"How's your mom?"
Scully is standing in the hallway, cell phone in hand.
"Worried," she says, turning to look at him as he walks out of the office to join her.
"Apparently Billy took issue with my front door and decided to separate it from its hinges."
Mulder grimaces.
"And then of course she didn't feel any better once I told her that I was going to have to go into hiding to have this baby."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to keep in touch with her while you're gone."
"What do you mean? I thought you were coming with me."
"Scully, I... I would love nothing more than to be with you when you have this baby. But I can't stop these things holed up in some cabin in the middle of nowhere. I need to be here find out what exactly is going on so I can stop this for good."
"Mulder, Krycek hit Billy Miles full force with his car and it barely even slowed him down. How are you going to stop him or anything else like him without getting yourself killed? Do you even have plan?"
Mulder hesitates.
"Um... yes and no."
"What do you mean, 'Yes and no'?"
"Well, basically what's supposed to happen is we get you out of here safely with Reyes while Skinner and I lure Billy up to the roof where we'll push him off into a trash truck."
"That's your plan?"
"I know it's not the most brilliant plan ever conceived but it's not like we have the luxury of time on this one."
She can't believe what she's hearing.
"Mulder, you can't be serious."
"Scully, it's going to be fine, okay? I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your baby. I promise."
"Damnit, Mulder, I'm not worried about me or this baby. I mean..."
And she stops. She's not sure how to say this.
"Scully, what is it?"
"Do you know what day it is?"
He doesn't understand.
"What?"
"Eight months, Mulder. Eight months ago to the day we stood in this hallway the night you left for Oregon."
"Scully..."
"I thought it was going to be fine then, too. I thought you were just going to be gone for a couple of days. But you weren't. And I am not about to go to your funeral again."
"Neither am I, Scully. Don't worry, I have no intention of getting myself killed again."
"No one ever does."
"Look, I don't know what else to tell you. I'm sorry but there's just no time for any other way."
She looks at him and shakes her head. She wants to believe him but after everything she's been through with him she can't.
"Yeah, I know. You can't come with me and protect me at the same time, right? Come on, Mulder, let's be honest with ourselves just this once. That's not why you're staying. You're staying for the same reason you broke into the Census building, the same reason you talked your way out onto that oil rig, and the same reason you went back to Oregon: The Truth, Mulder. Your truth with a capital "T". About aliens and black oil and UFOs and worldwide government conspiracies. It's the only reason you've ever done anything."
"Maybe you're right. Maybe that was the way it used to be. And for that I am truly sorry. But that's not the way it is anymore. I told you Scully, this has nothing to do with the X-Files or government conspiracies or little green men. This is only about you and this baby. Because even if I found the truth tomorrow, even if I suddenly had the answer to every question I've ever asked, without you...it wouldn't mean a damn thing."
"Then you should understand why I don't want to have this baby without you."
She's not just talking labor and delivery, either.
"I know. Honestly, I do. And I want to be there, Scully. I will be there. No matter what happens. No matter how this all ends. I will always be there for you... and our baby."
Before anymore could be said Skinner comes out of the office.
"It's time to go."
THE END
Scully is standing in the hallway, cell phone in hand.
"Worried," she says, turning to look at him as he walks out of the office to join her.
"Apparently Billy took issue with my front door and decided to separate it from its hinges."
Mulder grimaces.
"And then of course she didn't feel any better once I told her that I was going to have to go into hiding to have this baby."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure to keep in touch with her while you're gone."
"What do you mean? I thought you were coming with me."
"Scully, I... I would love nothing more than to be with you when you have this baby. But I can't stop these things holed up in some cabin in the middle of nowhere. I need to be here find out what exactly is going on so I can stop this for good."
"Mulder, Krycek hit Billy Miles full force with his car and it barely even slowed him down. How are you going to stop him or anything else like him without getting yourself killed? Do you even have plan?"
Mulder hesitates.
"Um... yes and no."
"What do you mean, 'Yes and no'?"
"Well, basically what's supposed to happen is we get you out of here safely with Reyes while Skinner and I lure Billy up to the roof where we'll push him off into a trash truck."
"That's your plan?"
"I know it's not the most brilliant plan ever conceived but it's not like we have the luxury of time on this one."
She can't believe what she's hearing.
"Mulder, you can't be serious."
"Scully, it's going to be fine, okay? I'm not going to let anything happen to you or your baby. I promise."
"Damnit, Mulder, I'm not worried about me or this baby. I mean..."
And she stops. She's not sure how to say this.
"Scully, what is it?"
"Do you know what day it is?"
He doesn't understand.
"What?"
"Eight months, Mulder. Eight months ago to the day we stood in this hallway the night you left for Oregon."
"Scully..."
"I thought it was going to be fine then, too. I thought you were just going to be gone for a couple of days. But you weren't. And I am not about to go to your funeral again."
"Neither am I, Scully. Don't worry, I have no intention of getting myself killed again."
"No one ever does."
"Look, I don't know what else to tell you. I'm sorry but there's just no time for any other way."
She looks at him and shakes her head. She wants to believe him but after everything she's been through with him she can't.
"Yeah, I know. You can't come with me and protect me at the same time, right? Come on, Mulder, let's be honest with ourselves just this once. That's not why you're staying. You're staying for the same reason you broke into the Census building, the same reason you talked your way out onto that oil rig, and the same reason you went back to Oregon: The Truth, Mulder. Your truth with a capital "T". About aliens and black oil and UFOs and worldwide government conspiracies. It's the only reason you've ever done anything."
"Maybe you're right. Maybe that was the way it used to be. And for that I am truly sorry. But that's not the way it is anymore. I told you Scully, this has nothing to do with the X-Files or government conspiracies or little green men. This is only about you and this baby. Because even if I found the truth tomorrow, even if I suddenly had the answer to every question I've ever asked, without you...it wouldn't mean a damn thing."
"Then you should understand why I don't want to have this baby without you."
She's not just talking labor and delivery, either.
"I know. Honestly, I do. And I want to be there, Scully. I will be there. No matter what happens. No matter how this all ends. I will always be there for you... and our baby."
Before anymore could be said Skinner comes out of the office.
"It's time to go."
THE END