Hanging up the phone after ending her call with Rachel, Scully sighs heavily before picking up the living room. Between her own thoughts and her babies, Scully gets barely any sleep that night. Just as she dozes off, Scully hears the front door open. Getting out of bed, Scully thinks Chloe is home, but she grabs for her gun anyway. Since the last break in, Scully keeps her gun in a safe in her room. Tiptoeing down the stairs, Scully sees a man going through the living room. Pointing her gun at him, she states, "I need you to leave."
When the man says nothing in response, Scully states, "If you wake my children, I will shoot you."
Monica who had been in the study sleeping comes in the room just then and points her gun as well. Knowing he is surrounded, the intruder leaves hoping he got what he came for in the first place.
"You okay?" Monica asks her friend. Nodding, Scully's shoulder's sag as she lowers her gun and puts the safety back on. Sitting on the bottom steps of her stairs, Scully puts her gun to the side and bursts into tears. Now thankful for Chloe running away, Scully wonders how she is going to keep protecting her children.
"Get some sleep, Dana. We can figure this out in the morning," Monica reassures adding, "I'll make a sweep around the house and lock back up."
Too tired to argue, Scully simply nods before heading up the stairs.
The next morning, Scully wakes up with the babies and brings them downstairs to the kitchen after changing them. Setting them up in their high chairs and food, Scully makes breakfast for her and Monica who stumbles in the room once bacon starts cooking. Handing her friend a cup of coffee, Scully grabs the eggs out of the fridge as William starts to cry.
"I've got him," Monica states helping the baby out of the highchair and burping him.
"How do you like your eggs?" Scully asks as her daughter continues to play with the cheerios on her tray.
"However is fine," Monica answers noticing Scully deflecting about last night's attack. After a moment, Monica asks her friend, "Are you okay?"
Adding eggs to their plates with toast and the bacon, Scully answers, "I don't know. I'm still trying to process everything."
The rest of breakfast is silent by the adults in the room. At some point Audrey ends up on Scully's lap stealing what eggs are left on her plate. After breakfast, the women contact Langley, Byers, and Frohike and ask them to come over.
"We need better security," Scully tells the men once they are at her house smirking as Byers holds William in his arms playing with him. Nodding, Frohike answers, "We can do that. Can you tell me anything about the man?"
Shaking her head, Scully answers, "He was in shadow. I do know he was about six feet tall."
"I sent fingerprints for analysis," Monica pipes up adding, "I did a sweep of the place once Scully went back to sleep."
Mouthing a thank you to her friend, Scully hears Audrey on the baby monitor and goes to check on her.
"What really happened?" Byers asks Monica once Scully is out of ear shot. Explaining the break in, Monica adds, "She's really upset, though. She's watching Audrey and William more careful than usual. Chloe's been at a friend's all weekend."
Nodding, Frohike states, "I'll see what security we can add, but I don't think it will help."
"What do you mean it won't help?" Scully asks at the bottom of the stairs with Audrey on her hip.
"I mean, that Mulder may be in deeper trouble than we think if people are getting to you all so easy," Langley answers her already making a mental list to check the house for better locks. After a moment, Langley asks trying to lighten the mood, "What if we booby trapped the house like in that Home Alone movie?"
This question dissolves the group into a light argument adding a little levity to the weekend. Sunday afternoon, Scully is feeding William when Monica comes over as her night security. The locksmith will come on Monday to change the locks, but Scully is fully aware that locks will not help them in the long run. Looking at the clock, Scully asks Monica, "Do you mind staying with the kids while I get Chloe?"
Eager to spend time with her honorary niece and nephew, Monica agrees hoping Chloe and Scully can work out their problems.
Seeing Chloe's car when she gets to the apartment complex, Scully sighs knowing she will not be able to force Chloe to talk to her. Checking her makeup, Scully gets out of the car and heads to Rachel and Adam's apartment.
"Hi Rachel," Scully greets when the door opens.
"Hey Dana. Chloe's in the other room."
With a heavy sight, Scully answers, "Good, I guess."
Letting Scully in, Rachel asks if she wants to talk. Debating on talking to her friend, Scully finally agrees having no other friends with teenage daughters. Following Rachel inside, Scully asks, "Where are Adam and the boys?"
"He took them on a camping trip with their grandparents."
"I'm sorry," Scully apologizes wishing her daughter had not interrupted a mother daughter night.
"It's okay. I know Chloe's having a hard time dealing with Mulder's case."
Letting out a small laugh, Scully answers, "We all are. Audrey and William don't notice too much, but with the holidays coming up, I hate to have pictures without Mulder in them."
Nodding, Rachel asks, "Would you like to have Thanksgiving dinner with us?"
Noticing Chloe coming out of Anna's bedroom, Scully answers, "I'll let you know."
Turning to where Scully looks, Rachel asks Anna to help her start dinner.
"I was just going to get cereal," The teen answers. Giving Anna a pointed look, Rachel states, "Kitchen."
Rolling her eyes, Anna follows, but gives her friend a reassuring glance. Shifting, Chloe greets Scully, but both know they cannot have the conversation they want at this apartment. Sternly, Scully answers, "Meet me at our apartment in half an hour."
"It's Dad's apartment," Chloe answers bitterly. Nodding, Scully answers, "Half an hour."
Alone with her daughter in Mulder's apartment, Scully asks cooly, "Could you please tell me what you stormed out of the house for?"
Chloe shrugs not wanting to face her feelings with her mother. Her dad is gone because her mom let him go. Her father is off on another crusade and it is all Scully's fault. Finally, Scully states, "Fine, don't tell me, but I do not appreciate your running away from me."
"You let Dad," Chloe mumbles. Wondering if she hears Chloe correctly, Scully asks the teen to repeat herself. A little louder, Chloe answers, "You let Dad. He left because you let him. I know he said it wasn't because of me, and I believe him."
"You think your dad left because I let him?" Scully asks incredulously, "I fought for your dad to stay. Do you know how many times I've had this fight with him? How many years I've tried to make him stay? How many times I've tried to tell him to stay because of his daughter? Chloe, you do not understand what is happening. If I could have kept him here, I would."
Scoffing, Chloe answers, "I'm not stupid, Mom. I know what Dad is like! Don't think he wasn't leaving before you came along. Do you know how often I stayed with Frohike and the boys? With a babysitter? And then you came along and-"
Chloe stops. She is not in the mood to explain how she thinks Scully and her siblings would keep her dad at home for good, how life will be good for her siblings at least. Instead, Chloe remarks more to herself than to her mom, "He wants to keep us safe."
Hearing those words, Scully immediately remembers the break in. The second break in that she is thankful, again, that Chloe was not home to witness. After a few more moments of silence, Scully states, "Monica is with your siblings. Please come home safe."
Going to give her daughter a kiss on the cheek good-bye, Scully is upset as Chloe shifts away. Leaving the apartment, Scully makes her way to her care upset again that Mulder is not there with her. Explaining this to Monica when she gets home, Scully asks, "Is there any way I can see him?"
"Maybe we should call The Gunmen for that?" Monica suggests.
Scully meets up with Mulder a week later siting a work trip. She hates not bringing the kids, but wants to make sure they are safe and she is not headed into a trap. Entering the room that Scully is directed to, Scully immediately walks toward her partner as Mulder immediately stands up. Embracing, Mulder is the first to pull away only so he can take Scully's face in his hands and study her.
"Are you okay?" he asks having been informed about the break in. Scully nods before adding after Mulder asks about them, "The kids are okay."
The couple only has fifteen minutes, so their time together is both brief and watched. Monica is keeping look out. When their time is up, Mulder and Scully share one more kiss before Scully and Monica get in the car to leave. Scully cries the whole way home.
Getting home that night, Scully makes her way up the stairs after locking up and looks in on each of her children stopping a little longer at Chloe's room. She hates how much Mulder's crusade is affecting the teenager. They start slipping into old patterns with Chloe volunteering to look after her siblings, and Scully often refuses. Not tonight though, and Scully hates that she cannot explain to Chloe why. Heading to bed, Scully ends up falling asleep in her clothes, Mulder's scent still on them.
As Scully makes breakfast the next morning after getting everyone up and ready, Scully listens and watches her children together. Chloe is laughing at something William does as Audrey asks for Scully's attention. Picking up her daughter, Scully holds her as she finishes breakfast before asking Chloe, "Do you have any fun plans for the weekend?"
Shrugging, Chloe answers, "I guess. Seeing a movie, maybe?"
Chloe honestly has no idea what she will be doing, but will happy to be away from her mom for a while. Before her mom can ask anything else, Chloe gets up and states that she is headed to school.
"I love you!" Scully calls out just as the door slams. Once she sees Chloe is safely down the road through the kitchen window, Scully looks back at her youngest two and realizes she may have to make the biggest decision of her life.
Meeting with Monica in the office that day during her lunch break, Scully tells her, "I think I have to hide them."
"What?" Monica asks trying to process what she just hears. Sighing, Scully states, "Someone has tried attacking my home two times now, and I'm afraid they will hurt the kids. I've thought about it and I think the best solution is to hide them with someone."
"Like who?"
"I don't know," Scully answers putting her head in her hands. "I can't think of anyone I trust enough with them besides my mom. I can't put her in danger though, or through the stress of watching two babies."
"I can keep them," Monica suggests as her friend stares at her in shock. Shaking her head, Scully states, "I can't ask you to do that."
Sitting Chloe down later that night once the teen gets home, Scully and Monica inform her of the most recent break-in. Surprised, Chloe asks for more details and why she was never told.
"I was trying to protect you," Scully states adding, "Which is why I've made the decision to put everyone in hiding."
"Hiding? Mom, what's going on?"
Sensing the mounting tension, Monica explains, "Your Dad is after a very powerful man, Chloe. Unfortunately, that man is trying to make your Dad's mission as hard as possible. We want to counter attack."
"So, me, Audrey, and William are decoys?" Chloe asks trying to make sense of what she is hearing.
"That's what I'm trying to avoid," Scully answers wondering how to phrase the next part of her statement. After a moment, Scully explains, "I've decided to hide you and your siblings."
"Hide?" Chloe questions still unwilling to comprehend what is happening. Being the daughter of Fox Mulder has many advantages. Smarts and intuition are two examples. Chloe is well aware that her father is reckless and often left her and Scully, but the teen wonders if feeling a sense of security is foolish.
"I thought Dad would be better than this," Chloe mumbles before asking, "Would I be hiding with the babies?"
Shaking her head, Scully answers, "Monica and I talked it over. We want to hide you all seperately."
"What if I took them both? Into hiding."
"You can't do that Chloe. None of you would be safe," Scully answers sternly, but gently. Shaking her head, Chloe hates the idea of them all being abandoned adding, "I can take care of them."
Wondering why her daughter feels so protective over her siblings, and a little too tired to figure out why, Scully answers, "You are not taking your siblings. You are not their mom."
"Somebody has to be since you don't seem to be doing such a good job right now," Chloe yells effectively silencing her mother. Pursing her lips, Scully notes icily, "I think we need to stop this before I say something that I will regret."
Turning away from her daughter, Scully wills herself not to cry. She will not be defeated by a seventeen year old. Going into the kitchen, Scully decides to vent her anger with the dishes that are currently in the sink. She is unaware of her daughter leaving until she hears tires tear through the drive. Taking a deep breath, Scully lets her tears fall while she washes off the next dish.
Hours later, Chloe comes home to find her mother asleep on the sofa with Audrey asleep on her chest. Gently waking her mother, Chloe heads upstairs to get ready for bed. Turning out the light in her room and curling up under the blankets, Chloe is annoyed when she cannot get to sleep. Finally, the teen goes into her mom's room and crawls into bed with her. Waking slightly, Scully shifts over just a little and mumbles her daughter's name.
"Sorry, Mom," Chloe whispers.