Summary: A teenage Scully tries to raise her son, William, on her own while going to school. She doesn't need help. She can do it herself. Then someone comes into her life, and she starts thinking that needing somebody isn't the worst thing in the world.

Chapter 1: Gone

Dear Mom and Dad,

Sorry about the inappropriate timing of my departure. I hope you still have a happy birthday, Mom. I have decided to leave for school a few days early because now that I am taking William with me, there will be much more I will have to do to move in and settle down. I appreciate your offer to let him stay with you, but he is my son, and I couldn't put the pressure of raising another child on you. He is my responsibility, and I will take care of him while I go to school. The University of Maryland has very highly acclaimed daycare services, and while I know how the both of you feel about daycare, I feel it is best to have him close to me so that I can raise him in the way that I see fit. I wish I could tell you I were taking him for purely unselfish reasons, but the fact is, he is my son, and I would probably not last even a week there if he were not there with me. Again, I'm really very sorry. I'll call you once I get unpacked and everything settled into my new dorm. We love you both very much.

Sincerely,
Dana and William

That would be Dana for you, Maggie thought as she read the letter her daughter had left on the kitchen table early the next morning. That was exactly what she had expected her daughter to do. She would have done the same thing herself. Ever since William had been born, Dana, although she still needed her parents, was desperate to be independent. Not in just the legal sense of the word, either. She would not accept help from anyone, no matter how hard it made things. Sure, there were those nights where she let someone baby-sit while she went out, but those nights were rare, and each time after Dana came home she would thank her mother (or father, or sister) and then take her son off to bed and continue to care for him as if she had been there all night. Short of living under their roof, eating their food, and of course letting somebody watch William while she was at school or work, Dana hardly accepted any help with her son at all.

In a sense, Maggie was proud of her for that. She had a strong, responsible daughter who was an excellent mother at 18. Her son, William, who was now 6 months old, was a victim of circumstance after Dana's long-time boyfriend, Ethan, took advantage of her one night. They had done everything they could to prosecute Ethan, but the fact that they were a couple at the time didn't really make things easy. Maggie remembered the hurt in her daughter's eyes after the jury found Ethan not guilty of raping her and it made her cringe. That was one of the only times she could actually remember her daughter letting her emotions get the best of her. She ran crying out of the courtroom. When Maggie found her sitting on the bench outside of the women's restroom, Dana confessed that she had found out she was pregnant the day before. Unable to say anything (what could she say?), Maggie just held her daughter while she sobbed, whispering coos to her and telling her youngest daughter that everything was going to be alright. Dana was smarter than that, though. She knew her life was never going to be the same. Once again, Maggie was speechless.

Chapter 2: William Alan Scully III

It had been a long, hard pregnancy. They decided not to let Ethan know that a child would be a result of their union. Since she still had her senior year of high school left to finish, the Scully family transferred Dana to a new school, where their daughter quickly became "The Pregnant Girl." Maggie couldn't count the number of times her daughter had come home with tear-stained cheeks and red eyes. Would she cry in front of her family, though? Absolutely not. She would just go upstairs, turn on the radio in her bedroom really loud, and the rest of the house would pretend that they couldn't hear her sobbing over it. Still, she maintained her good grades, and graduated in the top ten percent of her class. Her whole family was in absolute awe of this. Dana had always been the smartest Scully, but they had expected her grades to understandably fall at least a little. There was so much on her plate. Being a senior is hard enough, but Dana was in a new school and she was 7 months pregnant by the time she graduated. Maggie hadn't doubted her for a minute, though. She had noticed the change in Dana, and she knew her daughter was making sure that her child would have the best, and for that, she admired her daughter more than words could convey.

2 months into the summer, Dana gave birth to her son. William Alan Scully III, 7 lbs. 21 inches, came into the world on July 15. He was a healthy, squirming, brawling baby boy, and Dana fell in love instantly. She would never admit it to anyone, but she felt a change in herself when she looked down at her son for the first time. She knew she had been cold and distant, especially in the past few months while she was pregnant, but something about William's blue eyes, rosy cheeks, and the fact that she couldn't detect a hint of his father in him, changed her outlook on the future. She wanted everything for her child, and she was glad that she had worked her ass off in a school she hated to come out with some of the best grades she could have hoped for. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do for her child, and she would do everything for him. When her mother, father, and siblings came into the room to peek at the new baby and get to know him, she made a silent promise to herself that she would not burden them with William any more than was necessary. Dana (who had always been good at making lists) made a list in her head of what was an acceptable excuse for her family to watch the baby and what wasn't. The acceptable list included: work and school (she knew she would be going to a community college for the time being). Everything else was unacceptable. She would get up and feed him every night. She would take him with her when she needed to go somewhere. She would play with him. She would change him. She would give him a bath. She would hold him when he cried.

So that day Dana resolved to swallow the little girl that she knew she was in the back of her head… the one saying that she needed to be taken care of. A bit sadly, she accepted that her own youth was over, and that she must set out on the long path of adulthood. Specifically, parenthood.

Chapter 3: Accepted

Maggie remembered the day her daughter got a letter from the University of Maryland like it was the most important date on Earth. Dana had been quite stressed out from constantly caring for the baby with little to no help, working 5 hours a day at the local diner, and attending classes at community college. Plus, there was the added stress of applying for state colleges. Dana had always had dreams of becoming a doctor; getting out of her small California town and making something of herself. It would be a cold day in Hell before she let the fact that she was a teenage parent get in the way. She had been worried about putting that little bit about herself on her resumes, though. Schools weren't jumping at the chance to accept those potential students who already had children. The day the letter from Maryland came, Melissa Scully (Dana's older sister) just sighed and threw it on the coffee table in the living room. Her sister did not deserve to be turned down by so many colleges just because she had William. If only they cold see how mature and responsible she was. She couldn't blame them for being biased, though. Single teenage parents didn't have the best track records.

Melissa (affectionately referred to as "Missy" by her family for as long as she could remember) might have forgotten all about the letter except for the loud THUMP! she heard as it landed on the table's wooden surface. Rejection letters usually weren't that thick and heavy. She picked it up again. Definitely not a rejection letter.

"Mom!" she called to her mother, who was upstairs with William. Missy needed her opinion on the letter from the prestigious college out east. When her mother didn't answer, she called her name again, this time a little louder. Maggie soon came down the stairs, visibly huffy.

"Melissa, your nephew is up there trying to go to sleep, and if you don't mind, I'm sure he would appreciate some peace and… what have you got there?" Maggie asked, almost shocked when she saw the college seal on the thick envelope. The new grandmother forgot all about her daughter's loudness.

"A letter from the University of Maryland… Dana applied there," Missy whispered, as if saying it too loudly would jinx her sister's chances.

"She did. What's so special about this college?"

"Well, look at the size of the envelope," Missy said, handing her mother the letter. It was unusually thick for a rejection, Maggie thought. It took all the willpower she had not to open it right there. She could tell Missy felt the same.

"It's big. I guess we'll have to wait until Dana gets home from work to find out what they said," Maggie told her, not letting on how badly she just wanted to tear into it.

No such luck.

"Mom, you and I both know that we cannot wait that long. Come on, we're going down to the diner and giving this to her NOW!" Melissa almost yelled, not as well-able to contain her excitement as her mother.

"Miss, the baby's upstairs, he just went to sleep--"

As if on cue, they heard William fuss over the baby monitor. Missy smiled, knowing that her nephew had just assured she got her way.

A little more than fifteen minutes later, Melissa, Maggie, and William (who had been a bit unruly since being rushed out of the house) were standing in the 50's-themed restaurant with the unusually thick envelope tucked in Maggie's purse. The manager, Mr. Graveny, came up to them smiling at the little one. William had been there many times before.

"What's wrong, Buddy? Are you giving Grandma and Aunty Missy a hard time today?" the chubby fellow asked, bending down to peek in the carrier.

"Hi Mr. Graveny, we were wondering if we could talk to Dana for a minute. It's very important," Maggie asked. She had no inclinations that he wouldn't allow that. The restaurant was empty, and she and her husband had been friends with the man and his wife since they started their business almost 20 years ago. That was how Dana got the job and lenient working hours in the first place.

"Alright, I was about to give her a break anyways. Poor little thing, she's been about ready to fall asleep all day--"

"Mom?" Dana asked, peeking over the service counter from the kitchen. Maggie smiled the most heart-warming smile she could give. It just occurred to her that if this was a rejection letter, Dana would be heartbroken and humiliated for the rest of the day. As soon as that thought entered her mind, she regretted coming down to the diner. Melissa seemed to have a strong feeling about this letter, though, and Melissa was good with feelings.

"Hi Honey, this came in the mail for you today," Maggie said as Dana stepped into the dining area. She handed her the letter, and even Dana realized how heavy it was. She wouldn't let herself get too excited, though, for fear of disappointment.

"It's just a letter from U of M. I get maybe 3 of these a week all from different colleges," she said nonchalantly, even though Maggie could see her hands shake.

"This one's different, Dana. I can feel it," Missy said for both of them. Dana just scoffed, not a big believer in her sister's "feelings." She bent down to kiss her son, who had quieted down some after Mr. Graveny gave him his finger to hold. Then, she slowly, painstakingly, opened the letter and read it.

Melissa almost screamed when her sister showed no emotion. That was one thing she hated about her sister, she was so good at hiding what she felt. Missy had a certain sense, she could "read" people, but she could never read her sister. She bottled everything up inside.

"What does it say?" Melissa asked after what seemed like hours of Dana reading. Dana slowly looked up from the letter, and then let a huge smile break out over her face.

"I got in!" she screamed. Maggie couldn't believe it. She let out a huge breath that she didn't even know she had been holding, then took her daughter in her arms. Maggie was a devout Catholic, and said a silent prayer to God for helping Dana get in.

"That's so great Dana, come here!" Missy screamed. The girls squealed and jumped around in each others' arms. It was like watching them when they were little girls again, especially Dana. This was the most emotion she had shown since William was born.

"Willy, Mommy got into the University of Maryland!" Dana exclaimed to her newborn. She picked him up and span around with him, lifting him up in the air.

"When does it say you can leave?" Missy asked.

"They've already assigned classes for this semester, so I'll start school next semester after the holidays."

"Are they a good school, Dana?" Maggie asked.

"Mom, they're a great school!"

"They must be if they accepted Dana," Mr. Graveny added. Dana shifted William on her shoulder and gave the old man a hug. He was part of this moment, too.

"I'm just sorry to see you leave. You're my best waitress!"

"Don't worry, one day she'll come back and be your doctor!" Maggie laughed. They all laughed, not just out of amusement, but of relief. A college has finally accepted my brilliant daughter, Maggie thought.

"Oh, this is so wonderful," Dana sighed.

"Why don't you have the rest of the day off, Dana?" Mr. Graveny proposed.

"Really?" she asked in disbelief. She was willing to work for the rest of the day.

"Ahh, yeah, you work hard enough as it is. Go enjoy yourself."

Dana couldn't say no to that. Another round of hugs and the Scully family was headed back home.

Chapter 4: Apart

"Mom, I can't let you do that," Dana adamantly told her mother. They were cleaning up after Thanksgiving dinner. William was sleeping in his playpen not far from sight. Dana never kept him very far from her sight. If she did, somebody might take it upon themselves to take care of him. And she was perfectly capable of doing that herself.

"Dana, you're going to be going off to college soon. Med school. Out east. Things are going to be hard enough for you already. You don't also need to be taking care of a baby. Your father and I have no problem doing that," Maggie countered.

"I am his mother. I don't want to be 3,000 miles away from him. He needs me."

"I'm not arguing with you on that. Every child needs his mother. But there are ways you can still see him. There's webcam, and we can make trips to come see you, and you have breaks when you'll be able to come home--"

"Mom, the University of Maryland is in Maryland. There is no way I'll be able to make it home for every break, and you certainly can't be dragging a baby across country."

"I'd do it, if it meant he got to see his mom."

"I'm sorry, but this is just something I have to do on my own. And William is my son, and I have to take care of him. I can do it, Mom. There's night classes and daycare and--"

"You know your father and I don't want our grandson in daycare. Sweetheart, I'm not saying you couldn't do it. I know you'd find a way too. But do you really think that's the healthiest environment for a baby to grow up in?"

"Knock knock!" they heard someone call from the doorway. The women looked up to see William Scully, Jr., the oldest Scully, standing in the front hall with his wife, Tara, tucked under his arm. She was smiling from ear to ear.

"Bill!" Maggie cried, almost dropping the dish she had been washing. She ran over to her eldest son and planted a big wet kiss on his cheek. Melissa, the youngest Scully, Charlie, and Scully's father all came out of the living room where they had been watching an old movie to see what all the commotion was about.

"Bill, I thought you were going to be overseas today!" Maggie cried with joy, still not letting go of her Navy officer son.

"There was a change in the schedule, and I got to be home for the holidays," he smiled, greeting each of the family members that had come to greet him. Dana normally would have ran to her older brother and smothered him with her love, but she just grabbed her dazed son (who had been woken up by the family's excitement) and slowly strutted out of the kitchen and into the hallway.

"Happy Thanksgiving Bill," she said quietly, noticing that William was starting to fall back to sleep against her shoulder.

"Happy Thanksgiving Danes. Happy first Thanksgiving Will." Bill semi-smiled as he picked up his nephew, eradicating any chances he had of going back to sleep. Everyone awwed when William smiled back at him.

"Tara tells me you've got some good news, Sis," Bill commented, holding William loosely and putting his arm around his baby sister.

"Uh, yeah. I, uh, got into the University of Maryland," Dana stuttered.

"That's so great. I always knew you'd get out of here one day, I just didn't think you'd be going all the way off to the east coast!"

"Yeah, it was so amazing. I couldn't believe I got in."

"Why wouldn't they accept you? Now, is there any pie left over, or did Dad eat it all?" Bill asked, handing the baby back to Dana and seemingly ignoring her reaction to his statement. And everyone followed him into the kitchen, leaving Dana and her infant son abandoned in their own home.

Dana sighed. Bill had always expected so much out of her. It was like anything that he couldn't do, Dana would be able to do. He didn't know how hard she had to work, how difficult things had been for her since William the "hot potato he seemed to enjoy passing around" had come along. "Why wouldn't they accept you?" Gee I don't know, Bill, maybe it's because I'm 18, unwed, and I have a kid. But Bill had never thought about it like that. Even while the court hearing was going on, she knew Bill believed that she had set herself up to get pregnant. Like Ethan raping her was somehow her fault. That she deserved a kid because she made a bad decision. It was almost enough to make Dana upset, but she was a mother now, she couldn't get upset over the tiniest little things. Instead, she went upstairs to change her son. While going up, she saw her mother from the corner of her eye. Maggie was watching her daughter with a look that said, "You may have escaped this conversation now, but we'll have it again… soon."

"There we go, Willy, all clean for bed," Dana cooed as she dressed William in his baby pajamas. They were her favorites, light blue footed pajamas with brown teddy bears on them. Her baby had so much character, but she always noticed he slept better in this set of pajamas. Maybe they were his favorite too. Dana lifted him up and put him in his crib, making sure to tuck him into the covers extra-tight. It had been abnormally cold this fall, and the temperature outside was falling fast. She gave his stars and moon mobile a soothing push, and was just about to sing to him softly when she heard a knock on the door of the nursery.

"Dana? Dana, it's me, can we talk?" she heard Melissa ask. Without an answer, she tip-toed in quietly and shut the door.

"It isn't his bedtime for another half hour," she stated.

"All the excitement of the day left him exhausted. He was falling asleep when Mom and I were cleaning up in the kitchen."

"Oh, well, don't you think Bill would like to spend a little time with him?"

"No, Bill doesn't want to spend time with William."

"What makes you say that? William's his nephew!"

"That doesn't mean anything to Bill, Missy. He doesn't really like the idea of his little sister having a baby, I can tell."

"Is this because of the way he handled the baby?"

"It's that… and a bunch of little things that he probably doesn't even know he's doing. It shouldn't bother me, Missy, but it does. I want him to love William."

"He does love William. Give the guy a break, though, he just got home from being on a boat for the past 3 months. And it's Thanksgiving, and he wants to spend time with his family."

"William is his family! He's his nephew, for God sakes!" Dana was raising her voice now, and William started whimpering in his crib. She immediately chastised herself for being so inconsiderate, and gently rocked him.

"Dana, all of us have dealt with things a little differently. Mom and Dad just want to help you out. I just want to support your decision and love my little nephew. Charlie, well, Charlie's too young to really be affected," she smiled at the thought of her youngest brother, "and Bill just wants to forget. He knows that there's a new addition to the family, but he just wants to pretend like everything's normal. He doesn't want to admit to himself that you were raped, or that you have a child out of wedlock. He just wants to maintain the image of his picture-perfect family in his mind. He'll come around."

"Well, I'm sorry that I've been such a burden to this family, but I didn't ask Ethan to rape me, and William didn't ask to be born," Dana spit out like fire. Melissa sighed. She hadn't intended for her short speech to sound like that, and now she was getting one of her sister's famous stares. If looks could kill, she thought.

"You know I didn't mean it like that, Dana," she said quietly. The two sisters sat in silence for awhile, the only sounds coming from downstairs and the rocking chair going back and forth. Nobody dared say anything, for fear of something else to be interpreted the wrong way.

"I'm just… afraid that he will feel neglected," Dana finally admitted, looking down at William, who was nestled peacefully up against her small chest.

"William will not feel neglected. One day Bill will wake up and see that sometimes it's not what you say but how you say it, and he'll really feel like shit, and Willy will be spoiled like nothing you can even imagine by his great Uncle Bill."

"He's already lacking so much," Dana fought to keep her tears at bay. "He's not going to have a father in his life, his uncle wants to push him aside, Mom's trying to get me to leave him here while I go off to college--"

"What?" Melissa was stunned at that last part.

"I know she has his best interests at heart, but he's my son… and he doesn't deserve to be raised by his grandparents. I don't want to be just another name on the list of people who abandoned him."

"Danes, Mom just wants what's best for William. She knows you're going to be busy with med school and everything."

"I understand, but I really considered it for a second. I really considered leaving my son here while I go to school on the other side of the country. I considered not being able to see my son for months at a time just because it would be easier."

"That's understandable. Who wouldn't think of it? You've already worked harder in this past year than some people do in their entire lives."

"And still it's not enough."

"It's the best you can do, Sis, and one day, your son will grow up and think of what an amazing mom he has because she gave up so many things just so he could have a good life. You ought to be proud of yourself."

"Mom had some really good points, though. I am going to be really busy, and Will deserves all the attention he can get, and I probably won't be able to give it to him."

"That's why you let people help you. I admire you and all, Dana, but you can't keep doing things by yourself. You're doing a job made for 2 people, plus you're going to be working and going to school, and just keeping sane. That's too much, I don't care what you think you can handle."

"He's my son, Missy, nobody else's. I can't just push him off on people."

"If the people want to help you, and you're honestly at your wits end, Dana, please accept the help. It'll be good for you, and especially for your son." With that, Melissa got up and walked out of the room. Dana knew she was right, but she couldn't imagine anybody wanting to help her besides her own family.

Chapter 5: Leaving

"Okay, Will, say goodnight to Grandma and Grandpa," Dana said as she carried her sleepy baby boy into the living room where his grandparents were watching television. Little did they know that this would be the last time they saw their grandson in awhile.

Dana had been planning it for a long time now. This was the night she had set to leave. January 3. It was after the holidays, after everything settled down in the house. School would be starting up soon. Nobody in the house had talked about her leaving yet, though. It was as if she were just supposed to appear at school and then reappear when classes were over. She had been secretly packing up all her's and William's things into her car for the past week, and all she had left to carry out was a small suitcase of their clothes.

"Goodnight, Sweet Willy," Maggie kissed her grandson, calling him by the special nickname that only she used. It almost broke Dana's heart when she told him that she'd see him in the morning.

"Nighty night, Starbuck Junior," Captain Scully, or "Ahab," as Dana always called him, after her favorite book, Moby Dick. Around the time she started calling him that, he had started calling her "Starbuck," so, naturally, William was "Starbuck Junior." Ahab kissed his grandson's head gently. It was amazing how gentle and loving such a tough, rugged person could be with a baby. "You have sweet dreams, now."

"I'm going to bed now too," Dana lied, "so," she leaned down to kiss her parents with more passion than just as a goodnight.

"Goodnight, Sweetie. Don't sleep too late, I'm making pancakes in the morning," her mother explained.

"Have a good night, Starbuck," her dad kissed her cheek. She wished that he hadn't called her that, and that her mother would stop talking about "tomorrow," because she hated that they were going to wake up and find that she had left.

"Goodnight. I love you both so much," Dana fought back tears, then took William upstairs so that he could rest before they left later.

As the old grandfather clock downstairs struck 1:00, Dana knew that that was it. After everyone had gone to bed, she snuck in the nursery and grabbed William. He spent the remainder of the night in her room, though he never even knew he had been moved. Even though Dana was sure she could have used more than the half hour's sleep that she got, she was thankful that she even managed sleeping that much. She felt so guilty about what she was doing… sneaking her son and herself away from the house in the middle of the night and heading out east. If there were another way to do things, she would have, but anything else meant that she would have to put up a fight with her mother about taking William. And as much as she hated to take him away, she knew she had to do it. That's why, as soon as the clock started it's familiar chime, Dana gathered up her son and her belongings and headed out to her over-stuffed car.

Dana had been living in her house for a long time, and she knew every creak, every groan, every squeak it would make while she made her escape. Even though she knew it was irrational, it seemed that the house was being extra loud for her tonight. She crept into her little brother, Charlie's room down the hall first.

Charlie was the result of her father coming home early one Christmas from the Navy. He was almost ten years younger than Dana. She leaned over and kissed him softly on the cheek, regretting that she couldn't really say goodbye and tell him how much she really did love him.

She had already said goodbye to her parents, and going into their room would just make her too emotional. She didn't trust herself to stay if she saw them one more time. Instead, she blew a kiss as she walked past their door.

The hardest part of the whole night, Dana knew, would be telling her sister goodbye. Of all the people in her house, Dana knew she should have told Melissa what she was planning to do. She didn't really know exactly why she didn't, maybe for the same reason she couldn't go see her parents as they slept. She didn't trust herself to still leave. But she also knew she would hate herself forever if she didn't say some sort of goodbye, so, just like she did to Charlie, she made her way into Melissa's room and kissed her.

Maybe it was the labored breathing because she was unsuccessfully trying not to cry, or maybe William's sudden gurgle did it, but Melissa woke up just as Dana was about to turn around and leave.

"Dana?" she asked sleepily, "Dana, what are you doing?"

"Umm, nothing, just kissing you goodnight. I forgot to do that earlier," Dana lied.

"Why is William with you? Why do you have a suitcase?"

"Umm, oh…"

"Dana, where are you going?" Melissa asked, suddenly wide awake. Dana decided to bolt out of her room and down the stairs, but it proved to be futile… she had to be quiet plus she was carrying a baby and a bag.

"Dana!" Melissa yelled once they got outside on the porch. Dana turned around and faced her sister, tears streaming down both of their faces.

"Dana, where are you going?" Melissa asked, walking slowly toward her, putting her hand on her forearm. This instantly sent Dana over the edge.

"I'm sorry, Missy, I really am. But I have to leave for school, and I can't leave during the day because Mom and Dad want to keep William. I can't leave him here, though, while I go to school. I know they'll hate me for taking away their grandson, but I can't just leave him here while I go off to Maryland. He needs me," she cried. It took awhile for Melissa to process all of this. There had been no indication that Dana, the smart, sensible sister, was going to up and leave in the middle of the night with her baby without telling anyone. That seemed more like something she would do. After a long while of listening to Dana's sobs, she spoke.

"You're right," was all she said.

"What?" Dana asked, not expecting her sister to agree with her.

"You're right. William does need his mother. You're doing the right thing by taking him with you."

"Melissa… I'm just trying to be the best mom I can."

"I know. And you're doing a good job. William's lucky." Dana was starting to get annoyed at how short and curt Melissa's answers were.

"Damnit Missy! Stop being sarcastic!" she yelled.

"I'm not. I really think that you're doing the best thing," then she turned to William, "I'm going to really miss you, little guy. Hopefully Mommy will call when she gets settled into her new dorm so that I can talk to you." The sleepy baby smiled.

"You really think this is the best thing to do?" Dana asked.

"I think the best thing to do would be to put him in the car while I go get something for you from my room." Dana obeyed and Missy ran into the house, making sure to be extra quiet so that nobody would wake up. She grabbed something from her nightstand and something from the drawer inside.

"Here," she said when she got back outside. Dana's silver 4-door was running, and she could see her little nephew inside falling back to sleep.

"What's this?" Dana asked as she took the two things from her sister's outstretched hand.

"This is that picture of you and me at the beach last summer. It's my favorite one because you're smile looks so nice and we had a lot of fun that day," Missy said, reminiscing. "And that is my bank card. There's not much in there, but I want you to take everything out of my saving's account tonight, and if you ever need to take any more out, just call and let me know."

"Missy, I can't do that. That's your money. I have some of my own, you know, from the diner and my savings."

"Danes, you have a baby and you're going cross-country to school. You can't afford to run out of money."

"But Melissa--"

"But nothing. I want you to take it all. Think of it as an early birthday present."

Words could not describe Dana's gratitude. Not only did her sister believe what she was doing was right, but she was helping her along. She threw her arms around Missy and squeezed as hard as she could. For a moment, she could feel that little girl, the one she repressed in the hospital, come out. The little girl was grateful that Dana had let somebody help her.

As excited as Dana was, Melissa might have been even more because her sister actually accepted the gift. Maybe it was because it was after 1:00 in the morning, or maybe she didn't want to leave on bad terms, but Melissa's gift was the first real form of help her sister had accepted since William was born. That really brought tears to her eyes, and it was all Melissa could do to let her go to her car and drive away.

"Remember, call me if you need anything! Or just call me, I'd like that! I love you, Dana Katharine and William Alan! Don't you ever forget that!" she called as they drove away. She stayed outside long after the car vanished from her sight, until she realized how cold she was. Then, she wiped her frozen tears, and sauntered back inside like nothing had ever happened.

Chapter 6: Ruby

"William, please stop crying for Mommy, she's looking for a very important exit," Dana pleaded with her bawling son. He had started crying around the time he woke up about a half hour earlier. They were almost halfway through Nevada, so she was thankful that at least he had slept that much. Still, she hadn't been making the best time due to a snowstorm in the northern part of the state. Classes started on the 9th, so she'd still have plenty of time to get there, but maybe not as much time as she would have liked to settle herself and William down and get used to life on the east coast.

William didn't seem to care about exits, he kept crying. He's never spent this long in a car seat, Dana thought, but really she knew that he was hungry. She was hungry herself; she couldn't imagine what her son was feeling.

"I promise, Baby, we'll stop as soon as I find the exit. Pleeease stop crying," she strained, pounding her hands on the steering wheel. She hated it when her baby cried. It was one of the very few things that would make her cry as well. Just as soon as her tears started to blur her vision, a flash of blue immediately startled her as a car from the exit ramp swerved into her lane. Dana's heart stopped for a minute, luckily there was nobody coming in the lane to her left, which is where her car ended up after she jerked the wheel.

The blue van sped off, leaving her going 40 in the fast lane. Cars were passing her and honking as they drove by, but she didn't notice. All she could think was that she and her baby had almost died. She would have never made it to school, never gotten to see her family again. William would have never gotten to take his first steps, say his first words, go to school for the first time. There were so many things that she would have missed out on in life, not to mention what her son would have missed. It took a few moments before her breathing retuned to normal and she sped up to 60. Without even looking at the exit, she took the next right and headed up to a small highway town. The first diner she saw, a place called Neumann's, caught her attention, and she quickly pulled her car into the parking lot.

"What'll it be, Hon?" a friendly waitress asked her once she seated herself. It had been about ten minutes since her near-accident, and Dana wasn't really that hungry, but William had never stopped crying, so she asked for a small bowl of oatmeal and some toast for her while she pulled out his bottle.

"Sure thing, is that all?" the waitress, who's name tag said "Ruby" on it, smiled, clearly noticing the young mother's discomfort.

"Yeah, that's it for us," Dana said quietly. She knew a conversation was brewing (it wasn't the first time she had been in a small-town diner). She wasn't really in the mood to talk to anybody right now.

"He's a cutie," Ruby smiled at William guzzling down his bottle.

"Thanks," Dana grinned, realizing there was nothing she could do about it.

"Looks just like you." Those words hurt her. While most people would take them as a compliment, Dana took them like a knife in the heart. When people said that, it reminded her that her son did not have a father. Yes, she did all she could for him. But she could not be his father. She could not even tell his father that he existed. When her son grew up and went to school, she knew he'd come home asking where his daddy was. What would she tell him? She couldn't tell him the truth. She couldn't lie to him, though, either. Ruby sensed that she had unknowingly struck a nerve with the young girl when she looked down at her son sadly. Ruby had only worked at the diner for a little over 3 years, but this was not the first time she had seen something like this. Poor kid, she thought, daddy probably doesn't even know he has a son.

"Here you are, a few pieces of toast and some oatmeal," Ruby said as she brought her new "customers of interest" breakfast. The baby had perked up since he guzzled down the bottle, and he and his mother were having a small conversation of their own.

"Thank you, ma'am," Dana said, instantly returning to her small shell. The woman knew, she had been there before, she knew that this girl had been robbed of her youth. Ruby took it upon herself to comfort her, because she was sure that was what she needed. This girl was undoubtedly making a major life change, and she probably needed a soft place to land.

"What's his name?" Ruby asked, resting in the booth across from them. Dana didn't know how to react at first. On one hand, she knew she had better get going if she wanted William to sleep off his breakfast in the car. Plus, she still felt that need to avoid all conversation, especially with a complete stranger. On the other hand, though, there was something about the waitress, who seemed to be about mid-forties. There was something about her face, the lines and imperfections that didn't necessarily damage her complexion, just made it more believable. Dana admired her round figure, suggesting that maybe she was a mother as well, and even the dark roots you could see coming from her bleach-blond hair. Something about this woman made her feel safe.

"His name's William," she answered softly.

"What a lovely name. How old is he?" Ruby asked, easing herself in.

"He's almost 7 months old."

"Awww, they're so precious at that age. Has he started talking yet?"

"Not yet. He's trying to, though. His gurgles seem to resemble actual words more and more every day. I can't wait for him to say his first word."

"Oh, they're first word's wonderful and all, but then they get to be my sons' age, and you start wishing they'd never began talking at all."

Dana had to laugh as the woman pulled out a small wallet and revealing two pictures of teenage boys. One looked to be around 16 and was dressed in a football uniform holding his helmet. The other was maybe 13 and was clad in a soccer jersey with a soccer ball balanced on his knee.

"Your boys seem very talented," Dana commented.

"Thanks, they've both been in sports since they were just walking. The other soccer moms think I was thinking about their futures at the time, but really I was just tired of them driving me crazy at the house. So I signed them up for different things." The two women laughed at that remark.

"So, what's your name, Shug?" Ruby asked in a very friendly manner. She was the kind of person you couldn't help but trust, Dana figured.

"Dana," she said, taking a sip of the fresh coffee that Ruby poured her as her boss walked by their booth.

"Well hey there Dana. I'm Ruby. Look, I don't wanna impose or nothin' but I was just wonderin' what a pretty young thing like you is doing carryin' around a baby and lookin' so stressed out for." Dana gulped. How did she know?

"I'm, uh… I'm going off to school in Maryland. William's my son, and I don't want to leave him in California with my parents," she answered truthfully.

"Dear, that's… that's great. I mean about school. Your parents offered to take care of your son while you went to college?"

"Yeah, they did, but I couldn't just leave him with them."

"Why, what's wrong with your parents?"

"Nothing's wrong with them… they've been there for me through everything. But he's my son and I'm going to take care of him. Plus, I don't think I could be that far away from him for so long."

"Well… that's probably the most responsible thing I've ever heard coming from someone as young as you, Sweetie. Isn't it gonna be hard, though?"

"I'm sure it'll be hard. But he's my responsibility."

"What about his father?" Dana paused for a second, wondering exactly how much she should reveal to this woman, no matter how friendly and trustworthy she seemed.

"His father doesn't know about him. William was conceived one night… he had me against my will," Dana choked, not realizing how sensitive she still was about that.

"Oh Lord, Sweetheart, I'm sorry. That's a terrible thing. I'm proud of you for not making any stupid decisions regarding this child, though. He's so adorable."

"Thank you," Dana smiled. The woman's words resonated in her mind. "I'm proud of you." She doesn't even know me and she's proud of me. A complete stranger is proud of me, and I feel some sort of satisfaction by hearing it even though I'll probably never see her again in my life.

"I remember when I was your age," Ruby continued, "there weren't all these options. Of course I would never abort a baby, but adoption was just kinda out there and if you were stupid enough to go and mess around with boys--which I was-- it was your responsibility to take care of the baby, whether you had the means to or not. That's what happened with my oldest one, Jake."

"He looks like he turned out okay."

"Thank the good Lord he did, though I'm not really sure how. He was always bounced back and forth as a baby, between his dad's house and my parents'. I was too busy going off and not owning up to my mistakes. I landed in jail and ended up missing the first two years of my son's life. The biggest mistake of my life right there. I'll never get those years back."

"Oh, gee, I'm so sorry--"

"Don't be sorry. It was my fault. I screwed up. I paid the price."

"It's so great that you pulled your life back together."

"I had to do it. Once I got pregnant with my second son, Ryan, I knew I'd better straighten myself out. Long story short, I did."

"That's amazing. I wish there were more people like you."

"Like us, Dear. You're the one with the baby, don't forget," Ruby smiled as she got up, signaling the end of their conversation. Dana smiled and started to put William back in his carrier, but not after whipping out a couple of bills.

"Don't worry about the bill, Honey, breakfast's on me," Ruby told her. Dana was about to protest, but Missy's words came into her mind:

"If the people want to help you, and you're honestly at your wits end, Dana, please accept the help. It'll be good for you, and especially for your son."

Dana walked out of the restaurant having gained a new sense of achievement. She decided to slow herself down. She was going to appreciate all that William meant to her… and all that being a mother meant as well.

Chapter 7: Confrontation

The drive to Maryland was long and tiring. The weather wasn't always the greatest, the traffic (for the most part) sucked, and William was expectantly crabby for the entire two days. But, at 11:21 on the second night of their trip, Dana saw the nice gates of the school, and even William knew that this place was important. This place was where they were supposed to be.

After she registered for her housing and classes, she noticed William's heavy eyelids starting to close, and she noticed how tired they both were. She would get everything up to her dorm in the morning, thankfully she had a parking spot right outside the hall. It was time for some well-earned sleep. The only things she took out of her car were William's fold-up playpen and a suitcase of their pajamas. After she grabbed the diaper bag and some blankets, she made her way up to the place she and her son would have to call home. Even though Dana rarely got really nervous, there were little butterflies fluttering all around in her stomach. This place really needed to be something special, because this would be where her first memories as an actual adult would be made.

"Kent Hall, door 35. Ready to see your new home, Willy?" Dana asked William. She had been asking him questions since they got out of the car. That was the only way she was going to keep him awake enough to change him and get him in his pajamas without much of a hassle. William emitted a soft gurgling sound as his mother inserted the key into the lock and opened the door.

Dana was sure it was like every other dorm in this house, but the fact that she and William would now be living in it made it seem like a palace. Since the college had been alerted of her status, Dana had no problems getting a dorm for just the two of them. The place was small, but it wasn't suffocating. There was a kitchen unit--with plenty of room to put a high-chair up-- one bedroom with a queen-sized bed and armoire, a bathroom big enough for her to give William a bath and not get soaking wet, a living area with a couch and T.V., and a hall closet. It was everything she had imagined and more. Dana might have wandered around the place checking every nook and cranny had she not felt William's head hit her shoulder. She smiled at the sleeping baby. There was so much she wanted for him… so much she would do for him. She would give up anything for him, including her childhood and chances of experiencing "real" college life. Right now, her baby boy wanted to sleep, and as she changed him carefully into a new diaper and his pajamas, she knew she would give him exactly that. After she carefully tucked him away in his playpen, she passed out on the couch.

Three hours later, as the clock was ready to strike 4:00, all the warm and fuzzy feelings from before had all but left her. William had begun to cry. This, in itself, was not uncommon. William usually woke up anywhere between two and four times a night, and he was usually very good about going back to sleep. A quick rock or sip of warm milk and he'd be out again. Not that night. Dana tried everything: rocking, milk, singing to him, rubbing his back, bouncing him up and down on her knee. Nothing worked, though. His cries got louder. Whatever was bothering him was just going to have to run its course.

About 20 minutes after William woke up, Dana heard a knock on her door. At first, she didn't notice it, but soon it became stronger and more purposeful. When she opened it, there was a woman, clad in only a man's t-shirt, standing there. Dana gathered that she wasn't very happy, judging by the expression on her face.

"Hi, I'm Diana Fowley, I live right there," she said, pointing to the door directly across the hall, "and my boyfriend and I were wondering if you could please do something about your baby. We're trying to sleep."

A long time ago, Dana would have just been meek about it, maybe would have said, "okay, sorry," and shut the door quietly. But something about this woman's attitude towards her son burned a fire deep inside her stomach, and she instantly knew she was going to have problems with her.

"Doesn't it look like I'm trying everything to get him to stop crying?" Dana asked, nodding to the way William was cradled against her shoulder.

"Well he's been crying for, like, an hour so you must be doing something wrong. You shouldn't punish all of us just because you couldn't keep your pants on."

It was all she could do to keep from punching Little Miss Diana Fowley square in her bird-beak nose, but she was a mother now, and she was pretty sure she would have to be the one to show the restraint, because Diana certainly wouldn't. She knew she would meet people like this, but she didn't plan on meeting them the first day, and especially not at 4:30 in the morning. It was a miracle she had any resolve at all.

Before Dana thought of something to say, she saw a man open the door of Diana's dorm and quickly leave. Diana ran to catch up with him as he briskly walked down the hallway to the elevator. Dana became disgusted at the two. Diana for obvious reasons, and the man as well for not being able to deal with a baby's cries. She was sure that was the reason behind his leaving. He couldn't stand her son's crying. Dana smiled at William, proud of what a good job he did ridding the place of pests.

William finally got to sleep around 5:00. A little after Diana had left, Dana had a revelation and stuck her finger inside her son's mouth and poked around the gums. There is was. Right on the left side of his bottom jaw. The very top of his first tooth. That thought alone made Dana forget about what had just occurred. Her son's first tooth was coming in! As she lay him down in the playpen again, she picked up her cell phone.

"Hello?" a sleepy voice asked on the other end of the line. Shit, Dana thought when she looked at the clock. She was in eastern time now, not pacific. It was 2:00 in the morning back in California. Thankfully, Dana could tell it was Melissa.

"Missy? I'm so sorry to wake you up… it's Dana."

"Dana!" her sister exclaimed, suddenly sounding very awake. Then, Dana heard her parents enter the scene.

"Is that Dana, Missy? Is she okay? Did she make it to school safely? How's William?" Maggie asked fervently. Dana smiled.

"Mags, calm down. She would have called sooner had something been wrong," Ahab's rational voice said. She could imagine him taking her mother by the shoulders and kissing her neck like he always did to calm her down.

"Missy, tell Mom and Dad that we're okay, and that I'm at school right now." Missy relayed the message.

"Danes, everything's really okay?" Missy asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine. William just had a bit of a hard time falling asleep, and I wanted to call you guys with some big news." Even though she couldn't see it in person, she knew that her mother had jumped up. She must have been on speakerphone.

"What is it Dana?" her mom asked with an intensity that made her laugh. She was going to mess around with her mind… make her wait a little more, but then she remembered that it was 2:00 in the morning there, and this was the first time she had talked to her family in three days.

"William's first tooth is coming in!" she couldn't contain her excitement. Neither could her family. She heard them gasp and even smile.

"Oh, Dana! He's growing up so fast!" Missy squealed.

"I know…" Dana trailed off, thinking what a huge step this was.

"You'll have to call us when he's awake so that I can talk to my grandson about his new tooth," Ahab said. Dana smiled, because of all people, she had been worried most about her dad's reaction to her leaving. She didn't want him to hate her.

"I will. He's exhausted from crying. We woke some of the neighbors."

"Well, they'd better get used to it," Maggie said. If only she knew how difficult that was probably going to be. Dana didn't say anything about it.

"Yeah… well I'm going to let you guys go. We all need our sleep," Dana told her family, realizing how tired she really was. There was still a lot she had to talk about with them, but that conversation was meant for a different day. Right now, she was just glad her parents were willing to speak to her.

"Of course, Baby, we'll talk to you soon," Maggie told her.

"Very soon," Melissa added.

"We will. Goodnight guys, I love you all."

"We all love you, Sweetheart. And don't forget to tell Willy we love him and congratulations," Maggie returned, and Dana felt warm all over. After she hung up the phone, she went right over to her son to gaze at him.

Your first tooth. It seems like just yesterday I found out I was pregnant with you. Pretty soon you'll be taking your first steps and saying your first words. Then you'll go to school for the first time, then it'll be your first soccer game. Hopefully we're a little more settled down by then, Pumpkin. I promise we won't live here forever. But it's a nice place to start, don't you think? Dana asked her son questions nonverbally. He gave her a good answer when he sighed and adjusted his head to get comfortable. That was all the reassurance either of them needed right now.

She woke up again to Will's cries, but these weren't nearly as alarming as the display he had shown earlier. These were not teething cries. These were hungry cries. Dana realized why when she looked at the clock on the stove.

"9:30! Willy, why didn't you wake me up sooner? We're going to starve to death!" Dana over-exaggerated as she picked up her son and changed him. Her silly faces and dramatisms helped him to smile and laugh.

"What do you want for breakfast, Darlin'?" she asked, looking in the refrigerator before she remembered that there wasn't anything in there.

"Looks like we're going to have to go shopping. For now, we'll get you a bottle," William's face started to scrunch up as if he could tell what she was saying.

"Shhhh Willy," Dana cooed, "you won't be hungry much longer."

One bottle and however long it took for Dana to get William dressed for outside, and they were headed to the nearest grocery store. It shouldn't be too hard to find one, Dana thought, even though she didn't know her way around the city yet.

They had to wait for the elevator, which Dana thought was a little odd because it was so early in the morning and no classes were going on yet. She soon found out why.

When the doors opened, there stood the man that had walked out of Diana's dorm earlier. Tall and dark and sweaty from some sort of work out. She hoped he didn't recognize her from the "incident," but he made an indication that he did.

"Hi," he said. You don't just say hi to people you've never seen before.

"Hi," Dana shot back coldly. As of that point, she still believed that he had left because of William's cries. Obviously, Diana had gotten through to him or something, because unless he lived here as well, he was coming back to see her. The very thought made Dana sick.

"I'm going up a floor," he said as Dana and William entered the elevator.

"I'm going down," Dana said just as cold as before.

"Then we'll go down first," he stated.

"No, it's not a problem. I wouldn't want my son to bother you." The man straightened up his spine.

"I'm sorry things got out of hand earlier this morning. Diana is… Diana is sort of bitchy when she doesn't get a lot of sleep."

"Don't be making apologies for her. You're the one that obviously had the problem sleeping because you're the one who left."

"What? No, I was already awake when he started crying. I left because I couldn't believe what she said to you."

"Sure. You guys are probably used to spending long nights together. You just don't want to have to arrange your sleeping hours around a baby's. Well, I'm sorry, but you're going to have to learn to sleep through it."

"Look, I'm telling you the honest-to-God truth. I couldn't believe she said you were doing something wrong when she hates kids so much herself. Like she would know. I'm sure you were doing everything you could--"

"I don't need your pity. I'm really sorry about all that, and next time my son decides to cut at tooth at 4:00 in the morning, I'll be sure to tell him to can it because the neighbors are trying to sleep." With that, the elevator doors opened, and Dana stormed angrily out of the confined space. She was counting on leaving him slightly dazed, and was surprised when he got off the elevator and held the house door open for her.

"He's cutting teeth?" the man asked. Dana sighed.

"Yes, and I don't know if you know this, but it's very painful."

"No… I knew that."

"Well then you're even more of a jackass than I thought." Dana was surprised when he stopped defending himself against her comments. She only caught a quick glance at them, but his eyes told her that he was telling the truth. He seemed like a really understanding guy. So did Ethan, Dana thought.

"Where are you guys going?" the man asked instead.

"What the hell does it matter to you?"

"You have California plates. You don't know you're way around the city."

"So? It's a big city, I'll find what I'm looking for in a heartbeat."

"Not exactly. One wrong turn in the wrong part of town, and you and your baby wouldn't be entirely equipped to stay safe."

"Ooooh, you scare me."

"I'm serious. What are you looking for?" Dana didn't want to argue anymore. She unlocked the car and put William in his seat.

"If you must know, I'm looking for a grocery store."

"I know this great little one right uptown. I can take you there if you like."

"I appreciate it," she said sarcastically, "but I don't know you."

"Oh, sorry, ummm… I'm Fox Mulder," he said, extending his hand. Dana shut William's car door and was able to fully look at Fox Mulder this time. Fox Mulder. What kind of a name was that? Still, his eyes burned with a trustworthy intensity, something like Ruby's had, only his were fiery. His were fierce. She lost herself in them.

"Dana Scully," she said, taking his hand without realizing.

"Okay, so we know each other. Please let me show you the way to the store so that you don't get lost in the ghetto and get mugged or killed."

"You make this place sound so charming," Dana smiled.

"I learned the hard way," he said, moving a strand of his thick brown hair to reveal a small scar above his eyebrow.

"Well, if you insist, Fox--"

"Please, call me Mulder."

"I can't call you by your last name!"

"Why not?"

"Because I'm not one of your buddies."

"Then do it as a favor to an acquaintance. I hate the name 'Fox.'"

"Fine, but call me Scully then."

"Alright, Scully, whatever floats your boat." Scully, she said in her head. The only time she had ever heard a member of her family addressed by just their last name was when Bill was in football during high school. She smiled and looked down. She liked it.

"Thanks."

"One question, though?" Mulder asked.

"Yes?" Scully asked, getting in the car and motioning for Mulder to get in the passenger's seat.

"What do I call him?" Mulder was referring to William, who was gurgling happily in the back.

"His name is William. You can call him William," Scully said, and they drove off to find a non-dangerous grocery store.

Chapter 9: Moving In

As Dana was driving, she noticed just how right Mulder had been about getting lost in the city. Even though he was in the passenger's seat, by the time they finally made it to the store she had made three wrong turns. He just laughed every time she did.

"Don't feel bad, Scully. I still do that," he assured her. It scared her how comfortable she felt with this guy. It scared her to the point where she had become short and uninviting with her comments to him. He noticed.

"Maybe you should've just left me back at the house," he told her. She looked over at him. They were going home after purchasing enough food for probably the rest of the winter. Two of the worst times to go grocery shopping, Dana thought to herself, when you're hungry and when you're with somebody you shouldn't be comfortable with but are. And right now I am both. Mulder was a surprisingly big help, though, with reaching things on the top shelves and holding William while she bent down to get something. He could be useful, she thought, but that's not what he wants.

"Why do you say that?" Dana asked, knowing full well why he said that.

"Because you've been very uncomfortable this whole trip. I know it's because of what happened with you and Diana, but I said I was really sorry and I don't know how else to please you."

"You don't have to please me," Dana fired back incorrigibly, "and I know you're sorry about that and it really wasn't your fault to begin with…"

"But…" Mulder crescendoed, knowing there was a but somewhere.

"Nothing. I guess I'm just stressed out about moving all my stuff up today and how sad it is that I've already had problems because of William," Dana sort-of lied.

"You still have to move your stuff up? Do you need any help?" Mulder asked.

Dana didn't want to say yes, but she knew he would know she was pretending.

"I'm pretty sure that some help would be beneficial, but I can manage just fine on my own," she told him. Mulder wouldn't take this.

"Let me help you move in," he suggested.

"Why? You've already helped me go grocery shopping. I can't help but think that there is something under your helpful intentions. If you're doing this because you still feel bad about what happened, don't. I'm over it, really. If you're doing this for some other reason then I suggest you start thinking otherwise, because I'm not that kind of girl." Mulder was astounded by her last implement.

"Scully, Dana," he referred to her by her first name, "I would never, ever, take advantage of someone's emotional needs like that. I don't know what your past is, but I'm certainly somebody you can trust. Honestly, I just want to help."

"I still don't need your pity."

"Then I promise I will not give it to you." With that, and even though she was surprised when she did, Dana told Mulder that he could stay and help her. She heard Melissa in the back of her mind for the second time since she left.

"You're stronger than you look," Mulder remarked to her once they were back at the building and taking stuff up to her place. They had everything unpacked from the car, but they still needed to put it all where it was supposed to go around the dorm. Mulder had been surprised at just how much the tiny woman could handle. Like steel, he said to himself, cold and hard but light and strong. He felt such an admiration for his new friend that he couldn't describe it, not even in the deepest recesses of his mind. And he didn't know why he longed to be near her. Maybe he was just trying to find something about her that would make her seem more real, but he could find nothing. In his mind, Dana Scully was retained the image of a superwoman.

"It helps when you carry around a baby on your hip all day," she brushed off his compliment as she set the box that had William's disassembled crib in it down on the floor in her bedroom. Mulder was staring at her, and she felt a pang of embarrassment run through her.

"Did you want me to set that up for you?" Mulder asked.

"No, I'll do it later. I think we've earned some food," she smiled. He smiled back. I absolutely love it when she smiles, a song rang through his head. He followed her into the kitchen, where William was messy from playing with his baby food. It was all in his hair and on his clothes. When Scully had been willing to let him go with her to the grocery store, Mulder had thought it was because her son was really hungry and she didn't have the time nor the resolve to fight with him. Looks like he got more on himself than he did in himself. Maybe that's just the way babies are. That was the first time Mulder realized that he had never, in his life, spent time with a baby. Well, with the exception of his sister. That didn't really count, though, because he was four when Samantha was born. Those thoughts made him feel ignorant and stupid. He didn't know anything about babies.

"William!" Dana exclaimed, closing her eyes and pinching the bridge of her nose. The baby smiled happily at them, already coming to accept Mulder's presence. Dana couldn't resist him when he looked at her like that, and broke out into a big smile herself. She turned to Mulder, who was on the verge of chuckling.

"I'll get him cleaned up the best that I can. I have to finish putting some things away, though, so after I warm up another can of baby food, would you feed him?" Dana asked Mulder. His eyebrows darted up.

"Of course. But I can't promise that he won't look any different," Mulder joked. Really, though, he was honored.

"I'm sure you'll do a little better job of feeding him than he did himself."

"Let's hope." Maybe it was a trick of the sun that was filtering in through the window in the living room, but Mulder thought he saw a look of gratitude spread over Scully's face. She deserved to be helped, if anybody did. That was most of the reason why he stayed to help her, even though it was probably against her better judgment. Most of the reason why he stayed. The other part of the reason was right across the hall.

A half hour and one jar of mashed up baby peas later, and William was falling asleep in Mulder's arms. Dana had finished most of the unpacking by then, and she sat at the kitchen table, admiring how well Mulder interacted with her son. Mulder couldn't believe how much fun it was to feed the baby. He loved it when William giggled as an "airplane" of peas flew in for a landing in his mouth. Mulder couldn't imagine himself being that age, so excited and curious about the world. Willing to love almost anybody who paid even the smallest amount of attention to you. Needing nothing but food, rest, and a diaper change every now and then. Having complete and total faith that somebody was going to be there to take care of you always.

William was done eating but stayed in the high chair while he and Mulder played their own screwed up version of patty-cake. Dana hadn't heard her son laugh like that in ages. When his eyelids started to droop, Mulder picked him up and gently rocked him back and forth until he was sound asleep. Mulder didn't know it, but he had just impressed the hell out of Dana. It had been a long time since William received that much attention. As Mulder sat, staring at the baby, Dana sat, staring at Mulder. They were both fixated.

He was the one to break the silence, but only after almost fifteen minutes of just rocking back and forth.

"I've never played with a baby before," he admitted quietly.

"Could've fooled me," Dana remarked.

"Really, I've never…"

"Well he seems to like you very much. And if he likes you…" Dana took a big gulp of air, knowing what a step she was taking, "then I guess you're not that bad."

"I don't think I'm a very bad guy," was all Mulder said.

"I guess I see that a little more clearly now. I'm sorry, Mulder, but before I was biased and I believe that I had every right to be--"

"Oh yeah. You totally had every right to be biased."

"I'm just sorry that I was rude earlier. You didn't deserve it."

"Scully, you were just trying to protect yourself and your child. And anybody with half a brain would understand that. Diana, though, she's a different story." They both shared a laugh at this. Dana checked the time. It was almost 1:00.

"Jeez, Mulder, you've been here the entire day!" she exclaimed, getting up and realizing all that she had to get done. The things in the bathroom weren't put away yet, William's crib needed to be reassembled, all the electronics needed to be hooked up, she had some books and a bookshelf that needed to be put together…

As if sensing the to-do list running through Dana's mind, Mulder slowly stood up with William still in his arms. Dana reached for her son, but Mulder pulled away, silently insisting that he could put the baby to bed. Dana didn't reject. He came back a few minutes later, still being as quiet and gentle as if he were still holding him.

"Scully, is there anything else you need help with? You still have a lot to get done," Mulder offered his help.

"You've been a really big help today, Mulder. I honestly don't know why I let you do all these things for me, but I really appreciate it. You really gave me a head start."

"It was nothing… I figured I owed you one."

"You didn't owe me anything."

"Well, I'm saving up my credits, then, for when Diana really pisses you off."

"Mulder--"

"Shush, she was in the wrong. She doesn't know what she's talking about. That's why I left. I thought I explained this to you already."

"You did… I just wanted to make sure."

"Make sure of what?"

"That you really wanted to be here."

"Oh. Don't worry about that." A pause. Dana was trying to figure out whether or not it was awkward. She reverted to her old self, rushing off to do the things that made her comfortable in those types of situations. When she rushed off to the bedroom, he followed.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, "I thought I heard William cry." Mulder knew she was lying. The baby slept on, unperturbed.

"You know," he started, "we never got around to eating lunch."

"Oh my God, you're right. I'm sorry, you must be starving!" she exclaimed and briskly walked into the kitchen and started fumbling around in the cabinets. She pulled out a few cans of soup, the bread, and then went over to the refrigerator and pulled out some cheese. Then, in the freezer, there was a bag of vegetables that she would make…

"Scully, relax. I don't need a three-course meal," Mulder told her.

"It's really no problem, Mulder. Especially after all you've done for me today--" Mulder had grabbed her hand and slowly pulled her away from the freezer.

"How about we just order a pizza?" he suggested.

"Mulder, I just bought all this food. I don't want to order a pizza."

"My treat," he said playfully, doing a little dance with his eyebrows. Dana laughed and sighed. Nobody could make her crack like this man, not even her own son.

"Fine… but I'm giving the tip."

"No, you are going to do me a great service by going over there on that couch, turning on the oldest movie you can find, and relaxing for the first time today."

"Mulder--"

"No 'Mulders.' Go on, go do it."

And she did.

Chapter 10: Samantha and Ethan

Dana and Mulder were engrossed in an old black and white movie about a giant fly by the time the pizza got there. At first, Dana had been hesitant to watch it. She didn't believe most things paranormal, and the 1960's obsession with all things weird, freaky, and impossible usually made her laugh. Not to mention the special effects were totally cheesy and the dialogue was marginal at best. It just wasn't the type of movie Dana Scully would watch. But Mulder insisted that this was a good movie, and her watching it started out more as a thanks to him than anything. She was amazed at how quickly she became tied up in the plot, though, and when the pizza man knocked at the door, she actually jumped. 30 minutes already? Dana thought as she got up. Actually it had been more like 45. She was stopped when Mulder grabbed hold of her hand. He pulled her back down to the couch.

"I've already seen this movie. Besides, I'm paying," he said. To his surprise, she just sat back down like he had asked.

"I hope you like mushrooms," he called from the doorway once he had paid. He didn't want to sound selfish, but when he had ordered the pizza, he had actually forgotten that he was ordering for two. Diana usually wouldn't eat pizza with him, she was too stuck-up for that kind of thing. It had actually been a really long time since he'd eaten pizza with anybody, so when he called his favorite pizza place, he had just ordered his usual: a large double crust with extra cheese, pepperoni, and mushrooms, with no regard to Scully. He had spent the better half of their time watching the movie thinking of what a mistake that was. Should he call the pizza place and have them change their order? No, that would take too long. But what would he say if he opened up the box and she got a disgusted look on her face? That had been his internal conflict for the past 45 minutes.

"Yeah, I love mushrooms," Scully called back. He let out a breath that he didn't even know he had been holding. He was so worried what this woman thought of him. Why is that? he asked himself. He hardly cared what Diana thought of him.

"Good, because this place makes the best pizza in the world, but it's gotta have mushrooms on it or else it just feels like there's something missing."

"Isn't that true about every pizza?" Dana asked as she quickly stole the first piece. It was covered with mushrooms and dripping grease.

"Oh, sorry, I'll go get us some napkins," Mulder said.

"No, it's okay. Just lean over the box," Dana told him.

"Wow. You don't seem like the type of person who says that a lot," Mulder smiled. Dana smiled as well.

"No, I'm not."

"Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Mulder, you've done so much for me today that I think a little thing like napkins can slide off the radar." The movie had just ended, and they watched the credits rolling across the screen.

"Did you like it?" Mulder asked, referring to the movie.

"It was better than I expected."

"Better than you expected?"

"Well, I don't really believe in all that stuff."

"What 'stuff?'"

"You know. Aliens and 10 foot tall man-eating flies. That stuff."

"Paranormal stuff."

"Yeah."

"Oh." He shut off the movie.

"What's the matter?" Dana asked.

"Nothing, it's just… well, why would I expect you to like that stuff?" he asked himself.

"I don't know. Why does it matter to you so much that I don't?"

"Because, Scully, something happened to me a long time ago that nobody's ever been able to explain, and it's lead me on this 'search,' if you'll call it that, and the paranormal plays a big role in it." Both of them set down their pizza.

"I don't understand," Dana said, eyes full of concern.

"Scully, I've only known you for a couple of hours, but I trust you and I'm going to tell you this. I don't want you to judge me until you've heard the whole story, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. That was all she could give him.

"Fine. Ummm, it happened a long time ago, when I was 12. It was nighttime, and my parents had gone over to the neighbor's house. I was put in charge of watching my younger sister, Samantha. She was 8."

Doesn't seem very paranormal so far, Dana thought.

"We were playing a game and arguing about what to watch on T.V. I mean, it was just kid stuff. We were only messing around. Then, all of a sudden, it got really dark, and there was a bright light outside. I… I was powerless. Samantha started calling my name and I knew something was happening to her, but I couldn't do anything. Then, I saw her being lifted out the window, but she wasn't being lifted by anybody. She was just… floating. I had enough sense to run over to where my father kept his gun, but it was too late then. Samantha disappeared that night and I haven't seen her since," Mulder tried to explain. He was fighting back tears by the time he was done. The initial shock and subject of the story threw Dana off. She had heard about "alien" abduction cases, but the people who told those stories were crazy. They even looked crazy. But here was a reasonably smart, reasonably good-looking, reasonably sane person sitting on her couch telling her the story. It was just them, so he wasn't doing it for publicity, it didn't look like he was doing it for her attention or sympathy either. He was crying. Talking about it had brought back some painful memories. Although Dana didn't believe that was exactly what happened, she knew Mulder believed. It must have been so hard for him, she told herself, he lost his sister at 12. And he was responsible for her. She thought of when she was 12. It would have been devastating for her to lose Charlie while she was baby-sitting. Mulder put his head in his hands and rested his elbows on his knees. She hasn't said anything since I stopped talking. She must really think I'm crazy now.

As if reading his mind, Dana spoke.

"Mulder," she tried, resting her hand on his shoulder. He didn't look up at her.

"Mulder, I'm so sorry. That's terrible." His tear-filled eyes met her's. Was she crying for him?

"I was expecting something more along the lines of, 'Wow, you're crazy,' and, 'Get away from me and my son.'" he laughed through his tears. Dana wiped her eyes and then wiped his.

"You never found her?" she asked. He shook his head sadly.

"What happened to your family?"

"My parents separated then divorced. Nobody ever really talked to each other again… we were all so exhausted from the investigation. I was shuffled back and forth between my mother and father, but I didn't really feel like either of them wanted me. They just… shut down." This instigated a whole new round of crying from both of them, and Dana felt the overwhelming need to take Mulder in her arms. She hugged him to her upper body, and his head sat in her lap.

"Wow," he sniffled, "Diana just laughed at me."

"Diana must not have any brothers or sisters. Mulder… I feel terrible for you. I can't even begin to imagine what you must've gone through."

"They suspected me for a long time. I was only 12, and they thought I did something to Sam and hid her so I wouldn't get in trouble."

"That's terrible," Dana said for the second time that night. "What could you have possibly done? You were 12, and your parents were just next door!"

"Dana, I was the last one to see her alive. Not only that, but everyone thought it was weird how I couldn't remember what happened. I only just remembered a few years ago, after I went to therapy and was hypnotized."

"Still, that must have been traumatizing." Mulder nodded. They sat there like that for awhile, Mulder's head still in Dana's lap. They weren't crying anymore, but the tear-streaks were fresh on their faces, and it wouldn't take much for either of them to start again. Alien abduction or not, Dana's heart went out to Mulder. To lose his sister, and then for his parents to just ignore him… it was heartbreaking. No child deserved that. She didn't think Mulder was crazy at all. She just thought that his story was the result of his parents' neglect. It was probably easier to say all that instead of what really happened. No, Mulder wasn't crazy. This was just his way of coping.

"Thanks, Dana," Mulder said after awhile.

"For what?" she asked, unaware that she had done anything.

"For not laughing in my face. It means a lot to me."

"I would never laugh after I heard a story like that. I'm really sorry about your sister, Mulder, and however she was taken, the fact is that she was taken, and I just know how I would react to something like that. I think you're very brave for telling me." Mulder propped himself up on her legs and gave her the most heartwarming smile he could. Dana Scully was different from everybody else. She was special. She cared. At that moment, Mulder could have drowned in her blue eyes full of compassion. In fact, it was all he could do to keep himself afloat.

"Wow, I, uh, I don't tell a lot of people that," he said as he went back to eating his pizza.

"Understandably. It must be hard for you to relive that."

"You have no idea…"

"Then I think it's time you learn a little more about William," Dana said, taking a deep breath. Was she really going to do this?

"Scully, you don't have to tell me anything. If you want to tell me about William, then tell me when you feel comfortable. Don't tell me just because you feel obligated to," Mulder told her, placing his hand on the back of her neck.

"No, Mulder, it's alright. You should know."

A small pause while Dana gathered herself. She decided she wasn't going to cry.

"Okay, ummm, as you have probably gathered, I am a little young to have a baby. Most people, when they see that I'm Willy's mother and not just his sister or something, they look at me with this face… you know, the face that says, 'Babies raising babies. I feel really bad for the little boy.' Mulder, you never made the face and I really want to thank you for that--"

"I think your son is a lucky kid. I don't feel bad for him," Mulder felt it important to point out.

"That's sweet, Mulder, but even I feel bad for my son. He doesn't deserve everything that I'm going to be putting him through with me going to school and him never getting to know his father…" Dana trailed, forcing her tears back.

"What's wrong with his father, Dana?" Mulder whispered. She didn't seem like the type of person who would just keep her son away from his father. Something had to be wrong with the guy. Just like Dana had done for him, he put his hand on her shoulder. He didn't want to see this woman cry… but he was almost begging her to. He wanted her to know that it was okay; that she could trust him. Dana just swallowed and continued.

"He… his name is Ethan. He was my boyfriend through most of high school. He said he loved me and all, but there was something that I'd never give him because I just wasn't ready yet. I thought he understood…" she trailed off again. With Mulder's hand on her shoulder and his beautiful eyes full of a real care for her, though, she could no longer fight herself. The first tear fell, then the second, and soon her cheeks were wet with bottled-up anger and emotion. Mulder seemed to understand what she was talking about, and he rode out the pain with her, never once pushing her to go forward.

"And one night, he just took it!" she cried. "He took it and he didn't even ask! He was bigger than me and he just thought he could do whatever he wanted!"

Mulder couldn't believe that anyone could take something so precious from such a beautiful woman. If he were lucky enough to have someone like her, he would worship her. He would never do anything to harm her. He would protect her with all his power; do everything he could to make sure nothing bad ever happened to her. The fact that there were people in the world sick enough to think they could handle women like her any way that they wanted outraged him. Mulder fought the sudden urge to find this Ethan guy himself and kick the holy living shit out of him. Make him feel how he made Dana feel. He couldn't do anything, though, so he put his arms around his tiny friend and she gladly accepted the gesture. She buried her head between his shoulder and neck and sobbed. Nobody outside of her own family had ever understood like he did. She hated to tell him the rest of the story.

"And then," she started against his chest, "when we tried to prosecute him, the judge found him not guilty because we were a couple for a long time and the jury didn't believe me when I said it was against my will."

Mulder was absolutely amazed and sickened by this statement. At that moment, he lost complete faith in the justice system. Any such system that could deny Dana any such closure for what happened had some serious flaws.

"I'm so sorry Dana," he muttered into her bright red hair. She tightened her arms around his neck.

"I never told him I was pregnant, and my son will never get to know his father. I robbed him of that chance," she whimpered, taking her face away from Mulder's chest.

"Hey, come on. Don't talk like that. You did the right thing. That son of a bitch doesn't deserve to know William. You did the right thing by taking him away. You did the best thing for him. He might not grow up with a dad, but he won't grow up learning to disrespect women and how to take advantage of them either," he told her. He had to. He admired Dana so much for doing everything on her own. It would be so easy for her to just take her son to her dad's every now and then, but she truly cared about him, and she didn't want him growing up around a man that did that to her.

"You know, my family keeps telling me that, but what about when he grows up? He's going to wonder where his daddy is, and what am I going to tell him?" she asked. Mulder took her face in his hands and brushed away her tears with his thumbs.

"You're going to tell him that you love him enough for a mommy and a daddy."

"He deserves a father Mulder!"

"Absolutely. But he doesn't deserve that kind of father." Either Dana was exhausted or she knew he was right (or maybe a combination of the both), but she ended the conversation at that and rested her head back on Mulder's chest. His heartbeat and gently caress made her sleepy, and she was on the verge of closing her eyes when she heard a small cry. This time it was very real.

"I'm sorry about all this. I'm not an emotional person, but this just--"

"I know. It's okay," Mulder finished for her.

"And I don't want you to feel bad for me. William and I are really doing fine."

"I know. I won't."

"Ummm, if you want to take the pizza with you when you leave, it's no big deal. I mean, you paid and all--"

"No, that's fine. I have enough left-over pizza in my fridge to hold me over."

"Okay, well… I'll see you sometime then, Mulder," she smiled and left off for her bedroom. That was her nice way of telling him to get out. She felt she revealed too much to him, and him too much to her. They had only known each other for a couple of hours.

But after he left and she walked out of the bedroom with William clutching to her shirt, Dana knew something was different about him. She instantly reprimanded herself for pushing him away like she did, especially after he revealed so much to her about himself. Why can't I just stop being afraid of everyone? Why can't I let someone in? The truth was, though, she had let him in, and she never wanted him to leave. Something about him had changed her, and from now on, she knew that she would be his Scully.

Mulder pushed the button for the fifth floor. Just one floor above Diana. He cringed. Just one floor above Dana. He smiled. He hadn't been mad or offended when she pushed him out of her dorm. He hadn't ever met anyone like Dana before, yet he instantly knew her. Mulder knew it was hard for her to let people in. He didn't know how he knew, he just did. He knew it wasn't easy for her to accept help. He knew she was strong and independent and very capable of doing things on her own. One thing he also knew, though, was that Dana Scully was scared and alone for the first time. And he would do everything in his power to make sure that she knew he would always be there; that she was his Scully.

Chapter 11: Jewels

That night Scully lay awake in her bed, thinking of all she had shared with Fox Mulder. Never in her life had she met somebody like him. Not even Ethan was like him. She was young and stupid when she met Ethan. She knew he didn't really care about her, but her young and stupid self tried to tell her that he did, or that he would one day. But Mulder, she knew, cared about her, even after just meeting her. She remembered the way he looked at her when she was done telling him about being raped. He had that look in his eyes, the look that told her that if he could take away her pain, he would. She had never believed that anybody outside of her own family would care enough to look at her like that. And she especially didn't expect somebody she had just met to feel that way for her. Furthermore, with the scene Mulder's girlfriend had caused the night before, she wouldn't have fathomed that Mulder would be like that in the least bit. Maybe Diana isn't such a bad person, Scully told herself, I mean, if she can get someone like Mulder… it was early in the morning and I'm sure she didn't mean what she said.

It was just as she was thinking that that William woke up. She could feel her son's eyes open as surely as if they were her own, and she immediately knew that this would be another long night with him. Even before he started crying, she knew the pain in his gums was overwhelming.

"Shhhh, Willy, it's okay," she cooed, picking him up once the tears started to fall. William was beyond that point, though, and his face got red before he let out a long wail. Scully kissed the tears off his cheeks and took him into the kitchen to get his teething ring, which she hoped had frozen by now. The baby didn't want to chew on the frozen piece of plastic, though. He just wanted to cry.

"Baby, please stop crying," Scully pleaded with him, "the teething ring will help." She tried to stick it into his open mouth, to make him see that it would help him. He just jerked his head back and continued crying. This sound, just like it had in the car on the way to Maryland, shattered all of Scully's resolve, and tears soon flooded her eyes as well. It hurt her to know that she couldn't do anything about her son's pain. It hurt her that rocking, singing, rubbing, bouncing, and all of that stuff that usually put him out like a light wouldn't work today, and that her baby would continue to cry until he fell asleep due to exhaustion.

Not long after Scully found that nothing could soothe her son, there was a knock at the door. She knew before she opened it who it was. She knew she shouldn't open it. Against her better judgment, though, she did, and outside in the hall stood a very tired, very angry-looking Diana Fowley.

"I thought we weren't going to have any more problems," she opened with.

"He doesn't understand that. All he knows it that his mouth hurts," Scully tried to be rational. She didn't want to argue with this woman about her teething child at such a late hour. The look on Diana's face told her that she didn't have a choice.

"And what are you doing about it? Judging by the amount of time he's been crying, I'm guessing nothing."

"I've been doing everything I can think of to calm him down," Scully said, suddenly feeling very weak and compromised.

"You must be a real idiot, then. Next time you decide to fuck around with random guys, make sure you at least use some protection--"

"Diana!" Scully heard from inside Diana's place. Into the hallway walked Mulder, and he wore every single emotion he felt on his face.

"Fox, go back to bed. I'll be there in a minute," Diana shrugged, not noticing the anger he had in his voice and the way he was looking at her with contempt.

"No, I'm sick of the way you treat Dana. You don't know anything about her!" he yelled. Scully was sure they were going to wake up everybody on their floor, if not in their entire building, but she didn't think she could stop Mulder now if she tried.

"She deserves it! If she had been responsible enough to take precautions while she was whoring herself around, we wouldn't be having this conversation! And how the hell do you know what her name is?" Diana yelled back.

"I don't have to tell you anything," Mulder sneered at her, and then stormed into the dorm and started gathering his stuff and putting on his clothes.

"Fox, what are you doing?" Diana asked as she followed him.

"Something I should have done the first time this happened." Diana just stood back in shock as he took his razor and other things out of the bathroom, shoved them in a plastic bag he got from the kitchen, and walked out of the place. He met Scully out in the hallway, who had been standing there watching everything unfold as if she were watching a movie. Despite everything he felt for Diana, none of it good, he gave her a thousand-watt smile. Scully couldn't help but smile back. And then a wicked little idea popped into her mind.

"Mulder, do you want to come in and have a cup of coffee or something?" she asked. He caught on to her plan.

"That'd be great, Scully," he simply said, and they walked into her place.

"Don't defend her, Fox, she's a little slut!" they heard Diana yell before shutting the door in her face.

At that moment, the two would have shared a silent smile, but William was still crying, and Scully wanted to get him to sleep before the other neighbors started pounding on her door. They had been undoubtedly woken up by Diana and Mulder's display.

"Ummm, coffee's in the pantry, Mulder, help yourself. I've got to get him to sleep," she excused herself, starting to bounce and sing softly to William again.

"Let me hold him," he suggested, extending his arms. At this point, Scully could not say no, so she handed her son over to Mulder. She didn't want to admit how good it felt to see him in somebody else's arms.

"Hey Buddy!" Mulder exclaimed, capturing William's attention. A smile could not keep itself from spreading across her face when he hiccupped.

"Yeah, that's right, Willy. There's nothing to cry about. I'm sorry your mouth hurts but you have to get to sleep, otherwise you're going to be really cranky tomorrow," Mulder carried on a conversation with the 7 month old just like he would an adult. Unshed tears rushed down the baby's face, but he didn't take his eyes off Mulder. He was the light and William was the bug. Scully took this time to start a pot of coffee, not wanting Mulder to come into her home and do all the work calming her son down. The coffee seemed like the only way she could thank him.

Mulder spotted the melting teething ring on the table and offered it to William. Instead of pushing it away like he did with his mother, William accepted the toy and, like all babies do, shoved it in his mouth. The cold felt good on his searing gums, and he continued to chew on it.

"There you go, all better," Mulder smiled and kissed his cheek. While still chewing on the ring, William laid his head down on Mulder's shoulder, indicating that he would probably fall back to sleep sometime soon. Scully was amazed yet again.

"Mulder," she started, until he put a finger to his lips. William was already starting to close his eyes, the teething ring still gripped in his drooly fingers.

"Mulder," she whispered, "how the hell do you do that?" He just gave her a smile and small shrug. He actually didn't know why William calmed down with him.

A short amount of time later, Mulder was able to put William in his crib. The coffee was ready when he walked back into the kitchen and he sat down with the cup that Scully poured for him, seemingly unastonished at his own abilities.

"Mulder, how did you get him to calm down? I tried everything, I tried the same things you tried… nothing worked--"

"Scully, I have no idea why he calmed down and fell asleep on me. Your guess would be as good as mine," Mulder interrupted her and sipped his coffee. They sat in silence for awhile, listening to each other sip.

"You must be magic or something," Scully suggested. This got a smile out of both of them. "Nobody that can do that is normal."

"I am nothing amazing, Scully, I can assure you of that," Mulder simply said.

"Well, the way you left Diana just standing there… that was pretty amazing," Scully said with her head down. They had been avoiding talking about what happened.

"Anybody that can actually put up with that woman should be considered amazing, but I am not that person. I'm so sorry for what she said to you, Dana, really. She likes to take cheap shots. She's not a good person," he apologized. As he was doing so he took Scully's hand and started rubbing the top of it with his thumb.

"Mulder, please don't apologize for her. If she wants to take cheap shots, that's fine. I can handle it. I just don't want you to mess up your relationship because of me."

"No, it's not because of you. Diana… she's just not the type of person for me. And now that I sit here thinking about it, I can't really even remember what it was that I liked about her."

"How long have you two been together?"

"A little over three years, ever since I got back from Oxford."

"Oxford? You went to Oxford?" Scully asked in disbelief.

"Yeah, got a degree in psychology over there. That's not all, though…"

"What happened at Oxford?"

"There was this woman, her name was Phoebe," he started somberly.

"I take from the tone of your voice that things didn't end well with her?"

"No… no they didn't."

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

"Scully, I've told you so much in the past 24 hours."

"Well, what's one more thing?" Mulder laughed.

"Ummm, okay. Phoebe Green was my girlfriend at Oxford. I guess I shouldn't have gotten into it with a psychologist such as myself, but I fell head over heels for this girl. I thought the way her mind worked was amazing. She was smart and witty and I just wanted to be around her all the time. Have you ever met anyone like that?"

"Yeah…" Scully trailed off into thought.

"Anyway, I thought she felt the same way about me. Apparently not, though. She waited for a month after we got engaged to tell me that I was just for fun; that she wasn't really serious about our relationship."

"Mulder, that's horrible."

"Yeah, she drove a stake through my heart. So I mourned the loss of her for the rest of my time in England, and as soon as I graduated, I came back to the states so I would never have to see her again. She played so many mind games, you would think that I would have seen something bad coming. But I was just too in love…" Scully couldn't say anything. Everything she thought of sounded dumb. Thankfully, he decided to continue a little further.

"So after I came back, I decided to do more with psychology. Diana and I met, and you know what happens from there. I don't know, after three years, I guess she was just a habit for me."

"It's good that you broke it off, then."

"I feel like I've wasted so much time, though." A pause as Scully considered how she would say what she was going to say next.

"Mulder, I'm really sorry about all that's happened to you. But these girls, Phoebe and Diana, they don't know what they're missing. I think that if they were stupid enough to treat you like that, then they deserve to suffer the consequences. God, I've known you for like, a day, and I already know that I don't want to lose you. You're so thoughtful, and you're good with William. You have a good heart, Mulder, and people like that, they only want to play with it." They were still holding hands, but the roles were reversed. Now it was Scully who was comforting him.

"Thanks," was all he could manage to say. Nobody had ever talked to him like that before.

"It's nothing, I should be thanking you."

"No, don't. Everything I've done, it's all been because I wanted to. I like you, Dana, you're different from everyone else."

"You're pretty unique yourself," she leaned close to him. She felt closer to this man than she had ever felt with Ethan, and they had a child. His breath on her lips made her feel like everything she had done before this was just a dream. He made her feel alive. He made her feel that despite everything that had happened, things were only going to get better. As long as she stayed close to him.

Mulder didn't know how he could ever be so lucky to meet someone like Scully. She knew more about him than Phoebe and Diana ever had, or ever would. He was sure, when their eyes locked, that she was in his life to stay. He would never let her slip away. While other people were avoiding her because she had a son, he would stay by her side, because he knew that a jewel like Dana Scully was too precious to let go of.

Chapter 12: Miracles

"Scully," Mulder woke her up the next day. She was on the couch. Why was she on the couch? Why was Mulder standing over her? A quick glance down over her body. She hadn't slept with Mulder. Then she remembered. William. He hadn't stayed asleep very long.

"Oh my God, Mulder, what time is it?" she asked, bolting up. Her son smiled happily at her from his high chair in the kitchen. He was eating dry Cheerios with his chubby baby fingers. Outside it was snowing lightly. No sun.

"Relax, Scully. It's only 8:30," Mulder assured her, going back over to Will and refilling his bottle with milk. The baby looked up at the man who towered above him, the angle of his head making him look worshipful. Scully thought she should be the one looking worshipful. Mulder had stayed up after she had passed out on the couch, and now he was feeding her son breakfast.

"8:30 already? Why did you let me sleep?"

"You needed your sleep. Will kept us up for awhile."

"I'm so sorry. Here, take the couch and we'll go do something quietly. You must be so tired--"

"Really Scully, I'm fine, I'm used to not sleeping."

"You stayed up with him longer than I did. Please, lay down."

"Actually, I was thinking we could take a walk. I know this great little coffee shop on the corner."

"Oh, that's your secret. Coffee. I should've known."

"Yeah, I drink about a pot of that stuff every morning. Do you want to go? I'll get Will dressed."

"I'll get Will dressed, Mulder. You've done so much already."

"Okay, where do you keep the stroller? I'll set that up."

"Actually, Mulder," Scully explained, continuing their conversation as she took her son out of his chair and brought him to the bedroom, "I don't have a stroller."

"Oh, well that's fine," Mulder said, not shocked or anything. He had followed her, and he took careful note of how gentle and loving Scully was as she changed her son's diaper and dressed him in warm clothes for outside.

"After we get back from the coffee shop, I was thinking we could go down and confirm registration for our classes," Scully suggested. It was funny to her how she couldn't imagine herself spending one minute of her day without Mulder. No matter what she pictured herself doing, Mulder was there. She wouldn't admit to herself how much she enjoyed that.

"Yeah, that'd be great. I totally forgot, actually." Scully gave him a weird look.

"You forgot? Don't you remember that you're in school?"

"Sometimes, no. I think I'm going to class an hour and a half every other day this semester. I told you, Scully, I already have a degree in psychology, so basically, I'm just hanging out here."

"Ahh, I see. You go to college because you needed somewhere to live."

"Exactly. Speaking of where I live, I have to go up to my place and change clothes. Do you want to come or wait here?"

"We'll come with you so we can just go. No sense in waiting around with Willy in these hot clothes," Scully cooed to her baby. He laughed and clawed at her face, kicking his legs and making his little baby sounds. Mulder couldn't believe how such a little person could captivate his attention. Will truly had stolen his heart. His mom wasn't doing such a bad job of it either.

"Sorry if the place is a mess," Mulder decided to apologize before they saw what his place looked like. He didn't really care about messes, just as long as they didn't bother him in his daily life. All he really did at his place was watch TV and wrote papers for his classes. Occasionally, he would eat dinner there, but he usually went out for dinner. For the past three years, though, he spent a lot of time with Diana.

He unlocked the door and opened it slowly. The scene he was met with, though, was too much for him to handle. Everything was everywhere. Furniture was flipped over, books were thrown off the bookcase, the papers on his desk were scattered everywhere, all of his silverware was now laying on the floor of his kitchen.

"Mulder," Scully gasped.

"I'll admit to being a slob and all, but it did not look like this when I left. Somebody cleaned up for me," he tried to make light of the situation. He knew exactly who did this. Diana still had the key to his place, and she was not above this. In fact, Mulder mentally kicked himself for not expecting this. Diana was a vengeful person. He ran over to his desk, throwing open the top drawer and searching for something precious. When he found what he was looking for, he hugged it to his chest. A photo album of all the pictures of Samantha he could find. Just to make sure everything was still in there, he flipped through the book with undivided attention. He could live with Diana's petty games and cleaning up his apartment wouldn't be that bad. But if she had harmed his most prized possession in any way, that would be too much. There was a limit to his expendability, and that limit's name was Samantha.

"Did… she do this?" Scully whispered, putting her hand on his shoulder.

"I'm pretty sure. Don't worry. No real harm done."

"Mulder, she trashed your dorm! She can't get away with this!"

"Scully, something you may not know about Diana, it's not a good idea to take her into your own hands. She's a mean person who doesn't forget things easily. If I just clean everything up and never speak to her about it, then she loses. She doesn't gain what she hoped to gain by doing this to me."

"This isn't the first time she's done this, huh?" Scully asked after a minute. Mulder smiled.

"No, it's not."

"I'll help you clean up."

"Actually, I was wondering if you could help me move out."

"Sure, Mulder, but why?"

"Because I'm done with her, for good. I don't even want to waste my time going to ask for my key, because she's not going to give it back. That's always been her little hold on me, I think, but if I move out, then there's nothing to be worried about."

"Don't you have to talk with the building supervisor about these kind of things first?"

"I've got my way around those guys."

"Are you sure you don't want to talk things over with Diana?"

"I am very sure that I don't want to talk to her. It wouldn't be worth it. She's not going to win this time, Scully, and it's up to me not to let her. Now, I hope I can find the phonebook under all this, because I'm going to have to make reservations at a hotel nearby until I find a place to live--"

"Don't, Mulder," Scully interrupted his thoughts by stepping in front of him.

"Don't what?"

"Don't look for the phonebook."

"Scully, I kind of need to find the number--"

"Move in with me." Those four words made up the single boldest sentence Dana Scully had ever said in her life. She couldn't believe herself right after they came out. She had known this man for approximately 24 hours, and she was already asking him to move in with her. No, it was not a question. It was an order.

"Scully, I think you're great and all, but I couldn't."

"Yes you can, and you will," she continued, much to her and Mulder's surprise.

"No, Scully, I'd be a burden. You've already got so much to take care of…"

"You wouldn't be a burden at all! Look at how much you helped me yesterday! If I had that kind of help all the time, I wouldn't worry so much about going to school and keeping a job and all. I know I would have somebody there to take care of things."

"We hardly know each other," was is next defense. As much as he wanted to move in with Scully, he couldn't say yes because she was being incredibly spontaneous. He didn't want to make a decision that she would later regret giving him the power to make.

"We've already revealed so much to each other, though. I told you about Ethan, and you told me about your sister. And I let you help me, Mulder! I never let people help me! Plus, you're the only one that can get William to calm down in the middle of the night. Really, my son adores you…" she told him. He didn't want to accept her offer, but there was such an intense look in her eyes that he could not possibly say no. He wanted to stay with her. Not only that, but she wanted him to stay with her. Luck, Mulder thought, what happens when preparation and opportunity meet. This is not luck. Maybe I have the perfect opportunity with Scully, but never would I have prepared to meet somebody like her. No, this isn't luck. This is a miracle.

"Fine," he said after he pretended to think it over, "when should I move in my stuff?"

Chapter 13: Not Just Dinner

"Okay, anything weird and freaky I have to know about you before we officially do this?" Mulder asked Scully as he hovered his pen over their new lease agreement. When they went to pick up their class schedules, they decided to talk to the building supervisor, and he had been surprisingly understanding toward their situation. Mulder has a way of getting what he wants, Scully thought as she watched them talk. Will, exhausted from that night, was sleeping peacefully on Mulder's shoulder. She felt a little bad about Mulder always having her son, but he had insisted, and Mulder had a way of getting what he wanted.

"Well, um… Tuesday nights are when I hold my weekly Satanic rituals, Friday is usually the day my producer comes over and we shoot porn, oh, and don't ever, ever, open last drawer of my dresser," Scully joked.

"Oh wow, uh… Sir!" Mulder pretended to go searching for the supervisor, who had left them some time to talk things out on their own. This sent them both into a fit of giggles, and they both signed the document with no problem. They were officially roommates.

"Okay, that's it. Are you sure you want to do this? Because I could tear this up--"

"Relax, Mulder," she couldn't believe she was the one telling him that. The supervisor walked back in, took the document, and said they were free to go. William was still sleeping, so they decided to just go back home. Their home.

"It's just… I'm not the easiest person in the world to live with," he continued when they got in his car. "I'm messy, I have a hard time cleaning up after myself, I leave things laying around, I'm pretty sure I snore at night, I might leave the toilet seat up… is there a correct way to squeeze a tube of toothpaste?" Scully could only laugh at his rambling.

"It's alright. We'll just have to work on a few things. First of all, I don't care about snoring. In fact, I could probably help you stop. We'll work on the messiness and leaving things laying around. He'll be walking soon, so we can't really have that. I'm sure you'll remember to put the toilet seat down, and yes, there is a correct way to squeeze a tube of toothpaste… from the end. Don't worry, it'll be fine."

"I don't want to drive you crazy, though. What you're doing for me is… amazing… and I don't want you to end up regretting it."

"I promise I will be understanding," Scully tried to smile at Mulder like he smiled at her. Her radiance almost made him run into the car in front of them. She was incredible.

"Do you really need this lawn chair, Mulder?" Scully asked, amazed at all the odd stuff he had accumulated in his tiny dorm. They were playing her favorite game, Keep, Throw out, or Sell?

"Do you have any lawn chairs in your closet, Scully?" he asked from the bathroom. He worked there while she went through the closets. Will, who had woken up after Mulder's incident in the car, was playing on the floor with a basketball. He was unsuccessfully trying to fit it into his mouth.

"No," she admitted, not sure where this was going.

"Then I think you need one," Mulder retorted. She couldn't argue with his logic. So it went in the "keep" pile. There wasn't a whole lot of stuff in Mulder's dorm, but there certainly was a lot of unusual stuff. In the hall closet alone, Scully had found a walking boot, an empty bottle of wine, a jar of pennies, a box of garden tools, the lawn chair, a telescope, and a curling iron. Most of the things went in the "throw out" or "sell" piles, but there were a few things that she either found interesting, or Mulder persuaded her into keeping.

"Mulder, does this curling iron still work?" Scully asked, remembering that she hadn't bought one yet.

"I don't know, try it out." So Scully plugged it into the wall and it started to heat up nicely. Without another word, she snuck it into the "keep" pile. If Mulder ever asked her she would say it was her's.

By the end of the day, they decided on keeping the fish (William was fascinated by them), all Mulder's sports memorabilia (particularly the basketball), the lawn chair and curling iron, his card table, a few blankets and pillows, his computer, the stereo, an entertainment center, and a few other odds and ends. Scully's dorm, which she had thought to be barren and drab, came alive with the new things that occupied it. It felt like a home now, and she wouldn't say so, but she, Mulder, and William felt like a family. Mulder must have felt it too.

"Okay Lucy, what are we having for dinner?" he asked that night, after they were done unpacking. He was working more magic with Will, who had decided to become a terror. Scully blushed severely at the comment.

"I don't know. What are you making?" she tried to joke back.

"You want me to make something?" Mulder asked, being completely serious.

"Oh… no, Mulder, I was just kidding," Scully smiled.

"Because I can make something if you want. I'll make our dinner while you feed Will. What do you want?"

"No Mulder," she said, this time seriously.

"What's wrong?" he asked, getting the most concerned look on his face.

"You can't be for real," she finally said, admitting her thoughts of him throughout the whole time they had known each other.

"What are you talking about?" he was surprised anybody would question the reality of his existence.

"You can't be for real. I don't know what you want, Mulder, but you're too good to be true," Scully started to cry, realizing she probably just ruined their whole "moving in" arrangement.

"Scully, I don't understand. You let me move into your dorm, the least I could do is make us dinner or something. Did you expect me to be a jerk? Do you want me to be a jerk?" he asked. She laughed through her tears.

"No, I don't want you to be a jerk. But I must confess that my reasons for letting you move in here were not totally selfless. You're amazing, Mulder. With Will especially, but you like to help me out for no reason, you make me smile and laugh, for some reason I trust you even though I don't trust anybody and I've only known you for a short time, and now you're willing to make dinner. I've… I've never met anyone like you. I guess I'm just trying to figure out what it is that you really want."

"I don't want anything," Mulder said, a bit untruthfully. He did want something. He wanted her friendship. For some reason, it felt like he would wither away without it.

"Yes you do! You have to! Nobody just does things like this!"

"Dana…" Mulder trailed, taking her by the shoulders. She was crying harder, shaking with the effort. They sat like that for a minute, her crying and him trying to keep her from feeling terrible.

"Dana, I know you haven't had the easiest life. I know that people have let you down. I know that you have a hard time trusting them. But, Scully please, you have to let me in. I promise you, I am not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you. You're amazing… you think I am amazing, but you are ten times more amazing than me. You have Will, Scully. You've been taking care of him. You've been doing a job meant for two all by yourself. And you still want to help me. You still helped my by letting me move in. That is more than I could ever ask of anybody. I promise, I will not hurt you, and I will not let anything hurt you. I'm here to stay… for you and Will," Mulder explained. Nobody had ever said that type of thing to Scully, not even Ethan. She had never been told that somebody was there just to help her, only in exchange for some help. She had never been told that nobody would hurt her. She had never been asked to trust somebody like Mulder had asked her to trust him. Dana Scully usually didn't do things that she had never done before. But she decided to take a chance on this man, who was by far the most deserving person she had ever met. She resolved right then and there, as his passionate green eyes stared directly into her soul, that she would trust him. She would let him in. Would she get hurt? Maybe. Did she care? She would learn to deal with that.

"I'm so sorry," was all she could mutter out before bringing up a whole new batch of tears. Mulder pulled her into him. Although there was a young mother crying on his shoulder, Mulder couldn't help but smile. He had finally gotten through to her. She had finally let her guard down for him. She was going to trust him. He promised himself, because he hadn't really thought about it when he was talking to her, that he would never hurt this woman. He couldn't. He wouldn't be another landmark on her life map. He would be her destination, the place she finally got to after all that driving.

"Will you let me make you dinner now?" he whispered into her hair. She laughed and sniffled, sat up and tried to straighten herself out.

"You can make me dinner, Mulder," she smiled. He gave her a small hug before getting up to do what he planned. Before he got all of the supplies for spaghetti out, though, he glanced over his shoulder to see Scully scooping up her baby in her arms and kissing him many times on the head. It was her way of encouraging her baby to feel the way she felt about him, although he had never imagined that it would be harder for her to get used to him than it would be a 7-month-old. Mulder had the feeling that Dana Scully would always keep him guessing.

Chapter 14: Mama

"Time to rise and shine, Miss Dana Scully!" was the first thing she heard that morning, a few days after Mulder had moved in. They had gotten even closer since he began living with her. He knew all her strange little personal habits already (like how she absolutely would not drink coffee that had less than two creams), and she knew his (like how he loved sunflower seeds). Will accepted his presence and was especially friendly towards him. Scully felt safe and loved when the three of them were together. She even got warm fuzzy feelings when somebody seeing them on the street or in a store or something mistook them for a family. One lady had commented on how her son had his father's eyes in the coffee shop and Scully only smiled. A true, genuine smile that she could not help from spreading over her face.

"Five more minutes," Scully whimpered, burying her head back in her pillow, feeling the dip of the bed as Mulder sat down next to her.

"Come on, don't wanna be late for your first class now," he reminded her. It was officially the day that college started for her. Her medical career started with an organic chemistry class at 7:30 in the morning. She had four classes that day. She wouldn't be home until around 5:00 that night.

She checked the clock. 6:00. As in A.M. Although that wasn't a particularly early hour for Scully, she was extremely tired. She had been nervous all night.

"What if I don't know anything, Mulder?" she had worried to him at dinner.

"Ha, don't make me laugh, Scully. You're smart. And they accepted you, remember? That means you must know something!" he had told her.

"But what if everyone else knows ten times more?"

"I'm pretty sure that won't happen."

"But what if it does?"

"Scullyyyy," he had smiled, shoving a bread roll in her open mouth. This started a small food fight between them, and soon the spaghetti they had been having that night had ended up all over them. Will stared at them, amazed and slightly confused. Dinner was almost over, and they had more food in their hair than he did. When they went to go wash up, Mulder had let her take a shower while he changed and settled Will. He was so good to her. She came to wonder how she ever did anything without him around.

"Go get Mommy, Will," Mulder tried to say quietly, but his laughs were preventing discreetness. Before Scully knew it, she felt something small (about the size of a 7-month-old baby) land on her back. Her son crawled all the way up to her shoulders, trying to find her face through the pillow and her familiar red hair. He found Mommy when he stuffed his head under the pillow, then placed sloppy baby kisses all over her cheeks.

"Oh no, Will!" Scully laughed, pulling them both out from their plushy confines. The baby laughed in excitement when she rested him on her feet then propelled him upwards in an "airplane." It was such a joy for Scully, knowing that she could make her baby happy with simple gestures and nurturing, maybe even a funny face here or there. When she had first decided to keep him, her mother had told her how demanding babies were. Not to go against her mother, but Scully had found that her baby was far less demanding than most people. And a whole lot more fun to be around.

"And the airplane comes in for a landing… safe with Mommy," she smiled, sitting up and cuddling her son to her chest. He clasped her shirt in his hands, burying his face in her so that it looked like he was inhaling her scent. Scully could have died right at that moment and would have died a happy woman.

"I love you, Willy," she whispered into his hair before kissing him on the head. Mulder's heart could not help but swell at the scene. She and her son were beautiful to watch. He regretted, at that moment, that Scully had to get up and get ready for classes, because he just wanted to observe the two all day.

"Mama," Will said in a small, uncertain voice. Scully and Mulder could not believe what had just happened. The baby had just uttered his first word. Right there, in the only bed that fit in their one-bedroom dorm, William Scully had snuggled up to his mother and called her name. He seemed unaware of it at first, but the two adults were overjoyed. He chewed on his own finger when Mulder lifted him up in the air.

"What was that, Baby?" Scully asked, tears welling up in her eyes. This would be the first time in a long time that she would cry tears of joy. The baby was silent.

"Come on Will, who's that?" Mulder asked, putting his hand on Scully's shoulder. The little boy in his lap had a look on his face that said, "You know. You don't need me to tell you." But Mulder had a way of communicating with the kid. His eyes persisted.

"Mama," Will said again, this time reaching for her.

"Oh my God," was all "Mama" was able to say. Mulder smiled so big his face hurt.

"Yeah, Buddy. That's your Mama," he said, kissing William then handing him over to Scully. She rocked and hugged and smothered her baby with kisses, all the while telling him how much she loved him and how happy he made her. Mulder had never given any thought to being a father before, but a few days with Will and Scully had made him think about it a lot. Yeah, Diana and Phoebe both had always said babies were too much work. Too much time, too much money, too much attention. Basically (though they didn't say this), too much love. But Mulder considered that all that time and effort put in to raising a child must be reciprocated with moments like these, though. First words. First steps. Seeing yourself in another human being. Being a father had never crossed his mind before, but now it was all he could think about.

"Come on Sweetie," Scully said after awhile, getting up off the bed, "we have to go eat breakfast. Then you get to go to daycare!" she tried to sound happy, but he knew that she didn't want to put her son in daycare.

"Scully," he blurted out, stopping her before she got to the door of her bedroom, "don't get him ready for daycare. I'll watch him."

"Don't you have class today?" she asked him.

"Yeah, at like 8:00 tonight. And no class tomorrow. And then the same thing after that. Basically, Scully, it'd be a waste to put Will in daycare. Not when I can take care of him here just fine."

"Mulder, I don't know."

"Why not? He loves me. He's a great kid."

"He's a great kid when he's not crying."

"I've heard him cry, remember? I can get him to stop, you know that."

"I don't know what you do, Mulder, but what if that doesn't work? What if you can't get him to stop crying, or you don't know what's wrong with him or something like that? Have you ever baby-sat before?"

Wrong question to ask.

"I'm sorry, Mulder. I didn't mean it like that. It's just… you don't have a lot of experience with children."

"Please, Scully, it would really mean a lot to me. Besides, you trust me over those people that run the university daycare, right?"

"Yes, Mulder, I trust you more than those people who run the university daycare," Scully pretended to recite, knowing she had gotten herself backed up into a corner, figuratively and literally. Mulder moved closer to her and put his arm on the wall beside her head.

"Does that mean I can be the official baby-sitter?" he asked in a low voice that made the hairs on the back of her head stand up.

"Yeah, Mulder, I guess you can be official baby-sitter," she whispered.

"Awesome," he smiled, unaware that getting a baby-sitting job would make him so happy.

They spent the majority of the rest of their morning going over phone numbers, the feeding schedule, the nap schedule, diaper changes, clothes changes, where she kept his things, what to do in case of an emergency (including the Heimlich), techniques she used for different situations, and stuff like that. Mulder, surprisingly, wasn't overwhelmed. All that kept running through his brain was the fact that he was going to spend a whole day with William. Maybe he'd teach the baby how to say his name.

"Oh, and Mulder," Scully said right before she was out the door. Mulder practically had to push her through it, otherwise she'd be late for her first class.

"What now?" he asked. It took her a minute to prose what she was trying to say.

"Diana…" was all she got out.

"Say no more, Scully. We will have no problems with Diana," he swore to her. She smiled, glad she didn't have to try and phrase her thought.

"Then that's it. Give me a kiss, Little Guy," she cooed to Will. He giggled when she pressed her lips to his forehead and responded with a slobbery one of his own. "You be good for Mulder, okay? I love you."

"We'll see you later. Don't worry about us," Mulder reminded her. It was almost like a promise.

"I'll try. But Mulder, he's the only son I've got," she said, being half silly and half serious.

"I will take very good care of him. Go now… go get your medical license," he told her, and before she turned around, he snuck a kiss off her cheek as well.

Chapter 15: Men's Day

"Okay, Willy. Today's men's day in the Sculder household. What shall we do first?" Mulder asked the baby in his arms once the door was shut. William stared at him blankly.

"Yeah, TV sounds good," Mulder said, sitting them both down on the couch and flipping on some colorful little-kid show that he was sure would capture the attention of anyone under a year.

He was surprised when he was wrapped up in the plot of the story as well.

It seemed to him that this show was about four alien babies of assorted colors and sizes. That was what first got his attention… the alien part. He assumed they were aliens, though it was never brought up. It bothered him a bit that they were brightly colored, but he decided to let that slide. Gray would probably scare the kids, he thought.

The second thing that got his attention was the fact that they lived in some sort of magical world filled with flowers and bunnies and a smiling baby sun. However, there were speakers that came up out of the ground and directed the baby aliens' activities. Also, they lived in some sort of futuristic pod in the middle of the rolling hills. They ate pudding and toast and had a magic vacuum cleaner to keep them from making too big of a mess. These aliens were quite messy. It occurred to Mulder that you shouldn't suck up pudding with a vacuum cleaner. It also occurred to Mulder that he had never wondered if the actual reticulans that he undoubtedly believed in suffered from vices such as disorderliness and the seven deadly sins.

He finally learned their names: Tinkie Winkie, Dipsy, La La, and Po. It was as if a child had named them. Where were their parents, by the way? How did they land on Earth? Were they even on Earth? There were real live bunnies, so they had to be on Earth. Were there bunnies on other planets? Space bunnies? Did they look like regular bunnies? Were bunnies a universal invariant?

As he pondered these things, he hadn't noticed that Will had drifted off to sleep. The child was leaning against his lower abdomen, out like a light. When Mulder realized this, he shut off the TV and just stared. He knew it was weird. Staring at the child of his best friend (Scully had, indeed, become Mulder's best friend and although they had never spoken such words, he believed that she understood their relationship). Watching him sleep, he wanted more than anything for that child to be his. He was amazed that he could feel such a strong connection with a baby boy that was not a part of him.

"I promise," Mulder whispered into the baby's hair as he readjusted him on his shoulder, "that you will always have me. I will always love you, Will, no matter what you do. So will your mommy. But please don't hurt her. She's been hurt enough."

Will seemed to understand, Mulder concluded, because in sleep, he shifted his head in a little nod. Mulder leaned back and pulled a blanket over them. As long as the little boy was content, Mulder could be content, and he shut his eyes too.

Scully could barely keep herself focused on her classes that day. It wasn't that she didn't trust Mulder, she did. It was the fact that she didn't expect herself to act like that. Dana Scully did not act like a doting mother who could not stand to let other people touch her son. She had met people like that, and they were always annoying. She hated to admit it, though, she knew how they felt. Instead of blancing equations, her mind was going over worst-case scenarios. What if Will started to choke? She had taught Mulder the Heimlich, but would he be calm enough to use it? What if there were a fire? What if, while crawling around on the floor, Will started to play with the electrical outlets? Would Mulder remember to do the lock on his play pen? Otherwise, one side would fall over with the slightest push, and her curious son could get into anything he wanted. Diaper rash. Mulder would remember to change his diaper, right? Had she shown Mulder where the teething rings were? He had been living there for a few days, but what if he didn't know? Then Diana would come over. If that happened, would Mulder finally come to his senses and take her back, all the while leaving Will to roam the place in whatever fashion he wanted? While they had sex on her couch, would he even bother to remember her little boy?

Maybe her problem was trusting Mulder. By this point, it went without saying that she had a hard time trusting anyone. She felt sick.

Scully almost raised her hand to leave before she realized that it was college, and she could just get up and walk out whenever she wanted. She quickly jotted down the assignment on the whiteboard and sprinted out the door. Nobody had even looked up. Nobody cared what she did. Not out here on the east coast. Scully felt alone and dangerous. Her son could possibly be in a harmful situation and she had left him with, what she thought at the time, a sex-crazed incompetent idiot.

Without thinking, she pulled out her cell phone and pounded the number to her dorm in. She could have hit her speed dial, but she wasn't thinking clearly enough to do that. The phone started to ring.

It rang once. It rang twice. It rang a third and fourth time before the answering machine kicked in. Too mad to shout anything into the phone, she closed it and threw it back in her purse. She headed off toward her home as a bat would fly out of Hell.

"Fox Mulder!" she yelled when she got to her door. She couldn't see straight, otherwise she would have used her key to open it. Instead, Scully pounded. When she was just about ready to kick it down, it opened. There stood a very confused Mulder holding her sleeping son.

"Oh, Willy!" she exclaimed, scooping him out of Mulder's arms and pressing kisses to his temple, effectively waking him up. Scully didn't seem to notice, though, and just kept kissing and swaying with him, tears in her eyes.

"What's going on?" Mulder asked, deciding to remain calm and shut the door nicely. Maybe it was Scully's demeanor rubbing off on him, but he felt as if he should slam it. She didn't answer him until he put his hand on her shoulder.

"I… I was worried," she said somberly, as if finally realizing how crazy the morning had been for her.

"About what?"

"My son."

"Why? We were perfectly fine."

"Then why didn't you answer the phone? That scared me, Mulder! I thought something had happened to you! I thought something had happened to William."

"We fell asleep watching TV. I'm sorry, Scully, nothing happened, though."

A few deep breaths between the two. Will had managed to calm down.

"You fell asleep together?" Scully asked, a smile spreading across her face. Mulder gave her a smile and a guilty look.

"Yeah. We were watching this weird show about colorful aliens and he just dozed off. I don't know what happened to me, I watched him for awhile. You have such a good baby, Scully. I love him, and it felt so great just holding him while he slept. So I leaned back and went to sleep myself."

"Mulder," Scully exhaled his name, putting her forehead together with William's. He smiled at her and put her hand on her nose.

"Mama," he said, and she tried to keep from going over the edge as she nodded.

"Yup. I'm Mama. I'm your Mama, and I love you very much. So does Mulder, she kissed his cheek. William cast his gaze upon the man who had all the love in his eyes, standing to the right of his mother with his hand on her shoulder. Any outsider would have looked in and saw a happy family sharing a heartwarming moment. In reality, that was what they were, but not in any conventional sense of the word. It was time to throw convention out the window.

This feels right, thought Scully.

This feels right, thought Mulder.

And they were silent, just absorbing each other.

"You'd better get back to school, Young Lady," Mulder told Scully minutes later after all the feelings had subsided a bit.

"I should. I'm sorry," she apologized.

"For what?" Mulder asked, taking William back.

"For coming here. I should have trusted you. You love Will. I was just--"

"Say no more, Scully, don't ever apologize for worrying about your child."

"I promise I'll trust you," she told him.

"Trust me as much as you want. Or don't trust me. But either way, Scully, I will not let you down."

"I know."

Chapter 16: Made of Diamonds

"Happy birthday to Mommy! Happy birthday to Mommy! Happy birthday to Mom-my! Happy birthday to Mommy!" Mulder sang in his non-singing voice. It was his favorite part of the day, the part where he got to wake up Scully. He and Will almost always woke up before her, and every morning he crept into her room with Will in tow and they woke her up in the most creative ways he could think of. Among his favorites was '80s day. Clad in his leather jacket, Mulder had found two pairs of sunglasses for him and Will and blasted '80s rock right next to Scully. He knew she had been mad when she woke up. He also knew that she couldn't stay mad for more than ten seconds after she saw them. She had ended up laughing and singing along with them.

Today, though, would be the best wake-up call of all, though, because it was Scully's birthday. He had not bothered to get himself or the baby dressed, knowing that it would be pointless. Scully would want to stay in bed at least part of her birthday. It was a weekend. Mulder thought she deserved at least that much.

Scully's arms were slightly parted, and Mulder placed Will between them. He rolled over on his side and touched his mommy's face. Before she could wake up any further, Mulder rushed back into the kitchen to grab something for her. Actually, two somethings. Two very important somethings.

"Mama," Will was saying when he returned. Will had not extended his vocabulary much further in the past month and a half. Mulder had had the pleasure of witnessing William adding two more words to his dictionary, though: "ba-ba" and "no."

"Good morning, Baby," Scully smiled to her infant. He smiled his sweet, unique smile back at her. It melted her heart.

"Morning, Birthday Girl," Mulder said from the doorway. He was holding something. Actually, two somethings. She sat up and held Will on her lap.

"Morning. Is this all you're going to do on my birthday? No bucket of water? No heavy metal? No fire?" she joked, trying her best to look disappointed.

"Nope. I'm saving the good stuff for my birthday," he said, plopping himself down next to her feet. Will crawled over to him.

"I see. What do you have in your hand?"

"This, right here, Miss Scully, is a highly chocolate muffin from that bakery outside the school that you like so much. I know you're worried about carbs and calories and all that stuff, but one muffin will not hurt you… especially on your birthday. So eat up," Mulder told her, practically shoving the muffin in her face. She had told him about how she hated that she had baby fat from William still. He thought she was crazy because she was so small. She gave him a face. He gave her a face. She ate the muffin.

"What else?" she asked, referring to the second item in his hand.

"What, this?" he asked, holding up a beautifully wrapped present for her to see.

"Yes, that," she said through a mouthful of muffin.

"Oh, this… this is nothing."

"It doesn't look like nothing."

"What does it look like?"

"It looks like a present."

"A present? Will, do you know anyone around here who might be getting a present today?" The baby threw his head back and laughed.

"Here you go, Scully," Mulder smiled. Will's laugh always sobered him up. He handed her the small package. It was wrapped in gold wrapping paper and had a gold bow on top. Scully set down her muffin and shook it.

"I can't hear anything," she said.

"Why don't you open it?" Mulder asked.

"Don't you shake your presents before you open them?"

"No. One time I did that, and it was a set of china plates from my mother."

"Oh. Is this china?"

"You won't know until you open it and find a million tiny pieces of china in a nice box."

"It's too small to be china."

"Then you may be in luck."

Because she admired the arts, it pained Scully to tear the wrapping paper off her present. She wasn't sure if Mulder did it himself or not. He paid a remarkable amount of attention to detail, she had noticed in the short time they had been living together, and the thought of him wrapping her present in such a nice way was not out of the realm of possibility. After much consideration, though, she decided to get it over with, and tore the pretty paper off.

She found as much as expected, another box. But the type of box was unexpected. It was a small, blue, velvet box. A box that could only hold one thing.

"Oh… Mulder," she gasped when she opened it. In the box was a silver necklace; a single, unclosed heart. The heart was made of diamonds, she could tell. It's simplicity and beauty (not to mention the gesture… diamonds!), stunned her, and she could not bring her hand away from her open mouth as she gazed at it.

"You like it?" he asked. She looked up at him.

"Yes! Oh, yes, Mulder, I love it! It's beautiful!" she exclaimed, crawling over to him like her son had done and throwing her arms around his neck. She would have never expected something like that. She knew Mulder would remember her birthday (he remembered everything), but she hadn't expected the muffin, let alone a diamond necklace. And why diamonds? On her? It wasn't a thank you. She had told him to stop thanking her a long time ago. She couldn't handle it. She could have thanked him for things equivalent. This was something else.

"Good. Will picked it out."

"He has good taste," Scully said, nestling herself in Mulder's arms. William sat on his other knee, and she reached out to run her finger along his perfect baby face.

"Yes he does. He loves his mommy," Mulder said, picking up the box she had left sitting in front of them and fingering his purchase. He had wondered, when he had taken the baby to the jewelry store, if something like that would be too much. Will had very truthfully picked out the necklace, reaching out to touch it in its case while Mulder overlooked it. But when he had seen it, he loved it. He knew that was what he would get Scully for her birthday. She deserved nothing less.

The price hadn't mattered. Dana Scully didn't know it, but she was living with a particularly wealthy guy. One who had had a particularly luxured childhood, even if it was cold and lonely. His parents were wealthy. He inherited a large amount of money from them when he decided to go off to school. But Mulder wasn't a high-maintenance person by any means. He only spent what he had to. Needless to say, his money sat in the bank. He was actually glad he had someone to spend it on now.

"Do you want me to put it on you?" Mulder asked the woman in his lap. As he held the necklace up like a pendant that hypnotists use, she had fingered it, unable to believe that it was hers and that Mulder had bought it for her.

Every part of her screamed to say yes, but she couldn't.

"Mulder… I can't accept this," she said somberly.

"What are you talking about? It's your birthday," Mulder informed her.

"This is too much. It's a diamond necklace, Mulder."

"I know what it is. I knew what it was when I bought it for you. I haven't made a mistake. I want you to have it."

"This is too much," Scully said again, this time quieter, unconvinced with herself.

"Please, Scully, take it… You'll make Will very upset if you don't," Mulder cooed into her hair.

"But--"

"No 'buts.' This is your day. Enjoy it," Mulder advised, and with that, he fit the necklace around her neck. The pendant felt cool on her warm skin. She wouldn't take it off. Ever. Maybe a sign of things to come. Maybe not. But this was new for her, to have somebody just want to do things for her. It told her that things were changing. She would never ever be alone again. She would never have to fight her battles by herself. This man just kept surprising her. Her best friend. All things… signified in one heart.

Granted, it was made of diamonds.

Chapter 17: Snow

"Mulder, you've got it all wrong," Scully tried to explain to him as he was microwaving their popcorn, "a snowflake is has a crystalline structure, making it a solid. It has a low melting point, but it's still a solid. Snow can neither be defined as a solid or a liquid in itself because it is plural. Anything plural can fail to retain a definite shape."

Mulder stood in front of the microwave (despite Scully's warnings about cancer) and shook his head. He loved random debates with Scully, not because he was right all the time. In fact, more often than not, she stumped him. Like she was doing now. Their topic of choice: is snow a solid or a liquid?

"Whatever, Scully, if it doesn't have a definite shape, then it can't be a solid."

"Did you listen to anything I just said?" Scully asked, setting William down on the couch and putting her hands on her hips. Her birthday had been spectacular so far. They had spent all day in bed, just the three of them, watching Will romp around and play. It was relaxing. She was glad Mulder knew her as well as he did. If it were totally left up to him, they would have been up and out the door at the crack of dawn. But he considered that Scully would want to spend her birthday in bed. He could not have been more right. Around 1:00, though, after Will had woke up from his nap, they decided that they had better get up and do something. They agreed on watching a movie. The Godfather. The one movie they had both seen that they both liked.

The microwave beeped and Mulder poured the steaming hot popcorn into a bowl. Even though he and Scully both could tell who had come out the winner of this conversation, he never admitted defeat easily. A wicked idea ran through his mind, and while Scully and Will played a game on the couch, he discreetly went over to the window and opened it a little.

Setting the popcorn on the table, Mulder spoke.

"You know, Scully, I see where you're coming from, but I just don't think you're right. I think you're taking this from a clinical standpoint. Maybe what you need to do is experience snow. Then, maybe I'll listen when you say it is a solid. But I know you California girls rarely ever experience snow, so…" he quickly snatched her around the waist and lifted her up over his shoulder.

"Mulder! Mulder, what are you doing? Put me down!" Scully yelled and kicked. Mulder was much bigger than her, so her attempts at escape didn't really phase him. She actually wasn't fighting as hard as she knew she could. Something about being slung over Mulder's shoulder was a little appealing to her. That is, until she realized where they were headed.

"Oh no! Oh no, Mulder, put me down! Do not open that window! Mulder, if you do, I swear, you're moving out! Don't open that window! Mulder, Mulder!!!!!!!" Scully screamed as he picked up and handful of snow and stuffed it down her shirt. The cold solid was quickly turning into a liquid on her now chilled skin, but not fast enough. It was so cold that it burned.

Mulder was laughing so hard that he let her go just to see her try and get it out. Instead of doing that, though, Scully reached out of the still-open window and grabbed her own snow. Mulder was still laughing, so he didn't notice when Scully stuffed it down his shirt.

"Jesus, Scully!" he yelled, now giving her a reason to laugh. It was comical to see his dance, trying to shake the snow out of his shirt. She calmly opened up her pajama top from the bottom, letting it drop to the floor. At that moment, Scully wasn't worried about puddles of melted snow on her floor. A month or two ago, she would have been. Mulder brought out the best in her, though. He brought out fun Dana… the Dana she had been before Ethan. He made her forget to care. She found herself embracing the small moments in life where she could just sit back and enjoy the view. Out of everything Mulder was or did, Scully loved that most about him. She loved what he did to her. He helped her to leave the past behind. And during those small moments, Scully was perfectly content with leaving the past in the past. She never wanted to meet up with it again.

They were having so much fun they barely heard the knock on the door. It was soft at first, then louder, not demanding entry but expecting it.

"I'll get it," Mulder said, his way of surrendering. Or he just didn't want to clean up the floor. Probably the latter. Probably both.

"Okay," Scully agreed, giving him the best smile she could manage. A good smile, in Scully's sense of the word, constituted more of the eyes than the mouth. If she were going to smile her best, she would focus more on her blue-green eyes than anything. She would direct them, enhance their shine. Capture the light and reflect it. Mulder was always in awe of her best smiles. The ones she really worked on. Maybe it was because he felt as if he had not ever really had reason to smile before, but he always stood short to Scully in that way. He could never smile like her.

For good measure, Mulder picked William up off the couch as he made his way to the door. He tickled him as he simultaneously answered it. In the hallway were two people he never expected to see. He had never seen pictures of them, only knew of them what he heard when Scully talked to them on the phone, but he instantly could pinpoint exactly who these people were.

Mr. and Mrs. Scully.

Chapter 18: Their Dana

"Hi," Mulder said awkwardly. Scully's parents had the most confused looks on their faces. Her father looked somewhat mad. They knew they didn't have the wrong place. That was their grandson in the hands of that strange man.

"Umm--" Mrs. Scully started.

"Mom! Dad!" Scully exclaimed, running over to her parents and embracing them. They were taken back by her action, not just because Their Dana didn't run up to people and hug them, but because they were still unaware of who the man in her dorm room was. Scully could feel their emotions as she hugged them. Their minds were racing. They didn't know this man, Their Dana wouldn't just let some guy in her dorm, she had never said anything on the phone about a man in her life. Their Dana didn't have a boyfriend. Their Dana didn't trust men anymore. Their Dana didn't trust anyone anymore.

"Hi Starbuck," her father was the first to speak and react, patting his daughter on the back. Mrs. Scully was still speechless.

"Did you guys come all the way out here for my birthday?" she asked, ignoring their reaction to Mulder for the time being.

"Yeah, we wanted to surprise you. And we wanted to see the baby," Capt. Scully said, and Mulder handed him his grandson without words. There was an awkward silence as grandfather and grandson interacted.

"Come in, come in!" Scully said once she realized that they were still standing out in the hallway. The two did come in, but only enough for Scully to be able to shut the door. She decided it was time for formalities.

"Mom, Dad, this is Fox Mulder. He lives with me," she said rather quietly. Her parents were absolutely stunned by this. Again, she hadn't said anything. Was this just a living situation? She had never mentioned having a roommate. In fact, they were fairly certain that she had requested a room alone. She hadn't wanted Will to bother anyone. No. This was not just a living situation. Something else was going on.

"Hi," Mulder said again, trying to break the ice.

"Hello," Mrs. Scully said in an uncomplimentary fashion. Capt. Scully nodded.

"Umm, Mulder, I'm going to go get dressed. I'll be back in a second," Scully whispered. She hated to leave Mulder with her parents so soon after them accidentally meeting, but she was still in her pajamas, and her parents were dressed nicely. They were dressed like the middle-aged Navy couple they were. They could visit the White House with what they had on. And she knew they frowned upon people that stayed in their pajamas after 8:00.

"Okay," Mulder whispered back, not because her parents couldn't hear them, but because they made him feel that small. She rushed off to her room, determined to dress before her parents ripped Mulder apart.

"So, Fox," Mrs. Scully addressed him, not knowing to call him Mulder. He had the distinct feeling that even if she knew to call him Mulder, she would call him Fox, "how long have you and Dana been living together?"

"Umm, not long," he answered truthfully, "about a month or so."

"That's quite a long time considering that that's about how long Dana's been here," Capt. Scully remarked.

"It was a couple of days after she got here, actually, that I moved in."

"Can you tell us how you met Dana?" Mrs. Scully asked. Mulder was glad her father had not asked him a question yet. It would probably be even more accusing than his wife's, and she was making him sweat. Will sat in his grandfather's arms, and it seemed a subtle irony to Mulder that someone so familiar to him would be part of someone who was not.

"It's an interesting story, to say the least," Mulder started, hoping to throw out enough of the introduction to give Scully time to finish getting dressed and save him. She didn't come rushing out of her bedroom to finish the story, so he had no choice but to tell the truth, "their first night here, William's cries woke up my girlfriend, who lives across the hall," he said, seeing Scully's parents' faces instantly harden, even though he thought that was impossible. He tried to lighten his tone before they killed him.

"She came over and said some things, and I ended up leaving. I saw Dana in the elevator the next day and ended up showing her around to the grocery store. I helped her shop and move everything into her dorm before I left. That night, William started crying again, and my girlfriend got mad. She confronted Dana, and that's when I broke up with her," Mulder tried to play the chivalrous male part. He thought that her parents would think of him as a good person after that, but their faces remained the same.

"You broke up with your girlfriend because of our daughter a day after you met her?" Capt. Scully asked with his eyebrow raised. He definitely knew where Scully got it.

"Well, uh, I didn't think she was being fair to Dana. The things she said--"

"I'm back," Scully came bounding into the room. She had tried, to the best of her ability, to put herself together. Mulder didn't think she did such a bad job. Scully, though, still seemed uncomfortable in front of her parents.

"Good. Fox was just telling us how you two met each other," Mrs. Scully provided. Scully gave Mulder a look, a secret look that asked him what he had said. Mulder gave her back a look that told her he had no choice but to tell them what really happened.

"Oh, it's not really that big a deal…" Scully scoffed.

"Oh, but it is. I was thinking that if you two would feel comfortable enough to move in together after only a couple of days, then there must be something special between you guys. I was waiting for him to get to the part where he saved William's life or something, but I don't think that's coming, is it Fox?" Mrs. Scully asked. She had sounded so cold in her statement, it made her daughter shudder. Her parents were mad, that much she could gather. They were mad because she had not told them she was involved with somebody. Not that she would consider her and Mulder's relationship particularly involved, but her mother didn't know the circumstances. And her father looked terribly angry at the thought of the cowering young man before him being intimate with his little girl.

"No, ma'am," Mulder said, staring down at his feet, wishing he could disappear.

"Mom, he had nowhere else to go. His ex-girlfriend trashed his apartment and wouldn't give up the key," Scully tried to defend him.

"That constitutes him moving in with you? I am surprised, Dana. I didn't think you were that kind of a girl," her mother fired back. Things were starting to get heated.

"I am NOT that kind of girl, Mother!" Scully almost shouted, yet said through her teeth at the same time.

"What else do you call yourself, then? You know this man for a day and you pick him up like tomorrow's paper?"

"I didn't pick him up. Mulder is not my boyfriend…"

"You call him by his last name?"

"Scully, please calm down--" Mulder slipped.

"Don't you call my daughter 'Scully!'" her father yelled, almost like their last name was an expletive. Capt. Scully's booming voice shocked everyone into being quiet, except for William, who had been startled by it. His lower lips started to quiver, and he began to cry.

"Now look what you did," Scully said, taking her son from her father and trying to calm him down. When he screams got louder, she took him to her bedroom and slammed the door.

It goes without saying that Mulder and Scully's parents felt extremely awkward just standing there with each other. Yet, not one of the three dared to speak. After maybe five minutes of just standing there, Mulder decided to leave. He made sure he did it deliberately. He was mad that his best friend's parents had made her mad on her birthday.

"Scully," Mulder said as he knocked on the door. Then, he thought better of it because her father was still in the kitchen.

"Dana," he said, this time softly, and she opened the door for him. William was not crying now. She was. She let him in.

"You don't have to stop calling me 'Scully.' I like it," she told him. Will was on the bed, playing in his mother's discarded pajamas. She hadn't even taken the time to put them away for him.

"I'm sorry you got into a fight with your parents," Mulder only felt it right to say, beings that he had been the reason they were fighting. If he hadn't followed her out to her car that day, none of this would be happening, and Scully would be having a nice birthday.

"It's not your fault, Mulder. They're just… overprotective I guess."

"Well, don't hate them. They have every reason to want to protect you."

It surprised Scully that after what had happened, how her parents had reacted to and treated Mulder, that he would tell her not to hate them. She was 19 now. They didn't have to baby her. They assumed she didn't know what was good for her. They would always think of Ethan, and how Their Dana had thought Ethan was best for her. Because of him, nobody would ever treat her the same.

"They have no right to act like that toward you, though," she said, tears running down her face. Mulder wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head. Scully cried softly into his shirt.

"It'll be okay. The important thing is that you find some way to work with them. Especially today, Scully. It's your birthday, and you deserve all the happiness in the world. It's been a hard year for you," Mulder spoke into her hair.

"I did have all the happiness in the world. Then THEY showed up," she bit down on her bottom lip to keep herself from shouting. Mulder's response was to hold her closer.

"Scully, you are in charge of your own happiness. Don't let them ruin your birthday, if that's what's ruining your birthday. Or maybe I should leave and you can have a good birthday with your family. Either way, Scully, do what you think would make you happy."

"No, Mulder. I don't want you to leave. It's not fair to you. You live here."

"Then my birthday present to you, Dana Scully, is to leave for the rest of the day and let you spend that time with your family."

"Mulder, you already bought me--"

"Shhhh about that. I'm going. Call me when you want me to come home, okay?"

"Okay," she said, her voice full of emotion. She really didn't want him to leave. She had wanted her parents to love him, whenever they met him and after she got around to telling them. She wanted them to see what he meant to her. How he changed her. How he loved her and her son. How she could laugh and talk and be around him like she could be around nobody else. How he would run to the moon and back for her.

Without words, Mulder leaned down and gave Scully a chaste kiss on the forehead. Then, he grabbed his coat out of her closet and opened the door. There stood Mrs. Scully.

"Dana," Mulder smiled, remembering her last name, "someone's here to see you."

"Go away," Scully childishly pouted at her mother. Mulder had shown her in, then left like he said he was going to. How could she not like him? How could she judge him based on his association with her? He truly cared about her. And her mother couldn't understand that.

"Dana, I just want to talk to you."

"No. You just wanted to talk to Mulder. I'm sorry. It's not happening."

"Dana, your father and I were just concerned--"

"Concerned about what? That I wouldn't be able to decide what was best for me? Concerned that I'd just let him hurt me? Because I can't take care of myself. And I certainly can't take care of my son, can I Mom? I'm always going to be Dana to you. The Dana that let Ethan rape her. The fragile Dana who will give herself to anyone, right? I guess I should just move back home and let you take care of me and Will, huh?" Scully spat out.

"Sweetheart, we don't want that. We don't think of you like that. We were just… confused, that's all. We thought you would have told us--"

"I was going to tell you. Not that there's anything to tell. Like I said, Mulder and I are not dating or anything. He is my friend. He is what has kept me going. I trust him, Mom. I wouldn't just trust anybody, not with myself and especially not with my son. But he's a good person, Mom. He's the real thing."

"How can you be sure, Baby?" Mrs. Scully slowly caressed her daughter's cheek.

"I just am, Mom. I've never felt this way about anyone before. He is totally selfless. He's the one person I can trust to help me and take care of me. It goes against every way I normally react to people. And that in itself says something."

Mrs. Scully thought about this. She thought about her daughter. She thought about her grandson who was still rolling around on the bed. She thought about all that had gone wrong in the past year and a half. She thought about all that had went right. She tried to categorize that strange new man that Her Dana let in like she had no other.

"It does," she started, "go get him, Dana."

"What?" Scully could not believe her mother was saying this.

"Go get him. He doesn't have to leave. He's not going to leave. We're taking the three of you out to lunch," Mrs. Scully said curtly, not wanting to reveal how happy and relieved she was that Her Dana had found Her Touchstone.

"Mom, he already--"

"Go get him, Dana. I have a strong feeling that he will not be hard to find."

And with that, Scully darted out of her room and out of her dorm. She rushed down the stairs instead of taking the elevator. Every second was precious. Not for it's value in time, but for it's value in sentiment. For it's value in drama. It's value as an important moment that she didn't want to spoil with an absence. She made it to the parking lot right as he was about to pull away.

"Mulder!" she shouted, hoping he had not only seen her run out of the building, but heard her as well.

He shook his head, indicating that she should go back inside.

"No, Mulder, it's okay! It's okay, don't leave, it's okay!" Scully couldn't put enough emphasis on the it's okay part.

He stopped the car and jumped out, letting her run over to him and wrap her arms around his chest.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes, Mulder. I told my mom everything."

"They want me to come back?" Mulder asked in disbelief.

"Yeah. They're going to give you a chance."

"That's great," Mulder said, wrapping his arm around her. "It wouldn't be the first time I was given a chance by a Scully, though."

Chapter 19: Respect

"Mom, my son has enough clothes on. He doesn't need another blanket," Scully huffed at her mother. It had been nearly a half hour since she had invited Mulder to lunch, and the main reason they weren't out the door yet was William. Maggie insisted on dressing her grandson as if he were going out in the arctic, not the streets of Maryland for just a quick walk to the café around the corner. All Mulder could do was sit there and laugh at the woman, knowing exactly how she felt. Every time he and Scully took Will somewhere, the second they stepped outside, he thought it was too cold. Even if they were only going to be outside for a minute or two… Will could not tell him when he was cold. So he never knew. He could definitely tell what Maggie was feeling. But he wouldn't say anything. It wasn't time for him to speak yet.

"Dana, it's 30 degrees outside. On a baby, that's unimaginable," Maggie told her, wrapping the fleece blanket with the teddy bears on it around him. Will sat there like the unbelievably good baby he was, sucking on his pacifier, wondering where he was going and why it was taking so long to get him dressed. Scully stepped back and let her mother do what she wanted, knowing that in the end, it was better just to let her get her way. She shared a knowing glance with Mulder, which made his heart swell twice. It made him feel like she was on his side for sure, even if he already knew that.

"Mags, I think it's time we left. If that little boy gets any hungrier, he might eat the blanket," Capt. Scully remarked. He obviously knew how to handle his wife. She stopped adjusting Will's clothes and took him into her arms.

"There, all good for Grandma," she said, nuzzling the baby's cheek. Mulder heard Scully, who had slipped over to his side, stifle a small whimper. He was the only one, her parents too absorbed in her son. Instantly, he knew what was wrong. She hated that she had taken her son away from his grandparents. She hated that she had to do it in the middle of the night. She hated that she had hardly said goodbye first. She hated that moments like the one that was unfurling were going to be rare for Will, at least until she got out of school. Yes, she felt bad for her mom and dad, but she felt worse for her son. He deserved grandparents.

Mulder knew the things she felt and slipped his hand in her's. Scully, surprised by the gesture, looked up at him with innocent eyes. She didn't, however, remove her hand. It was so big and enveloped her's perfectly. It was warm and inviting. It made her feel that what she had done was for the best. That was what Mulder was trying to convey to her, she concluded, by just holding her hand. They stood like that, unnoticed, until it was time for them to grab their coats and follow her parents out the door. Mr. and Mrs. Scully turned to find their daughter, holding hands with the man that she claimed she wasn't involved with. And she was looking at him, too. Not just looking at him but looking at him. Giving him a special look they had only seen her give one other person. Unlike that one person, however, this man was returning it. They were lost in each other.

Capt. Scully cleared his throat, hoping to draw their attention. Scully and Mulder nearly jumped when he did. They had not known they were being watched. They had not known that they were looking at each other the way they were. Mulder watched Scully's face turn bright red.

"Umm, I'll go get our coats," she busied herself.

"I'll come with you--" Mulder started.

"Actually, Fox, I'd like you to stay out here," Capt. Scully intervened.

"Ahab," Scully warned.

"It's alright, Starbuck. I just want to chat with him," he assured her. There was now way out of this one, Scully soon realized. Her father would get his way. Her parents still held a quiet power over her. It was as strong as if she were still living in their home. Scully gave Mulder an apologetic look, not wanting to see his reaction to being left alone with her parents again. If she had kept looking at him, though, she would have seen understanding spread all over his face.

"Fox," Capt. Scully said after his daughter had left to retrieve their coats and probably scream into her pillow.

"Yes Sir?" Mulder asked respectfully, no matter how much his first name embarrassed him.

"What was that?" Capt. Scully asked simply. Mulder decided to play dumb, even though he had felt something as well.

"I don't understand, Sir."

"You and my daughter. She doesn't hold hands with just anybody. Look, my wife and I can deal with her leaving. We did. We can deal with her going to college on the other side of the country. What we cannot deal with, though, is her lying to us and being in an uncommitted relationship. And you, Young Man, would be wise not to lie to me."

Mulder actually gulped. He had never understood why people did, until he heard that talk. Capt. Scully was speaking with the utmost love for his daughter, but he was still a Navy captain. He was an outside person… meaning that he only saw what was on the outside and never bothered to explore further. Mulder, being more of an inside person, clashed.

"I am not in a relationship with Dana, Sir," Mulder said slowly, choosing his words carefully, "other than being her friend. I care for her very much. I promise you I would never hurt her, or your grandson."

"I cannot accept that as an answer, Fox. No man is interested in just a friendship with a woman."

"Well, I am," Mulder tried to convince him, trying to seem more confident at the time. This ended with a stare-down between the two. And stare-downs were one thing that Mulder knew he could never back down from. He felt as if he would be staring at the elder all night, until Scully came walking slowly out of her bedroom, carrying their coats. She noticed her father looking at Mulder, but since Mulder's back was to her, she could not see that they were daring each other to look away.

"Ahab?" she asked. No response.

"Dad," she said, more forcefully. Mr. Scully looked away. And that is when Mulder knew he had won. He had gained the respect of Scully's father. He took his coat from the woman who might as well have been his princess at the time.

"What was that?" she whispered to him as he leaned over her.

"I don't think we're going to have any more problems for the rest of the night," he whispered back, hinting with his eyebrows that he would explain later.

William picked that moment to cry. It seemed as if everyone had forgotten about him.

"Oh, Baby," Mrs. Scully cooed, "you must be starving. Come on, we've wasted enough time sitting around here."

They followed her lead out the door and to the elevator. The clan had stepped outside and William was still crying. Not little baby cries. Fussy, I'm hungry feed me NOW! baby cries. And all of Maggie's rocking and singing still didn't quiet him.

"Mom, give him to Mulder. He always calms down with Mulder," Scully said, instantly regretting it when she did.

"Nonsense, he'll calm down for Grandma. It's just been awhile," she tried to assure them. They walked almost 100 feet before anybody said anything more.

"Mom, please. He'll calm right down, I promise."

"Dana, I said I could handle it--"

"Give Will to Fox, Maggie," Capt. Scully interrupted. Since she was alone on the issue, Maggie handed the child over to a very self-conscious looking Mulder. It was something about his demeanor and the way he handled her grandson that impressed Mrs. Scully most about Fox Mulder. Only a few seconds after she handed Will over to him, he was calming down. There was something special about him. He hadn't really done anything extraordinary.

"I'll be damned…" Maggie said under her breath.

"Would you like to take him back?" Mulder asked in the most non-judgmental way he could. He honestly didn't know why Will calmed down with him instantly either, and he didn't feel like he had the right to rub the woman's face in it.

"That's fine, Fox, I don't want him to start crying again," Maggie said in the most un-offended way. And that is when Mulder knew that he had Maggie's respect.

"Dana?" Maggie asked, turning to her daughter.

"Yeah Mom?"

"Where did you get that necklace? It's lovely…"

Chapter 20: The Couch

"Ugh," Scully sighed as she flopped down on her bed that night. It was nearing 8:00, and she heard Mulder putting a sleeping William into his crib beside her. Spending almost the entire day with her parents had really wore her out. They had gone out to lunch, then the Smithsonian (which with her mother, turned out to be quite the experience), then out to dinner before they said goodbye. It was goodbye for awhile. They were leaving on a 9:00 plane back to California.

Scully missed her family, she really did. She missed California. She missed the life that she had left behind. But she also liked her new life at college. She liked being independent. She loved having Mulder around. Her parents had surprised her, to say the least. She had not wanted her two worlds to collide just yet.

"You okay, Scully?" Mulder asked, flopping down on the bed next to her. They were both still in their coats, but neither one of them had the energy to take their's off.

"Yeah," she said, remembering to whisper. If the day had been hectic on her, she couldn't imagine what had done to her son. Taking in so many new things, sensing the emotions from the people around him (it had, overall, been a very emotional day), relishing in the familiarity of his grandma and grandpa. Scully was sure he would sleep through the night.

"Wow, after the day we had, sleeping on the couch doesn't seem like such a bad thing," Mulder let slip from his mouth. He hadn't meant it. Sleeping on the couch wasn't torture. He usually got a decent sleep, probably not any different than he would sleep in a bed. Mulder just wasn't a good sleeper. He had learned to live with it. His recurring nightmares and habit of waking up screaming in the middle of the night added to his insomnia. Thus far, he had managed to hide it from Scully. He didn't want to bother her. She had already done so much for him. But his true feelings about sleeping on the couch had slipped, and he watched Scully's face scrunch up with concern.

"I'm sorry, Mulder," she apologized, knowing that making him sleep on the couch wasn't exactly fair. The dorm wasn't big enough to have two beds, but she knew that the whole arrangement was a little ridiculous. Mulder was a tall guy, she would guess around 6'2." The couch was just a crappy generic brand. She felt horrible that he slept on it and never said a word.

"No, no, no," he told her, wishing he could take everything back.

"How about I sleep on the couch? I'm smaller than you," she blurted out.

"No, this is your dorm and besides, Will sleeps in here. Don't worry about it."

"Mulder, it's not fair to make you sleep on the couch. And watch Will. And put up with my parents--"

"This is going to be a routine thing?" he asked in disbelief.

"No… I was just trying to make a point."

"Then let me make mine. This is your dorm, Dana. This is your place. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be living here. I would probably still be dating that bitch across the hall. I wouldn't have the memories that I have of the past two months. I wouldn't get to spend time with an amazing little boy every day. And I wouldn't have a best friend. So I think that sleeping on the couch is okay in comparison to all that."

"Mulder…" she trailed, still not believing how sweet he could be. He reached over and grabbed her hand. They laced their fingers together, an action that had not been uncommon over the past two months. His hand was so big compared to her small one, and he held it as delicately as he could. She was so strong that she would never tell him if he actually hurt her in anyway, even though holding hands wasn't a particularly violent activity. Regardless, he always made sure to be as gentle with her as possible. It would kill him if he hurt her.

"I'm sorry about everything that happened today," Scully said as she tried to fight back tears. She wasn't exactly sure why she was crying, but the tears came anyway.

"You don't have anything to apologize for," he whispered into their hands when he brought them up to his face. His warm breath electrified her.

"That whole thing this morning… that could have been avoided. I should have told them right away."

"You can't possibly hold yourself accountable for what happened earlier. How were you supposed to know that they were going to drop by?"

"Still…"

"Scully, I want you to promise me something right now. I want you to promise me that you will no longer blame yourself for things that other people do. I don't like what the guilt does to you. Please promise me that, Scully. Just that one little thing, and I'll go back to my couch," he smiled.

"Mulder, I don't blame myself for things that other people do. I know that's useless."

"Scully, you do it all the time. It's frustrating because you don't deserve that."

"But I--"

"Promise me, Scully," Mulder said bluntly. He wanted to cut into her straight through.

"Okay, Mulder," Scully sighed, taking a deep breath, "I promise."

"Promise what?"

"Promise that I won't blame myself for the things that other people do."

"Otherwise… I don't know what the otherwise will be. I haven't thought that far ahead yet."

"It's nice to know that you're somebody who doesn't put a lot of thought into your promises," she laughed, rolling onto her stomach (and closer to him, in the process), never letting go of his hand.

"Normally, no," he told her, almost jumping when she rested her elbow on his stomach, "but for you… it's different."

"A lot of things are different for us, huh?" she asked in a playful tone.

"Plenty." Their conversation was turning somber.

"You know what, though?"

"What?" he asked, his eyes barely open so he had to lift his eyebrows.

"I like it that way."

"Me too," Mulder confessed. After that, nothing needed to be said. They could both hear William's light snores. Who would have thought, Mulder pondered, that Will's crying would have brought us together?

He reviewed his life as it had been for the past two months. That was when he realized that he no longer felt hollow. With Diana and Phoebe, with any girl he had ever been with, really, there had been a hollow feeling inside of him during the relationship. Without thinking, he knew that the hollow had been filled the second Scully and Will had entered his life. And it wasn't just full. It was overflowing. He could have shared with all the other people in the world that felt hollow inside, he believed.

Mulder didn't know Scully had been staring at him. She didn't even know she had been staring at him, quite honestly, until she saw him move out of the corner of her eye. He was looking at her, forcing her eyes to meet his. Normally, she would have looked away. Something drew her to Mulder, though. Something so strong that not even Dana Katherine Scully, the "Ice Queen" could have fought against it.

Love.

Mulder was the first to realize it.

Even though he had only known her for two months, he was in love with her. When their eyes locked, he knew it. There was such a strong force between them that he mentally kicked himself for not seeing it sooner. Actually, the thought of being in love with Dana Scully had never crossed his mind. She was too special for that. Too special to be contaminated by him. It hadn't even been an option. They were friends.

But as they shared that gaze, he wanted more than ever to feel special for her. To make her feel special. To be in love with her and her with him. And it wasn't something he could keep secret, so he tugged her arm and pulled her into him.

There was a split second, before their lips touched, where Scully felt the need to pull back. Don't let yourself get too close, her mind told her. But everything was already out on the table. He had her. He had her heart, her mind, her soul. The only thing left to do was kiss him.

So she did.

Chapter 21: Underneath the Heart

Was it weird for them to spend the night in bed together? Probably. But they didn't do anything. They didn't even take their coats off.

So when they woke up in the morning, they were still laying next to each other, their coats were still on, their hands were still clasped, and the smiles were still on their faces.

Scully woke up first.

"Mulder?" she asked, wondering why he was in her bed. She was hot. Then she remembered. And she smiled again. She had never watched him sleep before. He was always up before her. He looked like a baby, like Will, when he slept. Comfortable. Peaceful. Happy.

He must have felt her eyes on him because he opened his as well. And, just like her, his smile got bigger. Unlike her, he remembered right away.

There had been no questions. It was their first kiss, but it felt like they had been kissing forever. It was sweet and warm and careful. They could never be too careful. They had invested a lot into each other.

Scully had been the one to break it off. Not because she didn't like it, but because she couldn't believe in it at first. She had to pull back just to make sure it was really him. To make sure that they were really doing this. They were.

"Is this okay?" he asked, not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. Kissing her had been like kissing an angel, but if he found out that she regretted it, it would kill him. It seemed to take forever for her to nod her head, but the fact was she did, and that was when they fell asleep. No questions. No worries. Just each other.

And Will.

He interrupted their small flashback.

Of course, Mulder wanted to go get him.

"Hey there Bud! Slept all night, didn't you?"

She loved the way Will giggled when Mulder talked to him like that.

"That means you've probably got a nasty diaper…" Scully trailed, and sure enough.

"I'll go make breakfast," Mulder volunteered. He didn't like diapers. He could handle them, but he didn't like them. Then again, who does?

"I was hoping we could go out for breakfast," she smiled as he took off his coat.

"Ahh, and where would m'Lady and her prince like to dine this fine morning?" he asks in a fancy voice, even though she's changing a diaper.

"Mulder," she laughs, knowing anywhere he takes her will be fine.

"Mawwdah," they hear from the changing table. At first, they look at each other to see if what they heard was correct. Then they looked down at Will, happy to be sitting with his bare butt in the air and being looked at.

"What was that, Will?" Scully asked him, afraid what she just heard was a dream.

Will didn't say anything. She remembered when he said her name for the first time.

"Willy, who's this?" she asked, pointing to Mulder with her free hand. Still, nothing.

"Come on, Will. Mul-der," Mulder whispered, hoping to encourage him. It did.

"Mawwdah," Will said again, putting his fingers in his mouth.

Scully's hands were shaking so badly that she was hardly able to put a fresh diaper on him. When it was finally fastened, though, she picked up her baby boy and spun him in the air. In a way, she was happier for Mulder than she had been for herself. It did give her a sense of relief, though, which she couldn't deny that she was relishing in. Everything was falling into place. A year ago, she had been just a disheveled soon-to-be mother. Now, she was newly 19, going to college, had an amazing guy and an equally amazing son that would now have a father-figure. She was pleased that her baby had decided to add Mulder's name to his short and ever-lasting list of words that were important enough to be designated as "first."

"Willy," Mulder said, taking the boy in his arms. Scully didn't realize it at first, but he was crying. He was crying tears of joy for her son, who had just said his name. That made her heart melt.

"Mulder," she said, putting her hand on his shoulder while he kissed William's head. They were sweet kisses, even though Will didn't entirely understand why he was getting them.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, desperately trying to hide his emotions. One look from her, though, and he let them flow freely.

"I haven't felt like this in a long time," he confessed.

"Felt like what?"

"I don't know. Happy. Truly happy. Loved through and through. I haven't felt that way in a long time. Probably not since Sam was taken."

"I'm sorry," Scully said because that's all she could think to say. Mulder shifted Will and threw his other arm around her, kissing her forehead and her cheek in the process.

"You don't have anything to be sorry about," he said between kisses.

"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't felt this way in awhile either. Not as long as you, but it's just the same. I know exactly what you're talking about," she told him, tracing her finger along his tone chest. Will grabbed it. Then they stood like that for a few minutes, just soaking up everything they felt they were missing that they could only find in each other. Even Will knew that this was an important moment.

"So, last night… everything is real?" Mulder finally had to ask. He had to. It was eating him up inside.

"It's real to me," Scully said, laying her chin on his chest to meet his eyes. They were beautiful. Hazel and deep and passionate.

"Are you sure you want to get involved with me, Scully? Are you sure you want to let me contaminate your life?" he asked, half joking and half serious. He didn't understand why he was a curse to other human beings, but the fact was that he seemed to be, and he didn't think he could handle if something (mainly, him) hurt this girl. He would never be able to forgive himself.

"You are free to contaminate my life any time you want," she smiled, and they shared a deep kiss. They didn't even notice that he had to bend down and she had to stand on her toes. She would have stood on a ladder if that's what it took to kiss him.

She liked kissing him.

She found that out when she almost suffocated.

"Easy, there," he told her as she pulled away for air panting. A smile spread across Scully's face, and she no longer felt a pain for her son when she looked at him. He didn't need to know his father. He had Mulder. A few months ago, it would have scared her to be so heavily invested in somebody else, especially after Ethan. But everything had fallen into place. She felt Mulder would take care of her son and her heart.

Her heart.

Like that heart she wore around her neck.

He would protect it.

And he would protect what lay underneath it as well.

Chapter 22: Her Bed

It took a full week for everything to finally hit them. Since they had been living like a couple for so long, it felt natural to them in every way. It was natural for him to make her breakfast in the morning. It was natural for her to do his laundry with her own. It was natural for him to want to take care of Will. It was natural for her to let him hug her and see her walking around after she just got out of the shower with only a towel around her and no makeup. Those were the things that they knew they should do, but they had done anyway; before they knew what everyone else around them could not help but assume.

So, at the end of that week, though things had changed drastically for them, things really hadn't. He was still Mulder and she was still the woman he called Scully. Will was still there, learning how to move things in his mind from the baby world into the adult world.

Mulder still slept on the couch, but was now allowed to kiss her (and be kissed by her) every night before they went to sleep. To kiss her, that was enough. For a bit. But Mulder knew that he could not continue to live in that place with that woman and never give in to a selfish need. She was too beautiful and such a prize.

The two of them had stayed up all night Friday, preparing her for her first big tests of her college career. A sort of secondary placement test. Since she still didn't know exactly what kind of doctor she wanted to be.

"Come on Mulder, ask me another one. I think I'm getting the hang of this," Scully told him, yawning as she sat cross-legged on the floor over a pizza, her study material, and him.

"Scully, you've got the hang of this. You got it three hours ago, after we covered the last chapter in your inorganic chemistry book. You're brilliant and talented, and can we please just go to bed?" Mulder begged her. While he would run to the moon and back for her, he knew he could not prevent sleep for much longer. And he really didn't want to fall asleep in the middle of the living room floor.

"You don't know what it's like. It's not enough that I know the stuff, I have to be able to recall it at a moment's notice. I have to live this material," she tried to explain to him. All he could do was look at the clock on the wall above the refrigerator. Upside-down, it said nothing. When he lifted himself up, it said 3:19 a.m.

"You have to eat and breathe it," he stated.

"Yes."

"You have to sleep it," he tried making his point, brushing his thumbs over the dark circles under her eyes.

He probably had her there.

"What if I forget what I'm doing, though?"

"I have total confidence that you're stressing out way too much over this. You know, the more you worry about a tests, the greater the chance you won't do so well. It's like creating your own worst nightmare. People have a way of doing that without knowing that they're doing that."

"I have to do well on this…"

"You will, Scully," Mulder turned a little more compassionate. In a very unselfish way, he pushed aside his own feelings of exhaustion and focused on what Scully was feeling. Her fears, doubts, worries… they all became his. He sat up like she was and pulled her into his arms.

"What are you doing?" Scully asked, though she didn't pull out of his embrace.

"Comforting you. At least I'm trying to. Most of the time, people just let these kind of things happen."

"Oh."

"Scully, you have nothing to be afraid of. You've worked really hard at learning this, and you're passionate about remembering it. You'll do great on this test, I promise." "That's not really something you can promise me, Mulder. You can't promise that I will do well on this test. What happens if I don't? Then I'd seriously have to reconsider what I want to do with my life. And I don't have time to make mistakes anymore. Not with William. I have to make sure that I get educated and get myself going in this world as soon as I can. Otherwise, he's not going to have a very good life."

"Why do you always think that you're inadequate?" "It's not that, Mulder, it's just that I'm striving to be more than adequate. I'm trying to make myself indispensable."

"You're indispensable, Scully. There's nobody on this Earth that is as indispensable as you. You're so important to your son and your family… and to me. I wouldn't trade or leave you for anything in the world."

"Even your sister?"

"I've done okay with myself without Sam. She's part of me, though. You are here, now, and this is just beginning for us."

"So you're saying I'm not a part of you like your sister is?" she asked. It was just a question, though, not an accusation, because she realized how mean it was for her to ask if she were more important than his sister.

"I don't know how I should interpret what you're asking me," Mulder decided to play it safe. He was treading on thin ice. He had had this discussion more than once, with several different girls, and they always ended up the same. Wouldn't Scully be different? She wasn't like those other girls, who constantly needed to be told they were pretty and perfect and the most important thing on the planet.

"Don't worry about it, Mulder. It's not fair of me to ask you things like this."

"Scully… I really care about you. And Will. And I know you care about me. But Sam… she is my sister. And I have to give her that part of me."

"I know," she sighed, closing her eyes and settling into his arms. She liked it there. It was warm and safe and she closed her eyes.

"You're going to bed," Mulder told her. Scully hadn't realized it, but it had been nearly fifteen minutes and she was drifting off.

"Just one more time through…" she tried to protest.

"Not tonight, Scully," he whispered in her ear, kissing that area underneath the lobe. He loved the taste of her, especially on those gruesome nights where she didn't know how pretty and special she really was to him.

"Please?" she asked, her head hitting his shoulder as he started to lift her. He stood up with her in his arms like she was air.

"Shhhh, go to sleep, Scully," Mulder cooed into her hair. His warm breath had a calming effect on her, and she definitely noticed when she had been set down on her bed.

"Mulder…" Scully trailed, missing him already. He had her. All of her.

"I'm right here," he said, taking her hand, "and I want you to get some sleep."

"Mulder…"

"Hmm?"

"I can't sleep."

"Don't start that, you were falling asleep in the living room."

"No, it's just…"

Mulder tilted his head, not sure what she meant. They had both changed into sweats after an hour of studying because laying on the floor in their regular clothes was just too depressing and uncomfortable. It couldn't be that. William hadn't woken up. Nothing was going on outside.

"Please don't be afraid of those tests tomorrow."

"No… I don't think I can fall asleep tonight if you aren't next to me."

This was a new piece of information for Mulder to process. Since the beginning of their relationship, there had been a certain space between them when it came to sleeping arrangements. He knew Scully would not give herself to him so easily, no matter how much she wanted to. So what she had just professed was not something he was expecting.

"Scully… you're tired," he regretted to tell her.

"No, I really want this."

"Why all of a sudden?"

"I think all this waiting is bad for us. We're adults. It's mean for me to do these things to you like ask you about your sister and pretend to care about you while making you sleep on the couch. It's time I start giving back. Please get in bed with me."

"Scully! You're giving me enough. You're giving me everything I ever wanted. Somebody to care about and all these things that come with being mature enough to wait. It's not something I feel you are holding back from me."

"Mulder…" Scully started for the third time since she got into bed.

"Yeah?"

"Please just get into bed with me."

So he did.

Chapter 23: Proof

"Mulder! Mulder, you won't believe this! Mulder!" she cried, bursting into their apartment around 5:00 that evening. What she held in her hands was proof of what he had said that morning. Proof that she was smart and as brilliant as the sun and indispensable and special.

"What happened?" he asked, looking up from playing with blocks on the floor with William. What he saw was an excited Scully come flying at him with papers in her hand, and he had just enough time to open his arms so she could land in them. She almost knocked him backwards.

"Scully," he started, once they had been rocking back and forth on the floor for a good 30 seconds. She had her arms wrapped tightly around his neck and was almost crying. Will crawled over and put his arm on Mulder's knee.

"I did it, I did it, I did it," she whispered into his collarbone. Mulder could feel the excitement radiating off of her, and he snatched the papers from her hand.

"I don't know what this says," he told her, trying to decipher the marks and plusses on the paper.

"Mulder, I'm in. I'm good here in the medical program. I passed every one of my preliminary exams. I could be any kind of doctor I want!" she almost shouted. Once she was done explaining, she buried herself further into him.

This was not something that Mulder had not expected. Still, he was excited for her. It was hard not to be.

"I knew you could, Scully! Oh my god, that's amazing," he smiled, kissing her on the side of the cheek. He knew how much getting good scores on the exams meant to her.

"Hi Baby!" Scully smiled at William, who looked confused. She picked him up and smothered his bald baby head with motherly kisses. The need to achieve had always been inside of Dana, but she really didn't know what she would do if she didn't have her son to motivate her. All she wanted for him was everything for him.

So the small triumvirate of the dorm sat cuddled together on the floor, soaking up success and their good luck for the time being.

"We have to celebrate," Mulder told her. She had been thinking the same thing.

"Where would you like to go?" Scully asked, kissing William on the head once more. He looked up at her with the brightest blue eyes. He looked nothing like Ethan. Ethan wasn't even a part of him. Mulder was a part of them. He was a part of them both.

"Anywhere is fine with me. The little one could probably make us a few bucks at the bar. I've been teaching him how to play poker," Mulder smiled and grabbed Will's finger.

"You know what?" Scully asked, coming up with a plan.

"What?"

"I would just like to stay in tonight. Just us."

"That sounds like a wonderful plan. Can I take it a step further?"

"I guess."

"Okay, you leave me and Will here and go shopping for the prettiest dress you can find. Come back to your very special surprise around 8:00."

"Haha, Mulder, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not really in a position where I can just buy the prettiest dress I can find. What's this about anyway?"

"It's about celebrating you being one step closer to becoming a doctor. Take my credit card. I want you looking spiffy."

"Mulder…"

"Scully…"

"I can't take your credit card. I have a dress."

"And that dress doesn't do you justice. Find something that is as gorgeous as you are. Though you might have a pretty hard time. They don't make dresses that pretty everywhere…"

"I can't."

"You can. And you will," Mulder told her, snatching up Will and pulling Scully to her feet.

"Mulder, I'm not going," she told him as he pushed her toward the door.

"Oh yes you are. You wouldn't want to be here anyway. Will and I were planning on being super loud disgusting boys and we wouldn't want to subject you to that."

"Fine, but at least let me take the baby. You watched him all day."

"Nope. Nope, this is my treat. You go and I'll stay here."

"Are you crazy?" Scully asked him, grabbing her coat and her purse. He shoved his credit card in her hand. There was no arguing with this man.

"Crazy about you," he said, kissing her tiny white nose, "now go."

Three hours later, Scully had bought herself a flattering olive-green dress that was backless and went around her neck. The second Mulder had told her to buy a pretty dress, that exact dress came to mind. It was hanging in the window of a boutique she passed every day on her way to school. She had imagined herself in it many times, but when she tried it on she felt like the most beautiful woman in the world. She felt like the woman Mulder always described her as. So, in reality, this was as much a present for him as it was for her.

Since she had found her dress right away, but had been given specific orders NOT to come home until 8:00, she sauntered over to the café where she and Mulder had taken her parents. She often went there for lunch. It was a good place to sit and think.

So Scully thought. About her life. About the next step she would take in college and what kind of doctor she wanted to be. She had already decided that pediatrics would be best. She loved children. She thought about her son. What she wanted and how she was going to give it to him. A big house with his very own room with a million toys and a big backyard with room to run. Maybe a puppy. Love and security. The kinds of things all kids want. She thought about Mulder. How much she loved him and how much she wanted to tell him that. How they were meant for each other. She touched the diamond heart on her neck and was sure of it.

Then she thought about her past. About how her present and past would eventually have to meet… for real. Not just a visit from her mom and dad, but how she would have to grant Mulder permission to enter that part of her life entirely. He knew things, but they wanted to move forward together. Eventually, though, she would be forced to face her demons, and she would need him there when she did.

Dana hadn't talked to Missy in awhile. She found herself reaching for her cell phone and dialing the familiar number.

"Hello?" her older sister answered, and Dana almost broke down right there in the middle of the café. Her sister had done so much for her. Yet she found herself running away from everything. In the past, there were things she couldn't carry along with her. She had to leave good and bad things behind.

"Missy?" she asked, tears in her eyes but not in her voice. Melissa couldn't know she was crying.

"Dana? Dana, is that you?" Melissa asked, her tone becoming joyful.

"Yeah."

"Dana! Oh my gosh!"

"Hi."

"How are you? How's Will?"

"Great."

"Danes, what's wrong?"

"What? Nothing."

"You called me out of the blue. And you're being short. Something's wrong."

"No… nothing's wrong. I just… I haven't talked to you in awhile."

"No you haven't. How's school?"

"Really good, actually, I just passed all of my preliminary exams and I'm going into pediatrics."

"Dana! That's so great! Congratulations!"

"Thank you. And I took your advice."

"What advice?"

"You told me I have to let people help me. I am. I'm living with someone."

"You are? And does this someone answer to the name of Fox?"

"No, actually, he doesn't. His name is Fox Mulder, and he likes to be called Mulder."

"And he's tall, dark, and handsome. The kind of guy that makes Mom and Dad worry about you?" "They told you about their little trip here?"

"They did."

"What else did they say?"

"They said you are wearing a smile in your eyes and a heart around your neck."

"I am."

"They said you are not a relationship with this Fox Mulder."

"I am."

"Wait…"

"I am."

"You are?"

"I am."

"That's my little sister."

"He's great, Missy. Really great. I love him a lot, and he loves me… and he loves Will too."

"Good. I am glad for you."

"You aren't nervous for me? You aren't nervous that I'm going to get my heart broken again?"

"Are you nervous for you?" "He's too good to be true."

"Well, I have a theory about this, Dana Katherine. Mom and Dad loved Ethan right away. They thought he was the best guy for you. I swear, Mom was deciding what color bridesmaid dresses she wanted the day after you brought him home for dinner. So… if they don't like this Mulder as much as they let on at home, then he can only be good for you."

"You think?"

"I really do."

"You don't know how much hope that gives me. He's watching Will right now and planning this special dinner for us tonight. He made me go out and buy a dress."

"You're one lucky girl. I wonder what you did to deserve him."

"I am wondering too."

"Don't worry. Just let it happen. Don't think about tomorrow. Just think about tonight and what a wonderfully lucky girl you are."

"I didn't do anything to deserve this."

"Then he must love you more than you think."

"I don't understand you're psychology."

"You don't have to understand it. Like I said, just let it happen."

"Missy?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry I haven't been keeping in touch with you."

"Don't you worry about that for a second. Just remember to stay in touch with YOU. The rest will come."

"I love you Missy, and I miss you like crazy. So does Will."

"I love you too. Give that kid of your's some of it."

"I will."

"You get back to that wonderful Mulder, okay?"

"Alright."

"I'll talk to you later, Danes."

"Bye Missy."

She listened as her sister hung up the phone. She couldn't bring it down from her ear right away. They were three thousand miles apart, but she still felt as Melissa were sitting next to her. A smile spread across her face, and she walked into the bathroom. Her makeup bag sat on the counter as she made herself look how she thought he felt about her. Next came the dress, shoes, and jewelry she had bought. She emerged looking a brand new woman. As brilliant as the sun.

Scully walked into her dorm a full hour before she was scheduled back there. A wonderful smell was emanating from inside, and she closed her eyes before entering.

"Scully?" Mulder asked, and she opened her eyes, a tear-jerking sight before her. The small table was set up with candles and Italian food, most of the lights were off, and Mulder and Will were dressed in their best.

"Mulder…" she trailed, not able to choke back her tears this time.

"Wow, Scully. You look amazing," he told her.

"So do you. So does Will. So does the place. You didn't have to do all this."

"I wanted to. I wanted everything to be special for you. I'm so proud of you."

"It's just med school."

"It's more than that. You know it's more than that, too."

"I know."

"Can I say something?"

"Not yet. Let's eat first."

When they ate, they ate and didn't exchange too many words. They knew what needed to be said and they knew it had to wait. But they spent so much time looking at one another and not talking that Will fell asleep in his high chair.

"I'll put him to bed," Scully said, scooping up Will, knowing that without him, none of this would have been possible.

After she had tucked him in and was about to return to the kitchen, she found Mulder blocking the doorway.

"I can't wait to say this any longer," he told her, taking her hand and kissing her passionately.

"I know what you want to say, Mulder."

"That doesn't mean I don't have to say it."

"Okay."

"Dana Scully, I love you. I am in love with you entirely. Will too. I know this sounds cheesy and all, but it's really how I feel. I can't explain it any better than that. And even though we haven't known each other for a really long time, I still know I love you. I've never felt like this before. You and Will are my world," Mulder monolougued. His words brought tears to Scully's eyes like only his words could do.

"That was beautiful."

"I spent most of the time you were away today thinking of how I would say that. Even that, I don't think, does justice to how much I truly love you. It's not something I can put into words."

"I know. I know because I feel the same way," she smiled. If she died right then and there, she would have died knowing exactly how it felt to be inside someone else's soul. She was finally happy.

"I was so afraid that you didn't."

"How could I not?"

"I'm not used to loving and being loved back."

"Tonight, that's going to change," Scully said, kissing him deeply. They did the dance, slipping each other out of their clothes and moving to their bed. Scully wanted it, but after considering all Mulder had said, she needed to tell him something.

"Mulder," she interrupted, removing his hungry mouth from her neck.

"Yeah?" he asked, running his fingers up and down the inside of her legs. She had to stop him from doing that, too.

"Mulder… I have to say it."

"No, Scully, you don't. I know how you feel," he went back to kissing her.

"No, I have to say it."

"Not if you don't feel comfortable," he breathed.

"Mulder…" she gasped when he found a spot. He knew he had found it, too.

"Don't say it."

"I need to."

"Say it for me then… in a minute," Mulder told her, knowing exactly what to do.

And he was right. It would only take a minute.

And she had to keep herself from screaming as she reached that place that only Mulder would be able to bring her to from now on. Instead of shouting it for everyone to hear, though, she pulled herself up and grabbed onto his shoulders.

"I love you, Mulder," she whispered as she came.

He loved her so much that he came also.

Chapter 24: Fatherhood

After that, Mulder and Scully separate soon became Mulder and Scully together, and you could not say one without the other. It was not lost on anyone. Though neither of them had made much of an impact over the course of time they had been at school, the people that knew them and saw them on a regular basis did not know them separately. Nothing about them was separate anymore. They were two halves of one soul.

Though her first time with Ethan had been her last, she stayed with Mulder. She did not run, and she did not fear him. She stayed.

She stayed well into the spring, when Will decided to take his first steps. Mulder was right there with her, holding the video camera like a proud parent. It was April now, and the love that they shared was not unlike that shared by a father and son. Mulder did everything that a father should do, including late-night diaper changes, baths, piggy-back rides, and man talks. Scully didn't have much of an idea what they did in the daytime when she was at class, but she saw the effects when she came home.

She saw the effects when her son took his first steps over to her, then smiled into the video camera and called Mulder not his usual "Mawwdah," but something else.

"Dada," William smiled and pointed to the man behind the camera. If you replayed that part of tape over now, you would hear a very audible gasp that was shared between Mulder and Scully. Then the tape fades to black.

Mulder gave Scully a confused look. Had she been teaching him to say that? Scully shook her head, knowing what he was asking without him actually telling her.

"No, Willy, that's Mulder," she said calmly, not wanting to spoil her son's happy moment, but not sure how to handle this. If she was unsure, Mulder was at a total loss.

"Remember, Will? Mawwdah…" he reassured in his baby voice. Will didn't seem to understand what he had done wrong. He looked back and forth from his mom to Mulder, wondering where he had slipped up. A few moments ago, there were huge smiles on their faces and he was getting clapped for and cooed to. Now, they were nervous.

These thoughts rendered William speechless. He looked as if he were about ready to cry when Scully, determined that it was just a slip-up, tickled his stomach and made funny faces at her son. They would deal with what had happened later, when they could better understand why it happened.

6:32 p.m., April 12, was when William took his first steps and first called Mulder "Dada." Two hours later, nestled on the couch on his mother's lap, he was sound asleep, already having forgotten about the entire incident. Mulder and Scully hadn't, though.

"I don't know where that came from," Scully said, running her finger up and down Will's back. She really had no idea. She did not understand how the synapse from Mawwdah to Dada had been formed in her little boy's mind.

"That's okay, I've actually been meaning to talk to you about that," Mulder said, putting his arm around Scully and squeezing. She fit right underneath his arm, and he loved that.

"Go ahead."

"I was wondering, since I feel so much that part of him already, if it would be alright if William did call me that…"

"What? 'Dada?'" Scully asked, confused.

"Well, yeah," Mulder said. They shared a quiet moment.

"I don't know, Mulder," she worried. She understood his logic, but she wasn't ready to make that sacrifice. Because nothing is for sure, and it was not 100% certain that she would stay with Mulder for the rest of her life. As much as she wanted to, she could not risk her son's heart.

"You don't want him to get hurt?" Mulder asked, reading her mind.

"Something like that," Scully said, bowing her head. She really did feel like a jerk.

"Dana, you know I would never hurt you, right? And I would never ever hurt your little boy. I would die first."

"I know you feel that way… now. But what about a few months, a year, down the road? I mean, Mulder, this is all so new. I have no doubt about your love for us, but… I had this baby by myself and raised him for seven months alone. And he comes first, no matter what. I'm fine laying myself out on the line, but I can't do that to him. He didn't even ask for it."

"Don't you think that him calling me that was as much of a way of asking as any? I spend every day with him. I feel like he's my own. I love him like a son. And sooner or later, he's going to get confused."

"Are you trying to tell me it's either you or Ethan to him? Because, Mulder--"

"No. God, no. I'm so lucky to have you. I'm sure there are a million men out there who would love and cherish you just the same. I'm sure there are even better examples of fathers out there for Will to have… I'm just asking you to please let me fill that spot in Will's life. I grew up, and my dad was never home. I don't want Will to feel like I did."

Scully didn't know much about Mulder's past. She knew about Samantha, but that was about it. She felt that she could gain a greater knowledge from the fact that he never wanted to talk about his childhood than she could by just asking him, but there were things that she felt were not accessible to her. And she loved Mulder so completely that she wanted to know the things that made him HIM. But this was not about her. It was about Mulder's relationship with her son.

"I appreciate that, you don't know how much. For a long time, I wondered if Will would even have a father figure in his life. I'll make a deal with you, okay?"

"Umm, okay."

"Will knows you as 'Mulder' first and foremost. Only recently has he made the connection that somebody like you is usually called 'Dada.' We didn't encourage it, but we didn't really discourage it either. So, I say, we let William decide. Whatever he wants to call you is what he will call you. Is that okay?" Scully compromised. She ran her fingers through William's baby hair, being so concerned for his heart just like she had been with her's.

"That's fine. Whatever Will wants," Mulder smiled. Deep down, it scared him that a baby could have so much influence over what he was called and how happy it would make him. But William had never let Mulder down before. And his father had called him "Idiot" most of the time, so he realized that it didn't matter so much as to what he called him, but what he treated him like and vice versa. As long as he never gave Will a reason to hate him, he wouldn't. And life would go on. Whether he was Mawwdah or Dada.

"Mulder, I'm pretty tired, I think it's time to go to bed," Scully yawned, dreading her classes the next morning. Mulder nodded and put William in his crib, just like a father.

Will woke up that night, as usual, around 1:45, but he didn't wake up fussy or hungry or wet. He woke up screaming, terrified, it seemed. His cries pierced the air, and it had an enormous effect on both Mulder and Scully.

"Oh gosh," Scully said, sitting up. Mulder's arm, which had been around her stomach, now lay gently on her hip, and he patted her there as she went to get up.

"Stay here," he assured her, "I'll get him."

William clung to Mulder tightly as he lifted him out of his crib.

"There there, now, Buddy. What's the matter? What's wrong?" Mulder cooed as he bounced the baby up and down. Scully relaxed upon hearing her son's cries diminish, and lay back down to get some rest.

In the meantime, Mulder walked with William into the kitchen, where he hoped some light would wake the boy even more. Maybe he was caught in a dream. He wasn't sure what types of nightmares almost-one-year-olds had, but this one had trapped Will.

"It's okay, Willy. I've got you. I'm right here," Mulder assured him, cradling him toward his shoulder and listening with ease as he settled down. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Mulder rocking slightly back and forth until William had relaxed completely. He hated whatever had woken Will up in such a way. He would lay down his life for that kid.

Maybe fatherhood didn't start when somebody called you their father. Maybe it started when you felt like that for a child.

"Mulder?" Scully asked, standing in the doorway to their bedroom, the light hurting her eyes.

"Yeah?"

"Are you coming back to bed? You've been out here for awhile. I think Will's asleep," she said, motioning toward his shoulder, where Will lay sound asleep. That made them both smile.

"I'll be right there," he told her, then followed her to their bed. A stop at the crib first, though. As delicately as he could, Mulder set the baby down and covered him with the soft blankets.

"Night Buddy, I'll see you in the morning," he said, running his finger along William's jaw.

"Night Dada," William said in his sleep, then drifted deeper into his dreams.

Chapter 25: The Blessing

~July 15... Same Year:

Happy Birthday to you

Happy Birthday to you

I love you so much, William

I'm glad you love me too.

"Mama! Some here! Some here!" William shouted over the sound of a baseball game on TV and the timer on the oven going off. Scully threw her hands up in the air.

"Mulder, could you get that? It's probably Mom and Dad, and they weren't told to get here until 3:00," she called from the kitchen, maybe a little too loudly. It was her son's first birthday, and she wanted everything to be perfect. But it was nearing 1:30 and she still wasn't as ready as she had hoped to be. She still had to ice the cake and wrap the presents. Mulder was in charge of making sure William stayed out of the way. He wanted to help in a more significant way, but Scully assured him that it would be fine. So they sat down to watch a baseball game. Thanks to Mulder, William understood most of the basics of baseball.

"Hi Mrs. Scully, Captain Scully…" she heard Mulder from the doorway. She needed to hurry up. She still didn't trust her parents with him.

"Hello Fox. And hello to you, Birthday Boy!" she heard her mother exclaim. Then, there was the rustling of a present, and that was how William would know it was his birthday.

"Open now?" William asked as Scully came out of the kitchen, licking icing off of her finger. William was holding a gift bag, while Mulder was holding a giant wrapped box. Leave it to her parents.

"I don't know… Mommy? Can he open his presents now?" Mrs. Scully asked, walking over to her daughter for a hug. She hadn't seen her since her birthday.

"I guess one is okay," Scully smiled, kissing her father on the cheek. It wasn't hard which one William would pick to open. He threw his bag aside and reached for the box in Mulder's arms.

"First you have to give Grandma a kiss. She hasn't seen you in awhile."

Scully was watching her son kiss his grandparents when she felt a tug on her arm. It was Mulder, and he pulled her a few feet to the side.

"Scully… they don't know, do they?" he asked. He had every reason to. He was not in charge of who she told and when.

"No, they don't."

"Almost six months and they still don't know?"

"It's just never come up."

"Ah, I see. Well, don't you think today would be a good day to tell them?"

"Mulder, I don't know…"

"Please, Scully. I can't tiptoe around them today. Let's just get it over with, and hopefully they'll have the decency not to ruin Will's day."

"Alright, but you're actually saying the words."

"Me? Uh, sorry, but I don't want to be eaten alive."

"Too bad, you're the one that wants to do this so badly."

"Oh, you think that we can just fake it. You really think that we'd be able to keep this from them today?"

"Actually, I do. But obviously you don't, so it looks like we're going to have to tell them. Well, you're going to have to tell them. I'll just sit next to you, holding your hand," she smiled deviously at him. Of course he would have the moral conscience. Why did he feel worse about lying to her parents than she did?

He admitted defeat with his eyes, but William had a different plan for them.

"Dada," he called to Mulder, reaching out to him with his chubby baby fingers. He wanted him to help open the gift. Mulder's heart jumped up into his throat. Scully turned beat red.

"Excuse me?" Capt. Scully said, not sure if he heard his grandson correctly. Mulder had no choice but to go over to William and give him what he wanted. He took him into the living room, shut off the baseball game, and helped him dig into his present. Scully stayed in the hallway.

"What did William just call him?" Mrs. Scully asked once she thought Mulder was out of earshot. He wasn't, though. In their tiny dorm, nothing was out of earshot.

"He calls him 'Dada,'" Scully said meekly.

"You condone this?" her mother asked.

"I haven't told him not to say it," Scully answered shortly.

"When did this all start?" the older woman inquired.

"A few months ago…"

"A few months ago? And you didn't say anything? You didn't even bother to tell your son that that man isn't his father? You aren't even in a relationship with Fox, how could you let your son--"

That's when Mrs. Scully realized what had been going on. Her daughter's expression told the story.

"You didn't bother to say anything…"

"It wasn't important, Mom."

"It's very important. I don't know if you realized this, but you are and Fox are not the only ones involved in this relationship. If he is dating you, he is dating your son as well. And I'm all fine with that. But, Dana… don't you think you're taking things a little too fast?"

"Fast? We waited, Mom. We did. But I love Mulder, and he loves me, and most importantly, he loves Will with all his heart. There is nothing he wouldn't do for us. I was, I mean I am, careful, Mom. Will always came first. I can't understand why you wouldn't want me to give myself to a perfectly wonderful man who cares so much about me and my child. I've found what I've been looking for," Scully defended, deciding to stop being shy and just admit what she had been hoping wouldn't come up. She was prepared to go down fighting for him, once again.

"Sweetheart, I know things have been rough for you--"

"You don't know the half of it, Mom, so don't even pretend that you do. Please don't be condescending. Just let me live my life. Trust me to know what I am doing."

Scully revisited her birthday that year, when she had been doing the exact same thing. It would take awhile for her parents to be okay with the fact that her daughter's love was not always unreciprocated. It would take awhile for them to realize that not everyone was out to hurt her.

Mrs. Scully sighed.

"You could have told us, Dana. You could of at least told us… we're your parents."

"I'm sorry, Mom. But this is sort of the reason why I didn't want to tell you at all."

"Baby," Mrs. Scully started, letting down her defenses just like she had when Dana was little so that she could let her baby girl know that she wasn't mad at her, "you can tell us things. You can tell us anything. We know you're strong and independent. That won't change if you tell us what's going on. We promise, don't we, William?"

"It won't, Starbuck," Capt. Scully said in a stoic voice, but then left the hallway in pursuit of Mulder. The man who had won his respect in a staring contest. Scully wanted to run in there and protect Mulder from her father, but she had no idea what would pan out. Her father could be very unpredictable at times.

"Ahh, look at this, Will!" Mulder exclaimed in the living room. He knew that Capt. Scully was coming, but he could do nothing about that. All he could really do was pretend that he hadn't heard what had been said. He tried to attract the baby's attention over to the rocking horse that Mr. and Mrs. Scully had gotten him, but even William seemed to sense the impending doom.

"Fox," Capt. Scully said to get his attention. As if it would be hard to obtain.

"Yes, Sir?" Mulder asked, gulping.

"Turn on that game you were watching. I happen to be a pretty big baseball fan myself." Mulder obeyed, wondering where this was leading them.

A few minutes of the Cubs/Mets game later, and Mulder found himself starting to relax. He had opened up the rocking horse for William and was pushing him on it peacefully. Every now and then, Capt. Scully would turn his head toward his grandson and smile. Dana and her mother had retreated to the kitchen, it seemed.

When the game went to a commercial break, though, Capt. Scully turned all of his attention to Mulder. He picked up the remote off the coffee table and muted it, to make sure they didn't have any distractions.

"My grandson thinks you're his father?" Capt. Scully started with. Mulder didn't really know how to answer that.

"He just knows that somebody like me is called a father. I don't know if he thinks of me that way or not."

"But he calls you his father."

"Yes, he does Sir."

"Do you think of him as a son?"

"Yes, I do. I love him a lot."

"You love my daughter?"

"With all my heart."

"You would never do anything to hurt her?"

"I would die first."

"You would never do anything to hurt this little guy?"

"Never."

"Do you understand what would happen if you did?"

"You don't have to worry about that, Sir. I never would, ever."

"But if you did, you know I would hurt you."

"I do."

"You know that I would hunt you down and kill you?"

"I wouldn't doubt you, Sir."

"Just so long as we're on the same page. Don't ever hurt my daughter or my grandson. They're… precious," Capt. Scully explained, turning softer.

"I feel the same way. Sir, you don't have to worry. I would never hurt them. I don't think you understand that that is impossible for me to do."

"No, I understand," Capt. Scully finally smiled, and Mulder knew he was thinking about his own wife.

"They're amazing, Sir. Dana and William…"

"Well, my little girl seems to think the world of you as well. So I might as well give you a chance. Fox Mulder, welcome to the family," Capt. Scully said, sticking out his hand. Mulder shoot it, and they went back to watching the game.

Chapter 26: You Understand

They had just finished settling in for the night when the phone rang. It was almost midnight, and Scully sighed. It had been a hectic day. It was hard making sure that her son's birthday party had been all she wanted it to be, while simultaneously getting used to the fact that her parents were going to accept Mulder and her son's choice to call him his father. It was emotionally and physically exhausting. She hadn't even had the energy to respond to Mulder's temptations. Once William was asleep, she was done in.

So it wasn't her that answered the phone. It was Mulder who exerted himself enough to reach up and grab it.

"Hello?" he asked sleepily. He really had no idea who would be calling so late, and that was part of the reason why he answered.

"Fox?" he heard a distressed woman on the other end of the line. He recognized the voice. He had heard it that day…

"Mrs. Scully?" he asked, and this woke Dana. She sat up in bed, grabbing the phone from Mulder.

"Mom?" she asked, breathing heavily. Her mother never called anyone later than 9:00 unless it was an emergency.

"Dana…" her mother was barely able to say. She sounded like she was crying.

"Mom? What is it? What's wrong?" Scully asked, growing frantic. She couldn't possibly imagine what was wrong. Her parents were supposed to be on their plane ride home.

"Dana… it's your dad. He had a heart attack… and we lost him. He's gone, Sweetie…" Mrs. Scully said and broke down. Scully had been leaning on Mulder, so he heard Mrs. Scully's every word. He was just shocked with Scully's reaction.

She didn't cry. She didn't burst into hysterics. She didn't scream and shout. She didn't break down in his arms. She stiffened her back. Her face became hard as stone and her gaze turned icy cold. She looked like she had left her body. Mrs. Scully was still crying on the phone.

Mulder noticed that when she realized that her father was gone, a part of Scully died as well. And that part made itself known when her mother started shouting her name and she didn't answer. He gently took the phone from her.

"Mrs. Scully," he said, not really sure of what else to follow that with.

"Fox… I need you to take Dana home," Mrs. Scully instructed him.

"Home?"

"To California. Get the next flight. She… she needs to be there…"

"Right away, Mrs. Scully," Mulder agreed, not really sure he could deny the woman anything at that moment. There wasn't anything after that. Mrs. Scully had hung up, and Mulder forgave her for not saying goodbye.

"Scully… Baby…" Mulder started, but then stopped. Scully had started trembling.

"Mu-"

"Shhhh, it's okay," Mulder cooed, taking her in his arms after what she had tried to say he realized was not going to come out. As he held her, he realized that she was screaming inside, but she couldn't let those screams out. Her whole world had been shaken, and everything lay around her in broken pieces. Scully didn't want Mulder to hold her because she felt that if he did, he would break as well. There was no solid ground.

"No," was the only word Scully could say to express her emotions, "no, no, no, no, no, no!" she yelled. There was an enormous pressure building on her chest and everything inside of her threatened to flow out.

Literally.

Scully leaned over Mulder, over the side of the bed, and threw up. The wave lasted longer than most waves do, and when she was done, she was exhausted. Her eyes still filled with tears, though, and they fell onto Mulder's naked shoulder as he dared to pick her up and put her back together.

There came a point where crying was not enough. Her father had never approved of crying, telling her that nothing could be accomplished by allowing yourself to. As Scully grew older, though, she realized that sometimes crying was necessary, just in more extreme forms. Not necessarily to get what you want, but when you go for so long without crying, something more than tears comes out. Plus, there was only one way Scully could express her feelings of unfairness and disbelief. She started to scream unintelligible things into Mulder's chest.

"Baby," Mulder whispered into her hair, holding onto her tightly and riding out the storm of emotions with her. At one point she became violent, hitting him, though he doubted she knew she was doing it.

And then came the most important part. The part where Scully crashed into him with all her might and started crying real tears of real grief. The part where she slipped into a sort of catatonic stage and hiccupped for herself. This was the part where Mulder would have to be most delicate.

But somewhere in there, William had heard his mother's screams, and screamed for her as well. And though Mulder knew he needed to be delicate, William was crying out for him. He was never good at ignoring Will.

"No more tears," he said, bouncing the baby. He left Scully on the bed, but she probably didn't even know he had left. She was somewhere else.

"Mulder, why?" Scully asked him in desperation. Will was still crying, and Scully's eyes were crying as well. When he sat down next to her, she crawled into his lap and resumed her earlier chronological grief process. He held her, and she cried, but he was also holding a crying William.

Mulder felt like he was being ripped apart.

He needed to get her home, he realized. Where Scully would have help. He couldn't help her. Not like her family could. Hating himself as he did this, Mulder lifted Scully with him as he stood up and placed her on the floor. She looked like she was about to collapse, but Mulder was once again there to save her.

"We're going to California," he said, whispering into her hair. Between deep breaths, Scully nodded. The urge for her to go home was undeniable. She needed her mother, her sister, and her brothers. She needed her father. Her Ahab. Maybe if she went home, she would find this all a joke. An elaborate hoax to get her to come home. She'd be mad at first, but then she'd hug her father and just be thankful that he was alive. How could he be dead? He was with her just that day. He had given her son his birthday presents just that day. He had had the cake and sang "Happy Birthday" just that day. He had blessed her relationship and called her Starbuck just that day.

He couldn't be dead.

She had hugged him before he left and she had felt life. She was studying to be a doctor, couldn't she feel death coming on? Wouldn't she have been able to save her father? Couldn't she have done something? Maybe she shouldn't have left home and everything behind after all. She obviously wasn't a very promising med student. She couldn't even save her own father.

The plane ride to northern California was uneventful. Scully couldn't sleep, and Mulder accepted that once they were three quarters of the way there. William slept through most of it, but the other part he had been good. Mulder took care of him. Scully was still distant and in her own place. She could stay there. He would be waiting for her when she came back.

"William, stay with me, Bud," Mulder told the one-year-old as they tried to make their way through the airport to baggage claim. He felt like he was a father of two, not only dragging around William, but dragging around Scully as well. Their fingers were laced and he never stopped trying to tell her how much he loved her without words.

Try as he might, he couldn't get Scully to open up. He didn't know it wasn't up to him to get her to open up. She would open up to someone else. Someone who was waiting in the parking lot when they got there.

"Missy?" Scully asked. Those were her first words since landing.

"Hey Danes," the tall red-head said sadly. Scully let go of Mulder's hand and ran towards her sister, jumping into her arms, practically. Mulder's heart ripped when he heard her cry out in pain, and he tried to remember that he could not be everything to Scully. He had to share her.

"It's not true, is it?" Scully asked. She still wanted to believe it was a terrible joke. Or maybe even a dream.

"I'm sorry," her sister admitted, wiping tears away from her already tear-stained eyes.

"He can't be. He's our dad…"

"I felt the same way. But he had a heart attack on the plane, Dana. They had to do an emergency landing, but by then it was too late. They worked on him for fifteen minutes, Dana, and they couldn't get anything--"

"Stop!" Scully yelled, putting her hands over her ears. She didn't want to hear the gruesome details. She didn't want to know the where, the when, the how, or the why. She didn't want to know anything. This was her father they were talking about. Her Navy captain father. The one who called her Starbuck and threatened to kill her boyfriend. Her Ahab.

"I'm sorry, Danes," Melissa apologized. She stroked her sister's hair for another minute until she noticed a man with a baby walking toward her.

"You must be Fox Mulder," she said, tucking her much-shorter sister under her arm. The two shook hands.

"Yes, I am. I'm very sorry for your loss," Mulder said. He remembered when people had told him that. He never really knew the effect it had on people because he himself spent most of his time trying to avoid that particular comment.

"Thank you," Melissa said somberly, "… can I hold my William?"

William seemed to instantly remember his Aunt Melissa, and it was a nice family reunion for them. Only, Scully could not stop thinking about her son's future, and how he wouldn't have his grandfather. She shot Mulder a few glances, but he had removed himself from the picture. This was Scully's life before him. He felt like an intruder.

"Dana…" her mother greeted her at the door once Melissa had driven them back to the house. It was the first time Scully had been back since she left for college, and she wished with all her heart it were under better circumstances. Now there would always be something missing about that place.

"Hi Mom," she said as she was hugged, trying to be strong. She knew it was useless to try and pull of her strong routine for Melissa, but Scully figured her mother didn't need any more grief. She didn't know that that was all her mother wanted to see out of her youngest daughter.

"Hi Fox," Mrs. Scully felt it important to add over Scully's shoulder. He was holding Will and carrying the bags.

Instead of repeating his line to Melissa like some insincere parrot, Mulder embraced Mrs. Scully as well, because she allowed it.

"Come on, Mulder," Melissa said to him after they were done, "let's go take your bags upstairs." It wasn't something that needed to be done immediately. But one look at Scully and Mulder noticed that sometimes, a girl just needs her mother. So he picked up William and the luggage once more, and followed Melissa upstairs.

"I'm really sorry we had to meet like this," Melissa said once she had shown Mulder where he, Scully, and William would be staying. Times must have been really hard on them, Mulder thought, if they would let him and Scully stay in the same room together. Maybe they trusted him because William would be in there with them too.

"Me too. Wow… I had just talked to your father…"

"Yeah. Mom just called me on her cell phone not two hours before it happened to tell me they were coming home. I hadn't talked to my dad, but it's so weird what you assume your life will consist of later in the day…"

"Can I put him down for a nap?" Mulder asked, noticing William's head was hitting his shoulder. Melissa told him to hold on and wheeled a very familiar baby crib into the room from the nursery across the hall.

"He used to sleep here when he was tiny."

"It's so weird, intruding on Dana's life like this. This is… she once told me that her life before me and her life after me were two things she didn't want to meet. And it feels weird that I am after all this time."

"How long have you two been together?" Melissa asked, watching her nephew sleep. She was liking Mulder. She had never disliked him.

"Almost six months."

"Wow. If Dana didn't like you, by now she would have kicked you to the curb."

"Sometimes I wonder why she hasn't."

"Relax, you seem alright."

"Alright, but not for this life."

"Mulder… my sister is a complicated person. I know that sometimes she can be cold and distant, but when she does come out, she shines, and I think you should appreciate that."

"I love your sister. I hope she loves me as much as I love her…"

What Mulder didn't know was that Scully was standing right outside the door. And because she knew the house, she was able to creep away without being seen or heard.

~Later~

"Mulder?" Scully asked, coming into the room she couldn't believe she was sharing with him. It was her old bedroom. Her old bedroom from her old life. And now her son and Mulder were going to sleep there with her.

"Yeah?" he asked. He had been reading, and he dropped everything for her.

"I'm sorry," she said, crawling into bed and effectively, into his arms.

"For what?" Mulder asked. He couldn't begin to imagine what Scully would have to be sorry about.

"I'm shutting you out. I don't mean to."

"I know you don't. I understand." Scully laughed a little at this.

"I know you understand. You always understand. Why do you always understand? You can't ever be clueless…"

"I'll always understand because I'll always love you. And you know what else? Most people don't take the death of their father lightly. You are allowed some emotional turmoil."

"I miss him so much, Mulder. You can't even begin to imagine…"

"I know."

"You understand."

Chapter 27: Graduation

"And with all that said, I would like to honor the University of Maryland's Undergraduate Medical Class of 2009. Welcome to the real world!" Prof. Daniel Waterston announced to the audience of the graduation ceremony. All in all, there were about 300 aspiring doctors who had received their diplomas, but Mulder could pick out his aspiring doctor in a heartbeat. His eyes were drawn to her, and he couldn't believe that after four years together he was still as in love with her as the day they first kissed; more so, even. He had never stopped loving her for a moment since, and he didn't think he would for the rest of his life.

The crowd cheered and clapped, including Mulder and William, now almost five. Though he knew it would earn him some looks from the snooty middle-aged parents who surrounded him in the audience, Mulder lifted Will onto his shoulders. As the graduates threw their hats into the air, they both yelled, "Go Scully!" It was an amazing feeling. Mulder had been with Scully since the beginning. He had endured late night study sessions, morning cramming, and a very emotional Scully on several occasions, but in the end, to watch her walk across the stage and handed her dream in the form of a scroll of paper, it was worth it. He finally knew how it felt to be her, two years prior, standing in the audience watching him receive his degree in psychology. He finally understood why she had cried.

The same magnetism that had drawn his eyes to her during the ceremony drew Mulder to Scully when they met outside. She was beautiful in her cap and gown, and they shared a long kiss.

"You have no idea how proud I am of you. My girlfriend's a doctor," Mulder smiled, handing William to Scully so she could smother him with motherly love.

"Not a doctor yet, Mulder. Not until I complete my residency."

Residency. It had put a major hole in the way he thought about doctors. Though Mulder technically could become a psychologist, he had devoted himself to the world of behavioral profiling for the Baltimore P.D. He was good at what he did, too. Since Mulder had joined the force, there had been a 16% decrease of unsolved kidnapping cases. Mulder had pondered joining the FBI for a time after graduating, but Scully wouldn't let him. She wouldn't allow him to put himself in that kind of danger, not with her and Will at home. Being a behavioral profiler allowed Mulder to use his skills without putting himself in immediate danger.

Before Scully had told him about residency, Mulder just assumed that she was a doctor once she graduated. Of course, he knew it entailed more than that, but he at least thought that he would be able to call her Dr. Scully. It was disheartening to him when he learned that she would have to undergo four more years of residency and then internship before he would be able to call her "doctor."

There was one other thing it prevented him from doing. Mulder recalled a conversation they had about marriage. Mulder was absolutely certain that Scully was the woman of his dreams. He wanted to spend the rest of his life with her, and he had told her that. Every time he felt like proposing, though, he reminded himself of something Scully had once told him.

"I'm not saying anything about you, Mulder. It's a decision I made a long time ago. With divorce like it is… I just want my own name on my diploma."

He understood. Sometimes, it wasn't enough for Scully to be as independent as she was. She had to make other people understand it as well.

Another kiss before Mulder felt a presence behind him. Glaring eyes, actually. Mrs. Scully, Melissa, and Scully's two brothers, who Mulder had not been able to find in time before the ceremony started, were standing behind him. The glaring eyes belonged to Scully's oldest brother, Bill. He never liked Mulder. Scully told him that it was because Bill believed she should have married Ethan. Bill was old-fashioned that way. It made sense for his sister and Ethan to get married. They had a kid. He didn't understand why she never told him.

"Congratulations Sweetie!" Mrs. Scully exclaimed, and Dana was soon enveloped by her mother and sister in one swoop. William squirmed out of his mother's arms and over to Mulder, gripping his leg.

"Hey there Will," Bill started, squatting down to see his nephew. William looked like he wanted to smile but knew better than that. Uncle Bill didn't like Daddy and the awkwardness was not lost even on a four-year-old. Of course, Bill blamed Mulder for brainwashing the kid into not liking him.

"Congrats Sis," he decided instead, squeezing between his mother and sister to hug her. Charlie was next, though unwillingly. 13-year-olds aren't supposed to hug and kiss their older sisters.

"So, Kids, are we doing something as a family tonight?" Maggie asked, embracing Mulder and her grandson.

"We were actually thinking about getting reservations tonight. Our place is a little small," Mulder explained.

It was true. They had lived in the same place for four years. At first, it was a money issue. They didn't have the money to get a bigger place. Then, after Mulder got his job, it became a time issue. With Dana finishing her degree, Mulder starting to work, and William beginning preschool, there was no time to look for a new place, much less consider moving their whole lives out of their cramped quarters and into that new place.

They made due. Once William got old enough to sleep in a bed, they bought a pull-out couch and let him sleep on that. The den became more or less William's bedroom. It wasn't the life Dana had always wanted for her son, but it would have to do for now. There simply wasn't enough time.

"Mulder, you won't be able to get reservations anywhere tonight. It's Friday," Melissa said. Scully walked over to Mulder and put his arm around her shoulders.

"I don't see anything wrong with having them come back to our place. It'll be a little cramped, but we can fit," she told everyone. It was settled.

"Okay, then, we'll meet you back at your place around 2:00, okay?" Maggie asked.

"That sounds great."

"Alright. Congratulations again, Dana. I'm so proud of you, and I know your father is too."

The subject of Capt. Scully was still a touchy one for Dana, even after all these years. She bowed her head.

"I know, Mom. Thank you."

With one more round of hugs and kisses, they were left to themselves. William hung himself on Scully's gown.

"Mommy, I'm tired," he told her. But Scully wasn't looking at her son. She was looking across the lawn, catching the eye of someone she had wanted to see.

Prof. Daniel Waterston had been more than just a professor to Scully. He had been her mentor and guide. When things turned themselves upside down in Scully's world, it was him to set her back on her feet and tell her to keep going. Of course there was Mulder, but he was more of a cushion. In ways that Mulder sometimes failed to, Dr. Waterston challenged Scully. She felt she owed him the gratitude.

"Go with Dad to the car, Willy, Mommy has to go talk to her professor," Scully told William, giving him a kiss on the cheek but no longer feeling it important to look at Mulder. That was why he hated the man that Scully seemed to love. Mulder knew he took on some fatherly role in Scully's life that she had obviously been missing. But to Mulder, the level of intimacy the professor had with Scully was unnerving. Maybe Scully couldn't see it, but something was definitely suspicious about him. But whenever Mulder tried to talk to her about it, Scully immediately became defensive of him. Mulder didn't suspect it was because she liked Daniel that much, but because she had been manipulated once by a man, and she didn't think herself capable of not seeing the signs again.

But maybe he was reading too much into it. Maybe it was because he had never experienced the closeness with a professor that Scully seemed to have found in Daniel. She had even been over to his house for dinner once or twice. She called him by his first name...

"Dana," Prof. Waterston greeted when she came up to him. She engaged in a big hug with him.

"Thank you so much, Daniel. For everything," she said sincerely, trying to suppress the tears that were surely going to form in her eyes.

"Oh, Dana, you could have done all this on your own," he told her.

"Are you kidding? I could have never accomplished even half of what I've done without you. You've been such a big influence. And that address you made…"

"Alright, you don't have to paint me as some kind of god. I was happy to help."

"Still, Daniel, you don't know all of what you've done. I'd like to have you over for a celebration dinner at my place tonight. My family is going to be there, but I'm sure we can squeeze in room for you."

"Oh, Dana--"

"Please? It's the least I can do."

"Well, how can I refuse that? What time?"

"2:00," Scully told him, then proceeded to give him directions.

"Say goodbye to Professor Waterston?" Mulder asked when Scully found the car.

"Not quite," she said. Mulder gave her a confused look.

"I invited him over for dinner tonight. I know how you feel about him, Mulder, but please do this for me. Besides, everyone's going to be there."

"Scully, you know I think he's a creep."

"I don't care what you think, Mulder. He's a good guy, and I wanted to thank him."

"You thanked him, Scully. You thanked him enough."

"That may be what you think, Mulder, but I think he deserves more. Besides, he did more to help me through medical school than you ever did," Scully said the last part in almost a whisper. Of course she didn't mean that, and Mulder knew it. It still hurt, though, and it shut him up.

Chapter 28: Violation

Dana Scully had done and said many things to Fox Mulder over the four years she was with him, but he never reacted to one like he had her comment in the car on the way home from her graduation. The fact that she would even say that hurt him very much. She surprised herself by saying what she did. But she wasn't taking it back.

It was 1:00 by the time they arrived back at the dorm. That gave Scully just enough time to change out of her gown and into something more practical, then get something started for dinner. She knew her mother would also stop by the store and get something, so she didn't hurry.

"Mommy, I'm tired," Will complained to her once more as she took off her jewelry, among them the heart necklace that Mulder had given her so long ago. She never took it off. There was a bit of a clink as it hit the bottom of her jewelry box.

"Alright, Will, let's get you down for a nap," she said, picking up her son and laying him down on the bed. His little eyes closed almost immediately, and she realized what a joy it was to watch her son sleep. He was so content and happy. The past four years had just flown by.

"Scully?" she heard at the door.

"Yeah?" she asked, trying not to sound annoyed. She knew the effects of what she had said to Mulder.

"Your mom's on the phone. She's wondering what she should bring."

"Tell her just to bring dessert. I was going to make something."

With that, Mulder left, but not before giving William a loving look. He couldn't remember his life without them. He didn't want to, even in times like these.

The day was getting warmer, and with all the people crammed into the small space, Scully knew it was going to feel hotter inside than outside. She pulled on a skirt and nice top to go with it. She looked springy. A fluff of her hair and she was ready to pretend to be the perfect mother/student/girlfriend again. The façade was never ending.

As she suspected, her mother brought more than just dessert. Even though Scully had made a huge meal of mostacolli, her mother brought potato salad, chicken, and meatballs from the deli near their hotel.

It was 2:04 when Daniel showed up, and the whole celebration was already in progress by then. Nobody suspected that Mulder and Scully weren't speaking. She jumped up to get the door, knowing only one person it could be.

"Hello Dana," her professor said, standing in the hallway with a huge smile. She hugged him for the second time that day and invited him in.

Her family usually made small get-togethers feel outrageous, and Scully knew that. Mulder didn't seem to mind. He had been starved of family his entire life, so the closeness and loudness wasn't really a problem to him. Scully hated it, though. Sometimes she wished that her family were as reserved as she was. Why did they have to over-do everything? This was her graduation, damn it! At one point, Scully couldn't take it any more and snuck off to her room, where William was still sleeping.

"Dana?" she heard a familiar voice ask. Dana. Not Scully. Not Sis. Not Sweetheart. Dana. Her birth name. She didn't know there were tears in her eyes until she turned to look at Daniel and found that he was blurry.

"Dana? Dana, what's wrong? What's the matter?" he asked, deeply concerned. He rushed over to her side, sitting down next to her on the bed and taking her hand.

"This isn't my life," she sobbed.

"I didn't think so. This seems a little too over the top for you."

She was and wasn't surprised that Daniel was the only person who understood.

"I'm sorry. I know I should be happy, but, I've been so lost lately…"

"It's okay, Danes. It'll be okay," Daniel said, bringing her in for a hug. Scully happily accepted, even was thankful for the gentle caress he provided on her knee.

It started out totally innocent. Then his hand moved up and touched the hem of her skirt.

"What are you doing?" Scully asked, pulling away, not wanting to admit to herself what was happening. Suddenly, she was 17 again.

"You're sad," Daniel told her, moving his hand higher, "I'm trying to make you feel better."

"I suggest you take your hand off my leg."

"But you have such pretty legs. They really are gorgeous, Dana--"

"Stop," she said, not loud though, because her son was sleeping not three feet away. She grabbed Daniel's hand, but he just cupped her face.

"Don't tell me you don't want this, Dana, don't lie to me."

"If you don't take your hands off me I will go out there and call the police. Jail would be a welcome place after Mulder gets done with you."

"You wouldn't send me to jail. I'm your mentor. You're biggest influence."

"You're a scumbag."

"You wouldn't send me to jail because what if it got back to the university? You got an A in my class, Dana, 100% on every test… and now that you don't need me anymore, you're going to go and tattle? Don't you think they'd suspect something?"

"They wouldn't suspect anything," Scully said, though she had dropped his hand, which was making it's way up her leg again. She was unsure, and he saw it.

"What would your family think? After what happened with Ethan…" he posed a scenario. She had told him about Ethan. She thought she could trust him.

"You can't do this," she said, a little louder than she should have. Her heart stopped for a minute when William stirred.

"Shhhh, wouldn't want to wake up your little boy," Daniel said. Scully felt utterly helpless as his hand moved higher and higher. She kept telling herself that she could do something; that Daniel couldn't get away with this. But everything he said was 100% true. She wished she had never even heard of skirts when Daniel slipped his hand between her legs and applied pressure. Because she didn't want William to wake up to this, she kept quiet, but couldn't stop the tears from making their way down her cheeks. She wondered how far he was going to go.

He fingered her a little, then decided to restrict himself.

"Come on, you've been gone for too long. They're going to wonder where you went. When he removed his hand, it felt like heaven. Scully sniffled and nodded, showing that she agreed. Before she got up, Daniel put his hand on her shoulder.

"You could tell someone, but your life would go down the drain. The cops wouldn't believe you, your parents would be ashamed, and your boyfriend would leave you in a second. Remember, I hold your life in my hands."

About fifteen minutes after Daniel had left, Mulder realized that he had seen Scully very little that day. He knew she was upset with him, but she wouldn't avoid him because of it, especially at a family party. He went looking for her, and finally found her on the floor of the closet in their bedroom, crying.

"Scully? Scully, what's the matter?" he asked. She just continued to cry.

"Nothing. Nothing, just go away."

"No, Scully," Mulder said, putting his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't!" she yelled, flinching at his touch, "Just go away, Mulder!"

And he did.

Chapter 29: Hell

Life for Scully became a living hell. Daniel knew where she lived; he knew where to call. He knew that she was scared, and he knew he had power over her. He knew he could get away with it. She was his prize. 20 years of teaching and he had never made a mistake. He never said the wrong thing. In his mind, Daniel thought he deserved Scully. She was so beautiful and red hair really did turn him on…

Life for Scully became a living hell, but Mulder's life became worse. After their talk in the car coming home from graduation, they had never really been the same. Scully had even taken off her necklace. They weren't really speaking, other than what they had to. They would fall asleep in the same bed, but Mulder would wake up in the middle of the night to see Scully slipping out. The next morning, he'd find her cuddled up on the couch next to William, and a part of him died. He didn't know what was happening. Surely, it had to be more than what she had said to him. Mulder had been with her for four years. He knew when it was something more.

"Scully can you get the phone?" Mulder asked the next Wednesday. He was busy trying to fix the bulb in the refrigerator. On the third ring, Scully picked up. She had been playing in the living room with William, so Scully was in a better mood than had become characteristic. Once the person on the other end of the line answered, though, Scully's mood immediately changed. And even though Mulder was in an uncomfortable position trying to fix the light, he noticed.

"Hello Dana," Daniel greeted. It wasn't a greeting, though. Scully felt it was a death sentence. This was really going to kill her.

"Hello," she said, after a small, inaudible gulp. She had to show him that she was stronger than she actually felt.

"How are you doing today?" he asked. He didn't care, though.

"I'm fine. I was playing with my son."

"Oh, that's sweet. Are you up for a little coffee, Dana?"

"Actually I wanted to stay in tonight."

"I know I phrased that as a question, Danes, but it really wasn't. We're going to have coffee. Starbucks on 4th and Briar. Half hour."

With that, he hung up, and left Scully feeling like throwing up. How could she be subject to that? Who was she anymore? She used to be a strong, confident woman with a son and someone who loved her. But she was distancing herself and her entire shield system seemed to disintegrate when Daniel touched her. She was nothing.

"Mulder," she said, coming out of the hallway where she had sought some privacy.

"Hmm?" he asked, fiddling with the bulb, not giving away any clues that he had been listening.

"I'm going out for a minute. With a lady I met in the grocery store the other day," she offered.

"That's fine. Don't be too late."

"Okay."

Scully felt it impossible to fathom that she was going to meet the devil himself, and she kissed her son goodbye first.

"You're late," was the first thing Daniel said to her when she arrived. It was true, Scully had taken her time getting to Starbucks. In a sane world, it was totally rational for her not want to race to see Daniel.

"I'm sorry. Traffic. Bus stops."

"Really? If I didn't know better, I'd say you spruced yourself up a little for me," Daniel smiled, putting his hand on Scully's leg again. This wasn't the first or second time. Since he had first violated her trust, Scully and Daniel had met up three times like this. Each time, Scully had tried to cover herself the best she could. It did nothing to stop him, though. His appetite was insatiable.

Scully couldn't say anything to his remark. No matter what she said, it would be wrong. Even though she was "fighting" with him, Scully wished more than anything that Mulder was there.

Little did she know that he had followed her.

Mulder wasn't one of those guys that suspected something because of the littlest thing. But Scully was acting so strangely that it raised some suspicion in him. He didn't want to follow Scully, but he felt he had no choice. So, since Scully had opted to take the bus, Mulder packed William in the car and followed them. It was the single lowest thing he felt he had ever done in his life.

Until he saw who his girlfriend had really gone to meet. It wasn't a woman, and he was pretty sure she didn't meet this person in a grocery store.

It was Daniel Waterston, and he was putting his hands places they shouldn't have been.

Before Scully got the chance to see them, Mulder sprinted out of the store with William in tow. He was confused.

"Dad, why can't we see Mommy?" he asked as Mulder fumbled to put him in his car seat.

"Not now, Will," Mulder answered, not able to believe what he just saw.

He didn't know that he hadn't seen the whole thing. He was so focused on Daniel's hand on Scully's thigh that he failed to realize the look that washed over her face when he did that. The pain and the horror and the fear. He missed all that.

Daniel Waterston. He should have known. The man was pretty much everything Mulder wasn't. He was professional and accomplished, while Mulder had to struggle up the ladder. He had a career, as opposed to a job. He was a doctor; he knew Scully's mind. Except, he didn't know Scully. He knew Dana. He knew the deepest parts of Scully. No matter what they shared; no matter the four years they spent together… Mulder was sure that Scully had stopped loving him in exchange for a life as a doctor's wife. A life as Dana. Mulder felt bad for himself until he returned back to the dorm and parked the car. He didn't get out immediately. Instead, he looked back at William, who looked ready to fall asleep. That was when Mulder started to cry.

"Come on, Kiddo. Time to go in and get ready for bed," Mulder said as he lifted William out of his seat in the back. He had dried his tears. For everything that he knew would ensue with Scully's infidelity, he felt the worst for Will.

"Daddy, is now a good time to ask a question?" Will asked. Usually Mulder let him walk, but he felt the overwhelming need to carry him that night.

"Sure, Will, now is a great time to ask a question."

"What was Mommy doing with the man who made her cry the other night?"

"What?" Mulder couldn't help but ask. Daniel had made Scully cry? How did Will know this?

"That man came to see Mommy when she was crying. At the party. He hugged her, but then he made her cry."

"Did anything else happen?" Mulder asked. They were in the elevator now, and Mulder was pining for them to get in their apartment so he could sit him down. Another part of him wanted to dash back out to the car and find Scully again.

"She said stop."

"Why did Mommy say stop? Why was she crying?"

"When he touched her, he hurt her."

Mulder saw red. He knew all he needed to know. As soon as the elevator hit their floor, it was coming back down again. He was going to find Scully and save her.

Mulder was the knight in shining armor until he got to the front doors and saw Scully walking through them.

"Mulder," she said, surprised.

"Hi Mommy! We--"

"We were just going for a walk. It's a nice night, isn't it, Will?"

Will didn't understand what was going on. He nodded, though, and didn't say another word.

"Oh. I'm going to go upstairs. See you when you get back from your walk," Scully told them. She started for the elevator.

"Actually, it's getting late. I think Will's getting tired," Mulder said, picking up Will once again. They entered their dorm without words. Now Mulder could see it, though. Scully had been crying. She did a good job of hiding it, but she had been crying. He felt like killing Prof. Daniel Waterston mercilessly. Instead, he held back, waiting to hear it from Scully.

"Will's down for the night," Mulder said, climbing into bed next to Scully. She shied away from his touch.

"Thank you," she said. He had insisted that she get dressed in her pajamas and go to bed. What she had really done was gone in the shower and scrubbed herself until she felt raw. She didn't want any remnants of Daniel on her. He hadn't raped her, but he'd touched her in the bathroom; made her touch him. Every time they only did that. He was delaying his gratification. He was waiting until it was unbearable. Scully just wished he'd get it over with, though. It was becoming a main focus of her nightmares, and it hadn't even happened yet. She couldn't deal with it looming on the horizon.

There was a small silence between them before Mulder decided he needed to start talking.

"Scully, I know this past week hasn't been the best. I'm sorry for that. I just… I feel like I'm losing you."

She just smiled a little, "You're not losing me. I'm just stressing out because of my upcoming residency and all that." He had known that wouldn't get her to open up to him.

"Well, I just hope that if there's anything you need to talk about, that you'll talk about it with me. I do love you, and I will listen."

It was unbelievably hard for Mulder to hold back like he was. Pretending not to know something he knew was his weak point. Especially since this man was hurting Scully.

"I know you love me," Scully whispered, swallowing. The tears were forming in her eyes, but she felt she had cried too much. She cried when Daniel touched her, she cried when she realized there was nothing she could do about it, and she was crying now. She was sure she was falling apart.

"Then why won't you tell me?" Mulder whispered as well, closing the distance between them.

"Tell you what?" she asked, eyes watering.

"Dana… I know," Mulder said simply. This sent her over the edge, though. He had known. She didn't know for how long. He had known, though, and he hadn't saved her. Scully was outraged, yet relieved at the same time. Mulder wouldn't let anything happen to her. She was his world.

Before she knew it, Scully was in Mulder's arms, sobbing harder than she thought she could. How had she become this?

"I'm so sorry," was all she could think to say, when she could at least speak.

"Shhhh, I'm going to make it all better. Nobody's ever going to hurt you again," Mulder assured her.

"You can't say that. It's impossible to promise me that."

"I will never let that man touch you again, Scully. I don't care what kind of power you think he has over you."

"We can't fight him."

"I will fight him, and I will kill him."

Scully actually became afraid that he meant that.

Chapter 30: Information

After Scully filled him in on the details as to why Daniel could do this to her, Mulder knew it would take a more delicate process than just finding him and beating him to a bloody pulp to resolve the situation. Mulder could work with his fists, but he worked better with his brain, and that is the path he decided to pursue. And the overwhelming hurt he felt for Scully was unbearable. She was in such a state of conflict. She was so dedicated to her career and making her son's life better that she would allow something like this to happen. The ultimate sacrifice. Scully was living in hell for her child.

"Mulder, I'm taking William to his haircut!" Scully called out the following Friday. There had been no calls since then. It was a small victory.

"Alright, call me when you're coming home," he had told her, kissing her on the forehead. Since what was going on had been revealed to him, Scully had not popped out of her shell like anyone would hope. Mulder knew she was ashamed. She was ashamed because if he called again, she would have to go, and lying to Mulder wouldn't do any good anymore.

Scully agreed and they left the building. Mulder posed his question as one of ultimate concern. Though it was of concern, he had ulterior motives that would benefit from him knowing when Scully and William would be coming home. He had a phone call to make. To three people he had not had much contact with in four years.

They called themselves "The Lone Gunmen." They called their newspaper that too. Who he once thought of as three geeks in a basement turned out to be three of the most handy and reliable people Mulder had ever met. They were quirky. They were loyal. They could always do what Mulder couldn't.

Since being with Scully and living in the real world, he hadn't had much time for the three. He met them a year after getting involved with Diana. Except for a phone call every now and then, there hadn't been much contact on either ends. There was still a sense of friendship, though. The Lone Gunmen had been busy also, publishing their alternative newspaper. It was growing in popularity, but in the recent years it had taken off. Mulder still read it from time to time.

That is why, as soon as the two left, Mulder was on the phone to them. They wouldn't recognize the phone number, so they'd turn on the scrambler. Aside from being helpful, they were extremely paranoid, something Mulder could understand, though not to such a degree always. He would identify himself, but surely that wouldn't be enough. That is why, many years ago, they developed a password. Only Mulder and the Lone Gunmen knew it. That is what happened every time he called. It was something of a tradition.

"Lone Gunmen, Langley speaking," his call was answered. Langley. A teenager who never grew up, some would say. He hadn't cut his long blond hair in the entire time Mulder had known him. He liked computers. He liked the Ramones.

"Hey Langley, it's Mulder," Mulder introduced himself. After so long not speaking with them, the comfort was a farce, he believed. He half expected them to say, "Mulder? Mulder who?"

"Nah ah, Buddy, we need the password." Mulder smiled. Some things never changed.

"Devil's triangle," Mulder answered correctly. They had picked "devil's triangle" for obvious reasons. While most people referred to it as the Bermuda triangle, those scientifically dedicated to the paranormal had always called it "the devil's triangle." It was something they both knew and both agreed on. That was how they were to identify each other, now.

"Hey Mulder! Long time, no see! Hey, I'm gonna put you on the speaker so that the guys can hear you."

There were two other guys. Frohike and Byers. Frohike was like the leader. A short man, who by all accounts had never grown up either. He and Mulder had been the closest. And then Byers. He would most definitely have to be the most normal Lone Gunman. He dressed in a suit and looked like the government type. Only a handful of people knew that he indeed used to be, but gave that up for a life dedicated to the truth.

"Hey guys, it's Mulder," Langley told them. Mulder smiled when he heard the other two literally drop what they were doing and rush over to the phone. Back in the day, they had been pretty close.

"Hey Mulder!" Byers greeted him.

"We thought you traded yourself in for the two story with the white picket fence," Frohike said. The three of them knew about Dana Scully and her son. They knew how she had changed his life, but there was still the fear that one day, their Mulder would become somebody they knew he wasn't. They feared he would become a "Mr. Cleaver" sort. The kind that was the most susceptible to mind control, if they didn't secretly work for the underground Communist government already.

"No, not yet, Frohike, but you never know. We're thinking about getting a dog."

The thought made the guys laugh. Mulder's sarcasm had been the reason for their most cherished moments. It was like taking a step back in time.

"What can we do ya for, Mulder?" Langley asked.

"I need some information, guys, and I need it kind of fast."

"What's up?"

"I need all the information you can give me on a Professor Daniel Waterston. He's a professor at the University of Maryland."

"Sure, we're searching right now. Wanna share what this is about?" Frohike was talking now. The other two would do the search, and Frohike would talk. That's how it always went.

"I just need some information about him. I need his address, his wife's name, stuff like that."

"Couldn't you have just gotten that in the phone book?"

"Yeah, but there have to be at least 13 Daniel Waterstons in the area and I have to be discreet. I can't call them all."

"What's going on, Mulder? This guy screw you over?"

"In a very big way, yes. But he wasn't my professor. He was Scully's."

"Scully. How's she doing?"

"We're doing okay."

"William?"

"Getting a haircut."

"You have to introduce us one day."

"I'll get around to it. There's no time, Frohike, you know that."

"Yeah."

"So, how's the paper going?"

"Oh man, Mulder, it's getting big right now. Of course, you have to factor out the percent of our readers who only subscribe because it's their job to keep this stuff under wraps."

"You really think they're interested in your paper?"

"Why wouldn't they be? We're outing the secrets they work very hard to protect."

"I don't know, it's just… I'm not even sure the world is like that…"

"You need a good dose of reality, man. The world is like that. Trust me."

"Got it," he heard Langley in the background.

"We're e-mailing everything to you right now. You'll have all the information you need in no time," Byers explained.

"Good. Thanks, guys, I owe you one."

"Yeah, we've been saying that for awhile."

"Call me sometime, we'll get together."

"You know it."

And with that, they hung up. Mulder wasn't good at saying goodbye. Especially on the phone.

With the information printed off his computer, Mulder studied it. Daniel Waterston. Age, 47. Married with one daughter. Professor at the University of Maryland for 16 years. A full-fledged doctor. Not one reprimand. Lived in a nice house in a nice neighborhood on the good side of town.

Why did he need his Scully? This man obviously had everything he needed. He had a good job with a family… why did he have to destroy their lives? Was he really that evil?

The phone was ringing. Mulder hardly heard it, though, he was so intent on studying the information he had. He picked up on the fourth ring.

"Mulder?" Scully asked.

"Yeah, sorry, I was in the bathroom," he lied.

"Oh. Well, you said to call when we were on our way home. And we are."

"Great. How's Willy look?"

"Sad, right now. He was scared of the barber, like always."

"Awww, tell him there's a big bowl of ice cream waiting for him here."

"Mulder, it's close to dinner. No ice cream."

"Alright. Do you want me to get something started?"

"No, I've got it. See you when we get home."

"Okay."

Scully wasn't surprised when she walked in the door to find three bowls of ice cream sitting on the counter for them. She just put her hand on her head, trying to remember what it was she really loved about Mulder. This was exactly it.

"Ice cream!" Will shouted, running over to the floor in the den where Mulder sat, trying to pick out a movie.

"Hey Handsome! You'll be the chick magnet now that you got your hair cut!" he said, catching William when he leapt into his arms. Scully was smiling from the hallway.

"I know you said no ice cream, Scully, but…"

"That's alright, Mulder. We need a treat every now and then."

"Yes we do," Mulder told her, kissing her forehead, then taking William over to the table so that they could begin eating.

Chapter 31: The Winner

Scully didn't know what Mulder had planned for Daniel. She didn't know that when he told her he was going to the office the next day, he was really going to the nice house in the good neighborhood on the good side of town to see him. Actually, his wife.

When he pulled up to that grand Victorian house, a surge of anger went through Mulder like none other. Why Scully? What could this bastard, who lived in this nice house, with a family, possibly want with his girlfriend? He didn't need her. He didn't need to destroy her life. But he was, and Mulder hated him more than ever.

It was around noon when Mulder pulled up. Scully and William had gone shopping, and it was a time Mulder knew Daniel Waterston would most likely not be home. The outrageous flowering bushes around the front door made Mulder's allergies act up.

The door bell was melodic and long. A wealthy doorbell. The kind of doorbell that tells the rest of the world, in case they missed the shear size of the house or the intricate landscaping, that the people inside are well-to-do and, in a sense, better than you.

It is a few moments before the door is answered, but Mulder knew that someone was inside. He could hear the low hum of a TV through the cherry oak door. Surely enough, someone was coming to the door.

"Yes?" a woman asked. She looked to be in her fifties, but it wasn't really a concern to Mulder. Her gray hair and attire told him that she was the person he was looking for. She was Barbara Waterston, Daniel's wife.

"Mrs. Waterston, I'm Fox Mulder. You don't know me, but I know your husband," he explained, not sure to go any further because she wasn't opening the door any more than to peak her head out.

"I'm sorry, my husband's not home right now. He had a meeting this morning at the university," Mrs. Waterston said, shutting the door. Mulder stopped her, though.

"Actually, I was hoping that I could talk to you. It wouldn't take long, but it is very important."

It must have been the look in Mulder's eyes. He didn't want to convey it, but he felt pitiful. He was tattling on Jimmy to his mommy. It killed him that he couldn't take care of this himself, and that he had to involve Daniel's family. He had to be stopped, though, and there were too many conflicts with the situation already. Mrs. Waterston opened the door, revealing a tiny frame she tried to hide with a bathrobe.

"Come in," she said, though hesitantly. Mulder tried to show he was gentle by taking soft steps and breathing deeply.

Once inside, Mulder was hit by the emptiness. This was exactly the kind of house he had grown up in. It was large, but cold and filled with coldness. The pictures of smiling people on the walls did nothing to bring even the slightest bit of warmth. It was the kind of house that made even the inhabitants feel unwelcome. This wouldn't take long.

"We can sit in the parlor, would you like something to drink?" the small woman asked. Common household courtesy, designed to comfort but having the opposite effect. Mulder shook his head, not wanting to impose. He noticed the woman walked slowly and with effort. She was obviously sick. Mulder wondered with what.

The parlor was a parlor, enough said. There was a small table overlooking the backyard, and that is where they sat. The air was uncomfortable, but Mulder started anyway.

"Mrs. Waterston, I know you must be preoccupied with other things, but I have to talk to you about your husband. He's… he's ruining our lives," Mulder tried to put simply. Barbara looked like a clean cut woman who would have appreciated the runaround, so Mulder tried to startle the truth into her. And she did look taken aback.

"Excuse me?" she asked, though the news didn't seem all that shocking to her. Like she had been expecting someone to come to her home one day and tell her what a monster her husband was.

"There have been some instances where your husband has called my girlfriend, Dana Scully--"

"I'm sorry, did you say Dana Scully?" Mrs. Waterston asked. Mulder nodded and proceeded to continue.

"Yes, Dana Scully. There have been some instances where your husband has called my girlfriend and demanded that she meet him alone. When they are together, he has sexually abused her," and this is where Mrs. Waterston gasped, "It's happened on numerous occasions, and she is basically powerless. If she goes to the police, her grades will be a concern to the university, and she just graduated with high honors. She's a wonderful person and the love of my life, and I would kill your husband if I thought it were the best thing to do. But I know it's not, and that is why I've come to you and am begging you to please do something about it. I can't allow this to happen. I love Dana and I have to protect her. I can't do that without your help…" Mulder was on the verge of tears. No matter what Scully would ever say to him, he could never stop loving her, and he would move heaven and Earth to see her happy.

Things were quiet for a moment. Mrs. Waterston's eyes were closed, taking in all the information she had just been told. Maybe it wasn't the best to startle the truth into her. Maybe he should have eased into the situation. But when he talked about Scully, only the truth could come out, and at lightning speed. He didn't have time for the social courtesies. Who knew when Daniel was going to call next? "Please, Mrs. Waterston, you are our only hope," Mulder told her.

"I don't know what I can do," the woman finally said, tightening her bathrobe.

"You have to do something. Go to the police. Say your husband is sexually abusing another woman and you're mad. There're a million things you could do, Mrs. Waterston."

"Oh, call the cops and tell them that my husband is cheating on me and that I'm mad? In case you haven't noticed, Mr. Mulder, I am sick and I don't work. I don't need this while also having to deal with cancer treatments. I can't do this on my own."

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Waterston but this goes farther than you or me. This has the potential to damage not only my girlfriend's future, but mine as well, and any other girl your husband decides to prey on."

"If you're so concerned, why don't you go to the police?"

"Because then it would look like Dana performed sexual favors for her grades, and now that she's graduated we want it to stop. She worked her ass off to get those grades."

"Can't you just tell people that?"

"I don't think you're understanding how this works--"

"No, Mr. Mulder, I don't think you understand how this works. I know the kind of person my husband is. This is not the first time he's cheated on me, though I'm pretty sure this is the first time he's cheated on me with one of his students. And I knew when he invited your girlfriend over for dinner what his intentions were. And I also knew there was nothing I could do about it. I'm very sick, and I can't deal with a divorce or a court hearing right now."

Mulder was quiet for a moment, trying to control his anger. Was this woman as cold and heartless as her husband?

"So you're saying you're just going to let this go on? You won't help me?"

"I'm afraid it's out of my hands," Barbara said quietly.

"Well, then, I'm sorry I wasted your time today. I'm sorry that our future, not to mention the future of our son, is not important enough for you. I'll show myself out."

He left her, sitting in the parlor, and when he shut the door to his car, he pounded on the steering wheel with all of his might. He couldn't believe somebody could be so blatantly ignorant. He couldn't believe that when he went in there, he thought Mrs. Waterston was going to help him. Mulder thought she would be outraged at what her husband was doing. And yet, he wasn't surprised when she wasn't.

Mrs. Barbara Waterston watched the young man who she had just spoken with from her parlor window. He probably didn't care that she could see him hitting his steering wheel and tears streaming down his face. She felt empowered. She didn't know she had that much influence over someone. She couldn't wrap her mind around the fact, though, that her husband was not only destroying his own family, he was destroying someone else's. She couldn't grasp that Mr. Mulder was a father. She thought of her daughter, Maggie, who had, for the most part, grown up without a father. And while he was the most successful person in her life, it wasn't hard to determine exactly how Maggie felt about her father after the first time he was caught cheating. In her heart, though, Barbara knew that Maggie only wanted them to be a happy family. The only person who could make that happen was the very person who was doing the opposite of what it required.

And now her husband was ruining Dana Scully's family.

"Mulder?" Scully called when she stepped in the dorm and all the lights were off. It was nearing 9:00, and she had a sleeping William over her shoulder. It had been a wonderful change to get out with her son. They went shopping and, aside from that, she made sure that they went to the park and threw pennies in the fountain at the mall. Though four years had come and gone in the blink of an eye, Scully could hardly imagine her world without her son. It was impossible, and furthermore, she didn't want to. He was the reason she was all that she was now. She didn't even think Mulder had done as much for her as her own son had just by being born.

"Mulder?" Scully called again, wondering if he were still at the office. He had left in the middle of the day, thought. He couldn't still be gone. She lay William down on the couch, then went to find him.

It didn't take her long. Slung over himself in the bathroom was the love of her life. Judging by the look on his face and the open toilet lid, Scully could tell that he had been sick. She rushed to be by his side, holding his hand and caressing his cheek.

"Mulder? Mulder, what happened? Are you sick?" she asked. As her fingers brushed up and down his face, she noticed tears. Tears. Dry tears, wet tears. And his tears invited her tears to fall.

"Scully," was all Mulder could mutter, grabbing her and pulling her to his chest. She held him while he sobbed, smoothing down his hair and kissing his forehead.

"Mulder, you have to tell me what's wrong. Why are you crying?" she asked.

"She won't help us, Scully!"

"Who? Who won't help us? With what?"

"Barbara Waterston."

The name hit her like a punch to the face. She knew Barbara Waterston. A sick, dying old woman who had been diagnosed with Stage IV terminal breast cancer. The woman with whom Daniel had broken his promise to love forever. She was tiny and withering away. The very image of the woman in Scully's mind told her what Mulder had gone to do. And meeting the woman beforehand, Scully could have told him what response he was going to get. Barbara Waterston was a selfish, indifferent individual. She couldn't help them even a little bit.

"Oh Mulder," Scully cooed, bringing his head to her chest and rocking him. She loved him so much for what he had gone to do. She knew it was taking everything for Mulder not to find Daniel and kill him. It made her heart swell. For that moment, on the bathroom floor, it wasn't about the hopelessness of the situation. It was about him doing everything he could to help her.

"I'm sorry, Scully, I tried…" Mulder apologized, sniffling and letting his tears fall freely.

"I know. Thank you. I love you, Baby, I love you so much," Scully told him, brushing his tears away with her thumbs as he did with her's. Then, she pressed another kiss to his forehead. She didn't know what they were going to do next, but she knew Mulder would do it. Whatever it was.

Barbara Waterston had a lot of questions for her husband, but as the clock struck 11:00 and he was still nowhere to be found, he answered them all for her. She knew it was a hopeless cause anyway. No matter what she did or said, her husband of 28 years would still go behind her back. He would leave her to die and she would die alone anyway. It wouldn't take long, she realized. The cancer had already metastasized and it was only a matter of time before it spread to the rest of her body. But Mr. Mulder had offered her an opportunity to get revenge on her husband. And not only that, save the person he loved in the process.

It was a win-win. Barbara's time for winning had been over long ago. For the past few years, she had been fighting a losing battle with her husband, she had been fighting a losing battle with cancer…

This was Barbara Waterston's last opportunity to win. And she felt like a winner when she dialed the number to the police department. That feeling only increased as she told them what had been happening and who to talk to next. Then she hung up, but the winning feeling was not over.

She grabbed the pill bottle and she could see the finish line as she swallowed the contents one by one.

Chapter 32: Thank You

"Miss Scully?" Officer Velper asked the woman who met him at the door. She was standing there in her pajamas, hair askew, eyes puffy and adjusting to the light. She had been sleeping heavily, and the look on her face told him she thought this was all a dream. But it wasn't. It was 3:30 in the morning, and they needed her to come down to the station. They were officially starting their investigation of Professor Daniel Waterston, after a call was made into the station by his wife earlier that evening. When they went to her place to talk to her, the officers found her dead on the kitchen floor, pill bottle in hand. After the medical examiner had come in and determined that she had indeed killed herself, the officers had to follow up on what she had told them. Thus, Mulder and Scully were awoken at the ungodly hour to be told the news.

"You can't be serious," Mulder said, putting his hand on Scully's shoulder, "I just spoke to her. There must be a mistake…"

"There is no mistake, Mr. Mulder. Mrs. Barbara Waterston was confirmed dead by her own hand this morning at 1:17. She also called the police station and reported her husband to us, saying that your girlfriend was a victim," Velper explained. He wasn't liking the young woman's boyfriend. Overprotective. Thinking he knew everything. He just wanted to get her down to the station. There were too many stakes in this case. Professor from the University of Maryland being accused of sexual assault and blackmail. It was hard to hold him when the Baltimore PD got 40% of its academy funding from the University of Maryland. But they couldn't conspire. They could only get this one out of the way as soon as possible.

"Mulder, we have to go," Scully said, looking up at him so peacefully. There was a serenity in her voice. She was finally about to get justice. There was fear in her eyes. What would happen to her if she didn't? It had eluded her once, with Ethan.

Mulder sighed, brushing his hand over his face.

"Give us some time," he told the officer, who nodded and turned to leave the building. Mulder shut the door softly.

"What did you say to her, Mulder?" Scully asked, gripping the bridge of her nose with her fingers.

"Nothing, Scully. I didn't say anything that would warrant that woman killing herself."

"Well you obviously did, because she's dead."

"You said she was dying, she could have just made this her last dying act."

"Sacrifice herself for me? For us? No, I've met Barbara Waterston more than once; she wouldn't do that."

"When you met her, did you ever believe that she would kill herself?"

"Well, no, but that still doesn't explain it. It must have been something you said, Mulder."

"Scully, the last thing I said to that woman was that I was sorry for wasting her time."

"But how did you say it, Mulder?" Scully was yelling now, and William began to stir. It was only a matter of time before he woke up, but he had to go with them to the department anyway. And Scully was in shock. Daniel's wife did not kill herself because of what Mulder said!

"Scully," Mulder said, bringing her into his arms, "I know Mrs. Waterston surprised you. She surprised both of us. But I truly believe this is the only way she knew how to help us. Her life was coming to an end, and she didn't want your's to. You can't change what she did for you."

Scully did not cry for Mulder at that moment. There was nothing to cry about. A wave of relief washed over her, and she threw her arms around him so tightly that not even she could believe it. Really, what was there to believe anymore? This was all really happening.

"We're going to do this, Mulder. Daniel's never going to hurt me again," she said, face pressed into his chest. He hugged her back, not caring about the process just over the horizon. At that moment, Mulder looked above him, as if trying to find Barbara Waterston's spirit somewhere near the ceiling, and sent up a thanks. Nobody had ever done for him what that woman had, and he wanted to thank her properly.

Chapter 33: The End

April 24, next year

Scully had not been able to sleep the night before. For almost eleven months, her life had been a tipping scale. First she felt one thing, then another. Never stable. Ever since Daniel Waterston had been awaiting his court hearing, she had been living only half of the way she wanted. Everything had been up in the air, and she had been cautious to celebrate his arrest too much because she didn't know how it was all going to pan out. After all, he had gotten out on bond after only three days in prison.

Her life had been put on hold, and today that was all coming to a stop. Or a continuum. She didn't quite know. Today was the day that Daniel Waterston, her once-beloved professor and mentor, would either be found guilty or not of sexually assaulting her. And as Mulder parked in front of the courthouse, she was a teenager again, outside the courthouse in California, awaiting Ethan's trial.

That trial had changed her life and her views of the world, and she hoped that this trial would do the same, only for the better.

Mulder reached over the glove compartment and gripped her hand. He had seen the effects of the past year. Scully had foregone starting her residency, claiming that she didn't want a trial to put her education in jeopardy. Mulder knew what a strong woman his girlfriend was, and he knew that she could have handled it, but he also knew that she needed justification. If Daniel was found guilty, it would validate what Scully did in college. The grades and degree she earned would mean something. She was waiting for her accomplishments to hold that meaning that they once did, before Daniel had touched her.

"Are you ready for this?" he asked her. It wasn't a hard question to ask. He knew she had been preparing herself for this since Daniel had been arrested.

Scully sighed, knowing it was fruitless to put on a front with Mulder. She might as well get it out now, so that she may have the chance to be strong later, during the hearing. They had gone through the dance with the lawyers. He had told her that the defense was going to bring up her situation and try to make her look bad. She had been preparing but she would never be prepared enough.

"There's so much riding on this day," Scully said simply, her eyes filling with tears and Mulder's hand doing nothing to stop them.

"I know, Baby, but this is the day we get closure. This is the day that we make Daniel pay for what he's done."

"He'll never be able to pay for what he's done."

"Scully, even if he gets the least amount of punishment he can, he's still getting punished. It'll be the first time anyone will give him limits."

"What if he doesn't get punished at all?" Scully asked in horror, hoping her tears weren't causing her makeup to run.

"You have to have faith, Sweetheart. I don't expect you to, because of everything that's happened, but you have to try. This isn't the same jury that ruled on Ethan's trial. This is Daniel. And he's not going to get away with this."

"Mulder, if Ethan can get away with raping me, I'm pretty sure Daniel can get away with touching me."

"No, Sweetheart, he can't," Mulder stated simply, putting his arm around her shoulders and kissing her rosy cheek. They sat there like that for a few minutes, not unlike the day they first met in her dorm (back when it was still just her's) after shopping. So much had changed since that day, yet so much hadn't. There were some things that had changed that they wished they hadn't, and vice versa. They wished they could sit in that car forever, on the brink of either victory or defeat but holding hope in their heart for the former. They wished they did not have to go forward and face what would happen if it were the latter.

"Mulder, we can't stay here," Scully informed him after many minutes of silence.

"We can stay here a little longer, the lawyers won't get here for another half hour."

"No. That's not what I mean. We can't stay here, in Baltimore," she informed him.

"Scully, Daniel will get the justice he deserves. We're not going to run and hide from him."

"I don't want to move because of Daniel. Alright, I do, but Mulder, there's just too much here. Our lease on the dorm will be up next month anyway. You know they only let you stay a year after you graduate if you're not studying anywhere. I'm no longer in college, so there's no reason we have to live in a dorm room. And Will deserves better. I know our lives are in Baltimore, but I just need to get out of there. I need to start fresh, in a place where I can just forget about all of this."

Mulder pondered this. She was right. They were going to be forced to leave Kent Hall anyway. And he understood her desire to go somewhere new. But his life was in Baltimore. His job, his things…

His heart was in Scully, though. Therefore, his life was wherever she decided to be.

"Okay, Baby," Mulder said, cupping her cheeks and pressing their foreheads together. He wanted to cry, but Scully was already doing that for him.

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. We'll move, Scully. We'll move as far away as you want to. Wherever you think is best. I'll follow you wherever you go. No matter how far away it is."

"I, Dana Katherine Scully, swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help me God," Scully repeated as she was swore in, her hand resting lightly on an old Bible. This had happened last time, but God had not been on her side. She had told the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but God had not sided with her last time. Should she risk trusting Him again?

Scully was the only one left to cross-examine. Daniel had had his turn. And it had scared her. She didn't remember how charming he could be.

"Miss Scully, who was Mr. Waterston to you?" her attorney asked her. First the prosecution would question her. Then the defense. First it would be easy. Then it would be hard.

"He was my professor. He was my mentor."

"You trusted him?"

"A lot. We called each other by our first names. He even invited me over to his house for dinner a few times."

"Would you tell us what happened the first day he assaulted you?"

Dana held back her tears and nodded. She needed to get through this without crying. She was in the shark tank now. The defense attorneys were just concerned about winning their case. They didn't care that they were defending a terrible man, and the things they would say to her would stay with her forever. They didn't care that this had happened before; they would even use it against her. And the way Daniel looked at her if her eyes happened to stay his way… it made her shudder.

Mulder's eyes, like magnets, called to her behind the bench. They were her pillars. Scully took a deep breath and proceeded to tell her story.

While she was telling the God's honest truth, Daniel scoffed at her. Instead of being intimidated, though, like he wanted her to be, Scully was infuriated. His lack of decency made her see red. They would win. They would win.

He would pay.

"Dana, is that exactly how it happened?" her friendly attorney asked. She was close to tears, and she nodded, sniffling. She knew the judge was amazed at her lack of tears, being prepared many times to hand the tissues over. It wasn't the time for crying, though.

"Thank you Dana, defense?" the attorney finished. Another deep breath.

"Dana, how old are you?" the defense attorney asked. His voice was cold. He even looked cold. Small, trim man with black hair and sideburns. No love in his eyes. No compassion or sympathy whatsoever. Scully wouldn't look in his eyes. She looked at the jury.

"I'm 24."

"You have a son?"

"Yes, William, he's almost six."

"That means you were, what, 18 when you gave birth to him?"

"Yes," Scully sighed. This is what she had been preparing for.

"Dana, how did you come to have a child so young?"

"I was raped."

"Raped. Dana, is there any record of this rape? Was the man who raped you found guilty in a court of law?"

"No. They found him not guilty."

"Why?"

"Lack of evidence. My word against his. And we were a couple at the time."

"Dana, where I'm from, that's called consensual sex."

"Well, it wasn't. My boyfriend raped me and a child resulted from it."

"I have a hard time believing you, Miss Scully. Surely you could have proved rape in a court of law and you didn't. If you couldn't then, how do we know you're not lying now?"

"Objection!" her lawyer yelled. Scully's eyes fell to Mulder, who looked restrained. He looked like he wanted to jump over the bench and kill the defense lawyer. Scully told him with her eyes that he was just doing his job.

"Miss Scully," the lawyer continued, "previous events aside, if you had been through something similar to this once before, why didn't you immediately contact the police once Mr. Waterston touched you the first time? It is my knowledge that his wife called before she was found dead later that evening."

"I allowed it to happen," Scully swallowed, "because Daniel told me it would be useless. He said my grades would be in question, and that I might have my diploma taken away. I didn't want that, so I let it happen."

"Why would your diploma be taken away?"

"I always got good grades in his class. The University would suspect something."

"What grade did you receive in Mr. Waterston's class?"

"I got an A+ in his class."

"Wow. That's impressive Miss Scully, especially since I understand you would like to be a doctor."

Scully nodded.

"Becoming a doctor is a hard thing. Lots of schooling. And it must have been hard for a young mother like yourself. I bet nobody gave you special treatment. You were treated just like every other student, even though they didn't have children. If I were you, I would take every opportunity I got to earn some extra credit--"

"Objection!" her lawyer yelled.

"No further questions, Your Honor," the defense attorney said, sitting down with an even smugger look than Daniel's. Scully was speechless. There had to be more. She had to have a chance to say what she had to say. She couldn't leave the stand letting that be the last impression of her the jury had. She couldn't lose this case. This was her justice. Both Daniel and Ethan couldn't get away with this…

"You really think I would do that?" Scully asked the defense attorney, the jury, everyone in the courtroom, as she was asked to sit down.

"Miss Scully…" the judge warned.

"Every single thing I do, I do for my child. He is my world, and I would never, ever do anything that would compromise our future like this--"

"Miss Scully, please take your seat!"

"I didn't have to go to medical school. Out of everything I could have studied, medicine is probably the hardest. But I have to do it. I have to get good grades because I have a son and I want a better life for him. A better life than this. And I would never in a million years put him in a position like this. Do you know, that when Daniel first touched me, my son was sleeping in the same room? And he told my boyfriend because I couldn't. My son is five, and I'm not sure if he's going to remember this for the rest of his life, but I could never put myself in a position where I would hurt myself. I can't do that. I have a child. So don't think that I just like accusing people of sexually abusing me. This is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. And what makes it harder is that I trusted this man! I trusted him, and he took advantage of me! And if he isn't stopped, there could be more girls like me in the future--"

"Miss Scully that is ENOUGH! Take your seat, or I will hold you in contempt of court!" the judge shouted. There were no tears, but Scully was literally heaving. Gasping for air. Everything had just come out. The jury now knew what they needed to know. And she was done.

"At this time I will allow the jury to deliberate over the evidence. Court is in recess," the judge ruled, banging his gavel. Scully leapt off the podium and practically ran to Mulder, who was conferring with their lawyer. He opened his arms and caught her, holding her so tightly that he was surprised she could breathe, let alone get enough breath to start crying. It had been harder to hold it in than she had thought, and the floodgates opened when her head hit Mulder's strong chest.

"You did so well up there, Baby," he whispered in her hair.

"I shouldn't have ranted at the end. I don't know what happened to me. I probably just put our whole case in jeopardy…"

"No, Sweetie, stop. It's okay. You said what needed to be said. You got it out. Now the jury at least has an idea of what a horrible monster Daniel is."

"If they don't find him guilty, Mulder, I don't know what I'll do."

"Shhhh, it's going to be okay," he told her, running his hand over her auburn hair and rocking her slowly. Somebody tapped him on the shoulder, and Mulder turned around to see Melissa and Bill Scully. Melissa's warmth contrasted with Bill's coldness, but Mulder still was relieved to see them. He knew, no matter how much Scully pretended, that it bothered her to have to do this on her own. And while she knew Mulder would always be there, she wanted her family. Yet, she had only asked her mother to come to Baltimore so that she could be with William while the trial went on.

"Dana," Mulder kissed her ear, and Scully looked up to see her brother and sister. She clung to Melissa, and Bill was there to rub her back.

"Dana, that was beautiful. What you said at the end… I couldn't have said it better myself," Melissa told her, almost in tears.

"I didn't think you'd be here," Scully told them, squeezing tighter.

"You need us here," Melissa said simply, as she was urging Bill to say something with her expressions that her sister couldn't see.

"We wanted to be here. We wanted to see you bring this asshole down," Bill encouraged, and Scully took him in her arms too.

"All rise!" the bailiff ordered as the judge entered the room. It had been a grueling few hours. It had been hard for Mulder, Melissa, and Bill all to keep Scully from pacing, so when they were told the jury had reached a decision, it was more of a relief than anything. This was it. What they had been waiting for.

The judge said a few words, but nobody really heard him. Scully certainly didn't. Her hands had begun to sweat and her stomach had knotted itself up. She was trying to remind herself how to breathe normally when a jury member stood up.

Before she started to speak, Scully pinched herself. She wanted to wake up. This could only be a dream. At the point of maximum tension, she found herself saying, 'Okay, Dana, it's time to wake up now. Have to get ready for school in the morning. This was all just a nightmare…'

'Okay, Mulder, it's time to wake up now. Dana has school in the morning. You know how pretty she looks in the morning. Nobody could ever do this to her. This was all just a nightmare…'

"We, the jury, find Daniel Waterston, guilty of the sexual assault of Dana Scully."

the end. tell me what you guys think