This is my first X Files fic, so it could all go horribly wrong. I wanted an alternate universe where Scully didn't give up William for adoption. This will probably turn into one shots following their lives both on the run and eventually up to and beyond IWTB.

May, 2002

Guilty.

Death by lethal injection.

Those words were so concrete. She was in shock. Scully knew this was coming; she wasn't naïve enough to believe he would be acquitted. But she hadn't prepared for this feeling. Her heart had dropped as soon as Doggett answered the phone. Even without his solemn tone she knew the call wasn't going to provide the news she craved. She felt nauseous and light-headed.

Scully pulled herself off the couch and made her way to the nursery. William was blissfully unaware of how his life was going to change. Even though Mulder hadn't had long with William before he went into hiding, he now may never have the chance. Looking down on the sleeping boy she was reminded of the decision she almost made only weeks earlier. At the time she had been convinced that giving her son up was the only way to ensure his safety, but at the eleventh hour she couldn't go through with it. Now she was even more grateful for her last minute decision, she didn't think she'd be able to cope if she lost both of them.

She had always worried this day would come, that one of them would be lost to the cause, but she had never come to terms with it. So much had already been lost in their quest. Scully didn't expect him to be one of them. After all they had overcome; her cancer, his abduction, she thought they would eventually have the chance to be together and happy.

William began to stir; Scully placed a hand on his torso to comfort him. She hoped he stayed asleep so she wouldn't have to deal with him while trying to handle her own distress. She had heard the front door close earlier and was glad she had been left alone to deal with her emotions. When she was satisfied her son wouldn't wake she made her way to room.

An old shirt of Mulder's was on the floor which she quickly put on before burying herself under the bed covers. While his scent had faded from the shirt in the year he had been gone, she still felt comforted.

Crying wasn't something she usually allowed herself, but the overwhelming emotions she was dealing with was constricting. Finally she cried, not only for Mulder, but for what they had lost for the truth and everything they were going to miss out on.

xx

"You can't come with me Scully," Mulder was driving towards her apartment to drop her there before disappearing for good, "it's too dangerous for William."

"We are not be separated again, I don't care if it's dangerous, we are better if we're together," as they were arguing Scully was mentally cataloguing the small things she could grab from her apartment to take with them. She needed to pick up a couple of essential things for herself and William before getting the baby from her mother's house.

"I've been on the run before; it's no place for a baby."

"Mulder. Listen to me. None of us are safe anywhere, even if you leave alone there are still people after our son. Wouldn't you rather us be together and have both of us to protect him?" While she didn't think he would, Scully was terrified that he would leave in the minutes she went upstairs. They arrived at her apartment and she knew she didn't have much time to waste if they were going to evade anyone chasing them to get to Mulder. As she walked to the building she couldn't help glancing back to check he was still there. Finally satisfied she ran inside the building to get her things as quickly as possible.

Mulder rested his head on the steering wheel, trying to ignore the voice in his head telling him to leave. Telling him to distance himself from Scully and William to keep them safe. He knew this would be the most logical option; however there was the irrational part of him that didn't want to leave them again. He had already suffered nearly a year away from them and to be apart any longer didn't seem like a viable option. Scully had briefly told him that she almost gave their son up for adoption and Mulder found him even more inclined to protect them and never put her in that position again.

He saw Scully running out of the building with a small bag and a look of relief on her face.

"You didn't leave," she said as he pulled away from the apartment.

"Never again." He drove towards her mother's house, ready to finally escape and be together.

xx

The former agents had driven for hours. No set destination, just as far from D.C. as possible. They knew that the early days would be the most stressful, constantly checking over their shoulders, paranoid they they would be found. Thankfully William stayed asleep for the entire drive, so the car had been silent for most of the journey.

It was late by the time they decided to find a motel to stay at for the night. Amazingly Scully had some cash in her apartment, which meant they didn't have to worry about finances for a little while. Scully had collapsed on the bed almost immediately, exhausted from not only the day's events but the year of worry was finally catching up on her.

Mulder still had trouble sleeping most nights and lay on the bed listening to her steady breathing. He couldn't believe they were finally together. Granted it wasn't the best circumstances, but they had risked so much over the years it was a relief to not have to worry about her from miles away. Soft cries interrupted his thoughts, the noise emitted from their son in a car seat on the floor.

William hadn't been awake since they left Scully's mother's house so Mulder really hadn't come to terms with the fact that is son was here. Before he went in hiding he'd had very little time to spend with his son. He picked up the baby and was amazed both by how much he had grown and how small he still seemed. Mulder looked at the boy's face and was overcome with emotion. His heart swelled with love as his son focused on his face. A small hand reached up to grab his hair and Mulder moved his hand to touch the small digits.

These moments with his son were some he never thought he would experience. When he left a year ago he dreamed about this moment but never truly believed it would be a reality. He moved the baby to hold him against his chest and kissed the top of his head. It seemed the baby realised there was nothing exciting happening and began to fall back to sleep.

Mulder's eyes watered slightly thinking about how much of his son's life he had missed and was even more determined to not miss another minute. He wasn't going to leave Scully or William again and would do anything to protect the family he finally had.