Dear readers,

It seems like a hundred years since I last posted on here! It's great to come back and feel so warmly welcomed, like no time has passed at all. When I first got in to The X-Files 5 years ago I started my story "Warm Laundry" about Mulder, Scully, and their days of getting William back. Unfortunately, I never finished it but I have re-visited the series this year and have been barraged with tons more feelings. It's crazy how quickly they can do that to us!

I can't say with any certainty that this story will have a conclusion, but I do have a lot of ideas and I'd like to see them pan out. If you are at all familiar with my work you know I LIVE FOR THE FLUFF! So, fair warning.:)

Thanks for reading! I will try my very best to update as much as I can.

-Dru

Leigha Mulder awoke with a start. Wisps of curly blonde bangs stuck to her sweaty forehead that scrunched in a concentrated effort to figure out where she was, who she was, where that other little blonde girl had dashed away to. Emily. Even though her tiny heart was fluttering uncomfortably, like a bird trapped in her chest, she didn't make any noise. Instead she took two calculated deep breaths before pushing her blankets off of herself and crawling out of her toddler bed.

It wasn't much of a walk to her parents room, but her sleepy legs were still wobbly and it was taking longer than it usually did. The seemingly endless darkness spurred the little girl forward and she broke in to a small sprint the last few steps. She reached her daddy's side of the bed first, his face towards her, breathing rhythmically in sleep. Even just seeing him, seeing that he was okay, was doing a lot to calm her. She started to flail a little arm up and down, hitting his with tiny swaps.

"Daddy," she called. "Daddy asleep? Daaaaddy...,"

Dana Scully stirred from her side of the bed, an unmistakable little voice breaking her from sleep. She sat up, peering over the sleeping mass next to her down at her toddler daughter, still swatting at her father. "Daddy."

"Leigha?" Scully said, elevating a bit over the snores of the little girls father. Leigha's eyes snapped up to meet her mother's, using the bed as a guide to make her way over to her. She lifted her arms high over her head and was lifted up effortlessly. "What are you doing awake?"

Leigha balanced on Scully's lap, yawning hugely. "Emily."

Scully was momentarily taken a back. It wasn't the first time her daughter had claimed to have seen the daughter she had lost so long ago, but it had been maybe a month or so since the last mention. Scully pulled her daughter down to rest underneath her chin, hugging her tightly. Leigha had really been a miracle against all odds. The fact that she had been born healthy (to a mother, Dana Scully, and a father, Fox Mulder) was absolutely incredible in itself. After all the debilitating loss the two partners had faced in over their decade together, Scully wasn't sure they'd ever experience anything close to this again. Sometimes Scully felt unbelievably sad and overwhelmed with crushing guilt that Leigha was growing up in this darkness that seemed to follow her and Mulder around. But, that was all about to change soon.

Leigha patted her mother's side lazily before sliding off of her and balancing on her own little knees between Scully and Mulder. She pointed to Mulder.

"Daddy asleep?" she questioned, the picture of seriousness. Scully stifled a laugh. She was absolutely her father's daughter. Scully nodded.

"You do that to daddy you know. You wear him out, Ley."

Two days a week, Scully took Leigha to a preschool down the road from the hospital she worked at, but the rest of her days were spent with Mulder at home. It was very obvious that Mulder enjoyed it; he had recently taught Leigha how to set a table and was practically giddy when Scully returned home later that evening. He adored their daughter and, in turn, Leigha was usually unable to detach herself from her father. Scully used to twinge with hurt when scraped knees were met with a call for daddy, but Leigha had so much love to give, and could usually be found at her mother's feet as soon as she walked through the door.

"Awake?" Leigha asked Scully, hovering her hand experimentally over Mulder's back, now turned to her. Scully hated to wake him but before she could open her mouth to attempt any words of protest, Leigha hit her tiny palm against him one more time. This time, Mulder rolled over, eyes cracking open and darting every which way, startled.

"Leigha," Scully groaned guiltily. Leigha curled her body over her knees, face pressed against Mulder's pillow to look straight in to his face.

"You was sleepin'." Baby breath was warm on his cheeks. Mulder's eyes fell shut again.

"Was sleeping," Mulder reiterated, grumbly. Leigha gave Scully a look and the two of them giggled. Mulder sat up and stretched his arms out before padding over to the bathroom. "Real funny, girls. Reaaaal funny."

They would be moving in a few weeks. Scully had accepted a transfer to another hospital in D.C., Mulder still with an open invitation to come back and help the FBI. Neither knew how any of this was going to work out and, with Leigha's recent visions, they didn't know how life in general was going to work out either. Mulder and Scully would quicker die than allow another child to be taken from them.

For now, that was all on hold. They had to pack. They had a jumpy, bubbly, intensely active, insanely smart 2 and a half year old to wrangle and explain all this to. Scully played with the curly ends of Leigha's hair as Mulder crawled back in to bed, butting his head against Leigha's belly and getting a flurry of giggles in response before the girl toppled over between them. He flung his arm across Leigha's middle, resting the hand of the same arm on Scully's side.

"I can't believe mommy let you wake me up," Mulder teased, his voice still low with sleep. "Mommy's mean." Scully shot Mulder a look over their tiny child, Mulder grinning hugely at her. Leigha's blinks had become further and further apart, yawning again. She attempted to pat Mulder's head but in her pre-sleepy haze her hand landed flat on his face instead.

"Not mean," Leigha whispered. She finally zonked out and Mulder leaned over to steal a kiss from Scully.

"Not mean," Mulder agreed, feigning reluctance. Scully smiled, deciding against telling him about Leigha's dream for now.

"Maybe she'll be a good baby and nap for you," Scully patted Mulder's chest over their daughter's head. She had to be up in 2 hours. Mulder snorted.

"Now that would truly be a miracle."

They would be moving in 15 days.