Disclaimer: I don't own anything, yada, yada
Dana Scully tiredly placed her four-month old daughter back in her crib and glanced at the digital clock in the nursery. 5:36. She had been up for nearly an hour, and she did not see a point in attempting to go back to sleep now since she would have to be awake again in another hour to prepare for work. Scully yawned widely and turned to walk out of the nursery. Although the babies had begun to sleep in longer stretches, she was still not receiving the full amount of sleep every night. But she had begun to grow accustomed to lack of sleep, numbing herself to its effects. She liked to believe that she could function just as well on three hours of sleep as she could on eight.
As she walked out of the nursery, she nearly ran into her partner, Fox Mulder, who was holding their second baby, Samantha (affectionately called Mancer or Mancy by her doting father—short for necromancer since he believed her loud wails could wake the dead. He had a penchant for choosing unusual nicknames). "Did you get her back to sleep?" he questioned. Scully nodded, stifling another yawn with her fist. "Go back and try to get a little more sleep," Mulder told her, kissing her forehead. "I'll take care of this one." Scully glanced down at the baby in his arms who was grinning happily, wide-awake. She reached for the fabric of her father's shirt.
"I don't know if I'll be able to get back to sleep before I have to wake up again."
"At least lay down for awhile."
"Okay. You sure you're okay with her?"
In answer, Mulder held the baby up in front of him so that she was facing Scully. "Tell Mommy to go get some rest," he instructed. Samantha made some unintelligible noises, and Scully smiled, taking her tiny hand and kissing it.
"Okay, Sweetie, I'm going," she promised. She kissed Mulder briefly on the lips before walking around them and into her and Mulder's bedroom. Mulder watched the door close behind her before turning back to his daughter who was now cuddled against his shoulder.
"We need to make sure Mommy takes better care of herself," he told the small baby. She stared up at him with clear blue eyes; oddly enough, she seemed to comprehend what her father was saying. "Come on, Mancy, let's go downstairs and see if we can find something to entertain ourselves."
The blaring of the alarm clock woke Scully an hour later. She blinked, surprised that she had actually managed to fall asleep. Glancing over, she noticed that Mulder was not beside her. The baby monitor was also missing, so she assumed he had taken it. Still not feeling completely rested, Scully rolled out of bed and stood, stretching. Her body had finally almost returned to the size it was before her pregnancy, so she was able to fit into her old clothes again, including the nightgown she now wore, one of her favorites. Scully hoped that she would be able to start running again in the mornings with Mulder soon so that she could shed the last few pounds she had gained from pregnancy.
Walking downstairs, she found Mulder sitting on the couch with Samantha on his lap, talking to her as he held various toys out in front of her. She grabbed at some of them, gripping them tighter than most babies her age could. Mulder had already noticed this and latched onto it as proof that she and her sister possessed above average intelligence. Scully was still skeptical of this assessment, but it was a nice thought. All parents wanted their children to be intelligent.
A plastic horse went into Samantha's mouth as soon as her father held it out to her, and she sucked happily on the toy. Mulder looked up at Scully who stood in the doorway watching them. "You want first shower?"
"You go ahead. I'll take her for a bit." Mulder nodded and stood, passing the baby to Scully as he left the room. She reached for her father for a moment before seeming to decide that her mother was an adequate substitute and cuddling against Scully. Scully held her close, loving the feel of the warm weight in her arms. She had always thought she would have to content herself with holding nieces and nephews since the doctor had told her she would be unable to have children of her own. Now, she relished every moment she spent holding one of her girls, even if those moments did sometimes come at 2:00 am when she was half-asleep.
Mulder returned fifteen minutes later with Melissa. Although awake, Melissa was not nearly as alert as her sister; she buried her face in her father's shoulder as he held her with one arm. He wore his slacks but had only an undershirt on, having learned the hard way that taking care of two babies while wearing a white dress shirt was asking for a disaster. Holding out his free arm, he accepted Samantha from Scully. As she was transferred from her mother to her father, Samantha dropped her toy, and she began to wail loudly. Bending over, Scully picked up the toy and handed it to the upset baby while Mulder attempted to calm her. Unhappy with her sister's distress, Melissa also began to whimper, and Scully reached to take one of them back. Mulder shook his head emphatically. "Go get ready for work. I've got them."
Scully nodded and left the room, casting a final look over her shoulder. Mulder had moved to the couch and seated himself with both babies on his lap, one arm looped around each of them to hold him in place as his hands found toys for them to play with. Samantha's cries were dwindling now, and Melissa had become enthralled by a set of colorful rings.
Mulder had started a pot of coffee, and Scully gratefully poured herself a glass when she came down. She fixed herself a bowl of cereal for breakfast and also placed one in front of Mulder who still had his hands full of babies. Scully took Melissa from his arms, and they both began to eat, having perfected the art of one-armed eating months before. As soon as they finished, Mulder cleared the dishes from the table while Scully fed Melissa. Now that the babies were older, they had fallen into a fairly regular feeding schedule, so Mulder and Scully had slowly developed a morning routine. Of course, the routine was going to drastically change that morning. Instead of Mulder going off to work by himself, Scully was coming with him for the first time in six months, for they had agreed that the babies were old enough now to stay with Scully's mother for the day.
Mulder finished cleaning up and played airplane with Samantha for a few minutes while Melissa finished feeding. He and Scully then switched babies, and he carried Melissa with him upstairs as he hunted for a clean shirt, jacket, and tie. Returning downstairs fully dressed, he placed Melissa in her bouncer and checked on Scully who was rebuttoning her blouse. As he lifted Samantha from her arms, the doorbell rang, and he walked out to answer it. "Hello, Maggie," he greeted when he saw her standing outside, wearing a light jacket to combat the slight chill of the October weather. "Come on in."
"Thank you, Fox." She stepped inside, and he closed the door behind her. Immediately, all her attention went to her grandchild. "Hello," she paused for a moment, studying the infant, "Samantha," she finally said. Like Mulder and Scully, Maggie could tell the twins apart though it often took her a bit longer. She held her arms out. "Let me take her. You and Dana need to get going."
"Thanks, Maggie." Mulder gratefully passed the infant to Maggie. Immediately, Samantha began to scream, reaching desperately for her father. Mulder looked torn for a moment, but Maggie shooed him away.
"We'll be fine," she told him. "She just needs to get used to me, that's all." And with that, she walked toward the living room, babbling nonsensically to the baby.
"Is Mom here?" Scully questioned, emerging from the kitchen. Mulder noticed that she was now in full FBI gear, from her dull gray business suit to the gun holstered at her hip. He smiled. It had been awhile since he had seen her in that particular outfit, and the familiarity of it was comforting.
"Yeah. She's in the living room with the girls."
"Okay. I'm just going to go say goodbye, and then I'll be ready to go."
"I'm right behind you." They walked together into the living room, Mulder knotting the tie which he had earlier slung loosely around his neck. After kissing both their daughters goodbye, they said a quick thanks to Maggie and left.
Scully entered the elevator feeling almost like an outsider. It had been so long since she was in the basement office; she wondered how much had changed since the last time she set foot in there. But as she opened the door to the office she had shared with Mulder for so many years, she realized her fears were unfounded. Nothing had changed. She should have known nothing would change. The office in front of her was still the same room that held so many memories for her—some fond and some not so fond. It was in that office that she and Mulder had first learned to respect and trust each other and had ultimately allowed themselves to love one another. It was their office, and no matter how long she was away from it, it would stay that way.
"Look at the door," Mulder said, coming up behind her. She jumped slightly; she had been so lost in her contemplation that she had not heard his approach. Slowly, she turned to the wooden door. Before, the only plaques on the door read "Special Agent" and, just beneath that one, "Fox Mulder." Now, another shinier, newer plaque hung under the first, one which read "Dana Scully, M.D." "I thought it would be a good homecoming present," Mulder remarked from behind her. She turned, impulsively leaning forward to kiss him despite the fact that they were at work and had earlier agreed to be nothing but professional while at work. Mulder did not seem to mind that they were breaking this particular rule, however; he eagerly kissed her back, wrapping his arms around her to pull her closer. Eventually, they broke apart, and he rested his forehead against hers.
"If I had known that would be your reaction, I would have gotten the plaque years ago," he joked. Scully laughed lightly before backing away from him.
"Come on, Mulder, we need to get to work."
"Oh, right , that. I've got a new case that I think you might find intriguing, Scully," he told her as he trailed her into their office.
"Let's hear it."
"Actually, I'd prefer to show it to you." He flipped off the lights, and Scully groaned. Still wearing his simultaneously infuriating and endearing grin, he crossed the room and turned on his favorite toy—the slide projector. A picture appeared on the small portion of the wall that he kept blank for this purpose. It showed a man in his late twenties with short, blond hair and a lean, muscular torso. He was lying on his back; Scully assumed he was dead though she could see no visible injuries. "Brett Morris, age 28," Mulder announced. "His body was found by a couple hikers yesterday about an hour and a half from here."
"What was the cause of death?" Scully asked.
"Ah, see that's the strange part. His heart was removed."
"Removed?" Scully looked closer at the picture, but she did not see any marks on the skin which would indicate the removal of his heart. "Through the back?" she asked.
"Not likely," Mulder answered, pushing a button on the remote to advance the picture. Scully saw that the image on the wall now showed the upper part of the man's back. Again, there were no marks on the skin.
"Maybe the killer cut into the skin and sewed it back together," Scully speculated. "If he was careful, he might be able to make it appear that he never made the incision."
"Maybe." Mulder's tone clearly indicated that he had a different theory.
"You don't think so," Scully guessed.
"Well, whatever happened, this wasn't the only time. This guy gets his kicks from killing couples. Brenda and Rick Hampton, killed two months ago. Greg Richards and Linda Laker killed just last week. And now, Brett Morris and his wife, Rachel." Mulder clicked the remote rapidly, showing pictures of the other five victims. "All the victims were found in the same forest, and all had their hearts removed though there were no signs of any incision. Local cops are stumped, so they asked for the help of the FBI. Since this case is unexplained, it got tossed to us."
"I can't really tell much from the photos," Scully said, squinting at the wall. "I'd really need to look at the bodies to know anything for sure."
"Ask and it shall be given to you," Mulder remarked. "The latest victims are waiting for you now at Quantico." Scully sighed, but in truth she was not frustrated. It was nice to fall back into their old routine. After months of not working, she was actually looking forward to doing an autopsy, returning to her familiar stomping ground.
Mulder drove to Quantico as Scully read over some of the details of the case. After about twenty minutes of silent studying, she finally spoke. "I think what we're dealing with here is a cult," she speculated.
"A cult?" Mulder's eyebrows shot up as he glanced over at Scully.
"Yes. There's some ritualistic elements to the murders. The taking of the heart, for example."
"Well, Dr. Scully, can you explain how this 'cult' managed to remove the victim's heart without leaving a mark of any kind?"
Scully frowned at the case file in her hand. "I will admit that is a bit odd," she said. Mulder opened his mouth triumphantly, but she continued before he could say anything. "However, I am sure there is a perfectly logical explanation for it. One which I will be able to find as soon as I can examine the bodies."
"Admit it, Scully, you're stumped."
"I'm not stumped. I just don't have enough information."
"There's autopsy reports from the first four victims in there. The coroners were not able to come up with any logical, scientific explanation for how the heart was removed. Face it, Scully, this can't be explained by science. It's paranormal."
"I don't think so, Mulder."
"Oh, come on, Scully, when have I been wrong?" Scully opened her mouth to say something, but Mulder cut her off. "Actually, don't answer that."
They debated the details of the case for the remainder of the trip, bouncing theories off each other. It was a routine they had established early on in their partnership, and one they easily fell back into. Working with Diana had not worked out for Mulder because she had accepted his theories too readily, had not forced him to consider the facts logically. With Diana, there had been no struggle, no challenge, and this lack of resistance had severely weakened Mulder's theories. But with Scully back at his side in her typical role as the skeptic, Mulder had all the challenge he needed. He had a brilliant mind to rival his own, a partner who complemented him. They made a good investigative team because of their differences.
When they reached Quantico, Mulder walked in with Scully. They stopped at the front desk to ask the location of the body; the tall, leggy brunette who sat there looked up at them, her smile full of false cheerfulness. "How can I help you?" she asked brightly.
"We were looking for the bodies of Brett and Rachel Morris," Scully explained. The woman gave her a cursory glance before turning her attention to Mulder. Her eyes traveled over his body, and her mouth formed into an appreciative smile. She leaned closer, and the strong smell of her flowery perfume enveloped both partners.
"Sure. Just let me look that up for you." Her voice dripped sugary sweetness, and Scully resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The woman typed something into her computer though Scully was unsure of how she managed to see what she was doing since her full attention was focused on Mulder the entire time. He seemed slightly bemused by the attention he was receiving though he tried valiantly to hide his grin from Scully. Of course, his efforts failed; she could see right through him.
"It's in Morgue four on the second floor," the receptionist finally announced.
"Thank you, Ms. . ."
"Coulter," the woman supplied.
"Coulter," Mulder finished. And then he flashed her his trademark grin, the one that no woman could resist (and Scully honestly could not blame them). Scully knew he was deliberately baiting her, playing a game of "let's see how much we can annoy Scully on her first day back." But Scully was above such petty games. She was not going to take the bait.
As they walked together to the morgue, Mulder sensed Scully's irritation. He had intended to provoke her by flirting with the receptionist, but he had meant it all jokingly. Had she misinterpreted his actions? Did she honestly believe he was capable of cheating on him? Did she not realize that no other woman could possibly compare to her in his mind?
Cursing himself for his stupidity, he placed a gentle hand on the small of her back, slightly hurt when she pulled away from the contact. "I'm sorry. I was just joking," Mulder assured her. "You've got nothing to be jealous of, I promise."
"I'm not jealous." Her reply was curt.
"I love you, Scully," he tried again.
"Mulder, this is not the time."
He grabbed her arm, stopping her mid-stride. "Scully, I really am sorry. I was honestly just playing around with you. You know I'd never cheat on you."
"I know, Mulder. Let's just go figure out what killed these women."
He followed her to the stairs. As they started to climb, he leaned in closer to her and whispered, "At least her name wasn't Bambi." Scully couldn't help it. She smiled.