Mulder had returned from his trip to New York, Scully and him feeling more secure in their relationship. Once he wrapped up the case, she felt confident that he was in the right state of mind again. Holly was more than thrilled to have them both back, missing her parents.

"So I was thinking that this weekend we would start moving things into the new house." Mulder said offhandedly as they were getting ready for work. He had practically moved into her apartment already, his bachelor pad long forgotten.

"You're actually letting me see the place in which I'm being kidnapped to?" She teased. They had been so busy during and after the holidays, they hadn't found the time to check it out in person.

"Are you implying that I'm taking you against your will? Because I'm pretty sure 'god, yes, Mulder' was clear indication that you are very much consenting in this relationship." Her eyes widened, playfully swatting his chest.

"Shut up, Mulder. It was the pregnancy hormones talking." A smirk appearing on her lips as she finished putting on her subtle makeup.

"Ouch, way to boost the ego, Scully." He mock glared at her. They both loved how easy it was between them, almost childlike.

"I'm sure Holly will be ecstatic with the idea, she's been talking nonstop about how she's going to decorate her new room." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"We can shop around, too. She can pick out stuff she likes."

"You're spoiling her, Mulder."

"I spoil you, too...just in very different ways." He said in a smooth voice, coming to stand behind her, planting a kiss on her neck. His lips on her skin sent a shiver of remembrance through her body. He was definitely doing very crafty things with his tongue last night, he had a valid argument. She whimpered as his tongue began to flicker against the sensitive spot below her ear.

"Touche." Was all she managed to get out, attempting to compose herself to mask her instant arousal. He smiled against her, he knew she was trying to act uninterested.

"I should head out, I have a meeting first thing this morning. It's not for a couple of hours, but somehow I always manage to show up late." He groaned. They still took separate cars to work, no one knowing about their relationship just yet. Other agents definitely noticed the shiny piece of jewelry on Dr. Scully's ring finger, but she wasn't the most personable person, so no one really asked.

"You do? So do I. Who's yours with?"

"Agent Stewart, a new case I think."

"Well, I guess I'll see you at work then." She said mysteriously, stepping away from him to finish changing. He narrowed his eyes at her, kissing her on the cheek and making his exit.

She drove Holly to school, stopping to get a coffee for herself and for him. She had been called in to work the same case apparently, that little known fact going unknown by him. When she entered the conference room, she saw that it was 5 minutes until the meeting, and he still wasn't there. She rolled her eyes, masking the smirk slowly appearing on her face. When he came running in to the briefing, he noticed the familiar head of red hair, smiling and shaking his head to himself. This was the first real case they would be working on together since they've taken so many drastic steps in their relationship.

"You could have enlightened me that we would be working the same case." He whispered into her ear, sitting in the open seat beside her. He didn't know if she intentionally saved it for him, but the amusement of thinking she did caused him to smile. There were a lot more agents than usual, it must be a big case.

"What's the fun in that? You should be nice to me though, I brought you coffee." She slid the cup to him as he noticed the matching one in her hand.

"Should you be drinking coffee?" He asked a little louder than he intended. Her eyebrow shot up, the cup stopping at her lips.

"It's decaf." Was all she said as she shifted her body more away from him, facing the front of the room. There was no need for further conversation, and they already had the unwanted attention of a few eavesdroppers. He let out a deep sigh, this was going to be more challenging than he thought.

As they listened to the details of the case, Mulder's nerves were getting the better of him. All he had to hear was 'hostage situation,' 'high risk robbery,' and 'sending in the team,' for him to immediately worry about Scully. He didn't know why they needed her on the case, from surface level, it wasn't necessary. He was hoping she was just here as a formality, on standby in case the body count began to rise.

"Dr. Scully, we'll ask that you go in to administer any necessary medical attention to those injured. We've received several reports that a few injuries have already been sustained." She nodded in understanding. It wasn't exactly her area of expertise, but she was the closest medically trained agent they had. Mulder began to fidget, knowing she had to walk straight into the line of fire. She turned slightly to face him, narrowing her eyes at him to stop. She knew what his apprehensions were, but she needed to focus on the case at hand.

When they were dismissed, he followed her out of the office, close enough for his comfort, but far enough away that it wouldn't rise too much suspicion. Before they met up with the team downstairs, he pulled her into an empty hallway, standing in front of her, their faces only inches apart.

"I don't want you out there, Scully." He was being sincere, but he was hovering and that annoyed her.

"Mulder, I'm perfectly capable of bandaging up a few wounds."

"It's not your ability that I'm questioning, but you're -" He exhaled deeply, she understood without words needed.

"I won't do anything too risky, I promise." She reached up to cradle his face with her soft hand, him instantly relaxing into the embrace.

"I'm going in with you then."

"No, he could kill you for even trying. You heard them, no one is going in other than medical personnel. We don't want to trigger anything."

"You're not going in alone." He was persistent, and this is what she was afraid of with working together. She knew it was just in his nature, but it opposed to her independence that she heavily relied on.

"That's not exactly for you to decide." She huffed as she stepped away from his closeness to meet with the other agents. He knew he was being controlling and overbearing but he couldn't help it. He cared too much to let anything happen to her.

As they made their way to the hostage site in the van, she chose to sit on the opposite end from him, already creating a distance. She situated the vest on herself, while he disappeared to talk to the agent in charge. She would kill him if he so much as uttered a word about her being pregnant. When he returned to her side, he had a defeated look on his face.

"It's just you going in for now." His voice was showing all the emotions rushing through him, and if they weren't standing in the middle of about 20 other agents, she would have kissed him. She would have cradled his face and assured him that she was going to be just fine, that this was too important to her to risk.

"I'll be careful."

"I know." He twitched towards her, as if he was going to kiss her, suddenly realizing his surroundings. He let out a heavy sigh, and nodded in resignation. They were definitely going to need to make some changes when they were done with this.

He watched her be escorted to the main door where the suspect was standing behind one of the hostages. He motioned for the other agents to stop, leaving Scully to approach alone. Mulder was going out of his mind crazy, he hated this. It was when she fully disappeared inside that he ran to the surveillance van, refusing to leave.

"I'm Dr. Scully, they were told some people in here might need some help." She said carefully. They didn't have eyes on her, but they could hear her. The blindness of the entire operation was killing Mulder.

"Yeah, uh, over there. She's been crying and she won't shut up." The suspect growled. His name was Steven, that much she had already known.

"Hi, can you tell me what's wrong?" She approached the younger girl, mid-twenties. The sheer look of fear emitting from her eyes. Her skin was pale, clammy.

"I just don't feel good. I don't have my insulin with me." Scully nodded in understanding.

"She needs medicine. I can't do anything for her from here, we need to take her outside to get help."

"No, she stays. No one leaves, not even you. You're in here now, and if they want you back, they're going to have to kill me first." Scully's eyes widened, this wasn't what they expected. He was too off the hinges, more than they anticipated.

That was all Mulder needed to hear to run out of the van and straight towards the building. He ignored the calls of his name behind him, only stopping when he was physically restrained. Agent Stewart gave him a warning look, already guessing what was driving him to this idiocy.

"Agent Mulder, you need to stand down."

"This wasn't the plan. She was supposed to be in and out." He growled through gritted teeth. He was anxious, knowing he should have never let her agree to this assignment. He also knew it would have been a waste of an argument because she was going to do whatever the hell she wanted.

"Sending you in isn't going to help the situation either."

"It could…" His voice already drifting off in thought. "Send me in, maybe I can get through to him. You know there's no one better for that than me." He urged desperately. Agent Stewart could see the panicked look in his eyes, but knowing he was right.

"Alright, we're going to find a way to get you in there without setting him off. Let's get back to the van." He urged him away from stupidly running into the situation.

Mulder figured that offering to bring food would be their best option, persisting that they could bring in more things like medicine, and leading him to accepting them to bring in insulin for the sick woman inside. It worked like a charm, and he had approval from the suspect to enter. The thought occurred to him that with both of them working this case, Holly would have no idea what was going on. Maggie was set to pick her up from school, so he didn't have to worry about her there, but he wanted to reassure her that everything was going to be fine. He almost laughed to himself, a few months ago he would have just ran inside, no forethought for anyone else.

He called the school, asking to speak to her. The worry in her voice from getting a phone call mid-day was apparent, and he winced for making her anxious about a situation she had no clue about.

"Hey, I was just calling to let you know that your mom and I are working on a case together, and it might be a late night."

"Oh okay, is something else wrong?" She asked skeptically. He should have known, she was Scully in every way.

"No, it's just taking a lot out of us. I, uh, don't have much time to talk and I still need to call your grandma and let her know, but I just wanted to call and -" He paused, knowing his next words would tip her off as to things being not fine at all. "Just wanted to say I love you, we both do."

"What aren't you telling me?"

"Nothing, I'll tell you all about it later, I promise."

"Fine." She had her mother's stubbornness, too. "I love you, too...dad."

He almost lost it at the mention of her calling him that. She had asked, but since then there was never a time she had called him that directly. He had too much to lose to let this bastard win.

When he approached the main door with a box of food and a medical bag, Scully's eyes widened at the sight of him. He was ushered inside by the suspect, nearly throwing him to the ground. She walked over to his side, reaching for the medical bag and leaning in close enough so that only he could hear her.

"Are you crazy? What the hell are you doing in here?" She hissed. Her nerves were getting the better of her and seeing him in here with her was too much for her pregnancy hormones to handle.

"I told you I wasn't letting you come in here alone. Besides, I'm the best person to get into his head, we all know that." He said as he met her eyes. She let out a heavy sigh, nodding in resignation as he began to hand out snacks and she attended to the sickly woman.

The suspect was getting antsy, fidgeting and pacing. Mulder was watching his every move, trying to figure him out. He knew this plan of his was ill thought out, and just needed to find his motive for coming in here.

"Are you hungry?" Mulder asked him soothingly, handing him a wrapped sandwich. He eyed it, nodding silently. He looked young, scared. No ring on his finger, which meant there was another motive other than a woman.

"You can't leave either. Whoever is in, stays in." His voice was calmer, not as urgent as it had been when he was yelling at Scully.

"Okay...do you know how long we'll be here? There's a baseball game on that I was looking forward to tonight." Mulder joked, noticing the slight twitch of his lips. Perhaps this wasn't a total lost cause after all.

"I - I don't know. I wasn't planning to get caught." Mulder chuckled at that.

"Yeah, that's never quite in the 'robbing a bank' plan."

"I just needed some money for her, I didn't - this wasn't…" He began to stammer. Mulder noticed his wall going down, and took his chance to fully push through to him. Scully could see his mind working, knowing this nightmare was hopefully going to be over soon.

"We all do really stupid things in moments of desperation." He said, glancing over at Scully. She caught his gaze, eyebrow twitching up. "Who did you do this for?"

"My daughter. She's only a few months old, but I can't give her what I want. I feel like a failure." He reflected on his thoughts, the realization beginning to grow that he was letting his guard down. He immediately stiffened, building the barrier between them again. Mulder let out a heavy sigh, at least they found his motive.

"How's she doing?" He asked as he came to sit next to Scully. She gave him a wary look, the woman resting her head in her lap.

"She'll be fine now that she has insulin, she just needs to rest. Mulder, what the hell are you doing in here?" She asked pointedly. He knew he was risking her being angry with him, but he wasn't going to let her do this alone.

"I was going crazy out there, knowing you didn't have backup. I wasn't just going to sit around and do nothing. There's too much to risk."

"You think you're not risking a lot coming in here? What about Holly? Did you ever think of her before you came rushing in here to be my knight in shining armor?"

"I called her to let her know that everything was okay before I came in. I just wanted to reassure her, so she didn't have to worry. She's the first one I thought of, other than you…" He was hurt that she would assume that, though he knew his track record. She sighed heavily, wanting to kiss him, hold him close. She knew they couldn't show any kind of emotion towards each other, especially any signs of weakness in front of the suspect.

"I'm sorry, that wasn't fair. I'm just stressed."

"I know, I know…" He went to reach for her hand, stopping mid motion, clenching his jaw that he couldn't even comfort her in this situation. "I'm going to get us out of this, I'm done sitting around."

"Mulder, please don't do something stupid."

"Scully, I'm actually hurt by your lack in faith of me."

"Your track record isn't that great."

"Alright, fair enough, but I'm doing this in your best interest, just remember that when you're mad at me later." He playfully glared his eyes at her, both of them welcoming the small break in tension.

He approached the suspect again, noticing his agitation rising. He needed to find another window of opportunity to get through to him, so he focused on a common ground.

"Do you have a plan yet?"

"No, but I'm not leaving here until I get what I want."

"And what exactly is it that you want? I mean, if you leave here dead, your daughter gets nothing, not even memories with you."

"Shut up…"

"But if you leave here alive, at least she'll get to know you growing up. She'll know you loved her, watched her personality blossom."

"Shut up!"

"I wish I had that." Hook, line, and sinker. His face immediately softened, he was intrigued about the meaning behind Mulder's words. Scully's head perked up, she was interested, too.

"Wh - what do you mean?"

"I barely found out I had a daughter, a few months ago. She's 10, I missed her entire childhood. I just wish I was able to be there, in any way…" His voice drifted off. His words were mostly for the show, mostly because it's how he felt. Scully's heart sank at his words, she loved this man more every day.

"It's not the same, I can't come back from this." His voice was wavering, now was Mulder's chance to dive right in.

"No one's injured, it's your first offense, you can work out a great deal for yourself. You're young, and you made a stupid decision...one that you can definitely come back from. Live to see your daughter grow up."

"I can't just...give up."

"You wouldn't be." Scully's voice piped up from behind them. She gave Mulder a sad smile, it was her way of telling him that he wasn't totally screwing up.

"I don't know, I just don't know yet." The suspect picked up the pacing again, Mulder letting out a resigned sigh.

"You did good." She reassured him as he settled himself next to her again.

"I was just hoping for more I guess."

"Without contact to the outside, we don't know what plans they already have in place."

"We didn't have much before I came in here, we barely got his motive. Unless…" He leaned in closer to her, causing her eyes to widen. She was the only one wearing a wire. "They brought his daughter and her mother here to the site."

"That would be a great plan of action, Agent Mulder."

"Thank you, Dr. Scully." He grinned at her, both of them amused by their little display.

The agents were scrambling outside, following their recommendation. They knew his name, but there was no one listed as a family contact, so they had to dig deeper. Finally a name popped up, and they were working fast. Within an hour, there was a small voice calling his name from the main door. The suspect hadn't been broken from his pacing, trying to devise a plan. He paused, mid stride, recognizing the voice immediately. He grabbed one of the hostages and shielded himself, approaching the door not as aggressively as he had before. His face was defeated as soon as he saw her, and he began to walk towards her. She was standing far enough away that he had to walk outside to talk to her.

Mulder took his chance, approaching cautiously behind the suspect, he found his moment of weakness and restrained him. The hostage flung herself to the side, and the suspect broke down in tears. It was over, everyone knew it.

Scully helped the EMTs to check and release all the hostages, Mulder helping to wrap up things on the FBI side. As they were putting their vests back in the truck, the other agents disappeared and before Scully could say something, Mulder had her in his arms. His lips enclosed on hers, and she melted into the embrace. All his emotions from the day were overpowering and he couldn't contain himself anymore. They separated when they heard someone clear their throat, her nearly jumping as far away from him as she could.

"I was coming to make sure everything was closed up over here." Agent Stewart said with a slight amusement in his voice. He glanced between the two agents, confirming everyone's suspicions.

"We, uh, were just putting our vests back. I'm going to -" She began to stammer as she just walked away. Mulder bit back the chuckle forming in his throat, he sensed that Stewart was already suspecting. They had been meaning to have a meeting with their AD, somehow never finding the time.

They both walked out to their cars together, her still maintaining a safe distance from him to not arise any suspicion. He was amused by her little ploy she thought she was putting on. She got into her car, and just as she put her key in the ignition, he swooped into her passenger seat, meeting her lips forcefully. It was as if he needed her touch to live, their lips gliding together passionately. She shifted to face him more, wrapping her arms around his neck. He broke back reluctantly, smirking at her disheveled, aroused appearance.

"We have a meeting tomorrow."

"Was that your way of breaking the news to me?" Her eyebrow began to arch, the smile playing at her lips.

"No, that was because I have been waiting all day to do that." He leaned in for another chaste kiss. "I think they're onto us, Scully." She chuckled against his mouth.

"Yeah, I gathered that when Stewart caught us making out like a bunch of teenagers. God, that was so embarrassing." She groaned.

"You think he'd go for one of us needed mouth to mouth?"

"Probably not." She was suppressing a smile, knowing that whatever happened, they'd come out of it together. "Do you think we're in trouble?"

"Nah, they'll probably just ask us the basic questions. There's no real rule against anything, but somehow I think public displays are frowned upon. Such a shame."

"I need to tell them I'm pregnant anyway. I'm sorry, for stressing you out. I know you had your reservations about me being in there."

"I was just worried for you, for us. I shouldn't have tried to...control the situation."

"That's okay, it's kind of nice to have someone to lean on, looking out for me."

"Don't give me that much room to work with Scully, I'll run with it." He teased, causing her to chuckle.

"How about you run back to your car, and pick up dinner. My mom didn't have a chance to cook anything, Holly had a project that she didn't start until two days before it's due."

"That...may be genetic. I'm not accepting blame, but I am just stating an observation."

"And now there's going to be 3 of you." She groaned again. He laughed, kissing her on the cheek before exiting the car to pick up dinner.

Holly was relieved to see them both home that evening, worried all day after Mulder's unexpected phone call. They told her about the case, with as many vague details as possible. They didn't want her to be concerned with their job, she never had to worry about Scully's before.

"So are we moving into the house this weekend?" Holly asked excitedly.

"That's the plan. Maybe tomorrow we can check out the house after school, and go shopping for some stuff for your new room." Mulder suggested, causing Scully's eyebrow to arch. "I'll let you come, too, if you behave yourself." He grinned at her, Holly chuckling.

"Yeah, well no one is going anywhere until your project is done, and you finish your meeting that you have set for tomorrow." She said pointedly, glaring at both of the guilty faces across from her. She was trying her hardest to suppress the smirk, she loved how much Holly was like him.

"You're such a party pooper, Scully." He teased as they both went back to work on her project. Her face fell slightly, knowing their work dynamic was going to change, needed to change, especially after all the events they faced today.

She excused herself to take a bath, Mulder instantly knowing that was her way of needing to clear her head. He put Holly to bed, stripping down to his boxers and opening the bathroom door slowly. She peeked an eye open at him, the grin on her face signaling that her alone time was over. Sans his last article of clothing, he crawled into the tub behind her, pulling her back to rest on his chest. His hands began moving over her small swell, more noticeable when clothing wasn't hiding it.

"Having fun, Mulder?" She leaned back just enough to see the complete amazement in his eyes. She kissed the bottom of his chin, resting her head back under that spot, against his chest.

"Scully, you're so beautiful. I - I never got to experience this the first time."

"I know, I'm glad you have that chance now. That we have that chance. Although, I wasn't showing nearly as much with her because I was so much younger."

"What are you going to tell them, tomorrow at the meeting?" She sighed, knowing there was a reason he needed this intimacy to calm his nerves.

"The truth, that we've been involved and are engaged. That we are planning to move in together within the next few days, so our addresses will be the same on record anyway."

"What about the baby?"

"They can't withhold work from me just because I'm pregnant."

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying -" He let out a heavy sigh. "Maybe you can request to stay in the labs and do the autopsies, more than actual field work."

"First you invade my bath, and now you want to lock me up in the lab?" She leaned away from him, eyebrow arching. He could tell she was being playful, which he knew meant she wasn't holding his possessiveness against him.

"I just know I can keep you safe in there, and there's no crazy suspects taking you hostage." He said as he kissed the spot on her neck below her ear. Shivers ran through her, and she could feel his hardness pressing into her lower back. She whimpered as his mouth began to explore the rest of her neck, their argument long forgotten.

The next morning, Scully woke to Mulder rubbing her arm in comforting strokes, her head resting on his bare chest. She definitely was going to love that part of living together even more. Not that he didn't practically already live there anyway. She smiled against him, placing a gentle kiss on his toned torso.

"Good morning." His voice was still deep and husky from sleep.

"Morning. What time is it?"

"Still early, we've got some time before we have to throw Holly out of bed."

"I don't know why she hates waking up in the morning. She's so difficult to get out of bed." Scully groaned into his body, feeling the slight chuckle rumbling in his chest.

"Scully, and I say this with the utmost love and adoration for you, but you are not exactly what I would call a morning person."

"I wake up just fine, Mulder. I don't know what you're talking about." She said defensively.

"Yes, you wake up just fine, but if I have to wake you up, I'm sometimes risking my life there."

"Shut up." She mumbled defeatedly against him, cuddling in more.

"What time's our lovely meeting today?"

"At 9:00. I've told you this a thousand times."

"Well, now that everyone already knows, we can probably drive to work together. Then you can make sure I'm not late." He flashed her a boyish grin, like he was absolutely proud of himself for thinking of this plan.

"Okay, but if I somehow end up late to this meeting, we're never carpooling again."

They eventually got Holly out of bed, making their way to work after dropping her off at school. Scully was nervous, knowing there was no real punishment that they would face, but maybe rules that they would now have to take extra precautions to follow. Their meeting was with AD Skinner and Agent Stewart, since he was their last SAIC.

"Agent Mulder, Dr. Scully, please have a seat." They nodded their hellos, both agreeing to keep any details to a minimum. "It's been brought to my attention that there are a few things we might need to discuss." Skinner began.

"Before we do…" Mulder interrupted, Scully's head snapping to give him a warning look. Stewart found the entire scene amusing, she might be just what he needs to stay grounded at work. "I would just like to point out that I've memorized the handbook cover to cover, and there's no real rules or regulations for interoffice affairs."

"That is true Agent Mulder, we just want to know the degree of this relationship. So you don't go blindly running into any future hostage situations any time soon, should Dr. Scully here be in another risky situation." Stewart added.

"Actually, sir, I would also like to disclose that I am currently about 8 weeks pregnant. I won't affect my ability to work, but it's something that I thought you should know." Scully said, bowing her head slightly. Both Skinner and Stewart looked between the two, amusement rising. Who would have thought the new, closed off doctor would be the one to enchant 'Spooky' Mulder.

"I see. Are you two...married?" He asked, glancing down at the ring on her finger.

"Not yet. But, our residences will combine as soon as, uh, this weekend." Mulder said with a guilty smile.

"Well, you're right, there are no set rules put into place. All we ask, is that if you should work cases together, you keep the public displays to a minimum." Skinner said pointedly, the accusatory look in Mulder's direction. He threw his hands up, feigning innocence.

"I can promise you that, but I'm not the one who loses the control in this relationship." He said teasingly. Her head snapped towards him again, lips pursed, eyebrow arched. He had to get his kicks where he could.

"Since we can both oblige by those rules, are we free to go, sir?" Scully asked, licking her lips and regaining her composure. She only killed Mulder in her head three times over already for his attempted humor.

"I don't see that there's anything else to discuss. Please let us know, when the, uh, marital status changes." She nodded, getting up and leaving the office without even looking back at him.

"I think I'm in trouble." He mumbled under his breath towards the other two agents suppressing their smug grins. He exhaled deeply, following his very moody, very stubborn, pregnant fiancee who he loved dearly. He found her moods absolutely adorable, and it was hard to take her seriously sometimes when the full pout was in action.

She ignored his calls, her heels clicking with a purpose through the bullpen as she made her way to the elevator. She was annoyed that it wasn't coming fast enough, giving him time to catch up. He managed to snake his way inside right before the doors closed, only them inside. Her arms were crossed in a protective stance, and she was staring straight ahead. He rocked on his heels, hands in his pockets, knowing the silence would drive her insane.

"I can't believe you did that back there! That was a professional meeting, Mulder, not a time for you to just joke around. If you're not going to take this seriously, then -" Her words were cut off by his lips. He hit the emergency button on the elevator, stopping them mid-flight down. She was annoyed, and angry with him, but his kiss was doing things to her traitorous hormones that caused her to sink into his embrace further.

"I'm sorry. I was just nervous, and I don't always handle talking about myself or my personal life very well. They already knew what was going on, that meeting was just a formality for them to put in their notes that it was addressed. I didn't mean to embarrass you." His voice was smooth, the look in his eyes was sincere. She reached up to cradle his cheek, planting another chaste kiss on his lips.

"I think we already broke our one and only rule." The smirk appearing on her lips, he could see the playful gleam in her eyes.

"We are actually on private property, in a private elevator, I don't see any public around." He leered at her, leaning down for another kiss. She chuckled against his lips, pushing him away softly.

"As much as I would love to stay here and do this all day, I have a body waiting for me downstairs."

"Wow, Scully. Already cheating on me, who is he?"

"She, is a mid-forties housewife who was found dumped in a nearby lake. Normally it would go to the local offices, but she's the niece of some high-ranked military officer."

"Ouch, you have fun with that. I think there's some paperwork I need to finish from yesterday, and whatever they bring my way. I'll pick you up for lunch."

"Okay, I'm actually really craving a cheeseburger today."

"A woman after my own heart." He teased, knowing it wasn't her usual order. He surprised her with a quick peck on the lips before disappearing in the elevator. Maybe working together wouldn't be so bad after all.

The weekend had arrived, and Mulder took both his girls shopping after they finally got to see the house. As much as Scully attempted to be annoyed by how much he was spending on Holly, she was eyeing her own things such as furniture, appliances, decorations. He was making a mental note of everything she would pick up, look at the price, and put back. Her birthday was coming up, he'd have more of a reason for the gifts.

Most of the necessities had been moved into the house, them staying there beginning that weekend. Scully loved the house, it was bigger than she would ever imagine for herself, but with their growing family, it was perfect. There was a wrap around porch, and a giant yard that Mulder had already talked about putting a pool in.

"Holly loves it here." She said in a sleepy voice, cuddling into his side.

"Just her?"

"Mm, no. I love having my family, our family together, officially."

"Good, you should remember that…" He began to say, flipping their position so he was situation more on top of her. "When all of the things I ordered today begin to show up tomorrow. Well, technically you ordered them, but I secretly made the purchases." He said cautiously. Her eyebrow began to arch, eyeing him suspiciously.

"Were you just following me around, buying everything I picked up?"

"No...I watched which things you checked the price for, and the colors you ran your hands over. I also -"

"So you were profiling me all day?" She asked teasingly.

"Wh - I, okay, technically yes, but you wouldn't let me buy anything for you."

"Because I don't need these things. I'm gracious for them, but I don't expect them."

"I know, and that's what I love about you. But let me shower you with gifts, please. I have 10 years to make up for, Scully. I gotta start somewhere." She chuckled, a new thought popping into her head as she reached up to play with the loose hair hanging in front of his forehead.

"Do you, uh, think that we would have stayed together...then. I mean, until now, I guess."

"I can probably guarantee that if I had known then, we would have been doing this a long time ago. There's no one else I've ever, felt this way with before."

"Good answer. I love you, too."

Several weeks had passed since they moved into the house, everything officially settled in. They had painted, decorated, and added their own touches to everything. Mostly, it was Mulder following Scully's direction, he didn't have much say. When it came to his office, he hung a 'no girls allowed' sign on the door, that was his space to decorate.

They had adjusted and found a rhythm when it came to working together, having only been assigned two cases together since their meeting. She mostly stayed in the lab, busy with the amount of new cases that kept coming their way. After mixing her personal life with work before, she never thought that she'd be able to do it again. But with Mulder, it was different. It was always somehow easier with him, her perfect other half.

"Scully, what is this?" He held up a tool, causing her to cheeks to tinge with color.

"Analyze it, Mulder. What do you think it's for?" She asked amusingly. A few more open and shut clamps, and his eyes widened, nearly throwing it back on the tray. She had an ultrasound scheduled, hoping to get a better look at the baby. They made it early, stopping on their way to work after dropping off Holly.

The doctor entered, getting everything going quickly. They both had tears brimming in their eyes when the heartbeat began to fill the sound on the monitor. He leaned down to place a quick kiss on her temple, overjoyed to be sharing this with her.

"Well, it's a little earlier than normal, but I can definitely tell you what you're having." The doctor chimed in on their moment.

"Yes, please."

"No." They answered at the same time.

"Mulder, you don't want to know what we're having?" Her brow was furrowed, genuinely confused.

"I - uh, kind of want it to be a surprise. If that's okay with you." He gave her a sheepish smile. She let out a heavy sigh, resigning to his wishes. The doctor nodded, finishing going over things with Scully about her pregnancy progression. He excused himself to use the restroom as Scully began changing.

"I was planning to leave a little early today and pick up Holly when she gets out of school. I'll leave you the car and take a cab home first, then pick up my car."

"What are you planning?" She narrowed her eyes at him from the passenger seat.

"Nothing, Scully. I was just trying to spend an afternoon with my daughter. I'm honestly hurt by your accusations."

"It wouldn't have anything to do with my birthday coming up next week, would it?" Eyebrow arched. He didn't see it, but he could feel it.

"Of course not, you said you didn't want to be spoiled." He mock teased. She attempted to suppress the smirk on her face, failing.

He parted ways with her as she snuck down to the lab, giving him the chance to escape. He went home right away, stopping at the store to pick up paint. He spent the entire morning painting the room that she had set to be the nursery. They had picked out generic white colored furniture, waiting to see what they were having to finish the decorating. He knew that as much control as she liked to have over everything, she would enjoy this surprise.

"Where are we going?" Holly asked, excited to see him picking her up from school.

"I figured I'd start by bribing you with ice cream to help me surprise your mom."

"That's a good start. Something for her birthday?"

"No, well I guess it can be." He said mysteriously. She narrowed her eyes at him, the same puzzled look on her face that he encountered several times with Scully.

When he finally told her the plan, her eyes lit up, excited that they were working on something together. It was her job to distract Scully when she got home, keep her downstairs until he gave her the signal that they could come upstairs. She immediately knew something was up, these two conspiring against her.

"Okay, ready!" Mulder yelled from somewhere in the house. Holly flashed her a wide smile, eyes dancing at whatever she was about to see.

"Is this a surprise for my birthday?"

"Not everything is about you, mom." Holly teased, biting back the smile on her face.

"You ready for your surprise?" Mulder asked when they reached the door of the room. She gave him a skeptical look, and he grinned back at her.

"I don't know…"

He kissed her, standing beside her to lead her into the room with his hand on the small of her back. Holly opened the door slowly, revealing a wave of blue washing over her. Her eyes widened at the newly decorated nursery, tears daring to escape. It was beautifully decorated in tiny boats and nautical designs. She couldn't have imagined it better herself, the realization hitting her.

"How did you - we're…"

"We're having a boy, Scully." He was standing behind her, whispering into her ear.

"I'm going to have a brother!" Holly squealed. She was more excited to have this piece of information before her mother.

"I thought you didn't want to know." Her voice was just a whisper, leaning far enough back to meet his eyes. He gave her a smug grin.

"I needed to throw you off my trail. I spoke to the doctor when you were changing, that's why I left the room. Plus, I knew that as soon as we knew the gender you wouldn't let me in here."

"Yeah, you're probably right. But, Mulder, this is amazing."

"Hey, I helped." Holly chimed in, causing Scully to chuckle.

"Oh, I can tell. He doesn't have the decorating and placement skills. Nice paint job though." She playfully smirked back at him.

That night, they laid cuddled even tighter than normal, her showing her appreciation and gratitude for him. They would have never imagined that their memories of a summer night long forgotten would bring them here. She couldn't be happier.

"Mulder, I've been thinking all night, about names now that we know it's a boy."

"I'm happy with anything as long as he's not named after an animal, or some name that's gonna get him picked on. It needs to be a manly man's name." He said as he puffed out his chest. She rolled her eyes, chuckling against him.

"Well, I think it matches all that criteria."

"Alright, Scully. Hit me, what you got?"

"William."