After spending their last day there exploring the town, they were exhausted. They settled themselves in for bed, Mulder practically holding Scully tight enough to meld them together as one.
"Mulder, I'm not going anywhere." She said lightly. He let out a heavy sigh, anxiety still high from the night before.
"I'm just making sure, Scully. Don't want to take any chances." He said as he leaned down to kiss her. "I'm sorry, none of this should have ever happened to you."
"We've already been over this, I'm fine. I'm not going to let you beat yourself up over whatever happened."
"I know, I know. After I hopefully find some more answers, I - I promise, I'll drop it."
"Just...promise me that you'll come home. I know this is important to you, but-"
"I won't do anything that's too risky, I just want answers, reassurance that this is the end of it."
"Okay..." She said in a small voice, not fully believing that he would be able to contain his curiosity if he was given the chance to know more.
"So, uh, does this mean you believe my alien abduction theory now?" He asked playfully, drawing circles on her skin absentmindedly with his finger.
"We don't know that that's what happened to me for sure. I don't have any of the other signs of the other presumed abductees, and I wasn't even gone for an entire day." She said exasperated. They had already had this conversation at least five times that day, each resulting in the same argument.
"But Scully, how do you explain what I experienced, and your disappearance." He slightly whined.
"I'm sure there's an explanation for that as well, I am just choosing not to dwell on it. I'm here, and I'm perfectly fine. Other than the thing growing in my stomach, again, thanks to you." She said teasingly.
"How do you think we should tell Holly?"
"I don't know, maybe we should wait until I get home and have a follow up with my own doctor. For now, I think it's best we just keep it to ourselves." She said in a small voice, more so worried about how Holly would take the sudden news.
He nodded, leaning down to capture her lips with his, sealing their sentiments. She rested her head back on his chest, cuddling into his side, drifting off to sleep. His mind was still running a mile a minute, with the most recent events that transpired. There were answers that he needed, and he was willing to do whatever was necessary to obtain them.
The next morning, he drove both of them to the airport, reluctantly parting ways with his family. He knew he would feel better with them by his side, but part of him was saying that they would be much safer far away from him. He felt guilty, for dragging them into the mess of his life, that not even he fully understood. He made his way back to his mother's house, her waiting for him on the couch, knowing the conversation to come.
"You're back so soon." She said stoically, attempting to remain as calm as possible.
"The sooner I can find out the truth, the sooner I can be home with my family." He spat, stubbornness already clouding his mind.
"Lucky for you, the truth works out in your favor, Mr. Mulder." The cigarette smoking bastard said smugly as he came walking in from the kitchen. Mulder glared his eyes at him, clenching his jaw, trying to compose himself long enough to get the answers he sought.
"What the hell is that suppose to mean? You have about 5 minutes to start talking, before I find another way to get the answers from you." He growled, his hands already forming into fists.
"Fox, please, let us explain." His mother said sternly.
"As a child, you experienced something not many people have the luxury to remember. You were touched, in a unique way that gave you extraordinary intellectual abilities. We had never dealt with such an issue, and didn't know what that would mean if you were to reproduce. We've taken genetic samples from you, over the years during your many visits to the hospital. When we found out about the child, we needed to test her as well. I promised your mother I wouldn't touch her, but it was necessary for the other half of her genetic makeup for us to determine if she would inherit these abilities."
"You - you knew about Holly? You both knew." He said in a rough voice.
"It was our job to monitor you over the years, track your successes. We knew about her the minute her mother found out she existed in her womb. Why do you suppose Dr. Scully had this amazing opportunity to bring her to DC?" He said smugly, inhaling a puff from his cigarette.
"So it wasn't just a coincidence then, everything about her being here was intentional. You brought them here, because of me. She was put into this danger, because of me."
"I assure you, she was never in danger. We were unable to test her ova as we would have preferred, given that she was already pregnant. We took the samples we needed, concluding that the child is not what we thought she would be. You should be thanking me, Mr. Mulder. You have the truth, and it does not favor the people I work for."
"So you'll leave me and my family alone? I swear to god, if you come after them in any way, I will come after you." He said with a promise. The bastard looked at him with a sly grin, nodding his head in understanding. He made a silent exit, nothing more left to say.
Mulder's mind was in a whirlwind, only relieved to know that the child growing in Scully's stomach was in fact theirs. He had doubted that, given some of the research he had put in to other abductee cases. He didn't know if he could trust the words, that they wouldn't be bothered, but knew he had to take them at face value and move on from dwelling on it. He knew he had to enjoy his life, with Scully and Holly and their soon to be newest addition to their family. He mentally laughed to himself, at the family man that he had become, seemingly overnight. He knew he couldn't keep any of this from Scully, he just needed to find a way to tell her. First, he had to deal with his mother, who was silently sipping her tea, avoiding his burning gaze.
"You knew, about Holly." He said accusingly, void of emotion.
"I was told, when she was about a year old. At that time, they didn't want you to find out, and they said any sign of your knowledge of her needed to be reported. Their plans changed, just this year, given her age. If she had any signs of inheriting your abilities, they expected they would begin to show now."
"You kept the fact, that I had a chid, for 10 years. How could you not tell me."
"I didn't think you'd ever find out about her. And even if you did, no one expected for you to be with her mother."
"What difference does it make if I am? I fell in love with her before I even suspected that Holly was my daughter, if I'm being completely honest. You know what, I don't care about how it happened, that doesn't matter to me anymore. All that matters is that I have my family, which I don't necessarily consider you a part of anymore. If you'll excuse me, I need to pack up my things and get the hell away from here." He said bitterly, leaving his mother sitting there with a heavy guilt hanging over her.
He caught the first flight home, just needing the closeness to his family, relieved that this was over. It was late, so he made his way into her apartment slowly. They hadn't moved into their house yet, leaving it for after the holidays. He crept into her room, smiling at the sight of her curled up on his side of the bed, holding on tightly to his pillow. He spooned up behind her, causing her to startle slightly.
"Mulder?" She asked sleepily, turning on her back to face him.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you." He said as he leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips.
"S'okay. What are you doing back so soon?"
"I just missed you that much."
"Mulder..."
"I found the answers that I was seeking, and didn't want to waste another minute away from you." He said with a heavy sigh, knowing the conversation wasn't over.
"Wh - What did you find out?" She asked cautiously, sitting up straighter, not knowing if she wanted the truth.
"We can talk about it tomorrow, let's just get some sleep."
"I don't think I'm going to sleep, without knowing what you know." She said in a small voice. He exhaled deeply, nodding in understanding. He sat up, gathering her in his arms to cuddle into his side.
He repeated all that he knew, letting her absorb the information carefully. He could feel her breath hitch at certain details, grip tightening on his body at others. She hadn't said anything in response, worrying him that he revealed too much.
"Are we safe?" She finally asked in a hushed voice.
"I don't know, but for now, yes. He said my child isn't what they had hoped, so I don't think there's anything more they want from me."
"And this baby, it's ours...?"
"That's why you were returned so quickly, you were already pregnant. I can show you how that happened, if you need more of a visual." He leered at her, trying to ease the mood. She chuckled, swatting at his chest playfully, welcoming the break in tension.
"Why are you on my side of the bed?" She asked suddenly, taking in her surroundings.
"Because someone invaded my side, and my pillow." He teased. Color tinged her cheeks, knowing exactly why she subconsciously buried herself in his scent. She missed him. She flashed him a sly smirk, crawling carefully on top of him, straddling his lap. Arousal filled his eyes, seeing her hovering above him. She leaned down, lingering just above his lips, smiling at him.
"Scoot over." She whispered into his mouth, letting herself plop on the opposite side, back on her normal half of the bed.
"That was mean, Scully." He groaned, covering her body with his. She giggled, loving playing this game with him. She reached up to play with a stray lock of his hair, reveling in the sight of this man that she loved.
"I would ask what you plan to do about it, but I need sleep. Your second spawn is making my exhausted." She said as she cuddled into his side, resting her head on his chest.
"How am I already being blamed for this?"
"Because I'm going to have to attempt to control 3 of you, which means I need all the rest I can get now." She mumbled, already succumbing to sleep. He chuckled, rubbing her back in a comforting gesture, drifting off to sleep himself.
The next morning, Mulder was set to return to work, Scully having to take an extra week since her parents had to stay in San Diego longer, for her father's recovery. He was reluctant to leave them alone, but had to take the bastard's word that they wouldn't be harmed, given that he didn't have more to go off of.
He was called into a meeting, worried they were going to send him off on another case, out of town. He entered the room cautiously, no other agents present for the meeting.
"Agent Mulder, please have a seat." Assistant Director Skinner said authoritatively, gesturing to the chairs before him. "We have a case that we could use your assistance on, a serial rapist. He's been targeting young women in New York, leaving less time between victims. He's escalating, and we need help profiling him, tracking him down."
"Do you just need a profile?" Mulder asked distractedly as he looked over the file.
"We need your profile." Skinner said sternly, implication clear. Mulder had the ability to not only get inside of these criminal's minds, but it was almost as if he became them, could predict their next move. He sighed heavily, nodding in acceptance of the newest case.
He finished looking over the file, not really wanting to take the case out of town. He hoped it would at least be a quick profile, not causing him to spend too much time away from his family. He made his way home, seeing Scully busy around the house in a frenzy. She was cleaning, everything, and Holly was nowhere to be seen, signaling that something was wrong.
"Scully, I think you missed a spot over here." He called out from the living room, causing her to poke her head in from the kitchen. She glared at him, before walking over to greet him home.
"How was your first day?" She asked as she stretched up to give him a small kiss. He exhaled deeply, rubbing the back of his head in thought. "Oh, just as good as mine I can see." She scoffed, plopping down on the couch exhaustedly.
"What's wrong?" He asked as he pulled her into his arms.
"It's my fault, really." She said with a deep sigh. "I made a follow up appointment for my doctor tomorrow, and was in the shower when they called to confirm it. She walked in from her room as they were leaving the voicemail, and they mentioned something about the ultrasound. I think she put two and two together, and has been holed up in her room ever since."
"Well it's not like we had originally planned to tell her, but I thought she'd be more excited about it."
"I did, too. I don't know, I think she's figuring out how she feels about it, but she refused to come out of her room. I offered her lunch, but she just said no, and went back to reading."
"Let me try to talk to her, see what the underlying issue is." He said as he began to separate from her embrace. He made his way into the kitchen wordlessly, causing her to be confused about where he was going.
"Plan to play psychologist?" She asked with the arch of her eyebrow as she called from over the couch.
"Give me some credit, Scully. I'm not planning to shrink the child's mind, I'm planning to use bribery." He said as he held up a carton of ice cream and two spoons. She rolled her eyes at him, sinking back into the couch as he made his way to Holly's room.
He entered the room slowly, seeing the same stubborn look on his daughter's face that he had encountered on several occasions with her mother. He bit back his amusement, approaching her bed cautiously.
"Can I interest you in a pre-dinner snack?" He said gently, holding up the ice cream. She glanced at him over her book, mentally questioning his intentions.
"Bribery won't work, mom already tried."
"Ice cream always works." He said lightly as he handed her the carton. She took it, grabbing the offered spoon from his hand.
"I know you're going to ask me what's wrong."
"Nah, I was just going coming to spend time with you, since this is where you like to spend your time these days."
"How was your first day back to work?"
"It was uneventful, just a typical day I guess. How was your day?"
"Fine." She said with a shrug. "Are you excited?" She asked suddenly. He knew avoiding the actual issue at hand would drive her mad, causing her to ask the questions, getting to the root of the problem.
"I am, it'll be new for us, but I think it's a good thing, don't you?" He said carefully, transitioning into the true conversation.
"I guess so." She said in a small voice. "Do you think...you would have been excited about me, if you found out when my mom did?" He sighed heavily, realizing exactly what the issue was.
"I guarantee you I would have. I was more than excited even when I found out about you now. This, it's just going to be a new addition for our family, our family that we already have." He said as he situated himself next to her, pulling her into his arms.
"I don't know, I guess, you are together now, and it'll be different."
"It will be different, but not in the way you're thinking. We're all still adjusting, and this will just be another change for us along the way." He said as he kissed her temple.
"Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, anything."
"Can I - uh, would it be okay if I started calling you dad?" She asked in the tiniest voice, almost as if she was scared of the answer. His breath caught in his throat, fighting back the emotions rushing through him. He had been addressed by many names along the years, but this by far was his favorite. He smiled, pulling her in tighter.
"I would love that." He said in a soft voice. She smiled brightly at him, feeling more confident in their newest family development. They finished having a more casual conversation, enjoying their time together. He finally confiscated the ice cream, making his way back out the living room. Scully was anxiously cleaning the main area. She looked at him expectantly, and he just smiled and nodded at her, causing her to let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding in.
They enjoyed a more relaxed dinner together, Holly in a much better mood than she had been all day. Scully was relieved that he was able to talk to her, loving how easily he had fallen into the parent role. When they first made their discovery, she never expected him to step up this much, be this heavily involved in both of their lives. It amused her, how everything worked out, forced or not. She could sense there was something else on his mind, knowing there was a discussion to follow once they were alone.
"What aren't you telling me?" She asked accusingly as she crawled into bed beside him.
"I've been asked to assist on an active case, in New York." He said with a heavy sigh. "They want me to profile, they've been stuck, and need something to hopefully give them the breakthrough they've been looking for."
"How long will you be gone?"
"I don't know, but if I can't crack through this in the first two days there, I'm coming home, I promise."
"Mulder, they need your help. As long as it's not another undercover assignment that I don't know about, then I want you to do what you have to. It's a tough price to pay, being that brilliant." She teased lightly. He scoffed, less confident in himself.
"I just hate being away from you, especially now." He said as he ran his hand along her flat stomach. She smiled at the gesture, still curious about what him and Holly had talked about.
"I'm pregnant, Mulder, not helpless. We'll be fine, just don't do anything stupid." She said with a playful glare.
"I make no promises, Scully, but I will try my best." He teased back, enclosing his lips on hers.
"So, how long are you going to make me wait before you tell me what you and Holly talked about?" She asked innocently, causing him to chuckle. He knew it was driving her crazy not to know.
"That was private ice cream conversation, I can't break that pact." She leaned back from his embrace, far enough to glare at him, eyebrow arching. He huffed out a small laugh, nodding.
"I think her biggest concern was that I was going to be more excited about this baby, than I was about her. It's a different dynamic, now that we're together. She was just having reservations about feeling left out, like we would love this child more."
"Is that your professional opinion?"
"What can I say, Scully? I am brilliant." He said pridefully, lightening the mood. She chuckled and shook her head at him, loving him more for being so amazing with them. "She, uh, did ask if she could call me dad." He said sheepishly.
She didn't say anything, just looked at him blissfully, a genuine smile touching her lips. She reached up to capture his lips with hers, eyes brimming with unshed tears. Never would she have imagined to have this, especially with him. Of course, they knew now that it wasn't some twist of fate, but a forced happening. That didn't matter, because them being together was never part of the plan, that was completely their doing.
Mulder made his way to New York the next evening, getting himself situated in the motel, already missing his family. He had been briefed on the case, given all the information they had on the perp so far. He was to meet with the team the next morning, diverse himself into the case firsthand. He exhaled deeply, throwing himself on the bed, picking up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Miss me already?"
"Of course, I'm glad you waited for my fiancé to be gone to call, he gets awfully jealous." She teased.
"Ha ha, Scully. How'd your appointment go today?"
"Great, I am definitely pregnant. About 7 weeks according to the doctor."
"Scully, if my calculations are correct, we got pregnant on our second first time." He teased. She huffed out a small chuckle, grin touching the corner of her lips.
"Yeah, apparently that's our thing. I feel like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. I guess I just chalked it up to a change in work flow, and traveling. How's the case going?"
"I meet with the team tomorrow morning, but this guy is absolutely sick, completely twisted in the head. I don't know, I think I'm just worried about having to get too far into his mind. I haven't had to make this repulsive of a profile in a long while." He said with a heavy sigh.
"But that's why they asked for you, they believe you're the only one who can crack this case. Just do what you do best, and get home." She said sternly.
"Yes, dear." He said with a chuckle. They spoke for a while longer, before reluctantly ending the call.
Three days.
It had been three days since Scully had heard from Mulder, and her anxiety was rising. She knew he was okay, physically, because every time she called the local office, they let her know that he would call her back. That call had yet to come. He hadn't checked in, not even once, and that terrified her. She was going absolutely stir-crazy, not having work to throw herself into as a distraction. Her father was cleared to fly again, so her parents were returning home that evening. Something inside of her said that Mulder needed her help, and she devised a plan in her head.
"I'm glad to see you both again." She said as she greeted her parents at the airport. She had a small bag in her hand that her mother eyed instantly, asking the silent question with her eyes.
"We're happy to be home." Maggie said carefully, not wanting to ask the question out loud.
"I, uh, would you mind taking my car and Holly, I need to visit Mulder. He's on a case in New York, and -" Her voice drifted off, afraid to say her worry out loud, as if it would make it more of a reality.
"Of course, dear. We'll see you when you get back." Maggie said as she kissed her daughter's cheek for comfort and reassurance that everything would be okay.
Scully had called in to the bureau to find out where he was staying, using her credentials when she arrived to get her the exact room number. She cautiously made her way to his room, a shaky hand entering the key. She opened the door slowly, gasping at the sight of the empty room. It was filled with take out boxes, clothes strewn all over the place. She knew, even as a bachelor, Mulder never lived like this, only confirming her fear.
She knew he was worried, and had mentioned before, that he gets so far off track when he profiles, gets into the heads of these monsters, becoming them. She settled herself on the end of the bed, waiting, hoping, for him to return.
After several hours, she could hear someone fumbling outside with the key. She startled, worried that someone was attempting to break into the room, so she crept slowly to look through the peephole. She could see him leaning against the door in distress, giving up on entering the room.
"Mulder, what the hell." She said sternly as she opened the door, helping him inside. She sat him on the bed and he instantly grabbed her waist forcefully, pulling her towards him.
"Scully, you miss me that much?" He leered at her, slurring his words.
"You're drunk." She said accusingly, stiffening in his arms.
"I missed you." He said as he brought her head down to his, roughly kissing her lips. She pushed against him, finally fighting her way out of his embrace.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You disappeared, again. You haven't returned any of my calls, and I was worried." She spat. He tried to focus on her, a new sensation washing over him.
"I just really missed you." He said as he reached out to grasp onto her hand, yanking her towards him. The nervousness began to build inside of her as his grip on her body deepened. "I missed your touch, and the smell of you." He said as he buried his head in the crook of her neck, inhaling her skin.
"Mulder, please, stop." She said in a shaky voice, masking her emotions. He pulled his head back, and she gasped at the look in his eyes. It was feral, wild, something she had never seen before. This went beyond the look of arousal she had encountered on numerous occasions, this was needy, as if he was addicted to her.
She composed her breathing as best she could, cradling his face in her hands, stroking his cheek softly. She knew she had to ease his way out of whatever mindset and trance he had found himself in.
"Mulder, it's me, it's Scully." She said softly. "I'm going to help you get into bed, so you can sleep this off, okay?"
"Will you be sleeping with me?" He said in a rough voice.
"Yes, but you need to let me go so I can help you in bed, okay?"
"Mhm...okay." He said as he inhaled her scent again. As terrified as she was, she was taking mental notes of everything he did, hoping it would help him break the case, and bring him home.
She helped him change, seeing the sly smirk on his face as she undressed him. It was unnerving, to see the smug smile on his face, a look she's never seen bestowed on him. Her stomach was twisting, worried for him, for them both. He laid back on the pillows as she sat beside him, almost afraid to lay next to him.
"Oh, Mulder...what is this case doing to you?" She said as she ran her fingers through his hair as he drifted off to sleep. Her mind was restless, unable to ease the thoughts bouncing around sporadically. She situated herself in the small chair in the room, opening a book as a distraction. Eventually she succumbed to pure exhaustion, both physically and mentally.
He roused the next morning, sluggishly sitting up in his bed, taking in his surroundings. He mentally groaned at any movements, attempting to piece together what happened last night. He sobered immediately when he saw Scully sleeping curled up in the chair beside the bed. Glimpses of the evening flashed through his mind, guilt rushing through him. She looked so small, so vulnerable. He composed himself, quietly scooting over to sit on the end of the bed near her. He stroked her cheek softly with the back of his fingers, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. She sleepily hummed at the contact, her eyes fluttering open.
She stiffened at the sight of him, before seeing the soft, warm look radiating through his eyes that she loved. She sat up straighter, holding his gaze, knowing he was already sorry.
"Scully, I - I don't know what happened last night." He began to say frantically.
"I've never seen you like that before." She said in a small voice, bowing her head to avoid his eyes.
"I know, and it wasn't really me, as lame as that sounds. I, I didn't hurt you, did I?"
"No, you didn't. You were aggressive, but you didn't hurt me."
"God, Scully, I never meant to frighten you. When I profile, I just transform into whoever these lunatics are, and I can't control it. I've never had someone to reign me in. That's a part of me I never wanted you to see." He said in a soft voice.
"Mulder, I'll admit, the look I saw in your eyes was unnerving, but I never doubted my trust for you." She said genuinely, getting up to situate herself between his legs. She ran her hand through his hair, him sighing at the contact, placing his hands on her waist. She leaned into him, both exhaling deeply into the embrace.
He rested his head on her stomach, kissing it softly. She smiled at the notion, relieved he was back to himself. He leaned back to face her, a silent apology passing through his eyes. She nodded, leaning down to kiss him, sealing their sentiments.
"I'm sorry." He whispered into her mouth.
"I know." She said with another kiss. "How much longer do you have to put yourself through this?"
"I don't know, I threw myself into the case as soon as I got here, but have only been able to pinpoint that his victims look like his late mother. He follows them home, but we don't know from where, and their socioeconomic statuses vary. It's hard for me to believe that he's targeting random, blue-eyed brunettes, simply because they trigger the memory of his mother." He said with an exhausted sigh.
"You, uh - last night, you kept...sniffing me." She said carefully. He furrowed his brow, tilting his head in confusion.
"Like, you hair, or your skin?"
"Mostly my neck, like the smell of me was your need for life. I don't know, I just thought that was strange."
"What if, it's his mother's perfume. That's what he's after, her scent." He began to say frantically. His mind was in a frenzy, already rummaging through crime scene photos in his head. He pulled out the several case files from his belongings, scattering them around the bed. She sat against the backboard, fascinated as she watched his mind work.
"Each victim was attacked in their home, varying in different locations all over town. If we map it, the focal point...is a mall." He said in an amazed whisper. "He must be waiting, for someone of a specific description to buy that type of perfume. That's why the time between each victim varies. I need to get down to the local offices, see if we can send in an agent of that description as a trap." He said as he began to change his clothes.
"Mulder, wait. How long are you going to be gone this time?" She jumped off the bed, her tone more stern than she anticipated. He paused, giving her an apologetic look.
"Hopefully not long. Once I get this kind of breakthrough, it's only a matter of catching him. Were you planning on leaving today...?"
"I mostly came out here to find out where the hell you were. I hadn't heard from you in three days, I was worried. I - I'll still be here when you get back today."
He walked towards her, gathering her in his arms in one swift movement. He rested his forehead on hers, both of them needing the reassurance.
"I love you, you know that right?" He said genuinely.
"Yes, but you can prove it to me later by taking me to dinner." She said as the smile began to curve on her lips. He huffed out a small laugh, feeling like he was amazingly lucky to have her in his life.
"I'll see if I can fit you in, my fiancé is awfully demanding." He teased. She playfully glared at him, swatting at his arm.
"Shut up, Mulder." She said as she reached up to reach his lips, wrapping her arms around his neck to deepen the embrace.
"We're good?" He asked cautiously, holding her gaze.
"We're just fine." She said with a genuine smile.
They both knew there would need to be adjustments made, following this case. He couldn't keep profiling this intensely, not if it meant losing himself, always needing her to pull him back. It was a discussion to be had, moving forward in a positive light, together.
