Back in D.C., Mulder and Scully are home trying to put finishing touches on the baby's nursery. With less than a week until the newest baby is born, Mulder has been spending most of his time hanging decorations while Scully washes and puts away baby clothes. Sitting in the living room folding clothes while keeping an eye on Audrey, Scully is not exactly in a postion to jump up and answer the phone when it rings. Mulder, walking through the living room to ask Scully a question about the nursery, is closest and picks up the receiver on the third ring. Answering the phone, Mulder's face pales while Scully watches in concern.
"That was Janelle Hammond, one of the teachers on the trip. Chloe's missing?" He states, not sure if he heard correctly.
"What?" Scully yells wondering how this could have happened. Helping his partner up from the couch, Mulder can see the fear in her eyes.
"Get on the phone with the Gunmen, see if they know where Chloe is," Mulder states trying to figure out the next logical step. The only thing going through his mind is finding his daughter. As he begins to leave he hears Scully asks what he is doing.
"I'm going to find her," Mulder states hoping his voice does not break with emotion. Before anything else can be said, the phone rings again. Answering, Scully finds the Gunmen on the other line giving her GPS coordinates on Chloe. Mulder simply stands silent until Scully hangs up. Holding the cooridnates in her hand, Scully announces to Mulder that she will be joining him.
"No. I need you to stay with Audrey. Besides, you're too close to your due date. What do you think would happen if you went into labor on the road?"
Resigning, Scully nods knowing Mulder is right. Instead Scully makes sure to get Mulder's jacket, a bag of sunflower seeds, a cell phone charger, and to call and books a flight to Georgia while Mulder packs his suitcase. If she cannot be there, Scully is going to make sure Mulder has the fastest route to getting their daughter safely home.
As the car drives around, Chloe realizes quickly that she will not be able to escape. Drawing on all the knowledge she has learned being the daughter of FBI agents, Chloe tries to keep a level head even once the car stops. Taken out of the car by her captor's henchmen, her blindfold is only removed once she is lead into a room. Taking in her surroundings, Chloe is immediately aware of how nice the room is. A bedroom in a nice home, Chloe wants to ask what type of kidnapping this is but keeps silent. She also notes there are no windows.
"Do you know who I am?" The smoking man asks. Nodding, Chloe answers, "Vaguely."
Lips curling, CSM explains cryptically, "I am a close relation to your father."
Scoffing, Chloe looks away and focuses on the bedroom wallpaper. It may be a nice room, but the wallpaper is hideous.
"We eat at seven p.m. sharp," CSM tells her before leaving the room and locking the door. Hearing the click, Chloe analyzes the bedroom and finds a bathroom. Washing off, Chloe tries to determine what CSM's game is and how to properly play it. From stories Chloe has overheard her parents talk about, Chloe knows her kidnapper is not to be trusted.
Sick with worry after Mulder leaves, Scully makes sure to keep herself busy. She calls her mother to ask her to come over trying to figure out the best way to break the news to her. Instead, Scully has her mother keep her and Audrey company while completing the nursery. As Maggie rocks Audrey and reads her a book, she asks, "Where's Mulder."
Immediately clutching a toy rabbit she is holding, Scully answers evenly, "He's getting Chloe."
"In Atlanta?" Maggie questions wondering what the teenager has done. Teasingly asking, Maggie is surprised by the panicked look in her daughter's eyes. Tentatively, Maggie says her daughter's name before watching Scully break down sobbing. Placing a disgruntled Audrey down on the floor in order to cradle her own daughter as she cries, Maggie gets the gist of the story through Scully's wracking sobs.
At dinner, Chloe sits silently wondering if she needs to even eat the food in front of her in case it is poisoned. There is very little talking done from Chloe as she only half listens to what the smoking man tells her about her father's work. Only when he mentions Chloe's middle name being Samantha does she pay attention.
"You know your father had a sister named Samantha," CSM states. "You were named after her weren't you?"
Chloe nods remembering to stay as guarded as possible. CSM soon adds, "I knew her, you know? She served me well all those years. Very compliant."
Knowing his last remark is CSM's way of making sure she is compliant, Chloe finally asks bluntly, "What do you want with me?"
He grins at her again. Uncomfortably, Chloe listens to the reason. Puffing on a cigarette, CSM explains, "Your father has information for me. Information that you are aware of. You are supplying me with answers. After that, I will let you go."
"Why not let me go now? I have nothing of value to you," Chloe replies hoping he will not hurt her for the remark. Instead, CSM chuckles maliciously before going back to his dinner.
Chewing mindlessly on sunflower seeds a majority of the flight, Mulder wracks his brain trying to figure out his next step hoping whoever kidnaps Chloe does not hurt her. Glancing at the coordinates in his hand, Mulder hopes his daughter's locket is enough to save her. He refuses to think of anything worse. Touching down in Atlanta, his first call from a payphone is to Scully. When Maggie answers, he is immediately on edge. Asking about his partner, Maggie reassures him that Scully is fine. Running his hand down his face, Mulder thanks Maggie before hanging up and calling the Gunmen. Renting a car, Mulder continually keeps in contact with the men driving to wherever the coordinates lead him.
Chloe watches CSM as he smokes his newest cigarette having no idea what his intentions are. Being blindfolded in a car, left in an isolated room with a guard, stuck in a tense dinner, and now sitting inside a study that has been locked to keep her from leaving, Chloe is still surprised he has not phyiscally hurt her yet. Despite these setbacks, Chloe is confident he will not do too much. CSM barely gets near her.
"Miss Mulder," The man drawls. "I need you to tell me what I asked."
Sick of this man and his holier than though attitude, Chloe knowingly remarks, "What did you ask?"
Turning to face her, CSM slams the table. Staring eye to eye now, Chloe has to keep from choking on the cigarette smoke that radiates into her eyes and nose as her kidnapper almost spits his next sentence.
"You will answer me. I have ways of making people talk."
Officially scared, Chloe straightens up before mumbling, "I don't know."
She wants to cry.
Maggie leads Scully to her room to get some rest knowing this stress is not good for her or the baby. After getting Audrey to sleep, Maggie makes her way to the master bedroom. Checking on her daughter, Maggie is about to leave when Scully calls out for her. Sitting beside her on the bed, Maggie strokes her daughter's hair hoping she will get some sleep. A few minutes later, Scully asks, "Mom? Do you think she's going to be okay?"
"Yes, Dear, I do. She's a fighter just like you are. Your daughter will make it okay," Maggie reassures her. If Dana can come back from being kidnapped, so can Chloe. She only hopes Fox Mulder can find his daughter in time.
It takes Mulder into the next day to find the area he needs only to get a call from the gunmen that Chloe's location changed again. Frustrated, Mulder pulls over to the side of the road to regroup. Taking five minutes, Mulder sighs heavily before taking out his phone and placing a call to home. He talks to Scully for a brief moment before he makes a U-turn and heads in almost the opposite direction following the Gunmen's new directions.
Maggie stays with her daughter to keep an eye on her. Knowing exactly how her daughter feels, Maggie lets Scully do whatever she needs to do to stay calm. Mostly, it means letting Scully clean the house and make sure the nursery is in order. Maggie lets her not willing to chide Scully on doing too much even if she thinks she is. The phone rings at around one in the morning waking both Maggie and Scully. Scully takes the call and just as quickly hangs up. Entering the guest room, Scully tells her mom that they need to head to her apartment.
"At one in the morning?" Maggie asks groggily. Scully nods. Mulder insists someone is after her now and is supposed to take Audrey and Maggie to her old apartment for safety. Scully feels selfish as she makes an excuse about being restless and needing to be somewhere else. When her mom agrees, Scully kisses her on the cheek before packing a bag for herself and Audrey. As they leave, Scully double checks what else she may need before her mother drives them all to D.C. proper. Noticing her daughter's discomfort in the car, Maggie asks if she is alright. Nodding, Scully answers, "Just uncomfortable."
What Scully refuses to tell her mother is she is pretty sure she is having contractions.
After a night's sleep, Chloe finds herself blindfolded again and taken to a new location. This time she makes sure to have a good guess at where they take her. Not knowing the area, Chloe is aware that it is near a highway judging by the cars on the road. When the car stops, Chloe hopes they will take the blindfold off. Instead, she feels a hand at her neck and tenses. Still unable to see, Chloe can smell the cigarette smoke surrounding her as CSM examines her locket. Opening the necklace and finding a picture of Mulder and Scully, CSM has to laugh at the relationship. Chloe hears the click of the locket just as her captor mumbles something about "Happy Families" in a mocking tone. The next thing the teen is aware of is a rag over her face.
In her old apartment that is technically still hers until the end of May, Scully settles Audrey in Chloe's old room before telling her mom to take the bed and get some sleep.
"I'll be packing things up in the kitchen," Scully tells her unable to sleep. Tired, Maggie kisses her daughter on the cheek before going to bed. Less than half an hour later, Scully hears a faint knock on the door and only opens when she sees Monica on the other side through the peephole. Letting her inside, Scully massages a part of her lower back and quickly notices Monica eyeing her suspiciously.
"I'm fine," Scully dismisses knowing she will have hours until this baby is born. Changing the topic, she asks Monica if Mulder tells her anything.
"He told me to keep you all safe. How far apart are they?"
"A good few hours. This is the first one I've had since we left the house," Scully answers watching Monica survey the apartment. Realizing what Monica is looking for, Scully explains that the apartment is not bugged. Shoulders lowering in relief, Monica settles in to helping Scully with whatever she needs. After an hour, Monica tells Scully she will keep watch and to go to sleep. Deciding not to argue knowing she will not get much sleep soon, Scully agrees. Checking on her daughter, Scully heads to bed.
Waking up, Chloe takes a minute to take in her surroundings. Aware that she is lying on grass, the teen is shocked by the sound of a car whizzing by. When she sits up, Chloe takes a moment before wandering in search of a pay phone. Finally finding one, Chloe quickly dials her father's number, leaves a brief message regarding her location, and hangs up. Knowing she needs to stay in one location, the teen notices a nearby bench and waits. It's only there on the bench she starts to shake, her hands sweating, the teen decides to curl up in a ball as her heart rate increases. A few minutes later, Chloe's heart rate calms, but the tears begin to flow as she wonders if her dad will ever find her.
Three hours later, Chloe watches a car driving slowly down the road as if scoping the area. Sitting up, the teen watches the car slow down. When her father pulls up to the curb, Chloe watches him get out, slam the door shut, and run up to her. Taking her face in his hands, Mulder studies his daughter's features for traces of drugs or harm and most importantly to make sure she is actually alive. Repeating her name as if it is a mantra, Mulder finally hugs his daughter to him before ushering her into the car.