The room was quiet except for the soft rustle of chopsticks and the faint hum of the heater. Scully sat cross-legged on the bed, a tray of sushi balanced between her and Mulder. Next to them, their baby lay in his bassinet, swaddled snugly and sleeping peacefully, his tiny chest rising and falling in steady rhythm.
Mulder glanced at her as he picked up a piece of salmon nigiri. "What are you thinking about naming him?" he asked casually, though there was a tinge of curiosity in his voice.
Scully set down her chopsticks, wiping her fingers on a napkin. "When you were... when we all thought you were dead," she began, her voice quiet but steady, "I intended to name the baby Samantha if it was a girl." She looked up at him, searching his face for a reaction.
Mulder's hand paused midway to his mouth, the piece of sushi forgotten for a moment. His expression softened, and he gave her a small, appreciative nod.
"And if it was a boy," Scully continued, "Because I know you don't like your first name… I thought I'd name him William, after your father."
Mulder smirked, finally popping the sushi into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. He swallowed before responding. "Thanks for sparing him the Fox Junior treatment," he said, a hint of teasing in his tone.
He turned his gaze to the baby, leaning slightly over the bassinet. "William," he said softly, testing the name out loud.
As if in response, the baby stirred slightly in his sleep, his tiny lips curling upward into what almost looked like a smile.
Mulder's eyes widened, and he glanced at Scully with a mixture of awe and amusement. "Looks like we got ourselves a William," he said, his voice filled with quiet wonder.
Scully chuckled, shaking her head. "It's a good name," she said, watching their son with a mother's quiet adoration.
Mulder leaned back, his gaze flickering between Scully and the baby. "Yeah," he murmured. "It's a perfect name for him."
They sat there in the warmth of the room, the weight of the moment settling over them. William, their son, was more than just a name—it was a promise, a future, a testament to everything they had fought for.