Mulder knocked on the door, Scully right after him. Maria looked over at them and smiled. She was sweeping the floor. Walking towards the radio, she turn it off then walked to the door, opening it. Mulder smiled and entered the diner, closing the door softly after Scully. The restaurant was empty and cold as hell. Pulling her coat tighter around herself, Scully shivered.

"It's our coldest Christmas ever. I'll bring you a cup of hot cocoa, then we can talk."

She put the broom beside a table and disappeared through the kitchen, returning 10 minutes later with three steaming cups of hot chocolate. Grabbing on for herself, Maria pointed to a table and they all sat down.

"Maria, I...your mother wrote me a letter...."

Mulder explained the whole thing to Maria and her eyes filled with tears.

"Well, Mulder. I'm not sure what my mother meant by treasure, but she did leave you a letter. It's in my friend's house, 'cause I'm staying there for a while so, if you don't mind to go with me there, I'll give it to you."

"Sure, no problem."

They left the restaurant, Maria locking it safely. She had walked to the Crashdown that morning, so there was no car. But Mulder had one and they drove safely to the Evan's house. Maria used the key Isabel had made for her and led the two agents to the girl's room, where she was sleeping on a cot.

Opening a drawer on Isabel's closet, Maria took the music box out of it and opened the lid. Soft music filled the air and again the girl's eyes filled with tears. Taking the letter out of it, Maria closed and put the box back on place. Scully took the letter from the girl's hands and gave it to Mulder. He swallowed and sat down on Maria's cot, opening the envelope carefully.

"I'm going to go grab some tea."

Scully went with her. They found Max and Isabel eating dinner.

"Maria, who's....? "

Isabel's eyes narrowed and Scully immediately made a inspection of her. Her sixth sense told her that girl was hiding something.

"That's Dana. She's here because of that letter my mom left me. Her husband is the man I'm suppose to give it to. He's upstairs reading it now. I came for some tea and to give him some privacy."

Max smiled and swallowed the pasta on his mouth. He then stretched his hand towards Scully and she shook it.

"Nice to meet you, Dana. I'm Max and this is my sister Isabel."

"Nice to meet you too, Max. You too Isabel."

Isabel nodded, her mouth filled with pasta. Maria quickly made the tea and they climbed up the stairs to Isabel's room. Mulder was sited on the cot, staring straight at Maria, his eyes filled with tears.

"Mulder, what's wrong?"

Scully put the cup on the bedside table and walked towards her partner. Mulder kept his eyes on Maria while Scully ran a hand through his hair, searching for signs of pain.

"Mulder, are you okay? What does my mom's letter say?"

Mulder swallowed hard feeling his tongue thick. He looked down at the letter on his hands one more time, the words 'two weeks after you left I found out I was pregnant' running through his mind. He looked up at Maria again, her green eyes sparkling fear right back at him. And pain. Lots of pain. No one should feel that kind of pain. No one.

"Your mother said....she said....she said you're my daughter."

Maria looked at him and blinked several times before finally speaking.

"She said what?"

Mulder gave Maria the letter and pointed at the respective paragraph.

"Here. She said two weeks after I left, she found out she was pregnant. She had a baby girl seven months later who she named Maria. She said she decided not to look for me and married another guy to give you a father. Here..."

Maria scanned the letter quickly, each and every one of her mother's words lighting an understanding bulb on her head. Apparently, Amy had gotten pregnant with Maria, not told Mulder at all and married another guy to be a father for her little girl. But that man didn't like having to take care of another man's child and left when Maria was six. Amy said he told her he fell in love with another woman. One that didn't have any children for him to play father with. Raising her eyes to look at a very confused Fox Mulder, Maria smiled. That was her mother's last present for her. All her life Maria always wanted her father. Now he was there.

Taking a step forward, Maria looked at him, suddenly afraid to be rejected. What if he didn't want another child. He was going to have one anyway. Looking at Scully, she saw that her father's wife was looking at her with an unreadable expression. Raising her eyes Maria looked right into her father's, tentatively. Mulder got up and walked to her, stopping a hair away. Raising one hand, he carefully touched her cheek and opened his arms. Maria threw herself into them, hugging his waist tightly.

He pressed his cheek against the top of her head and closed his eyes, two tears escaping from them. Maria sniffed and sobbed, not believing her daddy was there. The daddy she waited for all her life. One that wouldn't leave her. Never. Or would he?

"Promise me."

She said, running her hand through her nose and sniffing again. Mulder brushed her tears with his thumbs and smiled.

"Promise you what, sweetie?"

"You'll never leave me. Not willingly."

Mulder smiled and pressed a kiss on her forehead.

"I promise. Now, come here."

He turned around and looked at Scully, whose face was also wet with tears, but whose smile lightened up the entire room. Maria smiled back at her and brushed a strand of hair of her forehead, putting it behind her ear.

"You have to meet your little brother. Michael Daniel Scully Mulder."

Maria groaned and swallowed back her tears.

"It's beautiful....dad."

Mulder hugged her again and kissed her temple.

"I like the sound of that word."

"Me too, daddy. Me too."

* * *

CRASHDOWN
CHRISTMAS EVE
12:32 AM

Maria entered the fully decorated Crashdown on her green velvet dress. It hit her ankles and molded her body like a second skin. Her father would be there any minute. They had spent the last 3 days hanging around, getting to meet one another. To Maria's surprise, she had actually told Mulder and Scully the truth about Max and the others. And that was after her father told her he worked for the FBI. But he promised her, that he would never, ever endanger any of her loved ones. He was her father and he could never do anything to hurt her.

Everyone at the gang knew they worked for the FBI and things were calm. Max trusted Maria to do what was right. Liz trusted her completely. Isabel was just afraid, as were Alex and Kyle. Tess and Michael didn't trust her not them at all. The day before he had entered her dreams. Luckily, he saw nothing. But she knew she had to tell them. Well at least someday she will. Deciding to talk to Liz, Maria looked for her and found her best friend talking to a girl from Psyches class on a corner. Walking towards her, Maria swallowed thickly. She knew things were about to change. Tapping her friend on the shoulder, she managed to take Liz to a booth on a less crowded space and sighed, before speaking.

"Liz, I need to talk to you."

The brunette gave Maria a worried look and studied her friend's face.

"What's wrong, Maria?"

Maria looked down at her interlaced fingers and sighed again, feeling butterflies on her stomach. Looking up at her friend again, she closed her eyes for a second and when she opened them again, Liz was scared with the amount of fear that had settled there.

"I told dad the truth. About Max, Michael and Isabel. I told him and Dana."

"Maria!"

Liz looked at her shockingly and covered her mouth.

"You told your father, who's an FBI agent the truth about Michael, Tess, Max and Isabel?"

Maria opened her mouth to respond, but someone did first.

"You did what?"

Alex slipped on the booth next to Liz and looked at Maria wide-eyed. The blond just shock her head and sighed.

"I told him. He is my father. He can protect us. Them. And he wouldn't hurt us. For anything in the world."

Alex and Liz looked at each other then at Maria. They knew Maria wouldn't misjudge someone so completely. Sighing, Alex nodded and Liz followed his example.

"Are you going to tell the others?"

Maria was going to say yes, when she saw Max, Isabel, Michael and Tess storming towards the table. Liz got up and pulled Maria and Alex upstairs to her bedroom. She knew the others would follow them.

"What are you doing?"

Maria whispered when Liz closed the door.

"Well, first of all, putting us in a more uncrowded place. Second, telling you they are going to be pissed. Michael first handed. You know that, right?"

"Yes, I know that."

The door was opened and a very red, very pissed Michael Guerin entered the room. Tess pointed a finger to Maria and yelled.

"That bitch told the FBI! About us!"

Max's face was calm, and Isabel's was the one of someone who didn't want to believe.

"How could you? HOW COULD YOU?"

Michael screamed and before he could process his actions, he raised his hand and descended it full force. The sound of fingers connecting with skin echoed through the room and Maria's head snapped to the side, a tinny trickle of blood running down her mouth. She looked at him with an unreadable expression and cleaned the blood running from her lips with the back of her hand. Tess grinned in satisfaction and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Is it true?"

Isabel whispered, taking a step forward, her eyes filled with tears.

"They work for the FBI, but he is my FATHER. I needed to tell him. He can protect us."

"You stupid bitch...."

Tess whispered and Max's look was enough to shut her up. He never said a word the entire time.

"I think you should have thought better about what you did Maria."

He said softly and Maria felt the anger bubbling inside her.

"You fucking son of a bitch! Don't you dare analyze me or my actions, Max. Neither of you. He is my father and he promised me he wouldn't do anything. Pretty much the contrary, he said he would protect us as he could. I trust him."

"Yeah, but we don't. And you had no right to impose that to us."

Maria turned around to look at Isabel, the anger leaving her on a wave and leaving her drained. She sat on the bed.

"I had to tell him. He's my dad."

"Fuck you!"

Michael screamed at her face, his eyes blazing fury. Maria got up, shoving him backwards.

"No, fuck YOU, Michael. FUCK all of you! I'm tired of this shit. You imposed all of this on us as well. You imposed the pain and the heartbreak. I was willing to die for you. I helped saving your life, Michael and not even a thank you. And afterwards you asked me not to help anymore."

"You shouldn't have put your nose in other people's business."

Michael regretted it as soon as he saw the first tear trickle down her cheek. She wiped it angrily and sighed.

"I guess I shouldn't, right? But you know what, I did. We all did, and you know why, because we were stupid enough to fall in love with you. We were stupid enough to give you not only our hearts, but our trust and friendship. And in my case, I was stupid enough to give you my body as well."

Michael chuckled and Maria's face fell again. Looking up at Max, she saw him looking at her painfully and smiled.

"I'm sorry, Max. I really am. I promise you my father won't do anything. He won't be able to, because we are leaving tonight."

Liz put her hand on Maria's shoulder and turned the girl around to look at her.

"You're leaving? To where?"

Maria smiled and brushed her tears away from her eyes.

"Washington, DC. I'm moving out with my dad and Dana. We leave tonight. I only came today to tell you that and wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Guess I blew it after all, right?"

A sob escaped her mouth and Michael felt his heart clench. Maria had told Liz about the baby. The baby she was expecting. Michael's baby.

"But Maria, what about the ba.."

Liz covered her mouth with her hand and squeezed Maria's hand apologetically. Maria looked down at her belly and smiled sadly.

"The baby will be fine, Lizzie. He or she will be healthy and very much loved. Well, my father must be downstairs waiting for me, so I guess I'll go now. I'll call you when I get there."

The two girls hugged tightly and then, Maria hugged Alex, telling him she loved him. Taking two steps forward, she took a key out of her purse and put it on Max's hand, squeezing it softly. Max pulled her into his arms and hugged her tight.

"I trust you, Maria. I trust you did the right thing."

Maria kissed his cheek and smiled sadly.

"Thank you for everything, Max."

She looked at Isabel and whispered softly.

"Thank you too, Isabel. For letting me into your heart and your home."

And whispering so no one would hear, she said:

"I'll make sure I'll bring you your goddaughter or godson for you to meet."

The girl said nothing, her eyes wide. Maria walked over to Tess and smirked, slapping the girl's face twice.

"You dare to call me a bitch ever again and I'll break both of your arms, do you hear me? Powers or no powers."

Tess was so surprised, she said nothing. Maria looked up at Michael, her eyes filled with pain. She smiled sadly at him and laughed before the tears started. She climbed down the stairs to find her father and Dana sited on a table, talking and laughing, Dana eating Christmas cookies and Mulder drinking wine.

She stumbled towards them, her tears choking her.

"Daddy, can we go now?"

Mulder looked up at his daughter and his eyes widened. He was on his feet immediately.

"Maria, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, daddy. I just...please lets go home. Please."

Mulder said nothing. He just nodded and held Scully and Maria's hand, pulling them out the restaurant and to the car. Maria entered it quickly. Some of her clothes were already on the trunk and the rest of her clothes and important stuff like her oils and stuffed animals were to be sent to her later.

All she was taking were her favorite clothes and shoes, a couple of books, her mother's wood music box and a stuffed bear she couldn't live without. It had black fur and bright blue eyes. Blinking back tears, Maria ran a hand through the dress, thinking bitterly that Michael didn't even pay attention to it. She had bought this dress for him, and he never even looked at it twice.

"Sweetie, are you sure everything is okay?"

Maria blinked and snapped out of her reverie, locking her eyes with her father's on the reviewer mirror. She smiled sweetly then looked at Dana, whose expression was as worried as her husband's.

"I'm fine. Goodbyes were just a little harsh."

Mulder sighed and nodded.

"We're almost there. Take a nap, you look awfully tired."

Maria nodded and closed her eyes, falling asleep almost instantanely, the emotional exhaustion taking it's toll on her. When she opened them again, they were pulling into the airport's parking lot. Mulder left the car keys with the woman who sell the tickets, telling her a guy from the car company would come to pick it up.