The soft glow of Christmas lights twinkled on the tree, casting a warm, festive atmosphere over the room. Mulder and Scully, a bit exhausted but full of excitement, were in the middle of decorating the tree. The triplets, now crawling around at lightning speed, were fascinated by the shiny ornaments hanging from the branches. Every so often, Mulder or Scully would pause to pick one of them up and show them a bauble, carefully letting their tiny hands touch the delicate decorations as they smiled at their daughters.
"Look at this one, Beatrice," Mulder said, holding up a delicate glass ornament. He smiled as she reached out with a curious hand, her eyes wide with fascination.
Scully was on the other side of the tree, carefully hanging a star-shaped ornament while Sabrina crawled over to her, giggling in her usual way. For a moment, there was peace—a perfect picture of a family coming together to create their first Christmas as a family of five. Then, all at once, Beatrice's joyful giggles turned into a piercing scream.
Mulder's head snapped around, heart pounding in his chest. Scully's reaction was immediate. Both of them rushed toward their daughter, who was writhing in pain on the floor, her little hands clutching her mouth.
"What's wrong? What happened?" Scully asked frantically, dropping to her knees beside Beatrice, who was still crying.
Mulder's eyes darted around the room, his mind racing. He had seen Beatrice with one of the glass baubles, but he hadn't realized she'd bitten into it. Scully's hands gently pried her tiny hands away from her mouth, and as she did, they saw the jagged edges of the ornament and blood on Beatrice's lips.
"Oh God," Mulder whispered, panic flooding his voice. He immediately grabbed his coat, moving toward the door. "Scully, we need to get her to the ER now."
Scully nodded, her face pale with fear as she scooped Beatrice up into her arms. Sabrina and Joanna, sensing their sister's distress, began crying loudly in sympathy, their wails echoing through the room. Mulder and Scully exchanged a brief, panicked look before Mulder grabbed the diaper bag and bundled the two other girls into the car seats.
The drive to the ER felt like it took an eternity. Scully sat in the back with Beatrice, whispering soft reassurances to her as Sabrina and Joanna continued to cry, their little faces red and tear-streaked. Mulder's grip on the steering wheel was white-knuckled as his eyes flicked nervously between the road and the rearview mirror.
"It's going to be okay, sweetheart," Scully whispered, her voice shaky but firm. "We're almost there." She tried to calm Sabrina and Joanna, reaching out to touch their hands briefly, but her focus was on Beatrice, who whimpered quietly in her arms.
When they arrived at the ER, Mulder practically jumped out of the car before it had even fully stopped, rushing to the back to help Scully with the triplets. Beatrice's cries had subsided to soft whimpers, but Sabrina and Joanna were still wailing as they were carried inside.
A nurse quickly ushered them into a treatment room, where Mulder and Scully worked together to comfort all three girls while the doctor examined Beatrice. Sabrina and Joanna clung to Mulder, their tiny fists clutching his shirt as he bounced them gently, murmuring soothing words. Scully stood close, her eyes never leaving Beatrice as the doctor worked.
After a tense few minutes, the doctor let out a small, relieved sigh. "Thankfully, there's no major injury to her gums or teeth," he said, his voice reassuring. "There are some cuts from the glass, but they're minor. We'll clean her up and get her comfortable. However," he added, "it's possible she may have swallowed some small pieces of glass. To be safe, you'll want to give her foods like sauerkraut, coleslaw, or mashed bananas. These can help envelop any shards and protect her digestive tract as they pass through."
Scully nodded, her mind racing as she took in the instructions. "Thank you," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.
After what felt like hours but was only a short time, the doctor returned with Beatrice, bandages gently placed on her little mouth. She was calm now, no longer in pain but still a bit shaken. Sabrina and Joanna had quieted down, sensing the calm return to their parents, and were snuggled against Mulder.
"She's fine," the doctor assured them again. "Just keep an eye on her for any signs of swelling or difficulty eating, and she should be back to her usual self in no time."
Scully closed her eyes for a moment, letting out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Mulder stood beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder, feeling the weight of her worry.
As Mulder, Scully, and their three daughters made their way down the long, sterile hospital corridor, the weight of the evening's events pressed heavily on them. Beatrice, now sound asleep in Mulder's arms, had finally calmed after the frightening trip to the ER. Scully walked beside him, her protective hand resting gently on Beatrice's tiny head while pushing the triple stroller with her other hand. Sabrina and Joanna were nestled within, their earlier tears replaced with the soft murmurs of sleep, though Scully's eyes flicked to them often, her nerves still raw.
They weren't prepared for the sudden encounter.
"Look who we have here," a raspy voice called from the shadows ahead. The family froze. The figure that emerged, dragging an oxygen tank behind him, was unmistakable.
Cigarette Smoking Man.
His gaunt face was even paler than usual, the oxygen tank attached to his face hissing softly with each shallow breath. He looked at them with a mixture of disdain and something darker—something Mulder couldn't quite place.
"It's the Mulder family," he said, his voice strained, each word seeming to cost him effort. He coughed lightly before continuing. "See, the Syndicate wanted to get rid of Agent Scully—twice. They tested the waters when she was abducted, then again by giving her cancer. They wanted to stop you, Mulder. They knew it would destroy you, leave you broken. But I voted against that. Couldn't stomach it. It would've turned you into a relentless martyr—one who wouldn't stop until every last one of us was hunted down."
Mulder stood still, his jaw tightening, eyes narrowing. Typical, he thought. Always finding some way to taunt us, always twisting the knife.
"Then we tried to turn things around, getting rid of you instead. However, you're both so dedicated to each other... Agent Scully came dangerously close to the truth trying to find out what happened to you when you were in the loony bin. But giving the ever-so-beautiful Agent Scully these babies... well," Cigarette Smoking Man said, exhaling a thin stream of smoke from the oxygen tank, "I feel like a Samaritan. You see, she's got the children she always wanted. And you've stepped up to be a father."
Mulder felt a wave of anger building inside him, but he kept his composure. His grip tightened slightly around Beatrice, and his other hand drifted to the handle of the stroller, where Sabrina and Joanna slept.
"Preoccupied with this new role," Cigarette Smoking Man continued, his words dripping with mockery, "so busy changing diapers and buying baby knickknacks from Craigslist, that aliens could have invaded Earth these past few months, and you wouldn't know because you were too busy being a father."
The bitter words stung, but they weren't enough to distract Mulder from the deeper implications of what was being said. The Syndicate had always had a hand in his life, always manipulating events from the shadows. But this... This was personal. They had taken something sacred—his family—and twisted it into a sinister game.
"Honestly, Mulder," the Smoking Man continued, leaning heavily on his oxygen tank, "neither of you even questioned it, when the court would hand them over so easily. As if that were proper procedure. But we knew she wouldn't turn them away, not with her sense of duty, her damnable compassion. It was almost too easy—the perfect Trojan horse."
Scully's lips tightened, but she refused to react outwardly.
"Even though I had my doubts about the timing," Cigarette Smoking Man admitted, his tone almost conversational now. "You and Scully hadn't quite gotten there yet, had you? But the Syndicate was right—of course you'd step up. You're so dedicated to her, Mulder. Even when you've been at odds, you'd never leave her hanging."
"And now," Cigarette Smoking Man added, his voice turning mocking again, "we get the medical reports on the world's first human clones firsthand through Agent Scully's meticulously set-up doctor's appointments, and you're out of our way. You're so wrapped up in your little family, you don't even realize we've won."
Then, like a thunderclap, something clicked in Scully's mind. She glanced sharply at Mulder. "The doctor," she whispered, her voice tight with realization.
Mulder froze, his thoughts snapping into focus. The doctor who had treated Beatrice had left the room with her for what had seemed an unnecessarily long time. At first, they'd dismissed it as a precaution, but his insistence on briefly checking Sabrina and Joanna too—despite there being no cause—had struck them both as strange. Now, it took on a far more menacing implication.
Cigarette Smoking Man smirked, his lips curling upward as he took another rasping breath. "It's a win-win, Mulder," he rasped, his eyes gleaming with malice.
Mulder's fists clenched. Scully moved closer, her protective instincts kicking in as she shielded the stroller with her body.
"And you think we don't see through your manipulations?" Scully's voice was quiet, but her words carried weight. "You think we'll just let you continue playing games with us?"
Cigarette Smoking Man chuckled darkly, a wheezing laugh that devolved into a violent cough. As the sound of his hacking echoed down the corridor, Mulder couldn't help but feel a twisted sense of satisfaction. This man was dying—whether by his own doing or something else, Mulder didn't know. But it didn't matter.
"Good luck, Mulder," Cigarette Smoking Man said, his voice tinged with venom. "You're out of our way now. A father to three little girls who will never know the truth. No matter what happens, we'll always be one step ahead of you."
And with that, he began to shuffle away, his oxygen tank hissing loudly with each labored breath, the sound growing fainter as he disappeared down the hallway.
Mulder stood still, his body rigid with fury, his heart pounding in his chest.
Scully's hand on his arm broke his trance. "Mulder…" she said softly, her voice full of concern. "He's right about one thing—you've stepped up. You've given everything for these girls. You're their father, in every way that matters."
Mulder's gaze softened as he looked down at Beatrice in his arms and then to Sabrina and Joanna, sleeping soundly in the stroller. The anger dissolved, replaced by the overwhelming love he felt for them—for this family they had built together, against all odds.
"You made it so easy to step up," he murmured, meeting Scully's eyes. "I love you four so much, even right now, at the ER with a potential sauerkraut dinner coming up." He joked, making a face that made it clear he disliked sauerkraut.
Scully smiled, though there was a shadow in her eyes, a reminder of the battle they would always face. "We'll handle it together, Mulder. Always."
Mulder nodded, squeezing her hand as they continued down the corridor. The threat of Cigarette Smoking Man would always linger, but for now, they had their daughters, their love, and their determination to face whatever came next.