10.

Mulder stared at Scully it was all he could do. It was unreal. She had another child when she had made him that solemn vow. A vow she had made in blood how could she break that? It felt like someone had taken hold of his heart and squeezed it until it had burst. Rubbing his face with his hands Mulder found the nearest seat to him, an armchair, and sat down. He looked at her accusingly he wanted her to remember what she had promised six years ago, just before she had fallen ill. Now he knew why she couldn't go away with him. Not only did she have another lover but also another child by that lover. He didn't want to stay there but he felt compelled to stay when all he wanted to do was run. He fought the urge to flee, she would explain, she had no other choice but to explain. He would sit there for the next three days if he had to.

The little girl was stood frozen in the doorway her face a perfect replica of Scully's. Every feature was the same, her eyes that deep piercing blue, the red hair that fell straight but only down her back not cut to the chin like Scully's but that face! It was Scully's, not one feature was different, not one. Except for the youth in that face, she was what, Four? Maybe younger, he didn't know! Part of him didn't want to yet he was going to find out because he needed to know how long it took for her to break that vow a year, two years, six months? How could she have broken the one promise he had guaranteed upon?

"There is only one man who I want to father my children and that is you." Cutting her hand with his penknife she had made the vow to him as he did the same. His vow was to love only her for the rest of his days. He had been true to that promise. She hadn't.

Looking down to his left hand, Mulder saw the feint scar where he had cut his own hand. How could she have sworn to only have his children then break that promise?

Scully couldn't decide what to do. They had seen each other and Mulder's face said it all. She watched how he traced the scar on his left hand with his right forefinger. What was he thinking? He looked like someone had taken his heart and put it in a blender. It was she who was responsible for that. Scully knew that she should have told him before, in the lecture hall, but she couldn't. The words she so desperately needed to say just would not form. He was hurting and she knew that. Her daughter stood in the doorway as if a statue were there. She was gauging the situation as only she could. The face that had been seen in photographs all her life was now there, in reality, not just a 2-D representation.

Scully watched as a smile slowly formed on the girl's lips. A smile that could melt a thousand frozen hearts, just as one ray of sun melts the morning snow. Mother and daughter exchanged smiles.

The little girl looked excitedly at Mulder then to her Mother who had tears in her eyes. This was the moment she had dreamt about so many times. It had finally come true. Now her Mom would be the happiest she had ever been and everything would be perfect. There would be a wedding and she would be a bridesmaid with flowers in her hair just like a princess.

"I told you Mommy, I told you." She said

"I know you did sweetheart." Scully looked at Mulder. His expression hadn't changed but he looked up to her daughter's words.

"You told your Mom what?" he asked, not quite sure why he was speaking to her in an adult fashion.

"That, you would come home!" She said looking into his face searching for something, anything that showed he had already known about her. His thoughts she could see, clear as daylight. He knew nothing.

"Did you indeed?" he raised an eyebrow and looked at Scully who nodded to his silent question. She had said he would be home, that morning, she had said it before but this morning had been adamant that Mulder would return. It had come to no surprise when Scully realised that he had been sat in her lecture that afternoon.

The girl walked over to Mulder cautiously. She didn't know how he would react. Standing, no less than two feet from him, she held out her hand for him. Gently he took the child's hand in his own and shook it.

"You know who I am?" he asked, curious as to why Scully would tell a child about him when the only man she should care about was her Daddy.

"Of course I know who you are, silly, you're my Daddy!" she said before throwing her arms around his neck. Mulder was so astounded he didn't know what to do so he hugged her back. This tiny girl could NOT be his; she was too young to be his child. Pulling back from the embrace the little girl took Mulder's face in her hands. Her blue eyes stared deeply into his, she was reading what he was thinking, and Mulder could feel his thoughts being penetrated. It didn't hurt it was like a warm fizzing in his head.

It was then that she planted a kiss on his brow.

"You don't believe me. Ask Mommy." She said matter of fact. The little girl looked at Scully, walked over to her, and embraced her also.

"Can you go get changed please, sweetheart? Mommy needs to have a little chat with…" their daughter disappeared before she had the chance to finish her words.

Mulder looked angry. Then he looked hurt a wounded puppy kind of hurt. Scully knew what she had done to him. This wasn't going to be easy.

Scully drew up her wooden chair and sat opposite Mulder who once again had his face in his hands.

"How could you do that? To me and to her?" he asked, emotion cutting through the words like a hot knife through butter.

"Do what?"

"Lie to her, lie to me. How can she be mine? She looks four and unless you had a two year pregnancy there is no way that she is mine!"

"She is your child. She is five. Why don't you believe me?"

"How can I? I come back from trying to stay alive and you've set up house and family without me and claim YOUR child to be mine!"

"Don't do this Mulder, don't! She is your child I swear to God. I wouldn't lie about something like that!"

"Why the hell didn't you tell me?"

"I was hurting. You left me! What was the point? You couldn't come back even if you wanted to. You'd have risked everything and lost your life, I didn't want that. I wanted you home when it was safe for you and me to be together. Is that so wrong?"

"Yes! You know how wrong it is otherwise you would have said something before letting her tell me… What is her name? You haven't even told me that!"

"Samantha, Melissa."  Scully said leaning forward her arms resting upon her knees her fingers linked together. She didn't look at him.

"Why?" Mulder asked, choked with emotion.

"A tribute to our sister's, I wanted Samantha to have your name but she couldn't, just like William, you weren't here to register her. I had to know some part of her was named after you."

"Why not after my Mom?"

"Because Samantha was so important to you! I wanted our Samantha to be like that, our daughter Mulder, I wanted her to feel you loved her like you had loved your sister." He could see how much she was relieved at telling him yet she wouldn't meet his eyes.

Mulder reached forward taking Scully's hands between his own. She looked up tears filled her eyes.

"I'm sorry that I kept her from you, really I am."

"It's okay, don't worry, we'll be fine." He said taking her face in his hands he caressed her cheek with his right thumb. Softly she leant her face into his hand.

Closing her eyes she took in the feeling of him being home. As she opened her eyes she moved closer to him as he leant forward to kiss her. Their lips met in the tenderest of kisses that only two lovers could share. A squeal of delight came from the doorway making them both laugh, Samantha had been watching.

"Mommy and Daddy sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" she sang before skipping across the room to them and seating herself upon her Father's knee, squirming around to find the best spot.

"So, Samantha, you are my daughter?" Mulder said using his official ex-FBI tone of voice

"Yes." She said looking up into his serious face.

"Can we start by setting some 'rules!" Scully raised an eyebrow as she watched the scene and Samantha's face pale with worry. Samantha hadn't expected her Daddy to have rules like Mommy. She nodded her answer.

"Right, First off… No butt squirming when you sit on my lap!" Mulder said tickling the little girl and laughing himself. Scully face broke into a smile. Her family had come together.