It was cold for late March, but not so cold that the thin drizzle was snow instead of rain. Piles of slush still lined the streets and sidewalks in graying clumps, but the grass was beginning to take over the lawns again. Overhead the sky was a dark tumultuous gray that threatened to pour at any time.

Dana Scully and Fox Mulder walked hand-in-hand through the cemetery, their dress shoes clicking against the gravel road. Their son, William, held his Mother's free hand, and Mulder held their daughter, now called Katherine, in one arm. Katey's hair was cut in a short pixie cut, a result of her medical treatments, but Will's hair had grown out quite a bit from the crew cut he had been given by Henri. Both children now had auburn hair, William's darker and Katey's more strawberry blonde. They had attended mass as they had been doing every Sunday for the past couple months, and had stopped to visit the graves of Scully's Father, sister Melissa, and daughter Emily. Now they were walking over to visit the graves of Gloria and Dan Van De Kamp.

It had been some of the most difficult, but also best because they were together, three months of their lives. It was hard to believe that it had only been three months since they found and rescued the children from the cabin in the French Alps. William and Katherine had both suffered intense nightmares from their ordeals, as had Mulder and Scully both. Will had difficulty adjusting to life without his abilities. He had been living with them since he was two, as well as during his infancy, and they had become the center-point of his life for most of the last year. More difficult to deal with, for all of them, was Katey's health.

Mulder and Scully had followed Senator St. Charles advice, and changed Amy's name from Amy Simone St. Charles to Katherine Teena Mulder. They also immediately sought out an experimental geneticist to check her over, finally settling on a Doctor Elliot Scheidler, a former experimental geneticist who had previously worked for the government, but who had taken to promoting 'conspiracy theories' involving both the government and alien life forms in recent years, leading to him losing his job and any credit he had as a scientist. At first skeptical, Dr. Scheidler had eventually agreed to examine Katey and study her genetic profile.

The results of this had been staggering. Essentially, Katey had a half human genome, mostly consisting of Samantha St. Charles' DNA with very little of Henri's included, and half an alien genome. The alien genome was more 'aggressive' in Dr. Scheidler's words, and was attempting to overtake and suppress Katey's human DNA. Without immediate and maintained genetic therapy, consisting of DNA transfusions, from an unrelated human to reduce the chances of Katey contracting a recessive genetic ailment, as well as chemical gene suppression therapy, Katey's genes would continue to degrade and breakdown until she suffered a death not dissimilar to that of Emily Sim, no later than the age of five or six. However, the treatment would be both painful and grueling as well as dangerous, and there was no guarantee that it would be successful, nor how successful it would be if it worked on Katey at all.

Ultimately, Mulder and Scully decided to go ahead with the genetic therapy, filling in the holes in Katey's DNA with Scully's, a process that would ultimately leave Katey biologically related to both Mulder and Scully. The process was also draining on the toddler, and left her with symptoms similar to those suffered by cancer patients treated with chemotherapy and radiation. Katey lost her hair and a lot of weight. She suffered with alternating lethargy and insomnia, nausea, vomiting, nosebleeds, and seizures.

Scully felt overwhelmed. She had been working with extremely ill children for years, and though she was extremely invested in her work and her patients, she was learning now how different it was when your own child was sick. She already loved the little girl, and she was terrified that she and Mulder had made the wrong decision and condemned the child to a painful and drawn-out death. There was also the fact that Katey needed 24/7 medical care and monitoring. Even when Scully worked 16 hour shifts at work, she still got breaks. With Katey, there were no breaks. Like most little ones, Katey wanted her Mother with her at all times, even when Mulder tried to take a turn to take some of the load off of Scully. In Katey's situation, this was exacerbated by having lost Samantha only a few weeks earlier.

Things were touch and go for more than two months, but by the beginning of March Katey's symptoms had begun to improve. Her hair began to come back in, a pale shade of auburn now and straight instead of curly and dark. Her nausea and nosebleeds began to fade first, and now even her seizures had begun to lessen in both intensity and occurrence.

An appointment with Dr. Scheidler on March 11th confirmed their suspicions; Katey's treatment had been effective. She now had a full human genome, with her alien DNA being suppressed by the chemical gene suppression therapy she had been given. Dr. Scheidler warned that they were not out of the woods, that Katey would need constant monitoring, and a full examination every six weeks. She could spontaneously develop symptoms of a myriad of disorders, especially genetic and autoimmune based illnesses, and the alien DNA in her genome could begin to randomly re-express itself at any time without warning. Katey was still weak and thin, but she was getting healthier every day, and that was all Mulder and Scully could ask for her. Scully was still in awe of it. She had convinced herself that the treatment would fail, and she would lose another child like she had Emily. She was still waiting for the sky to fall on them, on her and Mulder and their happy little family. But somehow, this time, it wasn't.

Mulder stopped at the edge of the grass with Katey while Scully walked with William to a modest headstone several rows in from the street. She stood back and watched as William stepped forward and placed a small bouquet of flowers in front of the stone. The little boy fussily adjusted the flowers, than stepped back slightly and bowed his head, hands clasped in front of him, eyes closed. A chilly wind blew his hair off his forehead.

As Scully watched her son, her heart broke for him. They had visited the Van De Kamp's grave several times, and each time William would become quiet and reserved for a few days after, but he never wanted to talk. She knew he was having a hard time coping with their loss, and that he was deeply worried about Katey's health. Unsurprisingly, he had become a rather anxious child, and she hated to see him be anything but happy and carefree. He was only six.

Scully walked over to stand by his side but he didn't notice. "Will." she said gently, placing a hand on his shoulder. William jumped and gasped, turning around, eyes wide with surprise. Scully smiled at him. "I'm sorry Honey, I didn't mean to scare you." She knelt down carefully, not easy to do in the dress she was wearing. "You okay, Will?"

William nodded stoically, head up, not meeting her eye. Slowly his head dropped and he looked at his Mother. Sadness swam in his hazel eyes. "I miss them, Mommy. I love you, and Daddy, and Katey, and Mom-Mom, and everybody. I love everybody, a lot, and I like living with you and Daddy and Katey." William hesitated, looking away again for a moment. "But I still miss them, Mommy. I miss them so much. I'm sorry..." William's head drooped.

Scully wrapped her arms around her son. "There's nothing to be sorry about, Will. You'll always miss them Sweetheart. Just because you miss them doesn't mean you don't love me and Daddy, and just because you love me and Daddy doesn't mean you love or miss them less." Scully released her son and smiled at him. "Remember William, the more love to go around the better. It's not a competition."

William returned the smile. "Do you think they're in Heaven, Mommy? Do they watch over me?"

Scully smiled at him again. "Yes, Honey, I believe they do." Scully stood up and took William's hand, and together they walked back towards Mulder and Katey. Above them, the sun began to peek through the clouds.

Later that night, the children both asleep, Mulder and Scully sat at the kitchen table drinking chamomile tea. Sundays had become Family Day. After attending mass and visiting the cemetery they had met with Scully's Mother for breakfast at a local diner, in the afternoon they had gone to the Doggett's for a play-date, and after dinner they had played some board games together, including Hi-ho Cherrio and Candy Land. Now they were unwinding, enjoying one another's company and relaxing. Gradually talk turned back to the kids and Katey's miraculous recovery.

"You know, I've been thinking about something, since we started going to Church every week." Mulder said slowly.

"Hm?" Scully asked, raising her eyes to look at him as she sipped her tea. "What about, Mulder?"

"Well, souls, actually." he answered. Not exactly religious, Mulder was open-minded enough to be curious, and he had certainly prayed enough over the years. When Samantha disappeared, when Scully was abducted and when she had her cancer, when they were looking for William… He still thought it was more likely that aliens inhabited the heavens, but he was not a non-believer. "How do you think that would work with Will, and Katey, with the way they were conceived, and their make-up?"

Scully was quiet for a moment, deep in thought. It wasn't something she had really considered. Finally she looked up at him. "Honestly, Mulder, I don't think it matters. I think, if a being exists, God must have meant for them to, be they hybrid, clone, or otherwise."

Mulder nodded. "How does it work for clones, do you think?"

Scully smiled and took his hand. "I don't know, Mulder. I don't even know if what I think is right or wrong. It just, feels right, to me, I guess." She knew that wasn't good enough, so she continued. "I guess each clone could have their own soul, or maybe all clones share pieces of the original person's soul. Maybe it depends on the circumstances. It's a mystery, Mulder. And it's faith."

Mulder smiled at her and squeezed her hand gently, than brought it to his lips and kissed the back of it gently. "You're right, it is faith. And I want to believe."

A tall boy with shaggy blonde hair exited the jet liner, a navy blue backpack slung over one shoulder. He was thin but well-muscled. He looked around, making sure no one was following him, before slipping over to the public phones. It took three different booths before he found one that worked. He dialed the number from memory. He listened to the other end of the line carefully, nodding to himself, constantly surveying his surroundings for anyone to be watching him. He did not speak until the end of the call, when he said "Yes, Sir." in a heavy French accent.

A short time later an unmarked black car pulled into the pick up lane at the airport. A billow of smoke wafted out as the blonde haired boy opened the backdoor and climbed in. The car was roomier on the inside, with two sets of seats facing one another. A mini-fridge was set into the center of one bench of seats.

The Cigarette-Smoking Man smiled at the boy. "Your flight went well, Victor?" he asked, and the blonde boy nodded. "Your disguise is impressive, considering the constraints on your time and finances."

Victor gave the cancer man a rare smile. "Thank you, Sir."

The old man was silent for a moment, his face once again serious. "I was very sorry to hear about the loss of Henri. He was a good soldier. Steps are being taken to prevent a betrayal such as that from happening again."

Victor nodded. "We would have gotten them, if the Senator hadn't shown up with his men." Victor's eyes burned furiously. "We had them cornered..."

The cancer man watched him intently, a peculiar smile on his face. "You'll get your chance again, Victor. For now, I have found room for you in another home. Your training will continue, and I will continue to monitor the, situation, with William. You must be patient, but your patience will be rewarded, I promise you."

Victor sat back, smiling with satisfaction. "I have all the patience in the world."

The Mulder-Scully household was full of activity. Anyone in the neighborhood, anyone who had lived there the last couple months could have told you it was typical. There was a feeling of happiness that pervaded the house, and the happy laughter of children could often be heard coming from the yard or floating out of open windows.

It was the last day of May, a Saturday, and Mulder and Scully were hosting a belated Memorial Day cookout. Scully's nephew Matthew was playing basketball in the driveway with William and Mulder, while her niece Bridget, Katey, and Julie Doggett were playing on the wooden playground set Mulder had spent the spring building for William and Katey. John Doggett was handling the grilling, and Walter Skinner was having an intense conversation with Scully's brother Charlie and his two adult sons from his previous marriage, Peter and Charlie Jr., concerning an upcoming baseball game.

In the kitchen Scully was getting together the food that didn't require grilling. Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, Cole Slaw, Pasta Salad, a fresh fruit salad, condiments. From the amount of food they had, you would have thought there would be twice as many guests as they were actually having. Monica Doggett, Scully's Mother Margaret, Charlie Sr.'s wife Christine, Charlie Jr.'s fiance Allison Walker, and Skinner's wife Sharon. Sharon and Margaret were getting along swimmingly, and helping to keep the three babies occupied. Charlie Jr's two year old son Charlie the third, Charlie Sr. and Chris's 18 month old son Zachary, and Monica and John's three month old son, Jay.

Dana joined in the general laughter as Allison told them about Little Charlie's latest antics. She found that she laughed much more often these days, more than she ever had. Monica caught her eye and gave her a smile. She stepped beside her, the other women passing baby Jay back and forth, delighting in the pleasant-tempered infant.

"This is a wonderful party, Dana. I can't remember the last time I had such a good time somewhere, with such pleasant company." Monica said, taking over helping cut veggies for the pasta salad.

Dana returned the smile. "Thank you, Monica. It really has been a good time. It's nice to just enjoy the company of good friends and family." The front door banging open interrupted the conversation and Scully looked up as three little girls ran into the house yelling.

"Mommy mommy mommy!" Katey called, running over and throwing her arms around Scully. "When's dinner I'm starving?"

Scully laughed and picked her up. "You're starving? You just ate a banana, carrot sticks, some cheese, and three cookies two hours ago! Where do you put it? Is it falling out of that hole in your leg?" she asked, tickling the little girl.

Katey giggled. "It goes in my tummy!"

Scully laughed with her daughter. "We'll be eating soon, silly goose. Go play outside with Bridget and Julie for a little bit longer." Bridget was sitting on Margaret's lap and Julie had scaled Monica with ease. "We want to help with the food, Aunt Dana." Bridget said. Chris smiled and ran her hands through her daughter's hair. "There's already too many people helping with the food Bridgie; go have some fun with your friends. Go see what the boys are up to."

Whining, the three little girls left the kitchen. Dana looked at Chris and smiled, trying not to laugh at the girls. "Matt's going to get you back for that Chris."

Chris laughed. "Oh, don't I know it. But he'll forgive me eventually."

Outside, Mulder and Matt were teaching William how to do a running layup. The little boy, now seven years old, was catching on quickly.

"Like this, Daddy?" he asked, running up to the net and tossing the ball up as he ran past. The ball hit the backboard and bounced onto the rim, wavered, and than fell off the edge.

"You're getting it Will, you're getting really good at it." Mulder told him, smiling with clear pride in his son's skills. William was a natural, and he was envisioning going to watch his son play games for his high school team someday. Mulder had played ball in high school himself, and had always had an affinity and love for the game. "Let Matt show you again."

Matthew caught the ball as William tossed it to him and gave an almost perfect example of a running layup. "Nice Matt!" Mulder told him, giving him a high five.

"Thanks Uncle Fox!" Matt said, practically glowing. His own Father rarely had time to do things like play basket ball with him, and he was relishing the attention. He turned to his cousin. "Maybe someday we'll play basketball on the same team, Will."

William grinned broadly. He practically worshiped his older cousin. "That would be AWESOME!"

Before long Doggett was calling the kids over. Steak, chicken, hot dogs, burgers, grilled veggies, and various sides and salads covered several long picnic tables pushed together. Laughter and various conversations echoed up and down the table. The day was beautiful, sunny, 76 degrees, and the sky a shade of blue that was deep and dark and clear. A gentle breeze swept across the table, not enough to make a mess, but enough to ruffle the napkins.

No one spoke of the syndicate, of hybrids or clones or cigarette smoking men. Though many of the people present knew that the cigarette smoking man was still out there, it wasn't a shadow hanging over them. The unspoken agreement was that they would live their lives, and deal with the darkness when it showed itself again in time. Until then, they would live in the light.

The End

It's been a long time in coming, over six years! Thank you SO much to those who have stuck with it from the beginning, and to everyone who has taken the time to read this story. It means the world to me, more than I could ever express. I've enjoyed writing it, and hopefully grown somewhat as a writer since beginning it. Keep watching for a sequel as well as little short stories, because I really enjoy writing in this particular AU I've created. Thank you again :)