Two special requests
A special request from Scully regarding their baby daughter suddenly brings up a thought Mulder had entertained for a long time but never had the courage to voice. Even though he feels nervous about it, he decides it's the right moment to take his chance. Post Season 11.
February, 2019
The night had slowly and peacefully fallen on that small spot of the Earth, wrapping the unremarkable house in an atmosphere of quietness and peace. Mulder climbed down the stairs and joined Scully in the sofa, sitting next to her with a pleased smile on his face.
"Well, after such a busy day, she's finally sleeping!" He said, just as happy as she was.
The ritual was repeated every night, straightening their bond with the four-month-old Grace, and in a way, straightening their own connection: after Scully had fed their baby girl, Mulder would always walk around the house with her in his arms until she burped and eventually fell asleep, lulled by his low voice talking to her about the world, telling her a bedtime story or simply reassuring her how much loved she was.
"I feel a pleasant sensation of peace as she always asks for my breast at night." Scully spoke, with enchantment.
Even though he felt happy for her, fully aware of how important that ability was, Mulder smiled with evident mischief and inched closer.
"I don't blame her…" He whispered against her ear, causing Scully to pinch his side as a reprimand at the same time she had to hide the smile that insisted on appearing no matter how hard she tried to keep a straight face as a reaction to his infamous jokes.
Pleased to amuse her, Mulder kissed the side of her head and rested his head on that same spot afterwards.
"So, how's Skinner?" He wanted to know, now taking a more serious tone.
Scully's face softened and the smile remained there. Their friend and former boss had been under a treatment for over a year to recover the movements of his legs. The trauma caused by the evil cigarette smoking man nearly took Skinner's life, but with Mulder and Scully's help, he was taken to hospital quickly and the doctors managed to save him.
"He's been doing such great progress, Mulder. For the first time, his legs managed to support his weight with the help of the crutches." She explained, both of them picturing the scene she'd just described with a mix of joy and relief. Their best friend was healing, thanks to Scully's talented medical skills.
"This is great news, Scully! I knew you'd manage to help him, and I know he shares the same opinion. We both have faith in you!" Mulder replied, visibly proud of her.
She reached out for his hand and entangled her fingers with his, her mind seeming to be miles away.
"Mulder, when I left the hospital, I passed by the church. Skinner's appointment ended earlier than we expected so I used the extra time just to say my prayers of thanks…for everything."
"Which was good because it gave Grace and I some father and daughter extra time!"
With a smile that never faded, she kept on talking. "I met Father McCue there."
Mulder pulled just a few inches away more with raised eyebrows and a look of surprise. "Father McCue? You mean the Father McCue?!"
Seeing her nodding, he breathed out with amazement. "Wow…He must be like what? A hundred years old by now? This is almost an X-File, Scully!"
Amused, Scully kept on talking. "He's retired now, but still goes to church when the mass is over so that he can say his prayers in silence. I told him about Grace and that I no longer work at the FBI. He was so happy to hear about her, Mulder."
With a smile that matched hers, he nodded his head, imagining the conversation between the man who knew her since she was a little girl, who had been part of her family for such a long time and contributed enormously to building her faith and, later on, to restore it, offering guidance and words of wisdom.
"I can imagine he was." He replied, taking her hand to his lips.
Scully let out a soft sigh and fell silent for a few moments, but he could see she was organising her thoughts in order to keep on talking. Only when she managed to find the right words to voice her feelings did she speak again and he could notice that the smile that had been playing on her face gave way to a slightly worried expression.
"Mulder…" Her voice held a tone of insecurity and he could detect it.
"Yes, Scully?"
She moved a little so that she could look straight into his face.
"There's…There's something I'd like to talk to you about..."
Mulder offered a friendly smile, never tired of gazing at her beautiful face and also ready to send away the slight apprehension he could see written in there.
"Sure! What is it?"
Scully swallowed hard and looked at their conjoined hands for a second and then back at him. "It's…It's something I've been thinking about for a while, but I want you to know that if you disagree, I'll understand…"
Mulder reached out and stroked her cheek with the back of his free hand, studying her face and the light that emanated from her deep blue eyes.
"Talk to me, Scully."
"I'd like to have Grace christened." She finally said, searching his face and trying to find out what he thought. And in her eyes, he could see she was somewhat afraid of his reaction.
Mulder felt his heart sting at the mere thought of saying no to what she was asking. But he knew that he'd hurt her feelings in the past and that was the reason for her insecurity in bringing that subject up.
With tenderness, he placed both hands on each side of her face, smiling warmly in reply to what she'd just said.
"They say Baptism is, above all else, a way of asking God's blessing on a child's life. It's like asking a gift from Him." He said, tenderly stroking her temples with his thumbs. "And that little one is already a gift herself, Scully. A huge miracle wrapped up in a tiny bundle who smiles, cries and squirms in our arms and causes our hearts to burst with happiness. If she's such a gift to us, it's only fair that she receives at least twice of the joy in return. So how could I ever disagree with you on something so meaningful to you and, in a way, to me? I would never deny you that, Scully. Never."
Through the tears that were already falling from her eyes, she looked at him with so much love and gratitude. "Y-you don't…You don't believe-"
"I believe in you." He gently cut her off, his permanent smile causing her to cry even more. "I always have. I believe in the faith you showed throughout your life, I witnessed the strength it gave you to face the worst moments like a fighter that you are. And this incredible force that fills your spirit with so much love and courage touched me as well. It made me the person I became. You're my gift too, Scully. Since from that very moment you came along that door in the basement office of the FBI, offering nothing but a beautiful smile and the will to help."
She let out a trembling sigh. "Don't you see, Mulder? You were there too. Right beside me. You made me strong and taught me to bear north despite the challenges that I had to face. And it makes you my gift from God too."
Chuckling at her last words, he inched closer and pressed a tender kiss against her lips. "Then let us both give thanks and have that little one christened by the legendary and spooky Father McCue!"
She wrapped her arms around his neck and held him tightly, tears still falling over her face now. "I love you…"
Mulder's face was a mix of joy and pride – yes, he would always be amazed by the fact that he had that woman's love from the moment she entered his life. He often felt undeserving of her and of everything she'd given him during their long journey together. But if she was still there confessing her love for him in spite of himself, it was his duty to honour that love.
"Oh, you do?! That's funny…I was thinking the same thing about you, Scully!" He murmured against her ear, kissing her cheek to the sound of her crying giggle.
Scully's wish to have Grace christened had suddenly brought up an idea, a thought he'd long considered but never had the courage to make come true. Even though he felt nervous about it, Mulder decided it was the right moment to put it into action.
To be continued
