When Monica's parents came into her room John didn't want to have to leave her bedside so that they could sit beside her, but he knew that it was the right thing to do. As Mr and Mrs Reyes stood over their little girl he couldn't stand what it was doing to them to see her like this. And he couldn't cope with all of the waiting. When he had informed the doctors that Reyes' parents were on their way, they had refused to give him any more news on her condition saying they were waiting to talk to her immediate family. It didn't matter that they had been living together and were in love, it was her parents they were willing to discuss her with.

John watched them as they stroked her face and touched her hair softly. Her father held her hand and said something in Spanish, which made her mother start to cry. John couldn't stand it. He turned to leave the room just as Monica's doctor walked in.

"Mr and Mrs Reyes?"

"Yes, I'm Monica's father, please doctor, why is she not awake?" John felt his breath catch in his throat, if he lost her his life would be over.

"Mr Reyes your daughter was shot in the chest and it took us a long time to remove the bullet and stabilise her. The next few days will be critical. If we don't see any improvement or signs that she will wake up we will have to talk about our options."

"Options? What are you talking about options? She is our daughter, she will be ok from this!"

"Mrs Reyes we conducted a preliminary test to check for brain activity in your daughter and the results were not good. But we will keep a close eye on her and run more tests through the coming up hours. I'm afraid I have to just ask you to be patient. Excuse me." The doctor left and Mrs Reyes found her husband's arms and he looked over at John for answers.

"John, how did this happen?" Doggett didn't know where to start. They still didn't know about Reyes looking for her real mother or that she had discovered she had become friends with her half brother.

How did he even begin to try and explain this to them? And was it even his place to try? All he knew was that he loved their daughter and after everything they had been through together he was not prepared to let her go.

"I don't know what to tell you both, I really don't. But I love Monica, and we were doing just fine... and we'll get through this, she'll get through this. She's a fighter, she knows what she wants and she gets it. She doesn't want this, she'll be fine. She's just tired. Just tired." Mrs Reyes turned to Doggett as he spoke and she cried as she rushed over to him and hugged him tightly. Doggett was startled but grateful. At last there was someone in the room with him who loved Monica as much as he did, who understood how awful it would be to lose her. Together they were stronger.

Mulder watched Reyes' parents with Doggett and envied him. He got to support her parents through this hard time and yet Mulder shared blood with Reyes and was watching from a closed hospital room door. It hardly seemed fair. But he knew it would be unfair for Reyes to wake up and have to deal with all the questions her parents would have if they knew the truth about her search for her birth mother. For now he would have to watch from the outside and concentrate on Scully and William. This was fine by him,this was his family, but so was Monica. No matter what her parents did and didn't know, she was still his family.

"I can't hide how disappointed I am Agent Scully, it goes without saying."

"Thank you sir."

"But I understand your decision. And I'm very pleased for you and Mulder, about the new baby." Scully smiled at Skinner and it suddenly hit her what she was leaving behind. Skinner had become a surrogate father figure to her and watched over her for years, now she was stepping out on her own from under the FBI's watchful eyes.

"It's the right thing to do. I have to think of William. I can't lose him again."

"Of course not. I wouldn't have expected you to make any other kind of decision, and Mulder's behindyou on this?"

"Absolutely. I was out of my depth when I first started on the x-files with him eleven years ago, I'm right back where I started, only older and I hope wiser." Skinner nodded his head.

"And Mulder wants to stay and handle this Gibson business?"

"Understandably. I still can't quite believe it, and you know Mulder, he won't ever doubt someone until he has proof of their deceit. Part of me hopes he doesn't find it. We protected Gibson, he was our friend."

"I know, but he's just a boy."

"He's in his late teens sir, he has his own mind and after all these years of being dragged around and hiding from the worst fears imaginable its no wonder he has decided to take a stand for himself."

"Well I hope that if Mulder does find him he's able to find out what's happening, because if the FBI gets to him first, Mulder wont get a look in. He must know that."

"He does. But between me, William, and seeing Monica in the hospital, his time is limited." Skinner nodded.

"Any news on Agent Reyes?"

"No. Nothing new. John won't leave her side, and her parents arrived this morning, so I have no idea what's going on. Mulder's there now." A silence encircled them and it was unpleasant for both. Skinner was the one to try and move the conversation along.

"What will you do? After you've had the baby I mean?"

"Be a mom. I never realised how bad a job I was doing until now, William needs me, especially now, I can't have him see me with another child and wonder why he never got that opportunity with his mom."

"You're a terrific mother Dana, you have to believe that, everyone around you does."

"Thank you. It means a lot to me, and I umm, I just want to say I hope that it doesn't mean I wont see you as a friend. I know I'd miss having you in my life, you've done so much for me, and for Mulder."

"I would never let that happen, after all what would William do without his Uncle Walter?" They both smiled and Scully rose from her chair hinting that it was time she should leave. Skinner walked around the other side of the table and held out his hand to Scully, she laughed slightly and instead pulled him into a hug where they just stood and held each other, knowing that they wouldn't be standing here now if they hadn't supported each other and been allies through their hardest times in life. It said a lot that they were still friends and still cared about each other. Whether Scully worked at the FBI or not

nothing would change that.

"Take care of yourself sir."

"You too Agent... Dana." Scully turned and opened the door and smiled to see William playing with his toys sat on Skinner's secretary's chair. He beamed up at her and held out his arms. She picked him up as the secretary returned, and thanking her for watching her son Scully left the building and shed a tear for the last walk down the FBI corridor's she ever hoped to take.

William was startled by all of the people around him in suits and looking serious and boring. He knew that his parents worked here, but they smiled and had fun too, he knew they did. So why were all of these people so bland and dark? He could feel his mom was worrying too; he always felt it when she was upset. And he didn't want her to worry because he knew that there was another baby. He knew that there was another person inside his mom. He could hear her.