#xfilesiwtb

[kyouryokusenshi]

A Light In The Darkness

Post-IWTB AU. Tied up in a snowstorm during Christmas Eve, Mulder and Scully end up receiving their Christmas Miracle.

Written for Dee @speechteacher for the belated Easter @xfilesfanficexchange organized by @gaycrouton. Dee expressed interest in a story about M&S depending on each other to survive in a bad weather scenario or family fluff including dad!Mulder. This is my attempt to capture both of these elements. A HUGE thanks to Jess @GirlieX29 and Monika @monikafilefan for their pregnancy/birth expertise and beta work and to Cate @rationalcashew for her expert grammar help and beta while dealing with strep. Y’all rock!!

The wind howls outside as the Unremarkable House is bathed in snow. The light emitted from their living room is the only one that permeates the darkness aside from the single strand of Christmas lights delicately wrapped around a small ornate Douglas-Fir Mulder managed to chop down nearby a few weeks back. “Mulder, we’re having a Christmas baby. We need something simple and low maintenance,” she had said. And so, for the first time in years, they got a Christmas tree.

Mulder and Scully nestle beside each other on the couch as they watch Caddyshack. Unphased by the tumultuous weather taking place outside, Scully's hand curls around the crest of her abdomen, her fingers gently soothing the kicking coming from the tiny miracle therein.

Mulder, however, looks ill at ease. He steals several glances outside at the sleet covered windows into the white blanket outside. Scully's due date was yesterday and should the baby decide to make her grand debut today, he doubts they would never make it out of here.

Sensing his unease, Scully clutches his hand with her free one. “It's okay, Mulder,” she offers reassuringly. “It's supposed to start clearing up by Friday. We just need to make it through the next few days.”

Mulder nodded, forcing himself to relax for Scully's sake. He was a free man again. He and Scully had been blessed with another miracle; A second chance; A fresh start.

“Scully, you're about to pop any second. How in the world can you be so calm about all this?”

Scully smirks. “Well, considering I gave birth in the middle of nowhere, without any electricity or plumbing, and with a questionable audience last time, this is a princess cruise. Besides, I'm a doctor, Mulder. If in the slightest chance this baby decides to make her grand debut, I can coach you just like I did Monica.”

“Well, you'll be disappointed to know I don't keep up with the latest whale song trends.”

Scully rolled her eyes and allowed herself to imagine it, just for a moment, before she laughed.

They sat there a moment, listening to the sound of the TV droning on in the background as winter continued its song and dance. Mulder reached out and placed his palm on the curve of her abdomen, desperate to feel the movement from within.

They had months to get accustomed to the idea of a second baby, but Mulder was in constant awe of his daughter, and of Scully and the changes in her body.

Scully places her hand over his and gently moves it until he feels the discernible movement coming from within.

Mulder's features light up in childlike wonder, the movements of the second miracle within never ceasing to amaze him. He pulls close to Scully as he gently rests his cheek against her belly.

“Just a few more days, little one…”

-----

The following day, both Scully and Mulder start to become restless. The snowfall has yet to let up and Mulder can’t even start on shoveling the snow. Mulder itches to get out to do his morning run, but aside from the issue of snowfall, the temperatures are absolutely frigid, so he resorts to the treadmill he managed to squeeze into his office. He isn’t one for going to the gym or utilizing it’s equipment, he was a nature boy at heart, but the machine came in handy when he was holed up and fearing the government.

Scully isn’t doing much better. She starts to complain of lower back pain as she wades her way through the living room as Mulder tens to the flames in their fireplace. He hands press into her lower back as she arches backward, causing her abdomen to simultaneously push forward and that’s when Mulder noticed it.

“The baby dropped more,” he deadpans, resulting in a raised eyebrow from Scully. He closes the distance between them, in awe of the miracle between them. Yet, underneath that awe laid anxiety and fear. As he places his hands on her belly, Scully looks down and that’s when she notices the added distance between her breasts and her abdomen that she hadn’t felt before.

“Don’t tell me Oprah taught you that,” Scully scoffs.

Mulder shakes his head. “More contemporary reading…' What To Expect …' cover to cover. You may as well title it, What To Expect...for Dummies “Whose Wives Are Doctors ,” he smirks.

Scully looks up at Mulder from their joined hands on her belly, the meaning not lost on her, but she says nothing. She looks thoughtful for a moment. “Well, I suppose you’re right. Actually, I’ve been so focused on my back pain that I hadn’t really noticed; but, now that you mention it, I am starting to feel the pressure building.”

Before Mulder could respond, Scully sucks in a pained breath and as she reaches out for him, he quickly steadies her.  “Scully...Scully?! What’s wrong is...is it the baby?”

If there was one thing his reading hadn’t taught him, it was that he was never going to be fully prepared for this. Scully had nearly bled to death when William was born. If something went wrong…

“Mulder,” Scully’s voice permeates his lucid thoughts. “It’s okay, it’s just Braxton Hicks. I’ve been having them for a while.”

Mulder doesn’t look convinced. “Are you sure...I’m not doubting you, but that one just seemed so...strong.”

Scully takes a deep breath as she stands. “I’ll know when it gets close. I’m a doctor, Mulder,” she finds herself spitting out before she could take the words back. Mulder stiffens, visibly hurt before she lets out a resigned sigh. “Sorry...I’m just tired, uncomfortable...hungry...did you get that $12 out of season watermelon I asked for the other day?”

Mulder forces a smile. “Of course I did, much to the cashier’s amusement. But when I told him my wife was pregnant, it all seemed to make sense.”

“ You’re a good man, she’s lucky to have you, ” the elderly gentleman mused. If only he knew.

“Why don’t you go lay down and I’ll cut that sucker right up?”

-----

Scully grows restless as the storm outside howls on, the blizzard causing their screen door to bang against the doorframe of the doorway with a thump thump as the overarching tree branches beat against their rooftop in unison.

Mulder is nearly fast asleep beside her when Scully lets out another pained gasp. He jolts into an upright position as Scully takes several breaths, her arm supporting the weight of her abdomen as she gingerly rubs her hand back and forth underneath in a soothing motion.

“Scully,” he starts, but the words die on his mouth as the lights flicker and the TV starts cutting out before bathing them in complete darkness, despite it only being three in the afternoon.

He tries to bite back the panic that manages to settle in the pit of his stomach as he continues.“Are they getting stronger, more frequent...should I call Doctor Lee?”

Scully shakes her head as she swings her legs over the side of the bed, clutching her abdomen. “No...not yet, Mulder. I mean, there’s no getting in or out of here right now. I mean, worse comes to worst, I can coach you. It’s been a few hours since the last one.”

Mulder, although unconvinced, nods hesitantly. “I’ll get some candles going.”

-------

Twenty minutes later, as another contraction grips her, Scully is finally convinced she's in the early stages of labor. As the ice pounds their mid-century unremarkable home, she realizes no one would be going or coming here anytime soon. Determined not to alarm Mulder, she reaches with one hand for the railing as she descends the stairs and holds her belly in the other.

In the distance, she can hear Mulder tending to the fireplace before she's seized by another contraction and she can't help but let out an audible gasp as warm fluid rushes between her legs, causing her to slip slightly. “Dammit!” Before she can react, Mulder has caught sight of her and rushes up to catch her before she can fall.

Scully squeezes her eyes shut and grits her teeth before she feels Mulder's hand on her back. “Breathe, Scully,” he soothes.

With one arm looped around him for support, she forces herself to take a deep breath as she feels him tuck a strand of her long strawberry hair behind her ear that managed to come loose from the lazy bun.

“That was definitely a contraction, wasn't it?” He says, more of an observation than a question.

Scully takes a slow breath. “Yeah, the early stages, but we’ve still got time, Mulder. I'm just glad I'm not giving birth in the middle of nowhere with no electricity and a strange audience of onlookers.”

Mulder smiles as he gently helps Scully to her feet. “Hate to break it to you, but we do live in the middle of nowhere in case you haven't noticed and our power is out.”

“You know what I mean,” Scully grumbles.

“I do,” Mulder says sympathetically. “Now let me get this cleaned up before one of us seriously hurts ourselves.”

Scully can't help but smile as she retreats back up the stairs to get into some more comfortable, loose clothing. He sounds like a father already.

-------

Scully returns to the stairs wearing an oversized New York Knicks shirt. The only light came from a mixture of fire burning and electric candles. She could hear Mulder on the phone with the doctor. Mulder's anxiousness was palpable. She'd done this before and she was a doctor, she knew what to expect and the process. She wanted Mulder to feel as involved as he could in the birth process since he wasn't around much for the first one.

“Mulder?” she calls out.

“Scully,” he says as he makes his way to the base of the stairs.

“Shouldn't you be...resting?”

Scully shakes her head as she eases her way down the stairs. “I need to walk,” she insisted.

“It'll help her head ease into the pelvic opening and be in the best position for the birth.” Mulder gave her a blank stare before she continued. “It'll help the birth progress.”

Mulder nods but is clearly uneasy. “Well, right now there's no way in or out. The backroads are closed off due to the storm. Most likely the roads won’t be plowed until tomorrow when it clears up.”

“No shit, Mulder,” she winces, grunting through another contraction.

“Have you been timing them?”

Scully nods. “About fifteen minutes now. We still have plenty of time, but we should get everything ready just in case. I have some medical supplies in the spare bedroom. We’ll need to get some towels and cold water when we’re close. But for now, we’ll need to get the pull out ready as well as some old sheets and blankets.”

Mulder concedes. He has faith in Scully and her belief that they can do this, but he can’t help but worry in case something might go wrong.

-----

Once they have the bed set up in the living room, they ready the medical supplies, towels, and swaddling. Scully stops momentarily to breathe through a contraction and Mulder is immediately at her side.

He hates seeing her in pain even though he knew it was only temporary until their second miracle made her way into the world.

Scully breathes slow, shallow breaths as sweat starts beading her forehead. One hand curls under the expanse of her belly as the other braces her weight on the arm of the sofa. Mulder took a moment to come up from behind her, placing his hand under her belly over her own in an attempt to help ease the weight from her hips.

Scully’s labored breathing softens as she leans into him, closing her eyes as she sighs, and allowing him to nuzzle the crook of her neck.

Mulder moves his free hand up along her belly as he gently rocks them back and forth in a languid motion. Scully gasps as his hand settles along her breast, his fingers gently teasing the buds that were undoubtedly peeking through the cotton t-shirt.

“Mmm, Mulder, you’re a tease. Especially now that my water has broken, you KNOW we can’t go that far.”

Mulder pulls back with a resigned sigh. “I know, I was just hoping to be a distraction.”

Scully rewards him with a small smile. “Well, we have time. I’m going to take a...shower before the water gets cold. It might be my last one until the baby comes.”

“Want company?”

“Always.”

------

Scully pulls her long strands of wet hair to the side as Mulder uses the loofah to lather up her back, watching as the stream rinsed away the suds, deep in thought. The only light illuminating the bathroom coming from the flickering candles outside the shower. The water was slowly, but surely growing cool due to the lack of power.

He is going to be a father...again. This is what they wanted. From the moment Scully told him she was pregnant, he couldn’t help but be excited by the changes in Scully’s body and savor every moment of this pregnancy with her.

As he moves the sponge around to the front of her abdomen, he feels the taut skin contract against his touch as Scully lets out another pained moan, using both hands to grab onto the railing of the shower. Mulder drops the sponge, now forgotten as he moves to support Scully’s weight.

“Mmmm,” Scully moans against him before taking several breaths. “Ten minutes,” she mumbles. As the seconds pass by and the contraction passes, Scully straightens as she turns into Mulder, startling slightly as her tummy brushes into his erection. Just the sight of her always causes him to stand at attention. Scully can’t help but feel for Mulder. Starting now, they would be on at least a six-week break from regular intercourse.

As the water continues to pour over them both, Scully looks up to meet Mulder’s gaze as she takes him into her hands, starting slow before picking up the pace in an effort to bring him to a much-needed release.

“Oh, Scully…” he murmured. “Is this...a...a good idea?”

Keeping his grip on Scully’s hips, he closes his eyes and throws his head back.

Scully slowly eases herself down onto her knees, relishing the feel of the weight shifting from her lower back.

In one fluid motion, Scully brings the tip of Mulder’s cock in contact with her lips and she takes a moment to tease the head with her teeth before her tongue works it’s magic, savoring the taste of him.

“Oooohhh,” Mulder moans.

Mulder stiffens. It doesn’t take long before he can feel his release building. Scully picks up the pace, quickly moving back and forth.

“Oh, God…Scully, where did you...ohhh!” He screams as he spills his seed inside Scully’s mouth.

She pulls back as she swallows, enjoying the milky taste of him.

It only takes a moment of euphoria before Mulder is grounded, realizing Scully is struggling to stand and he quickly moves to help her up. Her strawberry hair is fanned over her chest, slick against her wet skin. That’s when he notices a creamy sustenance pooling at her nipples as a result of her own excitement. He read that secretion of colostrum was normal during arousal late in pregnancy and after birth before the breast milk came in during the months of breastfeeding.

Scully watches him for a moment before following his gaze before emitting a small gasp as he moves his lips over her nipple. She closes her eyes and releases a moan of contentment. The moment is short lived as she feels another contraction building in her lower back before rippling across her abdomen.

“Oooh, God,” she winces, squeezing her eyes closed.

Mulder catches her before she’s able to slip and he realizes the contractions are getting closer together, fast. “I don’t think she’s going to wait much longer, let's get out of here before one of us slips and falls.”

Once Scully catches her breath, she mutters, “Relax, Mulder, she’s not going to drop into the shower.”

-----

They spend the next few hours walking around inside as much as the width of four walls would allow. The baby hasn’t even been born yet and Scully already feels cooped up inside their unremarkable home. Scully sits on the edge of the day bed in the living room, wearing nothing but an over-sized shirt. The fire and multitude of candles in the room being the only light illuminating the darkness. The snowfall has since ceased and the sun set hours ago.

Scully braces herself against the mattress, using her palms to support her weight against it as she takes several shallow breaths. She hears Mulder in the kitchen as she breathes through another contraction, suddenly fighting the urge to push.

“Oooooohhhh,” she cries out.

Mulder is there in an instant, placing a bucket of cold water at her side before he reaches out to her with a damp towel and gently presses it against her forehead.

“Four minutes,” she gasps. “I don’t think it will be long now, Mulder.”

He nods as he examines her worried features, helpless as he watches her in pain. Scully opens her eyes and seems to take notice. Taking the towel from him, she offers, “it’s all perfectly normal, Mulder...it’s just...I’d hoped we’d be in a hospital this time. I wanted doctors, nurses, electricity and dammit, the epidural,” she whimpers.

“Since when has anything gone as planned in our lives, Scully?” He offers a small smile.

Scully takes another breath as Mulder moves to situate himself behind her. He rubs her back as she sways just slightly.

“This isn’t exactly what I imagined when I said I wanted to get away from the darkness, Mulder,” she mutters.

Mulder chuckles slightly, doing his best not to let Scully be privy to how anxious he felt.

“And I remember telling you the darkness always finds you and I,” he says as he moves back to sit in front of her.

As her face contorts, he can tell another contraction is building, each one slowly bringing them closer and closer to their daughter.

“Oh, God...”

“Breathe,” he whispers. Scully does her best to fight the urge to push and, in a lame attempt to distract her, he places his hand on her abdomen.

“She’s our light in the darkness, Scully,” he whispers. “A guiding beacon. Tangible proof that we always seem to find our way back to each other.”

Scully looks back at Mulder, tears welling in her eyes unrelated to the pain. Their unspoken language telling him she believed the same thing.

The pressure in her cervix has her in doctor mode almost immediately. “Mulder, I’m feeling so much pressure.I feel like I need to push...I need you to check and see if she's close,” she says methodically. “Once I'm fully dilated, I can push,” she explains.

Mulder looks at her, his eyes wide.

“Mulder, I need you to see how far dilated I am,” she instructs as Mulder gives her a confused glance. He’s white as a sheet, in full panic mode.

He must have been like that for some time as Scully’s frustrated voice slices right through his thoughts. “Mulder!”

“Okay,” he says apprehensively.

“When I am fully dilated, it should be the width of about four fingers,” she explains.

Mulder nods as he moves to inspect her lower half. As he does so, Scully lets out another low, primal moan. The contractions are growing closer and closer together at an alarming rate and are growing much longer in duration.

He does his best to hide his panicked expression. Layers of sweat have already formed at his brow.

“You’re at about 3 fingers, Scully.”

Scully curls forward as she pants and between pained breaths, she moans. “Ooooooh!”

“This is happening fast, I thought we had time,” Mulder says frantically before he recalls something he read in one of the books. This was Scully's second pregnancy and it was common for labor to progress quicker with each delivery.

“She’s your baby, Mulder,” she pants out. “Determined. Persistent. Despite the cruel world that awaits.”

Mulder manages to smile. “Ah, but you taught me the world wasn’t such a bad place,” he mused.

Scully shakes her head as she continues to pant. “My mom,” she says suddenly. “Call my mom. I told her I’d let her know when the baby comes,” she breathes.

“But she’s in San Diego for the holiday, right? It’s late--.”

“She won’t mind,” Scully insists before her face scrunches up in preparation for another contraction. “Do it, now !”

“Okay, okay,” Mulder rushes to the landline, his cell phone battery having just enough juice left to pull up his contact list and dial Maggie’s cell phone number. As he looks outside, he hopes and prays that the roads would be paved soon so they could get their electrical back. He curses himself for not thinking to charge his cell ahead of time. But Scully did have hers…

“Hello?” the familiar voice of Margaret Scully sounds through the line, startling Mulder from his thoughts.

“Mrs. Scully,” Mulder blurts out.

“Fox? What’s going on, it’s the middle of the night...did...Dana had the baby, didn’t she?” the older Scully gushes.

“No...not yet,” he fumbles before he continues. “But it’s coming soon,” he explains.

He hears a pause on the other end of the line before Maggie continues. “You’re not calling me on your cell...Fox,” Mulder hears her worrying. “You’re at home. Have you called the ambulance?”

Mulder closes his eyes as he hears Scully cry out. “Yes...we’re, we’re okay. Since Sc...Dana has been through this before, she’s confident we can do this ourselves. The roads are closed due to the snow and the power is out. But, I just wanted to let you know.”

He hears an audible gasp on the other line and Mulder knows Scully’s mother could hear her. He can’t begin to imagine the worry that must be plaguing her features. He is terrified. She must sense this because she continues in a cool, resolved tone of voice.

“If there’s anything I’ve learned about my daughter in these past few years, it’s to trust her judgment,” Maggie says with firm resolve.

“Of course, always,” Mulder replies, hoping he sounds more confident than he feels at the moment. “It’s saved me a thousand times over.”

“Good. Now, go help deliver my grandchild, Fox. I’ll try and get a flight out tomorrow -- permitted there are no delays.”

“ Mulder !!” Mulder startles at the urgency in Scully’s voice.

“OK, safe travels,” Mulder hangs up the phone and rushes back into the living area. Scully has since removed her over-sized shirt and is covered by a single bed sheet from the chest down.

Scully looks up as Mulder is beside her instantly and before she could even say it, he knew.

“It’s time.”

He nods quickly as he places several pillows behind her for additional support. “Tell me, tell me what I need to do, Scully.”

Scully shakes her head violently as she breathes. “We have the towels and swaddling. We don't need that right away. I just need you to catch her. Once she’s out, I need you to clean out her mouth and nose so she can breathe, and put her on my chest so I can keep her warm and regulate her body temperature.”

Mulder nods. He remembers learning some swaddling techniques in Lamaze, though he never got to put the skills to use the first time. There would be a lot of “firsts”, he realizes.

“Catch...yes, of course, I can do that,” he fumbles over his words.

Scully’s face starts to contort as she sits up and spreads her legs wide. “Ooooh, I need to push.”

Mulder rushes to the end of the bed and pulls the sheets back. He gasps at the sight he was robbed of the first time. “Scully...I...I can see her head,” he gushes.

“Ahhhhhhhrgh,” Scully cries out through a contraction while moving to press her hands against her perineum, feeling the warm head of their baby bulging against her palm.

They continue this technique several times along with Mulder’s encouragement. As Mulder does his best to soothe and coach his wife through each push, through each contraction, he takes several calming breaths. The air in the room is thick, accompanied by the roaring flames from the fireplace and he was visibly sweating. Whether from panic or the heat of the room, he wasn’t sure which.

“Come on, Scully. You can do this, we can do this,” he says assuringly, partially to himself as well. “Her head is almost out, we’re almost there.”

After another push, Scully falls back into the pillows stacked behind her, releasing another labored breath. She closes her eyes for a moment to gather herself, but Dr. Scully is all business once again. “I need you to…” she breathes out in a huff. “...Make sure the cord isn’t around her neck,” the words come out in a strained whisper.

Mulder looks down at the head of hair being pushed into the world from the cocoon of her mother’s body. “Okay, I got this, Scully...push!”

As Scully bears down, the head slips out causing Mulder to gasp in complete awe. “Oh my God, Scully, her head is out. She’s almost here,” his voice cracks as he cradles it between his palms.

Scully leans back and takes several steadying breaths against the pillows. The long strands of strawberry hair pulled back into a ponytail have managed to break free, coming glued to her clammy skin.

“Breathe, Scully….you can do this. Each push is bringing you closer to meeting our daughter.”

Scully is crying at the weight of it all, the pain, the fear, the stress and of course the prospect of finally meeting the tiny person she’d carried these past nine months. Once she gathers enough courage, their daughter slips out after a few final pushes.

“We have a daughter,” Mulder gushes as the tiny baby slips into his hands. He glances at his watch. 6:31AM. A Christmas miracle.

Scully panics for a moment at the sound of silence, but it is short lived as a piercing cry breaks through the darkness of the living room. Their unremarkable house becomes remarkable with the miracle of new life.

Mulder’s throat is tight with emotion as he brings the tiny pink being up into his arms for Scully to see. Their eyes meet and suddenly, all three of them are crying as Mulder delivers their tiny miracle onto Scully’s chest. The baby reaches, almost instinctively towards Scully, tiny arms managing to cleave to her neck.

“Oh. My. God. Hi, you’re really here,” Scully’s says, her voice breaking. “Welcome to the world, my sweet girl.”

Scully holds her close as Mulder, ever so gently, towels the squalling being down. He tosses the soiled towels into a bucket and gathers another fresh one, gently placing it over the baby in attempt to help keep her warm. The tiny pink face contorts as she adjusts to the newness of everything around her.

Keeping his hand on the baby, Mulder moves beside Scully, resting his head against her as they observe this second miracle together and he is thankful for every moment. Scully sniffles as she places a gentle kiss to the baby’s head as she settles against her skin.

“She’s perfect, Scully,” Mulder whispers gently against his ear, moving a hand to gently stroke the soft tufts of dark hair on her tiny head. Scully bites her lip as more tears threaten to spill over.

“What are we gonna name her?” he asks, eliciting a sudden deja vu from Scully. She’s filled with a mix of emotions as she replays the memory in her head. They had had this before and not long after, Mulder had to run for his life. ‘ Please God, let us be able to keep her safe .’

“Scully,” Mulder’s voice pulls her back to the present.

She looks from Mulder down to the tiny baby on her chest. “Umm, well. I know we haven’t really be able to settle on anything and we agreed not to name her after anyone this time, but I was thinking about the name Holly. Holly Joy.”

Mulder’s eyes fill with tears as he looks down at their tiny daughter. “Holly. How about that, baby?”

Holly opens her mouth wide in response.

“I think she likes it,” Mulder says as he gently places a kiss to Scully’s temple. A sudden light fills the room, the sun making its descent into the sky. “Perfect for a Christmas baby.”

“Mulder,” she says, once again breaking through his reverie. “I need to deliver the placenta.” Once again, Mulder is white as a sheet and Scully can’t help but smile. “It’s okay, Mulder. Think of it as her life support system. We don’t need to cut the cord just yet, the longer we wait it’s actually better for her, but if I don’t deliver the placenta, I could hemorrhage.”

Mulder nods hurriedly as he awkwardly manages to get to work, his gaze alternating between Scully with the baby to the job at hand. Gently, he begins to palpitate her abdomen and it’s then he begins the feel the tremors from beneath.

He looks up at Scully who is whispering gently to the bundle on her chest and is reminded of the so brief a time when William was still with them when Scully had become a mother.  Time seemed to cease in these moments, reminding him of the fragility of life and everything important in it.

“Scully,” he felt himself whisper in a daze.

Scully slowly pulls her attention away from the small being who is now dozing at her chest.

“Ugh...these contractions,” he starts

“Completely normal, Mulder as the placenta expels itself.”

A few minutes later, with the placenta delivered and wrapped off to the side, Mulder moves beside Scully who know has the baby situated at her breast, the tiny mouth instinctively opens as she ever so gently helps her toward the nipple. She latches on and begins to suckle.

Mulder stares in awe and he catches Scully's gaze as she smiles back at him. A smile so wide, something he hasn't seen in years -- seven years, to be exact -- bringing him back to a similar moment in time.

With a tentative hand, Mulder touches the tint head and strokes the downy head.

Scully's face falls for just a moment, undoubtedly recalling the same memory.

“What is it, Scully?”

She stares down at their daughter, sucking contentedly.

“I just hope that wherever William is right now, that he's safe and loved.”

Mulder nods as he remembers his words. “I think our son left us both with an emptiness that can't be filled,” he explains. “But we have to be able to move forward, for her,” he nods towards the bundle in Scully's arms.“And, someday, when the time is right, hold onto the hope that we'll see him again.”

Scully nods as tears spill over her cheeks, her heart thudding in her chest as she experiences every possible emotion at once.

As the sun ascends into the sky, illuminating their living room, the once crackling fire simultaneously turned into crackling embers. The sound of tires against gravel is heard in the distance as Mulder heaves a heavy sigh of relief.

“Merry Christmas, Mulder,” Scully says.

Mulder turns towards her, contentment flooding through his chest at the sight of them both and leans forward as Scully presses her lips against his.

Their second miracle unlatches from Scully's breast and lets out a mewl between them.

Startled, they both pull away at the sound.

Mulder chuckles as Scully smiles and lifts the baby towards him. Taking the small bundle into his arms he starts to rock her gently, knowing the time they had just the three of them was coming closer and closer to an end.

“Hey there,” he croons. “I can’t wait to tell you about Sasquatch and Mothmen. I will drive you just as insane with my theories of genius.”

Scully snorts in response as she watches them both, her heart heavy in her chest.

The tiny baby wrinkles her face, closing her baby blues as she lets out a cry.

“See, she’s ready to attack my bulletproof theories of genius already.”

And although their son left both their hearts with an emptiness, those wounds were finally beginning to heal at the prospect of having again what was once taken from them. They were filled with a new purpose and hope at the chance for happiness and faith that their first child would one day find his way back to them.

END