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Stella breathed tiredly as she stared up at the clock that sat idly above her door in her new, spacious office. Her eyes ached from the dry contact lenses that hugged her eyeballs, her manicured hand massaging her brow bone as she sighed over the fact that it was only one in the afternoon. She had prepared herself for a long day, knowing Scully would be busy on her first overnight shift back at the hospital since Luciana was born. The time she had saved up to take with Stella during the first year of their daughter’s life was more than helpful, and even then she had adjusted her schedule to only do the long overnight shift once a week for the following two years, something that Stella was shocked that she had been able to maintain for such a long period, given the flexibility without jumping through hoops despite the fact that Scully hadn’t been the one who carried and bore their daughter.
She huffed in frustration, test results for her case were taking ages to get back to her, printers were running out of toner, and the weight of this case sat heavily on her shoulders, causing her to just grumble and flip the folder shut.
Almost as the universe had been watching, as the manilla paper folded shut her office phone began to ring, the number of their daughter’s pre-school calling. She cursed nervously under her breath as she retrieved her silent cell from her back pocket, noticing the abundance of missed calls, causing her heart rate to quicken as she picked up the receiver.
“This is Detective Superintendent Gibson.” She breathed hastily, the sound of whimpering on the other line making her blood run cold and repeat herself, this time much firmer to catch their attention.
“This is Stella Gibson, Luciana’s mother.” She announced, causing a woman to juggle the phone and return it to her ear.
“My apologies Superintendent Gibson. We’re just calling because we can’t get ahold of Doctor Scully, but Luciana is quite ill and we need you to come and retrieve her so she doesn’t get any of the other children sick, since it’s flu season.” She explained, but before the woman could even finish Stella was hanging up her phone, grabbing the heavy coat from the back of her seat and pulling it over her cream blouse and dark khaki skirt all in one motion.
As she passed the receptionist station she blurted out to cancel meetings and any other responsibilities that would be requiring her attention, the young woman nodding before handing her the keys to her vehicle that she had given for her to pull the car around upon getting the call.
The blonde sped around the block in anticipation, she had obviously been desensitized to the normal grime of being a parent to a young baby and now toddler, but the sight of blood, vomit, or other unexpected bodily functions had the ability to make her knees weak, despite her background in forensics. She had witnessed some of the most heinous crimes in her field, but when Luciana came to her with a smacked nose with blood dribbling down her face, she nearly hit the coffee table herself.
This was Scully’s avenue, but her daughter needed her, and she then realized that she had no idea what her condition was. She had hung up before the woman could elaborate, and upon remembering the rushed morning that they had of oatmeal, tears, and oversleeping, she could vaguely recall that Luciana had been perfectly fine.
Her car seamlessly fit into the pickup parking spot, her heels clacking as she raced inside the premises. Her hands trembled slightly as she checked in with the school’s security section, something that Stella and Scully were both paying a hefty tuition for, despite the fact that it was indeed only preschool, both women had made some dangerous enemies, and they wanted to know she was safe to play with blocks and play dough in peace.
She led herself around a bustling corridor, the sounds of children’s laughter and chatter filling the air as they echoed down the hall. The blonde slowed her pace as she tried to recall where the classrooms were, along with the nurses office, now discovering that she was quite lost.
“Mummy- you said when the big hand was on the five!” She could hear a familiar whimper from down the hall, her maternal instinct that had wormed its way into her mind and body instantly telling her that it was her daughter. She scrambled down the frosted paneled hallway, spinning around a corner and into a small, sterile room where her she found her tiny little girl curled on her side on the small cot. A rough wool blanket draped over her as she shivered.
“Stella Gibson, picking up Luciana Gibson-Scully.” She rattled off to the woman at a small desk in front of the door, quickly signing the required forms before brushing past her, her blue eyes never leaving her child’s.
“Hi baby, how are you feeling?” Stella questioned softly, instantly her worries and fears of bodily fluids and functions going out the window as she crouched beside the cot, brushing her daughter’s blonde curls out of her face.
“My insides are angry.” She whimpered, reaching her pudgy hand out towards her mother who gave it a tender rub before glancing at the school nurse who was now hovering to debrief the wondering parent.
“She has an upset stomach, she threw up in the classroom and just stopped crying. We’re guessing a bug.” The older woman shrugged, making Stella groan internally, that was the last thing they needed as the holidays approached. They were going to take their big trip to the states to visit Scully’s family for the first time since they had welcomed their little girl into the world, but the mention of a stomach bug made the blonde nervous.
“Well thanks for calling me, I’ll keep her home tomorrow.” She sighed, slightly relieved that she’d be calling in to take care of her daughter, blessed to get away from some of the heaviness of work. Stella slid her coat off and strategically scooped her little one up with one arm, using the other to drape the coat around her little body, snuggling her close to keep her safe from the cold.
“Say bye bye, Lu.” She whispered, her sick little girl managing a small wave as they trotted out.
…
Stella had kicked her heels off into the corner of the living room upon entering with the groaning toddler, her stomach contents of water and whatever snack they had given her dawning her blouse and skirt. She groaned as she set the little girl on the sofa before grabbing a plethora of paper towels to keep herself composed in front of the sick little girl.
“Alright, you need to tell Mummy when you’re going to be sick so I can get the bin-.” Getting cut off by her daughter’s wide, blue eyes and gagging fit, somehow resembling Scully when she had eaten a mouthful of Vegemite for the first time. She scrambled and yanked a shopping bag from the table, dumping the canned corn and soup out and holding it for her to retch into.
“Mummy my tummy!” She began to cry desperately, giving her a second to tie up the bag and drop it into the larger bin, lining a tiny one to set beside the sofa.
“I know baby, mummy is going to make you some soup.” She cried, her heart breaking more and more as the little girl stared up with such sick and miserable eyes. She shook her head at her and shivered, making Stella sigh and settle beside her on the sofa, placing her hand on her forehead, noticing her lack of fever, just clammy moisture.
“You’re probably chilly.” Stella breathed, shuffling off to retrieve the large, fluffy blanket from the master bedroom, that Scully absolutely needed to sleep every night, her scent thick on the soft material. On the way grabbing her stuffed, green turtle that Luciana took absolutely everywhere but school. With her items in tow she carefully tucked the blanket around her tiny daughter, pressing a kiss onto her head as she watched her settle. She prayed that she had gotten most of it out, now settling on the probability that it had been the milk that had given Luciana the bug, and from the contents of her stomach, she settled that most of it had gotten out.
“Are you feeling better my angel?” Stella questioned softly, watching her blonde, angel faced daughter sigh softly and sniffle at the question, watery eyes gazing at her to tell her that she was simply feeling wretched with little interest in anything else.
“Tired.” She cried, causing Stella to just yawn back at her, aware that it was nearly two in the afternoon, and that soon Luciana would be needing her nap. Luckily she found her ways to get comfortable in the living room, often times residing on the sofa cushions to sleep soundly during the day, snuggled either on one mother or the other, often times both of them. Stella couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony, just three years prior she found herself huddled in the arms of her unfazed wife as they welcomed her into the world, just a mere ten feet from where they were sitting.
“Alright my angel, go to sleep and I will be right back, I promise.” Stella compromised, tucking the turtle into her arm as a last incentive, but she was already dozed off, giving her a minute to rush off.
She tore the stained shirt off of her body and slipped out of her skirt, tossing them hastily into the bin before slipping on her pajama pants that never made it into the laundry from the morning, along with one of Scully’s coveted t-shirts that she would swipe whenever she was on call. The material was familiar against her skin, causing some of the anxiety to melt away as she inhaled the redhead’s scent of pomegranate and chocolate.
She wandered out to the living room where her daughter was now whimpering nervously for her, noticing her wide eyes over the armrest of the couch.
“Mummy is coming, remember?” She reminded, lifting her little one into her arms before settling herself into the crook of the sofa, pulling the blanket over the both of them. She had limited knowledge on how to cure colds, flus, and stomach bugs, doing whatever basic old wives tale to help, but right now she knew she could rock her toddler to sleep and help her feel comforted and loved until the doctor got home.
She nuzzled her nose and lips into the wild curls that Scully had done upon her exit to the hospital, gently untying the hair ties to release her scalp. She massaged it until she felt her roots relax and her tiny head droop onto her chest.
“When is mama coming home?” She questioned softly, her hands gripping the neckline of Stella’s shirt, both of them taking comfort in Scully’s scent.
“Not until tonight, after you’ve gone to sleep.” Stella whispered, reaching to perch the garbage at her hip just in case, but Luciana just snuggled in further and sighed.
“But when you wake up she will be here and can stay with us all day tomorrow.” She negotiated, rubbing her back in soothing circles to calm her down enough to nod and slowly drift off.
“Good girl.” She finally breathed, pulling the blanket up and over once more, wrapping her arms around her and the blanket to keep her safely in place, simply appreciating the soothing rise and fall of her chest. Her lips lingered on her head and hair, pressing gentle kisses onto her head whenever a flood of gratitude hit her.
She had wanted children, but was afraid of what that meant. Offering to carry was one thing that she could do, noticing how the thought had worried Scully, all of her memories associated with bearing a child making her skin prick with anxiety, and with Stella it was something she wanted to do for her. However what came after was what scared the blonde. She lived alone for the majority of her life, the media painting her as an old and barren spinster incapable of love and affection, but once Scully placed their slippery baby into her arms she knew that those were just words, and she couldn’t love someone more than the little girl with big blue eyes, and her wife who had cried alongside with her that night, all of her love as present as it always had been.
She still doubted herself, but stomach bugs, teething, mastitis, and colic had the ability to do that to any parent, but it was the tiny feeling of her fingers clinging to her for comfort, the way she snuggled so naturally under Scully’s blanket, her scent instantly putting her to sleep, that brought Stella to tears.
She sighed happily and pulled her phone out and snapped a quick photo, sending it off to Scully as an incentive to get her moving home upon her shift ending in eight or so hours. With the buzzing that the message had sent she tucked her phone away and curled tiredly around her, allowing herself a moment to take advantage of her own nap.
…
Stella could feel two hands shaking her awake, causing her to lurch forward until the same ones stopped her and set her back down. Luciana had been sick three times since they had settled into the sofa, Stella’s senses luckily waking her before any mess was made.
However upon opening her eyes she found herself staring into her wife’s tired but smiling ones. She blinked the sleep away and checked her watch, noticing that it was only nine thirty.
“You’re home?” Stella cried, making Scully nod at her, changed, showered, and also ready for bed.
“I got let go early, they heard that Lu got sick at school. Plus I wanted to be home with you.” Scully grinned, absolutely tickled by the sight she saw on their sofa. Her mama lion dozing in and out of sleep with their little cub tucked warmly on her chest, her tiny mane of curls tickling her wife’s nose.
“I’m glad, because I missed you.” Stella grinned, allowing Scully to pull the blanket away and lift their sleeping daughter onto her chest, allowing Stella to bunch the material up as the three of them trekked into the master bedroom. Dana just crawled under the duvet and waited for Stella to spread the blanket over them, joining her wife and daughter after clicking off the lamp.
“Be careful, she might get sick on us.” Stella warned, but Scully just shook her head and fought off her drowsiness to form a coherent response after her long day of working, and now parenting.
“I gave her anti-nausea when I got home.” She revealed, making Stella’s eye open in exasperation.
“We have anti-nausea?!” She demanded, recalling all of the times she couldn’t keep anything down while growing their little cub, or in this very instance, when her daughter had been horribly sick all day.
“I’ve told you this multiple times.” Scully groaned, now half asleep, face turned into her pillow.
Stella just huffed in annoyance, reaching her hand over towards Scully’s, giving it one last squeeze to calm herself down.
“It’s okay Stella Luna, just go to sleep and we can deal in the morning.” Dana suggested, the mention of the blonde’s full name making her blush and reach over to kiss her wife’s nose, unable to reach her now drooling lips, chuckling at the vibrations coming out from her hearty snoring.
“Alright, goodnight.”
“Goodnight, love.”