"Hey, what's up G-Man?" Frohike said while cooking up some Huevos Rancheros for himself, Langley and Byers as an afternoon snack. The cast iron skillet was sizzling with oil and he carefully placed six eggs in, then added peppers, tomatoes and beans.

"I need you to hack some medical records for me, ASAP" Mulder growled down the line, staring at Scully and her children.

"Yeah, no problem, whose medical records?"

"Scully's" Mulder sighed.

"Whoa, whoa... why?" Frohike questioned, sprinkling some chilli powder on the omelette.

"It doesn't matter why. Can you do it or not, Frohike?"

"Yes, of course. We'll get on it now."

Mulder hung the phone up and shoved it in his pocket; he was so angry... at himself, at Scully, at Melissa, at everyone. Dammit, how could he have been so stupid? So fucking stupid. He fucking loved a woman that had quite obviously cheated on him, ran away for him and left her job as his FBI partner. He felt like such a damn fool. He started walking quickly back to his car, just around the corner from the park, as soon as Scully was nowhere in sight.

Dark grey clouds started floating over the beautiful blue May sky, little raindrops falling from above but he was so lost in his mind that he didn't realise; thoughts of Scully but more importantly he could not get passed her children... a little boy, all pale complexion with beautiful blue eyes and fiery red hair and a slightly more plump little girl with long brown chestnut hair and greenish-blue eyes. She looked so much like Samantha but this was not possible, neither child was his. Maybe when the little one called out dad she was mistaken, perhaps her real father looked like him.

He hadn't been able to get the dream of him, Scully and their little family out of his head, even though he hadn't wanted a family - well, not until this dream played on a loop in his subconscious, playing out numerous different happy family scenarios.

Mulder dreamt of their first Christmas together with lots of presents under the tree and him dressing up as Santa, making his girls laugh. God, he loved to make Scully laugh. He dreamt of his daughter's first steps, first words. Suddenly, tears were streaming down his face and mixing with the rainwater as he reached his car, unlocked it and put the key in the ignition.

He realised he needed a stiff drink of alcohol to forget this day, forget what he saw, forget his life just for a little while, so he drove to the nearest D.C. bar.

The Next day

Mulder woke up face down on his leather sofa, still in the clothes he was wearing from the day before with empty liquor bottles everywhere and dirty clothes as far as the eye can see.

The sun was shining full force through the window, he looked up and groaned - his head hurt and his throat was sore. He had drunk his body weight three times over before getting home and then drinking some more just to make sure he got the job done.

He rolled over, swinging his legs off the sofa and planting his feet firmly on the floor and just sat there contemplating what to do next for a minute, he needed a plan but he couldn't think straight with this epic hangover pulsing through his body.

He needed some coffee, painkillers and a hot shower immediately.

Mulder looked down at his clothes, absolutely disgusted, that he had slept in the clothes from the day before. They now stuck to his body, clinging to him from the sweat that had built up during the night, getting up he swayed on his legs ever so slightly but quickly regained his balance before walking over and turning on the coffee machine, grabbing two Advil out of the cupboard along with a glass of water. He swallowed the pills, moaning because his throat felt like sandpaper.

What the fuck had he got up to last night? It was all a bit of a blur at the moment.

He walked through to the bathroom, discarding his clothes along the way, before getting into the shower and turning it on to wash away the side effects of the night before.

One hour later: Mulder had put on some clean-ish clothes and was now sitting at his desk contemplating what to do while drinking coffee and waiting for the information to come back from the Lone Gunmen.

Staring into his PC monitor, he tried to put things in order of his brain, when suddenly it hit him his bright idea like an epiphany of sorts, grabbing his mobile, keys and jacket before heading out the door and drove to Maggie's house, parking his normal spot before ringing Melissa Scully.

Melissa was playing peek a boo with the twins watching them laugh and smile while Scully sat on her mom's sofa drinking a small cup of tea when suddenly Melissa's phone rang - unknown number appearing on the screen.

"Hello?"

"Melissa. It's Mulder, can you talk?"

Scully sat there looking at her sister mouthing 'Who is it?'. Melissa looked back at her sister with a startling impression on her face and mouthed back 'Mul-der'. Scully gave her a look that said take it outside before the twins made some noise.

"Of course, give me a minute? I just need to go outside where it's... quiet"

"Okay" Mulder mumbled, trying to hold back his emotions.

Melissa wandered outside, closing the front door behind herself, and sat down on the bench in her mom's garden just underneath the front window. And without knowing it she was now in the direct eye line of Mulder, who was sitting in his car across the street.

"How are you, Mulder?" Melissa asked her patented kindness on show.

"I'm fine" Missy could tell that Mulder was lying but didn't push the subject "I was wondering if we could meet up somewhere when your back in D.C.," he asked.

"I'm not sure that's such a good idea, after the last encounter we had. You scared me, Mulder"

"I know, and you're probably right... but I want to apologize for my behaviour" and ask about those children I saw your sister with at the park, he wanted to add but stopped himself.

"OK, but it has to be somewhere public..."

"That's fine by me. How about you meet me at 'The Sheppard' and you decide the date and time" Mulder interrupted, not wanting to give up on a meeting that could give him the answers to all of the questions in his mind right now.

"The Sheppard works. Say this Thursday... at 7 o'clock?" Melissa offered.

"OK, see you then" Mulder agreed.

Both hung up at the exact same time. Mulder watched Missy as Scully opened the front door with the little girl on her hip and stepped back to her sister could come back into the house. Now that the time and date was set; the first part of his plan was achieved. Just two more days until he finally got some answers. Mulder drove off in the direction of the Hoover building.

Meanwhile, the moment Missy stepped through the door she took Elissa from Scully and wrapped herself in her niece' embrace before letting out a small sigh before answering any and all questions by her mother and sister that were likely to be headed her way any minute now.

The Sheppard 7 pm Thursday

Mulder sat at the bar, nursing a beer he had bought twenty minutes ago, he wanted to be sober when this conversation happened. But his mind was screaming for him to be drunk, he was doing the right thing he definitely needed to be calm and collected, needed to know everything about those children he saw with Scully... needed to know if they were his.

It had been all he could think about for the past two days. Work, as usual, was unproductive and Skinner even sent him home, having become tired of the brooding and angry vibes coming off of him in waves.

A few minutes later he saw a bounce off red hair come through the door, looking up what he saw unnerved him. It wasn't Melissa like he was expecting it to be. No, who he saw was more petite than her. It was Scully (his Scully) with her glowing crimson hair and deep blue eyes that had walked into the bar.

Mulder was shocked, to say the least, and it certainly was an unexpected turn of events but it gave him hope that he would actually get the answers he was looking for... straight from the source.

Scully walked over to him wearing casual dark jeans and a white blouse with a thin light jacket over the top. She looked amazing even though he had seen her just a few days ago. She would always take his breath away, he thought.

She sat down next to him quickly ordering a diet coke and looked up at him, shyly.

"Hey, Mulder"

"Scully"

'I know you weren't expecting me, but I hope you don't mind that I've come in Missy's place"

Well, yes actually I do mind! This would've been a damn sight easier if it was Melissa, Mulder thought but what he actually said was "No, I don't mind. It's nice to see you, you look good. You've changed"

"Yes. A lot has changed since..." Scully trailed off not finishing the sentence as she could not bring herself to say the words - I left without telling you why. No, I ran away like a scared child... taking your kids with me.

"Care to tell me what has changed in your life?" God, he sounds like an asshole right now but he wanted her to say it, to admit to something. When did speaking to her become so damn hard?

"Nothing... well, nothing important anyway" a brief awkward silence fell upon them until Mulder realised she wasn't going to say anything so he just had to man up and ask and see where it went from there even if it terrified him.

"So, you've been in D.C. for a couple of days then?" Mulder thought he sounded smooth and casual but he could feel his heart pounding in his chest.

"I have..." How could he know? What if he saw me with the twins? What if.. oh god. I don't think I can do this. What if he asks about them? "Why?" Scully wondered out loud.

"Well," How am I going to bring this up? Just blurt it out or dance around the fact? Then Scully looked at him with her eyebrow raised as if to continue the sentence "I saw you. Umm, the other day... at the park... with two small children"

Before Mulder could even get out the next part of his question Scully interrupted him.

"They aren't mine, Mulder. They're Melissa's kids... she came back from California with them. Completely freaked Mom out, it was actually kind of funny"

"Don't lie to me! Scully, we both know you're better than that... or at least you used to be" Mulder spat, a hint of aggression in his voice now. He hated being lied to especially by Scully and especially after everything she had done to him, he just wanted the truth. That's all.

"I..."

"I heard them. I saw them, Scully. They're yours, I know they are. So, just tell me the truth"

"Yes," She took a deep breath in, willing herself to stay calm and be honest with him "They are mine"

Finally, the truth! It's all he has wanted. His whole life, ever since losing Samantha. It was all about finding the truth. He looked down at his beer on the bar top. He needed to push her just a little further, that all important burning question on his lips. "Are they mine?"

"No"

Mulder looked at her and knew without a doubt that she was lying, and she knew that he knew that too. Plus, she was way too quick and resolute with her answer... too quick on the mark as they say, to indifferent about the whole situation.

"Don't fucking lie to me, Dana! The little girl... she is the spitting image of my sister, Samantha. I want to see them, I want to get to know them. They deserve to know their father, don't you think?" Mulder knew that he was raising his voice but he didn't care right now. Scully was lying straight to his face, and refusing to admit what they both know - that he is their father.

"No! Mulder, stop!" Scully stood up, paid for her drink and walked away. Mulder quickly thumbed through his wallet putting a 20 dollar bill on the bar and running after her.

"Scully, they're my children too. You can't deny me the chance to see my own flesh and blood!"

Scully didn't look at him as she got up and walked towards the door. She didn't turn around when he called her name in the most heartbreaking anguish she had ever heard. So, he made him turn around, by grabbing her wrist and spinning her around so he could see her face.

"Dammit, Scully! I want to know my children... I have a right to see them" Mulder was still shouting. He was so damn angry at her for not letting him see his own children! He wanted to see them, wanted to get to know... wanted them to have a different relationship with him that he had with his own parents.

"No, now let me go!"

"Scully, please! I want to see them, just let me see them... once!"

"No, Mulder. Let go of me... NOW!" Scully demanded, trying to yank her wrist free and leaving the bar... to get away from Mulder.

"Fuck you, Scully!" Mulder screamed back before bending down and kissing her. It came out of nowhere, just an impulse... no thinking required. Just do!

As soon as his lips touched hers it was like magic and fireworks exploding between them.

She opened his mouth more with her own and their tongues touched for the first time in more than a year. She had missed him as much as he had missed her but she was so lost and everything was a mess. What was she doing? No, she shouldn't be doing this! Not now!

Scully pulled back, raising her hand to his face - the impact of the hit nearly knocked him off his feet. And the sound it made, you could hear it bouncing off of the walls of the dark alley.

She turned around and quickly flagged down a taxi.

"Scully, I am sorry. I really am!" Mulder tried to apologise, for what he had no idea but it felt like the correct response.

She didn't acknowledge him, didn't even respond to him as she slammed the door of the taxi and left him there on the sidewalk, only then did she let the tears fall.

For all of the consequences of their actions... and for what the future held now.