Three days later...

Reyes squirmed her uncomfortable seat, and mentally damned whoever it was that had picked out the chairs for the car dealership's office. They'd just become the proud owners of a 2003 van. Not a wussy minivan, Doggett pointed out, but a real van. All they needed was the keys, and they could go. Or so said the salesman before disappearing fifteen minutes earlier.

Reyes was beyond caring one way or another what they'd bought, she'd leave in a station wagon if it meant that they could go home now. Two hours of sitting in an uncomfortable is hard on anyone, never mind someone in her advanced stage of pregnancy.

"John... if we don't leave soon, you're going to need the Jaws of Life to get me out of this chair." She whispered in a hiss.

Unperturbed, Doggett just covered her closest hand with one of his own. It was a nice gesture, but she didn't see it helping her get free of the chair.

While it seemed like an eternity, they eventually drove their new purchase home. Getting home renewed her sense of energy, and she was quick to waddle up the driveway. "Do you want me to make us something for dinner?" She asked as soon as he put the key in the lock.

Doggett shook his head. "No. I want you to stretch out on the couch while I start on dinner. Gibson should be home in a couple of minutes, and he can help me."

"I don't want to lie on the couch. I just spent hours sitting, why would I want to lie down?" She called as he walked into the kitchen.

"Because I asked you to." She found the faint note of challenge in his voice interesting, and wasn't surprised when he added, "You've done a lot of running around this pregnancy, so could you humor me, and take it easy?"

Her first instinct was to snap that her doctor hadn't said anything about bed rest, but she thought better of it. He was just being anxious, and it really wouldn't hurt her to take it easy until the babies were born. "Yes. Just so long as you don't try to tie me to our bed to make me stay put."

He poked his head back around the corner. "I wouldn't dream of that. At least not until the babies are a couple of months old." He said straight-faced.

"John!" Reyes gave him a shocked look, and then burst into laughter, Doggett was soon laughing as well.

It was that very moment that Gibson came in the house. He immediately grimaced. "Could you think about baseball or something?" He asked plaintively. That made them laugh harder.

June 13rd

"Dana, I need your help." Reyes said, from her reclined spot on the couch. They'd been watching romantic comedies all day, because Doggett, Mulder and Gibson had taken the kids to an amusement park. They'd been invited, more to Reyes' surprise than Scully's since Doggett was serious about the take it easy business, but they'd opted to stay home instead of walking 10 miles from uncomfortable ride to uncomfortable ride.

"What do you need?" Scully asked, expecting a request for a drink or a pillow.

"I need you to help me get in your car, and drive to the beach. Then push me in the water. Whales aren't supposed to be on dry land like this."

Scully gave an unlady-like snort. Tempting as asking if she ought to play some whale songs so Reyes would feel more at home was, she held her tongue.

"Aren't you supposed to disagree with me, and say I'm not as big as a whale?" Reyes asked, sounding petulant.

"If you think lying to you would help..." She ducked as a couch pillow whizzed at her head.

"You've been through this, tell me the truth, does it even end?"

"Since I know you've seen my son several hundred times over the past two years, I'm sure you know it does."

"I don't get to moan and abuse dramatic license? Some friend you are." Reyes pouted.

"That's what happens when you befriend a scientist."

"Ha."

Scully patted her leg. "There there, it's probably less than a month now."

"But I'm not due until the third week of July."

"And if you were a turkey, your timer would be just about ready to pop." Scully replied with a grin. "Twins are almost always early."

"But not too early." Reyes fretted.

"Even if you had them today, they'd probably be fine. A month early usually isn't that big a deal any more."

"Usually."

"There are no guarantees in life." Scully replied primly. "But I'm positive they'd be fine. You're not in labor or anything today, right?"

"Right."

"So you'll probably not have them today, and I didn't tempt fate by suggesting you would. Besides, irony usually only likes to punish the speaker."

"Funny thing for a scientist to say, I didn't think they were supposed to have senses of humor. Good thing you don't, or they'd send you for reprogramming."

"You don't think I'm funny? Mulder thinks I'm funny." Scully replied, sounding wounded.

"Yeah, but he's in love with you." Reyes pointed out with a smirk that didn't remove the half-hurt look from Scully's face.