Summary:
As Scully faces some pregnancy complications, Mulder is there to support her through it.
Notes:
Based on the Tumblr prompt: "Can you write a story where Scully has a difficult pregnancy but Mulder is there to support her through it?"
Work Text:
Officially in her third trimester, Scully was growing restless. She couldn't get comfortable at night, which she primarily blamed on the aches and pains from being in her fifties, which were only exacerbated by the pregnancy. Of course, having to pee constantly didn't help and everything felt swollen.
She wouldn't have it any other way though. They wanted this child, desperately. The moment Scully had found out she was pregnant, she loved the tiny life growing inside more than anything and she knew Mulder did too. The way he protectively splayed his fingers over her abdomen at the news as he choked back a sob, she knew that he too was at mercy of the baby nestled inside. She smiled as she couldn't help but imagine their daughter having him wrapped around her little finger.
Still, a nagging feeling beckoned at her, and she wasn't sure if it was the mother's intuition or the doctor in her, but she knew something wasn't right. Until recently, her daughter would tumble and roll at the sound of her voice and sometimes Mulder's or Jackson's. As endearing as it was uncomfortable at times, the movement never failed to keep her worries at ease.
"What is going on, Baby Girl," she crooned. It was a pet name her mother always used for her and when she found out they were having a girl, she knew she would undoubtedly pass it on. As much as she scoffed as an irritable teenager, she only recently began to understand its significance.
"You will always be my baby girl, Dana. No matter how old you are."
Scully's eyes welled with tears as she suddenly yearned for her mother's presence. She knew she would be smitten with her granddaughter.
"Mom, I wish you were here. I wish you could see us now," she sniffled.
"Scully," Mulder's voice startled her from her reverie.
Scully flinched, sitting upright as much as she could before wiping the evidence from her eyes as she turned to face him.
"How long have you been standing there?"
"Long enough," he replied. As he drew forward, she was instantly transported back to the morgue with William's presumed dead body. She shook the thought away as quickly as it came.
"What's wrong?" He asked gently as he knelt next to her, cupping her face with one hand and resting the other on her belly.
"Something is wrong, Mulder. With the baby, I know it. She hasn't moved in days."
Mulder looked down for a moment as she took his hand in hers over their child. She knew he trusted in her judgment, not just as a mother, but as a doctor herself.
They made an appointment with her doctor the following day and she lay nervously on the exam table as the ultrasound tech moved the wand around her abdomen. Mulder gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they watched the screen, transfixed by the images and the sudden whooshing of the baby's heartbeat.
It was a sound that never failed to bring forth the tears. In all their years of pain, suffering, and heartbreak, that sound was a constant. The sound of life that brought light to all their years spent in the darkness. Only this time, as Scully listened tentatively, she knew the sound carried fewer beats than it should have been. The sound was low and drawn out as the technician spoke, but she could make out the faint wording that the doctor would be in with them shortly.
"Scully… Scully," Mulder called to her. Her anchor to the shore. That was when she realized she had been unresponsive for two whole minutes.
She looked into his worried gaze and struggled to form the words, but something told her that he knew.
Never once letting go of her hand, he stood up and leaned over to press his lips against her forehead. She closed her eyes, allowing herself to draw upon the strength he offered to get through whatever came next.
The doctor had come in about a minute later, exchanging the usual pleasantries, but Scully was keen on getting to the point where their daughter was concerned.
"Something is wrong isn't it," she blurted out immediately and she could feel Mulder's anxious gaze.
The blonde doctor, a longtime friend, and colleague of Scully's hesitated before placing a gentle hand on Scully's arm. "Doctor Scully… Dana. Overall your baby girl is doing just fine."
"But," Scully interrupted. A part of her knew this wasn't easy coming from a friend.
"As I'm sure you already knew a doctor yourself, the baby's heart rate seems to be lower than we'd like. With that comes its own set of risks and potential complications I know you're ready aware of."
Scully felt Mulder's grasp on her hand tighten just slightly and she couldn't bear to look at him as they received the news.
"However, I don't think there is a need for immediate concern, but I'd like to start monitoring you more closely and have you come in weekly. I'd also like to do a nonstress test in the next few days to get a better picture."
Scully couldn't stop the tears from welling, she gave a quick nod. "Of course."
"Again," her friend emphasized, "I don't think there is a need for immediate concern, so please take it easy and try not to worry."
Scully simply nodded.
"We'll get that appointment set up for you right away. See you soon, Dana."
Once the door closed, Scully felt the dam give way. Everything had been fine up until that point and although they were overly precautious knowing her pregnancy was high risk, they became optimistic as everything progressed smoothly.
Mulder was on his feet immediately, gathering her into his arms and allowing her to cry into his chest. The sound was muffled, but he could feel her pain surging through him. Resting his chin on the crown of her head, he closed his eyes and whispered.
"It's going to be alright, Scully. It has to be."
He moved his left arm and settled it next to Scully's on the expanse of their child. She took his hand and clasped it gently against her stomach with her own as if willing their collective strength unto the child inside.
They drove home in silence as Mulder looked over at his wife from time to time, his heart hurting as he watched her palm her swollen abdomen.
They had discussed the possibilities of a special needs child earlier on, the odds being stacked against them with Scully's advanced maternal age. More and more men were becoming fathers in their fifties. Even though sperm quality does decline, it was still unusual for a woman of Scully's age to become pregnant without assistance, though most women didn't have active alien DNA. It was without question that they wanted this child, come what may. But there's no way to fully prepare yourself should something go wrong.
Once they arrived home, Scully's eyes widened at the sight of Jackson's car in the driveway, a much-needed distraction from their current predicament.
Scully practically rushed up the stairs and pushed the door open, Mulder right on her heels.
Jackson looked up from the cereal bowl he helped himself to, startled.
"Oh hi," he said nervously.
"Jackson," Scully whispered in greeting as Mulder palmed her shoulders from behind.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you, I should have called first."
"Nonsense," Mulder replied, moving to close the door behind him.
"You're welcome here anytime, I want you to know that," Scully insisted.
Jackson nodded before looking down to take another bite of unsweetened cheerios, the only cereal Scully allowed in the house.
"I'll make some sandwiches," Mulder offered.
Scully nodded, though not particularly hungry even though she knew she needed to eat, for the baby.
Jackson watched as Scully eased herself into the chair next to him and as she set a folder onto the table, he knew something was off. He knew something had been off since yesterday. It was one of the reasons he decided to pay a visit today.
He stared at the folder for a moment, seeing the address of Scully's obstetrician in bolded lettering across the front, and put two and two together.
"Doctor's appointment?" He asked casually.
Scully nodded and he could tell the smile on her face was surface level, at best. Something wasn't right and while he was hesitant to ask, it was also what he came here for.
"Is everything… okay?" He asked as he tapped his spoon lightly against the porcelain bowl, averting his gaze. "With the baby?"
A pause and then a sigh.
"For the most part," Scully said, appearing nonchalant. "But… they're concerned about her heart rate. It's a little on the slower side."
So that's what it was. He watched as she stared straight ahead, no doubt trying to hold everything together.
"I see," he responded, wanting to kick himself for being unable to be more empathetic.
Jackson watched as Mulder fumbled around in the kitchen before he heard Scully take a sharp inhale.
"Ah!"
"You okay?" He asked suddenly.
"Yeah," she said, wincing as she shifted her newfound girth in the chair. Her hand pressed tightly against her belly.
"I just… she just kicked. Hard. It startled me. She hasn't moved much in days, we've been so worried."
Jackson watched as she pressed against the spot and he couldn't help but smile at the relief evident in her features.
Scully met his gaze, which begged a question he had yet to verbalize. He wasn't sure if it was because of their connection or mother's intuition, but she seemed to know exactly what was going through his mind.
She reached for his hand and brought it to the swell of her belly, pressing his fingers against it and that's when he felt a tumbling just beneath the surface. His eyes widened as he looked at the spot his hand rested and he could feel his birth mother's gaze on him.
"Wow," he whispered in astonishment. He felt a slight pulsing at the base of his skull. Not quite painful, but it was a sensation unlike he'd ever experienced before.
The baby. His sister.
He felt a sudden indescribable urge to protect and at that moment, he wished hard for the tiny life inside to be born healthy and happy.
A minute or so passed before he pulled his hand back, still in awe.
"I've never felt a pregnant belly before," he said awkwardly. "Does it hurt?" He asked.
Scully shook her head with a smile. "Most of the time, not really."
He took another bite of cereal. "Was I like that too?"
"You were quite active and it kept me going, always knowing you were there," she said, thinking about Mulder's death.
As she looked into her son's eyes, she could tell he felt the memory too.
Scully tossed and turned, shifting her pregnancy pillow under her knees for the umpteenth time.
"I can feel you thinking."
Scully smiled wistfully. "Can't sleep. And this time it isn't because of some animal tranquilizer being used on humans."
The baby had been performing a variety of gymnastics for the last several hours and she couldn't get comfortable.
Mulder smiled as he shifted, spooning her from behind. His hand came to rest on the swell of her abdomen and immediately identified the cause of her restlessness. "Wow, we got a future soccer player in there."
"She inherited her father's insomnia, apparently," she quipped. "Though I know I shouldn't be complaining. I feel a bit… relieved somehow."
Splaying his hand over her belly, he moved to place a gentle kiss on her lips.
"She's a Scully-Mulder. It's literally in her DNA to be extraordinary."
Scully scoffed, yet couldn't help but smile despite herself.
When Scully returned for the Nonstress test, she was apprehensive. Afraid of the results as she lay there having her blood pressure taken more times than she cared to count.
The test itself took about 20 minutes as a sensor was moved around her abdomen.
Once it was complete it didn't take long to receive the results. Scully had explained to Mulder the difference between reactive and nonreactive results and a nonreactive result might necessitate a biophysical profile that evaluated the baby's breathing and body movements or a contraction stress test that assesses the heart rate than the uterus contracts. The baby's heart would need to meet certain criteria to be considered reactive.
"Everything looks exactly as it should be," the doctor expressed with a degree of elatement. "I'd like to continue to monitor you, but there is a considerable increase in activity in addition to her heart rate leading to the reactive results."
Scully felt the tears fall suddenly and the doctor excused herself from the room to give them a moment. It seemed such a simple thing, but she had been terrified of losing her daughter. She wouldn't bear another loss.
Then another thought suddenly crossed her mind. The look in William's eyes when she told him the news, the way the warmth permeated from his hand on her belly. William.
"Mulder," Scully said suddenly. "It was William. It had to be."
"What?" He said, startled.
"When I told William about the baby, I felt the strangest sensation. I think he did something to make sure she would be okay."
"And they called me Spooky."
"I know it, Mulder. Everything felt so different immediately after. The baby's movements… everything."
Mulder placed a kiss into the crown of Scully's hair and she sobbed happily.
"What did I tell you, Scully? The Mulder-Scully specimens are egg-exceptional."
A pause, then a sniffle. "I see what you did there, Mulder."
End