1973

Bill Mulder and the rest of the Syndicate sat in a large office waiting for Spender to come in. Today was the day everyone had to make their final decision about who they were sending with the Greys. Most, like Mulder, had been forced to choose a child, but a couple had decided on spouses.

Each man had already typed and printed a label for manila folders, but no one really wanted to release the folders. Because if they did, it meant they were really giving up on the person. Mulder was fiddling with the folder, trying to figure out if there was any way out of it. And by the morbid looks on the other men's faces, they were all thinking the same thing.

Spender finally entered and noticed the lack of a pile of condemned people. "Pile the folders on the table, men," he directed. He checked to see that every man had an appropriate name on their folder as they placed them into the mournful stack. There were no problems, that was until Mulder put his folder in the mountain of folders. "Bill, you can't choose Fox." Mulder's head snapped up.

"What do you mean? He's my son, he's younger than forty, and he's healthy."

"He's not your son," Spender answered smugly. "He's mine. And I'm already giving up Cassandra."

"What the hell do you mean Fox is your son?"

"I mean biologically I'm his father." It only took Bill Mulder a minute to remember Teena's affair. He looked at Spender and in a blink of an eye had his fist hitting Spender's jaw.

"You son of a bitch! We've known each other for over twenty years and you slept with my wife?"

"In all fairness, she wanted it."

Mulder lunged towards him but was stopped by two of the other men. "He's not worth it, Bill," the Englishman said.

"Don't do something you'll regret later," Deep Throat agreed. Mulder tried to get out of their grasps, but after a moment he surrendered.

"You're right. I'm not going to do something I'll regret." He began to walk out of the room but quickly turned to Spender. "If any of my family goes missing, I'm going to make you pay, Spender."

"I doubt you'll be able to," Spender replied.

Mulder resisted the urge to attack him again, instead, just walking out of the room.

1999

Scully stood behind Mulder as they read and kept him from injuring himself further. He had tried to stand up after reading the identify of his biological father, but Scully had silently made sure he stayed sitting. When they finished reading the entry Scully was the first to speak.

"You're still Fox Mulder."

"And that bastard is my father."

"Only biologically. You're real father was your dad."

Mulder shook his head. "He knew he was raising another man's kid and he did it anyway. He was willing to give me up, but he just couldn't do it to Samantha. I guess part of him must have always know-"

"Mulder," Scully tried to soothe, "I think he just realized that he shouldn't trust the smoking man. I think it has nothing to do with you. He didn't know you weren't biologically his until Spender told him; and even then he still treated you like a son."

"No, Scully, he started treating me differently after Samantha was taken. I always assumed it was because he blamed me. At least now I know the truth. I became a reminder of what Mom had done and why Samantha wasn't there."

"That's not true!" Scully was convinced she was right this time. She grabbed the journal and began flipping through the book, trying to find proof. As she got closer to the back she began to lose a little hope. But before she could give up, something caught her eye. It was dated from several years after Samantha's abduction.

1976

It had been over two years since Samantha had been taken, and since that disastrous night, their family had fallen apart. Bill and Teena had been divorced for the past two years, and Fox blamed himself for Samantha. Mulder desperately wanted to assure his son but every time he tried, Fox shrugged and paid no attention. It was Mulder's weekend with his fifteen year old son and despite the hardship of the father/ son relationship, Mulder decided that he needed to get Fox out of the house. All Fox seemed to do was sit, read, do homework, and watch TV and movies.

So, Mulder dragged him on a trip to Rhode Island. But it soon became apparent that too much time in the car made Mulder's legs twitchy, though Fox seemed to be doing fine. But they ended up stopping at a local park, anyway because Mulder wasn't going to torture himself. Of course, the moment he had his back to Fox, the boy vanished, which left Mulder searching for his son.

Of course, he panicked. He had already lost his daughter because of his decisions. He couldn't lose his son, too. He had already lost too much. So, he searched the parking lot and the area that surrounded it before trying the proper park. Who he found instead surprised him.

He saw Scully and his wife sitting on a bench watching over a field and playground. Mulder could only assume their kids were spread out between the two places. They looked happy and peaceful and Mulder was envious that they could still live in such bliss.

It only took a second for Scully to look up and see him. Mulder was expecting for Scully to just ignore him, since he had flat out told him that he couldn't look at him if he gave up a child. Maybe he didn't, but it was his fault that Samantha had been taken. But Scully surprised him by placing a kiss on his wife's cheek before standing up and coming to talk to him. Scully asked in his gruff voice, "What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same thing. I thought you were in San Francisco."

"Transferred back to Newport a few months ago. Your turn."

"I'm taking my kid on a trip for the weekend before going back to Teena's."

Scully's face softened a little. "She couldn't handle you giving up one of your children?"

"That and I couldn't handle that she screwed my coworker years ago."

Scully's face went into a horrified position. "How'd you find out?"

"Spender stopped me from giving up Fox because he was his son. You were right when you said he was a manipulative, self-centered son of a bitch."

"Told you so. And even after that you still listened to him?"

"Hell no. Fox is still here, but he's not the same boy. He's more sullen… They took Samantha one night when Teena and I weren't home. Fox was babysitting, and we got a call saying someone broke in and took Samantha. I'm worried about him, Scully. He's becoming anti-social, quiet, and maybe even depressed."

"Have you tried therapy?"

"Stays silent about that night. Says he can't remember it."

"I don't know what to tell you, Mulder."

"Bill?" Maggie Scully called to her husband. She had three children surrounding her: an older Bill Jr., a dark red-headed teenage girl, and a red headed boy. "Have you seen Dana?"

"Last time I saw her she was proving that she could anything a couple of boys on the playground could."

Charlie was soon sent by his mother to retrieve his sister since Melissa refused and Bill Jr. was too big to squeeze through the play structure's hidden, narrow halls. And a few minutes later he returned and his sister soon after.

"Looks like my family is ready to shove out. See you around, Mulder?"

"See you around, Scully."

Once the balding red-head seaman and his family were gone, Mulder continued to look for Fox. He looked for a good eighteen minutes before he found him standing by the car.

"Fox, where in God's name have you been?"

The teenager shrugged. "Around."

"Where's around?"

"Playground." Mulder wondered how he missed Fox when he had just been there, but didn't vocalize his thoughts. Instead, he asked, "You don't really want to go on this trip do you?"

"No. But I wouldn't say no to a game of basketball."

Mulder smiled. "I think I saw some boys your age playing on the courts. Go join them. We'll head home when you're done."

Fox simply nodded before walking away. Mulder couldn't tell what changed in his son, but he seemed… happier.

1999

"So, do you actually remember that day at all, Mulder?" Scully asked.

"Actually, I do. I ran because I thought my dad was going to try to bond with me or something, and I didn't want to deal with it. So, I went and hid in the play structure."

"It's weird to think I was probably only yards away from you."

Mulder smirked, "I think it was more like inches, Scully."

Her eyebrow immediately rose. "You can't seriously be suggesting that we talked."

His smirk became a full smile.