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Chapter 1

Hello folks!

I haven't been posting anything on this wesite for a few years now but it seems like I am finally back.

As a huge The X-Files fan, I had to write something down at some point and here it is.

For those who have watched "Robot Overlords" you will certainly recognize a certain "gathering scene" but shush, let this be our secret, shall we?

This fanfiction will not be very long (2 or 3 chapters at most) but I hope you enjoy reading it. If so please let me know by letting a comment or whatsoever.

Our coming on what looks like a camp seems like a bad surprise to everyone. All eyes are on us and so are the weapons some are carrying with them. Should we go on or just run away ? I cannot explain it but I feel like we are close. He is here, somewhere around.

"We don't mean any harm."

"We are looking for someone," mum says.

"My father. His name's Fox Mulder. Did anyone see him? He's an FBI agent."

Surprised, people look at each other. It is like a switch has been flicked in their minds. As if I had just said something they knew about without being completely sure of it. Is it my dad's name effect ? Do they now any Fox but no Mulder ? Any Mulder but no Fox ? In any of these scenarios, I know I am damn right about this. Let's admit that not a lot of parents call their children Fox and there are no Mulder left except for us.

"Fox Mulder," mum says. I can hear hope in her voice.

I know how bad she needs to see my dad, the man she loves so much. If we fail today, I think I might lose her too. And I refuse to lose her. I can't lose her.

"Fox? You are looking for a certain Fox?"

"Yes!" mum exclaimed with bright eyes. She is going to cry.

"Let's them through," a distant hoarse voice suddenly says.

Mum and I turn our heads. I don't quitely understand what is going on until I see mum rushing into an older man's arms. He has rounded glasses. I know that face. I know that man.

"Walter?" I finally say, astonished.

We thought he had been dead for years now. After the colonization, he and dad had been taken away and we had imagined that they would not have had kept Walter as he was not as important as dad was. Yes, dad still was kind of important for The Cigarette Smoking Man even though I did not get why. Mum refused to explain the situation to me. That Traitor, as she called him, had some weird connection with my father.

Slowly, I get closer until I witness my mum crying. She is exhausted. Mentally and physically exhausted. Even though she keeps telling me otherwise since we left Baltimore, I know our journey to Vermont had her worn out. I wish I had the abilities to share some of my strength with her but I cannot. As much as I can read minds properly and do telepathy, I am still not in measure to share any of my vitals with my mother. I know I can do it, but I do not know how. Mum never ceases telling me that it is okay, that those things take time and that I need to take it easy.

"Will..." Walter murmurs before he holds me in his arms.

I quickly wrap mine around him and squeeze him as much as I can. It feels so good finally being able to hug someone I know. Mum and I were so sure that everyone we knew had died after the colonization that we had kind of accepted it, I suppose. But then, there had been this morning. This morning when I felt dad. I knew he was alive. Mum did not get to think twice about it. We packed the same day with what we needed the most and went north.

"Where is he, Skinner?"

"Don't call me that here, Dana. It is dangerous. We use our first names so we don't get too much attention on us."

"I don't understand. What are you talking about?"

"They are still looking for us. Luckily we manage to be the clever ones for now on."

Mum turns and looks at me. Her face shows all the energy she has lost on that journey, she cannot take it anymore. Right now, I think she does not give a damn about answers. She just needs to find-

"Dana, William..."

I turn around and I see him. There, right in front of me. I waited five years for that moment to happen. One thousand eight-hundred and twenty-six days to see that face again.

"Dad."

"Muld-"

She does not even finish pronouncing his name. She runs into his arms. I do not realise it but I am actually doing exactly the same. Quickly, I find myself against both my parents. My mother is crying while my father thanks any powerful entity for they are no aliens or robots above our heads.

My parents kiss like their lives depend on it. Then, mum steps back so I can have a moment with my dad. He puts both his cold hands on my cheeks and looks at me very carefully. It feels like he is scanning my face right now.

"Look at you. My big boy."

He is damn right about that. I am a big boy. Being only fifteen years old, I am already taller than my mother and clearly trying to get to my dad's height. Mum never got upset about it. She says that having my dad's genes is a good thing. I can't help remind her that her genes are badass genes too.

I hug my father again so I make sure he does not disappear, and that it is not a dream. I do not want to see my parents ever separated again. I do not want to lose any of them again.

[...]

"How did you find me?" Dad asks while holding mum against his chest, his chin on top of her head.

We sat around a fire, seated on not so comfortable logs. Dad told us we would get used to that new way of life. He said that it was better than any life in the now robots invaded cities.

"Will felt you were alive, mum says," clinging into him. She closes her eyes for a second or two. She seems so relaxed right now. Finally. She looks like a phoenix coming back to life. "He knew you were alive. So we left Baltimore and-"

"Baltimore ? That's where you were all this time ? I searched almost every apartments in DC trying to find you both. I thought you were dead even though I could not quite understand why since you were so important to the Invaders."

"They rehoused us after the colonization," mum says, looking up, straight into his eyes.

Dad sighs and kisses her forehead tenderly. I had forgotten the tenderness between them. I was only ten when everything went to hell, so I guess I had time to forget. And yet, I really did not want to forget.

"What do we do now?" I finally ask.

"Nothing."

"What do you mean, nothing?"

"It's over Will. We lost and there is nothing we can do about it. Earth does not belong to us anymore and I don't want to go into any battle that might get us killed. Get you killed. I can't take the risk of losing you again."

"But dad we-"

"Will," mum interrupts. "You heard your father. It's over now."

[...]

Later that night, as our makeshift bedrooms are next to each other's, I overhear my parents talking.

"Blond hair, hm?"

"You're not the only one who needed to be discreet, Mulder."

"Don't call me like this in here."

"But you hate your first name."

"I quite like it now that it keeps me alive."

"Fox."

"How many times have you called me that in almost twenty-five years?"

She does not reply. Maybe they are kissing. I really don't want to know that. They are my parents, there are some limits in what I need to know about them.