Title: Emily Returns 3: The Missing Links Author: Jessica Hildbold Reply to: Teahater@hotmail.com Spoilers: Up to Emily in the Fifth Season with implications from the finale and the movie. Rated: PG Category: MSR-SRA Keywords: Mulder/Scully Marriage Summary: Continuation of Parts One and Two. Even more truth comes into light about Anna. Archive: Anywhere Disclaimer: See part one and part two. Emily Returns 3: The Missing Links Dana Scully lay awake in her bed late one night. She was unable to sleep as her mind raced of concerns over her eldest daughter, Anna. Scully could say definitely that Anna was hers now because the blood results had come back a week ago. This wasn't what worried Scully though. Anna was seventeen years old, nearly eighteen. She had been on her own since she was twelve. Scully and her ex-FBI partner, now husband, Fox Mulder, had only recently learned of Anna's existence. And it was only over much insistence and pleading that they were able to convince Anna to spend some time with their family. She promised to stay for only two weeks. Scully suspected this was mostly to please Emily, Anna's sister and their daughter. Anna had raised Emily for three years before returning her to Mulder and Scully. They were very close. But those two weeks and come and gone and Anna stayed. They were approaching the end of the third week. She could and would take off at any day now. Scully had gotten used to having Anna around and didn't want to lose her daughter. With Anna, there was never a guarantee when she would come back to visit or even if. When she discussed her fears with Mulder, he didn't seem to feel the same way. Mulder was sure that Anna would always come back. And he believed that they didn't have the right to insist that Anna stay with them permanently, only to offer a home whenever she wanted or needed it. Anna and Mulder had grown fairly close over the last few weeks, at least when compared to her relationship with Anna. The same thing seemed to happen with Mulder and Emily. They were very close, like two peas in a pod. Scully was extremely jealous at first, but gradually grew to accept it. It helped that Emily had grown closer to Scully, especially in the time that Anna had been there. With Emily though, it was easy to understand why she avoided her mother. Emily had believed that her mother had left her when she was sick and in the hospital. It wasn't true, but it took some time for Emily to learn that. Anna didn't have a situation like that. Scully hadn't met Anna before Emily was returned, but nevertheless, Anna seemed to avoid Scully. Anna was never rude or outspoken about like Emily had been, but she seemed to shy away from any closeness with Scully. It wasn't as if Anna and Mulder were all that close either, Scully had to keep telling herself. Mulder knew very little about Anna even now. And Anna rarely showed any emotions other then simple ones even with Mulder. Still, Mulder could touch Anna without Anna jumping or shaking as she always did when Scully touched her. Mulder could also hold whole conversations with Anna. Anna didn't seem to know quite how relate to Scully. Scully sighed and rolled over onto her side. She closed her eyes and attempted to get some sleep. She could worry more about Anna tomorrow. Lying next to Scully, Mulder wasn't asleep either. He knew Scully was worried about Anna and when Anna would leave them. Mulder wished he could help somehow, but he would never force Anna to stay with them. Mulder's attempts to get Anna to talk hadn't worked either, but he wasn't surprised. His daughter was a lot like her father as far as withholding their thoughts and only the right person would be able to bring that out. Scully was Mulder's "right person." She had been from the moment she walked into his office. Mulder knew Anna needed to find that "right person" too and would patiently try to be there for her in the meantime. Mulder sighed and tried to push his thoughts out. He needed some sleep too. Mulder and Scully weren't the only ones who were having trouble sleeping that night. Anna was staring at the ceiling, lost in her own thoughts. She knew it could possibly be only a matter of hours before she would have to leave or she could be here for another three weeks. It broke her heart to know that Mulder, Scully, and Emily would have very little warning when she had to leave. At the same time, Anna knew that she had to accomplish this mission. Maybe it would make up for her inadequacies as a daughter. But these people weren't her parents. Not really. She didn't have any. Anna had had her grandfathers and they had always been enough. She never longed for her parents and now she didn't know how to react to having them, especially her mother. Anna supposed that she did love them in some form. After all, why would she feel guilty about leaving them if she didn't? But she wasn't sure if it was the love that a child has for his or her parents. Emily had been easy to love. She was Anna's little sister. That love had been automatic from the first time Emily was placed in her arms. Anna's friend, Josh, insisted that Anna did love Mulder and Scully. He claimed that she wouldn't spend so much time keeping up on their lives if she didn't. Anna remained unconvinced. Her grandfathers had always kept her updated on the lives of their children and when they were gone and only Anna was left, it only seemed natural to carry on the tradition. Anna sighed and closed her eyes. The time was coming when she would have to leave this house, Emily, and Mulder and Scully. It was coming soon. Anna knew she would be back at least once, but she didn't know when or for how long. Anna didn't know if she would ever be back after that. Perhaps that was the hardest part. Emily was the only person speaking the next morning at breakfast. She seemed not to notice how tired her parents and sister were or how lost in their own thoughts they had become. She merely continued to talk about schoolwork. Anna envied Emily's innocence, wishing she too could ignore the worried glances shared between Mulder and Scully. Ring! Anna dropped the fork she had in her hand when her cell phone rang. She really needed to do something about that ring, she thought to herself. Anna saw Scully grip Mulder's hand as she answered the phone. "Yes? Are you sure? Okay. Give me twenty-four hours. Yes, I'm sure. Bye." "What's going on?" Scully asked, her voice slightly strained. "Anna's going away," Emily replied miserably. Anna looked at her unsure of what to say. Mulder and Scully looked at her quizzically. Anna nodded. "When? In a few days?" Scully asked. "Less than an hour," Anna said matter-of-factly. She set her face to show no emotion. It suddenly occurred to Mulder where he had seen that face before. It was the calm expression (or lack of expression) that Scully used to work on a case when something was bothering her. Anna stood up. She looked at Emily who was pouting. "Munchkin, I've already been here five more days than I told you I would. I have to go." Anna looked at Mulder believing he would understand. "I have to." Mulder nodded and gave her an encouraging smile. He cleared his throat. "Do you know when you'll be back?" "No," she answered, "but soon. I promise it will be soon." Anna left the room and Emily crawled onto Scully's lap. "Can't we make her stay?" Scully wrapped Emily tightly in her arms. "No, Sweetie. We have to let her go." The three of them sat in silence for the next twenty minutes. Anna walked back into the room carrying her backpack and a duffel bag. "I'm sorry I have to leave in such a hurry. I really did have a nice time. Emily, I will let you know when I can come back." Mulder stood up and engulfed her in a hug. "Don't be a stranger, okay? You always have a home here." "Thanks." Anna smiled. Scully pushed Emily to hug Anna. Anna hugged her tightly, her eyes welling up with tears. "I love you, Munchkin," she whispered. Emily ran back to her mother. Anna walked over and gave Scully an awkward, quick hug. She turned and left before she could see Scully's face. "Emily, where does Anna go when she leaves?" Scully asked. "To rescue another kid," Emily replied. "This one must be really bad." "Why?" "'Cause Anna asked for twenty-four hours. She only does that when she's going back into one of the bad people places." Scully looked at Mulder with terror in her eyes. Mulder couldn't do anything but look back. Thirty-six hours later, Anna found herself waiting outside a fence with several other members of her group, including her friend Josh. Inside the faced lurked what seemed like a normal nursing home. A van was parked outside, where two men in uniform were moving equipment from the home. To a passerby, it would appear as if someone was moving out. Nervousness and anxiety had built inside her stomach, but it didn't bother her. She strived on those feelings during times like these. "It's just like he said," Jen whispered. She was the one who had found this location. "They're transporting just one with only two guards. I don't know why such priority is given to just this one though." "I do," Anna replied. "This one's going to his daughter's." Anna looked around the place when something caught her eye. "Guys, we're being set- up here. There are more then two guards. Look." She pointed to the far side of the fence. "We should abort the mission," Scotty said. "No, I can do this myself. Go wait down the block with the car running," Anna told them. "Are you sure?" Scotty asked. "Give me fifteen minutes. If I'm not out by then, leave." "Anna, you can't do this by yourself," Josh argued. "Let me help. I can distract them. We all can. If we run around the fence, then they'll have to chase us. They'll leave only one guard to watch the van and you can take care of him." "All right," Anna agreed after everyone else nodded. "One my count. One. two. three!" The five other members of the group took off running in several different directions. As Josh had predicted, all but one of the guards chased them. Anna snuck up to the van and pulled a needle from her jacket. She stabbed the guard in the arm and he fell down, simply sleeping. She considered taking the incubator from the van, but thought it was too risky. She decided instead to take the whole van. Anna locked up the back, making sure everything was secure and moved the guard onto the front porch. She jumped into the front seat and turned the van on. She looked around the yard to see if anyone in the group was still there. She saw only Josh who quickly hopped into van too. Anna ripped through the fence and took off down the street, making sure no one followed her. About two miles away, Anna met another van. She and Josh took the incubator out of the first van and scanned it for any bugs or homing devices. When it came back clean, they moved it into the second van and left. "How's he doing?" Anna asked Abby. Abby was another member of the group who had been trained as a child to become a doctor. "He's good," she replied checking over the incubator. "He's just about to be born." Anna placed her hand on the container filled with green slime. The fetus inside kicked as if he had sensed her presence. Anna smiled. "Now we just have to get my brother through the birthing process. And this one, he'll survive. I can feel it." As it turned out, the fetus wasn't quite ready for the birthing process. He and Anna went with the group back to the compound. It had been nearly a month since Anna had been there. Although not much had changed, Anna felt out of place. She felt a strain between her and several of the other adults, especially Scotty and Jen. Many of the children seemed to be holding back from her. Anna wondered if the fact that she had just spent three weeks with her biological family had anything to so with it. No one went to their families and returned back to the compound. Perhaps, they were afraid that Anna would leave them. At least Anna had Josh to keep her sane. Josh was her best friend. He had been ever since she had joined the group. They got along wonderfully and seemed to be able to read each other's thoughts. They were nearly always teamed together on missions because of this. Josh was two years older than Anna, but it never seemed to make a difference. Josh had thick, curly, brown hair and almond eyes. He towered nearly six inches above her. Anna had always had a crush on him. He seemed to have one on her, but that's all she thought it was. Rumors ran rampant around the group about them. They were considered the married couple of the group because of the closeness between them. It had never bothered Anna before and she wasn't about to let it bother her now. Josh wasn't the only person that Anna had when she returned to the compound. She also had Jacob. Jacob was four years old and one of the sweetest children that Anna had ever met. He loved to sit and rock for hours cuddled up with Anna. Anna had rescued him when he was six months old from the project. He had been in the same facility that Anna was at his age. Jacob was also designated for the board that Anna was supposed to participate on. She felt a special bond with Jacob especially after it was determined that Jacob could not return to his biological parents. Anna had taken it upon herself to become Jacob's surrogate mother. He had missed her when she was gone even though she called him several times a week to make sure he was okay. Jacob spent a lot of time with Josh when Anna left, but now that she was back he never wanted to leave her side. Anna was in one of the boys' rooms watching Jacob sleep one day about ten days after she arrived back at the compound. Abby tiptoed into the room and tapped Anna on the shoulder. "It's time." Anna forced a small smile and nodded her head. She gave Jacob a kiss on the forehead before leaving the room. "Abby," Anna said shutting the door, "this one can't go wrong. I don't want anyone else in there but you and me." "What about Josh? I know he'll want to be in there with you," Abby said. She was the only member of the group who knew how much in love Anna was with Josh. And unbeknownst to Anna, how much Josh was in love with her. "Okay, Josh too, but on one else," Anna agreed. Abby nodded. They walked down into the basement of the compound and down a long hospital- type hallway. Anna and Abby turned into a room filled with machines. Josh was standing next to the incubator that held the fetus. Abby immediately began to check the machines. "Is everything ready?" Anna asked after a few minutes. Her face had turned a pasty white. "Anna, are you sure you want to do this?" Josh asked. "I've done this one hundred and sixty-three times before." "Yeah, but-" "Josh, I'm fine. I have to do this." Josh pulled Anna to the corner. "Anna, I know you think you're fine, but I can tell how nervous you are. No one could blame you. When you lost your brother, it had a deep impact on you." "Of course it had a deep impact on me! He died in my arms because I screwed something up during the birthing process." "You can't blame yourself for that. You did nothing wrong. I've seen the tape of William's birth and it was perfect. Sometimes, these kids just don't make and it's nobody's fault. You did everything you could to save him." "But it wasn't enough, obviously. I need to be able to birth this one. I can't explain it to you any better then that. I need to save him and make sure he lives. Then I need to give him to his mother. I need to take him home." Josh nodded his understanding. "We're ready," Abby told them both. Anna walked over and picked up the sac from the incubator. She placed it into a silver tun filled with freezing water. The sac shriveled up slightly on impact in the water. Abby hooked the sac up to several different machines. Josh handed Anna a long needle that she cradled in her hand. "Temperature's dropping. Almost there," Abby said. Anna closed her eyes and said a silent prayer as Abby continued to speak. "Dropping, dropping. Now." Anna opened her eyes and plunged the needle into the sac careful not to hit the fetus inside. Green liquid oozed out and filled the tub. Slowly, Anna began to tear the sac away from the baby inside. The baby kicked his right leg slightly. "Heartbeat?" she asked. "Good," Abby replied, "steady and strong." "Brain waves?" "Normal." "Okay, bring the solution to me." Abby handed Anna a needle filled with a green solution. Anna injected the needle into the baby and held her breath. The room filled with a tenseful silence for nearly thirty minutes as all eyes stared at a small monitor off to the side of the tub. At last, the monitor started to beep, to the relief of Anna, Josh, and Abby. "He's responding perfectly," Abby announced. "Okay, let's prepare to move him to the warm water and give him his first chance to breathe real air." Anna tightened her grip on the baby. Abby moved another tub, identical to the first, over to the first tub. Abby and Josh removed the wires from the baby. "Ready?" Anna asked. They nodded yes. Anna slowly brought the baby from the water. Holding his head and body with her left hand, she used a sterile cloth to wipe the slime and mucus away from the baby's eyes, nose, and mouth. "Come on, Christopher, breath. Breath for your big sister. Breath," Anna whispered. "You have a Mom and Dad at home who would love to meet you. Breath." The baby, as if hearing Anna's last plea to breathe, kicked his leg and took a gulp of air. He began to cry. Anna burst into happy tears. She quickly moved the baby into the other tub and finished cleaning him up. After he was cleaned, dried, and clothed, Anna sat down on the rocking chair and fed him. Josh pulled up a chair across from her and watched as Anna sang to the baby. Abby left to tell the other members what had happened. "I take it you're naming him Christopher?" Josh asked when Anna was down singing. She nodded. "Christopher Scully Mulder. That is if his parents want to keep it. Speaking of parents, did you get my letter?" "Yes, I did. Thank you. I went to see both of my parents thanks to your detective skills. My father, Michael, is a manager of the local light company in Omaha. He and his wife, Tammy, have been married for fifteen years. They have two children: Trevor, who's ten, and Maya, who's seven. I talked with him once in a supermarket. He had gone to get milk and eggs and I pretended to buy a magazine. We made idle chitchat while we waited, but it was incredible. My mother, Irene, is a painter in Seattle. She's divorced with no kids. I went and had her paint a picture of a boy standing in a field. I sent it to Michael so that they would always be connected, somehow." "I guess I'm lucky that way. My parents were destined to be together always. Even if I wasn't destined to be there with them, I've always known that they would end up together." "But look at what you've had to give up in order to know that. You'll never be able to get out of this mess, even if you leave the group. No one else has had siblings in the project, let alone three. Look how much information you have to carry around with you just to survive. The rest of us could walk away somehow, but they would always pull you back in. It's the curse of your family, I suppose." "But Josh, would you ever give up and stop fighting?" "No," he replied without hesitation. "Neither would I." She looked down at Christopher who was sleeping peacefully. "He's one of the reasons why." "Anna, I have a visitor who would like to see you," Abby said walking into the room. Jacob peered from behind her. "Josh, Scotty's looking for you. Something about a computer file." "All right," Josh answered. He stood up. "Are you going to be okay with these two little rascals?" "I think I have them covered. Right, Jacob?" "Yup!" Jacob replied. He grinned widely before sitting in the chair across from Anna. Josh took one last look at them and left with Abby. Jacob looked at Christopher. "Who that?" "This is my little brother, Christopher. He was just born today." "Are they going to take him away too?" he asked worried. "Who would take him away, Jacob?" "Scotty and Jen. I heard them talk about anover brover of you. They said it was a `stake to give Anna's brover to them, but it was too wate to get him back." "What else did they say?" "Um," he tapped his finger against his chin, "Jen said that Anna would find out because of the new baby. But Scotty said she was worrying over noffing." "Do you remember what they called the brother? What his name was?" "Effan, I think." "Ethan," Anna said with a small smile on her face. "Did they say where they took Ethan?" "To Samantha." "Are you sure?" "Yup! I like to `member talks!" Jacob said proudly. Anna hugged him with her one free arm. "Thank you for telling me! Can you do something else for me? Don't tell anyone what you told me, okay? That includes Josh." Jacob nodded. Anna hoped he would actually do it. Jacob had never had a secret before and he was only four. But, on the other hand, he was a bright kid and was already able to memorize people's conversations. "How would you like to help me put Christopher down in his crib?" Anna asked, taking Jacob by the hand. He grinned and walked off with her, singing a song about a frog and his wife. Anna kept quiet about the information she had received during the next eleven days. Her mind raced with the different possibilities. Could it be that William was still alive? But that meant that Scotty and Jen had lied to her. And could William actually be with Samantha? He wasn't William, she had to keep reminding herself. His name is Ethan now. Anna tried to busy herself with Christopher's recovery. He was recovering with remarkable speed. Within two weeks he would even be done with treatments and after a final week of check-ups, he would be able to go home. On the eleventh day, Anna found that both Christopher and Jacob were taking naps at the same time and that both Jen and Scotty were out of the compound on a mission. She decided it would be the perfect time to break into Scotty's computer to see if she could learn anymore information. The computer was easy to reach because Scotty hadn't locked the door to his office. No one else was working in the offices that day either. It wasn't too long before Anna had found a file named "WilliamM." Inside, she found details of a deal that Jen and Scotty had made with the Cigerette- Smoking Man. Included in the deal was that one of the group's leaders would be set free if they handed over the Mulder child. The child was slipped an injection that made it appear to die, but was later revived and delivered to one Samantha T. Smith of Little Oak, California. Anna burned with anger inside. How could these supposed friends and colleagues do this to her? How could they lie and deceive her? How could they have kidnapped her William? Anna had just shut off the computer when she heard the door open. Scotty and Jen walked in and froze when they saw her at the desk. Anna's eyes boiled with anger. "How could you do this to me?" she demanded. "How could you make me believe that that little boy was dead? You knew how much it hurt me that I had lost him." "We didn't have a choice," Scotty tried to explain. Jen cowered behind him. "We didn't see another alternative. We had to get Mitchell back. He knew too many things. We thought that you would mourn the loss of your brother for a while and then get over it. We never thought that you would take his death so hard." "He wasn't my brother." Anna was shaking. "He was my son!" "What?" Jen spoke up. "We didn't know that. No one told us." "Of course not! I changed the labeling of the eggs before they had created him so that he would be protected. A child of Dana Scully and Fox Mulder would simply be placed into an adoptive family like before, but a child of mine would be used in this war. Only two people knew about it, myself and the Cigarette-Smoking Man. And you played right into his hands." "Anna, I'm sorry," Jen stammered. "I-I, we didn't know." Anna didn't seem to know what to say. "No one else is to learn of this, do you understand?" They nodded. "I'm waiting until Christopher is cured and I'm leaving the group. I won't be back. I will continue to help rescue the children, but I want no part in this so-called group." Anna left the room and returned to her room where Jacob and Christopher were still sleeping. Quiet tears fell down her cheeks. She stared at Jacob. What would happen to him if she left the group? How could she take him away without having any place to go? And what would happen with Josh? Would he understand that she had to leave the group if she couldn't tell him? If she couldn't tell him that Ethan was her son? And his son too. Anna pushed off telling Josh that she was leaving until the last day of Christopher's treatments. That way she figured both he and Jacob would have time to adjust during the last week she was there with Christopher, and they wouldn't spend so much energy trying to get her to stay. It killed her to leave Jacob though. He had truly become her son. It was too dangerous to take him from the group right now though. Josh walked into Anna's room just as she finished feeding Christopher with Jacob in tow. "I heard that Christopher's last treatments went well and that he's expected to be able to go in a week." Anna nodded. She laid Christopher into his crib and handed Jacob a book. "Jacob, would you do me a big favor? Would you read Christopher this story while I talk to Josh?" Jacob grinned and sat down next to the crib. He couldn't read the book, but he would have fun telling Christopher the story. Josh had read the same book to him a thousand times. "So what's up?" Josh asked when Anna brought him into the corner. "I'm leaving, Josh," Anna replied, "and not just to give Christopher back. I'm leaving the group. I will still help to rescue the children, but I won't live here anymore and I won't be a part of the inner workings of the group." "What? Why?" "I can't tell you. Please believe me that I can't as much as I want to." "Where will you go? Back with your parents?" "No, I won't stay with Mulder and Scully. I don't where I'll go." "Let me go with you. I don't want to be here without you and neither does Jacob. I love you." Anna began to cry. "No, don't say that, not now." "You promised you wouldn't give up and leave!" Josh said angrily. "I'm not giving up. I just can't stay here and I can't take you and Jacob with me. I don't where I'm going and I don't know if I can protect you and Jacob. You're safer with the group. I will let you know where I am once I get settled." "Do you promise? Because I don't know what I would do if I didn't know where you were and that you were safe. And I don't know what Jacob will do without you. He cried every day for you when you were gone this last time. You are his mother even if you don't let him call you that." "I know. Don't you think I know that? If I could, I would take him with me. I need you to back me up on this one. I need you to watch over him. You are as much his father as I am his mother." "Then stay with us. We can be a family." "We can't, not yet. Please just know that I will as soon as I can." Anna stared into his eyes. She begged him to understand. He stared back for a long time. Finally, he nodded. "But if you need me, you call. And as soon as you can, tell us to come." "I will," she said. She hugged him tightly. "Josh, I love you and I will." Anna left a week after her conversation with Josh. She tried to tell Jacob that it would be a long time before she would see him again. She wasn't sure he understood. He cried when she got into the car to leave. Anna swore she saw Josh crying too. Jen and Scotty wouldn't come to see her off. They had avoided her the rest of the time she had been there. She was glad for that. Anna cried in the car for the first two hours. She missed Jacob and Josh already. And she wasn't sure that she would ever see them again despite her promise to Josh. She would be going up against the Cigarette-Smoking Man soon. They had never gone head to head before, not on a personal level. She was terrified. Anna needed to gain some more information before then and she thought she knew just the place to find it. It would be a slight detour and deep within the desert, but definitely well worth it. Anna pulled into D.C. about ten o' clock. Christopher was fussy, but Anna found it hard to fault him since he had been in the car and hotel rooms for over a week now. Anna debated whether or not to wait until the morning to give Christopher back, but she decided to he would be best in a real home as soon as possible. He grew more and more fussy as she got closer to Mulder and Scully's house. Anna tried to sooth him by talking, but he still threatened to scream at any minute. "Christopher, do you know where we're going? We're going to see your mommy and daddy and your sister, Emily. They don't know about you yet, but they'll be real glad to see you. I promise they will. Oh, don't cry, Christopher. Don't cry, Sweetie." But he cried anyway. Luckily for Anna, she had just about pulled in front of Mulder and Scully's house. She quickly gathered Christopher's diaper bag and him. She patted his back through his coat and rocked him back and forth to calm him down. Anna didn't want Scully and Mulder's first impression of their son to be of him miserable. After a few minutes, he had calmed down and was cooing softly. Anna suspected that Christopher was simply tired of being in the car. Anna walked up to the door and knocked on it, her hand shaking slightly. She held Christopher tightly as Scully answered the door. She had been laughing at the television when she got up to answer the door. "Anna," Scully whispered. "Hi. Can I come in?" Anna asked. Scully brought her to the living room where Mulder was sitting on the couch. He looked startled to see her. "We didn't think you were coming back." "I had to find someone. I had to find him," Anna replied, indicating Christopher. She had taken his coat off revealing a blue sleeper underneath. "His name is Christopher. He's seven weeks old." She took a deep breath. "He's your son." Scully froze in place while Mulder stood up behind her. Neither one of them said anything. "He's the last of the eggs and therefore, the last of your children. I was able to destroy the rest of your eggs and your sperm. He was born like the others, like Emily and me, and he had to be cured. That's why it's taken so long for me to come back. I've been searching for him since before I returned Emily. I had gotten word that they were planning on creating another child, but I wasn't sure when. We got him about a week before he was to be birthed. He's a beautiful baby." "Can I- Can I hold him?" Scully asked. She reached out for Christopher. Anna handed him over to Scully. She held him tightly and breathed in the top of his head. She smiled, feeling a connection between her and the baby. "I named Christopher Scully Mulder. You are free to change it of course. I have his birth certificate in my car," Anna told them. "Why Christopher?" Scully asked. Anna looked at her sideways. "Because of Emily. Emily's middle name is Christine and one of the male versions of that is Christopher. We're all connected now, no matter where we are. Anna Emily to Emily Christine to Christopher Scully. His middle name is Scully to show that there will be no more. But like I said, it really wasn't my right to name him. I just had to call him something for those seven weeks." "I like the name," Scully said. She turned and looked at Mulder, who took the baby from her and held him. "So do I. Hey there, Christopher. You are a big boy, aren't you?" Christopher laughed. He seemed to almost know that he was home. "Will you stay for awhile?" Scully asked. Anna hesitated. "Mulder and I don't know anything about Christopher. You've been there with him since his birth. You know his feeding times and his nap times. It will make his adjustment much easier if you're here to guide us through it." Anna looked at Mulder. He nodded his agreement with Scully. Anna sighed. "I'll stay for few days until you're comfortable with Christopher. Then I have to go." "What's all the noise?" Emily asked, walking into the living room. She saw Anna and made a beeline for her. "Anna, you came back!" "For a few days, Munchkin," Anna replied cautiously. "I brought someone with me." Anna pointed Christopher out to Emily. She squealed with delight. "Is that who you went to find?" "This is Christopher. He's your brother," Anna told her. "My very own brother! He will stay with me, won't he? Not like Jacob who couldn't come with me." Emily looked doubtful. Anna hugged her, wishing she hadn't mentioned Jacob. "Christopher will stay here with you and your mom and dad. He is your brother. Jacob was your friend." "Who's Jacob?" Scully asked. She, Mulder, and Emily had sat down on the couch to marvel over Christopher. Anna's face paled, but no one seemed to notice. "Jacob's a long and complicated story for another time. I'm going to go get Christopher's things from the car. I assume you'll want to put his crib in your room. He's used to having someone in the room with him." With that said, Anna left the house to the car. Over the next few days, Anna slowly but surely weaned Christopher away from her and to his parents. Mulder and Scully grew happier with each day as they had all of their children under one roof. Anna, however, grew more and more withdrawn. Scully believed that it had to do with Christopher. Anna had raised Christopher for seven weeks. He had been completely dependent upon her and it had to be tough for Anna to see him grow closer to them. Mulder disagreed. He thought it ran deeper then that. Anna had raised Emily too and for a longer time, but when it was time for Emily to come home, Anna had freely accepted that. No, something had happened in the two months since she had been gone. Something that had hurt Anna very deeply, and that was why she was having a hard time. Mulder decided he needed to have a talk with Anna as soon as possible. Unfortunately, that opportunity didn't come until a week after Anna and Christopher had arrived back at home. Emily and Scully were backing cookies in the kitchen while Christopher was taking his afternoon nap. Mulder watched Anna put on her coat and go outside to sit on the porch steps. He followed her out there. "Hey Kiddo," Mulder said sitting down next to her. He had become accustomed to calling her that. "Hey," she replied. Anna was immediately suspicious as to why he had followed her outside. "There's something I've meaning to ask you, if you don't mind." "Shoot," she answered, staring at the grass. "You linked the names of all your siblings, right?" Anna nodded carefully, waiting for him to continue. "Then why didn't you link the other one?" Anna froze for a second before trying to cover her shock at the question. "What other one?" "When Scully found Emily, I found a nursing home with the babies of abductees. Scully's name was on one of the fetuses. I had assumed the fetus was destroyed when the nursing home was cleaned up." "So? Maybe you were right." "No, I'm not. You seem to know most of what goes on with this family and that's something too big for you to have missed. I know from experience that you are quite found of your siblings and you wouldn't leave one behind. And if he had died, I think you would have been honest about that too. Do you know what I think?" "What do you think?" She was trying to have it appear as if she was disinterested in what Mulder had to say. "I think that baby wasn't Scully's at all. I think it was yours." "Where would you get a crazy idea like that?" "From you. You said that you were created to keep your grandfathers in check. I think this baby was created to do the same for you. It wouldn't have been long after you joined the group that they would have done this." Anna was quiet. "Where is he now?" "He's dead," she whispered. A tear fell down her cheek. "He died a few hours after he was born. Sometimes they just don't make it through the birthing process. Nobody knows that he was mine. I was able to change the labeling on the eggs to read Dana Scully, but I was unable to destroy them before he was created. Please, don't tell anyone, not even Agent Scully." Mulder put his arms around her and pulled Anna into a big hug. "I won't," he said kissing the top of her head. "I promise, but we really have to talk about this name thing. If you won't call us `Mom and Dad,' then at least call us Mulder and Scully. We haven't been `agents' in a long time." "Don't you think it's time to go back?" Anna asked. It was Mulder's turn to freeze now. The question would seem to be out of place, but the cool way in which Anna had asked it led Mulder to believe that she had been waiting for just the right moment. "You accomplished so much when you were a FBI agent. Don't you miss that?" Mulder thought about it for a long time. "Yes, I miss it. But we have Emily and Christopher now, and you sometimes, and there's no way we could do both. Not if we wanted to keep them safe." "If there was, if I could guarantee Emily and Christopher's safety, would you go back?" "I think I would, but I don't know about Scully. I hope she would, we were a great team. Even if we decided to go back, there's no guarantee that they would let us back in." Anna looked at him without saying a word. He sighed, "But I'm sure there's a way you could get us in. Yes, I'd like to go back." "Then I think I can call you Mulder." Anna smiled. She stood up with a twinkle in her eye. "Or maybe you'd like Fox better." She ran into the house with Mulder chasing after her. Later on that night, Scully convinced Mulder, Anna, and Emily to play a few hands of cards. `Go fish' so that Emily could play to. Christopher sat in his bouncing seat laughing to himself. Emily was in the middle of accusing Mulder of cheating when there was a knock on the door. Anna jumped up to get it. "Mulder, don't be looking at my cards while I'm gone! Munchkin, watch him!" Anna laughed walking to the door. She opened the door to find Josh and Jacob on the other side. Her mouth hung wide open. "Anna!" Jacob yelled and jumped on her. She squeezed him. "I missed you so much, Jacob." "Why you go away?" Jacob asked her. Anna looked at Josh. "I had to visit my parents and Emily. What are you guys doing here?" Anna directed her question to Josh. "We'll talk later," was the only thing he said, but he gave her an encouraging smile. "How would you guys like to meet my parents and see Emily again?" Anna asked. Jacob nodded enthusiastically. Anna held Jacob as she led Josh into the kitchen. Mulder, Scully, and Emily looked at them in surprise. Emily jumped out of her seat and hugged Josh. "Josh! You came to visit." "You bet, Munchkin!" he replied. Emily left to sit on her father's lap. Mulder and Scully could almost see her struggling between the life she was leading now and the life she had had before. It was obvious that Josh had played an important part in that life. "This is Josh and Jacob," Anna introduced. "Josh, Jacob, this is Mulder and Scully." Jacob hung tightly to Anna's neck. He was shy when meeting new people. Mulder and Scully said hi and invited Josh to sit down. Jacob refused to move from Anna's lap. Anna rocked him gently back and forth. "Josh and I were part of the group together. He's my best friend." Josh blushed. "And Jacob's been with me, and with Josh, since he was six months old. I rescued him from the same facility that I was at when I was his age. He really couldn't go back to his biological parents, so we kept him." "Anna is Jacob's Mommy," Emily announced, "but she won't let him call her that. Everybody at the compound says he is though, e. essentially! I don't know what that means." "It means `almost,'" Scully replied. She smiled and looked at Anna. "I guess that means that Josh is essentially his dad." Mulder stiffened. He didn't like the implications behind Scully's statement. Anna, no matter what else had happened, was his little girl. Both Anna and Josh turned red from the tops of their heads to the bottom of their feet. Anna opened and closed her mouth several times trying to decide what to say. "Would you guys mind watching Jacob for a little while? Josh and I have some things to discuss." "No problem," Scully replied. Mulder was trying to stare Josh down, but Josh wouldn't look anywhere near his direction. "Jacob, Josh and I are going to have a talk. Would you stay here with Emily? I think there are some cookies that Emily made today. And you can read Christopher the story you used to read him. I think he's missed it." Jacob nodded slightly and sat on the chair by himself. "We'll be back in about a half hour." Josh and Anna walked down the street in silence for about five minutes. To Anna, it felt like hours upon hours. Finally, as they neared a corner, she placed her arm on his to stop him. "What did you learn, Josh?" she asked quietly. "You always seem to know how to ask just the right question." He motioned for her to keep walking. "I know that William is my son and I know that he is still alive. I knew there was something wrong before you even told me that you were leaving the group, and I knew that it had something to do with Jen and Scotty. I had noticed the tension between the three of you and how they tried to avoid you. We all had. They wouldn't tell me what was wrong so I decided to find out on my own. I found the `WillamM' file on Scotty's computer, but I wasn't sure what I had found. I confronted Jen and Scotty. Jen finally broke down and told me that William had survived that night and that he was your son. I asked a friend about him, but the only thing he could find was that William was my son too." "William is no longer William. His name is Ethan. He lives in California." "Can we go get him?" "No. I mean, yes. I mean, no we can't, but I can. I have to do this on my own." "Why?" "Because Ethan didn't go to just any adoptive family. He went to the Cigarette-Smoking Man's daughter. I have some information that should bring Ethan home, but I don't want to put you in the middle of this. This is a show down between me and that `black-lunged son-of-a-bitch.' It's been overdue for a long time now." "What if he's happy?" "Then I'm leaving him there. If it will upset him too much then I'll leave him where he is, as much as it will hurt. That's another reason I want you to stay here. I want to spare you that pain. And I need you to stay here with my family and watch over them until I come back. I need you to make sure that they don't try to follow me. Will you do that for me?" Josh was quiet for several minutes. "When do you leave?" "Tomorrow night." Josh leaned down and surprised her with a kiss. "Be careful," he whispered. "I will," Anna promised, "but if I'm not back in ten days, don't come looking for me. And don't let them look for me either. Something went wrong if I don't contact you by then and it would only be dangerous for you to follow me." "But." "No, Josh. Emily and Christopher need their parents, and Jacob needs you. You would be the only thing in this world he would have left." "Jacob needs you too." "I know, but I can't shake the feeling that Ethan needs me too. How can I live with myself if I don't at least find out?" He pressed his forehead against hers. "You couldn't and neither could I. Ten days, Anna." "Ten days." Anna left in the middle of the night the next night. She had placed Jacob, who had been staying with Josh, in her bed and made love to Josh before leaving. Anna made sure to check in on everyone before she left. The last person she looked in on was Christopher, who was awake, giggling at his animal mobile. She picked him up and sat in the rocking chair. "This is just like old times, huh, Christopher? It's funny to think that was just a week ago. You already don't depend on me anymore. Christopher, I have to go away for awhile. It could turn into a long time. Do you promise you won't grow any during that time? I know it`s silly to ask, but hey I am your big sister. I get to make crazy requests like that. I'm going to find my son. I want so badly to be able to bring him back home, but at the same time I want him to be a happy, little boy. I don't think I can have both. It's not like you. You were easy to bring home." Anna kissed his forehead and laid him down in his crib. "Thanks for the talk, Christopher." Anna quietly left the house, careful not to disturb anyone. Soon, she off on her way. Josh woke up a few minutes after Anna left the house. He whispered a little prayer for her before checking on everyone himself. He laid back down on his bed and stared at the ceiling. Sleep would not come he knew. He quite possibly wouldn't sleep until Anna had returned. Scully didn't take the news of her daughter's "disappearance" well at all. Josh tried the best he could to calm her fears, but he didn't know her very well. Jacob was having a hard time with Anna's leaving too. He had been very leachy to her the entire day before and now he would just sit and cry for her. The only one, besides Christopher, who seemed okay with it, was Emily. She was used to Anna being gone by now and was sure Anna would return especially given the fact that Josh and Jacob were staying with them. Emily had grown very independent from Anna over the last few weeks when Anna was gone from her. She had grown much closer to her mother and tried to assure her mother that Anna would be back and that sometimes big sisters just had to go away. Scully had insisted that both Josh and Jacob stay in the house. It made her feel closer to Anna somehow and it made her feel better. Mulder remained quiet on the issue. He had a feeling that Anna's disappearance had something to do with their talk yesterday. Was it possible that the baby hadn't died like Anna said? Or maybe she was off to find the information that would enable him and Scully to return to the X- Files. He wasn't sure and as much as he would have loved to talk it over with Scully or Josh, he didn't want to upset Scully or betray Anna's trust and he was sure that Josh wouldn't talk to him about it. No, he decided, it would better to keep these questions to himself. Anna, when she had arrived in California, had immediately learned of Ethan's location and staked out his home for two days to learn his routine. She never got close to the house though so she was unable to tell how happy he was. What she did learn was that Ethan's nanny took him to the park every afternoon at three-thirty so she could flirt with a cop whom watched the playground. The nanny would sit Ethan in a sandbox and ignore him for nearly an hour. Anna decided it was time to talk with him. Anna approached Ethan cautiously, not wanting to frighten him. He was sitting in the sandbox by himself as he had for the last two days. He was beautiful. He had dark brown hair with a hint of red and big green eyes. He had his mother's lips and his father's chin. He was perfect. "Hey there, buddy," Anna said to him. He looked up at her and smiled. "What are you playing with?" "My twuck," he replied and held it out for her to see. "Wow, that's a nice truck!" "Tank you!" "What's your name?" "Effan. What you name?" "My name is Anna. It's very nice to meet you Ethan," He smiled again. "Ethan, do you know where your mom is?" He looked around. "Not here." She switched tactics. "What are your favorite toys?" "My twuck and my blankie," he replied pulling a raggedy sky blue blanket from behind him. Anna gasped. It was the same blanket Anna had wrapped him in when he was born. Ethan stood up. "Swing?" "Do you want me to push you?" He nodded and grabbed her hand. They walked to the swings together. Anna searched the playground to see if they were being watched, but saw no signs of it. The car that watched over Ethan's house was nowhere in sight. She contented herself to pushing her son and contented himself to talking to Anna. "Ethan!" The nanny had realized he was no longer in the sandbox and was marching over to the swing set. Anna stopped the swing to let him hop off. The nanny grabbed protectively onto Ethan's arm and glared at Anna. "I'm sorry," Anna apologized. She smiled sweetly at the nanny. "He wanted to swing and I wasn't sure who he belonged to. I thought it was better for him to stick with me until his mom came back. I wasn't planning on going anywhere with him. I am sorry." The nanny's facial features softened. "Thank you. One minute he was there and the next. you know how it is." Anna nodded. "Come on Ethan. It's time to go home." Ethan's eyes widened. "No go! No go home!" He struggled to free himself from the nanny's grip. "Come on, Ethan. I don't need a repeat performance of yesterday. Your mother will be waiting for you if we don't hurry." Ethan shook his head violently. "No-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no-no- no!" The nanny picked Ethan up, kicking and screaming, and dragged him to the car. In the process, Ethan's blanket tumbled to the ground. Anna picked it up as she watched the car drive away. She could see him struggling to get out of his car seat the entire time. Anna, unlike the nanny, knew that Ethan's mother would not be home for several more hours. Anna went back to her hotel room to pack before driving to Ethan's house. She decided that tonight she would either take Ethan with her back to D.C. or she would leave him alone forever. She arrived at the house just as Ethan's mother was arriving at home. Anna walked along side the car that watched the one-level house. The guard inside was reading a newspaper. His window was rolled down and his arm rested on the ledge. Anna stabbed him with a needle filled with solution. He never even saw her. The guard would be asleep for several hours Anna mused to herself. Next, Anna crept up to the house. It was set slightly apart from the others on the block so she didn't have to worry about any neighbors. Looking through the window, she saw Ethan's mother greet him. She hugged and kissed him. Anna's heart broke. She continued to watch as the nanny left. Ethan's mother turned around from closing the door and glared at Ethan. Anna felt a cold chill settle into her soul. Ethan crawled into a ball at the end of the couch. Anna was unable to hear the conversation, but she could she the look of terror on Ethan's face. Ethan's mother paced back and forth, her arms flailing, as she ranted and raved. Her face turned redder and redder by the minute. Anna wanted to jump up and kill Ethan's mother, but she knew she would have to wait. At last, Ethan's mother ended her rampage by sending him to his room. Anna crept around the house to Ethan's bedroom window. It was open slightly and she could hear him crying. Anna waited there listening until Ethan had cried himself to sleep. Then she crept back to the other side to watch Ethan's mother. Ethan's mother went to bed about two hours later, after having eaten a large dinner and making several phone calls. Anna waited another hour before crawling threw the window into Ethan's room. Once inside, Anna crawled around until she found a night light and switched it on. Ethan didn't move. She grabbed what looked like an old diaper bag and threw some of his clothes inside. The last thing she placed in the bag was his truck. As she closed the bag, she looked up and saw Ethan watching her. Anna placed her finger on her lips to keep him quiet. She moved close to him. "Hi there, Ethan. Do you remember me? I played with you in the park." Ethan nodded and smiled his eyes big and bright. "Do you want to come with me? Away from your mom?" Ethan shook his head a little. Anna heard him whimper. She really wasn't surprised by his reaction. Why would he want to leave the only place he had ever known? "You won't ever have to see her again and you won't ever have to be scared anymore. Do you want to go?" "Yes, please," Ethan replied and held out his arms. Anna sighed in relief. She knew he was too young to really understand what was going on, but it felt so good to have him in her arms again. Anna grabbed the blanket he had been sleeping in and the bag she had packed. She turned the light off and cautiously opened the bedroom door. She listened carefully for any noise, but heard nothing. She quickly walked down the hall and through the living room. At the door, Anna heard a match being lit. "Leaving so soon?" a voice from the chair said. He turned on a lamp. Anna turned to face him. He grinned grimly. "Where are you going with my grandson?" "He's not your grandson," Anna replied, her teeth clenched. Ethan held onto her tightly. He didn't like this man that his mother told him was his grandfather. He never hugged Ethan and barely looked at him. "Of course, he is. That is my daughter's son." "He is my son! You took him from me." "I made a fair trade." "You didn't have the right to make that trade." Ethan's mother walked into the room and turned on the light. "What's going on here?" She looked at Anna. "What are you doing with my son?" "He's my son, Samantha, not yours. I'm taking him home where he belongs," Anna told her. Samantha looked at the Cigarette-Smoking Man. "You can't let her take him." "I won't," he said. "You will," Anna said. The Cigarette-Smoking Man looked at her, but said nothing. He was as unsure of what to expect from her as she was from him. This girl had too much of her father in her, too much of her grandfather, and she had the tools of knowledge to gain information that neither one of them could ever have hoped to. Anna looked at him unwaveringly. "You see, I have some information that I know you don't want released. Information that cannot be denied or tidied up by some little news article on page thirteen." The Cigarette-Smoking Man laughed. "What? Alien abductions? The Black Cancer? The hybrids? No one but the most paranoid would believe you." "I know your name." "You're lying." "Am I? Are you willing to take that risk? If that name ever got out, it would destroy. You would finally be held responsible for all the despicable acts that you have done." "I don't believe you," he countered, but his face showed a different story. "That name disappeared over forty years ago." "Nothing disappears without a trace, isn't that what you always say? Thanks to the Consortium's excellent training program, I can break into virtually any computer system and gain the information that I need. I managed to find your name. Imagine what else I can find." "What do you want?" "I want you to leave my son alone as well as my brother, sister, Josh Frederick, and Jacob Mulder. I want you to allow Mulder and Scully to return to the X-Files. In exchange, I will forget that name and I will not help them gain information about the truth." The Cigarette-Smoking Man took a puff of his smoke and said nothing. Anna knew by his silence that he agreed. She turned to leave. "I'm leaving now." "Stop!" Samantha shouted. Anna stopped. "Dad, you can't let her take my son!" "Yes, he can," Anna answered for him. "He doesn't have a choice." "Then I'll find him myself. You'll never be safe." Anna's eyes flashed with anger. She held Ethan closer to her. "That's where you're wrong. If I can so much as feel your presence within the same state, I will do everything I can to destroy you and your family. I will make sure that my father knows the truth about you. You were the one who told them to abduct my mother and you were the one that wanted to meet him in that diner so that you could entice him to your side. How would he react to the fact that you kidnapped his grandson and were planning on doing the same thing to his son?" Samantha folded her arms and scowled. She knew she had lost. "Go on, take him. I don't want that little brat anyway!" Anna turned around for the final time and walked through the door, slamming it on the way out. She looked at Ethan, who still looked frightened. She put her forehead against his. "You never have to go back there again, okay?" Ethan nodded. "Are you ready to go?" Ethan nodded again and hugged her. "Then let's go!" Anna drove for nearly fourteen hours before pulling in and checking into a hotel. Ethan slept most of the time. When he was awake, Anna tried to entertain him by singing songs, playing games, and telling him stories about his family. He seemed fascinated by those stories, especially the ones about Josh. He had never had a father. Anna also told Ethan that she was his "mommy." She tried to explain that she was his first mommy and that his mother had taken him away, but she wasn't sure just how much of that he understood. He asked her repeatedly if he would have to go home. Each time she assured him that he wouldn't and he seemed to believe her the more she told him. When Anna checked into the hotel, she had Ethan lay down for a nap. He looked so comfy that she immediately felt all the hours that she had been awake some over her at once. But first, Anna had to call Josh and let him know that she and Ethan were all right. She had thought about waiting to call him, to keep Ethan to herself a little while longer, but she knew she had to tell Josh. "Hi Josh. Are you alone?" Anna asked him when he had picked up his cell phone. She heard him breathe a sigh of relief. "Yeah. Your parents are grocery shopping, Emily's watching a movie, and Jacob's taking his afternoon nap," he replied. "Are you coming home soon?" "Yes, but don't tell Mulder or Scully. I want to surprise them. How. how are they?" "They're fine. They're very worried about you. I don't think they know what to make of your disappearance. I think that they thought that since Jacob and I were here that you would stay." He paused. "Do you have Ethan with you?" "Yes, I do. Josh, he's so beautiful. He has my lips and your chin and the most beautiful green eyes. He's waking up right." Anna covered the mouthpiece. "Ethan, do you want to talk to your dad? Remember? His name is Josh." Ethan smiled and took the phone. His little hands could barely hold onto it. "Say hi to Josh," Anna urged. "Hi Josh," Ethan said. "Hey buddy! How are you?" "Fine. Where you at? "I'm at my home. I'm waiting for you to come here." "Oh. I wanna play with my twuck. Talk Mommy now." Ethan handed the phone to Anna and went to play with his truck. Anna stared at him in amazement. "Josh, he called my `Mommy.'" "I know." "He's never done that before." "You two must be growing very close," he said trying to push down the lump of jealousy that had arisen in his throat. "Yeah, I guess so." Josh heard the door open. Mulder and Scully were home. "Anna, I have to go. Your parents are home." "Okay. I love you." "I love you too. Come home soon." Anna hung up the phone and looked at Ethan. His head was nodding and he was fighting to keep his drooping eyelids up. Anna laid him down and lay beside him on the bed. She brushed his hair softly and sang him a lullaby before they both fell asleep. Anna pulled into D.C. late in the afternoon. Ethan was tired of the car and bored with the games they had been playing and the songs that they had been singing for the past week. He was cranky and fought Anna on everything that she tried to so. He just wanted to get out and run around. Anna was tired too, but she fought herself to stay calm. She was too happy to have her son back to that her tiredness overtake her. Besides, she had to be in tip-top condition when she saw Mulder and Scully again. Anna saw Mulder jogging through a park near his house. A sudden urge to hug him washed over her. She honked the horn and pulled over to the curb. Mulder just looked at her. He hadn't noticed Ethan in the back. Anna wasn't sure how she should read the look on his face. Disgust? Fear? Relief? Uneasiness? She just couldn't tell. "Hi," Anna cautiously offered as she got out of the car. "Hello, stranger. Long time, no see." A hint of sarcasm was hidden in his voice, but Anna picked up on it right away. She looked away from him. She felt hurt and anger, but mostly alone. "I never promised you that I would stay. I never promised that I would let you know when I had to leave again. In fact, I told both of you not to expect anything from me." "But we did," Mulder voice was angry now. "You are our daughter and we expected a lot from you. All parents do. We love you. We can't stop that. We expected you to at least tell us when you were leaving." "Then I guess we're at an impasse. I can't give you any more then I already have and you can't take anything less then it all," Anna looked at him. He didn't know what to say. "I'll stop by the house to pick Jacob up and to say good-bye to Emily and Christopher. You won't have to worry about me again." "What about Josh?" "Josh does whatever he wants to. He always has, but he knows that Jacob is mine." "Yours how?" "I have custody of Jacob. In the eyes of the `law,' as much as it is, Jacob is biologically mine. As far as they know or care, I gave birth to him." Anna looked back into the car. Ethan had gotten out of his carseat finally and was watching her intently unsure of who the man was. Anna smiled at him to reassure him that everything would be okay. He smiled back. "I don't want you to go," Mulder said after a few minutes. Anna looked at him and frowned. He continued. "I want you to stay with us. I want to get to know you better. But I don't want you to take off without at least warning us that you're going. There has got to be a way to get around this." Anna went over to the car and picked Ethan up. She held him close. "This is why I left. This is Ethan, and he is my son. The one I told you about; the one that I thought had died. He was being raised by someone on the project. I couldn't exactly tell you all of that. I couldn't even tell Josh where I was going. It was too dangerous for all of you. But I got him back and I made sure that no one would hurt him, Jacob, Emily, or Christopher ever. I also made sure that you and Scully could return to the X-Files if you choose to. That's why I had to leave without telling anyone." Mulder was quiet once again. He looked at his daughter and grandson. He knew he would have done the same thing if he had been in her position. Mulder closed his eyes and sighed. He stepped forward and engulfed Anna and Ethan in a huge hug. "I can't fault you for what you did. I've done it many times to your. to Scully myself. And for much less then this. I want you to stay. I meant that. We can finally become one whole family. All the missing links have been found. They have, haven't they?" Anna smiled and laughed slightly. "We're all here." "Your mother won't be as easy to gain forgiveness from, but I don't think that bothers you very much." Mulder told her. Anna smiled again. He was right. She loved Mulder and Scully, she truly did, but this whole parent thing? She just didn't know. "Well, are you going to introduce me to my grandson or what?" "Mulder, this is your grandson, Ethan. Ethan, this is your grandpa. Do you remember I told you about him?" Anna turned and whispered in his ear, "This is the nice one, Ethan. He loves you very much." "Hey Ethan," Mulder said, tickling him. Ethan smiled. "Hi Grandpa!" "Are you going to take me home now? I think there's some anxious people who've been waiting a long time to see you two," Mulder said to Anna. Anna breathed in deeply and nodded. It was time to go home to face Josh. and Scully. As Anna drove down the street that Mulder's house was on, she could see everyone in the front yard. They seemed to be playing some sort of football, but mostly, it was Josh pretending to be tackled by Emily and Jacob. Scully was holding Christopher on the front porch and laughing. She was the first to notice the car and Anna. "Josh," Scully called, standing up. He stood up from the ground and looked at the car that Scully was staring at. Mulder was the first to get out of the car. He walked over to Scully and took Christopher from her. Scully took a few steps closer to the car, then stopped again. Anna unbuckled Ethan from the car seat while she was in the front and brought him to the front. He sat very still on her lap. He felt shy watching all the people watching them. "Ethan," Anna whispered, "don't be afraid. This is your family. That's your grandma over there. And the baby, is Christopher. He's your uncle. That little girl over there is named Emily, and she's your aunt. That little boy is your brother, Jacob. He's not very scary is he?" Ethan shook his head, but his eyes remained wide. "And you see that big guy in the yard?" Ethan nodded. "That's your daddy, Ethan. The one you talked to on the phone. He's been waiting a long time to see you. Do you want to go meet him?" Ethan turned around on her lap so that he could look at her. He put his forehead against hers. "You stay with me." "Of course." Anna kissed him on the nose. She opened the door and stood up, holding onto Ethan the entire time. Emily and Jacob raced each other to get to Anna first. Anna knelt down, still keeping one arm around Ethan and hugged them both. "Anna, I missed you so much! You didn't tell me your were leaving and I was scared," Emily said. Jacob nodded in agreement. "Me too." "I'm sorry, guys. I didn't tell anybody but Josh so that I could keep you safe. Do you understand?" They both nodded. Emily spoke up, "I understand, but do you promise not to go away without telling me first?" "I promise," Anna agreed. "But guys, I want you to meet Ethan. Ethan is my son, and your brother Jacob." "My brover?" he repeated. Anna nodded. Jacob grinned shyly at Ethan who smiled back. "Does that mean that you'll let Jacob call you `Mommy' now? Josh let him call you that while you were gone," Emily said. "Munchkin, sometimes I wish I hadn't taught you to be so blunt," Anna told her. Emily shrugged and smiled. Jacob looked at Anna hopefully. Anna grabbed his hand. "Jacob, if you want to call me `Mommy' from now on, I would like it very much." She gave Jacob a kiss before standing up. Josh was walking towards them. He playfully pushed Jacob and Emily out of the way as they giggled. "All right, you little rug rats, out of my way!" Josh stood close to Anna who was still holding tightly onto Ethan. Josh looked at Ethan, "You must be Ethan. I'm your dad." Ethan reached out for him and hugged him. Anna looked shocked as did Josh. "Hi Daddy," Ethan replied. The instant connection that had made Ethan feel so comfortable with Anna so quickly was obviously also there with Josh and Ethan. Anna picked up Jacob as Emily ran to her parents. Josh leaned down and kissed Anna. "Welcome back," he whispered. Anna gazed deeply into his eyes. She smiled before looking over at Scully. Scully was standing there watching the entire scene. Anna put Jacob down and walked over to her. Mulder, Josh, and the kids moved away from them both. Anna started to open her mouth, but was cut off. "It did hurt me very much that you went away without telling anyone, but I can see why. If it had been one of my kids, if it was you, I would probably have done the same thing under the circumstances. I am just really glad to have you back and I don't want you to go away. We'll have to look for a bigger house, and we'll have to get used to each other, but I think it will be well worth, don't you?" "It's what my grandfathers had always hoped for. I can't disappoint them when their dream is so close to reality," Anna replied. She smiled. "There's nothing more I want then to live with my entire family under one roof, if you want me." "Oh yes, I want you," Scully told her. She hugged her tightly. "I think I need to go start dinner. We're going to have a big feast to welcome you and Ethan home." Scully turned and began to walk to the house. "Mom!" Anna called after her. Scully turned around, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Let me help." Scully nodded and wiped away a stray tear. She had her daughter. She had them all. The End Author's notes: This could be the ending, or it could not. I'm strange that way. If I have the time and the ambition, I'll probably write more of this. If anyone has any opinions on that, e-mail me at teahater@hotmail.com. Thanks again for reading!