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Mulder can feel the blood, or more likely adrenalin, pumping through his entire being as he steps into the old building Agent Reyes assured him Scully was inside. She said she’d need to go to a hospital, so he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, as his insides folded in on themselves in anticipation.
And then, as soon as he’d stepped through the threshold and glanced around the room, seeing her sitting up, he felt the balls of tension in each of his internal organs untangle themselves. And then he paused. Scully was sitting up, and she looked more exhausted than he’s ever seen her, her copper hair clinging to her sweaty forehead, but totally enraptured and captivated by the bundle of blankets in her arms that, yes, was definitely squirming.
He’d missed it. For a moment he wants to curse that he couldn’t even be here for this. And then he remembers the hell they’ve been through to get here, the way that he had known there was a very real possibility he might not make it in time, and that he was doing all of this to protect the woman he loved and that bundle in her arms that he also loved. Intensely, and he hasn’t met the baby yet. Mulder was captivated by the beautiful sight of the way she looked down, her face filled with so much love and tenderness. He knew how much this meant to her, and though he was itching to go to them, in a way he felt like he was intruding on a private moment. When she’d first asked him to father her child, he was, in a sense, the spare part, but then so much had happened, brining them ever tighter and closer together. He remembers the way she’d walked in after her appointment, and he just knew the implantation wasn’t successful. The way she looks now is so very different, he wants to remember this moment forever and replace those grief filled day with this one over and over.
He almost has to remind himself that this child’s story is different. They do not have the science, the logic, the rationale, to explain it all. Like their very own X File, so much was unexplainable, but he knew the truth was that somehow, their love produced a miracle. There wasn’t another way to explain it, was there?
Mulder took a deep inhale, and shuffles a couple of steps forward, not wanting to disturb the picture in front of him, but at the same time, needing to reassure himself, make sure they were okay, and to get them to safety.
“Hi,” He whispers softly, and Scully looks up at him with a tired smile.
“Hi, you’re here.” She breathes. “How…?”
“Desperation?” He says with his well worn self-deprecating humour. She can’t help but to roll her eyes at him. “Long story, but there’s a helicopter outside. I’m sorry I missed it.”
“Mulder, don’t…” She shakes her head, feeling emotional. “You were protecting us, and now we’re safe.”
Mulder sighs. He already feels like he’s missed so much. The last 9 months had been so hard. He’d missed time with her, time adjusting to the pregnancy, and not being there, and then he missed the birth. He knows all of that has been outside of his control, and that now is not the time to dwell on his perceived failings, so he simply nods.
“Come here, come see what you were protecting.” She talks to him softly and shifting her hold she reaches her hand out to him.
He’s by her side in a flash, firmly holding her hand in his, and before he can even glance down at the baby, he presses a kiss to her temple, pressing his lips firmly against her, eyes closed as if he can communicate how much he feels in his signature affectionate gesture.
“I’m so glad you’re okay.” He mumbles against her hair. “I was so…”
“I know.” She tells him and squeezes his hand in reassurance, and then looks down at the baby again. “Look what we made, Mulder.” She breathes in amazement.
And finally, reassured that she’s okay, that they’re okay, he turns his attention fully to the baby. And it feels like his heart stops, or maybe skips a beat or three, and he knows that from then on, nothing will ever be the same again. He would do it all over again, and he will do it every day for the rest of his life. It was worth every heart aching minute.
“Perfect miracle baby.” He mumbles reverently, barely aware of his words as he’s so busy studying the tiny scrunched up face. The baby’s eyes are closed, leaning in towards Scully, and oh the softest little baby breath puffs. He’s gone, so far gone. For the amazing woman in front of him, and the tiny baby in her arms. He doesn’t even know the sex of the baby, or the colour of its eyes, or its name but his brain is rearranging, and he’s even more certain than he was talking to Krycek - there is nothing he won’t do for this baby.
“Hey, there’s someone here to see you.” Scully coos at the baby, and finally releasing Mulder’s hand she’s ever so softly running a finger along the little round cheek, trying to coax the baby to open it’s eyes. It’s head turns towards her finger slightly. “That’s it, open your eyes, look who’s here.” She says softly.
Mulder crouches beside them, watching the interaction with such affection. He doesn’t quite know what to do with himself, but he lightly grips the edge of the blanket, and slowly lets his fingers fan out slightly, and then all of a sudden, he can tell he’s made contact with his baby for the first time, even if it’s a featherlight skimming through layers of blankets. He watches in amazement as the tiniest pair of eyes in the deepest blue he’s ever seen blink up at him.
“Want to hold your son, Daddy?” Scully asks him.
He nods instantly, and then finishes processing what she was saying. “Son?” If it were any other moment he’d be telling her that he’d known it all along, that he was right, but in this moment he feels powerless.
“Yeah, son. Do you want to hold him?”
“Yes.” His answer is quick, and then he looks at her anxiously. “I don’t uh…yes…but”
“You’ve held a baby before.” She reminds him, and runs a hand along his arm. He inhales and exhales. He has. A long time ago.
“Not a tiny newborn like this. Not mine.” Never such tiny important precious cargo.
“Just support his head, and you’ll be fine, Mulder.”
“Okay.” He nods, and let’s Scully shift the baby into his waiting arms.
Mulder blinks back a couple of tears as he holds his son for the very first time. He’s so small, so light, but it’s like nothing Mulder has any words for.
“I’ll always protect you, I promise.” Mulder whispers and then presses a soft kiss to the baby’s head. “You’re so loved already little one.”
Mulder swallows, and tears his eyes from the newborn and focuses on Scully who is now looking at him with love and pride shining in her moist eyes.
“See, you’ve got him.” She smiles.
“Yeah, I have.” He agrees. He glances around the room, checking to see if it looks like there’s anything important they need to take with them. “We should probably get you both checked out though. You ready to get out of here?”
“So ready.” She agrees. “I thought you’d never ask.”
“I didn’t forget about the helicopter, Scully.” He pulls a face at the baby and then shakes his head. He just needed a moment.
“Let’s get you out of here.”
When Scully awakes, she’s in a darkened hospital room, and for a moment starts to worry. Where is her baby? Is he okay? Did they take him? Didn’t she see Mulder?
And then she notices soft whisperings, and movement at the other end of the room, and she feels her body relax. There he is. There they both are. Her beautiful boys.
Ever the reliable and protective partner, Mulder slowly paces back and forth, precious newborn cargo cradled in his arm, and in hushed tones he regales their son with what she can only assume are the great many mysteries of the universe. She can only hope he’s not murmuring to their son about terrifying creatures. If he’s talking werwolves, Sasquatch, yetis and sucubus she swears…
“You best be telling him about rainbows and unicorns and not the stuff of nightmares.” She speaks softly so as not to disturb the calm baby.
He looks up at her, for a moment surprised to see her awake, and then flashes her his best mischievous ‘Who me?’ grin.
“Only the friendliest leprechauns, I swear.” He jests. A believer of the unexplainable with a wild imagination he might be, but his desire to protect his family extends to keeping his baby safe and free from all the scary in the world. Maybe they can wrap him in cotton wool and keep him innocent forever.
Mulder pauses his pacing, readjusting his hold on the baby, and then moves towards Scully in the bed.
“Hey mama, sleep well?” He asks her softly coming to her side.
“It’ll do. You’re still here.” She murmurs, and then raises her hand and strokes it along their swaddled son.
“Do you really think I’d let either of you out of my sight for more than about 5 seconds, Scully? I’m not going anywhere.”
“Thank you.” She tells him, voice thick with emotion. She’s thankful to him for so much, far more than she can verbalise. For coming back to her, again and again. For loving her. For their son. For proving time and again that he’d go to the ends of the Earth for her - there is nothing he wouldn’t do for her. For finding her (them) and getting them to safety. For staying, for being with their son while she slept and watching over both of them. For everything.
Mulder holds the baby securely with one arm, once again marvelling at how small he is, and brushes Scully’s copper hair back with his hand.
“It was nothing.” He says almost dismissively. “You’re the one who had to do all the hard work. How are you feeling?”
“Hmm, I can’t quite pin down just one feeling.” She admits with a sigh. “Better, now we’re in an actual hospital. Calmer, but also…a lot.” She reaches out towards Mulder again, keeping her hand on the baby as if to reassure her of his presence and safety.
“Is he okay? What did I miss?” She asks, hoping she didn’t miss anything important while she’d been passed out.
“Oh, you know, just a smile, a laugh, first steps, first day of school, the usual.” Mulder banters playfully, to which he earns a playful shove from Scully. “Honestly though, he’s perfect. They weighed him, a whole 7 pounds, 5 ounces of tiny human. A little wriggly, but then you already knew that.” Mulder states proudly, and then what could only be described as a bit of a pout settles on his face. “I guess you want him back now, huh?”
“Please?” She asks, holding both arms out towards the baby.
“I suppose if I have to share him, I can share him with you.” Mulder teases as he transfers the baby into the mother’s waiting arms. He runs his hand over the top of the baby’s head, and then presses a kiss to Scully’s forehead.
Scully unravels the blanket, as if she needs to reassure herself of their son’s perfect form - ten tiny fingers, ten tiny toes, and four wriggly little limbs.
“Scully, he really is fine. I’m sure they’ve made some notes you can Dr Mom over until your heart’s content if that’ll make you happy.” Mulder looks at her fondly with a smile.
“I believe you but…” She says with slightly pink cheeks having been called out inspecting their son.
“Reassuring yourself?” He asks.
“Hmm. Something like that. It’s so strange. He’s right here, but even when you were holding him, it’s like I was missing him. Does that make me sound crazy?”
“Of course not.” Mulder says, tucking a lock of of hair behind her ear. He presses a gentle kiss to her lips, and then squeezes her shoulder. “He was literally inside you for nine months, throwing elbows and cartwheels.”
“Yeah.” Scully says with a watery grin, feeling glad that she wasn’t going crazy, and that even more than that, Mulder got exactly what she mean. He always was good at understanding her. She loves that about him.
“He was with you, even when I wasn’t.”
“He was.” Scully nods, staring down at the baby as she runs a finger down his tiny arm and along to his hand.
“Although…seeing him out here, like this…how exactly did he fit inside of you? He’s tiny, but also…he seems huge compared to…it’s a mystery.” Mulder marvels as he wonders just how a baby of that size could fit so neatly inside of Scully.
“It’s not really a mystery though is it Mulder?” Scully shakes her head at him.
“Oh, it’s a real head scratcher.”
“Mulder, it’s science. Biology.” Scully rolls her eyes.
“I’m just saying Scully, it’s a wonder. I’m impressed.” Mulder nods with a look of approval as he looks between the baby at Scully. “It shouldn’t make sense or work, but…”
“It does make sense.”
“Well, sure if you want to get all technical. I still think it’s pretty neat.”
“I’m glad you’re so impressed with human evolution.” Scully smirks, and then can’t resist teasing him further with “Doesn’t take much does it?”
“Watch it you.” Mulder says with a laugh as he nuzzles against the top of her head.
It had taken some readjustment when Mulder first came back, but the increased frequency of moments like this have bought both of them so much happiness and reassurance.
It was at that moment that the baby lying on Scully’s lap started to squirm and whimper.
“Oh, oh no.” Scully whispers softly as she picks him up and holds him closer to her. “I’m sorry baby, we didn’t mean to wake you up.” Scully runs her fingers along his round cheeks. “I’m afraid your daddy was just…”
“Fake news.” Mulder whispers and brushes a feather light kiss to the baby’s head. “A conspiracy. Don’t listen to her.”
The whimpering turns into a newborn cry despite the attention.
“We don’t quite know what your cries mean yet sweetheart, but we’ll learn.” Scully coos at the crying baby, rocking him slightly, and then when she strokes his cheek and his head turns towards her she starts to figure out. “Are you hungry? We can try that.”
Once the baby is settled, happily nursing away, (Mulder once again marvelling at the human body and evolution) Scully tears her gaze away from the suckling newborn to briefly look at Mulder.
“You know, you never did tell me how you found us. Did you wear Doggett down?”
“Oh, story time.” Mulder smirks, as Scully nods and returns her attention to the baby at her breast.
“He started to give me the location, but we got cut off before I had all the details. It was enough to get me started though. I had a rough location, and once I’d got there I charmed my way onto a helicopter, explaining that I needed to find you. And then…it was the weirdest thing, but there was a really bright light and…"
“You followed the light?”
“Yeah. And before you lecture me for following the light again, this time it did lead me to you. We touched down as all these cars and trucks were leaving. I was frantically knocking on car doors and windows, but no-one was answering me. Until Agent Reyes spotted me and told me you were inside.”
“Hmm, you know…” Scully looks up at Mulder, “Some might say that following a bright light to find a baby and his mother in sub-standard conditions is not unlike the story of the Three Wise Men.”
“You calling me wise, Scully?”
“Actually, I was calling this little guy an unexplained miracle, but sure, we can say I was calling you wise too.” She says with a wink.
The parallels were a little spooky, but it got Mulder where he needed to be, and to Scully and the baby, so alls well that ends well he supposes.