A/N: Sorry for the delay! I'm finishing up college this week and then I will be free to update more often! I many ideas and I want to get the ball rolling with this.

Chapter 6

Mulder was downstairs when suddenly several shots were fired in the middle of talking with the Van De Kamps. He rushed over to Mr. Van De Kamp when he saw blood ooze from his chest. His wife screamed ran from the room. He was torn between staying near the man's side and getting to Scully.

He had to get to her. "Scully!" he screamed. He couldn't get up the stairs fast enough before he saw her lying on the ground lifeless near a petrified William. Everything was happening so fast that his mind was spinning. The last thing he could recall was tackling the assailant to the floor.

"Mulder!" he heard John's voice projecting up the stairs.

"Call 911!" he screamed.

Once those words were spoken, his mind disappeared from the reality of the events happening around him. He pulled Scully into his arms and held her, hoping and praying that she and the baby would be okay.

Scully had woken to a brightly lit room. Her arm was attached to an IV and she could see there was a fetal monitor strapped to her stomach. A hospital? Why was she here? Was something wrong with the baby? The screen next to her showed a strong heartbeat next to her own and she sighed with relief. Seeing Mulder slumped over in a chair, sound asleep placated her….until earlier events brought her to a start. "Mulder…Mulder, why am I here? Where's William?" Mulder was startled from his slumber, but instantly at her side. "Scully, it's okay. You're okay and William is okay, he's with Agent Doggett."

"Oh," she whispered as she lay back against the bed. The last thing she remembered was talking with William and then her mind drew a blank. "You do a have a mild concussion though, so they're keeping you here for a night or two to make sure everything is okay." When he said those words, Scully knew he meant it was because of the baby. "You were knocked unconscious, but you protected William."

"Who did this?" she whispered, her free hand coming to rest on her belly. "We're not sure, the man who attacked you and Agent Reyes has been taken into custody."

"What? Is she okay?"

"Slight concussion, but she's doing fine."

He held her hand as she closed her eyes, trying to process what happened. "And the adoptive family?"

He sighed. "They were killed, shot point blank while I was in the room with them…before I got to you. The same people that got them were also following Doggett and Reyes. I'm sure it was a group effort."

"Oh my god…Mulder, we…we shouldn't have come," tears welled in her eyes at the thought of her selfish desires bringing other people harm, especially the people who took care of William for so long. The people who raised him until this point. How were they going to explain all of this to him?

He moved closer and gently caressed her cheek. "Scully…if we didn't get there when we did, they would have taken William or worse," he didn't want to think about that last part.

Scully nodded, although she knew these people would still be alive if they weren't involved with raising their son…a decision she had made to protect him.

Minutes later, a doctor appeared in the room instructing that she stay the night for some further tests before being released the following morning.

Later that night, Mulder peered in through the window of Scully's room to see that she was resting peacefully. Skinner had approached him saying that there legal arrangements that needed to be taken care of before they could return home regarding William.

"The cause of death is still under investigation and I'm sure there was more than just one man after you both, so I suggest you return home sooner than later."

"And William?"

"We still have to get temporary custody granted to you both in order to bring him back with you and pending the results of the investigation, going to court to finalize custody will be necessary."

Mulder sighed. He was so overwhelmed with all of this and he wanted to chalk it up to being older, but he couldn't. "Will he be safe? Where will he stay while we're gone?"

Skinner looked down at the tiled floor and paced. "Agent Doggett and Agent Reyes will take care of William until he can come home with you both. I also think Scully's mother would like to see him."

Mulder nodded slowly, trying to process all of this. Mrs. Scully would be ecstatic to see her grandson again, as well as know she was expecting another grandchild. Scully hadn't need nor spoken to her mother much since the adoption and he blamed himself. He shouldn't have left and none of this would be happening.

"One thing sir, can you let me be the one to break the news to her?"

"Of course."