OK I think this is going to be my last chapter :( I was hoping to get some response from my last chapter but didn't:( No seriously, I really want to work my other story "Voices Of Interest" and get it off the ground. Just let me know if you think there are any lose ends that I need to tie up before I actually dub the story complete. Oh yeah and I'm going to break and actually use names in this chapter. A special thanks to Littlestrawbaby for being my new beta and supporting my story! Thanks chica!

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Four hours had passed since he watched his daughter die on that small, cold table and be brought back to life by the skillful hands of the doctors. She was on around the clock observation and every nurse in the NICU adored the small baby. He sat by his love's bedside and remembered the doctor exiting the intensive care ward and walk over to her mother and him as if it had just happened. It was the best yet worst news he had ever heard.

"Mr. Scully, I'm Dr. Waters." He extended his hand to the pale faced man standing in front of him.

"It's Mulder actually." He corrected for the first time since he had arrived. A wave of confusion passed over the doctor's features and disappeared just as quickly.

"My apologies. I wanted to let you know that your daughter's condition is serious but we believe she will pull through this. She's got a strong will." The man smiled as the pale face was replaced by a look of content. Words escaped him and all he could do was nod in response. The doctor had turned and walked back into the ward to check on baby Samantha again.

Now he was sitting in her hospital room, waiting patiently for her to wake. They had given her pain medication that made her drowsy, and as worried as she was, caused her to lose the battle with sleep. Her mother had left an hour ago to make phone calls and was kind enough to drive back to his apartment to retrieve the small animal that had no doubt left many presents on his floor.

None of that matter, however. All he could think was that he was here with her. Watching her sleep and she had not pushed him away when he had arrived.

Another hour passed, and then another, and finally her small frame shifted under the blankets. His eyes lightened and he smiled when she looked over into the depths of his deep hazel eyes. She did not mirror the smile. Her expression was filled with terror.

"Mulder..." She choked. He knew exactly what she needed.

"It's ok, she's ok. They said that she's still in critical condition and she will need constant attention but they believe they can pull her through."

She sighed slightly but the terror remained on her face.

"I'm so sorry." She sobbed quietly through the pain that ripped through her heart. He moved and sat on the edge of the bed to be closer to her.

"Why did you leave?" He asked without thinking. "Why didn't you tell me?" He mentally slapped himself for sounding so harsh.

"I wanted to but..." She couldn't muster the words that were needed to explain how she felt when she left him there that day, sitting alone on the park bench. When she had walked out of his life and never looked back.

Their thoughts were interrupted by the door opening and a small man in a white coat poked his head through. He recognized the man as Dr. Waters.

"How are we feeling?" He asked the small women timidly.

"I'd feel better if I could see my daughter." She whispered and wiped the tears from her face.

"We need to monitor you for a few more hours and then we can wheel you in to see her." He noted the look of disgust wash over her face when she said they would wheel her in. He walked over to her chart and read the nurse's notes. He nodded happily and walked over to check her monitors. "Everything looks good so far. It shouldn't be to much longer."

"How is my baby?" Her voice was weak and broken. It caused both men to wince slightly.

"She's in serious condition, but as you know it could be worse. We've got her hooked up to a ventilator and we are giving her IV antibiotics and saline to keep her organs functional. I want you to know that it may sound bad but we are very optimistic that she will pull through this." The doctor waited for a response but one never came. She was trying her hardest to process the information but the drugs were causing complications. "Well, I'll be back to check on you in an hour and hopefully we can take you to see her." He turned and made his exit.

She looked like she was in another world. Her eyes were fixed on the far wall and tears fell softly down her cheeks. He could only imagine what she was thinking, how her mind was putting the pieces of the picture together in glorious Technicolor. He was only glad that he could shield her from what he saw, what he wished he hadn't seen. His photographic memory replayed the sight of the small body being lifted off the table by a surge of electricity.

"Dana," His voice was barely above a whisper but she heard him nonetheless. She turned her head and looked at him. "Come home." He begged. "Please." She could only nod. It was, after all, where she belonged and nothing could change that.

Two months later...

They were finally bringing their daughter home and nothing could wipe the excitement from their faces. Since her birth, Mulder had taken time off from work to stay at her apartment until they could make the final two hour drive to his home. Their home. She had taken a day to max out the credit cards on baby essentials for the room that was to be hers. It was a picture of beauty. The walls were papered with pictures of a partly cloudy sky and a crib sat in the corner of the room with a small UFO carousel dangling overhead. She smiled when she saw it and knew she had to purchase the silly item for her partner's amusement.

Once the small bundle was placed securely in her arms, they left the hospital together and quietly as a family. The drive home was filled with baby coo's and whispers of reassurance at every startling noise that jolted the infant awake.

Finally, Mulder broke the silence.

"Scully?" She looked over at him, his hazel eyes fixed to the road watching for anything that could be harmful to his family.

"Hmm?" She hummed in a half daze.

"There is so much I want to talk about, things we haven't been able to talk about at the hospital." He didn't dare avert his eyes to look at his precious cargo, even though his heart ached to see the sight next to him.

"I know, we will. When we get her home and to bed." She promised. They finally arrived home and placed Samantha in her crib. She fell asleep instantly and her parents stared longingly at (their—their) miracle. Scully turned to face her partner and took his hand in hers, squeezing gently and pulling him into the living room.

They sat down on the couch together in silence, each thinking carefully about how to approach the delicate subject.

"I'm sorry," She started. "I know I hurt you when I left and a part of me knew that it wasn't really over. I thought that you would look for me. I never assumed that you would respect my wishes as give up like I had asked you to. I was so hurt and betrayed that I wasn't thinking clearly." He couldn't stand to look at her. He was finding a stain on the floor utterly distracting but he was listening with all of his heart.

"I..." He heard her suck in air as she began to tear up and his head snapped up to look at her, in her eyes, and see the pain that she had felt. His eyes reflected the same.

"I'm sorry. I care about you so much, Dana. You are the most important person in my life." He stopped and smiled, looking to the hallway. "Well, one of them now." Her expression lightened at the mention of their daughter. He turned serious again. "I needed to know what happened to you and I know what I did was stupid, I'd take it back if I could. I just couldn't stand seeing you broken without knowing if that bastard had done anything else to hurt you." His eyes were soft but his expression displayed the anger at the mention her kidnapper.

"I know," came her barely audible response. They sat in silence for a moment until his anger vanished and was replaced by fear.

"When I heard your message, the one you left that morning on my answering machine, it reminded me of your..." He trailed off not able to mention the word 'abduction'. "When Duane Barry kidnapped you. My heart broke and I saw myself driving to your home that night and finding your home filled with blood and police." He dropped his head and sighed heavily. "I thought I'd really lost you, that I'd find her home empty and you would be gone from my life forever. Then I took you home and couldn't describe the overwhelming sense of security that I felt. I was so happy to have you home, but the need to protect you and have you close was strong." He looked back at her and put his hand on her face. "I love you. Everything I have done in these past seven years has been because of you and will be for as long as you let me."

"I want you to see your daughter grow." She whispered and smiled at him. She was his eyes try to mask the disappointment in his eyes and she quickly understood. "I want us to watch her grow together." Relief. She smiled. "I love you."

He pulled her close to him and held her tightly, afraid that if he released her she would vanish before his eyes. She pulled back and held his gaze until his lips covered hers in a bittersweet kiss that they hadn't shared in almost ten months.

As an introduction into parenthood, Samantha began to cry as their kiss turned intimate and they pulled from each other with as sigh and a laugh. She retreated to the nursery to calm the crying baby. He leaned back against the couch and listened as she softly sang the baby to sleep. She sang "Joy to the World." Nothing could wipe the smile off of his face.

End