Thank you to everyone who reviewed. I'm sorry it took so long to get to this, but I've been insanely busy lately. Basically, I just changed a few things around at the suggestion of one of the reviewers. There's also an epilogue now, and the next story should be out soon.
Melissa's cries finally woke Scully three hours later. Night had fallen, and Scully could not see more than a few feet in front of her. She blinked, rubbing her eyes slightly. "I guess someone's hungry," she said.
"That's what it sounds like."
"Think you can pull off up here so I can get her out?"
"Sure." Mulder pulled off to the side of the road, turning his emergency flashers on so he would be visible to passing cars. Unbuckling her seatbelt, Scully started to get out of the car, but Mulder stopped her. "Stay seated. I'll get her." Opening his door, he walked around to the back and unstrapped his daughter from her car seat. Reentering the car, he passed the baby to Scully who unbuttoned her shirt and pulled down her nursing bra, allowing the baby to begin to feed. Mulder reached up and turned on the overhead light.
"Where are we?" Scully asked as Melissa sucked greedily.
Mulder shrugged. "I don't really know. I've just been driving."
"How long have I been out?"
"About three hours. But I've been pushing eighty the whole time, so we should be pretty far away from the barn now."
"Maybe we should find somewhere to stop for the night." Even in the dim light, she could see the shadows under his eyes and the haggard look of his face.
He shook his head. "I want to put as much distance between us and that barn as possible. If they could find us there, how much time do you think it's going to take for them to track us now?"
"Mulder, when was the last time you slept?"
"I'm fine, Scully. I've had less sleep before."
"Mulder, you're practically dead on your feet. You shouldn't be driving."
"And you should be in a hospital instead of sitting in a car. But unfortunately, circumstances don't allow either of those things." Samantha chose that moment to wake up, and Mulder again got out of the car to retrieve her. When Scully had both girls at her breast nursing, he watched them with a slightly sad expression.
"This is not exactly how I imagined the birth of my first child."
Mulder rubbed his eyes, clenching his jaw muscles to avoid yawning, knowing such an action would instantly increase Scully's concerns. "I never really imagined having children," he admitted, his brain not alert enough to realize what the inevitable reaction to that comment would be.
Scully's head shot up, and she looked at him apprehensively. "You regret this?" she asked.
Mulder shook his head. "No, of course not. I just never saw myself as a father. I mean, I have so many demons in my past, Scully. How can I take care of kids when I can barely take care of myself?"
"Do you love the girls, Mulder?"
"Of course I do."
"Then you'll be a wonderful father."
They finally stopped at a motel about an hour after sunrise. Mulder left Scully in the car as he went to check in. As he walked to the front desk, he caught sight of his reflection in the grimy glass of the window. He looked as if he had not had any sleep for two days. His hair was unkempt, a few days' stubble graced his chin (he had not had much opportunity to shave at the barn), and his hazel eyes were red-rimmed. He wore dark jeans and an old green t-shirt; both items of clothing were spotted with dirt and, on closer inspection, blood. Mulder sighed. He supposed he had looked worse over the years, and he had never cared before.
The motel clerk gave him a single cursory glance before handing over the key to the room as Mulder counted out the correct amount of cash. Returning to the car, he opened the driver's side door. Scully was partially awake, still holding both girls. Samantha was sleeping, but Melissa had begun to stir in her mother's arms. Even after only a day, Mulder recognized that she would be clamoring for food before long. As he had done numerous times over the past twenty-four hours, Mulder slid his arms beneath Scully's body and lifted her off the seat, carefully maneuvering her through the door of the car.
"What are you doing?" Scully asked as he began walking to their room. Her eyelids were partially closed, and her breathing was deeper than normal.
"I'm carrying you over the threshold," Mulder quipped.
"You know I'm perfectly capable of walking."
"I'm not risking it, Scully. You need to recover."
"I'm f-"
"If you say the word fine, I'm not going to let you walk for the next two weeks."
"Fabulous," Scully finished. He grinned.
"I guess I'll take that. For now." Having reached the door, he pulled out the key to the room and fumbled for a moment before managing to insert it into the lock. The door swung open, and he walked quickly to the large, king-sized bed and deposited Scully on top of it. She immediately closed her eyes.
"It feels good to be back in a real bed," she remarked, leaning her head against the wall. Unfortunately, she did not have long to relax; Melissa gave a single wail, and Scully immediately focused her attention on her daughter.
"I'll take Samantha while I finish unloading the car," Mulder offered, lifting the baby from Scully's arms. He shifted her light body to one arm as he walked back to the SUV to retrieve their luggage.
It took Mulder three trips to bring in everything they would need for the day since he was still holding Samantha. When he finished, he sprawled out on the bed next to Scully who was still nursing Melissa. She gave him a small, tired smile which he returned before groaning and closing his eyes. "I don't know about you, but I'm beat," he remarked.
"I can't imagine why," Scully said dryly.
Mulder shifted slightly, adjusting his posture so that he was half-sitting, half-lying with Samantha still in his arms. "You're right. A real bed is nice." His eyes slid shut, and he finally allowed sleep to overtake him.
Samantha woke Mulder just over an hour later. With a groan, he opened his eyes and looked down at the tiny baby in his arms, amazed that such loud screams could come from something so small. Since Scully still seemed to be sleeping, Mulder decided to try and solve the problem himself. He swung his legs off the bed, standing and crossing to the bag of baby paraphernalia he had carried in an hour before. A few seconds of searching produced clean diapers, a changing pad, and baby powder. Spreading the changing pad on a window ledge, Mulder quickly changed his daughter's diaper, finding the task was becoming easier with practice. At least he put the diaper on the correct way this time.
The diaper change did not quiet Samantha, however. Knowing she was likely hungry, Mulder had resigned himself to waking Scully when he heard a soft voice behind him say, "Give her here." Turning, he saw Scully already awake, staring at him, her blue eyes still clouded with sleep. He passed her Samantha, taking Melissa for a much-needed diaper change.
After changing her, Mulder began to pace the small room with Melissa in his arms. He had already found that the easiest way to put her to sleep was constant motion. Her sister did not mind simply being held, but Melissa liked to always be moving. Mulder felt drained; he knew he needed to sleep, but his desire to take care of his daughter overwhelmed that particular need for the moment. He would be able to sleep eventually. He could survive until that time.
By evening, Mulder and Scully had only managed to catch four or five hours sleep each. It was far from enough, but it would have to do. They ate a lunch of cold canned soup and dried fruit, certainly not the most appetizing meal in the world, but it appeased their empty stomachs, and they cared about nothing else. For dinner, Mulder found nothing but some slightly stale crackers, having left the rest of the food in the barn during their hasty escape. Frustrated, he slammed his fist into the wall, startling the babies, both of whom began to cry.
"Mulder, what's the matter?" Scully asked as she soothed her daughters.
"We're out of food," he muttered irritably. Lack of sleep was beginning to take its toll on him; he was exhausted and testy, and the latest problem was doing nothing to help his mood.
"We can go buy some more."
"No, Scully, you need to rest. You're not going anywhere."
"Then you go get food. I'll stay here."
"I'm not leaving you alone and unprotected."
"Mulder, those are your only two options. I'll be fine here with the girls, I promise. I'm a trained federal agent, and my weapon is in easy reach."
"Scully-"
"Mulder, we need food. Now go!"
Sighing, he looked at her a final time before leaving. Stopping at the first fast food restaurant he came to, he picked up a salad for Scully and a chicken sandwich for himself along with two orders of fries. After paying, he returned to the motel and was relieved to find Scully still lounging on the bed in their room feeding Melissa. Mulder set the food down in front of her and took Melissa from her arms, placing the sleeping baby in one of the cribs he had set up earlier. Before stepping away, he ran a finger gently down the baby's cheek, marveling at the smoothness of the skin. Samantha made a small noise in her sleep but did not stir. He watched her for a couple more minutes before turning to Scully. "I'm going to get something to drink from the vending machine. Want anything?"
"Sure. I'll take whatever."
"Okay. I'll be back in just a minute."
"We'll be here."
They spent the next day at the motel, too. After the frantic chase from the barn and the full night of driving, both needed the rest. Of course, they did not receive quite as much rest as they had hoped; Melissa and Samantha kept them up for a significant portion of the day. Neither had slept more than two hours in one stretch since the girls were born. Their constant worrying about whoever was chasing them certainly did not help the insomnia either.
When they finally hit the road the following morning, both were still exhausted but determined not to allow this fact to show. Mulder combated his fatigue with caffeine, trying desperately to keep his eyes open as they traveled over the seemingly endless back roads that offered nothing to see except for the occasional shrub or broken fence. Neither Mulder nor Scully truly knew where they were; they had not passed a sign for any major highway or interstate in many miles. This lack of knowledge of their current whereabouts did not bother Mulder at all; if he himself did not know where they were, it would be virtually impossible for the Syndicate to know.
Three more days of travel finally brought them to a recognizable interstate, and Mulder began traveling east, intending to taking them back to DC since the week was nearly over. He and Scully were past exhaustion by that point; nerves and lack of sleep had left them barely conscious. They went about their activities automatically, both barely aware of what they were doing. Samantha's constant crying during the long hours in the car certainly did not help matters at all. Melissa was content to sit quietly in her infant seat until she needed fed or changing; the motion of the car seemed to soothe her in much the same way as pacing or rocking did. But Samantha was a whole different story. Mulder was not sure if she just did not like the car or if she could somehow sense the tension which hung heavy in the air around them. Though Samantha would quiet somewhat when Scully held her, she still wailed for most of the trip, wearing on both her parents' nerves.
As they passed a road sign giving their location, Scully turned to Mulder. "I know a doctor not too far from here. I'd like to stop and get the girls checked out."
Mulder nodded. "You should get checked out while you're there. Make sure that everything's okay."
"Mulder."
"Scully, please. Do this for my peace of mind if nothing else."
She nodded in assent. "I also want to do genotyping on both girls. I know I said originally that I didn't want to know, but rationally, I realize that we need to do this. . . just in case there are problems." Her voice broke on the last word, and Mulder knew she was thinking of Emily, wondering if these two babies could be torn from her as violently as the daughter she had barely known.
"Whatever we find, it's not going to change the fact that these babies are ours," he said with more confidence than he felt. "And we're going to protect them from whoever or whatever might want to hurt them."
"What if we find out that they're not completely. . . human."
Mulder let out a long breath. He had been wondering the same thing since they first found out about the pregnancy. The visit from the Cigarette Smoking Man had merely increased his concern. After all, why would the Syndicate be so eager to kidnap the babies if they were ordinary? "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Mulder finally said. Melissa chose that moment to wake up with a loud cry, and Mulder sighed as Scully turned around to retrieve her from her carseat. "What's wrong now, Hopper?" he questioned as the baby's wails became more frantic. He had given her the nickname the day before because of her constant need to be in motion, referencing the movie Speed. Scully had tried to talk him out of calling her by that particular appellation, especially since the character portrayed by that actor was a mad man who wired a bomb to a bus, but Mulder ignored her protests. And so Melissa had become Hopper. Scully wondered why Mulder could not choose a normal nickname like Princess or Sweetheart. But Mulder was far from normal; she should have expected his nickname to also be different.
Scully turned to the baby in her arms, cooing to her as she unbuttoned her blouse. As fatigued as she was, both physically and emotionally, she did not feel like dealing with her screaming daughter at the moment, but she knew she had no choice. The babies depended on her and Mulder, and she could not let the strain of their birth and the subsequent escape affect her ability to care for them.
After finding her friend in a local phone book, Scully called and was happy to find Nadine at home and willing to help her out (after spending fifteen minutes berating Scully). Using the directions Nadine provided, Mulder managed to find her house. He walked to the back of the car to receive the girls as Scully struggled out of the front, too proud to ask for help or to acknowledge the pain which still shot through her body every time she moved. They walked to the door, and Mulder rang the bell. A few seconds later, a woman in her early thirties with wavy brown hair answered. She smiled when she saw Scully. "Dana, it's been too long," she said, enveloping Scully in a hug. Scully returned it with slight hesitation before turning to Mulder and the babies.
"Nadine, this is Fox Mulder and our daughters, Samantha and Melissa. Mulder, this is Nadine Roberts. We went to medical school together."
"It's nice to meet you." Mulder started to hold out a hand before realizing that both his hands were currently full. He settled for a smile instead.
"You, too. Well, come on in." She led them into a spacious kitchen and gestured to two chairs at the table. Mulder and Scully both sat, and Mulder placed the two carriers on the table. Nadine had retrieved her medical kit and walked over to Melissa with a stethoscope hanging around her neck. "Am I looking for anything in particular, Dana?" she asked as she picked up the baby.
"No. I just want to make sure they're healthy."
"Didn't they tell you at the hospital?"
"We didn't exactly go to the hospital."
"What are you talking about?"
"We had a home birth."
"A home birth? Dana, you of all people should know how dangerous that can be."
"I didn't have much choice, Nadine. Please, I just want to know that they're healthy."
Nadine stared at Scully for a few more seconds before finally turning her attention back to Melissa who was squirming in her arms. She spent a few minutes examining the baby, murmuring reassuringly to her the whole time. When she finally finished, she passed the baby to Mulder. "She's perfectly healthy," Nadine assured the two worried parents. "A bit small, but that's to be expected with twins." Mulder and Scully both nodded as she moved on to examine Samantha. Once she had finished with both babies, Mulder turned to Scully expectantly. Scully shook her head slightly, her eyes displaying those two words which had become a catchphrase for her. He also shook his head.
"You're not fine, Scully."
Sighing, Scully turned to Nadine. "Nadine, would you mind examining me? Someone seems to think that there's something wrong." She glared at Mulder.
"Sure." She glanced between the two of them, obviously sensing the tension. "Why don't you come to my bedroom? You'll be more comfortable there."
"Thank you." Scully started to stand, flinching slightly in pain. The involuntary action did not escape Nadine's nor Mulder's notice.
"You're having pain?" Nadine questioned.
"Some," Scully admitted reluctantly. "But don't all women have some pain?"
"I would expect tenderness or some soreness, but from your reaction I'm guessing it's worse than that. You should be in a hospital."
"I told you, Nadine, that's unfortunately not possible."
Nadine sighed. "Come on. I'll see what I can do for you. I have some stuff here that might help somewhat, but I can't guarantee anything."
When they left Nadine's house later that night, both Mulder and Scully were feeling slightly more at ease. Nadine had assured them that they had two healthy daughters. Scully had decided to do the genotyping herself through the labs at Quantico, for she did not trust anyone else to do it.
Scully herself was not healing as well as Nadine would have liked, and the other woman had clicked her tongue at the two agents and explained over and over again that they needed to go to a hospital. Still, Scully refused, and Nadine eventually relented and gave her something for the pain and instructions on how to speed up the healing process somewhat, including an order for Scully to remain in bed as much as possible over the next couple weeks.
As they buckled the infant seats into the car, Scully spent a moment staring at them. "It seems too good to be true," she finally said.
"I know. But maybe we've finally gotten a break."
"Maybe."
"You don't sound convinced."
"You know me. I take some convincing."
As they pulled away, neither one noticed the dark sedan parked in front of Nadine's house, partially hidden from view by the branches of a large willow tree. Inside the car, a woman pulled out a cell phone and dialed a number she had memorized long before. A gravelly voice answered after the first ring. "Yes?"
"They're all still alive. They just stopped at a house to have the babies checked out by a doctor. I believe she's an old friend of Agent Scully's."
"And what did they discover?"
"That the babies are perfectly healthy."
"Good. Keep a close eye on them." The man blew out a cloud of cigarette smoke. It curled around his face before dissipating.
"Of course." Diana hung up the phone and looked in the direction in which the car had just gone. She felt an involuntary stab of jealousy, but she quashed it quickly. She had work to do now. If everything went according to plan, she would have Fox Mulder soon enough. She could wait until that time.
When they stopped at another run down motel one night ten days after the twins' birth, both Mulder and Scully had nearly reached their breaking point. Samantha had been exceptionally fussy in the car that day, and Melissa had decided to follow her sister's example. Scully had spent the entire day juggling the two screaming babies, unable to quiet them. Mulder had tried his best to ignore the cacophony of noise in the car and focus on the road, but his concentration was far lower than normal. When he finally nearly caused a wreck, he decided to stop for the night. Pulling into a parking space outside the motel, they went through their usual routine like automatons: Mulder checked in, and they grabbed the babies and the bags and headed for their room.
Melissa and Samantha's nearly incessant crying in the car that day seemed to have worn both babies out; they were asleep soon after Mulder carried them into the room. After setting up the cribs, Mulder gently placed his daughters in them and then simply shed his jeans and lay in the bed wearing his t-shirt and boxers. Scully looked critically at the jeans which he had tossed onto a chair beside the window. "You can't just throw your clothes around the place, Mulder," she told him.
"Scully, not now, please. I'm too tired for you to lecture me."
"You're tired? Newsflash, Mulder, we're both tired."
"Then go get changed and come to bed."
"Pick up your jeans."
Mulder cracked open his eyes and looked at her. She lay on the bed, glaring at him. He knew her expression well; she would not rest until he did what she wanted. "Fine," he sighed, pushing himself off the bed with a groan. He grabbed the jeans, balled them tightly, and shoved them in his duffel bag with more force than necessary. "Happy?" he asked, turning back to her. She simply pursed her lips and disappeared into the bathroom. Mulder curled his fists and raised his head, opening his mouth to give a silent scream. The tension that surrounded them had affected their relationship; they barely spoke to one another now, and when they did, their comments were usually terse and unemotional. Physical contact had also become virtually non-existent. They had not kissed in five days, not even a short peck on the cheek. Even Mulder's gentle hand on her back when they walked together had disappeared. Though they slept in the same bed each night, they might as well have been in separate rooms; they both slept as close to the edge as possible, not daring to touch one another. Mulder had no idea when the rift between them had started to form, but it had widened to the point where he wondered if he would ever be able to cross it.
Scully exited the bathroom wearing her pajamas. Her hair was damp, so Mulder suspected she had taken a bath. He knew he himself needed one, but he was too tired to move from his position on the bed. Scully sat down on the opposite side, squeezing the excess moisture out of her hair with a thin white towel. Mulder glanced briefly at her before looking away. When he spoke, he addressed the wall in front of him. "It's been a ten days now. We should be able to get back to DC soon."
"Then what?" Scully asked. She, too, refused to face Mulder. Her eyes were focused on the still open door to the bathroom.
"We'll find somewhere where you and the girls can lie low for awhile, and I'll go back to work and see if the threat still exists."
"So I'm just supposed to sit tight with the babies while you go gallivanting off doing God knows what?"
"I'm just trying to protect you."
"See, that's the problem, Mulder. You're always trying to protect me. Sometimes, I just wish you'd treat me like an adult and a trained federal agent."
"Fine. But you still need to stay with the girls. They need protection."
"And what do you plan on doing?"
"I'm going to resume work on the X-files like I said."
"With Diana." She sneered at the name.
"She is my partner." It was a low blow, and Mulder knew it. But he was angry with Scully, and he felt an irrational desire to make her just as angry with him.
Scully closed her eyes tightly and took a deep breath, forcing her temper to calm. When she spoke, her voice was even, but it had a dangerous undertone that Mulder recognized easily. "Well then what are you doing here?" Mulder did not answer right away. He supposed he should take that opportunity to apologize, to assure Scully that he did not want to be anywhere else, but his frustration with her would not allow him to do this. Instead, they remained in ominous silence. Finally, Scully said, "You still love her, don't you." Her words were quiet, but they carried so much weight that Mulder heard them easily. They hung in the air for a moment, thickening the already palpable tension to the point where Scully found it difficult to breathe.
"No," Mulder finally said firmly. His shifted his gaze to Scully who still sat with her back to him, staring at her hands. The towel had fallen from her hands and lay at her feet, but she did not seem to notice this.
"But you trusted her," Scully remarked, just as quietly. "You hadn't seen her for years, but as soon as she walks back into your life, you're acting like nothing's ever happened. I mean, all she has to do is come tell you she might have a lead, and you leave me with Gibson to go chasing after some alien with her. And then even when she doesn't mention anything about this alien in her report, you still believe she's on your side, you still trust her." There. She had finally voiced what had been bugging her for nearly a year. She had tried to push her concerns aside, to pretend that they did not exist, but they had always lurked in the back of her brain, threatening to overcome her each time she heard Diana's name. As much as she hated to admit it, she was jealous. Her jealousy was not so much about Mulder and Diana's previous romantic relationship; she knew that Mulder would never cheat on her. But she was jealous of the trust Mulder put in Diana. She had spent years earning his trust. He had told her on more than one occasion that she was the only person he trusted. And now, Diana had waltzed into his life, and he immediately trusted her though she had done nothing to earn that precious trust. If anything, Diana had given Mulder plenty of reasons to distrust her.
Mulder knew that they should not be having this particular conversation right then. Both agents were dead tired and stressed, and Scully was still recovering physically from the whole ordeal, so they were not thinking clearly. There was no way they could think rationally and talk through the problems. But Scully had brought up the subject, so they could not avoid it any longer. "That was nearly a year ago, Scully," Mulder reminded her.
"Exactly. And a year later, she's still here, and you still trust her even though she's done nothing to earn that trust."
"I didn't ask for her to be assigned to me. That was all Skinner's doing."
"You didn't ask for her to leave either."
"I really don't understand where this is coming from. I thought you weren't jealous."
"You have a history with this woman, Mulder."
"So? I'm sure you have a history with plenty of guys, and I'm not interrogating you about your relationship with them."
"That's because they're not in my life anymore." Scully could feel her anger rising to the surface, and she knew she needed to distance herself from Mulder before she said or did something she would later regret. "I think you should leave," she told him shortly. At first, he simply stared at her, wanting to object but being unable to find the proper words. She continued to glare at him, and he knew he would get no farther by arguing. Standing, he walked over to the crib to check on the babies. Finding both fast asleep, he turned back to look at Scully one last time. Without another word, he opened the door to the room and slipped out into the night.
Mulder was gone for nearly an hour. Just as Scully was beginning to consider the logistics of going to look for him with two newborns so that she could apologize, the door opened again, and he walked into the room. She avoided his gaze as he crossed the room, looking determinedly at her stomach. Suddenly, she felt a manila folder drop on her stomach. Looking up, she saw Mulder standing over her, watching her carefully. "What is this, Mulder?" she asked. He did not answer verbally but gestured for her to read it. With a sigh, she opened the folder and noticed that it seemed to contain numerous pages of data on the whereabouts of Diana Fowley since she had left Mulder years before. Puzzled, Scully flipped through all the pages, nearly forty of them, before looking up at Mulder who still stood over her, his arms crossed. "Mulder?"
"I had the Gunmen pull up everything they could on her soon after she was shot. I must say, some of it is pretty suspicious. I've tried to question her about it a couple times, but she always brushes it off. But I've never completely trusted her, Scully. The only reason why I went after that alien with her is because I trusted that you could handle Gibson by yourself, but I didn't trust her to report the truth about whatever she found. And I guess my fears weren't entirely unfounded."
"You told me that she just didn't mention what had actually happened in the report to protect the X-files."
Mulder smiled slightly at this. It was the first time Scully had seen him smile in a few days. "It was fun to see you jealous," he remarked.
"I was not jealous. I thought you were acting irrationally, letting your previous relationship with her cloud your judgment, but I was not jealous."
"Yes, you were."
Scully decided to ignore this comment. "So you didn't think she was protecting the X-files?"
Mulder thought carefully. "I wanted to think that," he finally admitted. "I didn't want to think that I had made a mistake in my initial judgment of her so many years ago. But I think part of me always knew that she was not entirely truthful with me, that I couldn't completely trust her. Even when we were more. . . intimate." He sat down on the bed beside her feet, still not allowing his body to touch hers. Their eyes were locked together. "You're the only I've ever completely trusted, Scully," he finally told her. "You're the only one who's never betrayed me, never let me down."
"And I never will."
Finally, he reached out and took her hand between his, rubbing it gently between his palms. It was not a particularly intimate gesture, but it instantly sent tingles down Scully's spine. It was the first contact they had had in days, and Scully marveled at how wonderful it felt to have his warm skin touching hers once more. "You never asked Gibson which woman I was thinking of that day we first met him, did you?"
Scully shook her head. "I guess I was afraid of the answer."
"Well, it wasn't Diana."
"But you two seemed so. . . close."
"We were at one time. We actually talked about marriage, but I never got around to asking her. I guess my subconscious knew that she wasn't the woman I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. And when she left me, I didn't feel as devastated as I should have if I was truly that serious."
Scully nodded and leaned her head back against the headboard. She was completely drained. It had been a trying week for both of them, and the conversation they just had, though necessary, was emotionally taxing. Mulder sensed her exhaustion, and he brought her hand up to his lips to place a soft kiss on the back. "Go to sleep," he instructed. "We'll have to be up in a couple hours anyway."
When they left the next morning, both were still physically exhausted, but the previous night's conversation had buoyed their spirits somewhat. For once, Mulder was smiling as he started the car and pulled out onto the relatively empty road. It was still early, but the girls had awakened them not long before, and they decided to go ahead and leave. Both were eager to return to DC.
The drive seemed shorter that day. Mulder had thought it would be interminable; after all, time always seemed to slow down when he was looking forward to something. But the tension had abated, and he and Scully were finally talking again, so the drive was immensely more enjoyable. On top of that, Samantha finally seemed to have settled down, and she even lay in her car seat without complaint for a few hours of the trip. Mulder finally stopped at a motel just outside DC, reluctant to return to either of their apartments for fear of being found.
Before settling in for the night, Mulder walked outside to the payphone and called the Lone Gunmen. Langley answered after only the first ring. "Hello?"
"Hey, Langley, it's me. I need a favor."
"It seems like that's the only reason you call now."
"Langley, this is important."
"Isn't it always. So, what do you need this time?"
"I need you guys to come over tomorrow morning to protect Scully and the babies while I go to work." Mulder had thought long and hard about whom he was going to ask to stay with Scully while he was gone, and he had finally settled on the Gunmen, realizing they were the only three people he could trust. He knew Scully would object to the arrangement, claiming she could take care of herself, but he was not taking any chances.
"So I guess Scully and the brood are doing okay then?"
"They're all healthy. We just need to make sure that no one is trying to kill us anymore."
"Give me a time and place, and we'll be there."
As expected, Scully protested having the Lone Gunmen protect her, but she eventually relented after Mulder pointed out that they had the lives of their daughters to consider now, too. When the knock came on the door the next morning, Mulder hurriedly answered it, pressing a finger to his lips. Scully had only recently fallen asleep after a rather grueling night, and he wanted her to rest as long as possible.
Frohike stepped in first. He quickly glanced at Mulder, noticing the drooping eyelids and the worry creasing his face. Mulder wore a wrinkled t-shirt and jeans, for he was planning on returning to his apartment to change before going to work. "You look like shit, man," Frohike remarked.
"Thanks," Mulder said dryly as they moved out of the doorway to allow the other two members of the trio to enter. Byers and Langley also glanced disapprovingly at Mulder's figure, but he spoke before they could express their concerns. "I should be back around 4:00. If anything happens, call me immediately. Scully has her weapon, of course, and there's a spare one in my duffel right there." He pointed.
"Shouldn't you introduce us to the newest additions to the Mulder family?" Frohike asked as Mulder began gathering his wallet and keys.
"Oh, right. That's Melissa and Samantha." Mulder gestured to the appropriate crib as he introduced the babies.
"I figured you'd name them that," Langley remarked.
"How do you tell them apart?" Frohike questioned, peering at the sleeping infants.
"You learn to. Now, I've got to go." Mulder placed his gun in the holster before bending down over Scully and kissing her lightly on the forehead, careful not to wake her. With a wave to the Lone Gunmen, he was gone.
Mulder stopped first at Skinner's office. He had called the Assistant Director the previous night to inform him that he was returning, and Skinner had insisted that Mulder stop by his office first thing. When he walked into the reception area, Skinner's secretary, Kimberly, smiled at him. "Welcome back, Agent Mulder," she greeted. Mulder returned the smile as well as he could. He was still worried about leaving Scully and the babies, even if they were with the Lone Gunmen. After everything they had faced over the past few days, it did not feel as if they could ever truly be safe. "Are you okay, Agent Mulder? You look a bit pale."
"I'm fine. I just haven't been sleeping well," Mulder said honestly. He did not add that the reason for his increased insomnia was two screaming infants.
"If you're still sick, maybe you shouldn't be back at work."
Mulder was saved from responding by the opening of the office door. "Agent Mulder, come in," Skinner said. Mulder gave Kimberly another weak smile before following the Assistant Director into his office. Once both were seated on opposite sides of the desk, Skinner began to talk. "There's been a lot of speculation about where you've been these past few weeks. Especially once people discovered that Agent Scully has also taken a leave of absence."
"There's always speculation about us, sir."
"I assume you're safe now."
"That's what I'm here to make sure."
"Well, the position on the X-files is still open."
"Can't imagine why," Mulder remarked sarcastically.
"Agent Fowley has been working by herself these past four weeks, but I've noticed the number of case reports on my desk has been dwindling. I hope you will rectify that, Agent Mulder."
"Of course, sir."
"Good. I assume you still know where your office is."
"How could I forget?"
"Then you're dismissed." Mulder stood to leave, but another question from Skinner stopped him before he reached the door. "How are Agent Scully and the girls?"
"They're doing fine, sir."
"Good." Skinner opened his mouth before hesitating.
"Is there anything else, sir?" Mulder questioned.
"These babies. Are you. . ." Skinner could not bring himself to finish his question. He did not want to meddle in the personal lives of his agents. Still, he was curious.
"Am I the father?" Mulder said, guessing the question.
"Never mind. It doesn't matter," Skinner said quickly.
"I think you know the answer to that question, sir. Why the interest?"
"No reason." Skinner busied himself stacking the papers on his desk.
"You want to know if you won the pool, don't you?" Mulder questioned, grinning.
"What pool?" Skinner had always been a decent liar, but Mulder could see through his falsehood easily.
"The pool on when Agent Scully and I would finally get together."
"Don't be ridiculous, Agent Mulder."
Mulder gave another small smile before turning back to the door. As his hand closed on the doorknob, he called over his shoulder, "By the way, sir, I hope you bet on five years." With that, he left, leaving Skinner to subtract nine months from the current date. The math worked out quite nicely.
Mulder took the familiar path to the elevator, ignoring the curious glances other agents shot his way. He had suffered through countless years as "Spooky" Mulder, enduring jibes and wisecracks from his peers. In truth, these jokes did not affect him; he was beyond caring what other people thought of him. He had more pressing problems—the possibility of an alien takeover in the near future and the powerful people who wanted to kidnap his newborn daughters were two of them.
When the elevator doors opened to reveal the familiar basement hallway, he stepped out and walked toward the door of his office. Nothing seemed to have changed in the four weeks he was gone, but he had not really expected any changes. In the six years that Mulder had worked on the X-files, the biggest change to the basement office had occurred after the fire a year before.
He hesitated at the doorway, wanting a few more moments of peace before the inevitable tirade that would occur as soon as he saw Diana. But he knew that sooner or later, he would have to face the music. Still apprehensive, he reached for the knob, opening the door to find Diana sitting behind his desk reading over a large case file. "Anything interesting?" he asked. She looked up, startled.
"Fox, when did you get here?"
"A few minutes ago. I had to talk to Skinner before coming down here."
"Where have you been?"
"I'd rather not say." He shed his jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door.
"You can trust me, Fox."
"Can I?" They stared at each other for a few seconds, each searching for answers in the other's eyes. Finally, Diana broke the silence.
"Of course you can. Don't be ridiculous."
"Well, it doesn't really matter where I went. The important thing is that I'm back now, and I'm ready to work."
"I heard Agent Scully took time off, too."
Mulder tried to conceal his involuntarily flinch by moving across the room and dropping into the chair across the desk from her. "She took some personal time a couple months ago. I don't see what that has to do with anything."
"Were you two together?"
"Diana, I would rather my personal business remain my personal business."
"What were you two doing together?" Diana was relentless.
"Nothing, Diana. Do we have a case?"
"Reports of crop circles in northern Oklahoma," Diana said, pushing the folder across the desk. Her eyes still had not left his face, and Mulder could clearly see the accusation in them. He knew their current conversation was far from over, and he dreaded the next time the subject would come up.
"Do they seem accurate?" Mulder would take any reprieve from her questioning that he could get, even if it was only a temporary one.
"Maybe. It's hard to tell. You know more about this than I do."
"Mm-hmm." Mulder's eyes were scanning the words on the page, but his brain was still on Scully and the babies. He wondered how angry she would be if he called and checked on them. Probably not a good idea, he thought. Still, he could not help but worry.
When Mulder returned to the motel room just before 4:00 that afternoon, he found all three Lone Gunmen standing outside the motel room. Frohike and Langley were arguing rather loudly, and Byers was standing to one side, watching them. Mulder's steps quickened as his mind began to propose various scenarios, each of them worse than the one preceding it. "What happened?" he questioned.
"What?" Langley looked at Mulder, puzzled.
"What happened? Why are you standing out here?"
"Nothing happened. Scully's just feeding one of the babies, and we thought it would be best if we weren't in the room," Byers explained. "Or at least, some of us did." His gaze shifted to Frohike who shrugged.
"I still hold that it's a perfectly natural process, and as such, it should not matter if we are in the room-"
"Frohike, if you even think of watching Scully while she breastfeeds, I'll kick your ass," Mulder warned. Frohike closed his mouth, and Mulder nodded. "Thanks for doing this, guys," Mulder told the three.
"Always happy to help, Mulder," Byers told him.
"Especially if we get to see the lovely Scully's-"
"Frohike," Mulder growled.
"I'm only kidding, man. Calm down."
"We'll see you later, Mulder," Langley said, turning away from the motel room. The other two followed him, and Mulder walked into the motel room. He found Scully sitting on the bed feeding Samantha. Melissa slept soundly in her crib. Mulder checked on her before walking over to Scully and leaning down to plant a short kiss on her lips. "How are you two doing?" he questioned as he pulled away, brushing Scully's hair away from her forehead.
"We're doing just fine," Scully assured him, smiling down at the baby in her arms.
"Did the boys behave?"
"Better than I expected actually. Melissa seems to really like Langley."
Mulder raised an eyebrow. "Should I be worried?"
Scully smiled as she raised her eyes to look at him. "I'm still trying to decide that."
"Well, you'll be happy to know I didn't receive any death threats today. Nor did I have anymore unexpected visitors. It was actually a pretty boring day; we spent most of the time doing paperwork."
"So it's safe to come out of hiding now?"
"I figured we could spend the night here, and I'd drop you off at your apartment tomorrow morning on my way to work. We should be able to move into the house this weekend if you want."
"That would be wonderful."
