Mulder softly kissed Scully on the cheek, his large right hand resting on her flat stomach under her (well, techinically his) Knicks shirt his thumb making half moon shapes just below her belly button and whispered a string of naughty but loving words in her ear before silently hopping out of bed to go pee and brush his teeth in the ensuite bathroom. It had been a very long... but incredible night. Scully had been utterly shocked by his proposal but also so so happy and he was thrilled that he could still surprise her after all of these years together.

Scully heard the shower come on and smiled up at the white ceiling (the wooden fan was stilled but the morning light cut across the ceiling marking it with little star shapes), her whole body was still tingling from the night before and the intense make out session that just happened. They were actually engaged now. She held up her left hand to look at the ring again. Mulder had told her, when he gave it to her for her birthday a few years ago, that she was the sapphire and he and Will were the diamonds on either side. She had smiled at his thoughtfulness and kissed him deeply then. Now, she thought about how excited her mother would be when they told her the news tomorrow.

Maggie Scully hadn't pushed them to get married, but she also hadn't been subtle about wanting them to take the next step in their relationship even back when they weren't an actual couple (which always tickled Mulder but made Scully uncomfortable). When Scully had fallen pregnant with William and marriage was never brought up, she had finally accepted that they would always do things their own way. She knew it would likely happen eventually and was finally happy to wait without interfering again.

Scully rolled out of bed, slipped on a pair of neon orange three quarter sweatpants (which coincidently happened to match the almost rubbed bare image of a basketball on the front of the faded dark blue Knicks tee; she looked like a pylon but a comfortable pylon) and left Mulder to shower alone. She would shower and get ready for the day after she had checked on William and they'd had breakfast.

She walked downstairs to see what their inquisitive little bullfrog was getting up to in the absence of any parental supervision. It really could have been anything, which worried her more than mere words could express. Scully had found William in a myriad of confusing, troubling and mysterious situations since the time he could walk. Thankfully, he was yet to seriously injury himself but the occasional wall or piece of furniture hadn't been so lucky. William was his father's son, after all. And Scully wouldn't have either of them any other way even if it was stressful (and costly) at times.

"Do you want breakfast now?" Scully called out, over the loud volume of the television, from the bottom step.

William was sitting cross legged on the couch, watching cartoons on the flat screen TV that was hung above the fireplace, Ishmael was next to him. It was a ridiculous image that almost made Scully laugh out loud. Ishy barked causing William to turn his head, and watch as his mother entered the kitchen and opened the stainless steel refrigerator to retrieve the large jug of iced tea she had made the day before.

"WHAT?" William shouted.

"Turn the volume on the TV down a bit, Will. You know, it really doesn't need to be that loud... because you're sitting so close. It's unnecessary"

Ishmael jumped off of the couch and joined Scully in the kitchen by the tall bar stools only slightly in her way. She noticed the sound of the TV lower considerably and smiled to herself. It had taken years for Scully to get Mulder to listen to her, but Will was slightly easier when it came to that... he would always listen to her, unless he was cranky and then all bets were off (but she was self-aware enough to know that that was a trait he had inherited from her and was honestly just grateful that he listened at all at this point).

"WHAT DID YOU SAY, MOMMY?"

"Hmm, now I think we have to find the volume button on you!" Scully laughed, and repeated her previous question "I asked if you would like something to eat... for breakfast?"

"But I don't have a volume button!" William lifted his pajama shirt up, looking down and pointing to prove it, then added "Can I have fruit loops again?" all puppy dog eyes and adorable, leaning over the back of the couch.

Scully looked at William shaking her head, silently indicating fruit loops would not be an option this morning and also at the ridiculousness of him showing her he definitely didn't have any buttons, trying to stifle another giggle.

"How about... yogurt? With pieces of yummy fresh fruit in it?"

"Yogurt, Scully? Really?" Mulder asked jokingly, smiling mischievously at her (a side affect of the morning make out session) his wet hair sticking up all over the place and only wearing a pair of denim jeans, as he rounded the corner to the kitchen.

"Yes, really! As a doctor, I think you two could stand to eat a little healthier..." Scully said in her best stern Doctor voice "and something tells me that we'll be celebrating with far too much artery clogging junk food later" she finished with a full face grimace.

She had tried to get them both to eat healthier over the years but it usually failed after a few days and a lot of whining... from Mulder. William enjoyed food as much as she did, so he would give in quickly after she'd threaten "bed without dinner".

"You would be correct, babe!" Mulder winked.

Scully opened the refrigerator again, bending down to grab the containers of various fruit and a big tub of bee pollen yogurt. Mulder took the opportunity to gently slap her arse, as he walked past, which caused her to gasp.

"Mulder!" Scully admonished, quietly, placing the yogurt and fruit on the countertop so she could get some bowls for them to use. Mulder tried to suppress a giggle while pouring some iced tea into a tall glass, and just grinned at her in response.

"What's on, Will?" Mulder asked, as he joined his son on the couch while Scully got a light breakfast ready for them.

"Powerpuff Girls!"

"Ooh fun! What's our favourite girl, Blossom, up to in this one? Kickin' serious ass - butt, kickin' serious butt is she?" Mulder corrected himself, praying Scully hadn't heard his curse word slip up. He still wasn't sure how ass was a naughty word but respected her desire for William not to use certain words, whether or not he thought they were good or bad wasn't the point.

"Blossom didn't want to hurt the bigfoot but Buttercup knocked the him out anyways, that's why he's asleep on the couch. They think he's Uncle Eugene!" William quickly informed his father.

"Hey, Scully... there's a freaking Sasquatch in this cartoon!"

"Well, it is a kids TV show" Scully deadpanned, as she collected three small bowls out of the cupboard for their light breakfast.

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means, Mulder!"

Mulder pulled William onto his lap, and whispered "It means, that mommy thinks daddy still acts like a kid" cuddling him closer. Will giggled and snuggled further into his fathers warm embrace.

Mulder brushed William's hair out of his face, kissing his temple and breathing him in; he remembered the night Scully went into labour and the moment - nine and a half hours later - when their son was born. The fleeting thought of having another child entered his mind just as Ishmael suddenly jumped up onto the couch next to them, curling up into a comfortable position in the spot that was previously taken by William, distracting him with low whines to be patted.

"Do you think I act like a kid, Will?" Mulder lifted up William's little legs, jiggling them jovially.

William thought about it for a second, tilted his head up to look at his father, his brows furrowed.

"Sometimes!"

Scully suddenly started laughing, as she spooned bee pollen yogurt into the bowls on the countertop, having heard Wiliam's honest reply to his father's question from her spot in the kitchen.

"Oh, is that right? Well, you guys are just plain mean!" Mulder sighed dramatically, feigning insult (proving Scully's point - that he really is just a big kid at heart).

William looked like him but he was more like Scully in personality, mood and cleverness and that meant Mulder was technically living with two Scully's and it was never fun they "ganged up" on him like this.

Scully placed the three bowls on placemats on the dining table, and said "Breakfast is served"

Mulder stood up, lifting William with him and tipped him backwards over his shoulder as he walked them both the few short steps over to the table just behind the living room couch.

"PUT ME DOWN!" William demanded, through fits of giggles.

Mulder tickled the backs of Will's knees, acquiescing when his he received a tiny fist to his lower back and swung him back over his shoulder, placing him down carefully on the chair at the head of the table, before taking the seat to the left of him.

"It looks delicious, Scully"

It did... even if Mulder wasn't completely convinced of it's ability to keep you healthy.

"And healthy for you!" Scully replied happily, as she slid side plates beside their bowls with pieces of melon on it, sitting down to the right of William and across from Mulder.

Scully carefully scooped some muesli (from a small side dish, that was between them on the table) into her yogurt and then sprinkled in whole blueberries and cut up bits of strawberries (from another, slightly bigger, side dish) and did the same with William's before offering the fruit and muesli to Mulder who picked up some strawberries and plopped them into his bowl.

"Mmm..." Mulder enthused, as he had a big mouthful.

William looked over at his father, dubiously, before eating a spoonful of the yogurt mix.

"Yuck!" Will sputtered out, face scrunched up in disgust, dropping his spoon back into the bowl.

Mulder stared across the table at Scully, unblinking and hoping she wouldn't take it personally.

To Scully's credit, she ignored the reaction and continued eating her yummy and healthy breakfast.

"I think we should go somewhere nice for lunch to celebrate..." Mulder suggested, grabbing Scully's hand across the dining room table, leaning forward and kissing the inside of her right wrist in an attempt at an apology for their sons actions "Sorry, babe. What do you think, Will?"