Title: Emily Returns Author: Jessica Hildbold Reply to: Teahater@hotmail.com Rated: PG Category: MSR-SRA Spoilers: Up to Emily in the Fifth Season with implications of the finale and the movie. Keywords: Mulder./Scully Romance Summary: Emily is returned to Mulder by a mysterious young woman. Just who is she? And can Emily ever find it in her heart to forgive Scully for "leaving" her three years ago? Archive: Anywhere and Everywhere!!!! Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Emily Christine (Sim), the Lone Gunmen, Bill Scully Jr., Margaret Scully, and the Cancerman all belong to Chris Carter and Twentieth Century Fox. Thanks for the loan! All other characters come from my "interesting" imagination. Any resemblance to any persons real or fictitious is purely coincidence. The same goes with the plot line. Thanks for taking the time to read this!!!!!!!!!!!! Emily Returns Mulder couldn't believe he had agreed to do this. Granted, he had met unknown informants in the middle of the night, before, but he usually had some vague idea of who he was meeting or why. Not this night, however. Earlier that night, Mulder had received a phone call asking him to come to the Jefferson Memorial at 11:45pm that night. Foolishly, he agreed after the anonymous caller had told him this meeting had something to do with his ex-partner, Dana Scully. Mulder still felt very protective of her, even though he hadn't talked to her almost three years. He should have seen her departure coming. In fact, part of him had known it was coming. Scully just couldn't go on fighting the men that held the truth that Mulder had spent his life searching for. The truth to his sister, Samantha's, disappearance the truth to what had happened to Scully, during her abduction, and what had been the real truth behind Emily Sim's illness, and subsequent death. Emily had been Scully's daughter. She was created from ova taken from Scully during her abduction. Scully didn't find out about Emily until Emily was three years old. It was only a short time later that Emily was cruelly taken away from Scully. Somehow, the same process that had created Emily had also caused her death. Scully had tried to go on with her life, and managed for a few months, but it just became too much for her. She quit, left town, and started a new life as a professor at a university in Iowa. Mulder hadn't spoken to her since she left. His heart ached every day for her, but he wanted to leave her alone to live her life, and forget all the awful things that had happened to her. Things he had caused by that damn search. And Mulder could understand her wanting to give the search up and quitting the X-Files. After all, he had done the same thing. What was the point? He had found Samantha. Or rather, she had found him, and didn't want anything to do with him. And Scully no longer wanted to know what had happened to her. She didn't want Mulder to find it for her either. So he quit the X-Files. But he hadn't given up on the search completely. Mulder decided to wage private battles instead of ones from his job. He joined up with several underground organizations that were illegally collecting evidence against the governments of the world in order to bring their lies into light. He had settled into his life. He wasn't happy, but he was settled. Mulder stood up from the cold step he had been sitting on and brushed himself off. He had had this conversation in his head more then once. It never got him anywhere. Mulder took one final look around and sighed when he saw nothing. He began to walk back towards his car. "Don't turn around, Agent Mulder," a voice called from behind him. It was female, but Mulder didn't recognize it. Mulder sighed again. "I was beginning to think I had been stood up. And it's just Mulder." "I had to make sure that you weren't followed, Mulder." "Of course. You said this had something to do with Scully." "Yes, I have something that belongs to her. And to you. Something of importance." "And what would that be?" "This." Mulder sighed for the third time and turned around expecting to see a gun pointed at him. Instead, he saw the woman standing about ten feet away from him. He would have been very surprised if this woman was even in her early twenties. She had shoulder-length, curly hair that looked red in the dark and a cute button nose. The woman was holding the hand of a tired, blond-haired little girl. Mulder peered at the woman and child looking for any sign of recognition. "Emily," he whispered. The little girl looked up at the woman uncertainly before looking back at Mulder. She looked as if she wanted to say something, but remained silent. "I believe you've met before," the woman said. "This is Emily." "It can't be." Mulder knelt down in front of the child. "Emily Sim died three years ago." "That's true," the woman replied. Mulder looked up at her confused. "Emily Sim no longer exists, but this is the same child that you and your former partner met three years ago. Emily Sim went into a coma that made her appear to be dead. We took her body from the funeral home because we knew she wasn't dead yet. We nursed her back to health and cured her from the illness that caused the coma in the first place. And now, we're returning her to her parents. You are Emily's biological father." "Me?" Mulder looked up at Emily. He brushed a piece of hair from her face. Emily looked at the woman before again looking back at Mulder. Mulder laid his hand in her cheek. "Who are you?" he asked the woman. "We are survivors of the government's experiments on children, raised separately, differently, then others. We managed to get away. Now we are trying to save as many children from the same fate as we can." Emily stared deep into Mulder's face. Suddenly, her eyes lit up. "I remember you! You made the Mr. Potato Head face." "That's right, I did." Mulder grinned widely. He couldn't believe he was looking at Scully's daughter, alive and well. No, his daughter, too. His own flesh and blood. The woman knelt down. "Emily, this is your dad. We talked about him remember? (She nodded.) You're going to live with him now, and your mommy. Okay?" Emily nodded. Mulder could see her face tighten. "And you're going to be brave for me right?" "I will, Anna," Emily began to cry slightly. Anna hugged her. "Don't cry, Munchkin. Everything will be okay." She turned back to Mulder. "Her bags are already in your car. Don't let her stay up past nine o'clock. Tonight was special. She is in the first grade. Her transcripts are with her things. She loves to sing and dance. She hates to wear dresses. It was a fight to get her into this one. Anything else, I think Emily can tell you." "Wait a second. You're just going to leave her with me?" Mulder asked. He stood up, nervously. He felt overwhelmed by everything that had just transcribed. "She's your daughter. I suggest that you go grocery shopping tomorrow and sign her up for school in your school district," Anna replied. Anna placed Emily's hand inside of Mulder's. "Congratulations, Agent Mulder. Today, you start a whole new life." "Until the Smoking-Man comes to take her away, is that the deal? Cause if it is, I'm not buying," Mulder was instantly suspicious. "No, Mulder, it's not the deal. It's been arranged so that you don't ever have to worry about Emily being taken away from you or Agent Scully. Good-bye, my sweet Emily. Remember, I love you." Emily dropped the doll she had been carrying. Mulder bent down to pick it up. When he looked up, Anna was gone. "Well, Miss Emily, I guess we should go," Mulder said to her. They walked off hand in hand. Emily cried quietly. "Emily, what do little girls do anyway?" Mulder returned home about two o'clock, carrying Emily who had fallen asleep in the car, probably due to exhaustion. He looked helplessly around his messy apartment unsure of where to lay Emily down. Finally, he laid her down in the bedroom, leaving the door opened and the bathroom light on in case she woke up sometime during the night. Mulder changed into a t-shirt and sweatpants and tried to lie down on the couch. But his mind was racing. He didn't know whether to call Scully tonight or wait until morning. Part of him wondered if he should her call at all. Then he thought about Emily. She deserved her mother. Besides, what did he know about raising a young child? Assuming, of course, that Emily was actually his child. It didn't matter whether he was or not, he decided, he was already falling in love with Emily as he had when she was three, and he wanted to be her father. He had wanted to be her father three years ago, but he never told anyone. Not even Scully. Then Emily died, and it didn't matter anymore. He bottled all of those fatherly feelings deep within himself so that he wouldn't have to deal with another loss. Now, those feelings were being unleashed all over again, and Mulder had only known about Emily for a few hours. Mulder got up from the couch, realizing that he wasn't going to get sleep anytime soon. He decided to clean up his apartment before Emily woke up. He picked up all of his clothes that had been thrown on the floor and put them in the hamper. Next, he collected all of the dishes left from hastily eaten meals and washed them. All the papers and surveillance pictures from various sting operations were put into a drawer. Mulder made sure to lock the drawer and hide the key. He even went and scrubbed down the bathroom, quietly, of course. When he was done, Mulder looked around his apartment satisfied that he had made it good enough for Emily. He sat down on the couch, tired, but not quite ready for sleep. He decided that, despite the fact that it was a little after four o' clock, he should call Scully and tell her about Emily. Mulder pulled out his address book and dialed Scully's number. He didn't even know if she lived in the same place. Funny, what a difference a few years meant. Before, Scully never went anywhere without making sure that Mulder knew where she was. Now, he was hoping her phone number hadn't changed. Ring. Mulder hoped that she did live in the same place. It would be a bitch to try and find her since Mrs. Scully no longer lived in Maryland. Ring. Worse yet, what if she was home, but she wasn't alone? What if she had met some nice guy and gotten engage? Ring. What if she had gotten married and had a whole new family? Where would that leave Emily? Ring. What if.? "Hello. You have reached the number for Dr. Dana Scully. I'm not in right now, but if leave your name and number after the beep, I'll get back to you as soon as possible. If this is about schoolwork, please contact my office at 555-7779. BEEP." "Um, Scully, its Mulder. I really need to get in touch with you as soon as possible. My number is still the same as it's always been. Please call me." Mulder hung up the phone and stared at it. It was after three in the morning where she lived, where the hell could she be? Mulder guessed that Scully really had gone on with her life. He wondered how Emily was going to affect it. Then he thought about how it might effect him. What if Emily was the final connection that could bring him and Scully together? He had wanted so much to tell her how much he loved her, but he was afraid to. He was afraid of opening himself up to rejection from Scully. It was the only rejection he thought he wouldn't be able to live through. If she didn't love him the way he loved her, he just couldn't handle that. So instead, he let her go and move away to Iowa, away from him, away from the X-Files and government conspiracies and danger. Mulder wished he had been able to tell Scully that he loved her. Maybe now, he could have his chance. Suddenly, Mulder found himself extremely tired and could barely keep his eyes open. He would just have to worry about Scully tomorrow. Mulder fell asleep before his head had even hit the edge of the couch. Mulder woke up the next morning, feeling as though someone was watching. He cautiously opened his eyes. Emily was hovering over him. "Good morning, Emily," Mulder said, uneasy. He ran his hands over his face and through his hair a few times. "Do you know what time it is?" She shook her head. Mulder looked at his watch and saw that it was after nine. He sat up and took his second real look at Emily in the daylight. In the light, he could see that her once blond hair held highlights of red. Mulder remembered that Scully had told him that Melissa's hair had been blond from the time she was born until she was six or seven. It didn't turn red until she was nearly fourteen. It seemed as if Emily's hair would do the thing. He could see a lot of Scully in her. She had Scully's full, bow lips and bright blue eyes. But the shape of her face, and her chin , were definitely of the Mulder persuasion. Emily had already changed from the navy blue sailor dress she had on last night to jeans and a green sweatshirt covered with pictures of flowers. Her hair was brushed, not a piece out of place; just as her mother always managed to do. "Are you hungry?" Mulder asked her. She nodded her head. She had yet to talk, but Mulder figured it would take her a while before she would. Mulder grudgingly got up from the couch. "Well, let me go see what I have." Mulder walked into his small kitchen with Emily on his heels. He looked in his refrigerator and found nothing but spoiled milk and leftover Chinese take-out. He turned to Emily. "I don't suppose you'd like to eat some Chinese?" Emily made a face. Mulder shrugged. "Guess not. Well, how `bout if we go out to breakfast?" Emily's face lit up and she nodded enthusiastically. Mulder's heart melted. "Afterwards, we can go visit some friends of mine and go grocery shopping. Just let me get changed first." "Okay," Emily agreed. She went and sat on the couch. When Mulder cam out, wearing jeans and his Knicks t-shirt, he found Emily with her coat on, watching a cartoon with little blue people running around. "Ready to go?" Mulder asked. She nodded and smiled. Mulder grabbed his keys off the coffee table and led her out the door. Mulder took Emily to a small little restaurant around the corner from his apartment. He sat across from her, drinking coffee as he watched her eat a bowl of Corn Pops. Everything she did, from the way she picked up her spoon to the way she pretended to read the words on the wall, fascinated Mulder. But Mulder wondered where she had been for the last three years. And he wondered more and more who Anna was. Was she really who she claimed to be or had she been sent by the Smoking-Man to bring him back into their game? Mulder tried to push those thoughts out of his mind to concentrate on his newfound daughter but found he couldn't. There was a truth to be found here, and he was never able to stop when there was a truth out there in front of him. Mulder cleared his throat. "Um, Emily, is it okay if I ask you a few questions?" She looked at him a little nervous, but nodded her head. "Emily, who is Anna?" Emily concentrated on her cereal and shook her head slowly. Mulder didn't give up. "What does that mean, Emily? Can't you tell me who she is?" "No," she whispered. "Why not?" "I'm not supposed to." "Who told you that? It's okay to trust me. I won't tell anyone." Emily paused as if thinking something over. Finally, she shook her head. "I can't." "Okay," Mulder conceded. "Maybe you'll tell me later, when you get to know me better. We're going to be together for a pretty long time." Emily looked at him curiously, trying to decide whether he meant it or not. She smiled, deciding he did. He smiled back and ruffled her hair. "Finish your cereal. We have to go see some friends." Mulder and Emily showed up at the office of the Lone Gunmen about eleven o' clock that morning. Mulder entered into the room without knocking, as Emily hid behind him. "Mulder, man, where have you been?" Langley asked him. None of the three had noticed Emily hiding behind Mulder. "We have been trying to call you all morning." "Yeah, Mulder, we were afraid that you had been abducted by aliens," Frohike spoke up, turning away from his computer screen. "Or had a really hot date." "Sorry, boys, but I'm alive and well, and didn't have a hot date," Mulder replied. "Sorry to disappoint you, Frohike." Byers noticed Emily standing behind Mulder. "Gentlemen, it seems we have a visitor." Frohike and Langley tried to look around Mulder to see what Byers was talking about. "Boys, I'd like you to meet my daughter, Emily." Mulder coaxed Emily to stand in front of him. "Emily, these are my friends, Byers, Langley, and Frohike." "Is this the Emily?" Frohike asked surprised. "No, my name is Emily Christine Mulder, not `the Emily,'" Emily answered. Mulder chuckled. It was the first time that Emily had spoken a whole sentence, and it was a fierce one. She had Scully's fighting spirit all right. "Yes, Frohike, this is Emily," Mulder explained. "I received a phone call last night asking to meet me at the Jefferson Memorial. When I showed up, after a long wait, a woman came with Emily. She said that Emily had not died three years ago, but had simply fallen into a coma. She claimed that the group she worked for finds children from government experiments and cures them. She also said that Emily was my biological child." "And you want us to verify all of that?" Byers asked. Mulder nodded. "We do know of several undercover groups that rescue these children from government experiments. One group in particular. They call themselves the Lost Generation. Mostly, they're people who have escaped from government experiments and want the children remaining part of them to be free. As for Emily, we'll need a blood sample from both of you." "No! No needles! Please!" Emily pleaded, panic in her voice. Mulder nearly panicked himself. Emily had barely spoken let alone shown so much emotion, so much fear. "Emily, it's okay, they just need to run some tests. I'll be right here with you. I'll even get blood taken too," Mulder tried to soothe her. "No, when they take the blood, you get sick and you have to take the medicine. I don't like it. Anna said I wouldn't have to take the medicine anymore!" she began to sob. "Emily, listen to me. This is not going to make you sick, I promise. And you won't have to take any medicine. This is just to make sure that Anna wasn't lying to us." "Anna wouldn't lie." "I know, Emily, but I have to be sure. Will you do this?" "Okay," she agreed, her tears starting to slow. "Plus, we have some ice cream you can have when it's all over, if it's all right with your dad," Frohike jumped in. Mulder nodded. Emily nodded slipping back into her quiet mode, but her tears disappeared. "All right, Miss Emily, up you go," Mulder said to her as he lifted her onto a table in the back of the headquarters. "Squeeze my hand if you get scared." She grasped tightly onto Mulder's hand. "Emily, do you want to watch Mulder, er, your dad go first?" Byers asked her. Emily nodded. "Okay, Mulder roll up your sleeve." Mulder did as he was told. Byers continued, "Now, Emily, I want you to look into your dad's face and count to ten." Emily looked in Mulder's direction, but she didn't say anything. Her eyes glazed over and she seemed to stare off into nowhere. Mulder wanted to ask her what she was thinking about, where her head was, but he was afraid of breaking her concentration. If that's what she needed to get through this, then he decided he'd let her have it. Byers pulled the needle out of Mulder, but Mulder even realized he had been pricked. "All done!" "So am I," Langley suddenly spoke from behind Emily. "See, Emily, you didn't feel anything did you?" She shook her head slowly, taking a few moments to come out of her trance. "Emily?" Mulder asked, worried. She shook her with a start and smiled slightly at him. In a small voice she asked, "Can I have my ice cream now?" "Yup," Frohike answered, walking in with a bowl of ice cream. "Enjoy!" A few minutes later, Byers ushered for Frohike, Langley, and Mulder to come with him. "Emily, I'll be right back, okay?" Mulder told her. She nodded. Byers had Mulder stand behind him while he gave orders to Langley and Frohike. After about ten minutes, Byers finally spoke. "I've sent the samples of yours and Emily's blood, along with a sample of Scully's we had after her cancer was cured, and a sample of Emily's from three years ago, to a friend. The results will be preliminary, but they will be enough for what you're looking for," Byers explained to Mulder. The computer beeped. "In fact, here they are now." "That quickly?" Mulder asked, surprised. "The wonders of modern technology at our fingertips," Byers replied, distracted. He glanced quickly at Langley. Byers studied the computer screen for a few minutes. "All right, here we go. Congratulations, Mulder, it's a girl." "She's mine?" "Yes, and Scully's. She is also the same child that Scully found three years ago. Okay, here comes the rest. Emily's blood shows none of the signs of the illness that she had before." "She's healthy?" "Yes, Mulder. She's healthy." "All right! That's my girl!" Mulder clapped his hand together once and spun around. "I've never seen you so happy, Mulder," Frohike said, bringing Emily into the room, "except maybe when that phone sex girl agreed to go out with you." "Hey there, Baby Girl," Mulder said to Emily. He picked her up and swung her around. "You are beautiful!" "You're goofy!" Emily laughed. Mulder looked at his watch. "We'd like to stick around and celebrate, but I have to get this little girl registered for school and get going to the grocery store." "Hey, Mulder. Have you talked to Scully yet?" Frohike asked. "Uh, no, actually," Mulder replied. He looked down at Emily to see her reaction, but she seemed uninterested in the conversation. "I tried to call last night, but there was she wasn't home. I left a message on her answering machine. I guess we should stop at home first and see if she called back before making any important decisions. Emily, say good-bye and thank you for the ice cream." "Good-bye. And thank you." Emily slipped her hand into Mulder's as they walked out the door. Mulder's heart skipped a beat. It was the first gesture that Emily made towards him that really made him feel like he was her dad. It was wonderful. When Mulder and Emily walked through the door of his apartment, he found a manila envelope that had been pushed through the door. Inside, were papers giving all parental rights of "Emily Christine Mulder to her biological parents, Fox William Mulder and Dana Katherine Scully." Mulder sighed in relief, not wanting to have to get the courts involved. He was sure that they would never let him keep his little girl. Mulder settled Emily down watching a cartoon movie that had been among her things and dialed Scully's number. Again, he reached her machine. "Um, Scully, it's Mulder, again. I really need to get in touch with you. My number is 555-8703. Call me when you get this message." Mulder hung up the phone and stared at it. Suddenly, it hit him that she was probably still at the university. Mulder dialed the number that he had gotten off of the machine for her office. "Professor Scully's office. This is Diane. Can I help you?" a sweet, young voice answered the phone. "Yes, may I speak to Dana Scully, please?" Mulder asked. "She's not in. Can I take a message?" "Do you know when she'll be in? It's very important that I speak with her." "Dr. Scully has taken a sabbatical to Europe this semester, but I can take a message and give it to her when she calls to check in." "Okay," Mulder sighed. "Please tell her that Fox Mulder, yes that's my real name, called and that it's extremely important that she contact me. She knows where to reach me." "I sure will Mr. Mulder." "One more thing, Diane. How often does she check her messages?" "Well, honestly, she hasn't yet checked in with me, and she's been gone for over a month." "Thanks." "Good-bye." "Bye." Mulder hung up the phone and sat back in the chair. What was he supposed to do now? It could be months before Scully got in touch with him, if she even bothered to call him at all. Suddenly, the thought of raising Emily by himself scared the hell out of him. Part of him really believed that if Scully would come back and see Emily, then the three of them could become a family. Now, it was possible that she wouldn't come back or if she did, she could have a whole new life. After all, who goes to Europe by themselves? She could have a new boyfriend, or even worse a husband, who either wouldn't want Emily at all or would want to raise Emily in Iowa. He couldn't stand the thought of losing her. But Mulder knew the answer, at least part of it. He had always been over-protective of the females in his life, ever since Samantha had disappeared while he was watching her. Emily wouldn't be any different that. Plus, he had already fallen in love with her three years ago. The instant he had heard that Scully had had a child, he felt an unexplainable bond with her, even before he had met Emily. The bond grew even stronger the first time he laid eyes on her. She was so beautiful. But it was when he picked her up out of her bed when she was sick that night that he realized he had begun to develop fatherly feelings for her, and he had only known her for a short time. Those feelings hadn't disappeared when she "died," he just hid them deep within himself. Emily's singing brought Mulder out of his thoughts. He stared at her. Emily was swaying back and forth, singing along to the movie. She knew all the words and seemed genuinely happy. He could hardly believe this was the same child that barely spoke a whole sentence to him the entire time he knew her and that included when he first met her three years ago. Of course, she had been rather shy back then too, but Mulder had chalked it up to the circumstances in which he had met her. After all, the only parents she had ever known were dead and she was suddenly thrust into a hospital with people she didn't know and didn't trust. "Hey, Emily," Mulder said, sitting next to her. She turned and looked at him. "Is this (he gestured to the television) you're favorite movie?" She nodded, unsure of where he was going. Mulder continued. "Could you tell me about it? I've never seen it." "Sure," she replied, softly. Emily proceeded to tell Mulder all about the movie. Mulder felt that he finally made some sort of breakthrough with Emily as she went on to have a conversation with him that lasted nearly fifteen. It may not have been the longest father-daughter conversation on record, but it was something and it made Mulder feel wonderful. Nearly a month later, Emily and Mulder had settled down into a slightly uncomfortable life. She was beginning to talk to him more freely, despite the great deal she continued to hold back. Mulder, for his part, was still unsure of how to raise a six-year-old. Emily fascinated and confused him. She didn't like to be separated from him, but she really didn't open up to him either. As little as she seemed to trust Mulder, he was the only one she trusted. Sometimes, it was like looking at himself. And other times, it was like dealing with an alien from another planet. Mulder put her into school like he had been told to do. He had also given up his room so that she could have some privacy. Mulder was afraid to move because he didn't want Scully to not be able to find him if she chose to show up one day. Mulder had tried repeatedly to get in contact with Scully to no avail. Either she wasn't checking her messages at home and at the office (he repeatedly left messages at both places) or she didn't want to get in touch with him, especially while on vacation. Not that he could blame her, he often had a problem letting her have a peaceful vacation. Mulder considered getting in touch with Mrs. Scully, but he didn't want to send anybody after her, and he didn't want to spend the time looking for her himself. Besides, he wasn't sure how he would bring Emily up to Scully's mother. Finally, Mulder mustered up all the courage he had and tried to talk to Scully's brother, Bill. But Bill just hung up the phone each time Mulder called, threatening him to stay out of Scully's life. After five calls on three different occasions, Mulder gave up. He decided that he would deal only with Scully and that it would be only when she was ready for it. Besides, Mulder spent as much time and energy as he could on his daughter. He wanted Emily to feel comfortable enough to open up to him. He wanted to get to know her and he wanted her to get to know him. But he also knew it would be a long, hard process for the both of them. The biggest breakthrough for the two of them came when Mulder least expected it. He and Emily had gotten into a routine of waking up early Sunday mornings in order to go to church. Despite the fact that Mulder wasn't Catholic, he thought it was important that Emily learn the same faith that her mother had learned. He thought it would bring Emily closer to her mother, and he felt closer to Scully too. Mulder was surprised to learn how well he responded to the church. Granted, he would never be a complete believer in any of this God stuff, but it was a nice, quiet time that he and Emily got to spend together. After church, Mulder and Emily would have breakfast at a little diner around the corner from the church, and they would travel to the playground near their apartment and spend a few hours playing in the snow. When they got home, Mulder and Emily made dinner together, always spaghetti. After dinner, Mulder would help Emily finish up any left over homework before giving her a bath, reading her a story, and sending her to bed. This Sunday, however, they changed their schedule a little bit. Instead of going to the playground, Mulder wanted to paint Emily's bedroom to give it more of a little girl feel. Emily decided that she wanted them to paint the sky on her walls, and Mulder decided it would be a great father-daughter project. They spent most of the afternoon painting and laughing. Mulder had never seen Emily laugh so much. She genuinely seemed happy and content. Mulder climbed down off the ladder after finishing the last of the ceiling. "So, what do you think, Baby Girl?" He had gotten into the habit of calling her that and Emily didn't seem to mind. "I love it!" she exclaimed. "Good," he replied. "I'm going to wash up and start dinner. Are you going to help?" "Yeah, I'll be there in a minute." Emily looked around the room with a big grin on her face. Mulder turned to go, but Emily stopped him. "Wait," she called softly. She ran and gave him a hug. "Thank you, Daddy!" Mulder's heart jumped into his throat and he was overwhelmed with joy. Daddy. She had called him Daddy. Not because she had to, but because she wanted to. He couldn't remember ever feeling happier in his entire life. "Your welcome, Baby Girl." From that point on, Mulder and Emily grew very close. It was hard to tell after a while that Emily had ever been separated from him. Yet, as close as they grew, and how much she seemed to trust him, Emily would not divulge any information on where she had lived before and who exactly Anna was. Mulder also noticed that Emily never asked about her mother, never wondered where she was or why she wasn't with them. Emily never asked for a picture of her mother, not that she needed one particularly since she seemed to have inherited Mulder's photographic memory, nor did she ever ask for any stories like most kids who had an absentee parent often did. The only time there was any mention of Scully was when Mulder brought her up or at night when Emily said her prayers. "God bless Daddy, and Uncle Frohike, and Uncle Langley, and Uncle Byers, and my teacher, and my friends, and all the people in world, and keep Josh and Jacob safe," Emily said as she had each night for the last two months, ever since Emily had called him "Daddy" for the first time. Mulder didn't know who Josh and Jacob were, but Emily never left them out. Then she lowered her voice. "And God bless my mother. And please watch over Anna and let her know I love her and miss her very much. Amen." "Amen," Mulder replied and tuck her in. He kissed her forehead. "Good night, Baby Girl." "Wait, Daddy," Emily called when he tried to leave. "You didn't sing my song." Mulder hung his head. It was his least favorite part of their bedtime ritual and Emily's favorite. He sighed heavily, but gave in. When he had finished, Mulder boldly decided to see if her could learn more about Anna. "Did Anna sing to you too?" For once, she didn't shy away from a question about Anna. "Anna sang me lots of songs. She said it made her feel better." "Did Anna spend a lot of time with you?" "Of course! She was my. never mind." "She was your what, Baby Girl?" "My, my caregiver. Everybody had one." Emily bit her bottom lip and looked down at her hands. Mulder could tell she was hiding much more, but he knew not to push her. Mulder kissed the top of her head one final time. He got up and turned off her little, leaving a small nightlight on. "Good night." As he shut the door, Mulder whispered to himself, "All right, Anna. Who are you? And why do you have such power over my little girl?" Mulder woke up sometime in the middle of the night with a start. Emily was screaming for him. He jumped off of the couch and ran into her bedroom. She was thrashing around wildly in her bed. Emily was in the middle of a vicious nightmare. She had had several of these over the past month and a half. They were always about Anna, like his were about Samantha. Emily was terrified that something had happened to Anna. "It was only a dream, Baby Girl. I'm sure Anna's fine," Mulder tried to reassure her, when Emily described the dream to him. "How do you know?" "Trust me," Mulder replied. He smiled until Emily smiled back. He tucked her underneath the blanket. "Now close your eyes and think of a happy thought. I'll stay here until you go back to sleep." "No, Daddy. Can you stay here all night?" "Okay." He laid down next to her. "Now close your eyes." Emily was quiet for a few minutes. "Daddy? Can I ask you a question?" "Sure, Baby Girl." Mulder had a feeling it was going to be a while before Emily went to sleep. "Why can't you find her?" "Find who?" "My, my mother," she replied quietly. Mulder looked away, unsure of how to answer the question. "Your mom is away on a long trip, and I can't get in touch with her. But don't worry. As soon as your mom comes back, she'll be here for you. Nothing will stop her from seeing her little girl again." "Oh," Emily replied with no emotion. She paused for a few minutes. "Will I have to go live with her?" "Not if you don't want to. This is your home, Emily, and you don't ever have to leave it." Emily smiled. "Daddy, do you love her?" Mulder froze. That question had come out of left field and he didn't know how to respond. "What?" "Anna told me that you loved each other very, very much, but that neither one of you told anybody, including each other. Is that true?" "Anna sure told you a lot," Mulder answered, avoiding the question. "Anna said that she wanted me to be as prepared as I could for when I came back because it would be tough enough for me to adjust without having a lot of questions that my parents might not want to answer." "She told you that?" "No, I overheard her talking to Josh one night." "Who is Josh?" "One of the adults in the house. The adults were in charge of the kids." "Was Jacob an adult?" "No, he was a kid too." "Anna an adult?" "Usually. Sometimes, she had to go away, not for long, though. Anna said that she hated being away from me. But she was looking for someone." "Who?" "I don't know, she wouldn't tell me. Hey! You changed the subject!" "I guess I did." He looked down at Emily. "Yes, Emily. I love your mother. I always have, and I believe I always will." "Anna also said that you two belonged together and that I should be the one thing that would bring you together." Mulder smiled to himself. Where had he heard that before? "It's late, Baby Girl. Close your eyes and go to sleep." Mulder woke up earlier then Emily the next morning. He hadn't slept very well during the night. Anna was bugging him. Who was she and what had she meant to Emily? Emily knew, but she refused to tell. Somehow, this Anna had managed to convey to a six-year-old girl how important it was to keep her identity a secret. It was some trick. "Good morning, Baby Girl," Mulder said cheerfully, when she stumbled out of bed. He stopped when he looked at her shirt. It read "Product of Government Experiment." "Where did you get that shirt?" "Uncle Frohike gave it to me," she replied. "He said it would make you mad. (She giggled.) I guess he was right." "Yeah, I guess so," Mulder said, shaking his head. His friend had a real sick sense of humor some days. "Go put on another shirt please. We don't want to be late." After breakfast, Mulder brushed Emily's hair and put it into two braids, one of the many things that he had learned to do over the last few months that he never thought he would. He and Emily ran out the door to pick up the other kids in the carpool that Mulder ran in the morning and another parent, Mrs. Ellwood ran in the afternoon. Mulder came back to the apartment and spent the next few hours going over some reports of the group he believed Anna had been involved in that he had received from the Lone Gunmen. He was no closer to finding out who she was then when he had started. Anna had gone to great lengths to cover up her tracks. It was nearly two-thirty when Mulder looked at his watch and realized that Emily would be home in about half of an hour. He began to clean up the living room when the doorbell rang. Mulder dumped Emily's toys in the toy box in her room and called, "I'll be right there." He straightened his shirt and ran his hand through his hair. Slowly, he opened the door. "Scully," he whispered as his heart jumped. "Hello Mulder," she replied. "What are you doing here?" "I got your messages. I was in town visiting some friends and thought that I would see you before going back to Iowa. I was in Europe, but you know that. I took a chance that you would be home. From the amount of calls you placed, it seemed too important to just call." "Uh, come in," Mulder ushered her in. His heart was pounding and his palms were sweating. "Have a seat. I-" The phone rang. "I'll be right back," Mulder promised and walked into Emily's bedroom, grateful for the momentary distraction. Scully sat down on the couch after pushing a blanket to the side. Scully shifted her weight to settle into the couch when she realized she was sitting on something. "What the hell?" she muttered and pulled out a baby doll with blue eyes and red hair. Scully stared at the doll wondering why Mulder had it in his apartment. Her eyes drifted to the television where several pictures were strategically placed. Scully walked over and picked up the one in the center, still clutching the doll in her left hand. It was of Mulder and Emily after her first ballet recital. "Scully-" Mulder started to say walking back into the room. He froze in the doorway when he saw her with the picture. She looked at him with questions in her eyes. He was unable to speak even though he wanted to tell her everything. They stared at each other for several minutes. The door opened and Emily came in. Both Mulder and Scully turned to look at her. "Daddy, I'm home!" She called, dropping her book bag and her jacket on the floor. "Mrs. Ellwood said to remind you that you have to make cookies for my bake sale on Monday!" Emily stopped when she saw Scully in the living room. Her face went pale. "Daddy," she whimpered. Emily ran to him. He picked her up and held her close. Scully looked at the two of them in shock. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she struggled to stay standing. Anger boiled up from deep within. It was her little girl, her little Emily. At least, it looked like Emily. She had Emily's face, just slightly older. Those eyes, they were the same baby blue that they had always been. Could this be the child she had lost three years ago? But she was dead; it couldn't be her. Then again, the body was taken from the morgue. What if she hadn't been dead when they took her? What if Scully missed out on another three years of her daughter's life? Or what if, this wasn't Emily at all, but a clone or another child made to be Emily? And what was she doing with Mulder? Why was she calling him `Daddy?' What the hell was going on here? From the look of the pictures, this child had been here for quite a while. Scully felt her head spin. "Scully, I can explain," Mulder said. She looked at him, afraid to answer. Mulder set Emily down. "Baby Girl, I need to talk to your mother. Can you go wait for me in your room?" Emily nodded, stifling her tears. Mulder took the doll from Scully. "Here, take Katherine with you." Emily took the doll from Mulder's hand. Giving Scully one last look that Scully was unable to read, she turned and went into the bedroom. Mulder turned his attention back to Scully. "Please, sit down. We have a lot to talk about." Scully sat down on the couch across from Mulder. "What's going on her Mulder? Who is that little girl?" "You know who she is, Scully. It's Emily Sim. Well, she used to be `Emily Sim.' Now she's Emily Christine Mulder." "How is that possible? I watched her die. I laid down with her as her breathing slowed and her heart rate dropped. She was dead!" "When you, when we, thought that Emily had died, we were wrong. She slipped into a deep coma. Apparently, it's a defense mechanism of the disease she had so that if any of these children were to fall into the wrong hands as they may be, these men had time to get them back. Only they didn't get to her this time." "Who did?" "A woman named Anna and her group. According to her and to the Lone Gunmen, and the few facts I've been able to dig up about her, the members of this group are the results of previous governmental experiments. They escaped and have made it their missions in life to rescue the children of other experiments, cure them, and send them home to their rightful parents." "And this is what happened with Emily?" He nodded. Scully continued. "How can you be so sure?" "We had a sample of Emily's blood sent to the Lone Gunmen before she `died' so that they would have it on record. Apparently, there is some sort of bi-product that is left over when a clone is created, something so small that it specifically has to be looked at, that Emily doesn't possess. This is the same child that you thought had died three years ago, only now she's completely healthy, except for the occasional cold that every child gets." "How did you get her, Mulder?" "She was returned to me one night by this woman, Anna. I had gotten a call to meet a source that had some information for me. The only thing that she would tell me is that it had something to do with you. When I showed up, and had waited for a while, she arrived up with Emily. She told me the story about the group, which the Lone Gunmen were able to back-up, and she told me that Emily was my child as well as yours." "When was this?" Mulder sighed. "Back in January." "It's the end of May, Mulder. You've had my child for over four months and never told me." "I tried to get in touch with you. I left you a ton of messages at both the home and office. You, yourself, said that you had received them. What was I supposed to do? Say, `Hey Scully, this is Mulder. I just thought you'd like to know that Emily is still alive. Call me back when you can.' I did the best I could." "Why didn't you get in touch with my mother?" "I didn't have her new number. And I didn't want anybody looking for her, and I couldn't do it myself. Besides, it wouldn't have been much better going through your mother then leaving that message on the phone. I have done so much, brought so much pain to her, already. I didn't know how to explain this one." Scully sighed, knowing he was right. Mulder continued to explain. "I even went as far as to call your brother, Bill, three or four times, but he only slammed the phone in my ear. I figured the best thing to do was to raise Emily the best that I could and wait for you to come back yourself. "I know that you would have like to have known about Emily as soon as she came back, but it's too late now. You can still get to know your little girl. It's not too late for that. Yes, it's true that Emily and I have created a whole new life together, but that doesn't mean there's no room in it for you." Scully chewed on her bottom lip. "I have a whole new life myself back in Iowa. What kind of mother could I be?" "Are you saying that you can't fit Emily into your new life?" "No! I just don't know how beneficial it will be for her to have an absentee mother." Mulder's heart sank. Somewhere, he truly believed Emily would bring him and Scully together, but it was starting to look like there was no hope of that. "Scully, why don't you just worry about getting to know you're daughter again, before worrying about what will happen in the future? Is possible for you to stay in D.C. for the next few weeks? Next week is Emily's last week of school." "Can I come back here in two hours? No, wait, I should give it more time. Can I come back tomorrow? I need time to clear my head, and Emily needs time to get used the idea of me." "That would be fine. It will give me enough time to explain things to Emily then." "Okay, I'll see you tomorrow." Scully got up and headed towards the door. "Good-bye Mulder. Tell Emily that I'll be back tomorrow." He nodded his head as left. Mulder stood up, took a deep breath, and headed for Emily's bedroom. After Scully had left, Mulder was trying to coax Emily out from under her blanket. She had hidden there after Mulder asked her to wait in her room. "Come on, Baby Girl," Mulder asked. He was kneeling next to her bed. "It's okay to come out. There's no one here but you and me." "But she's coming back," Emily replied. "She's coming back to see you. She wants to get to know you just like I did. Don't you want to get to know her?" "No! I want her to go away!" Mulder sighed. He didn't understand why Emily was so reluctant to get to know her mother. "Didn't Anna want you to get to know your mother? Isn't that why she sent you back?" "I don't care!" Mulder sighed again and waited a few minutes before speaking. His voice softened. "What's going on, Emily? Why don't you want her here?" Emily began to cry. "I don't want to leave you, Daddy." "Baby Girl, that's not going to happen. You can stay with me forever if you want." "No, she'll make you go away!" "Why, Baby Girl? Why would you say that?" "Because the last time she came, my other daddy went away, and then I had go to the hospital, and hurt it, Daddy. It hurt so much. And then she left me too." Mulder pulled the blanket off of her head. He wiped her tears away. "She didn't leave you, Emily. And she didn't make you're other daddy go away. The men that hurt you the first time, the ones that your other mommy was afraid of, they hurt your other daddy. Your mommy, Scully, tried to help you when you were sick. She didn't want to hurt you; she wanted to save you. Your mommy loves you very much. And she won't make you leave me if you don't want to. She just wants to make you happy. Will you at least give her a shot? You may find you like her." "That's what Anna said," Emily replied. She nodded. "Yes, Daddy, I'll give her a shot." "Good, she'll be back tomorrow." "You won't leave, will you?" "No, Baby Girl, I will stay with you as long as you want," Mulder replied. He stood up and picked her up. He gave her a hug and carried her to the bathroom. "We have to wash your face before your uncles get here. It's Friday night, you know." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The next Mulder and Emily were up early, waiting for Scully to arrive. He asked her if she wanted to watch a movie or play a game, but she refused. Emily wished only to sit on Mulder's lap and listen to him sing. She didn't seem to care if it was off-key or not. Emily stared off into nowhere like the she had when Langley had taken her blood. It scared him. But there was nothing he could do except to hold her and sing. After Mulder and Emily had been sitting for over two hours. Scully stood outside of the door. She smoothed her hair and nervously knocked on the door. "Mulder, it's me." He looked down at Emily. "Ready?" She nodded, but made no attempt to move. Thankfully, Emily had shaken herself out of her trance. "Come in, it's open," Mulder called. Scully walked cautiously into the apartment. She saw Emily curled up on Mulder's lap and felt a pit in her stomach. Scully sat down on the edge of the couch. "Hi Emily." Emily briefly looked at her before snuggling closer to Mulder. Mulder cleared his throat. "Were you able to get everything straightened out to stay for a few weeks?" "Uh, yes," She didn't elaborate any further and Mulder didn't ask. The three of them sat in silence for several minutes. The phone rang and Mulder moved to get it, but Emily tensed up. Mulder stood up and put Emily on the chair. She looked at him with big, frightened eyes. "Don't go, Daddy," she whispered. "It's okay, Emily. Go get your coloring book and crayons, and I'll be right back." Mulder left to answer the phone. Emily ran to the desk and pulled out crayons and a coloring book from under a few files of Mulder's. She sat down on the floor and began to color. "What kind of book is that?" Scully asked timidly. Emily looked at her, but no response. Scully refused to be discouraged so easily. She slid off the couch. "Can I sit here?" Emily shrugged and continued to color. Scully watched her for a few minutes. "You're the best colorer I've ever seen." She tried to hide her smile. "Anna saves all of the pictures I make for her," she replied bluntly. "Who's Anna?" Scully felt confused. Was Anna her sitter? Or did Mulder have a girlfriend? Who was she? Emily lowered her head and shook it. "It's okay to tell me," Scully persisted. Emily threw her crayon against the page. "No!" she yelled and stormed into her bedroom. Scully sat on the floor in shock. She was completely unsure of what had happened. Mulder walked into the room after hearing the commotion to see what had happened. He had been waiting in the kitchen to allow Emily and Scully some time to themselves. "What happened?" he asked. "I don't know." She sat on the couch, and Mulder sat on the chair. "We were talking about the coloring book, well sort of talking, and I asked about Anna. She got upset and stormed out of the room. Who's Anna?" "Anna is the woman who brought Emily back." "That's right. How could I have forgot that?" "She's something more too, but I'm not sure what. I know that she raised Emily from time the group took her from the funeral home until she was returned to me, Emily says she was a `caregiver,' but I have a feeling there's something more there. Emily will tell me about the things that she and Anna did together, but she won't say who Anna is. She says that she promised Anna she wouldn't tell." "Oh." Scully was quiet for a few minutes. "She hates me." "She doesn't hate you. Why would you say that?" "Mulder, look at the way she is around me. She can barely tolerate me in the same room." "Scully, this is only the second day that you've been back in her life. She has to get used to you again. She has to get used to having a mother again. As much as Anna was a major part of her life, she was never Emily's mother. Emily's told me that much. Besides, she's a very quiet child. It took her over a day to really say anything to me and much longer then that for her to trust me; to really trust me." "She never walked out on you though, did she?" Mulder sighed and said nothing. It was true. Emily never displayed the anger and resentment at him that she had at Scully. "That's what I thought." "I'm going to tell you something that Emily told me. I probably shouldn't, but it might make you understand better. Earlier today, after you had left, Emily and I had a conversation. She remembers most of what happened when she was three. Poor kid inherited my photographic memory. Scully, when you showed up in her life, she had just lost her adoptive mother, and then she lost her adoptive father. The only parents she ever knew. Then she was thrown back into the hospital; a place she hates. We both know how horrible her stay there was. She associates all of these bad things that happened to her with you. And she's angry. She's very angry with you. It's going to take a long time for you to break through those barriers, and it's going to be tough. But if you keep at it, she will get over her anger." "Do you really think so?" "Yes." "Okay, then." Scully stood up. "I should go. I think I've upset Emily enough today. She won't talk to me anymore." "She might. (She gave him a look of utter disbelief) Okay, she probably won't. Why don't you stay here? Instead of at the hotel, I mean?" Mulder also stood up. "It will give you a chance to get to know Emily's routines and it will give you both a chance to get to know each other." She looked at him skeptically. "Emily will be okay with it," Mulder continued, "and I'll just sleep on a sleeping bag in her room for a few weeks. I've done it before. You can sleep on the couch. The only thing is that your clothes will have to squeeze in with mine in the bedroom closet." "Why didn't you ever get a bigger apartment, Mulder?" "I wanted to be sure you'd know where to go when you came to visit," he replied. "Does that mean you'll stay?" "Yeah, I'll stay." "Great!" Scully grinned. "I'm paid up in my hotel until tomorrow. I'll stay there tonight and come back tomorrow afternoon. Emily needs more time and so I." Nearly two weeks, Scully and Emily were no closer then they were when Scully first returned. Emily only talked to her when instructed to do so by her father. She also tried to exclude Scully as much as possible from the everyday activities that Mulder wanted Scully to be included in. It got worse after Emily's school let out. She spent as much time in the park or at a friend's house as Mulder would let. And she absolutely refused to be alone with Scully. Scully was trying her hardest to give her little girl time, but she was also getting impatient. Wouldn't Emily ever open up and give her a chance? Was she doomed to be a third party in her child's life? It was frustrating watching Emily be so open and loving towards Mulder, and cold and untrusting towards her. Mulder was also frustrated, but he didn't want to push Emily any further then she wanted to go. He could make Emily be polite to Scully, but he couldn't make her open up and love her mother. Sometimes, Mulder wondered if Emily would let Scully in even a little bit. Mulder and Scully, however, were becoming quite close. Closer, it seemed at times, then they had been when they were partners. Late at night, Mulder actually allowed himself to picture a life with Scully, a fantasy that he hadn't permitted himself to experience in a long time. Mulder looked forward to seeing her every morning and having her there every day. He was happier then he had ever been, having the two people he loved most in the world with him. Mulder was coloring with Emily in her room one Friday night when he noticed that it was near dinnertime. Scully was in the kitchen reading a newspaper, giving Emily some space. "Why don't you go out into the living room? Guess who's going to be here soon?" He said putting away the crayons. Emily's eyes lit up. "My uncles! It's Friday!" There was another knock on the door. "That should be them now," Mulder told her. "I'll get it!" Emily screeched. She ran to the door and flung it open. "Uncle Frohike, Uncle Langley, Uncle Byers, you're here!" She hugged all of them. Byers picked her up. She looked at him sadly. "Guess who else is here?" "Who, Darlin'?" Frohike asked. Scully walked out of the kitchen. "Hello, guys. Long time, no see." Byers, Emily, and Langley sat on the couch while Frohike kissed Scully's hand. "Agent Scully, you look as beautiful as ever!" "It's nice to know some things haven't changed," Scully replied to no one in particular. Frohike smiled slyly. "Some things don't." "Welcome back," Byers said, quietly. "Thank you," she replied. "I forgot to tell you, Scully, but the guys, Emily, and I get together almost every Friday night for pizza and male/young girl bonding, watch a little basketball," Mulder's voice lowered, "or The Little Mermaid. The guys have been out of town for the last few weeks though." "I see," she replied shaking her head. "Mind if I join you?" "Of course not," Frohike stepped in and said. "Uncle Frohike, come here," Emily asked. "I have something to show you." Emily sat with him on the couch and whispered something to him. She pulled a picture out for him to see. Mulder stood next to Scully, whispering and laughing. He gently placed his hand on her arm and stared intently into her eyes. Emily caught sight of them laughing as fear and anger boiled within her. She pushed away from the couch and stomped over to Mulder and Scully. The Lone Gunmen watched her curiously, waiting to see what Emily was up to. She pushed Scully away from Mulder, placing her hands on her hips. "Daddy, we need to talk!" "Yes, we need to talk. Apologize to your mother and we'll talk in your room." "No, I won't! I won't apologize! She's not my mother!" Emily screamed. She ran into her room crying, "She's not! She's not! She's not!" Mulder hesitated for a moment, torn between whom to comfort first. His daughter, or her mother, who looked absolutely devastated. Mulder looked at Scully, asking what he with his eyes what he should do. "Go to her," she whispered in a voice barely audible. Mulder nodded and squeezed her shoulder before going to Emily. "Emily," he said, but he didn't know where to begin. Mulder sat down on her bed. Emily was face down, crying in her pillow. She turned and hugged him tightly, breathing shallowly. "I'm sorry, Daddy. I didn't mean to be so mean." "I know you didn't, Baby Girl, but you're going to have to apologize for hurting your mother like that. Why won't you give her a chance, Emily? What are you afraid of?" Emily was quiet for a few minutes. "Daddy, I want you to find Anna. I want to talk to her. I miss her so much." "Emily, we're trying. Believe me. But she's not an easy person to find. Emily, Anna's gone. I believe that she loved you very, very much, but she's gone. You have a new family now, and a new mother, who loves you very much. Some day, Anna might come back into your life, but I think it's time that you work through this anger that you have at your mother. In fact, I want you to spend the day with your mother tomorrow. Just the two of you." "But Daddy," Emily began to protest. "Emily, I'm not saying that you have to love her or call her `mommy', but you can't go on hating her and being angry at her all the time. She's going to be part of your life from now on, whether you like it or not. And I think you need to find a way to deal with that. Now, I'm going to talk to Scully and explain to her what I said to you. Then I'm going to try to have her come here and you will apologize for your behavior. Okay, Baby Girl?" She stared at the floor. "Okay." Mulder left the room and Emily continued to stare at the floor. Her eyes glazed over and she seemed to disappear in the trance again. A few minutes later, Scully knocked on her door, jolting Emily from the trance. Scully timidly walked into the room, her eyes obviously red from crying. She sat down at the edge of Emily's bed. "Hello, Emily," she said. "Hi," Emily whispered. "I'm sorry I pushed and yelled at you and told you that you weren't my mother." "It's okay." "Really?" Emily looked at her skeptically, but Scully just nodded her head. "Why?" "Because I realize that I'm not your mother, not really. You haven't seen me in over three years. That's a long time. And I didn't tell you the last time we met that I was your mother, either. I was just some stranger that made you go back to the hospital and made you get sick again. I would probably be as angry with me as you are. But I want you to know that I put you in the hospital because I thought that it was what was best for you. There's nothing I wanted more than for you to get better and be a normal little girl. I wished everyday that you would come back to me even when I thought that you had died. If there was anyway I could go back and change it, I would. But then you wouldn't have met Anna." "I would have. I already. uh, never mind." "The point that I'm trying to get to is that I love you, Emily. I do. And it doesn't matter how angry you are at me or how much you hate me; I will still love you. You will always be my daughter." Emily said nothing. "Now, I know your dad wants us to spend the day alone together, but if you don't want to, it's okay. I'll explain it to your dad. I know that you'll have to accept me on your time, not when the rest of us want you to. So we don't have to if you don't want to." "No, it's fine. Daddy wants me to." "But do you want to?" "I guess," Emily shrugged. "Are we done?" "Yeah." "Am I grounded?" "No." Emily jumped off the bed and ran into the living room, slamming the door behind her. Scully lay down on Emily's bed, her back to the door, and held Emily's favorite doll. She began to sob quietly so that no one could hear her. Mulder walked quietly into the bedroom. He looked at Scully helplessly. He didn't know what to do. Finally, he lay down next to Scully and held her. She relaxed into him, still crying. After a few minutes, her tears began to dry up. "Mulder, what am I going to do?" Scully cried. "It's only been two weeks and I already can't tolerate this distance between Emily and me. When she was little, it was different. There was a part of her that trusted me. I could feel it when I put the necklace around her neck. But now, I don't feel any of that. I don't know how to make it better." "You'll get her trust back. We'll get it back together." "I don't know if we can. And what happens when I leave? When I find a place of my own? I can't, I won't, force her to come and see me. And I know that she won't do it on her own. If I can't reach her when I'm here every day, how am I going to do it then?" "Don't leave." "What?" "Don't leave. Stay here with us. I'm not ready to see you go." Scully sat up. "It's not fair to any of us. I can't ask you to put your life on hold indefinitely. What if you meet someone? It's not exactly going to be comfortable bringing her back to meet your daughter and her mother." "Scully, this is me you're talking about. The only time I meet women is on a case, and I haven't done many of those lately." "But things are different now. You don't know what will happen. You could meet `the one.'" She walked over to Emily's dresser and faced the wall. "Maybe I already have." Mulder was sitting now. Scully's heart jumped, but she ignored the comment. "And what about Emily? What kind of message are we sending to her? That poor little girl is confused enough already. If I continue to stay, what is she going to think?" "She's going to think her mother loves her enough to stick around." "That's not fair! I can be there for her and not live in the same apartment." "Dana." She turned at the sound of her name. Mulder was on the verge of crying. "I don't want you to go. I have felt so empty and lonely these past few years. Even with Emily here, I couldn't shake it the abyss I felt in my heart since you left. When you were abducted, I thought I couldn't feel any worse, not knowing where you were or if you were okay. But I was wrong. Knowing where you were and that you were okay, and yet not speaking to you, I can't even begin to describe how that felt. Then you came back two weeks ago and that feeling disappeared. Despite all the problems we're having with Emily, I have never been happier then I have in the last two weeks." "But I'm not going away. I would just move into a different apartment. We would still be in constant contact with each other." A single tear fell down his cheek. She stood in front of him and wiped the tear away. He grabbed her hands and pulled her to her knees. Tensions crackled throughout the room like wildfire. He stared intensely into her blue eyes, still grasping onto her hands. "I love you," he whispered. "I always have. The day you walked into my office the very first time, I knew you would steal my heart. And you did. I wanted to tell you so many times. I was so afraid of losing you or putting you through even more pain then I already had, that I held back." "I didn't think that you loved me, not that way. It was easier for me to move away and not see you ever again then to face that everyday." Her voice was low also. She put her hand against his cheek. "I love you. I have for a long time and that never dissipated over these past few years. It grew stronger. Just like you, I knew the moment you turned around the first day I walked into your office, that you would steal my heart." He leaned in close to her face and closed his eyes. She did the same. Their lips crashed into each other, sending a chill down Scully's spine. She trembled ever so slightly. His kiss became more intense with each passing second. He lowered her to the floor, still kissing her passionately. "Mulder," she said hoarsely. He didn't stop. "Mulder, we have to stop." "Why?" he asked, pulling back and looking at her with his saddest puppy-dog face. "Have you forgotten that our six-year-old daughter and her, um, `uncles' are in the next room?" He kissed her again. "So what? We're only kissing. Even Frohike's managed to do that a couple of times in his life." "Yeah, whatever," she replied sitting up. "But if your daughter walks into her room and finds us kissing on the floor, it's going to be quite the shock. Especially since she flipped when we were just laughing in the living room. I'd like to move forward with her, not backwards." "I'll stop if you promise one thing." "What?" "Marry me." She looked at him sideways, making sure he was being serious. "You got it. Now we really do have to stop." He put his head down in defeat. He knew she was right. They both stood up and fixed their ruffled clothes. "Just one more kiss?" he pleaded with her. "Yeah, all-" he cut her off with his kiss. It was filled with such passion that Scully lost all of her composure. He pulled back and grinned like a little boy. Whistling, he left the room. Scully sat down on the bed for a few minutes before following him out. Unfortunately for Scully, she and Emily were unable to spend their day together the next day because Scully caught the stomach flu, which lasted three days. When Scully finally felt well enough to get up and around, both Emily and Mulder caught it from her. It was another four days before everyone felt better. Scully was determined to have this day alone with her daughter and while she would have liked to wait until they all felt much better, her mother was coming in that Sunday to see Emily. Therefore, Scully decided that her and Emily's day together would have to be that Saturday. Scully woke Emily up around eight that morning. In the process, Mulder was also woken, but he tried to stay as much in the background as possible. Scully made Emily breakfast as the first order of the day. Mulder grabbed a cup of coffee and sat in the living room. Scully made Emily animal pancakes, one of her favorite breakfasts, unbeknownst to Scully. "Okay, Miss Emily," Scully said cheerfully as Emily sat down at the table. "I made you a special breakfast this morning. I made you pancakes in the shapes of letters and animals." Scully placed a dinosaur and the letter "E" on her plate. Emily looked up her and smiled. "Thank you." "You know, my mother used to make these for me every Sunday after we came home from our church," Scully told her. "The same one who's coming to visit tomorrow?" "Amazingly, she's the only mother that I have. When I was just a little older then you, I had my mother teach me how to make these. And I insisted on making them one Sunday for my brothers and sister. I made the biggest mess in the kitchen, and I burnt the pancakes. I have never seen a look my mother's face that has quite matched the one she had when she saw the kitchen." Emily giggled. Then her face grew dark. "Was she really mad at you?" "No, actually, she just sort of laughed and helped me to clean it up, but not before she took several pictures. My brothers still tease me about the mess I made." Emily was quiet for a few minutes while she ate. She looked thoughtful. "Could you teach me how to make them sometime?" "Sure, whenever you'd like." Scully's heart raced with excitement. This was the first positive step that Emily had made towards her. She was unsure of where to move next. She didn't want to rush Emily and have her shut down again, but at the same time she wanted it to last. Finally, Scully decided to wait and let Emily decide where they would go next. "What are we doing today?" Emily asked. Scully felt her withdraw a little. "Well, I don't know. I thought maybe we would do a little shopping, you need some more summer clothes, and go to lunch. After that, I don't know. But what do you want to do Emily? This is your day." "I want to stay home with my dad," Emily mumbled, but Scully didn't hear her. "What?" she asked. "I said that sounds fine," Emily lied. She finished eating and put her plate in the sink. She looked at Scully almost sadistically. "Can I say good-bye to my dad before we leave?" Scully's face fell. The tender moment she had shared with Emily just a few minutes earlier was completely forgotten. "Of course." Emily ran into the living room and flung herself on Mulder. "Bye Daddy." "Emily, you're only going to be gone a few hours. I'll see you shortly." He kissed the top of her head. "I want you to be good and listen to your mother. No smart talk, do you understand me?" "Yes, Daddy. I have to go get my book bag." "Scoot," Mulder told her. Scully walked in the room. "So, what are you going to do here all day? By yourself? Completely alone?" "I thought I'd call my girlfriends over and have a little private party for three." Mulder stood close to her. "Hm. I'm not sure a blow-up doll and a telephone count as two girlfriends." She grinned at him. He grabbed her waist and tickled her slightly. "Ouch," he whispered as he leaned in and kissed her. She allowed him a few seconds of kissing pleasure before pulling back. "You (he stole one more kiss) really need to take a cold shower. Your daughter will be back in here soon," she warned. Mulder pulled away from Scully just as Emily walked back into the room. His cheeks flashed a little red. "Well, I hope you girls have fun today. I'll see you in a few hours." "Bye," they said in unison as they left the apartment. The shopping trip that Scully had planned didn't go the way she had wanted it to. She had envisioned herself and Emily bonding as they chose different outfits for Emily to try on as Scully had done with her mother and sister when she was a young girl. Emily seemed to pay more attention to the clothing or the salesclerk then she did to her mother. By the time they reached the restaurant for lunch, Scully was at the end of her rope. She didn't know how to reach her little girl. Scully was nearly ready to give up trying and accept things the way they were. But then she would look at Emily and her heart would fill with joy. How could she ever give up on this little angel? "Do you like this restaurant, Emily?" Scully asked her as they waited for their food. Emily looked around the room and nodded. "It's very fancy." "Have you ever been to a restaurant like this before?" Emily shook her head. "My mother used to take my sister and me shopping every summer and every Christmas and then to a fancy restaurant," Scully told her. "My sister and I would pretend we were rich, proper ladies on an outing to meet with an old friend. The old friend was my mother. We used to have so much fun." "Did you always live with your sister?" "Until we grew up. Same with my brothers." Emily looked thoughtful for a moment. "Do you ever wish you could live with her again?" "Yeah, I do." "Daddy has a sister too. Her name is Samantha, but they don't talk to each other. They only lived together when they were very little." Emily's head switched gears. "Do you talk to your brothers?" "I try to as much as I can, but sometimes it hard to." "Why?" "Well, we each have our own lives to live. They have their kids and their lives, and I have you." "And my dad." Emily peered at her. Scully shifted in her seat, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. "And your dad," she repeated. "You love my dad, don't you?" Scully hesitated. She and Mulder hadn't told anybody about them yet, especially Emily. She wasn't sure she should tell Emily anything without first discussing it with Mulder. Emily saw her hesitation and continued on her own. "He loves you. He told me so. And Anna said that you both loved each other very much. She also said that you would probably get together when you found out about me. I think she wanted you to get married." "What about you, Emily? What do you want?" "I want to know if you love my dad." She ignored Scully's real question. "Yes, Emily, I love your dad very, very much. I think I always have." The food arrived and Emily concentrated on eating for a while. She was thinking over what her mother had said. At last she spoke. "Do you always leave the people you love?" Scully dropped her fork onto her plate. She was stunned by what Emily had just said. Emily didn't even sound like a six-year-old. "What do you mean?" "I mean, first you left me all alone, then you left Daddy. You say you love us both, but you always leave us. When are you going to leave again?" Scully took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. "Emily, I didn't leave you. I thought you had died. I thought you left me. If I had known that you were still alive, I would have searched the whole world looking for you. I love you so much. I was very hurt when we thought you had died, and I never got over it. That's why I left your daddy. I was so afraid of losing him too that I decided it would be better to push him away before he could die on me too. Just like you're doing to me now." Emily looked down at her plate. "I know that you're afraid that if you get too close to me again, then you'll be taken away," Scully continued. "So, you've decided it would be better to push me away now, and not have to worry about it. We are a lot alike. We both push people away so we don't get hurt." Emily began to cry softly. Scully went and knelt by her, afraid to touch her. She gently touched her hand. "Emily, you don't have to stop being angry with me, and you don't have to accept me as your mother, but you do have to realize that I'm here to stay and I'm not going anywhere. I'm part of your life now." Emily looked at her. She searched Scully's eyes to see if she was lying or not. "Do you promise that you won't leave me?" she whispered. Scully smiled a little, and tucked a piece of Emily's hair behind her ears. "I promise." "Then I promise to let you be part of my life and to stop ignoring you all the time." "That's all I ask," Scully replied. She smiled at Emily and wiped away her tears with her napkin. Emily smiled back. "Can we go back home now? I want to talk to Daddy about something." "Sure." Scully stood up and took Emily's hand. "Can we do this again, sometime?" Emily asked, as they left the restaurant. "Like you used to do with your mom?" "Yeah, I'd like that," Scully answered. Emily climbed into the backseat. "What would you do if you couldn't talk to your brothers anymore?" "I don't know. I just know I would be very sad." Emily was quiet, looking out the window. "Stop! Stop the car! Stop the car!" Emily screamed. "What? What is it?" Scully pulled over. Her heart was racing. Emily struggled to get out of the seat belt. "It's her! It's Anna! I saw her!" Scully got out of the car and opened the back door. She pulled Emily out and sat her on the roof of the car. "Where, Emily? Do you see her?" Emily frantically searched the crowd. Crowds of people were streaming both ways down the sidewalk. Emily looked at Scully, heartbroken. "I can't see her anymore." "It's okay," Scully tried to comfort her. "No, it's not okay. I want to see her. I want to see Anna," she cried. She began to yell through her tears. "Anna! Anna!" Scully pulled her off the car and hugged her tightly. "It will be okay. It will." "Anna," Emily whimpered into her mother's chest. Emily cried with Scully for nearly ten minutes before she would get back into the car. Then she cried all the way home. She wouldn't let Scully touch her as they walked to the apartment from the car. Emily flung herself into her father's arms as soon as she walked into the apartment. He gathered her up and sat on the chair, looking at Scully quizzically, but Scully seemed lost in her own world of thoughts as she sat on the couch. "What happened?" he asked. Emily didn't answer. Her eyes glazed over and she stared off into space. Mulder turned to Scully for an answer. "Everything was going fine. We were making real progress. Emily even agreed to accept me as part of her life." Scully licked her upper lip. "Then on the way home, she thought she saw Anna. She became nearly hysterical." "What's wrong, Baby Girl?" Mulder asked Emily. She looked in his direction; her eyes still glazed over. It startled Scully, but Mulder didn't seem too concerned. Emily shook herself out of her trance. "I want Anna, Daddy. I miss her. I want you to find her, Daddy. Please." "I'm trying, Emily," his voice cracked. He didn't know how to help his little girl. He didn't know how to make her hurt go away. "Emily," Scully began to say. Emily turned away from her and clutched onto Mulder. "No," she whispered, "Stay away. Stay away." "Ssh, Baby Girl," Mulder soothed. He rocked her until she fell asleep. He put her into her bed. When he came out of the bedroom, he found Scully pacing the room. "Scully." his voice trailed off. Mulder didn't know what to say to her. "We have to find this Anna, Mulder," Scully interrupted, "and soon." "I don't know what else to do to find her." "I may have an idea." "What?" "Will you trust me enough to let me do it without telling you?" Mulder placed his hands on her shoulders and looked deep into her eyes. He breathed in sharply. "Okay. I trust you." "Good." She kissed his cheek. "I'll be back in a few hours." "Where are you going?" "Just trust me. Don't worry. If Emily wakes up, tell her I'll be back soon." She went to the door and turned her head around. "I love you, Mulder." "I love you too," he replied. Scully drove directly from Mulder's apartment to the Lone Gunmen's headquarters. Frohike answered the door, shocked to see her there. "Agent Scully, what a surprise? What can I do for you?" he asked, inviting her in. "Where are your two cohorts?" she asked. "They're out checking on an article for next month's newsletter." He looked at her sideways, wondering what she wanted. "I need you to do me a favor," she told him. He gestured for her to continue. "I need you to find Emily's Anna. I know you can get the word out that we need to come her to Mulder's apartment." "Why? Is something wrong with Emily?" He sounded alarmed. Scully sighed. "Emily's not adjusting very well to her separation from Anna. Today, she thought she saw Anna and became hysterical when she couldn't get to her. She's begged her father on more than one occasion to find Anna. Both Mulder and I feel that bringing Anna back into her life is the best thing for her. I know you care a great deal about Emily and I know you can get into contact with this group. I know we've tried getting to her before, but I think that if we let it out through the grapevine that Emily's sick or something, Anna will come back. Will you do this for me and for Emily?" "Of course," he replied. "I'll get right on it." "Thank you," she said. Scully squeezed his hand and smiled slightly as she left their headquarters. Frohike watched her leave. As he turned around, he jumped, startled at seeing a red-haired young woman standing behind him. "Jeez, Anna, you nearly gave me a heart attack. Don't you know not to sneak up on people like that?" "Sorry, guess my mother didn't teach me that one," she replied smiling. He gave her a look. "Did you hear that?" "Yeah, I heard all of it." She sat down on a chair. "I thought Emily would have adjusted by now and begun forgetting all about me. As much as that thought kills me, I thought it was for the best. I knew Emily was angry with her mother, too, but I was hoping that it would go away. I thought she would remember after she saw her mother again." "Remember what?" "How much her mother loved her and how safe she once felt with her." "But you knew she wasn't adjusting as well as you thought she would. That's why you're back in town, isn't it?" Anna nodded. "I was just waiting to see if they could handle this on their own." "What are you going to do about it?" "I'm going over there," she replied with a shrug. Anna got up to leave. "Now?" "No time like the present. Besides, Agent Scully's mother is coming tomorrow. I think it would be nice for her to see a united family." She walked to the door. "I like the sickness part though. It was a nice touch. Thanks for everything Frohike. We'll finish that poker game another time, okay?" "No problem," he answered and locked the door behind her. Scully walked back into the apartment to find Mulder sitting on the couch. "Where's Emily?" she asked. "Still sleeping," he replied. He gestured for her to sit next to him. Mulder put his arms around her and held her close. "Where did you go?" "To see Frohike. I asked him to put the word out that we were looking for Anna because Emily's sick. Hopefully, this will work." She paused. "Do you think we're doing the right thing?" "I don't know, but I guess part of being a parent is making decisions that you don't know are definitely right or wrong. I think we're doing what we believe is best for Emily." "Hopefully, we'll also get some answers about who Anna is." They were quiet for a few minutes when a knock on the door disturbed their silence. Scully groaned as she got up to answer the door. She found a young, red-haired woman standing on the other side of the door. She was a few inches taller then Scully. And she had the deepest blue eyes that Scully had ever seen. There was something about the emotionless expression on this young woman's face that looked familiar to Scully. "Yes? Can I help you?" Scully asked. "If this is a guy selling encyclopedias door to door." Mulder voice trailed off as he came back behind Scully. Scully froze realizing Mulder had tensed up. Mulder dropped a book of Emily's that he had been carrying. "Who are you?" Scully asked her. "I heard you wanted to speak with me," the young woman replied without emotion. "I'm Anna. Where's Emily?" "You're Anna?" Scully said in disbelief. She had thought Anna would be older. This girl was no more then twenty. Mulder never told her how young Anna was. Anna nodded. "Where's Emily?" "You don't get to see Emily until we get some answers," Mulder told her. Anna shook her head slightly. "You don't get answers until I see Emily." "She's in the bedroom. She's asleep," Scully said. Anna pushed past Mulder and Scully and into went into the bedroom. She smiled as she saw Emily sleeping. Mulder and Scully stood right behind her. Anna ignored them and sat on the bed. She softly shook Emily. Emily groaned slightly as she slowly opened her eyes. "Anna?" she whispered, at first believing she was dreaming. Anna grinned widely and nodded her head. "Hiya, Munchkin." Emily flung herself around Anna. "Anna! You came back!" "Yes I did," Anna replied. Emily pulled away from her. "How are Josh and Jacob?" "They're fine. They miss you, we all do." Anna looked her in the eyes. "Do you know who brought me back?" Emily shook her head. "Your mother did, Emily," Anna continued. "She did?" "Yeah. Because she loves you so much, she risked losing you forever to me just to make you happy." Emily looked at Scully and smiled genuinely. Scully smiled back. Anna held Emily's hands. "Emily, do you know why I came back? Why it was so important for me to see you now?" Anna asked her in a gently voice. "Because I didn't try like I promised you I would." "That's right. Emily, I never made you think about the past, but now I think it's time that you do. I know you have that photographic memory, just like your dad, and that you can block out things that are too painful for you. I also know that you blame your mother for everything that happened in the hospital. Maybe I should have stopped you from believing that a long time ago, but Emily that was not her fault. She did what she thought was best for you at the time. She wanted to save you, Munchkin. And she thought putting you in the hospital with all those tests was the way to do it." "Then I got really sick and she went away." Tears formed in Emily's eyes. "No, Emily," Anna's voice choked up for a second. She fought to regain her composure. "We took you away. She thought you were dead because of me and the group. We made it seem as if you were dead when you were just sleeping for a long time. Then I took you away from her and into the group." Emily didn't say anything for several minutes. "No. no. no." Tears were streaming down Emily's face now. She began to shake her head. Scully made a move towards Emily, but Mulder held her back. He had a feeling that if anyone were going to get through to Emily, it would be Anna. "Think back Emily," Anna was beginning to cry also. "Think back to when Marshall Sim was arrested; your first dad. You were standing at the top of the stairs. And you could hear the police officers taking him away." Emily's eyes glazed over for the second time that day. Anna shook her lightly, forcing her out of her trance. "No, Emily, you stay with me. Tell me what you see." Emily closed her eyes. "I'm standing at the top of the stairs. Somebody came and stood at the bottom of the stairs. It was her. She took my hand, and she lead me to the car." Emily opened her eyes. "She did take me away." "Emily think," Anna pushed. "You were afraid. You didn't know what was going on. She put you in the car seat. Do you remember?" "Yes." "And you played with her necklace." "The golden cross." Scully touched her necklace. "She asked you if you liked it, and you nodded your head. So she put it around your neck so you could have it. How did that make you feel?" "I don't know," Emily said. "You watched her, Munchkin, even as the car drove away. You twisted in your seat so you could still see her. Why did you do that, Emily?" Anna's voice became more forceful. "I- I don't know," Emily stammered. She was crying hard now. Emily closed her eyes again. "Yes, you do, Emily," Anna said, pushing further. "How did it make you feel, Emily? Why did you watch her and not play with the necklace? How did she make you feel?" "Safe," Emily whispered. She opened her eyes and immediately stopped crying. "She made feel safe when nobody else could. I didn't want to leave her because she could make everything all right." "How could you know that?" Anna smiled at her. "I just knew." Emily looked at Scully. "I knew you could make everything better. Even in the hospital, as long as you were close by, I knew everything would be okay. I was scared, but you made me feel safe." "You see, Emily," Anna said, "she wanted you to feel safe. And she did the best thing she could have, even if she didn't know at the time. When she took you to the hospital, it gave me a chance to get to you. And those tests that she had them do allowed me to see how sick you were. So when I could, I took you and I made you all better so you didn't have take the medicine anymore. There were no more shots and no more doctors. She made that possible, Munchkin. Your mother made it possible." Emily looked at Anna. They spoke with their eyes. Finally, Anna nodded and moved her head towards Scully. Scully took a few steps away from Mulder. Emily ran to Scully, who picked her up. Emily hugged her tightly. She began crying again, but not angrily this time. "I'm sorry, Mommy. I'm sorry I was mean to you. I love you." Scully's heart filled with joy. She never expected Emily to do that, especially when Emily seemed to hate her just a few minutes ago. "I love you too, Sweetheart." Mulder felt his own eyes well up with tears, but he forced them back down. This was Scully and Emily's moment and he didn't want to steal it from them. He looked at Anna, the woman who had brought his family together. She seemed so young, and yet, it was her and only her who could bring Emily and her mother together. Then Mulder thought of something. How could Anna have known all those things that had transpired between Emily and Scully on the day Marshall Sim was arrested? He was under the impression that Anna hadn't found Emily until Emily was put in the hospital. Oddly, he thought of the first time he met Anna at the Jefferson Memorial. He had mentioned something to her about the Cigarette-Smoking Man being involved in the return of Emily. She wasn't surprised. Something was going on here, and Mulder wanted to get to the bottom of it. Anna saw Mulder watching her and decided it was time to leave. She knew she couldn't make a quiet retreat because of Emily, but she didn't want to stick around here. She knew Mulder and Scully would answers to questions. Answers she couldn't give them. "Uh, Emily?" Anna said, timidly. Emily turned and looked at her. "It's time for me to leave." "Are you coming back?" Emily asked her. Anna hesitated. Scully picked up on that and said, "I think it would be good for Emily if you came back and visited. She's still going to go through a big period of adjustment and you being there for her will help." "The thing is, I don't live around here," Anna protested. "We're willing to get you here anyway you want," Mulder backed Scully up. "I can get here myself," Anna replied. She looked at Emily who was pleading with her eyes for Anna to stay. She smiled. "I will try to get here once a month, if that's okay. (Mulder and Scully nodded). In the meantime, Emily, if you need to talk to me, here's my e-mail address." She handed Emily a piece of paper. "Anytime you need me, I'll be here." "When will you be back, Anna?" Emily asked. "I'll come back exactly two months from today. You be ready for me okay, Munchkin. I know that I said I'd try to make it every month, but I'm in the middle of a case and probably won't be able to make it back. But you mark it down on your calendar that we will spend the day together. And until then, we'll talk over the e-mail. Good-bye, my sweet Emily." "Hold on a second," Mulder spoke up. "I'd like to ask you a few questions." "Like?" Anna sighed. "What this group is? How and why you're involved? Where you've been with Emily for the last three years? How you know so much about us?" Mulder rattled off. "And the big one, who are you?" "You don't get to know that, Agent Mulder," she replied. "What?" "You know what you need to know. The rest is irrelevant." "But Emily knows," Scully interjected, "and it's tearing her apart inside. She knows who you really are, but out of loyalty, she won't say anything to us." "You could stop asking her," Anna said. Both Mulder and Scully just looked at her. Anna was quiet for a few minutes. "If I let Emily tell you who I am, do you promise it won't interfere with our visits?" Mulder and Scully looked at each other, talking almost telepathically. "Okay, no matter who you turn out to be, we won't let it interfere with your visits," Scully told her. Anna knelt down next to Emily. "Emily, if it makes you feel better to tell them, then after I'm gone, you can tell them you I really am. Okay?" Emily nodded. She hugged Anna. "I have to go now. No tears this time, Emily. You have your family now, just like I promised. And you have me. I want you to be happy." Anna stood up. "Okay, Anna," Emily agreed. She went and held Mulder's hand. "Good-bye," Anna said. They followed her to the living room and watched her leave out the door. Emily let go of Mulder's hand and ran to the window. She watched as Anna disappeared down the street. She turned around and sadly looked at her parents. "She's gone," Emily announced. "Emily, do you want to tell us who Anna is?" Mulder asked her gently. He didn't want to push her too hard. She nodded. Mulder looked anxiously at Scully. "Who is Anna?" Emily grinned widely. "My sister." THE END Author's Notes: I left many things such as Anna, and the case she's working on, open, as well as how Emily and Scully's and Scully and Mulder's relationships would work out. I've saved this for the next story and possibly a few after it. I hope you've enjoyed the story and please, please, please e-mail me with comments!!! Either way, I hope you enjoyed the story. Please send any and all comments to Teahater@hotmail.com and if anyone wishes to post this, feel free. Just include my name, and please let me know that you are doing so. Thanks!