A/N: I am rating this chapter as "Eh, not your best" because it's a transition and I don't know how it's going to go. I have no end for this story in mind, and I don't know how long it will be. Some guidance there would be very welcomed, all ideas taken into consideration. Also I just noticed that I switch back and forth between calling Doggett by his last name and first. Grrr, sorry about that. At least you know who I mean. Also, I'm not 100 percent sure what Monica's middle name was, but the one I gave her was a trivia question... not sure when they said it in the show, but I like it so I'm using it. That my friends, is what I like to call literary freedom.

Mulder sat in the back seat on the way from the Hoover Building to Doggett's house. It was just starting to dawn on him that Scully not only had a life outside of him, but actually enjoyed her life. She talked to Doggett like he was a brother, looked at Skinner like a father. She had a family, a support group, people who understood her better than her real family probably ever would. Maybe she didn't need him anymore. They'd always been together, the two of them against the world, clinging to each other. But now... she'd moved on.

"Mulder, are you coming in?" she asked. He looked up to see that they had arrived at John and Monica's.

"Oh, uh... I don't know."

"Monica would like to see you I'm sure," John offered congenially.

"Alright."

The trio headed to the house and when John opened the door all the kids ran towards him.

"Daddy!" his four kids shouted, pushing each other aside to get to him first.

"Mom!" Joshua and Hannah said, equally as loud, but reaching their mother at the same time with minimal pushing.

Mulder just stood there on the threshold of the house, not sure what to do or where he fit. Monica fixed that problem by giving him a quick hug. She's always had a soft spot for him.

"Why Fox Mulder, you're getting gray hair."

"That's a real nice way to welcome a guy, Mon," John teased. Mulder just shrugged.

"Monica, you don't look a day over 25."

"You lie through your teeth."

Mulder looked around at the four Doggett children, 2 of which had been born while he was gone. Savannah Katherine was the oldest. She was named after Scully and about 3 days older than Hannah. No one had meant for their names to rhyme, and Scully and Monica hadn't discussed their names before their births. Coincidentally, Hannah had Monica's middle name, Julietta. The families had been close, and the girls thought it was special that their names rhymed. Cadence Louise had been born 2 years after the girls, and when Mulder left, she'd barely been walking. Next in line were the boys, who John had informed him were 2 and 1, and named Zachary Jay and Jackson Thomas respectively. All four kids had their father's blue eyes, but looked for all the world like their mother in every other way.

"You guys want to stay for coffee?" Monica asked.

"No, I've got to get the kids home and to bed. I didn't realize how late it was."

Joshua and Hannah both geared up to whine, but shut their mouths after a stern look from their mother.

"Anyway, thanks for watching the kids, Monica. I appreciate it."

"It was no problem. Joshua even changed a diaper."

"Is that right?"

"Well it stunk! Someone had to do it!" he exclaimed, crossing his arms over his chest. Scully and Monica laughed.

"Okay monkeys, let's get out of here. I'll call you tomorrow, Mon."

"Looking forward to it."

The two women shared a look and Scully ushered her kids out the door and towards the car. John walked Mulder out and shook his hand almost awkwardly.

"We are glad you're back. Evens the playing field between men and women."

"Sorry I left you in the lurch there."

He laughed.

"I held my own."

Mulder smiled and headed for the car.

"Mommy, do we have to go straight to bed when we get home? You said we could play a game today and we didn't."

"I'm sorry, Hanny. We'll play a game tomorrow, I promise."

"I want Chutes and Ladders and Candyland. Okay?"

"Alright."

"Mom, what are we doing tomorrow?"

"I'm not sure. You guys need to do your homework, and we need to go grocery shopping. Other than that the day is open."

"Can we go visit the cemetery?"

"If you want to."

"I do. We'll have to stop at the flower store. The flowers in our backyard aren't good enough for Grandma."

Mulder turned to look at Scully.

"Mom died last year," she explained, her voice low.

"How?"

"Old age. She went in her sleep."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. Her arthritis was getting really bad and she was thinking about selling the house. She was old, Mulder. I didn't realize how old she was. And how much of that was my fault."

He wanted to reach over and hold her hand, but the closest one was gripping the steering wheel. He touched her shoulder gently instead, and she flinched under his hand. He removed it quickly, realizing too late that it was too soon.

"I'm okay, Mulder."

He nodded and slunk back to his side of the car.

"Um... daddy?" came the tinkling voice from the backseat.

"Yes, Hannah?"

"Are you going to sleep at our house tonight?"

"If mommy lets me."

"Of course he's staying, Hannah."

"For real?" Joshua asked, staring out the window.

"Yeah, for real."

"Okay."

Mulder sighed. Joshua wasn't cutting him any slack, and he had no idea where his son stood on the whole matter.

They arrived home several minutes later and the kids went up to their bedrooms to change their clothes.

"Would you like some tea, Mulder?"

"Sure, if it's not too much trouble."

"It's not."

He sat down and traced the wood grain on the table with his finger.

"Scully," he said, once she sat down. "I'm sorry for just kind of showing up. I totally disrupted your day and threw you off balance-"

"Mulder, it takes a lot more than that to throw me off balance."

"Does it?"

"Maybe not, but it's not like you being here is a bad thing. Yeah, some notice would have been nice, but I'm not really one to quibble over the details."

He grinned.

"Scully, I-"

"Mommy, can you come and tuck me in please?"

"Yeah Hannah, I'm coming."

She left the room, offering him a slightly apologetic look. He stood from the table and managed to make them each a cup of tea before his curiosity got the best of him. He went through the living room and down the hallway, standing in the shadows outside Hannah's bedroom. Scully was rocking Hannah to sleep, the way she had when Hannah was a baby. They two of them were talking softly and it wasn't too long before Hannah fell into a deep sleep. Mulder backed away from the door and went into the living room where he could sit on the couch and still get a pretty good idea of the nighttime rituals.

Scully came out of Hannah's room a moment later, then went across the hall to Joshua's room. From where he was sitting, Mulder could see Joshua in bed already. Scully kicked a pair of shoes out of the way.

"Sorry mom," Joshua said. She chuckled and lay down next to him, propping her head up on her elbow.

"Mom, is dad going to live here again?"

"I think so."

"Is he going to leave again?"

"No, buddy, he's not going to leave."

He sighed.

"What's the matter?" she asked, brushing his hair off his forehead.

"I just don't want you to be sad again, mom."

"I won't be, honey. I'm sorry I was so sad for so long. That wasn't fair to you guys."

"It's okay."

"Anything else you want to ask me?"

"Do you love dad?"

"Son, I love your dad very, very much. I always will. I always have."

"It's going to be weird for him to be here."

"I know. But it'll be good. Look, I know you're still mad at him, but I want you to try and forgive him, okay? He's a good man and he loves you and Hannah very much. I know that you might feel like he betrayed you, but he was just doing what he thought was best. So please don't give him a hard time."

"I'll try."

"Okay. Goodnight, bud."

"Night, mom. I love you."

"I love you too. Go to sleep."

She shut the door behind her, and joined Mulder in the living room, although not on the couch next to him.

"So..." she began suddenly uncomfortable.

"So..." he repeated.

They looked at each other. Never in their lives had they had this much trouble starting a conversation.

"Where have you been?" she asked finally.

He let out a long sigh and told her the same thing he'd told John, with a few more details. She nodded as she listened as if she had predicted what he was going to say.

"Are you sure everything's going to be okay?" she asked when he was done.

"I'm as sure as I can be."

"That's enough for me."

The slipped into silence for a few moments, just looking at each other, trying to relearn their eye language. It was like they knew the right words but the dialects were different now.

"Scully, this would be a lot easier if you weren't all the way over there."

She smiled and looked away.

"Mulder, it's going to take some time with the kids, but it's also going to take some time with me. I would love to be able to just pick up where we left off, but I need to feel secure again. You're going to be sleeping on the couch for a while."

"I figured."

"I'm sorry. We've just got to ease into this life again."

"I know. It's like when one of us would go on a case without the other; it would take us like two weeks to hit our stride again. I'm definitely expecting this to take more time than that."

"We just have to relearn each other."

He nodded.

"It's definitely going to take some hard work and some time, but at least promise me it won't be close to 8 years this time."

She blushed and giggled.

"It won't. I promise."

"You're used to going to bed around the same time as the kids aren't you?"

"Yes."

"Go to bed. I'll be fine out here."

"Okay. Goodnight Mulder."

"Goodnight, Dana."

A/N II: Before anyone gets on my case, I just can't see her calling him Fox. Ew. And he's calling her Scully as a thing of comfort rather than a way to distance himself. I'll probably delve into that in later chapters, but that's enough explanation for now. Toodles.