Title - Wake To This Nightmare
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - Up to beginning of Season 8
Keywords - Mulder/Scully romance
Summary - Scully sinks deeper and deeper into a depression as the hunt for
Mulder seems to wind to an unsuccessful conclusion. As she struggles to hang on
to hope, Mulder awakens to a life he doesn't remember and faces his own
struggles to maintain his grip on reality.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters aren't mine. You know that. And I know
that. They're property of someone else and used without permission strictly for
entertainment purposes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 10
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
3 days later . . .
Skinner makes his way down the hall towards Mulder's room. He peeks inside and
sees just what he expected to see - Scully sitting vigil by his bedside, only
moving when a trip to the bathroom was necessary. Mulder's nurses took pity on
her and brought her meals and snacks every few hours, so she hasn't even left to
go to the cafeteria. Emily was also a constant fixture in that room. Starting
the day the doctors took Mulder off the breathing machine, the little girl kept
Scully company for as long as the staff allowed. Right now, Emily was was
sitting on Scully's lap, holding Mulder's hand in one of her tiny ones. Her
other hand gently stroked Scully's belly. If Skinner didn't hear the quiet
little tune the girl hummed, he would have sworn they were all asleep.
He creeps into the room as quietly as he could, but still alerted both Scully
and Emily. Both their heads turn briefly to see the intruder before returning
their gazes back to Mulder's still unconscious form.
"Scully, I think you should get out of here for awhile. Both of you. You need
a good night's sleep in a real bed," Skinner advises.
"Sir, he could wake up any minute. I have to be here," she says with a yawn,
unable to hid her obvious fatigue.
"You've been here since day one. And I know that doing Diana's autopsy
exhausted you, both physically and emotionally. It's late. And Emily looks
tired. Will you please go rest if I promise to stay? I'll call you if anything
changes." He holds his breath as she contemplates his offer.
"I can't ask you to do that," she whispers.
"You don't trust me," Skinner realizes. No wonder Scully's barely allowed him
access to Mulder the entire time they've been at the hospital. "I lost him
before. You don't trust me to watch over him. Scully, I'm so sorry about
that."
"Sir?" she asks him confused. "Lost him? You think you were responsible for
Mulder's disappearance?"
"Don't you? You sent me with him to watch his back. I look away for one second
and he vanishes," Skinner sighs, looking down at the floor. Too ashamed to look
at Scully.
"Sir, look at me," she says. When he doesn't comply, she sets Emily on the bed
next to Mulder and goes to stand in front of her boss. She reaches up to his
chin, tilting his head up slightly to meet his eyes. "You did nothing wrong. I
don't blame you for losing Mulder. Is that what you thought this whole time?"
"But you entrusted him to me. And I let you down," he argues.
"It's not your fault," she assures him. "Sir, you've been nothing but a friend
this whole time. You were the first I told about the baby. You were the one I
trusted with my secret. And you've watched out for us, protected us." She
pulls him into her arms, hugging him tightly. "And I never even said thank you
for all that you've done. So, thanks, Sir. Thanks for being there for me."
"No thanks are necessary, Scully. But you can do one thing for me," he
proposes. "You can go home and get some rest."
"I should have seen that coming," she sighs. "But I can't go home, Sir. I
can't leave him. I will, however, go down the hall to the nurse's lounge. They
told me I could go in there to rest if I ever needed to."
"Good enough," he smiles, relieved she was going to take his advice. He walks
her and Emily to the door, allowing them to pause once more before leaving.
"Don't worry, Scully. I'll let you know the second anything changes," he
promises. She smiles and pulls a very sleepy Emily through the door. He waits
for the two to disappear down the hall to the nurses lounge before taking
Scully's vacated seat by Mulder. It's been a long week, but it was going to be
an even longer night. He settles in to keep watch, this time determined not to
let the man out of his sight.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Skinner awakens the next morning to the sound of the nurses attending to Mulder.
He shakes the sleep from his eyes, realizing that he he drifted off for a couple
of minutes.
"Sorry to wake you, Sir," the nurse apologizes. "I'm going to get Mr. Mulder
cleaned up if you don't mind waiting outside."
Skinner smiles slightly and complies with the nurse's wishes. He makes his way
out the door, stretching and yawning along the way. Outside the hall, he finds
Bill talking with Mulder's doctor.
"Good morning, Walter," Bill greets. "I see you finally convinced my sister to
leave that room. Thanks."
"My back's going to punish me for it, but I knew she needed the sleep. And the
only way I could convince her to go was if I promised to stay in her place."
"Well, whatever you said worked. She looked much better when I saw her. She
even took Emily down to the cafeteria for some breakfast," Bill explains.
"I think her presence has been a great help to Mr. Mulder," the doctor
interjects. "He's progressing quite nicely. I expect him to wake up any day. .
. "
The doctor stops midsentence, a resounding yell echoing down the hall. All three
men look at each other, trying to figure out what the sound is and where it's
coming from.
"Did you hear something?" The doctor looks at the two men, quirking his ears
for the sound he heard before. His eyes widen when he hears the sound again.
"Yeah, it sounds like someone yelling," Bill says. "And it's coming from
Mulder's room! He's calling my sister. I'll go get her," he says hurriedly,
before rushing off in the direction of the cafeteria.
The doctor and Skinner rush into the room, surprised, but pleased at the sight
that greeted them.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Scully!" Mulder screams as his eyes fly open. He takes a look around at his
surroundings, desperately trying to catch his breath. From all appearances, he
was in another hospital. All the usual props were there except for one -
Scully.
"Scully," he whimpers again before everything comes rushing back. The fire.
Diana. Emily. Scully. The life he's been living for the past month. He
remembers everything now. How he was taken. How he woke up with Diana claiming
to be his wife. But most importantly, he remembers the time before all of this
happened. And there was only one person he wanted to see at that moment.
"Scully," he calls one last time before the door to his room finally opens,
revealing the doctor and a very relieved looking Skinner.
"Mr. Mulder, it's good to see you awake. But you're going to have to calm
down," the doctor scolds, moving next to the bed to read the monitors. He takes
Mulder's chart from the nurse who was jotting down notes before Mulder's
outburst.
"I need to see Scully. Sir, you have to get me out of here," Mulder begs
Skinner. "I have to get home to Scully and my little girl."
"Agent Mulder, you're not going anywhere," the doctor admonishes. Mulder groans
and turns a frustrated glare on Skinner.
"Don't look at me like that, Mulder. You're staying put. Besides, Dana is
here," Skinner smiles. "She took Emily down to the cafeteria for some lunch.
Bill went to get them when we heard you in here making all that noise. They'll
be back any minute."
"Agent Mulder, we can't have you getting all worked up," the doctor warns.
"Your heart and lungs suffered extensive damage in the fire. If you don't
settle down, I'll sedate you and won't allow you any visitors."
"He'll be good. I'll make sure of it," a voice from the doorway calls. Mulder
looks up and sees Scully standing there, barely able to contain the wriggling
Emily. She almost cries at the look of recognition in Mulder's eyes. He knew
who she was. Not what Bill told him about her, but he knew her. Somehow his
memory had returned.
"Scully," he sighs contently, a relieved smile spreading across his face. She
locks on his gaze and returns his smile, barely even noticing the other
occupants of the room at the moment. The doctor's voice breaks through the
spell with his consent.
"Only for a few minutes," the doctor relents. "But Agent Scully. You're a
doctor. Make sure he remains calm."
"Yes doctor," she smiles sweetly as the doctor and nurse leave.
Emily races to the bed, intent on flinging herself into Mulder's arms when
Skinner catches her mid jump.
"Hold on a second, Emily," the man laughs. "Your Dad can't play like that right
now. How about you just give him a kiss and then we'll go and let him and your
mom catch up."
"I missed you, Daddy," she says, placing a sweet little kiss on his cheek.
"I know, Princess. I missed you too," he smiles. "And as soon as I get out of
here, I'm going to give you the biggest, tightest Daddy-Hug ever." The little
girl giggles as Skinner carries her out of the room.
"She really did miss you, Mulder," Scully says from the chair next to the bed.
She managed to get herself settled there while Mulder was greeting Emily. "I
missed you too," she whispers, trying desperately to hold back her tears. It
doesn't work and one manages to slip through.
"I remember now. I remember you. Finally. This face," Mulder says, gently
cupping one of her cheeks. With a thumb, he wipes away the tear that fell. "I
tried so hard to remember this face. To remember you. Now, you're here. And
you're even more beautiful than I remember. Why didn't I ever tell you that
before?"
"Mulder, we never needed words . . . "
"But that's something you should hear. Everyday. Something I'm going to start
saying. I can't take you for granted anymore. There's so much I want to tell
you, Scully. Things that can't be left unsaid anymore." He smiles at her,
gently pulls her closer, and kisses her forehead before continuing.
"All that time I was gone, I couldn't remember your face. But I remembered you.
Somehow in my heart, I remembered we were connected. I remembered that I loved
you."
"Mulder," she gasps, not even trying to hold back her tears any longer.
"I love you, Dana Scully. And you're going to have to get used to hearing it.
Because I've been waiting a long time to say it and I'm never going to stop
now." He reaches up to kiss her lips. Gently. Almost chastely. She pouts
slightly when he pulls away, breaking the sweet contact.
"Agent Mulder. Is that the best kiss you can do?" Scully teases, bringing a big
smile to Mulder's lips. "It's been awhile since you've seen me. I'd think
you'd be . . . happier," she challenges.
"Well, Little Lady. Why don't you climb up in this bed and we'll see what we
can manage," he smiles again.
"Somehow, I don't think this is what the doctor had in mind when he said you
should remain calm," Scully laughs, climbing up into the bed anyway. Mulder
scoots over to make room for her. They straighten out the many wires and lines
conneced to him and settle comfortably in the bed. Mulder on his back, Scully
on her side facing him.
"Much better," Mulder sighs.
"No funny business, Mister. Keep your hands where I can see them," Scully
threatens playfully.
"Yes ma'am!" he says and they both laugh heartily before settling back to the
comfortable silence again. They both take the time to remember what the past
few months apart have been like. Scully looks and notices a somber look now
haunting Mulder's face.
"What are you thinking?" she asks, brushing a lock of hair across his forehead.
"Diana. How she once again stomped through my life, leaving it in shambles," he
sighs.
"We won't have to worry about her. When they told me she died in the fire, I
did the autopsy myself. She's not coming back from the dead again. That I can
promise."
"That's a relief," he chuckles lightly before turning serious again. "But her
lies still live. She told me that Emily was my daughter. And for a month my
heart was so full knowing she was my little girl. Now that I know the truth, I
can't just shut off those feelings. But to tell you the truth, Scully, I've
always had those feeling. I grew to love her those few short days all those
years ago in San Diego."
"Mulder, why didn't you ever tell me?" she asks, surprised at his confession.
"I don't know," he shrugs. I guess I didn't think you wanted me to share that
pain with you. So we suffered the agony of her death separately. We tried to
bury our feelings with Emily. Until a month ago when Diana's lie brought back
those feelings along with our little girl. But how am I going to explain the
truth to Emily? She won't understand."
"We won't have to worry about that, Mulder. It's ironic, but Diana's lie turned
out to be closer to the truth than any of us realized." Scully sees the
confusion on Mulder's face and attempts to explain. "I had the Gunmen run some
tests on Emily. It turns out that she's your daughter."
"I don't understand. Before when we had the tests done, yours was the only
human DNA she had."
"The alien DNA was making her sick. After we thought she died, they took her
and did another procedure on her. They introduced more human DNA into her
system to combat the alien DNA. But instead of using more of my DNA, they used
your DNA, Mulder. So by all the laws of genetics, she's your daugher now.
Which would explain how much she looks like you," Scully smiles.
"Right down to that nose," Mulder laughs. "Sorry about that. I was hoping that
I wouldn't curse any kid of mine with the Mulder family trademark."
"Don't be sorry. I love it on her. And on you." Scully places a little kiss
on the tip of his nose. "But if you're that self conscious about it, maybe
we'll have more luck the next time."
"Next time?" The confused look in his eyes amuses her, eliciting a small giggle
she can't control. He looks so cute that she can hardly resist kissing him.
She pulls his face down to hers, meeting his mouth with a urgent one of her own.
Her hand trails from his cheek down to his neck, marking a trail all the way
down to his hand. Without breaking this kiss, she clasps his hand and moves it
on top of her protruded abdomen, where he's promptly rewarded with a swift kick.
"What was that?" Mulder gasps, somewhat reluctanty breaking the kiss, but more
curious about the mystery under his hand.
"You felt that?" she smiles, watching him nod his head in wonder. "Just someone
trying to say hello."
He looks down to her stomach, eyeing the curve of the swell and slowly
comprehending what it all meant.
"Scully, your stomach," he says finally, rubbing his hand along the bulge.
"You're pregnant? You're going to have a baby?"
"No Mulder," she sniffs, tears threatening to overcome her again. "We're going
to have a baby."
"You? Me? A baby?" he gasps. His mouth falls open as his mind is unable to
produce a complete thought. He's unable to do anything at all except stare at
her. Tears well up in his eyes and within moments, he finds himself bawling
shamelessly. He slides down further in the bed and rests his head on her
stomach, the tears soaking through her shirt.
"Our baby," he whispers once his sobs subside. "He's going to be so beautiful,
Scully." He looks up into her eyes, pleading silently with her for a further
connection with her and their child. She smiles her consent and unbuttons the
bottom four buttons of her shirt, revealing the bulge. Mulder kisses her
stomach reverently, gently stroking the areas where he felt the fluttery replies
from inside.
Scully allows him the moment, wiping away the silent tears that continuously
fall with one hand. Her other hand runs through Mulder's thick hair, soothing
him the best way she knew how. She sent up thanks to God for bringing him back
to her. He was back where he belonged. With her and with their kids. And
nothing was ever going to change that again.
To be continued . . .
Author - Nicky
Rating - PG-13
Spoilers - Up to beginning of Season 8
Keywords - Mulder/Scully romance
Summary - Scully sinks deeper and deeper into a depression as the hunt for
Mulder seems to wind to an unsuccessful conclusion. As she struggles to hang on
to hope, Mulder awakens to a life he doesn't remember and faces his own
struggles to maintain his grip on reality.
Disclaimer - Most of these characters aren't mine. You know that. And I know
that. They're property of someone else and used without permission strictly for
entertainment purposes.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Chapter 10
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
3 days later . . .
Skinner makes his way down the hall towards Mulder's room. He peeks inside and
sees just what he expected to see - Scully sitting vigil by his bedside, only
moving when a trip to the bathroom was necessary. Mulder's nurses took pity on
her and brought her meals and snacks every few hours, so she hasn't even left to
go to the cafeteria. Emily was also a constant fixture in that room. Starting
the day the doctors took Mulder off the breathing machine, the little girl kept
Scully company for as long as the staff allowed. Right now, Emily was was
sitting on Scully's lap, holding Mulder's hand in one of her tiny ones. Her
other hand gently stroked Scully's belly. If Skinner didn't hear the quiet
little tune the girl hummed, he would have sworn they were all asleep.
He creeps into the room as quietly as he could, but still alerted both Scully
and Emily. Both their heads turn briefly to see the intruder before returning
their gazes back to Mulder's still unconscious form.
"Scully, I think you should get out of here for awhile. Both of you. You need
a good night's sleep in a real bed," Skinner advises.
"Sir, he could wake up any minute. I have to be here," she says with a yawn,
unable to hid her obvious fatigue.
"You've been here since day one. And I know that doing Diana's autopsy
exhausted you, both physically and emotionally. It's late. And Emily looks
tired. Will you please go rest if I promise to stay? I'll call you if anything
changes." He holds his breath as she contemplates his offer.
"I can't ask you to do that," she whispers.
"You don't trust me," Skinner realizes. No wonder Scully's barely allowed him
access to Mulder the entire time they've been at the hospital. "I lost him
before. You don't trust me to watch over him. Scully, I'm so sorry about
that."
"Sir?" she asks him confused. "Lost him? You think you were responsible for
Mulder's disappearance?"
"Don't you? You sent me with him to watch his back. I look away for one second
and he vanishes," Skinner sighs, looking down at the floor. Too ashamed to look
at Scully.
"Sir, look at me," she says. When he doesn't comply, she sets Emily on the bed
next to Mulder and goes to stand in front of her boss. She reaches up to his
chin, tilting his head up slightly to meet his eyes. "You did nothing wrong. I
don't blame you for losing Mulder. Is that what you thought this whole time?"
"But you entrusted him to me. And I let you down," he argues.
"It's not your fault," she assures him. "Sir, you've been nothing but a friend
this whole time. You were the first I told about the baby. You were the one I
trusted with my secret. And you've watched out for us, protected us." She
pulls him into her arms, hugging him tightly. "And I never even said thank you
for all that you've done. So, thanks, Sir. Thanks for being there for me."
"No thanks are necessary, Scully. But you can do one thing for me," he
proposes. "You can go home and get some rest."
"I should have seen that coming," she sighs. "But I can't go home, Sir. I
can't leave him. I will, however, go down the hall to the nurse's lounge. They
told me I could go in there to rest if I ever needed to."
"Good enough," he smiles, relieved she was going to take his advice. He walks
her and Emily to the door, allowing them to pause once more before leaving.
"Don't worry, Scully. I'll let you know the second anything changes," he
promises. She smiles and pulls a very sleepy Emily through the door. He waits
for the two to disappear down the hall to the nurses lounge before taking
Scully's vacated seat by Mulder. It's been a long week, but it was going to be
an even longer night. He settles in to keep watch, this time determined not to
let the man out of his sight.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Skinner awakens the next morning to the sound of the nurses attending to Mulder.
He shakes the sleep from his eyes, realizing that he he drifted off for a couple
of minutes.
"Sorry to wake you, Sir," the nurse apologizes. "I'm going to get Mr. Mulder
cleaned up if you don't mind waiting outside."
Skinner smiles slightly and complies with the nurse's wishes. He makes his way
out the door, stretching and yawning along the way. Outside the hall, he finds
Bill talking with Mulder's doctor.
"Good morning, Walter," Bill greets. "I see you finally convinced my sister to
leave that room. Thanks."
"My back's going to punish me for it, but I knew she needed the sleep. And the
only way I could convince her to go was if I promised to stay in her place."
"Well, whatever you said worked. She looked much better when I saw her. She
even took Emily down to the cafeteria for some breakfast," Bill explains.
"I think her presence has been a great help to Mr. Mulder," the doctor
interjects. "He's progressing quite nicely. I expect him to wake up any day. .
. "
The doctor stops midsentence, a resounding yell echoing down the hall. All three
men look at each other, trying to figure out what the sound is and where it's
coming from.
"Did you hear something?" The doctor looks at the two men, quirking his ears
for the sound he heard before. His eyes widen when he hears the sound again.
"Yeah, it sounds like someone yelling," Bill says. "And it's coming from
Mulder's room! He's calling my sister. I'll go get her," he says hurriedly,
before rushing off in the direction of the cafeteria.
The doctor and Skinner rush into the room, surprised, but pleased at the sight
that greeted them.
* * * * * * * * * *
"Scully!" Mulder screams as his eyes fly open. He takes a look around at his
surroundings, desperately trying to catch his breath. From all appearances, he
was in another hospital. All the usual props were there except for one -
Scully.
"Scully," he whimpers again before everything comes rushing back. The fire.
Diana. Emily. Scully. The life he's been living for the past month. He
remembers everything now. How he was taken. How he woke up with Diana claiming
to be his wife. But most importantly, he remembers the time before all of this
happened. And there was only one person he wanted to see at that moment.
"Scully," he calls one last time before the door to his room finally opens,
revealing the doctor and a very relieved looking Skinner.
"Mr. Mulder, it's good to see you awake. But you're going to have to calm
down," the doctor scolds, moving next to the bed to read the monitors. He takes
Mulder's chart from the nurse who was jotting down notes before Mulder's
outburst.
"I need to see Scully. Sir, you have to get me out of here," Mulder begs
Skinner. "I have to get home to Scully and my little girl."
"Agent Mulder, you're not going anywhere," the doctor admonishes. Mulder groans
and turns a frustrated glare on Skinner.
"Don't look at me like that, Mulder. You're staying put. Besides, Dana is
here," Skinner smiles. "She took Emily down to the cafeteria for some lunch.
Bill went to get them when we heard you in here making all that noise. They'll
be back any minute."
"Agent Mulder, we can't have you getting all worked up," the doctor warns.
"Your heart and lungs suffered extensive damage in the fire. If you don't
settle down, I'll sedate you and won't allow you any visitors."
"He'll be good. I'll make sure of it," a voice from the doorway calls. Mulder
looks up and sees Scully standing there, barely able to contain the wriggling
Emily. She almost cries at the look of recognition in Mulder's eyes. He knew
who she was. Not what Bill told him about her, but he knew her. Somehow his
memory had returned.
"Scully," he sighs contently, a relieved smile spreading across his face. She
locks on his gaze and returns his smile, barely even noticing the other
occupants of the room at the moment. The doctor's voice breaks through the
spell with his consent.
"Only for a few minutes," the doctor relents. "But Agent Scully. You're a
doctor. Make sure he remains calm."
"Yes doctor," she smiles sweetly as the doctor and nurse leave.
Emily races to the bed, intent on flinging herself into Mulder's arms when
Skinner catches her mid jump.
"Hold on a second, Emily," the man laughs. "Your Dad can't play like that right
now. How about you just give him a kiss and then we'll go and let him and your
mom catch up."
"I missed you, Daddy," she says, placing a sweet little kiss on his cheek.
"I know, Princess. I missed you too," he smiles. "And as soon as I get out of
here, I'm going to give you the biggest, tightest Daddy-Hug ever." The little
girl giggles as Skinner carries her out of the room.
"She really did miss you, Mulder," Scully says from the chair next to the bed.
She managed to get herself settled there while Mulder was greeting Emily. "I
missed you too," she whispers, trying desperately to hold back her tears. It
doesn't work and one manages to slip through.
"I remember now. I remember you. Finally. This face," Mulder says, gently
cupping one of her cheeks. With a thumb, he wipes away the tear that fell. "I
tried so hard to remember this face. To remember you. Now, you're here. And
you're even more beautiful than I remember. Why didn't I ever tell you that
before?"
"Mulder, we never needed words . . . "
"But that's something you should hear. Everyday. Something I'm going to start
saying. I can't take you for granted anymore. There's so much I want to tell
you, Scully. Things that can't be left unsaid anymore." He smiles at her,
gently pulls her closer, and kisses her forehead before continuing.
"All that time I was gone, I couldn't remember your face. But I remembered you.
Somehow in my heart, I remembered we were connected. I remembered that I loved
you."
"Mulder," she gasps, not even trying to hold back her tears any longer.
"I love you, Dana Scully. And you're going to have to get used to hearing it.
Because I've been waiting a long time to say it and I'm never going to stop
now." He reaches up to kiss her lips. Gently. Almost chastely. She pouts
slightly when he pulls away, breaking the sweet contact.
"Agent Mulder. Is that the best kiss you can do?" Scully teases, bringing a big
smile to Mulder's lips. "It's been awhile since you've seen me. I'd think
you'd be . . . happier," she challenges.
"Well, Little Lady. Why don't you climb up in this bed and we'll see what we
can manage," he smiles again.
"Somehow, I don't think this is what the doctor had in mind when he said you
should remain calm," Scully laughs, climbing up into the bed anyway. Mulder
scoots over to make room for her. They straighten out the many wires and lines
conneced to him and settle comfortably in the bed. Mulder on his back, Scully
on her side facing him.
"Much better," Mulder sighs.
"No funny business, Mister. Keep your hands where I can see them," Scully
threatens playfully.
"Yes ma'am!" he says and they both laugh heartily before settling back to the
comfortable silence again. They both take the time to remember what the past
few months apart have been like. Scully looks and notices a somber look now
haunting Mulder's face.
"What are you thinking?" she asks, brushing a lock of hair across his forehead.
"Diana. How she once again stomped through my life, leaving it in shambles," he
sighs.
"We won't have to worry about her. When they told me she died in the fire, I
did the autopsy myself. She's not coming back from the dead again. That I can
promise."
"That's a relief," he chuckles lightly before turning serious again. "But her
lies still live. She told me that Emily was my daughter. And for a month my
heart was so full knowing she was my little girl. Now that I know the truth, I
can't just shut off those feelings. But to tell you the truth, Scully, I've
always had those feeling. I grew to love her those few short days all those
years ago in San Diego."
"Mulder, why didn't you ever tell me?" she asks, surprised at his confession.
"I don't know," he shrugs. I guess I didn't think you wanted me to share that
pain with you. So we suffered the agony of her death separately. We tried to
bury our feelings with Emily. Until a month ago when Diana's lie brought back
those feelings along with our little girl. But how am I going to explain the
truth to Emily? She won't understand."
"We won't have to worry about that, Mulder. It's ironic, but Diana's lie turned
out to be closer to the truth than any of us realized." Scully sees the
confusion on Mulder's face and attempts to explain. "I had the Gunmen run some
tests on Emily. It turns out that she's your daughter."
"I don't understand. Before when we had the tests done, yours was the only
human DNA she had."
"The alien DNA was making her sick. After we thought she died, they took her
and did another procedure on her. They introduced more human DNA into her
system to combat the alien DNA. But instead of using more of my DNA, they used
your DNA, Mulder. So by all the laws of genetics, she's your daugher now.
Which would explain how much she looks like you," Scully smiles.
"Right down to that nose," Mulder laughs. "Sorry about that. I was hoping that
I wouldn't curse any kid of mine with the Mulder family trademark."
"Don't be sorry. I love it on her. And on you." Scully places a little kiss
on the tip of his nose. "But if you're that self conscious about it, maybe
we'll have more luck the next time."
"Next time?" The confused look in his eyes amuses her, eliciting a small giggle
she can't control. He looks so cute that she can hardly resist kissing him.
She pulls his face down to hers, meeting his mouth with a urgent one of her own.
Her hand trails from his cheek down to his neck, marking a trail all the way
down to his hand. Without breaking this kiss, she clasps his hand and moves it
on top of her protruded abdomen, where he's promptly rewarded with a swift kick.
"What was that?" Mulder gasps, somewhat reluctanty breaking the kiss, but more
curious about the mystery under his hand.
"You felt that?" she smiles, watching him nod his head in wonder. "Just someone
trying to say hello."
He looks down to her stomach, eyeing the curve of the swell and slowly
comprehending what it all meant.
"Scully, your stomach," he says finally, rubbing his hand along the bulge.
"You're pregnant? You're going to have a baby?"
"No Mulder," she sniffs, tears threatening to overcome her again. "We're going
to have a baby."
"You? Me? A baby?" he gasps. His mouth falls open as his mind is unable to
produce a complete thought. He's unable to do anything at all except stare at
her. Tears well up in his eyes and within moments, he finds himself bawling
shamelessly. He slides down further in the bed and rests his head on her
stomach, the tears soaking through her shirt.
"Our baby," he whispers once his sobs subside. "He's going to be so beautiful,
Scully." He looks up into her eyes, pleading silently with her for a further
connection with her and their child. She smiles her consent and unbuttons the
bottom four buttons of her shirt, revealing the bulge. Mulder kisses her
stomach reverently, gently stroking the areas where he felt the fluttery replies
from inside.
Scully allows him the moment, wiping away the silent tears that continuously
fall with one hand. Her other hand runs through Mulder's thick hair, soothing
him the best way she knew how. She sent up thanks to God for bringing him back
to her. He was back where he belonged. With her and with their kids. And
nothing was ever going to change that again.
To be continued . . .