OK guys, this is it, the Epilogue, the end, fin final. I hope you have all enjoyed the journey. If you have, I'll soon be starting MrsSpookyDiaries,Catalyst and completing Cominghome. I hope you can join me for those.

Year 4: Mulder House, Arnold, Maryland, Late Evening.

'Do you ever wonder What If, Dana,' Mulder asked. They had finally retired to bed after getting the kids to sleep. Snuggling into her back, he continued, 'what if you'd managed to become an FBI agent.'

'I would never have met you,' Dana answered easily, wondering why her husband's mood became contemplative tonight. 'With my medical background, I would have been trapped at Quantico dissecting murder victims and teaching new recruits about forensic pathology. You would have become consumed by your search for the truth about your sisters' disappearance. No one in the bureau would consider giving you the X-files full time. The subject matter is still too far outside the mainstream to waste resources. Besides, you would have destroyed your professional reputation as an agent and a psychologist by investigating the paranormal. Even if I made it into the FBI, I doubt our paths would have crossed. So meeting you at Spookies Rest must have been fate.'

'You sound so sure,' Mulder smiled, wondering how close Dana's version of an alternative reality might be. They'd never know. Mulder had been deemed medically unfit to return to the FBI after being shot. He now worked as a civilian consultant and college professor. His wife had yet to return to work as a medical doctor after the birth of Christopher, Thomas and Katherine. Still, Mulder couldn't drop the subject, so he added, 'don't you think it might've been fun? If you'd become a field agent and we could have been partners.'

'I would have liked that,' Dana smiled at what might have been. 'I applied to join the FBI because I felt I could distinguish myself within the ranks.' Sighing at the naive thought, she realised life had worked out so much better. 'Life doesn't always turn out the way we think it will. Besides, I thought the FBI frowned on partners sleeping together. You would have been in real trouble then, Mulder.'

'Don't I know it,' the sudden smile erupted as Mulder thought about his aborted foray into the X-files. 'Are you happy, Dana, with our life, the way it turned out.'

'Yes,' she turned to her husband, 'aren't you?'

Taking time to gather his thoughts, he answered, 'I never though I'd have normal after such an unhappy childhood.'

'You call what we have normal?' she quipped lightly, leaning in to brush his lip with her own. They'd maintained their signature kiss as a method of communication.

As if their words had been heard by the universe and it decided to answer back, a wail split the air via the baby monitor on the bedside table. Dana sighed warily, throwing off the covers. If she didn't get to her son quickly, he would wake his sleeping twin. At six weeks of age, her children still need three to four hourly feeding.

'A mother's job is never done,' she commented over her shoulder, reaching for her robe at the foot of the bed. It still contained some warmth from her shower. Mulder had attempted to join her. Dana smiled at the thought. Dr Graham Markham hadn't given her the all clear to resume conjugal relations at her last check up, much to her husband's dismay. As usual, he'd found other ways to mutually pleasure each other.

'Monday,' Dana turned to her husband as a second hungry wail joined the first on the baby monitor, 'I'm secluding you an appointment with a general surgeon.'

Watching her hurrying to the nursery before the rest of the household woke, Mulder chuckled. He knew Dana didn't want more children. His wife felt complete with the family they had. Not that he could blame her but her suggestion hadn't been discussed and Mulder didn't quite know how he felt about it. Reaching for his own robe, he quickly donned it. He loved to watch his wife feed their children. Making his way down the hall to the nursery, he stoped at Katherine's door.

'Daddy,' the sleepy tone issued from his three year old daughter. The light from the hall disturbed her sleep.

'Shh, Princess,' Mulder soothed the child, entering further into her room. Sitting on the side of the bed, his hand went to the little girls back. Tracing lazy circles, she immediately resettled.

'I love you Daddy,' Katherine murmured as she returned to the land of dreams.

'Daddy loves you too Princess,' he whispered, laying a light kiss on the crown of her silky red head. Of all their children, this little girl reminded Mulder of himself, except for the colour of her hair. That aspect Katherine had inherited from her mother.

Padding softly back across the room, Mulder quietly closed the door. Learning from his mistake, he poked his head into the boy's room further down the corridor. Thomas had once again kicked off his covers. Sighing, Mulder tiptoed to his slumbering son and attempted to firmly tuck in his sheet and blanket. They had tried, in vain to separate Thomas from his sleeping bags in favour of bed clothes. He'd proven a restless sleeper, unlike his identical twin or fraternal female triplet. Christopher and Katherine had easily given up their growbag's® when moved from their cribs to a big kid beds three months ago on their third birthday.

Kissing both boys, he returned to the hall. Thomas had managed to escape the confines of his bedding already. Giving up, Mulder found his favourite sleeping bag and carefully enclosed his son in it. 'Your mom's going to kill me in the morning,' he whispered, but the effort seemed worth it from the contented expression now covering Thomas's face.

Finally, Mulder reached the nursery. Dana sat in the rocking chair. William continued to suckle happily from his mothers left breast. Samantha had obviously finished her meal and needed burping.

Both Dana's and his father had passed since the birth of their triplets. They decided to honour the lost members of their family in naming the newest editions to their family. Mulder still objected to the use of Fox for William middle name. He'd won that round.

'Don't just stand their,' Dana rased an eyebrow, 'your daughter needs a dipper change and her wind brought up.'

Taking the infant, Mulder gently held her chin with one large hand and rubbed her back with the other. They'd perfected this ritual with the birth of the triplets. His reward came in the form of milk spit down the front of his t-shirt. Wellmaybenotperfected, Mulder snorted at himself. His wife's laughing blue eyes reminding Mulder to use a burping cloth next time. His hazel glare told her she'd pay for this once they got back to their bed.

'Look at me the wrong way again tonight, Mulder,' Dana warned, a smile softening the words she uttered in earnest, 'and you won't need a professional to do that vasectomy.'

'We used birth control successfully for over two years, Dana,' he reminded her softly. Yet if she really wanted him to do this, he knew he would. Mulder knew he couldn't, wouldn't deny his wife anything she really wanted.

Rolling her eyes, she answered, 'Dr Markham wouldn't give the all clear for our sex life to continue until the Triplets turned three months old. Need I remind you, I was pregnant with the twins for nine months?'

'Your point being?' he asked in a blatantly sexy voice.

'The first time we slept together, we get not one, but three children. I forget to take the pill for one night and we finish up with five children under the age of four, Mulder.' That eye roll again. 'It wouldn't be so bad, if I didn't produce two eggs every cycle and your swimmers failed once in a while.'

'Come on Scully,' he used her maiden name deliberately, along with a slow intimate smile, 'it could be worse. We could be normal and you'd have to have five pregnancies to get this many kids.'

'Great,' she felt like throwing the feeding cushion at him, 'I'd be the oldest intern in the medical profession, when I finally get around to completing my training.'

Surprised by her comment, Mulder turned serious before asking, 'do you really want to go back to work?'

'You don't think bring up five children is work,' she couldn't keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

Fox Mulder became deadly still. Capturing his hazel eyes with her cerulean gaze, Dana Mulder realised her husband had suddenly turned serious. He wanted to know how she felt. Changing infants, so Mulder could burp and changed William, Dana swaddled Samantha and placed her in the crib the twins shared for the moment. Once both babies settled, she held out her hand. Taking it, Mulder followed her down the hall to their bedroom.

'I love you,' Dana told him, making sure she captured his gaze. They still communicated with a touch or glance as well as words. 'I wouldn't change a minute of what we have. You once said, given our jobs and personalities, this would never be easy. You were right, but it doesn't mean I want to give up the chance to be a practicing doctor one day. I feel fulfilled with the family we have for now. I don't want or need anymore than this at the moment. In the future, I want to return to work. I need more than being a wife and mother. I always have.'

'Make that appointment for me on Monday, Dana,' he capitulated, pulling her into bed with him. Snuggling into her, Mulder couldn't keep his feelings restrained, so he whispered, 'I love you.'

'You're still not getting any tonight,' she teased, turning out the soft bed side light.

'Seems to be the story of my life lately,' he grumbled good naturedly, pulling her closer and planting a soft kiss on the top of her head. Smiling at the light snore, Mulder knew it would be years before his wife returned to work outside the home. Amused by the thought, he said, 'good night, Dana,' before letting himself fall into a peaceful, dreamless sleep. The psychologist in him would say being perfectly content had chased away the demons and cured his insomnia. Mulder put the blame completely and utterly on the petite, redhead ensconced in his arms.