From: Sara Bowen <sabo727@tampabay.rr.com>
Date: 23 May 2006 13:48:01 -0700
Subject: [all-xf] New: Making of a Family - X-Files Style: Part 1 of 4
Source: atxc

Title: Making of a Family - X-Files Style: Part 1 of 4 
Author: Sara B.
E-mail: sabo727@tampabay.rr.com
URL: http://sabo727.tripod.com/
Rating: Over sixteen - a few bad words and some non descript sexual
references
Category: AU, M/O, SA, MA, MSR
Spoilers: None but when I wrote this I thought of it as being an
alternate of season seven.
Summary:  Mulder meets a woman in a bar and things go down hill from
there till Scully leaves.  Three years later he finds her and she has a
couple of surprises for him.
Feedback:  Craved and worshipped.
Archive: I would be honored, just let me know.
Disclaimer:  The recognized characters are used Without Prejudice and
are the property of C. Carter, Fox and the wonderful actors who breathed
life into written words, most notably G. Anderson and D. Duchovny who
were able to make us believe in the improbable.  No Infringements of
these copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission.
The story and before unknown characters belongs to me.
Gratitude: To Kim Knight, she is a dear friend who deserves all the best
life can give.   To my Dennis, my rock and love of my life.  To CC and
Company, who created the X-Files.  Lastly, but my no means least, to the
readers, you make this hobby of mine have meaning. 
 
Making of a Family - X-Files Style
Sara B. 05/06
Part 1
 
Mulder watched the lone figure walk along the shore, he couldn't see her
face but he'd know her anywhere.  It may have been three years since
he'd last seen her but she was still Scully and she still caused that
pang in his chest.
How could he have been so foolish as to let her leave?  How could he
have been so blind to what she was, no, is to him?
~
It had been a rainy day when he last saw her.  They'd just had the
bitterest argument they'd ever had and it had gotten personal.  She
accused him of letting his little head do the thinking for him.  It was
cruel and low, but it came after he'd let loose with even crueler and
lower attacks that culminated with 'it's too bad you don't have a dick
to go with those balls, Scully.'
It was all about Angie, Angelica Harrison; she wasn't worth the price he
paid because of her.
Mulder met Angie at a bar that he'd stopped at on his way home after a
particularly grueling day that culminated with a fight with Scully.  The
fact that Scully had been right made it all the worse.  
Angie was beautiful and, with all the men vying for her attention, she
chose him.  They struck up a conversation and he soon realized she was
not the sharpest person but her obvious beauty and complete sexiness won
him over.  Two hours later they were in bed and he was having the first
sex with another person since Kristen too many years earlier.
That was the start and soon they were together nearly every night and
every weekend.  Mulder knew Angie was a temporary diversion, a
substitute really.  His relationship with Angie was all about the sex,
nothing more, they both knew it.  
Still, he'd let it interfere with the rest of his life: he let it
consume him.  Soon he'd started to reject out of town investigations or
he sent Scully alone just because he didn't want to leave Angie behind.

The fissures in his other relationships happened almost immediately.
Skinner never had a word to say to him unless it was work related and
the Gunmen stopped calling after he introduced Angie to them.  
He'd taken Angie to meet the Gunmen expecting that they would welcome
her.  He was greatly disappointed.  Only Byers was able to maintain even
the slightest level of civility.  Langly ran out saying he had an
appointment and Frohike just walked out of the room and didn't come
back.  Mulder went looking for him and found him in the back room
reading.  There was a confrontation and Frohike ended it with, "my Mom
once told me you never find anything in a bar that won't end up giving
you a headache."  
Mulder wished he'd listened to his friend; his headache has lasted three
lonely, bitter years.
The worst part was how he'd treated Scully.  He'd just about written her
out of his life yet expected her to continue to be there and support
him.  Mulder was spending nearly all of his free time with Angie but
after leaving her he always called Scully needing to talk; his body was
sated while his mind starved.  After a couple months Scully told him to
stop calling her at night and she no longer answered his calls.  Angie
fulfilled his baser physical needs but it was Scully who provided
everything else; emotional, intellectual and nurturing needs all came
from Scully.  She was his lifeline and she cut him adrift.    
If only he'd not been so shallow and let himself be blinded by Angie's
physical charms he might have avoided the disaster his life became. 
The final fight happened about two months after Scully stopped taking
his phone calls.  He missed her off hours but he was still able to dip
into Scully's intellectual wellspring at work and he did it often.  Many
times he'd start an argument just so he could play against her.  Needing
the adrenaline burst and endorphin high a good solid disagreement with
Scully always gave him.
That last day there was a case he wanted investigated so he arranged to
send Scully out alone; she refused.  She told him that he could write
her up; that if it wasn't enough for him to investigate it was too
trivial for her to care either.  It was her first act of out and out
defiance to him.  The argument escalated to a fight quickly.  Mulder
didn't remember all that was said but he'd never be able to forget the
emotions dredged up.
It had remained fairly civil but suddenly he turned it from professional
to personal.  He made all sorts of disgusting demeaning comments about
her personal life.  One, particularly cruel one, he recalled expanded on
her 'Ice Queen' nom de plume, comparing parts of her anatomy to glacier
caverns. He'd thought for a Moment that he'd rendered her speechless
then she made the thinking with his dickhead comment.  That ignited the
fireworks and he attacked with every hurtful thing he could think to
say.  Words like dried up, sexless and frigid were just the high roads;
he got really down and dirty after that.   Scully responded to each
accusation like a blow to her body.  He stormed out but not before his
final rant; the last words he ever spoke to Dana Katherine Scully were,
'if you could even find anyone willing, you would break a hip trying to
spread your legs.'  
Those were the last memories they had of each other.
The fight happened on a Friday, by Monday Dana Katherine Scully had
resigned from the FBI and with the help of her Mom, Skinner and the
Gunmen, she'd moved out of her apartment and out of his life. 
Once the shock had worn off he paraded around touting off about how much
better it was not to have to fight for everything.  He fooled no one,
not even himself.  Scully had finally walked away and she took every
good thing in his life with her.  
It wasn't long before Mulder realized that his relationship with Angie
had nothing more than sex to offer and usually the sex was not even all
that good.  It is widely known that the most important sexual organ in
the human body is the brain, and Angie was severely stunted in that
area. Their relationship didn't last two weeks after Scully's departure.

The years between then and now had been hard.  Mulder thought he knew
loneliness before.  He thought he could never experience pain worse than
losing Samantha.  He was wrong, so incredibly wrong.  Losing Scully
surmounted anything he'd ever felt before.  The knowledge that after
every hurt and injustice she'd been subjected to, it was his cruelty and
stupidity that pushed her over the edge and made her leave burned at
him.  
~
The figure at the water's edge turned and headed back the way it had
come, Mulder followed.  It had only been a happy happenstance that he'd
found her.  Oh, he'd tried repeatedly over the years but Skinner, the
guys and Mrs. Scully road blocked him.  Mrs. Scully went so far as to
have Bill Scully call Mulder and tell him to layoff.  No, he hadn't
found her because of any action on his part, it was just luck.
Mulder was in the area on a case.  He was back in the FBI mainstream now
since his inattention had caused him to lose the X-Files.  He was
profiling and had gone full circle, from VCU's fair-haired boy to
basement pariah and back.  The X-Files had not been closed, just turned
over to two new agents.  
He'd solved the case a day earlier and he'd completed the follow-up with
the locals earlier in the day.  The suspect was denied bail and three
young women were still alive who wouldn't have been if Mulder had not
been able to make the right connections.  
His flight out was scheduled for the next day so he decided to play
tourist for the afternoon so he could try and unwind.  Mulder checked
out of his motel and started to drive.
Two hundred miles later he was leisurely eating dinner at a local diner
when the door opened and he heard the clerk say, "here ya go, Dr.
Scully."  
Mulder turned to see the young man hand Scully a take out sack.  He
quickly paid his bill and followed her to her home.  Mulder wanted to
run to her and envelope her in a never ending hug but somehow he'd been
able to reign himself in.  He tore himself away and checked into the
nearest motel, called Skinner and arranged some much overdue time off.  
The next morning, after a fitful night, Mulder started to do a little
checking.  Scully arrived in town about three years earlier and took
over a small medical clinic.  She moved into, what the locals called,
the old Donaldson place at the outskirts by the lake. She was active in
the community, extremely well liked and, maybe the thing he was most
interested in, she was single.  She'd caught the eye of every unattached
man in the area but she'd shunned all romantic overtures; to everyone's
knowledge, Dr. Scully was not interested in seeing anyone.  Mulder
sorted through the bits and pieces that he'd collected and made a
decision.  She may send him on his way but he needed to take the chance.

~
Continued in Part 2
 

Making of a Family - X-Files Style 
Part 2
 
He arrived at her house around five-thirty and saw her walk out the door
and head toward the beach.  He loosely trailed her leisurely stroll.  It
was obvious she had no set destination.  She had a large dog with her
and Mulder was sure that if the dog reared up on its hind legs it would
dwarf her.  Half an hour later she turned and started back.   
Mulder gathered up his courage and headed for the big barn like house at
the top of the hill.  It was time to meet destiny.  
Mulder approached the door and rang the bell.  Inside he heard some
barking and the sound of running feet.  Suddenly the door burst open and
a young boy stood there with money in his hand and a quickly diminishing
smile.  The boy looked to be about eight or nine.  Tall, thin with dark
slightly curly hair and deep blue eyes.
"You're not the pizza guy," he said accusingly.  A girl came into view
with a large dog of undeterminable lineage.  The girl looked so much
like the boy, Mulder figured they had to be siblings.  The boy turned to
the girl.  "False alarm, it's not the pizza guy, just some man."
Mulder was about to say something when he heard Scully.  "Hey, what's
taking so long?"  She came around the corner and stopped.  They just
stared at each other.
"Mom, do you know this guy?"  The girl asked demandingly.
Slowly Scully walked to the door and for a Moment Mulder was afraid she
would shut it in his face.  "Grey, Paige, you two take Beauchamp to the
back and wait."  She ushered the two away from the door and took the
money from the young boy.  When they were out of site she turned back to
Mulder.  "How, I mean why, I mean, heck I don't know what I mean."
"May I come in, Scully?"  Mulder asked gently, not wanting to push.
She hesitated then opened the screened door and moved so he could enter.
Mulder started to remove his coat then stopped, not knowing if he would
be staying long enough to take it off.  She reached over and helped him
take it off.
"Please, have a seat."  Scully pointed toward the living room.  Without
turning she said, "I told you to go to the back."  Two pairs of small
feet were heard running away.
They took their seats, Mulder on the couch and Scully in a wing backed
chair opposite. 
"Nice house, Scully.  Mom?"
"They're twins; I adopted them two years ago.  Jenny, their Mom, was my
nurse.  She named me legal guardian and arranged for me to adopt them
when she was diagnosed with lung cancer.  We did everything we could but
she was gone three months after diagnosis."
"Their father?"  Mulder prodded, hoping that what he'd heard about her
being single was true.
"Jen was a single mother.  Their father was never in the picture, signed
away his rights before they were even born.  I've never met him."
"That isn't what I was asking, Scully."
Scully looked at him not understanding then it hit her.  "No, who would
want a, what did you call me, a 'barren refrigerator', like me?"
Mulder's long ago hurtful words came too easily to her and he knew she
thought he actually meant them.
"You know I never meant those horrible things.  I was just mad and I
lashed out."  Mulder looked down at his folded hands.  "If I'd known
then how that insanity would ruin my life. .  ."  His voice fell off.
Scully cleared her throat; she didn't want any pretty lies from him.  It
had taken too many years to get over all that had happened.  She would
indulge his curiosity and send him on his way.  "What brings you here?"
She asked quickly.  The doorbell rang and she rose to answer it.  This
time it was the pizza guy.  When she closed the door she asked, "You
want to join us for dinner?  We have plenty."
 
They walked to the back and found the twins setting another plate on the
table in the kitchen.  She gave the twosome a look and they giggled.
Scully made introductions as 
she dished out the pizza for the twins.  Mulder and she served
themselves.  
Mulder used the opportunity to get to know the two children that now
called Scully Mom.  They will be nine years old in two weeks.  They were
in born in California but their Mom, their first Mom, moved here when
they were real young.  They miss their first Mom but they love their
'now' Mom, referring to Scully.  
Grey likes sports and follows the Yankees, the Seahawks, the Red Wings
and the Redskins.  He plays basketball but he's not tall enough yet.  
Paige was named after her Mom's best friend growing up.  She wants to be
a doctor like her now Mom.  
"Do you know what, Mr. Mulder?"  Paige asked shyly.
"No, what?"  Mulder leaned down so he was right next to the little girl.
"Today we are celebrating; two years ago today we became a family.  Do
you know what Mom has in the fridge?  Cake!"  She answered her own
question before he had a chance to guess.  "Mom says her life started
the day she got us."  
They finished the pizza and Scully pulled out the cake and some ice
cream.  "Is everyone ready for dessert?"  Mulder watched the interaction
between the children and Scully.  You would never know she hadn't raised
them from babies.   It was obvious she was happy and loved the two and
they loved her just as much.  He wanted to be part of this.  What he was
seeing in front of him was the life he always wanted but never knew he
wanted it.  The ache inside him was almost unbearable.
The quartet finished dessert and Mulder helped Scully clean up.  The
kids went to their rooms leaving Scully and Mulder alone.  If he let his
mind wander it almost felt like so many other nights with Scully.  Pizza
for dinner, her quiet elegance and gentle beauty, her acceptance of the
ostracized basement denizen. 
"So, Mulder, why are you here?"  She asked not unkindly but directly.
"I was on a case two hundred miles north of here.  I saw you at the
diner last night."  Mulder moved his chair closer to her and he cringed
as he saw her stiffen.  "I've been trying to find you since you left.
No one would tell me where you were."  He waited but she said nothing.
"Scully, my affair with Angie ended the Moment I found out you'd left.
It was like lightning striking when I realized what I'd done.  Angie
only gave me the one thing I didn't get from you, sex, and that was the
least important thing.  Everything else I received from you and it
wasn't until you were not there that I realized what I'd lost; what I'd
tossed away."
"You hurt me, Mulder.  Until then I thought we had an understanding.
We'd traversed so many minefields, gone through so much but we always
got stronger.  Then you," She let out a ragged breath and wiped away
stray tears.  "You turned into this person I didn't know. Someone I
didn't want to know, someone who hated me."
"God, Scully, I never hated you, you have to understand that.  I
resented our situation but I never resented or hated you.  I know what I
did and I have no excuse or even a reason.  I just know that as soon as
you were gone it was like the light switched on.  I was always testing
you, pushing the limits to see when you would leave.  And when you
finally had enough it was too late for me to fix what I'd done.  I
stopped seeing Angie almost immediately.  I missed you all the time but
I never once even thought about her."  Mulder took a sip of his coffee.
"Did they tell you I lost the X-Files?  Skinner transferred them to two
other agents."
"John Doggett and Monica Reyes, he had them contact me several times
when they needed some help.  They're not us but they're not bad."
Mulder was visibly stunned at her revelation.  "Mulder, Skinner only
told me after he'd done it.  I argued for you, the X-Files need you and
I told him that."
"Believe me; they didn't need me the way I was.  I was a mess and I
wasn't getting anything done.  I'm still a mess.  Skinner did the right
thing."     
"Mulder, why are you really here?"  She wasn't sure she could take the
answer but she needed to know.  
"When I saw you I had to try and get some of what we had back again.  If
we couldn't go back to before I messed things up at least to build
something new.  Stronger maybe."  Mulder moved from his chair and knelt
beside her.  "Do you think it's at all possible?  Do you think you might
even want to try?"  Mulder laid it all out there, he owed her that much.

Scully's eyes held large pools of unshed tears.  "You have no idea how
many years I waited for you.  Just to hear something like that from you.
Then it all went to hell.  Suddenly you changed from the only man I ever
really loved to this selfish, egotistical, maniac that I didn't even
know.  I'm not sure if I can put that behind me, how can I be sure of
you?"  Her eyes glanced toward the staircase.  "You have to know this is
not just my decision, it isn't just me anymore.  Anyone who is in my
life is also in my children's lives and I can't let any of your
capriciousness hurt them."
"Scully, I know you have no reason to believe this but being without you
has taught me something.  Nothing is good; nothing has meaning.  If you
are ever able to give me a second chance I would never risk us again.
We can take it slow.  Try to build back to being friends.  I've got tons
of time off and even more frequent flyer miles to use.  I can start
taking some long weekends and visit and we can see where that takes
things."  Mulder tried to keep from sounding like he was begging but he
was and they both knew it.
"We took it slow before and see how that resulted.  You ignored me and
hurt me to the point I had to leave just to keep my self worth."  Scully
was looking into the distance and Mulder could tell she was really
scared of being hurt again.
"Look, I'm going to head back to my motel."  Mulder started to write
down the motel information on the back of his business card.  "You think
about it.  Maybe talk to Grey and Paige.  Then call me tomorrow.  Would
that be alright?"
~
Scully shut the door behind Mulder and ascended the stairs.  Grey and
Paige were reading in the playroom.  She watched them from the doorway.
She loved them unconditionally and she really was concerned that if she
let Mulder back into her life they may get hurt.
Paige looked at her Mom and smiled.  "We like him, Mom.  We've already
talked about it and we think he's worth the risk."  The children noticed
Scully's reaction to Paige's words.
Grey put aside his book.  "Mom, we can tell something happened between
you but he really wants to make things right."
Scully swept into the room and grabbed the two of them into a strong
three way hug.  "I always knew you two were so much smarter than me."
She then told them about Mulder's proposal.  
"Mom, where's the number?"  Grey asked and she handed him the business
card.  He picked up the phone to start dialing.  
"Hey, I doubt he's even made it half way to the motel," Scully told him.
He turned over the card and called the cell phone number listed.
"Mr. Mulder, Paige, Mom and I want to invite you to breakfast after
church tomorrow.  Could you be here around ten?"  Scully watched and was
proud at how mature her little man sounded.  
~
Continued in Part 3
 
 
Making of a Family - X-Files Style 
Part 3
 
Paige answered the door before Mulder had the time to ring.  "Mr.
Mulder, please come in.  Mom is in the kitchen and Grey is upstairs.
We'd like to show you our rooms.  Would you come up after you talk to
Mom?"
Mulder walked into the kitchen to see Scully mixing some batter.  There
were sausages browning up on a griddle and to the side he saw a Belgian
waffle maker.  She looked up from the bowl and smiled at him.  
"I guess they didn't object too much to me?"  He queried.
"No, they were both in agreement that you, as they put it, were worth
the chance."  Mulder wasn't sure if it was enough to begin celebrating
but it was a start.  She took a Moment and answered his unasked
question.  "The jury is still out but it isn't hostile."
Mulder laughed.  Same old Scully, she needed proof.  He would just have
to work to give it to her; he owed that to her and so much more.  
"They want to show me their rooms. . ."  Mulder's voice broke off.
"They want to interrogate you is what you mean.  Take the back stairs,
Paige's room is the third door on the left and Grey's is across the hall
on the right.  Mine is the one at the end of the hall and the guest
bedroom is the first door at the top of these stairs."
"Four bedrooms, big house."
"Five really, one was converted into a study for them.  You had better
get up there before they get curious and come to check on us."  
 
Mulder followed the children's voices and walked into the children's
study.  "Hi," he said quietly.  Grey and Paige looked up and pointed
toward a chair positioned between the two desks.  Mulder took the seat
and looked around the room.  "This is really nice."  The one side was
set up with desks, computers and books and the other side had a
television, stereo system and, Mulder realized, Scully's old couch from
her DC apartment.  
"Mom set this up for us to have a place to study or watch movies and
stuff.  We keep our toys in our rooms."  Grey commented with little
emotion because his mind was preoccupied.  
Mulder could tell these two had something to ask so he leaned forward.
"Go ahead; ask whatever it is you need to ask."
Paige began, "Mr. Mulder, Mom said you two used to be close but
something happened that made her leave.  You are the only person we've
ever seen Mom nervous around.  We need to know you won't hurt her
again."
Mulder just shook his head, not really knowing what to say to his small
inquisitors.
Grey picked up the conversation.  "Mom is really great and she was so
sad for a long time.  We've worked hard to make her happy and she makes
us happy."
"Listen, I don't know what is in store for your Mom and me but I can
tell you that she is the single most important person in my life.  If I
hadn't been such a jacka, I mean, fool I could have stopped her from
being hurt.  But I was stupid and learned too late just how much I need
her, want her and love her.  I don't deserve it but she seems ready to
give me another chance.  I won't screw it up this time."  He looked a
bit sheepish for a Moment and he wiped his forehead.  "At least I'm
going to try not to."
The twins looked at each other and Mulder realized they were making a
decision.  It was so reminiscent of what people always said about the
silent communication between Scully and him.  A Moment later he could
tell the decision was made and he held his breath for a Moment.
Identical smiles crept over the twin's faces and he knew they were
willing to give him a chance.  
~
The twins cleaned up the breakfast dishes and Scully took Mulder to the
back porch to finish their coffees.  "So, did they give you the first
degree?"  Scully asked as she sipped her coffee and watched the waves.
"You are raising some pretty efficient interrogators.  It was unnerving
the way they could pick up and finish each other's sentences; and the
way they would look at each other and you knew they were conversing.
Positively eerie."
"Remind you of anyone?"  Mulder saw the smile reach her eyes.
"You think so too, huh?"  She nodded at his reference to their, so
called, silent communication.  "I suppose now we know how it feels." 
"Yeah, and you only got a taste of it; I live with it.  God, Mulder, you
have no idea how really terrific they are."
"You know, Scully, I've only known them for a short time but they remind
me of us.  Grey is intuitive and impetuous and Paige is reserved and
studious.  They have my height and, blissfully, your nose; my hair, your
eyes.  They really look like they could be a combination of our DNA."
Scully started to laugh.  "You think so too, don't you?"
"It's funny, if I ever sat back and thought about children between us,
those two would have been them."  Scully lifted the coffee carafe and
refilled their mugs.  "They are really smart too.  Just like us, scary
smart.  They were so far ahead of everyone in the school that I hired a
teacher and they are home schooled.  I have them involved in the
community programs so they can be with others but they prefer each other
to their friends." 
They sat there in the companionable silence they'd always enjoyed.  If
someone would burn the calendar they would have thought it was just days
since they'd last been together like this, not years.  
"Scully, I've arranged to take some time off, a week for now but I'd
like to take more later, depending how things work out."
"I'll arrange to work half days all week except Wednesday.  Wednesday,
the other doctor has off so I have to work all day.  I'd like the four
of us to spend some time together.  If that would be okay with your
plans?"
"Scully, I was hoping you wanted that.  Would it be alright for me to
have time with Grey and Paige?"  Scully smiled and reached her hand out
to him.  It was a small gesture but one Mulder relished.  She had no
reason to trust him; in fact, she had plenty of reasons not to trust
him.  But her reaching out to him let him know she really was giving him
another chance.  
"I think they'd enjoy getting a little one on one with the Spookster."
She hesitated a Moment before adding, "I always did."
Mulder held her hand and thought, 'how did I ever let her leave?'
~ 
Mulder got to Scully's just as she was cleaning up the breakfast dishes.
They'd agreed that instead of having Mrs. Krestler, from down the street
watch the twins after their abbreviated classes, Mulder would do it.  He
wanted to spend time with them and get to know them and through them get
to know Scully again.  
 
Mulder and the twins roamed the beach.  It was too cold for swimming but
they tossed a Frisbee and played some volleyball.  They had just
finished the final game of volleyball, at which the twins gave Mulder a
severe beating, when Scully showed up.  
"I brought lunch, anyone hungry?"  She called from the bottom of the
hill.  
The twins led the procession with Mulder and Scully straggling behind
walking side by side.  "They tire you out, Mulder?"
"Well, I do have a lot of years on them," he said in his defense.
"Not to mention it was two against one."  She called up to the twins,
"how about another match after lunch, us against you two."
"Sounds good, Mom.  Do you want us to spot you a dozen points?"  Paige
yelled back.
"I better not have heard what I just heard."  Scully's threat lost all
of its bite because of her laughter.
"Great, another round of humiliation," Mulder grumbled.
"You and me together, Mulder.  We may be older but we got game.  We'll
whip their asses.  We always did."  She broke into a run and caught up
with the kids.
~
Mulder scooped Scully into a hug after his game winning spike.  "We got
game, Scully!"  He looked over to see the kids running toward the house.
Mulder leaned in to kiss her but she pulled back.  "Sorry, Scully. . ."
"No problem; no harm no foul.  Come on."  She started moving up the
hill.  He could see that she was unnerved and he could kick himself for
rushing things, hell, it'd only been three days.
That night while the twins did their homework, Mulder and Scully took a
stroll down the beach.  The quiet companionship they'd enjoyed while
partners came back easily; a little too easily for Scully.  Mulder
noticed her unease and called her on it.
"I guess I'm afraid, Mulder."
"Of me?"
"In a way, but more so about us.  I trusted you so much; opened myself
to you.  To everyone else I seemed cool, closed off even.  But you, you
knew me.  You knew me more intimately than anyone ever before.  I was
ready to move on with you and I was waiting for you to be ready too."
She gave a sad laugh, "one trip to a bar changed everything.  Two weeks
later I didn't recognize the man I loved and two months after that I
started hating you.  That's when I knew I had to leave.  I needed to
preserve the good feelings about you that remained."
They stopped and sat in the cool damp sand.  "I know this doesn't really
mean anything, Scully, but Angie meant nothing more than a warm body.  I
had no feelings for her."
"I knew that and in a way that was the worst part.  I would have given
that to you but you didn't want me.  You went and found some strange
woman to give yourself to, to lose yourself in rather than be with me."
"Scully, I did want you, I still want you.  I can't explain what
happened and I won't insult either of us by making excuses."  Mulder
moved closer and held her in a tight embrace, stilling her protests.
"These last three days with you and the twins have meant more than the
last three years put together."  
Scully leaned back and searched his face and saw through the dimming
light that Mulder believed what he said.  "Can I trust you, Mulder?  I
don't want to be hurt again and I can't, no, I won't let my children be
hurt."  She stood and wiped the sand from her seat.
"Scully, I don't know how to prove it to you but I'll try.  That is if
you're willing to try too?"
"I am."  She started walking as he was getting up.  Then she turned and
smiled.  "But if any more long legged, buxom brunettes show up, it's
over."  Her voice was teasing but Mulder heard the underlying pain.  
~ 
The week ended and Mulder flew back to DC on Sunday.  The Moment the
airplane cabin door closed he felt bereft.  The week had gone too fast
and he wanted to pound on the plane's cabin door and make them let him
get off but he didn't.  Scully was still gun shy around him and he
didn't want to press his luck.  No, they'd agreed that he would come
back in a month and stay with them for two weeks.  Until then he'd have
to settle for phone calls and e-mails.  God, he missed them all so much
already.
He'd spent everyday with Scully and the twins.  He'd loved Scully a long
time but now he knew a bonding not just with her but the Grey and Paige
too.  He couldn't explain it but he felt connected to them.  They may
have been born from strangers but they belonged to Scully and he; he
just knew it.  
Mulder walked into his apartment and put his things away and changed
into some casual clothes.  When he returned to the living room he felt
something was different.  His hand moved to where he normally holstered
his weapon but remembered it was in the bedroom.  Then he saw it.  On
the computer there was one of those cameras and on the keyboard was a
note.
Mulder,
Scully called and told us what happened.  She asked us to install a
camera so you can really converse.  
Frohike  
P.S. She's giving you another chance, even though you don't deserve it.
Don't blow it this time!
Mulder had to laugh and then turned to the instruction on the second
page.  Mulder called Scully.
"Hello, Scully residence," Paige answered the phone.
"Paige, it's Mulder.  May I speak with Sc, I mean, your Mom?"
Mulder heard her tell Grey to get Scully.  Then they chatted about his
flight until Scully picked up.
"Mulder, you home already?  I didn't expect to hear from you for at
least another half hour."
"We must have caught a tail wind and the streets were pretty clear so I
sailed right home.  By the way, they installed my present.  Do you think
we can try it out later tonight before the little ones are asleep?  Then
you can put them to bed and we can talk."
They talked for a few minutes and made plans for video conferencing
later that evening.  It was set for seven their time so that meant ten
Mulder's time.  It gave him enough time to put away his dry cleaning,
wash some clothes and tackle his mail and messages.
It got to the time and suddenly there they were looking at him through
his monitor.  God, he just wanted to hold them and never let go. Mulder
supposed he'd always harbored some before unacknowledged paternal
instincts but never, not once, had he ever felt the need as he did now.
He'd only known Grey and Paige a little more than a week but they'd
become an integral part of his being as Scully always had been.  They
disconnected when Scully had to put the twins to bed but not before
Mulder wheedled a promise for her to return in about an hour.    
Mulder sat in front of his computer waiting for her.  He'd spent that
last week getting reacquainted with Scully and acquainted with the
twins.  It had given him a glimmer of what he never knew he wanted.  Oh,
he knew he wanted Scully but he never knew how much having a family
meant to him.  Now that he'd had a taste he wanted to feast on it.
~
Continued in Part 4 
 
 
Making of a Family - X-Files Style 
Part 4
 
Mulder got off the plane and immediately scanned the crowd for his
family.  This was his fifth trip to see them and it would be the
longest, a whole month.  The month after finding Scully, he'd returned
and instead of staying at the local motel he took up residence in her
guest room.  That trip and the ones after that had been such successes
that he had a small hope that by the end of this trip he'd be rooming
down the hallway; Scully's bedroom.  If not this trip it would be the
next, or at least he hoped.
Mulder suddenly was covered in hugs; a child on each side and Scully to
the front.  Scully pulled back slightly and kissed him deeply.  "You
were missed, Mulder.  Welcome back."
Mulder returned her kiss enthusiastically then leaned down and kissed
each child.  
A voice from behind Mulder caught their attention.  "Gosh, those two are
just beautiful and they look just like their father."  It was an elderly
woman Mulder remembered from the plane.  "But they definitely have their
mother's eyes."  
Mulder began to say something but Scully stopped him by saying, "thank
you."
~
Sunday morning Mulder waited for the others to return from church when
they were all going out for breakfast.  He'd been here two weeks yet he
still had a gnawing feeling about that careless statement that woman
made at the airport.  .  Mulder could still hear every inflection in the
ladies voice, 'they look just like their father. . .' and '. . . have
their mother's eyes'.  The twins did have Scully's eyes, did they look
like him?
Mulder pulled out the photos that Scully had sent him and held them on
either side of his face and looked in the mirror.  It wasn't good enough
so he went and got their 8x10s from the living-room mantle.  The mirror
didn't lie; Grey and Paige did look like him.  
Could it be?  Was there a possibility that he was . . .  Mulder's mind
was trying to assimilate the possibilities.  His thoughts turned to
Emily.  
He carefully replaced the pictures to their place on the mantle then
went to the children's bathrooms for hair samples.  While he was at it
he got a sample of Scully's hair too.  He needed to know.  He wanted to
overnight the samples but this was too important to chance it so he
would just have to be patient and hand carry them when he returned to
DC.
He was walking down the stairs when Scully came in to get him so they
could go to breakfast.  
~
Mulder was sitting on the back porch watching the ocean.  His mind was
jumbled with the possibilities.  Scully came out and played with his
hair to get his attention.  "Kids in bed?"  Mulder asked as she took the
seat next to him.
"Uh huh, you really tired them out at the playground today."  She said
as she scooted a little closer.
"Tired myself out too.  I'm not as young as I'd like to be."
"You really enjoy this don't you, Mulder?  I mean, you are a natural
with them.  They love you, you know?"
"I love them too, Scully."  His voice dipped, "and I'd like to be a
natural with their Mom too."  His arm snaked around Scully's shoulder
and he stole a kiss.  He pulled back and she followed and held his head
from moving away. 
"You are; a natural with me.  After everything I never stopped being in
love with you."
Mulder's head snapped back at her words.  He searched her eyes trying to
assure himself that her words meant what he hoped they meant.  
"Scully," he didn't know the words to say.
Scully leaned back and stretched.  "I guess you tired me out too.  I
think I'll head up to bed."  She rose and Mulder deflated a bit.  She'd
taken two steps when she turned back and said, "care to join me?"
Mulder was by her side in a second and his lips took possession of hers.
"It'll be my pleasure."  He whispered to her mouth.
"I think the pleasure will be mutual."
~
Mulder woke to find himself holding Scully tightly.  Their bodies faced
each other and his hands were possessively holding her ass.  "Love you,
Scully," he said quietly.
"Love you too," she slurred back to him and she scratched her nose on
his chest.  Her movements stirred his nether regions and he gently
pushed her to her back.
"How do you feel about morning sex, Scully?"  He asked as he began a
slow exploration of he body with his mouth. 
"I think two o'clock this morning answered that for you."  She answered
huskily.  "Oh, God!"  Scully cried out as Mulder reached his goal.
~
Mulder and the twins were in the kitchen when Scully walked in.  Mulder
leaned over and kissed her.  Paige watcher her mother and asked, "Mom,
are you okay?  You're walking funny."
"Yeah, and last night there was a lot of groaning coming from your
room."  Grey contributed.
Scully's hand covered her face and Mulder just started laughing.  "I'm
fine."  
"You are better than fine, Scully, you are down right phenomenal."
Mulder exclaimed.
~
Mulder was halfway over the country when he noticed the woman next to
him.  She'd obviously been trying to get his attention.  She was the
typical example that Scully would say was his type.  Her skirt was very
short and there were a few more buttons open than he remembered when she
sat down.  She smiled seductively and he smiled back then turned to look
down the aisle and daydreamed of a tiny redhead and a set of twins.
Scully took him to the airport alone.  The twins had plans to go to an
amusement park with their friends.  He'd thought that leaving would
become easier but each time he had to go back to DC it hurt worse and
the ache stronger.  He heard the woman next to him huff something about
'married ass.'  Yeah, he was as good as married, he thought as he patted
the three samples envelopes in his pocket.
~
Mulder stared at the results of the DNA tests in blissful disbelief.
His stated that there was a 98.785 % chance he was the father of the
twins and Scully's said that it was 99.524% chance that she was their
mother.  
Now all he had to do was figure out how to tell Scully and convince her
to marry him without it seeming like the only reason was because of
these tests.
He'd gotten more time off and already booked a flight.  He had two days
and six hours to figure out how to tell Scully.
~
Scully ushered the kids into the house and turned to lock the door
behind them.  "Mulder!"  She heard the twins scream and she looked, he
was locked in a dual embrace.
"Mulder," she echoed, in awe that he was there.  She'd been thinking of
him all week, she had something serious she needed to discuss with him
and it had to be done face to face.  She didn't know how she was going
to wait the three weeks until they visited him in DC; now she didn't
have to.
The kids let him go and them Mulder and Scully were in each other's
arms.  "Missed you so much."  Neither knew who spoke the words but they
both meant it.
"I was just missing my family so I decided to come.  I'm taking you all
out to dinner."
~
Scully walked to the back porch to find Mulder.  He was standing at the
railing watching the children.  There was something in the way he looked
that told her it was time to talk about the final truth.  
She placed her hand on his shoulder as she approached.  "When did you
figure it out?"  She asked simply.  
Mulder turned toward her and leaned back.  "How. . ."  The rest of his
question remained un-voiced, it didn't need to be.
"It was how you were looking at them; full of pride."  
"So, how long have you known?"  Mulder needed to know the circumstances
behind this.
"I started to suspect shortly after the adoption went through, it went
too easily.  Can you understand that?"  Mulder nodded remembering the
problems they'd encountered when she tried to get custody of Emily.  
She took a seat and he followed.  "Grey was dribbling his basketball and
suddenly I thought, 'I'll bet that is exactly how Mulder looked at that
age'.  Then little things started having more meaning.  The way Paige
devoured learning and Grey's gracefulness.  I knew, I just knew.  
"They are ours.  The perfect combination of you and me.  I called the
guys and they did some checking for me into Jen's background.  She never
existed until those two were born.  I wanted to hate her but she was a
good mother to them and they will always love her so I can't hate her."

"That isn't everything, is it, Scully?"
She graced him with a smile.  "God, it's still scary how well you know
me.  No, that isn't everything.  I had their DNA compared to ours."
"Scully, I," Mulder looked away trying to gather his thoughts on how to
ask.  But once again Scully was right with him.
"They are both perfectly healthy, not at all like Emily."  Scully stood
and closed the short distance between them.  Mulder folded her into his
arms.  "I guess the Mulder-Scully metabolism lives on.  Even more so,
they heal quicker than we did and you know that's saying something."
"Why didn't you call?  You had to have known that I," Mulder stopped.  
"Mulder, I didn't know anything.  The last memory I had is that you
really didn't seem too interested in having me around.  I couldn't just
pick up the phone and call.  What would I have said?  Congratulations or
happy Father's Day?  I only knew that you would drop everything if you
knew that you were their father.  I couldn't do that to you and I
couldn't do it to them or me.  If the four of us were ever going to have
any sort of relationship it wouldn't be because you felt obligated.  I
was afraid that you'd come to resent them or see them as another way the
syndicate duped you and interfered with your life."
"Were you ever going to tell me?"  Mulder's pain at how well she
interpreted the situation and how it could have played out.
"I'd decided that I would talk to Skinner and the guys next year and see
what they thought."  She looked down.  "I'd forbidden them to talk to me
about anything personal regarding you so I didn't know how things were
with you.  I didn't know if you were still with Angie or had found
someone else.  The hurt cut pretty deep."
Mulder pulled her tighter and kissed her forehead.  "You know I love you
don't you?  And that I love them?"
"We're pretty fond of you too."
"No, Scully, I love you, I'm in love with you and I want, no, need to be
their father.  Can we do that?  Will you let me?"
"Mulder, you are their father and they know it."  He looked at her with
surprise, "no, I didn't tell them.  I don't think I ever will.  What I
mean is you've been the only father figure they've ever known.  They
love you and they know you love them.  Even if they didn't share our DNA
they would be our children."
Mulder's head reared up and he yelled, "God, I love this woman!"  The
twins stopped their game and cheered.  "Marry me, Scully.  Make an
honest man out of me."
"Oh, yes, a thousand times yes!"  
~
A week later five different and diverse sets of people from various
parts of the country opened their mail.
 
Maggie Scully carried in her mail after a friendly chat with her new
mail carrier.  She was a nice young woman; a single mother of three who
just traded routes.  Maggie made herself some tea and then leafed
through the various bills, catalogs and flyers till she got to one, that
by its shape, looked like a card.  The envelope had no return address
and the post mark was from Hawaii.  She slid the letter opener through
and extracted the card.  The elegant script on the front held a simple
salutation.  She opened it to find a picture and a burst of joyous
laughter broke forth from her throat and she said a silent thank you
prayer.
 
Walter Skinner returned to his desk after meeting with the budget
department.  If he thought transferring Mulder from the X-Files would
have brought his budget in line he was sorely mistaken.  Doggett and
Reyes could out spend Mulder and Scully on a bad day.  Well, at least
there were less medical bills, that had to account for something.  
He rifled through his afternoon mail of memos and classified paper-shit
till he ran into a card.  "It's about damned time," his Assistant heard
him exclaim loudly.
 
John Byers walked in carrying groceries and their accumulated mail from
the Post Office box.  Langly separated the assortment of personal mail
and that for their publication.  Mixed within his American Gamer
magazine, Byers' latest book rejections and Frohike's latest copy of
Scanty Panties was a card addressed to all of them.  
"Well, if it wasn't going to be me I'm glad it was him.  He looks
content for the first time, don't you think?"  Frohike commented to his
two colleagues, who had the good sense not to mention the tear tracks
down their friend's cheek.
 
 "I've never met the guy but things will never be dull for them."
Charles Scully said as he reached for his youngest son.  "This is going
to make for an interesting Christmas," he joked with his wife, Renee'.
"I say more power to them," She replied.  
 
In California the man kissed his wife and son then sat down to his first
cup of coffee and the morning mail.  Bill Scully sorted through the mail
and came to what appeared to be a card.  He noticed the postmark was
from Hawaii and wondered which of his friends had caught that cushy
assignment.  Carefully, he opened the envelope and pulled out the card.
With the jokers he knew the darned thing could explode.  He read the
front 'Greetings from Hawaii'.  Yeah, rub it in whoever you are.  Bill
opened the card and nearly dropped his mug.
Tara looked at him alarmed and grabbed the card.  Inside was a photo of
Dana, Fox Mulder and the twins.  At the bottom Dana had written, 'from
the Mulder family'.
"That sorry son of a bitch!"  Bill bellowed.    


End Story