Driving kept me from watching Scully and Thinking of Scully kept me from falling asleep, like it had been doing for so long now. Ever since the day I had met her.

I was driving along some rural road in my beige sedan. Dana Scully was asleep in the passenger seat. I'd been driving all night from DC. I needed to take Scully to safety, and her unborn child as well. Scully woke up with a jolt; she didn't seem to know where she was until she looked at me.

"Oh, god. I was hoping it was all a dream. When did the sun come up?" she asked.

I shot her a weary glance wanting to make sure she was all right.

"About six hours ago." I responded looking back to the road. "Somewhere back in North Carolina."

"Where are we?" Scully inquired sitting up straight in her seat.
"We just crossed into Georgia." I gave her another quick look.

"A long way from home, Agent Scully."
"Well under the circumstances…"

I couldn't resist looking at her baby-belly before gluing my eyes to the road again. I was really starting to get nervous about the birth and on top of that I desperately needed a cigarette.
"Are you all right, Agent Reyes?" Scully had obviously noticed my unease. I wanted to divert the attention from me so I replied:

"I should ask how you're doing. I mean…you're the one who's going to have this baby."
"That's it isn't it? What you're really worried about?" Scully replied.

"Aside from whatever danger we're in…" I heaved a sigh. "Where we're going doesn't sound like…" I was worried about how the pregnant woman would react. "Like there's all that much in the way of a … facility. You know what I mean? I've never delivered a baby." I didn't dare a glance at the redheaded woman sitting next to me.

"Well I've never had one. That makes us both beginners." She gave me a reassuring smile and laid her hand on my arm.

The remainder of the trip past with no complications. As we were taking country roads there was little traffic. I insisted on driving all the way even though I was dead tired. Only when I almost fell asleep Scully was able to convince me to sleep for a few hours, and I did, but my sleep was plagued by nightmares. When I woke after an hour or two I shooed the pregnant woman back to the passenger seat.

It was dark when the two of us arrived at a deserted resort. It was a starry cloudless night, and when I turned of the headlights of my car the surroundings were still well light. Scully and I got out of the car and while I retrieved some supplies from the back seat, Scully had a look around.

"End of the road." I said, closing the car door.

"Yeah. Literally. If anybody finds us out here it really will be a miracle." Scully mumbled.

"Where exactly are we?" She asked facing me.

"Democrat Hot Springs. According to Agent Dogget this is where people used to come for the waters. Until the springs dried up and they quit coming. He was born here." Scully seemed rather uninterested in my eyes.

" Really? Well that's…comforting. I guess." She was still looking around.

"So where do you want to set up?" She inquired.

I tried to look confident as I led the way to one of the houses, although it looked rather shabby.

"Any particular reason?" Scully asked following seeming reluctant.

"I think I told you. I feel these energies about people and stuff and places. I found it works best to go with my instincts." I pulled out a flashlight from a bag I was carrying, switched it on and walked into the building. I let my torchlight sweep over the dust covered room we had just walked into. An old daybed stood in the center of the room.

"I'm starting to get a feeling myself." Scully mumbled.

I got the feeling that Scully was not happy with this place. I wanted to impress her and in that case it was not a good sign if Scully was unimpressed. Scully waddled over to a cobweb covered sink and turned the handle; nothing happened.
"well there's no water from this rock. We're going to need some water and a place to boil it. Along with sterile supplies and a clean place to do this delivery." Scullys voice rang with criticism.

I was starting to feel increasingly uneasy, but when Scully looked my way I managed myself to smile weakly at her.

"I'm a little stiff from the drive."

The need to smoke had become unbearable, so I handed Scully the flashlight. Dana took it and sighed as she began looking around the room.

"Okay."
I left the building again and pulled out her cigarettes and my lighter. As I smoked I looked up at the sky and saw a bright light. I looked at it made me think of the whole situation: Scully having her baby, my feelings for my friend – although I guess she was hardly a friend. I barely knew her. The first time I had seen her I had recognized Scullys striking beauty, but as I got to know her I noticed that not only her body was beautiful. I knew that any move I could make would not only ruin our reputation in the FBI but also the relationship they had now. I sighed and walked back into the building after taking one last drag and stubbing out the cigarette with my shoe.

Scully was sitting on the daybed when I came in; she got up with a determined expression.

"We have a lot of work to do, Agent Reyes."
"Don't worry about all of this, Dana. Maybe you should get some rest. I don't know if there is a bed so maybe you'll have to spend the night in the car. Will that be all right?"
"Are you sure you don't need help?" I was nudging Dana toward the door.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. If you need anything I'll be here." I promised.

When Scully had left with the car keys in her hand, I began the long tedious job of cleaning up this dirty excuse for a house. I started by getting rid of the cobwebs with an old towel she found upstairs along with a pile of sheets. After a short while I started getting hot so I decided to take of my jacket and tossed it into a corner, I felt much more comfortable in my white T-shirt. Later I went out to look for water. I found an old pump nearby and filled a bucket. I scrubbed everything thoroughly with the water and some soap she found in a bathroom. When I was finished cleaning I headed up the stairs to the bedroom and had another look around in a closet I found a big basin and some candles in a box. I remembered what Scully had said, so I went to the kitchen to see if the stove was working. A yell of joy almost escaped my lips when it flickered on. I turned around and looked at my work. In that moment I heard a car door close and I looked out the window. It was light outside and Scully had just gotten out of the car and was now stretching. I hurried to the door, opened it and called out to the smaller agent.
"Dana…come see what you think."
Scully walked into the house and gasped in surprise. As she looked around I watched proudly as a very pleased looking Scully walked through the room.

"Oh, my goodness. Look at this." Scully turned around to face me.

"Look at you…wow."
Scully sat down on the daybed and ran her hands along the sheets and looked at the unlit candles that I had placed around the room.

"I found them folded up in a cabinet upstairs. And a nice porcelain basin and a whole box of candles." I remarked proudly. Scully seemed pleased with my work and that gave me a good feeling.
"Do we have matches?" Dana shot me a hopeful look. I smiled at her slightly embarrassed.

"I've got a lighter." I had walked around the daybed and was now leaning against the iron bedpost.

"Yeah."
"Now all we need is some mood music. Like whale song."
Whale song?" Scully asked looking at me with a pulsed expression.

"Yeah, they've got these recordings of whales talking to each other, calling back and forth." I was really enthusiastic about all this and I saw Scully looking at me with a blank face before I closed my eyes and started making what I thought sounded like whale song.

"I… I don't know. It's like metaphysical." I was smiling until I caught Scully's gaze, I could not tell what she was thinking but assumed it wasn't good.

"You're looking at me like…I don't know; I probably sound like a goof." I said with a sheepish grin. I felt like a goof myself but would never admit it.

"No, no, it's not that. Um, I was thinking that you reminded me of someone that I was close to – my sister."
"You're not close to her still?" I inquired not suspecting anything bad.

"Uh, she was killed…about five years ago…in my home." The redhead sighed and looked away. "It was a terrible time."

I was sorry about her sister, and regretted having asked about her. I wanted to comfort her so I softly laid my hand on her shoulder.

"Oh, it's uh… It's okay. Uh, thank you for um… putting this together... and it's not what I planned, but it's very nice." Scully said with an unsure tone in her voice. I gave her a reassuring smile and all of a sudden I felt a sudden wave of emotions toward my fellow agent. I felt the need to turn her head in my direction and kiss her.

"Dana…" I said quietly before I could stop myself and Scully turned her head. In that moment there was a noise outside and I looked up.

"What?"

"There is someone out there. Stay here." I rushed to the door pulling my gun out of its holster at the small of her back. I bursted out of the door, there was nothing there. I didn't lower my weapon and walked down the dirt street. When I still didn't see anything I put away and turned around planning to go back to Scully. Suddenly a big SUV turned into the road and came raging toward me. I whipped around pulling my gun out. The dirty car did not show any sign pf slowing down but I was petrified and couldn't move. In the last minute it stopped. The windows were so dirty, that I couldn't see inside.
"Get out of the car! I'm a Federal Agent!" I bellowed trying to sound confident, seeing Scully standing in the doorway. She backed away into the building as the car door opened. There was something like a forest watch emblem on the door and an outdoorsy looking woman stepped out or the vehicle with her hands in the air. She spoke very calmly and with authority.

"I don't care who you are. Let's start by putting that weapon away. Just point it down now."
Carefully I lowered my gun.

"I'm a Federal Agent." I repeated.

The woman stepped closer and I could see that she was a game warden.

"I heard you the first time. Just let me see some ID."
She said with a strong southern accent.

I pulled out my badge out of my blue jeans and the two of us walked back into the buildings. Scully walked into the room holding up her badge as well.
"I'm sure that this looks untoward, but my life is in danger. And my baby's. There's a man who's pursuing us and it's very important that he not find us here." She said firmly.

"We get hunters in here taking deer off-season. I've heard every excuse in the book, but this is far too original." The game warden explained. "You don't plan…uh… to have it here?" She asked with a slightly uneasy and astounded expression.

"It's not as crazy as it sounds. I mean, I hope it's not." I cut in." She's a doctor; she can coach me."
"And what if something goes wrong? If you're a doctor you know the risks…you're unprepared here."
"This man he's extremely dangerous." Scully said sounding worried. She looked at the game warden who nodded.

"I got a first aid kit in my truck. It's pretty basic, but better to have it than not. I'll be back with some towels and proper swaddling." With that she left the house. Scully looked at me and I winked at her.

"We can do this." I followed the game warden and was given the first aid kit.
"Thank you." I watched the game warden leave, before I walked back and laid the kit on a table.

Scully was sitting on the daybed resting her head on her hands.

"Agent Scully are you all right?" I asked crossing the room to sit next to her.

"I'm just starting to realize how nervous I am getting about this whole thing." Scully said sighing.

"I'm confident, that we will manage this." I put my arm around her. In response Scully gave me an aquard look.

"What?" I asked bluntly.

"Nothing." Scully looked away smiling. I didn't know what this gesture meant but I felt too tired out to think about it.

"I was up all night…will you be all right alone for a while?"

"Yeah…Where will you sleep?" Scully inquired.
"There's an old bed upstairs." As I got to my feel I gave the redhead a kiss on the cheek and walked up the stairs. I didn't dare wait for her reaction. My heart was racing, but when I lay down on the rickety bed I was so tired that I fell asleep almost immediately.

When I awoke it was starting to get dark and when I can down Scully was bustling around in the kitchen.
"Can I have you lighter for a minute?" She asked me.
"Sure." I handed her my cigarette lighter.

"I'll go get some water and see if I can dig up some more buckets."

A short while later the candles were lit and Scully was sitting at the table blotting her face with a damp cloth while I poured water into the porcelain basin.

"Thank you." Scully said. "Thank you."

I set down the bucket.

"I have to say with everything I know you must be feeling you look amazingly beautiful, Dana."

Scully looked at me slightly confused and I could tell that she didn't know what to say.

"And what about what you're feeling? Any vibrations, Agent Reyes?" Scully inquired after a long pause.

"I don't know." I answered reaching for my jacket.

"What?" Scully asked unease ringing in her voice.

"I don't know if I'm just being paranoid…" I said sighing. "But something feels off."
the redhead gave me a curious look. I did not want her to worry anymore so she dropped the subject.

"We need some more water." I mumbled grabbing a bucket. I walked outside. The night was just as clear as the night before and once again I saw the light in the sky. I stopped to look at it for a moment before walking to the old fashioned pump. I started pumping to fill the bucket when all of a sudden I was grabbed from behind and when I looked up and saw Billy Miles; the man they had so desperately tried to avoid. I was terrified. He threw me against the wall of a nearby barn and I screamed. I wasn't really hurt, but in my panic I didn't know what to do. I looked around and spied a pitchfork, after I had realized that I had left my gun with Scully. I held my "weapon" up in defense. There was a loud gunshot and Billy Miles was knocked of his feet. I could see blood spaying through the air and the shot man didn't budge. I looked up as the game warden came around the corner holding up a shotgun. I was breathing heavily as I got to my feet. I was trembling as the warden asked me if I was all right. I nodded weakly and she made me help her drag Billy back to the main road. I saw Scully walking out of the door toward us.

"Go back inside Dana." I yelled.

We dropped Miles and the game warden ran to fetch her truck.

"Who is it?" Scully asked before she was close enough to recognize him. When she did see who it was, I could see how much this upset her and did my best to sooth her.

"Dana, it's okay. He's dead."
"No it's not okay! What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." I replied as calmly as I could manage. "Now go back inside. We'll take care of this."
"They said that he couldn't be stopped!" Scully screeched.

"Dana, he has no vitals. He's lost too much blood." I answered in a firm tone.
In that moment, as Scully looked down at the body, I noticed, that Billy Miles had lumps on the back of his neck; He was a replicant!

The warden had brought her SUV around and was now getting out of it.
"Is this the man you were afraid of? How did he find you? I have to report this thing." She blurted out.

I was astonished that this woman seemed unshaken. She had just killed a man.

"No, you can't do that." Scully said with a strange expression on her face.

"I don't really have a choice." The game warden said simply.
"No, I mean,I,umm…I just felt a contraction."
As these words passed her lips my stomach dropped and I could feel the color draining from my face. The warden gave me a look before I sprang into action. I rushed forward to assist Scully who was stumbling toward the house again. I made her sit back on the daybed and told the warden to get a damp cloth. I sprinted to the kitchen and put on some water to boil. After that I went to get a long t-shirt for Scully to put on. In my haste I fumbled around for almost tem minutes before I found anything and another two till I found what I was looking for. I felt bad about about having Dana alone with that strange woman. When I returned the game warden was rushing to the redhead and kneeling between her legs.

"They're two minutes apart now. It's not going to be long."
I held up the gray T-shirt I had dug up and addressed Scully.

"How's this?"

"That's great." She moaned in pain.

I looked down at the warden and for the second time that night my stomach dropped. She had the same bumps as Billy Miles. I tried not to let Scully see my panicked expression. I vowed not to leave her alone with this woman although I didn't say it out loud. I tried to sound confident as I ordered the warden to get more water.

While she was gone I helped Scully out of her clothes and into the t-shirt. For the few short moments I found myself faced with a naked Scully and I felt the blood rushing to my ears and cheeks. This instance was over as gone as it had come, because Scully was having another contraction and sank to the daybed whimpering. Quite a while passed till the game warden returned with a bucket of water. I went to check on the water on the stove. I carried the bucket to a table and set it next to the bucket of cold water. I scooped up some water and passed the glass to Scully.

"Here you go."

"Thank you." Scully mumbled taking a shaky sip.

The game warden took the glass from her.

"Thank you." She repeated.

I looked from the bucket of hot water to the warden and back to the water again. Without thinking I grabbed the bucket and flung it at the game warden, making sure not to hit Scully with the scalding water. I tossed down the bucket and picked up the game wardens shot gun from the table.

"Move!" I bellowed at her.
I could see the fear and confusion in Scullys beautiful green eyes.

"Agent Reyes…what?"
"Move out of here!" I screamed holding the gun on the game warden. Who was clearly in agony. She stumbled out of the door and knelt on the porch holding her face.

"Who are you?" My voice was ringing with terror.

"This baby will be born." She said with a surprisingly steady voice.

Cars were arriving around the buildings. I lowered my weapon in shock as I saw the shot Billy Miles stand up and slowly walk my way. From inside the house Scullys desperate screams reached my ears.

"Agent Reyes!"

I turned around and ran inside.

"What's happening?! What?!"

I tried to sound calm and comforting, but I don't think I could convince her.

"It's okay, Dana."

"What ….what…"
"It's going to be okay."
Scully looked up in horror as a group of people walked in led by Billy Miles.

"No!" Scully screamed in horror.

I grimaced when I saw them. I felt so sorry for Dana and in a strange way I felt like all of this was my fault.

Scully howled in pain as another contraction hit her. The people had crowded around the daybed. I was trying to concentrate only Scully and her baby, but I could tell that Dana was looking at the crowd in fear.

"This is my baby!" Dana had leaned against the iron bedpost and I was sitting at the foot of the bed between the redheads legs.

"You've got to push, Dana!"
She was whimpering and pleading pitifully:
"Please, don't let them take it!"

Time seemed to pass very quickly and Scullys baby was almost in this world.

"Come on, Dana. Push!" I yelled.

She screamed in response.

"Please, Monica, don't let this happen." She groaned.

I didn't show it, but it meant a lot to me, that she called me by my first name in such a situation.

"Dana, push!"

"It's mine!" She yelled at Billy Miles and the game warden and the others standing around watching.

Soon Dana hardly had enough voice left to say anything. For a moment she was silent, whimpering.

"Keep breathing, Dana! Keep breathing."

"Don't let them take it, Monica!"
"Push! Push! Push, Dana, push!"

I could see the babies head. I put my hands underneath it to support it. With one last yell Scully pushed her child out and before I could blink I held a new born boy. He was so tiny. He started yelling and his cries mingled with those of his mother. He was trembling, so I wrapped him in one of the sheets I had laid by the bed. I stood up and laid the little boy on his mothers arms. The silent bystanders had started filing out the door. I looked down at the exhausted redhead as she stroked her sons face lovingly. Although she was sweaty and her eyes were red and puffy, she looked beautiful to me. She was looking down at her boy tears running down her face. The sight almost made me cry myself.
"You did well." I whispered leaning down to kiss her forehead. She looked at me and raised a hand and laid it on the back of my neck and pulled me towards her. "Could this be?" I thought. "Yes, it could!"
she kissed me passionately and when the slightly salty kiss ended she smiled at me.

"Thank you."
I was speechless and could not believe that she had just done what I thought she had done.

"Scully!" Dana looked away from me and peered out of the window.

"Mulder…" Scully said with a week voice.

"Stay here, I'll get him." I walked to the door, turned around and looked at Scully again. She held her boy in her arms, but she was so done in that she had closed her eyes and leaned back.

I stepped outside. The last few cars were driving away and Special Agent Fox Mulder stood in the road looking rather lost.

"Mulder!" I yelled.
He saw me and rushed toward the porch.

"How is she?" he asked speeding past me.

I was starting to notice how fatigued I was.

"She's inside. She needs to get to the hospital."

He ran inside. Almost immediately he returned and sprinted to the helicopter he seemed to have come in. I sank to my knees feeling horribly dizzy. The last thing I remember was falling to the dusty road of Democrat Hot Springs before all went black.