Hi everyone! Hope you're all having a great weekend! Here's the next part, thank you so much to you guys who reviewed, I was really touched and happy :) And thanks to everyone who'se still reading! Hope this part is OK :)

He carried the brand new blue car seat that he had bought on the way to the hospital as if it were made of glass. Scully watched with amusement as he set it gingerly on her table, easing his son out effortlessly and kissing his forehead gently. Looking up, he caught her amused eyes and blushed slightly, smiling back.

"I thought I'd go put him to bed for you, you know, while you put your feet up," he offered, seeing her face soften.

"Sure, Mulder, I'll put the kettle on," she replied, watching as he cradled the little boy to his chest, walking through to the nursery she had painted only a few weeks ago in a bright lemon colour.

She sighed happily, running her hand easily around the back of her neck as she stretched. It sure felt good to be home again, especially with the added bonus of how everything had turned out recently. Somehow, she still felt like this was too good to be true, and that her world was going to crash around her again at some point. But for now, she was too happy to be back with Mulder, and to have him in Joe's life.

"I think that probably boiled hours ago," came an amused voice from behind her, and it was Scully's turn to blush that Mulder had caught her daydreaming.

"Coffee?" she asked, grabbing two cups from the cupboard. Mulder gulped, thanking God that she had asked him to stay a little longer, and determined to do nothing to mess up this bit of space he had been granted with Scully again.

He only just managed to break his train of thought in time to catch the box that she threw in his direction a moment later, laughing at his shocked expression.

"What's this?" he asked, looking down as his heart started to beat slightly faster. He was looking down at the film he used to make Scully watch all the time at his apartment, way back when he had yet to work up the courage to tell her how much he loved her.

"I think it's supposed to go in the DVD player," she replied sarcastically, her attempt to lighten the mood falling flat as he looked at her in loving wonder.

"I didn't know you had a copy," he told her, walking with her to the couch and realising that this meant she intended for him to stay at least for a while.

She blushed. "I guess I wanted something that would remind me of you."

He could think of nothing to say, so amazed by her honesty. Reaching out across the couch, he grabbed her hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze as she looked up into his eyes, seeing the love radiating out towards her. Then he looked away, breaking the spell, and set the disc in the DVD player, settling back on the couch to watch it, feeling the old comfortable silence fill the room that they used to enjoy together so long ago.

The time seemed to pass so quickly as they sat there together. Mulder almost felt like none of the horrible things had happened, and that they were just the way they had always been. They giggled together just as always at the funny bits, or at Mulder's witty comments throughout, and Scully even responded to his innuendo just as she had always done.

Scully had thought she had been in control of the situation, but her heart seemed to have other ideas. She had started at one end of the couch from him, the popcorn bowl firmly in between them. And somehow she seemed to have ended up sitting next to him, probably from the couple of times she had moved to check on Joe. And now, despite her best efforts to be sensible, she found herself as the credits started to roll, snugged into his side, with his arm around her shoulder protectively, his hand tracing unknown patterns on the top of her arm. She was surprised at how right it felt, and how relaxed she felt after such a long time of pain.

She looked up at him a moment later, and saw him smiling down at her so tenderly. It felt like everything in the world had finally turned out alright again. Bending down, he kissed her forehead gently, feeling her melt against him with a happy sigh.

"I think I should probably head off, Scully, and let you get your rest," he told her gently. She nodded, fighting the feeling that she really wanted him to stay.

"Thanks for tonight, Mulder, it was lovely," she replied, her eyes half closed already, but with such a peaceful expression.

He nodded. "It was, Scully, but I should be the one thanking you," he replied, the unspoken meaning hitting her instantly. "Scully, I...I was wondering if I could come back tomorrow? I'd really like to see you both again."

She nodded, yawning hugely. He grinned, brushing a stray piece of hair from her face tenderly.

"Sure, Mulder, I'd like that," she assured him, sighing as sleep almost overtook her completely. She was just exhausted from all the mixed feelings that had been rushing through her recently.

Smiling lovingly down at her, Mulder realised how truly exhausted she really was. Reaching down, he easily lifted her up into his arms, the movement waking her slightly. She smiled sleepily up at him, wrapping her arms around his neck it make it easier for him to carry her.

He walked through to her bedroom and laid her ever so gently down on her bed, holding the covers up so that she could easily scoot under. She smiled happily as he tucked the covers around her neck to keep her warm, kissing her forehead gently and rubbing her cheek before he finally managed to tear his eyes away and leave. He checked that the baby monitor was safely on for her, and had almost made it to the door when he heard her shift uncomfortably.

"Mulder?" she asked softly, seeing him turn to face her. He gasped, as the moonlight lay across her bed, catching her face perfectly so that she looked like the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"What's wrong, Scully?"

She shifted uncomfortably, reaching for his hand as he made his way back over. "Don't go."

He sighed, wishing that those words were not the very words that he had been praying that he would hear again one day. Dropping his head, he watched their entwined hands, patting hers with his free hand before raising it to her cheek, rubbing it gently with a sad smile.

"I don't think it's a good idea for me to stay, Scully. Why don't you think about it when you're feeling better, and we'll talk about it then."

She smiled sleepily at him, grateful secretly that he hadn't pushed her boundaries. With that, she finally fell into a light sleep, feeling him kiss her cheek softly before closing the door gently behind him.

He wandered in to see Joe, his smile deepening when he sees his son lying in a deep sleep himself. He was so happy to just watch him, amazed at the tiny little person before him that they had created.

"Hey, Joe," he whispered, making sure not to disturb the tiny boy. "I'm gonna be here for you, you know. No matter what. I love you so much, I'm so glad your mom told me all about you. And I'm gonna get her back, Joe, I don't care what that takes. She's the only person I could ever love. Well except you. And besides, you need a definite baseball influence while you're growing up."

He sighed, knowing that he needed to leave, but not quite able to tear his eyes away. Finally, he leant down to kiss him gently, before walking quietly from the room, grabbing his coat and closing the front door behind him as he left. He didn't realise that Scully had heard every word over the baby monitor. She lay for a moment, tears running down her face as she was amazed by how much that man loved her, pleased that it was still just as much as she loved him. Curling up, she fell asleep with a smile on her face, looking forward to better times.

It had been ten days since Scully and Joe came back to their apartment. And Mulder, true to his word, had visited them every day, pleased that Scully had let him. Their evenings together had also carried on, trying to get back to somewhere near where they were before. Scully had not been so happy in a long time. Still, there was a niggle in the back of her mind as she knew where Mulder was going back each night. And no matter how much she tried to put it away, it ate away at her, reminding her that life was not like she wanted it to be.

Walking through the park the following day, Scully was deep in thought, the pushchair making a gentle creaking in front of her. She almost walked into someone, seeing him jump out of the way as she snapped her attention back to her surroundings, dashing forwards.

"I'm so sorry..." she started, before seeing Skinner raising his eyebrows at her. "Oh my God, I'm sorry, sir! I wasn't looking where I was going."

"I can see that!" he quipped back, smiling gently at her. "Something on your mind, Scully?"

She hesitated for a moment, before shaking her head and trying a reassuring smile, seeing Skinner looking at her doubtfully.

"Come on, Scully, I'll buy you a coffee."

They sat together in silence for a moment, Scully getting her thoughts together as Skinner smiled happily down at the little boy in the pram, his face a picture of happiness as he gurgled around at everything. Eventually, Scully sighed, making Skinner return his attention to the small agent who looked so troubled.

"What's wrong?"

She sighed. "Nothing, sir. Well, nothing important. I just..." She paused, seeing Skinner watching her expectantly. "I couldn't be happier, sir, with Mulder and with Joe, but I just, I know where he's going back to each night, and it's just...it's just not the way I would have planned it."

Skinner nodded, putting his cup down. "Scully, talk to Mulder. Tell him what's on your mind."

Looking suspicious, Scully turned to face her boss fully. "You know something."

"Just...talk to Mulder."

Skinner smiled gently at Scully, before walking out and leaving her alone. She sipped her coffee, deep in thought. Once he was out of sight, Skinner took his phone out, ringing his rogue agent.

"Get your ass down to the coffee house in the park, Mulder. You need to talk to Scully."

He smiled, knowing that would be enough to have Mulder running to the park. So Scully was surprised when moments later, Mulder burst through the door looking for her. He made his way straight over, slightly out of breath.

"What's wrong, Scully? Skinner called and told me to get down here."

"He what?" she asked, standing up in surprise, before she realised that Mulder was still watching her with concern. She shook her head, grasping his upper arm gently. "Nothing's wrong, Mulder, I'm fine. We're fine."

"But he said we needed to talk," he replied, looking at her still slightly panicked. She smiled, grasping his hand.

"Well, yes, we do. But it's nothing you need to worry about."

He searched her face for a moment, before deciding that she was truly alright. Grabbing his wallet, he made his way to the counter, Scully watching him in amazement.

"Mulder..." she started, seeing him turn and cut her off with just a look.

"I'll be right back, Scully. Meet me outside."

He reappeared moments later, a smile cutting through his face as he saw Scully standing over the pushchair, grinning down at her son as she played with him, his giggles reaching Mulder from across the path. She saw him as he started forwards, her own face grinning as she saw that he had a picnic in his arms, along with a blanket to sit on.

They had a great time, all thoughts of talking far out of their minds as they sat eating, both of them taking it in turns to play with Joe. Eventually, Joe fell asleep in his pram, Scully taking the opportunity to burrow closer to Mulder, Mulder being more than happy to wrap his arm around his woman. She sighed peacefully.

"You know, I can't remember being more happy than this," she told him, craning her head up to see his face. He grinned, running his fingers on her cheek softly.

"Me either, Scully."

"Mulder, I..." she started, breaking off with a shake of her head. He moved so that he could see her face, tipping it up with two fingers beneath her chin so that he could see her face.

"What is it, Scully? You can tell me anything, you know that."

She sighed. "I just, well I love having you back in our lives, Mulder, and being with you but...I can't shake off that I know where you're going back to each night and it's killing me."

He nodded, moving his arm from around her and rubbing the back of his neck anxiously. She watched him, eventually reaching up to grab his hand and hold it supportively in hers.

"I didn't want to tell you, Scully, because I didn't want you to think that I was a bad person."

"What do you mean?" she asked, seeing a look of self-loathing cross over his face for a moment as he looked at the grass between his feet.

"I left Diana in my apartment months ago now, when I finally realised that I couldn't be without you and started looking for you."

Scully gasped, caressing his cheek gently as she fought to find sensible words. "Where have you been living?"

"About an hours drive away. I couldn't afford to keep two apartments in the city."

She sat speechless for a moment, unable to believe that he had done all of this for her. Tears started in her eyes as she put her arms around his neck, pulling away to give him a quick kiss on the lips.

"Thank you," she murmured, knowing how much this affected him.

He laughed. "The thing is, Scully, I've never been happier once I left, and especially when I found you again. That's the problem."

She smiled softly, catching his eyes so that he was looking directly at her before speaking.

"Mulder, you're too hard on yourself! You're supporting Diana financially, and I assume that you'll see your child once it's born. You even tried living with her for a while. You've more than done your duty by her, and you deserve to be happy yourself as well."

"What, even after everything I've done and everything I've messed up?"

She smiled at him. "You've done a lot of good things as well, Mulder. Don't forget about those."

He nodded, amazed that she still believed in him so completely, despite everything. He seemed a little happier as he took a crying Joe into his arms, dancing around with him happily. Yet she still saw the haunted look in his eyes as he played with his son, despite the happiness and love for both of them. She sighed. Things were so much better than she ever thought they could be, but they still had a long way to go yet.

They sat on the couch together that night watching a film, laughing together like old times. Mulder looked down, happiness welling in his chest as his eyes confirmed that Scully was indeed curled up in his arms, her hand linked with his on their lap. He let out a contented sigh, the world seeming right when they sat like this.

After a moment, she rubbed his arm gently, grabbing his attention away from the happy thoughts. Looking down again at her upturned face, he saw that she was watching him with concern.

"I hope you're not giving yourself a hard time over everything, Mulder. I just...I wanted you to know how proud of you I am for doing the right thing."

He was astonished that she had followed his train of thought so easily. His mouth opened as he watched her, wondering again what he had done to deserve this woman.

"Scully..."

"No, Mulder, listen. I know you, I know what you must be thinking. But you haven't let the child down, and you haven't done anything you should be ashamed of to Diana."

He sighed, hugging her to him and kissing her head gently. "I don't deserve you, Scully, I really don't," he told her gently, seeing her shake her head to refute him. "Thank you, Scully, for everything. For giving me another chance, and telling me about Joe, and just for everything. I know I didn't deserve another chance, but I promise, I will do everything in my power to make sure that nothing can take this away again."

"Oh, Mulder," she groaned, turning so that she could wrap her arms around his neck, kissing his forehead gently. "Of course you deserved a second chance, everyone does and you've done so many good things. And besides, there's the problem that I missed you so much."

He smiled, feeling choked from all the love that he felt for this woman right now. "I missed you too," he whispered, seeing he smile happily at him.

Realising that it was getting late, Mulder kissed Scully's forehead, and stood to leave. It was the same routine that happened every night, that made sure they were both comfortable with the way everything was progressing. Only this time, Scully stood too and caught his hand, making him turn to look at her in surprise.

"Stay," she told him softly, stepping closer to him. "You don't have to drive all that way home."

He searched her face, uncertain whether he should step over this next barrier to their relationship. He sighed, rubbing his face wearily.

"Scully, I don't want to push things," he told her gently, his hand resting on her shoulder as he smiled and turned again to leave.

"I want you to stay, Mulder. I don't want to have to worry about you having an accident because you were driving too far when you were tired."

He sighed. "I didn't tell you about the flat so that this would happen."

"You didn't tell me about the flat at all, Mulder, I prised it out of you!" she replied with a laugh, hitting him gently on the shoulder. "Look, it's alright, I wouldn't ask you to stay if I didn't want you here. And you can't possibly feel like that huge long drive now."

Mulder smiled, seeing the love on her face that he had longed to see for such a long time. Pulling her in for a hug, he kissed her head gently before wandering off. She watched in surprise, until he reappeared again with some pillows and a blanket, putting them down on the sofa.

"Well in that case, I'll take the couch."

Scully's mouth fell open in surprise as she watched him make up a bed on her couch. It shouldn't surprise her, after so long together, that he could know her so well, but little things still caught her by surprise. Like now, when he somehow knew that she wasn't ready for that next step yet, so he would rather put himself out to sleep on her couch than make her uncomfortable. Catching her look as he finished his bed, Mulder looked at her quizzically, wondering what she was thinking.

Suddenly needing to show him what she was feeling, Scully closed the distance between them easily, Mulder looking confused. Her hands wrapped around his neck, pulling him down as her lips gently met his. He gasped against her, missing this feeling so much. Hesitantly, he wrapped his arms around her waist, not wanting to push her but enjoying feeling her kiss him again too much. She quickly deepened the kiss, her feelings of love for this man finally breaking through her walls of protection.

Eventually, she pulled away, backing from his arms slightly. They were breathing heavily, neither really sure what this changed, or where to go from there. Risking a glance up, Scully saw that Mulder was stood with his eyes shut, as if that could keep the moment in his memory for all time. When he opened them again, he saw that Scully was watching him, a smile on her face and her eyes full of love.

Tucking some hair behind her ear nervously, she moved to turn away. "Good night, Mulder," she told him softly, meeting his eyes for a moment to give him the most tender smile he had ever seen.

"Night, Scully," he told her, watching until she had quietly closed her bedroom door.

He laid down on the couch with a happy sigh, a smile permanently etched on his face as he looked up at the ceiling. Things had turned out alright after all. Rolling over and pulling the blanket further up, he slept the best night's sleep he had had in a long time.

Well there we go! I'll try and update again later this week if you guys want? Please let me know what you think and how I can make it better! Thanks for reading :)