It had been a few days since Mulder officially returned, memory in tow. He felt out of place, staying at Scully's, and with his mind back to what it was, there was no reason for him to remain there. She could feel him distancing himself, unsure about how he fit into her life. Before he was taken, there had been several nights where they needed each other, for comfort, for the feeling of belonging. It never amounted to more than that, and they didn't speak about it. It deepened their connection with each other, though that was never addressed either. They just carried on, strengthening their partnership in unspoken ways. She scolded herself for feeling relieved when he had a clean slate, one that she could craft as she chose. She felt nervous, to ask what he wanted, given that his intentions were clear. He still checked in with her daily, stopped by when he wasn't galavanting around in search of what was done to him.

"Mulder."

"Hey, it's me. Are you busy today?"

"Well, given that I technically don't have a job because they're trying to find any reason to withhold me from returning, my schedule is unfortunately open." He scoffed. It wasn't his intention to sound ungrateful, bitter, he just felt so lost.

"We'll figure that out, you just need to be patient with it."

"Yeah, well that's not exactly my forte. Sorry, what did you need?"

"Nothing, I can tell it's not a good time. Just, call me later, if you get the chance." She said as she disconnected the call. She laughed to herself, who would have thought that the Mulder with no memory would be the easier of the two to handle.

He scolded himself, he knew he was being a fool, but he honestly didn't know what she expected of him. He was more than thrilled, nervous, but excited, about the baby. He hadn't directly outright said it, but the hints were clear. This transitional period was definitely an adjustment, for them both, and he wasn't handling it in the way that he had hoped. He grabbed his keys, running out the door to her apartment.

"What are you doing here?" She answered, perplexed by his presence. This was the first gesture he had really made as a form of apology.

"I came to grovel at your feet, and tell you I'm sorry I've been an idiot. I just, don't know where I belong here, Scully." He said as he plopped himself on her couch. She smiled, settling herself next to him. "I feel like so much has changed, and I just - I don't know."

"I suppose, there are several things we need to discuss." She said as she bowed her head, not expecting to have this conversation so soon.

"I just feel like the version of me with no memory fit better into your, family life, than I do." He said offhandedly, speaking his thoughts. Her head shot up at him, brow furrowing.

"Mulder, that's ridiculous."

"Is it? I woke up in your bed, Scully. You were cuddled up, sleeping on my chest as if we had been doing that for years."

"I'll admit, it was nice, to have you not overthinking everything. That probably had to do with the fact that you didn't know anything to overthink, but all the same, you just let things happen. Everything about your personality, and your heart, was you."

"So you're saying that if I just let things happen now, I could wake up in your bed again."

"If that's what you wanted, I wouldn't object to it." She said with confidence. He met her gaze, reading the truth in her eyes.

"Is that what, uh, what you want?" He asked cautiously, suddenly nervous to be entering this territory with her. He glanced at her stomach, the question bearing more weight than his words intended.

"I called you today, to see if you would want to go to my birthing class with me." She said in a small voice, afraid she was asking too much. The shocked expression bestowed upon his face was all the answer she needed to lose all faith. "I just - my mom is busy, and I just thought..."

"Do you want me to be there?"

"I want you to feel like you belong, here, with us." She said nonchalantly, not wanting to make him feel forced into a situation he wasn't ready for.

"Don't feel obligated to include me in your life, Scully." The bitterness in his voice adding an extra punch to his words.

"Mulder, wait, please." She pleaded, following as he stormed out of the apartment. The frustrated growl at this exasperating man wracking her entire body.

Later, Scully made her way to the class, partnerless. Her mind was anywhere other than proper breathing, and labor inducing techniques. Half way through the class, they asked that the birthing coaches situate themselves behind the women. Scully's heart sank slightly, the realization that she would be doing this alone officially settling in. She reached behind her to prop the pillows up comfortably, startling when a familiar hand covered hers.

"Sorry I'm late." A sheepish smile appearing on his face. Her lips began to curl upwards, heart swelling at the sight of him. She simply nodded as he situated himself behind her, resting his hands on her stomach.

She leaned back into him, turning slightly to see the look on his face. The awe and wonder, shining through those soft, hazel eyes she loved so much. It was this moment, that she truly felt like she knew what he wanted. His hands moved around her stomach, exploring with soft grazes of his fingertips. She leaned all the way back, glancing up to smile at him.

"Having fun?"

"Scully, this is amazing." The small whisper escaping his lips. She chuckled, her warm breath touching his neck as she exhaled. This sensation ran through him, almost as if he could feel that small breath flowing through his entire body. He finally turned to meet her eyes, mouth lingering just above hers. She glanced at his pouting lower lip, her mouth parting slightly. Just as he leaned in, the voice of the coach startled them both. He cleared his throat, her licking her lips distractedly.

They went to a late dinner after, both making casual conversation, feeling foolish even for them. Subtle glances between each other, silently looking over the menu. His sudden presence in her class caused a new flurry of questions for them both.

"Do you, uh, have any more classes?" He asked nonchalantly, breaking the temporary awkward silence.

"No, that was my last one. I'm due in a few weeks." She said in a small whisper.

"Doctor's appointments?"

"I have another ultrasound later this week, to get a full look at the baby."

"Are you going to find out what you're having?" And there it was. All of the doubt that had diminished in her mind when he showed up that evening, came rushing back, clouding every hope she had. In her mind, he had detached his claim from the child with that simple statement. Him showing up for her was out of guilt, a sense of obligation.

"I already know."

"Y - You already found out?"

"Yes. Several weeks ago. Do you want to know?" She asked cautiously.

She could see the question whirling around in his mind, wheels turning. There was confusion in his eyes, uncertainty on his face. He nodded slightly, biting the inside of his cheek.

"I don't think so." He said carefully.

He glanced up to see her face fall in disappointment, licking her lips nervously. He was confused, immediately replaying the entire conversation in his mind, knowing he must have said something wrong. He was being honest, on the surface level, not really delving into any real emotion. The deep sigh escaping his lips, knowing he needed to just lay it all out there. The diner they were sitting in wasn't exactly the perfect setting he was hoping for, but he didn't want to let this fester too long.

"I'm actually not that hungry, I think I'm going to just head home. Sorry to cut this short. I'll see you later." She said abruptly, too many emotions flushing through her mind. His head shot up to see the unshed tears brimming her eyes. He reached out to grab her hand, and she retracted quickly, as if he burned her with his touch. His heart sank as he watched her walk away from him.

It was only about an hour before he showed up at her apartment. He deemed that enough time to let her gather her thoughts and have time to think it over, just not too much time. He stood outside of her apartment, staring at the door, unable to knock. He exhaled deeply, raising his hand, stopping as it opened abruptly.

"I heard you walking up, were you planning to stand there all night?"

"I just, uh, can I come in?" He asked sheepishly. She nodded, waddling towards the couch, making herself comfortable. He sat gently beside her, on the complete opposite end of the couch, taking in his surroundings. He huffed out a small laugh, glancing down at her coffee table.

"I thought you said you weren't hungry." He said teasingly, pointing to the open carton of ice cream sitting before her, just a spoon inside.

"That doesn't count, it's become a necessity." She responded lightly, both avoiding the real issue. She knew there was a reason he was here, not ready to enter that discussion. "Mulder, I-"

"No, wait. I need to say some things, before I completely lose whatever confidence it is that I seem to have thought I had coming here." He exhaled deeply, mentally urging himself to continue. "Returning, has been an adventure, for us both. You probably more so, first having to deal with the memory loss and then the disappointment of me actually fully returning." He scoffed.

"There have been a lot of adjustments, trust me, I know. I guess I've been weary about how much you want me involved, what you expect from me. I know I didn't exactly handle this well, and I've been an idiot, but I want to be here for both of you."

"I - I appreciate that, but I don't want you to feel like you're obligated to be here. This wasn't exactly anything we've talked about."

"So, when you did IVF and asked me to be the donor, you weren't expecting me to stick around for that either?"

"That was my decision to have a child, and that's different. IVF was - the baby wasn't created from..."

"From some random lonely night?" He scoffed. Instantly wincing at his words. "I'm sorry."

"I know you're trying to do the right thing because you feel guilty, or responsible for this, but I don't want a commitment with no emotion. I want you to be there for the baby, if that's what you want. But if -"

He couldn't handle it, the emotions washing over him, losing all inhibitions. He snaked his hand behind her head, pulling her towards him, leaning down to capture her lips. It was rough, needy, almost as if she was his sole life source. He forced her lips open with his tongue, a hum of pleasure emitting from her throat as his tongue flickered against hers. Their lips glided together, breathing becoming shallow. He pulled back from her, still lingering above her face, smirking at the disheveled appearance. His hand remained in her hair, playing with the small wisps on the back of her neck.

"Scully, if you don't know how I feel about you, I've been a bigger idiot than I originally thought. I want this, all of this. I want to wake up like I did the other day, with you curled up on my side. I want to be around to corrupt the kid as much as possible." She huffed a small laugh, the tears escaping her eyes. He cradled her face in his hands, wiping the tears softly with his thumb.

"Y - You asked me what I'm having, not what we're having. I just thought -"

"I didn't know how much you were willing to give, ready to give me. I didn't want to force myself into your life, but trust me, I want to be here." He said again, leaning down to enclose his lips on hers. It was softer this time, just as much passion behind it. He could feel her nodding against his face, finally relaxing into their embrace.

"Do you, uh, want to stay over?" She asked in a small whisper, their foreheads touching.

"Only if you want me to."

"I do."

"Okay, but the ice cream doesn't make it in to the bedroom." He said pointedly. She narrowed her eyes at him, pouting.

"You can't just start making rules, Mulder. I'll kick you out." She said, crossing her arms in protest. He chuckled, picking up the ice cream and closing the lid on it. She began to argue against it, him kissing her again to keep her quiet.

"Come on, it's bed time. You said your doctor told you to rest." He said as he walked back in from the kitchen, holding out his hands to help her off the couch.

"I'm perfectly capable of getting off the couch by myself." She said in protest. She attempted to stand, falling back onto the cushions. She pouted in defeat, looking up at him with her big, blue eyes. He chuckled, reaching out his hands again, this time her accepting his help.

"Don't you dare laugh, no comments from you. This is your fault anyway." She mumbled as she waddled towards the bedroom. The full grin touching his lips, he loved this already.

The next few weeks had passed by uneventfully, at least by their standards. Mulder returned to work, only on desk duty. He spent almost every evening at Scully's apartment, abandoning his own. The transition in their relationship was enjoyed by the both of them, creating a closer connection. Scully's due date was approaching, putting them both on alert.

"What the hell are you doing?" He said as he rushed into the kitchen after returning home, seeing her standing on a chair attempting to reach something in the top cabinet.

"I'm just rearranging some things so I can make room for bottles on the lower shelf." She said nonchalantly, furrowing her brow at his panicked expression.

"Get down, I'll do it." He placed his hands on her waist, coaxing her down off the chair gently. She planted her feet on the floor, hands on her hips in a defensive stance.

"Mulder, I'm perfectly capable of rearranging kitchenware."

"Not standing on a chair. Let me do this, go rest, like you've been instructed to do, many times." He said as he nudged her out of the kitchen. She pouted at him, waddling into the living room, one hand resting on her back, the other on her protruding stomach.

He smiled at the sight, following her into the living room. As she plopped herself on the couch, he crept up behind her, cradling her head in his hands, leaning her head back to face him. He bent over to place an upside down kiss on her lips, catching her by surprise.

"Hi." He said in a small voice.

"Hi." The smile touching her lips in response.

"Scully, are all of these bottles going on the bottom shelf here?" He yelled from the kitchen.

"Yeah, just move whatever else to the upper shelves. Preferably the lesser used appliances on the top, so we don't have them in the way."

"Got it. What about these bottles with the weird things on top?"

"That would be a breast pump." She said with a long pause. "Those go there as well." She said in a breathy voice.

"Okay, anything else going on this shelf?"

"No that should be -" Another pause. "Ahhh - That's all for now."

"Scully, is everything okay?" He said as he walked in to sit next to her.

"Yeah, everything's just fine. How was work today?"

"Like it's been every other day, I don't know, it just doesn't hold the same excitement for me anymore."

"I know what you mean. I'm actually excited to make the transfer once I return." She said in a small voice. She inhaled deeply, trying to mask the wince she could feel forming on her face.

"So, how long have you been in labor?" He asked accusingly. She rolled her eyes, now regretting all those parenting books and magazines she forced him to read.

"I'm fine, Mulder. My contractions aren't even that strong right now. Besides, they're still about 5 minutes apart." She said stubbornly. He nodded wordlessly, making his way into the bedroom.

"Do you know where my tennis shoes are?" He yelled from the other room.

"I moved them into the closet, they were in my way."

He came back into the living room, seeing her eyes closed tightly, hand gripping onto the pillow beside her. She was breathing as she was taught, trying to ride out the contraction. He smiled, knowing this wasn't going to be easy.

"Come on, we're going for a drive." He said excitedly.

"You're taking me to the hospital." She pouted, eyebrow arching. He offered her his help to stand from the couch, her glaring at him in response. She rolled her eyes as she grasped on to his hands. She paused mid-movement, grip tightening as her breathing became shallow.

"I was taking you to get ice cream, but if you insist we go to the hospital, I won't object." He said lightly, chuckling at her judging stare.

He helped her out to the car, getting her situated in the front seat, placing the hospital ready bag in the backseat. There was no immediate rush for him to get to there, but he still felt the need to break a few traffic laws along the way, just in case.

They got her into a room, having called her mother already to let them know they were getting ready. Mulder was pacing the room, nervousness rising at the reality of the situation.

"Would you please sit still, you're making me anxious." She hissed. He smiled apologetically at her, resuming his seat in the chair beside the bed.

"Alright, let's take a look at the progress." The bubbly nurse said as she came bouncing into the room. "Everything looks good, clean water break, just over 9 cm dilated. I'd say it's almost about time. How close are the contractions?"

"Every 3 minutes or so." She said exhaling deeply, fighting through another one.

"Oh, that was a strong one. I'm going to update the doctor, we'll be back shortly." She said warmly, patting Scully's leg.

"Uh, when did your water break? I know I'm not an expert, but I don't think that's something I would have missed." He said accusingly.

"Right before you got home. I was in the kitchen, so it was easy to clean up." She said with a light shrug.

"You knew you were going into labor even before I got home?"

"Mulder, you're being overdramatic. I'm perfectly fine." She said exhaustedly.

"Alright, I'll let this go, for now." He said with a playful glare. "I, uh, wanted to talk to you about something else -" His words cut off by the grip tightening on his hand. "Maybe now's not the best time."

"No, just, talk. It'll be a good distraction."

"Okay...well, I've been thinking, that my apartment lease is almost up, and I'm at your apartment anyway most of the time. I just, with us moving forward the way we have been, I don't know." He was rambling. There was no easy way to just outright say that he wanted to be there with her every step of the way.

"Yes." She said in a breathy whisper, riding out another contraction, this one lasting longer. He caught her gaze, seeing the unspoken agreement in her eyes. He nodded, leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead.

"I found a straggler in the hallway, it sounds like we're ready to have a baby." The doctor said as she entered the room, Maggie following. She greeted her daughter, hugging Mulder as well.

"Is it really time?" Scully asked in disbelief, realization still not fully setting in. Part of her was in denial, nervous about the baby, the majority of her was excited, happy to have what she's always wanted, with Mulder.

"Looks like the baby is fully effaced, and you are just about ready to push." The doctor said with an elated smile.

Scully reached out for Mulder's hand, grasping onto it as if it was her only tether to life. He cradled the back of her head, leaning down to rest his forehead on hers. She sighed into the contact, both ready for this next step. She turned her head, burying her face into the crook of his neck, moaning as the next contraction hit. After she rode that one out, he turned to kiss her temple, mouth lingering above her ear.

"I love you." He said in a small whisper. Her grip tightening on his hand in response.

"Alright, Dana. Ready to push?"

She nodded, trying to control her breathing with the contractions. Maggie situated herself on the other side of the bed, eyes gleaming at how attentive Mulder was to her daughter's needs.

"Come on, Scully. You're the strongest person I know, you can do this, just one more push." He muttered the reassuring sentiments in her ear, seeing the clear exhaustion on her face. He kissed her sweaty temple, burying his face in the side of hers.

The room was silent, except for the fresh cries of newborn lungs. Scully's eyes brimming with tears, turning to see Mulder's own, wet with emotion. She smiled at the look of amazement bestowed on his face, already completely captivated by the tiny human wailing as the doctor did the check up.

"Go with them." She whispered, him glancing down with the goofy smile plastered on his face. He leaned in to kiss her firmly on the lips, nodding wordlessly.

He walked over to the tiny table they were examining the baby on, watching the long limbs flailing around in protest to being touched. Mulder laughed to himself, definite confirmation this was his child. The nurse wrapped up the small bundle, turning to see the mystified look on his face.

"Would you like to hold your son?" She asked with a warm smile. He nodded, accepting him in his arms. The baby cooed, settling himself into Mulder's embrace. He walked them both over to Scully, the sight of them causing a smile to spread across her face.

"Scully, we have a son."

"I know." She said, holding back the tears and emotions threatening to escape. "He's perfect."

"Yeah, that's because he luckily has your nose." She chuckled, reaching out to bop him slightly on his own nose with her finger. Most of the staff had already left them to have their own time, leaving the small family to get acquainted.

"Sorry, I'm being greedy." He said with a sheepish smile, handing the baby over to Scully. She smiled down at the small bundle in her arms, relishing in this moment. They both glanced at each other, emotions radiating through their eyes. He kissed her forehead, her sighing into the contact.

"I'll be right back." He said softly. She nodded, turning her attention to her mother.

He walked around the hospital, turning down random corridors, just needing a minute to compose his thoughts. A smile began to curve on his lips, an idea popping into his head.

"What trouble did you manage to find yourself in?" She asked sleepily as he entered the room again.

"Only the best kind, Scully. Where'd everyone go?" He asked as he took in the empty room.

"My mom went to call everyone we know, I'm sure. They took the baby to the nursery for a bit. What's behind your back?" She asked with genuine interest.

"I'm a man of my word." He said with a prideful grin, holding out the carton of ice cream to her. Her eyes gleamed at the sight, chuckling at his gesture.

"Good to know." She said with a sly smirk. He plopped himself on the chair next to her, exhaling deeply in exhaustion.

"I still can't believe it, you know. Just, everything that's happened. It still amazes me."

"I don't think I've said this enough, but I really am glad that you're here. God, I missed you, and I know I could have done this on my own, but I didn't want to. It pained me the most, to think that you would miss all of this." She began to say as she fought the tears in her eyes.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here, and I'm not going anywhere." He leaned in to capture her lips, her returning the sentiment firmly. He smiled, kissing her forehead before resuming in his seated position.

"Mulder..." She said in a small voice, stopping him mid-action. She smiled, grabbing onto his t-shirt to pull him back towards her mouth. Her lips lingering above his, seeing the questioning look in his eyes. "I love you, too." She whispered before embracing again. He sighed into her touch, cradling the back of her head, deepening their connection.

There was a lot that happened between them, in the time that Mulder returned, to the baby being born. They both knew that whatever was going to be thrown their way, was going to be handled together, as partners, in every sense of the word. Their new, little family was all that mattered now, new memories ready to be made.