Italics: Thought-speak

After a while, Scully returned to the office stating that Kersh was going to go talk to the general about considering Mulder's character and innocence.

"Do you think they'll let him go after all this? They want to see him dead," Doggett said.

"I'm well aware of that. I have to do whatever possible to save him from this," Scully replied as she looked over to her sleeping children, "He'd do the same for me and for everyone in this room."

Doggett looked down, ashamed of his previous statement. They all knew that they were in for an uphill battle and an even more fierce war with the military, the government, and whatever shadow figures that were behind the preceding.

"We need to let him know what's going on, but they don't have much of a case without a body to prove anything ever took place," Reyes said.

Scully nodded.

"I'll make some calls," Doggett said, "I'll see what they've got and see if we can use it to our advantage."

"Thank you," Scully said, "Skinner and I are going to head back up to Mount Weather to talk to him. Maybe he is himself now. Monica?"

"I'll take care of them."

Scully nodded. She walked over and kissed her children and walked out with Skinner with Mount Weather.

The guard opened the door and this time stepped outside as Scully and Skinner entered the holding cell. It was a different holding cell this time with very little light. Mulder was facing the little bit of light shining through the small window, his back to them.

"Mulder," Scully called softly. He turned around and faced them. He moved away from the light and closer to them. He had a strange look on his face. "Mulder!"

He sniffed the air and fixed his stare on Scully.

"I smelled you coming, Clarice"

Scully and Skinner are uncertain about this act. They both look at him and he chuckled smiled. Scully took a deep breath and released it.

"Oh my…Damn it, Mulder. It's not funny seeing you put on that act."

"No, that is funny," he said as he looked at her and walked toward her, "What's not funny is what they do to you in here if you don't put on that act."

Mulder drew Scully to him with his hands cupped at the back of her head. He kissed her deeply and passionately. Her heart beat faster as this was the man she'd been longing for, the one she loved so long. She cupped the back of his head with her hands. Without breaking the kiss, Mulder moved his arms down and wrapped them around her small frame, pulling her closer to him. Skinner is close by, looking away, trying to allow them a little privacy for the reunion that should've happened the first time.

They break their embrace and smile a little at each other. Mulder turned to Skinner humorously.

"Come here, you big, bald, beautiful man."

"The only thing you're going to be kissing, Mulder, is your sweet ass good-bye, with the trouble you're in."

"Uh-huh, I kind of gathered that right around the 50th brainwashing session."

Mulder moved a little closer to Scully and lifted her hand to his lips. Scully watched him tenderly.

"Mulder, why are they doing this to you?"

"They think they're preparing me for my trial. For my testimony."

"Your testimony won't matter. Not with the case they're building," Skinner said.

"Not building. Rigging."

"Yeah, I don't think you understand the seriousness of the charges. This isn't some routine wrist-slapping. You're on trial for your life," Skinner said.

"My trial's a foregone conclusion. What they really want is for me to admit my guilt to help them out. What's really on trial here is the truth."

"Mulder, they're saying you killed a man," Scully said.

"Have they produced a body?"Mulder asked. Neither Scully nor Skinner could answer that. She looked at Skinner. "You can't produce a body because you can't kill a man who won't die."

"Well, body or not, they've got 30 witnesses from that government facility ready to testify against you," Skinner informed him.

"Mulder, we'll get you the best lawyer," Scully said.

Mulder smiled and laughed after that notion was said.

"Would you defend a man who believes in aliens against the FBI and the military? It's never gonna happen. Skinner can defend me," Mulder said.

Skinner and Scully were completely shocked at Mulder's willingness to place his life in Skinner's hands.

"I can't represent you," Skinner said.

"You know the facts, the details, the whole government conspiracy," Mulder said and looked at him, "More than that, I trust you."

Skinner was shocked and a little touched at Mulder's complete and overwhelming faith in him. Scully looked at Mulder.

"Mulder…"

"They can't try me without exposing themselves. I know what I'm doing."

They stand silently now, mulling over everything. The cell door than opened and Doggett, Reyes, and the kids walked in.

"Whooo, now, it's a party," Mulder said.

"Daddy!" Layla exclaimed as this was the man who was her father. She knew that the person before wasn't the father she knew and loved. She jumped into his arms.

"Hey, baby girl, I've missed you so much."

"I've missed you, Daddy, so much."

Mulder hugged her again and then set her down to take his son from Reyes.

"Well, hello son. You're so big now!"

"It's about time you got home," William thought to his father.

Mulder looked around.

"Will?" Layla said.

"It's time now," William replied.

"Did you guys hear that?" Mulder asked.

The others shook their heads, but Layla nodded. Mulder looked to his daughter.

"You heard that?"

"Yes, it was Will. He talks that way."

Mulder looked at his son.

"You can read my mind?"

William nodded.

Everyone except Reyes, Scully, and Layla was shocked. Mulder looked at them.

"You guys know this?"

The ladies nodded. He looked back at his son.

"How?"

"It's a long story," Scully said.

"Dad, you're not gonna go away again, are you?"

"No, son, I'm not leaving you guys again. Not if I can help it."

William looked at his sister.

"Think it's time I talked to the one person who has wanted to hear me?"

Layla nodded.

"Mama, we have to help him through this. We can't let the bad guys win."

Scully gasped at the sound of her son's voice in her head. Her eyes watered with the tears she'd been holding in. She took him from his father and held him close.

"I promise you, we'll do everything we can to get him out of here."

Layla smiled. She was glad that William was finally ready to talk to others. It sure took him long enough.

"Hey, I wanted Dad to be the first aside from you."

"Well, I feel special."

"You are to me."

"Aww, you're sweet."

Scully looked over at Reyes and Doggett as did Mulder.

"Agent Mulder," Doggett said.

"What's the matter?" Scully asked as Doggett's body language said he was the bringer of bad news. Mulder took William back to hold him as long as he could.

"We've been working off what little we have but the military just got back to us," Reyes said.

"You ready for this? I know this is impossible, but they're saying they got Knowle Rohrer's body," Doggett said.

They all knew this couldn't be true.

"With the body, they can try to prove you killed him," Reyes said.

"They have to verify that it's Rohrer first," Skinner said.

"They'll make sure the documents will say it's him," Mulder said, "They'll do anything to be rid of me."

"We won't let that happen, Mulder. We'll testify, all of us," Scully said.

"No, not all of you. Layla and William can't and won't testify," Mulder said.

"Daddy, if it'll help we want to," Layla said.

"No, honey, it's too dangerous. I can't let you do that."

"Daddy, it can't be as bad as me getting a cab to the FBI by myself. Or facing down a roomful of people who wanted to take Will from you and Mama, as long as I have you, Mama, and Will with me I'll be as safe as I can be."

"Layla, you may want to help and I'm going to have a talk about the cab thing and I'm gonna want to hear everything that happened and how brave you are, but I'm not going to let you do that."

"I've made up my mind and I am gonna do it."

"She is you daughter, Mulder," Scully said.

"I know."

"No, biologically, she's yours."

"What? How? I mean, I know how, but…huh."

"We found out a while ago after running into Spender."

"Spender is alive?"

"In a manner of speaking."

"I guess I have a lot to catch up on."

"More than you know."

"What happened with this cab thing?"

"Your daughter decided that when I was supposed to meet you at the train station a few months back that she was going even though I told her it was too dangerous. She waited until my mother was asleep to sneak out her window and catch a cab to the Hoover building. Once she was there, she ran away from the security guard and then blackmailed Agent Doggett into bringing her to the train station where she saw a man shot to death amongst other things."

Mulder looked at his child. He realized that she was much more like him than he thought. She was his by blood. He loved her.

"You did all that?"

Layla nodded and put her head down.

"Why?"

"I wanted to see you so bad. I needed to see you."

"That was no reason to risk your life to see me! Don't do that ever again!"

Layla hung her head even more.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I missed you so much and I wanted nothing more than to see you again and then they let the train continue on and you jumped off and all that stuff that happened at the construction site."

"What happened?"

"That's a story for another time," Scully said.

"Time's up," the guard said.

Scully took William from Mulder and kissed him. Layla hugged him tightly. Skinner and the others shook his hand and they all left. Mulder turned back to the window and thought about how big his children were and how happy he was to be able to see them again. He thought about Scully and the kiss they shared after missing her for so long. He felt so happy and he knew that everything was going to be okay.

Scully brought the kids into the apartment and set William in his walker. She began to fix dinner for them.

"William, how come you waited so long for me to hear you?"

"I wasn't ready. Once I saw Dad, I was."

"You're going to speak eventually though, right?"

"Yes, I will. I know most babies are making sounds and everything, but I'm not like most babies."

"No, you're not."

She finished up dinner and got the kids ready to go to bed.

"Good night, baby girl, I love you."

"Good night, Mama."

"Good night, William."

"Good night, Mom."

The kids drifted off to sleep. Scully went to take a shower and then headed to bed. She planned on getting up early to go see Mulder after taking Layla to school and William to daycare. She knew she was going to battle Layla about going to school, but it would be easy to convince her, she hoped.

AN: So, I thought you guys would like an update that didn't take a month or more and here you go! Enjoy!