When Fate Takes a Hand by Madame F 

Summary: Two single parents. One running from a dangerous past, the other 
running from pain. What happens when fate steps in? 

Keywords: Scully/Other married Mulder/Other married then Scully/Mulder Romance/married 

More Authors Notes: I got the idea for this while I was at Fudruckers. They have 
real good hamburgers there. Anyway, I saw a frazzled looking mother and her kids 
at one table and a busy looking man with his kids at two other tables. And the 
woman asked the man for his ketchup and I thought wouldn’t it be cute if two 
single parents met by chance at a restaurant and got together. Cute huh? Well I 
was gonna start it with that scene and make it simple, but I decided against it. 
Hope ya like it. And on with the show...... 

When Fate Takes a Hand 

By: Madame F 

allstars70@hotmail.com 

Fox Mulder didn’t think it was strange that Phoebe didn’t want to come with them. 
She hadn’t been feeling well a lot lately and she needed her rest. And a trip to 
the lake didn’t seem like a good remedy for what ever it is that ailed her. 

He had gathered the kids together and stuck them in the car after they’d said 
goodbye to their mother. 

"You sure you’ll be okay, Pheebs?" Fox asked with concern. She did seem a little 
hot and jumpy of late. 

"I’ll be fine Fox. All I need is a little rest. You and the kids have fun at the 
lake." Phoebe said smiling. Fox bent over and kissed her softly. 

"Take care." He whispered. Phoebe felt herself choke up. He really does love me, 
the poor bastard, she thought. The only reason she married him was because of 
the money his father left him when he died. He was also good in bed and always 
willing to please her. She didn’t want children, but Fox did and not to make a 
big issue of it, she gave him three. The only thing she felt for him now was 
pity. He was a fool. 

"I will darling." She replied. He got into the car and the kids waved. 

"Bye, Mom!" Alex waved. Phoebe waved back smiling, sadly. Jenny did not wave, 
Jenny knew her secret. She had insight into everything, that one. She was only 
seven years old yet wise beyond her years. She had inherited her father's 
eidetic memory. She was a thinker and she was quiet, but a tomboy as well. When 
you didn’t think she was listening, she really was, and that was why she knew. 

"Bye-bye!" Joey, the one year old, screamed from his car seat in the back. Her 
poor baby. Too young to know. And Alex only five. Could she go on like this? 

Jenny watched her brothers wave goodbye to their mother. And then looked at her 
father with a wise eye as he blew a kiss to her. Oh barf, she thought. She didn’t 
truly understand what was going on, she was only seven mind you. But she did 
know that what her mother was doing was a sin, a bad one. Her mother had told 
her it was okay, but she knew otherwise. She knew it every time she felt the 
tight knot in her stomach when her father kissed her or tried to show her 
affection. 

Her mother was in denial. How stupid did she think she was! Ever since she had 
over heard the phone call, her mother had been extra nice to her. Telling her 
casually not to talk to her father about the phone call as though she didn’t 
know. But she knew. She didn’t want to believe it at first, but in her heart she 
knew. 

She watched her mother ring her hands and bounce lightly from foot to foot. Like 
she couldn’t wait to get back inside. Jenny continued to watch as they drove 
away. Her mother hurried into the house. Jenny knew. Her mother wasn’t sick at 
all. Not in the sense that she meant when she said it. How stupid do you think I 
am? Jenny though angrily to herself. Didn’t they know she was always listening? 
She was, she was always listening and that was why she knew about the other man. 
The man her mother was carrying on an affair with. 

** 

Phoebe hurried into the house as soon as they were out of sight. She didn’t like 
the way Jenny was scrutinizing her. Since the phone call she overheard, Phoebe 
had felt as though Jenny could see straight through her. See into her thoughts, 
into her womb, where the worst secret of all was being carried. 

She picked up the phone and dialed the number she knew by heart. "Jay, it’s me. 
They’re gone. Come over, I need to talk to you." She British accent lilting over 
the phone. 

"Is anything wrong baby? Did Fox find out about us?" The "other" man, Jay Wilson 
asked. 

"No, no. Nothing like that. It’s just, I’m, I’m pregnant." She said in a tight 
voice. 

"Pregnant?! Are-are you sure, I mean how could this have happened. We were so 
careful." Jay ranted. 

"Well nothing is one hundred percent, Jay." 

"Well are you sure it’s mine?" 

"What do you mean is it yours!? Who else would it belong to!?" Phoebe yelled, 
enraged. 

"Calm down, baby. I meant, well couldn’t it be his. Fox’s" Jay said calmly. 
Phoebe snorted. She and Fox hadn’t been intimate for seven months, ever since 
this started. Cutting it very close with Joey. Every time she’d come home from 
Jay’s house, she’d be too sexually exhausted to do it with him. And Fox, being 
the decent man that he was would back off, like a thwarted puppy. 

"I seriously doubt it, unless nature found a new way of doing things. No Jay I’m 
positive it’s yours." She said, whimpering. 

"Okay honey I’ll come over since they won’t be back until Monday, we have the 
whole weekend together and we’ll figure out what to do." Jay said. 

"All right." Phoebe hung up. What was she going to do? Fox was an Oxford 
educated man. They hadn’t had sex for months and now.... 

Phoebe shook her head. Don’t think about that now. Jay was coming over and she 
felt positively horny. There would be time to think about this later. 

** 

Gas Station 

"Damn." Fox muttered. Jenny looked wide-eyed at him and then looked around to 
see if her brothers heard him. Her father never cursed in front of them. 

"Sorry Starbuck. We forgot the tents." Fox laughed. 

"Oh no!" Jenny giggled. "Now what do we do?" She asked. 

"We sleep on the forest floor with the bugs." He said exclaimed triumphantly. 

"Ew no, daddy. That’s gross." Jenny said, laughing again. 

"Joey would catch his death of cold if we even tried that. I guess we’ll have to 
turn around and go back home for them." Mulder said smiling and closing the 
trunk. Jenny nodded slowly and got into the car. She felt sorry for her father. 
She had a feeling that they wouldn’t like what they found when they got home. 

** 

Jay had come over and now they lay in she and Fox’s bed, talking about their 
current problem after making love twice. 

"We could get rid of it." Phoebe suggested again. 

"No. We won’t kill it. It’s immoral." Jay said, closing that subject. Phoebe 
snorted. 

"Don’t *you* talk to me about immoral. You’re lying in the bed of a married 
woman, with a married woman. There is no other way. Fox won’t believe it’s his. 
If I tell him the truth, I’ll lose him." 

"Would that be so bad? You don’t even love him, yet you gave him three kids. I 
want a child of my own, with you." 

"What is it with men and wanting children these days." Phoebe huffed, turning 
over. 

"Hey baby, don’t be mad. You don’t even love this guy, but you do love me right?" 
Jay asked hovering over her. Phoebe turned. 

"Of coarse I love you. It’s always been you." She said seductively. 

"Then leave him and come live with me. I can’t bare the fact of you going home 
to sleep with this guy and play happy family when you’re miserable." He replied 
kissing her nose. 

"My kids-" 

"We’ll take them." Jay said simply. 

"But Fox won’t stand for it. His children mean more to him than anything." 
Phoebe argued. 

"Hey, it’s America. Land of the free. Everyone thinks a kid should be with its 
mother. We’ll live together, all six of us. Us, your kids, and our new baby." 
Jay said, spreading his hands as though it was so simple. Phoebe hesitated a 
moment and then nodded. 

His hands trailed up the sides of her thighs and she sighed. They came together 
once again and just as they could feel the climax coming they heard him. 

"Hey Pheebs! We’re back! We forgot the tents!" Came Fox’s voice. Phoebe’s eyes 
went wide as she looked over and saw the tents wrapped up at the side of the bed. 

"Damn!" She muttered. "I’ll be right there!" She yelled back. 

"No honey stay where you are, you need your rest." Came the considerably closer 
voice of Fox. 

Jay looked at her wide-eyed and pulled out fast. Both shaking, at the release 
they were denied. Jay reached for hurriedly put on his briefs and reached for 
his pants but he was too late as the door swung open and Fox stood there with 
Joey in his arms and Jenny and Alex at his feet. 

Fox’s mouth opened and then closed, as he hid his son’s eyes from the sight in 
front of him. Jenny had turned away immediately, seeing the half naked man. 

No body said anything. Everyone just looked at each other. Phoebe vainly trying 
to hide her nakedness. 

Fox could only recall two things he felt at that moment. Confusion and absolute 
sorrow. For himself and for his children, seeing their mother like this. I am 
such a fool. He couldn’t expose his children to this. 

"Jenny." He said, in a suprisingly calm voice. "Take your brothers to your room 
and stay there. I’ll be there in a moment." 

"Yes, daddy." She said taking Joey and glaring at her mother. Fox closed the 
door behind them. And then there were three. There was silence again as they 
stood there, Fox looking from one to the other. Finally Phoebe spoke. 

"I can explain Fox." 

"An explanation would be nice. But then again what is there to explain. You *lied* 
about being sick so you can weasel your way out of a family trip so you can 
invite this guy over to do it in *our* bed." Fox realized his voice was rising 
and calmed down. "How could you? In our home! In front of the children for God 
sake." 

"Well, I didn’t exactly invite them in." Phoebe spat. 

"*Sorry* I’ll knock next time." Fox replied sarcastically. "How many times have 
you lied to me Phoebe? How many times has he been in our bed, huh? How many 
other men has there been, you slut." 

"Hey, you’re out of line." Jay interrupted. 

"Jay stay out of this please." Phoebe pleaded. 

"Jay is it? Well Jay I don’t think this is any of your damn business and I want 
you to get the hell out of my house!" 

"This *is* my business-" 

"Jay no!" Phoebe tried again, but Jay put a hand up. 

"Why is *my* wife any of your business?" Fox asked, his lip curling in disgust. 

"Because *your* wife is carrying *my* child." Jay said with satisfaction. 

He was just punched in the stomach. No, he was just told that his wife of ten 
years was having a child with another man. *Jay*. He looked to Phoebe, not 
believing. 

"I’m sorry Fox, but it’s true." Phoebe said, sighing. It was all out. Fox felt 
another blow. He felt numb, he was numb. He also felt ashamed. This man was 
making him felt like he didn’t belong in his own room. He looked up at Jay. 

"Get out." 

"Excuse me?" 

"I said get out!" He yelled. Jay looked at Phoebe and when she nodded, he 
gathered his clothing and left. He looked at her, his wife. 

"Put on your clothes." He ordered. She stayed put, pulling the blanket up higher. 
So that was it. She, his own wife, was embarrassed to be seen naked in front of 
him. He turned around, unable to look at her. He looked down at his feet. A pink 
silk negligee that he’d never seen. 

So she was putting on underwear for some other man but not for him. All those 
times he caught glimpses of Victoria’s Secret bags, thinking that they would be 
intimate, she was buying it for some other man. 

He felt the tears somewhere deep inside but they didn’t come. When she was 
finished he turned around and looked at her. 

"How long has all this been going on?" He asked in a low voice. 

"Seven months." Phoebe answered in an even voice. 

"Well....It’s over now and you can keep the baby, I’ll be like a father to it." 
Mulder said, feeling his anger drain away, hoping that they could be a family 
again. 

"What makes you think it’s over?" Phoebe asked indignantly. 

"Phoebe in case you haven’t noticed we have three kids. What about them?" 

"I’ll take care of my children Fox, but it won’t be with you. I’m leaving you, 
plain and simple. I’m sorry but that’s just how it is." Phoebe said, crossing 
her arms. 

"But....I thought you loved me. Phoebe ten years of love and marriage can’t just 
mean nothing to you." Fox said, his eyes pleading. 

"Ten years of lies Fox. I don’t love you, I never did. I married you for your 
money and you were my ticket to America. I never wanted kids or this little 
country life." Phoebe said spitefully. 

"The kids Phoebe. Can’t you try and make it work for the kids. For Jenny and 
Alex? Joey? He’s just a baby, Phoebe I love you." He pleaded. 

"Well I don’t love you Fox. You’re a fool. I will take care of my kids. I love 
Jay and I’m going to be with him." 

"You spiteful, selfish, bitch. How could you do this to the kids, to me? I haven’t 
done anything but love you. How could you be so selfish?" He asked. 

"I’ll take care of the kids." She said again. 

"Oh you’ve taken care of them already. You’ve probably corrupted them for life 
with that despicable display you just put on." He said, dripping disgust. He 
moved to the drawer and opened it and started to pack things into a suitcase. 

"What are you doing?" She asked. He didn’t answer her, he just left the room. 

He opened the door to his daughter’s room and found his kids huddled on the bed. 
Jenny was teary-eyed, Joey was crying, and Alex looked lost and confused. Fox 
bent down on one knee and opened his arms. The all went to him and they hugged. 

"Daddy, how come Mommy doesn’t want us?" Alex asked, in a small voice. It made 
Fox want to crawl under a rock and die. They must have heard that part of the 
argument. 

"I don’t know son. I wish I knew." He replied. 

"Why was Mommy naked wif dat man? Who was he? What was dey doin?" Alex asked. 

"It’s what *were* they doing and stop asking so many questions. You’re too young, 
you wouldn’t understand." Jenny replied. Fox smiled at her as he jiggled Joey. 

"Look, I want you guys to help me out. I need you guys to pack some clothes and 
underwear in your suitcases. Can you do that for me?" They all nodded, even Joey, 
who had stopped crying. 

"Where will we go?" Jenny asked. 

"Grandma’s house." Fox replied. 

"No camping?" Alex complained. 

"Some other weekend, kiddo. Right now, we’re gonna be going through a bad time, 
but I will always be here for you." Fox said giving them one last squeeze. They 
all separated. Fox took Joey into the nursery and started packing. 

Phoebe came into the room looking around slowly. "What are you doing? What are 
you doing?" She asked coming in front of him when he didn’t answer her. 

"I’m taking the kids to their grandmother’s house. I won’t let them stay here. 
You said it yourself, it’s over." Fox said looking her straight in the eye. 

"You can’t take the kids from me." She said in a hard voice. 

"You wanna bet?" He countered, before scooping up Joey and going into the hall. 
"You kids ready?" 

"Yes." Jenny answered. Phoebe followed them to the front door. 

"You think you’ll get away with this, you’re sorely mistaken." She said to him 
harshly. 

"And if you think I’ll let you, you’re a bigger fool than I thought you were." 
Fox countered. "Cheerio." He said sarcastically mimicking her British accent. 
Fox drove away. It was time to start over. 

** 

California, Los Angeles 

Dana Scully pulled into the school yard, searching. Adam had forgotten to pick 
the kids up after school again and being a doctor, she hardly had time to pick 
them up herself. She wouldn’t allow them to take the bus home, in case she had 
to work overtime, and Adam came home in a bad mood or high or with a woman. 

He would take everything out on them and she wouldn’t be there to take the blows 
for them… like she always did. 

"Mommy!" Carrie yelled as she ran towards her mother, hugging her around the 
knees. Her eight-year-old waited patiently for his hug. 

"Hi Sweetie I’m sorry you two had to stay here so long." Dana said, feeling 
sorry for her daughter, who looked strangely happy. 

"That’s okay when he didn’t come, I was glad." Carrie said in her usual 
sweetness, that only a five-year-old could possess. Dana smiled sadly at her. 
Carrie didn’t call him dad or daddy. They were told to call him ‘sir’. He liked 
to control. He was controlling her. She looked up and caught the teacher staring 
at her, her hand shot up to her face. And remembered there was no bruise there. 
The teacher was looking at them in pity. She knew what was going on. 

"Thank you for staying with them." Dana said, feeling embarrassed. She felt so 
angry at Adam for forcing her to feel like less of a person in front of everyone, 
even when he wasn’t there. She never used to be like this. She used to be a 
strong woman. But now....she was juggling, work, kids, and, trying to please her 
abusive cheating husband. He cut her down. Something had to give. 

On their way home, Carrie babbled about kindergarten, and Nathan a sat silently 
looking out the window, telling Carrie to shut up when she got carried away with 
her story. 

Dana looked at Nathan out of the corner of her eye. He was eight years old and 
he had seen more than a child should. Wide blue eyes, contemplative. Nathan 
looked like her, except for his dark brown hair. He was more of a help raising 
Carrie than her own father has. If you could call him a father. Drinking, drugs, 
bringing home women in front of the children. 

She didn’t know what to do. He was out of control and she was afraid of him. No 
one knew the full extent of the abuse. She wasn’t even sure if she loved him 
anymore. But she didn’t even dare leave, especially with the kids. He would 
surely kill her and there was no way she would leave her babies alone with him 
and his cheap whores. 

** 

By the time they got home it was dark. Dana saw Adam’s car in the driveway. She 
took a few cleansing breaths before she turned the key in the door. If she went 
in mad, someone would get hurt. 

When they stepped in, they didn’t bother making themselves known. Quietly they 
went upstairs, glancing at her kids she stepped into her bedroom and stopped 
abruptly. He was home all right, but he sure wasn’t alone. He was in bed with 
another woman. 

"Oh my-" She wasn’t able to finish. 

"What the hell are you doing here!" Adam interrupted here harshly. 

"I think I live here." Dana replied, making the mistake of making the sentence 
come out sounding sarcastic. Adam, who hadn’t fully undressed yet leapt out of 
the bed and shoved her hard into the hallway. The blond looked on with boredom 
as he began to hit his wife. 

Nathan and Carrie stopped when they heard the familiar sounds of their father 
hitting their mother. Carrie teared up and Nathan turned red with anger. Before 
he could stop her, she jumped off the bed and ran into the hallway where Adam 
was kicking her mother, who was on the ground in a fetal position. 

"No! No! Stop it! Don’t hurt Mommy no more! Stop it you mean, mean man!" Carrie 
shrieked with her unnaturally loud voice. Dana looked up in horror at the stance 
her daughter took to defend her. 

"NO! Carrie go back into your room and lock the door!" She saw Adam going for 
the belt. "Now!" She screamed. Carrie looked torn and Nathan did as well. He 
tried to look brave as he stood in front of his sister. He had to protect her. 

Adam came back out with his belt and looked at his kids. Dana scrambled to her 
feet as he raised the belt over the kids. She knocked him in the back of the 
knees and he lost his footing and crumbled. He turned around in fury. Dana didn’t 
know what hit her as she was looking at her kids. 

She tumbled unceremoniously down the stairs and crumpled in a heap at the bottom. 
She was so dazed, but she heard her children crying and screaming at the top of 
the stairs. If he hurt them, God help her, she’d kill him. 

The blond called Adam back into bed before he could make a move towards his kids. 
He gave them a stare and locked the door to the bedroom behind him. 

Carrie and Nathan ran down the stairs to their crying mother. They helped her up 
the stairs and into Nathan’s bedroom. Carrie whimpered and Nathan went and got 
the first aid kit. This was somewhat of a routine, Dana thought dismally. One 
that had to stop. Nathan cleaned his mother’s wounds and laid her down in his 
bed. She reached out for her kids and they came to her. Carrie choked on her 
sobs, knowing that if they interrupted whatever was going on in the next room, 
they were in trouble. 

They already were in trouble. They lay cramped into Nathan’s bed, trying to 
block out the moans and screams of pleasure in the next room. They let the sweet 
darkness of sleep consume them. Their dreams a temporary escape from the 
nightmare that was their life. 

** 

Gaithersburg, MD 

She held him and kissed him with such passion. He couldn’t see her face, and he 
knew it wasn’t Phoebe. 

"Oh Fox, I love you." A throaty, sultry voice whispered. 

"Who are you? Tell me so I can find you. I want to stay here with you forever." 
He moaned back. 

"It’s fate Fox. Fate that we’re together like this. Oh, I love you Fox." She 
whispered again. "You’ll never know how much." 

"Please don’t go!" He pleaded. "Don’t make me go back! There’s too much pain! I 
can’t trust again! Phoebe doesn’t love me. No one does! Please!" He cried. He 
felt her hot lips trail fire up across his chest. "Oh, please." He whispered. 

"It’s fate, love. Fate." She whispered back, as she began to disappear he caught 
a glimpse of the most beautiful blue/green eyes he’d ever had the pleasure of 
seeing. 

"Fate, fate, fate, fate, fate........." 

** 

Over a thousand miles away 

He held her and kissed her with such tenderness. She couldn’t see his face, and 
she knew it wasn’t Adam. 

"Oh Dana, I love you." A deep sultry voice whispered. 

"Who are you? Tell me so I can find you. I want to stay here with you forever." 
She whimpered back. 

"It’s fate Dana. Fate that we’re together like this. Oh, I love Dana." He 
whispered again. "You’ll never know how much." 

"Oh please don’t go!" She pleaded. "Don’t make me go back to Adam! I don’t love 
him! He’ll kill me! Please!" She cried. She felt his hot lips trail fire up and 
down her neck and throat. "Oh, please." She whispered. 

"It’s fate, love. Fate." He whispered back, as he began to disappear she caught 
a glimpse of the most beautiful hazel eyes she’d ever had the pleasure of seeing. 

"Fate, fate, fate, fate, fate........." 

Dana woke up sweating from the dream she’d just had. It was so....vivid. So 
vivid in fact that she could still feel the lips of this dream lover on her body. 
She took a few breaths, remembering the gorgeous, deep, hazel eyes that looked 
at her with a love she desired to feel more than anything in the world. 

She took a look around her and the sharp pain in her stomach, reminded her of 
the night before. The tears came soon afterwards, soft and silent. 

"Mommy?" Came Carrie’s small voice. Dana stopped mid-sob. 

"Hi honey. You awake so soon?" Dana replied, wiping her face. Carrie stuck the 
raggedy doll, she refused to part with in her face. 

"Annie says you’re sad. I agree wif her." Carrie said matter-a-factly. A genuine 
smile spread across Dana’s face. She pulled the small girl to her, ignoring the 
pain in her stomach. Carrie’s innocent smile and Nathan’s rather sarcastic 
looking face could always brighten her spirits. They were the main reason she 
was still alive. 

"You’re a very smart girl, ya know that?" Dana asked. 

"No she’s not. She’s a peanut-head." Nathan interrupted, his eyes still closed. 
Dana leaned over and tickled him. Nathan laughed and fell off the bed with a 
thud. They were silent for awhile, listening, making sure Adam didn’t hear. They 
all broke out in a chorus of giggles. 

"*You* are a-um-a-a big pickle-puss!" Carrie countered. 

"Okay okay enough name-calling." Dana said, chuckling at Carrie’s choice of 
words. "We’re going to go see Vickie and Jake McKinnon today. How bout that?" 
Dana asked. 

"Goodyy-yyy-yy." Carrie exclaimed, bouncing on the bed. The kids loved visiting 
Jake and Vickie McKinnon. They often went there after worse nights than the last. 

"Okay then, let’s get ready to go. Up and at’em." 

*** 

Gaithersburg, MD 

Mulder Residence 

"Fox, You’ve got some mail!" Caroline Mulder yelled to her son from downstairs. 

"Thanks mom." Fox said, dourly. Caroline looked anxiously. Ever since he’d moved 
out of his house with the kids, he had been ridden with worry at what Phoebe 
might do in retaliation. Not to mention the impact his failed marriage had on 
him. Caroline hated Phoebe for what she was doing to her son and grandchildren. 

She never approved of the marriage in the first place. Not that she had any say 
in it. They had eloped and she was so angry at what he had done that they hadn’t 
spoken for months. She had thought it was his idea to elope, but she found out 
from a friend that it had been Phoebe’s idea to elope. Imagine her dismay when 
she heard this little bit of information. 

Caroline noticed that Fox’s face had darkened as he read the note, his jaw 
clenching and unclenching. 

"Fox? Fox what is it?" Caroline asked her son. 

"It’s a court summons. Phoebe wants the kids *and* money. She claims it’s child 
support. But her loser of a lover has no job. That little wench." Mulder spat. 

"Fox, we’ll fight her. We won’t let her take our kids." Caroline insisted. 

"Damn straight." 

*** 

Los Angeles, California 

McKinnon Residence 

"Oh Dana. What happened. Did he-?" Vickie stopped as she saw the kids come in. 

"Hiya Vickie!" Carrie greeted, happily. She loved leaving the house. There was 
no question why. Vickie picked up the little girl and grinned at her. 

"Hiya, Carrie." She replied, jiggling the girl around a bit. Nathan smiled an 
identical smile to his mothers. Vickie smiled back. "How ya holdin up kiddo?" 
Vickie asked. 

"I’m doin okay. How bout you?" He replied, with a rather reserved expression. 

"I’m fine thanks." Vickie answered, nodding slowly. "Hey I think Jake has some 
chocolate ice cream in the kitchen. You guys wanna go check?" 

"Really? We get ice cream? Honest?! Chocolate ice cream?" Carrie asked in a 
hushed tone of excitement. Nathan even looked excited. Vickie fought off a wave 
of sadness for the deprived children. 

"Yea, really." She said softly. Carrie and Nathan looked to their mother and she 
nodded. Vickie let Carrie down and she and Nathan high-fived each other as they 
ran into the kitchen. Dana watched them run off and wiped away the tear that 
formed there. Adam barely supported them, most of the good stuff in the house 
was marked "his". Dana barely made enough for the rent, so such pleasures as ice 
cream weren’t often. 

Jake motioned for her to sit on the couch. "So you want to tell me what happened?" 
Vickie and Jake were the only ones who Dana came to about the beatings. But she 
made them swear never to tell anyone about them, telling them that they weren’t 
that bad. 

Dana’s mother didn’t even know about it since Dana hadn’t really spoken to her 
in years. Not since her marriage to Adam. Her father and mother never approved 
of her marrying him. They said that he was a control freak and he could never 
make her happy. They were more right than they thought. When the beatings 
started she was too stubborn to admit that they were right, so she and Adam 
moved to California. Adam didn’t like Dana’s parents, so even if she wanted to 
contact them she couldn’t. Even when her father died he wouldn’t let her go back. 
She wouldn’t go back and face them a broken shell of a woman. She couldn’t go 
back. 

Dana looked up at her long time friend Vickie. She was small, about 5’4. Blue 
eyes and short blond hair, arched eyebrows, pert little nose, and a full pouty 
mouth. Always willing to lend an ear. She and Jake were so silly together. She 
envied them. What they had. 

"Um, Adam forgot to pick-up the kids. They were there until five." Vickie made a 
silent ‘oh’ with her mouth. "When we got home, he was in bed with another woman. 
In *our* bed." Dana said, her voice wavering. "When he saw me, he got mad and...." 
She motioned to herself. "Carrie came out and yelled for him to stop, I was on 
the ground and....he got the belt," Dana began to cry, and Vickie moved closer 
horrified, placing a comforting arm around her friend. 

"Oh jeezuz Dana did-did he hit Carrie?" Vickie asked. 

"No. I got to him before he got to her and Nathan. He hit me and threw me down 
the stairs. And then he went back in his room." Dana cried. Vickie was appalled 
as she held her friend. How could she just sit here, knowing her best friend was 
being abused and cheated on by her husband? 

"Oh honey, why didn’t you come over? Are you okay?" Vickie asked with concern. 

"I couldn’t come I was so....It was an effort to just get up the stairs. I’m 
okay now, my stomach hurts a bit. He......kicked me." Dana hesitated on the last 
sentence. A while ago, before Carrie, Dana had been pregnant, but Adam didn’t 
know he’d beaten her and kicked her in the stomach. 

She miscarried by herself. To this day not a soul knew about it. Another weight 
to her broken, tattered soul. "I slept in Nathan’s room, with Carrie and Nathan. 
We could here them....in the other room." She ended with a high-pitched whimper. 
Vickie held her as she cried. 

"Oh honey, we-we need to tell someone." Vickie said. Dana pulled back in horror. 

"No!" 

"Honey you have to. Look at how this is affecting your children. Look at how it’s 
affecting you. Dana this is killing you. I won’t stay silent any longer. You 
aren’t the strong-willed person you once were. You aren’t the same." Vickie 
reasoned. Dana looked frightened. 

"If I tell, he’ll kill me. No, I’ll fix it, just, let me talk to him." Dana said, 
wringing her hands. 

"Dana no-" 

"Please! Just let me talk to him. Please. It’s not like he wants to hit me, it’s 
just that I haven’t been a good wife, that’s all. The women are there because, 
because I haven’t had time to satisfy him." 

"Dana that is the biggest load of *crap* that I have ever heard in my life! You 
are twice the woman that any of his whores can ever be. If he likes cheap and 
nasty, Fine! He doesn’t deserve someone like you." Vickie said, getting angry. 
How dare this monster do this to her friend. 

Dana’s mouth opened and closed. "What?" Vickie asked. "What is it?" 

"I-I had a dream, last night." She said, quietly, as though Adam would come 
storming through the door any moment. 

"What was it about?" Vickie asked. Dana hesitated. 

"W-well, I was with a man. He-he touched me and he loved me. I could feel it. 
Coming off of him in waves. He said it too. His voice was low and...sexy. He 
felt so good and he touched me and kissed me with such tenderness. He said it 
was fate. No it wasn’t Adam. Adam is rough, but *he* was gentle and warm. I didn’t 
see his face. Just heard his voice and felt his skin like a ghost on mine....and 
I saw his eyes. They were the most perfect hazel eyes you’ve ever seen in your 
life...." She tapered off. 

Vickie sat there a tad warm. "Wow." She breathed. 

"Yea, wow. I knew that this was what love felt like, being loved. I want to be 
loved like that." Dana said ruefully. 

"Then leave Adam." Vickie said, bluntly. 

"I can’t. Please just, let me handle it okay? Please?" Dana pleaded. Vickie 
looked at her for a long time. 

"I am giving you *one* chance. If I even *think* that there is a new bruise on 
you, I will call someone." As Vickie warned her, Dana said "Okay okay okay." 

"That was a threat, in case you don’t know." Vickie wagged a finger menacingly 
and Dana chuckled. 

"I know you hold true to your threats, Vick." Dana said, smiling. 

"You know it honey." Vickie said with mock-cockiness. "Let’s go get some ice 
cream." 

"I’m all for it." 

** 

Washington DC 

3 months later 

The divorce was now final and so was the custody of the kids. Fox had custody of 
all three of the kids. Phoebe had visitation rights every other weekend. The 
house was being sold, both had agreed to doing so. Fox had gotten a town house 
on the border of Virginia. 

They were leaving the courthouse, Fox feeling like a new man. Not that it didn’t 
still disgust him to see her pregnant with another man’s child. It saddened him 
to see it as well. It made him wonder what he had done wrong to drive her into 
the arms of another man. He wondered that every night he lay down alone in bed. 

Phoebe came out frowning with Jay, her lover, at her side. Fox glanced at them 
and opened the car door and was about to put Joey in the car seat, when Phoebe 
called out to them. 

"Fox wait!" Fox straightened up and watched them approach with detachment. Jay 
put a possessive arm around her. Fine with me, she’s your problem now, Fox 
thought. "What?" he asked. 

"I have a doctor’s appointment." She said. Fox raised an eyebrow. 

"So what? It’s not my kid." Fox said without much emotion. Phoebe huffed and 
said, 

"I want the kids to come. To see the sonogram." 

"Why?" Fox asked, innocently. 

"*Because*, the new baby will be their brother or sister." Jay piped in with 
annoyment. 

"Actually only *half* brother or sister and my children do not concern you." Fox 
said to Jay. 

"Fox, don’t be difficult." Phoebe said. 

"I have custody of them, since you obviously forgot. I don’t think this counts 
as every *other* weekend. If the kids went with you, I would have to go and *I* 
sure as heck don’t wanna be there-" Fox was cut off by Jay. 

"Why don’t we ask the kids." 

"Why don’t you mind your own business." Fox cut in. 

"We’ll ask the kids." Phoebe said standing between the two tense men. Phoebe 
walked over to the car. "Hey guys, how about coming to the doctor with me to see 
your new brother or sister." 

"No thank you." Jenny said overly politely. 

"I don’t want a brother or sister." Alex said bluntly. Phoebe bristled. 

"Well don’t you want to come anyway?" 

"Um...no." He said a matter-of-factly. Phoebe turned to Fox. He raised his 
eyebrows and shrugged. 

"Say bye-bye Joe." Fox said, walking to the car. 

"Bye-bye." Joey complied. Bye-bye and Ba were the only words he knew. Phoebe 
kissed Joey and hugged Alex, uncomfortably, Jenny was in the car before she 
could even think of hugging her. 

"This isn’t over Fox." Phoebe said with venom. 

"Oh isn’t it. You’re out of a fortune, but," He motioned towards Jay, "at least 
ya have *true* love." Fox deadpanned, before getting into the car and driving 
off, leaving a furious Phoebe in his wake. 

** 

Los Angeles, California 

It had been three months since her deal with Vickie, and Adam was really trying. 
They’d even been intimate once or twice. But it wore her to the bone. She’d had 
to plead with him to try and make the marriage work. She’d laid herself down in 
the mud, put her pride on the line, and had gone out of her way to make him 
happy with her. He’d yelled at her a few times and grasped her a little too hard, 
but otherwise he had really tried. 

Now Dana scrubbed the bathroom, while the kids played in their room. Adam had 
gone out somewhere. She never questioned him. He hated to be questioned. Dana 
jumped feeling a presence behind her. It was Adam. And he was drunk. 

"Adam you’re drunk." 

"So?" He began to grope her and she didn’t like it. 

"Adam stop." She said, trying to push him away. He pinned her arms to her sides 
as he straddled her hips, forcing her to the floor. "Adam please. Stop!" Dana 
cried. He slapped her hard across the face and forced her skirt up. "No, please!" 

"Shut up! Come on baby." He hissed, the smell of bourbon made her gag. 

"Adam please stoo-hop." She whimpered, beginning to cry. He ignored her ripping 
her panties off harshly. He began to undo his own belt. 

"Mommy?" Carrie’s curious voice came. Dana slammed the bathroom door. 

"No honey it’s okay, go play with Nathan." She yelled. Adam pulled his pants and 
boxers down around his ankles. The sight of him made her sick. 

"Please Adam. I thought we were doing so well." Dana whispered. 

"Be quiet." Came Adam’s curt response. 

"But the kids-" 

"I said *shut* *up*." He growled kneeling between her legs. She began to cry 
again. 

"Adam, don’t. Please, I’m begging you. Stop." She whimpered between sobs. He 
ignored her pushing into her. She cried out in pain. He looked at her in disgust, 
but continued anyway. Long painful, jolty strokes. She cried and whimpered, but 
he wouldn’t stop and he hurt so badly. He held her down by her hair. His eyes 
were dilated and all she saw was a monster. A stranger. Dear God, her own 
husband was raping her. The one who promised to honor and obey, to love in 
sickness and in health till death do they part. And he was raping her. 

When he came, he called out a name unfamiliar to her, bringing forth a fresh 
stream of tears. Who was Roxanne? He pulled out and looked at her in disgust and 
slapped her just for the heck of it, drunk as he was. He got up pulled his pants 
on and left. She heard the main bedroom door slam. And she cried some more, 
sitting herself up. She leaned against the tub and cried for all it was worth. 

They had been doing so well! How could this have happened? Whatever happened, 
she didn’t want to be in this house. She got up and put back on her tattered 
panties, stumbling into the children’s room where Nathan and Carrie sat huddled 
in a corner, looking frightened. 

"Oh my babies, come to Mommy." She whispered through her tears. They ran to her 
and they hugged tightly. "Put your shoes on, we have to leave." She whispered, 
urgently. They didn’t question her. They just did as told. This was routine and 
that’s why it was so sad. 

They ran out to the car and drove off. She didn’t know where she was going. 
There was no one to go to. Not even Vickie and Jake. No where to turn. She found 
a parking lot and leaned on the steering wheel and began to cry. Carrie began to 
cry as well. Dana gathered her to her. Nathan leaned over and rested his head on 
her shoulder. 

It was done. Dana was completely empty. He had broken her. 

** 

Los Angeles, California 

Dana waited until she thought Adam would be sober to go home. Maybe this was 
just a one time thing. This would be the last time she made an excuse for him. 

When they came in carefully, they found him on the couch with a woman. Not only 
was there a woman but there were Vodka bottles on the floor. They were 
completely drunk. 

"You BITCH!" Adam yelled seeing her and the kids at the door. Picking up Nathan’s 
baseball bat, left on the floor he came at her. 

"OH GOD!" She cried. "RUN! GO!" She screamed at her kids before the first blow 
caught her in the arm. Carrie screamed for her. 

"MOMMY MOMMY COME ON! RUN!" She screamed. But Dana was on the floor. Adam had 
dropped the bat and was kicking her. 

"MOMMA! MOMMAAAA!!" Carrie shrieked, running towards Adam, fists flying. 

"CARRIE NOOOO!" Dana Screamed from the fetal position she had taken on the floor. 
She fought to get up. Adam raised his fist to Carrie, as she hit him, crying. 
Nathan pulled her away from him in time and he pulled her out the door. 

"NOOO MOMMYYYYYY!!!" Carrie Squealed. 

"We’re gonna go get help!" Nathan yelled as they ran from the house. 

Adam turned his fury back to his wife. She had managed to get up, holding her 
broken arm to her chest. 

"You pathetic little bitch." He spat as he began his assault once again. He 
stopped suddenly and went back to the couch with the blond. Dana cried on the 
floor. 

"Why Adam? Why?" She whimpered, trying in vain to get to her feet. Adam rolled 
his eyes. 

"Because you’re an ugly, stupid, no-good, un-satisfying bitch." He said, as 
though asked what color the sky was. Dana whimpered again and licked her split 
lip. 

"I thought you loved me!" She cried. 

"Will you shut up!" He yelled. 

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" Dana shrieked on weak hand and knees. Adam 
didn’t respond, only kissed the blond on the cheek. 

"You are a terrible husband and father!" She screamed at him. That’s when he got 
really mad. He got up took her by the front and threw her into the wall. Before 
she knew what hit her he threw a lamp at her and everything went black. 

Adam went towards her, still angry. The blond, Roxanne, watched her on the 
ground bleeding, broken, and unconscious, and something in her clicked. 

"Adam stop! Don’t touch her. Let’s go. The cops will come and I don’t want to be 
here when they do. Let’s go." 

So they did. Dana Scully-Jones lay on the ground, bleeding, and waiting for 
death to come. Alone. 

*** 

McKinnon Residence 

They heard the pounding and screaming at the door and came running. Jake peeped 
out the window, because you could never be too careful in Los Angeles. 

"Oh Jeez. Vick open the door, it’s Nat and Carrie and they’re alone." Jake said, 
feeling the worry creep up. Vickie swung the door open and Carrie threw herself 
at Vickie, sobbing. 

"Oh Lord, Where’s your mother?!" Vickie asked, in a panic. 

"Please! Dad was drunk and a lady was there and he took a bat an’ an’ Mommy told 
us to run an’ we did an’ he was hittin her an’....an’...." Nathan was half-way 
in tears. Vickie looked horrified at Jake. 

"I’m there Vick, call the Police. Don’t worry kids your mommy will be fine." 
Jake said, running out the door. Vickie picked up Carrie and ran to the 
telephone. When she finished her call she looked at the hiccuping kids and 
prayed for all three of them and silently asked why life was so unfair to 
innocent children and good-hearted people like Dana. 

*** 

When Jake got there, the door was unlocked. No one was there, but the place 
looked a mess. He looked around frantically and then spotted Dana laying in a 
crumpled heap on the floor, a bloody gash in her head, a broken lamp next to her, 
her arm purple and swollen, in a strange direction, and she was bleeding in 
several different places. 

"Oh God no." He exclaimed kneeling down next to her, afraid to touch her. She 
looked so fragile, so small. He felt for a pulse. It was weak, but it was there. 
"Stay with me Dana. Come on now." He heard sirens in the distance. "The 
ambulance is on its way. Hold on now. You’ve got two great kids to live for, not 
to mention me and Vickie." He whispered. Her pulse beat a little stronger. She 
needed to live. 

*** 

Los Angeles Mercy Hospital 

the next day 

"I wanna see my mommy!" Carrie yelled at the top of her lungs. Vickie shushed 
her. 

"Honey we’re gonna go see your mommy now." Jake assured. Carrie pouted. 

"Is she okay? Did did, sir, make her not alive no more?" Carrie asked. ‘Sir’ is 
what they were supposed to call Adam. 

"Honey your mommy is still here. We’re gonna go see her okay, but don’t be 
frightened at what you see, all right? It’s all to make your mommy better. And 
she may or may not be awake. She was unconscious when Jake found her." 

"What’s, what’s un-consheeus?" Katie asked. 

"Well, it means your mommy is in a very deep sleep." Jake explained. 

"Well wake her up. I wanna talk to her." Carrie said looking at the floor and 
shuffling her feet. 

"I wish we could talk to her honey, but....she can’t wake up. But maybe if you 
talk to her, she’ll know you’re her and she’ll wake up. Both of you." Vickie 
said looking from Carrie to Nathan. They looked at one another, back, and nodded. 

When they walked into the hospital room, Dana was hooked up to several tubes. 
One from which a yellowish-red fluid came out. It was attached to her stomach. 
Jake wrinkled his nose, realizing that it was blood. 

Vickie picked Carrie up and carried over to her mother’s bedside. 

"Mommy? Mommy, it’s me Carrie." Carrie touched her mother's hand, minding all 
the tubes. "Mommy, don’t go away okay? Okay?" Carrie shook her hand a little and 
pouted. 

Nathan, with his constantly raised eyebrow, walked slowly over to his mother. 
Her beautiful face was bruised black and blue, her lip fat and swollen. A cast 
on her arm. There were bandages around her head, hiding her silky red-hair. The 
wide, blue eyes that matched his, swollen shut. What had that man, his....father 
done to her? 

"Why didn’t you run Mommy? Why?" He asked, sadly shaking his head. If he ever 
saw that man again, it would be too soon. 

*** 

Dana had woken up a day later. The kids were ecstatic and they had cried, upon 
seeing her awake. Jake had taken the kids to the cafeteria to get something to 
eat. Vickie sat in a chair next to Dana’s bed. Dana stirred. 

"Dane? Honey you awake?" Vickie probed. 

"Mmm," She licked her lips and sighed. "Vickie," She rasped. "I need your help." 

"Of coarse honey anything." Vickie said. 

"The kids are staying with you right?" Vickie nodded. 

"Adam hasn’t come back yet?" Vickie shook her head frowning. 

"No the big bum." Vickie said. 

"Good. I need you to go pack all of the kids things, I mean everything. I need 
you to pack all my stuff as well. And then I want you to go buy three plane 
tickets." 

"Plane tickets?!" Vickie exclaimed. "Why?" 

"It’s like you said, I need to leave for my kids and for myself." Dana said. 

"But I didn’t mean-" 

"No. I need to start over Vick. I need to start a new life for myself and for my 
children. I can’t live like this anymore. Please." Dana pleaded. 

Vickie sympathized. "Where do you want to go?" She asked resignedly. Dana would 
have smiled if it didn’t hurt so much. 

"Maryland. I need to find my mother." Dana said looking out the window. 

** 

The plan was set, bags packed, and plane tickets bought. When Dana had told 
Nathan and Carrie, they took it like troopers. There was nothing here for them, 
there was nothing keeping them here. Leaving Vickie and Jake would be hard, but 
it was time to move on. 

Dana was discharged from the hospital today. Nothing left but some bruises and a 
broken arm. Jake had all their luggage in his jeep. They went straight to the 
airport from the hospital. 

"You ready to go?" Jake asked ringing his hands. Dana nodded and placed an arm 
around Nathan. 

"We’re ready. Thank you so much for this. I owe you everything, for what you’re 
doing for me and my kids." Dana said. Jake nodded. 

"Anything for you guys." He said, quietly. Vickie walked up behind them, 
shutting her cell phone. 

"Hey Dana, guess what? I just found your mother. She lives in Arlington. She’ll 
be at the airport when you get there." 

Dana gasped. "You found my mom?" She enveloped the taller woman in a tight 
embrace, as tight as she could with one arm. "Thank you so much. Oh thank you." 

"Hey you really wanna thank me, you’ll write everyday. And don’t be afraid. I 
got the tickets under different names. He won’t be able to find you. I promise." 
Vickie said teary-eyed. 

"I write you every single day." Dana whispered. 

"Now we all know that’s a down right lie but, you’ll do your best and so will we. 
Take your time and get your feet." Jake said with his usual mischievous/innocent 
grin. 

"We will." Dana said. Just then the woman on the loud speaker called for the 
flight to Washington DC. "That’s us." Dana said nervously. "Kids." 

Nathan and Carrie stepped forward and exchanged teary-eyed hugs. 

"Last call for flight 2037 to Washington DC." The woman announced. Taking one 
look back they stepped on the plane and into a new life. 

** ** 

Washington DC 

Dulles National Airport 

Maggie Scully had not seen her daughter in ten years. She had not seen her 
grandchildren at all. She got pictures, but that didn’t compare to actually 
seeing them. She didn’t understand why Dana had just picked up and left with 
that Adam so suddenly. 

So after almost ten years, imagine her surprise when childhood friend Vickie 
Hudson McKinnon calls and says that Dana needed her help and that she was coming 
down. Vickie hadn’t said anything else, just that Dana would explain when she 
got there. The first thing she felt was....nothing. But now. She felt anger. Ten 
years. Dana hadn’t even come home when her father had died! 

She heard Dana’s flight being called and looked around for her daughter, trying 
to keep her anger in check. She was still her daughter, after all. Then off the 
plane came a small woman, arm in a sling, and face bruised in several different 
places. By her sides, two small children trailed. She was so small. She 
instantly knew where the bruises had come from and with this realization came 
pain for her daughter, all her anger melting away. 

Dana looked up at the sound of her name. It was her mother. And suddenly the 
tears came. "Mom!" She cried dragging her children with her. She fell into her 
mother’s arms. 

"Oh Dana! My baby girl. He did this to you didn’t he. Oh why didn’t you tell me? 
I would have understood." 

"I was so scared momma. I’m sorry. He almost killed me, I had to run, my kids-Oh, 
my kids. Mom, these are your grandchildren. Nathan and Carrie Margaret." Dana 
stepped aside and Nathan and Carrie stepped out. Carrie pursed her lips and 
decided that she was a nice looking grandma. She stepped up to her. 

"Hello honey." Maggie Scully said with tears in her eyes. They looked like Dana. 

"How come you’re sad. Don’t ya like us?" Carrie asked, timidly. 

"Oh Sweetheart I like you very much. I’m not sad. I’m very very happy." Maggie 
said, wiping her eyes at Carrie’s befuddled expression. 

Nathan stepped forward. "Grandma, where are we gonna live?" He asked. He was 
scared of the new surroundings. 

"You’ll stay with me. Where your mom grew up." Maggie answered. 

Nathan grinned. "Cool." Maggie hugged the both of them and cried. Dana looked on 
and couldn’t help but think of how much time she wasted with Adam. 

"Oh look at me. I’m getting you all wet." Maggie laughed. "Your luggage was 
forwarded to my house. Let’s go home." Maggie said taking Carrie and Nathan’s 
hands. 

Dana sighed. "You don’t know how good it feels to hear that." Dana said. Maggie 
stretched a hand out to her. She was going home. 

*** 

Scully Residence 

They reached Maggie’s house and Dana felt a whirlwind of emotions as she stepped 
into her childhood home. Nothing had changed. Maggie prepared some tomato soup 
and cheese sandwiches for them all and sent the tired children upstairs to sleep. 
Carrie in Dana’s childhood bedroom and Nathan in her brother Charlie’s bedroom. 

Dana and her mother now sat at the kitchen table talking. 

"The beatings started about five months after we were married. We moved to 
California and they got worse after Nathan was born." 

"Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you call for help?" Maggie asked, leaning 
over the table. 

"I was afraid and ashamed I guess. You told me you didn’t like him and you were 
right. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to come to Daddy’s funeral, it’s that he 
would let me. He was never a father to the children. Always getting drunk, 
bringing home women." 

"Oh Dana." 

"He was really trying for the past four months. He really was, but one day he 
came home drunk and he....he raped me with the kids in the house. He didn’t even 
say *my* name." Dana cried. Maggie didn’t trust herself to speak. 

"I came back hoping he was sober. He was with a woman on the couch. He came at 
me with a bat. He almost hit Carrie. I told them to run. He beat me and then I 
yelled at him, he threw a lamp at my head and I woke up in a hospital. He 
disappeared and I had to run. I couldn’t stay there Mom. He was killing me....and 
my kids. I came here to start over. Maybe be a nurse someplace. I’d like to stay 
here, if that’s okay. Until I can find a place of my own. I won’t go by Jones 
anymore. I’ll go by Scully." 

"You know that that’s fine with me Dana. As long as you’re happy and safe. You're 
safe now honey. Come now. You need your sleep." 

** 

Four months later 

"Well, what do you kids want to do today?" Phoebe asked her kids. This weekend 
she had the kids. Alex and Jennie regarded their mother with boredom. 

"I don’t know." Jennie and Alex said in unison. Phoebe pursed her lips and 
turned to Joey. 

"Hey Joey what do you want to do today?" She asked not expecting him to answer. 

"Ba ba?" He inquired. Phoebe sighed and the kids sighed. Hey and this was only 
the *first* hour. Phoebe looked at Jay for help. 

"Um, hey Alex. You like basketball?" Jay asked the young boy. Alex popped his 
thumb in his mouth and answered, 

"Yea, Daddy an’ I wike de Knicks. Wight Jen?" Jennie nodded. 

"Yup. Daddy even took us to a Knicks game in New York once. After Joey was born. 
Mom I think you were sick or something." Jennie said. She did the hidden sarcasm 
thing well. She got it from her dad. 

"Yea well, how bout we go shoot some hoops Al’." Jay continued. 

"My name is Alex." Was all Alex said, before Jennie jumped in. 

"Why are you only asking him? Cause he’s a boy isn’t it? Just because I’m a girl, 
you think I don’t want to play basketball. He’s five years old for crying out 
loud. How is he supposed to beat you at basketball?" 

"Jennie." Phoebe said warningly. 

"Well it’s what he’s doing isn’t it? Forget it. You’re just gonna defend him 
cause he’s your boyfriend." Jennie said neutrally. 

"Okay okay. Do you want to come play too Jennie?" Jay asked. Jennie looked at 
him for a moment and then sat back in her chair. 

"No thank you Mr.Wilson." She said, looking at her shoes. 

"Aaalright then, how about it Alex." Jay said turning to the younger boy. Alex 
shook his head and concentrated on sucking his thumb. Phoebe sighed. This wasn’t 
working. The kids refused to accept Jay and there was this tenseness every time 
they came. 

"Okay children, I know this is hard for you and I’m not sure what you father 
said tha-" 

"Daddy didn’t say anything about you!" Jennie yelled, jumping to defend her 
father. 

"Okay, but the way you're treating Jay is unfair. He’s just trying to be your 
friend. Can’t you think of him like a-a second daddy?" Phoebe pleaded. 

"I don’t want another daddy! I don’t like Jay! He tried to take us away from 
Daddy and so did you. I don’t know what you and Jay were doing before you and 
Daddy got divorced, but I know it was bad! You were always mean to Daddy when he 
tried to be nice to you, but you’re nice to Jay! What does Jay have that Daddy 
doesn’t? Daddy is a whole lot better than Jay! At least I never saw Daddy naked 
with another woman!" Jenny ranted. 

"That’s enough young lady! You will apologize to Jay immediately!" Phoebe yelled. 

"No! Why should I apologize him? Alls he did was ruin our family and so did you! 
You never loved daddy, ever, did you?" Jenny yelled, crying. "Did you!?" She 
screamed again. Phoebe was silent. 

"You're upsetting your mother." Jay said, going to Phoebe’s side. 

"I don’t care! I want my daddy! I want my daddy!" Jenny screamed. Joey, sensing 
the tension in the room started to cry. 

"Dada?" He inquired. Alex looked scared. He was confused at all the screaming. 
Didn’t he hear his mother say she didn’t want them? And he could never really 
look at his mother, really without remembering what happened in the bedroom. 
Seeing her naked with that man. The man who wasn’t Daddy. 

"You’re upsetting your brother now. Go to your room and think about what you’ve 
just done." Phoebe said, getting up with some difficulty because of her round 
stomach. 

"I want Daddy. Mom, please? I w-w-want t-to go h-home." Jenny hiccuped. Phoebe 
looked at her daughter for a moment and then nodded. What else could she do? 
Maybe in time they would grow to like Jay. Even think of him as another father. 
It was always hard for kids at first. 

** 

Arlington 

Fox had just walked in when Phoebe called and said, to come and pick up Jenny. 

"What? Is anything the matter?" He’d asked. "No just come and get her." So once 
again, Fox Mulder was on the road and driving back to Phoebe and Jay’s house. He 
was only a few minutes from their house when his cell phone rang. 

"Hello." Fox answered with a sigh. 

"Wow, Fox you sound pooped." Came the female voice on the other end. 

"Hey Sam." 

"Hey big bro where are you? I’ve been trying at your place for awhile. I thought 
you’d already dropped the kids off at the ‘wicked witches’ house." Samantha 
Mulder- Carter said. 

"Phoebe called and told me to come pick up Jenny." 

"Something wrong?" Sam inquired. 

"I don’t know. She just said to come get her and I wish you wouldn’t refer to 
her as the wicked witch." Fox said. 

"Why? After what she did to you, she deserves to be called worse. You aren’t 
even having any fun anymore. You’ve completely immersed yourself in your work 
and what is she doing? Living with her lover and pregnant. Hmm which sounds 
better?" She asked faking stupidity. 

"Can it twerp. I’m here. I’ll call you later." Fox said, hanging up has cell 
phone and going to the door. He knocked twice and Jay answered it. 

"Where’s my daughter? What happened?" Fox asked, trying to step inside. 

"She’s inside, she’s fine, but I need to talk to you." Jay said. 

"What do you need to talk to me about?" Fox asked, folding his arms. 

"Look Jenny just threw a tantrum in there. I don’t know what you’re saying to 
theses kids but I suggest you stop, for Phoebe’s sake and for the kids." Jay 
said folding his arms as well. 

"I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. My kids are no concern of 
yours. If they don’t like you, tough. They did see you naked with their mother, 
what else should they think of you?" Mulder said mildly. 

"Look-look I know you still love Phoebe. I mean after over ten years together, I 
wouldn’t expect any less, especially with a wonderful woman like Phoebe." 

Mulder let out a bark of unbelieving laughter. "Oh yea. Loyal Phoebe to the end." 
He muttered. 

"But think about her Fox." 

"It’s Mr. Mulder." Fox interrupted. 

"Fine Mr. Mulder. She wants to be with her kids. She’s getting upset over this 
and it isn’t good for her pregnancy. Pregnant women shouldn’t be upset and..." 

"I-I know that. I went through three pregnancies with her already. What do you 
want me to do? They’ll think what they want to think. A child just doesn’t get 
over something like this. If you want them to like you, just give it time. I don’t 
control their thinking." Fox said, ticked off. 

"Daddy! Daddy!" Jenny cried, as she ran past Jay. Fox picked up Jenny and spun 
her around. 

"Hey Starbuck. What’s the matter? How come you don’t want to stay?" Fox asked 
his daughter. 

"I just don’t, Daddy. Please take me home. I don’t want to stay here with Jay 
and....and Mom." Jenny cried. Fox looked up at Phoebe who had Joey by the hand. 

"Maybe I should take Joey too. You can’t even pick him up Phoebe." 

"Dada!" Joey squealed. He looked from his mom to his father, expecting something. 
Fox set Jenny down and picked up Joey, who had toddled over to him. 

"Fox, Jay can take care of him." Phoebe said. 

"Jay does not have legal custody of him. I don’t want him taking care of my son." 
Fox protested. "Alex, you can stay with your mother if you’d like." Fox said to 
his son. 

"Um, no thanks. If it’s okay wif you mom, I wanna go wif daddy." Alex said with 
his slight lisp. 

"Go ahead. It’s okay." Phoebe said, clearing her throat. Fox was just being 
difficult. She thought awhile while she watched them pile into the car and leave. 
She was alienated from her kids. Joey spent most of his time with Fox, as well 
as the other kids. She had one on the way and Fox sure didn’t need any money. 
There was no obligations on her part to the kids. None financial anyway. 

** 

When they got home, Alex and Jenny went to their rooms to change there clothes. 
Fox put Joey in his playpen, gave him a bottle, and made himself a cup of coffee. 
He looked down at Joey and knelt down next to him. 

"Hey bud. What do you think of Jay and your mommy? Yea she wasn’t around much 
was she?" He asked. Joey placed a small hand on his nose and Fox chuckled. "Love 
ya champ." he whispered, laying his head lightly on the small child’s chest. The 
baby patted his father on the head. 

"Wuv woo dada." Joey mumbled around his bottle. Fox's’ head shot up from his 
chest and looked at his baby boy with awe. 

"That’s my boy." He cooed kissing him on the top of his head. He then thought a 
moment and picked him up and carried him into Jenny’s bedroom where Alex and 
Jenny were giggling over a book. Jenny looked up. 

"Hi Daddy." 

"Hi Sweetie." Fox replied, sitting on the bed with Joey. "Look can I talk to you 
kids for a minute?" 

"Kay’. What is it?" Jenny asked. 

"Um, can you put the book away for a moment?" Fox said, motioning to the book 
Alex was trying to read upside down. They put the book away and got back on the 
bed. 

"Thanks. Look, Jay isn’t really important at the moment, but it’s your mom I 
wanted to talk to you about." Fox started. The kids just looked at him. "What 
are your feelings about her, I mean do you feel angry at her? Or at me?" 

"No daddy, you didn’t do anything." Jenny said with wide eyes. 

"What about your mom?" Fox asked, his eyes imploring. Jenny pulled on her 
corduroy pant leg a bit and then looked at her teddy bear, Mr. Snuffles. 

"Jenny?" Fox tried, knowing she was hiding something. "You know you can tell me 
anything." 

"And you won’t get mad?" Jenny asked in a small voice, sounding seven instead of 
twenty-one, which is what she usually sounding like. 

"No honey." Fox answered. Jenny bit her lip and then said. 

"I knew about mom and Jay, before you did. I heard her talking on the phone. And 
she said never to tell you. She never told me....um, um, what’s that word when 
someone knows you know, but they give hints, but don’t really give hints?" 

"Specific?" Fox suggested. 

"Yea that. She didn’t tell me pecifically that she knew I knew. You know she 
said it just in case I knew." Jenny said. 

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Fox asked, knowing it was a stupid question. She was 
seven and she knew her mother was cheating on her father, what was she supposed 
to do? "Never mind honey you don’t have to answer that." He said. 

"How does that make you feel? Now." He asked. Jenny poked her lower lip out. 

"It made me mad and sad. It still makes me mad and sad. 

"Mad at your Mom?" Fox asked, looking up. 

"Uh hm. Cause you’re better then Jay and she was sayin bad things about you and 
I don’t understand what they were doing but I know it was bad. Her and Jay aren’t 
even married." 

"I know honey. What about you, Alex? How do you feel?" Fox asked his son. 

"I don’t know. I’m confused an, an I saw mommy naked." He said with hushed tone, 
conspiratorial tone. He seemed a bit ashamed too. Like every time he looked at 
his mother, that was all he saw. That scene in the bedroom. 

"But you don’t hate your mother do you?" Fox asked. Alex thought a moment and 
then replied, 

"You’re not assposed to hate people, specially your parents, right?" 

"Son you can’t help your feelings. How do you feel about your mommy?" Fox asked. 

"I, I don’t know. I wanna love her. But she isn’t around a lot. But I don’t like 
Jay. He’s tryin to be our new daddy an I don’t wanna new daddy. I like you." 
Alex said with the innocence of a five year old. Fox chuckled and ruffled his 
son’s hair. Oh Phoebe how can you not want to be a part of this? Fox asked her 
silently. 

"I like ya too Alex." Fox replied laughing. "Look kids. I know mommy isn’t 
around a lot and we’re not together like you want us to be-" 

"If mom stayed, you would just be more sad. She wasn’t around a lot like real 
mommys. Mom didn’t really love you did she? I asked her and she didn’t say 
anything." Jenny interrupted. 

"Yes, well, that’s not the way it is. I know you’re mad at your mommy right now, 
but I want you to try and forgive her for what she’s done to us. Do you know 
what forgive is?" 

"Yes." Jenny answered. Alex shook his head. 

"Forgiving is when someone does something wrong to you, you say it’s okay and 
your not mad at them anymore. But if you're still mad at them, it really isn’t 
forgiving. You don’t have to do it over night, but work on it. Do you understand?" 
Fox explained. 

"Yea, I think so." Alex replied, nodding slowly. "Daddy do you forgive mom?" 
Alex asked. Fox struggled for a moment and then nodded slowly. 

"Yes I do. It was not easy for me." He said laughing. "I was mostly mad at her 
for you all, but I’m okay now." Fox said, raising his eyebrows at his son. Alex 
nodded. 

"Good. You know mom is gonna have a baby too. But the only difference is I’m 
your daddy, but Jay is that baby’s daddy. I know that you want nothing to do 
with Jay right now, or your mother but the baby, is going to be your half 
brother or sister. You need to accept this child too. It’s important that you do 
and it’s not bad to love the baby your mother is carrying no matter who the 
father is. The baby never did anything, it didn’t get to choose its parents or 
ask to be born into such a family, but it is. And we need to try and welcome it. 
Okay?" 

"We’ll try Daddy." Jenny said, solemnly. Alex nodded quickly. 

"Yea Daddy we’ll twy." He said. Fox smiled and looked down at Joey who had 
fallen asleep and was now lightly snoring. The three awake Mulders laughed. 

"Hey I think there’s some ice cream in the freezer, but you don’t like ice cream 
do you?" Fox asked with mock-disgust. "Hey I could cook you up some nice green 
broccoli. YAY!" 

"Ewwww!" Alex and Jenny giggled. "No Daddy, we like ice cream!" Alex squealed as 
they went into the kitchen. 

"Ohh, but it’s so smooth and creamy, yuck. And all that sugar, who wants any of 
that? It’s a cavity waiting to happen." Fox mock-argued. The kids giggled at the 
funny face their father made and got some spoons. Laughter trailed from the 
kitchen. 

** 

Georgetown 

Dana opened the door to her apartment with a sigh and dropped her keys on the 
coffee table. 

"Mommyyyyy!" Carrie squealed, running into her mother, as she was taking off her 
pumps. 

"Hey baby girl." Dana grinned. "Hey Mom I’m home!" Dana yelled. Maggie popped 
her head out of the kitchen, tilted her head, and smiled at her daughter 
sympathetically. 

"Hi sweetie, you look horrible." Maggie said. 

"Thanks." Dana replied with good-natured sarcasm. 

"Doctor Carrie can fix you!" Carrie piped up. Dana laughed and detached herself 
from her daughter. 

"Lemme go change and when I come back Dr. Carrie can do whatever she wants to me." 
Dana said, in happy resignation. 

"Hi, Mom." Nathan yelled from his room. 

"Hi, honey!" Dana yelled back, on her way to her bedroom. Carrie and Maggie 
watched her go. 

"She looks pooped." Carrie stated a matter of factly. Maggie laughed. 

"You got that right. Well there’s only one of your Mommy and two of you." Maggie 
said. 

"No there isn’t. There is only one of me and one of Nathan." Carrie said with, 
tilting her head up to her grandmother. 

"Sorry button-nose. I momentarily forgot how to count." Maggie said as though it 
was the most bizarre thing to ever happen to her. Carrie laughed. 

"Gramma, you're funny." 

"Aren't I though?" Maggie quipped looking up to the ceiling. Nathan came out and 
sat at the kitchen table. 

"Where’s mom?" He asked. 

"Changing her clothes. Go check on her Carrie. If she’s asleep don’t wake her." 
Maggie said. 

"Okey dokey!" Carrie squealed scampering off in the direction of the bedroom. 

"Mom’s tired a lot isn’t she?" Nathan asked. 

"Yes she is. The hospital is a very busy place to work." Maggie said setting 
food on the table. 

"Maybe if we went to the hospital and helped, mommy wouldn’t be so tired!" 
Carrie said, running back into the kitchen. 

"That’s a sweet idea, honey, but I don’t think so. Is mom asleep?" 

"Yup. She is out like a light." Carrie said, a matter of factly. Maggie couldn’t 
help but laugh at her granddaughter's sweetness. 

"Well time to eat. We’ll just have to put this stuff in the fridge for her." 
Maggie said. She sighed, thinking about her daughter. Dana was your typical 
frazzled mother, just barely making it with her two kids. They’d bought a nice 
apartment in Georgetown and Dana had gotten a job at the hospital. Despite her 
degree, she didn’t have time to become a full time doctor, although she could. 
But she had her kids to think about. Her mother took care of them when she could 
and her friend Pauline took them other times. 

Lately Dana had been coming home late and too tired to even eat. She barely 
spent time with her kids, but did so when she could. Time just wouldn’t allow. 
Not to mention the fact that she didn’t want to be high profile. She wasn’t sure 
what was going through Adams mind, but it had been months and he was slowly 
becoming a distant memory. 

Maggie sighed again. Dana didn’t even have time to date. She wanted so much to 
introduce her to Caroline’s son, who had recently divorced, but since Dana didn’t 
even have time for her kids, how was she supposed to get a social life? 

Maggie put the kids to bed when they were done eating and got ready to leave. 
She felt bad leaving, but she had to. My poor baby, she thought before leaving. 
She was barely making it. Something had to give. And soon. 

*** 

Arlington 

"Fox, you look frazzled." Samantha said to her brother, following him outside. 

"Sam don’t you have a family or something?" Fox asked, leafing through his mail. 

"You shouldn’t look frazzled." She went on, ignoring his last comment. "You gave 
me three rainchecks for lunch in the past two weeks. What gives?" 

"Sam, I’m busy. I have work and the kids." 

"But weekends Fox. Week-ends. Remember those?" 

"Vaguely." He mumbled, frowning at a letter. 

"Fox, even ADs’ of the FBI get time off. You need a social life. It’s been over 
seven months Fox. You haven’t even been on a date yet. When was the last time 
you’ve been with a woman?" Fox scowled at her. "Okay bad question. But really 
Fox, you need......" 

Fox toned out the rest of her lecture as he read a letter addressed to him, from 
Phoebe. 

Dear Fox, 

I know I’m the last person you want to hear from, but this needs to be said and 
then I will be out of your hair. Jay and I are moving and I think it best that 
you raise the children on your own. I love Jay and I want to start a new life 
with him. All new. Just him, me, and the baby. 

It’s obvious the kids hate me and I’m not going to wait and pretend everything 
is going to be fine. Because it’s not. I know you think I’m being selfish. Maybe 
I am. But those kids were never really mine, because I never really wanted them. 
You did. No matter what you think, I do love my children. Tell them so. But I 
have no responsibilities to them, not financially anyway, and I want to live my 
life the way I deserve to. I hope you can understand that. 

Love, Phoebe Green 

Love Phoebe *Green*?! Understand? Oh yea I understand! Fox fumed, in his mind. 
Any lingering feelings he had for Phoebe *Green* died right then and there. 

"Shit." 

"....And further more Fox Mulder…Hey what’s the matter?" Samantha asked, mid-lecture. 
Fox had stopped cursing after the kids were born, so it was a surprise to hear 
him say that. 

"Phoebe wrote to me. She says that she and Jay moved and she wants nothing to do 
with the children anymore. That they aren’t her responsibility." Fox spat with 
disgust. 

"Oh geez. What’s her deal?" 

"Dammit! How could she do something like this? These are her children for crying 
out loud! How can she say she has no responsibility to them?!" Fox ranted. He 
stopped hearing a noise to his left. Alex and Jennie were standing there. 

"Mommy doesn’t want us anymore?" Jennie cried. Fox bent down and they ran to him, 
crying. 

"I’m sorry Daddy. It’s all my fault. I was mean to mommy." Jennie cried. 

"No baby. This is not your fault. None of it is. This isn’t anybodies fault." 
Fox murmured, soothingly. 

"But I was mean to mommy." Jennie cried insistently. 

"But it still gave her no right to leave you, without talking to you first. I’m 
sorry your mommy had to go away." He whispered. Samantha bent down and hugged 
them from behind. 

"Hey guys you know your daddy loves you very much. He will never ever leave you. 
And neither will I." She said. The kids nodded, sniffling, but didn’t let go. 

Mulder, silently cursed his ex-wife once again. And silently asked forgiveness 
for lying to his son. He never really forgave Phoebe. 

*** 

Two months later 

Thursday 

Dana groaned. It was her first day off in ages and all she wanted to do was 
sleep. But someone was bouncing on the bed. Cursing mentally, she remembered 
that it was the first day of summer vacation. The kids were home. She opened her 
eyes carefully and came face to face with Raggedy Ann. 

"Annie wants you to wake up." Carrie said. 

"It’s too early for Annie to be making orders." Dana mumbled. 

"But mommy-" 

"Carrie go back to bed. Mommy wants to sleep." Dana said, irritably. Instantly 
sorry for the tone she’d put into that sentence as Carrie poked her lower lips 
out and slowly made her way off the bed. Eyes watering she said, "You never have 
any time for us. Don’t you love us anymore?" 

"Oh baby come here. Mommy’s sorry, sweetie. Mommy’s sorry." She cooed, rocking 
her baby girl. She looked at the clock. It was 10:45. No wonder Carrie wanted 
her to wake up. Thinking back, she’d barely spent anytime with her kids lately. 
This was not right. She looked at Carrie, with a determined look on her face. 

"Ya know what? We are going out today." She declared. 

"Even Nathan and Annie?" Carrie squealed. 

"Even Nathan and Annie." 

"YAY!" Dana smiled and hushed her a little. 

"First I’m going to make blueberry pancakes for breakfast. How’s that? Then the 
park and whereever." 

"Yippeeeee!" Carrie swung Annie around. 

"Hey will you pipe down." Nathan said, walking into the bedroom. "Hey mommy your 
awake." He said with surprise. 

"We’re going to mommy’s making blueberry pancakes and then we’re going to the 
park." Carrie squealed. Dana nodded when Nathan looked at her. 

"Alright!" He exclaimed. 

"Look," She reached a hand out to him and he came on the bed. "I’m sorry I haven’t 
been spending a lot of time with you. It’s just been so hard you know?" 

"Ya." 

"I love you guys." She hugging them both. 

"We love you too mommy." Carrie replied, grinning 

*** 

Arlington 

"Call me when you hear anything Danny. I want to be informed the minute 
something breaks in the case." As soon as Fox hung up the phone it rang again. 

"Hello." He answered. 

"Darn. I was hoping to catch you in the middle of getting ready for a date. You 
don’t sound like you are." Sam said. 

"Sam." Fox said warily. "I have the kids to take care of and my job. I don’t 
have time for that kind of thing. I’m not interested." 

"You know there is such a thing as a babysitter. You need to get over Phoebe and 
get on with your life. Jumping head first into work so that you don’t have a 
social life is not exactly what I had in mind." 

"Sam I have no time for this. Don’t you have any other brothers to nag? Or 
better yet go find that husband of yours." Fox suggested. He could hear her 
scowl over the phone. 

"You’re my only brother, unfortunately. I’m just worried Fox. Mom’s worried. She 
really wants to introduce you to Maggie’s daughter. She just moved her from Cal-" 

"I’m sure she’s nice and everything, but I-am-not-in-ter-es-ted." He said, as 
though talking to a two year old. 

"But Fox-" 

"No ‘but Fox’, Sam. I’m fine. Really. Please stop worrying about me. I’m 
expecting a call, so I’m gonna hang up now. I’ll call you later." Not waiting 
for an answer, he hung up. 

He knew his sister meant well, but he didn’t want to go through what he wen 
through with Phoebe. He couldn’t risk getting hurt again. Never again. 

"No Alex. Daddy’s busy." Jennie hissed. 

"I don’t care. I’m bored. He doesn’t do anything with us anymore." 

"Well......He’s too busy to do anything with us." Jennie said, to him. Fox 
perked his ears and sat back thinking. He hadn’t been spending a lot of time 
with the kids lately. An idea popped into his head. He jumped up. 

"Hey!" 

"Sorry daddy! We were just going-" Jennie started. 

"I’m bored!" Alex wailed. Fox grinned. 

"How would you kids like to go out to oh saaay Fudruckers." 

"Really!?" Jennie and Alex squealed. 

"You mean you’re not to busy?" Jennie asked. 

"I am never too busy to take my children out for something fun. Now everybody in 
the car." 

"Yaaaaay!" Jennie and Alex squealed, running towards the door. Fox smiled and 
picked up Joey and his baby bag. It was time for some fun 

*** 

Rockville Maryland Fudrucker’s 

"An french fries, an a soda, an a cookie." Carrie finished with a giggle. Dana 
smiled at the young woman and set Carrie down. 

"That will be all thanks Dana said smiling. She paid and steered the kids to 
find seats. They sat down next to the window, not noticing the tall man with his 
three kids come in and sit at the table adjacent to them. 

Joey hummed the sesame street song to himself as Fox swirled his iced tea around. 
Dana, sipped her own iced tea at the next table. Both unaware of what was about 
to happen and who they were about to meet. 

Some where far away clouds rolled into a field.... 

"F Mulder, your order is now ready." A woman said over the loud speaker. They 
all got up and went to pick up their get their order, going in the opposite 
direction. 

"DanaS, your order is now ready." The woman said over the loud speaker. 

"Yay, that’s us!" Carrie squealed, jumping up. Dana smiled and walked up with 
her kids, just as Fox and his kids left. 

A rumble of thunder.... 

"Daddy I want some ketsup." Alex said. 

"Sure." Fox replied getting up. 

"Mommy I want some cheese sauce." Carrie said. 

"Okay sweetie come on." Dana replied picking up the tray of catsup covered 
french fries. The minute Dana turned around she slammed straight into a man. The 
tray of catsup and fries, smushed into his jacket. 

"Oh! Oh my goodness I’m so sorry!" Dana exclaimed aghast, looking at the stain 
on the man’s jacket. 

"Oh-it’s all...uh Geez." This was his favorite jacket too, Fox thought sulkily. 
Dana made a mad grab for some napkins wiping at his jacket. 

"I am so sorry." She couldn’t even look at his face, she was so embarrassed. 

"Oh it’s all right. You don’t have to-" Fox said trying vainly to wipe his 
jacket off. The kids sat, snickering at their parents' embarrassment, except for 
Carrie who was, distraught over her lost fries. 

Finally Dana looked up at him and he looked down at her. Their gazes locked. 

The storm began. 

"Oh." Was all she could get out, staring into his beautiful hazel eyes. She was 
hyper-ventilating. This was not good. His mouth moved to form words, but it didn’t 
happen. She was breath-taking. 

"I’m so sorry." She breathed, tearing her eyes away from his. He was so handsome. 

"It’s all right. Really." He replied. It was an old jacket anyway. Who the heck 
cared about Armani. 

"I uh-You should soak that. Your wife might want to soak that in cold water 
before she washes that." 

"I’d have to mail it to her and I’m sure she wouldn’t appreciate it. Where ever 
she is." 

"Oh. I’m sorry. Please let me wash it for you then." Dana offered. 

"Really, you don’t have to." Fox replied, swinging his arm, as though to dismiss 
the whole thing. 

"No please. I feel awful, just spare me a bit of dignity and let me wash it for 
you." Dana said, bowing her head. He looked at her for a long moment and she 
fidgeted under his gaze. 

"Okay. If you insist." He said, smiling at her. She sighed and helped him take 
off his jacket although it was not necessary. "Um, call me....Here’s my number. 
I carry my cell phone with me everywhere, otherwise I’d lapse into a catatonic 
state." Dana smiled and read the card. 

"Fox?" She raised an eyebrow and Fox thought it was utterly sexy. He grinned at 
her. 

"My parents claimed temporary insanity when they named me. How can I contact you 
miss...." He waited for her to give her name. She hesitated and then replied, 

"Dana. Dana Scully. We’re unlisted." 

"Dana Scully?" He asked, taking a step forward. She resisted taking a step back. 
Fox knew he was towering. He had a habit of standing too close. "As in Maggie 
Scully’s daughter?" 

Dana gave him a strange look and took a step back. 

"No, don’t freak. It’s just that, my mother’s friends name is Maggie Scully and, 
now that I think about it I see a resemblance." Fox explained. 

"Yes. That’s my mother." Dana replied. 

"Small world. I’ve met your mother a few times. Nice lady. Lemme give you my 
home phone number. Now that I think about it, I’ve gone through five in the past 
year." Fox took out a note pad and pen and sat down at their table. 

He was extremely witty. Not to mention gorgeous. Something about him was 
terribly familiar though. 

Fox looked up at Nathan and grinned. "Hey." 

"Hi." Nathan replied, smiling. Fox turned to a pouting and crying Carrie. 

"Sweetie, what’s the matter?" Dana asked, bending down. 

"My fries." She whined. Before Dana could say anything, Fox popped in. 

"Hey sweetie, how bout I buy you some new fries." 

"Oh you don’t have to-" Dana started. Fox waved his hand. 

"I want to. I should have been watching where I was going. Me and my clumsy long 
limbs. Please. It’s the least I could do." Dana opened her mouth and then closed 
it. 

"It’s up to you. Carrie?" 

"Yay! Thanks Mister!" Carrie squealed. 

"No sweat and call me Fox. Could you watch my kids for a minute while I go order?" 
He said turning to Dana. She nodded, not trusting herself to speak. He gave her 
his number and walked off with a wink. Dana hadn’t realized that she was staring, 
because when she turned back, the kids were looking at her funny, causing her to 
blush beet-red. 

She walked over to Fox’s table and bent down. 

"Hi. What’s your name?" She said. 

"I’m Jennie and that’s Joey and Alex. What’s your name again?" Jennie asked. 

"I’m Dana. Hi Joey." She said, moved to the high chair and smiled at the baby. 
Joey, who had been busy smushing his french fries, stopped and looked at her. He 
picked up a new one and tried to feed it to her, making an inquisitive grunt. 

"Why thank you, but those are your fries." Dana said politely. Joey looked at 
her for a long moment, much like Fox had earlier and persisted to stick the fry 
in her mouth. Laughing, Dana gave up and let the baby give her the fry. Joey 
clapped and was ready to give her a piece of his cut up hamburger when Jennie 
cut in. 

"What’s your daughter’s name?" 

"Oh her name is Carrie. Carrie come say hi." Dana instructed. Carrie came over 
and grinned at Jennie. Jennie grinned back. 

"I’m Jennie." 

"I’m Carrie. How old are you?" Carrie asked, delighted to make a new friend. 

"I’m seven. How bout you?" Jennie replied. 

"I’m five. My brother over there is eight. His name is Nathan and he had cooties." 
Carrie said all in one breath. Dana rolled her eyes, while Jennie giggled. 

"I do not." Nathan exclaimed, stomping over. 

"Nathan say hi." Dana ordered. 

"Hi." He said, eyeing Jennie and Alex. "How old are you?" 

"I’m Five. I like the Knicks." Alex added at the end. 

"Hey me too!" Nathan exclaimed. Fox came back and smiled at Dana, shyly. She 
smiled back. 

"Alex did you say hi to Carrie? I think you two are about the same age." 

"No." Alex replied as though he’d asked him if he’d willingly eaten carrots yet. 
Fox pursed his lips. 

"Why not?" 

"Girls have cooties." Alex declared. 

"I do not! You do!" Carrie yelled back. Both parents rolled their eyes. 

"Sorry. He isn’t usually this rude." Fox explained, giving his son a look. Alex 
stared back evenly. Fox sighed in resignation. 

"It’s okay they’re at that everyone of the opposite sex has cooties stage." Dana 
said smiling. 

"Where are my fries?" Carrie asked. 

"Carrie!" Dana said, aghast. Carrie just pouted. Fox laughed and handed her the 
fries. 

"Thanks Fox!" Carrie squealed. He smiled at her and turned to Dana. 

"Thank you. You didn’t have to do that, after I ruined your jacket." Dana said, 
quietly. 

"I wanted to. Dana." He said, adding her name as an afterthought. "Your husband 
won’t mind you coming home with some strangers jacket would he?" 

"Oh. My husband and I are not together anymore." Dana replied, quietly. 

"Oh. Is it just me or is no one staying together anymore." Fox deadpanned. Dana 
graced him with a smile and then they stood uncomfortably for a moment and then 
retreated to their respective tables. 

Carrie chomped happily on her fries, while Dana tried to keep her self from 
looking at Fox. He caught her staring once and winked at her. She turned as red 
as her hair. 

Fox smiled to himself, when he caught her staring. It wasn’t like he wasn’t 
doing the same thing. He hadn’t felt like this in a very long time. She looked 
so familiar too. Especially in the eyes. Joey looked at Dana and pointed at her. 

"Pwitty?" He inquired. Fox smiled softly. 

"Yes. Very pretty." He replied. Jennie looked at her father for a moment and 
then at Dana. She smiled to herself. It was about time. 

** 

Carlino’s Restaurant Friday 

"So? Dish girl! I know that look!" Pauline prodded. 

"What look?" Dana looked innocently at her. 

"Oh! Now I *know* something’s up. Tell me who the guy is!" Pauline said, 
grinning from ear to ear. 

"I don’t know what your talking abou-" 

"Save it for Hollywood, kid. Spill." Pauline ordered. Dana sighed and then 
smiled. 

"Don’t laugh. His name is Fox." Dana said, feeling like a teenager talking about 
her latest crush. 

"Get out! As in Fox Mulder?" Pauline asked. 

"What? Does the whole world know him?" Dana asked throwing her hands up. 

"No, but I do. He’s the Assistant Director of the FBI. Joe has worked with him 
on a few cases before. He’s a family friend. Wow, how’d you meet him?" 

"I bumped into him. And I mean that in the most literal sense." Dana replied, 
turning red. 

"Wow. So are you going for him? He’s a real catch. Obviously Phoebe was too 
stupid to realize it. Phoebe is his ex-wife. She ran off with her lover. They’d 
been having an affair, but I’ve said too much already." Pauline said. Dana 
chuckled. Pauline and Carrie would have field day with each other. They had such 
big mouths. 

"I understand what he’s went through. I don’t know Polly, I mean. After what I 
went through with Adam, I don’t know if I can trust another man again. Let alone 
be with one. Anyway, who would want me?" 

"Now don’t start with that crap Adam planted in your head. You’re a beautiful, 
intelligent woman who deserves more than what that sorry excuse for a human 
being gave you. Dana, listen to me and listen to me good. After I had Dantae, I 
wondered if Joe would still want me. I was fat and I still am, but Joe did 
nothing but love me anyway. He loved me for me. All of me. Body and soul." 
Pauline took Dana’s hands with her own. "That’s what a husband does. And despite 
what you think of the whole male population right now, there are some decent men 
left in the world who won’t hand you bull. Fox Mulder is one of those men." 
Pauline paused for a moment. "Besides, you and Fox would look so cute together." 

Dana burst into laughter and then sobered. "I’m so scared though. I’m so scared 
of getting too close. I haven’t even....I’m scared." 

"I know honey, I know. But you have to nip this thing in the bud. If you hide 
yourself from the world and close yourself off from love then you’ll grow up 
into a very lonely woman. We all need love, Dana. *That* kind of love. You can’t 
hide because the unknown scares you. Nathan needs a male role-model in his life 
and Carrie needs a daddy, who won’t raise his hand to hurt her, but to hug her. 
You need someone to hold you the way you deserve." 

"I want to. I want to so badly, but......he isn’t even interested. He never 
asked me out. I’m just fooling myself. And the funny thing is, he seems so 
familiar to me, but I’m positive I’ve never met him before. In the eyes." Dana 
said with a shiver. Pauline sighed. 

"Just give it time honey." Pauline replied. Dana nodded. Time. How much time did 
she have before Adam found her and the kids? 

*** 

Cin Cin Restaurant Saturday 

"You look different Fox. What’s up? Did you meet someone?" Samantha asked, 
dropping her fork and knife. Fox gave her a withering look. 

"I meet lots of people." He replied. 

"Cut it out butt-munch. Tell me who she is!" Sam demanded. Fox chuckled and sat 
back. 

"Her name is Dana. Dana Scully." He whispered as though it was reverent. Sam 
beamed. 

"That was the woman I was trying to tell you about!" Sam exclaimed. "How’d you 
meet her?" 

"At Fudruckers. She was there with her kids and she literally plowed into me 
with a tray of french fries. Anyway, she has my jacket. She insisted on washing 
it." Fox explained. 

"Ohh, so are you gonna ask her out? Or have you already and you did it with her 
all last night?" Fox gave his sister another withering glare. 

"I haven’t asked her out and I’m not sure if I ever will." He replied. 

"For the love of God, why?" Sam asked, incredulously. "Don’t you think she’s 
pretty? I do." 

"It’s not that. I think she’s the most incredible woman I’ve ever met. And I don’t 
even know her. She’s breath-taking. I haven’t felt like this in a long long time. 
But after Phoebe....If I couldn’t keep her, who’s to say I wouldn’t lose Dana? I’m 
a first class failure when it comes to love." Fox said, looking painfully up at 
his sister. 

"Fox, you are an incredible, handsome, wonderful man. A woman would have to be 
crazy not to want to be with you. It’s obvious Phoebe’s crazy. Trust me she is, 
I’ve seen Jay." That one earned her laugh from Fox. "Fox you can’t let one 
experience with a woman keep you from others that might last forever. How do you 
know Dana isn’t your soul mate? How do you know that she isn’t the *one*. Phoebe 
wasn’t the one. I knew it the moment you brought her home. I know you want to 
ask her out Fox. What’s the worst that can happen? She can say no. Big deal. Or 
she could say yes and you live happily ever after." 

"Sam, that’s not how life goes." Fox said, folding his arms. His face was 
growing hard. 

"Oh really Fox. How does life go?" 

"You get married you get cheated on, but if you’re lucky, you get kids out of 
the deal and you get to keep them. Then you learn life is just a cruel joke and 
you just try and survive. For yourself and for your kids" He replied. Sam 
frowned at him. 

"That’s not life Fox. If it is, I’m not living life am I?" 

"Apparently not." Fox deadpanned. 

"Cut the crap, Fox. If you live your life thinking that, how will it affect you? 
How will it affect your kids. You’ll grow up a lonely old man, that’s what will 
happen. Joey and Alex need a mommy. Someone to love and cuddle them. Jennie, oh 
dear God, Jennie, your little twenty-seven year old trapped in a seven year olds 
body, she needs a mother figure. Someone to do that girly stuff with. Some needs 
to show her that life isn’t all cheating and bad. You need to learn that you’re 
not a loser." She said pointing at him. Fox wrinkled his nose at her and his 
cell pone rang. 

"Mulder." He answered. 

"Um Fox? It Dana." Came the smooth, sweet voice of Dana Scully. Fox’s bad mood, 
melted away. 

"Oh, hi. Hi." 

"You can come pick up your jacket now. I got the stain out and it’s as good as 
new." Dana said. 

"Okay, uh where?" Fox asked, fumbling for a notepad. Sam smirked knowingly. Dana 
gave him the address to her laundromat. "Okay, I’ll see you then." He said, 
before hanging up. 

"I have to go." He said getting up. Sam shook her head and laughed. "What?" 

"How can you give up on a woman you’d drop having lunch with your sister for?" 
Sam asked, smiling. 

"A cute one." He replied, dropping money on the table. 

"Fox!" Sam called to him. "Remember what I said. Don’t be afraid." 

Fox nodded and left. 

*** 

GeorgeTown Laundromat 

Fox walked into the empty laundromat and tapped Dana on the shoulder. She jumped 
and turned. 

"Oh! You scared me." She said, sighing. 

"I’m sorry." Fox apologized. 

"It’s all right. Here." She handed him his jacket. "Good as new." 

"Yea. Thanks a lot." Fox said, smiling back. He turned and Dana held her breath. 
He wouldn’t ask her out. Pauline was wrong. 

"Dana are you busy Friday night?" Fox asked, suddenly turning back around. 

"N-no. I don’t think so." Dana replied, after letting loose the breath she’d 
been holding. 

"Do you think-I mean would you like to go to-um-dinner with with me? If you don’t 
want to I understand, you hardly know me and-" 

"Are you asking me out on a date?" Dana interrupted his stuttering. 

"Um, yes. Yes I am." He replied after pausing a moment. Dana hesitated and saw 
in his eyes that it took a lot to just ask her. 

"I-I can’t." Dana said. Fox's’ face went from hopeful to blank and he turned 
quickly to leave. 

"Not Friday anyway." She continued, picking at a piece of lint. "Saturday is 
better for me." She smiled a zillion watt smile that melted his heart, when he 
turned around. 

"How is seven o' clock for you?" He asked. 

"Seven is wonderful." Dana replied, shyly. He smiled just as shyly at her. 

"I’ll see you on Saturday then." He said, grinning. Dana nodded at him and 
grinned back. 

When Fox got into his car he let out the breath that he’d been holding. He had a 
date. A real live date with a woman. A beautiful heterosexual woman. This was 
going to be the longest week of his life. 

** 

Dana Scully’s Apartment Saturday 

"Mom what am I doing? I haven’t been on a date in years. I don’t even know him!" 
Dana cried, slumping on the bed. 

"Honey, it’s nerves. Everybody has them when they get back on the dating scene. 
Fox is a wonderful, charming man. But don’t take my word for it. How about this 
blue one?" Maggie asked, holding up a blue dress. 

"Mom please. You gave me that dress for my birthday." Dana said, looking at her 
mom, with the infamous "Mom pu-lease" look. 

"So what?" Maggie asked, baffled. Dana gave a strangled sigh and threw the 
flowered dress back into her drawer. 

"I have nothing to wear!" Dana groaned, falling back on the bed. 

"Oh Dana you have to have some thing sexy in here to wear." Maggie sighed going 
through her closet. 

"Mom! I don’t have any....sexy clothing. I’m a working mother. I never needed 
them then and I didn’t think I’d need them now." Dana said, looking wide-eyed at 
her mother. 

"I can’t believe you didn’t go shopping." Maggie muttered. "Hey what’s this?" 
Maggie pulled out an ice blue dinner dress with a matching cardigan. "I think we’re 
in business." Maggie said, smiling. 

"Mom I can’t wear that!" Dana exclaimed. 

"Why?" 

"Because....because...." Why couldn’t she wear it? She thought haughtily to 
herself. She marched up to her mother, took the dress grinning and went into the 
other room. Good for her, Maggie thought with a smile. 

** 

Fox Mulder’s apartment 

"Sam, what am I doing? I haven’t been on a date in years! I don’t know what to 
do or say! What if she thinks I’m spooky?" Fox asked, slumping down in a chair. 
Fox had eidetic memory and was a basic genius. He freaked people out with his 
smarts and it was a turn off to most women when he started rambling about a 
certain topic. Sex appeal wasn’t everything. 

"Fox, it’s jitters. Everybody has them, when they re-enter the dating scene. You’ll 
be fine and you’re not spooky. If she thinks so then you just weren’t meant to 
be, but I don’t think that’s the case." Sam said, going through his ties. "For 
the love of God man, get some new ties. Getting a girlfriend will be good for 
you Fox. Hopefully, she’ll improve your poor fashion sense." She stuck her 
tongue out at a particularly ugly one and threw it in the hall way. 

"H-Hey. Gimme that. Geez, have a heart Sam. I’m color-blind." Fox said, 
retrieving his tie. 

"You sure are." She replied frowning at another one. "You are not wearing any of 
these, if you know what’s good for you. I can’t believe you didn’t go shopping." 

Fox shrugged and pulled out a blue dress shirt. "What if she doesn’t like me?" 
He asked, suddenly, feeling like a thirteen year old on his first date. 

"Fox." Sam gave a sigh of exasperation. "You’ll do fine. Here, wear this one." 
Fox took the tie she gave him and sighed, looking at her. She looked back. 

"Well do you mind? I have to get dressed." Fox said, waving his arm towards the 
door. She turned pink and turned to leave. 

When she’d left Fox got dressed and looked in the mirror. He’d never been more 
nervous in his life. Who’s to say she won’t think he’s spooky or boring? It wasn’t 
that he didn’t think he was attractive or anything. He knew he had a certain way 
with women. He’d been hit on before and about every woman he’d hit on did 
whatever he wanted all night. But, something about this woman, Dana Scully, made 
him feel as though he had to fight for her approval. Something about her told 
him that she was not any other woman. 

It was odd that he was so attracted to her, because he didn’t usually go for her 
type. She was short, about 5’3, red-hair, striking blue eyes, that was the first 
thing he’d noticed. Her hair and her eyes. She had a beautiful curved figure, 
but her chest wasn’t as big as he seemed to prefer, but she still attracted him. 
Her skin was milky white, dusted with freckles. A basic Irish woman. He’d heard 
somewhere that they had a bad temper, but were animals in bed. He knew it was a 
stereo-type and he had no intentions of seducing her into his bed. He was not 
like Phoebe. Anyhow, he didn’t know why, but he could picture what it would be 
like to make love to her. Vividly. He shivered and pushed the thoughts towards 
the back of his mind. 

He stepped out into the living room where, his family sat, watching TV and 
cleared his throat. Sam wolf-whistled and the kids, "Wow, daddy you look great!" 

"Whoa, you look real neat daddy." 

"Dada, Danee, Danee?" That came from Joey. Fox twirled once, arms spread. 

"Thank you, thank you. I gotta get going if I want to be there on time." He 
walked over to kneel in front of his kids. He’d talked to them earlier that week 
about him dating. He wanted to know if it was alright that he did that. If they 
said it wasn’t all right, Fox would have called it off and Jennie knew that. 
They’d told him, they liked Dana a lot and that she was nice and her kids were 
funny. Fox had sighed in relief. He really wanted to go out with Dana. 

"Are you kids sure you’re okay with this? If you aren’t, just say so." 

"We’re sure daddy. Go have fun." Jennie said, sighing. 

"Sure?" He asked again. 

"Sure." Jennie and Alex said. 

"Arf, arf." Was Joey’s answer. They all laughed and, Fox got up. Not before 
kissing his kids goodnight. 

"Thanks for staying with them Sam." He said. 

"No problem bro. Don’t come back till three in the morning." Fox gave her a 
smirk and waved at his kids. 

"Be good for your Aunt." 

"We will." They chorused, except for Joey who was sucking his thumb like the 
world depended on it. Fox nodded and left. A moment later he opened the door and 
peeped his head back in. 

"Sure?" 

"Sure!" They yelled back. He nodded and left. They sat waiting. He opened the 
door again. 

"Are you positively sure?" 

"We’re sure!" They yelled. 

"Go!" Sam ordered. He nodded and really left. 

*** 

Dana Scully’s apartment 7:00 

"Mom." Was all Nathan could say as he looked, with eyebrows raised at his mother. 

"You look pretty mommy." Carrie grinned. 

"Thank you baby." Dana said, hugging her. Dana had added a light touch of make-up 
to her face and after arguing at length with her mother, was talked into not 
covering the mole above her lip with make-up as she always did. 

Her shiny, red hair was down and in curls around her face. Her blue cocktail 
dress hugged her body and came down just above her knees and her black pumps 
gave her at least another three inches. 

"Honey you look lovely." Maggie said, smiling. Dana smiled at her. 

"What if he doesn’t-" 

"Dana don’t start. He wouldn’t have asked you out if he wasn’t interested." 
Maggie said, quelling her daughter’s worries. 

"But it’s 7:01." Dana said, starting to pace. Maggie rolled her eyes. 

"Honey, one minute. Saturday night traffic." Maggie reasoned. Before Dana could 
voice another worry, there was a knock at the door. Dana jumped about a mile. 
Maggie smiled at her and motioned towards the door. Dana nodded and got up to 
answer it. 

"Hi." She breathed, taking in the sight of him. He was even more handsome than 
she remembered. It took a moment before he spoke himself. 

"Hi." He replied. She was even more breathtaking than he remembered and he said 
so. "You look lovely." He said. 

"Oh. Thank you. You look wonderful too. Please come in." She stepped aside to 
let him in and noticed that he was holding a bouquet of roses. "Are those for me?" 
She asked, motioning to the roses. 

"Oh yes. I forgot I was holding them." He laughed. "Here. I know it’s a bit old-fashioned, 
but you looked like someone who needed to be given roses. You remind me of roses....Your 
hair I mean and...." He stumbled over his words and turned red. 

"It’s okay. They’re beautiful thank you." She said, touching his arm. He 
shivered at her touch and she did too, pulling away, biting her lip. "I’ll go 
put these in some water." 

"Are your kids here? Nathan and Carrie was it?" Fox asked. 

"They’re in the living room with my mom." Dana replied. 

"Maggie’s here?" 

"Yea. You can go say hi if ya like." She said, shuffling here feet. 

"Could I really?" He teased. She smiled shyly at him and he winked at her. 

"Yea you can." She replied enigmatically. He chuckled and walked off in the 
direction she pointed in. She watched where he had gone for awhile and then 
moved to put the flowers in a vase. 

"Knock knock." Fox said, popping his head into the living room. 

"Fox, hi." Maggie exclaimed, getting up to hug him. "Oh you look handsome." 

"Thanks." He replied. He looked down at the kids. 

"Hi Carrie. Nathan. Remember me?" He asked, kneeling down. 

"Yea. You’re the french fry guy with the funny name." Carrie replied. 

"Yea that’s me." Fox laughed. "I’m Fox. Are you guys okay with my taking your 
mother out?" 

"We’re okay as long as you’re nice to her." Nathan answered in all seriousness. 

"Yea, not like ‘sir’." Carrie added, pouting, and hugging Annie to her. 

"Sir? Who’s sir?" Fox asked, smiling a little. 

"Our dad." Nathan replied. Fox looked at Maggie, who was frowning and looking at 
the floor, then back at Nathan. He could read the look in his eyes. Before Fox 
could ask another question, Dana came back in. 

"Ready?" She asked, not noticing the seriousness in the room. 

"Yea." He replied, still looking at Nathan. He got up and went to the door. Dana 
kissed her kids and her mother, who winked at her. Dana grinned and walked to 
the door that Fox held. 

"Don’t come back till four!" Maggie yelled to them. They laughed as they closed 
the door behind them. 

"Sorry, but my curfew is three o' clock. My sister is very overprotective." Fox 
deadpanned. Dana graced him with a smile. He returned it. He had a feeling this 
evening would be the start of something good. Some thing very good. 

*** 

Restaurant 

"And so here there I was stranded in the middle of the naval base with Vicky and 
Pauline, all of us with green hair." Dana finished with a laugh. Fox laughed 
with her. "That was not one of my brighter moments. You should have seen mom and 
dad when the officers brought us home. I thought they were going into cardiac 
arrest." 

They started laughing again and settled down when people started to stare. They’d 
talked about anything and everything over the past hour and were having a great 
time. They had differing opinions on certain things but found they enjoyed 
bickering with one another. 

When Fox thought he had settled down again a whole new round of laughter came. 

"What?" Dana asked smiling. He laughed a little more, waving his hand for her to 
wait a minute for him to settle down. Dana couldn’t help but chuckle at his 
laughter. He calmed down a bit and said, "I just pictured Pauline with green 
hair." Fox doubled over with laughter again. Dana chuckled and looked down at 
her plate. They sat for a moment in a comfortable silence and then Dana spoke 
again. 

"What’s it like working as the Assistant Director of the FBI?" She asked. 

"Umm, it’s different. I used to be a field agent and a basic annoyance to my 
peers, they called me spooky." Fox replied. 

"Why?" He looked at her a moment and then asked. 

"Do you believe in the existence of extraterrestrials?" She stared at him for a 
moment and then replied. 

"Logically I’d have to say no. Given the distances needed to travel from The far 
reaches of space the energy requirement would exceed spacecraft capabilities...." 
Fox interrupted her. 

"Conventional wisdom, though when convention, and science offer us no answers 
might we not finally turn to the fantastic as a plausibility." 

"What I find fantastic is the notion that there are answers beyond the realm of 
science. The answers are there, you just have to know where to look." Dana 
replied, enigmatically. 

"That is why they the ‘I’ in FBI." Fox said, grinning. She smiled back. 

"I’m not completely skeptical ya know. But I’m a scientist. That’s the way I 
think. How come you believe in such things anyhow?" She asked. 

"The paranormal fascinates me. There’s too much proof to believe otherwise. You 
think I’m paranoid don’t you." It wasn’t a question. 

"Well...." She raised her eyebrow at him and made a face. He laughed and said, 

"Just because you’re paranoid, doesn’t mean they’re not out to get you." She 
thought about it a moment and nodded. 

"So, tell me about your ex-wife....If you’re okay with that." Dana added looking 
down at her napkin. 

"No it’s all right. Uhh, my ex-wife. We met at Oxford in England. She’s English. 
She was charming and intelligent, I was young and foolish. We got married and 
three years into the marriage I wanted to have a baby. I guess I nagged her 
about it too much. She gave in, we had Jennie, then Alex, then Joey a little 
over a year ago." He sighed and Dana placed a hand on his, smiling shyly. His 
eyes shot up to meet hers at the feel of her skin on his own. 

"It’s okay." She said. He smiled back and started. 

"She....wasn’t around a whole heck of a lot. Even when Jennie was a little girl. 
She wanted a nanny, but I didn’t so I was around them more then she was. Lately 
she had been claiming to be sick, going out of town on business a lot. We found 
out it wasn’t business. We went on a camping trip. She said she was sick and 
didn’t want to go. So we left and halfway there we realize we forgot the tents, 
if you can believe it. We come in go up to the bedroom, there’s Phoebe laying 
naked in bed, a guy, Jay, trying to get dressed. I took the kids and left." he 
finished, looking down. 

It sounded all too familiar to Dana, but he’d gotten away without bruises. 

"Oh Fox, I’m so sorry. That must have been horrible for you." Dana said 
squeezing his hand. He nodded and continued. 

"Oh it gets better. It turns out she was pregnant with his child. She threatened 
to take the kids from me, but I got custody after they heard the story. She got 
weekends. Anyway, thing weren’t working with her and the kids, they didn’t see a 
mother anymore, they just saw a pregnant woman who hurt daddy. And right when 
they were ready to try and accept what she’s done to us, she writes me, telling 
me that it’s not working and that she and Jay are moving to be a family with 
their baby, that she has no responsibilities to them financially. We’ve been 
fine without her, but it still hurts that she could leave her children like that. 
Especially Joey and Alex. They don’t deserve any of this." 

"They don’t. I’m sorry for what she did to you. I’m sorry that she hurt you so 
badly." Dana said, reading the pain in his eyes. He looked up into her eyes, 
seeing the tenderness there. 

"You seem so familiar to me. I feel like I know you." He whispered. 

"You do know me." She said looking down, from his intense gaze. 

"No, I mean, like I’ve met you somewhere before." He said, shaking his head. 

"Past life?" Dana suggested smiling. He suddenly grinned at her and called over 
the waiter. 

"Check please." He said. Dana tried to hide her disappointment. Maybe bringing 
up his wife wasn’t such a hot idea. She wanted to talk to him more. He was 
brilliant and witty and....wonderful. He had so much passion, conviction, and 
integrity. Who are you kidding anyway Dana, she asked herself. No use. She 
watched as he paid the bill and got up, rounded the table to pull it out for her. 

They walked out to the car, his hand floating to the base of her back, as it did 
all evening. He stopped at the passenger side and opened it for her. She smiled 
a small smile at him and stepped in. 

She seemed to have lost the sparkle she had earlier. Maybe she didn’t like him. 
maybe she was realizing what a loser he was, after he told her about Phoebe. Fox 
sat a moment and she looked inquisitively at him. 

"Why aren’t you moving?" She asked. 

"There’s this place, I want to take you to. If you don’t want to I understand." 
He added quickly at the look she gave him. "Please, I won’t try to seduce you I 
swear. Do you trust me?" 

She looked at him a moment. He didn’t want to take her home and she wanted to 
stay with him, meaning he was still interested. And she felt like she new him, 
better than herself. 

"Yes." She replied. He smiled softly at her and sighed in relief. 

"Let’s go then." 

** 

Reflecting Pool 

11:21 

They’d walked for awhile in companionable silence. Fox was throwing around 
trying to hold her hand when they reached a bench. He gave up on the thought, 
mentally calling himself a loser and sat down with her. She looked out over the 
water a sighed. 

"It’s pretty here." She commented. 

"I go here when I need to think." Fox said, looking at the water as well. She 
nodded and shivered a bit. The crochet cardigan she wore wasn’t protecting her 
from the night chill. It was oddly cold for a summer night. 

"Are you cold?" He asked, taking off his jacket. "Here. And avoid Ketchup if you 
can. A beautiful woman bumped into me the other day and almost ruined one of my 
favorite jackets." He joked, looking at her fondly. She blushed and looked down. 

"Thank you and I’ll try and avoid ketchup." She replied, chuckling. She looked 
out over the water again, thinking. 

"What is it? You look a million miles away." Fox inquired, touching her arm. She 
looked at him after a moment, before replying. 

"Water reminds me of my father. He was in the navy. I worshipped-I wor*ship* the 
sea he sailed on. He died a long time ago. And I couldn’t go to the funeral 
because-" She stopped, before going on, taking a deep shuddering breath. "I 
never got to say goodbye. And every time I see water I think of my Ahab." 

"Ahab and Starbuck." He echoed. She looked at him. 

"He used to call me Starbuck. How did you-?" 

"It’s what I call my daughter. I call her Starbuck and she calls me Ahab." He 
explained. She looked at him a moment and then smiled. 

"You love your children very much." She stated. 

"I do. So do you." He replied, looking back at her searching. 

"I would die for them. I’d do anything to keep them safe." He saw more meaning 
behind the words and following his nature, probed. 

"Tell me about your husband. You said you were separated." Dana seemed to back 
away at the mention of her husband. 

"There’s nothing to say about him." She said, shrugging off the question. He set 
his face closer to her. 

"I think there is. Sir is a strange name." She turned to look at him, eyebrows 
completely furrowed. "Don’t you think?" 

"How do you know." She demanded, getting up. He go up with her. 

"Please don’t be angry. When I asked your children if it was okay for me to take 
you out, they replied as long as I was nice to you. Not like sir. I asked who 
sir was and they said their dad. I didn’t mean to make you upset. I want to get 
to know you more Dana. I really like you." He hesitated for a moment and then 
said. "And....I really think I could grow to love you. I think I already have. I 
don’t want you to think I’m too forward, but I feel as though I’ve known you my 
whole life." 

"Me too." She said, looking up into his eyes. 

"And I thought to move forward we should put everything out on the table. I know 
this is just our first date but....I want to see you again." Fox said, searching 
her eyes for rejection. 

"I want to see you again too." Dana replied, smiling coyly. Fox sighed in relief. 

"Was he that bad?" Fox asked after awhile. They sat back down on the bench. 

"He...He beat me." She replied, suddenly. Fox’s expression changed to horrified 
shock. 

"What?" He gasped, hoping he’d heard wrong. 

"He beat me." She repeated. "He was abusive not only physically but mentally. He 
told me I was stupid and that no one could ever love me. He-" Her face crinkled 
and he thought that she might lose it. He placed an arm around her shoulder and 
pulled her closer to him. 

"He was wrong Dana." He whispered. Dana shook her head. 

"I should have left sooner. I waited until he raped me, and almost beat me to 
death to death to do something. It’s the reason I came. There were so many 
nights that I thought he’d kill me. Then what would my kids do? One night I came 
home with the kids. Adam, that’d his name, forgot to pick them up as usual. We 
came in and I walked into my bedroom to find him there with another woman." 

"Sounds all too familiar." Fox said, quietly. 

"Yes but she didn’t get up and beat you because of it, in front of the children. 
He threw me down the stairs and I was so afraid he’d hurt them and that whore he 
had in bed sure as hell wouldn’t help. I couldn’t get up. It hurt so much. That 
night Nathan tended to my wounds and it was so sad because it was like they were 
used to it. The three of us slept in Nathan’s bed, trying to block out the 
sounds of my husband and his weekly lover having sex." 

Fox had long since closed his eyes to the images her tale brought. "Did he ever 
hurt the children?" Fox asked. 

"He only got one good hit in with Carrie, before I stopped him. He beat me for 
it, but as long as the bastard didn’t touch my baby girl. I always got there in 
time, before he could touch them. It didn’t take much to piss him off, so I got 
most of the kids beatings. I would have taken more as long as he didn’t hurt 
them." She cried. 

"One night, I didn’t get there in time. He took Nathan and locked the door and I 
don’t know what he did to him. Alls I could hear was him crying "Daddy daddy 
stop! It hurts." Then he cried for me and I banged and banged on the door but he 
wouldn’t let me in! And I stopped banging. It was so hard because, Nathan 
thought I’d left him. He kept yelling, mommy mommy come back. Don’t leave me. 
But I knew the more I banged the more he’d hurt him. And I could not allow it!" 
She was crying hard now, tears streaking her face. 

"Dana stop. You’ve had enough. Please stop." Fox pleaded. It tore him apart to 
see her like this. How could that bastard do such a thing?! Dana had settled 
down, but wouldn’t stop. 

"After Nathan and before Carrie, I got pregnant. He didn’t know, but he beat me 
and I miscarried in the bathroom. By myself." She whispered through her tears. 
Fox closed his eyes and held her close to him. She tensed and then relaxed, 
wrapping her own arms around him. This felt so good. He felt so good. 

"I’m so sorry." He whispered, harshly. He felt her nod against him. 

"He liked having control. That’s why the kids call him ‘sir’. They never called 
him daddy. Because he wasn’t. Up towards the end of our marriage-No that’s not 
right. Our marriage ended a lot sooner then that. Up towards the end of our days 
in living together, he made an effort to change. After I literally begged him on 
hands and knees. Things were going good. I did everything I could to make him 
happy with me and the kids. But one day he came home drunk....and he raped me. I 
cried for him to stop. The kids were just in the next room. I don’t know what 
hurt the most, the fact that he hurt so much....or the fact that it wasn’t my 
name he called when he came." She ended the last word in a whimper. 

"When he was finished I ran out with the children. I drove and drove. I don’t 
even know where I went. I went back home at night, hoping he was sober. I was 
wrong. Not only was he drunk, but he was with a woman. He was so angry when he 
saw us. He came at me with a bat. I yelled for the kids to run. He almost hit 
Carrie. The last thing I saw after he yelled at me and told me how worthless and 
terrible I was, was a lamp hurling towards my head. With the help of Vickie and 
Jake, who I told you about, I found my mother and we came here to start a new 
life. But sometimes I wondered to myself what I had done to make him hate me so 
much. I only loved him." 

"Do you think I’m pitiful for holding on so hard to something that would have 
ultimately destroyed me and my children?" 

"No. I think you’re a beautiful, strong woman, whose been through hell and 
deserves more than what that bastard did to you." Fox said, touching her cheek. 
Dana hesitated and then said, 

"One night, the night Adam threw me down the stairs, I dreamed. I dreamt about....a 
man." She looked up into his eyes. Those familiar hazel eyes. 

He looked straight back at her, into her eyes. Those familiar blue eyes. He 
nodded, remembering. 

"I know." He said. 

"You do? How can....How can you know what I dreamt about?" Dana asked. 

"Because I dreamt the same thing. Only it was about a woman. And the one thing I 
remember clearly is her eyes." Fox said, tilting his head to one side. 

"But...." She remembered him. This man. Her dream lover who helped her through 
that long horrible night. She didn’t know how, but it was Fox Mulder. "how is 
this possible?" She whispered, looking down at his mouth. 

"Stranger things have happened. Do you believe in fate?" Fox asked. He knew it 
was her. 

"I...don’t know." She gasped. He nodded slowly and leaned in a bit. 

"May I kiss you Dana?" She looked up at him and felt herself nod. 

"Yes." Her reply was almost indiscernible. It didn’t matter. Fox moved in and 
slowly, tentatively, his lips touched hers....And there was electricity. 

And in an instant they both knew, that this was right and they were destined to 
be together, somehow. Two souls had finally found each other over centuries of 
being apart. As the kiss intensified, both souls knew it was right, but they 
could not join just yet. There was still darkness to overcome. Because as much 
as Dana wanted to be with him, there was still one thing she hadn’t thought 
about. 

Adam Jones was still her legal husband and he was coming after her soon. 

** 

Dana Scully’s apartment 

1:30 

After the kiss Dana and Fox had decided to take things slowly. There were still 
a lot of wounds to heal from their previous marriages. They’d driven around town 
and talked for the past hour. Now they were standing in the hallway, wondering 
what do next. 

"Would you like to come in?" Dana asked. 

"I can’t. I left my sister with the kids and they’re probably driving her up the 
wall right about now." Fox replied smiling a bit. Dana nodded. 

"Oh yes, I understand." She said quickly. He placed a hand on her arm. 

"I want to see you again. Can I call you?" He asked. 

"Yes. I’d like that." She replied. His hand moved up to her face. She looked up 
into his face. 

"I’d like to kiss you again. But I’m afraid if I start I won’t be able to stop." 

"I guess we’ll have to take that chance now won’t we." She replied in her usual 
enigmatic way. He grinned at her. 

"I guess we will." He said, before interlocking his lips with hers. Her arms 
went around his neck. The kiss was tender, not lustful. It was....sweet. They 
let the kiss escalate a moment and then pulled away, looking at one another. 

Dana had never felt so much tenderness in her life. And that was just one kiss! 

"Good night Dana. Sweet dreams." He whispered, smiling at the last sentence. She 
stepped away from him. 

"Good night Fox and thank you for a wonderful evening." She replied, smiling 
softly. He took her hand and kissed it softly, his lips lingering. 

"Thank you for a wonderful evening." He replied. He stepped away from her and 
let go of her hand. 

"Call me when you get in. I want to make sure you make it home safely." Dana 
called. He nodded and with a wink he turned and left. 

She watched him as he walked away. She opened her door and went in quietly, 
walking quietly passed her mother sleeping on the couch, to the window to watch 
Fox getting into his car. He looked up at her window and they regarded each 
other. He waved and she waved back, and he got into his car and with one last 
look, drove off. 

Dana didn’t hear her mother get up and watch her daughter at the window. She 
smiled to herself. She hadn’t really been asleep. 

"Dana?" Maggie tried getting her attention. Dana jumped and turned around to 
look wide-eyed at her mother. 

"Mom you scared the life outta me!" Dana gasped. 

"Oh I’m sorry, honey. How was your date with Fox?" Maggie asked. Dana blushed 
and bowed her head. 

"I had a nice time." Dana replied. Maggie knew this meant she had a great time. 

"So will you see him again?" 

"Oh yes. He said he’d call." Dana replied, yawning. 

"Oh you must be exhausted, it’s almost two. Go on to bed sweetie. We’ll talk 
more in the morning." Maggie said, pushing her daughter in the direction of the 
bedroom. 

Dana complied and changed her clothes and got into bed with a sigh. It was a 
while before she started o dose off, but the phone rang. 

"Hello?" She answered. 

"I woke you. I’m sorry." Fox said. 

"Oh, Fox. No it’s okay. I couldn’t sleep and I was just dosing off when you 
called." Dana replied. 

"Can’t sleep?" Fox asked. 

"Too wired." She said yawning. 

"You sound sleepy. I won’t keep you on the line too long. I just called to let 
you know I got home safely." 

"Good. Thanks for calling and telling me. Is your sister up the wall?" 

"No." Fox laughed. "I got here just in time." There was a silence on both ends 
as each thought of the other. 

"I’ll let you get some rest now." Fox said after a moment. Dana nodded although 
she knew he couldn’t see it. 

"All right. Goodnight Fox." 

"Goodnight Dana. Sweet dreams." Fox replied, before hanging up. She hung up the 
phone carefully and lay back down on her pillow. Her last coherent thought was 
of Fox laying beside her, oddly enough, calling her by her last name. 

** 

** 

Fort Grill Restaurant 

"Whistling? Since when does Fox Mulder whistle?" Sam teased as Fox came in. He 
was indeed whistling. He only whistled when he was in a good mood. He was 
defiantly in a good mood. He and Dana were having lunch the next day. Ever since 
their first date, three weeks ago, she was all he could think about. One thought 
about her brought a smile to his face. She was walking sunshine and she was 
shining on him. 

"So what if I’m whistling?" He answered, haughtily. Sam grinned. 

"How now brown cow? What’s the 411?" Sam inquired. 

"Has anyone ever told you, you hang out with teenagers too much?" Fox jabbed. 

"Bite me, I’m a school teacher. Sooo, I haven’t seen you like this....ever. You 
have to introduce me to her. So is she a keeper or what?" Sam asked. Fox smiled 
at her. 

"She has definite potential." He said, cryptically. 

"Oh come on! I’m dying of hunger, don’t give me crumbs! I want details." She 
demanded. Fox smiled and complied. 

"You know I told you she was breathtaking at the restaurant? Well she was 
wearing jeans and a sweater and she looked frazzled then, just think of how she 
looked made up and unfrazzled. She’s stunning. She has a wonderful, enigmatic 
personality. She’s warm and funny. I can tell her anything." 

"Wow, you sound pretty serious about her." 

"I am, I guess. I could so easily fall in love with her. I think....I already 
have." 

"What? Are you saying you found your soul mate, Fox? *Finally*" Sam asked, 
raising her eyebrow. Fox smiled. 

"I think I have. I’ve never felt his strongly about anyone before. Not even 
Phoebe. It’s a little scary though. Sam when I kiss her, it’s like electricity. 
It’s was even more incredible than my dream." Fox whispered in astonishment. 

"Dream?" 

"That dream I told you about. The woman I dreamt about." 

"The one you ah...made love to?" Sam asked, turning slightly pink... 

"Yes. She had the bluest eyes I’d ever seen. It was her. Dana. I know it, 
because she dreamt about me too. She told me. She’s everything I’ve ever dreamed 
Sam." Fox said, with a quiet smile on his face. 

"How come you didn’t tell me this three weeks ago?" Sam asked. 

"I was afraid the whole relationship was to heal wounds and move on. I was 
afraid it wouldn’t last. Like she was fall back or something." Fox replied. 

"And I take it she wasn’t." Fox grinned at her. 

"Well, I’m glad to see you happy, Fox." Sam replied. 

"We’re having lunch tomorrow." Fox said, chewing on his straw. 

"Oh Fox, you spoil me." 

"Not you. Dana and me." Fox replied, glaring at his sister. 

"Aw Fox, one look at a pretty girl and I’m outta the picture." Sam said, with 
mock-hurt. Fox smirked. 

"Didn’t I say the same thing when you got married, gender-flipped?" Fox raised 
his eyebrows at her. Sam laughed. 

"Yea Fox, I think this woman just might be good for you." 

** 

FBI Headquarters 

"Damn." Assistant Director Mulder cursed. Just when he thought he was having a 
good day. He threw the pink card on his desk and rubbed his nose. 

"Sir? Miss Scully is here to see you." His secretary called. He perked and sat 
up. 

"Send her in." He replied, looking at the door expectantly. Dana walked through, 
looked around and smiled at him. 

"Hi." She greeted. 

"Hi yourself." He replied moving to kiss her. She returned the kiss, wrapping 
her arms around his neck. He stroked her back and dipped her slightly. 

"Is this normal bureau behavior?" She mumbled into his mouth. 

A surprised "Mmm." was his answer. Chuckling into his mouth, she pulled away a 
bit and looked up at him. 

"I know this sounds silly, considering how long we’ve known each other, but....I 
missed you." Dana said, looking down. Fox tilted her head up with his finger. 

"It isn’t silly. We’ve been together for three weeks. Anyhow I missed you too." 
He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. She shivered and moved closer to him. 

"Working on anything interesting?" She asked. 

"Not really. Kind of a slow day." Fox replied. She saw something brewing behind 
his eyes. "Fox are you okay?" She asked. He couldn’t help, but smile. She read 
him so well. He sighed and moved to his desk, picked up the card and handed it 
to her. 

"It’s a girl?" She read befuddled. 

"It’s from Phoebe. She and Jay had a girl." Fox said, looking down. She walked 
over to him. 

"Oh Fox. I know this still hurts. I understand." Dana said. He looked at her and 
cupped her cheek with his hand. 

"You’re so good Dana. So wonderful." He murmured. He kissed the top of her head. 
"I’m gonna have to tell the kids and I don’t know how they’ll react to this. I’m 
fine, really." He explained. 

"Would you like me to come with you?" Dana offered. 

"No Dane, but thanks for the offer. It was sweet of you, though." 

"I know." She replied. He gave her a look and laughed as he picked up his jacket. 

"Lets go get some lunch. I’m starved." He took her hand and guided her out the 
door. 

*** 

Carlino’s Restaurant 

"The more I think about it the more, it makes me mad. I mean, she gets up and 
leaves the kids to start another family cause she has no responsibility to them, 
expecting them to understand and then writes and tells them about her new baby! 
Talk about twisting the knife in a little deeper." Fox fumed. 

"I don’t see how she could leave those wonderful kids. And little Joey." She 
shook her head. He smiled softly at her and took her hand across the table. 

"Enough about Phoebe now. I think we should take the kids out somewhere. All our 
kids together, so they can meet and we can get to know each other’s kids better 
in the process." Fox suggested. 

"That sounds like a good idea." Dana replied, nodding. "But it can’t be this 
weekend. My mom has the kids Friday night." She looked up at him suggestively. "We 
could rent a moooovieee." 

Fox laughed. "I wouldn’t miss it for the world." He leered. She leaned over and 
kissed his cheek. "What was that?" Fox asked, with a raised eyebrow. He leaned 
over the table and caught her lips with his own. Their tongues touched briefly 
and he pulled away grinning. 

"Was that better?" She inquired. 

"Any time you touch me baby." He grinned. She flushed and played with the straw 
in her glass. 

"You two ready to order?" Pauline asked, smiling deviously at them. 

"Yes we are Pauline thank you kindly." Fox replied sarcastically. 

"I aim to please." Pauline said, waggling her eyebrows at them. Fox and Dana 
chuckled. 

"Ookay I’ll have the Caesar salad and the chicken sandwich." Dana said. 

"Okay and Fox?" 

"Philly cheese steak with the fries," Fox said, grinning at Dana at the last 
part. 

"Anything to drink?" Pauline asked, scribbling down the orders. 

"Iced tea." They both said at the same time. Pauline giggled. 

"That’s priceless. Must be fate you guys." She said, before walking off to get 
their orders ready. Fox and Dana looked at each other. 

"Fate." Dana quipped. 

"Must be." Fox said. 

*** 

Dana Scully’s Apartment 

Dana was sitting contemplating her life up to this point. Her kids had long 
since left and now she was just waiting for Fox to arrive. She sighed. 

Where was her relationship going with Fox? They were talking about their kids 
getting to know each other. That had to be serious. But the question was how did 
she feel about getting so close to a man this soon? After Adam, Dana was wary of 
any man who approached her. But Fox, Fox was different. Something about him 
touched her. She felt like she knew him inside and out, though there was still 
much to learn about him. Like maybe, somewhere in another life, they’d loved and 
fought side by side. That iced tea thing was weird. She’d been sure to buy some 
iced tea, for their evening. 

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. 

"Who is it?" She called. 

"Steven Spielberg." Fox answered. Dana smiled and opened the door. It was Fox . 
He wore a tight black tee-shirt and jeans. She like how his pants always slung 
low on his hips. Yummy. 

"Hi-" Was all she got out before he stepped in and swept her up in his arms. 

"Fox!" She exclaimed. He grinned shut the door with his foot and walked into the 
living room. 

"I can walk ya know." Dana said dryly. 

"Nope. Tonight, you relax. Meaning no necessary movements," He let her slid to 
the floor and proceeded to kiss her softly. 

"And your wife left you for someone else?" She asked in quiet incredulity. 

"Unless it includes getting me dinner." He added smiling. 

"Ah the truth is out." She said dryly, with a raised eyebrow. She sat down and 
brought him with her. He chuckled and kissed her neck. 

"Are we gonna neck Fox?" Dana asked wiggling against him. 

"Not unless your mom’s not home." He replied, with a devious glint in his eye. 
She grinned and made a show of looking left and right. 

"I don’t think she’s home." She whispered close to his mouth. He nodded, let out 
a breath allowing his breath mingle with hers. His lips nipped hers and she 
shivered in delight. He did it again and again and then nuzzled her face, all 
over with his in catlike movements. Her mouth caught his and his tongue teased 
her mouth insistently until she let him in. She slipped her tongue into his 
mouth and he moaned, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her body closer. 
She gasped at his movements. Slowly they explored each others mouths, for taste 
and texture. His hands moved enticingly over her back. They pulled away, 
breathing heavily. 

"Do you realize that we’re actually alone? Not out in public like we usually are?" 
He whispered huskily, brushing feather-light kisses along her mouth and face. 
She pulled away from him suddenly. 

"Would you like something to drink?" She asked getting up off the couch. 

"Uuum, yea. Iced tea." A rather confused Fox answered, running a hand through 
his hair. Dana nodded and practically flew out of the room. 

She leaned against the kitchen counter, wondering what had come over her. One 
minute she was kissing Fox, the next, she completely freaked. Was it because he’d 
mentioned that this was their first time alone together? Was she afraid he would 
try to seduce her? Or afraid that he wouldn’t? She was so confused right now she 
couldn’t think straight. 

"Dana?" She jumped at the hand on her shoulder. She turned around to face a 
confused Fox. 

"What’s going on, Dana? Does this not feel right to you? Are-are you having 
second thoughts on having a relationship with me?" He looked genuinely hurt. 
Like a lost puppy, she thought fondly. She quickly solaced him. 

"Oh Fox it’s not you at all. It’s-me-you-us I guess. Where are we going with 
this? I mean after our first date we decided to see each other again. Third date 
turned into fourth then fifth then sixth, now we’re making out on my sofa and 
talking about our kids meeting. Everything changed between us without us saying 
anything. I’d like to know where this relationship is headed." 

Fox nodded his understanding. They never really said anything to each other. It 
was like an unspoken agreement. "I understand what you’re saying. So do you want 
to call it all off or see other people or what?" 

"No. I just want to know where we stand and take it slowly. We both came out of 
our previous marriage with a heck of a lot of baggage. I just need time to 
process it." Dana explained. 

"So you still want to see me?" Fox asked, hopefully. 

"Yes." Dana answered. He sighed audibly, making her smile. 

"So do you want me to leave, so we can do things...slow?" Fox asked, barely 
containing his disdain at the prospect of leaving. 

"Oh no Fox. I don’t want you to go. It doesn’t mean we can’t still do things 
together or we only kiss each other on the cheek for physical contact." Mulder 
sighed again and Dana laughed. 

"Okay Dana, but seriously. I don’t want to make you uncomfortable, cause I don’t 
want to lose you. I don’t exactly know where this is headed, but all I know is I 
want to be with you. You’re the best thing that’s happened to me since my kids. 
I lo-I care about you a lot." He’d almost slipped and Dana caught it, but never 
brought it up. "We can still neck right?" He asked, for a quick save. Dana 
laughed and threw a dishrag at him. The tension eased up a bit. 

"Hey. You aren’t supposed to be walking. I’ll get the iced tea." He said. She 
smiled at him. 

"Oh Fox I forgot to put something on the stove. I thought we could order a pizza." 
Dana said. 

"Mmmm piiiiizza, ahhhh." Fox said with a frighteningly good impression of Homer 
Simpson. Dana laughed and kissed the back of his neck and walked into the living 
room. Fox watched her go and smiled. 

"What do you want on your pizza?" Fox hollered from the kitchen. 

"I don’t know. Anything but anchovies? Mushrooms!" Dana yelled back, lying on 
the couch 

"Ew!" Fox replied from the kitchen. Dana chuckled and rolled her head to one 
side. 

"Just nothing that’ll clog our arteries too much. I wanna live to see Carrie 
have kids!" Dana yelled. Fox grunted something in reply and a moment later he 
reappeared carrying two glasses of iced tea. He hand one to her and she accepted 
graciously. 

"I ordered mushrooms on half." He said, settling into the couch. 

"Thank you." She grinned. 

"So what’s our movie? You didn’t get anything girly did you?" He asked, raising 
an eyebrow at her. 

"Fine maybe the kids will watch Lassie with me tomorrow." Dana said in mock 
disappointment. 

"You’ve got to be kidding me." Fox said, looking incredulously at her. 

"I am. Don’t worry you big macho man. I know you and your manly self wouldn’t 
watch Lassie." Dana replied patting his leg. Fox grunted in reply and Dana shook 
her head. 

"No seriously what did you get?" 

"Umm Pillow Talk? I’m sorry. I know it’s girly and stupid, but I love that movie." 
Dana said, biting her lip. Fox thought it was cute so he let her off the hook. 
He thought Doris Day was pretty cute anyway. 

"S’okay Dana. But I pick the movie next time." He warned. She grinned and 
bounced a bit pressing play. Now he knew where Carrie got her bounciness from. 

The pizza arrived and they ate in companionable silence as they watched, Doris 
Day and Rock Hudson talk to each other in the bathtub on split screen. 

"I’d hate to have a party line. Then I wouldn’t be able to talk dirty to you on 
the phone." Fox said, with a serious expression on his face. Dana elbowed him, 
but he didn’t seem to mind. Half-way through the movie Fox moved to the end of 
the couch to lie back, Dana crawled over to him a moment later, eyes still glued 
to the screen. His arm moved around her and he put his leg up on the couch so 
that she lay snuggled in between his legs and against his chest. 

Some where in between the car trip, they fell asleep. 

*** 

Dana Scully’s apartment 

10:01 

Maggie opened the front door with her key, not bothering to knock. The kids 
bounded into the apartment stopped short, Maggie came in wondering why the kids 
stopped. She stopped her self. A delighted smile spread across her face. Well. 

There tangled together on the couch was Dana and Fox, sleeping soundly. It didn’t 
look like anything had happened. She looked at the TV, which was snowing. She 
walked over to the TV and pulled out the tape. Pillow Talk. Oh how cute, she 
thought, grinning. Just then Fox stirred. 

Hm, it’s been awhile since I woke up with someone on top of me, Fox thought 
groggily. He sighed and took a few breaths and then suddenly had the strange 
feeling that someone was watching him. He opened his eyes and was greeted by a 
grinning Carrie, Nathan and Maggie. Oh crap. Dana stirred in her sleep and 
burrowed deeper into his embrace, sighing sleepily. 

Her breathing became more normal and she realized she was being held. It’s been 
a very long time since I was held like this, Dana thought. Maybe it was a 
beautiful dream. She couldn’t be awake, could she? She slowly opened her eyes 
and saw her mother and kids. She sensed nothing amiss, until she realized that 
her comfy bed was actually a person. Fox Mulder to be exact. 

"Oh." She got up and winced at Fox as he moved his neck painfully from side to 
side. "You must have an awful crick in your neck." She sighed. He shook his head, 
instantly regretting it. 

"It’ll be okay. I’m used to sleeping on the couch. Uhh," He eyed their audience. 
"Where’s your bathroom?" He muttered. She smiled and gave him the directions. He 
got up, smiling sheepishly at everyone and then walked off. 

"Well." Dana said, brightly. 

"Well." Maggie echoed with a conspiratorial gleam in her eye. 

"Mom." Dana warned. Maggie put her hands up innocently. 

"I just call’em like I see’em." She said. Dana gave her a ‘Yea right look’ and 
held her arms out to her kids who ran to her, happily. 

"Did you have fun at Grandma’s?" She asked them. 

"Yup we did. Mommy are you an Fox gonna get married?" Carrie asked. She was 
never one to beat around the bush. Dana looked slightly taken aback. 

"What gave you that idea, Sweetie?" Dana asked. 

"You was sleepin together an’ when people is married, they sleep together an’ 
you kiss." Carrie finished with a giggle. Nathan rolled his eyes at his "immature" 
little sister. Dana didn’t really know how to respond to that, but was saved 
when Fox walked back in. He stopped at the quiet and looked around self-consciously. 

"What?" He asked, running his hands through his hair. "I know my hair looks like 
beast in the morning, but...." He explained, before Carrie got up and walked 
over to him. She looked up expectantly at him and that was his cue to squat down 
to her level. "Yes Carrie, what can I do for you?" 

"Can I call you Daddy?" She asked, in all innocence. You could have heard a pin 
drop a mile away. 

"Oh dear." Maggie muttered under her breath, as Dana sucked in a breath. Fox’s 
eyes darted to hers and then back. He wasn’t to sure how to respond. No one had 
ever asked him that before. 

"Carrie dear you can’t-" Dana started, but Carrie pouted and looked straight 
into his eyes. 

"You don’t want to be my Daddy?" She asked, in a small voice. Dana closed her 
eyes and got up to go to her, when Fox spoke. 

"Honey you can call me whatever you like." Fox said. 

"Even Daddy?" Carrie asked, starting to grin. Fox brushed a stray strand of hair 
from her face. 

"Even Daddy." He replied, smiling softly. Carrie grinned from ear to ear and 
threw her arms around his neck. 

"Thanks Daddy." She said, happily. He chuckled and picked her up. "You’re my 
first real Daddy!" She exclaimed. 

"There isn’t a man alive who wouldn’t wanna be your daddy." He said, giving her 
a squeeze. He looked at Dana, who had tears in her eyes. 

"Fox-" 

"N-Not here. I have to go pick up the kids from my moms house now, but....Hey 
Maggie have they eaten yet?" Fox asked. 

"No, why?" 

"How bout I take you guys to IHOP. My treat." Fox proposed. 

"IHOP, really!?" Carrie exclaimed. 

"Cool! Could we mom? Please?" Nathan pleading, pulling on his mothers arm. Dana 
looked like she was in deep thought for a moment and then sighed loudly. 

"I don’t know guys. Are you sure you like pancakes?" She asked, shivering in 
mock-disgust. 

"Yes!" They both yelled insistently. 

"Weeeell." She dragged out, while the kids said "pleeeaaaase". "Okay." The kids 
cheered and slapped each other five. Fox grinned. He set Carrie down, after 
giving her another hug. 

"Great, we’ll be back around a half an hour." He said. He ruffled Nathan’s hair 
and winked at Maggie and Carrie, as he picked up his belongings. Dana followed 
him to the door. 

"See ya later Daddy!" Carrie squealed. Fox chuckled and waved at her. When they 
were out the door Dana took his head in her hands and pulled him to her, kissing 
him thoroughly. They pulled away panting. 

"What was that for? So I can do it again." Fox asked, laughing a bit. 

"For being so wonderful. For letting Carrie call you...Daddy, for making me feel 
like a woman again. For making me feel....feel loved again." She said tearfully. 
He bent down and took her lips with his own, kissing her tenderly for a long 
time, his hands caressing, and holding her close. He pulled away a bit and said 
softly, 

"I lo-You mean a lot to me Dana. You’re kids mean a lot to me as well. Carrie 
and Nathan have been too long without a father figure. And I can’t think of 
anyone else better for the job." He whispered, kissing her softly once more. 

"Do you think it’s wise to let her get so attached to you? I mean what if it 
doesn’t work out betwe-?" He stopped her with a finger to her lips. Removing it 
her said, 

"Dana, you’ll jinx it. Anyway you can’t get rid of me that easily. I’m FBI 
remember? She deserves a father, Dana. Her and Nathan, whether it works between 
us or ,God forbid, not." 

"I-" She breathed. He stopped her with a finger to her lip again. 

"I’ll see you in a about a half an hour." He said, replacing his finger with his 
lips. Their tongues played for a moment and then they parted. 

"I’ll see you soon." She breathed, looking at his lips. He graced her with a 
smile and she returned it. She leaned against the door, watching him leave. Oh 
Fox, you’re so wonderful, she thought. Why didn’t she meet this man eleven years 
ago? But they were together now and for the first time in awhile she thought 
that maybe this would really work. 

*** 

International House of Pancakes 

They all sat at the table laughing and getting to know one another. Maggie had 
gone home, insisting that this was a good opportunity for everyone to get to 
know each other. It had been awkward at first, but then Joey had burped and 
Carrie and Jennie said "Eww.", at the same time, and everyone started to relax. 

None of Fox’s kids seemed to mind Carrie calling Fox Daddy. They kind of thought 
it was funny and Dana suspected that Fox told them about their real father. Alex 
had shyly attached himself to Dana, asking her questions. Dana thought he was 
enchanting, all of Fox’s kids were. Nathan had attached himself to Fox, Dana 
noted early on. She was overjoyed when she saw he and Nathan and Jennie talk 
excitedly about the Knicks. 

Now all five of the kids were deeply consumed in a conversation about their 
experiences at the beach, except Joey who babbled his two cents in when he could. 
Dana and Fox’s eyes locked over the table and he winked at her. 

"Sir? Is your family ready to order?" A waitress asked, breaking his steady gaze 
with Dana. Family? He looked around the table and smiled softly to himself. They 
did look like a family. 

"Hey guys ready to order?" He asked. They nodded excitedly and started shooting 
orders at the woman at the same time. The woman looked from Fox to Dana, at a 
loss. They both chuckled and settled the kids down. They ordered one by one, 
Carrie whispered her order to her mother and Dana told the waitress. Carrie had 
suddenly gotten shy. When they finished ordering, the woman came back and gave 
them their drinks. The kids started talking to each other again and Fox and Dana 
went back to staring into each others eyes. 

"Uh oh." Everyone turned to Joey, who looked suspiciously pleased with himself. 
Fox sighed and picked up his diaper bag. 

"I’ll be back in a min-" 

"I’ll do it." Dana interrupted him. Fox looked at her for a moment to see if she 
was serious. When he said he wanted them to bond, he didn’t mean for her to 
change his sons stanky diaper. 

"Dane are you sure? He can smell very....ripe." He finished with a wince. She 
smiled and got up, taking Joey with her. 

"I don’t mind. Could you hand me the diaper bag." She said, hand outstretched. 
He handed it to her sighing in resignation. She grinned and walked off to the 
ladies room. Joey looked around for urinals. 

"Pee-pee?" He inquired, loudly. 

"Nope. This is a ladies room. No winkies here." She replied setting up the built 
in baby changer on the wall. Joey giggles and lay down obediently. She smiled 
and tickled his tummy before removing his overalls and taking off his soiled 
diaper. Joey watched her as she changed his diaper. Didn’t mommies do this sort 
of thing? Hmm, maybe this was his new mommy. That other lady who he used to call 
mommy wasn’t there anymore and he wanted hugs. Daddy’s chest wasn’t nice and big 
like this ladies. Yea, this lady had to be his mommy. He decided to try it out. 

"Mama?" He inquired. Dana looked up at him and sighed sadly. 

"Sorry honey. Mama’s not here." Dana said. Joey got agitated and tried again. 

"Mama?" He reached his hand up to her, just as she buttoned up his overalls 
again. She just looked at him, confused. Mama? Was Joey calling her mama? Geez 
these kids attach quickly, Dana thought to herself. Joey’s lower lip began to 
tremble. She wasn’t answering him. Maybe mama didn’t like him anymore. He 
started to cry. 

"Maaaaamaaaaa." He wailed, reaching for her. Dana picked the baby up and hugged 
him to her chest, murmuring soothingly to him. 

"It’s okay sweetie. I’m here, I’m here. Shhh, no more tears baby." She murmured, 
silently cursing this Phoebe for causing this little baby such distress. Joey 
calmed down as soon as she held him and stuck his chubby little arms around her 
neck, whimpering and hiccuping a little. She picked up the diaper bag and walked 
out of the ladies room. By the time they got back to the table, Joey was 
babbling a story to her and she was chuckling at his baby talk, which made 
perfect sense to him. 

Mulder smiled at her when they came back, "How’d it go?" He asked, Dana set him 
in his high chair and he pouted, cause he was about to sing her a new song he 
learned on Sesame street. She walked over to him and knelt down and he bent over. 

"He um-he-I think he called me Mama." Dana whispered. Fox smiled and then looked 
at her. 

"Are you okay with that?" He asked, suddenly concerned. 

"Um-Yes. It just took me by surprise that’s all. It thought he was calling for 
Phoebe the first time he said it, but then he reached out to me, and I didn’t 
know what to do, so I just stood there dumbly and then he started to wail, and I 
picked him up and he was fine." Dana explained. 

"I think he likes you." Fox stated. She kind of snorted. 

"Well yea. That’s an understatement. And you know what Fox? I don’t mind at all. 
You’re kids are wonderful and Alex is so cute with his little questions." Dana 
gushed. 

"I could say the same thing about your kids." He whispered back. "I think this 
is the beginning of something good." She nodded and they kissed, neither 
noticing their kids were watching them. Jennie and Carrie looked at each other 
grinning, and Nathan and Alex, wrinkled their noses. A chorus of Eww’s and 
giggles started and Fox and Dana parted to see what was so amusing. It was them. 

"Aren’t ya afraid of cooties?" Alex asked, wide-eyed. Dana and Fox chuckled and 
Dana got up. Their food finally arrived and Dana cut up Joey’s pancakes and fed 
him, while Fox and the kids talked about trivial things. Joey pointed at her 
soda and she gave him a sip. He squinched his little face up and Fox and Dana 
thought it was adorable. Joey burped and drank his orange juice happily. How 
could big people drink that stuff anyway? 

"Daddy, could Dana and Nathan and Carrie come over for dinner?" Jennie asked. 

"Huh?" Fox asked. 

"Could Dana an’ Carrie, an’ Nat’an come over fer dinner?" Alex asked. 

"Uhh, that’s a nice idea. How bout it Dana?" He asked turning to Dana, who was 
busy wiping Joey’s mouth. 

"Huh? Oh yea. That’s a nice idea. But on one condition." Dana said, turning to 
them. 

"What’s that?" Fox asked. 

"I get to cook dinner." She replied. He nodded smiling. 

"Sounds like a plan." He said, giving her that smile that made her shiver with 
want. 

"Yes!" All the kids exclaimed, exchanging high fives. Dana and Fox smiled warmly 
at each other. Things seemed to be looking up. 

But unknown to them, they would have to get past some road blocks and close 
chapters to their past before they could truly be happy. 

** 

Mulder’s Apartment. 

Sunday night 

"Sweetie could you pass me that spoon?" Dana asked. Jennie got up and got Dana 
the spoon in question. A few weeks had passed since IHOP and having dinner 
together on Sunday nights was becoming a habit. Every Sunday night, they’d meet 
at one or the others apartment and have dinner. The kids were already like 
brothers and sisters and they looked to Fox and Dana as parent figures. Alex and 
Jennie even called Dana, Mommy sometimes. 

"Dana are you and my Daddy ever gonna get married?" Jennie asked, signing. Dana 
looked at Jennie. She was ever surprised at this girls level of intelligence. 
She’d had more meaningful conversations with this girl then with half the adults 
she knew. 

"Yea when?! Then we could all live together!" Carrie squealed in delight. Jennie 
nodded in agreement. 

"Well...." Dana didn’t finish her sentence thankfully. Fox came in and held her 
from behind, his chin on her shoulder. 

"What’s cookin good lookin?" He asked, she grinned and wiggled around to face 
him. 

"Your favorite." She replied, arms about his waist. 

"I’ve got lots of favorites Dana. Are you gonna make me guess?" He asked. She 
nodded, trying to keep a straight face, but ended up grinning ear to ear. 

"It’s Lasagna!" Carrie shrieked, jumping up and down. 

"He was supposed to guess." Jennie said, rolling her eyes. Fox chuckled and 
scooped her up and tickled her. 

"Remind me never to tell you any secrets." He laughed. Dana laughed and reminded 
them, no roughhousing in the kitchen. Just then the doorbell rang. 

"I’ll get it Fox. Keep an eye on the Lasagna." Dana said, picking up Joey on her 
way out of the kitchen. 

"Yes?" She said upon opening the door. 

"Is this the Mulder residence?" The man asked, eyeing her. Dana got a bit 
nervous. 

"Yes it is. May I help you?" Dana asked, trying to look intimidating despite her 
height. She used to be able to do that well, before Adam. 

"If I may speak to Mr. Mulder." The man asked. She was about to turn to call him, 
but he was right behind her. 

"Can I help you?" Fox asked, stepping protectively between the man and Dana. 

"Mr. Mulder?" He asked. Fox nodded. The man took out some papers, gave them to 
him, looked Dana up and down again, and walked away. Fox scowled after him. 

"Bye!" Joey called, smiling at the use of his new word. He pouted, when the mean 
man did not reply. Dana looked at him after he closed the door. He was reading 
the papers and turning quite red. She put Joey in his play pen and pulled Fox 
into the kitchen. 

"Fox? Fox what is it? What do the papers say?" Dana asked. He was scaring her. 
He looked like he’d gone into shock. "Fox. Fox please. You’re scaring me. Please 
tell me." that seemed to have gotten through to him. 

"That was a lawyer. Phoebe’s lawyer." He said, quietly, trying to keep his anger 
in check. 

"Oh Fox. What does she want? Does she want money Fox? Is that what she wants?" 
Dana asked. 

"No." He laughed. "She doesn’t want money. She wants my kids. Dana she wants my 
kids." Dana held him close. Phoebe was back. And she wanted the kids. 

** 

Mulder’s apartment 

Friday night 

"We can fight this Fox. You got them the first time. Who’s to say you can’t get 
them again? She won’t win, Fox. We won’t let her." Dana said to Fox’s hair. His 
head was resting on his coffee cup. His head shot up at her words. 

"We?" He asked with an amused raised eyebrow. 

"Yes we." Dana replied. He reached across the table to hold her hand. 

"Thank you." He whispered to her. "I’m not too worried that she’ll get custody, 
but I am worried about the effect it’ll have on the kids, not to mention your 
kids and you. I mean after all this time and Joey’s calling you Mama, how could 
she just blow into our lives like this. Why would she do this? Not to twist the 
knife further cause I’ve already pulled it out and moved on." He said, looking 
at her. She smiled softly and put a sympathetic hand on his. 

"We’ll get through this Fox." She whispered, stroking his hair. There was a 
knock at the door. 

"I’ll get it, honey." She said, as though it was the most natural thing in the 
world to her. He looked at her fondly. 

"I’ll be here, sugar patootie." He replied. She chuckled and opened the door. 

"May I help you?" Dana asked the woman, holding the baby. She looked a bit 
familiar. 

"I think I have the wrong apartment. I’m looking for the Mulder residence." The 
woman said, with a thick British accent. 

"This is it." Dana said, shifting weight to the other leg. 

"Nooo," She said slowly. "Fox Mulder’s residence?" 

"Yes this is it. May I ask who you are?" Dana asked. I could ask you the same 
thing, Phoebe thought. 

"I’m Phoebe Green and you are?" She asked, raising her eyebrow, looking down at 
her. Dana frowned at the name. So this was Fox’s ex-wife. 

"Dana Scully." She replied. She eyed the baby. Her lovers baby no doubt. How 
dare she bring it here. 

"Is Fox at home?" Phoebe asked, summing up the diminutive woman. 

"As a matter a fact he is." Dana said, unmoving. Hm, if they were involved, Fox 
would have told her about her and she’d be dripping jealously, Phoebe thought, 
but this woman was not doing or saying anything. She was just standing there. 

"Could I see him?" Phoebe asked, with exasperation. Dana frowned. She wasn’t 
about to put Fox in anymore pain. Before she could think up a good excuse, Fox 
slipped his arms around her waist. 

"Who’s there Dane?" He asked, before looking up and frowning. Phoebe was doing 
the same. So......he moved on, she thought sourly. Oh well, she was the one 
holding the baby. 

"Fox. Could I come in?" She asked. Dana squeezed his hand for support. Lips 
pursed, he stepped back, as she came in, just noticing the bundle in her arms. 
Dana saw what he saw and squeezed his hand again. He squeezed back. Phoebe saw 
what he was looking at and smiled. 

"Isn’t she precious? Her name is Jewel. It was Jay’s idea. When I saw her, I 
knew it was the perfect name." She said, smiling and cooing the chubby baby. 

"Hope ya won’t abandon her with her father for yet another man like you did my 
kids." Fox said, bitingly. 

"I did not abandon them." Phoebe bit back. Fox barked out some laughter. 

"You coulda fooled me. Oh but I guess you did. What do you want? How dare you 
come back after all this time, after what you’ve done and demand the children on 
a silver platter." Fox said, unaware that his voice was raising. Dana placed a 
hand on her arm and squeezed. 

"Fox." She warned. He looked at her and drew strength from her. 

"Anyhow Fox, you seem to be doing fine for yourself. Not missing me at all I see." 
Phoebe said, eyeing Dana. 

"Like you ever missed me, Pheebs. What, you wanted me pining away for you the 
rest of my life? I think not. I moved on and so have the kids so whatever crap 
you’ve come to dish out, you can stick it back up your ass." Fox said angrily. 
Phoebe looked indignant and pulled her baby closer to her. 

"The language Fox. Is that suitable behavior for a parent?" She asked, smirking. 

"I can’t believe I ever loved you." Fox whispered, shaking his head. "You’re 
like a stranger to me." He said, looking down and thinking about all those 
wasted years, when he could have been with Dana. Phoebe looked affected by his 
words for a moment and then was back to normal. 

"That’s the problem with you Fox. You’re too quick to trust. Are the kids here?" 
Phoebe asked. 

"No. Not all of them anyhow. Joey is asleep." Fox replied. 

"Where is Jennie and Alex?" Phoebe asked. 

"With Dana’s mom and her kids." Fox replied, sighing and wondering when she 
would leave. 

"You have kids of your own?" Phoebe asked, interested. 

"Yes I do. Two." Dana replied. She didn’t like his woman. 

"Where’s your husband?" Phoebe asked. Dana shuddered at the thought of him and 
Fox put a hand around her waist. 

"In California. We aren’t together anymore." Dana said, leaning against Fox for 
support. Phoebe didn’t seem to care much and turned to Fox again. 

"I want to see Joey." She said. 

"No." Both Fox and Dana said at the same time. 

"Excuse me, but I don’t think this any of *your* business." She glared at Dana. 
"Why can’t I see my son?" She asked Fox. 

"Well you don’t have custody, one. Two, you didn’t seem so keen on seeing him 
before. He’s confused as it is after you did what you did. He’s just adjusting." 

"Mama!" Joey called sleepily over the monitor. Dana and Phoebe both looked at it. 

"You call that adjusting?" Phoebe asked, smirking. 

"You don’t understand." Fox said. 

"Mama! Wawa." Joey wanted water. Dana got up and went into the kitchen and 
brought out a glass of water, heading into the nursery. 

"Where does she think she’s going?" Phoebe demanded. Fox just stood there and 
stared. 

"Mama!" Joey squealed. They heard Dana enter the room. 

"Here’s your water sweetie." She whispered. 

"Up." He demanded. She chuckled and picked him up. Phoebe looked at Fox with an 
accusing glare. He matched her glare with a cool steady look. 

Dana walked out carefully, with Joey’s head on her shoulder. Phoebe turned her 
death glare to Dana. 

"How dare you." She huffed. 

"How dare I what? Be a mother to this child when his real one is off boinking 
some jerk and having babies, while her husband and kids are suffering? Oh yea, 
how dare I." Dana shot sarcastically. Fox mentally applauded her. Ohh, Touche. 
Nice one Dane. 

"Joey." She called. "Joey it’s mommy." Phoebe said. Joey looked up at Dana. Then 
turned himself around. Phoebe smiled. "Look at you. You’ve gotten so big." She 
whispered, walking closer to him. Joey looked at Dana eyes wide. She gave him a 
squeeze. 

"Mama?" Dana gave him another squeeze. 

"It’s okay, sweetie I’m not going anywhere." Dana cooed. 

"Joey listen to me. It’s me. She is not your mother. I am honey." Phoebe 
insisted. Joey squealed. 

"No! Mama!" Burying his face in Dana’s clothes, willing the lady to go away. He 
wanted Dana, not this lady who talked funny. 

"Phoebe stop it. You’re upsetting him." Fox said, stepping forward. Phoebe 
shrugged away from him and stalked to the door. 

"This is not finished Fox Mulder. Whether you like it or not, I am these kids 
mother. And no one, NO one," She glared at Dana, "will take my place. You haven’t 
heard the last of me." With that, she turned and left. Fox looked after her, 
vaguely wondering what she had up her sleeve. 

*** 

"Daddy, I don’t want to live with her! Dana’s a better mommy than she is! Dana’s 
my mom now! So there!" Jennie yelled, folding her arms. 

"Sweetie. Dana and I aren’t married. We’re just dating." 

"Then why don’t you marry her? You love her don’t you?" Sam cut in. Fox gave her 
a look and turned to his kids. 

"Sweetie I won’t let anyone take you from me. You aren’t going anywhere." 

"Good. Now when are you marrying Dana?" Jennie asked. Fox sighed. 

** 

"Aw Vick, I don’t know what to do. Fox is in there right now waiting for a 
verdict. I don’t know why Phoebe’s doing this. It’s tearing up the kids." Dana 
said, looking in the direction of the courtroom. 

"Why would she come back after all this time?" Vickie asked. 

"Well apparently Fox has a fortune he didn’t me about. I don’t care about the 
money much, but Phoebe does. Phoebe and Jay. Her lo-husband. Yea they got 
married. Their argument is that they can give the kids a stable home." 

"Well what do you think?" Vickie asked. 

"I think it’s a load of bull. All she wants is money. If they win. Fox’ll have 
to pay child support." 

"Man. That’s rough. I know! Marry him!" 

"Vickie." Dana warned. 

"Oh come on! From the way you talk about this guy, and his kids are calling you 
mommy, its a given. He’d the same guy you told me about in your dream. Your 
dream lover." She said teasingly. 

"He hasn’t asked me. We’re taking it slow and right now he needs support. Look I 
gotta go." 

"Okay. But Dana, guess what?" Vickie said. 

"What?" Dana asked, boredly. 

"Adam is in jail." 

"What?!" 

"He’s in jail for drug pushing, assault and battery. You’re in the clear Dana." 
Vickie said smiling. Dana couldn’t believe her ears. Adam was in jail. Jail, 
behind bars. 

"Oh Vickie." Dana gasped. 

"Isn’t it great? Dana I don’t want you to be scared anymore. Be with Fox. The 
way you want to be." Vickie said. "Talk to ya later." 

"Bye Vick." Dana hung up the phone and turned around, almost bumping into 
someone. 

"Sorry." The tall brunette said. Didn’t she know her? She’d been in the 
courtroom everyday. Dana stood for a moment and then walked into the courtroom. 
The judge was making his closing speech. 

"And further more, I find it cruel and despicable that after throwing away your 
children, you should come back to claim them. They have a perfectly good home 
and a loving father and no one has any right to take them away from him after 
you took just about everything else. The children will stay with their father. 
Court is adjourned." He banged his gavel and the court dispersed. The kids ran 
to their father. 

"I love you." Fox whispered, hugging them close. 

"We love you Daddy." They replied. Mulder shook his lawyers hand and thanked her 
graciously. Phoebe and Jay walked over, tightlipped to them, holding their baby. 

"You have to let them see us. This child is their half sister, whether you like 
it or not." Jay declared. 

"Settle that with the court. I’m taking my kids home. And Phoebe, next time you 
decide to come and wreak havoc in our lives, call ahead of time." Fox said, 
turning. He stopped. 

"Congratulations Fox." 

"Diana." Fox said, hugging her. Jennie frowned. 

Towards the back of the court Dana watched Fox hug the woman she had bumped into. 
They seemed to know each other. 

"Diana Fowley." Dana spun around to look at a smirking Phoebe. 

"Excuse me?" Dana asked, frowning with disdain. 

"Her name is Diana Fowley. Fox’s old squeeze. She was in love with him since he 
first said I do at our wedding. Hm, seems to me they’re picking up where they 
left off. Cheerio." She said, smiling to herself and walking off with Jay. Dana 
turned back, dismayed to see Fox kiss her cheek. Calling up all her courage she 
walked up to them. Jennie smiled gratefully and yanked on her father’s arm. He 
looked up. 

"Dana." He sighed. He went to her and hugged her. "I got’em. Did you hear?" 

"I did. It’s wonderful." Dana replied, glancing at the frowning woman. Oblivious, 
Fox leaned in and kissed Dana’s lips long and tenderly. Dana’s heart soared. 

"We should celebrate. Take the kids and go out somewhere. I don’t know....how 
bout Fudruckers?" He suggested with a glint in his eye. "I’ll be like our 
anniversary." Fox grinned at her and she grinned back. 

"Sounds like a plan." Dana said, kissing his chin. 

"Um, Fox? I’m gonna go. I’ll see you at work." Diana said, eyeing Dana. Fox 
nodded, faintly. 

"Uh huh. Bye Diana." He said, distractedly. Dana watched the woman walk away. 

"Who’s she?" Dana asked, trying to look casual. 

"Uh? Oh, that’s Diana Fowley. She’s an agent at the Bureau. We used to be 
partners when I was a field agent." Fox explained, packing up his things. 

"Oh." Was all she said, as she took Alex’s hand. Fox sensed something brewing, 
but decided not to bring it up until later. 

They walked out of the court room hand in hand, hoping that the worst was behind 
them. Unfortunately for them the worst was yet to come. 

** 

** 

"Oh Fox. You didn’t have to do this." Dana whispered as Mulder pulled out a long 
velvet box. they were sitting at a fancy restaurant. 

"I wanted to. I saw it and I couldn’t help myself." He replied. Dana bit her lip 
and looked at the box. "Open it." He said. 

Dana sighed and opened it. She gasped. "Oh Fox." 

"Do you like it?" Fox asked, grinning with hope. 

"I-I love it, but...." 

"You don’t like it." He stated. 

"No! I do. I love it. It’s just that......It’s just that no one has ever given 
me anything like this before." She whispered, finger the diamond necklace. 

"You deserve more. I saw it and it reminded me of you and I had to get it." he 
said, shrugging bashfully. He’d never done this sort of thing before and Dana 
could tell. 

"Please say you’ll keep it." He said. Dana exhaled softly and looked up at him. 

"Yes. I’ll keep it. Thank you so much. I love it. I love-I love it." Dana said, 
feeling herself flush. 

"Let me put it on you." He said, getting up and moving over to her. Dana nodded 
and took of the cross that usually hung there and put it in her purse. He knelt 
behind her and she pulled her hair up and away from her neck. His arms circled 
her shoulders and Dana felt herself shiver at the close proximity. Fox clipped 
the necklace, his fingers lingering near her neck. He hesitated and then 
smoothed his hands down her shoulders. She turned around and looked into his 
eyes and felt a deep ball of heat rise in her stomach. His lips rose to hers and 
she sighed as his lips interlocked with hers. 

Dana felt the electricity and the heat rise as he deepened the kiss. She always 
felt the heat and electricity when he kissed her. She knew she could fall in 
love with him. She already had and this time the thought didn’t scare her. She 
embraced it. She needed to know how he felt about her, before she could go on. 

"Fox?" Dana whispered, pulling away. 

"Hm?" 

"Fox do you-Do you lo-" Dana didn’t finish her question, because another voice 
cut her off. 

"Fox?" Dana turned around to see a familiar face. It was Diana Fowely. The one 
from the court room. 

"Diana." Fox acknowledged. 

"What are you doing here?" She asked. 

"Oh I’m having dinner with my girlfriend. Diana this is Dana Scully. Dana, Diana 
Fowley." Fox introduced. The two women shook hands uncomfortably. 

"Are you here alone?" Fox asked getting up. 

"Oh no. I’m here with Spender. Just a *friendly* dinner." Diana replied, 
emphasizing friendly. Fox began to stroke Dana’s hair possessively and 
unconsciously. 

"Oh." 

"I just thought I’d say hello, cause I saw you. Oh and I also have some files 
that I need to go over with you if that’s okay." 

"Oh." Fox looked down at Dana. "Well I’m kinda gonna be busy tonight. Can’t it 
wait until Monday?" 

"Uh-um sure sir. I’ll just talk to you on Monday." Diana said, backing away. 

"Monday Morning." Fox said, with raised eyebrows. He then turned back to Dana. 

"Um. Does she work with you?" Dana asked. 

"Yea. She’s just a colleague. Nothing to worry about. You were about to ask me 
something." Fox said. 

"Oh, well. Nothing." Dana sighed, looking down at her hands. Fox looked at her 
for a moment and then shrugged. 

"Hey I was thinking, maybe we could take the kids to the park this weekend." Fox 
said, sitting down. 

"That sounds nice." Dana replied, smiling again. Fox sighed and nodded. 

"Dana look, there’s something bothering you and I’d like to know what it is." 
Fox said. Dana stayed silent. "Is it the necklace? You don’t want me spending 
money on you ?" 

Dana looked up at him. "No. No it’s not that. Can we go take a walk." 

Fox nodded and got the check. They walked past Diana and Jeffery Spender’s table 
hand in hand. 

"Huh. I wonder how much he paid her." Spender whispered to Diana. Fox spun 
around and looked at Spender with a flaming glare. 

"Did you say something to me Agent Spender? If you are I would hope that you 
would have the guts to say it to my face." Fox said to the agent. 

"No sir." Spender said, tightly. 

"I don’t like what you just insinuated about my date. I suggest you apologize 
immediately." The taller man said to the younger agent. 

"I’m sorry ma’am." Spender said, completely embarrassed and angry. Diana was 
trying to disappear into the woodwork. 

"What?" Fox made like he couldn’t hear him. 

"I’m sorry ma’am." Spender said louder. Fox looked at Dana and she nodded, 
completely floored. No one had ever stood up for her like that and the man, 
Spender, didn’t even say anything directly to her. 

"Good. I trust you’ll have a report on my desk by Monday morning. Have a nice 
night." Fox said, icily. He turned and placed a hand on Dana’s back. They left 
feeling a whole heck of a lot better. 

** 

"Fox you didn’t have to do that. What you did back there." Dana said quietly in 
the parking lot. He turned to look down at her. 

"I wanted to. That idiot Spender never did like me much and I hate that he even 
insinuated that about you." Fox replied. 

"No one has ever done that for me. Stuck up for me. Adam would have just let 
anyone say anything about me. Hell, he’d join in. But then again, he wouldn’t 
take me to dinner either." Dana laughed. Fox looked at her for a long moment and 
then took her head in his hands and brought her face up to his own. 

Dana sighed into his mouth and melted into the hot kiss. This man was incredible. 
She knew then that she loved him. She wanted him and needed him with an 
intensity she never knew before. This was nothing like when she first met Adam. 
Nothing. 

Fox pulled away, flushed and panting. "I-" 

"What?" Dana asked, quickly. "Tell me." 

"I think-" 

"Tell me Fox. Tell me how....Tell me how you feel about me. I need to know 
because-" 

"I think-no, I know, I love you." Fox whispered, looking into her eyes intensely. 
Dana sighed. Those words. She hadn’t heard them in so long. 

"Oh Fox." 

"I haven’t scared you have I? I just needed to let you know. I know that you 
wanted me to go slow but-" 

"No Fox. I-I love you too," Dana said in one breath. Fox grinned and let out a 
sigh. "I love you." She said again more surely. 

"I love you too." He whispered back smiling softly at her. Dana returned it and 
he brought her lips to his once again in a sweet, tender kiss. Dana kissed him 
without reserve. Without a care in the world. With fervor. Her husband was in 
jail, Fox loved her, and Phoebe was gone. Life was good. 

She intensified the kiss, tilting her head up so he would have better access to 
her mouth. Their tongues dueled hotly and passionately. She pulled away, gazing 
at him, as he kissed her lips softly. She noticed, Diana and Spender leaving. 
Diana put her head down quickly, when she was caught staring. 

Dana looked back up at Fox, who was completely enthralled in her. She cupped his 
face in her hands and rained butterfly kisses all over it. 

"Where do we go from here?" She whispered. He shook his head. 

"I don’t know, but I do know that where ever we go, it’ll be together." He 
replied. She beamed at him. "Lemme take you home." He whispered close to her 
mouth. Dana shivered and nodded. She had a faint idea as to what would happen 
when they got there. 

** 

Dana Scully Residence 

Dana unlocked the door and turned around to look up at Fox. 

"My kids aren’t home. They’re with their grandmother for the night." Dana said, 
her voice low and wavering slightly. 

"Do you want me to go?" Fox asked, his own voice low and husky. 

"No." She whispered. " Stay." Then she was in his arms touching him and kissing 
him. His hands were everywhere and no where at once, his lips like fire across 
her body. Dana pushed off his suit jacket and he unzipped the back of her dress. 

"Wait." Fox stopped thinking he did something wrong. He slowly began to pull 
away. 

"No. I-I haven’t been with a man in so long and I...don’t think I remember how 
to-" He silenced her with a finger to her lips. 

"I haven’t either. We’ll refresh each other’s memories." He whispered. He kissed 
her neck softly and she gasped. He picked her up in his arms. 

"Tell me where." He said. 

"First room on your left." She replied, nibbling on his ear. He walked in and 
kicked the door shut out of habit. He placed her gently on the bed and squatted 
before her. 

"It’s okay Dana. I won’t hurt you. I won’t be like Adam. Let me love you." He 
whispered. 

"I want you to love me." She whimpered back. He slowly came up and began to kiss 
and suck on her neck. 

"I love you. I won’t hurt you. Let me make love to you." He whispered, his 
breath hot on her neck. 

"Yes." She breathed. "Make love to me." 

Fox got up and so did she. He finished unzipping her dress and it pooled to the 
ground at her feet. She stood before him, wearing cream silk panties and a 
matching bra. He continued to stare at her and she began to squirm, thinking she 
wasn’t pretty enough. 

"Oh Dana. You’re even more beautiful than I imagined. You’re so lovely." He 
husked, in adoration. He stepped forward and took her elbows in his hands and 
pulled her forward. He kissed her mouth passionately and lustily. 

Her hands were on his chest and she reached for his buttons. She undid them all 
and smoothed her hands out over his chest. She undid his tie and used it to pull 
him to her for another hot kiss. Fox pulled away and reached his hand up to 
unclasp her bra. It fell off and he sighed, aching to touch her breasts. 

He cupped a breast with one hand, his thumb rolling over her nipple. She threw 
her head back and moaned and arched her back, wanting more of him. He tweaked 
the other nipple and looked up into her flushed face. 

"You are so beautiful." He whispered, shakily. "So Beautiful." He pulled her up 
to him for another kiss. His tongue teasing hers by touching and retreating. 
Moaning, Dana took hold of his tie and pulled him onto the bed, her legs on 
either side of his torso. 

"I’m going to love you the way you deserve to be loved." He whispered with a 
hiss. Their hips ovulating and grinding against each other. Dana could feel his 
hardness against her belly. 

"I want you so badly." She moaned. He kissed her ear softly and then kissed her 
nose. Dana pushed off his tie and shirt and threw them on the floor. He hugged 
her hard, loving the way her bare chest felt pressed against his own bare chest. 
Dana moaned loving it too. 

Fox caught her mouth with his own and sucked and kissed her lips hungrily. He 
couldn’t get enough of her. It had been so long since he’d felt like this about 
anyone, since he’d done this with anyone, to anyone. He wanted it to be good for 
her. He wanted to make up for everything that bastard husband of hers did to her. 
He wanted to make up for all the lost time. He was sure that this woman writhing 
below him was his soul mate. 

Dana was tugging at his pants. He slide off the bed and pulled off his pants and 
boxers. Dana’s eyes, devoured him. He was so beautiful. 

Fox crawled back in between her legs and nipped in between her thighs. Dana bit 
back a squeal and her thighs tensed. She felt his nose between her legs 
insistently nudging her mound. 

"Ohhh Fox." Dana groaned. He kissed his way back up her body and latched onto a 
nipple. He sucked and kissed it, Dana began to writhe uncontrollably. She’d 
never felt this way before. Not like this. 

"Now." She gasped. "I need you now." Fox let go of her nipple and took hold of 
her panties, slowly pulling them off. She lay before him naked body and soul. 

"So beautiful." He whispered. "You’re so beautiful." He covered her body with 
his own and they reveled in the feel of their hot naked bodies touching and 
rubbing. He felt so good and she felt so safe and most importantly, loved in his 
arms. 

His cock was at her entrance and he stopped realizing that they had no 
protection. 

"Fox?" 

"You wouldn’t happen to have a condom wouldja?" He asked, hopefully. Dana’s eyes 
fell. She’d forgotten. 

"No. I didn’t expect....this." She gestured to their position. 

"We could stop if you like, but I don’t think I have any diseases. I sorta live 
in the hospital." 

"I don’t want to stop. I don’t think I have anything, but I’d hate to find out 
that I’m wrong and I gave you something. With all the drugs and women, Adam 
might have given me something. The last time I went to the doctor I had a clean 
bill of health, surprisingly." 

"Do you trust me?" Dana nodded. "Good. Because I trust you and I love you and I 
want you." With that he plunged deep within her and she gasped in delight. He 
looked into her eyes, intensely. He didn’t want to hurt her. She was so small 
and he was so large. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?" He asked. Dana smiled. Adam 
never cared about her needs like this before. All he wanted was a quick orgasm. 

"No you haven’t hurt me." She gasped. "I haven’t done this in a very long time. 
You feel so good." She grasped his bottom and pulled him in all the way, moaning. 

Fox groaned. She felt so good, so soft. "Oh Dana. You’re so wet. You feel so 
good." He moaned. Dana laughed a little. This was so different to when she was 
with Adam. She hadn’t really lived, hadn’t really been loved. Now she was. She 
felt alive. She felt so alive. 

He began to move slowly. All the way out and then back in. With each thrust they 
moaned. They wanted this. They needed this. They needed each other. 

His lips found hers and they kissed passionately as their hot sweaty bodies 
writhed against one another. 

"Oh oh geez you feel-Oh you feel so good. I love you so much." Dana husked, 
against his mouth. He nipped her bottom lip and smiled. 

They held each other and kissed each other with such passion. This was nothing 
like being with their former spouses. 

"Oh Dana, I love you." His throaty, sultry voice whispered. 

"I want to stay with you forever." Dana moaned. "Forever." 

"It’s fate Dana. Fate that we’re together like this. Oh, I love you." He 
whispered again. "You’ll never know how much." He hissed, remembering a dream a 
long while back. 

He felt her hot lips trail fire up across his chest. "Oh, please." He whispered. 

"It’s fate, love. Fate." She whispered. 

"Fate." He echoed, as he felt his climax coming close. He grasped her behind and 
she spread her legs wider and he pumped his hips harder and began to grind his 
hips after each long thrust. Dana felt herself coming. 

"Oh my ga-oh Fox I’m coming. I’m so close." Dana cried, as she rode him hard. 
Fox reached down between them and began rubbing her clit between his fingers. 
Dana cried his name out over and over again as she came. Fox climaxed a moment 
later, shuddering above her and crying her name in reverence. 

Bodies sweaty and tired, they pulled apart slowly and lay there together and 
promptly fell asleep. 

** 

Dana Scully’s apartment 

8:28 

It was a strange wonderful feeling. She felt warm. Loved. She heard a sigh 
behind her and new why. Last night she and Fox made love for the first time. It 
was as though their bodies were made for each other and they’d been making love 
together for years. They fit like a glove. 

Dana turned slightly and sat up, fear creeping in. What if he regretted it. What 
if he regretted being with her, making love with her. She slowly began to creep 
out of bed when she felt a hand grab her wrist. 

"Stay." He whispered. The one word got Dana back in bed. He looked at her for a 
long time, wondering if she had any regrets about last night. "Dana, you don’t......regret 
what happened last night, do you?" Fox asked finally. Dana looked at him, trying 
to read him. 

"No. I don’t." Dana said, looking at him, closely. He sighed in relief, and 
nuzzled her face. 

"Good I’m glad." He whispered. 

"I thought you’d have regrets." Dana whispered back. Fox held her close. 

"No. Never." Fox said. Dana sighed and cuddled closer to him, loving the feel of 
his naked skin against hers. 

"When is your mom, coming back with the kids?" Fox asked. 

"Probably around eleven." Dana whispered, smiling. 

"Now what can we do to pass the time?" He asked, smiling. 

"Fox we need to talk." Dana said suddenly turning serious. "Now what happens. We’ve 
taken our relationship to a whole other level. What am I to you? What does this 
mean for us?" Dana asked. 

"I’m hoping it means we can have many other nights like the one we just shared." 

"What, are you talking like moving in?" 

"Not necessarily that. Not yet. You said that you wanted to stay with me forever 
last night. I want the same thing. I love you. So much. And I want to be with 
you always, but I also think we need more time to heal. We’ve come out of our 
marriages so broken and although you’ve healed my heart beyond words can say, we 
still need a bit more mending. As long we’re together we can fight anything." 
Fox said. Dana looked at him, eyes watering. 

It was the most beautiful thing anyone had ever told her. "Yes." She whispered. 
He covered her mouth with his to seal their promise to each other. 

"Now." He whispered, his voice growing more husky. "I think we have a little 
more time to kill." 

"Whatever shall we do?" Dana whispered, before Fox covered her body with his own. 

** 

"You did it with him didn’t you?" Melissa asked her sister the next day. 

"What?!" Dana exclaimed incredulously. 

"Oh come on. You’ve got that I had sex glow. And since you haven’t seen him 
since yesterday, it must have been good. Better then Adam anyway. A wet noodle 
would have the same affect." Melissa said, sipping her coffee. 

"Would you mind keeping your voice down, Missy. The kids might here you." Dana 
hissed. 

"Well did you? Don’t lie to me, Kat. You’re a lousy liar." 

"Okay. We did, although I don’t know why it is any of your business." Dana said, 
folding her arms. 

"Did he tell you he loved you?" Melissa asked, ignoring her sister’s glare. 

"Yes." Dana said, quietly smiling at the memory. " And I told him. It was the 
best experience, sexual, experience I’ve ever had. He was so warm and caring and 
loving. Nothing like Adam. I love him so much, but I’m so scared. I have this 
sinking feeling that happiness like this was never meant for me, that it’ll end 
soon." 

"Dana, love is not easy. It never was. If it was the fun and challenge in life 
would be gone. You and Fox are soulmates. You belong together. The question you 
should ask yourself is when the waters get rough will you still swim with him?" 

"What if I can’t swim?" Dana asked sadly. 

** 

Wheaton Regional Park 

It was two weeks after they became lovers. Their relationship was flourishing 
and they were becoming closer than ever. They were at the park with their kids 
playing football and Dana couldn’t have felt more at peace. 

"Catch dad!" Nathan yelled, throwing the football towards Mulder. Mulder caught 
it easily and yelled as he saw a bunch of people barreling towards him. Carrie 
and Alex grabbed his legs and Jennie tackled him. Nathan jumped into the fray 
and Joey, not liking to be left out, got up out of Dana’s lap and toddled over 
to the group. 

"Careful, Joey’s coming over." Dana called to them. Joey half-ran half-toddled 
his way over and stopped to turn around and look at Dana. "Go on." She coaxed. 
Joey toddled back and screamed. 

"Mama!" Smiling, Dana got up and walked over to Joey. Taking his cherubic little 
hands with her own. She helped him run over to them. 

"Yaaay, come’ere Joey." Carrie squealed opening her arms. Joey laughed and ran 
to her. Carrie loved Joey. The kids amused themselves with tickling each other 
while Fox pulled Dana, laughing into his lap. 

"Happy?" He asked, kissing her. She nodded, smiling. "Good. I want it to be like 
this forever Dana. I want to be with you forever." 

"Mmm, me too. I love you." Dana whispered. 

"I love you more. Then again I’ll love anyone who’s game enough to take on Joey’s 
diaper." Fox grinned. Dana threw her head back and laughed and as she brought 
her head back down a figure caught her eye. She froze. God no. It couldn’t be 
him. But it was and he was looking right at her. 

"Dana?" Fox inquired. 

"I’m fine. I’m fine." She said, turning back to Fox. She smiled for emphasis and 
Fox smiled back and kissed her full on the mouth. She accepted it as it warmed 
the cold feeling inside her stomach. She caressed his back and he hers as they 
changed the direction of the kiss. 

"Get a room." Nathan said, interrupting their passionate embrace. Dana laughed 
as Fox threw the nerf ball at him. Discreetly Dana looked over to see that he 
was gone. 

It couldn’t have been him. If it was....it would mean everything she’d built up 
here would die. Legally she was still his wife and she had kidnapped her own 
children. Please God. Please let it not be Adam. 

** 

Scully Residence 

Dana rushed the kids to bed after saying goodnight to Fox and his children. Fox 
had been a little confused at her strange behavior. She’d been tempted to ask 
him to stay, if Adam had found her. It was ridiculous. It couldn’t be him. He 
was in jail. Vickie would have called if something had changed. 

Dana noticed she had messages and played them. There was three frantic messages 
from Vickie to call her and then finally a third one that she wouldn’t forget 
for as long as she lived. 

"Dana! God, I’m praying you get this message. Adam’s out of jail. Since you 
never showed up in court they just let him out. I haven’t seen him and I’m sure 
he’s gone looking for you. I’ve already warned your mother, because I know he’ll 
try and contact her. *Please* call me back, Dana! I haven’t spoken to you in 
days and he was let out three days ago. Just call me and let me know that you’re 
all right." 

Shaking and crying, Dana picked up her phone and dialed Vickie’s number. 

"Hello?" Jake answered. 

"Jake." 

"Dana?! Hold on a sec-VICKIE!! IT’S DANA!!" 

"Nice to know you miss me." 

"You don’t know how worried we are. Adam just gets out of jail only to learn his 
wife and kids up and leave. I’m afraid of what he’ll do when he finds you, Dane." 

"I’ll be okay." Dana said. 

"Hello Dana?" It was Vickie. 

"Vick?" 

"Oh thank God! Dana we’ve been so worried. Have you....I mean," 

" I thought it was my imagination." Dana whispered. 

"What?" 

"I saw him Vickie. He was there at the park and he saw me with Fox and our kids. 
He looked right at me. We made eye contact. Oh god Vickie!" Dana was beginning 
to panic." 

"Dana, Dana it’ll be okay. You have Fox there right? He’s FBI I mean he can 
protect you." 

"Mm-no. I can’t. I can’t allow him to get mixed up in this. He has a small son, 
what if Adam came with a gun. I couldn’t-I can’t do that to him. I love him too 
much to let them be hurt like this." Dana sobbed. 

"Oh Dana he loves you. He can handle it." 

"No. He doesn’t know that Adam and I are still legally married, that I ran from 
California. For God-sakes Vickie I kidnapped my own children!" 

"To protect yourself! He was beating you Dana. You did the right thing." Vickie 
yelled back. Softly now, she asked. "Now what’ll you do?" 

"I don’t know." Dana whispered, shivering. She looked around feverishly. She 
felt so alone. "I can’t stay here and let Adam find us. He might already know 
where we live." She said with a tremor in her voice. "We need to get somewhere 
safe." 

"Oh-oh Dana you aren’t thinking of running again are you? Where would you go?" 
Vickie asked. 

"Somewhere Adam can’t find us. Somewhere I can forget about Fox and how much I 
love him and his childre-" Dana gasped and began to sob hard. "I’m so tired 
Vickie! I’m so tired of running!" 

"Oh honey. It’ll be all right. You’ll see. Things’ll work out for the best. You 
don’t have to leave Fox. Just tell him the truth. If you love him, tell him." 

"That’s the reason I can’t tell him! I love him. I love with all of my heart and 
I can’t hurt him. He can do fine without me. It’s me who can’t live without him." 
With that she began to cry again and Vickie could do nothing but listen and 
wonder where her best friend ‘the rock’ was. But then again, even rocks can 
wither away. 

** 

Ceasar’s Restaurant 

Dana was nervous as she walked into the restaurant. She’d bought an apartment in 
Boston already an she had thought it too risky to move her furniture, so she 
bought new furniture and decided to only take important unnoticeable things. 
They were up and leaving again. Their flight was five hours away and all that 
was left was to tell Fox it was over. 

She’d ignored all of his calls over the past week and she’d finally called him 
and asked him to lunch. It was the hardest thing she’d ever have to do, to look 
him in the eye and say I don’t love you. She walked into the restaurant and 
realized maybe she didn’t have to say anything. 

Fox sat there laughing with that Diana Fowley person. She saw her coyly reach 
for her drink and brush his hand with her own. Hoping he didn’t see her she 
turned to go, but it was too late. He saw her. 

"Dana!" Fox got up and jogged over to her side. "Hi, baby." He whispered, 
leaning in to kiss her. Dana sucked up all her courage and pushed him away. "Honey, 
what’s the matter?" 

"It’s not going to work anymore Fox." She whispered. He blinked. 

"What?" 

"It’s over. It’s not going to work." Dana said, her voice quivering. 

"Why?" He asked, looking and sounding like a lost little boy. "Dana why?" 

"Because-" Dana looked down and saw her knuckles turning white. Her answer was 
almost inaudible. 

"What?" 

"I don’t-I don’t love you Fox." She said stoically. "I never did." She said, 
looking at her feet. 

"I don’t believe you." He stated. 

"That’s too bad. Here." She handed him the necklace he’d given her. "Take it I 
don’t want it anymore." She had to go before she broke down and cried. The look 
he was giving her was enough to make her fling herself in his arms and never let 
go. "I need to go." 

"Dana-" He called, grabbing her arm. She jumped and looked up into his eyes and 
at that moment a glimmer of understanding passed over him. 

"Please let go of me." 

"Dana-" 

"Please let go of me now!" She said, pulling on her arm. 

"Dana please-" 

"No! Please Fox. Let go. Please let go." She whispered, harshly. Fox reluctantly 
let go and ran after her onto the sidewalk, where a taxi waited with Nathan and 
Carrie inside. 

"Wait. Where are you going?" Fox asked. Dana walked to the taxi and stopped 
before opening the door. 

"Please go away Fox! Let me go!" She was beginning to cry and she couldn’t 
handle it. 

"Dana please. Please don’t leave me. Please. Alex and Jennie and Joey, Dana. 
Joey. Please don’t leave us." He pleaded. This was like a Phoebe repeat. 

"I can’t stay here anymore. Don’t follow me." She whispered, her eyes screaming 
‘Please Fox hold me in your arms and never let me go. Save me Fox. Please rescue 
me.’ 

Dana opened the taxi door and got in. "Daddy!" Carrie yelled, Fox pressed his 
hand against the window desperately. No not again. He couldn’t lose someone 
close to him again. Not like this. 

"Daddy!" 

"Carrie!" He yelled. "Nathan!" Dana spoke to the driver and Fox had to jump back 
from the car as it drove off. He could see Carrie crying and from the angle of 
her head, Dana was crying as well. Swiping at his tear-streaked face, Fox turned 
around to go back into the restaurant, but decided he wasn’t at all hungry. 

** 

Flight 1127 

Dana was quietly sobbing, as she thought of those last few words with Fox. Oh I 
love you, I love you I love you, she yelled in her mind, hoping he could somehow 
hear. Her body shook with sobs, as Carrie lay against her asleep. 

"Hey you okay?" A man across the aisle asked. 

"Yes, I’m fine. Thank you." Dana whimpered back, realizing that she’d just taken 
Carrie and Nathan away from the only real father they’d ever known. I’m so sorry. 
One day you’ll understand. "Mommy?" Dana turned to Nathan. 

"I thought you were asleep?" She asked, wiping her eyes. 

"No. I heard you crying. You miss Fox." Nathan said, already distancing himself 
by calling him Fox not Dad or daddy. 

"I do. I miss him a lot." Dana said, sadly. 

"It’s him isn’t it? He found us." Nathan said, fear creeping into his eyes. Dana 
nodded. 

"But he won’t find us again. I promise I’ll protect you and your sister." 

"Who’s gonna protect you?" Nathan asked. Dana didn’t know. 

** 

Mulder Residence 

One day Later 

Mulder rocked Joey in his arms, a slow rhythmic movement, something to keep his 
mind off the intense ache in his heart. He didn’t feel like this when he lost 
Phoebe. This hurt his very soul, or what was left of it. A tear tracked down his 
face and into Joey’s thick blond curls. 

He placed a kiss on his small head. His children were what was keeping him from 
doing something drastic. Joey looked up at him and touched the tear on his face. 

"Sa’?" 

"Yea. Daddy’s very very sad." He whispered. Joey sat up and hugged him. 

"Wew Mama?" He inquired. Where’s mama? It was the most heart breaking question 
to hear him ask. He’d been asking him that all week. Oh Dana how could you leave 
like this? He asked her silently. 

"I don’t know baby." He replied. "I don’t know." He said, breaking down and 
crying in front of his one year old son. Jennie and Alex came in from listening 
to their father cry in the hallway to stand next to him in the rocking chair. 

"Is Dana gone forever?" Alex asked. Jennie hushed him hearing her father choke 
on a sob. 

"It’ll be okay Daddy. You’ll see. It’ll be okay." She said in a small voice, 
sounding like her seven years. Mulder used his free arm to bring Alex down into 
his lap. 

Jennie didn’t know why Dana left , but she couldn’t believe it was because he 
didn’t love them anymore. She’d never leave her father in this state. But she 
couldn’t help but be a little bit afraid. She’d never seen him cry like this 
before. She’d be making a special prayer request tonight. 

** 

Boston Massachusetts 

9:00 

Carrie watched her mother sit at her window and look out. Her mother had been so 
sad lately. She couldn’t blame her. She had been very sad too. She missed Fox 
and every time she’d tell her mother this, she’d cry and she didn’t want to make 
her mother sad. Nathan had told her that they left because ‘sir’ had found them. 
Carrie didn’t like running and she was almost certain that Fox could protect 
them. All she wanted was for her mother to be happy and right now, she looked 
lost and broken. 

Sighing Carrie scampered into her room and climbed up onto her chair to look up 
into the sky. Fox had pointed out all the constellations to her. 

"Well stars I hope you’re listening." She said up to the night sky. "Twinkle 
twinkle little star...... 

"How I wonder what you are......" Jennie whispered, leaning up against her own 
window. 

"Up above the world so bright......" Nathan said. 

"Grant this wish......" Alex said, his eyes squished shut. 

"I wish tonight." The kids finished. 

"Mr. Star, my mommy’s real sad and scared cause ‘Sir’ is gonna find us an’ she 
loves Fox, but...." Carrie said matter-a-factly. 

"They can’t be together. He’s real miserable and he cries a lot and well if you 
can just bring Dana back..." Jennie went on. 

"Everything would be okay cause then at least we’d all be together. I’ve never 
had a real dad before and Fox is the only one whose ever treated me like a real 
son. I want him back. I love..." Nathan whispered. 

"Her. She’s pretty and nice and gives nice hugs and daddy loves her a whole lot. 
So please could you just let them be together? Please?" Alex asked. 

"Just let them be happy." The kids finished. 

"Wan’ Mama." Joey whimpered, sadly to the ceiling. Miles apart Fox and Dana sat 
at their own solitary windows wondering about and loving the other. And as a 
single tear slid down each of their cheeks, the stars twinkled and fate got 
ready to make another appearance. 

** 

** 

McGee Residence 

Boston 

It was almost a month now that she had left Washington and Fox and his kids. It 
didn’t get any easier. Not for her or for her kids. Especially after a 
disturbing phone call from her doctor. She’d wrestled with the news, but thought 
in time things might work out, but it didn’t. If it was possible, it hurt more 
with each passing day she was away from him, until there was nothing left, but a 
dull pain in her heart. Her life wasn’t hers anymore. It was Adam’s, it was her 
kids, but it wasn’t hers. 

She was constantly looking over her shoulder and she was cautious of anyone who 
approached her. This paranoia was the reason she changed her last name. She had 
no friends at the hospital. They thought she was a cold bitch. They didn’t know 
that she had two kids at home, a secret from a past lover and was running from 
an abusive husband. They didn’t know her heart ached for that lover and 
happiness she thought she could never have. They assumed they did know 
everything about her. She was a quiet cold woman with an attitude problem so no 
one reached out to her. 

Dana didn’t care really. It had hurt at first, but it was all a matter of 
surviving now. Anyhow all her happiness left when she left Fox. He had her heart 
in a box and although she didn’t know it, she had his. 

"Mommy?" Carrie asked climbing into her mothers lap. 

"Yes baby." Dana answered, blinking herself out of the haze she was in. 

"When are we gonna go back to Washington?" She asked. 

"I don’t know baby." Dana whispered. She stopped crying a long time ago. Now she 
was just numb. A numb broken shell of a woman. She was angry as well. This was 
the second time Adam cheated her out of happiness. He was the reason she couldn’t 
be happy. But she also knew, in the back of her mind that it was her fault as 
well. maybe if she had been stronger, she’d have been free of Adam a long time 
ago. If she’d been stronger, she’d have stayed and she would be in Fox’s arms 
happy about the secret instead of alone and miserable about it. Her weakness had 
also cheated her children out of a real family, a real life. And she hated 
herself for it. 

"Mommy?" 

"Yes Carrie." 

"Do you still love Daddy?" Carrie asked. She still called him Daddy, because she 
truly believed she’d see him again. 

"Oh little one, I-Go to bed now, baby. Go to bed," Dana said, warily and 
fighting back tears of guilt and hurt. Carrie, eyes downcast did as told. 

"Oh Fox." Dana whispered, allowing a tear to fall. "Can you feel me? I can still 
feel you. And that’s why it’s so hard to let go." Her chin wrinkled and she 
began to cry, wondering what her heart was doing that night. 

** 

Reflecting Pool 

"I really enjoyed tonight, Fox. I-Fox? Fox." Fox snapped to look at the woman 
beside him. "You haven’t heard a word I just said, have you." 

"Yea I have." He insisted. 

"Okay, what did I just say?" Diana asked, crossing her arms. Fox opened his 
mouth and then closed it. 

"I’m sorry Diana. I wasn’t listening at all, I just-Well Joey is sick and he 
still misses Dana. I guess he just half-expects her to come back and hold him. 
Half of him still can’t believe she left him." Fox explained, with a far off 
tone. Diana looked at him, closely. 

"Why do I get the feeling you aren’t just talking about Joey?" She muttered. 

"I’m sorry. I just-" 

"I don’t understand why you can’t get over her. She wasn’t anything special. Did 
you have sex with her? Is that it?" Diana asked, her temper flaring. Fox’s own 
temper flared. 

"That’s none of your business. I’m taking you home. It’s been a long night." 

"Fox! Fox I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it that way. I’m just so frustrated. For you. 
This is a repeat of Phoebe and I care about you too much to see you get hurt. 
She played you for a fool Fox." 

"I can’t believe that. I can’t and I won’t. Not about Dana. Not the Dana I knew." 
Fox said, looking out at the fountain he and Dana had gone to on their first 
date. The fountain she had bared her soul to him at, the fountain where he first 
kissed her. 

"You thought you knew Phoebe. You knew her for over ten years. You only knew 
Dana for what a few months? Fox I know you were smitten with her, but she left 
and she’s not coming back. You have to get over that if you are ever going to 
get on with your life. Your kids need a mother and since she abandoned them, I 
don’t think she’s fit to be one to your kids." 

Fox looked away from her, jaw clenched. "She didn’t abandon them." He said, with 
a low voice. 

"So what do you call what happened in the restaurant? Look, she’s been gone for 
almost a month now, Fox. I care about you a great deal. I remember a time when 
we meant more to each other. Don’t tell me you forgot about what we had." She 
said, placing a hand on his cheek. 

"That was a long time ago Diana." Fox said, quietly. 

"But it doesn’t mean I stopped feeling the way I felt about you. Even when you 
married Phoebe I loved you. We’ve come together again, Fox and I think it’s fate 
that we’re together like this." Diana leaned up and kissed his mouth. 

There was a niggling in the back of Fox’s mind. Fate. Dana. He could see her 
face, feel her touch still fresh in his mind. This would be a lot easier if he 
couldn’t feel her still. 

Maybe he thought, Maybe it’s better off this way. Maybe she just wasn’t happy 
with me, like Phoebe. Fox promised himself that he’d let her go as soon as he 
knew she was happy. I’ll be miserable for the rest of my life, but as long as I 
know you’re happy, Dana. 

With that last thought, Mulder tried to kiss Diana back with as much passion as 
he could muster. None. 

*** 

Maggie Scully Residence 

"Aw Dana, I wish you’d come back. Adam came by yesterday. I was half tempted to 
shoot him where he stood. He was so slick with me it was disgusting. I told him 
I knew nothing, so I’m sure he won’t come bothering Mom and me anymore. Dana I 
wish you’d contact Fox. Making yourself miserable is not helping you." Dana’s 
sister Melissa said. 

"Missy I told you I can’t. I won’t risk him and his children’s lives." Dana 
replied, with her new quiet demeanor. 

"Oh really? You’re carrying one of his children right now so I don’t believe 
your answer. Are you ever gonna tell him that you’re pregnant with his child? He 
has a *right* to know." 

"I....I can’t. Not now." Dana whimpered. 

"You know what Dana? I don’t think you’re protecting them at all. I think you 
are afraid to be happy. I think you’re afraid that what happened with Adam will 
happen again. You feel like you don’t deserve to be happy and I think that’s a 
load of pure horse manure." 

"I am not afraid of being happy-I....How dare you!" Dana yelled, half-heartedly. 
Melissa chuckled on her end of the phone. 

"You’re very pathetic Dana. You’re so bent on being miserable, we can’t even 
argue right anymore. Hold on, there’s someone at the door." Melissa got up and 
walked to the door before her mother got to it. 

"Fox!" Melissa wasn’t too surprised to see him. He looked tired and dis-spirited. 

"Hi Melissa." He greeted, "Look, I need-Do you know if Dana is happy....where 
she is now?" He asked. Melissa smiled. 

"Why don’t you ask her yourself." Melissa replied. Fox’s eyes lit up. 

"Is she here?" He asked. 

"No Fox, but she’s on the phone. Hold on a sec." Melissa picked up the receiver. 
"Dana? There’s someone here, who’d like to say hello to you." Melissa handed the 
phone to Fox. 

"Dana?" He tried. Dana’s breath stopped. She’d go back. Just to kill her sister 
for doing this to her. "Dana?" She realized she hadn’t said anything yet. 

"F-Fox?" 

"Dana." He sighed. "Dana I just need to ask you-" 

"I can’t tell you where I am, Fox. I can’t." She said hurriedly. 

"No that’s not what I was gonna ask you. I just need to know, Dana. Are you-Are 
you happy?" 

"I-I’m very happy. I’m-" Dana bit back a sob. "I’m very happy." She whispered. 
Tears in his eyes Fox nodded. 

"That’s all I wanted to know, Dana." He whispered, his voice caressing her ear. 

"Um, are you happy?" Dana asked, needing to hear more of his voice. 

"Of course. Remember Diana? Yea well she’s been keeping me company and I-I am 
fine." He replied, she needed to think he was happy, so she could be happy. 
Believe the lie. Melissa rolled her eyes and looked away. Great, just great. Two 
people in denial. 

"Oh. She’s....nice." Dana said, through clenched teeth. What was left of her 
heart was breaking 

"Yeah, she is. Dana, Joey misses you a lot." Fox said suddenly. 

"He does?" 

"Yes he does." Fox’s want and need for her radiating through his words. 

"I miss him too. So much." Dana’s own need being heard through her voice. "Fox I-Nothing. 
Never mind." Dana said, squelching down the need to tell him about their baby 
and how much she loved him. 

"What. What is it?" Fox asked. 

"It’s nothing. Please don’t tell anyone you talked to me." 

"Why." 

"Just-please. Don’t. Okay?" 

"I promise you." Fox said, something niggling in the back of his mind. 

"Goodbye Fox." 

"Dana, are ever coming back?" 

"I can’t." Dana whispered through her tears. "I can’t." Fox closed his eyes. 

"Tell Carrie and Nathan I love them. If you ever need anything Dana. Anything. 
You know where to find me. I will be waiting. Goodbye Dana." Fox whispered. 

"Goodbye Fox." Her farewell barely heard. Fox handed the phone to Melissa and 
she looked at it for a moment. 

"She hung up. Why’d you lie to her?" Melissa asked, not in accusation. 

"I didn’t lie." 

"Oh please. You have miserable written all over your face." 

"I’m not here to argue with you. My happiness is not an issue here." Fox said, 
walking past her. 

"Isn’t it?" 

"No. As long as she’s happy, I’m happy." Fox said turning around. Fox went to 
the door and left. 

"Oh, and tell Maggie I said hi." He said, turning and leaving. 

"Fox!" Melissa called. "Don’t turn your back on fate. Follow your heart. If it 
doesn’t feel right, don’t go for it." Fox nodded and got into his car. He turned 
the key in the ignition and noticed a car pull into the driveway. 

A man about as tall as he, give or take an inch, stepped out of the car and went 
to the door. Melissa answered it. She looked a bit frightened and defiant at the 
same time. Fox could here what they were saying from where he was parked. 

"Has Dana contacted you at all? At all?" 

"No! For the umpteenth time I don’t know where she is, Adam! Why would she come 
back here after so many years of no contact at all! I want you to get the hell 
off my mothers porch before I call the police!" Melissa yelled boldly in his 
face. The man, Adam looked about ready to hurt someone. His hands were clenched 
into balls so tight, his knuckles turned white. 

"Fine. I’ll find her myself." Adam said, turning and stocking off. Fox sat for 
awhile. Adam. That name sounded familiar. Shaking his head he drove off, trying 
to forget about the whole thing. Diana was coming to dinner that night to meet 
the kids and his mind couldn’t be on Dana. She was happy without him and he was 
just gonna have to live with it. 

The niggling in the back of his mind continued. 

*** 

Mulder Residence 

6:30 

"Why do I have to wear this stupid tie?" Alex asked, pouting. 

"Because we’re having a guest. Now be good and don’t get your clothes dirty." 
Fox replied, taking a pot of spaghetti off the stove. 

"Who? Diana?" Jennie asked with unhidden distaste. 

"Yes Diana and she’s a very nice woman, so please be on your best behavior." 

"I don’t think she’s nice." Jennie muttered. 

"You don’t know her." Fox said. 

"I don’t wanna know her. You’ve forgotten all about Dana!" Jennie yelled, Fox’s 
head shot up. 

"You know I haven’t forgotten about Dana." Fox said. 

"You have too! You’re trying to forget her, by going out with Diana. Their names 
rhythm, for goodness sake!" 

"They do not!" Fox yelled back. He stopped and rolled his eyes, realizing he was 
arguing with a seven year old. "I am not going to argue with you Jennifer. Now 
go to your room." 

"You weren’t this mean when Dana was around." Jennie muttered, stomping of. "Fine 
I’ll go to my room, but I’m not comin’ out!" With that she ran off, to her room 
and slammed the door soundly. 

Fox shut his eyes and collapsed into a chair. Mean? When had he become mean? He 
didn’t feel the same. He hadn’t felt the same since Dana left and he didn’t get 
the closure he’d hoped for when Dana said she was happy over the phone. In fact, 
she didn’t sound happy at all. She sounded as though she was fighting off tears. 

Fox’s brooding was interrupted by the knock on the door. He got up and went to 
answer it. 

"Hi Fox." Diana greeted. 

"Hi Diana." Purely out of curiosity, he kissed her. He stood back and studied 
her after they parted and kissed her again harder this time. Just as he thought. 
Nothing. He felt nothing. He turned around and found his kids , including Jennie 
who had come out of her room, standing there frowning at him. 

"C-come in." Fox said, standing aside. "These are my kids. Jennie, Alex, and 
Joey." 

"Hi." Diana said, smiling and squatting down. They stared at her. 

"Say hello." Fox said, frowning at his kids. 

"Hullo." They said dourly, except for Joey who just stood there. 

"Um, dinner’s just about ready." Fox said, showing her to the table. 

"Okay." Diana said, smiling. They all sat there for a moment, Diana trying to 
think of what to say. "Um, so Jennie what kind of things do you like to do?" 
Jennie shrugged and started to play with her napkin. "Oh. How about you Alex?" 

Alex looked at her for a long time and then asked. "Did you know Dana?" 

"Mama?" Joey inquired looking around, excitedly. He did this every time, they 
mentioned Dana’s name. 

"Uh, not well. I met her once." 

"Isn’t she pretty?" Alex asked, smiling. 

"Ummm, yes she is nice looking." Diana said, nodding lightly. 

"I said, isn’t she pretty." Alex said, accentuating pretty. Before Diana could 
answer, Fox came in with dinner. 

"Oh that looks good Fox." Diana said, glad he was there so she didn’t have to 
take more staring and questions about Dana from his kids. 

"Yea well, it looks better than it tastes," He said, distractedly. Diana laughed 
and they all sat down to eat. The table was quiet as they went through dinner. 
It was quiet as Fox sent the kids off to bed, and it was quiet as he and Diana 
sat on the couch together. Fox’s mind was off somewhere else. 

The image of Dana’s face bombarded his mind. Images of her the last time he saw 
her. It wasn’t until that moment that he saw the fear in her eyes and heard it 
in her voice. He remembered the man who’d come to Maggie’s door. Adam. He closed 
his eyes in realization. 

"Oh my gosh." He whispered in horrified realization. Dana’s ex-husband. He’d 
come looking for her and that’s why she ran. 

Melissa’s words came to his mind. Follow your heart. Do what you feel is right. 
And being without Dana sure didn’t feel right. It didn’t feel right at all. 
Neither was being with Diana. 

"You’re thinking about her aren’t you." Fox looked up at Diana. It wasn’t a 
question. 

"I’m sorry. I love her. I love her more than anything and being without her just 
doesn’t feel right." Fox said. 

"For goodness sake Fox it’s been over a month! She wasn’t anything special. She’s 
gone. She left you without heart or feeling. How can you love a woman like that?" 
Diana asked, looking at him in frustration. 

"She didn’t want to leave Diana. She was afraid. You don’t know her like I do. 
She ran because of her husband." 

"Oh you got involved with a married woman, eh? That explains a lot. What, was 
she pay back for Phoebe? A rebound? Did the slut go back to her husband?" Diana 
asked with a slight smirk. Fox’s temper had slowly been growing, but after that 
comment, he’d never found himself so close to hitting a woman. This woman 

"Get out. I want you to get out. Now." He said in a dangerously low voice. 

"You’re a fool Fox. When you get hurt again, remember what you threw away and 
give me a call when you come to your senses." Diana said, backing away from him. 

"Don’t expect a call anytime soon." He sneered, eyes narrowed. Diana, lips 
pursed, left. Fox slammed the door and turned around to go to the phone. If 
anyone knew where Dana was, it was her mother. 

"Hello?" Came Maggie’s voice over the phone. 

"Maggie? It’s Fox Mulder. I need you to listen to me and listen to me well. If 
you love your daughter, I mean really love her, you’ll tell me where she is. I 
need to find her." Fox said, hurriedly. Maggie smiled on her end and then asked, 

"What took you so long?" 

*** 

Boston Massachusetts 

8:30 

Dana came home from work physically and mentally tired, as always. She ordered 
pizza, like she usually did when she was this tired. It had been three weeks 
since her last phone call with Fox and she’d felt awful when she hung up. He was 
seeing Diana. He’d even had the nerve to tell her so. Well what else do you 
expect? You left him, she told herself. He deserves to be happy. You didn’t even 
have the guts to tell the man that he has a baby on the way. If he was happy 
with Diana than so be it. 

Squelching down the need to cry again, Dana looked into her mirror. She looked 
awful. Her skin was pale, and she was terribly thin. She was going on three 
months now and her pregnancy was starting to show a lot. She then decided that 
this just wouldn’t do. If she couldn’t have Fox than she would have this baby 
good and healthy and if she was lucky the baby would look like Fox and she’d 
have a reminder of him everyday. Okay so that wasn’t good for healing, but at 
least she’d have a memory of him. Dana sighed and went into the living room to 
see how her kids were doing with their homework. 

"Need any help?" She asked. 

"Nope." Nathan replied. 

"Nope." Carrie echoed. Dana nodded and sat down. If she had any friends she’d 
call one up. If Fox was still with her, she wouldn’t feel so lonely and the 
children wouldn’t be so sad all the time. Dana looked out the window. It was 
pouring rain. Typical, Dana thought miserably. Someone knocked and Dana jumped, 
then got up to look through the peep hole. It was the pizza man. 

"That’ll be fifteen dollars." The wet boy said. Dana paid him wordlessly and 
shut the door. 

"Pizza’s here guys." 

"Ya’know mom, you’re really taking all the fun out of me going to college 
someday. I won’t be able to eat regularly there cause I won’t even be able to *look* 
at pizza." Nathan said, picking up a slice. 

Dana laughed lightly and ruffled her son’s hair. She rarely laughed at all these 
days. Her children were her saving grace. The phone rang and Dana went to answer 
it. 

"Hello." 

"Dana honey, it’s mom." 

"Hi mom." 

"Hi honey." Maggie replied, her heart was breaking for her daughter. She always 
sounded so sad. But that will soon change, she thought smiling. "How’s the baby?" 

"Fine." Maggie sighed and said, 

"Honey could you turn on your radio to 95.5FM?" 

"Why?" Dana asked in confusion, going to her radio. 

"Just do it honey. Have a nice night." With that Maggie hung up. Dana looked at 
her phone for a long moment. 

"Okay." She mumbled turning to the station her mother asked her to turn to. 

"And that was Celine Dion’s My heart will go on. Well this next song goes out to 
a very special lady and he wants to speak to you in person. 

"I know that you’re afraid," 

"Oh my gosh." Dana whispered, placing a hand to her mouth. That voice. 

",and I know what made you run. I love you and I shouldn’t have let you go. I 
should have seen what was going on. It was fate that brought us together. It’s 
fate." 

"This one goes out to Dana. Here’s Just Run by Xscape. And Dana look out your 
window." The deejay said, as Dana made her way to the window, the music began. 

You just run to the arms of the one who loves you 

You just run 

to these arms and these two arms will keep you warm 

When rain has found your heart 

Never Fear, I’m never far. 

You just run to the arms of the one who loves you 

Dana brushed aside the curtain and looked outside. There was a man standing 
there. But it wasn’t just any man. Dana let out a gasp. It was Fox. He was just 
standing there. He was standing there in the pouring rain looking up at her 
window. 

I want you happy 

I want what’s best for you 

And if you have to leave to find your dream 

I hope that dream comes true 

But if the world you find brings you hard times 

If someone makes you cry. 

I’ll be there to hold you 

I’ll be standin’ by Ohhhh 

You just run....... 

As the song picked up Dana pressed her hand to the window, she’d never felt so 
relieved. Had she wanted him to find her? Dana thought of every moment she was 
without him, every moment she’d cried for him, every lonely moment and then she 
couldn’t wait. She longed to be in his arms. She turned and ran out of her 
apartment, with her children at her heels. 

Meanwhile, Fox was worried when she turned quickly away from the window. Maybe 
he’d made a mistake coming here. He turned back to look at his children in the 
jeep, looking at him like he’d gone mad. His head snapped back, seeing Dana run 
out to stand on the porch. 

They stood staring at each other, him soaking wet, both breathing heavily. Dana 
could hear the words to the song, blaring on the radio in his jeep where she saw 
his kids. Fox reached into his pocket, pulled out a box, and dropped to his knee. 
Dana’s jaw dropped. 

Ohh, my love is strong enough you know 

Strong enough to let you go, but I’ll always hold you inside my heart 

"Dana Katherine Scully I know that I should have asked a long time ago, but....Will 
you marry me?" He yelled over the rain. Dana stood for a moment and then laughed. 

"Yes." She whispered. "YES!" 

And if you should ever change your mind 

you can come back anytime and when you do (And when you do) 

Youuuuu......... 

Almost in slow motion, she jumped off the step and with a choked sob she ran to 
him, he jumped up and met her halfway and they fell into each other’s arms. He 
picked her up and they held on tight as he spun her around. 

"You found me." She whispered in relief. "You found me." 

Youuu just run to the arms you the one who loves you 

(You never have to worry, no babe) 

You just run to these arms and these two arms will keep you warm 

When rain has found your heart 

Never Fear I’m never far you just run to the arms of the one who loves you 

Nathan and Carrie, all grin’s waved excitedly at their "siblings". Jennie and 
Alex giggled and waved back. 

"Thank you Mr. Star." Carrie whispered towards the sky. She looked down and 
watched her mother and Fox hold each other like they’d never ever let go. They 
were both soaking wet and neither seemed to care. Both were oblivious to 
everything around them. 

Run to these arms and these two arms will keep you warm 

When rain has found your heart 

Never Fear I’m never far you just run to the arms of the one who loves you 

"Never leave me. You never ever leave me again." He whispered, tears mixing with 
rain. 

"I’ll never leave you." She whimpered, caressing his face, desperately as though 
trying to convince herself that his was real. 

"Never." He whispered. 

You just run to the arms of the one who loves you 

You just run to these arms and these two arms will keep you warm 

When rain has found your heart 

Never Fear I’m never far you just run to the arms of the one who loves you 

(I’m here for you baby, yeahh) 

Run, to the arms of the one who loves youuuu. 

The song ended and Dana looked into her beloved’s face. "I love you, Fox," she 
cried, clutching his clothes. "I never stopped. I never stopped and I never will." 

"Dana," Fox breathed, looking into her eyes intensely and then finally bringing 
her lips to his in a frantic, desperate kiss. He held her body to his tightly, 
caressing whatever part of her he could, without letting go. 

Jennie giggled and Alex grew fidgety as did Joey. At this rate they’d never get 
a hug. He doubted they even be able to let go of each other they were holding 
onto each other so tightly. They were probably stuck. "How long are they gonna 
kiss like that?" He asked his sister. 

"I don’t know. They missed each other a lot and you’re supposed to kiss like 
that when you’re in love." Jennie replied. Alex screwed up his nose. 

"I’m never fallin’ in love. That’s gross." 

"You won’t think it’s so gross when you grow up. I think it’s romantic." 

"You’re a girl. You’re supposed to like this stuff." Alex said. Jennie sighed 
and rolled her eyes. Joey was whimpering and trying to unbuckle himself from his 
car seat. If Mommy wasn’t coming to them then he’d go to her. 

Fox and Dana finally parted from their frenzied kiss panting and began to kiss 
each other softly, reveling in the feel of the their lover’s, now fiancee’s lips. 
Suddenly through their fuzzed up world that only consisted of each other they 
heard a cry. "Maaaaaaa maaaaaaaa!!!!!!" 

Dana pulled away from Fox and looked to the van. "Oh!" She gasped, she then 
looked at Fox, just seeming to realize that they were standing in the rain. 

"Mama! Mama!" Joey cried from the jeep. Dana ran to the jeep and opened the door 
and cried upon seeing Joey and the kids. How she had missed them all. "Oh Joey, 
baby. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. I’m here. Mama’s here, baby." Dana unbuckled him and 
held him close to her, raining kisses over his small, head covered in golden 
curls. His chubby little arms circled her neck and he held on tight, whimpering. 
Crying, Dana held an arm out to Alex and Jennie who crawled over and held onto 
her. 

"No go, mama." Joey whimpered. 

"I’m not going anywhere, baby. I’m not leaving." Dana said, kissing his head. 

Meanwhile, Fox was on the porch hugging Nathan and Carrie. "I knew you’d find us 
daddy!" She squealed. 

"I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner." Fox said, smoothing Carrie hair out. 

"It’s okay." Nathan said, smiling at him. "As long as you’re here....to stay." 

"I am. I’m never leaving you guys and I will never let Adam hurt you or your 
mommy again." Fox said, with conviction. He hugged them once more and stood up. 
"Stay right here for me, okay?" He jogged over to his jeep where Dana and his 
kids were still having their little reunion. 

"Fox you’re soaking wet." Dana said, lovingly. 

"As are you. You should get inside. We’ll sleep out here, it’s okay." He said, 
sighing loudly. 

"Well you can sleep out here, but I’m taking the kids inside." Dana smiled and 
took the umbrella Jennie handed her. 

"Ah good. I was hoping I wouldn’t have to sleep in the car." Fox said, grinning 
at her. Dana’s smile turned wistful. 

"I missed you so much." She whispered, swallowing the lump in her throat. Fox 
reached out and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. 

"I am right here Dana. I’m not leaving you." Fox whispered. He reached over and 
kissed her cheek. 

Together, they all walked back inside. Now they had a chance for happiness. 

** 

Dana Scully/McGee Residence 

9:00 

They changed out of their wet clothes and Dana heated up some Pizza for them all. 
Joey refused to leave her side and he happily sat in her lap eating his cut up 
pizza, while Dana and Fox exchanged loving gazes and an occasional tender kiss. 

"Mommy are we gonna sleep here tonight?" Jennie asked, Dana around a mouth full 
of cheese and sausage. 

"Yep. It’ll be like one big sleepover." Dana said, tickling Joey a bit who 
giggled and wiggled around in her lap. 

"YAAAYYYY!!!!" The kids yelled. Dana and Fox laughed. 

"It’s getting late guys and you’ve had a long day." Fox said. 

"Jennie you can sleep with Carrie and......" 

"Aw, mommy can’t we pull out the sofa bed?" Carrie whined. 

"Yeah!" The kids exclaimed, even Joey who had no idea what they were talking 
about. 

"Well-" 

"Pleeeaaaasse." 

"Okay, okay." Dana acquiesced. 

"Yes!!" The kids squealed, high fiving and running off to gather things for 
their slumber party. Joey toddled off after them. 

"Finally." Fox muttered, moving to Dana’s side and kissing her neck. 

"Fox, the kids are coming back." Dana chuckled a little. 

"Yea but are they here now?" He asked. 

"No." 

"Alrighty then." He whispered, kissing her lips. Dana gave in. We deserve it, 
she thought kissing his mouth softly. 

Fox moaned and smiled into the kiss, feeling that heat that he didn’t have with 
Diana. Fox slipped his tongue into her mouth and Dana groaned, her tongue 
dueling hotly with his. 

There was a chorus of "Ewwww’s" from the doorway and they jumped apart guiltily. 

"How do you breath?" Carrie asked innocently. 

"Uhh....Never mind that." Dana said getting up hurriedly. "Let’s pull the bed 
out." They set to work setting up the children’s little slumber party and by 
nine thirty Fox and Dana kissed each of them and left their snickering children 
with Joey in their arms. 

Fox had gone out and brought out the portable crib for his son. They placed it 
and a sleeping Joey in Carrie’s room, set up the monitor, kissed him goodnight, 
and tiptoed off to Dana’s bedroom. Dana shut the door behind her and turned to 
find Fox standing right behind her. 

"Hi." She breathed. 

"Hi." Was his husky reply, before dipping his head to capture her lips with his. 
Dana moaned and wrapped her arms around his neck. 

"I missed you." She mumbled into the kiss. "I missed you so much." 

"I missed you too. I couldn’t think of anything else." He whispered. A thought 
struck Dana and she pulled back. 

"What about Diana? I’m sure she kept you company." She whispered sadly and 
pulling away. 

"Dana. It was nothing. She meant nothing to me. Yeah we went out a couple of 
times, but I-It meant nothing, Dana." 

"Don’t tell me you didn’t know she had feelings for you Fox. It was written all 
over her face." Dana said turning away. Fox held her shoulders and turned her 
around to face him. 

"Yes she had feelings for me and perhaps she still does, but I don’t share those 
feelings." 

"I didn’t even look at another man Fox, I couldn’t." Dana whimpered. Fox pulled 
her to his chest. 

"I know, Dana, but I thought you’d left me for good, and that part of me just....I 
don’t know what I was thinking then, Dana. I was hurting and Diana offered me 
some comfort." 

"Did you sleep with her?" Dana asked quietly. Fox was quiet for a moment and 
Dana pulled away from him. 

"Dana, if you mean after you left then the answer is no. I have slept with her 
before. We had a relationship before I knew Phoebe, but that is all over now, I 
swear to you. It was over over ten years ago. I don’t feel anything when she 
touches me. I didn’t feel anything when she kissed me. I was empty Dana. You 
complete me. You make me a whole person. Diana didn’t do that. Phoebe didn’t do 
that. You do. You mean everything to me. I love you Dana, more than words can 
even say. She’s the past, but Dana *you* are my future." He said passionately, 
his intense hazel eyes looking into hers deeply. 

Dana was crying softly as she wrapped her arms around him and held on. 

"I never thought love like this existed." Dana whispered, into his clothes. "I 
was so afraid that I was kidding myself. Like you were too good to be true. But 
you’re real and you love me." 

"More than life Dana." Fox whispered. 

"Oh Fox. I love you. I love so much. I was so empty when we were apart. It was 
so hard to leave you, especially when I found out-" Dana cried. 

"Shhh. No more tears, love. We’re together now and that is all that matters. I’ll 
protect you, baby. I won’t let that bastard hurt you anymore. We’ll be together 
forever." Fox whispered with conviction, and touching the sparkling diamond 
engagement ring on Dana’s finger. 

"So you aren’t mad?" 

"About what?" 

"That I didn’t tell you that I was still legally married. We won’t really be 
able to be together unless I get a divorce from him and I know he won’t let go 
without a fight and they’ll take my kids from me, because I kidnapped them!" 
Dana cried. She was getting frightened at what was to come. She’d have to face 
Adam again. 

"Dana I’m not angry with you. He has no right to be called a father to those 
children because he’s done nothing, but abuse them and hurt them. I don’t care 
if he fights it. *We* won’t let go of those kids without a fight. You’ve helped 
me fight my demons, now I’m going to help destroy yours." 

"Oh Fox. You aren’t mad now, but you will be when I tell you the news." 

"What news?" 

"Fox I-I’m......pregnant." Dana whispered. 

"What?!" 

"I know you’re mad-I-I was afraid to tell you and-and I-" 

"How long have you known?" 

"About one and a half months. I’m three months pregnant now." Dana explained, 
trying to gauge his expression. It was shock and something else that Dana 
decided was anger. 

"Dana." He gasped raising his arm to run a hand through his hair. Dana jumped 
back in fright. "Geez baby, come here. Hon, I wasn’t going to hit you. I’d never 
raise my hand to you or our kids. Never. Never ever forget that, all right?" Fox 
whispered, stroking her cheek tenderly. Dana nodded in relief and was pink with 
embarrassment. "Baby don’t be embarrassed. It’s okay. Oh honey, lemme look at 
you." 

Fox stood back, holding her hands. He could see the bulge at her stomach. He 
looked up at her grinning like an idiot. 

"That’s our baby. Our very own baby." He whispered in joy. Fox pulled her to his 
chest and held on for dear life. I’ll protect you, my love. No one is going to 
hurt you or our baby." 

"I love you Fox." Dana whispered, after kissing his fingers. Wordlessly, Fox 
picked her up and slowly placed her on her bed. 

"Fox, the kids are in the next room and I don’t think I’d be able to stop myself 
from screaming your name. It’s been so long and I want you uncensored." 

"Is it just me or are you looking for excuses?" Fox quipped. Dana opened her 
mouth, but Fox placed finger to her lips. "I’m just kidding. Don’t wanna stretch 
our luck." 

"It’s not that I don’t want to make love to you, Fox. I do. You know that, right?" 
Dana asked. 

"I know Dana. As long as I’m able to hold you and kiss and know that you’re 
still there I’m fine right where I am." 

Dana reached up and brought his head to hers, moaning they spent ten minutes 
just touching and kissing and caressing each others bodies passionately and 
desperately. Fox pulled her shirt off and ran his hands over her rounding tummy. 
His shirt came off and they stripped until all they wore was their underwear. 
They held one another tightly and eventually closed their eyes to dreams that 
were no longer plagued with loneliness because of the warm body laying next to 
them, holding on tight. 


























** 

Dana Scully Residence 

The next morning 

"Mmm, morning." Fox whispered, gazing into her face. "I remember the first time 
I woke up to your face." Fox whispered, kissing her temple. 

"Yea. Will we get to wake up like that again?" Dana asked him playing with the 
sparse chest hairs that sprinkled his chest. 

"The rest of our lives." He whispered, kissing her mouth softly. "Tell me you’re 
real and not another dream." He whispered against her mouth. 

"I’m real. I’m very real. Are you?" Dana answered then asked. 

"Yeah. Yeah I’m real." He replied, nipping her lips. "Let me convince you." He 
breathed, taking her lips with his own. They were just about to blow the fact 
that they had no protection and the kids were in the house, when they heard a 
soft whimper over the monitor. 

"Joey’s awake." Dana noted, sitting up. "You know one of the things I missed the 
most?" 

"Me?" Mulder grinned. Dana chuckled. 

"The kids. I feel like they’re my own. Especially Joey. I’ll never forgive 
myself for leaving you all the way that I did." Dana said sadly. 

"Dana, honey it’s okay. I understand." 

"But does Alex and Jennie? Or little Joey? Phoebe left them and then I did the 
same thing. They’ll never trust me again." 

"I talked to them before we left. I know Joey and maybe Alex might not 
understand yet, but they will. You have the rest of our lives to prove it. I 
believe in you Dana and those kids will too." 

"But you can’t look me in the eye and tell me it didn’t hurt Joey." Dana said, 
looking at him with her big blue eyes. Fox paused and looked down. 

"How can it not Dana. You’re the only mother he knows. I won’t lie to you Dana 
it did hurt him, like it hurt me. We missed you Dana, but we weren’t the only 
ones suffering." 

"Mama!" Joey called in bewilderment. 

"How long has he been calling me like that?" Dana asked, looking at the monitor. 

"Since you left." Fox answered, quietly. 

"Mamaaaa." Joey began to cry and Dana shot up. Grabbing a robe and throwing it 
on she ran into Carrie’s room and cooing in a soft voice, picked Joey up out of 
his crib. 

"Mama!" Joey squealed in delight and relief. 

"Yes baby. Mama’s here. No more tears, baby." Dana whispered. She danced around 
the room with him for awhile, "You okay now baby?" 

"Mama!" Joey squealed happily, throwing his arms in the air. Dana laughed. 

"I’ll never ever leave you again." Dana whispered to the child. Joey smiled and 
hugged her around the neck. Dana took Joey into the living room where Fox was 
sitting on the bed with their kids. 

"Morning guys. How’d you sleep?" Dana asked, setting Joey down on the bed so he 
could play with his siblings. All four of them. 

"It was great! Are we living here forever daddy?" Alex asked his father. Fox 
looked at Dana. 

"Well...." 

"Dana isn’t going away again is she?" Jennie pouted. 

"Mama no go!" Joey squealed, getting up and throwing his arms around Dana’s 
waist. 

"I’m not going anywhere. Fox and I want to be together. We’re getting married 
and we’re gonna be a family. That might take awhile though, because-" 

"Because of sir?" Carrie asked, holding onto her doll, Annie tightly. 

"Well....Well yeah." Dana said, shrugging. 

"Hey don’t look so glum." Fox said to the kids. "Dana and I love each other and 
we love you. No one is going to stop us all from being a family. Not Adam, not 
Phoebe, and not-" 

"Diana! I hated her!" Jennie exclaimed. 

"Jennie." Fox said, warningly. "Be nice." 

"Well you were gonna say her name next right?" Jennie asked politely. Fox 
hesitated and then said, 

"Well yea, but you still need to be nice." Fox said while Dana laughed. 

"Well I’d say we all had a long night and long nights deserve big breakfasts and 
I say we make pancakes!" Dana proclaimed. 

"Goody! Can they be blueberry?" Carrie asked, standing up on the bed and 
beginning to bounce. 

"Sure why not." Dana said walking off into the kitchen. "Who wants to help?" 

"I do!" Carrie and Jennie squealed, jumping off the bed and running to the 
kitchen. 

"Well I guess that leaves us guys." Fox said. "Make way for dad!" He yelled 
grinning and minding Joey, he jumped on the bed. 

"We’re a real family aren’t we dad? " Nathan asked. 

"Yea Nat. We’re a real family. All eight of us" He said grinning. 

** 

Carlino’s Restaurant 

Diana sat, mulling over her cup of coffee. She thought he’d call, that he’d come 
to his senses and come to be with her, but no. He hadn’t called and she hadn’t 
seen him since that night he’d told her to get out of his apartment. She couldn’t 
believe he’d leave something so good to go after a married woman. Damn that Dana 
Scully, she thought. She was the one thing standing between her and Fox. 

Diana looked up at the commotion up made by a sandy haired-man. 

"Look Adam. I am going to tell you one last time and it had better stay in your 
hard head this time. I do not know where Dana is and if you had half a brain in 
there, you’d stop looking for her. Leave her and those children alone. They’re 
happy now." Pauline said, red-faced and shaking with anger. 

"Happy with who? That sorry GQ model with the three kids? She isn’t happy with 
him. She doesn’t know what she wants." Adam said, shaking his head sadly as 
though Dana was a lost cause. 

"You sorry sonuva-That 'GQ model' as you put it loves her and she loves him. Let 
it go. Let her go. Let her be happy." Pauline hissed. 

"She’s my wife." Adam said, crossing his arms. Diana raised her eyebrow. So this 
was Dana’s hubby, come lookin’ for his woman, eh? Diana smiled. She knew exactly 
where Fox had gone. She’d casually gone into his apartment and played all his 
messages. One from Dana’s mother telling him where Dana was. In his haste, he 
probably forgot to erase the message. 

"Yeah do all men beat their wives?" Pauline hissed in a low voice so only he 
could hear. Adam glared at her as she turned. "If I see you back in here I’m 
calling my husband." 

"Oh I’m scared." Adam mock-whimpered. 

"My husband is the chief of police." Pauline sneered, walking into the kitchen. 
Adam sneered in her direction and slammed his fist into the counter angrily. 
Turning to leave he stopped when a dark haired woman beckoned him over. 

"Hi." 

"Hello there." Adam said, leering at her. 

"I couldn’t help overhearing and is the woman you’re looking for happen to be 
named Dana Scully?" Diana asked. 

"Yeah, yeah. Do you know where she is?" Adam asked sitting down. 

"Yes I do. You’re her husband right?" 

"Yes. Married ten happy years." Adam said, smiling falsely. 

"Oh that’s sweet. It’s a shame what she’s doing to you. Well I assume you’re 
going to try and work things out with her, right?" Diana asked. 

"Yeah. We do have two kids together. She’s confused right now. She doesn’t know 
what she wants. She hasn’t been taking her medicine." 

"She’s on medication?" Diana asked, eyes twinkling in excitement. 

"Yea. She isn’t right in the head. She needs help immediately." 

"Well the sooner you find her the sooner we can both get on with our lives." 
Diana said, smiling and un-knowing she just made a deal with a madman. 

** 

Boston Clinic 

"Well Ms. McGee-" 

"Scully. My real name is Dana Scully." 

"Oh. Okay. Well, you look a whole lot better than you did the last time I saw 
you. To tell you the truth, I was a bit concerned for you and the baby. You seem 
to be doing much better now though." 

"I am." Dana said, looking lovingly up at Fox, who smiled down at her. 

"Well, everything seems to be in order, so just keep up with our check-ups and 
you two will have a beautiful baby in about six months." The doctor said. 

"Thank you Dr. Dreis." Fox said. 

"Nice of you to join us Dad." The doctor said smiling. Fox gave the doctor a 
nervous smile as she left. The door shut and Dana looked up at Fox and beamed. 

"I’m so glad you were here, Fox." She whispered. 

"I’d have been here for all of them if I knew Dana. I don’t wanna miss one 
appointment." 

"I know Fox. I’m sor-" 

"No more apologies. Right now. I am gonna go take my wife to be and children, 
all six of them out to eat. How’s that sound?" 

"It sounds wonderful." Dana said, turning to her fiancé. "I love you." Fox 
dropped a gentle kiss on her nose. 

"I love you more." He whispered. He helped her off the table. They kissed each 
other softly and then packed their things and left. 

As they were walking to the car they held hands and talked and laughed about 
various things, like the upcoming Lamaze classes she would take. Although it was 
her third , technically fourth pregnancy she didn’t need to go to classes. Fox 
didn’t need to attend them either, since he’d gone with Phoebe, but since this 
was their first baby together, they wanted it to be a beautiful, new experience 
for both of them. 

"Fox my mother hasn’t seen me pregnant. She never really got the chance to hold 
her grandbabies so I want to have the baby in Maryland close to my mom so she 
can be there at the delivery with you and the doctors. Your mom also if she 
wants to." Dana said to Fox as they drove back to their apartment. 

"I understand, baby. We have a lot of planning to do what with the wedding and 
the baby, we also need to move back home find a place for *all* of us to live, 
plus tie up the odd ends with Adam." Fox said, taking the luxury to glance at 
her only once. Dana shivered at the mention of Adam’s name. Fox stopped at a 
traffic light and looked at the woman he loved more than anything. 

"Dana, I know you’re scared. We are together and I promise you, if he so much as 
touches you I will kill him." Fox said with conviction. Dana saw that he wasn’t 
lying either. 

"Oh Fox..." 

"Do you trust me to take care of you Dana?" Fox asked, brushing an awry strand 
of hair away from her face. 

"I trust you with my life." Dana whispered. Fox leaned over and tenderly kissed 
her cheek, before the light turned green. 

As they drove off, Adam watched from the cross-walk, only five feet away from 
were their car just was. 

** 

Scully/McGee Residence 

8:45 

Fox and Dana and the kids came back home, after a day at the park. It was Fox’s 
kids first time in Boston and Dana wanted them to see the sites. Dana carried a 
sleeping Joey into her bedroom and lay him on the bed, surrounding him with 
pillows so he wouldn’t fall off. 

"Sweet dreams precious baby." Dana whispered, kissing her fingertips and 
pressing them to his small head. Dana walked back into the living room and 
laughed, finding Fox trying to talk the kids into going to bed. They were 
jumping around on the couch and in his lap and pulling at his legs and arms 
laughing, but Dana could tell they were tired. 

"Aw come on guys. It’s time go to bed. Come on now." It sounded like Fox was 
doing the whining here. 

"Nope Daddy. I’m not tired!" Alex yelled, jumping around. 

"Yeah! We aren’t tired!" Carrie exclaimed. Fox groaned and looked at Dana as if 
to say, ‘Help me out here’! Laughing Dana stepped up and stilled Carrie’s 
jumping. 

"Okay kids! Bedtime. No arguments now, come on. Move it," Dana said to them 
lightly. Moaning the kids went off to get ready for bed. 

"How’d you do that?" Fox, asked, narrowing his eyes at her. 

"Mommy radar. They’re just really wired. You’d think after eight years of child 
rearing you’d have a little more control over kids." Dana said with a raised 
brow. Fox shrugged, bashfully. 

"Mom." Nathan walked out of the hallway in his pajamas and over to his mother. 

"What is it sweetheart?" 

"I don’t feel good." He pouted. 

"What?" Dana sat him down in her lap and placed an experienced hand on his 
forehead and neck. "You feel a little warm to me. Fox?" Fox stepped over and 
felt his forehead and neck. 

"Yeah. You’re right. He does feel a little warm. I’ll go get the thermometer." 
Fox disappeared and then reappeared, with the thermometer. "Here bud. You know 
the drill." 

They sat quietly for a moment until it beeped. "He’s running a fever," Dana said, 
handing the thermometer to Fox. 

"Yea. I noticed you don’t have anymore cold medicine in the medicine cabinet. 
Certainly nothing there you’d give a kid. Lemme take a quick run out to the 
pharmacy. We passed it on our way back form the hospital right?" Fox asked, 
already getting up and putting his coat on. 

"You’re leaving?" She crinched, her voice sounding incredibly small in her ears. 
Fox walked back to her and knelt before her. 

"I’ll be back, baby. I’m just running down to the pharmacy. I’ll be back before 
you know it." Fox reached up and kissed her with reassurance. Dana nodded, 
feeling silly, and bid him a safe trip after scooting Nathan off to bed. After 
Fox left Dana went in with Nathan to make him as comfortable as she could, not 
knowing that her ex-husband was making his way up the walk and to her apartment. 

** 

Dana’s phone rang and she went to pick it up. "Hello?" 

"Hey Day-nuuu." The cold voice sang over the phone, sending chills down her back. 
It was a voice she hoped to God she’d never hear again. 

"Hellooo, ya there? Guess where I’m calling from?" Dana stayed silent, breathing 
hard. "I’m right outside your door." Dana began to cry and shake uncontrollably. 
"You know how many times I could have just walked in and taken those kids? Hm? *My* 
kids? You think you could take them from me and I wouldn’t find you?!" He yelled. 
"Do you think I’m stupid like you?!" Dana jumped as his voice became louder. "You 
leave me and you sleep with that GQ model reject?" 

"Well Mr. GQ ain’t there no more, Day-nu. Watched him leave myself. So let’s see 
that just leaves you....and all those cute little kids!" She heard a bang at the 
door and jumped. Crying she hung up the phone and dialed Fox’s number. 

"F-Fox," Came Dana’s wobbly voice when he answered. 

"Dana?" Fox asked alarmed. 

"It’s Adam. Please-Ah!" She screamed as he banged again. "He’s at the door. He’s 
been watching us the whole time! He’s at the door Fox. He won’t go away!" 

"Dana stay where you are. I’m on my way there. Hang on," Fox said desperately. 

"Fox, the kids-" He heard her scream and then the connection was cut off. 

"Dana! D*mmit you bastard if you hurt her!" Fox threatened hanging up the phone. 
He stepped on the gas and sped back to Dana’s apartment. 

Dana was backed up against the far wall, looking for something to defend herself. 
She was frightened to death that one of the kids would come out. She looked up 
at Adam in the doorway, trembling. 

"Hey lover." He said, tauntingly. 

"Please Adam. I’ll do anything, just leave the kids and Fox alone," She 
whispered, praying the kids would stay in their rooms. 

"Oh is that his name," Adam said, pacing a bit. "*Fox*. What the hell kinda name 
is that, huh? Fox?" 

"What do you want?" Dana asked, trembling hard as he came closer. 

"In case you’ve forgotten," He said quietly. "You’re my WIFE!" He yelled her 
face, causing her to whimper loudly. "Huh? Have you forgotten?" He grabbed her 
left hand and held it up. She wasn’t wearing her wedding ring anymore. 

"Adam. Please. You’re hurting me." Dana whispered. Adam slapped her. 

"Shut up! Stupid bitch!! Leave me in jail to rot will you?! Then run off and 
take my kids! Go and fuck this bastard, Fox, huh?" 

"He’s not a bastard," She hissed. "You-" 

"Oh *me*! I’m a Bastard? Is that what you’re gonna say?" He yelled, shaking her 
hand and pushing her into the wall. Dana through her blurry eyes saw Alex 
wandering out into the living room. 

"No! Adam let’s go outside. Please, let’s go." Dana said, looking him in the eye 
so he wouldn’t turn and see Alex. Adam narrowed his eyes and turned to look at 
Alex, who was now staring in horror at the stranger in the apartment. 

"Mommy?" He asked frightened. 

"It’s okay honey. Go in your room and lock the door. Lock it. Tell your brother 
and sisters to lock theirs too. Hurry," Dana cried. 

"Well who is this?" Adam asked, letting go of Dana and walking towards the 
frightened little boy. "Is this my children’s new brother? Is this who it is? 
Hey kid, come 're." 

"Stay away from him!" Dana yelled, pulling Adam away from Fox’s son. Adam turned 
and hit her across the face, sending Dana to the ground. "Alex run! Lock your 
door! Please!" 

Alex ran away, crying, to do what he was told. "So you’re his mommy are you? Don’t 
let him get to attached. Wasn’t there a baby?" He taunted. "Now where is he? 
Baby! Where are you baby?!" He called, walking towards the bedrooms. 

"NO!" Dana screamed, looking around frantically for something to hit him with. 
Dana decided she might as well make him mad. It was the only way to keep him 
away from Joey and the rest of the children. She pick up a book and threw it at 
him. He stopped and turned slowly. 

"If you take one more step you bastard," She hissed. Dana was terrified as he 
slowly walked towards her. She wrapped her arms around her stomach, in a feeble 
attempt to shield her baby. This man would not cause her to lose another child, 
especially this one. 

"You are one sorry, stupid *bitch*." He spat, before hitting her square in the 
face. Dana was so dazed, she didn’t see him swing his fist again to hit her in 
the face again. 

"NO! NO! NO!" Dana’s eyes widened hearing her daughter scream. 

"Carrie GO TO YOUR ROOM AND LOCK YOUR DOOR!" She yelled to her daughter 
desperately. 

"Please don’t hurt mommy nomore." Carrie cried. 

"Shut up. Get your brother. We’re leaving." Adam growled, stepping menacingly in 
Carrie’s direction. Dana kicked him from her position on the floor. Adam turned 
and looked down at Dana, noting the way her, arms never left her stomach. He 
smiled a little and then the smile turned into a sneer. 

"You’re pregnant with that bastard’s kid." He said, coming towards her and 
pulling her up harshly by the collar. 

"No! Leave her alone!" Jennie yelled, pulling on the man’s arm. Adam pushed her 
roughly away. He turned back to Dana and sneered, 

"Say bye-bye to your bay-bee." He pulled his fisted back, and smiled as Dana 
closed her eyes, trying to fight him. But Adam’s fist never met with his 
intended destination. He found himself on the floor, looking up at a very angry 
Federal Agent. 

"Kids go to your rooms." Fox said in a dangerously low voice, his eyes never 
leaving Adam’s. Carrie and Jennie ran to their rooms. He turned his head to look 
at Dana, feeling his anger grow to boiling hot rage, seeing her precious, 
bruised, tear-stained face and her feeble attempts to wipe the blood from it. 
Jaw clenched, he turned back to Adam. 

"Get up." He ordered, quietly. Adam sat there. Fox kicked him in the stomach, 
making Dana jump. "I said get up you sorry sonuvabitch!" He yelled. Adam got up 
and Fox grabbed him by the collar. "You feel big, a**hole? You feel big beating 
up your wife you sonuvabitch?! Look at her!!" Fox yelled, grabbing Adam’s face 
and turning it so he could see what he’d done to the woman carrying his child. 

"Look at her, fucker! You see what you’ve done to her?!" Fox yelled in rage. Fox 
pulled his fist back and hit the man square in the face. Dana watched, as Fox 
delivered punch after punch and kick after kick to Adam’s face stomach and groin. 
Dana looked up at Fox in amazement. He didn’t just want to hurt Adam. He wanted 
to give back to Adam what Adam had given to her. 

With each punch thrown, Fox remembered each tear that fell from Dana’s beautiful 
face as she told him the horror’s she went through with him. 

"Fox." Dana whispered. "Fox." She said louder. As much as she wanted Adam to 
hurt the way he had hurt her, she wanted it to end. She was afraid Fox would 
really kill him. "Fox, I need you. It hurts." 

That got his attention. He turned around to look at her and then back to Adam. 
Roughly handcuffing him to the couch leg, Fox went to Dana, and she sank 
gratefully into his arms. 

"Oh Fox." She whimpered. 

"Did he hurt you badly?" He asked, gently, pulling out his cell phone. 

"I don’t know. My nose might be broken. I’m afraid Fox. The baby." She cried. 
Fox felt anger built up inside of him again, and Dana clutched his clothes. "He 
can’t hurt us anymore, Fox." 

Fox nodded, and throwing Adam a hard look, opened his cell phone and called the 
police. 

A short while later the police came to the door. Mulder motioned towards Adam 
and merely said, 

"Arrest’im." The two police officers glanced at each other and to the small 
woman he was holding. 

"Are you all right ma’am? Can you tell us what happened here?" The officer asked, 
while the other cop read Adam his Miranda rights. 

"I’m, I’m pregnant. My ex-husband, came and he threatened myself and our 
children. He-hit me. I need medical attention. He might have hurt the baby. My 
fiancé, Fox Mulder-" 

"Assistant Director Fox Mulder. Federal Bureau of investigation." Fox popped in. 

"He came and neutralized the threat," Dana said. 

"I can see that." The cop said, raising an eyebrow at Fox. 

"I need to get her to a hospital," Fox said. 

"Mommy?" Carrie peeped her head out, with Alex, Jennie, and Nathan. 

"Oh baby. It’s over. Mommy’s okay. Mama’s fine." The kids ran to their parents. 
"It okay. It’ll be okay," Dana murmured. 

"Is Sir gone?" Carrie asked. Dana nodded. 

"He can’t hurt us anymore." 

"Ma’am, the ambulance is ready." 

"Oh that’s not necessary. We’ll drive. Fox, Joey." Dana said, getting up. Fox 
sat her down and went to get Joey. "Fox wait. I don’t want the kids to have to 
stay at the hospital. Go next door and ask Mrs. Curruthers if she’ll come watch 
the kids. And tell her that Nathan isn’t feeling well, so if she has anything...." 
Fox nodded and walked next door. 

By the time Fox got back with Mrs. Curruthers and some cold medicine, Carrie was 
sitting in Officer Mulroony’s lap, wearing his hat. Fox smiled and motioned to 
Dana. They kissed their children goodbye, leaving instructions with the sitter 
and told their kids everything would be okay. 

Dana and Fox walked out of the building. Adam was sitting in the ambulance, 
where the medical team was taking care of the bruises and cuts Fox gave him. 
Dana told Fox to get the car, assuring him that she’d be okay. Dana walked over 
to where Adam sat, in cuffs and looked at him. She stayed silent for a moment 
and then suddenly she spoke. 

"Why?" She whispered. He looked up at her. "Why Adam?" 

"Does it matter?" He spat. She looked at him for a long moment. 

"I want a divorce. You can’t be angry or surprised that I found someone else. 
Our marriage ended a very long time ago. It’s not like you don’t have anyone. 
What’s her name? Roxanne is it?" Adam stayed silent. 

"Never love anyone the way you tried to love me," She whispered. "I wouldn’t 
wish it on my worst enemy." 

"Happy I got what I deserved?" He asked, with a sneer. 

"No," She whispered, sadly. "I pity you, Adam. I really do." Dana placed 
something next to him and turned to find Fox standing behind her. 

"Ready?" He asked, rubbing her back. Dana nodded. Hand in hand they made their 
way to the car. 

Adam watched them leave and picked up what Dana had left next to him. Her 
wedding ring. The one he gave to her when he promised to love honor and obey. 
Adam hung his head in shame. 

** 

Boston Clinic 

Fox and Dana sat, side by side in the doctor’s office, waiting for the tests to 
come back, telling them their child was okay. Dana had been treated for cuts and 
bruises. Her nose was broken, but that would heal soon. Some things would take a 
while longer. But not too long. Dana smiled and looked at Fox. He turned his 
head and smiled softly at her. 

"You okay?" He whispered. 

"Yes," She replied, resting her head on his shoulder. 

"I’m so sorry I didn’t get there sooner." Fox said, looking down. 

"I’m glad you got there when you had." Dana countered, looking up at him. He 
raised his eyes to hers and she smiled. Chuckling, softly, Fox gently placed a 
kiss on her lips. 

"I love you. No matter what the tests say, no matter what. I love you," Fox 
whispered to her. 

"I know." Dana whispered back. Fox encircled her with his arms. He knew she was 
still afraid for their baby. They sat awhile longer, drawing strength from one 
another. 

The door opened and they both looked up. The doctor sat down and smiled. "You 
and you’re baby are fine." She said. Dana and Fox sighed and held each other. 

As they left the hospital to go home to their children, Diana Fowley ran up to 
them. 

"Oh-Oh my gosh. I heard what happened! Oh my gosh, I didn’t realize he’d do this-" 

"Wha-What do you mean you didn’t realize?" Fox asked, stepping up to her. "Did 
you tell him where Dana was?" He asked with incredulity. 

"I-Fox he told me she was married and on medication." 

"Did he also tell you that the last time he saw Dana he almost beat her to death? 
Did he tell you the reason she left was because he was abusive?!" 

"Fox I didn’t think-" 

"No! You didn’t think, did you? Because of your stupidity, Dana and our child 
could have been killed tonight!" Fox yelled in her face. Diana looked at Dana 
and then back to Fox. 

"Fox I’m sorry." 

"Get out of our way." Fox muttered, taking Dana’s hand and guiding her to their 
car. 

As they drove home. Dana smiled at him. 

"Fox as soon as the divorce comes through, I want to marry you." 

"Anything for you, my love. Anything. As long as we’re together." 

"Fox?" 

"Yes?" 

"I don’t want to live in Boston anymore. I don’t need to hide anymore and there’s 
someone waiting for me back in Maryland," Dana said, looking at him intently. 

"Yes there is." Fox replied, smiling. 

Nothing was standing in their way now. Fate was smiling down on them. 

** 

Epilogue 

Maryland, 

One month later 

There was a hush in the garden , besides the violins, playing the wedding march, 
as Dana, in her off white silk wedding dress, made her way down the makeshift 
aisle to her husband to be. 

Dana and Fox had found the perfect house, large enough to fit their large 
families and their coming bundle of joy. The wedding was being held in the back 
yard of their new home. 

Fox smiled as Dana approached on Jake’s arm. "Who gives this woman to this man?" 
Father Mcque asked. 

"Her mother and I do." Jake replied. Dana took Fox’s arm and noted the roundness 
of her belly. The dress hid her pregnancy well, since she wasn’t showing too 
much. The ceremony was beautiful and uneventful, until halfway through, Joey 
decided he’d been ignored long enough and attached himself to Dana’s leg for the 
rest of the ceremony. Dana had picked him up and kissed both him and Fox and 
they made their way back down the aisle as husband and wife....and son. 

When they were back inside, Dana plopped Joey on the couch and turned to Fox. He 
kissed her deeply and whispered to her, "Forever." 

"Forever." She echoed. This marriage would last. 

** 

Five months later 

"Oh guys here they come!" Samantha shouted, running away from the window. The 
kids giggled and scampered behind furniture, while the adults got into place. 
Fox and Dana were bringing their new baby home from the hospital that day. 
Maggie peeped through the curtain and watched as Fox got Dana’s bags out of the 
back of the car and Dana pulled out a tiny bundle from the backseat. That would 
be her new granddaughter. 

She now thought of Fox’s children as her own grandchildren. They even called her 
grandma. She was so happy that Dana finally found someone who could love her the 
way she deserved to be loved. 

"Everyone hide! They’re coming! Mom, get away from the window." Melissa 
exclaimed. Maggie shooed her off and went to stand beside the fire place. The 
door rattled and then opened. 

"Surprise!!!!!" The kids screamed jumping out of their places. 

"Welcome home!" Samantha and Melissa yelled. Fox and Dana exchanged smiles and 
looked at their family and friends. 

"Were you surprised?" Carrie asked, looking up at her parents. 

"Oh very surprised. You wanna see your new baby sister?" Fox asked. Carrie 
nodded enthusiastically as the other kids crowded around their mother to try and 
see the new baby. 

"Okay well wait a minute. Let Mommy sit down first." 

"Why isn’t she saying anything?" Alex asked, peering up at Dana. 

"Oh she’s too small to say anything yet, sweetheart." Dana said, as she sat down 
with the tiny wriggling baby. 

"Okay. Say hello to your new baby sister, Maggie Caroline Mulder." Dana 
whispered. The kids looked at the baby in awe. 

"She’s so little." Jennie whispered. Dana looked down at a pouting Joey. She 
suspected that he’d be insanely jealous of the new baby. 

"Joey, honey. You want to hold your sister?" 

"No. Wan’ Mama." Joey pouted, looking up at her. Fox sighed and shrugged at her. 
"Hey honey, could you take Maggie for a sec?" Dana asked. 

"My pleasure." He cooed, scooping his daughter up from her mother’s arms. The 
kids ran in the direction of the baby, leaving Dana on the couch with Joey. Dana 
tickled his knee. 

"Hey little man." She whispered. Joey pouted at her some more. "Here, come sit 
in mommy’s lap. Ohhh, what a big boy you are." Dana sighed as Joey snuggled into 
her lap. "You know I love you right?" 

"Wuv woo Mama!" He declared, looking up at her, smiling. Dana teared up and 
looked up at Fox, who was beaming at her as everyone cooed over their baby. Dana 
wrapped her arms around her son and gave him a tight squeeze. 

"How did I ever get so lucky to get a baby boy like you?" She whispered. 

"Staws," Joey answered. Dana laughed. Yeah. Stars. 

** 

"Maggie’s finally asleep," Dana said, walking into their bedroom. Bedtime in the 
Mulder home was not at all an easy task. Besides getting a newborn to sleep, 
they had to coax five other children to bed and when Maggie didn’t sleep neither 
did the kids, or the parents for that matter. 

"What about Marsha, Greg, Peter, Jan, Cindy, and Bobby?" Fox crooned. Dana 
chuckled and slipped of her robe. 

"Don’t forget Alice. She’s out with Sam the butcher tonight, coppin’ a feel." 
Dana said. Fox grinned and turned to look at her. 

"Ohhh, think I can cop a feel? Come to bed Carol." Fox husked. 

"Ohhh, Mike." Dana moaned, slipping into bed. They giggled and kissed. Dana 
sighed and lay in Fox’s arms, going over the events that happened in the past 
several, months. Her reunion with Fox, that fateful night in Boston, her divorce 
from Adam, their marriage, their first explosive night together as husband and 
wife, and the birth of their little girl, Maggie. 

"I never dreamed my life would turn out like this." Dana whispered into her 
husband’s neck. Fox sat up and looked at her. 

"How so?" 

"When I was with Adam. I thought I was trapped. I never knew love like this 
existed and even if it did I never thought it could happen to me. I thought I 
was dirty, because of the way Adam treated me." 

Fox sighed deeply and swallowed the rage that built up in his throat. He 
remembered that night when he’d burst into the apartment praying that he wasn’t 
too late, to find Adam over a bloody and crying Dana threatening to kill her and 
their baby. The sight enraged him to no end. It shook him to think that if he 
were even a second too late, that precious bundle in the nursery down the hall 
wouldn’t be there and neither would Dana. If Dana hadn’t stopped him from not 
killing Adam, they probably wouldn’t even be there together. 

Dana sensed his anger and pressed a kiss to his pulse. "It’s all right, honey. I’m 
fine. We’re all okay. In a way I’m glad everything happened the way it did. I 
was able to confront Adam and I came out stronger because of everything that 
happened. I’m stronger because of you. You showed me my self worth and you 
showed me a love that I never though existed for me. You never gave up on me, 
even after I left. You came so far on simple faith in me. And you will never 
know how grateful I am that you didn’t give up on me. On us." Dana whispered, 
tears in her eyes. 

Fox cupped her face with his hands and leaned in, interlocking her lips with his 
tenderly. He sucked on her cupids bow lips and she sucked on his bottom lip. 
Warmth spread through them both. 

"I am so in love with you." Fox sighed. "We’ve come so far on simple faith. When 
I think about all the time I wasted with Phoebe, I can’t say I’d change it 
otherwise I wouldn’t have Jennie, Alex, and Joey, you know? But that we’ve come 
together as a family after everything that’s happened with our ex spouses, it 
was all written in the stars. You’ve restored my faith in true love, in family, 
in myself, in great sex...." 

Dana laughed and snuggled closer to him, reveling in his scent and touch. Fox 
took a long whiff of her sexy feminine scent that was now mixed with that sweet 
smell of baby and new motherhood. 

"But seriously, you make me whole Dana. I never had this feeling of assurance 
when I married Phoebe. I do with you. I know in my heart that this is forever. 
Our life starts now," Fox said, looking intently at her. 

"Yes." Dana whispered as Fox lowered his head to hers and they kissed deeply, 
moving closer to each other. Dana moaned and as Fox lowered her nightgown to 
feel her naked body pressed against his own, Dana couldn’t help smiling into the 
kiss. They had come far, but then again funny things tend to happen when fate 
takes a hand. 

THE END! 

I hope you liked it! I had fun writing it. I doubt I’ll do a follow up story. I 
might write some stories in the WFTAH universe, but not any real continuations. 
Thanx to everyone who wrote me feedback on my past chapters! Keep in mind that 
we writers are partially fueled by feedback. 

Read more fics about characters having Kids With Others 



Return to The Nursery Files home