Williams eyes slowly opened. His eyes focused on a ceiling fan that slowly whipped around. It took him a few moments to realize that he had fallen asleep in Mel's bed.

He looked next to him to see Mel curled up under the covers.

"Mel," he whispered, gently touching her shoulder.

"Hmmm," she mumbled, opening her eyes.

"Hey," he murmured.

She sighed and looked at her wrist watch.

"Too early," she grumbled, pulling the covers over her face.

There was a knock at the door and it opened immediately after the sharp knock.

"How's she doing?" Monica asked, walking over to the bed.

William was surprised that she wasn't upset that he was in the bed with Mel.

"She wont get up," he replied, poking at the lump under the covers.

She wriggled underneath his pokes and groaned.

"Breakfast is ready, get up and dressed while I fix up your plates," Monica told them as she walked out of Mel's room.

"Pick out my clothes, I'm lazy," Mel said, her voice muffled from under the sheets.

"Fine, but you have to wear what I pick ooouuut," Will replied in a sing-song voice.

"Whatever," she mumbled.

Will got up and rummaged through her drawers and closet before he picked out her entire ensemble.

"Here you are," Will announced, laying it all on her bed.

She sat up and observed the clothes. He had picked a pair of her oldest jeans, her one pair of grannie panties, a pair of Christmas socks, and a t-shirt that looked like it was one of the rags her Dad used while fixing up their cars.

"Hm, nice," she said, chuckling.

"Yeah, I know. Love the panties," he joked, slinging them at her face.

"Freak."

They walked downstairs to find everyone at the table. Their plates were waiting for them and everyone indulged in a silent meal.

Once everyone was finished and Monica and Scully had cleared the table, there was a knock at the door.

John got up to answer it. It was Skinner. There was an uncomfortable silence at the table when he entered. Will picked up that all the adults looked like they were mentally trying to tell each other something. Mel sensed it too and looked at Will questioningly. He shrugged at her, not sure what to think.

"Hey Uncle Walter," Will said, breaking the silence.

"Will," he nodded.

"Um, Melanie, come and help us upstairs for a moment," Monica said, following John up the stairs.

Melanie shot a confused look to Will and followed her parents out of the room.

William turned his attention back to his Uncle Walter, Mulder, and Scully.

They were all not quite meeting his gaze.

"Is…there something wrong?" he asked, shifting in his seat.

Skinner cleared his throat and took a seat next to him. He looked up at Mulder and Scully that sat across from them and they nodded. Will could sense that there was something very wrong with this situation.

"William, you are old enough now and the time is right for us to talk about some things," Skinner began.

William nodded, clenching his jaw in anticipation. He watched Mulder do the same and Scully clasp her hands together in her lap.

"Well, as you know, you were adopted," Skinner said, trying to get Will to make eye contact with him.

He continued, "Your mother asked me to take care of the adoption. You were placed in a family I knew well, but everyone decided it would be best if I looked over you as you got older."

William looked up at him and said in a monotone voice much like Mulder's, "So you aren't really my Uncle?".

"No," Skinner replied looking away.

William nodded and looked at Mulder and Scully. He saw tears forming in Scully's eyes and Mulder's face was expressionless.

"And they are my parents," he stated.

"Yes," Scully whispered.

He held her gaze until Mulder spoke, "Don't ever think we didn't want you."

William huffed sarcastically and folded his arms across his chest.

"Giving you up was the hardest choice that I ever had to make," Scully said, her voice shaking with emotion.

William nodded at Mulder and said, "Then where was he in this decision you made?"

"Gone, for her safety and yours," Mulder replied.

Skinner reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He slid it in front of William and said, "Now this is yours."

William looked down at his birth certificate. He looked at his real name. William Scully Mulder.

"There are so many things you don't know and don't understand about our lives and your role in it," Scully tried to explain.

"And so what, now you want me in your lives all the sudden?" Will asked, his voice gravely.

"We never wanted to put you in danger. We wanted you to have a normal life. You wouldn't have with us. You would have been in constant danger," Scully said, tears freely flowing down her face.

"There is a lot to learn about your past and about their lives. You will look at this all very differently once you have learned of the truth," Skinner told him.

"But you can take as much time as you need. There is no rush on this," Mulder told him.

William nodded, the news jumbling his brain. He couldn't even think straight.

"I'm going to go…think," William muttered, and he walked quickly out of the room.

Mulder looked at Scully. The tears had stopped and the determination was clear on her face. Skinner put his hand on Scully's and said, "Just give him time. He is a lot like you when it comes to these things. He just needs to think about it and he'll be fine. We had to do this one day."

Scully nodded and her heart felt at ease when she felt Mulder's hand rest on her leg. This time her decision hadn't been made alone. And this time she got to keep her son.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

William walked past the Doggetts and into Mel's room to retrieve his coat.

Mel rushed in after him.

He looked at her, his eyes narrowed, "You knew didn't you?"

Her lips slightly parted, but she did not say a word.

"How long Mel?" he asked, the pain on his face evident.

She looked down at her feet.

"HOW LONG?!" he roared, moving so close to her that his face hovered inches above hers.

Her chin trembled as she fought to keep her emotions within.

"That's what I thought," he muttered, and pushed past her.

Everyone stared at him as he stalked out of the house.

The house shook from the slammed door, the bang rang in their ears.