"Chaper Two: Home"

Arlington Juvenile and Domestic Relations District Court

Arlington, Virginia

June 15, 1998

Mulder sat on a bench outside of a courtroom. His head was pounding, stress radiating down his neck and into his shoulder blades. It had been three days since he met his nephew. Nephew. The word still felt so foreign and strange to him. Every day, he visited the small child and spent every single visiting hour with him that they would allow.

He learned that the kid's birthday was in October. He was to start kindergarten in the fall and had been at daycare previously. His favorite color was green. He loved to play soccer and his favorite movie was Toy Story. He had a Woody doll that he slept with every night that apparently he hasn't been allowed to have since he arrived at Baltimore Children's Hospital. Mulder promised him that after the court date, they would go to his home in Baltimore together and pack a bag to or two to take to his apartment. He promised they'd find this Woody doll he loved so much.

Mulder was jolted out of his reverie by Scully whispering his name. His head snapped towards her. He saw Anita standing in front of them, a soft smile gracing her features. He stood up, his back cracking as he did so.

"I'm going to make the recommendation that Aidan be in your custody until the whereabouts of his mother come to light. That would mean only temporary custody of Aidan."

"Thank you," he spoke softly.

"Who all is speaking today?" Scully asked as her shoulder bumped into her partner's when she stood up.

"From what I've gathered, Mr. Mulder will speak first. Then, Miss Scully will give her character witness. Finally, I will give my recommendation. Then, the judge may or may not ask some questions. This is a fairly small, easy thing as you are simply seeking temporary custody in your sister's untimely absence. Nobody is contesting you gaining custody of Aidan. The state has no objections. If the judge grants you temporary custody, he will stay in your care until his mother reappears. At that time, you would give custody over to your sister. If you object to giving her back custody, we would end up right back here in a custody battle. Mr. Mulder, I would not suggest you get into a custody battle with your sister if or when she returns. That is a battle that you would most likely lose and sever any potential relationship with your sister."

"I understand that and seeking full custody isn't something I want unless we find out Samantha's…"

Mulder let the word dead linger in the air unsaid. Everyone understood what he meant and didn't push him to finish the grave statement. He felt Scully's fingers caress the back of his hand. He flicked his wrist and let his own fingers engulf her hand. After a tight squeeze, their contact broke.

"Excuse me, Mr. Mulder?" a female voice rang behind Anita. "Judge Kennedy will see you now. He asked for you to come to his chambers instead of the courtroom. Bring whomever you like with you. I can show you the way."

The three of them followed the young clerk through the courthouse until they came to the judge's chambers. Mulder's heart was pounding in his chest. Why would the judge see them in his chambers and not in the courtroom? Was there a problem? Did Aidan's father emerge? Did they find some kind of paperwork from Samantha stating who should get custody? A million questions swarmed in his mind.

Upon entering the room, the judge motioned for everyone to sit down. Mulder was glad to be seated. He felt like his legs were going to give out any moment.

"I called you in my chamber's because I feel like this is going to be fairly quick and simple," the judge started. "Mr. Mulder, I've reviewed all the paperwork from the children's hospital. I see the logs that you have been there every day to visit your nephew, I see you did a DNA test to confirm Aidan is in fact your nephew which came back in the positive, and I saw you and your mother are the only surviving relatives of your nephew. Is all that correct?"

"Yes, sir," Mulder nodded.

"You are here today to gain temporary custody of your nephew since, according to a police report, your sister disappeared from her home and your nephew was found hiding in an upstairs closet. Has there been any development on the case?"

"No, sir."

"Look, in cases such as this, I normally just grant temporary custody to a relative who is up for the challenge. The child's father is absent, you're the only family that has stepped up to claim him, I see no reason you shouldn't have temporary custody of him until, hopefully, your sister is found alive. The only pause I have is that fact that you're a federal agent. I know that's a very demanding job. Have you thought about childcare and how to be home with Aidan more often than not?"

"I'm taking a leave of absence from work for a month. I certainly have enough vacation days saved up. In that time, I'll settle Aidan in and I'll figure out what to do about childcare once I go back to work. In the division I work at within the FBI, I have a lot of… leeway of what cases I take. Staying local is definitely in the cards for me."

"That's great to hear. Ms. Kaine, I've read your report to the court about how you came here today to recommend Mr. Mulder gain temporary custody of Aidan. I appreciate you being here. If you would like to say something, you may but I don't think it will be necessary. That goes for you as well, Miss Scully. I've read your report that you are a close and personal friend of Mr. Mulder and have nothing but wonderful things to say about him. If you would like to speak, you may but, again, I don't think that would be necessary."

It felt like a weight was lifting off Mulder's chest. The hearing went easier than he expected. He still remembered being in the courtroom about Emily, the questions and how hard it was. He supposed gaining temporary custody of your nephew whose mother was abducted was deemed an easier decision in the court's eye than granting custody of a girl to her mother who did not remember being pregnant or even know she had a daughter.

"Mr. Mulder, I grant you temporary custody of Aidan Mulder. This custody is good for six months times. If your sister turns up within those six months, we can have an emergency hearing on the matter. If in six months, your sister does not reappear, we will have another hearing to extend your temporary custody for another six months. After a year, we will talk about more permanent custody arrangements. I'm going to have a social worker follow up with you in a few weeks for a home visit. I want to ensure you have all the essentials you need for Aidan, make sure Aidan is happy with you. In the meantime, I suggest you call your school district and get Aidan enrolled into kindergarten. I'd also figure out your childcare for Aidan. Before he starts school, be it daycare or a nanny or whomever takes Aidan during work hours. Once school starts, you will need before and after care. If you have any questions, the social worker you spoke with at the hospital and helped you file all necessary paperwork should be your go-to person. Call her. Ask her questions. Utilize her. She is only here to help."

Mulder and Scully thanked. A rare smile crossed Mulder's features, he caught Scully's gaze. He wiggled his eyebrows and motioned for the two of them to exit together.

They bid their goodbyes and thank you to Anita. Mulder then invited Scully to pick up Aidan with him and to go to Samantha Mulder's residence. The latter request was something Mulder desperately needed Scully to agree to. He did not know if he could enter that house without her.

Baltimore, Maryland

Samantha Mulder's Residence

Mulder parked in the driveway of a small cape cod style home. The grass was beginning to look overgrown, the bushes under the front windows already in need of being trimmed. Mulder made a mental note to hire someone to keep up with the house until winter. Cutting the engine, he stared at the house in front of him with mixed feelings. They got the go ahead from the local police department to enter the home to grab belongings. They had already swept the entire house for prints, taken all computers to analyze, taken all documents or anything else they deemed relevant to the case.

"Did they clean up the living room?" Aidan's voice asked softly from the backseat.

Mulder looked at the rear view mirror, seeing the top of Aidan's head. The boy's eyes were looking downward as though he found something interesting in his lap. Mulder licked his lips to buy some time.

"No, nobody cleaned up," Scully responded, her body twisting around to look at Aidan.

"Oh," soft voice replied.

Mulder wordlessly hauled his frame out of the driver's side. He lowered his ear to his shoulder, his neck cracking loudly, relieving the pent up tension he felt. Slamming his door shut, he took a few steps to open Aidan's door. The small child was already unbuckled and ready to exit the sedan. He reached out a hand towards his uncle and Mulder obliged. He helped the kid jump out of the car as his eyes trailed to the front of the car. Scully was standing there, hands resting on her hips with a frown etched into her features.

"There's a spare key in the backyard," Aidan spoke up. "It's taped under the chair on the back deck."

Mulder nodded, not trusting himself to speak in that moment. He felt a surge of emotions at being in front of Samantha's house. He wondered if it would be considered an invasion of privacy to look through all of her things, to learn about the woman his sister had become.

"Mulder," Scully's voice whispered.

He looked up at her to see her facing him. She nodded her head to the left, behind him. He turned his body, shutting Aidan's car door and trying to look inconspicuous as he looked in the direction she nodded in. A black SUV sat about four houses down. The windows were blacked out so you couldn't see inside. The engine was clearly running but it did not move.

"Take Aidan around back and find the key. I'll be right in."

Scully gave a tight smile and reached out a hand for the small child. Aidan looked up at his uncle with a furrowed brow before grasping Scully's hand in his own. Mulder watched as they walked down the driveway, to the small sidewalk, and opened the gate of the fence that lead into the backyard. The gate was left ajar.

Mulder made his way around the car to the passenger's side. He opened the door and popped open his glove department. He pulled out his pistol and holster. He put on his holster and then slipped his pistol in its normal slot. As he shut the passenger door, he saw the SUV still sitting there with the engine running.

Making his way towards the gate, Mulder pushed it back and entered the backyard. His eyes rested on a small wooden swing set with two swings and a slide. Walking to the right, he spotted a small patio with a charcoal grill and a four-seat table. Scully was crouched down, her hand running along the bottom of a chair looking for the spare key. He closed the space between them.

"What all do you want from here?" asked Mulder.

"I want Woody and my toys. My clothes. There's a picture of me and my mom on the fireplace I want if it's not broken."

Mulder nodded as Scully stood up with the key. The trio made their way to the backdoor. She shoved the key inside and twisted. Mulder took a deep breath as the door opened. They made their way inside to a kitchen.

It was a small, square kitchen. There wasn't much counter space and looked like something out of the 1970s. There were dishes drying on a drying rack. There was peanut butter and jelly out, two pieces of bread, a discarded knife covered in grape jelly, and a Toy Story lunch box on the small island in the middle of the kitchen. Mulder assumed Samantha had been packing lunch for daycare when the attack happened.

Aidan took the lead, leading Mulder and Scully through a door to the living room. The living room was a mess. There was a bookcase that was knocked over, a bunch of books scattered across the floor and broken ceramics. There was an armchair overthrown. The coffee table was broken in half. The mantel of the fireplace was empty.

Mulder glanced down at Aidan who had gravitated towards him, his shoulder flush against the older man's leg. He reached down, resting a hand on top of the kid's brunette locks.

"Where's your room?" questioned Mulder.

"Upstairs," he whispered.

Mulder steered the child towards the stairs. They creaked under the two's weight. Mulder glanced back to see Scully by the fireplace looking on the floor. He figured she was looking for the picture Aidan requested. He'd be lying if he said he wasn't curious to see that picture as well. Did Samantha look exactly like her supposed clones?

They entered the first door on the right upstairs. There was a blue, wooden A hanging on the door. The room was covered in toys from a train set in the middle of the room to a toy box overflowing with toys in the corner. The walls were a soft brown with what looked like big stickers of Toy Story plastered on the walls. He watched as Aidan broke away from him and grabbed, what Mulder suspected, was his Woody doll that the kid talked nonstop about.

"I'm sorry I left you," the boy whispered to the doll. "I had to leave quick."

There was a creak behind him, causing Mulder to whip around to find Scully standing behind him. There was a picture dangling from her fingertips. She handed it to him, picture down.

"The frame was smashed. I took it out."

Mulder nodded as he took a deep breath before flipping over the picture. It looked like a picture taken the past Christmas. Two people were sitting on the front steps of an unfamiliar porch. Aidan was easily recognizable. His freckles stood out even brighter against his red face. A huge smile graced his features, his eyes sparkling in a way Mulder had not experienced yet. A red and black checkered hair hid his brown hair. Flaps hung down to cover his ears. Next to him was a woman that Mulder had scene before with the Smoking Man. She looked just like her clone self except her hair was pin straight. The real Samantha must straighten her hair and part of Mulder couldn't help but wonder if it was a way for her to mask her identity. She had the same narrow nose, the hazel eyes, pale features.

"Uncle Fox?"

Mulder looked up at Aidan, only to see the child was blurry. He wiped the back of his hand across his wet eyes, clearing up his vision. Mulder handed the picture to the child who took it without hesitation. The corners of his mouth turned upwards upon seeing the photo. The smile faded as quickly as it came.

"Does she look the same?" questioned Aidan.

"Yeah," Mulder managed to choke out. "Where was that taken?"

"Last Christmas at her friend's house. They're co-workers. We go there every Christmas."

Aidan held out the photo to Mulder to take. He took it, his gaze resting on Samantha's smiling face. He wondered if they'd get to spend another Christmas together again.

"Can you keep it safe?" asked Aidan.

"Yeah, of course."

"Here, why don't we pack you up?" Scully inserted herself in the conversation. "Let's find a backpack and a suitcase."

Scully reached out a hand for the child who took it without hesitation. While Scully led the small child to his closet, Mulder backed slowly out of the bedroom. He wandered across the hall to another bedroom that he assumed was Samantha's. A television sat on the nightstand, the bed was unmade, a hamper was overflowing with clothes in the corner. On the nightstand was what looked like a school picture of Aidan, his smiling face was in front of a blue swirled background. In the corner, "Pre-K 1998" was embossed in gold. Next to the picture was a book entitled "A Game of Thrones" with a bookmark neatly placed about a three-fourths of the way through. He picked up the book, turned it over and read the back to get an idea of what Samantha liked.

Resting it back down, he noticed a small bookcase tucked away by the nightstand. He crouched down to read the titles. "Jurassic Park," Stephen King, "Bridget Jones's Diary," "The Things They Carried," Anne Rice, "1984," "Brave New World," Jane Austin, "The Catcher in the Rye." Her selection was vast and varied. It seemed like she liked almost anything fiction. He wondered if she read a lot in the years after her abduction. Did they keep her locked in a cell to experiment on her and let her read books? Was it not related?

A small notebook was propped up between a book and the edge of the bookcase. His fingers reached out and grasped it. It was a black and white marbled notebook. He opened to the front back to see neat, tight cursive covering the page.

I sit here, eight months pregnant, in a crappy studio apartment with literal water damage covering the ceiling. All I can think about is how I want a better life for you, my baby boy, than I had growing up. A workaholic father, a distant mother, money thrown at my brother and I as though that would fix the lack of parenting from the people who were supposed to raise us and shape us into acceptable human beings. I remember I had everything material a child could want, all the newest toys and trips across the United States. I remember the summer house where Fox and I shared a room. Something else I remember very clearly was the yelling, the throwing of breakable items at heads, the cursing, the snide comments. I remember the nights that Fox and I were left alone for hours at a time, the nights Fox put me to bed instead of my own parents.

I will be better than that. I will never leave you, I will always be there to tuck you in at night, I will never curse or yell, I will make sure our relationship is so strong that material things are unnecessary. I will take you on vacation as much as I can afford, they will be filled with memories of the two of us. I will never allow you to go near that crazy, betrayer of a father, I will never let him sell you like he sold me.

Mulder snapped the book shut, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't bear to read anymore. He figured the notebook as he debated whether or not to place it back on the shelf to preserve Samantha's privacy or take it with him to read a little at a time to get to know the sister he hadn't seen in years. Mulder slipped the picture of Aidan and Samantha into the notebook and tucked it underneath his arm.

"Mulder?"

He turned around to see Scully in the doorframe. A soft, pity-filled smile graced her features.

"Aidan's all packed up if you're ready to go."

"Yeah, I'm good. Let's get out of here."

The trio made their way out of the house through the front door. Mulder noted the black SUV still parked and running a few houses down. Walking to the truck, Mulder popped it open and tossed the notebook inside. He then grabbed the backpack from Aidan and the suitcase from Scully and placed those in the truck as well. He helped Aidan get into the car, buckling him in as Scully slide into the passenger's seat.

"I'll be right back," Mulder directed the statement at Scully. "Stay here."

"Mulder, don't," she said as though reading his mind.

He ignored her and slammed the back door. He turned his attention to the SUV and squared his shoulders. He marched towards the vehicle, knowing full well it was one of Smoking Man's lackeys in the car. He wanted that smoking son of a bitch to know he wasn't scared, couldn't be intimidated, and sure as hell wasn't getting close to Aidan. He looked both ways quickly before crossing the street. The SUV started to pull forward. Mulder sprinted forward.

The car started to drive down the road and Mulder darted in front of it. The SUV slammed on its breaks and he rested his palms on the hood of the vehicle.

"You don't think I know who you work for?" Mulder shouted. "You're not taking him! You hear me you son of a bitch? You're not going to take him!"

The SUV backed up quickly, the wheels screeching on the pavement. The car turned to the right before jerking to a stop. Mulder took a few steps closer, anger radiating off his body. They took his sister. They took her again and left her nephew without a mother.

"I will find you! Do you hear me? I will find you!"

The car moved forwards and turned to go in the opposite direction of Mulder. The headlight clipped a mailbox trying to make the turn and sped off. Mulder took a few steps back, a shaky hand running across his mouth. He watched the SUV drive away, a lack of license plate on the vehicle. He turned around to walk back to the car and caught Scully standing outside of the car, her hand gripped the car door with a look of pure disbelief spread across her face.

"What the hell were you thinking?" Scully whispered fiercely once he was in earshot.

He didn't respond. He slid into the driver's seat silently. He refused to look back at Aidan. He didn't want to see the scared, concerned look on his face. Turning over the engine, he pulled out of the driveway of Samantha's home.

Mulder's Apartment

Mulder and Aidan had bid farewell to Scully upon arriving at the apartment building. She had left her car there that morning in order to go to court with Mulder. Aidan clenched Woody all the way up the elevator, his eyes darting around curiously. Mulder took his backpack and suitcase. When they entered the small apartment, Aidan slowly stepped in.

"It's not much, but it's home," Mulder said lamely as he motioned for Aidan to follow him to the bedroom.

When Mulder had not been at the hospital with Aidan, he had been at home cleaning out his bedroom which was littered with files, paranormal articles, newspapers, the works. He got a new bed with Toy Story sheets and cleaned out all the drawers. He even cleaned out one of the two closets to make room for Aidan's things. The purge of junk had actually felt good.

"This is your room. Do whatever you want to it. You want to paint the walls or something, just let me know."

Aidan nodded as he made his way to the bed. Plopping down on the sheets, he ran his hand over Woody as he kicked off his sneakers. A frown was etched into his features. Mulder crossed the room and took a seat next to the small child. They sat in silence for a few moments before Mulder dug through his pocket looking for a quarter.

"I used to like watching magic shows when I was a kid," he spoke softly as he clasped his hands in his lap. "Your mom… she hated when I would have it on the TV but she liked when I performed magic tricks. I guess she only liked magic if she was participating in it."

Mulder let out a small chuckle, the memories of a smiling Samantha bouncing in front of him. Do it again, Fox! Again! Again! He glanced down at Aidan who seemed intrigued. He was swinging his legs like crazy, his heels hitting his bed in a steady rhythm.

"Her favorite magic trick was when I'd pull treasure out of her ear," Mulder said in a serious tone.

"Is there treasure in my ear?" Aidan asked in excitement as he pulled his legs onto the bed and turned his attention to his uncle.

"Oh, I think everyone has a little treasure in them."

Mulder reached out a hand and gently grabbed Aidan's chin to turn the boy's face away from him. He bent down until his eyes were level with Aidan's ear. He then made a few humming noises that caused the boy to giggle in anticipation.

"I see something silver in there," Mulder murmured.

"Get it! Get it!"

Mulder held the quarter against his palm with his pinky and ring finger. With his index finger, he tickled the boy's ear which caused him to squirm and giggle even more.

"Hold still!" Mulder said in a playfully serious tone.

With great skill, Mulder transferred the coin between his index and thumb finger. He brushed the quarter against the boy's ear before producing the coin in front of Aidan's eyes. For the first time since they met, Aidan smiled a genuinely happy smile. It was as though the thoughts that had plagued him for the past few days had disappeared. Even if it were only for a few moments, Mulder savored the look of pure joy on his nephew's face.

A knock on the door interrupted the bonding. Aidan took the quarter, the smile fading from his features as he twirled it between his fingers. Mulder ruffled the kid's hair before standing up and making his way back to the living room.

Opening the door, Mulder was not prepared for who he would see. Diana Fowley stood in front of him. She looked older than the last time he had saw her… when she had left his apartment with a box full of her stuff. A soft smile was dancing on her features.

"Fox," she spoke calmly.

"What are you doing here, Diana?"

"I was actually trying to contact you at work. There was a case I wanted your assistance with but you couldn't be reached. Then, I heard about your sister and her son," Diana said simply as she licked her lips. "I know we didn't end things on a very positive note, but I had to come over here and… it's Samantha. I had to be here."

Mulder stood there, his hand gripping the doorframe as he stared at the woman in front of him. There were no words, nothing he wanted to say. He had spent years wishing she would show up at his door randomly, asking to be together again, asking for another shot. A few years ago, those feelings started to fade due to a certain redhead.

"Uncle Fox?" a small voice rang behind him.

"I'll be right there," Mulder said without taking his gaze off Diana.

"I'm in D.C. to stay for awhile. I've been assigned here. We could… catch up some time. I'd love to hear about your nephew. Maybe we could search for Samantha together."

"I appreciate the offer, Diana, but I have enough on my plate right now with my nephew."

"I understand that, Fox. No rush."

She reached out a hand to run down his arm. He glanced down to watch the gesture that felt foreign and unwanted from this woman he thought he would never see again. He glanced back up to catch her eye. She smiled warmly before nodding. She took two steps back before turning to make her way to the elevator. Mulder slowly closed the door.

"Who was that?" questioned Aidan.

"An old friend," Mulder replied, too preoccupied in his thoughts to catch the worried look that crossed over his nephew's face.

Author's Notes – Hope you enjoyed the new chapter. Sorry it took so long to get out. I didn't get many reviews so I took my time on it. If you read it and like it, leave a review. I always write faster when I get plenty of reviews!