Frohike put down the phone and rushed through to the next room to find Byers and Langley. He could barely contain himself when he spoke; his mind was already in gear to help put this plan into motion. Byers looked up from his newspaper as Frohike walked in, Langley didn't even notice him.
"Frohike? Everything ok?"
"We got a job, a thing, we gotta help him, we're back in the game, it's really him this time!" Langley was paying attention now; both he and Byers were looking at Frohike as if he'd gone quietly mad in the five minutes since they'd last spoken to him.
"Frohike? Have you been smoking something?"
"He better not, he won't have saved any to share."
"I've not been smoking anything punk ass, I was on the phone."
"Well that much we knew, from hearing it ring."
"It was Mulder!" Frohike smiled, now he had their attention.
"Where is he? Is he ok? What did he say? What does he need?"
"He's with Scully at her moms, he's back for William, we're going to get him back."
"When you say we?"
"All of us, team work, remember what that's like Byers? To be part of a team? To do something worth while?"
"So what does he want on our end?" Frohike smiled again.
"Good old fashioned computer hacking."
"Hacking? For what?"
"Adoption records my girlie haired friend. So move over, and let me at that thing. We got a little boy to help bring home."
Mulder and Scully were alone again. But now they were at her apartment. He'd questioned whether it was a good idea or not, he was more likely to be exposed at her apartment, but it wasn't fair on her mom to remain at her house, there was no point putting anyone in unnecessary danger. The drive had gone in silence, and now they were home the silence felt more awkward.
"Mulder…"
"It's ok."
"You don't even know what I was going to say."
"Sure I do," he grinned and Scully couldn't help but smile back. He walked over to her and kissed her softly and she sighed slightly against him. "You don't have to say anything."
"He made it sound so emotionless, it wasn't like that, I just knew there was no point wasting energy on a lost lead."
"I know. You did the right thing; no one will suspect you'll pursue another lead so vehemently after being told there was no way you could get him back," he pulled her close and hugged her tightly. "I missed you."
"I missed you too," a tear slid down Scully's cheek and she moved to wipe it away. Mulder looked down at her and cupped her face in his hands.
"It'll be ok, I promise."
"How?"
"We'll get him back."
"And then what? Say we're successful, say we bring him home. What happens after that? They'll come for him again, they'll come for you."
"They'll have me," Scully dropped her head and Mulder lifted up her chin softly. "It's ok; I know what I'm doing."
"I don't want to lose you again."
"Right now I'm not the one that matters. Offering me up in William's place is the only way we can do this. We'll worry about next when we're through that."
"There won't be a 'we' – I'll be alone again," Mulder shook his head.
"No. You'll never be alone. I would never let that happen, I don't care if it takes losing every limb on my body, or my sanity, or anything else they can take from me, I will never leave you alone," he kissed her again and then he slowly edged them both towards the bedroom.
He believed what he'd said to her, he would do whatever it took to get back, but in the even that he didn't. This could be their last night together. For good.