About a month later Mulder and Scully found themselves sat opposite Assistant Director Skinner. Scully crossed and re-crossed her ankles repeatedly and played nervously with her fingers whilst Mulder tapped his right foot and fidgeted in his chair.

Skinner couldn't help but have to hide a smirk; they looked like naughty school children. What the hell had they done this time?

"So I assume there was a purpose for this meeting?" Skinner asked, trying to sound impatient.

"Yes sir, I mean…Scully…?" Mulder still spoke with a slightly croaky voice, a symptom of his most recent brush with death, but he was getting better every day.

Skinner looked to the usually calm half of their partnership...

"Yes sir, I guess…" Scully started and then faltered.

"Guys, if we have a point could we please get to it?" Skinner tried a more informal approach.

"We want you to understand that if it were anyone else, I mean if you were anyone else we wouldn't even be having this conversation," Mulder said cryptically.

Skinner raised his eyebrows and looked at Scully.

"We're asking you to keep this confidential…for now at least," Scully added.

"Is this…?" Skinner started to say and looked cautiously around the room signalling to the possibility that someone could be listening in.

"No, nothing like that," Scully assured. "This is all available to anyone who has access to my medical records…this isn't business, this is personal." Skinner looked understandably concerned so Scully rushed to reassure him. "I'm pregnant."

"You're…" Skinner looked as shocked as he felt.

"Yes," Scully smiled widely and Skinner couldn't help but return her smile, he couldn't ever remember seeing her so happy.

"We thought that…" Mulder started.

"Wait a minute…are you?" Skinner laughed lightly as he started to realise why they both looked so awkward.

"Agent Scully had IVF treatment sir, and yes I agreed to be the donor…since her pregnancy has been confirmed we have both decided that I will be taking an active role in my child's life."

Scully laughed at Mulder's attempt to describe their situation, "An active role? Mulder, you sound like you're volunteering to be their basketball coach."

Mulder coughed a little and then dropped his formal tone, he looked over at her and smirked, "I'd be a great basketball coach!"

"You will be Mulder…just be aware you'll have to change a few nappies before you get to take them on the court!" Scully grinned and then looked back at their clearly amused boss.

"You mean you aren't? I mean you're not…a couple?"

"No!" Scully confirmed and Mulder winced a little at how quickly she jumped in. "Mulder agreed to help me to have a child…"

Skinner smiled over at Mulder, Yeah, I bet he did…

"So this is obviously going to affect your work…" Skinner started.

"We are also going to need time off for doctor's appointments and Lamaze…anything else that crops up…no flights, I know that isn't common wisdom but I don't want to take any chances and we need to be near our OB/GYN…no more foreseeable risks..." he paused and smiled at Scully, "…also I'll need to finish work well before the baby is due…and I'll need some time off after it's born…and I won't accept any assignments that will take me away for at least the first few months…then we'll see how things go…"

Skinner looked at Mulder slightly aghast, "Hell Mulder, are you having this baby or Dana?"

Mulder glanced between the two of them and took in their mutual smirks, "I...well…"

Scully chuckled, "We obviously have a lot to work out…"

Skinner smiled warmly.

"We just wanted to let you know of the situation as early as possible…" Scully explained.

"And to inform you that from now on this comes first…" Mulder chimed in, "…we have new priorities."

Later that day Scully lay uncomfortably on a medical bed and shifted around to try and find a comfortable position. The nurse had shown them straight through and now they were waiting for Dr Hobson to finish a call in the next room.

"You want a drink?" Mulder asked, just wanting to do something useful.

Scully smiled and shook her head, "I'm fine, Mulder."

Just then the door opened and a friendly looking woman a little older than Scully walked in with a bright smile, "Well if it isn't my all-time favourite student, I've been looking forward to seeing you all day!"

Mulder was surprised by the doctor's English accent and age, he had assumed when Scully said that she knew her from medical school that she would have been a fellow student.

"Laura…it's been too long!" Scully sat up to embrace the doctor warmly.

"It has…and now you're bringing me some work to do!" Laura smiled at Scully and them looked up at Mulder warmly. "I assume you must be Dad?"

Mulder nodded and held out his hand, "Fox Mulder…"

"Fox? Oh, I like that!"

"He prefers Mulder," Scully said with a smile.

Laura nodded.

Mulder surprised her by shaking his head, "Oh hell Scully, for as long as your friend is overseeing your health and the safe delivery of our baby she can call me whatever the hell she likes!"

"Oh I like this one Dana, you picked well…" Laura said warmly.

Regretfully, Scully explained, "Mulder is my closest friend Laura, we aren't a couple…he was the donor for my IVF treatment, although he will be my child's father."

Laura glanced between the two of them with a look that could only be translated to mean, who do you think you're fooling? But then smiled and got down to business, "So we're coming up on ten weeks?"

"A little over ten weeks actually…we're not here as early as I would have liked, but Mulder has been ill recently and we had to delay things…or rather I chose to delay things. I've been monitoring myself at home."

Laura nodded, "Feeling better Fox?"

Mulder smiled, admiring the fact that Laura had the gumption to accept his offer to use his first name. It felt like a silent contract, you can call me Fox and in return you take care of my family…

"Much better thank you…I have an excellent doctor…" They both smiled at Scully and Laura signalled her to lie back on the bed. "Are you happy for Fox to stay for your check up?"

Scully nodded, "As long as he is…"

Laura looked up and Mulder nodded firmly.

"Okay, well if you can open your gown…"

Scully did as directed, feeling a little self-conscious in Mulder's presence but knowing she would have to get used to it.

As Scully lay there in her bra and panties Mulder tried not to focus on her body and held her eyes with a soft smile, "You okay?"

Scully nodded gratefully, "Fine…"

Laura watched the two with a smile and then took a tube of gel off a warming pad before squeezing some onto Scully's tummy. Then she picked up the scanner and within seconds they all heard that familiar noise; whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh...

"My baby's heartbeat…" Scully said with a wide grin, looking from Laura and then holding Mulder's gaze. "Our baby…"

Mulder instinctively reached to hold Scully's hand, "Yes…"

They both turned to look at the screen.

Laura pointed at the little figure, "Okay so here is your baby…strong heartbeat…there's the little feet and hands…can you see the head?"

Mulder and Scully both nodded mutely.

Suddenly Mulder started coughing and had to move away from the bed. Laura nodded at the patch on his arm, "Looks like you were right to quit Fox, are you okay?"

Scully rushed to step in, "Mulder has never smoked Laura, the patch and the cough are connected to his recent ill health…he's my partner at the FBI and he was seriously injured on a case."

Laura nodded sympathetically, "I'm sorry Fox, I didn't realise…you be careful now…Dana and the baby need you fit and healthy."

Mulder turned back to the table with slightly watering eyes and nodded firmly, "I know, this one gave us both pause for thought…safety first." He smiled warmly at Laura and took his place back at Scully's side, this time he consciously took her hand. "Sorry Scully…"

"Don't be silly, are you okay? Do you need to sit down?"

Mulder shook his head and gently tucked her hair behind her ear, "I'm fine, let's get back to the real star of the show…"

They both looked back at the screen and Laura replaced the scanner on Scully's belly, they watched the screen as Laura spoke.

"So I know Dana knows all this, she was one of my best students, but for Fox's benefit…the baby is a little under 4cm long, the heart is fully formed…did you see the arm move?"

Mulder and Scully watched wordlessly and nodded.

"Have you had morning sickness?"

Scully nodded again.

"Well, as you know that should be wearing off now, you should be starting to feel much more like yourself over the next couple of weeks…"

"Most of the worst morning sickness was in the last few weeks, while Mulder was ill…crappy timing…" Scully said sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Scully…".

"I meant that life has crappy timing Mulder, I'm just so grateful that you're still here with me…with us."

"No more Scully, I promise…I'm here for both of you and I'm not going to put you in that situation again."

Scully squeezed his hand and nodded.

"You're taking your Folic Acid?" Laura asked.

"And some multivitamins, can't hurt..."

Laura nodded and then moved to wipe the gel off her belly, "So am I ever going to convince you to join me, Dana?"

Mulder looked at Scully.

"Laura was constantly trying to convince me to change my speciality…" Scully explained.

"Come on Dana; better hours, much better pay, you'd have more time to spend with the baby…"

"I have a job Laura," Scully said looking at Mulder.

"You aren't really expecting to be able to continue as you have been once the baby is here?" Laura asked.

"Mulder is my partner…" Scully stressed.

"…And both of you have new responsibilities now Dana. Fox isn't going anywhere, and I know he would want you safe." Laura looked up at Mulder pointedly.

"Of course…" Mulder agreed.

"I'm not saying this for purely unselfish reasons Dana. You know I have no children of my own and I would love nothing more than to find a partner I can pass this practice down to when I eventually retire."

"That's a long way off yet Laura," Scully teased.

"Yes…and you could be retrained in a few years. We could have years working together, a whole new future for your family Dana, some real long-term security..." Laura looked between Mulder and Scully.

Scully sighed, "Laura you know the situation between Mulder and I...it's just not that simple…"

Laura laughed and held her hands up, "Okay, okay…I'll stop the hard sell…just keep it in mind. I won't be looking for anyone else just yet, this isn't just a business decision for me Dana."

Scully was about to reply when Mulder cut in, "You can be sure she'll give it some thought, Laura."

Scully and Laura both looked at Mulder; Scully looked shocked and Laura impressed.

They finished the check up and said their goodbyes before Mulder and Scully started the short walk back to the car.

"You know I always intended to come back to work Mulder…" Scully said quietly as they walked.

"You have the baby to think of now Scully, we both do."

"We can't completely dismiss our needs, Mulder…"

He sighed, "I know that, but Laura is right it would be safer and you can't tell me that you wouldn't enjoy working with her."

"I enjoy working with you…"

"But at what expense Scully? You're going to have a child at home...if anything happened to you..."

"What do you want Mulder?" Scully stopped and turned to look at him.

"I want you to work with me every day, just as it's always been…a want you by my side. But you know that's the wrong question."

Scully paused, "What do you need?"

"I need you safe Scully, and happy…in whatever life you choose, and I need our baby to be safe in the knowledge that you will always be there for them."

"And what if I need exactly the same things, Mulder? How could I live with myself if I let you go off to work every day knowing that I wasn't there to watch your back? What if something happened to you? How would I live with that?"

"I'm not your responsibility Scully…" Mulder said firmly, "…you can't continue to put yourself in danger out of some misguided sense of loyalty to me. Not anymore."

Scully shook her head and tried to think of a way to explain how she felt, "We need you as well Mulder. Let's take some time to think this through properly, we need to find a solution that works for all three of us." She reached over and took Mulder's hand, placing it gently on her belly.