eyes. Right then he shoved the cake into her mouth. She thought she would gag from the surprise. John laughed and handed her the towel, which she promptly swatted him with. The crowd roared with laughter. She wiped off her face and continued cutting the cake for the rest of the crowd, her face only slightly red from embarrassment. She was too happy to be embarrassed. Today had been a great day so far. She had gotten married to a wonderful man, the love of her life, and her best friend had been there to share it with her. ~*~*~ By the time they returned home that night, Dana and John were both exhausted. Maggie had left a bit early from the reception, so that she could get Sam and head home, knowing that Dana and John would want some time alone after the reception. After the limo had dropped them off and pulled away, John took Dana's hand, leading her up to the front door. He smiled, and kissed her on the cheek right before he bent down to put his key in the lock in the front door. "Welcome home, Mrs. Doggett." He swung the door open. He put his keys in his pocket and, before Dana could react, he swept her up into his arms and carried her into the house, kicking the door shut behind them. She giggled and wrapped her arms around his neck, kissing him deeply. He continued walking with her in his arms, carrying her upstairs to the bedroom before he set her down. He smiled, as he set her down. "So, Mrs. Doggett, what would you like to do now?" She grinned devilishly. "What don't I show you?" She walked towards him, until she was only about 8 inches away from him. He could feel her breath on his face. He stood completely still and waited. She reached up and slid her fingers under the collar of his jacket, massaging his shoulders gently, as she pushed his coat down and onto the floor. She brought her hands back up and unclasped his bow tie, tossing it down. She ran her fingers down to the button on his blue vest, unfastening them and getting rid of it as well. She kissed him softly, as her fingers came up to undo the buttons on his shirt. She followed her fingers with her mouth, kissing each section of his chest as she uncovered it. She stood when finished and pushed his shirt off of his shoulders, admiring his body. He shivered slightly with anticipation and she smiled. He reached for her, but she pushed his hands away, shaking her head. She wasn't finished yet. She knelt in front of John, bringing her fingers up to his waist. She undid his belt buckle, brushing her knuckles over his bulge. She felt him twitch beneath her touch. She undid the button on his pants and lowered the zipper, inch by agonizing inch. She let his pants fall to the floor and he kicked them and his shoes away and stood before her in nothing but his silk boxers, his erection evident. She rubbed him through his boxers and he thought he would come right then and there. He had to fight for control. She slipped her fingers under the waistband of his boxers and slid them down, freeing him to her. She leaned forward, after he kicked his boxers away, running her fingertips up and down his shaft. He groaned softly. She ran her hand back and began rubbing his balls. She took her mouth and began licking her way up his penis from the base to the shaft. She ran the tip of her tongue around the head of his erection, tasting his pre-ejaculate. She opened her mouth and slowly began taking him in, her hand never leaving his balls. He groaned again as she took him entirely into her mouth. He reached down and pushed his fingers into her hair, scattering hair pins to the floor. She began moving slowly and he urged her to go faster with his hand. She obliged, increasing her tempo until he knew he could stand it no longer. He moaned her name, as he spilled his warm juice into her mouth. She reached up and released his fingers from her hair, so that she could stand up. Unable to support his weight, he leaned back against the bed, waiting to see what she had planned next. She stepped back away from him, making sure she was close enough that he could see everything she did, but far enough away that he couldn't touch. She kicked her heels across the room, shaking her head to get the rest of the pins out. Her hair fell around her shoulders in a red cloud and John was mesmerized. She slid her hands behind her back and unzipped her dress. She reached up and slid the straps off of first one shoulder and then the other. The dress fell to the floor, leaving her standing in her bra, panties, and stockings. She turned her back to him and bent over to remove her stockings, allowing John a great view of her ass. He could feel himself beginning to harden again just watching her. She stood and turned back around to face him. She reached between her breasts and unfastened her strapless bra, letting it hit the floor. She felt her nipples harden, as the air in the room brushed across them. She hooked her thumbs under the waist of her panties and slid them down, kicking them away. John could take it no longer and picked her up and carried her to the bed. He set her down in the middle of it, running his hands over every inch of her glorious body. He took her mouth aggressively, swiftly beginning to entice her tongue with his own. She moaned and opened her mouth, giving him deeper access. He took her nipples in his hands, rubbing them between his thumb and forefinger, pulling on them gently. She arched her back, wanting him then, but she knew that he was going to make her wait. He took his mouth from hers and slid it down to her breasts, taking a nipple in his mouth, teasing it with his teeth. He slid his hand down to her abdomen and to the warmth between her legs. He rubbed his fingers up and down, feeling her wetness before he slipped a finger inside. She moaned and moved against him. He increased his speed, slipping another finger inside. She was gasping his name now, desperate for him. He took his thumb and rubbed it over her clit. He felt her clench around his fingers, but he didn't stop. He wanted to excite her again, so that they could find their release together. She moaned and was amazed when she felt herself begin to respond to him again. He brought his head up from her chest and kissed her deeply, as he removed his fingers. She could feel him at her entrance and she whimpered, moving against him. He slid all the way inside and she arched her back to give him better access. He began moving slowly, but she wrapped her legs around his waist and moved her hips, trying to increase the tempo. He could feel the excitement building and pounded into her. As he poured his seed into her, she tightened around him, gasping out his name. He collapsed on the bed beside her, hugging her close to him. She smiled, as he put his head on her shoulder and sighed. She ran her fingers through his hair as he pulled her closer. "Are you sure we have to get up in the morning and go to that wedding? We can't stay in bed and do this all day?" She grinned at the whine in his voice, and smacked him lightly on the arm. "Wait until the honeymoon. We'll spend the entire first day in bed." He looked up at her, at the tone in her voice. "Is that a threat?" She stuck her tongue out at him. "No, that's a promise." John laughed and reached over to turn out the light. ~*~*~ When the alarm went off at 8 the next morning, John groaned. Dana hopped out of bed and turned the alarm off, practically bouncing around the room in her good mood. John opened one eye and looked at her. "C'mon John, get up," she said, as she flipped the covers off of him. He growled at her and pulled the covers back up over his head. How could she be in such a good mood when they hadn't gone to sleep until 4? "Thanks, Dear, but I think I'll sleep awhile longer." Dana stood at the end of the bed with her hands on her hips, trying to think of a way to get him up. Then she smiled. "Hey, John. If you get up now, we can shower together." John threw back the covers and bounded out of bed. "What are you waiting for then? Let's go." ~*~*~ A couple blocks over, Tammy was sharing in Dana's good mood. Today was the day that her dreams were finally going to come true and she couldn't wait. She leaned up in bed on her elbow and looked down at her husband-to-be. She smiled. How in the world did she get so lucky? Just then his eyes opened. Those beautiful green eyes. "Mornin," she said. "Hey," he answered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What time is it?" She looked at the clock. "A little after eight." He groaned. He was not a morning person and Tammy knew it. She reached over and tickled his ribs. "Come on. Let's go eat breakfast and then get ready. I can't wait." He pulled her down and kissed her quickly, tickling her back, at the same time. "I can't wait either." ~*~*~ Noon that day, found an anxious Alex standing with John and Mulder, waiting for Tammy to finish getting ready. He knew he was doing the right thing, but he had no idea that he'd feel so nervous. Dana and Monica walked in and stood at the front. Everyone turned and looked at the back of the room as Tammy made her entrance. She'd decided to dress simple for the day, since she didn't want a big affair. She'd picked out a short-sleeved peach colored dress. It flared around her hips and the skirt ended a little below her knees. The dress was scoop-necked and had small pearls sewed just around the neckline. She had a ring of white roses in her hair and carried a bouquet of them as well. Her red hair was piled on top of her head with little strands falling down around her little crown of flowers. Alex sucked in his breath when he saw her. The ceremony was short and sweet. Afterwards they went to a nice restaurant down the block for the reception. After they had placed their orders, John stood with his champagne glass. "Well, since Mulder had to make the toast yesterday, I guess it's my turn today." Everyone smiled. "I want to wish you both nothing but happiness and good luck. May God bless you, as he has blessed Dana and I." He sat back down, but Dana elbowed him and he stood again. "Oh yeah. Your wedding present." He handed Alex a white business envelope. Alex took out a knife and slit the envelope open. His jaw dropped. "I...I don't know what to say." Tammy reached for the paper. She, too, was shocked. "The deed to your old house? John..." John held up his hand. "Stop. Don't worry. I had an inheritance left to me and I can afford it. Don't argue, I want to do this." He paused. "We want to do this." He took Dana's hand. Alex looked up at John and reached across the table and shook his hand. "Thank you." John nodded. "Only one requirement." Alex frowned. "What's that?" "You have to fill it with kids." Tammy laughed at that one. "Actually, we've already started on that one." Alex turned and looked at her, the surprise evident on his face. "What?" "Well...I was going to wait. I kind of thought Dana would announce hers first. But yeah...we're pregnant." Mulder and Monica looked from Tammy and Alex to John and Dana. "Scully?" She looked at Mulder. "Yeah, Mulder. Two miracles. What can I say? I'm blessed." Lunch was a pleasant affair, everyone in high spirits. As they waited for the cake to be served, Mulder stood up. "No, no," he was quick to reassure everyone. "I'm not making a toast. I just had something to say. Monica and I...well...we wanted to get you guys something for your wedding. So here." He handed Tammy an envelope. She raised her eyes at Mulder before tearing it open. "Oh my God," she whispered. Alex took the contents of the envelope from her. "Mulder?" Mulder was sitting across the table, grinning his trademark smile. "Enjoy your honeymoon, my friend." Tammy spoke up. "Oh, we will." Everyone laughed at that. "So where are you guys going?" Dana asked, having noticed that Alex was still holding two plane tickets. "Vancouver," he responded, still looking shocked. He stood. "I just wanted to say, that in all my life, I never dreamed that I would have friends and family like I have with you. Thank you." Tammy reached over and hugged him, as he sat back down. Today was the beginning of the rest of forever. ~*~*~ ONE YEAR LATER~ Dana sat at the picnic table in the backyard, watching her husband over at the grill. She had a huge smile on her face. She looked around at her friends. Tammy was rocking her daughter, Denise Michelle, in the shade of the tree where they had set up an area for the babies. Dana got up and walked over and peeked in the crib. Her son, John William, was sleeping peacefully. She smiled, as she looked at him. Both hers and Tammy's daughter had been born on the day before Valentine's Day. Tammy was sure that meant that their kids were meant to be together, but Dana didn't put much stock in stuff like that. She watched, as Alex came out of the house, carrying some beer for him and John. She turned and looked at Tammy. "So, Tam, where do you think Monica and Mulder are?" Tammy laid Denise down in the crib and turned to look at Dana. "Well, I figure that every time they leave the house, one of them remembers something and they have to keep turning around." Dana laughed. "I still can't believe those two ended up together." Tammy shrugged. "Stranger things have happened." "Mulder's life has been just one strange story after another." They grinned and went over to get some punch off of the table and see how big of a mess Sam was making playing in her sandbox. Just when they reached the grill, they heard a loud honking coming down the street. Alex sighed, as he turned some of the meat on the grill. "Sounds like Mulder is here." Dana looked at her watch. "Wow. He's only half an hour late. They're early!" Everyone laughed at that. Monica and Mulder came racing into the back yard. Monica's smile was huge. She ran up to Dana and promptly stuck her hand in Dana's face. "Look!" Dana held Monica's hand up to the light. She had on a square cut diamond on a silver band. It sparkled beautifully in the spring sunshine. Dana hugged Monica and then Mulder. "Congratulations, you guys." John slapped Mulder on the back. "Well, in the words of a good friend of mine... kiss goodbye to being able to make your own decisions." Mulder blushed slightly and laughed, as he remembered telling John that exact thing a year earlier. But then, he'd never imagined that he could be this happy. Things were definitely looking up. THE END.