Mulder wanted to make things up to Scully. He had spent all afternoon cooking, something he wasn't known to be all that good at, she had been shopping and he knew she'd be tired, and that she'd have done all of the hard work for both of them to look like generous gift givers, he wanted to apologise for seeming crazy the night before about Reyes. He understood how it might look to someone on the outside, he just wanted her to support him until he knew for sure.

All he had to do was get Reyes to agree to a DNA test, it was no big deal. If they could just get that out of the way then they could either drop it, or deicide how it might change things. Scully had been right though. He was making life difficult. They had a big enough fight on their hands to get William back, why was he pursuing this now? He couldn't answer that question. He just knew that he had to know, one way or the other.

Scully hesitated before opening the door. She didn't want to fight with Mulder but if he even so much as mentioned Monica Reyes or his sister, she would not be able to contain her anger with him. She went into the apartment and was greeted by the smell of something good cooking in the kitchen. She went into the kitchen and admired Mulder in her 'something smells gooood' apron. She laughed to herself before making her presence noticed.

"Hey, how long have you been there?"

"Only a few seconds. Nice apron."

"Thanks. I thought it brought out the colour of my eyes."

Scully laughed again. This was how it was always supposed to be, they should always be able to be this happy and at ease around each other. She put down her shopping bags and Mulder walked over to be nosey. Scully playfully slapped his hands.

"There's nothing in there for you."

"I hate it when people say that, there's obviously something in there for me or you wouldn't have told me that there wasn't, you'd have let me look for myself and see that there was nothing in the bags for me."

"My God Mulder, you have way too much time on your hands."

"I know. But I cooked."

"I see that. I'm impressed. I'm gonna take a shower."

"Ok, dinner will be about half an hour."

Scully walked into the bathroom and Mulder waited a few seconds before rustling around in the bags. Scully heard him and came back out to take the bags into the bedroom. She kissed Mulder as she took the bags away and he was happy with that if he wasn't going to get his presents yet.

Scully was impressed with Mulder's culinary skills. She never knew he could cook, but she knew now to remember that he could cook for future reference. She had made a firm decision not to bring up bumping into Doggett, it was not relevant to their evening and as it was it was turning into a pretty good evening. Mulder had clearly made an effort after their small fall out the night before, and she was glad that he had seen he was being unreasonable and that he needed to let his ridiculous theories drop. This was a good sign that he was prepared to do that.

"So, how was shopping?"

"Busy. But that's it, I have every gift I intended to buy, no more Christmas shopping for me this year."

"I didn't have any to do. I already had your gift, and that's it."

"Well count your blessings, shopping for your two brothers, their wives, your mother and two nephews is not easy."

"I'd rather that than shop for nobody."

Scully smiled. It was hard for Mulder being the only one in his family left. By rights he should have been able to buy gifts for his son and spoil him, but that wasn't going to happen, at least not this year. Mulder stood up to clear the table and Scully stood up and finished her drink as Mulder decided to talk about what she had convinced herself he wouldn't bring up again.

"So I was thinking, maybe I should go and see Agent Reyes tomorrow, if we can call a favour in somewhere, we could get the DNA test done before Christmas and find out by the New Year if I'm right."

"Mulder..."

"It's ok, I know you think that I'm crazy, I understand, but I can't let this go."

"Yes you can, if you really wanted to."

"Well then maybe I don't want to."

Scully shook her head in disbelief and Mulder stopped clearing up the plates.

"I cannot believe this. After everything we said last night. Is that what the meal was for? The great big fuss you're making of me, is it to soften me up and get me to support you in this?"

"I wanted to apologise for last night, and to help out by you not having to cook, and yes I wanted you to be a little more supportive."

"Jesus Mulder. I knew it, I knew that something wasn't right."

"What are you talking about?"

"Well Fox Mulder would never do something kind for anybody unless there was something in it for him too. Do you think that I'm that much of a push over? My thoughts on this stand as they were Mulder, you either let this go or you forget about William, I can't let you do this, Monica and John are my friends, I will not let you ruin their lives like you're ruining ours!"

"Oh I see. So I'm ruining our lives? Well correct me if I'm wrong, but you gave our son away! You took him away from me and now you're trying to take the chance my sister is alive away from me too! It's all about you isn't it Scully? Well not anymore! And with or without you I will get to the truth..."

"Because that's all you care about isn't it. You're not happy unless you're trying to uncover something, some God-awful truth. You were happier when we were in hiding than you are now that we're home!"

"And why do you think that is? My life had meaning when we were on the run! Now what does my life amount to? Nothing! And why do you think we were allowed to come back? Because there's another member of the Mulder family on the x-files that's why!"

"Mulder you're crazy!"

"No I'm not! I can't believe you wont support me in this. What happened to the Dana Scully that opened her mind and her eyes to the possibility of an extreme truth?"

"She got pissed off with her boyfriends absurd theories."

"Oh ok, when all else fails turn back to science. That's a good little girl. Just like daddy would want you to."

"Get the hell out."

"What?"

"I said get out! Get out of my house and don't bother coming back!"

"Fine!"

Mulder threw a plate onto the floor and grabbed his jacket before storming out of the apartment and slamming the door closed behind him.