26 weeks later.

Scully sat on the edge of the bed and couldn't help but let the smile on her face broaden. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table, it was almost 3am, and Mulder was fast asleep beside her. She didn't want to wake him until she was sure, but then she felt it again and she knew that it was time. She leaned across him and stroked his hair across his head.

"Mulder..." He stirred slightly, but not enough to be an indication he was prepared to open his eyes. "Mulder... wake up..." He turned over and suspiciously opened one eye and looked at Scully.

"What time is it?"

"Almost three."

"Gees Scully, what is it, you need a hand getting to the bathroom or something?"

"No, I need you to take us to the hospital."

"What? Why? Is it... is it time, is it contractions?" Scully nodded her head and Mulder shot out of bed and threw clothes on faster than she had ever seen. She shuffled around the bed, her large and over-due bump carefully caressed in front of her. Mulder helped her throw some clothes on and grabbed the over night bag they had had prepared for three days now. It was a cold December morning and he was in too much of a hurry to allow anyone to wrap up warmly. He ushered Scully into the living room and she grabbed the phone.

"Scully what are you doing?"

"Calling my mom."

"We can call from the hospital, come on."

"Wait, aren't you forgetting something?" He shook his head in an 'I have no idea what you're talking about kind of way' and she slowly walked across the apartment and pushed open a door. The door revealed a sleeping William wresting soundly in his room. Mulder went a strange pale colour as he realised he was about to become a father for the second time and had managed to forget all about his son. He grabbed the phone and called Mrs Scully himself and within minutes Scully's mom was there to watch William whilst Mulder drove he and Scully to the hospital.

Doggett had travelled to Mexico every weekend for the past six months. Working in DC during the week and visiting Monica whenever he had any time to spare, never giving up on the chance that she might wake up. It had been a long and tedious process, and one that he unfortunately become used to. Monica's father met him at the airport every weekend and informed him there was no change in her condition. But that the doctors still held hope of her waking up. Doggett wasn't about to second-guess them, not if it meant that he'd get the woman he loved back.

He'd felt bad coming this particular weekend though. Scully was overdue by three days and they were all anxious about the baby's arrival, but she had insisted he go saying they'd call if there was any news. He'd spent a lot of time with Mulder and Scully over the past six months. He adored William, and once the mess with Gibson was cleared away their lives had calmed down considerably. Things could only get better right?

He stroked Monica's hand in his own and watched her as she slept peacefully. That's all this was right? A really long sleep. But she looked different tonight. She had a little more colour in her cheeks and unlike the other times he'd visited and she'd actually looked ill, now she really did look like she was just sleeping. He lived in hope.

Mulder wasn't sure about the whole being in the room when Scully gave birth part of fatherhood. He wasn't squeamish exactly but there was something about it that just didn't sit right with him. However, he had somehow been ushered into the delivery room with Scully when she was fully dilated as she screamed out his name and demanded that he not leave her. Part of him felt guilty that she was thinking about when she had given birth to William, Mulder had been absent then, well not this time. He was actually going to see his daughter born.

It amazed him as the midwife, nurses and doctors stood around telling Scully she was doing a great job and that she had to try to push. She was gripping his hand so hard he thought that she was going to break it. He was very relieved to be a man. No way could he go through childbirth. As he watched Scully he felt weird because he had never seen her look so beautiful. He told her all the time that he loved her. Well it was true. But right now she looked stunning, she radiated throughout the room and he was almost hypnotised by her.

After four hours of screaming, shouting, gripping of hands, poking, pulling, and passing of scary looking instruments, Scully gave birth to Olivia Hope and Mulder watched as his daughter took her first look at the world. She didn't cry, she simply looked around the room and upon glimpsing Mulder he was sure he saw a smile and he suddenly found himself bombarded by tears. The baby was passed to Scully and she cried too. Mulder stroked his little girl's hands and she gripped his finger. Wow. This was love. Scully smiled up at him and he leaned in and kissed her. They didn't need to keep telling each other they loved one another. It was blatantly obvious.

Doggett sighed deeply and rubbed his ever-tired eyes. It was late and he wasn't sure he could stay awake much longer. He stood up and stretched before resting his eyes on Monica. He blinked and couldn't believe his eyes. She was awake. I mean wide-awake. He rushed closer to her and stroked her hair softly as tears welled up in his eyes.

"Monica, Monica can you hear me?" She looked at him and smiled.

"Olivia."