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Title: Homecoming Summary: My take on life after "Existence." What if Mulder had taken the baby when he left? The steady rhythm of her typing had stopped...again. Doggett couldn't help but look up and try to figure out what had been distracting her for a better portion of the morning. It had been a rather uneventful Friday morning for him and Agent Scully. Both finishing up paper work on yet another unsolved case from the previous week. Scully, however, had been more distracted than usual. Doggett watched her as she picked up the picture frame on her desk. He noticed the look in her eyes. He knew that look; he had seen it so often. It was one of both love and sadness. She studied the picture. The picture of their son. The miracle that her and Mulder shared. She felt her heart ache for him, for them. It had been seven months since they had left to try and keep William safe. To try and keep Mulder safe. To try and keep their dreams of a family safe. But this wasn't the family life she had dreamed of as a girl. There wasn't a dog or a white picket fence in this family life. There was fear and loneliness. Tears started to swell up in her eyes. She felt him looking at her, trying to understand her pain. She put the picture down and started typing again. Doggett knew that Scully couldn't go on much longer here. She could hide her emotions from him, but she couldn't hide the physical tolls her emotions had on her from him. She had lost so much weight. Her pregnancy glow had been replaced by dark circles and dim eyes. He looked at her and hoped that the tears swelling in her eyes wouldn't fall. He thought back to the day that he went to her Apartment. William had been born just a week before. He remembered the twinge of jealousy he felt when Mulder had opened the door, and how quickly it had left when he saw Scully sitting with her new son. He had never seen her look more beautiful. He had never seen her so happy. "Agent Doggett," Scully had said when he entered. "How are you feeling?" Doggett had asked. He thought back at how stupid a question it had been. The look in her eyes said it all. She was the luckiest woman in the world. She smiled at him. "I'm fine," she had said in classic Scully fashion. She lifted William toward him, "Would you like to hold him Agent Doggett?" Doggett sat down near Scully and took the baby. He saw the downy red hair on the baby's head, the bright blue eyes. This baby was not alien; it was definitely all Scully...and maybe a little Mulder? He remembered looking up at Mulder and seeing him beam with pride and joy. The look on his face was unmistakable. Doggett was almost certain Mulder had been the father but he never pressed Scully about it. If Scully wanted to she could tell him. Ever since Mulder had left, however, Scully said little about anything. At first holding the baby had felt awkward, then he remembered his own son. He remembered looking like Mulder, beaming with pride. He remembered how devastated he had been when his son was murdered. He looked down at the baby feeling both love and sadness. He had seen that look on Scully this morning. She had finally given up on working and was now staring blankly at the computer screen. He knew that her current situation had taken a toll on her, not just emotionally and physically, but professionally as well. She was supposed to be helping Doggett and Reyes with the X-Files, although she rarely gave any insight. She performed her autopsies, gave her medical opinion, and finished up paperwork. Doggett could remember a time when Scully was dedicated, giving her whole life up for her work. He knew that time was gone. He missed the old Scully but he knew she was never coming back. "Scully," he said without looking at her. "Go home." She looked over at him with a look of relief on her face. "Thank you Agent Doggett." She got up and left, leaving Doggett alone once again in the basement. She searched through her mail. This had become a nightly ritual for her. She searched for a piece of mail with his handwriting on it. Bills, a magazine, more bills, and then she found it. The letter with the unmistakable chicken scratches that could only be Mulder's. She tore open the envelope, almost ripping the precious letter inside. A picture had fallen on the floor. She picked it up and looked at her son. He had a full head of hair now, and it was unmistakably Scully's. She looked into the big blue eyes, studied the Mulder nose. She turned the picture over. "William, 10 months old" it said. She stared to cry once again. He was ten months old and she had only been around for three of those ten months. Would he even know who she was? Would she ever get to see him again? She carefully unfolded the letter and began to read the familiar handwriting. Scully, William is asleep so I thought I'd write you. How are you holding up? Is work okay? How did that case work out with the cow mutilations? Did you know that there are many unsolved and documented cases of cow mutilations during the 1970's? At the time some people thought it could be aliens. How crazy is that, huh? Did you see the picture of William? He's gotten so big Scully. I bet he weighs about as much as you do. He eats, sleeps, and poops, and that's about it. I bought him his first baseball yesterday. In a few months he's going to have a mean curve ball. Scully I don't know how much longer I can keep doing this. I can't keep moving from motel to motel. This isn't a life. I don't want to be on the run forever. This isn't a life for William either. He needs a mother. I know his mother needs him too. You wanted a baby for so long, only for him to be taken away from you. It's not fair Scully. No one is going to stand between us anymore. Scully I need to see you soon. It's been too long. We can't go on living like this. I'm coming back to D.C. soon. I know it's dangerous, but if it's to see you, it's a risk I'm willing to take. I love you. She put down the letter, not bothering to answer the ringing phone. Tears streamed down her face. These were no longer tears of sorrow; they were tears of joy. She was going to see her baby again. She was going to see Mulder again. Skinner hung up the phone. Scully obviously wasn't home. In front of him sat Agent Doggett and Agent Reyes. Both sat on the edge of their seats looking uncomfortable. "She's not home Agent Doggett. I wasn't going to leave a message like that on her answering machine either," Skinner finally had broken the silence. Doggett looked over at Reyes. "It's not like she's a bad Agent," he said. "It's just she's no longer interested in the X-Files." "It's not like we can blame her either," Reyes spoke up. "Look at all she's gone through. I can't imagine-" "I understand your reasons Agents," Skinner interrupted. "I just don't know if you want to let Agent Scully go. She's one of the most talented people here at the Bureau." "I've had the pleasure of working with her for over a year now," Doggett said with a slight sadness in his voice. "She doesn't want this anymore. Her heart is somewhere else. This is not her life's work anymore, and who can really blame her." Scully jumped and ran to answer the door. She looked through the peephole to see A.D. Skinner. Not exactly the person she had been hoping for, but not exactly a disappointment either. Skinner began to knock again when Scully opened the door. "Agent Scully," he said as he stood in her doorway looking awkward. He wasn't used to making house calls. "I hope this isn't a bad time." "Not at all," Scully said as she walked toward the couch. She hoped that he hadn't noticed her red eyes and tear stained cheeks. "Scully," Skinner said as he sat down beside her on the couch. "Agent Doggett and Reyes came to my office today." He paused, trying to find the right words. "Scully it's time to move on with your life." He looked at the picture of William sitting on Scully's coffee table. He picked it up. "You need to stop looking for the truth Scully," he looked at the picture. "I think you've already found it." She didn't say anything, only nodded and agreed. She knew that she was no longer needed. Doggett had Reyes; he no longer needed Scully. At first she had thought that staying in D.C. and pursuing the X-Files had been a good idea. She needed to pursue the truth for Mulder. But now she realized that Mulder didn't need her to find the truth for him. He just needed her. "He wrote me today," Scully said as she looked at Skinner with tears in her eyes. "He's coming home." Two weeks passed. Scully had taken her things out of the office. She no longer went to work. She spent her days cleaning her Apartment, buying groceries, doing laundry, anything to keep her mind off William and Mulder. She prayed they would be home soon, before she went crazy. She didn't like sitting at home and playing the housewife. She loved her job and it wasn't easy giving it up. The days were long and monotonous but they gave Scully a chance to think. She thought about her and Mulder. Where was their relationship headed? She worried about what her family thought. Would Uncle Bill ever accept his nephew, especially if his last name was Mulder? And what the heck were they going to do now that both of them were unemployed? The ringing phone interrupted her thoughts. "Hello?" she asked, hoping the voice on the other line would be Mulder's. "Hi Dana. This is your mother." "Oh hi Mom," she tried to sound enthusiastic, although her voice couldn't hide her disappointment. "Dana how have you been? You haven't called me for some time and I was beginning to worry about you." "Oh I've been busy," she lied. "Too busy to call your own mother?" she half-joked. "I guess that's nothing new. Your job has always-" "Mom...I'm out of the Bureau," she interrupted. She might as well get it out in the open. There was a brief pause. "Well Dana I think it's for the best. You have a new baby and it's time for you to settle down. Speaking of the new baby, how is the little guy? Have you heard from Fox lately? You know I don't agree with the way you're raising this baby. He needs a mother and-" "He's coming home mom. He should be here today or tomorrow. It's over Mom. They're coming home," Margaret could hear the relief in her daughter's voice. There was a brief silence. "Dana I'm so happy for you, for your new life. I just wish that you would settle down with a man and-" Someone knocked on the door. She knew that knock. "Look Mom I have to go." Margaret sat quietly and listened to the dial tone. Dana was always trying to avoid the subject of marriage. She threw the door open to find Mulder standing in the hallway holding William in one arm and a bouquet of flowers in the other. Tears streamed down Scully's face as she threw her arms around them. She kissed the top of William's head. "Welcome home." The end.
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