Disclaimer: Nope, these characters aren't mine.

Category: SRA
Classification: MSR
Rating: PG
Spoilers: Requiem
Archive: Gossamer. Spookys. Further X. Others ask me.
Feedback: Knock yourself out.
Summary: Can Scully face a future without Mulder?
Thanks to: shoshana and Sara Lynn for the beta help.


"Attached" (2/2)
by Lisa
(haven599@msn.com)

    Scully rushed passed Skinner's secretary and opened the door to
the assistant director's office.

    "Sir, I need to speak with you," Scully said.  "It's very
important."

    Skinner looked up at the very pregnant woman who came barging
into his office frantically. He gripped the phone against his head
telling the caller he'd have to get back with them later.

    "Yes, Agent Scully," he said,  "What is it?"

    "Mulder called me," she said excitedly.

    "What?"  Skinner asked.  "Where is he?"

    "I . . . I don't know.  I heard his voice on the phone and then
the line went dead.  I wasn't able to ask him where he was."  She
looked up at Skinner who had a doubtful expression on his face.
"What?"

    "Are you sure it was him?"  he asked.

    "The call came into my office while I was doing paperwork. It
was very faint, but . . ."

    "Why wouldn't Mulder call your apartment or come over, Scully?
Are you positive it was -"

    "I know what I heard, sir," she told him.  She looked at his
emotionless face, expecting more of a reaction from him. Scully
got up and headed for the door, not expecting this reaction from
him at all.

    "Agent Scully," he called out to her.  "I want him back, too."

    Scully tried to smile, but couldn't quite manage it. "Then
help me," she told him as she walked through the doorway.

    She returned to her office, but her concentration was shot,
glancing at the phone every few minutes, hoping he'd call
back, wherever he was.  After awhile, Scully gave up and decided
to leave, took the hoping for better luck at home.

++++

    Scully had good intentions of making it to her apartment, but
she found herself at Mulder's apartment instead. She'd been here many
times since his disappearance, but maybe there was something she'd
overlooked.

    Maybe.

    But nothing could prepare her for what she came upon in the
bedroom.

    Mulder lying on the bed!

    Scully rushed over and pulled him close to her, hugging him
tightly.  She couldn't feel him responding to her.  "Mulder, what's
wrong?  Mulder?!" she cried.

    "Scully," he said weakly.  "Something happened to . . ."

    Instantly, the doctor in her took over and she examined him
quickly, not seeing any visible wounds or blood anywhere.  She
looked at his eyes, but they wouldn't open and he seemed lethargic
and listless.  Pressing her lips to his forehead, she thought he
might have a slight fever, but his face didn't feel warm at all.

    "Mulder, where does it hurt? Tell me what's wrong?" she said
frantically. "Please, help me."

    "I . . . I can't see very well at all.  I don't remember how
I got here," he informed her.  "How long have you been here? Why
can't I -"

    "Do you know where you are?" Scully caressed his hair lovingly,
trying to keep him calm.

    "My apartment," he answered.  "I couldn't go anywhere,
so I tried to call you, but couldn't remember your number, so I
ask the operator to connect me with the FBI -"

    "Yes, you called me a couple hours ago. I was on my way home.
I'm glad I stopped here."  She squeezed his hand.  "Can you
remember how long you've been here?"

    "Not long, I think," he replied.  "But I can't be sure."

    "I hope not," Scully said.  "I hope you haven't been here
for days and I didn't know about it."  She choked back her tears.
"I should have come by last week.  I thought about it, but never
made the time."

    "I really don't think it's been that long, Scully," he reassured
her.

    She nodded.  "Okay," she said softly.  "But you need to go to
a hospital."

    "No.  No hospitals," he stated.

    "Mulder, you need medical attention," Scully said.

    "Last time I remembered, you were a doctor," he replied. "Please,
Scully, no hospitals."

    She sighed.  "All right, Mulder.  No hospitals, but I want you
to come home with me."

    "There's something I wanted to tell you, Scully. Something that
happened to me, but I can't quite remember.  It was important." He
put his hands on his head, as if that would help it come back easier.

    "I'm sure it will come back to you," she assured him.  Scully
slipped off her coat and shoes and slid next to him in bed.  "I
want you to rest a little more before we try and get you to the
car," she whispered to him.

    Mulder's eyes were closed and he seemed to be asleep. Scully
pressed a soft kiss on his cheek.  She didn't think he noticed
that she was pregnant, but she snuggled closer to him, so her stomach
was pressed against his back, so grateful that he was here with her
at last.

++++

    Scully was able to get Mulder into her bed and out of his
clothes with a bit of a struggle.  She probably shouldn't have
been doing so much at this stage of her pregnancy, but she had no
other choice.

    It was late; he'd been sleeping for hours.  Scully
couldn't seem to settle down; she checked on him every few minutes,
just to make sure he was still breathing.  She needed her rest and
so did the baby.

    The baby.  Mulder doesn't even know yet. Scully could go and
sleep next to him, but then he may realize she's pregnant and she
wouldn't be able to tell him herself.

    Scully was able to catch only a couple of hours of restless
sleep before she was awakened by Mulder's desperate cries.

++++

    "Scully?  Scully?"

    She heard Mulder frantically calling her name and almost tripped
herself on the sheets tangled around her as she hurried from the
couch.

    "What's wrong, Mulder?"  She hurried into the bedroom,
then sat on the edge of the bed beside him.

    "I remember what I wanted to tell you," he replied.  "I know
what happened."  He sat up in bed.  "The tests they did - they had
a side effect."

    "Tests?"  Mulder, did they hurt you?" she asked, squeezing
his hand. This was what she feared all along.

    He ignored her question and continued. "I was able to feel
what you were feeling, Scully,"  he explained.

    "What are you talking about, Mulder?" she asked.  "I don't
understand."

    "Sadness, Scully.  A deep, profound sadness," he said.  "Then
after a while I felt happy.  Much happiness. It wasn't me,
because I was miserable.  I-"

    "You could read my mind?"  Then he must know about the baby,
she thought.  He must already know.

    "No, not like before.  These were just feelings.  It was as if
we had some sort of emotional link."  Mulder smiled at her.  A smile
she hadn't seen in a long time.

    "I don't understand. How were you able to have that kind of
empathic connection with me?" Scully asked.

    "I don't know -- it's gone now.  I guess it only happened while
we were apart."  Mulder told her.  "But it's better this way."  He
stroked her hair gently.

    Tears welled up in her eyes.  "Mulder I have something important
to tell you.  I . . ."

    He reached over for her and his hands brushed against her
stomach.  "Scully?"

    She smiled at him through tears spilling down her face. She
nodded.  "I'm pregnant, Mulder."

    "How?  I mean I thought . . ." he began.  "When did this happen?
When did you-"

    Scully laughed softly through her tears.  "I found out the day
you disappeared.  I was afraid I was going to have to raise this
baby alone -- but you're here now."  Her fingers wiped tears from
her eyes. "It shouldn't be too much longer now before the baby
comes."

    "How . . . how far along are you?" he asked.

    "Six months."

    "I've been gone six months?  He sighed, and the worry lines on
his forehead were obvious to her. "Scully, I'm so sorry you had to
go through this alone.  I . . ."

    "I've tried to do the best I can."  Scully gathered him as
close as possible and he began to cry softly against her. She
whispered soothing words to him, trying to contain her own churning
emotions.

    After a few minutes, his tears subsided and he said quietly,
"Tell me everything that happened to you since you found out about
the baby."


++++

    Scully filled him in on her life since he had been gone. It
took up most of their day and several breaks for food and one
long nap. Mulder doted on her - making her anything she wanted
to eat and frequently asking if she needed more rest.  He was
making up for lost time; she was sure of it.

    She wished he'd talk about his experiences, but when Scully
tried to steer their conversation in that direction, he'd tell her
it wasn't important right now, then continue to ask about her
pregnancy.  Scully hoped he'd open up one of these days and tell
her about them.

    "Have you thought about names?"  he asked, while they were
sitting next to each other on the couch.

    "Yes, I have," She took his hand in hers. "I don't know if
you'll like the ones I've picked out, or if you have anything
special in mind.  If it's a boy I like Jonathan and for a girl
Faith."

    Mulder smiled at her choices and Scully remarked, "Of course,
we're going to have to call them by their first name. We can't have
two Mulders running around."

    "We can't, can we?" he said, looking genuinely happy.

    "Seriously . . . if you ever had a favorite name in mind, I
want to know what it is, Mulder," she told him, more than pleased
he was here to participate in the naming of their child.

    "They're beautiful names, Scully," he replied. "Whatever
makes you happy."

    Tears came to her eyes. You make me happy, she thought. The
baby must agree, on all aspects of the situation, since it kicked
against Scully's stomach.  She gently took Mulder's hand and laid
it carefully on her body, watching his face light up as he felt
his child move for the first time.

++++

    Later that evening, Scully was sitting on the edge of her
bed, and glancing through her pregnancy book, clad only in a
pajama top, two sizes bigger than what she'd normally wear. A few
weeks back she had abandoned the matching bottoms for comfort's sake.

    Mulder had fallen asleep on the couch and she had quietly
performed her bedtime rituals, hoping not to disturb him.

    She was just setting the book down when Mulder walked into
the room.  Removing her glasses, she smiled up at him. There was
an intenseness to his expression.  "Mulder?"

    He came closer, dropping to his knees in front of her and
resting his head on her stomach.

    Scully cautiously laced her fingers through his hair, whispering,
"What is it, sweetie?"  Her hands were shaking and she could feel the
tears in the back of her throat.

    Mulder looked up at her. "I want to make love to you," he told
her, "Is it okay . . . I mean for the baby?

    Scully stroked his hair and nodded.  "It's okay," she replied,
then added, "It's okay for the baby's mother, too."

    Mulder caressed her cheek, brushing some hair away from her
face before kissing her.  He braced his hands on the edge of the
bed, rising up to meet her in a passionate kiss.

    "I missed you so much," Scully whispered.

++++

    Scully found Mulder sitting on the couch early the next morning,
holding the sonogram picture in front of him, seemingly mesmerized
by the black and white image of his child.

    She couldn't blame him. Each time she looked at it, it amazed her,
too.  No one else had seen it; she'd been saving it for Mulder.

    No one else knew Mulder was back.  She had forgotten to call
Skinner.  Or anyone for that matter.

    "Mulder, we never called . . ." She picked up the phone off
the table beside the couch and began punch in his number.

    "Scully, don't call anyone just yet," Mulder told her, as if
reading her mind.

    "But, Mulder, Skinner needs -"

    He held out his hand to her and she went to him, settling
herself on his lap.  Mulder placed one hand on her abdomen,
the other still clutching the photograph.

    Scully smiled to herself.  The outside world could wait just
a little longer.

++++

END (2/2)


Like what you read?
Come to Lisa's Haven: http://shannono.simplenet.com/haven/