A/N: I'm uh... not exactly sure when I'm going to finish this... it might just be one that I post on every once in a while. Oh yeah, I can't believe that no one got that William was born on July 25th. Maybe I'm just anal like that though... I wrote this chapter (by hand) while babysitting today. The Wii is excellent for such things.
Scully dozed slightly as they moved her from the delivery room to a more private suite, but once the bed stopped rolling, she opened her eyes and looked around.
"Mulder?"
"Hi mommy," he replied. He was sitting in a chair next to the window, holding William. The sight almost stopped her heart.
"Hi. I didn't mean to sleep so long."
"It was only about 20 minutes."
"That's 20 minutes of his life that I missed."
"Scully..."
She just smiled as he stood up and brought William to her.
"The grandmas are itching to get in here. Is that okay?"
"Yeah, but just the two of them. I can't handle Bill right now."
"I'll be right back then."
She sat back against the bed and stroked William's hair. He may have had her eye color, but his eyes were shaped like his father's. His lips were almost pursed as he slept, and they looked almost like a small bunch of velvet. She was still surprised that he had weighed much over 5 pounds, for as small as the doctor had estimated him to be. Three weeks early, a good weight, and no health problems to speak of. She couldn't have asked for more.
She stroked his cheek gently and kissed his forehead. She was still almost in disbelief that he had come to be, much less that he was finally here. She smiled as she took in his features. He had Mulder's ears and long fingers. He had her coloring and (hopefully) her nose, but he still looked more like Mulder. A small patch of darker brown hair ran down the middle of his head, separating the lighter hair that he seemed to have an abundance of. She could already see the baby Mohawks that Mulder would inevitably give him. She shifted him slightly and he let out a squawk.
"I'm sorry sweet boy," she said, bouncing him gently. The nurses had swaddled him tightly and that coupled with the slight motion seemed to calm him. He started up at her, his eyes wide.
"Hi handsome. I'm sorry I was so tired before. You really wore me out. I've been waiting for you for so long, William. I can't believe you're really here."
Her voice calmed him further and he drifted to sleep just as Mulder poked his head back into the room.
"Ready hon?"
"Yeah, send them in.
Maggie and Teena entered quietly, the former of the two marching right towards her daughter and grandson.
"Dana, he's beautiful."
"Yeah, I think we'll keep him."
Teena peered down at him and smiled.
"He looks like Fox," she said with a chuckle. "It's uncanny."
"Mom, don't say that. You'll give the kid a complex," Mulder said.
"Hush," all three women chorused. Mulder just rolled his eyes and sat down.
"Teena, would you like to hold him?"
"I would love to, Dana."
They transferred the baby easily and Teena sat down next to her son.
"How are you feeling, honey?" Maggie asked, sitting down on the bed.
"Tired. I would love to go for a walk, but I don't think I can move."
"Did you have an epidural in time?"
"Yeah. I barely felt anything, but what I did feel was not pleasant. I don't think I could have done it without drugs."
"You said you couldn't have done it without me," Mulder retorted.
"Well, either way," she answered, clearly too tired to think of a response that even carried a hint of wit.
"Have you decided on a middle name yet?"
"No, we're still debating."
"He's got a first name, I suppose that's the important part. And since you ordered Bill out of your room, he's pretty sure the name was not chosen in his honor."
Scully giggled. To be honest, she had been worried that Bill would tell people that his nephew was named after him.
"Maggie, would you like to take him now?" Teena asked.
"Yes, but you keep him for a bit longer. Until you're able to move down here, you should spend time with him when you can."
"Mom, are you going to move here?" Mulder asked, a quirk of a smile at his lips. He and his mom had been getting along so much better since she learned that she was going to be a grandma.
"I'm thinking about it."
"I'll help you sell the house and find something you like here. I'm good at house hunting," Mulder offered.
"Yeah and house buying too," Scully commented.
Mulder just smiled.
"We'd love to have you closer, Mom. Boston is so far away, and you don't want to miss all of William's milestones, do you?"
She smiled and looked down at the baby in her arms. His sweet little face sealed her decision.
"I guess I'm moving, Sir William."
It was just after nine when Skinner knocked softly on the door.
"Can I come in?" he asked, peeking into the room.
"Sure," Scully answered. He stepped inside, a small bouquet of flowers in his hand.
"Hey Skinner," Mulder greeted. "We were hoping you'd make it tonight."
"I would have been here earlier, but I got stuck at the office. Then I thought about waiting until tomorrow, but I know that both of you are night owls and nine isn't that late anyway."
"We appreciate you coming."
"How are you feeling?"
Scully chuckled, wondering how many times she had answered that question.
"I'm on the verge of exhaustion."
"Get used to it."
"Would you like to hold him?" Mulder asked.
"You mean be the first person at the FBI to see the child of Agents Mulder and Scully? That's not an offer I would pass up."
He took the baby carefully, supporting his head and looking like he had done this hundreds of times before. William looked so small in Skinner's arms that Scully almost laughed.
"He seems to be a pretty good sleeper. Has he given you any trouble yet?"
"No, he hasn't really cried at all. But my mother says that a content baby is usually the sign of a baby with a big set of lungs."
"I suppose she's speaking from experience," he chuckled, giving her a pointed look.
"That's what she claims, but I refuse to admit that I was anything but a perfect angel."
"Yeah right," Mulder scoffed. Scully rolled her eyes.
"Well your perfect angel is cooking up a nice treat for you in his britches," Skinner announced. Scully laughed and rubbed her hands together.
"I've been waiting for this. Mulder, it's your time to shine. You promised me diapers."
He sighed and took William from a very amused Skinner.
"Buddy, I hope you know that this is a defining moment in our relationship. Do not pee on me," he warned, taking a now awake and alert William to the other side of the room to change him.
Skinner sat down in the chair next to Scully's bed.
"I think this is the first time I have visited you in the hospital for something good."
"Probably."
"I need to talk to you about your maternity leave-"
"Scully, is this supposed to resemble tar?" Mulder asked.
"Yes Mulder."
"Gross."
"Anyway, you said you were only going to take a few months off and then come back to work full-time. I managed to get you the option of coming back part time at first if you want it."
"Honey, please tell me that diapers like this do no occur every time."
"They only happen once," she answered, biting back a chuckle.
By now William was wailing and from the look on Mulder's face, he wasn't feeling much better about the whole situation.
"Scully, I don't think I can do this."
"You have to. Don't worry about his crying. He's fine."
"Do you want me to give him a hand?" Skinner asked, raising his eyebrows.
"You know how to change a diaper?"
"I have seven younger siblings."
"Then yes, by all means, help him."
He nodded and joined Mulder on the other side of the room. The two men held a whispered conversation, of which Scully only heard "too many wipes," and "face it, you're gonna get peed on at some point." Eventually they finished, and a clean, swaddled and still-wailing William was brought back to her. She held him close and rocked him gently until he stopped crying and gave into his heavy lids.
"Kim wanted me to get a full name so she could update your personnel files," Skinner said finally.
"We don't have a middle name picked out yet."
"Because you can't agree," he deduced with a grin.
"Gee, how'd you know?"
"What are the options?"
"He likes Asher, which I really like, but I don't like that it has the same ending as Mulder."
"And she likes Levi because it means joined in harmony, but I think William Levi sounds incomplete."
"Then use both," Skinner suggested, as if it was the most simple thing in the world. "Two middle names will be the first of many compromises."
"William Asher Levi Mulder," Scully said, just to see how it all sounded together.
"It's a little long, but I like it," Mulder said with a slight nod.
"I guess you can pass that along to Kim then."
"I will. Is there anything I can do for you guys?"
"No, I think we're okay. But thanks."
"I'm going to head out now, but give me a call if you need a hand with anything."
"We will. And we'll discuss my maternity leave later."
He nodded and left the room. Mulder looked over at Scully and smiled.
"And we used to think he was a jerk."
"He's probably the closest thing to a grandfather William will ever have," Scully mused. "Although he's kind of young to be a grandfather, but you know what I mean."
"Yeah. I have a feeling he's going to be around a lot."
"I don't mind that."
There was a silence as they looked down at their son.
"Well honey, what do you think? Time for bed?"
"I think so. I'm not sure when William's going to be hungry again though."
"I'm sure he'll let us know."
She handed the baby over before kissing his forehead, then settled into the covers.
"Warm enough?" he asked, once he had placed William in the bassinet.
"Yeah, for now."
He turned the room lights off, then lay down next to her, forgoing the cot that the nurses had brought for him. She sighed contentedly and cuddled up next to him.
"Hey, there's no baby bump to contend with now," she remarked.
"Yeah, I'm not getting kicked in the ribs."
She smiled and slid her arm around his waist.
"I've missed this," she said on a yawn.
"Me too. That house is really lonely without you, and a king sized bed is just overkill for only one person."
"Well I can guarantee I won't be spending a night away from it ever again."
"Good. Me neither. Go to sleep, honey."
"Hey," she whispered. He looked down at her and she pulled him closer, kissing him long and deep. "I love you."
"I love you too, Dana."
