Disclaimer - I don't own The X-Files or anything associated with it - except for my DVDs, those are mine to keep - everything else belongs to Chris Carter, 1030 Productions and FOX.

Author's Note - This is my first attempt at X-Files fan fiction, so please, if the characters are a little off, know writing for these characters is a skill I am working on. :-)

"Sometimes I hate myself...that I didn't have the courage to stand by him..."

Mulder reached down clasped her fingers between his own, much like he had done a thousand times over during the past two decades. "I've a ... " he paused, as if debating whether or not he should continue. He moved his hand, lacing his longer fingers through her smaller ones, hoping the extra contact would be enough to allow him to say what he needed to. "We were forced into a horrible position where there was no one right answer. But I've always believed if I had stayed..." He stopped and cleared his throat, hoping that doing so would prevent his voice from breaking. "I should have stayed not just for William's sake but for yours too."

"Mulder," Scully began, her tone laced with the same pain he was feeling. Scully reached up with her free hand and laid it against his cheek. He pressed his cheek into her hand, grasping at the intimacy that kind of touch brought with it. "Mulder, we made the decision together for you to leave - we both believed we had no other choice."

"I know, but that choice, the choice we made for me to leave has always made me feel as though," he paused and Scully could tell he was thinking about how he wanted to say what was coming next. He took a deep breath as he tried to sort out the best words to describe what he was trying to say. "The darkness...the darkness that drove you away Scully, it all goes back to me...not being there to protect you both," he stopped as his voice broke. "It comes from knowing that not only did I fail you, but I also failed my son."

Mulder turned, looking away, not wanting her to see the tears that were threatening to fall. He saw out of the corner of his eye that Scully was now staring down at her feet, he guessed for the exact same reason - neither wanted to be the one to break in front of the other.

As they both stood there, Mulder realized that he felt as though a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He had never confessed his feelings of failure before now, but he was quickly coming to the realization that he should have.

"Please don't ever hate yourself. You did what you thought would be best for him, to ensure his safety...so he could grow up to live a long and happy life."

Finally, Mulder brought her hand up and gently brushed his lips against her knuckles. For a second, Scully had a sense of deja vu, remembering when he had done something similar when she found him in that military prison so many years ago.

"I think maybe...maybe we're at the point in our life where we stop blaming ourselves Dana."

"Mulder..."

"Listen to me for a minute." He continued, lightly brushing his thumb over her fingers. "For some reason, someone's decided to give us a second chance...to send us back to square one, where things started. And I'm not saying we forget about the past, not by any means, but we use the past to help us build a future."

He watched her manage a smile through her tears. His leaned down and tentatively touched his lips to hers, hesitantly at first and then with a little more confidence.

They finally broke apart, their foreheads still touching.

"I'd like that." The two continued to stand there, their foreheads still touching.

"I can't promise that it won't get dark again from time to time," he said quietly.

"I know," she kissed his cheek quickly. She pulled back, a smile gracing her face. "Luckily, I'm back to carrying my flashlight."