Maggie
by Trycee

Time Line: Post IWTB, Maggie suffers a heartattack and Bill, Charles, 
Mulder and Scully must care for her.

Rated PG

Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Files, this is written for fun not 
profit.

"Who the hell would be calling at this time of night?", Mulder yelled, 
pulling a pillow over his ears.

Scully awoke with a jolt, and tried to adjust her eyes to the dark as 
Mulder flopped around angrily next to her in the bed. The ringing of 
the phone bounced around the room loudly.

"What the hell?", he yelled though it came out muffled from the 
pillows.

Scully reached over to her nightstand and picked up the phone. 
"Scully," she said groggily.

"Dana..."

She set up on her side of the bed trying to press her ear to the phone 
as Mulder mumbled next to her. "Who is this?"

"It's Charles. Sorry to wake you both but Dana...you need to get to 
the hospital. Mom was just admitted. She called her neighbor Mrs. 
Marshall who rushed over to her house and found her passed out."

"Charles," she spoke, her voice breaking. "Is she okay?"

"She's alive...She had a minor heart attack, Dana. Her neighbor is 
with her at Saint Agnes in the Cardiovascular ward. I'm on the next 
flight there. Dana, you need to get to mom ASAP!"

"I'm on my way!", she said, slamming down the phone.

Mulder jumped up. He could barely make out Scully in the dark. "What 
now?", he groaned, turning on the lamp.

He could see the color drained out of her face. "Scully, what's 
wrong?"

"My mom's in the hospital, Mulder."

Before he could respond, she rushed into the bathroom. He jumped up 
and ran in after her. He watched as she quickly washed her face and 
brushed her teeth.

"Where at?", he asked.

"At Saint Agnes", she said numbly as she hurriedly brushed her hair. 
"She had a small heart attack."

Mulder touched her shoulder but she pulled away from him. "We need to 
hurry. Charles is coming on the next flight in..."

Mulder nodded and raced back into the bedroom. He dressed quickly and 
gathered two mugs of steaming coffee as he waited for Scully. He knew 
she was trying to calm herself, trying to maintain control as she 
dressed quickly and gathered her keys, her purse and her coat. She 
locked the front door, and the cold December air drifted and stung her 
on the face as she raced to the car. Mulder rubbed his frozen fingers 
as he defrosted the ice covered windshield with the heat on full 
blast. He looked over to Scully but she had had her eyes covered with 
her hand, trying to stop the tears from flowing. He put the car in 
reverse and drove the car back until he reached the large gate. He 
quickly opened it and guided the car through the opening and then 
locked it securely. He then pulled out onto the dirt road and pressed 
hard on the gas, speeding off into the dark.

After a four hour drive to Baltimore, Mulder pulled up to the 
Emergency Chest Pain entrance of the small Catholic hospital and as 
soon as he was near the front door, Scully shot out of the car before 
he could shut off the engine, running towards the admissions desk. 
"I'm Dr. Scully, my mother was admitted here."

"Her name?', the attendant asking, turning to the computer screen to 
type.

"Margaret Scully."



She waited impatiently as the computer slowly retrieved the 
information. "Follow the signs...She's still in the Emergency Chest 
Pain area ."

"Thanks," she said, quickly, turning back to the entrance where she 
spotted Mulder racing in. "Follow me," she yelled, racing ahead of 
him.

He caught up to her and they raced down the halls, and bounding down 
the steps. She breezed past the doctors and nurses, flowing through 
each corridor, frantically searching for her mother. After screaming 
at the triage nurse she found her mother's room but stopped in her 
tracks as she focused on the weakened face of Maggie, connected to a 
breathing apparatus, with a heart monitor and an I.V with fluids 
draining into her body.

Scully turned to see the neighbor standing next to her. The elderly 
gray haired woman placed a paper thin hand on top of hers. "Dana, 
she's in a coma right now," she said softly.

Scully could feel her knees buckle but then she felt Mulder standing 
close behind her, gripping her shoulders. She leaned into him for 
support. "Mrs...", she managed to say.

"Marshall, Dana..."

"Mrs. Marshall, that's right," she said, sucking in air. "When did 
this happen?"

"Around midnight. She called me saying to come over, that it was an 
emergency. And by the time I got there she was lying on the floor. "

"Do you need a ride home, Mrs. Marshall?", Mulder offered.

She suddenly noticed Mulder though he had been standing there the 
entire time. "Oh...oh, no, I drove here after the ambulance came and 
got her."

The elderly woman touched her hand again. "Keep me informed. Your 
mother is a dear friend and neighbor of mine..."

Scully nodded but her attention was solely focused on the rise and 
fall of her mother's chest. She moved past the neighbor and softly 
touched her mother's face and with her free hand, she gripped her 
hand, squeezing it tenderly. "Mom...", she whispered. "It's Dana...I'm 
here, mom!"

Mulder guided Scully to a chair next to Maggie's hospital bed, and 
when he turned around he noticed that Mrs. Marshall had quietly crept 
out leaving without another word. Mulder pulled up a chair next to 
Scully, watching as a tear trailed down her cheek. He rubbed her back 
as she stared at her mother, gripping her, trying to share her 
strength.

A young dark haired woman in a doctor's coat pulled the curtain back 
and entered holding a clip board. "Oh," she said, noticing them. "I'm 
Dr. Adams."

"I'm Dr. Scully," Dana said, walking towards er. "What is my mother's 
condition?"

"Your mother had a mild heart attack and slipped into a coma right 
after wards."

"May I?", Scully said, taking the clipboard from her. She scrutinized 
each entry, reading it and re-reading it, searching and flipping each 
page.

The younger doctor looked perturbed by Scully's actions. She folder 
her arms, glancing over to Mulder and then back to Scully who paid no 
attention. "We've done everything we could. This hospital is well 
known for our Cardiovascular Institute. We use a holistic approach as 
well as conventional. We were pioneers in opening the first Chest Pain 
Emergency Room. I'm sure we can handle it!"

Scully looked up from the notes. Her eyes narrowed and she stared at 
the younger doctor, making her squirm. Without a word, she handed the 
doctor back her clipboard and then checked each monitor connected to 
her mother. She glanced over to Dr. Adams sizing her up and then sat 
back down, holding her mother's hand. "Mom...Mom...I'm here for you 
mom."

Dr. Adams turned and closed the door, leaving them alone. Scully 
glanced over to Mulder. "Snot-nose little brat," she whispered.

"You gonna take over her care or are you gonna let them do it", he 
said, turning towards her.

She looked at the heart monitor, listening to each beep of her 
mother's heart. "No one can take care of her like I can Mulder..."

"Scully, you're too close to this," he said, smoothing her long hair 
against her back.



"If I can recall, I've stepped in a few times in the past and saved 
your ass!", she hissed.

He touched her back lightly. "Scully...I know this isn't easy...but 
she's in a coma right now, honey. There's nothing you or anyone else 
can do about it."

Scully got up and wet a paper towel, squeezing the warm liquid back 
into the basin and then wiped her mother's brow. "I may not be able to 
do anything Mulder but she needs to know I'm here."

"I know," he said, reaching out for her arm. "I know...but all we can 
do is wait."

She traced the lines of her mother's face, as a tear escaped dampening 
her mother's pillow. "I love you mom...I'm here for you...and Mulder's 
here too. I love you...Stay with me."

Mulder could see the pure heart ache hidden behind Scully's strong 
blue eyes. He could see her concentration, her sorrow and the shock 
she experienced every time she turned towards her mother. He wanted to 
hold her but he knew she needed space, space to cater to her mother as 
she whispered to her, begging her to hold on a little longer. It made 
Mulder sick to his stomach to see Scully's pain but he had to hold it 
in, instead he stood up and stretched his long legs that were nearly 
numb after sitting for over three hours in a stiff hospital chair and 
after driving for four hours straight. He was worried about Maggie, 
she was the closest to a real mother he had ever had and he wasn't 
sure what would happen to Scully if she lost her. She'd lost so much 
including him at one point, losing both children though they both 
clung to the hope that one of these days very soon they would locate 
him before the end date approached. But Scully had lost a father and a 
sister, and there was very little family left for her, just as he knew 
that their son was the only family he had left, he knew her's was 
dwindling down as well.

Scully looked up at his pacing as she rubbed her mother's limp arm. 
"Mulder, there's nothing you can do here. Why don't you find us a 
hotel?"

He could see the fear registered in her eyes." Scully, you want me to 
have them bring you a more comfortable chair? I could have them bring 
in two..."

"Yeah, "she whispered. "Good ideal Mulder."

Mulder noticed her voice was low and distant. "You sure you want me to 
go?", he asked concerned.

"Mulder I'm fine."

Mulder stopped pacing and watched at her. She noticed her choice of 
words and shook her head. "I mean, I'll be okay just until you get 
back..."

Mulder could feel the presence of someone behind him. He turned to see 
a auburn haired man who looked similar to Scully dressed in a Navy 
uniform standing in doorway. Charles walked straight up to Mulder and 
shook his hand firmly. He then strode over to his older sister, "Dana, 
how's she doing?"

He and Scully embraced, holding each other closely not letting go. He 
was just a few inches taller than she was but still much shorter than 
Mulder by half a foot. Mulder could tell he'd been in the military all 
of his adult life; his stance and movements were all military. She 
closed her eyes and then rested them on the face of her younger 
brother. "She's in a coma, Charles."

She could see the guilt creep into his blue eyes. "I've barely seen 
mom since Dad's funeral...I wasn't able to come to Missy's, Dana...I 
haven't seen her in all these years..."

"Charles, don't! Don't! You were stationed in other countries, mom 
understood..."

Mulder turned to look out the doorway, watching as the nurses smiled 
in his direction but he just stared blankly back at them until they 
moved on down the corridor. He could hear Charles move over to the bed 
to stand next to Maggie, he turned to see Scully still holding her 
brother around the waist, wiping his tears and kissing him gently on 
the cheek. Charles reached out and touched Maggie's hand and began to 
weep openly. She pulled him over to the seat nearest to the bed and 
then crouched next to him, trying to console him. "Mom...", he 
mumbled. "Mom...its me, the baby. Mom..."

Scully looked away, it was hard for her to see him crying so openly. 
It was something she was only used to seeing with Mulder. Men in her 
family didn't cry but this was different...this was their mother, the 
head of the family, the sole remainder of their parents and she 
understood his anguish mixed with guilt, she felt the same way. She 
rose up and walked over to Mulder and hugged him tightly, crying 
without a sound into his arms. He kissed her on top of the head. "You 
sure you want me to go?"

"Get us a hotel, Mulder," she choked out."And hurry right back...I 
need you here."

He nodded and glanced again at the younger Scully brother, a man he 
had never set eyes upon and turned and walked off down the hall. She 
sat back down next to her brother, and held his hand as he continued 
to cry into the bedsheets.

"Remember when we were kids," Charles cried out. "Mom would whack us 
on the hands when we'd be beating the hell out of each other," he 
chuckled, as tears streamed down his face.

"Yeah, " she smiled. "Then she'd make us go to confession..."

"We would and then we'd fight on the way back home..."

"Yeah, eventually she gave up on stopping us," she smiled. "We 
outnumbered her when dad was gone..."

"I used to laugh about that every time I saw my kids fighting...", he 
said, between gasps and tears. "I took for granted she'd always be 
there. I haven't been the best son or brother, Dana...mom deserves 
better."

"I'm just as guilty," she admitted. "I can count on one hand home many 
times I spent time with her and I lived and still live not far from 
her. I've been so busy with my work and with Mulder...I haven't seen 
her much since...William," she said, with a tremor in her voice.

"I never got to tell you how sorry I was about that, Dana...", he 
said, focusing on her. "You did what was best for you at the time..."

"Yeah, but it broke my heart and it broke mom's heart, Charles. Mom 
loved him so much. I don't think she ever forgave me."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "Tell her how sorry you are 
now, Dana...just in case."

She nodded and then looked into Maggie's pale face, her eyes closed as 
if she were sleeping. "Mom...please forgive me for separating you and 
William. But I need you to stay with me for when we find him again..."

There was a momentary erratic beep registered on the heart monitor but 
Scully continued to watch her mother's eyes, watching the fluttering 
of her eye lids. "She can hear me, Charles. Just like when I was in a 
coma, when I was abducted...I could hear Missy's words...Mom's 
words...and Mulder's..."

"Where did he go?', Charles said realizing that Mulder was absent.

"Getting us a hotel," she whispered. "Where are you staying?"

"I don't know yet..."

She nodded and then grabbed the tissue box on the nightstand, handing 
him some tissues, and pulling out a few for herself. "Did you call 
Bill? "



"Yeah, " he said, quietly. "He'll be here as soon as he can."

"Oh...How long did it take you to get here?"

"I came from Denver...I was already there...about to head back to 
California."

"Visiting the in-laws?"

"Yeah, " he said, looking away. "I've visited them more than I have my 
own mother..."

"Don't start with the guilt trip, Charles! We are all just as guilty. 
Even Bill...we all got lost in our own lives and our own families..."

Dr. Adams re-entered the room, eying Scully but Dana sat still, 
holding her brother's arm. Charles immediately stood up and introduced 
himself. "Charles Scully!"

Dr. Adams looked over his uniform and smiled, she noticed his wedding 
ring and her smile faded. "Hi. I'm just checking in on your mother. Do 
you need anything? More comfortable chairs maybe?"

Charles and Dana both nodded. They watched as she walked out and they 
could here her shouting to two orderlies to bring in two comfortable 
recliners.

"She doesn't like you," Charles noted.

"The feeling is mutual," Scully said, rolling her eyes. "I guess she 
feels threatened..."



"Why, did you snatch the clip board from her or something?"

Scully shot him a look and he turned away, rubbing his calloused hands 
against his mother's soft cheek. "She still looks good...you can see 
the strength in her even now. The woman never ceased to amaze me...You 
remind me of her. Missy was the wild child...but you...you had that 
quiet strength like mom..."

Scully smiled to herself. It was a great compliment though she felt 
she didn't deserve it. "Thanks...but I could only hope to be the woman 
mom is..."

Mulder returned quickly, handing them both an extra large coffee. He 
gave Charles the bag with the cream and sugar dangling at the bottom. 
"I didn't know how you took your coffee," he said, quietly.



"Thanks," Charles said, extending his hand again for a firm handshake.

Mulder glanced over to Scully and could tell she was relieved that 
he'd rushed back. "How'd you find a hotel so fast, Mulder."

"I got the closest one..."

"What's it called?", Charles asked, pulling out a piece of paper to 
jot down the name.

"Motel...something," Mulder shrugged. "I was in a rush..."

A small grin passed over her face but it quickly faded. An older nurse 
walked in, her eyes scanning the room. "Oh...we need more chairs...", 
she said, noticing Mulder.

"We're gonna need two more," Scully exclaimed.

"Two more?", Mulder asked, a nervous flash crossing his face. "Bill's 
coming..."



"Its his mother too," Scully said, arching her eyebrows.

The nurse waited patiently. "So a total of four chairs?"

"Yes. Four...Thank You", Scully called out as the nurse walked down 
the hall.

After the chairs were swapped out, Mulder peeled the coat off Scully, 
she'd been wrapped in it since they entered the hospital. He hung it 
up and sat back down beside her, entwining his fingers with hers. He 
could feel her relax as she leaned closer to him, soon her grip on 
Charles broke and she was leaning completely against Mulder as he 
rubbed her shoulders.

Around three o'clock an older Asian doctor came in, shaking their 
hands. "I'm Dr. Wen."

"I'm Dr. Scully. This is my husband," she said, as a way of avoiding 
any questions or having to fight with anyone to allow Mulder to stay. 
"And my brother."

"Well, Dr. Scully, nice to meet you. Your mother's coma...its 
unfortunate. She is breathing well now on her own but we'll continue 
to monitor her breathing. I don't think this coma will be permanent. I 
suspect it is only temporary. When she wakes up, hopefully that is, we 
will try some of our treatments. We use a holistic approach here as 
well as good ole fashion medicine...", he said, staring clearly at 
Scully. "Until then, we just have to wait for her to wake up."

Dr. Wen checked Maggie's vitals and wrote into the clipboard. He then 
focused his attention on them."Have any of you eaten?"

It was a strange question and it threw Scully off guard. "Have we 
eaten?"

"Yes...you all need to keep your strength up. I'll have them bring you 
up something to eat. Sandwiches and salads...any allergies or 
restrictions?"

"No, " she said, looking bewildered. "Charles?"

"No...", he said, looking off. He wasn't sure if he could eat, his 
stomach was raked with guilt.

"None for us," she said, answering as Dr. Wen looked at Mulder.

"Okay...well, they'll be bringing it up within a few minutes."

Mulder sipped on his coffee. "That's a first, " he said, looking at 
Scully. "How many times did we go without eating when the other one 
was in the hospital bed..."

It was bad timing, reminiscing and he regretted it as soon as he said 
it, but Scully wasn't angry, instead she smiled at him knowingly, and 
continued her careful watch of Maggie.

The dim light of the television illuminated the bed as Scully sat 
listening to the combination of mechanical noises sounding off near 
her mother's bedside and the low grunts and spews of two men sleeping 
in the sleeper recliners, stretched out asleep in the early morning, 
their hotel room long forgotten. She was crying softly against her 
mother, trying not to wake her brother or Mulder. She felt 
helpless...none of her medical expertise could help her with her 
mother. She was not a cardiologist and nothing she could do could 
bring her out of her coma, she knew this, but it still pained her. 
Father McCue had visited earlier that day, performing her mother's 
last rites though the doctors were all hopeful that her coma was a 
temporary state, there was still the possibility that Margaret Scully 
would not wake up and that possibility scared Scully the most. His 
presence had also brought back memories for her of when he'd performed 
her own last rites when she was fighting her bout of cancer. She 
hadn't prayed much then but now she prayed desperately asking God to 
touch her mother's soul and bring her back. Scully knew her mother was 
somewhere between this life and the next and she knew that if she 
could only feel their presence, she'd know how desperately they needed 
her to wake up.

Mulder shifted uncomfortably in the recliner bed, his legs dangled off 
onto the floor. He awoke and focused in the dark on Scully. She was 
hunched over her mother. He stood up and touched her shoulder. 
"Scully!"

Her eyes fixed on him and he could see she'd been crying. "Mulder?," 
she said, concerned. "You okay?"

"We should go to the hotel, Scully. You've been here all day. You need 
to rest..."

"No, you go Mulder and take Charles with you. I need to stay here for 
when she wakes up."

Mulder knew he had to force her to leave or else she'd be glued there 
for days or weeks, however long it took for Maggie to wake up. 
"Scully," he said firmly. "Let's go now, we'll be back in a few 
hours."

He walked over to Charles who was slumped in the recliner chair and 
carefully tapped his shoulder. "Hey, we're going to the hotel..."

Charles nodded and stood next to Mulder at the door. Mulder waited for 
Scully. She kissed her mother on the cheek and reluctantly followed 
them down the hall.

The sun woke her from a fistful sleep. She focused on the hotel clock 
on the nightstand and reached out and poked Mulder in his side.

"Hunh?', he moaned, turning to look at her.

"Mulder, we need to hurry back..."

"What time is it?", he said, groggily.

"It's nine," she said, sitting up.

"We only got four hours sleep, Scully...", he whined.

"This is my mother we're talking about!", she exclaimed.

Mulder reached over and kissed her forehead. "Sorry...okay, lets get 
up..."

Scully picked up her cell phone and dialed her brother's number. 
"Charles...we're heading back...about a half hour. Just walk down and 
knock on the door when you're ready."

She then dialed her older brother. "Bill?"

"Hey Dana, I just walked into mom's room...my plane was delayed."

"How's she doing?", she said concerned.

"Still in a coma...Are you coming back soon?"

"We will be there soon...within the hour."

She hung up and rushed into the bathroom. Mulder could the shower turn 
on. He waited his turn and then hopped into the shower as well. He was 
dressed and ready by the time Charles rapped on the door, handing them 
both a fresh coffee. "Get much sleep?", he asked, looking at his older 
sister. He could see dark circles under her eyes barely covered by 
makeup.

"Not really, you?", she said, buttoning up a clean blouse. She was 
grateful they still kept clothes in the trunk, a habit from the 
X-Files they hadn't broken.

He shook his head no. He smiled shyly at Mulder. "You rest up, 
Mulder?", Charles asked.

"Not much," he said politely. He liked Charles though they had barely 
spoken but he immediately liked him much more than Bill.

"Bill's at the hospital," she said, gathering her things.

Scully could feel Mulder tense up as he stood close to her.

"Well, let's hurry up and go...", Charles said, walking towards the 
door.

Mulder held Scully's arm preventing her from following behind her 
brother. "Honey...Bill...I..."

She smiled warmly and kissed him. "Come on Mulder, drive us back..."

He nodded and they walked out, slamming the hotel door closed.

Charles was the first to walk back into the hospital room. He walked 
straight over to his older brother and gave him a hearty hug. Bill 
hugged him tightly. "Hey, little brother," he said solemnly.

He then hugged Scully. "Dana..."

She hugged him and then stepped back. "Bill...It's been awhile..."

"Yeah," he nodded.

Mulder stood in the doorway watching Bill closely, waiting to see his 
reaction. He could tell that Bill was stalling, chatting with his 
siblings. Scully noticed it too and stopped speaking and then stood 
beside Mulder. Finally Bill shook Mulder's hand though neither of them 
said anything. Bill moved past everyone and sat closest to Maggie, his 
eyes misting at the sight of his mother lying in the bed unmoving.

Dr. Adams reentered the room along with a small nurse, who checked all 
of her monitors. They left as quickly as they'd entered, leaving the 
family to sit in silence waiting. But Scully noticed it first, the 
fluttering of Maggie's eyes and she screamed down the hall to the 
nurses station. "She's waking up!"

Maggie's eyes flew open and she tried to adjust her eyes to the 
blinding light, covering her eyes with her hand. With a hoarse voice 
she spoke, "Where am I?", she asked to no one in particular.

"Mom," Bill grinned, reaching out to touch her. "Thank God..."

Scully moved over to the other side of the bed. "Mom...you're in the 
hospital," she said matter of factually. "You have a minor heart 
attack."

"Dana? Bill?"

"And me mom!", Charles added, coming into her view.

"Oh!", she said, covering her mouth. "Charles!"

Charles began to shake as tears bellowed up from deep inside of him. 
Bill placed a hand on his shoulders and Maggie reached out and hugged 
him tightly. "Was I dying?", she asked confused.

Charles gasped as guilt over took him again. "Mom...I'm so sorry I 
haven't been here in so long..."

"No...No...", she smiled weakly. "I didn't mean anything by it..", she 
said, touching each of her children. "I'm so surprised to see you 
all!" She then turned to Scully. "Dana...where's Fox?"

Mulder stood up and came to Scully's side. Maggie held his hand 
smiling. "Everyone's here..."

Dr. Adams smiled at Maggie as the same accompanying nurse pushed past 
them all to check her monitors again.

"Mrs. Scully, I'm your doctor, Dr. Adams," she said, shaking Maggie's 
hand. "Glad you're back in the land of the living..."

"Yes," Maggie said, disoriented. "What caused me to have a minor heart 
attack?"

"We're not sure but what we know is that your heart is strong, you 
will recover and live a normal life but you will need to convalesce 
for awhile yet. Preferably with family...", she said, scanning their 
faces. "Which of you live the closest?"

"I do!", Scully answered.

The young doctor irritated her but she held her tongue for both her 
mother's sake and Mulder's.

"Oh, the doctor," Adams said condescendingly. "Well...that's good. 
She'll be here for a bit but when she's released, she'll need follow 
up care."

Scully gave the doctor one of her patent looks. "Her care will be 
followed up at my hospital," she said, sternly. "Our Lady of Sorrows."

The young doctor nodded. "I'll be back to check on her.", she said, 
walking out.

Bill shook his head. "She needs to stay close to home, Dana. I'll pay 
for her to have a nurse."

"Bill, I'm a doctor!", she said, staring at him. "I think I can take 
care of my mother!"

"Our mother!", he huffed. "Here we go...Dana, this isn't your 
specialty!"

"I think...since I'm sitting right here...", Maggie said, 
interjecting. "I would like my daughter, the doctor to care for me," 
she said, gripping both their hands. "That's the benefits of having a 
medical doctor in the family!", she smiled.

Bill looked upset but he retreated into his seat. Charles took the 
opportunity to get closer and hug his mother again. "Mom, I'm so 
sorry...please forgive me," he whispered.

"Charles...there's nothing to apologize for," she smiled. "I love you 
all...you have your own lives, I understand."

"Mom, I'm so glad you're okay," Scully smiled. "I'm so glad..."

Maggie kissed her cheek. "Dana...I could feel you...", she smiled. "I 
could feel you next to me. I couldn't leave yet...honey. But I did 
want too...I saw your father and Missy in heaven...but they said it 
wasn't my time," she smiled, a tear streaking down her creased face. 
"I'll see them soon enough."

Scully looked over to Mulder and he smiled, placing a hand around her 
waist. He knew without her speaking what she was thinking and what she 
needed. He leaned into her so she could feel his presence, she could 
gather his strength.

Scully wasted no time in transferring her mother to Our Lady of 
Sorrows, against her brother Bill's wishes. She stopped by her 
mother's home and let Mrs. Marshall know Maggie would be staying with 
her for a month or so, and then gathered up her mother's clothes and 
other necessities. She set the house alarm and had her mother's mail 
forwarded to her own home and then she and Mulder led the way, with 
Bill and Charles in a rental car to their home in the backwoods of 
Virginia.

This would be the first visit either Bill or Charles had with them at 
their home and it made Scully a little nervous though she'd never 
admit it. The house was modest, a typical home of the area, though she 
did have a spare bedroom and an attic Mulder had recently converted 
into a spare bedroom, though they were sure no one would ever come 
visit. Fortunately though they'd just completed the task and had 
enough room in their former four bedroom home (now five bedroom home) 
to house her mother and two visiting brothers. She knew that Mulder 
too was nervous having Bill in his home. Bill was still a pain in 
Mulder's backside and though Bill had accepted their relationship 
years before, especially with her giving birth to William, he was very 
vocal about her decision to give up William for his safety. He was 
also highly against her decision to run with Mulder and then continue 
to live with him, in what he deemed 'sin', the Catholic in him coming 
out clearly. He had called Dana a hypercrite for working at a Catholic 
hospital while living unmarried with Mulder. So this wasn't going to 
be easy, she knew. She worried about Mulder; he'd become milder in his 
temperament the older he got but she knew also that Mulder hadn't 
changed that much and that he would not tolerate any snide comments 
from Bill in his own home.

It was a long drive, made longer by the traffic through D.C and what 
she really wanted to do was get everyone settled in, and rush off to 
check on her mother at Our Lady of Sorrow's. Maggie had been 
transferred as soon as Dr. Adam's had told them she would be fine. Dr. 
Adams had wanted her to stay a week for them to monitor her before 
releasing her but Scully instead had her mother transferred ahead of 
them to the Cardiac ward under the care of her colleague, Dr. Cabrias. 
She'd kept in contact and was called as soon as Maggie arrived at Our 
Lady of Sorrows. It was important to her to hurry and check on her 
herself with Dr.'s she trusted and respected, something she couldn't 
do at St. Agnes.

Mulder kept his eyes on the road, occasionally shooting a glance to 
his rear-view mirror where he could see Bill in the rental car, with a 
red face speaking to Charles. They were arguing and he was sure the 
argument was about him. Scully sensed his reluctance and turned to 
him. "Mulder..."

"Hmm, Scully, what's up?", he said, turning down the radio. "We'll be 
home in a few minutes."

"You gonna be okay, Mulder...I didn't even ask you how you felt about 
having all the Scully's move in with us," she tried to smile.

Mulder pursed his lips and looked over to her. "I'll be fine. No 
problem..."

"Mulder, I'll talk to Bill. I'll tell him to keep his opinions to 
himself!"

"I have an office, Scully...you have an office...I'll just hang out 
there a bit."

"You shouldn't have to in your own home, Mulder. I won't let Bill 
force you back into seclusion! I'm sure they won't be here for too 
much longer."

He pulled her in close to him and draped his arm around her shoulder 
as he steered with his left hand. "I like your brother Charles, 
Scully, and you're mom is like my mom so when she's released, she's 
welcomed in our home for as long as she needs to be."

"But Bill is a different story," she huffed. "I'll talk to him, 
Mulder. And I'll even call Tara if I have too..."

"Tell on him to his wife, low blow Scully...", he joked.

"As long as it works," she said, reaching up to kiss him lightly on 
the cheek. "I love you Mulder."

"You know I love you Scully...been putting up with you for all these 
years!"

She rolled her eyes. "You would say that wouldn't you when it's the 
other way around..."

Mulder turned off onto the dirt country road and then pulled up to the 
large gate that lead to their home. He got out and opened it and then 
had Scully pull up to the door. Bill pulled in behind her and then 
Mulder locked the gate and walked up to the cars where Scully and her 
brother's were gathering their suitcases and their mom's belongings, 
placing it on the front porch. She eyed Bill as she opened the door, 
straight into the living room. She showed them around, showing them 
Mulder's office and her own office, the kitchen, the spare bedroom for 
their mother when she came to stay as soon as she was released, where 
they placed Maggie's suitcases and then showed them the nearly 
finished attic with two twin beds and attached bathroom for them to 
share. She then excused herself and went back downstairs to her and 
Mulder's room. She could hear the shower on and she went into the 
bathroom and waited for him to come out and then she got in, as he 
dressed. She changed into her smocks and doctor's coat and then stood 
at the attic entrance and called up to her brothers. "Bill, Charles, 
I'm going to the hospital, you wanna come?"

Bill and Charles had changed into jeans and sweaters and they came 
down the steps seeing her in her doctor's attire for the first time. 
Bill kissed the top of her head. "You look good, sis. You look so 
professional."

"Bill," she smiled. "I'm always professional. I am an accomplished 
doctor, even when I worked on the X-Files. I was a pathologist then."

"Got it!", he said, moving past her toward the kitchen. "Anything to 
drink?"

"Yeah, should be. If not, I'll go to the grocery on the way back."

Mulder stepped out of the bedroom and looked at them all. 
"I'm...ah...going into my office.", he said, opening the door. Scully 
followed behind him.

"Mulder, there should be something to make a sandwich or just order a 
pizza. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?", she said, caressing his 
shoulders.

He bent down and planted a long loving kiss on her lips. "Got it 
doc..."

She returned into the living room where Charles and Bill were both 
sitting. "What's his job now?", Bill said sarcastically.

"Bill...let me give you a few ground rules," she said, staring 
directly at him. "This is Mulder's home and you will respect him in 
his home, is that clear?"

Bill shot a look over to Charles who had a smirk on his face. 
"Yeah...fine, whatever...How far away is the hospital?"

"Far enough...", she said, gathering her keys.

"You're pretty far out here," Charles said, looking out the window.

"For a lot of reasons," she smiled.

"Maybe I could help Mulder cut that tall grass out there...", Charles 
added.

"Sounds good...now are you too taking the rental car and following me? 
Or going in my car?"

"Taking the rental, " Bill said, standing up. "That way we can stop 
and get some beers on our own before we come back."

Scully raised and eyebrow but said nothing, instead leading them 
outside and down the road for the long drive to the hospital. She 
arrived and walked right past Father Ybarra with her two brothers 
following behind her. He stopped and looked them over but quickly 
turned away after Bill gave him a look. They entered the Cardiac Ward 
and moved over to Maggie's room. She was awake and smiling as she 
greeted her three remaining children, hugging them tightly and kissing 
them all on the foreheads.

"How you feeling, Mom?", Bill asked curtly, looking over to his 
sister.

"I'm feeling so much better," she smiled. "I'm getting special 
treatment because my daughter is the doctor here!"

"That's right, " Dr. Cabrias said, walking up behind them. "Dr. Scully 
is one of the best doctor's I've ever seen. We'll have you flipping, 
rock climbing, parachuting out of airplanes and swimming laps around 
the panama canal in no time, Maggie," he said winking.

Maggie smiled widely, she enjoyed hearing about her daughter's skills 
as a doctor. Scully never bragged on her own skills, so Dr. Cabrias 
had filled her in on the versatile skills of the famous Dr. Scully.

"How's she doing?", Scully said, turning to her colleague.

"Great! We're just monitoring her, really. I think really what she 
needed was a little family around."

Scully's eyes dropped but she straightened up in front of him. "How 
long do you think she'll need to be here?"

"Ah...just a few more days. She's doing well, quite well...She'll be 
on medication from here on out but fortunately it was a mild heart 
attack. You can take her home in a few days."



Scully left her brothers with her mother to make her rounds and start 
her shift. They'd told her they'd wait until she was off work and 
they'd follow her back, in the meantime they'd keep watch over their 
mother and catch up on photos, and stories, all the things they hadn't 
done in the past with her. Maggie was happy to have her children with 
her and so she kissed Scully softly as she left, going down the hall 
and up the flight of steps to her own office. She then started her 
shift, tending to patients, and rescheduling surgeries for a just a 
few days, till she could get a handle on the situation with her 
mother. She knew that once she was off work, she'd have to return home 
with Bill and Charles for what would probably be an awkward dinner 
between them and Mulder. She thought a little selfishly she had to 
admit, that if Bill weren't there, she'd probably enjoy the visit 
between Charles and herself and Mulder despite the reason for the 
visit, their mother's heart attack scare. But, with Bill present, it 
always made things tense. Bill being the oldest and being parental of 
his siblings, made it difficult to relate to him. They'd never gotten 
along, he was either a bully at home as a child or a bully as an 
adult, as she saw it. But she had to concentrate on her patients and 
push Bill out of her mind.

When Scully's shift ended she made her way back to her mother's room 
and was surprised to find them all laughing heartily. She smiled at 
the scene before her, seeing her mother's eyes lit up with love and 
joy and it tugged at Scully's heart. She'd disappeared into her own 
world with Mulder and Maggie had been left basically alone with all of 
her children further away from her. She like Charles felt guilty and 
she knew that Bill had to feel the same way. They owed it to their 
mother to make sure she didn't collapse on the floor alone depending 
upon an elderly neighbor to rescue her again, not with three living 
capable children.

"Ah,"Bill said, noticing Dana. "You done? I thought you were done 
earlier when you stopped by for lunch."

"I'm off now, " she smiled, and kissed her mother's hand. "Mom, you 
okay?"

"I'm fine, Dana," she said warmly. "Better than I've been..."

"Mom, we'll be back tomorrow," Charles said, pressing her hand. 
"Anything you want for tomorrow? Chewing tobacco? Tasers for any 
unruly nurses?", he said, laughing.

Maggie ran her hand through Charles buzz-cut. "I've missed you honey. 
I missed your sense of humor."

A tear formed in his eyes but he looked over to Bill and straightened 
his face. "Love you mom...see you tomorrow."

Bill bent down and kissed the top of her head. "Be back bright and 
early, mom!"

"I'll be waiting, Bill," she said, touching his jaw. "Thanks for 
coming."

The two men walked over and paused at the door way. Scully hugged 
Maggie tightly. "Mom, really, is there anything you want? Magazines? 
Crossword puzzles? Anything?"

"Magazines, gum and crossword puzzles sound good, honey," she smiled. 
"Thank you for taking care of me Dana."

"I'm not officially taking care of you yet, not until you've been 
released. We just finished both spare rooms, you'll have the one on 
the main floor for as long as you want mom."

"Just a short while," she smiled. "I'm sure Fox would like a good hot 
meal."

"I'm sure he would," she smiled shyly. "I'm afraid I don't get to cook 
too often. But, I will tonight...got three men to feed," she said, 
shooting her brother's a glance.

"Oh, I know about that," Maggie laughed. "Your father and your 
brothers ate more than you and Missy combined."

She kissed her mother. "See you in the morning. Don't hesistate to 
call if you need anything. I won't mind..."

They parted hands reluctantly and then Dana walked down the hall, past 
Father Ybarra who looked confused again but Scully gave him a stern 
glare that dared him to ask her a question, and so he moved on. She 
lead her brother's to the grocery store where she bought supplies and 
they both bought their favorite beers. She made sure to pick up 
Mulder's favorite as well. They then followed her back to her home, 
she knew they'd get lost if they ventured out on their own. There were 
too many hills and two lane roads that all looked the same if you 
weren't familiar. When she pulled up, Bill locked the gate for her as 
Charles drove up next to her car. They helped her with the groceries 
and she saw a now stale pizza sitting on the counter. She showed her 
brother's the remote and handed them both their beers and then she 
knocked on Mulder's office door, his beer in her hand. He opened it 
and she closed it behind her. She wrapped her arms around his waist 
and he pulled her into his arms. "I missed you...", she said, kissing 
his lower lip.

"I missed you too, " he said, deepening the kiss. "Everything okay?", 
he said, concerned.

"Yes...not anything wrong. My mother looks great," she said, handing 
him the cold beer. Her hand was now numb as she plopped down next to 
him. "I'm about to start dinner."

"Okay," he said. His glasses were pushed up over his head and he was 
pouring over newspapers. They had three delivered daily and five on 
the weekends. He would sit and read as he waited for calls for him to 
go out on paranormal investigations. He looked up at her then and 
noticed the look on her face. "Did you talk to him, Scully?"

"I did...We tend to blow up at dinner in my family, " she sighed. 
"Dinner is when the shit hits the fan...I just want a pleasant 
dinner...without any of Bill's bull-crap, " she whispered.

"I won't let him get to me, Scully. If he starts, he can leave, " he 
said firmly.



She leaned over and kissed him again. "I better get started. Oh...mom 
said she can't wait to feed you!"

Mulder smiled. "Between the two of you I'm gonna be as big as a house, 
Scully. Thank goodness for my daily runs!"

"Yeah, thank goodness," she smirked.

He smiled a crooked smile back at her and she stood there a moment, 
taking it all in. He was more muscular than he used too be, now having 
more time to lift weights and run on their property and a few miles in 
either direction. But then she heard Bill and Charles arguing over a 
game and she turned the door knob. "They're watching a game...you 
wanna watch it? It is your house, Mulder..."

Mulder nodded and stood up walking beside her out the door into the 
living room. Both men looked up as Mulder approached sitting on the 
couch. "What game we watching?",he asked, sitting nearest to Charles.

"Denver vs. San Francisco, " Charles answered, handing the remote over 
to Mulder. He nodded a silent Thank You and sipped on his beer.

Bill looked uncomfortable but he could see his tiny sister watching 
him as she stood there. After she was sure they would all be civil, 
she retreated into the bedroom and changed and then went straight into 
the kitchen and started dinner. When she was finished, she set the 
table and called to all three men to sit at the table in the combined 
dining room/living room space.

"When was the last time we got to enjoy your cooking, Dana?", Charles 
asked, sitting himself next to Bill.

"Or when was the last time she nearly poisoned us?", Bill laughed.

Scully rolled her eyes. "Bill...that was when I was 12 and Missy and I 
cooked you all chicken that wasn't cooked fully."

"How could I forget?", he said.

Mulder's face was tense and he looked over to Scully and could tell 
she was tense as well. Charles interjected. "I don't remember that 
Bill...but I remember Dana and mom cooked all the time."

"You were the baby...you were home more, I was already in the military 
by then, " Bill spoke, as he ladled his own plate.

Mulder was watching them carefully, ready to pounce if Bill said 
anything else that was sarcastic. He filled his plate, looking over to 
Scully as she filled hers. He was on edge but was trying to hide it. 
She could hear her brother's enjoying their meal.

"This is really good, Dana. When you'd learn to cook like this?", Bill 
asked.

Mulder's jaw was twisted up but Scully placed a hand on top of his. 
"Mom taught me to cook, Bill, " she answered.

"I haven't had mom's cooking in years, " Charles added. "And this 
certainly tastes like mom's...", he said, smiling in her direction. 
"Thanks for cooking for us, sis."

Bill shot a look at Dana and Mulder. "This is good Dana...really 
good."

"Great, " she said, pouring them wine. "Its' mom's pot roast recipe."

"Speaking of mom, "Bill said. "The doctor said she will be released in 
two days, Dana. I talked to Tara and I'm gonna fly out tomorrow and 
head back home. Matthew has soccer..."

"Oh!", she said, looking slyly at Mulder. "That's too bad..."

"My wife isn't so eager to have me back," Charles joked.

Mulder smiled. "How long have you been married?"

"Since I was 19 or 12, I can't remember, " he laughed.

"He married first and early, " Bill spoke with a smile. "First to get 
hitched and have kids..."

"That's right, "Charles added. "She told me to take as long as I 
needed...I think we're still married, " he laughed.

Mulder smiled wider and began to relax. Scully had always enjoyed her 
younger brother, he was always laughing and joking just like Mulder. 
She knew Bill had a sense of humor as well but like herself, he was 
more reserved just as their father had been.

"Mulder, I could help you cut that grass outside, " her younger 
brother offered.

"Charles, its December, " Scully said, shaking her head.

"Grass still grows under sn..."



"Anyway, " Bill said, cutting through the conversation and shooting a 
look at Charles. "Back to mom...let me know immediately if she needs 
anything."

"I can handle it Bill!"

"No offense, Dana, but you're busy. You live out here in the boonies 
where its nearly an hour's drive to your hospital. Maybe we should be 
serious and talk about mom selling her place and maybe moving in with 
me and Tara. Mom loves Tara...and Matthew would be thrilled to have 
his grandma around."

"I don't think that's what mom wants, " Charles spoke.

"She needs care...and Dana, as good of a doctor as you are, you are 
just too busy with your own life and with...", he said, staring over 
at Mulder.

Mulder had been calm but his eyes began to blaze looking Bill deep in 
the eye. "What are you trying to say Bill?", Mulder asked.



"I'm saying that I think we need to think about this...Dana, mom may 
need constant care..."

"She doesn't yet, Bill. And as far as how far out I live and working 
hard and being with Mulder...Mom loves Mulder, Bill, and its her 
decision what happens Bill, not yours!", she said, growing angry. 
"Maybe we should all just make an effort to visit her more often! But 
she has her own life Bill. But if we visited more and I mean all of 
us, than she won't feel alone."

"What life does she have Dana?"

"She has church meetings and she has her friends and neighbors, Bill!"

"I tell you what, " he said, red-faced. " I don't think she'd like 
staying here with her unwed daughter who'se shacking up with her now 
unemployed fugitive partner!"

Scully was about to say something but Mulder's hand came crashing down 
on the table, startling them all. "You may be the king of your castle 
in your home but this is my home, my castle, Bill. You will not talk 
against Dana or me in my own home! Now your mother is welcome, Charles 
is welcome and so are you as long as you don't disrespect me or your 
sister, is that understood?"

Bill looked shocked but Mulder continued through gritted teeth. "For 
however long your mother stays here, you will respect us as a couple, 
as a family because whether you like it or not, Bill, we are now 
family!"

Bill knew he was speaking of William, the absent connection between 
Mulder and himself. Bill stood up from the table. "I need another 
beer, " he said, grabbing one out of the fridge. He sat back down and 
looked at Scully and then Mulder. "I apologize..."

Mulder nodded and he glanced over to Scully. Her face was both 
apologetic of her brother's words and actions and proud of him for 
standing up against Bill. He leaned over and kissed her on the lips 
right in front of both brothers. Charles smiled as Bill squirmed, 
gulping the hard liquid faster down his throat. Mulder got back up and 
gestured for both men to follow him back into the living room to watch 
another game. Scully stood up, smiling to herself, as she began to 
clear the table.

Bill along with Charles followed Scully back to Our Lady of Sorrows, 
early the next morning. After kissing his mother goodbye, Bill left to 
drive back to D.C and fly back home to his wife and child. Charles sat 
at Maggie's side, catering to her as Scully made her rounds and then 
she drove them both back to her home. Charles and Mulder got along 
famously even chatting late at night about the X-Files as Scully 
listened from the bedroom, unable to sleep without Mulder beside her, 
and grinning as she heard Mulder tell his one sided version of 'their 
truth'. Charles was unlike Bill in every aspect and showed Mulder 
complete respect, even telling of his own experiences with strange 
dreams he'd had. After two days Maggie was released and she was helped 
by both Mulder and Charles up the steps of the small home. Scully 
bustled about trying to make her mother comfortable but she knew 
Maggie would not stand for it much longer and would be up on her own 
cooking and cleaning.

"Honey, " Mulder said, gesturing for her to sit with Maggie and 
Charles to watch an old slasher he pulled out from his stash.

He could see Scully bustling about the home so he waited for her to 
finish up her work but she was trying to keep the house clean with two 
extra people in it. She was fanatical about cleaning while he just 
tossed things around for them to land wherever they landed. Maggie 
watched as Mulder placed an empty glass of tea down on the coffee 
table. She stood up and grabbed it up. "Oh, you don't have too...", he 
began, but Maggie was already heading for the kitchen.

"I'll handle it," Maggie smiled.

Charles motioned for Mulder to come closer."That's where Dana gets her 
compulsive cleaning from," Charles whispered. "There's no way she 
could sit and watch this movie with a dirty dish sitting there."

Mulder smirked, shaking his head. "Your sister would clean my 
apartment though she never said anything...I'd come back and it was 
clean. She got tired of by passing my mess..."

"My wife is like that too, maybe even worst. She cleans behind the 
cleaning lady," he laughed. "I told her and the Navy I'd be heading 
back tomorrow, now that mom is doing better."

"She'll be fine," he said, reassuring him. "But I have a feeling she 
won't stay long."

Charles chuckled. "No she won't, she would never want to be a burden. 
She'd go stir-crazy if she had to just around." They could hear the 
water turn on at the kitchen sink and Charles turned back to Mulder. 
"I guess we're watching this alone..."

Scully walked into the kitchen where Maggie had begun to wash dishes. 
"Mom...you don't have too.."

Maggie smiled to her. "Dana...I need to do this for me...I need to 
keep busy."

"Want me to help?", she asked.

"Sure, you dry," Maggie smiled.

Scully handed her a pair of kitchen gloves and she grabbed up the 
kitchen towel to dry. "I'm heading back home. I wanted you to know 
that."

Scully looked disappointed, "Mom, you can stay here."

Maggie nudged her daughter. "Dana, I have a life to get back too. 
Besides, you and Mulder need your privacy and you have your own lives. 
You have a full load at the hospital. You don't need me adding to it."

"But mom..."

"Dana, I made up my mind!", Maggie said firmly. "I'll ask Charles to 
drive me back tomorrow. I want you to know that I appreciated 
everything you did."

Scully was stunned. "Mom...do you think its a good ideal for you to 
live so far away from me? Maybe you should think about..."

"Dana," Maggie began. "I'm sorry to scare all of you, you and your 
brothers but I need to be on my own. Besides I have church committees 
to work on and Mrs. Marshall would miss me too. I promise you that I 
will take my medicine...and you have to promise me that you'll come 
visit more often."

"I promise...but are you sure?"

"I'm sure. I promise you, Dana, I will take better of myself. I won't 
worry you again."

Maggie turned to look at Mulder and Charles who were laughing and 
throwing popcorn at the t.v screen. "Those boys," she said, shaking 
her head.

Scully nodded. "I'm glad they get along."

"Now that Bill isn't here," Maggie said, eying her daughter. "Bill's 
heart is always in the right place, Dana. Don't ever forget that."

"Okay," she nodded.

"Will you help me fix dinner?"

Dana smiled. "I will. "



Maggie handed her a clean dish. "Good...Its been a long time since we 
cooked together, hasn't it. I'm just glad I'm here to still be able to 
cook again."

"I am too," Scully said, wrapping her arms around her mother's waist. 
"I am too."

"Plus, in just two weeks, you and Mulder will be staying with me for 
Christmas..."

"We wouldn't miss it," Scully smiled. "Mulder never celebrated 
Christmas but now he looks forward to it, particularly your eggnog," 
she said with a mischievous grin.

"Good," Maggie laughed. "I'm glad. Those boys are making a mess in 
there," she said, watching them continue to throw popcorn, though 
Mulder had resorted to sunflower seeds.

"I'll clean it up," Scully said walking toward the vacuum.

"I'll help you," Maggie said, following behind her. "Its good to keep 
busy."

Scully glanced over to her mother. "You need to rest, mom."

"Dana, I'm better. I don't want to feel useless...We're alike that 
way...so let me help."

"Alright, mom. Just don't overdo it." she said relenting. "I need you 
to rest periodically."

"Dana, don't expect me to waste away in a chair. I've got to keep 
busy, for me, honey. I think you understand that."

"I do...I do understand."

"Good," Maggie said, grabbing the vacuum out of her hands. Scully 
watched as her mother headed straight for the mess Mulder and Charles 
were making and began to suck up the popcorn and seeds right out of 
their hands. Scully couldn't help but laugh. It was exactly what she 
would've done.

The next day, Charles picked up a rental car and drove Maggie back to 
Baltimore and then he flew back to California, back to his wife and 
his Navy post. Scully busied herself around, stripping beds, washing 
linens and straightening up after the short family visit. After she 
had finished cleaning it was late at night and they lay awake in bed, 
staring up at the ceiling. He shifted towards her, "Scully...you miss 
them don't you."

"I do," she said, glancing at Mulder. "I know it wasn't the best 
circumstances because of mom's health scare but I feel a loss...now 
that they're gone."

"I know why..."

"Why?", she said, scooting closer and laying her head against his 
chest. "Why?"

"For a moment you had most of your family with you, Scully...they 
filled a void for the moment...a void that has been there for quite 
sometime and it wasn't until they were gone did you feel the 
after-effects."

"You mean William...William is the void..."

"Not just William though he's the main void but you're dad and your 
sister...Your mom and brothers are the connection to all of them."

Scully looked up at Mulder. "What about you, Mulder? How do you feel 
when you are around my family?"

"Actually I feel good around your family...even with Bill," he smiled. 
"Your family was more normal than mine, Scully. Your family cares and 
loves each other even if the only time you see one another is because 
of a health scare. My family was never like that, even before Samantha 
disappeared. With your family I get a glimpse of what a normal family 
is like."

"I feel so empty right now," she said, as Mulder played in her hair.

"Not even your mom or your brothers will fill William's void, Scully. 
And I'm working on finding him...but until then we need to be grateful 
your mother is healthy and it wasn't anything worst."

"Mom wants us up at her house for Christmas. She's gonna make her 
eggnog," she said, smoothing her hand over the prickly hairs of his 
twelve o'clock shadow.

"Ooh...goody, " he smiled. "Mostly Rum with a little nog, just the way 
I like it. I'll be drunk after the first sip."

She kissed his jawline. "Goodnight, Mulder.", she said, snuggling into 
him.

"Goodnight, Scully," he said, wrapping his arm around her waist and 
closed his eyes.

THE END

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