When she got to the X-Files office and found it locked she swore under her breath and looked at her watch. It was only six o'clock; it was unlike John and Monica to leave the office before this time. She knocked just to be sure there was no one inside, and then she heard the sound of hushed voices and movement. Scully knocked again and was startled by the speedy opening of the door. Despite having grown impatient at having to wait to be allowed inside she knew why the door had been locked and chose to ignore it, it was less embarrassing for all concerned if she left John and Monica's private life to them.
"Dana, is everything ok?"
"You mean since finding out I sent my son to live with a government employee and a super soldier? No, everything is not ok," John cursed himself for asking such a stupid question and Monica placed a supportive hand on his arm, it sent a warm shiver across his body and he was forced to think about how they'd spent their day. Monica stepped forward.
"Were you able to find anything out today? We called you at work and when they said you were sick we guessed you were taking time to look into M F Luder."
"I took the day to figure out what I'm supposed to do and how much of this is all true. I sent the envelope my letter from the Van de Kamps came in to the lab and had it tested for DNA. The saliva on the envelope is unidentifiable and male or female, but has high traces of iron in it."
"So the father … he's a super soldier, like Mulder said."
"I think it's safe to say at this point that he was telling the truth, but mentioning his name is more of a risk than I'd like us to take at this point."
"You think there are people listening down here?" Scully looked at John as if he'd just asked whether the number three came after two.
"There are always people listening Agent Doggett, especially down here," Scully sat down at the computer the messages from Mulder had been received on the night before. "There was a finger print on the envelope that I managed to ID as Mrs. Van de Kamp, although that's obviously not her real name. Irene Netting, works for a branch of government that I've been refused access to, which is what I'm hoping with your resources here you can find out," as Scully tapped away on the computer keyboard John sighed and looked at Monica.
"Dana, you know we'll do whatever we can to help, we want William safe just as much as you do, but I don't think that the three of us should take this on alone. We need…"
"Back up? Help? Someone to get our backs?" John sat down on the edge of his desk, "we don't have that luxury John, if you don't want to help me that's fine, you've already done more than I could ever repay you for trying to keep my family safe …"
"It's not a question of wanting or not wanting to help Dana, I wouldn't even think about turning my back on you and William, or Mulder," Scully looked up from the screen and took in what John had said, it was a big deal that he wanted to protect Mulder as well as her and William. He'd said that to get her attention. "I just don't want anyone else to get hurt, not again. We'll do this, but then it has to be over, you and your family can't hide anymore, we have to finish it."
"I hate to make things seem simple or less complicated than I understand them to be," Monica had stood up to talk, not wanted Scully to throw John's offer of help back in his face. "But has anyone considered just contacting the adoption agency and telling them to check up on William and the Van de Kamps?"