Maria emptied the contents of her stomach in the toilet, her eyes closed, tears running down her cheeks. Her hand was gripping the edge of the toilet tightly, the other placed protectively against her stomach. She felt someone place a cold cloth against the back of her neck and hold her hair upwards.

Too tired to move, Maria just raised her eyes and looked at Dana, who cleaned her mouth and handed her a glass of cold water.

"Here, sweetie, drink this. It always made me feel better when I was nauseated."

Maria nodded and drank the whole water, sighing and letting her stepmother take care of her.

"When were you planning on telling us you are pregnant?"

Maria closed her eyes and more tears ran through her cheeks.

"Never?"

Scully chuckled and knelt (not without some difficulty) in front of her and kissed her softly on the forehead.

"You know, you father is sitting in bed now, mad with worry and probably waiting for me to go there and tell him what's wrong with you. What do you say we tell him now?"

Maria shook her head and looked at her with eyes wide in fear.

"NO!"

"Sweetie, you father loves you. He hates your grandmother for not supporting her daughter and he will never do the same to you. It kills him everytime you cry. He wants to help...let him in...let us in."

Maria thought for a moment then finally nodded. They both got up and headed to the main room where Mulder was sitting on the bed, hands twisting on his lap, eyeing the door eagerly.

"Oh thank god! Pixie, what's going on?"

Maria swallowed and managed to walk and sit on the bed in front of her father. Dana sat on her side of the bed and smiled confidently at her stepdaughter. Maria sighed and gathered courage, and then she finally told him the truth.

"Daddy, I'm pregnant."

Mulder's face paled and his mouth opened and closed. Finally, he grabbed her hand and kissed the palm, running his fingers through her hair.

"Why, why didn't you tell me that earlier?"

Maria threw herself on his arms and buried her face on his neck. Mulder caressed her back lovingly, kissing her cheeks and shoulder.

"I thought you wouldn't want me anymore. I thought you would make me go back to Roswell or make me take the baby away. I..."

"I won't do such things, Pixie. I would never, ever do such things. You are going to have this baby. It's that what you want?"

Maria nodded.

"You will keep it?"

She nodded again.

"Then I guess I'll have to start shopping for more baby stuff."

He grinned and Maria smiled at him. Mulder kissed his daughter's forehead softly and she laid down between both her parents. Dana ruffled her hair and Mulder played with her fingers. They talked until the sun came up and finally slept, together, as a family.

GEORGETOWN HOSPITAL
12:32 PM
A MONTH LATER

Maria Deluca grabbed Scully's hand tightly when another contraction hit and the baby was out for the whole world to hear. He screamed loudly, his tiny body covered with blood and fluids. The doctor delivered the afterbirth and after cleaning the baby up and examining him, he laid the baby down on Scully's belly. Scully took the small creature on her arms, sniffing the baby's clean smell, touching his cheek softly.

"Oh, he's beautiful!"

Maria said, touching a small hand with small fingers and small nails. Michael opened his big blue, unfocused eyes, sucking his hand. Maria brushed a tear away and caressed the baby's head. He had her father's hair.

"Hello, Mickey."

"We have to take him now, Miss Scully."

A nurse smiled as she took the baby away. Scully was also cleaned and taken to a private room, where a very,very,very happy Fox Mulder was waiting.

"He's wonderful, sweetie..."

He kissed the top of her wife's head then his daughter forehead. Maria wasn't the same as she had been when they met. She was quieter, sadder. She was living only because she had no other choice. It was freaky. The only moments Mulder saw her truly happy was when she was helping Scully decorate the double nursery or when she was arranging the baby's clothes or toys.

They now lived on a big house and their FBI jobs weren't there any more. Now Mulder worked as a psychologist and Dana as a doctor at the Georgetown Hospital. The same hospital she was giving birth in. Maria studied with a private teacher and she decorated her new room herself. As well as the baby's. Mulder squeezed the girl's hand and smiled at her.

"Hey pixie, how about you and me go do some gift shopping? I think we need to buy something for Dana. After all, she deserved it."

Maria smiled and nodded and after kissing Scully's cheek once, they left. Mulder drove straight to the mall, and they walked around holding hands. Maria bought tons of things for her baby and gifts for Dana and her little brother. Mulder entered a store to take a look at a suit and Maria walked towards an animal shop. Two Dalmatian puppies were playing on a cage near the door and people were gathered around to see.

When Mulder got there, his daughter had the most beautiful smile he had ever seen her give. And he bought the puppies for her. Both of them. A male and a female. They sure had the space for them. Three days later, Dana and the baby were free to go home. The first days were exhausting, but Maria was very helpful and she took care of her little brother well when her father left to work.

When Mickey was six months old, Dana found a nine month pregnant Maria, wearing only bra and panties looking at herself in front of the mirror. She was touching her swollen belly, which was transparent. When they first found out, Dana almost freaked out, wanting to take the girl to the doctor right away. Maria had convinced her she was ok. And the transparency only seemed to appear when Maria was in deep connection with the baby.

Patting Mickey softly on the back, Dana watched as the baby moved, pressing a hand to the belly. A tiny, silver handprint stayed on the place he touched. And when he moved again, Dana saw she was going to have a grandaughter.

"It seems it's gonna be a little girl."

Maria turned around quickly and smiled widely.

"You think so madrecita?"

The spanish word for mommy fitted Scully perfectly and she loved the word the minute Maria used it for the first time.

"I certainly do, 'cause I just saw it. When she moved, I saw it."

Maria smiled brighter and turned back to the mirror.

"Annalee. Annalee Deluca Scully Mulder."

Scully ran a hand through the girl's bright locks and smiled, locking gazes with her on the mirror.

"That's a beautiful name, Maria."

The girl said nothing, only turned back around to look at the mirror again for a couple of minutes, finally closing the closet's door and putting her t-shirt back on.

"I can't wait to see her. To hold her."

The girl said dreamily, laying down on the bed and curling on her side. Dana sat down next to her, holding Mickey with one arm. Maria maneuvered herself so she had her head on her step-mother's lap and closed her eyes.

"You haven't told him yet, have you?"

"He doesn't want her, madrecita. He..."

A tear escaped her eye. And another, and another. Before she knew, Maria was sobbing loudly, holding her mother's knee tightly, while she played with her air, whispering comforting words on her ear. Maria sobbed for a long time and when she finally fell asleep, Dana carefully walked to the babies room, put Mickey on his crib and went back to Maria's to place her more comfortably on the bed.

She was sleeping in the same spot when Scully returned and arranged her better on the sheets. Maria's stomach was still transparent and although Scully didn't like to, she had to admit that it was beautiful. She could see the baby, nestled comfortably in its safe place. She knew why Maria was scared. Tomorrow they would be flying back to Roswell, New Mexico and would be there for God knew how long. Maria had finished her studies with the teacher already and was free to go. They had to order the papers with the lawyer, talk to him about Maria's adoption. In a little more time, her name would be Maria Deluca Scully Mulder.

And she was scared. Scared to meet the man that wanted nothing to do with her ever again. The man that hated her. But Scully didn't believe that for a second. She patted Troy on the head. When she had come home and found the dogs she hadn't actually liked it, but Maria was always smiling when they were around and she finally let it go and started enjoying. And, they took good care of her.

Of course they were big. Troy already hit her height. Smiling when Tarra sniffled Maria's arm before getting up quietly and jumping on the bed, laying down beside Maria's feet. Troy got up as well, nestling against her back. Her bed was as big as Mulder and hers, but the dogs always slept making contact.

"Take care of her you two."