The first house they looked at was a three-story building in north-west DC. Four beds, four baths, and an attic that Ashley seemed set on turning into her getaway. They'd barely been inside the house for two minutes when Scully turned and scrunched her nose up. "No", she said firmly, walking back towards Mulder. He held his arm out to stop her before she walked out of the house and back to the car.

"What's wrong with it? You haven't even looked around the house".

"I don't need to. I don't' like it".

Ashley came bouncing out of the kitchen, followed by the realtor. "It's so cool", she exclaimed. "There's like a hatch between the kitchen and the dining room, so you can pass food through. And there's a breakfast bar".

"You see Scully. There's a breakfast bar".

"I don't like it".

"At least look at it". Scully sighed and Mulder knew she wasn't about to cave. "What's wrong with it?" He was pretty certain Scully just wasn't interested in house hunting, despite her insistence that they find a new place soon. She'd been cranky all morning – for the past few days actually, and rushed off her feet at work, which appeared to be getting her down. She hadn't gotten home until past seven all week, and as a result missed out on quality time with William. She was frustrated and it showed, not that Mulder could blame her. William was growing and changing pretty much daily now. Another miniature Scully it seemed, full of smiles (when he wasn't teething) and babbling away to anyone in earshot.

"It doesn't feel right".

Taking hold of Scully's hand, and leaving Ashley to wander upstairs, Mulder led his partner towards the spacious living room. "We could even get my old couch in here too", he commented. "It would be perfect for Ashley's sleepovers".

"It doesn't feel like home", she commented.

"That's because we haven't moved in yet".

"There wasn't much parking outside".

"We only have two cars".

"Three when Ashley passes her test".

"Scully. She's twelve".

"This is not our home Mulder". Scully allowed herself a small smile. "I know why you want us to find a place fast, but this isn't something we can rush".

"I just don't want you to write off every place like this".

"I won't. As long as I like them".

"You might like this place. It's big. It has a decent sized yard. Big enough for a dog. Maybe a cat too. And a swing-set for Will and any little people that may come along in future". Scully's smile faltered. They hadn't mentioned another baby in a while, but Mulder knew it was what they both wanted. They just weren't getting their hopes up. "It could be perfect".

"This is not our house", interrupted Ashley, running down the stairs. Scully looked up at Mulder as if to say "I told you so".

"What now?"

"You can see into the neighbor's garden from the bedroom window. He's old and wrinkly and naked".

"Naked?"

"Practically".

Mulder shook his head. "This is not our house".

It was going to be a long day.

Xxxxxxxx

"Maybe you should take tomorrow off", Mulder said, setting a cup of tea on the table next to where Scully was sprawled on the couch. "You're doing too much to it".

"I'm ok", she protested weakly, eyeing the tea but not willing to move in case the room began to spin again. Their second day of house hunting had once again ended without them finding a property they liked. The first, a three bedroomed terraced place not far from Mulder's old apartment, was too small for their growing family. Ashley had protested at the box room that would have been her bedroom, while only Scully could only just about fit into the bathroom – it was a lost cause for Mulder. The second was larger, beautiful too, but way out of their price range. Besides, Scully had argued, it was next to a main road, and she wanted the kids to be able to roam around the property freely without getting hit by a car. They viewed two more houses, after which Scully declared she had a headache and didn't have the energy to look at any more houses. They paused at a Chinese to pick up take-out, before heading home. After dinner, Ashley reluctantly retreated to her bedroom to finish (or start, Mulder surmised) her homework, Mulder bathed William and put him to bed, while Scully crashed on the sofa, where she'd been ever since, nursing a headache, feeling dizzy and a little nauseous too. Mulder as right, she had been doing too much lately. She'd forgotten how tough it was to juggle a young child with work, and this time she had someone around to help. How she took care of Ashley by herself she'd never know.

"How's your stomach?"

"It feels a little better after eating".

Sensing her unwillingness to move, Mulder sat down on the floor next to the sofa and handed Scully the mug of tea.

"Thank you". She took a gentle sip. "I'm sorry we had to cut short house hunting".

"It's not your fault". He grinned. "Somehow I doubt the last one was the one. It was close to the Gunmen anyway".

"We could always rearrange".

"We'll see how it goes. Like you said yesterday, there's no sense in rushing this".

"You changed your tune".

"That's because I saw how many different types of houses are on the market. We'll get there", he added.

"Maybe next weekend".

"We'll see how it goes. See how you're feeling first". He ran a hand through Scully's hair, kissing her warm forehead. "How's your stomach?"

"It feels ok. The nausea seems to have gone, as long as I stay still".

"Ash was complaining she wasn't feeling great earlier in the week".

"She was also trying to avoid going to school".

Mulder smiled. It was true, and Scully wasn't the only one who could see through their daughter's attempts not to go to school. "Still, if you don't feel right, feel free to stay at home tomorrow with me and the little guy. We don't have any plans, just kicking back and relaxing. You're welcome to join us".

"I might just do that", said Scully, taking another sip of tea.

Mulder looked concerned at her words. "Agreeing to pull a sickie?" he asked. "You must be ill".

Xxxxxxxxxxx

They found it two weekends later, hidden away in what felt like the middle of nowhere in Virginia. A two story house, four bedrooms, two bedrooms, a box room that could be used as an office for Mulder during the day time, and a sprawling yard that seemed to go on for miles. "The Unremarkable House", Mulder had commented as he'd steered the car down the driveway, and sure enough from the outside it didn't appear to be anything special.

"It needs a lot of work", Scully had replied, reading through the paperwork on the house. "The current owners haven't exactly modernised it".

"I'm unemployed Scully. I've got plenty of time on my hands".

"So in addition to being Mr Mom you're also taking up a new career in home improvement?"

"There are many strings to my bow".

Scully smirked, while Ashley sat forward in the backseat. "The yard is cool", she commented, taking in the sheer size of the plot.

"You could earn a lot of pocket money mowing the lawn", Mulder agreed.

"We could teach William to play baseball".

"Hell, he could take up track running around this yard".

"Is it too much work?" Scully suddenly asked, as Mulder brought the car to a stop just outside. The realtor was already there waiting for them, a welcoming smile already painted onto her face. "Be realistic Mulder. Our lives are busy enough as it is, plus we have a six month old. Pretty soon William will be crawling and walking, and things won't be as easy, especially if we're having to renovate a house and –"

"Scully". Switching off the engine, Mulder pocketed the car keys and reached out to squeeze her hand. "How about we take a look first, before jumping ahead?"

Sighing, Scully nodded, then let herself out of the car, preparing to look around yet another house.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

"This place is great", Ashley said, wandering into the bedroom where Mulder and Scully stood. She had a big grin on her face, which Mulder took as a good sign. She'd just been looking at what would be her own bedroom. From the outside the house may have looked pretty cosy, but inside the rooms were spacious, although in need of a little work – just a touch of paint here and there. "Have you seen the size of the bathroom? We could have a party in there".

"You're too young to party", answered Mulder. "Although it is pretty damn big. What do you think?" He wasn't just talking about the bathroom.

"I love it".

"Scully?" Mulder turned to face his partner, frowning at her expression. She'd been quiet ever since they'd gone inside, and now she didn't look too impressed as she wandered around. Her fingers covered her mouth as though she was deep in thought. Mulder wasn't entirely sure he was going to like her answer.

"Excuse me", she whispered, and before Mulder could ask her what was wrong, she'd turned on her heel and hurried out of the bathroom. Giving Ashley a puzzled glance, Mulder went in search of his partner, watching as she ran into the bathroom along the hallway and slammed the door shut behind her. Moments later he heard the sound of her retching. Thankfully the realtor had given them time to look around and was currently waiting outside on the porch.

"What's wrong with mom?" Ashley asked from behind Mulder. He turned and gave her a thin smile.

"She's sick". He tapped on the bathroom door. "Scully?" Without waiting for an answer, he opened the door and stepped inside. Scully was on her knees on the tiled floor, wiping her mouth with a piece of tissue before flushing it. "Are you ok?"

"I'm fine", she answered automatically, her back turned so she couldn't see Mulder flinch at her words. She was anything but. "I think it's something I ate last night".

Mulder closed the door behind him, not wanting Ashley to overhear them. "You were sick the other night too. I wasn't asleep", he added, seeing Scully's surprised expression. "I heard you get up. And you've been feeling nauseous for a while now".

"I'm ok".

"You're pregnant".

Satisfied she wasn't going to be sick again, Scully got to her feet and went to the sink, washing her face and hands without saying a word. When she was done, she turned to face Mulder. "I think so", she said quietly.

"You think so".

"I'm about 85 percent sure".

"That's a high percentage. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I was going to, but I wanted to make sure first before getting your hopes up".

"How long have you suspected?"

"A few days". Mulder held out his arms and she stepped into them. "It's all happening so quickly. I just needed a couple of days to get my head around it".

"Have you done a test?"

"Not yet. Ashley was with me when I went grocery shopping last night. I didn't want her to see".

"Wow". Mulder let out a pursed breath. "Another baby Scully".

"Do you think it's too soon? After William?"

"It'll be a lot of work I'm sure, but we always said we wanted them to be close in age".

"14 months".

Mulder smiled. "We can handle it. After everything we've been through, we can cope with two kids under two I'm sure". His smile faltered. "Scully, are you happy about this?"

She hesitated momentarily before nodding. "I am. I never thought William would happen, let alone getting pregnant again. I think I'm just in shock".

"You're in shock?" Finally she laughed. "This wasn't what I was expecting when we said we were going house hunting today".

"Are you happy?"

Mulder's smile widened. "I'm shocked too, I mean like you said, we didn't think it would happen. But we wanted it to happen though". Scully nodded. "I know my reaction to William wasn't what it should have been, but this time it's different. Of course I'm happy Scully. Although", he added. "I know you said we needed a new place, but getting yourself pregnant is an extreme way to proving your point".

Scully chuckled. "This is a nice house".

"It is".

"I like it".

"A lot?"

"A lot".

"Do you think it's the one?" He already knew the answer.

"You know, I think it could be".

Kissing her on the forehead, Mulder pulled back to look her in the eye. "Hey Scully?"

"Hmm?"

"We just found out we're having a baby in our new house".

Scully grinned up at him. "Yes we did".

"That fourth bedroom would make a great nursery".

"Yes it would".

"I'll go talk to the realtor? About an offer?"

Scully nodded, more certainly this time. "Go get our house".

So he did.

Anyone who's read AMC will no doubt realize there's angst to come and I'm sorry, but I had this particular plot in my head for a long time now, and it wouldn't go away. I promise I'll make it all better in the end.

As always, if anyone has any ideas for chapters (or hey, even stories), then just let me know and I'll see what I can do).