Five years have passed since Scully gave up her son for adoption but now after the unexplained death of his adoptive parents, the FBI has taken William into custody for safety. Looks at the events following this incident and the difficult relationship between M&S and their son as they try to protect him once more
Disclaimer: I do not own the X files or the characters, I'm just borrowing them.
The house in the countryside had been their safe haven for over a year now. It was a crisp November morning and a figure was out jogging along the frozen footpaths. Special Agent Mulder was strict with his keep fit regimes. He always had been, even on a snowy winter's day. In fact, Mulder often preferred such temperatures. The burning and simultaneous numbness across his body was exhilarating. Mulder pushed his way through the heavy gates of their front garden. His grey sweat pants had soaked around the ankles making his feet bitter cold.
Inside, Scully was busy at work writing out notes on a seminar she had to deliver later next week.
"How's it coming along?" Mulder asked unzipping his hoody.
Scully sighed leaning back in her chair. "Fine; how was the run?" She caught sight of the slushy muck he'd trailed in on the carpet and threw him a look.
"Oops, don't worry I'll clear it. Coffee?" he darted into the kitchen to escape.
Scully was stressed. Becoming a doctor had been her dream; the problem was that she was determined, too determined in fact, which meant she took every case home with her. Detaching herself from the x-files had been easier than this job. It was beginning to take its toll.
"Listen, I've got to go to work this afternoon, I'll only be a couple of hours, I just need to catch up on some bits" Scully often went above and beyond the requirements of her work.
Mulder appeared with two steaming drinks in hand. He kissed her forehead softly. "Okay" he replied flopping out on the nearest coach, "I'll make dinner for when you get home".
The front door closed and Scully locked it behind her. Mulder listened to the car engine as it pulled out of the driveway and set off up the lane. He was alone and in silence. For the past few weeks he'd been bored out of his mind. He'd always kept close tabs on any news of the colonization but for a while things had been very quiet.
This extra-terrestrial world had been his passion, his mission; and he'd devoted so much time and energy into it. He was reaching burnout. They both were. Of course, he loved Scully to bits, she was his world now, but he missed the old days back in DC chasing monsters and bad guys together. Scully had been suffering recently; she'd never quite gotten over William, how could any parent get over losing their child? Mulder wished he could give her what she truly wanted, but he knew it was never meant to be.
The phone rang and Mulder had to search around for it - stupid cordless thing kept getting left in strange places; admittedly mainly by him.
He unraveled it from the throw rug on the coach, "Mulder" he answered, forgetting he wasn't supposed to use his real name.
There was a delay before the voice spoke down the other end of the line; Mulder recognized it immediately. He'd not heard from this man in far too long.
"Walter Skinner?!"
"Yeah, Mulder, it's me, we need to talk; it's about your son"
Mulder collapsed into the coach. If Skinner was about to tell him the bastard colonists had found William he wasn't sure what he'd do. How on earth would he tell Scully that her son, whom she gave up to protect, had been taken?
"There's been an incident; can you and Scully meet me in Maryland?" Skinner asked.
"Is he alive?" Mulder held his breath.
"Yes, he's alive. Listen, I don't know what you're going to tell Scully but I realize this is difficult for the both of you"
As soon as Skinner had hung up the phone, Mulder had pulled the duffel bags from storage and began filling them with his and Scully's clothes; he'd pick her up straight from the hospital. How was he going to explain to her that he'd asked Skinner to keep an eye on William all these years; would she think lowly of him for keeping this from her? He feared it would re-open a lot of painful wounds for Scully; for them both.