Title: Katie
Author: Dannielle D
Spoilers: Mild second seasons spoilers, and some unintentional parallels to the Scullyarc of seasons four and five.
Rating: PG-13
Classifications: S, X, A, MSR
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters in this story. Mulder, Scully, etc are owned by MFAC, 1013, & Fox. This universe was created by Paula Graves.

Summary: Sequel to this fic, Small Hostage by Paula Graves/Anne Hayes. Mulder and Scully engage in a cross-country search for Katie.

Thanks: To Paula, for allowing me to attempt this sequel, and for some great editing along the way. To Amy & Tab, for the constant support and suggestions.

Feedback is *always* appreciated at win...@mail.utexas.edu, but it may take me a while to get back to you--I'll be out of town for Christmas.

22 May 1996

Fox Mulder did not notice the manila envelope on the floor of his dim apartment until he tripped over it. He caught himself, managing to stay upright by the smallest of margins. Mulder immediately drew his gun--call it paranoia, but he suspected that the envelope was not from a benevolent source. Quickly sweeping his apartment, Mulder found no further evidence of intruders. He reholstered his gun and grabbed the unmarked envelope.

Ripping it open with a strange sense of foreboding, Mulder sank onto his worn couch to read what appeared to be medical documents. His tired eyes refused to focus properly on the jumble of letters and numbers before him. Instead, his mind projected the events of a few hours earlier onto the documents in some twisted version of a slide show.

Scully weeping as she watched a videotape in their office.

The face of a beautiful red-haired child flickering on the screen.

The not-so-subtle threat at the end.

Mulder ran his hand over his face, rubbing his eyes in an attempt to force them into compliance. He got about one-fourth of the way down the first page in his hand before the letters slid out of focus. With a sigh, he closed his eyes in defeat and the scene from the office replayed in his mind.

That laughing little girl on the screen.

The DNA crossmatch that told him the child was his.

His and Scully's.

God, he was a father. Mulder couldn't quite wrap his mind around that yet, but the girl with auburn tresses and laughing, hazel eyes had already claimed a piece of his heart.

Giving himself a mental shake, Mulder forced himself to concentrate on the file in front of him. Five minutes later, he dialed Scully's home number with trembling fingers and left a brief message.

Scully entered her apartment, her movements sluggish. Instantly, she noticed the folder lying in the middle of her impossibly neat coffee table. A file that hadn't been there when she left her apartment. The hairs on the back of her neck rose and she scrambled for the comfortable weight of her Sig Saur.

After checking every room, she placed the gun on the table within easy reach and lifted the file. The outside bore no clues to the content, but after seeing the devastating videotape of her child--her *daughter*earlier, she was apprehensive, to say the least. Scully perched on the edge of her striped couch to read it.

When she finished, the back of her throat burned with angry, unshed tears. Scully stalked over to the phone and reached for the receiver before she noticed the blinking light on her answering machine. With a sigh of exasperation, she depressed the Play button and waited.

<Beep> Scully, it's me. Call me as soon as you get in. <Click>

"You're damned right I'll call you," she muttered as she grabbed the handset and quickly dialed. Mulder answered on the first ring.

"It's me," Scully's voice betrayed her irritation, "I think we need to talk --"

"Yeah, we sure as hell do," Mulder's husky voice sounded cold. "I'll be over in a half hour."

<Click>

Scully pulled the phone away from her ear, "What the hell is your problem?" She placed the phone back in its cradle with a frown. Why did he sound so strange?

Pushing her apprehension aside, she busied herself watering the few plants that managed to survive her erratic absences. Retreating to her bedroom, she peeled off her suit and slid into her most comfortable pair of broken-in jeans and a soft button-down shirt.

As Scully placed a Healthy Choice meal in the oven, Mulder knocked on the door. She checked her watch and crossed to the door. He must have driven like a maniac. Scully swung the door open to reveal Mulder, still dressed in his crumpled suit. She flicked her gaze over him quickly, taking in the way he shifted his weight nervously and the suspicious redness of his eyes.

"Come in, Mulder," Scully tried to cover her unease by avoiding his eyes. She led him into the kitchen. "I was just fixing something to eat. Not that I'm all that hungry . . ." Her voice trailed off as he stared at her. "What?"

Mulder stood across the room, casually leaning against the archway. But his eyes burned her with their intensity. "Scully, why didn't you tell me?" A low, strangled voice replaced his usual monotone.

Panic set in as his words registered. No, she assured herself, there was no way he could have found out. Scully turned around on the pretense of removing food from the microwave and answered in a carefully controlled voice.

"Tell you what, Mulder?" She fussed with the food as she waited for a response. She simply wouldn't look at him until he explained himself. Mulder could read her too easily and she didn't want him to see her unease. Not tonight when her protective walls were crumbling around her ankles.

"Scully," Mulder paused, and Scully held her breath, waiting for him to finish. She didn't turn to him, but could hear the rustle of clothing as he shifted nervously. "I found a file in my apartment tonight. A medical file."

Scully whipped around to face him, blue eyes wide as she struggled to control her breathing. He stared back at her, his eyes beseeching her to tell him everything.

Mulder's voice softened as he took a small step forward. "It was your medical file, Scully--"

"That information is confidential, Mulder," Scully interrupted angrily. Her hands fisted at her sides as she glared at him.

Mulder shook his head, "That's not the point. Why didn't you tell me that you couldn't . . . that you can't--" he faltered, his hand lifting toward Scully.

"That I can't have children? Why?" Scully asked, her voice quiet but deadly. "Give me one good reason why I should have told you of all people." Mulder cringed, but Scully pressed on, sarcasm lacing her words. "These last few months you couldn't even stand to hear my professional opinion on a case, I didn't want to burden you with more than you could handle."

Mulder backed up a step and Scully forced herself to stop. She waited, breathing hard, for his response. Mulder merely stood there for a moment, hazel eyes wide and scared.

"Scully, I'm so sorry." Mulder took another step toward her, then faltered. "You have to know that. I never meant for this to happen. I wouldn't have kept working with you if I had known . . ." Mulder trailed off as Scully's confused gaze settled on him. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Mulder, do you honestly think that I blame you for this?" Scully paused, but the guilt-ridden look on Mulder's face was answer enough. She shook her head, stepping towards him, "Mulder, I don't blame you for anything that has happened to me since we've been partners. You're not responsible for Their actions. My abduction, Missy, all of that is Their fault. Plus, I'm not even sure if my abduction has anything to do with my inability to have children." At Mulder's incredulous look, she tried a different line of reasoning. "The problem is a deformity of the uterus. This condition can be caused by any number of things, including plain bad luck. There is no evidence--incision marks, tumors--of any outside influences on my condition."

Mulder's gaze shifted from her. His eyes flitted around the kitchen, sliding over the refrigerator and the cabinets, before landing back on her. Scully read the discomfort in his clenched jaw, but was suddenly unable to do anything but wait for his inevitable theory. Mulder slid his hands into his pockets before speaking softly, "Scully, we still don't know what happened to you while you were gone."

She closed her eyes on a sigh, then pinned her partner with her gaze, "Even if my abduction did play a role in this, I am well aware of the danger we're both in because of the X-Files." Scully paused, willing her words to penetrate the thick cloak of guilt Mulder seemed unable to shed. "I've chosen to stay with the X-Files. You are in no way responsible for anything that happens to me."

Mulder held her gaze for a moment, as if evaluating the truth of her words, then ducked his head. His hands fidgeted with the cuffs of his sleeves as he stood there, silent.

Scully debated with herself about bringing up her own discovery. Realizing that she was shifting her weight nervously, she leaned on the counter to stay her movements. In the end, though, she decided that it was a night for honesty.

"Mulder, can I ask you a question?" She was amazed that her voice came out as self-assured as if she were inquiring after the score of the latest Knicks' game.

Mulder's head snapped up. His eyes focused on her as he swallowed hard, "Sure, Scully." His body thrummed with tension as he waited.

"Mulder," Scully paused, debating how best to ask a difficult question. "I found a file here, too," Mulder's eyes widened slightly. Scully dropped her gaze to his chin, then forced herself to meet his eyes. "What really happened between you and Kristen Kilar?"

At the sound of her name, Mulder appeared to fight the urge to run. Scully ignored the sudden stab of pain from his silent confirmation. Instead, she watched his reaction with the trained eye of an investigator. She detected more than his usual share of guilt, mixed in with some fear and maybe a bit of self-hatred. Mulder rubbed a hand over his face, then raised his eyes to Scully's wary blue gaze.

"I'll tell you, but you have to promise to hear me out." Scully nodded and he continued. "I was protecting Kristen from three people who thought they were the Trinity: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. Only they were vampires." Mulder's lips curved slightly in response to her incredulous look. "I know, Scully but I saw John, the Son, burnt to a crisp after being exposed to the sun. Regardless, it's not really important to the story." He paused, rubbing a hand over his face. "Kristen was reasonably attractive, and I was so lonely." Mulder dropped his gaze, staring resolutely at his feet. "I thought I'd lost you, and Kristen understood that somehow. I was trying to shave, but all the mirrors were cracked, so she started to--" He stopped suddenly for a bit of self-editing, then continued, the strength of his voice fading fast. "Anyway, I slept with her."

Even though Scully had already read the sordid details, hearing him say the words hurt more than she ever could have imagined. She felt betrayed. Scully stared intently at the wall to his left and schooled her features into her favorite porcelain mask.

Mulder rushed on to rationalize his actions. "Scully, I can't explain why I did what I did, but I know it was a mistake. My emotions were such a jumbled mess, and she was just a--" Mulder cut himself off again, and Scully watched him search for a new ending for his sentence. He finally continued, "An escape. I needed to escape the loneliness, and she needed to escape the pain. But, it didn't work. After she died, I felt more alone, not because I had any emotional attachment to her, but because she was one more person that I couldn't protect." Mulder stopped rambling and waited, staring at Scully's pale face.

Scully remained silent for several minutes after he finished. She knew that her more-than-friendly feelings towards Mulder were most definitely unrequited. She had no logical reason to feel betrayed. Mulder was her partner: Who he slept with was none of her business, even if it hurt like hell when she found out about it. Scully pushed the pain and jealousy into that corner of her mind that housed all of those messy feelings and tried to reassure her partner with a feeble joke. "As self-destructive as ever, huh, Mulder?"

Mulder answered her seriously. "I'm sorry, Scully." Hazel eyes met blue and Mulder reached a trembling hand towards her.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Mulder." Scully extended her hand, and what started as a simple handclasp turned into a tentative hug. She released him when her stomach grumbled. Mulder stood still, telegraphing his uncertainty through his wide hazel eyes. "Have you eaten, Mulder?"

"Uh, no," he answered, fidgeting with his shirt cuff. "I haven't been real hungry since this morning."

Scully winced at his words and noted the answering grimace on Mulder's face as she popped another dinner in the oven. Mulder settled at her small table as she placed a plate of food in front of her partner, then seated herself.

Mulder turned the conversation to the investigation of the videotape they'd found that morning. "Did you get a chance to talk to your friend?"

"Yes," Scully took a deep breath, thankful that they were done with the painful subject of Mulder's liaisons. "I dropped the tape off at Ben's and he promised to call me as soon as he finds anything. Or nothing, as the case may be. He can probably run any prints through the FBI data base under the guise of his current case. If he finds fibers or other evidence, we might have to involve some more people. But, I'm not ready to do until we devise a game plan."

"Agreed."

Mulder and Scully hashed out a tentative plan over dinner. By the time they finished, it was almost ten-thirty. Scully suggested that they start fresh in the morning and Mulder yawned his agreement. He rose to leave, then turned back to her.

"Scully, before I go, could you explain something to me?"

"Sure." Scully placed the dishes in the sink and turned to face him, wiping her hands on a light blue dishcloth.

"If it's not too personal, can you explain your medical files? I got the gist, but you're the doctor . . ." Mulder trailed off, his uncertainty apparent in the tense lines of his body.

Scully ducked her head and thought about it for a moment. Even though she'd never really considered having children, the news that children were no longer an option devastated her. So far, she hadn't been able to discuss her condition without crying, and she wasn't sure if she wanted to expose this newest vulnerability to Mulder. But, if they were ever going to regain their trust in each other, they had to stop shutting each other out.

Scully nodded and led Mulder into the living room. She settled onto the couch, holding a throw pillow protectively. "During a routine checkup, my gynecologist found that my uterus contained several benign tumors," Scully began, her hands clutching each other. "I had them removed on an outpatient basis, but during the procedure, my doctor discovered the deformity of my uterus. I got second and third opinions, but they concurred." Her voice trembled, growing thick with unshed tears. "I probably can never conceive a baby, and if I ever did, I couldn't carry it to term. I can never have children through natural means." Tears streamed, unnoticed, down her cheeks as she talked, but Scully was able to choke off her sobs. Until she met Mulder's gaze and saw that he, too, was crying.

Mulder and Scully reached for each other and held on tightly. Scully allowed herself several minutes of comfort before she pulled away, wiping her face quickly.

Mulder rose to leave, planting a kiss on the top of Scully's head. He whispered, "I promise you that we'll find our little girl, Scully."

** 23 May 1996

Scully knocked again on Mulder's door, checking her watch to confirm that she wasn't early. She heard Mulder fumbling with the locks, then he pulled open the door, looking adorably rumpled. Scully glanced down at his T-shirt and sweatpants, a sharp contrast to her smart navy suit, and arched her eyebrow. He smiled sheepishly and motioned her in.

"Just wake up, Mulder?" Her tone was light.

He smirked at her, "Yeah, I was watching this last night." Mulder tossed her the explicit cover of Brash and Busty. Scully tossed a look at his back as he retreated into the bedroom, which in his case was really nothing more than a glorified closet. She heard the shower turn on, then he poked his head around the door frame, saying "I promise to be quick, okay, Scully?"

"Sure, I'll just watch a movie or something," she answered dryly. An answering chuckle drifted into the living room as Mulder disappeared into the recesses of his apartment.

Scully wandered the room slowly, smiling at the newest crop of fish and lightly fingering the knickknacks on his desk. She mused over the previous day's events as she settled onto the worn leather couch. Twenty-four hours ago, she had been convinced that her partnership with Mulder was dying a slow, painful death. Today, they were prepared to work together to find their daughter. She even felt up to teasing him. The trill of Scully's cell phone interrupted her thoughts. She fished it out of her pocket and hit the Talk button. "Scully."

"Dana? It's Ben. I figured you'd want a status report first thing. I don't need the tape anymore, so you can come pick it up in my office if you'd like. I was able to lift a partial print from the tape. It looks like an index finger, right hand."

"Oh, Ben, that's great." Scully felt a smile spread across her face and tried desperately not to get her hopes up.

"I've started to search for a match on the database here, beginning with the convicts. This could take hours if I have to expand to the general population. I'll call you when I have more information."

"Okay, see you in a bit." Scully hung up to find Mulder dressed and waiting, the only evidence of his shower the damp hair falling into his eyes. Scully smiled at his tie--black with green elephants--and stood up to face him. "Ben's lifted a partial index finger. He's running it through the criminal database now."

"So, what do we do in the meantime?" Mulder's eyes shone with hope, and Scully couldn't find it in her to remind him of the reality of the situation. A print was useless unless they could find a match in the computer. Somehow she doubted that the type of people involved in such a reprehensible plan had their prints on file in the FBI database.

Scully sighed before answering. "I think we should get our friend and my mother in a room with a VCR and fill them in." She knew her pseudonym for Skinner lacked originality, but it was the best she could come up with on three hours of fitful sleep. "But, he's got to agree to come without us an explanation, just in case They're listening."

Mulder's eyebrows shot up, "Scully, you're beginning to sound a little paranoid." He remarked with a grin. At Scully's trademark Mulder-you're-being-an-idiot glare, he held up his hands in supplication. "Okay, I agree. Gordon should be kept in the dark until we can show him the evidence."

Scully's brow furrowed, but she turned to leave without comment. Once they emerged from Mulder's apartment building into the morning sunshine, she asked, "Okay, I give. Gordon?"

Mulder glanced down at her innocently, his eyes shining, "Wasn't Gordon the bald guy on Sesame Street?"

Scully stopped in her tracks and stared at his suspiciously blank face for a moment. Then she started to laugh.

And didn't stop until they were well on their way to the J. Edgar Hoover Building.

Assistant Director Skinner looked up from the report on his desk as Agents Mulder and Scully entered his office. They approached his desk and stood together, Scully slightly in front of Mulder, until Skinner gestured for them to sit. "Agent Scully, Agent Mulder." Skinner steepled his hands and waited. The sunlight pouring in through the large window behind his desk highlighted both agents' faces as they glanced at each other quickly. The harsh light revealed dark circles under two pairs of eyes, triggering an uneasy feeling in the pit of Skinner's stomach.

"Sir," Scully began, "We've finished the report on the Brayton case."

Mulder rose as she spoke to place a folder on Skinner's desk. Skinner glanced at it briefly, then returned his sharp gaze to the two agents.

"Passing in a report hardly requires two agents," he observed dryly. "Was there something else?" Skinner's gaze shifted to Scully, expecting the truth, whatever it may be, from her.

"Yes, sir." Mulder spoke this time and Skinner's eyes flicked to the unusually quiet agent. "Agent Scully and myself would like to request vacation time. One week each, starting today."

Skinner tried, but he couldn't hide his surprise. Mulder requesting time off not due to injuries? He had to have an ulterior motive. Finally, Skinner found his voice. "Do you have the proper forms?"

The two agents shared a long look before Mulder again stood and placed a second folder on Skinner's desk. Mulder sat back down nervously, darting a glance over at Scully before settling his gaze on his superior.

Skinner stared at them for a moment before opening the plain folder in front of him. A yellow sticky note sat in the middle of the first page. It read: Sir, meet us at 10 in front of the Holocaust Museum--it's important.

Skinner's jaw tightened at the audacity of the note, but he knew the situation must be serious for Scully to agree to the cloak-and-dagger routine. Skinner met his agents' eyes in turn, then nodded slowly.

"The forms appear to be in order," he said curtly. "I'll approve one week. Dismissed."

Scully and Mulder exited quickly, and Skinner wondered just what his two talented agents had gotten themselves into this time.

Mulder followed Scully through the labyrinth of the Hoover Building to Ben's office. She knocked quickly, then stuck her head in the open doorway. Mulder couldn't yet see into the office, but heard a masculine voice greeting his partner.

A tall, athletic man came into sight and Mulder found himself evaluating Scully's friend. "Dana, how are you holding up?" Ben asked, hugging Scully quickly. Mulder's jaw tightened as he wondered just how close their friendship was.

"I'm okay," Scully extracted herself from Ben and smoothed her hair with one hand, "Ben, this is Mulder, my partner. Mulder, Ben Mercier."

The two men shook hands warily. Mulder took in Ben's tanned good looks and tried to ignore a little spark of jealousy when Scully smiled at Ben.

"Mulder," Ben spoke earnestly, and Mulder felt guilty for his unwarranted resentment. "Dana told me a little of what's going on. I'm sorry."

"Thanks," Mulder answered. "I appreciate what you're doing."

"No problem. I don't mind consulting on cases." Ben grinned and handed Mulder a fake case file. Mulder thumbed through the folder and smirked. Scully's friend appeared to be nearly as paranoid as the Lone Gunmen. Ben created a complete case around the fingerprint, including crime scene photos and a psychological profile. He listed the videotape as 'a pornographic video owned by the suspect.'

Ben interrupted Mulder's examination of the bogus case. "The print is still running through the convict database. I'll widen the search if nothing turns up."

"Thanks, Ben," Scully answered. Damn, why was she smiling at Ben so much? Mulder drifted towards the door.

"No problem, Dana."

And why was Ben calling her Dana? Mulder pushed his envy aside, turning back when he reached the doorway to address Ben. "Try government employees before you widen to the general populace."

END 1/5

See part one for disclaimer/summary.

Skinner climbed out of Scully's blue Cavalier, stretching his cramped muscles and glancing around at the suburban neighborhood. Scully started for the front door, but Skinner stayed behind with Mulder, who circled to the trunk and popped it open. Ignoring Mulder's rummaging, Skinner watched curiously as Margaret Scully appeared in the doorway of the large white house and hugged her daughter, then disappeared inside for a moment.

Scully waved Mulder over, while Skinner leaned against the car and watched, arms folded. Margaret reappeared and stepped outside as Mulder climbed the stairs with a duffel bag he'd pulled from the trunk. Margaret looked puzzled, but followed her daughter across the lawn toward Skinner.

Scully led her mother to Skinner, "Mom, you remember Assistant Director Skinner? He was at Missy's funeral." A slight tremor marred Scully's voice.

"Yes, hello, Mr. Skinner." Margaret nodded and shook his hand, a welcoming smile gracing her face.

"Mrs. Scully, it's good to see you again." Skinner's jaw refused to unclench as his mind raced to figure out why his agents had dragged him away from the office. What could Mulder and Scully possibly have to tell them? He made a list of the possibilities, but the combination of himself and Margaret Scully precluded work-related topics. Then there was the request for vacation time. A new option slithered its way to the forefront of his mind and Skinner couldn't stop the scowl from forming. No, Scully was too much of a professional to do something like that, he reassured himself. But, he had to admit that Mulder and Scully had an unusually strong partnership. Hell, they were closer than some of the married couples he knew. Could they possibly want time off to get married?

"Agent Scully," Skinner barked a little louder than he intended. "What the hell is Mulder doing?"

Scully simply stared at him for a moment, then opened her mouth to explain. Mulder saved her the trouble by sticking his head out the front door. "It's clean. Come on in."

Skinner's eyebrows rose, but he held his tongue and stiffly followed Scully and Margaret to the door. Scully led them all to the living room and produced a video tape from Mulder's duffel bag. Skinner settled himself on the couch next to Margaret and waited, somewhat impatiently, for an explanation.

"Sir, mom," Scully began in a strong voice. "Mulder and I received a very disturbing video tape yesterday. We haven't proved its authenticity yet, but we're pretty sure it's real. I don't know how to prepare you for the shock . . ." Scully trailed off and she glanced to Mulder.

Mulder shrugged, stepping forward and taking the videotape from her hand. "Scully, we might as well play them the tape and then answer their questions. It's going to shock them no matter what."

Skinner's trepidation got the best of him and he barked, "Just play the damn tape." He settled back into the comfortable couch as Mulder turned on the TV and pressed Play. Skinner saw a little girl with red hair and freckles reciting the alphabet and felt his irritation escalating. He'd almost convinced himself he was about to see a video of Mulder and Scully's wedding--what the hell was so shocking about this little girl?

Then he heard a gasp.

He turned to Margaret, who gaped at the screen. As he watched, she clamped one hand over her mouth and reached for Scully with the other. Confusion replaced anger as he noted the tears running down Scully's face. He turned to Mulder, took in his pale face and tortured eyes, and his shocked mind made the impossible connections. That was Scully's child.

"Dana, is that--" Margaret choked, unable to finish her question. Scully squeezed her mother's hand and nodded. Margaret turned her gaze back to the screen. The little girl's voice brought Skinner's attention back to the video.

"I got a puppy," the redheaded child said, "His name is Dooley and he likes to eat sunfly seeds jus' like me."

Skinner's eyes snapped up to meet Mulder's. Mulder and Scully's child? Mulder nodded, answering the unspoken question. Skinner's shock shifted quickly to anger--anger at the nicotine-addicted son of a bitch who was surely involved in this.

The screen went black. Skinner started to rise, mind spinning. Words appeared on the screen, freezing his movements. "We know where she is. We can get to her whenever we want. Remember that. Walk away now and never look back."

Skinner closed his eyes briefly and brought his anger under control. He glanced over at two of the strongest women he'd ever met crying in each other's arms. Skinner rose and crossed to Mulder, who still stood, motionless, next to the TV. "Mulder," he paused, groping for words. "I don't know what to say."

Mulder nodded, "I know, sir." After a moment, Mulder cleared his throat. "Sir, this was left on Scully's desk." Mulder handed Skinner the DNA cross match and glanced at his partner. Skinner studied the page intently, trying to glean any possible hints from the medical jargon.

"Dana, they have your daughter?" Margaret's quavering voice penetrated Skinner's concentration, and he glanced over at the Scully women.

"Yes," Scully answered, voice cracking slightly, "they have our daughter." Margaret's brow furrowed. Skinner suddenly wished he were anywhere but in that living room, yet he couldn't take his eyes off of Margaret Scully. Scully continued, answering her mother's question. "That little girl is Mulder's daughter, too."

Skinner remained perversely riveted to the scene unfolding before him.

Margaret's mouth formed a silent 'o' as she turned to Mulder. "Fox." Mulder turned to Margaret, uncertainty in every line of his body. She beckoned for him. When Mulder reached her side, she stood and embraced him. "Welcome to the family."

Skinner tried to shrink his bulk into an invisible pinpoint, uncomfortable to be witnessing this. He trained his eyes on the documents in front of him, valiantly pretending to ignore Mulder's mumbled "Thank you."

"Scully, Mulder, what's the game plan?" Skinner asked. Mulder, Scully, Skinner, and Margaret sat around the large kitchen table sipping coffee. Scully quickly filled Skinner in on the action taken so far. Mulder held his tongue, allowing his well-spoken partner to tell the story. Instead, he watched Margaret as she absently stirred her coffee, wondering what she was thinking.

Skinner's voice interrupted his musings, "You realize that I can't make inquiries through official channels? That They would take that as a challenge?" Skinner waited until Mulder and Scully nodded, then continued. "I do, however, have some contacts who may be able to get me information through unofficial channels." His gaze rested on Scully, who gave her boss a tiny knowing smile.

Mulder watched the silent exchange in confusion, but didn't question it. "Sir, we appreciate anything you can do," Mulder answered seriously. "But we don't expect you to put yourself or your job in jeopardy. Leave that part to me, I've got more practice."

Skinner cracked a small smile.

"Seriously, sir," Scully placed a hand on Skinner's arm for emphasis and Mulder felt a twinge of something that felt uncomfortably like jealousy. Scully continued, "We don't expect you to be able to help. We just wanted to apprise you of the situation." Scully's eyes met Mulder's briefly, then flicked to her mother. "In case anything should happen."

"Dana, don't talk like that," Margaret spoke sharply. "The only thing that's going to happen is that we're going to find your daughter and bring her home."

"Mom, you are not going to do anything," Scully answered, her eyes blazing. "I'm not putting my family at risk ever again," She pounded the table for emphasis. "Mulder and I will find Katie without putting you in danger." Scully stopped as she noticed three faces gaping at her. "What?"

"Scully, you just . . . " Mulder had trouble getting his voice to work, his shock at Scully's words rendering him speechless. Swallowing hard, he answered her question, "You said we'd find 'Katie.' Why did you say that?"

Scully's mouth hung open for a moment. "I did?" Mulder saw Skinner and Margaret nodding, but Scully's eyes never left his face. He dipped his head in acknowledgment. Scully's eyes widened, "I don't know why I said that. It sort of popped into my head." Scully reverted to her usual skepticism, "She just looks like a Katie to me. What are the chances that she's really named Katie?"

"Katie," Mulder whispered. Somehow, by naming her, his tiny daughter became real to him. Attempting to lighten the moment, he joked, "So, Scully, wanna place any bets on her middle name?"

Scully didn't bother answering, she simply turned to her mother and explained that she and Mulder might have to leave at any time, and Margaret would be in charge of explaining their absence if need be.

"Dana, honey," Margaret's brow furrowed. "What exactly do you want me to tell people?"

Scully opened her mouth to answer, but Skinner cut her off, "That your daughter ran off with her partner to get married

Mulder choked on his coffee, slamming the cup back onto the table and staring open-mouthed at his boss. Skinner looked perfectly serious, and Mulder chanced a glance at the other occupants of the table. Margaret grinned outright while Scully's face turned the color of her maroon suit

"Sir, you can't be serious." Scully finally managed, "Agent Mulder and myself--"

"Scully, think about it." Skinner interrupted. "You two are very close. Hell, there's a bet in the bullpen about whether or not you two are already sleeping together. I've been questioned as to the nature of your relationship twice by my superiors." Although it didn't seem possible, Scully flushed even darker. "If certain people were to be informed that you two got married, they would be eager to confirm the event actually happened. That might leave your true purpose for taking time off a secret for a while longer."

"Sir," Mulder concentrated all his attention on his boss, unable to look at Scully. "The people involved in this, they won't buy it for a second."

"Agent Mulder, you'd be surprised how interested a certain associate of mine is in your private life." Mulder absorbed this information, unable to come up with an appropriate response.

"Sir," Scully began, using her best obviously-I'm-the-only-sane-one-here voice, "With all due respect, I don't think that's such a good idea. What would happen when we came back to work? They'd never believe that it was a cover story. They'd think the truth was actually a cover-up for our," she swallowed hard, "marriage."

"Not if you bring Katie back," Skinner answered, effectively ending the argument.

Mulder watched in amusement as Scully shook her head, at a loss for a reply. Skinner spoke again, drawing Mulder's attention away from his partner.

"Agent Scully, may I ask you a question?" Scully hesitated, then nodded. Skinner continued. "What are your plans for after you get your child back?"

Scully simply stared at her boss, her eyes wide. Margaret laughed out loud, pulling Mulder's attention to her. She looked smug, and Mulder couldn't help but worry at the turn the conversation had taken. Was Skinner suggesting what it sounded like he was suggesting?

Mulder cleared his throat, "Sir, we haven't thought that far ahead. We just want to get Katie back." Mulder used Scully's name for their child unconsciously. "We'll both take full responsibility for her."

"I understand that, Mulder," Skinner paused, his eyes unreadable. "But your daughter has spent her first two years in one place. Her whole life will be uprooted."

Margaret chimed in, "It would be easier for her if she had two loving parents in the house with her."

Mulder stole a glance at Scully and found her gaze on him. They looked warily at each other. Finally, Scully smiled. "Mulder, I think they're trying to marry us off."

Laughter bubbled up before Mulder could control it. Scully always managed to surprise him with her quirky humor. "I think you're right, Scully," he answered lightly, using humor to mask his nervousness. "So what do you think?"

Scully's eyebrows jumped dangerously high. Skinner sat back, while Margaret cleared her throat and asked, "Would you two like some privacy for this conversation?"

"Mom, we're just kidding," Scully answered, finally breaking Mulder's intense gaze. "Mulder and I are just partners who, through no fault of our own, happen to have a child together. Maybe we can get a three bedroom apartment when we find Katie so we can both be with her. Right, Mulder?"

"Sure," Mulder managed to answer, ignoring the intense disappointment her words caused.

Skinner cleared his throat and stood up. "Thank you for keeping me up to speed on this. If you need me, you know where to find me." Skinner turned to Margaret. "Mrs. Scully, always a pleasure."

Mulder rose to follow Skinner to the door.

"Wait, Mulder, where are you going?" Scully placed a restraining hand on his arm.

Mulder turned locked gazes with her. "I'm going back to the Lone Gunman office. Are you coming?"

Scully turned to her mother. "Mom? Are you going to be okay?"

"I'm fine, sweetheart." Margaret answered. "Go find Katie."

"Agent Scully, can I get you anything?" Frohicke beamed. He stood at her elbow, apparently placing himself at her beck and call. Mulder glanced at Scully to judge her mood, but she appeared unaffected by Frohicke's antics.

"No, thank you. I'm fine." Scully smiled wanly.

Langly glanced up from his computer, but didn't speak. Instead, he concentrated on crossposting scans of Katie onto the internet newsgroups. Meanwhile, Mulder grilled Byers on any and all ways to use the internet to find Katie.

Scully's cell phone rang, and all movement in the room ceased. Mulder crossed to Scully's side as she pulled her cell phone from her pocket. She gave him an apprehensive look and depressed the Talk button, turning slightly away from the paranoid trio.

"Scully."

Mulder watched her expression intently, trying to guess who was on the other end of the line. Scully listened for several moments, then her blue eyes widened.

"Ben, what do you mean?" Okay, so it was Ben. Mulder placed a comforting hand on Scully's shoulder and her troubled gaze flew to his. Worry began to knot his stomach. Both her eyebrows flew up, which, as opposed to her one-eyebrow arch, indicated to Mulder that she was truly shocked.

"Ninety-nine? So there is a possibility of a mistake?" Scully kept her gaze on Mulder, but her eyes didn't appear to be focused as she concentrated all of her attention on the cell phone pressed tightly to her ear. Scully looked terrified, her pupils dilated and her face drained of most of its color. "Are you sure you have the right data on the matching print?"

Mulder's brow furrowed. If Ben had found a matching print, why did Scully look so scared? Her reaction didn't make sense. Finding a match for the print was a good thing.

"Okay. Thanks, Ben." Scully hung up without saying good-bye, her gaze not leaving Mulder. She slid the phone back into her pocket absently.

"Scully, what did he say?" Mulder felt ready to crawl out of his skin. She looked scared to death and he had no idea how to reassure her.

Scully stared blankly at him for another moment, then reached for his hand. She held it so tightly that the bones ground together painfully. "Mulder, Ben found a match. The print . . ." Scully ducked her head, avoiding his gaze. Mulder squeezed her hand and she met his eyes once more, her blue eyes overflowing with compassion. "The fingerprint is a 99 percent match to Samantha Ann Mulder."

Mulder's gaze faltered and his stomach lurched. He must not have heard her right. "What?"

The Lone Gunmen froze where they stood, then glanced at each other. After a moment, they quickly and quietly fled the room, leaving Mulder and Scully alone.

"It's your sister's print," Scully whispered.

Mulder shook his head and backed away from her, "No, Scully," his voice grew stronger. "They're messing with us. They did this on purpose. It's not her print."

Scully stepped forward, invading his space, and grabbed his hand again. "Mulder, it's a 99 percent match--how could they fake a fingerprint? And if they did decide to somehow replicate her print to 'mess with' you, why wouldn't they place a perfect 100 percent print on the tape?" Scully paused, her voice softening. "Why would they use a smudged print? That one percent chance leaves you room to doubt that it's really your sister's print. It just doesn't make any sense, Mulder."

Mulder closed his eyes. Rage welled up quickly and he wrenched his hands free of Scully's, brushing past her in a flurry of angry motion. Mulder's fist slammed into the wall hard, almost hard enough to break his fingers. He roared and punched again. Vaguely, he heard an alarmed voice calling his name, but he couldn't concentrate on anything but the adrenaline coursing through him.

Suddenly, Scully appeared in front of the dent he'd made. Mulder's fist drew back, ready to lash out again, but he controlled himself, shaking violently.

The rage drained away as quickly as it had come, and his knees buckled. Scully caught him, as always, and lowered him to the floor. Helplessness overwhelmed him, and he cried, great wracking sobs. Scully comforted him, her hands soothing his back.

"Scully," Mulder whispered finally, "They're too good at this. It's been over twenty years and I haven't found Samantha yet. We're never going to find Katie." He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer and burying his face in her neck.

"Mulder, look at me." Scully waited patiently until he met her confident gaze, then continued, her voice steady and sure. "I've said it before and I'll say it again. We will find Samantha and we will find our daughter. Please don't give up." Their eyes locked in a silent conversation.

"I won't give up, Scully," Mulder affirmed quietly. He struggled to his feet and pulled his partner up, then wiped his cheeks and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm going to go try and get some more information."

Scully watched Mulder walk toward the door, "From who?"

Mulder glanced back at her, but didn't answer.

"Oh," Scully whispered as the door closed behind Mulder. She reluctantly turned to the three men peering cautiously around the door frame on the far side of the room.

"Can one of you give me a ride home?"

Frohicke broke into a smile.

"Agent Mulder."

Mulder whirled to find the intense black man known to him only as X standing in the shadows. He wondered absently how the man always managed to find the darkest spot of any room to obscure his features.

X continued before Mulder could speak. "I am aware of your situation. I can't give you much, it's too close to me. But, I disagree with the methods being used, so I will tell you this: Arizona. The rest is up to you."

Mulder reached out and grabbed X's arm as he turned to leave. "Is it true?" He wanted desperately to ask about Samantha, but if the fingerprint truly was a mistake, he didn't want to tip his hand.

"Is what true?" X didn't turn back, but glared at Mulder's hand on his arm until Mulder had the sense to remove it.

Mulder's irritation resonated in his raised voice, "Is she really ours?"

X swiveled and pinned Mulder with his piercing eyes.

"Yes."

END 2/5

See part one for disclaimer/summary.

Scully sat dejectedly on her blue and white striped couch, staring at her traitorous cell phone. Mulder hadn't called yet and the worry had gathered into a painful, pulsating lump in her stomach. Finding out about Samantha's print had really shaken him. She'd only seen Mulder cry once before--at Melissa's funeral. His broken sobs on the floor of the Lone Gunman Office knocked down the last of the defenses she'd built against him over the past few months. She wanted him here in her apartment so she could watch him for signs of shock. So, of course, he was out contacting his mysterious informant.

A soft knock on her door interrupted her thoughts and she rushed to answer it. Checking the peephole quickly, she unlocked the deadbolts and pulled open the door.

"Mulder," Scully grabbed his hand and led him inside.

"Hi, Scully," Mulder's lined face showed the strain of the last forty-eight hours. "Sorry to show up without calling, but I was on my cell phone in the car on the way over."

Scully sat down on the edge of the couch and gestured for Mulder to sit.

"No, thanks. We've got to go." She arched a brow at him and Mulder hastened to explain himself. "I talked to my contact. He wouldn't give me much, but he said that Katie is our daughter and he said Arizona."

Scully smiled one of her rare, full smiles. Finally, a place to start. Then, reality set in. "Mulder, how do we know if we can trust him? He's lied to us before."

Mulder turned to the window. His hands rested low on his hips as he stared out at the night sky. Finally, he faced her and ran a hand through his disheveled hair before speaking.

"Scully, I never told you this, but I had a disagreement with him while you were in the hospital after your disappearance. He gave me an opportunity to . . ." Mulder hesitated, gesturing as if he were searching for the correct word. "avenge your disappearance with 'terminal intensity'."

Scully gaped at him. She'd never known that Mulder had been that distraught over her abduction. He'd seemed concerned, yes, but not upset enough to consider cold-blooded murder. She reached out a hand to him.

"Mulder," Scully spoke quietly. "Why didn't you tell me? What happened?"

Mulder grasped her tiny hand and answered, "I'm not particularly proud of the fact I almost resorted to murder, Scully. Your sister showed up at my apartment and told me that you were weakening." He squeezed her hand, but dropped his eyes. "I was so rude to her, Scully, but she didn't let that stop her. After she left, her words got through to me and I went to the hospital. Whoever kidnapped you ransacked my apartment while I was with you."

Scully took a moment to digest this new insight into Mulder's complicated psyche. She stared absently at the table for a moment, trying to frame an appropriate response. "Thank you for coming to see me instead of killing those people."

Mulder nodded and pulled his hand away, "Scully, I trust that he's telling the truth about Katie."

Scully studied Mulder for a moment. She'd always relied on his uncanny insight. "Okay, Mulder. What's the plan?"

"I got us tickets on the red-eye to Los Angeles," Mulder explained as he paced the floor in front of her. "Then, we catch the first flight to Phoenix in the morning. We're traveling as Emma and Patrick O'Brien. If you can pack in 15 minutes, we'll have time to stop by the Lone Gunman and exchange our cell phones for their new, improved model." At Scully's quizzical look, Mulder elaborated. "They've encrypted it, so anyone listening in will have a difficult task trying to decipher what we're saying. Plus, they've rerouted it so that it's next to impossible to trace." Scully rolled her eyes, but her smile belied the impolite gesture. Mulder continued. "They'll keep our phones and answer them for us, passing along any pertinent information through the new phone."

"Sometimes your odd friends do come in handy, Mulder," Scully rose and headed to her bedroom to pack.

Dulles Airport

After sending Skinner a cryptic email message with the numbers for their new cell phone scattered throughout, Scully and Mulder headed for the airport, stopping quickly at Barnes & Noble to buy several maps of Arizona. Once they reached the gate, Mulder paced while Scully looked over one of the maps.

"Arizona is a pretty big state, Mulder." Scully folded up the map and leaned back in the molded plastic chair. Mulder didn't break his stride, but Scully took his grunt as a response. His odd behavior worried her, but she didn't have the excess patience to deal with his anxiety. Instead, she shifted her gaze to the windows and watched the ground crew scurry around the plane.

"Scully," Mulder stopped pacing and approached her.

Scully tore her gaze away from the luggage carts to note the serious expression on his face. "What, Mulder?"

"Scully, do you think . . ." he paused, groping for words, "Do you think that we might find them both?" Mulder perched on the edge of the chair next to her.

Scully hesitated, longing to reassure him, but unwilling to give him false hope. "I don't know, Mulder," She answered finally. "All I know for sure is that Samantha held that videotape. I think it's reasonable to rule out the possibility that the fingerprint and Katie are unrelated as too coincidental. They may be holding Samantha and Katie in the same facility." Scully shrugged, unable to come up with any other situations that fit the evidence.

"Yeah, but Scully, Katie didn't look unhappy," Mulder's voice dropped to nearly a whisper. "She was smiling and laughing. Maybe They have her in a foster home. What are we supposed to do then?" Mulder's brow furrowed and he gazed at the slate grey wall absently.

Scully's brow furrowed as she contemplated his valid point. "I don't know. I never thought of that possibility, that she may be happy where she is. In fact, I haven't really had a chance to think about any of this," Scully's voice spiraled higher. "Mulder, I don't know if I can do this. I'm not ready to be a mother--"

"Scully," Mulder interrupted firmly. "You're going to be a wonderful mother. I've seen you with kids, you'll be fine," Mulder placed a hand lightly on her shoulder. When she met his gaze a bit wild-eyed, he used her beloved logic to break through her mounting hysteria, "Right now we need to concentrate on getting to Arizona." Mulder stared at her, waiting for his words to sink in.

Scully regarded him for a moment, then nodded. "Thanks," She forced her muscles to loosen and gave him a quick smile, "Come on, they've started boarding."

Walter Skinner's Home

Skinner's irritation grew exponentially when he heard the out-of-service message. He slammed the phone down and glared at it. It had taken him a good twenty minutes to figure out that the numbers scattered throughout the email from Mulder were the makings of a new phone number. But when he called it, he couldn't get through.

Skinner grudgingly picked up the receiver and dialed Mulder's home number. When the machine picked up, he disconnected and tried Scully's apartment. After the beep he barked, "Call me back," thinking that Scully damn well better recognize his voice.

Next, Skinner punched in Mulder's cell phone number.

"Hello?"

Skinner pulled his phone away from his ear and glared at it. He couldn't place the voice, but it wasn't Mulder. "Who is this? Where is Mulder?"

"I'm sorry, who? Miller?"

Skinner felt his blood pressure rise and took a calming breath. At least he knew that he wasn't speaking to the son of a bitch that Mulder had dubbed Cancer Man. He wasn't stupid enough to kidnap Mulder and then answer his cell phone. "Where is Special Agent Fox Mulder? This is his boss."

"Fox? What kind of a name is Fox?"

Skinner detected a hint of amusement in the voice, but the man apparently was not going to help. Skinner hung up and dialed Scully's cell phone, wondering absently who would answer hers.

"Hello?"

Well, at least it was a different voice this time. Too bad it wasn't Scully. "May I speak to Agent Scully, please?" Skinner couldn't help the sarcasm, but he tried to phrase his order as a request.

"I'm sorry, the lovely Agent Scully is unavailable at this time. Might I relay a message for you?"

The voice was laughing. Skinner promised himself that he'd give Mulder and Scully a dressing-down to remember if he could ever get in touch with them. Why the hell had they given their phones to strange men?

Skinner hung up without answering.

LAX Airport 9:37 p.m. PST

As soon as Mulder and Scully deplaned, Mulder left to hunt down a rental car. Scully turned the special cell phone on. She'd claimed custody of the phone, citing Mulder's spotty track record with cell phones. The dial tone stuttered, signaling a message. She sat wearily on Mulder's suitcase and pressed the access code the Gunmen had given them.

<Beep> Guys, someone called both of your phones around 10 p.m. He claimed to be your boss and sounded a wee bit irritated when he couldn't reach you. He didn't stay on long enough for a trace, so we can't confirm if it was actually Skinner. <Beep>

Scully rolled her eyes at the audacity of the paranoid trio, then dialed Skinner's cell phone. She didn't realize until he answered groggily that it was past midnight in DC.

"Sir, this is Scully. If it was you earlier, call back from a pay phone." Scully hung up before he could reply. She hoped that it really was him who called their cell phones earlier--not only had she woken him up, she'd hung up on him, too. A grin surfaced for a moment, until she saw Mulder's familiar form approaching.

Mulder returned with the keys to yet another Ford Taurus. Scully groaned, then filled him in on the message and her short call to Skinner. He smirked when he realized she'd hung up on their boss..

"Scully, I booked a room at the Hampton Inn near LAX. I figured we can at least catch a couple of hours sleep," Mulder shouldered Scully's hanging bag, than reached for the leash on his suitcase.

Scully grabbed her suitcase and raised an eyebrow. The Hampton Inn? That was a mid-grade hotel, not his usual flea-filled motels. Forcing any hint of amusement from her voice, she asked, "One room?"

"Scully, we are Mr. and Mrs. O'Brien, we can't exactly get two rooms. We need to be forgettable, remember?" Mulder's cheeks flushed a little pink as she stared at him with a serene look. He shuffled his feet.

"One room is fine, Mulder," she smirked at the relieved look on his face. "As long as there are two beds. I'm exhausted."

Mulder shifted uncomfortably. "They don't have any rooms with two double beds. I booked one with a king-sized bed."

Scully paused a moment, arching her brow, "Fine," she answered, giving him an innocent look, "Just let me warn you, I've been told I roll around a bit." Without waiting for a reaction, Scully brushed past Mulder, congratulating herself silently when it took him a minute to get himself moving.

They loaded their luggage into the trunk and headed for the hotel. After a couple of misses, Scully found the right street, and they checked into the Hampton Inn. Mulder opened the door to room 249 to reveal a typical motel room, complete with a remote control screwed to the night stand.

Scully dumped her suitcase on the bureau and sprawled face-down on the bed. "I'm so tired," she mumbled.

Mulder hung up the hanging bag and brought his toiletries over to the vanity. Scully was just dozing off when the cell phone rang.

"This is Mrs. O'Brien," Scully was too used to identifying herself in lieu of a greeting to stop now.

"Scully, this is Skinner. I'm not too thrilled to be at a pay phone in the middle of the night, so I'll make this short. Look up Dr. Robert Peeker. That's all I have."

"Sir, is he in Phoenix?"

"Scully, I have no idea. It was hard enough to get a name. Good luck and good night."

Scully listened to the dial tone for a moment, then turned to Mulder. "Skinner said to look up Dr. Robert Peeker." Her voice rang with excitement. Another step closer. Now, they could actually do something productive.

"Great," Mulder answered with a grin, "Write that down and go to sleep. I'll set the alarm for seven, is that enough sleep for you?"

"Mulder, I don't know if I'll even be able to sleep, but you could set it for five. That would be almost eight hours."

Mulder agreed and set his travel alarm. He slid into bed next to her, and Scully forced herself to ignore the heat of his body. His breathing evened out, but she knew he was still awake. She turned to the wall, willing her awareness of him to ease enough for her to fall asleep.

May 24, 1996 9:52 a.m.

When their flight to Phoenix flight landed, Scully and Mulder drove straight from the airport to Phoenix Public Library. They opted not to use the FBI information network if it could be avoided. Mulder started a search through the major Arizona newspapers while Scully logged onto the internet.

Mulder felt his irritation growing in leaps and bounds until finally he found a Dr. Robert Peeker in the Flagstaff paper. Mulder called up the correct issue and scrolled to a picture on page 19 of seven children between the ages of three and ten standing around a short, bespectacled man. The accompanying article detailed Peeker's work with gifted children. Mulder grimaced when he read Peeker's praise for the government's generous funding of his work. What a surprise--the government was involved.

Mulder jotted down the address and set out to find Scully. She was conducting a name search on a web browser with no luck. Apparently, Peeker and his study had yet to go on-line.

"Scully, I found the bastard." Mulder's harsh words were at odds with his smug tone of voice. "He was conducting a study on gifted children in Flagstaff ten months ago. I say we head for his clinic."

Scully removed her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, but how far away is Flagstaff from here?"

Mulder pulled the map of Arizona from his coat pocket and spread it on the table. He used his knuckle to approximate the map scale. "Maybe 150 miles. But it's a straight shot up 17. Should only take about three hours, give or take."

Scully leaned over and glanced at the map, then tilted her head to meet his hazel eyes. "Let's get out of here."

Sleep E-Z Motel, Flagstaff, AZ 6:27 p.m. PST

"Mulder, your turn for the shower." Scully poked him again, then resumed toweling her hair. They'd driven to Flagstaff earlier that day, then taken naps out of sheer necessity--neither had managed to sleep much the night before.

Mulder rolled out of bed and stumbled into the shower. Ten minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom, damp and clad only in a towel. Scully's mouth dropped open. So this is what she'd been missing with that ridiculous two-rooms policy.

Mulder grabbed a pair of boxers and his pants, then wandered back into the bathroom to change. Scully tried to ignore the inappropriate thoughts that Mulder's little peep show had conjured up. She mumbled to herself, "Those kinds of thoughts are what got us in this situation in the first place." The absurdly inaccurate thought struck Scully as funny, and she dissolved into laughter.

Mulder poked his damp head out of the bathroom to find Scully holding her stomach and sliding down the wall, giggling madly. She looked up at him, but the dumbfounded expression on his face just exacerbated the situation.

"I know I need to work out," Mulder commented dryly. "But the sight of my chest has never inspired actual laughter before."

Scully giggled harder. His remark was closer to the truth than he knew. Suddenly, the situation didn't seem so funny, and she was crying. Mulder crouched down and enfolded her in a hug.

"It's okay, Scully," he murmured, tucking her head against his naked shoulder. "We're getting closer. We're going to find Katie."

Scully pulled herself back together after a few minutes, forcing her tears to stop. Their cheeks rubbed briefly and she realized how closely Mulder held her. Scully's hands grazed the bare skin of his shoulders as she disengaged herself. She stood and helped him up.

"Mulder, you really need to shave." Scully leaned back against the sink and rubbed the spot on her jaw that his stubble had chafed. Mulder dug out his razor and turned back towards the mirror. He lathered the shaving cream onto his face, asking, "So, what was so funny?"

"Nothing important," Scully answered. She watched him shave, appreciating the play of muscles in his arms and chest.

He rinsed the razor in the sink. "Seriously, Scully. I've never seen you like that," His eyes left his reflection and met her gaze in the mirror. "Tell me."

Instead of answering, Scully grabbed the razor from him. She remembered the comment Mulder made about shaving in front of Kristen. He hadn't finished his sentence, but Scully was willing to bet that Kristen had shaved him. Well, it was time to exorcise some ghosts. Scully tilted his chin up and shaved along his jawbone carefully, ignoring the arousal flooding her body at the feel of his skin under her fingers. "You missed a spot." Scully handed the razor back to him and headed for the door. Forcing all emotion out of her voice, she turned back, meeting his wide eyes in the mirror. "I'm going to grab some dinner, do you want anything?"

Dazed and a bit flushed, Mulder shook his head no.

Scully exited the bathroom, only allowing her smug grin to surface when she was out of his sight.

"Mulder, we can't just go barging in there asking for Katie," Scully said, shaking her head. "We have to make sure that They don't have time to take her away." Scully shrugged out of her suit jacket, stepped out of her shoes, and settled onto the bed.

Danny, an invaluable source of various and sundry information at the Bureau, had procured an address for Dr. Robert Peeker in Flagstaff, but Mulder and Scully couldn't agree on how to approach the doctor.

"I know that, Scully, but we can't just sit around and wait. We don't know what They're doing to her in the meantime." Mulder's voice rose to a near shout as he paced in front of her. Scully didn't bother to stand up to argue with him, since he would still tower over her. Instead, she pinned him with her electric blue eyes and answered his passion with icy calm.

"Mulder, this is just as hard for me, but we can't let our emotions cloud our judgment. We have to treat this like any other investigation."

Mulder whirled to face her, his hands low on his hips. "Scully, this is our daughter," he hissed.

His words hung in the air for a moment before Scully snapped into action. She vaulted off the bed and stalked over to Mulder. "Don't you dare get self-righteous on me. I know exactly what is at stake here, which is why I'm trying to make absolutely sure that nothing goes wrong." Scully punctuated the occasional syllable by jabbing Mulder in the chest. He caught her hands and held them.

"I'm sorry, Scully," Mulder squeezed her hands, then released them to run a hand through his unruly hair. "I just can't stand this." He plopped into one of the chairs around the table and gestured for her to sit across from him. She obliged. He met her gaze, "Maybe we should drive on over to his house and stake it out. Tomorrow we could follow him to work, and maybe learn more there."

Scully hesitated only a moment. "Okay, but I need food first."

A half hour later, Mulder and Scully drove through McDonald's on their way to stake out Dr. Peeker's house. A short man that Mulder identified as Peeker was already home. Mulder and Scully kept the conversation light while Peeker watched Must-See TV. Once he retired for the night, they took turns sleeping in four hour shifts until Peeker left for work in the morning. They followed the doctor to a small office building downtown.

Ten minutes after Peeker disappeared into the building, Mulder cautiously entered and scanned the directory for Peeker's name.

Child Psychology. Bingo. Mulder walked quickly back to the car.

"Scully, he's a child psychologist," Mulder said, his anger bleeding into his words. "I bet he's monitoring the damage to her psyche from their goddamn tests."

"Mulder," Scully placed a comforting hand on his arm, her touch calming him. "We don't know how involved he is. I have an idea how to get more information on him, but I'm going to have to take the car for a while."

Mulder reluctantly agreed after repeated questions elicited no more information from his tight-lipped partner. He watched her drive away from an outdoor cafe across the street from Peeker's building. Mulder ate his way through breakfast and brunch, and was considering ordering lunch when the rental car pulled up to the curb in between him and Peeker's building.

Mulder paid his tab quickly and started toward the car. He halted mid-stride when a petite woman in a long floral dress and pristine white Keds emerged from their rental car. Her dark brown hair was pulled back into a messy French braid and she looked about seven months pregnant. She placed a hand on her lower back and turned, obviously looking for someone.

"Oh, my God," Mulder muttered as Scully ambled towards him with a large smile on her face, the kind of smile she usually only graced him with after another brush with death. Mulder concentrated on forcing his lower jaw into its proper place.

"Hi, honey," Scully said as she approached. Apparently she considered that fair warning, because she grabbed his lapels and pulled him down to her level for a quick kiss.

Taking advantage of his opportunity, Mulder snaked one arm around her, holding her to him and kissing her soundly. A light push on his chest reminded him of exactly who he was kissing, and Mulder pulled away, breathing unevenly.

"Hi, Emma," Even in his shock, Mulder managed to remember their assumed identities. He gave himself a mental kick in the pants, then plunged into his role. "How are you feeling today, munchkin?"

Scully glared at him briefly for his endearment, but reassumed her role and gave him another smile. She grabbed his hand, squeezing tightly in retaliation, and headed toward the building. "Oh, Patrick, you're so sweet. I'm fine."

When they entered the building, Scully scanned quickly for surveillance cameras, then led Mulder over to a seat hidden by a rather large potted plant. She sat next to him and bent toward him, completing the picture of a happy young couple stealing a quick minute together in the middle of the day. "I got bored while I was dyeing my hair, so I made a couple of phone calls. Turns out, there's an obstetrician's office in this building. You are now looking at Mrs. Emma Campbell who has an appointment this morning. But, I just might wander into the wrong office. Emma also has a very precocious three year old at home who is not too thrilled with the idea of this one." Scully patted her belly and Mulder felt a stab of pain that Scully would never be able to bear children of her own.

Mulder wiped the unproductive thoughts from his mind and spoke. "Scully, you're amazing." He paused and she stood to go. "What do I do?"

He winced at the petulant tone of his voice, but Scully turned back to him, placing a hand on his arm. "Mulder, you have to make sure Peeker doesn't leave, and you have to look for Katie." She squeezed his arm and started for the elevators.

Forty-five minutes later, Scully emerged from the elevator and rejoined Mulder. She held his hand as they strolled to the rental car. She managed to ignore the curiosity pouring off of him until she angled her awkward belly into the car. Once inside, she recounted her visit to Dr. Peeker.

"And that was it, Mulder. I didn't learn a whole lot, but Emma is supposed to bring little Kevin in sometime next week." Scully pulled the elastic out of her hair and unbraided it, running her fingers through the unruly waves.

Mulder's eyes strayed to her hair for a moment, then he caught her gaze. "But he did say the program for bright kids is government-funded, right?"

Scully sighed, "Yes, Mulder. But the fact that he was so open about that makes me doubt his involvement."

Mulder popped a sunflower seed in his mouth and answered around it. "Hide in plain sight." He paused to spit the shell out the window. "Are you sure there's nothing else, Scully?"

Scully paused, recalling the intense wave of recognition she'd felt when she passed a pregnant woman in the hallway. The brown-haired woman watched Scully walk past, but didn't returned Scully's greeting. Then, Scully could have sworn she heard the woman say 'Friday,' but when she turned around, the woman was gone. Quickly deciding that she had imagined it due to lack of sleep, Scully answered, "Nope, nothing else."

"So what are we going to do next, Emma?"

"Well, Patrick, we are going to turn into all-American tourists taking in the sights of lovely downtown Flagstaff."

END 3/5

See part one for disclaimer/summary.

May 26 1996 Dr. Peeker's Office Building 9:16 a.m.

Mulder and Scully spent the night watching Dr. Peeker again, for lack of a better idea. Around four a.m., they'd returned to their hotel room for quick showers and a change of clothes.

Now, they sat on an uncomfortable cement bench in a park across from Peeker's building and watched, trying to appear as touristy as possible. Scully wore khaki shorts and a plain white blouse, while Mulder opted for jean cut-offs and a grey T-shirt. The hot sun glinted off of the office building across the street.

Every time Mulder looked at Scully, he did a double take because of the brown hair. She would be beautiful to him no matter what, but he really missed her red tresses. After Scully caught him staring at her hair for the third time, she asked him if something was wrong.

"No, Scully, it's just . . . is your hair going to stay that color?"

Scully turned to face him more fully. "No, I used a wash-out color. It should be gone within a week." She pulled on her blouse to stimulate air movement across her hot skin.

Mulder's blood pressure soared at the glimpse of her bare navel, but nodded and looked back at Peeker's building before replying, "Good." He glanced over at her quickly, "Not that it doesn't look good brown, but red suits you." Mulder studiously avoided her gaze.

"It suits me?" She asked, "Thank you, I think." Her voice held a hint of laughter, and she ran a hand through her hair, smoothing it into place self-consciously.

Mulder struggled to explain himself without revealing too much. "Scully, red hair is just . . . it suits you," he repeated. "Red hair is fiery and bold and bright, characteristics I associate with you." He paused, then almost as an afterthought added, "Not to mention sexy."

Scully's brow jumped up.

"Red hair, I mean," Mulder hastened to explain.

Her other brow crept up to meet the first and the corner of her lips quirked as Mulder realized what he'd said.

"Not that you're not sexy, because you are, I just meant--oh, never mind."

Mulder's ears slowly turned the color he had so recently expounded upon, but Scully didn't appear to notice to notice. Her eyes tracked someone in the crowd near Peeker's building.

"Mulder," she said, her gaze never wavering from her prey. "As much as I'd love to continue this conversation, I've got to talk to that woman. I'll be right back." Scully jumped up and moved away before Mulder could answer.

"Scully, why do--"

"I'll explain later," she tossed over her shoulder as she briskly crossed the street.

Scully pulled open the waiting room door and found the tall woman sitting in the waiting room reading a magazine with a large alien face on the cover. The other people in the near-empty room glanced up to evaluate the newcomer, but the woman Scully wanted to talk to appeared engrossed in her magazine. Scully walked over and sat next to the woman, who finally looked up form the article.

"Excuse me," Scully began, "I saw you in the hall yesterday and I wanted to speak with you. My name's Dana."

The woman's eyes grew round at Scully's words. Her cheeks drained to a sickly alabaster, and she struggled to get up. Scully placed a comforting hand on the woman's arm, but she shrugged it off.

"Not here," the woman whispered fiercely. She propelled herself to her feet, a hand on her swollen belly, and headed for the door.

Scully jumped up. "No, please wait."

The door swung open and a little red-haired girl skipped inside. All thoughts of detaining the woman fled as Scully froze.

Katie.

Another woman entered, obviously following Katie. Scully recognized Alyssa Copeland and her blood boiled. Of all the people to raise her daughter, They gave Katie to Alyssa? Talk about pouring salt in an open wound.

Scully saw the pregnant woman bolt for the door, but halt at Mulder's arrival. Alyssa turned when Mulder entered, then ran for the hallway, hesitating only when she remembered Katie.

And then, everything spun out of control.

Mulder stopped in the doorway, staring at the scene before him. Scully knelt on the floor, talking to Katie, while Alyssa yelled for the little girl to come with her. And an extremely pregnant woman stood stock-still, staring at him. Her expression was hard to read, but tension held her body rigid. His eyes rose again to her face and his body went rigid.

"Samantha?" he whispered.

The pregnant woman flinched, but she didn't look away. Mulder reached a trembling hand toward her.

"Mulder," Scully's exasperated voice cut through his trance. "Could you give me a hand, please?"

Mulder tore his eyes away from his long-lost sister to find Alyssa trying to wrestle Katie away from Scully. The little girl was screaming, tears flowing down her cheeks. He ran over and grabbed Alyssa by her upper arms, pulling her away from Scully and Katie. The other people in the waiting room stared open-mouthed at the scene unfolding.

Dr. Peeker ran out into the lobby. "What in God's name is going on here?" he yelled over the melee.

Scully ignored everyone in the room and hugged Katie, trying to soothe the little girl's fear. But, Katie's terrified gaze remained on Alyssa.

Dr. Peeker watched, open-mouthed, as Alyssa wrenched out of Mulder's grasp, elbowed him sharply in the ribs, and bolted for the door.

Mulder sucked in a gulp of air, recovered his balance, and took off after Alyssa. The achingly familiar pregnant woman deliberately blocked Mulder's pursuit.

"What are you doing?" Mulder, still panting from Alyssa's sharp elbow to the ribs, skirted around her and started down the hall.

"Fox?" Mulder jerked to a stop. "Don't go after her." He turned back and stared at the woman, shaking his head slowly. "Just take Katie and go."

Scully's head snapped up at the woman's use of Katie's name, but the little girl squirming madly in her arms required her full attention. She stroked Katie's back, murmuring softly to her.

"No one's going anywhere," Dr. Peeker stepped forward, adjusting his glasses nervously. "I want a full explanation. What the hell is going on?" The onlookers craned their necks, not wanting to miss a second.

Scully stood and crossed to Mulder's side, still cradling the crying child. She grasped his hand and spoke, "Mulder, she's right. We have to go."

The pregnant woman nodded and Dr. Peeker started in again.

"Scully," Mulder whispered, "This is Samantha."

Scully's eyes widened as she turned to the pregnant woman, Katie still held securely in her arms. "Mulder, I--"

"She is, Scully. I haven't seen her in 20 years and she called me Fox." Mulder and Scully faced each other and automatically switched into their cryptic brand of communication.

"Mulder, she could be working for Them," Scully said, caressing Katie's back absently. "Remember the Gregors? Don't jump to conclusions."

Mulder brushed an impatient hand through his unruly hair. "Scully, look at her. She looks like my mother. Plus, Ben found her fingerprint on the tape. Wouldn't it make sense for her to be here with Katie?"

"That's me," Katie interrupted, a troubled look on her face. Her voice drew Mulder's attention, effectively ending the argument. She was even more adorable in person, her red curls framing her tearstained face. Mulder glanced from Katie to Scully and felt a strange tightness in his throat. They made a beautiful picture.

"Yes, sweetie, that is you." Mulder whispered. Reaching out and smoothing her hair gently. The girl gazed at him, fat teardrops still spilling onto her cheeks.

Dr. Peeker interrupted again, but only Katie responded. "Hi, Dr. Peeker," she whispered.

"Scully," Mulder paused, at a loss.

"Excuse me," Samantha began, "You two need to get out of here. Alyssa will be back with reinforcements. Go." She pushed Mulder toward the door.

Mulder opened his mouth to speak, but Scully cut him off. "What about you? Are you just going to stay and wait for them?" Scully shifted Katie, who had finally stopped crying and instead toyed with her mother's brown hair.

Samantha grimaced and placed a hand low on her swollen belly. She rubbed her stomach before answering. "I don't know," she paused, "But, I need to leave."

"Nobody is going anywhere," Dr. Peeker repeated, "until somebody explains who you two are," he waved a hand at Mulder and Scully, "and why Katie's foster mother ran out of here."

Mulder and Scully locked gazes, silently debating what to do next. They both positively itched to be on their way, but they had to take care of Peeker first.

"Dr. Peeker, I'm Agent Fox Mulder of the FBI. This is my partner, Dana Scully. Katie was kidnapped two years ago, and we are here to take her back to her birth parents." Mulder flashed his badge.

Scully shifted Katie and dug her badge out of her pocket, her eyes never leaving the child in her arms.

Dr. Peeker appeared flustered, reluctant to argue with two bona-fide, gun-toting FBI agents. A buzz started amongst the few people still watching from the molded-plastic chairs. Dr. Peeker tried to question them further, but Samantha's loud gasp brought everyone's attention to her. She placed one hand against the wall and rubbed her belly with the other, her hair shrouding her downcast face.

Taking a step towards his long-lost sister, Mulder asked, "Samantha, what's wrong?" His entire body tensed as he waited for her answer.

After a moment, Samantha glanced up at him and gave a small smile. "Nothing. I'm fine. Just an extra hard kick." He relaxed slightly at her reassurance.

Scully's brow furrowed and she stepped forward, placing her free hand low on the woman's stomach. Turning her gaze to Mulder, Scully spoke quietly. "She may be going into labor."

Mulder took a moment to comprehend her words, then stepped forward to place a supportive arm around Samantha's waist. Scully turned to Dr. Peeker. "Doctor," she used her best tough-as-nails FBI voice, "We need to get this woman to a hospital. We'll be taking Katie with us."

Peeker's mouth dropped open, but he could think of nothing to say. Mulder helped Samantha out the door. The four walked quickly to the rental car. Scully buckled Katie in the front seat with Mulder, then climbed in back with Samantha.

Scully and Mulder briefly debated the merits of the hospital as opposed to the hotel room. . Samantha agreed with Scully, claiming they couldn't risk going to a hospital. Mulder grumbled all the way to the hotel.

Sleep E-Z Motel

Mulder checked Samantha into an adjoining room at the hotel while Scully brought Katie inside. The little girl had calmed down considerably, but she still regarded her new companions with confusion.

"Scully, we need to get her to the hospital," Mulder held Katie on his lap and watched Scully checking Samantha, one hand absently smoothing his daughter's hair.

"Mulder," she warned, then turned her attention to the pregnant woman. "Is this your first child . . . what should I call you?"

"Everyone calls me Sarah, but my real name is Samantha," she paused, then added, "Either one is fine." Samantha's hands twisted fistfuls of her skirt and she avoided Scully's eyes. "And this is my second pregnancy. But he's not my child. I'm a surrogate mother."

Scully's brow jumped up and Mulder leaned forward to speak. "Then whose child is he?" Mulder had some trouble focusing. The fact that he'd finally found his sister, whose disappearance had forever altered his life, amazed him. But, Mulder wished the evening had been a little less complicated so he could absorb all of the life-changing events properly. Samantha and Katie were safe temporarily, but Samantha was about to deliver a baby. How could Mulder protect all three of them, plus Scully, without losing his mind?

"The little boy I'm carrying," Samantha locked eyes with Scully, "is Katie's brother."

Scully recoiled physically from Samantha's words. "How can you live with yourself?"

"Scully," Mulder reprimanded, his hand flying to Scully's arm as if his touch could somehow restrain her verbal assault.

"No, Mulder. I want to know how this woman--who claims to be your long-lost sister--can act as a goddamn incubator, than hand over her own niece to Alyssa Copeland, of all people. Maybe she was abducted by CancerMan, but she's apparently adopted their lack of concern for human emotions." Scully's expressive eyes glinted icy blue.

Katie's tear-filled gaze swung back and forth between the two women while Mulder's glare settled on Scully. This had to be his worst nightmare. Somehow, the two most important women in his life had just drawn a line in the sand, and he would soon be forced to choose a side. Once, on a Maryland bridge, he had chosen Scully over his sister. Even though it turned out that the woman was not Samantha, his guilt over that agonizing decision had haunted him. Suddenly, the hotel room seemed tiny and he wanted out. Now. Before two pairs of eyes turned to him beseechingly.

Samantha's next contraction precluded any response from her. Scully, apparently finished with the conversation, gathered Katie into her arms and sat on the bed next to Mulder. Scully cradled Katie, soothing the little girl and ignoring Samantha completely.

Mulder jumped up and grabbed Samantha's hand, trying to distract her from the pain. Tears slid down Samantha's cheek, and Mulder felt his chest constricting with the need for some kind of emotional release.

"I'm sorry, Fox," Samantha's whispered. Another tear escaped, and she swiped it from her cheek. "I didn't want to give Katie away. I saw a file about you two--I was snooping in my doctor's computer--and the Old Man found out. He made his lackey erase my memories, and took Katie from me. At first, I didn't remember anything about her, but, when I woke up pregnant with little William here, I started to remember things about her," Samantha raised her eyes to meet Mulder's hazel gaze. "And about you. You're my brother, aren't you?"

Scully glanced up from Katie's sleeping face to find Mulder clasping Samantha's hand desperately and nodding. After a moment, Scully asked, "Samantha, why did you name her Katie?" She stroked her daughter's cherubic face while she awaited a response.

Mulder squeezed Samantha's hand and she graced him with a small smile. "I remembered some of the information I'd read about you and my brother, although I didn't remember what he was to me. I wanted Katie to have some connection with her parents, even if she'd never meet them, so I named her Katherine, after you." Samantha's eyes strayed to Scully's face briefly, then flitted back to the ugly tan carpet.

Mulder watched the ice in Scully's eyes melt to slush. Scully nodded, but didn't reply. Mulder could tell she still didn't trust Samantha, but at least Scully had stopped being openly hostile. Samantha gasped as the next contraction hit, and Mulder whispered nonsense to her about Martha's Vineyard and their childhood.

When Samantha's breathing slowed, Mulder asked a question of his own. "Samantha, how did your fingerprint end up on that video tape? Did the Old Man you spoke of include that deliberately?"

Laughter bubbled from Samantha at Mulder's question. Scully appraised her with a practiced eye, checking for any medical reasons for Samantha's odd outburst. Finding none, she simply waited for Samantha to explain her laughter.

Mulder performed a similar evaluation of Samantha, looking for a possible psychological explanation for her ill-timed laughter. When Samantha noticed his worried expression, she quickly explained how hard it had been for her to gain access to that tape and how terrified she'd been that they'd discover her treasonous action before sending the tape.

Mulder couldn't find the words to speak. He glanced at Scully in surprise when she spoke softly, "Samantha, I'm sorry I lost my temper earlier. All of this has been rather trying, but I had no right to take it out on you. I, of all people, know what these people are capable of."

Samantha moaned as another contraction hit her, but she managed to answer. "S'okay," she managed, then yelped.

Samantha's cry of pain prompted Scully into action. She rose to her feet slowly, so as not to wake Katie, and headed for the next room to put the exhausted little girl to bed. Mulder stayed with Samantha until the contraction ended, then followed Scully.

When his eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, the sight that greeted him seemed impossibly right. The king-sized bed dwarfed Katie, and her tiny head lay on the pillow. Scully sat next to her daughter, gently stroking the girl's face as if Katie would disappear if she stopped touching her.

Mulder approached slowly, and Scully reached her free hand back without looking. Mulder grasped it and stood directly behind Scully, looking over her head at the sleeping angel. Scully tipped her head back, leaning it on his abdomen. Her blue eyes met his and she whispered, "Isn't she the most beautiful thing you've ever seen?"

Mulder grinned down at Scully and answered truthfully, "I'd say it's a dead heat." Scully arched an eyebrow in question, which, from his angle, made her look decidedly silly. "Well, it was until you raised your eyebrow. You look interesting from up here."

Scully laughed softly, then frowned. Mulder grinned wider. This could be interesting. Without letting go of her hand, he angled down so he was sitting behind her. Scully twisted her neck, then turned her body slightly to face him. "What do you mean, Mulder?"

"Scully, where do you think our gorgeous daughter got her looks from?" Mulder watched Scully's eyes widen with a grin of satisfaction. She was so hard to surprise.

She answered immediately. "You."

Mulder watched the telling blush creep up her cheeks and bit the inside of his mouth so he wouldn't smile. In fact, his own cheeks felt a little warm. Something in their relationship had just altered, and he wasn't sure yet where they stood. But, he knew how to find out. Mulder leaned toward her, his free hand reaching up and caressing her cheek.

A muffled scream from Samantha jerked them apart. Scully jumped up guiltily and ran to the next room. She checked Samantha's vitals and her dilation. Not fully dilated yet, at least an hour or so to go.

"Scully," Mulder poked his head through the adjoining door. "Are you sure we shouldn't take her to the hospital?" Mulder hated to doubt Scully's ability as a medical doctor, but his sister and his son were involved.

"Mulder--" Scully started.

"There's no way I'm going to a hospital, Fox," Samantha interrupted, her voice strong and determined. "They could find me there and take your son away. We stay here. Scully, you can deliver this baby, right?"

Scully gave Samantha a tiny smile. "Please call me Dana. Yes, I can deliver my son. Mulder, please stay with Katie in case she wakes up. She's taken this turmoil rather well so far, but I'm worried about her."

"Scully, I'd rather stay here. I can help." Mulder pleaded, turning the hangdog look on full force.

"Fox, no." Samantha answered, hazel eyes confident. "Katie needs you more. Dana will come for you if we need you."

Mulder hesitated for a moment, but Scully turned to glare at him. He decided he'd be much safer in the next room and retreated, closing the door behind him. Darkness shrouded the motel room, but Mulder could make out his daughter's tiny form. As his eyes adjusted, he realized Katie was wide awake.

Mulder walked slowly over and sat down on the edge of the bed near Katie. "Sweetie, what's the matter?" he whispered.

Katie sat up and gazed at him. "Who are you and where's 'Lyssa?" Her voice trembled and a tear tracked down her face.

Mulder felt his heart constrict and answered quietly, "My name is Fox Mulder--"

Katie's giggle interrupted him.

"Fox is an animal," she said. "You're not Fox."

"You're right, a fox is an animal, but my parents named me after the animal," He paused, "I'm your daddy and I love you," Mulder was surprised to hear the tremor in his voice. "Alyssa had to go away, Katie, but remember that lady with the pretty red hair just like yours?"

Katie's tiny brow furrowed, "No."

Realization dawned and Mulder gave himself a mental slap. "The short lady has red hair usually, but it's brown for a few days. Do you remember her? She's in the other room?"

"Your wife?" Katie asked quietly, staring wide-eyed at Mulder.

Mulder paused, at a loss as to how to answer that question. "Not yet," he answered, figuring Scully wasn't in the room so he was safe from bodily harm. "But, she's your mommy, and we're going to take care of you forever and ever." Mulder prayed to a god that he didn't always believe in to please, please let his words be true.

Katie's intense gaze reminded him very much of Scully's as she weighed his words. After several moments, Katie gave him a shy smile, accepting his words without question. "Tell me a story?"

Mulder controlled the urge to yell for Scully. What stories did he know that didn't prominently feature mutants and aliens and assassins, oh my? Quickly searching the recesses of his memory for favorite books he'd read as a child, he grinned when he found the perfect story. "Once upon a time . . ."

"Come on, once more. Push," Scully encouraged and her son emerged into her trembling hands. The birth had gone amazingly well--a textbook case. She carefully laid the infant on a blanket and cleared his mouth. Scully checked him over and gave him a good preliminary APGAR. After wrapping him in a soft blanket, she carefully cut the umbilical cord. Laying William on Samantha's chest, Scully cleaned up the bed and went to fetch Mulder. She was a little surprised that he hadn't barged in long before--Samantha's screams had elicited three complaints from the next room, but Mulder hadn't made a peep.

Scully pushed open the door quietly and found Mulder curled up with Katie, fast asleep. He must have been exhausted. Scully rounded the bed and examined his face, noting tear tracks on his cheeks. Mulder's chin rested above Katie's head, and his arm lay protectively around her tiny middle. Scully, already an emotional wreck after the birth of her son, began to cry at the impossibly perfect picture Mulder and Katie made. The tears streaming down her face soon escalated into muffled sobs.

Mulder sat up in bed, her presence finally breaking through his sleep-fogged brain. He carefully rose from the bed and gathered her into a hug. She allowed herself a few more moments of emotional release, then pulled back and wiped her face. "Mulder," she smiled one of her rare, brilliant smiles, "We have a healthy son, Billy." Mulder's goofy expression sent her off into a brief bout of giggles. "He's beautiful, Mulder. Go meet him. I'll stay with Katie."

After giving Mulder what she considered a reasonable amount of time with their new son, Scully left Katie's side and opened the connecting door to Samantha's room. Mulder sat next to his sister, his gaze on the tiny baby in his arms. The sight nearly brought Scully to tears again, but she bit them back with considerable effort.

"Mulder," Scully reached his side, one hand finding his shoulder while the other caressed her son's head. "I've got to get Samantha settled in."

Mulder looked up at her, a dopey grin in place. "He's beautiful, Scully."

Scully smiled back at her partner. "Yes. He is."

Mulder stood, allowing Scully better access to the baby. She leaned down and placed a soft kiss on the baby's forehead. Mulder kissed the crown of Scully's bent head, then murmured. "I'll be in the other room."

Scully's mouth dropped open slightly as she watched Mulder's retreat. Shaking her head, she pulled herself from her reverie and turned to face Samantha's knowing smile.

Ignoring the blush threatening, Scully helped Samantha out of her clothes. She pulled the nightgown over Samantha's head, then lifted her long hair to free it from the clothing. A tiny discoloration caught Scully's eye, and she held Samantha's hair away from her neck to peer closer. A wave of nausea rolled through Scully as she recognized the mark for what it was.

An implant. Just like hers.

Suddenly, Scully felt an inexplicable kinship to this woman who'd been subjected to a similar fate as her own. She carefully led Samantha to the second bed and tucked her in. Scully nearly ran to the next room to get Mulder.

"Mulder, she has an implant." Scully's shrill tone upset the baby, and he started to fuss. Scully pulled the Billy into her arms and comforted him.

"She has an implant?" Mulder felt all of his illusions of safety slither away. "When does it end?"

"I don't know, Mulder. I just don't know."

END 4/5

See part one for disclaimer/summary.

Scully protested heartily when Mulder insisted she lay down, but she fell asleep right away. Four hours later, she was still dead to the world. Mulder, who'd caught a couple hours of sleep with Katie, stayed awake in one room watching Scully, Katie, and Billy sleep. Samantha slept in the other room, regaining her strength after her labor. All night, Mulder went over and over the events of the past week in his head. He'd gained an instant family, one he'd secretly yearned for his entire life. Now, everything was different.

He could no longer heedlessly plunge himself into dangerous situations without regard to the consequences. As much as he worried about Scully, he'd always been well aware of her ability to take care of herself. He'd never decided not to pursue a case because of the possible repercussions for Scully. Even when he had concerns about her safety, he let her make her own decisions.

But now, two tiny little people depended on him for their needs. He couldn't get himself killed, or abducted, or even severely beaten without affecting their lives. Mulder had to do the responsible thing and put his children first. He realized that's probably what the shadow government wanted anyway, even if they'd planned to hold Katie and Billy over his head from afar. Now that he had a viable option, a reason to give up some of his freedom, he didn't resent it at all. He wanted to stay home and be with his children, not fly off in the middle of the night to the Arctic Circle.

And Scully. After reviewing his life this past night, he realized that the four people in the adjoining rooms were the only people he would willingly lay down his life to save. He loved each of them differently, but fiercely.

After coming to this realization, he'd tried to analyze his feelings for Scully. One, he respected and admired her for her strength, her intelligence, her loyalty, her quirky humor, and her heart. Two, he found her extraordinarily attractive, and he couldn't figure out why. Not that she wasn't gorgeous, but he usually preferred tall, leggy brunettes, not petite, fiery redheads. It had to be her mind, her ability to spar verbally with him. Even the smartest women he'd dated couldn't parry and thrust the way Scully did. And she enjoyed it just as much as he did. Three, he was halfway in love with her already.

Okay, so he was all the way in love with her, but he hadn't the vaguest idea what to do with this information. Not to mention the fact that he had no idea what her feelings for him were. She'd never done anything that he could point to and say, 'see, she loves me.' She kept her emotions so tightly reigned in that she expressed everything with subtlety. Sure, she'd appeared slightly jealous over women like Bambi, but that could just as easily be attributed to professional competition. And all of his suggestive remarks had been met with wit and humor, but, again, nothing definite.

So, Mulder found himself in the unenviable position of knowing he loved Scully and not having the vaguest idea how she felt. And he wasn't about to come out and ask. If Scully closed herself off from him, he'd die. The way Mulder saw it, he was faced with two options. One: keep his mouth shut and always wonder. Two: ask Scully how she felt about him and wait for the inevitable laughter. Or anger. Mulder didn't know which was worse--living with 'what ifs' or being laughed at by the only person he trusted.

Mulder's somber musings were interrupted by Katie's whimper. She rolled over in the bed, turning to face Mulder. Scully, asleep on the other bed with the baby, stirred briefly then settled back down. Mulder glanced back over at Katie and saw that her big blue eyes were open. Katie stared at him, and two fat tears appeared on her lashes.

"What's wrong, Katie?" Mulder asked, panic pooling in his stomach.

The little girl pushed herself upright and sat there, staring at him. After a few more moments of silence, Mulder stood cautiously from his chair and made his way to Katie's bed. Easing himself down, he repeated, "What is it?"

Katie's bottom lip trembled as she answered, "Are you gonna go 'way?"

Mulder's eyes slid closed for a moment, the fear in her voice a direct blow to his heart. "No, sweetheart. I'm your daddy, remember? And that's your mommy right there," Mulder paused, waiting for Katie's nod. "Do you see that baby right there?" He pointed towards Billy.

Katie slid off of her bed and climbed up next to Scully. She craned her neck over Scully's hip and peered at Billy. "Yeah."

"That's your baby brother."

Katie looked back at Mulder. "Nuh-uh."

Katie's emphatic answer woke Scully up. She blinked, and after a moment, spoke softly. "Hi, Katie. How are you doing?"

Katie studied her, evaluating her face, before answering. Plaintively, she asked, "Are you really my mommy?"

Scully's tear-filled eyes jumped up to Mulder's. "Yes, honey, I really am," Scully answered firmly. "And I love you."

Katie began to cry in earnest and hugged her middle, shaking slightly. Scully placed a hand on Katie's back. "Katie? Can I hug you?" Scully waited anxiously for Katie's affirmative nod. Scully glanced at Mulder's stricken face as she pulled Katie into her arms. "Sweetie, what's wrong?"

Mulder moved onto the bed with Scully and Katie, careful not to wake Billy. "Scully, why is she crying?" he asked.

Scully glared at him, upset by Katie's tears. "Mulder, I don't know."

Katie sniffled a little and looked shyly at Mulder, then Scully. "I don't have a mommy and daddy. Lyssa told me."

Scully smoothed down Katie's red hair, marveling at its silky softness.

"Katie," Mulder took her tiny hand into his. "She and I are your mommy and daddy. We always have been and we always will be. No matter what. Do you understand?"

Katie looked to Scully for confirmation. When Scully nodded, Katie answered, "Okay." She glanced over at the tiny baby sleeping next to them. "Who's he?"

Mulder smiled and placed his other hand on Billy's back. "This is William Riley Scully Mulder." He met Scully's gaze, waiting for a sign from her that she approved of the full name he'd rattled off.

Scully smiled her rare, full smile.

While Mulder watched the children, Scully took a quick shower and made a trip to the lobby to round up some of the continental breakfast. She grabbed four tiny boxes of cereal and three orange juices. She turned to go, but her gaze fell on the daily paper. On impulse, and she dug change out of her pocket to buy the a copy.

When Scully returned to the room, she was so laden down that she couldn't open the door. Mulder heard her muffled knock and let her in.

"Mulder, I think we need to get out of here. I don't like staying in one place. They'll find us."

Mulder blinked, then shook his head slightly. "Good morning to you, too, Scully. Why are you so anxious all of a sudden?"

Scully dropped a box of cereal as she placed the rest of her burden on the bureau. The noise woke Katie, and she rolled out of bed.

"Mulder, not now." Scully refused to talk about her fear in front of her daughter. Instead, she opened a box of cereal for Katie and pulled the little girl into her lap. "Hi, Sweetie. Would you like some cereal?"

Katie nodded, smiling, and started to eat. Mulder settled down on the newly vacated bed and opened the paper, turning to the sports page first. Scully helped Katie eat until she was full, then placed Katie on the floor with some toys she'd bought the at the airport in anticipation.

Scully grabbed the front section of the paper from Mulder and sat on the bed next to him. He glanced up at her. "Hey, Scully, you're stealing my paper," he smirked.

Scully arched an eyebrow and calmly asked, "So what are you going to do about it?"

Mulder rose to his knees and slowly inched toward her. "Oh, I don't know. Several options come to mind."

Scully tried to contain her smile, but his teasing tone was too much. She flung her hands in front of her in mock horror, "Oh, no. Whatever shall I do now?"

Mulder laughed and playfully tackled her. Scully squealed and tried her best to free herself, but he had the advantage of momentum. She landed square on her back with her head hanging the slightest bit over the foot of the bed. "Mulder!"

Mulder lowered himself onto her and held her hands next to her ears. "What are you gonna do now, Scully?" Mulder's smile faded as he stared into her luminescent eyes.

Scully's laughter stopped abruptly when Mulder bent his head toward hers. Her eyes widened, but she didn't move away. Finally, their lips met in a soft, tentative kiss.

Billy's wail broke the spell, and they jumped apart. Mulder catapulted himself to his feet and picked Billy up carefully while Scully busied herself with the paper. Billy quieted with Mulder's touch, but he mumbled something about bringing the baby to Samantha for a feeding and left quickly.

Scully stared at the page in front of her in mortification. What had just happened? She'd kissed Mulder, and, worse, she'd liked it. What was she supposed to do now? Slowly, the page in front of her came into focus and the letters arranged themselves into words. Scully jumped off the bed and headed for Samantha's room.

Mulder placed the baby in Samantha's arms and lowered himself into the uncomfortable easy chair in the corner. Scully was going to kill him. He'd kissed her. Obviously, all of this happiness was getting to his head.

"Mulder," Scully stood in the doorway, her blue eyes wide. Mulder read the tension in the lines of her body and jumped to his feet. He approached her, "Scully, what's wrong?"

She thrust the paper into his hand and pointed wordlessly. He held her gaze a moment longer, then read the headline: Local Doctor Dies in Car Crash. Mulder glanced at the picture to confirm what he already knew.

Dr. Robert Peeker was dead.

"Fox?" Samantha asked from the bed. "What's wrong?"

Scully ran a hand through her hair and sagged against the door frame. "Dr. Peeker died in a car accident last night."

Samantha turned white. "Accident? I doubt it." she muttered and glanced down at the child in her arms. Samantha looked at her long-lost brother and the woman he so obviously loved and spoke regretfully. "Fox, I have to go back."

Mulder staggered backwards and Scully caught him. After a stunned silence, he nearly shouted, "No." As he stared at his sister in shock, a mixture of hurt and anger transformed his features into a hard mask.

Samantha hurried to explain, "More than anything I want to stay here with you, but I can't. Don't you see? You found all of us, Katie, Billy, and me. They have nothing to hold over you now. Do you really think they'll let that go?"

Scully kept her hand on Mulder's back to steady him and argued with Samantha. "You can't willingly go back there. What if they kill you for escaping in the first place?"

Samantha acknowledged Scully's question with a nod. "What if they come after you again? Or Katie? Or Billy? I can't take that chance."

"Samantha," Mulder regained some of his equilibrium and crossed to the bed, sitting next to his sister, "You can't go back. I've been looking for you for 22 years. I can't lose you again."

Samantha's eyes filled with tears as she held his intense gaze. "Can you lose Dana again?"

Scully gasped, but didn't speak.

Mulder viciously swiped the tears off of his cheeks and grasped Samantha's hand. "Don't make me make a choice," he whispered, shaking his head in denial. "I can't lose either one of you." The heaven of the previous day had somehow turned into the worst kind of hell.

"Fox, I know you can't choose, so I have to choose for you," Samantha ignored the tears spilling down her face, clutching Billy to her chest. She bent her head and placed a kiss on his forehead, then gestured for Scully to take the little boy. Scully pulled the baby into her arms and sat on the other side of Samantha.

Mulder looked back and forth between the two women he loved and made his own decision. "No, I'll go. You two stay here and I'll go. It's what they've always wanted anyway."

Scully's blue eyes widened and her jaw fell open. Before she could formulate a protest, Samantha started speaking. "Fox, that's ridiculous. You can't go. I've been there for years and it's not that bad. They call me by a different name, but my life's not so terrible. The only thing I hate is not being able to see you and mom and dad."

Scully stroked her son's head and spoke quickly. "Listen, I'm a trained agent. I'll go--"

"No," Mulder shouted, frustrated beyond belief. He rose to his feet and began pacing angrily.

Katie poked her head around the door frame. "Why're you yelling?"

The three adults wiped their eyes and tried to appear calm. "We had a disagreement," Scully explained softly, "But we're in agreement now," she met Samantha's gaze pointedly. "Nobody's going anywhere."

Mulder sighed and began to relax as Katie approached him and lifted her hands to him. Lowering himself to the edge of the bed, he hauled Katie into his lap and settled her in his arms. Mulder hoped that Scully's words proved true. He couldn't handle it if 24 hours was all the time he ever had with his sister. Losing her now would be worse than the hell he'd been through 22 years earlier.

Samantha leaned over and kissed Katie on the cheek, then took the little girl's hands. "Honey, listen to me. I have to go away for a while. I don't know when I'll be back, but always remember that your Aunt Samantha loves you, okay?"

Mulder's heart splintered as she spoke. The sister he remembered was not one to change her mind, no matter what her big brother said. After several long moments of silence, he spoke woodenly, "What are you going to tell Them?"

Scully surreptitiously wiped tears from her cheeks as she rocked her sleeping son.

Samantha straightened her shoulders and met her brother's tortured gaze. "I'll say I was kidnapped by you and your partner and I tried my hardest to escape, but you took the baby when it was born. They think I've got amnesia, it'll be easy to convince them."

Mulder tightened his hold on his sister's hand, not willing to let go of her. "Sammie, I don't want you to go." He buried his face in her shoulder, hiding his tears as his arms tightened around Katie. The little girl wrapped her small arms around her father and hugged him, offering comfort.

"Fox, I don't want to go, but I have to. Either that or you'll live in constant fear. I'll be okay." Samantha hugged her brother quickly, then pulled herself to her feet, wincing. "I'm going to get dressed."

Scully scooted over to Mulder's side and placed her free arm around his shoulder. He pulled Katie to his chest and leaned his weight on Scully. "Scully, I can't let her go."

Scully rubbed his shoulder. "It's not your decision to make, Mulder. She's doing this for you."

Mulder pulled away, shocked, "Scully, how can you be so cold? She's my sister, for God's sake." He met her blue eyes and tried to determine what had prompted her to agree with Samantha. Katie squirmed and he let her down. The curious little girl ran over to stare at Billy.

Scully dropped her arm to her side, "Mulder," she sputtered. "I don't want her to go any more than you do. But she's an adult." Scully glanced down at her son, "I love you, Mulder, and I want what you want, but right now, that's not possible."

Mulder stared at her in shock. What? She loved him? "You love me?" Samantha's impending departure temporarily took a back seat to his shock at Scully's thoughtless words.

Scully's head snapped up. She spoke quickly, "Yes, but that's not the point . . ." Scully's wordy explanation trailed off at his radiant smile.

Mulder caressed her cheek. "I love you, too." Mulder leaned in to kiss her. Scully responded to his sweet kiss instantly, leaning into his side. Her mouth opened to him, kissing him thoroughly.

Billy's burp brought them back to reality, and Scully pulled away.

Mulder's anguish returned full force. He glanced at Scully who was valiantly trying to burp Billy. "You know what, Scully? Our timing sucks."

Scully gave him a fierce look and started to reply. Samantha's emergence from the bathroom cut off their conversation, and Mulder stood to face his sister.

"Samantha, please," he said, his voice almost steady, "I'm asking you not to do this."

Samantha approached her brother and pulled him into a fierce hug. "Fox, I know it hurts, but it's the right thing. I'll come back, I promise. But, for now, I need to know that you four are safe. If my returning to the project is what it takes, than that's what I have to do." Her words, slightly muffled by his shirt, twisted his heart painfully.

Scully took Katie's hand and led her into the other room, leaving Mulder and Samantha alone. Mulder made a mental note to thank Scully for her perceptiveness later, then focused on the argument at hand. He pulled back, resting his hands on his sister's shoulders.

"Samantha, what about what I need? I need to know you're safe, that no one's hurting you. I've been looking for you for twenty years and you want me to let you go now that I've finally found you?" His gravely voice grew thick with tears.

Samantha regarded the man in front of her. "l can't make you agree with my decision," she answered. "But think about it. Would you die for Dana?"

Mulder's tortured hazel eyes met her matching ones. "Yes."

"For Katie?"

"Yes," Mulder placed his hands low on his hips. Just what was her point?

"Billy?"

"Samantha, of course. What are you getting at?"

"For me?"

Mulder felt the tears pricking behind his eyes. "In a second," he answered. As much as he wanted to lie to disprove her rather valid point, he couldn't.

"I would, too, Fox," She paused, "You've found me. Be proud of that. Remember that I love you and I need to do this. Now, it's my turn to find you." Tears ran down Samantha's face as she waited for a response.

Mulder grabbed her hands and held them tightly. He gazed around at the neutral wallpaper, the hideous bedspread, and the bad landscape paintings, searching for a way to reason with her, to avoid this one horrible truth. Samantha was leaving him.

Samantha squeezed his hands, "I will find you, Fox. Trust me."

The damn broke. Mulder crushed her to him, crying. Samantha held him, stroking his back, as he cried for the sister he'd lost so long ago. He cried for the little boy he'd once been. He cried for his mother's anguish, his father's guilt. And he cried for the woman his sister had become, this strong woman who'd give up her freedom to keep him safe. Eventually, his sobs subsided, and Samantha kissed his cheek. "It's time for me to go, Fox."

Mulder nodded miserably and watched her cross the room to the adjoining door. Samantha rounded up Katie and Scully, who still held Billy in her arms. Scully shot a questioning look at him, and he reassured her with his eyes.

Samantha bent down and kissed Billy's head, murmuring to him. Mulder refused to blink. He wanted to be able to remember every second he spent with Samantha. Next, Samantha bent down to Katie and tickled her. The little red-haired girl threw herself into her aunt's arms, laughing.

Scully walked to Mulder's side, handing him the baby. Mulder gave her a questioning look, but Scully shook her head. When Samantha released Katie, Scully approached Samantha and engulfed her in a long hug. Mulder felt the tears building again, but he choked them down. He'd have plenty of time to cry later. Now, he watched the two most important women in his life hug like best friends.

Finally, Scully stepped back. "Samantha, I want to apologize for my behavior yesterday. It was unforgivable--"

"Dana," Samantha shook her head. "It's okay. I understand your reaction and I don't blame you. All's forgiven," An impish smile appeared on Samantha's face, "After all, I can't very well hate my future sister-in-law, can I?"

Scully's jaw dropped. Her cheeks reddened and she muttered. "Uh, okay. Thanks," she answered, taking Billy from Mulder.

Mulder's cheeky grin faded as his sister turned to him. He had a horrible feeling that the next few minutes would kill him. "Sam, I--"

Samantha placed two fingers over his lips. "Don't." She embraced him again, whispering into his ear, "See you later, alligator."

Mulder's eyes widened as he remembered Samantha's eight-year-old voice singing that line every time someone said good-bye to her. Mulder felt Samantha pull away, then watched her stride to the door. She paused, turning back for one last look at her family.

With difficulty, Mulder found his voice, "In a while, crocodile."

Samantha smiled at him, and then she was gone.

THE END