Mulder watched through the window as a woman in a long brown coat lifted a small boy out of her vehicle, he closed his eyes and tried to imagine how confusing and terrifying it must be for a three-year-old boy to lose his parents.

He was a jackass; he knew that…who the hell is jealous of a little boy who has just lost his whole family?

Mulder sighed and reconsidered his thoughts. No, he wasn't jealous of Matthew…he was just scared that his presence in Scully's life would lead to her drifting away from him. This little boy would now be her priority...and that was only right...but where did that leave him?

He and Scully weren't a couple...they were colleagues and they were friends. If Scully left the X-Files…or maybe even the FBI…it seemed inevitable that she would eventually drift away from him.

"Mulder…" Scully's voice behind him startled him. He turned and found Scully standing in the doorway holding Matthew. Matthew gripped onto her fiercely…as if he knew that she was his lifeline…his future. "Mulder, this is Matthew..."

Matthew reached out towards Mulder as he stepped closer. Mulder held out his hand and Matthew gripped onto his fingers tightly, "Muller…" he said with a slightly intrigued face.

Mulder smiled at the little boy, "Well hello, Matty, it's very nice to meet you."

The little boy seemed to respond to Mulder's voice and he smiled happily, "Hello Muller, are you Auntie Dana's friend?"

"I am, I'm Auntie Dana's best friend and I've heard lots and lots about you," Mulder said leaning down to his level.

Matty looked up at Scully, "I like Muller..."

Scully smiled at her nephew, "That's nice, Matty." She looked up at Mulder, "You certainly seem to be a hit. What is it with you and children Mulder, they just love you?"

"Same mental age?" Mulder suggested smiling down at his new friend, Matthew was still grasping his fingers.

Scully shook her head, "Children know when someone is genuine, they can sense a good heart…" she paused, "…you'd be a good father, Mulder…one day..."

Mulder looked away and winced, "I've never really…I don't think that's on the cards for me."

"You could have children, Mulder, you still have lots of time," Scully asked with confusion.

"It's not about time…it's…the circumstances, I guess. Finding the right person…or rather realising..." Mulder shook his head, scared to say too much but equally scared of being misunderstood. He started again, "My childhood wasn't great, Scully, and nor was my parent's marriage. That was the case long before Samantha…disappeared…I always told myself that I would only have children in a secure loving relationship…when I was absolutely certain."

Scully nodded sadly, "And you've never found that person? You've never been that sure?" her voice cracked slightly.

"No," Mulder said looking up to meet her eyes. "I have met that person…but sometimes life doesn't work out as you would choose it to…the chances pass you by…or I guess maybe they don't materialize as you had hoped."

Scully winced and was about to torture herself by asking if he was referring to Diana when Matthew reached out towards Mulder.

"Looks like he wants you, Mulder…are you okay to…"

Mulder held his hands out and Scully passed him over. Matthew immediately settled in his arms, he seemed tired and rested his head on Mulder's shoulder as he happily played with his tie.

Scully watched them both adoringly…she would give anything for these two men to be her future.

Mulder watched Matty for a minute and then smiled sadly up at Scully, "There is only one woman who I would ever consider having children with, Scully…"

Scully absorbed the look on his face and her breathing stopped.

Could he possibly mean?

"Maybe I should go…" Mulder suggested as he glanced away from Scully's eyes, scared that he might have said too much.

"Do you want to leave?" Scully asked the hurt in her voice unmistakable.

"No. I mean I can stay…I'm just not sure if my place is here…" Mulder explained not looking at Scully but glancing back down at Matty with a smile.

Scully combed her fingers through her hair and sighed, for some reason, she feared that if he left now things would never be the same again.

Was she being selfish?

What did he really want?

Scully wanted to scream at him. She wanted to tell him that he did have a place…that he would always have a place with her…that he would always have a place with them.

She desperately wanted to ask him to never leave. But how could she say those things to him now? In one day she'd lost her brother and found out that she was going to be bringing up her nephew.

And now this was the dark truth that she didn't even want to admit to herself...Scully was terrified that she didn't know how to do that and keep hold of Mulder.

How would she give this child the life he deserves and not lose the man she loves?

Mulder doesn't even know that I love him, Scully thought as panic crushed her chest for what seemed like the hundredth time that day.

Selfish, selfish, SELFISH! She screamed in her head and tried to control her impending tears.

"You can go...if you want to, Mulder…" she said weakly, "…you've stayed with me long enough…and this...this isn't your responsibility."

Mulder looked into her eyes for the first time since they'd heard the news about Matthew and he saw her fear. Scully looked terrified…but of what?

He lifted Matty higher onto his waist and freed one of his arms to tilt Scully's face up and hold her gaze. Surely she couldn't be scared that he'd leave her?

Her breath whooshed out of her body as she met his eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek, "I know that I can't expect you to stay, Mulder…this isn't your problem…we aren't your problem," She reached out and gently took an almost sleeping Matty from Mulder's arms. She smiled down at her nephew and kissed his forehead. "You're a good man, Mulder, but you owe us nothing…how could I ask you…"

Mulder felt courage blossom in his chest for the first time, "…to stay?" He asked hopefully.

"You're a good man…" Scully repeated, her head spinning with the fear that he was about to leave.

"If I was a good man I might be able to walk away…to leave you both to a quiet life without me..." Mulder sighed, "…but I'm not sure I know how to do that, Scully. I don't think I'm brave enough."

"And if I asked you to stay?" Scully asked nervously, her breathing shallow and fast. "What if we wanted you to stay?"

Mulder shook his head, "You don't need…"

Scully stepped a little closer, "What if we did? What if we needed you?"

Mulder brushed his hand over her cheek, "I could never leave you, Scully…I'm too selfish to know how to let you go if you asked me to stay. I need you...so much."

Scully gasped and slowly turned her face to brush her lips over the palm of his hand, "Could you love me, Mulder?" She asked. "I mean, do you think…"

"Scully…you are everything to me…" Mulder said over his choked voice.

"And Matty…would you even consider?" Scully asked with so much hope in her voice it almost broke his heart.

"Matthew is your nephew, he's a part of you…how could I not love him." He replied carefully.

He looked into her eyes and his heart pounded when he saw his love reflected in them.

One last moment of bravery and he might get more than he had ever even dreamed was possible. "It's early, Scully…we both need to take our time and you need to look after this little boy." He smiled at Matty as he slept in Scully's arms, "…but the only thing that truly terrifies me is losing you...I can face anything but that. Scully, you are the only woman I would ever consider having children with...I am so in love with you."

Scully gasped and smiled widely as tears flowed down her face.

"I'll wait for you, Scully…for both of you…whenever you are ready. I will never leave you." Mulder concluded confidently.

Scully sobbed and fell against Mulder's side holding Matty tightly. "Oh, Mulder…I actually doubted my resolve…" She smiled down at her nephew and then buried her face into Mulder's chest. "I felt so selfish, Mulder…but I wasn't sure if I was strong enough to give you up."

"Never, Scully…" Mulder said firmly, "You could never be selfish…I'm yours and I'm here whenever you're ready."

Scully smiled up at him and then kissed his chest through his shirt. "I'm ready...I am so in love with you, Mulder…" Mulder gasped quietly but she continued, "…but you are right, I need to put Matthew first right now." She pulled back and smiled down at her nephew, "Can we wait? For just a little while..."

Mulder nodded contentedly, "I would wait forever, Scully. Do you need me to go…to give you both some space?"

"No," Scully said firmly. "I want you to stay...I want you both to get to know each other."

Matty opened his eyes sleepily and smiled up at Mulder. Mulder stuck his tongue out and grinned at the little boy.

"One day soon I'd like us all to be together...if that's something you would..." Scully started to say and then Matty reached back over to Mulder. She passed him over and Matty bounced happily in her partner's arms.

"Muller!" Matty cried out and Scully laughed.

"You two are going to be a handful…I can tell already…" Scully said, the confusion of her grief and happiness combining to cause more tears to fall.

Mulder's heart swelled at Scully's vision of the future.

"Can I ask for just one thing?" Mulder said smiling at her softly.

Scully nodded, "Anything." She replied easily as she smiled at Mulder and Matty in turn.

"One kiss?" Mulder asked and Scully was sure she felt her heart expand. She grinned and leaned up on her toes to press her lips against his, they brushed slightly from side to side and then just before Mulder recovered from the shock she sucked lightly on his lower lip before pulling back and smiling affectionately.

Mulder smiled down at her and then they moved to sit together on a nearby sofa.

Standing in the doorway Margaret Scully watched her daughter with a smile, even though her heart was breaking the love she was witnessing told her that one day soon everything would start to become a new kind of normal.