Title: Alethea
Author: Kyo Senshi
Email: kyouryokusenshi
Rating: PG-13
Summary: POST IWTB. Mulder and Scully are eagerly expecting their second child. Just when they have finally come to terms with the loss of William, their beliefs are once again brought into question when another sick boy needs Scully's help.
Peaceful nights were a fairly new occurrence to Mulder and Scully. It was only recently that they were no longer refugees and Mulder's actions from the previous several years were finally forgiven by the government. Until recently, they had a difficult time coming to terms with the loss of William. Scully's most recent patient, Christian, reminded her so much of what she had lost. She was so determined not to give up on the sick boy. Mulder was convinced that Scully had felt that in a way she had given up on William when she gave him up for adoption. She cried almost every night for several months after they had gone on the run. He knew she thought he was angry and resentful, though he was for a short while, he knew she made the right decision.
"Scully?" Mulder had said his partner's name in the vast darkness, though she was turned away from him in bed. He placed his hand on the rounded curve of her abdomen. "Are you okay?" They always seemed to have the same conversation. Scully finding out she was pregnant wasn't what she was expecting at forty two. She wasn't sure she wanted another child and Mulder didn't even think another child was possible. But after several long months, they both had realized this was something they had both really wanted. Perhaps raising William wasn't meant to be, but now they were in a position where they could raise a child without having to worry about all of the danger that had prevented them from being able to raise William.
"Yeah," she whispered staring off into space. Though crying at night was part of the distant past, each night she lay awake for a short while wondering about William and what his life was like. She never stopped wishing that they could someday meet and William could know about his sister. He would be about five years old now. She knew her mother was devastated about her decision, as well as her brother. They even stopped talking until recently when she told her mother she was pregnant again.
"And the baby? Is she keeping you awake?" he nuzzled her. Scully laughed as she cupped her belly. "More like making sure my bladder keeps running," she really had grown to love this life inside of her so much. Mulder was with her and there was no reason she'd have to worry about her baby's safety.
At her age, she had one last shot at having a baby. The first few times didn't work out, but maybe the third time was a charm. However, she and Mulder never spoke of the fact that this baby could be different, like William, only they were both here to protect her this time.
As Scully sat up, she gasped and Mulder was immediately at her side, afraid something was wrong. Considering the number of complications she had from her last pregnancy, they had to be carefully prepared for anything that may go wrong. She did have preeclampsia and was sentenced to bed rest almost immediately when she had a fainting spell and the condition was diagnosed.
"Scully, are you okay?"
Mulder watched Scully's gaze shift to the wetness that now covered the floor.
"My water broke."
"So those cramps you were telling me about earlier weren't really Braxton hicks? God Scully, why didn't you tell me?" he started to panic
"Mulder, you don't need to rush to a hospital when labor first starts…you are generally advised not to come to the hospital until the contractions aren't far apart."
There she went with her Doctor speech again. "Dammit, Scully, most people also don't live 45 minutes from a hospital either!"
He helped pull her to a standing position and helped her into some dry clothes and grabbed the overnight bag they had waiting on the floor. Thankfully she thought far enough in advance to pack it.
He understood her resistance on having her baby delivered in a hospital due to her last experience, but as far as they knew, no one was after them this time. The last thing he needed was to have her deliver the baby on the side of the road given the many complications he was not prepared for.
He gingerly held onto her as he guided her down the steps and into the car. He didn't want to admit that he was scared shitless. He thanked god that he was with her this time to make sure everything was going to be okay. He would be dammed if anyone even touched her or the baby inside of her.
'This time will be different', he thought peeling out of the driveway. Nothing was going to happen to either of them and they were not losing another child, if that was the last thing he would ever do, he would make sure of that.
He tried his best to comfort Scully as much as he could while he broke the speed limits of the rural area to get to the hospital.
"Breathe, Scully, just like Lamaze class."
She shot him a deathly glare.
"No shit, Mulder."
He reached over and rubbed her belly. "Sorry…I really do want to utilize those things we learned though." Mulder didn't need to finish that sentence, she knew as much as he did how he regretted not being there for William's birth.
She managed a smile between contractions. "I know, I'm glad you're here." She took his hand and squeezed it tight. "Don't hate me if your hand gets broken during this process, okay?"
He managed a small laugh. "I could never."
Thankfully, time passed quickly enough and he wheeled her into the hospital room demanding a doctor. If Scully wasn't in so much pain, she would have smiled at his insistence. Before a doctor came to whisk her away, he was asked if he was the husband, to which he was happy to answer yes. Forget technicality.
Once they were in the room, he was ordered to get into scrubs, to which he happily obliged. "I already see the head," the doctor declared. "Looks like this is going to be a fast delivery, this is your second birth, correct?"
Scully was solemn for a moment before she nodded. "Okay, she's coming fast, so I'm going to need you to start pushing."
"I guess an epidural is out of the question," Scully said as more of a statement than a question.
"Sorry doctor, you know how it works."
"Guess it didn't hurt to ask," she moaned.
A nurse was at her other side, palpitating her stomach and then instructing her to push. Mulder already felt as if his hand was about to fall off considering the lack of feeling it had. She rolled her eyes at him at his funny attempts at telling her to breathe, but she savored the moment all the same. She was just so happy he was there.
"You're doing great, Scully," he whispered as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
After a few more pushes, she felt the baby slide out from inside of her and fell back against the bed in relief. Small cries began to fill the air.
"It's a girl!" he announced.
She watched with tears in her eyes as they instructed Mulder to cut the cord and they started to whisk the baby off for cleaning.
"No, don't take my baby!"
The nurse holding the baby was startled and Mulder was instantly at her side. "It's okay, they're just cleaning her up, and you know how it goes." She did, but her first birthing experience left her with an irrational fear.
She looked over at Mulder and then to the nurse. "He goes with you," she almost ordered.
She nodded reluctantly and allowed Mulder to follow her to clean the bloody baby. The nurse felt awkward and a small part of Scully felt bad for her, especially since they all worked together.
It felt like an eternity before they reappeared in the room. Mulder was the one holding her and she fought tears of joy as he placed her into her arms. "Well, I have good news; this one doesn't look suspiciously like Director Skinner."
Scully laughed as tears ran down her face. "Oh my god, she's so beautiful."
"Of course, she looks just like mommy."
Scully studied her. "Actually, I think she looks more like daddy. She has your mouth for sure."
"Thank goodness she doesn't seem to have my nose, but she does seem to have your eyes." he chuckled.
"All babies' eyes are blue at birth, Mulder."
"Okay Doc, did we finally settle on a name for her?"
They both watched in awe as she closed her eyes and suckled on her finger.
"Yeah, actually I have been thinking about some of those names we picked out. Vera. It means faith. Vera Rose."
Mulder smiled. "I guess Foxina, Foxy and Fox Jr. are out?"
Scully shook her head. "I am glad this was a joint decision. Could you imagine what you'd put this poor girl through at school?" she teased
They talked many times about names and Scully seriously considered Samantha, but Mulder was the one who insisted this baby have a name of her own.
He leaned over and kissed her. "Don't worry; I'd never subject my own kid to the same torture I got."
He had never felt so much love as he felt now, with one exception. That was the day he met William. That happiness he felt was so brief, but he was never going to let anyone or anything rip them apart ever again.
To be continued…..
A/N: I had a hard time choosing Alethea or Vera. I have used both names in other stories. Alethea means truth and Vera means faith. Decided to go with the latter since it seems more contemporary. Please review!