Disclaimer: I don't own the X Files.

Note: Huge thanks to Kyouryoku Sensh for being my beta and reader! Hope you guys enjoy!

Headlights

A feeling of rare peace washed over Scully as she walked through the front door of the small country house she and Mulder owned.

Home.

It had never stopped being home, but it had been about a year since she had lived there and now William was there.

They were a family now. She knew it was a lot more complicated than that. There was pain and grief that came along with it but she couldn't help smiling when she saw Mulder and William sitting at the kitchen table completely enthralled in a game of Stratego.

They had not noticed her yet, so she stayed quiet for a moment and just enjoyed the scene before her.
It was a perfect case of nature vs. nurture to watch William with Mulder. He shared so many of Mulder's mannerisms that Scully would sometimes feel her heart clench when she saw them.

William looked up for a moment and brightened, "Dana!"

Scully smiled and walked into the kitchen to give him a kiss on the head.

Mulder turned to smile at her, "How ya doin' doc?"

She rolled her eyes at him but smiled, "I am fine. Glad to finally be home."

It had been almost a week since she had slept anywhere but the hospital.

"We made dinner for you." Mulder said gesturing to the oven.

Scully looked at him and their son in surprise and went over to see what was in there.

She was surprised to find warming lasagna.

"Sorry we started without you but we were hungry after all that work." Mulder said with a smile in his voice.

"Thank you for saving some! I won't be poisoned, will I?" She asked eying the boys.

"If we poisoned you, who would get the groceries?" Mulder asked sarcastically and was rewarded with a swat to the head.

"I'm gonna change first and then eat. Be right back."

Scully smiled to herself. Mulder had cooked for her before when he would randomly get romantic, but for them it was usually frozen or boxed dinners. Mulder was never the most thoughtful person in the world, but when the mood struck him it was always a nice surprise.

Scully debated taking a shower, but put it off when she felt her stomach rumble. She threw on a pair of jeans and an old sweatshirt and went out to eat.

After dinner, they opened a tub of ice cream and watched the newest Star Wars (which Mulder had pre-ordered after seeing it for the third time).

William sat on the floor next to Dagoo eating strait out of the tub. Scully knew that they were spoiling him.

Mulder and Scully sat on the couch; Mulder's arm rested casually behind her as they ate from their own bowls of ice cream.

As the movie progressed, Scully found her eyes getting heavier and tried to stay awake, but the next thing she knew she was waking up in Mulder's arms as he carried her to their bed.

She closed her eyes and snuggled a bit in his chest.

The next time she woke up was not so pleasant. She heard William's screams before in her dreams, before she even woke up and as soon as she did, she was out of bed faster than she had ever been. She had a vague sense of Mulder following quickly behind her, but all her thoughts were on their son who was still crying out.

They entered to see him sitting up in bed with his hands on the back of his neck. Tears were running down his face and Scully could tell he was in pain, she could feel it. But not just as a mother feels her child's pain, she could actually feel the pain in the back of her neck as well. She was grabbing at the back of her neck and collapsing toward William when Mulder grabbed her up and brought her to the bed.

She could hear the sound of his voice, but couldn't register anything he said.

She knew that she was yelling in pain but she didn't couldn't tell if any of it was coherent.

Scully moved toward William with all the strength she had in her body, but fell across the bed before she could attend to him.
Mulder rushed to William and removed the boy's hands from his neck. She saw him blanch and look up at her in worry. He moved toward her and turned her so he could see her neck.

Scully could see his mouth moving, but didn't know what he was saying, so she just shook her head.

Mulder ran out of the room and came back with a cell phone to his ear. He paced the room and talked passionately into the phone. Scully felt reality slipping away and she grabbed for William's hand. The last thing she saw before the blackness came, was the flash of headlights roll through the dark room and Mulder turning in surprise.