"Where is that boy?" thought Dana Scully as she riffled through her mail scanning the names. Will was always running off and hiding somewhere. Then she saw it. A letter from Walter Skinner. She slit the envelope open and read the words, she'd been waiting for this...

Dear Dana.

How are you? Things are fine here. Well, as fine as they can be for a 50 something man with a pet pug. I miss you, Dana. I know I write that in every letter, but it's true. Sure, you don't want to divorce Jimmy and marry me?

Seriously though, I really do miss you and I think I want come out for a few weeks and visit. I want to see Will and I want to see for myself that everything is all right. You haven't written me in a while Dana, I've been concerned.

It seems that even after nearly four years, things don't run the same as they did before you left. Nothing seems to fit right. We still have agents with the most off the wall ideas, but now there is no one to center them. Listen to me whine and complain, I'm starting to sound like an old man.

I've seen your mother recently and she gave me the new pictures of William. He is getting so big and looks so much like you. How is Jimmy and work? I know that medicine was always something you wanted to do. I'm sometimes just sorry that you had to move half way across the country to do it. I don't know why but recently, I've really missed you Dana, and I've missed William. Maybe it's because things didn't work out with Kate or I'm starting to realize that I'm more than half way finished with my life and I have nothing but a big pay check, a little rat of a dog, and a divorce to show for it. My blood pressure is high by the way, I'm not supposed to eat red meat anymore or drink, like I'll listen.

I have to go, things are really crazy here like always. Call me or write me and let me know what's going on. I was serious about wanting to visit. Give Will a kiss for me and I'll give Rat here one for you. Chin up and I'll see you soon.

Love Walter.

Scully sighed. She missed him. His stern glance everytime her and Mulder walked into a meeting late. His helpful mannerism when one of them was in a space where they thought that they Couldn't get out of. And most of all she missed the friendship that she had forged while they were looking for Mulder. She quickly diminished that thought as she saw her friend Kristen walking down the road.

"Hey Dana! How's things?"

Kristen Averleigh was a pediatric nurse St. Stephen's. She was considered to be one of the best in her profession. She had taken Scully under her wing at the hospital on her first few days and they'd become fast friends.

Kristen was an attractive woman, not overly beautiful, but still pretty. She was a brunette, with shoulder length hair and piercing blue eyes, petite and thin. There were so many things that she and Kristen talked about. Kristen's husband had been pressuring her to have children, and while she found William wonderful, she wanted to focus on her career a little longer before starting a family. It had been a source of contention between her and her husband Andrew of late.

"About as good as can be expected. I got a letter from Walter today. He wants to come out for a visit soon. How are you?"

"Oh, all right. Andrew isn't talking to me again, he found out about the birth control pills you prescribed for me."

"Did you talk to him? Try and make him understand? You worked hard to get where you are, you deserve to enjoy it a little bit first. Where has that boy gone to now?"

"I'm here, Mommy," the little boy announced coming out of the horse stable, his red hair glinting in the sun.

"William, what did I tell you about running to the stables and not telling me," Dana scolded.

"But I did tell..." he stopped when he saw his Aunt Kristin standing near, "Hi Aunt Kristin. Where's Uncle Andy?"

"He's out with Daddy, they'll be later for dinner. Why don't you go back into the stable and finish playing with the ponies while I talk to mommy?"

William hugged his mother and aunt and went to play with the little horse that he adored.

"Did you tell him yet Dana?" queried Kristin.

"No not yet. I'm waiting for the right time."

"Dana. Time isn't a luxury you have at the moment."

"I know, I know. But...." Scully trailed off seemingly searching for the right words. She sighed.

"How do you tell a three year old boy and a husband you adore that you are..." Scully suddenly stopped as she saw her son come bounding out of the stables.

"Mommy?" Called Will.

"What is it sweetie?" Scully answered him tenderly.

"Can I have a glass of water?" Asked her mischievous little boy.

"What do you say?" reminded Scully. He was always forgetting the 'magic word'.

"PLEASE!" cried Will. "I'm sooooo thirsty!"

"Of course you can." Laughed Scully.

She couldn't help herself but to compare him to Mulder. The
similarities were uncanny. He had light red hair with blond and brown streaks and hazel eyes. He had the same mischievous grin and annoying habit of talking himself out of every scrap he got himself into. But she loved him dearly. She'd loved his father as well.

With that the two women followed the little boy up the porch stairs, escaping the dense summer heat into the dark interior of the house.

Dana walked over to the refrigerator and stared into it. Will had wanted something to drink, but what...

Kristin had noticed her friends hesitation and filled a glass up with water. Will drank it gratefully then ran off to play with his pony again.

"You have to tell them Dana. If not William yet, you have to tell Jimmy and your Mom, and..."

"No, don't say it. I can't tell Walter, if I do he's going to come her and try to cure me and he can't, not anymore, not this time. He risked it all for me last time I had cancer and then I had a chance. I don't have a chance this time.

You are right about one thing, though. Jimmy he deserves to know."

"I deserve to know what?"

Jimmy was a tall, handsome man, about 6'2" with a slight gut. His hair, still in thick, was a dusty blonde, and his eyes, they were haunting, the same haunting blue that her dad's had been. She loved his eyes.

"Um, nothing, I just received a letter from Walter?"

Jimmy frowned, "What did he have to say?"

He didn't like Walter, he seemed to care too much for her. He wasn't about to have a fifty something man in love with his wife. She was precious to him and no one and no thing would take her from him.

Dana recognized the tone in his voice and proceeded carefully. She knew about her husband's feelings for her former boss and friend, and she didn't want to invite trouble.

"He just, you know, wondered how we all were. My Mom gave him so pictures of William."

"Daddy!" Will shouted running into the kitchen dragging a smiling Andrew by the hand.

"Hey, Tiger!" Jimmy picked Will up and swung him around the room. Will squealed in delight.

Andrew slowly stood up to his full height of about 5'11' and rubbed a hand across his sore back.

"Damn he's fast! He's quicker than me!"

"Yeah, and about a hundred pounds lighter too!" joked his wife, slapping his stomach as he sucked it in, a vain attempt to make himself look thinner.

"You never give up do you?" he moaned as Kristin and Dana shared a look woman to woman.

"No to mention 35 years younger," Dana joined in the reverie, her trouble temporarily forgotten. "Never mind. I'll get started on dinner shall I?"

Scully turned to the refrigerator and opened up the double doors. She searched looking for some type of food but there was none.

"Damn. I knew there was something I hadn't done." She mentally scolded herself for slipping up like that.

"What haven't you done? Gone the grocery store?" Replied her husband.

"Yeah."

Jimmy shot her a look as if to remind her their conversation was not over, he did not believe a letter from Walter Skinner was all she and Kristin had been talking about. Over the past few weeks he had noticed little things that disturbed him. Things like forgetting to do the house work or her hand twitching. But he had shrugged it off. But now, it was becoming more and more frequent. He decided he had to confront her about it. Tonight he decided, tonight when they were in bed.

Kristin broke the silence. "Hey, Will, how would you like it if we all went down to Smith and Westerns?"

"Yes, please." He eagerly shouted. it was a treat if they got to eat out as his mommy frowned on greasy food.

They all headed for the door but Scully grabbed Kristen's arm

"Thanks." She whispered.

"Don't mention it. You would have done the same for me."

Scully smiled and grabbed her coat but while doing so noticed her hand shaking. She sighed. it was another thing to report to the doctors on her appointment on Saturday. No, Sunday. Or was it Monday. She couldn't remember. Oh, well, she'd call tomorrow and pretend she lost the card. Again.

Jimmy placed a small kiss on the top of her head then took one her hands in his and followed Kristin, Andrew and Will out the door. Something was not right with his wife and her was determine to fine out what it was. Tonight.