Title: Missing Moments: II
Author: Gillian Leigh
Disclaimer: Not mine.
POV: Scully
I stood at the sink in my kitchen, grudgingly washing dishes. How is it that one person eating one meal generates so many dirty dishes?
"Don't complain, Dana," I muttered to myself, "once the dishes are done you won't have anything else to keep you occupied." Maternity leave. It started a month ago, and I was going stir crazy. If it had been my decision, I would be sitting at my desk, or up in the morgue doing an autopsy, but it had not been my decision. My doctor had insisted that I start my maternity leave right away.
My apartment had never been so clean. I had dusted on top of everything I could reach while standing on a chair, cleaned around everything that didn't have to be moved, and cleaned under everything that I could clean under while kneeling. I had scrubbed everything, including the doors of all my cabinets. There was a knock at the door.
"Come in," I called, with an exaggerated sigh. I didn't bother turning to look and see who my visitor was. It was either Mulder or my mother, and it was nearly always my mother. The two of them knew well enough where to find me once they came inside. I scrubbed halfheartedly at a frying pan which had been soaking in the sink. I felt a set of strong hands on my shoulders, giving me an impromptu deep tissue massage. I dropped the frying pan into the sink, and leaned on the counter. I let my head fall forward, and Mulder started kissing my neck, his strong hands still massaging the knots out of the muscles in my shoulders. I tilted my head back, and smiled up at him. He kissed me on the lips, and continued in soft kisses down my neck. It tickled, and I giggled a little.
He gave me one of his trademark smiles, and I started melting a little around the edges.
"I brought you a present," he said, retrieving a paper bag from the counter. He pulled out a carton of Pina Colada ice cream and a jar of sweet pickles. I laughed.
"My uncontrollable, pregnancy induced cravings thank you." Mulder got the two bowls out of the cabinet, and I scooped the ice cream into them.
"Pickles for you?" I asked, laughing at the face he made in response. I shook my head.
"Sometimes I forget how repulsive that combination is when you're not pregnant," I laughed, and we carried our bowls into the living room and sat down on the couch. We had been sitting in silence, slowly eating the ice cream, when Mulder turned to me.
"Scully, do you want to move in together?" I looked over at him, my expression displaying my evident surprise.
"Where did that come from?" I asked, spooning more ice cream into my mouth. He looked at me and rolled his eyes.
"Well, usually people who are having a baby together *live* together," he said.
"You're serious, then?"
"Of course I'm serious," he said, setting his unfinished bowl of ice cream on the coffee table.
"Do you want to see the baby's room?" I asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable with the way the conversation was going.
"You finished it?" he asked, rising to his feet and helping me do the same.
"My mom helped," I said, taking his hand and leading him to the nursery. I startled myself by doing so. Talk about sending mixed signals. First I'm brushing off his talk of moving in together, and now I'm taking him by the hand as if I've always done it? Way to go, Dana. I opened the door. I smiled at the sight of the room. Everything was blue. There was some yellow thrown in, but it was mainly blue. Mulder smiled down at me.
"I can't wait to meet our son," he said. I glanced around the room, and my eyes came to rest on the crib.
"Neither can I," I said, Mulder's words being tossed around in my head. Our son. I turned to face him, and we stepped out of the room. I pulled the door closed behind me.
"You know, Mulder, my bed does seem a little empty with just me in it. And I'm sure I could forfeit half of my dresser drawers and some closet space. Now, shoe space I can't guarantee, but closet space I can give you," I said.
"Scully, are you serious?" Mulder asked, taking my other hand in his. He led me over to the couch, and sat me down.
"I've never been more serious in my entire life," I said.
"That's hard to fathom, Scully..." Mulder said.
"Mulder, shut up," I said, kissing him. It was one of those spontaneous, 'I just had to do it right that instant because it felt right, and if I waited another second who knows what might have happened' kisses. Mulder sat back and looked at me for a moment, with surprise and love in his eyes, before he kissed me again. He put pressure on me, and I complied, lying back as far as I could into the arm of the couch. Mulder was careful not to, well, squish the baby, and his hand held one of mine, and as my other was on the back of his head, his other was running through my hair.
I heard an aggravated sigh coming from the direction of the door. Mulder and I both froze, and I watched as he raised his eyes to the door. I turned my head slowly, and saw that my mother stood in the doorway, with her arms crossed, holding her keys in one hand. My face turned several shades of red, and I sunk down into the couch under Mulder.
"Don't you two ever give it a rest?" she asked, and laughed. Mulder sat back, his ears reddening.
"Hi, Mrs. Scully."
"Hello, Fox," she said. I covered my face with my hand.
"Hi, Mom," I said, slowly sitting up.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said, giving me a kiss on the cheek. "What're you two up to, besides practicing making me another grandchild?" I turned a deep shade of puce.
"MOTHER!" I said, shock and embarrassment in my expression. Mulder laughed slightly, but reddened as well. He cleared his throat and said,
"Well, Mrs. Scully, I was just getting done accepting your daughter's offer to move in with her." My mom looked surprised, but very happy. She caught the two of us in a hug, and I smiled at Mulder who smiled back.
"Dana, Fox, that's wonderful! I've only been waiting for this for *five years*..." she added sarcastically, rolling her eyes in pretend annoyance. But she wasn't fooling anyone. She was so happy she could burst, and we all knew it.
"So have I," Mulder said, kissing me again, his hand around my waist, drawing me into him. I sighed heavily, letting him wrap his arms around me. I felt the baby start kicking, and heard my mother laughing slightly as she watched the two of us. All the family I would ever need could be found, at that moment, in the confines of my living room.