A/N: Alright, I think I'm going to start up a multichapter fic again. I've been super unconfident about my writing lately but I thought I'd put this out here. I've been reading the few Emily stories here lately and I love them; the Emily storyline, though heartbreaking, was well done in my opinion. I myself like happy endings, though, so I decided to write an AU where Emily lived and Scully was able to adopt her :). Please let me know what you think and if I should continue.

The X-Files doesn't belong to me.

"Mama, Mulder's my daddy, right?" Emily asked. She was playing with her toys on the living room floor as Scully sat in a recliner, doing some work on her laptop as she kept an eye on her four year old.

The question left her hesitant. "Um...yes, he is."

"But the daddy always lives with the mommy, and Mulder only comes over sometimes," the little girl was looking at her mother now.

"Well, yes, that's true, but we're not married."

Her brows furrowed. "So how is he my daddy?"

Scully realized she had dug herself in a deep hole and rubbed her temples, about to continue when Emily interrupted. "At daycare, Collin's parents are dee-versed. Are you and Mulder dee-versed?"

"Divorced, baby. It's call divorced."

"What's that mean?"

"It happens when two people who are married don't get along, and don't love each other like they used to, so they decide to split up." she explained.

"Are you and Mulder divorced?"

Scully shook her head. "He is my best friend, that's it, Em."

Emily continued to frown. "You love him, right?"

Her mother chewed her lip. "Yes, I do."

"He loves you, too?"

"He loves me like you love your friends. You know your friend Violet at daycare?"

"Yeh."

"Do you love her?"

"Yeah."

"That's how Mulder loves me."

"Okay, mama." the girl continued to play with her toys. She had an assortment of cars and trucks to ponies and dolls. Though she had friends at daycare, she much preferred being alone, which worried Scully a bit. She wanted her daughter to have lots of friends, but she knew she couldn't force her child to do anything. She was lucky enough to even have a child, especially Emily. "Can I ask 'nother question?"

"Of course, baby."

"You don't love Mulder in a way that you wanna kiss and hug him, right?"

"Don't worry about it, Emily."

"I know. But I want Mulder to be my daddy for real. Why can't he live with us?"

Scully set down her laptop and brought her daughter into her lap, rocking back and forth. "Lots of reasons. Don't worry about this."

"I won't, mama." the little girl laid her head on her mother's shoulder.

"I love you," Scully kissed Emily's fair hair.

Soon, the girl and her mother were fast asleep.

Somehow, Emily always knew when Mulder was at the door. When he knocked, she perked up in her seat. When Scully opened the door for him Emily jumped out of her seat, abandoning her dinner and ran to hug him. Mulder laughed and picked her up. "Hi, Em."

"Am I coming home with you tonight?"

"I actually just came over to ask your mom if you could." he looked at Scully with hopeful eyes.

"She can if she finishes her dinner."

"Okay!" Emily tried to wriggle out of Mulder's arms. He chuckled again and sat her down. She ate her dinner with vigor.

"I'll get her overnight bag." Scully said. Mulder followed her to the nursery.

"It's still weird, your new apartment. I'm not used to it." Mulder had helped Scully get a new, two-bedroom apartment shortly after Emily came home with her. She still felt the need to pay him back for it, but he insisted that she didn't need to.

"Thank you for taking her," she said softly. "Don't give her too much candy. She's got the biggest sweet-tooth."

"I won't," he promised, though she knew he wouldn't keep it. It must have been evident in her face that she didn't believe him, because he added, "Really, I promise. I can't get her to sleep when she eats too much sugar."

Scully laughed. "She loves you so much, you know that? She asked last night if you were her dad."

Am I? Mulder wondered, but he was reluctant to ask. He simply smiled. "I'm always happy to take her."

Scully smiled. "Thank you, Mulder. I can't say it enough."

He embraced her, kissing her forehead. "Thank you, Scully." As they held each other, Scully thought about her daughter's words the previous night, about her loving him in the way a married woman loves her spouse. A part of her did ache to wake up next to him and to have him be Emily's real father. She knew their work and the very nature of their relationship made that impractical. As he let go of her, she folded Emily's pajamas and put them in her overnight bag, added a toothbrush and some clothes for the next day, and her favorite teddy bear, which she had named Sweetheart.

"Don't let her take too many toys," Scully added.

"She has some at my house anyway." Mulder replied.

"What's it like, when she comes over to your house?"

"Well, we usually watch a movie or something or I play or draw with her," he said, "And when she's sleepy I let her sleep in my bed, and I sleep on the couch." Emily had many stories about Mulder's water bed.

"I'm glad she's not so shy anymore." Scully mused. They heard Emily's tiny footsteps down the hall and Emily wrapped her arms around Mulder's legs.

"I finished dinner, can I go with Mulder now?"

"Yes, Em. He's ready to go, are you?" the girl nodded. Mulder picked her up and slung her bag over his shoulder.

"Okay, kiddo, let's go."

"Wait!" Emily exclaimed. "Let me give mama a kiss," she leaned over and kissed Scully's cheek. The moment was beautiful; Scully's smile made Mulder tear up a bit. He wanted to live a life like this. Him, Scully, and Emily—a family. He hoped he could one day bring the topic up to Scully, perhaps at a time when life wasn't so hectic, when they didn't have to drop Emily off at Maggie Scully's house when they went on a case.

They said goodbye to Scully and Mulder, bouncing Emily on his hip, made his way to his car, sticking her in the carseat. It was a funny thing, having a carseat permanently in his car. It made people think he had a kid. After his little conversation with Scully, he supposed Emily was his kid in a way.

He was so glad that Emily was more talkative, if a still a little introverted. When she first came into Scully's life, she barely talked for days on end, which worried Scully, though the child psychiatrists assured her it was normal, especially for her age. But as the months passed, Emily became more chatty and liked to ask questions.

"Mulder?"

"Uh-huh?"

"I didn't eat dessert so I could have dessert at your house, is that okay?"

He chuckled. "That's okay."

"'Cause mama's desserts aren't really good. Her ice cream doesn't taste like your ice cream."

"I think her ice cream tastes funny, too. But don't tell her, 'kay?"

Emily nodded. "Do you love mama, Mulder?"

"Yes," he said without hesitation. "Why?"

"Because last night she told me she loved you, but she loved you because you were her best friend. It was kinda confusing."

"We love each other in a special way, Em. It's not exactly like how a mom and dad love each other, but it's not like how you love your best friend. One day you'll understand."

The girl rested her head on the window. "I hope so."

When they got to Mulder's house, Emily changed into her pajamas and Mulder gave her some strawberry ice cream. She watched Toy Story while Mulder cleaned up a bit. "I have something for you, Em."

She simply looked up curiously. Mulder presented them with a gift Scully had gotten him at a giftshop from a hotel they had stopped at on a case. It was a stuffed alien. "Your mama gave this to me once, and I want you to have it."

Emily smiled and took the stuffed creature. "Thank you, Mulder." she hugged it close to her. "Now I have him and Sweetheart." she sat each stuffed toy on either side of her. They watched the movie together until Emily was visibly drowsy.

"Come on, it's time for bed." Mulder said, picking the girl up as her toys hung in her hands. She made a little whining noise in protest, but she was too tired to add anything to it. He tucked her into his water bed, making sure she was warm and comfortable, her stuffed animals close to her. "G'night, Emily." he said.

"Night night, Mulder." she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. "Thank you for Mr. Alien."

"You're welcome."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Mulder sat back down on the couch, so happy. Emily had never said that before, and he saw the way she looked at him; she looked at him like a daughter looks at her father. The phone rang, and he was snapped from his fatherly bliss. "Mulder."

"Mulder, it's me," Scully said, "Did Emily wanna say goodnight?"

"Just put her to bed, actually."

"Oh, okay. How was everything tonight?"

"She was very good. I gave her a little ice cream and she was pretty tired so I put her to bed."

Scully sighed. "No troubles?"

"Nope. She told me she loved me just before she went to sleep."

Scully's heart melted. "Oh. She's never said that to you before, has she?"

"No, never before. I knew, I just...it was incredible hearing it from her."

"She's always loved you, I think even if I did...find someone, it wouldn't be the same for her. They wouldn't be you."

The selfish part of Mulder really didn't want Scully to ever find someone else. "Do you think you'll ever find someone?"

"Mulder...I don't think so. Honestly, I can't imagine myself with anyone. I barely trust anyone but you, and you're my best friend in the world. And after everything with Emily...it'll always be you." she let him interpret it on his own.

"Oh, Scully," he breathed. He was so in love with her, dumbstruck by her words.

"It's getting late, Mulder, can I talk to you tomorrow?"

"That's fine. Goodnight, Scully."

"Goodnight, Mulder."

A click signaled that she had hung up. It was another night of sleeping on the couch, admitting to himself he wished Scully was sleeping next to him.

A/N: Thank you for reading. :) -Lulamae