Scully's father was moved into his own room, allowing for several visitors at a time. They had taken shifts at the hospital, some resting while others remained with him. It was Christmas Eve, and everyone was trying to figure out a plan, given the newest adjustments they needed to make. Mulder had offered to take Scully back to the house, switching off with Melissa and Charlie.

"Aunt Melissa said that when we go back to the hospital, we all get ice cream. Can we go back with her?" Holly said as she came bouncing towards them.

"If she doesn't mind. Grandma and Uncle Bill are already at the hospital, but I don't want you bothering them." Scully said as she hugged her daughter.

"No, it's okay, I offered. It'll just be you and Mulder, alone, in the house. You're welcome." Melissa said teasingly.

"Will you stop. God, some things never change." She hissed at her sister.

Mulder had made his way upstairs to take a shower, and she could hear the water still running as the door closed behind the others. A sly smirk appeared on her face as an idea popped in her head. She made her way upstairs, quietly sneaking into the bathroom. She stripped her clothes, pulling back the curtain to join him.

"Scully, what are you doing in here?" He leered at her. He was surprised to see her standing here with him, but loved the moment of spontaneity.

"Do I really need to map it out for you?" She purred with a challenging, playful gleam in her eyes.

"Oh, is this my Christmas present? I didn't even have to unwrap it."

"Shut up, Mulder." She chuckled into his mouth, closing the gap between them.

His hands began to move up her naked body firmly, holding her to him. She snaked her arms around his neck, deepening their embrace. She could feel his growing erection nudging at her center, and he reached down to feel her readiness for him. He walked them backwards, pinning her against the wall. He lifted her by her thighs as she wrapped her legs around his waist. His tip teased her entrance, as if he was asking permission. The feather soft grazes were driving her insane.

"Mulder...please..." She moaned into his mouth. He smiled at her eagerness, entering her slowly. Indistinct hums of pleasure emitting from them both, he picked up his pace. Her nails began digging into his back, mouth opening in a small moan. He knew she was close, her breathing becoming shallow. He thrusted harder, deeper, until she began to convulse around him. He held onto her tightly, letting her ride out her orgasm as he quickly followed in his own ecstasy. They held each other closely, mouths lingering before the other, composing their breathing. Her legs were shaking from their position, her insides completely melted from the experience she just had.

"We're supposed to be resting." She said through her sleepy eyes as his mouth grazed her breasts. They had transitioned, sans clothes, to the room they were staying in. Holly was sleeping on the small couch in the room during their visit, not leaving much time for them to do anything this eventful.

"I've never felt more relaxed, Scully." He said in a muffled voice, his face buried into her chest. She chuckled at his enthusiasm, playing with his hair, fighting the drowsiness.

"Mm, well I might need some sleep."

"But I thought this was my Christmas Eve present?" He said, feigning that puppy dog pout she loved so much.

"That was never officially decided."

"Oh, so there's more." He said as he crawled up her body to meet her lips. She chuckled, the smirk touching her lips as she shook her head at him.

"Maybe. You're going to love Holly's gift though. She wanted to give you something special, since it's your first Christmas with us." She said in a small voice.

"She amazes me, you know...how big her heart is."

"She has a lot of you in her, I see more and more every day."

"Have you, uh, ever thought about having more children?" He asked cautiously. Her hand stopped it's movement stroking his hair, breath catching in her throat.

"Honestly, no. The only other person I was really in a serious relationship with, was Daniel, and his daughter is practically my age. Otherwise, I was always extremely careful so that-"

"You didn't end up pregnant by someone you didn't know."

"Yeah, I think that only works out well once in a lifetime." She said as she stretched up to capture his lips. She could sense the doubt flushing through him, and knew he needed to be reassured about how she felt. "Have you...ever thought about having more kids?"

"I never thought about having even one kid, but -" He began to say with a heavy sigh. "She's amazing, Scully. I think I'm always going to regret not being there to see her grow up, and I'll admit, I would love to have another chance for that opportunity. I don't know, it's just been on my mind." He said carefully, noticing her lack of response.

"I guess, I feel like I lucked out the first time around, and never really found someone that I wanted to share that with again. But you know, you make pretty good kids, so I suppose I'd be up for the discussion." She said with a sly grin.

He searched her eyes, seeing the definite promise in her gaze, and smiled. He nodded, leaning down to enclose his lips on hers. They spent the rest of their time at the house consummating their relationship further.

They gathered the presents they were told to bring to the hospital, keeping the tradition alive, even given the circumstances. She grabbed the package for Mulder, and he bugged her the entire trip to the hospital about what was inside. She loved seeing him like this, childlike and carefree.

"It's about time, we've been waiting since forever for you to get here with the presents!" Holly scolded as they entered the room. Scully rolled her eyes, kissing the top of her daughter's head.

"We were resting, you can wait."

"Oh, yeah...I can really see how rested you two are." Melissa said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. Scully's eyes widened, color rising to her cheeks.

"Would you stop." She hissed at her sister, causing Charlie to laugh. "You, too. There is no privacy in this family." She groaned, moving away from her teasing siblings.

They all settled themselves around her father's bed, passing the one chosen present to each person. Holly's eyes lit up at the package Mulder was holding, anticipating his opening of it. Scully was settled in the seat beside him, Holly sitting in her lap. They both looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to open his present.

He furrowed his brow, having no idea what it could be. He opened it slowly, pausing as he saw a glimpse of the front cover of the photo album. They were seated off to the side from the rest of her family, having this small moment to themselves. He opened the album to the first page, a smile spreading across his face at the first picture. It was a baby, very messy, Holly, smiling back at him through the photo.

"It's me, on my first Christmas. Mom said I made a mess at dinner, in my first two outfits." She said with a shrug. He chuckled at the story, imagining it in his head. He turned the page, breath hitching at the next picture. It was of Scully and Holly in front of the tree their first Christmas, Scully looking just as he vaguely remembered first meeting her. His fingers grazed over the image of her, and she smiled, knowing what was running through his mind.

"She wanted you to see pictures of her, of us, from every Christmas so far. The last page is empty, so we can fill it with our own family picture." Scully said in a small voice. He finally glanced up, taking in his small, perfect little family. He smiled at them both, fighting back the emotions beginning to surface.

"Thank you, it's perfect." He said in a small whisper. He leaned forward, placing a kiss on Holly's forehead, moving to Scully to place a lingering kiss on her lips. They smiled at each other, reveling in every surprise that brought them to this moment. She nodded at him, signaling for him to give Holly her present.

"I have a gift for you, too. It's for both of you, but I guess you don't have to share if you don't want to." He said teasingly, winking at her.

"Gee, thanks a lot." Scully huffed, playfully glaring at him.

He handed the small box containing the key to Holly, causing curiosity to shine through her eyes. As she opened it, she was even more confused, looking up at him, waiting for an explanation.

"How would you feel, if we all lived together, in our own house?" He asked carefully. Her eyes lit up, glancing back at Scully for confirmation.

"Really? You're going to live with us? Like, all of us together?" She asked excitedly, trying to gather her thoughts. He chuckled at her excitement, nodding in affirmation. She squealed, throwing herself into his arms for a hug. He held her tightly, feeling like he finally had a family.


The entire family spent Christmas in the hospital, just enjoying their time together. After several days, it was time for Scully's father to be discharged and taken home. Everyone waited anxiously for the doctor to do his final examination, tension rising as Daniel walked into the room.

"Everything looks great, my surgical skills were nothing but the best, repairing the small tear in your heart. Take it easy for a few weeks, and I recommend making a follow up appointment with your regular doctor." Daniel said stoically. He could feel the hatred radiating towards him from everyone in the room. They thanked him in dismissal, causing his annoyance to rise, him wanting to speak with Scully. She was standing at the opposite end of the room, hidden behind her family. He glared at her before turning and stalking out into the hallway.

She exhaled deeply, Mulder rubbing her arms for comfort. She leaned back into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her, whispering reassuring sentiments in her ear. They all helped make the transition back to the house, Scully and Mulder staying behind to check on the patient involved in their case.

"His stats haven't changed, they're getting better if anything. The chip is still in, right?" She asked distractedly as they walked towards the room.

"As far as I know, they haven't removed it. He hasn't displayed any other symptoms, other than healing rapidly from the terminal lung cancer he was diagnosed with a month ago."

"It's unheard of, this kind of cell regrowth. I -" Her words were cut off as she entered the room, seeing the doctor tending to an empty bed. "Scott?"

"Dana Scully, what brings you back here?" He said with a charming, flirtatious grin. She left Mulder's side, throwing herself into the arms of this good looking stranger.

"I'm here visiting for the holidays, and working a little. My god, how have you been? I haven't seen you since you took that internship in Florida." She said with a smile plastered on her face.

"Well, since someone didn't want to become the next cardio prodigy, Waterston asked me to come back and study under him. Right now, I'm just doing my own rounds on several patients, but it's been a great experience for me."

"That's great, I'm glad you found your field." She said sincerely. Mulder intentionally cleared his throat, gaining the attention of the room. Scully turned to face him with an apologetic look on her face. "This, uh, is my fiancé, Fox Mulder. Mulder, this is Scott Henderson, he was one of my good friends in med school."

"Fiancé huh? Wow, and here I couldn't even get a date out of you. I mean, we had a few good nights in the doctor's lounges, but..." He teased, causing her eyes to widen. "It's nice to meet you." He directed towards Mulder, leering at Scully jokingly. He nodded silently in greeting, feeling uneasy about their connection.

"So, uh, what are you doing with this patient?" She said, changing the subject, licking her lips nervously.

"Well right now I sent him off for more testing. It's incredible, terminal lung cancer, just vanishes after an unknown disappearance." Scott said in disbelief.

"We have some theories, but you'd think we're insane, so I'm not going over them with you until I can get authority to administer more tests, and have definitive proof to back up my claims." She said flatly.

"Alright, Doc. Let me know if you need anything from me. How long are you in town for?" He said as he stepped forward into her personal space.

"Just a few more days, but my father just got out of the hospital so we're spending as much time at home as we can." She said in a small voice, realization coming to him.

"The heart attack, brought in a few days ago. God, I should have known from the name. Waterston made sure to take extra care and attention to him." He said as he brought her in for a comforting hug. Mulder's jealousy got the best of him, causing him to leave the room silently, pacing in the halls.

They finished their casual pleasantries, Scully already knowing what was running through Mulder's mind. They both exited the room, embracing in a parting hug. She turned to face the doubting, exasperating man with the pouting face that she loved.

"Ready to go home? Holly is staying at a friend's house tonight, visiting with a bunch of girls from her old school...so it's just us." She said, stepping into meet his body, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He let out a heavy sigh, embracing her lightly, no real emotion behind the gesture. There were too many emotions clouding his better judgement, and he knew he was about to be incredibly stupid, but he couldn't contain it.

"I'm going to go for a walk actually, you can take the car, head back to the house. I'll catch a cab, see you later. Unless you have plans with your friend." He said bitterly.

"Mulder, are you seriously questioning our relationship right now?" She spat, hands on her hips.

"I don't know, I seem to have a lot of competition here. Scott, Daniel, and that's just at the hospital. Maybe there's more from other drunken summer nights on the beach." He said, intentionally trying to hurt her, for reasons he couldn't explain.

"How dare you. I-"

"No, it's fine. I don't need an explanation. I'll see you at the house later." He said in finality, leaving no room for an argument. She fought back the tears in her eyes, hoping he wasn't running off on some crazy venture just to spite her.

She had made her way home, dropping Holly off at her friend's house. Holly could sense that something was wrong, given that Mulder wasn't with her when she arrived. She could see the unshed tears in her mother's eyes, knowing they had a fight, but didn't want to push her and ask. Scully made her way back to the house, claiming exhaustion to escape up to her room.

Mulder crept into the house late, some time in the middle of the night, trying not to wake anyone. He slowly approached their room, second guessing whether or not he should sleep on the couch, but didn't want the questions about it the next day. He took a deep breath, gaining courage to enter. He knew he messed up, and could only wish for forgiveness. He opened the door, seeing her curled up in the bed. She looked so small, so vulnerable in that moment, and he could see the pained look on her face illuminated by the moonlight shining through the window. He stripped down to his boxers, crawling into bed beside her. He spooned up behind her, wrapping his arms tightly around her stomach, pulling her into him.

"I'm sorry, I was an idiot, and I'm so sorry. I love you." He whispered into her ear. She was feigning sleep, still awake with her mind wandering. He knew she was awake, but could feel her relax into his embrace. She didn't respond, just remained in her stance, finally comfortable to drift off.

The next morning, Scully roused from sleep, smiling at her position. During the night, she had cuddled into Mulder's side, entangling their legs together, her head resting on his chest, arm tightly wrapped around his body. She could sense him stirring awake, startling at how she was laying on him. She kissed his bare chest before turning to meet his eyes.

"I love you, too. But you should never have questioned that." She said softly, with confidence behind her statement.

"I didn't, not really. I think my stupid jealousy took over, and...can I claim alien abduction?" He asked with a sheepish smile. She chuckled, rolling her eyes at him.

"Nice try, but it's not going to work." She said, reaching up to capture his lips with hers. He melted into her embrace, relieved that he didn't completely screw this up. He flipped them, situating himself on top of her, kissing her deeper.

"I really am sorry, for being an idiot. I don't care about whoever came before me, and I was wrong to throw that in your face. I'm sure as hell not one to talk." He scoffed. She reached up to play with his hair, warmly smiling at him.

"We can talk about it, you know. If you have questions, you can ask. I don't want you to feel like I'm hiding anything from you."

"No, I trust you, you're the only one I trust. I didn't really doubt you or our relationship. This is - it's new for me. I've only ever been in maybe 3 serious relationships, and they all ended horribly. They played with my heart, more interested in where I could get them, than actually wanting to be with me. It's a sad excuse, but it's why I freaked, and I'm sorry." He said as he kissed her again.

"You're kinda hot when you're jealous." She said in a sultry tone, a shining gleam in her eyes. He smiled down at this tiny, redhead who captured his heart, his soul.

"What time does the spawn get back?" He said, arousal growing. She flashed him a sly smirk, reaching up to whisper in his ear.

"Whenever we go to pick her up, we have the morning to ourselves." She said as she nibbled on his ear. He moaned at the contact, loving her more by the minute.


They had been back for a few days from San Diego, resting from their exhausting trip. Mulder had arranged to meet his mother at her house in Connecticut, family in tow. He hadn't mentioned any details to her, other than he was getting married, and she had a daughter. Holly was excited to meet her, but could sense the worry emitting from Mulder.

"Mother, it's good to see you." He said as he greeted Teena Mulder at the door of her home. He kissed her sincerely on the cheek, keeping everything as civil as possible.

"Fox, it's been a while, clearly. It's always good to see you." She said as she glanced past him to see the small woman and her child approaching from the car. Holly giggled at his first name, him shooting her a playful glare.

"This is Holly, and Dana Scully." He said in introduction as they entered the house. It was decorated with his mother's exquisite taste, seeming cold in nature. She wasn't the warm, welcoming type of grandmother that Holly was used to, and it made her slightly uncomfortable.

"It's nice to meet you both, please, come inside, make yourselves at home." She said completely void of emotion. Mulder sighed, regretting this already.

They engaged in casual conversations, getting to know each other on a surface level. Teena was weary about the two women who waltzed into her son's life, but she could see how he looked at them, knowing they were more important than he was letting on. Mulder led them upstairs to get their things settled in the room they were staying in, instantly embracing Scully.

"This is only the beginning of my apology for being here." He said between kisses. She chuckled, smiling at him warmly.

"She's not that bad, she's just not what Holly was expecting. Give it time." She said reassuringly. Holly was putting her things in the other guest room down the hall.

"We really have to stay for two days? I'm all for leaving tomorrow."

"We agreed, the entire weekend. She's excited, and curious about you and your family. This is good for her, so thank you for making that sacrifice." She said, reaching up to capture his lips.

"You're lucky you're both really cute." He teased.

Scully wanted to change into something nicer for dinner. His mother made reservations at a local restaurant, and she knew she had to meet this pristine woman's standards. She sent Mulder to tell Holly to change into the dress she packed for her. He stopped in his tracks, seeing his mother standing in the hallway, watching Holly through the sliver of the open door. He walked up beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder to notify her of his presence. She turned to meet his eyes, a knowing look on her face. He sighed in resignation.

"She reminds me of Samantha." Teena said, choking back her emotions.

"That's what I thought when I first found out." He said genuinely.

"How long have you known?"

"I just found out a few months ago. We've been giving ourselves an adjustment period, getting to know each other." He said carefully. She nodded in understanding, excusing herself to get ready for dinner. He exhaled a breath of relief, at least she knew.

Dinner went smoothly, Holly adjusting to the money driven lifestyle. Scully was amazed at how far from this type of life, Mulder had ran. They all made their way back to the house, settling in for tea before bed. Holly was getting tired, Scully offering to put her to bed, giving him and his mother time to talk.

"They're lovely people, you have a nice family." She said, with actual sincerity in her voice.

"Holly is excited to be here, she wants to know more about you, about my family. It means a lot that you're letting us stay here this weekend."

"You're always more than welcome, you know that. She is, I suppose, my granddaughter, it will be good to know her."

"Yes, she is. I, uh, met Sc - Dana, at a party that summer I spent in San Diego. One thing led to another, and Holly happened. I didn't know, until they moved to DC this year. I met her at work." He huffed, still amazed by their story.

"That's some coincidence, but I'm glad it worked out for you." She said with a small resemblance of a smile. His mind began to wander, thinking just how much of a coincidence it actually was.

He made his way up to the bedroom to lay next to Scully. She was reading a book, wearing her glasses, and he smiled at the sight. He crept in wordlessly, laying his head on her chest, holding her close to him.

"That good, huh?" She asked, stroking his hair for comfort.

"I honestly don't even know, I think she's interested at least, in knowing Holly. That's all I could hope for."

"I don't think I fully comprehended the lifestyle you grew up in. I should have known...Connecticut, Martha's Vineyard, Oxford. But I think seeing it firsthand puts it all into perspective."

"I hated growing up like this. Parties to attend, smiles to fake, and very uncomfortable clothes. It's not anything I would want for my own kids."

"Holly was fascinated by it, she's never had anything like this."

"Well, I'm sure my mother is already figuring out which heirloom to hand down to her. She'll have her pick between the best jewelry and vacation houses." He scoffed.

"Your mother doesn't have to do that, we don't expect her to do anything, Mulder. That's too much, it's -" She began to stammer.

"Hey, it's okay." He said calmly, kissing her to relax. "That's just how she is, and Holly may be her only grandchild. I think she's more excited about spoiling her than anything else." He said gently. She smiled, nodding in understanding.

They situated themselves in bed, drifting off to a comfortable sleep. They were both thinking about each other, and their small family. There had been several roadblocks throughout their relationship, but nothing they hadn't found a way to overcome. Holly was happy, having her parents together, after all these years.

The happy thoughts and dreams were interrupted by the flashing of a bright light, indistinct humming sounds, and suddenly, Scully was gone. Once Mulder was able to focus on his surroundings again, the panic began to set in. The uneasy sense of dejavu flowing through him, knowing what happened, not ready to accept it. Holly yelled out from her room, waking up from the sounds. The frightened look plastered on her face caused his heart to sink, not knowing how to even explain this to her. He wrapped her up in his arms, muttering reassuring sentiments in her ear, avoiding answering the questions she was asking about the bright light and the sounds she heard. She was still half asleep, drifting off again with ease.

She began to fall back asleep, and he exited the room to make sure his own mother was okay. When he walked into her room, expecting her to be asleep, he was surprised to see her sitting on the end of her bed, a blank stare in her eyes.

"Mom, are you okay?" He asked, stepping into the room. At first, she didn't answer, almost as if she didn't even notice his presence. He called for her attention again, this time at least causing her to glance up at him.

"Fox, I'm so sorry. I didn't think this would happen. I'm so sorry." She repeatedly whispered, over and over.

His jaw clenched, anger rising in him, not knowing how to respond to his mother. His head was clouded with confusion, emotions bouncing around sporadically.

"What do you mean?" He spat.

"He said - He said he wanted to take you, or the girl. I couldn't let that happen, I'm so sorry." She began to frantically say.

Mulder's entire life came crashing down, now, more than ever, knowing everything he knew about his sister's disappearance was a lie. His mother let him beat himself up, all these years, allowing him to believe it was his fault. She knew the truth, the entire time, and she knew where Scully was now.

"Who said - Where the hell is Scully?" He growled at her. She stood up, trying to calm him down, knowing the mess she created, once again.

"Spender, he knows. I - I didn't mean for this to happen."

"Then fix it. That's my fiancé, the mother of my child. The child who is going to wake up wondering where the hell her mother is."

"I can try to contact him, but I can't promise you anything. Fox, I'm -"

"Sorry, yeah...I know, I just don't believe you." He said before storming out of the room.

His mind was driving him crazy with every horrible thought running through it. He needed to exert his energy, but knew he couldn't just throw himself into some crazy search, considering Holly. Normally, he'd be on the first flight out, beating the truth out of whoever had an shred of information about Scully's whereabouts. It was different, it wasn't just him going through this. He was pacing in the living room, thinking of a plan that didn't involve him running off, coming up empty. He stopped at the sight of his mother, standing on the stairs with a guilty look present on her face.

"He agreed, to talk to you. He'll be here shortly." She said without explanation. She returned to her room, avoiding the fight she sensed was about to happen.

Mulder resumed his pacing, anxiety building, annoyed he couldn't just jump into action. He paused, smelling the cigarette smoke, before seeing the figure standing in the back door. He clenched his jaw, making his way outside to meet the bastard.

"You...where the hell is she?!" He growled, holding back as much as he could manage.

"I assure you, she's in the best care, Mr. Mulder." He said smugly, inhaling a puff of his cigarette.

"I don't give a shit about where she is, as long as she is brought back, now." He shouted, stepping into his face.

"I'm afraid it's not that simple. She will be returned, that much I can assure you."

"Now, I need her back now. I swear to god, I will come after you with every ounce of force I have, if you don't return her immediately." He growled, putting a promise behind his words.

"As I said, it's not that simple. Patience, Mr. Mulder, you have a child to consider. We'll be in touch." He said mysteriously, causing Mulder's anger to rise. He made his threat, wanting so desperately to act on it, but knowing that could jeopardize Scully's return.

He made his way back inside, slamming the door behind him. He sat on the couch, turning on mindless television for the white noise, staring blankly before him. He felt empty, broken, like half of him was missing.

After a restless night, Mulder changed to go for an early morning run. He was dead on his feet, but the adrenaline was keeping him going. He ran longer than expected, needing to clear his head. When he approached the house, he could see the police car out front, stomach turning at the sight. He ran inside, frantically searching the surroundings. His breath caught in his throat at the sight of Scully sitting on the couch, Holly wrapped in her embrace. He immediately assumed his position next to her, engulfing them both in his arms.

"Scully, I'm so sorry." He whispered into her ear. She let out a heavy sigh, relaxing into his words. The officer finished taking her statement, leaving them alone.

"Holly, honey, why don't you go up and take a shower, then we can explore the town a little bit today, okay?" She said softly, needing an excuse to speak with Mulder alone. She nodded, bouncing up the stairs, not really knowing what happened last night.

"Scully -"

"Mulder, I don't know. I wish I could tell you what happened, but I don't remember. I woke up early this morning in the hospital, having no idea how I got there. They examined me, but there was nothing wrong. The officer offered to bring me home, finishing my statement here." She said in a small, shaky voice.

"This is my fault, that you were taken. My mother, I don't know what the hell she was thinking, or why they wanted you, but I'm going to find out who did this to you." He said as he kissed the side of her temple.

"It's not your fault, so you can stop blaming yourself right now. I'm fine, nothing happened to me."

"It - It was like I was reliving that night, with Samantha all over again. Scully, I thought I would never see you again." He exhaled deeply, resting his forehead on hers.

"I'm here, I'm fine. We'll figure this out together." She said, enclosing her lips on his. He pulled her into his lap, holding her as tightly as he possibly could.

"I think I need to stay a little longer, and talk to my mother. You two should still head back tomorrow, but -" He let out a heavy sigh.

"That's okay, I understand." She said, leaning down to meet his lips again. "There, uh, is something that we need to talk about though. There was something they found when they examined me."

"I thought you said everything was okay, Scully...what happened? What's wrong?" He began to frantically ask. She smiled at his worried expression.

"Mulder, calm down. I'm fine." She said with a small chuckle. "I'm pregnant."