AN: It has been way too long since my last update. Thank you very much for sticking with the story, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

XXXX

They were interrupted by Charlie poking his head into the room. "Olivia, we have a special surprise for you downstairs."

Charlie's smile gave away his secret, at least to everyone over the age of ten. Olivia lit up at the notion of a surprise, and ran towards the basement, with Scully reminding her to be careful. Charlie motioned for his sister to join them, and by the time she made it down the stairs, Olivia was clapping in front of the computer screen. "Mommy! Mommy!"

Scully's heart burst when she saw such happiness cross her niece's face. The six-year-old waved her hands like crazy. There was a bit of a sound delay, and the picture wasn't of the best quality, but it was clear enough for Olivia to see and converse with her mother. Scully felt a little out-of-place, as though she were intruding, but that was the point—they were now all family.

Olivia assured her mother she was having lots of fun with her cousins, and made mention of their two dogs several times. Scully could tell that Nathan had been coaching her on how to ask for her own puppy. It was a good sign, she thought, as it meant Olivia felt safe and secure while in their custody and her confidence that she would soon be reunited with her parents.

Susanne entered the frame after ten minutes to wind down the call, but before ending the visit, Lauren said, "Grandma is going to be coming later this week for a visit, so she'll be here when you go back home. And Olivia, before you go to bed tonight, Aunt Dana is going to give you a present that's from me. It's very special, and I think you'll really like it."

Olivia twirled her head towards Scully's direction, her cheeks bursting with a large smile. "What is it?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if we told you now," answered Scully, watching Charlie and Olivia make their way to the living room. She waited until the basement door shut before confirming the gift with her sister-in-law. Susanne then updated her on Jeffrey and Marita's conditions, which were relatively unchanged since their last check-in. Susanne seemed pleased that neither patient had regressed, so at least that provided a glimmer of hope.

Scully reached the living room just as Dagoo jumped up on his hind legs, resting his paws on Olivia's hip. "Are you hiding any treats for the puppy?" Mulder asked from across the room.

"No." Olivia's white lie was completely unconvincing. She bent down to hug the terrier, who nuzzled the pocket of her hoodie. She skidded, knocking into Nathan, and Bandit jumped on them both. "Puppy pile!" Will called out from the other end of the room, prompting the cousins to stampede towards the dogs.

Mulder picked up the baby from her playmat before anyone could get too close. "Be careful, guys."

Scully exchanged a special smile with Mulder, both of them thinking about how nice it was to see all of the children getting along so well. It was though the entire household released its tension over Lauren's condition, and everyone could now relax. The kids were in hysterics on the floor, and Charlie threw a blanket over them, which caused even more chaos.

"Too bad no one's around," Charlie joked, pretending to look for them. "I guess I'll have to eat all the pizza I made by myself."

There was an explosion of limbs and shouts from the ground, as the kids tried to kick and wiggle their way out of their puppy pile. The baby scrunched up her face and began to cry, just as Peter and Kyle ran downstairs to see what was happening. "No one's ever gonna notice if there's ever a real emergency," Peter remarked.

"Mom, can we make super hero capes for the dogs?" Noah asked his mother as she carried plates and silverware to the table. "I want to make them look like my pictures I drew."

"Sure," Karen said, a little bit distracted as she counted place settings, splitting her pile of silverware between Nathan and Will, and handing plates to Noah. "We only have those old sheets I found in the sewing room, but we'll see what we can come up with."

Everyone was almost finished eating when Olivia suddenly dropped her fork onto her plate and stood up. Gone were any trace of the shyness she displayed earlier in the week. "Can I get my surprise now? Pretty please? Or do I really have to wait until bedtime?"

Scully smiled and instructed her to find the backpack. Olivia returned a moment later, and handed it over to her aunt. "You need to close your eyes," Mulder told her. "No peeking!"

Scully pulled the pouch from the lining of her backpack, and handed it to her niece. "It's very delicate, so be careful," she told her.

A look of awe crossed Olivia's face, and she squealed when Scully opened the locket to display the photo. "It's a picture of you and your mom," Scully told her. "It's very special. That's you as a baby. You must have been just a little bit older than Autumn when that picture was taken. Your mom, when she asked me to give this to you, wanted me to remind you that she loves you very much."

Nathan poked his head over his cousin's shoulder, letting out a rather dramatic sigh of boredom. He scrunched his nose, lost in thought. "Does it have a secret compartment? Maybe it's a wizard thing." It was clear he was expecting Olivia's surprise to be something much more exciting than a necklace.

Olivia stared at the photo, and then darted her eyes back to Nathan. "Can I take it out? Maybe there's something behind it."

Karen reached over to inspect the locket. It was just thick enough that it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility that there was another compartment. "The photo isn't glued, so I should be able to get it out with tweezers, and put it back in," she promised. "But let's wait until after we finish dinner, so we don't get food all over it."

Scully laid her head on Mulder's sternum, and felt his arm snake around her. She loved how her brother and sister-in-law had embraced Olivia with open arms. It was as though the six-year-old had been a member of the family for years, instead of days. She felt sleepy despite her nap, and wondered how cruel it would be for her and her partner to sneak upstairs before the kids were settled in their bunks for the night. She absently pressed a kiss onto Mulder's sweater, and felt him shiver as he squeezed the nape of her neck. She knew he was definitely sharing her thoughts about an early bedtime.

She hadn't realized she had closed her eyes until she heard the scrape of several chairs against the wooden floor. A look at the clock confirmed she had zoned out for nearly ten minutes. Karen had pushed away her empty plates, and was hunched over the table with tweezers in hand, with Peter holding a flashlight behind her. "I need to see at least some light, kiddo," she told Olivia, keeping her voice warm and kind. Olivia shuffled a step behind, her eyes still glued to her gift. Very carefully, Karen coaxed the photo out of the locket. "The pendent has something etched on it," she said. She repositioned Peter's arm, so she could see better. "DFFM."

Mulder's grip on Scully's neck slackened, and she heard his sharp intake of breath. She wasn't quite awake enough to piece together every detail, but from the way his chest remained contracted, she knew he was panicking. She tried to reposition herself so she could get a read on his face, but before she could react, her stepson spoke.

"Can I look at it?" Kyle asked, not sounding like himself. "Please?"

Olivia nodded, happy that he showed interest in her new treasure. Once Kyle took possession of the locket, he immediately zoned in on the engraving, rubbing his thumb over the clasp. "It's really pretty, Livvie," he told his cousin with a smile.

Olivia beamed with Kyle's praise, and skipped over to Nathan and Will to show off her gift. Glancing around the room, Scully seemed certain that everyone except her and Mulder were oblivious to the fact that it was taking all of Kyle's energy to fake his grin.

"What does DFFM mean?" Peter asked, reaching over his mother to grab one of the last remaining slices of pizza.

Kyle's eyes darted towards his parents, and from the way Mulder squeezed her shoulder, she knew father and son were having a silent discussion. The younger kids were becoming rowdy again, shouting out answers to Peter's question.

"Dumbledore flies for magic," Nathan said, his mouth still full of food. "Or Defense for Flying Magic."

"Dogs farting for..." piped up Will, who looked at Noah.

"For magic beans!"

"For meatballs!"

This sent the kids into hysterics once more, as Karen requested that Olivia bring her back the necklace. While she replaced the photo in the locket, she gave her honorary niece strict instructions. "I don't want the photo to tear, so let's keep it inside, okay, Olivia? Sorry there's no secret compartment."

"Don't worry, DFFM is a wizard message," Nathan assured everyone. "It's very secret and important."

Olivia nodded solemnly. "Uh-huh, it is," she agreed. "It's a triple secret wizard message. Can I wear it now?"

"Wait until after your bath," Scully assured her, distracted by her stepson, who was now staring at his empty plate. Mulder's arm had gone limp along her shoulders. "You don't want it to get wet. I'll hold on to it for now, sweetie."

Karen announced they would make their dog costumes in the living room, and the kids argued over who would hold down the pups while she measured the fabric. Charlie started piling empty plates, when Mulder stopped him. "I'll clean up," he told his brother-in-law. "Thanks for making dinner."

Charlie pumped his fists in the air, throwing a dish towel onto Mulder's head as he exited the room.

For the first time all week, the kitchen was quiet. They didn't have complete privacy, but the noise from the other rooms would make it difficult for anyone to overhear their conversation. Mulder brushed against her as he stood. He shuffled to the fridge and grabbed a beer, rooting around the drawer for a bottle opener. She caught his eye as he turned towards the table, defeated. Gone was the smug smirk he had been flashing her during dinner; he now looked nearly as weary as when he had first arrived at the farmhouse. While Mulder had aged, Kyle had transformed into a little boy, forlorn and crestfallen.

If it had been a couple of years earlier, Scully would have followed Mulder's lead, but now, she was no longer insecure about her role in Kyle's life. She slid from her chair to the bench carved against the wall, inching closer to the teenager. The only thing she could think to do was to rub circles on Kyle's back, and hope it would offer him some comfort. She felt Mulder's palm cover her hand while Kyle's head fell against her shoulder.

"Don't try to lie." Kyle's sniffles muffled his words. "I know it's the same one."

Mulder's words stuck to his throat. "I promise you, Kyle, II had no idea until Karen read the inscription."

Mulder reached towards the other end of the table and picked up the locket, turning it over. It had been almost fifteen years since he had given it to his ex-wife as a valentine's day gift; Kyle had been ten months old. It originally held a photo of the three of them taken that Christmas—their son's first—by Aunt Sadie; he wondered what happened to that photo, and a part of him hoped that Diana still kept it close.

Kyle hiccuped, and slowly looked towards his father. His voice was barely above a whisper. "Does this mean she's my sister?"

XXXXXXX

They had a history in basements. At the Hoover Building, it was where they had met, where they had worked, where they had fallen in love; at their Georgetown home, it was where Mulder had found his grandfather's recordings, which gave him the leverage he needed to negotiate his way out of the Bureau. And now, it was in the dusty, cold basement of a Vermont farmhouse where they were to tell their oldest son the latest twist to his family history.

It was almost as though they were back in the early days. Mulder tipped his chair back, extending his long legs on the worktop. He fiddled with a pen, staring into space. Scully sat in an old armchair across the desk from him, swallowed up in an oversized hoodie and sipping a a mug of tea. While the room was cold, it offered the most privacy for their conversation. "Are we doing the right thing?"

Mulder sighed and bent his knees, the chair creaking below him. "We have two options, Scully, and they are both terrible. But at least this way he hears it from us. And if we're lucky, it will be one less thing he'll hate us for down the road."

Both Mulder and Scully had learned about their half-siblings as adults, revelations that had sent them spiraling to reconcile these truths with the childhoods they thought they knew. But their son's situation was different: he had a relationship with Olivia. While he hadn't known her for long, they had bonded. Olivia was slowly outgrowing her shyness around the family, but she still gravitated towards him when entering a room with the adults. It made Scully think about her brother's organic connection with Marita, and how Charlie was just as protective and patient over their sister as Kyle was with Olivia.

The door at the top of the stairs slammed shut, and Scully whispered—more to herself than to her partner—we can get through this.

Kyle took the battered armchair next to that of his stepmother. His eyes were red, and he clutched wadded up tissues in his left hand. He looked brave and vulnerable at the same time. "When did you find out?" Kyle asked.

"I found out two days ago, during my trip," Mulder answered. A straightforward question deserved a straightforward answer. This might not be so bad, he thought. Scully's encouragement echoed in his mind. We can get through this. "And I told Dana last night."

"So Olivia's going to live with us, right?"

There was a sweet eagerness in his voice that saddened Scully. She squeezed her oldest son's forearm. "Olivia will stay with us until her parents get better, Kyle."

Kyle's face fell in confusion. He turned to his father. "But Dad—she's your kid. You don't want her to live with us?"

Scully nearly dropped her mug. It hadn't crossed her mind that Kyle had drawn such a conclusion, and from the way Mulder bolted out of his chair, he had not either. He stood in front of Kyle's seat, leaning against the desk. "She's not my child, Kyle," he said with a soft voice. "Olivia is your half-sibling. Biologically, she is the daughter of Diana and your uncle Jeffrey. I'm her uncle, not her father."

"But—but." Kyle's sputtered. "I thought Uncle Jeff met them last year or something."

"That's what I thought too, up until the other day." Mulder sank down onto the worktop. "This is where things start to get tricky, Kyle. Lauren and her first husband adopted Olivia when she was an infant. Jeffrey tracked them down after he learned that he had a daughter."

Scully interrupted. "Kyle, the complicated thing about this situation—"

Mulder scoffed. "I think we're beyond that point."

"Admittedly, there are multiple complicated aspects to this," Scully conceded, looking at Mulder from the corner of her eye. "But Kyle, Lauren doesn't know that Jeffrey is Olivia's biological father. And that's something she needs to be told. Jeffrey promised to tell her soon, and we need to respect that. We don't know how she'll react. She'll have every right to be angry and confused. It's a messy situation, for lack of a better term."

Kyle stared at the floor. "What if they die? Uncle Jeff and Olivia's mom. Who would she live with?"

Mulder swallowed hard, and clapped his hand on Kyle's shoulder. "Both of them are both improving, which is a good sign. And if something were to happen, I promise that we will do whatever we can to make sure Olivia stays with us."

Scully's jaw twitched. Mulder needed to stop making such grandiose statements. "As much as we would like that, Kyle, we need to take into account her parents' wishes, and we don't know what those are exactly. But those are questions for another day. Like your dad just said, they seem to be turning a corner. The important thing is there are so many people who love Olivia, and who want to make sure she is happy and safe."

Based on Skinner's information, the Spenders had only very recently changed their next-of-kin instructions, and it was unclear whether the couple intended Lauren's parents as permanent guardians. Mulder had asked his lawyer to look into the matter, but they probably wouldn't get an answer until the new year. Mulder knew from experience that Jeffrey's bedside pleas for his brother to keep Olivia safe wouldn't be enough on their own to satisfy a family court judge.

"It's confusing," Scully finished. "But I think we're all lucky it has worked out this way. Olivia doesn't know us too well, but she could have been in a situation where she was with complete strangers. And you really helped her, Kyle. You made sure she wasn't scared, and helped get to knowyour brothers and cousins."

"This is a lot to take in," Mulder said. "But we can't tell anyone about Olivia's biological parents. I know we talk a lot about honesty, and it might seem hypocritical to keep quiet, but this is something that Jeffrey needs to handle. And we'll make sure she knows if he doesn't tell her. It's our responsibility, not yours."

Scully wondered whether the conversation was moving too quickly. "Kyle, can I ask you to think about something?" She waited until Kyle gave her a nod before continuing. "What would you think about seeing Dr. Meadows, or someone he recommends? I think we could all use some help in dealing with this."

He nodded, seemingly receptive to the idea of seeing his old therapist. "That might be okay. You would go too?"

"Yes," Scully said firmly. "We would do whatever he recommends. He might want to see us individually or all together, or both. I know I would really like his help."

Mulder felt a lump in his throat, admiring his partner for doing what was needed to make their children feel safe and secure. He could barely speak when Kyle asked him whether he would also participate. "Of course, bud."

"Is it okay if I never want to see Diana again?"

"Yes, it is," replied Scully. "We'll always protect you."

Mulder opened his mouth to repeat Scully's assurances, flashes of the past few days ran through his mind: Skinner's interrogation of Olivia, his conversation with Spender at the military hospital. See Diana. He suddenly felt dizzy. He tried to sit on the desk, but missed it by an inch, and nearly fell to the floor. Scully's eyebrows rose, concerned upon seeing his panic face. He shook his head, signaling they would need to speak in private. Mulder finally found his voice. "I know it's easier said than done, but don't worry about her. She's not getting anywhere near you and your siblings."

Kyle wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "How long are we staying here? I don't have my phone and I want to talk to my friends."

"We'll head home once the lockdown in DC is lifted," Mulder explained. "Probably the day after tomorrow. I'll talk to Jimmy to see if there's a way you can make a secure call. He has your SIM card, right? We'll figure out something tell your friends. I know you had plans with them."

"I don't want to talk anymore," confessed Kyle. He slumped back in his chair, crossing his arms over his stomach. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, sweetie," said Scully. "We're all done here. We love you."

"Me too."

Mulder waited until the door closed before sinking onto the seat Kyle had abandoned. "Jesus Christ," he swore.

"What just happened, Mulder? I thought you were going to pass out."

Mulder closed his eyes to center his thoughts. "Brother dearest has been in contact with Diana."

"You mentioned that," Scully reminded him.

"The photos, Scully. The photos Skinner showed Olivia. Diana wasn't in any of them."

Scully leaned towards her partner. "So you think Olivia might recognize her? Would Spender really do that? Introduce Diana to his wife and child without mentioning she's Olivia's biological mother?"

"That's the kind of idiotic decision Spender would make. But what I'm more worried about is Spender feeding information to Diana about us."

Scully almost dropped her mug on her lap. "Fuck, Mulder." She thought about how close the boys and Olivia had become over the past few days. How would they be able to navigate this relationship if they didn't trust Spender?

"Regardless, I'm more worried that we didn't do the right thing just now," she admitted. "That was a lot to unload on him."

"I wonder if some part of him instinctively knew," Mulder opined. "And to be honest, I have to wonder about the other kids, especially Nathan."

Scully bit her lip in an effort to not protest. In her heart, she knew Mulder wasn't spinning theories about psychic second graders for amusement's sake. Their sons were intuitive and empathetic, and those were gifts that needed to be nurtured. They knew when and how to cheer up the people around them, and they easily made new friends. Their imagined magic in everyday things was a testament to their curiosity and inquisitiveness and love for Harry Potter; it wasn't their childish interpretation of their grandfather's conspiracies.

XXXXXXX

During their last night in Vermont, the family nestled in the great room, everyone pajama-clad and sleepy from dinner. The kids had washed up without complaint, having been bribed with Home Alone and gingerbread cookies Scully and Peter had made that afternoon. "We're going home tomorrow," Mulder reminded the children. "And you guys have two choices. Do you want to take the train with your mom and the baby, or do you want to drive down with me and the dogs and spend the night at Grandma's?"

"Train!" Nathan and Olivia spoke in unison.

"No, I wanna go with you," Will said, abandoning his cousins and brothers on the floor to crawl onto his father's lap.

"Told you," Scully elbowed his side. Mulder had thought Nathan and Olivia would want to stick with the dogs, but it was better this way, he figured. While he would prefer for everyone to travel together, no one wanted to be stuck on a ten-hour car trip with two dogs, four kids, and an infant.

"Kyle?" The teenager didn't look up from his task of loading the DVD player.

"Train." Kyle hadn't said much to Mulder all day, except to thank him for arranging phone calls to his friends. He never said much when he was processing major news. Despite the teenager's love for Manhattan, Mulder figured that Kyle would not want to visit the city where he had lived with his mother for the first eleven years of his life. At least this way, Scully would have another set of hands to help with the kids.

The hustle and bustle quieted as Kyle turned up the volume on the TV. Will rested his head on his right shoulder, and he felt Scully fall against his left. He couldn't help but be distracted by Nathan and Olivia giggling on the floor, each using a dog as a pillow. Their resemblance to one another now seemed incredibly obvious, and he wondered whether anyone else would guess their biological relationship.

XXXXXXXXX

"Mommy, mommy, mommy!" Will ran into his mother's arms, giving her a tight hug. Scully looked up at a dazed Mulder, who shared an identical crestfallen expression. The dogs jumped out of the SUV, and brushed passed them, running through the open back door. They were finally home, and not a moment too soon.

"Will, sweetie, you had a tough night, huh?" Scully bent down and wiped the tears from her youngest son's watery eyes. "Do you want to have some bullfrog time?"

Will nodded. "With Daddy too."

"I'll be there in a minute, bud," Mulder promised, relieved they had made it home to Georgetown in one piece. Their simple overnight visit to check-in on his mother had been anything but; there was now no doubt in his mind that Teena's health was failing, and he had a traumatized five-year-old to prove it.

"Dad, we'll unpack the car," Kyle offered, stepping outside with his best friend Dave.

"Thanks," Mulder told the teenagers. "Would you mind sticking around for a couple of hours and keeping an eye on Nathan and Olivia? Maybe take them to the park with the dogs? Don't worry, you'll be well compensated."

The boys nodded in agreement, and Dave headed towards the SUV. Kyle hung back for a moment. "Dad? I'm really sorry about Grandma. Mom told me what happened last night."

Mulder didn't trust himself to speak, and merely nodded his appreciation, giving his oldest son's shoulder a squeeze. He headed towards the second floor, where he found Will and Scully cuddled up on their bed. Will's voice was wobbly and he was once again hiccuping. "Grandma was really scary, huh?" Scully asked him.

"Uh-huh and she said I was bad and sneaky. But—but—but Daddy said I was good."

Mulder crawled next to Will, so he was facing his partner. "You didn't do anything wrong, bullfrog. Grandma shouldn't have yelled at you, but she was confused. You were very well behaved and very, very brave."

There was no easy explanation for Teena's behavior. They had been sitting in the living room after dinner the previous evening, with Will playing with the dogs on the floor and telling Aunt Sadie about the Christmas presents he had drawn for his parents. Teena, who had barely spoken all afternoon, tried to get her grandson's attention, first by calling him Fox, and then Kyle. She grew increasingly aggressive, accusing Will of sneaking around past his bed time and remarking about her disappointment in his bad behavior. Will, always sensitive when accused of something he did not do, immediately burst into tears and Mulder's attempts at calming down his mother only increased her irritability. Will had been frightened, confused, and inconsolable. Mulder had called his partner to help settle Will, and she did the best she could over the phone, with a wailing Autumn in the background.

"Why doesn't Grandma like me?" Will sniffled, adjusting his hold on Doggy.

Scully smoothed his hair away from his eyes. "Sweetie, Grandma loves you very much. She's sick right now, and when that happens, she doesn't know what's going on, and forgets things. She shouldn't have yelled at you, but she didn't mean to hurt your feelings. She was confused and thought it was late at night a very, very long time ago. We know you didn't do anything wrong."

Shame and guilt flooded Mulder as he watched his partner comfort their five-year-old. The scene looped through his mind in slow-motion, muddling his memory as to the exact order of events. He remembered correcting his mother on Will's name and then hearing Will's first whimper. By then it was too late: Will was in pieces. He had scooped up the five-year-old, and with the dogs on his heels, brought him to the guest room they were sharing. Why had he wasted time trying to reason with his mother? That approach would have been appropriate if it had been Kyle, and perhaps even Nathan, who was much bolder than his younger brother. He wished his first instinct had bent comfort Will instead.

"I'm so, so, sorry, bullfrog," Mulder repeated between Will's hiccups.

The three of them lay their in silence, with Will dropping to sleep, snuggled against his mother. "Will he be okay?" Mulder whispered.

Scully nodded. "He'll get over this, Mulder. But what about you?"

"I think this might be the beginning of the end."

Scully extended her arm over Will so she could clasp Mulder's hand in hers.

"Can you get her?" Scully mouthed when the baby began to stir. "She shouldn't be hungry."

Mulder nodded, slipping out of the bed, and placed a quilt over mother and son.

He walked downstairs to an uncharacteristically quiet first floor, eyeing the note that Kyle had scrawled on the dry erase board. He estimated they would have another half-hour of peace and quiet and found the playmat for tummy time. Mulder realized that his daughter would never know his mother—or any of her other grandparents. He supposed he always knew that, at least in theory, but emotionally, it hit him with full force. It was one thing have been slowly preparing himself for his mother's failing health, but it was already proving to be much more painful to watch his children navigate it instead. His mind worked in overdrive as he realized that Nathan would be asking questions, and that he had no idea how much Kyle knew. The baby bear cub's smiles distracted him from his panic, and he tickled her as he flipped her onto her back. "You are mighty wiggly today." She reached towards the activity bar, amused by the dangling Winnie-the-Pooh characters.

He wished for such a different world for his children, one that was unburdened by his past. It wasn't their fault that their grandparents had set in motion a dangerous change of events. But he was resolute that he would be the one to fix things; his unfinished work would never become their legacy.

"Damnit," he swore when he felt his pocket vibrate. "Okay, baby bear cub, your job is to start crying in about ten seconds. Really loud. Got that?"

Autumn held his gaze and he could have sworn she nodded. He flipped open his phone to Skinner's call. "You're kind of catching me at a bad time," he told his former boss. He waggled his finger at Autumn, hoping the seven-week old infant would understand his cue. He tucked the phone between his shoulder and neck and picked up the baby, and debated whether it would be too evil to open the window and let in the cold air. He barely followed Skinner's monologue, instead concentrating on the way Autumn scrunched her face. Seconds later, her wails rang through the air, and an unpleasant smell circulated. He made sure to put his phone close to the baby's mouth. "Sorry, Skinner, I'm going to have to call you back."

"Good job, baby bear cub," Mulder praised her, kissing her forehead. "You did that perfectly. Daddy's very proud of you. This is well worth the clean-up."

XXXXXXXXX

Scully felt Will's breathing deepen and knew he had fallen asleep. She rubbed his back, wishing he had not been a victim to her mother-in-law's ailing health. Her mommy guilt nagged her on multiple fronts: her difficulty in managing her miserable children the night before, the reminder of her absence during Will's Bigfoot crisis, and her having to send Mulder out of the room to attend to Autumn minutes earlier. On the other end of the spectrum, she felt irrationally angry at her mother-in-law despite her knowledge that Teena was not in any control over her behavior.

She also knew that Mulder was just as traumatized as their son. She heard it in his voice the previous evening, and saw it on his face when he arrived home. This was all the more compounded by the observations Aunt Sadie had shared that morning over the phone, in her account of the disaster. Honestly, Dana, it was like watching Fox as a young boy all over again. Of course, back then, it would have been his father snapping, but still. For Sadie's loyalty to her sister to have been bested by her loyalty to her nephew, the scene must have been truly terrible.

"Bullfrog, we've got to wake up, okay?" Scully quietly said as they approached the thirty minute mark, wanting to make sure that Will would have no difficulty in sleeping that night. "Do you want a snack and some hot chocolate with marshmallows?"

Will stirred, rubbing his nose on his mother's side. "Uh-huh," he yawned, rubbing his eyes. "It smells bad, mommy."

Scully shifted to a sitting up position. "Yuck, it really does," she agreed, needing to cover her nose and mouth. Will bounced on the bed before peering into the en suite, where Mulder was holding the baby over the sink.

"Eeew," Will giggled. "She's stinky."

Scully walked behind him, cringing. "Will, I'm going to have to help daddy here. Why don't you go downstairs and pick out a game for us to play with Olivia and Nathan, okay? And maybe a movie for after dinner? Then we'll make some hot chocolate."

Will smiled, giving his mother a hug and then running out of the room.

"What the hell did you eat, Scully?" Mulder's frustration bordered on amusement.

"Bring her in here," Scully pointed to the walk-in shower. She stood on her tip-toes to unhook the spray nozzle from its base. She tested the water, waiting for it to warm up before she cleaned off the infant. "At least she doesn't seem to be in any distress now."

Scully stepped out to grab the baby bath, which she filled with water. "Let's get her on the counter," she said, finding a soft cloth and some gentle soap to more thoroughly clean her off. The baby stopped crying and opened her eyes before yawning. "How are you holding up?"

"I can't think of anything that I'm not worried about, to be honest," Mulder softly said, concentrating on not losing his hold on the baby. He breathed in the smell of the lavender soap Scully gently rubbed onto the baby's skin. Her wide eyes—which he hoped would remain Scully-blue—focused on his, and he was reminded of how dependent she and her brothers were on him. "I've got you, cubster."

XXXXXXXXXX

There was something special about that afternoon, Mulder mused. Maybe it was the relief of seeing Will smile and giggle again, or the mischievous banter between Olivia and Nathan and their Harry Potter spells, or the patience Kyle and Dave showed towards the younger children when playing Star Wars Uno. But most likely it was because he knew the holidays were drawing to a close, and things would soon be changing.

"Who is ready for their hot chocolate?" Scully asked.

Mulder couldn't help but smile at the anticipation on Will's face as he watched his mother stir his hot chocolate with a candy cane. He had to agree that Scully made the best hot chocolate, an assertion that bemused her, as she always used Swiss Miss mix. His own ham-fisted attempts always resulted in water with chocolatey lumps, much to the frustration of their sons. "You can choose which color marshmallows you want," Scully told the kids, tossing Mulder a ziplock bag. "Four each."

Nathan's eyes widened, and he bit down on his lower lip, concentrating on the treats. To Mulder, the small clumps all looked the same. If memory served him correct, they all tasted the same, but to the children, it was an important task. As soon as they started squabbling, Mulder realized why Scully was usually insistent on sprinkling the marshmallows in herself. "I didn't realize there was a rule that no one can have the same color combination."

The kids stared blankly at him with identical, slack-jawed faces. "That's the point, Dad," Nathan explained.

Mulder barely registered the ringing phone, and it wasn't until Kyle's announcement that he was taking over Scully's deck of cards that he realized she must still be on the line. From the exasperated expression she threw him when re-entering the room, he knew she must have spoken to Skinner. She shook her head when he pointed towards the office; now was not the time and place for a private discussion. A pit grew in Mulder's stomach.

She turned to Olivia with a smile on her face. "Olivia, your grandmother would like to say hello."

Olivia squealed. Scully handed the cordless phone to her niece, and walked her towards the living room so she could speak in private. Mulder promised Will he would be right back, and went to join Scully in the hall. He touched Scully's arm and she shrugged it off, her eyes not leaving that of the excited six-year-old, who was sitting next to Bandit on the living room floor, clutching the phone. "Olivia's grandmother will be in DC to take care of Olivia and Lauren. She'll be going home the day after tomorrow."

XXXXXXXXX

Gone were the days when Scully could just drop a load of laundry into the machine without having to worry about crayons, legos and other trinkets damaging the clothes. Over the past few days, she had learned to be especially on the look out for dog treats, which Olivia—under Nathan's tutelage—had taken to carrying in her pockets. She rolled her eyes as she pulled out another biscuit, as well as something else, from a purple hoodie pouch. She studied Olivia's locket closely for the first time, opening it to look at the photo of her and her mother. She could tell from the photo alone how fiercely Lauren loved her daughter. One of the few things she knew about her sister-in-law was how much she and her first husband wanted to be parents, and the difficulties they experienced in pursuing adoption.

She closed the necklace and inspected the engraving on the back. DFFM. The locket grew heavy as she thought about its history. There was little physical evidence of Mulder's relationship with Diana—their son not withstanding—and it felt strange to think of this as such. Fifteen years ago, Mulder had visited a jewelry store with the intention of buying his wife a gift to commemorate their love of one another and of their son. It wouldn't have been unlike the day he had purchased the sapphire bracelet he had given her four years earlier. She felt a twinge of sadness for that Mulder, the one she had never known; she knew how desperately he had tried to save his marriage. Her heart also hurt for Kyle, who had recognized the locket right away. She couldn't imagine the rejection he felt upon realizing his photo had been replaced. As much as Olivia treasured the necklace, Scully feared it carried too much history to be an appropriate gift for a child.

Mulder entered the room, his hands wrapped around a beer. He had tried his best to be upbeat with the kids, but since they were sent to bed, his anxiety and frustration had bubbled to the surface. Scully knew she needed to be patient with him, but the lack of sleep and constant worrying about everyone she loved was catching up to her. She set aside the necklace and toys on the shelf above the worktop, and turned her attention to her partner.

Mulder spoke first."If Olivia's grandmother really wants to look after her, why isn't she here already?"

This was how Mulder loved, she reminded herself: he became angry on everyone else's behalf. Scully closed the lid to the washing machine, and poured in the detergent. "God, Mulder, I can't believe you just asked me that. She was out of the country until yesterday."

Still, he challenged her. "It's a fair question, Scully." She tilted her head towards the door, which he closed.

Scully bit her bottom lip, reminding herself that Mulder wasn't really upset with Olivia's maternal grandmother, who, judging by their twenty minute phone call earlier that day, seemed like a lovely woman who was dealing with the shock of an unexpected set of events. Mulder's petulance was about everything else in his life unraveling: his mother, Diana, Mathison. "Mulder, it's not just about dropping everything and getting here on a moment's notice. Would it be better for Olivia if her grandmother arrived frazzled and distracted, or that once she's here, is able to devote all of her attention to her granddaughter? It would be one thing if Olivia was in care, or with people she didn't know, but she's safe and happy with us. If Alana needs a couple of days to get things in order so she can spend the next six months living away from home, then so be it."

He wore his hurt puppy expression, the one that indicated he knew he was wrong, but still needed to sulk. "How do we know she's up for running around after a seven-year-old?"

"Mulder, Lauren made it clear she wants Olivia to be with her mother while she's recovering. Olivia grew up with her grandmother living in the same neighborhood. Lauren knows what her mother is capable of, and besides, it's not our decision. We aren't disappearing from her life—she'll be three miles away. I told Alana we would help in whatever way she needed."

"What does 'recovering' mean? Do they have a different plan if they pass away?"

"Mulder," she said firmly. She dropped her voice before continuing. "Lauren requested her mother take custody of Olivia while she's at Walter Reed. That's all we have to worry about right now. We aren't her parents."

She knew her words hurt him. She didn't relish saying them out loud, but they needed to be said. And, judging by the way his eyes cast downward, he knew that she was right. But by clenched his jaw, she knew he wasn't finished. "We need to fight for custody if Lauren passes. Spender is not capable—"

"Mulder, I know that you want what's best for Olivia, but this is about her, not you and Jeffrey. Don't use her as a pawn, Mulder. You're on a slippery slope, and you don't have as much moral high ground as you think. "

The bottle in Mulder's hand shook. "I can't believe you're accusing me of—"

She sighed and shook her head. "I'm not accusing you of anything, Mulder. I'm just reminding both of us that we aren't her parents, even if she's their sister. She's Lauren's daughter, Mulder; not Diana's. But no matter what happens, we'll have a place in Olivia's life."

XXXXXX

Although Mulder knew Scully was right, it didn't change the fact that he wasn't happy about it. For the next couple of days, he made sure to be smiley and goofy whenever in the children's presence, and only allowed his moodiness to surface after they were tucked into bed. He felt he was taking the coward's way out when he floated the idea of spending the day with Kyle instead of dropping Olivia home with her and the younger kids. But he knew it was better for everyone if he left Olivia on a happy note, with a hug and a high five and a promise to help with her puppy quest.

He arrived home to a subdued Will and Nathan, who were watching movies in the blanket fort they built in the living room. He promised to join them shortly, and went in search of his partner. He found her in the nursery, changing Autumn's diaper. "How'd it go?"

"It was hard," Scully admitted. "Can you button her up? I need to wash my hands."

Mulder pressed his palm on the baby's stomach, smiling as she gurgled at him. The way her face crinkled made up for the sleepless nights. She wiggled while he struggled with the snaps on her onesie."You are a very cheerful baby bear cub today." He readjusted her socks, which she had once again almost kicked off.

He met Scully back in their bedroom, where she was changing the bassinet bedding. "Let her stretch out on the bed. She's been cramped up in the carseat," Scully yawned. "How was your drive with Kyle?"

"It went well," reported Mulder. He put the baby on her stomach, and watched her attempt to lift her head. "I think Kyle enjoyed the undivided attention. We talked about my mother, and he'll come up with me the next time I go to the city. He also said that he's glad you were able to make that appointment with Dr. Meadows." He waited a beat before continuing. "What's Alana like?"

Scully looked down at Autumn before making eye contact with her partner. "Olivia's grandmother adores her," Scully smiled. "That was obvious. She just lit up when she opened the door. I think Alana might be a little overwhelmed. But who wouldn't be? She said that some of the parents from the kids in Olivia's class stopped by yesterday, which she really appreciated. They'll be helping out with the school run and activities. Of course I told her that we would do whatever she needed. I don't think she anticipated DC traffic being what it is, and she seemed to think we lived in the same neighborhood. She did mention that a car will be taking her to and from Walter Reed, and she's incredibly grateful for that."

"Who is she working with at Walter Reed? Did she mention Sandra?"

"No." Scully shook her head. "She said she was working with someone named Becky."

"She's Mathison's assistant," recalled Mulder. He flipped the baby onto her back, taking hold of her right foot. "That's decent of him to look out for her like that. Was Alana…well, you know…is she the apple pie baking grandma or the fun grandma type?"

"She's more like Karen's mother than your mother." Scully hoped she sounded diplomatic about her assessment. "She's very warm and had homemade Mac and cheese and cookies for the kids. They were running around playing hide-and-seek and she didn't bat an eye. We all played Uno. She's grateful that we were with Olivia this week. They're going to come over next weekend for a playdate and dinner. And, before you ask, we didn't talk about what would transpire if the worst happened to Lauren and Spender."

"I'm visiting Spender tomorrow," Mulder announced. "Figured I'd ask him myself."

XXXXXXX

Mulder entered his brother's medical bay, clad in a protective gown and mask. "This is to protect the patient, not you," Susanne reassured him when demonstrating how to don the garb. "We've been dosing him with immunosuppressants. I'll be straight with you, professor. Your reputation proceeds you. I'm telling you now, don't upset him too much. If his blood pressure or heart rate monitors go off, you're out. The only reason I'm allowing this is because the safety of children is in question. I would like to think you wouldn't lie about something that grave."

"I appreciate it." Mulder hoped he sounded sincere. Byers must have gone to bat for him, and he was once again grateful for his friend. "Believe me, I'm going to be as quick as I can."

Despite Susanne having forewarned him as to his brother's appearance, Mulder was caught off-guard by the pasty figure on the bed. "How is she?" Spender rasped.

"Scully dropped her off with your mother-in-law yesterday. Before she left, she told me she wants a dog for her birthday, and I promised she would get two." Confusion blanketed Spender's face. "That was a joke. I promised her a pony instead."

Mulder decided to interpret Spender's cough as a laugh. That was as close as he was going to get with his social niceties; it was time for business. "What happens to Olivia if you two don't make it?"

Spender wheezed. "You take her."

"Is there any legal documentation to that effect?"

"Not yet. Lawyer drafted the forms. Lauren didn't sign yet."

Mulder silently cursed. "Okay, we can work with that, I guess. I need you to come clean with me about Diana. How much contact do you have with her?"

Spender exhaled. "Yes."

Even though he was watching his brother physically struggle to follow the conversation, Mulder couldn't help but interpret his behavior as obstinance. He knew he would have trouble keeping his temper in check. "I'm not here to fuck around, Spender. The safety of my children, hell, the safety of your daughter is at stake here."

Spender wheezed. "We never talked about your kids."

Although it would be easier to disbelieve anything his brother would say, Mulder was inclined to take Jeffery at his word. There was something inherently earnest about Spender, especially when it came to family. He had repeated time and again that he never wanted the trauma of his own childhood to be repeated. While Mulder didn't doubt Jeffrey's sincerity over that sentiment, he had to assume that his brother would be too trusting of the wrong people.

"If Diana were to show up at school with an ice cream cone and a puppy, would Olivia—"

"Olivia shouldn't know her."

Mulder wasn't satisfied by that answer, but knew he needed to move their conversation along. He needed to assume that Spender's vagueness left open the possibility that Diana and Olivia had been in one another's presence in the not so distant past. "Will Diana take my children?"

"No. She wouldn't hurt her kids."

"But would she use the kids to hurt me?"

"No. But maybe Scully." Spender's voice was barely above a whisper.

Mulder felt a chill run down his back. "She chose Scully to be their mother," he countered.

"No. You did. She loves you. She—Diana—you."

Mulder's patience wore thin as Spender fought through his coughs. "What?"

"I'm the second choice. They want you on their side." Beeps went off. "It's your destiny."

"How would she hurt Scully?"

"You."

"Professor Mulder, you need to leave." Susanne's voice sliced through their air. Mulder turned around to see her at the doorway. "Now."

Mulder nodded and left, without another word to his brother.

XXXXXXXXX

Mulder tried to convince himself that Spender's words were less a revelation, and more a statement of fact. His stomach turned at the thought that Diana was letting him play happy families, merely waiting for him to grow bored with his life. He mentally counted the milestones of his adulthood. Five years of schooling in England, five years in violent crimes, five years with Diana, five years with the X-Files…and now almost five years of his family life with Scully and the kids. Had he really been playing into Diana's hand the entire time?

She loves you.

Mulder had enough distance from Diana to know that her brand of love was one that disguised manipulation and power. In the years following his divorce, he had spent countless nights laying awake on his couch in the dead of night, replaying each memory in his head, trying to untangle whether any facet of their relationship was genuine. He learned his answer not by thinking backwards, but by moving forward—ever so slowly—in his relationship with Scully.

Diana had wreaked havoc when she returned to the Bureau, and Mulder's biggest regret was not immediately coming clean with Scully. He wondered whether his ex-wife purposely timed her entrance for a time when he and Scully were not in sync with one another. He wished he could say that the only temptation on his part had been the thought of rebuilding their family for their son's sake, but the truth was that he had been flattered by her attention.

The real threat Diana posed was that he behaved badly around her. She threw his equilibrium off just enough for him to second guess everything and everyone around him, and without fail, those closest to him were the ones he hurt the most. His only comfort was that Spender was adamant that Diana would not hurt the children.

"I don't know how else we can provide for our physical safety. We have to be missing something," Mulder ranted that night.

Scully rested her forehead on his shoulder. "Mulder, based on our past experience with her…I don't think she wants to physically hurt the kids or me, for that matter."

Mulder was caught off-guard by her insight. "Why do you say that?"

"Mulder, you become very over protective when I'm sick, and she knows it. If anything, me or the kids getting hurt would only make you stick closer to home. If she wants to create a divide between us, she's going to lure you from home and remind you about everything you've missed out on by leaving the Bureau. She's going to make this as personal as possible, Mulder, and she is going to do or say whatever she can to convince you that I'm the one who is preventing your happiness. Her end game is for you to choose her."

Mulder shook his head. "No. There is absolutely nothing she can say that would change how I feel about you, Scully. I don't want the Bureau, I don't want work, I want our life, the one we're living now, minus her."

"I know that, Mulder." She sounded subdued. "She's masterminding a new world order, and she wants you at her side. When she's ready for you, we'll know it."

Mulder stared at the ceiling, thinking once more about his history of bad behavior whenever in Diana's orbit. He tapped his fingers on his stomach. "What if there was a way to beat her to the chase?"

"What do you mean?"

"What if we did something that would attract her attention, make her come out of hiding? Possibly distract her from whatever she and the smoking bastard are doing?"

"How?"

"What if we separated?"

Scully dug her elbow into the mattress, trying to prop herself up so she could be at eye-level with her partner. "One, we have a terrible track record when we're apart. Two, there's no way I can handle four kids on my own, Mulder. We can barely keep up as it is. Separating the kids, especially during the school year—"

Mulder shook his head. "No, no, Scully. I didn't mean physically. I meant a legal separation. A court filing. Nothing else would have to change."

"Oh," Scully responded, falling onto her back, deflated. Her voice trailed off. "How would we explain it?"

"We wouldn't have to tell anyone. It's just a legal formality, the kind of thing someone would need to dig around to find," Mulder shrugged. "Something that only Diana would notice."

Scully rolled her eyes, irritated by her partner's naiveté. "Mulder, you of all people should know there aren't any secrets in this town. It would just be a matter of time before it got back to our friends, not to mention Kyle. How devastated would he be? That first year, Mulder, do you remember how many times he asked who he would live with if we ever split up? Someone would notice, Mulder."

As soon as the words had tumbled out of his mouth, Mulder realized that his plan would be ill-advised. But there was something wounded in his partner's voice, making him think that he had misstepped in a way he had not intended. "Forget I said anything. I didn't think it through. You're absolutely right, it wouldn't be fair to the kids. Diana would probably be suspicious of the timing, anyway."

When Scully failed to respond, he thought she had fallen asleep. He rolled onto his side, and watched her fiddle with the duvet. "Are you taking what I said personally? I don't want us to split up, Scully—I would never want that."

Scully refused to look at him. "What part of this isn't personal, Mulder?"

The baby let out a ferocious cry. "Goddamnit," Scully cursed. She slid out of bed to attend to the infant. "This is what she wants, Mulder. The chaos. The fun for her is seeing how far you would take it, how far you would risk the people around you to cater to her whims."

XXXXXX

Scully felt like she had been punched in the stomach. While she understood Mulder's logic, at least to a certain extent, the way he threw around separation without any regard for its implications to their family life struck her as callous. But what hurt the most was how he seemed to have prioritized everyone else—and most notably, the person he claimed to despise the most—over her.

"Shh," she whispered to the baby.

She ignored a hovering Mulder. "I'll take her downstairs."

She snapped. "No, I'll do it." At least he had the decency to looks guilty, she thought. "I'm going to have to feed her in an hour anyway."

"Scully, there's a bottle in the fridge," he interrupted.

"Which she probably won't take," complained Scully, ready to leave the room. "I'm just—"

"Make her stop, Mommy!" Will and Nathan appeared at the doorway, sleepy-eyed.

"I'm sorry, guys," Scully apologized. "We didn't mean to wake you up. Let's get you back to bed."

"No." Nathan looked nonplussed. "If she doesn't have to go to bed then we don't either 'cuz we're bigger."

"Nice try, but it doesn't work that way, buddy," Scully gently reminded Nathan. Will wrapped his hands around her waist, leaning his forehead against her stomach. Scully was a little surprised that he had attached himself to her instead of his father. "I'm so sorry, sweetie."

She wasn't apologizing for the baby as so much for the uncertainty and confusion he was experiencing. Will was already struggling with the changes in their family before the holiday upheaval hit, and they would need to do their best to prepare him for Mulder's upcoming trip.

It was clear Will needed his mother, which prompted Mulder to take Autumn from a reluctant Scully. He turned to Nathan and asked, "Do you want to read her a bedtime story, monkey?"

Nathan nodded. "Can I read her Harry Potter? She's a muggle so we gotta start early."

Mulder failed to choke back a laugh, much to Nathan's consternation. "Now's a good a time as any."

"Yay!" Nathan ran down the hall to retrieve his book.

Will frowned, and his voice broke. "Mommy, I—I don't wanna read now. I want bullfrog time. I miss Olivia and Noah and Christmas."

"I know, sweetie, I miss them too. I have an idea," Scully whispered to her youngest son, leading him into the hallway. Will was simultaneously overtired and wired, and they both needed a distraction. "Why don't we make some chocolate chip muffins for breakfast? So we can surprise everyone tomorrow morning?"

"Now?" Will's eyes widened and he rubbed Doggy on his cheek.

"Yup, right now. It won't take too long," she told him, taking him downstairs. "How about I measure, and you pour everything in the bowl and be in charge of the mixer?"

"Okay," Will agreed. He dragged a chair over to the kitchen counter, and stood on it. "But you do the egg."

"I know you miss your cousins, bullfrog," Scully said while she measured the ingredients and watched Will dump them into the mixer. She noticed he took special care with the chocolate chips. "Olivia's coming over for a play date next weekend, and we'll call Noah and Peter tomorrow. Sound good?"

"Uh-huh. Can I do the mixer now?"

"Pull the lever to 2, bullfrog," instructed Scully. "Good job."

Will was fighting sleep as his mother poured the batter into the muffin tins, too stubborn to give into his yawns. "Twelve minutes, bullfrog. We can make a special dessert for when Olivia visits. Do you want to look through the cookbook?"

She looked up when he didn't answer, and saw that he had fallen asleep on Bandit's bed. It was something he used to do as a toddler, a habit she thought he had outgrown. She sat on a chair next to him, watching his chest rise and fall. He had worn himself out rock climbing that afternoon, and with any luck, he would sleep through the night. He had been waking up in the pre-dawn hours almost every morning that week.

She was pulling the muffins out of the oven when Kyle came home from walking the dogs. She motioned for him to be quiet, pointing to his sleeping brother. "You must be freezing."

Kyle unclipped the pups' leashes. Dagoo jumped up and down next to the cabinet where they kept the dog treats, while Bandit curled up with Will. "Yeah, it's cold out. Why are you doing this so late? Can I have one now?"

"No." She batted his hand away from the tray, and brought the bowl to the sink. "Make sure you act surprised tomorrow. Will and I made them as a treat. The baby woke everyone up."

"They smell really good." He tossed the dogs their chewies, and put away their gear.

"They do," Scully said absently as she soaked the bowl with hot water and detergent. She rubbed her eyes with her sleeves.

"Mom, are you okay?"

She was a little stunned by the teenager's question. "I'm fine," she promised him, managing a tight smile. "Just very, very tired."

Kyle hesitated, and Scully braced for another question. "Do you want me to carry Will to bed?"

"Could you?" Scully asked, relieved that the teenager didn't press the issue. She watched Kyle scoop up his younger brother, making sure Doggy was pressed into Will's hand. Will instinctively wrapped his arms around Kyle's shoulders.

She ran her right hand through Will's hair, and pressed a kiss to his temple. "Sweet dreams, bullfrog," she whispered. She squeezed Kyle's arm. "Thank you." She grew wistful watching the tenderness with which Kyle carried Will up the stairs. It suddenly hit her that Kyle would be away for the summer—yet another change for which to prepare Will. He and Nathan didn't know that once school let out in June, they would be on the Vineyard and in Vermont until Labor Day weekend. In some ways it was the perfect solution—the summer house was larger, with a huge yard and access to the beach, and Charlie and Karen and their boys would be there too, and maybe Olivia, at least for a long weekend. She wasn't sure how they would take the news that they wouldn't be at their usual summer day camp, but they had plenty of time to warm up to the idea.

For years, Scully had lived with the possibility that Diana would re-enter their lives to take custody of her sons. She had tempered that fear so it only occupied a small place in her heart. But she had never really considered Diana resurfacing with the sole objective of luring Mulder away from his family.

Her worry had always been that they would lose Mulder to his work. They still bore the scars from Mulder's tenure with the Bureau, when every investigation threatened to consume him whole. She feared not so much for his physical safety, but for the pain and grief he shared with the families with whom he worked. Every case was a reminder of Samantha's disappearance, Emily's death, or his separation from Kyle.

When she first met Mulder in the basement all those years ago, she had no idea he had recently divorced. She had heard the rumors of his womanizing, and had witnessed the flustered expressions, winks, and nods in Mulder's direction when wandering the Hoover Building. Those women all seemed to still be charmed by him, in spite of his bad behavior. His attitude towards Diana was remarkably different; it was apparent they had a magnetic pull towards one another. Initially, she mistrusted her gut instinct, chalking it up to her penchant for jealousy.

Clarity came with the knowledge that they shared a son, and its was the Gunmen who explained to her the lengths Mulder went through to spend time with Kyle. Diana's manipulation of her partner, and the fact she used her own child as bait, sickened Scully to no end. But before all that, there was a period time when Mulder loved Diana. After all, they were together for at least two years prior to her pregnancy. There was no question Diana would use their experiences to further pull him along, and Scully had no insight into that period of Mulder's life.

It was already a losing battle, Scully thought. It only took a single remark from Spender for Mulder to start strategizing his first contact with Diana, and mere minutes to announce he was ready and willing to sacrifice their relationship in order garner his ex-wife's attention. Of course, she and Mulder were married in name only, she reminded herself, so she supposed it shouldn't matter if they were to also be divorced in the same manner. The glint emanating from the ring she wore around her neck mocked her as she scraped egg and chocolate from the bowl.

She could feel Mulder's presence when he entered the room, but she failed to acknowledge it. The hot water ran over her hands, and concentrated on scrubbing the bowl. "Hey, hey hey," he whispered into her ear. "I'm sorry."

She hadn't realized she had been crying. "I know. It's not that."

At least he gave her the courtesy of pretending to believe her, she thought. She didn't trust herself to speak—she was too tired to find the right words. She continued her chore, until Mulder reached over her to turn off the tap. "Scully, we need to talk."

"I need a minute, Mulder. I'm not mad, I just need a minute."

He pressed his face against the back of her head. "I was an idiot, Scully. I spoke without thinking. Again. You have to know that I would never—"

"It's fine. Mulder, we're both exhausted. I think we just need some sleep before we continue this. There really isn't much to talk about anyway."

Bullshit, Mulder thought. "Can I at least finish this for you?"

"Sure." The task was nearly done, but at least him attending to the dishes would guarantee her a few moments alone. She tried to sidle past him, but he gently held her wrist. "Scully, will you please look at me?"

Mulder had on his panic face. "I'm sorry. It was a stupid thing to say. You know the last thing I want is to hurt you."

"I know, Mulder. Thanks for washing up." She pressed her palm to his chest and gave it a tap before leaving the room.

XXXXXXX

On Monday, the kids were back in school, but the university was still closed. Apart from his meetings with Mathison's task force, Mulder didn't have to work that week. He needed to clear the air with Scully. They had barely talked since their fight, but Mulder wanted to believe that had more to do with Sunday as the final day of the kids' vacation more than anything else.

He second guessed himself while he waited outside the yoga studio where Scully and the baby were taking a mommy-and-me class. He wasn't sure whether thirty six hours had provided enough time to think things through, but it was time for them to talk. "Hey," he awkwardly greeted her as helped her navigate the stroller over the doorway. "I thought I would take you to lunch. Maybe we could try the place where I grade papers?"

A flicker of a smile cross her face. "Okay."

At least he wouldn't have to stumble over the speech he had been preparing all morning in the event she needed to be convinced. "How was the class?"

"I liked it. The membership was a very thoughtful gift."

Mulder felt a little more hopeful when she extended her left hand towards him, and he clasped his fingers with hers. "Kyle's guidance counselor called this morning," he reported. "She suggested that I sit out the college application info session tonight. She said that the parents who work at universities tend to get put on the spot during these things."

"That makes sense," Scully responded as they waited for the light at the crosswalk to change. "At least this way we'll be able to leave the baby at home. Is Langly still going to come over?"

"Yeah, he's going to fill me in on his research from the last few days. I'm not—I'm not looking forward to this task force meeting tomorrow."

She squeezed his hand. "I know, Mulder."

Someone held open the door to the cafe, and they maneuvered the stroller inside. They looked over the specials, and Mulder waited in line while Scully claimed a table near the faux fireplace, out of an earshot from the other patrons. Autumn was still sleeping soundly, and Scully hoped she would stay settled until they were finished with their lunch.

She watched Mulder wait for their orders on the far side of the counter, his hands shoved in the pockets of his jeans. He looked nervous, and she contemplated whether she should take responsibility in any way for his anxiety. She was well aware she had shut down in the aftermath of their argument on Saturday night, but at the time, she felt it the safest option, not wanting to say anything she would regret. During their disagreements, she often found herself floundering, unable to grasp the right words while sorting through her muddled thoughts. In so much of her life, she relied on logic, but when it came to her relationships—especially the one she shared with her partner—she was ruled by emotion. It just became easier to say nothing, rather than await the unintended consequences of her clumsy language.

"You okay?" He set down their food and water.

She nodded. The concern in his eyes was sincere. She softly said she needed to say something. "The other night, Mulder, I'm not going to lie to you. You hurt my feelings, but I'm not angry. It's just—I can't—I'm sorry I'm not doing this the right way."

Mulder set down his sandwich. "Take your time, Scully. Seriously."

She had not doubt that his patience was genuine. She stirred the chicken soup in front of her. "Ninety-nine percent of the time, Mulder, we're on the same page."

"I agree with that sentiment." She noticed how he waited a beat before saying anything, making sure he wasn't cutting her off.

"That one percent, Mulder…that scares me." She chewed on the corner of her mouth, and took some soup. "I just need to get this out. It's you and Diana, that one percent. It's your dynamics with her—I don't think you still love her, and I know you would prefer to have absolutely nothing to do with her. I believe that, Mulder. But you share a bond with her because of Kyle, and you always will. That will never go away. And Mulder, you would do—you are doing everything you possibly can to protect your children. Hell, you are saving the world for them—that's what this task force is about. I guess, what I'm trying to get at is…she knows this, and she's baiting you to engage with her. I'm just afraid that she'll draw you further into her web. And at the end of the day, that leaves me out in the cold. I just don't know how to express this—I would never want you to risk our children's' safety. What specifically bothered me the other night was after you made your…suggestion, you said that it wouldn't be fair to the kids. And you didn't say anything about me. I get the logic behind a separation, and I know that the motivation behind it was to protect us. Maybe it was because I was caught off-guard, or maybe I was just jealous, but it fell into that one percent abyss. And for the life of me, I can't articulate why, because I do trust you, implicitly."

She stopped talking, unable to remember anything she had just said. She wondered whether Mulder's silence was a good sign or a bad omen, and time sat still as she waited for his reaction.

XXXXXXXX

He couldn't remember the last time he had seen his partner so vulnerable. "I know you trust me, Scully. I don't doubt that for a minute. And I know that in the past—I—and I'm not proud of it—is take that trust—and take you—for granted. That's what happened the last time Di—she showed up in our lives. And I don't want that to happen again. I love you too much to hurt you like that."

She gave her partner a slight nod before casting her gaze to the table. She wasn't ready to hear anything yet; he suspected that she hadn't anticipated saying everything she did. He knew her well enough to recognize that she needed to take a step back from the conversation. He didn't want to lose the momentum of their conversation, so he tried again after they returned home, when the baby was fed and sleeping. He had just finally gotten around to loading the laundry—one of the many chores he had neglected to do that morning—when he caught sight of his partner's silhouette at the sink.

"I know how much it took for you to say all that," Mulder said softly in his partner's ear, wrapping his arms around her middle and kissing the nape of her neck. "And I'm glad you did. For the record, you don't need to rationalize your feelings. You were hurt by what I said, and you called me out on it, and rightly so. I was callous."

Scully dropped the bottle brush in the sink. "I'm past it, Mulder. But I need you to move past it, too."

She was right, he thought. Much like his regrets over his missed opportunities to give her the ring, he had made a bad habit of stewing over his mistakes. While he had no problem obsessing over each and every word he had uttered and every move he made, convinced he had ruined everything, he never did anything about it.

"I think we need to make more time for ourselves," murmured Mulder. As if to make his point, he turned off the tap with his right hand as he rubbed circles on her side with his left. Her soft gasp indicated he was having more success with this move than the other evening. "We always put the kids first, but we need to carve out time for just the two of us, especially now."

He leaned forward, so the stubble on his cheek rubbed against her chin. "Mulder, I need to take a shower." She was only putting up a token protest, the kind that indicated she was game to be talked into anything.

"No, you don't. You always smell good," he protested, his lips pressing the corner of her mouth. She relaxed against him.

"Are the sheets in the dryer? Bed's still unmade."

Damn, he thought. "No, but we're alone. And we wouldn't want to wake up the baby," he reminded her between kisses. "Especially since she was up all night." He knew he won her over when she slid her hands around his hips. He walked her backwards towards the office, only stopping to grab the baby monitor sitting on the counter. They stumbled their way down the hall, and he clumsily kicked the door closed behind them, not wanting a canine interruption.

It had been far too long since they had made use of the old leather couch, their last remaining relic from the early days of their relationship. He stopped fumbling with his sweater when she pressed his chest away from her. "Scully, I'm sorry," he said between pants. "I got carried away. I shouldn't have assumed you were up—"

"No, not that." Scully propped herself up from the couch cushions with her elbows. They had only made love once since the baby, and she missed him. Desperately. "It's just I don't want to start something we can't finish."

"An Indian Guide is always prepared, Scully," he grinned, slipping off his sweater and t-shirt in one motion.

"So you planned this?"

He tugged her leggings. "You wound me," he half-joked. He pressed a kiss to her stomach. "You should know after ten years that I'm never not planning something like this."

She rolled her eyes and ran her hand through his hair. He pushed himself up and knelt back, suddenly shy. Insecurity sloshed in her stomach, as she whether she did smell, or if she was leaking, or if there was something else about her that caused him to hesitate. She smoothed down her t-shirt, as though the sight of her still swollen stomach had been the issue. "Mulder? Why did you stop? Is there something wrong?"

He shook his head. "No, no, not anything like that," he reassured her, upset with himself for making her think otherwise. "You're just too good for this couch, Scully. I mean, yeah, I screwed up the laundry but I could have at least offered to find other sheets, but instead we're—"

She cupped his jaw, and ran her thumb along his lower lip in an attempt to silence him. "I just care that we're together. What you need to remember, Mulder, is that it's not about me, it's about us. As you said, we don't get many opportunities like this, so maybe we just need to seize the moment."

She clasped her right hand into his left, and pressed a kiss to it.

"So you have no doubts?" The words lumped in his throat. They both knew he was talking in metaphor.

"Any hesitation I have, Mulder, is about whether you would interpret this as a reward for not doing laundry."

He broke into a relaxed grin. "And if I promise I learned my lesson?"

XXXXXXXX

There was something innocent about what they were doing, Scully thought, humming as her partner's fingertips danced along her side. And yes, it was absolutely ridiculous they were holed up on a beat-up couch as though they were sneaking around. She felt his face press against her neck. "Feeling okay? Sore?"

"A little, but in a good way," she reassured him. "More than that, I'm happy."

He pressed a kiss to her ear, and sat up, frowning. "I didn't mean to be rough."

"You weren't rough, Mulder, I told you."

He pulled up her arm, and pointed to the red spots on her leg. "I should shave," he half-apologized. "I didn't mean to burn your skin."

"Don't you dare," she said, a little more forcefully than intended. "It doesn't hurt. It'll go away soon. It's just irritated."

"So you like me irritating?"

She nodded. "Uh-huh," she agreed, yawning. Now she could really go for a shower and a nap, but she knew the baby would awaken soon enough. Mulder reached over her to hand over his t-shirt and to retrieve the Navajo blanket that had fallen onto the floor.

"I predict we have seven more minutes until she wakes up," he announced, wrapping himself around his partner. They froze upon hearing a clatter in the hallway, drowned out by the excited barks of the dogs, followed by voices. Someone was home.

They exchanged a wide eyed look. "What time is it?" Scully mouthed, flustered as to their teenager would be home from school so early. Mulder debated whether he should attempt to get up and lock the door, but the decision was made for him when Kyle entered the room, a look of horror on his face when he saw his parents on the couch. "Doesn't this usually happen the other way around?" Mulder quipped, letting out an ouch when Scully elbowed his chest.

Kyle reddened. "My friends are here," he seethed, his voice hair above a whisper. "And Morgan. She needs to use the phone. God, why are you so embarrassing? Dad, I told you they were coming over this afternoon."

"It's not like we can get up," Mulder pointed out, tipping his head towards the pile of clothes on the floor.

"I hate you so much," Kyle muttered. He took charge of the scene and started throwing the pile of blankets that were neatly folded on the ottoman onto the couch, so they draped over his parents. "Don't move. Morgan just needs to call her Mom."

Scully knew the situation wasn't objectively funny, but had to bite her lip to not laugh out loud, and felt Mulder clamp his hand over her mouth. She tried her best not to shake as she overheard her oldest son apologize for the messy room, and his girlfriend ask her mother whether she had permission to stay over for dinner. "Kyle's parents are getting pizza."

"We are?" Mulder whispered in her ear.

"Sshh," Scully hushed him. The phone call seemed to be endless, and she was worried that something would give away their location. They heard the phone call end, but there was no indication that the door had been closed.

Finally, they heard a click.

Scully swore. "Shit, I can't believe that just happened." She covered her eyes with her hands.

Mulder made his way off the couch. "That had the potential to be humiliating, I will admit."

Scully's left eyebrow snaked up. "Potential?"

He pulled on his jeans. "I guess there's no denying it. We are incredibly embarrassing parents. The real question is, do we even attempt to change, or do we just embrace it, and live our best embarrassing parent lives?"

"Let's try to get him through high school before he completely gives up on us," Scully sighed. She picked up the monitor. "No wonder he's been begging to go to England for the summer. I'm surprised the baby's still asleep. Now I really need to shower before she wakes up."

"I'll help," Mulder offered.

Scully rolled her eyes. "You can help by cleaning up here." She pulled on her clothes as quickly as she could and hoped she would be able to rush upstairs without any further incidents.

"Yeah," he pouted, following her to the door. "You know that's not what I meant. But for the record I meant I would help you clean—"

"I know exactly what you meant, and it's not happening." She opened the door, and as they entered the hallway, they saw Kyle's friend Dave walk by with an awkward wave. Scully pointed to him. "You, don't say a word."

Twenty minutes later, she returned downstairs with the baby in tow. "Is Kyle going to forgive us sometime this century?" Scully whispered to her partner as she opened the fridge.

"Probably not. Let me get that for you," he offered, taking the water pitcher from the top shelf.

Kyle poked his head in the kitchen, and approached his parents. "Can you guys just not be totally inappropriate for the next few hours? Or is that too much to ask? I'm serious. This is the first time that Morgan's hanging out with my friends as like, my girlfriend, and—"

"You are absolutely right," Scully agreed. "We promise to behave appropriately. You and your friends figure out what kind of pizza you want, and I'll call it in."

"And tonight, at the meeting at school, don't do anything weird. Morgan's parents will be there—"

Mulder put up his hands in mock defense. "Two steps ahead of you. I'm staying home."

"Good," Kyle sighed. "Because the last time you guys went to a school thing—"

Scully flinched. She remembered all too well what happened at the fundraiser the previous spring, when she and Mulder tried to steal a few moments alone, and were interrupted by another couple who were also looking for a private corner. "It really wasn't that bad," Mulder interrupted. He handed Scully her glass of water, and she silently willed her partner to stop talking. "And we weren't really caught in the act. It was more like—"

Kyle cut off his father. "Dad, does it really matter? Two teachers got divorced and you guys had a baby. It was a thing."

He certainly has us there, thought Scully. That moment of spontaneity was probably one of their most irresponsible decisions. Before she could respond, Mulder continued to speak. "The baby already happened by then. You need to check your math. Your sister was con—"

Kyle's jaw dropped, and Scully wished she had reacted sooner. "Mulder, just leave and pick up Nathan and Will. Kyle, figure out the pizza situation."

XXXXXXXXXX

After returning home from the meeting that night, Scully found her partner sacked out on the couch with the baby on his chest. "Hey," he said quietly, turning off the TV. "How'd it go? All excited to start looking at colleges?"

"It was really boring," groaned Kyle.

"We'll be spending the next two years filling out forms and writing checks," Scully added. "Did you guys have fun here?"

Mulder threw her a pointed look. "I hope you aren't too attached to your hair dryer."

Scully sank down on the armchair next to him, while Kyle flopped down on the couch opposite his father. "Let me guess. Dagoo jumped into the shower again?"

"Yeah. To their credit, they tried using towels first, but Nathan pointed out the towels were just getting wet and that would be a lot of laundry."

Scully rubbed her temples. "Imagine that. Bath towels getting wet."

"Will wants to get Dagoo a raincoat so it doesn't happen again."

"Wouldn't it be easier if they just shut the door when they use the bathroom? Which is what they are supposed to do in the first place?" Scully pointed out. She rubbed her forehead. As painful as the college information session was, she might have been better off there than at home.

"Huh. If I'm being honest, I just didn't think to point that out. Will wanted you to check-in on him when you came home."

Scully knew that Mulder wanted to speak with his oldest son privately. "Want me to take the baby bear cub up?"

"No, she's happy here."

Mulder looked down at the infant, and then at Kyle, waiting until Scully climbed the stairs before speaking. "I think since Dana and I had to hide our relationship for a long time, we sometimes overcompensate. And I'm not apologizing for that. But I am sorry that we embarrassed you—that's not fair, and we should never have put you in that position. You did tell me that there was no basketball after school and that your friends were coming over, and I forgot."

Kyle nodded. "Thanks," he said.

"Did your friends give you a hard time about today?"

Kyle shook his head. "No. I don't think they noticed. But Chloe and Dave are used to you guys being like that," he shrugged. "It's just different with Morgan."

"You really like her, don't you, bud?"

"I do," he admitted. "I don't think Dana does, though."

Mulder snorted. "Just remind Morgan not to call her Mrs. Mulder," he half-lied. "I think that drives her a little crazy."

"That's it?"

Mulder nodded. "That's it," he promised his son.

"Dad, why didn't you go to the meeting tonight?"

"Your guidance counselor called, and said that when there are parents who work at universities at these things, things end up getting sidetracked because everyone wants to ask them questions."

The teenager scoffed. "Really? You think that's why they asked you not to go?"

Mulder dropped the remote on the floor. "You mean—they didn't want the two of us there, together? Because of what happened last year?"

Kyle broke out into a sly grin. "That's the thing about rumors, Dad. You never know what to think." He stood up. "But I'm glad you and mom are happy. She was really sad this weekend."

Mulder sat up. Scully had certainly been exhausted and annoyed at him and concerned about the children, but he wouldn't have described her as sad. He turned to press Kyle on the point, but realized he had left the room. He headed upstairs to find Scully. While putting Autumn in her bassinet, he caught a glimpse of his partner's reflection in the en suite mirror. "What do you want?" She yawned and rinsed her toothbrush.

"Us," Mulder told her. "Our quiet life."

"Nervous about your task force meeting tomorrow?" She rubbed her neck and returned her toothbrush to its base. She walked towards him. "It's the beginning the end, Mulder. We'll get through this, and it will be done."

He nodded. "How are you holding up? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She gave him a half-smile, and squeezed his elbow.

He always saw radiance in his partner, and tonight was no exception. He watched her with the baby, lighting up as Autumn reached towards her. That was a genuine smile, he thought, reassured that they had truly made up earlier that day. He still wondered whether there was any sadness under the surface, but was too afraid to ask. Tomorrow, he promised himself. After the task force meeting.

XXXXXX