Subject: NEW: "Double Jeopardy" (1/1) by Lisa Author's Note: This story was written almost two years ago, as you will see when you begin to read the first paragraph. So, I guess it could take place in an alternate universe, but that wasn't my intention when writing it. It's new, but it isn't new. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, and Mrs. Scully don't belong to me. They are the property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and 20th Century Fox. No infringement intended. Category: SRA, MSR Rating: R (language, violence) Summary: Mulder/Scully married. Scully is kidnapped and forced to reveal confidential information about a case, but will it be enough to save her and the life of an innocent child? Feedback: It's my reason for living. "Double Jeopardy" By Lisa (danil001@bama.ua.edu) Scully couldn't sleep. She spent many sleepless nights thinking about their marriage. She didn't have any doubts about marrying him. The last few months had been especially hard since she was pregnant. Mulder loved the fact that they were going to have a baby and was touched that if it was a girl, they were going to name her Samantha. However, he became more and more protective of her. He felt because of her pregnancy, she should stop working, even after the doctor said it was OK until the last stages of the pregnancy. Mulder felt she should not come with him on some of the cases. Sometimes, she let him have his way and other times she would fight him on it. If there was any danger, of course she would not risk their child's life, and with the cases they worked on the element of danger was ever-present. Now, in her fifth month of the pregnancy the strain on their marriage was great. They were on opposite sides of the issue and opposite sides of the bed as well. It wasn't necessarily sex she wanted, just closeness. They used to go to sleep in each others arms. She had to struggle to remember that anymore. She wished Mulder would just put his arms around her like he used to do and try to feel their baby. If this distance between them was going to go on for the rest of the pregnancy she didn't know what she would do. And after the baby was born? She drifted off into a light sleep. A few minutes later the phone rang. Mulder picked it up. "Yeah, I'll be there in a few minutes." he said into the receiver. "Scully, you awake?" he asked as he turned on the light. "I am now." she replied. "I've got to go." he told her as he was trying to find some clothes. "I'll come with you." "No, its too dangerous." he said. "This could be the information I have been waiting for." "Mulder, I'll be fine." "I don't have time to stay here and argue with you, it's too risky." he said, sounding exasperated. "Why don't you just lock me in this apartment 24 hours a day." she shot back at him. "That's not fair." he said. "I'm trying to look out for you and our child." "I've done a pretty good job so far and am sick of doing nothing." she countered. "I'm coming." "Look, dammit. We weren't supposed to have children this soon." "I didn't get pregnant by myself, Mulder." "Well, if you really wanted this child you would put its needs above your own." he told her as he walked out and slammed the door. Scully sat back down on the bed. How could he accuse her of not wanting their child. She loved this baby with all her heart - as much as she loved him. She laid back down on the bed and cried herself to sleep. It would be the last time she was in their bed for quite awhile. * * * A man put the key in the lock. He was a little surprised it fit. Walking towards the bedroom, he saw her lying on the bed asleep. This would make it so much easier. Taking the syringe from his pocket, he injected the sleeping woman with its contents. Lifting her off the bed, he walked to the door where the second man was waiting to take her down the stairs and into the waiting car. * * * Mulder had been waiting almost an hour for the guy to show up. He wondered if this was a trick since he hadn't recognized the voice on the other end of the line. He needed to go back home and apologize to Scully. He didn't mean that she didn't want their child. He wished she wasn't pregnant now, the case he was working on was big and he needed all his energy and strength for it. The turmoil in their marriage just made matters worse. They need to talk about what will happen after the baby is born. He knew he was avoiding the issue, however, he wasn't sure if she would stay home with their child or go back to work. Starting up the car, he had made his decision. * * * Mulder unlocked the door and went inside. He headed for the bedroom to his sleeping wife. She wasn't there. Or in the bathroom. He frantically searched the whole apartment, but came up empty. The baby - reaching for the phone he called the doctor and a nurse informed him she had not been admitted. Perhaps she had just gone out for awhile. Although, her keys were still on the countertop. * * * Scully awakened, but had not yet opened her eyes. She didn't want to face Mulder after that accusation he made against her. She felt their marriage would get a lot worse before it gets better. Opening her eyes, she seemed dizzy and tired. She was in a bed, but not at home. It was a small room with a night table and chair beside the bed. A bathroom and small closet off to the left. Absolutely no windows. She started to get up but felt nauseous. What was wrong? Where was she? The door opened. A man dressed in a suit came in. He sat down in the chair. "Where am I? Scully asked. "You don't need to know." the man replied. "Why am I here?" "Now that I can answer." "You are here because of information you may possess." he stated. "What information are you talking about?" she asked. "What could I know?" "No, its not you - its what your husband has hopefully told you." "This is about Mulder?" she asked, puzzled by his statement. "First of all I want to know what this place is, why I am here, and what this is all about." Scully said trying to stand up. "I wouldn't get up so quickly if I were you." the man said. "Your sedative has not worn off yet." "You gave me a sedative; I'm pregnant!" "It was only a mild one." he told her nonchalantly. "I think you need some more time to adjust to the surroundings. "I'll be back later." he left and locked the door behind him. (Sedatives. Their baby. How much was in her body? This could cause... No, she wouldn't even think about the possibilities.) * * * Mulder was trying to accept the fact that she had been abducted. Again. It was a trick to get him out of the house two night ago. Why? Who? Apparently she was taken a some sort of bargaining chip for him. No one has tried to contact him yet. He went to see The Lone Gunmen and they knew nothing. Even X offered no leads to speak of. She could be hurt or. . . He didn't want to think that way, but he was partly to blame for this. She wanted to come - why didn't he just let her? The argument they had he didn't get a chance to apologize for it. What about the health of their child? Why had he wished she wasn't pregnant? This time he let two people down that cared for him. However, there was one more person that may be able to help. * * * For the past two days, Scully slept and thought about why she was here. No one had entered her room except a man to give her food and he didn't be speak to her. She figured out the meeting with the informant was a trap to get Mulder out of the apartment. This man wanted information about the current case he was working on. She knew a little about it, however, Mulder didn't tell her much. Mulder. He must blame himself. He would be so afraid for her and their child. She could imagine him sitting on the couch so distraught over her disappearance not having slept in two days. * * * The next morning, Mulder went to see Skinner. He told him of Scully's disappearance and asked for his assistance. "I'll get some people on it right away." Skinner said. "What can you give me to go on?" "Nothing." Mulder stated. "You have no leads and no suspects in her disappearance." "Why do you think I am here?" It was more a statement than a question. "I don't know what I can do, Agent Mulder. Surely you must have some idea who could have taken her." Skinner told him. "Look, either you can help me or not - which is it?" "Does this have anything to do with the case you won't tell me about?" Mulder said nothing. "All right, it's my fault. It was some sort of trap and she is the bait. How would you feel if your wife - carrying your child is missing and you couldn't do a damn thing about it!" Mulder shouted to his supervisor. "I'll make some calls." Skinner said. Mulder turned and walked towards the door. "Mulder, I'm sorry. I'll try my best to find out something." Mulder looked back at him and then shut the office door. * * * The man in the suit opened the door and sat down in that same chair near Scully. She sat up in bed waiting for something to happen. "What has your husband told you about the case he has been working on?" "Nothing." Scully replied. "Please don't waste my time, Miss Scully." His voice became angrier. "I'm not working on that case with him; I have been taking some time off." "Your husband never asked you for your input?" "No. Now, I want to know where I am." she demanded. "I'll give you something to consider, you start telling me what I want to hear or I will give you another sedative or maybe no more food. I suspect your husband wants a healthy child, doesn't he?" Scully watched him leave the room and lock the door. She was going to have to tell him the little she did know, but would it be enough? * * * Mulder was back at their apartment wondering if Skinner would be able to come through for him. His cell phone rang. "Mulder." "She's safe for now." the man on the other line said. "Who is this?" Mulder demanded. "Just listen to me. She and the child are fine, however, if she doesn't cooperate that will change." he threatened. "Cooperate with what?" "You are not allowed to ask questions, Mr. Mulder. "I'll just see how long they both last without food." "Dammit . . . " Mulder began. The man hung up. It wasn't long enough to trace. Mulder had put this off long enough. He dialed the number. "Fox, what's wrong, what happened?" Mrs. Scully asked as she walked through the front door of their apartment. During the drive over she was worried about every little thing that could have happened to her daughter and unborn grandchild because he wouldn't tell her anything over the phone. "Sit down." Mulder said softly. He started from the beginning and told her about Scully's kidnapping and the methods and lengths he went through to find any leads. He then told her about the phone call. "She's alive." Mrs. Scully said. "Yes, but for how long? What do they want from her?" Mulder could see the fear and disappointment reflected in her eyes. It was his fault, if only he could have been there, Scully would be safe now. He should have been there to protect her. "I'm sorry, no matter what I do I can't keep your daughter safe." Mulder told her with tears in his eyes. Mrs. Scully put her arms around him. "I don't remember appointing you her bodyguard." "How am I going to find her? I have no idea who took her or if he will call again. Am I just supposed to sit here waiting for them to make the next move?" Mulder asked. "Dana is a very strong woman and she won't let anything happen to her or your child." Mrs. Scully said trying to be positive. * * * Scully had gone a day without food. It wasn't so bad. She was still torn on what to do. She knew this was a big case that Mulder was working on and he felt it may lead him to his sister. How could she jeopardize that? What would these people do with the information she could tell them? Destroy evidence? Threaten the people that could tell the truth? However, she could be risking the life of their child. If she lost this baby or if anything happened to it she would be at fault. The door opened and the man entered. "Well, Miss Scully have you come to a decision?" "Yes." she replied. "Mulder was working on finding the whereabouts of a secret group." "Yes, go on." he urged. "He felt these people are responsible for covering up the truth." "The truth about what?" "The X Files. He believes the cases we have been assigned to and that have remained unsolved are because of this group of people." "So, he believes this organization is controlling the FBI?" the man asked. "In a way." He stood up and headed for the door. "I'll have someone bring you dinner." * * * The phone rang. It was the coroner's office. They wanted him to come down and identify the body. Mulder arrived at the coroner's office and opened the outer door. "Are you sure you are ready to go in there?" the coroner asked him. "Yes." Mulder replied wearily. He led Mulder to an adjoining room that was all white and smelled very much like a hospital. There were empty gurneys lining the room except for the one at the end of the row with a white sheet covering its occupant. Oh God. He wasn't ready for this. The coroner lifted the sheet. It was her. Oh God. No. "I'm sorry, " he said, judging by the expression on Mulder's face. Mulder just stared down at her for a few minutes, thinking how out of place she looked here. She was supposed to be the one performing the autopsies. Not the other way around. "What was the cause of death?" Mulder asked trying to find his voice. "I haven't done the autopsy yet, but from the preliminary examination it looks like a lethal injection. There are needle marks on her arm." Mulder just listened to him, not thinking this was actually happening. "I know it won't help much, but she didn't suffer, and neither did the child. "Death was pretty much instantaneous." "I need a few minutes." Mulder murmured. "Of course." The coroner walked back down the corridor closing the door softly behind him. "I'm so sorry." Mulder began, the tears running down his face. "I failed you - both of you." He cried into her hair. Mulder awoke with a start. His face was covered with sweat or tears. He wasn't sure. It was a nightmare. He got off the couch and went to the kitchen for a glass of water. Mrs. Scully was sitting at the table. "Did I wake you?" he asked. "No, I couldn't sleep." "That's good. It saves you from the nightmares." he told her. "You had a nightmare about Dana?" "Yes, but for all I know it could be real." he said before taking a long swallow of the cold tap water. "What was it about?" "I was identifying her body." "That won't happen." Mrs. Scully assured her son-in-law. "How do you know?" he asked. "I haven't heard anything in days and want to believe that's good. What the hell do they want from her? Why wasn't it me instead?" He walked back into the living room. Mrs. Scully got up and followed him. "I wish I knew what to say, Fox. "I'm scared for her, too." She went over and put her arms around her son-in-law. She was very worried, but was trying not to show it in front of him. She wasn't sure how much more of this he could take. "Dana will come back to us." she finally said. * * * For days, different men came and asked Scully essentially the same questions as the first man she encountered. She was frustrated and was wondering why they were still keeping her here. She didn't want to think she would be here much longer. If they wanted to they would have already killed her or wait till the baby was born and take it away from her to use as a bargaining chip. She was so worried about their child. She hadn't felt the baby kick or move at all since being brought here. Scully tried to think positive thoughts, but it was hard. There was nothing good in her life right now. Her mind wandered back to that wonderful night when their child was conceived. They had decided to go out and have a real dinner at a nice restaurant. Scully had bought a turquoise dress a few days before just for this special night with her husband. She spent a half-hour getting ready to go and ended up undressed in a few minutes. Mulder had started kissing her and the next thing she knew they were in bed together. "This doesn't get you out of dinner." she had said afterwards. Scully fell asleep dreaming she was back home in their bed sleeping with Mulder's arms around her. * * * Mulder's cell phone rang. "She's cooperating with me." the man on the phone said. "Let me talk to her." Mulder demanded. "No, I think she knows more than she told me. I'll give her some more time and if she tells me everything, I will let her go. If not, well, I'll let you know if you have a son or daughter." he said before hanging up again. "Shit! . . ." Mulder yelled throwing the phone down on the table, knocking over a picture. Mrs. Scully ran in from the kitchen. "What happened?" "He called again." "What did he say?" Mrs. Scully asked anxiously. "He told me that she is cooperating but he may or may not let her go depending on if she tells him more information." "I'm sure Dana will tell them everything she knows." "I haven't told her much about this case over the past few weeks. She may not know the information he wants out of her." Mulder explained. "He said he won't let her go before she has the baby." "Those were his exact words?" she inquired. "No, his exact words were 'I'll let you know if you have a son or daughter!'" Mulder said angrily. "Oh my God." Mrs. Scully said, visibly shaken. "I want to be there when our child is born, especially after ..." his voice trailed off. "After what?" "Things haven't been going so well with our marriage the past couple months. I've tried to get her to stay home more and not put herself in danger. She has fought me on many occasions and has come along. I've been too protective of her, but I would not only be risking her life but also our child's. We had an argument just before I left that morning and I accused her of not wanting what is best for our child." Mulder said. "I'm sure she has forgotten about that." "I haven't." * * * Scully wasn't physically suffering. She had a place to sleep, bathe, and eat. It wasn't the typical kidnapping story. She wanted to know what was going to happen now. The man in the suit had not come in to her room in days. Just then the door opened. He came in accompanied by a man dressed in white. "We need more information." man in the suit said. "There is nothing else I can tell you." "Let me put it another way - and I'll even let you have some more time for this one. You tell me names, addresses, places, numbers about this secret group and he won't have to do this." he said, motioning to the man in white. The man in white took out a syringe. Scully backed away from them, afraid. "It's all up to you." he told her before they both left Scully to her thoughts. She didn't know anything else and they weren't going to accept that fact. If they gave her more of that sedative it might harm their child. Just then she felt the baby kick for the first time as if deciding for her. If only Mulder could have shared this moment with her. * * * Mrs. Scully was looking at the TV, not really watching it, just trying to get her mind off Dana. It was almost three weeks now and she was afraid of what was happening to her daughter. Was she in pain? Was the child OK? Had she lost the baby? She looked over at her son-in-law on the couch. He couldn't take much more of this. He barely eats or sleeps feeling like he has let all three of them down. What he should do is focus on something else now. She turned off the TV and sat down by him. "Fox, I think you should go back to work." She encouraged. "I can't concentrate on work now." "That's why you need to be there to take your mind off Dana for awhile." "I can't do that. It would be giving up." Mulder said. "You can't go on much longer like this or you're going to collapse." Mrs. Scully said worriedly. "What am I supposed to do go back there and pretend like everything is all right when it isn't?" Mulder asked. "Listen to me, at least try to go to work. If Dana comes back tomorrow she will need your strength and you'll have none to give her." * * * Mulder went through the motions of getting up, showering, dressing, and driving to work. He would try this for a day or so. He couldn't stand being in their apartment without her day after day. No sooner had he got there when Skinner wanted to see him right away. "I think we know where she is." Skinner told Mulder as he shut the door to his office. "Where?" "It's not that simple." Skinner said. "We have an agent working undercover infiltrating this organization, we've got people ready to move on this in a couple of days." "A couple of days?" Mulder asked. "Just tell me where the hell this place is." "So you can go there alone. I don't think so. It's too dangerous." "You're telling me to just sit and wait around for a couple of days, while my wife is there at the mercy of these people. She could be hurt." Mulder said angrily. "Someone will inform you of the details. You will be there to see that she gets out safely." Skinner said dismissing him. Mulder glanced back at him before storming out of the office, slamming the door. * * * Scully had not slept in a couple of days. She was afraid to sleep because someone might come in and give her another sedative. She wouldn't let their child be harmed if she could do something about it. No one came to see her except for the food she received sporadically, at best. She wondered if something was going on around here now because she could hear more voices than usual. The door opened and the man in the suit came in. "Well, start talking." he demanded. "I don't know anything more. I've told you everything I know." "That is very unfortunate for you and your child." he told her. Two other men came in wearing white. One had a syringe in his hand. "No, please don't." Scully pleaded. "Hold her down." the man in the suit said. "No, don't. Don't do this. No!" she screamed while trying to fight them off. The first man in white held her arms down while the other one uncapped the needle and put it in her arm. "Let's go." the man in the suit told the other two men. A few minutes after they had left, Scully was still shaking. She tried to fight. They were too strong. She was starting to feel sleepy and was having a hard time focusing on objects in the room. It was starting to get darker. "I'm so sorry, Mulder." she sobbed into the darkness before sleep took over. * * * Mulder came home and told Mrs. Scully what Skinner had said. "She will come home. We'll have to trust them to get her out of there." "I don't trust them especially since Skinner won't tell me where the hell this place is and is making me wait before she can get out of there." "He said that you would be told when everything is going to happen." "When I get that call, I don't care what they say, I am getting her out of there myself." * * * Scully didn't know if it was night or day. She felt numb. She hoped the sedative was out of her system by now. What damage could it have done by now? She needed to see a doctor to know if their child was all right and there was probably no doctor around here. She thought about asking them to give the child to Mulder after she gave birth to him or her, but after this last incident it was clear they could care less about her condition. She hoped she wouldn't still be here then. She wouldn't be able to take it. More and more she thought about Mulder. She wanted desperately to see him again. To touch him. To hold him close to her and their unborn baby. Scully heard noise outside. Gunfire. Explosions. Where is this place? Were they coming to kill her or more her to another location. She wouldn't let that happen. (Think, you have to find a way out of here.) Someone was trying to pick the lock. They kicked the door open. "Agent Scully, we have to get out of here now, the place is going to go up in 5 minutes." the man wearing black told her. "Can you walk out of here?" "Yes." There were a few small fires around the building and debris everywhere. It looked like an abandoned warehouse. He ushered her to a parked car a few feet away from the structure. "You've got to get me to a hospital right away." Scully told him. "George Washington?" "We're in D.C.?" "Yes, about 30 miles outside of town." "Let's go." The building exploded just as they were driving away. * * * Mulder's cell phone rang. Agent Jones informed him of the location and said they were leaving right away. "Fox, be careful." Mrs. Scully told him as he headed for the door. "I'll bring her back." Mulder promised. As he was driving, he couldn't believe it was in D.C., she was this close to him all along. Once she is OK, he will find out who these people are and why they would do this to his wife. He saw all the cars, but this couldn't be the right place. It was burned to the ground. Mulder rushed out of the car and looked at the charred remains. She couldn't have been in there. Not when it exploded. "Agent Mulder." A man motioned for him to come over. "I'm Agent Jones, we spoke on the phone earlier." "What have you found?" Mulder asked eagerly. "A couple of bodies." Mulder looked worried. "No, they were males." The agent reassured him. "I want this whole place searched!" Mulder yelled. "It's still dangerous. Some small fires are burning." "Then I'll go in myself. I have to find her." Mulder stated. "No, you can't go in." Agent Jones said. "The hell I can't." "Agent Mulder. ." Another man called out to him a few feet away and was leaning over and looking at someone. "He's still alive." A man was lying on the ground bleeding from injuries due to the explosion. "Do you know if a woman go out of here before the explosion?" Mulder asked. "Yes, she left with a man . ." he said trying to get the words out. " . . . they drove away." he finished telling them. "Do you know where?" Mulder asked. "I remember hearing the man say George Washington." "The hospital, she's probably hurt." Mulder ran to the car. * * * Scully got out of the car and walked right up to the emergency entrance. She was wearing the white gown and socks she had been in for days. The only other thing was the blanket the man in black had given her for warmth. Five people rushed up to her and asked what was wrong. Scully didn't know where to start. "I need to see my obstetrician." "Are you having the baby now?" a nurse asked. "No. I need to know if the baby is all right. I need to see my doctor now!" "Ma'am, you just can't come in the emergency area and demand to see your doctor. This is obviously not life-threatening. We have other patients to attend to." "You don't understand, I was kidnapped for. . . I don't know how long. They gave me an injection. I'm not leaving until I see a doctor." Scully told her. Scully looked at the nurse's eyes. "You don't believe me. Then ask the man in black behind me." "There is no one in back of you." she stated. Scully turned around and saw no one as well. "Why don't you sit in this cubicle at the end of the hall and a doctor will come to see you in awhile." "I'm telling the truth." Scully said with tears in her eyes. The nurse handed her a clipboard with several sheets of paper on it and a pen attached to the top. "You can go right in there and fill this out. I'll check back with you later." the nurse said in a condescending voice. Scully picked up the pen and started writing. * * * Twenty minutes later, another nurse came back and looked at her paperwork. The ID pinned to her uniform said her name was Molly. "It's all true. Scully said. "I'm not making this up." "I believe you." Molly told her. Molly looked down at the woman. It was obvious she had been through something traumatic. She looked exhausted. "Can I do anything for you, call someone, perhaps a boyfriend or husband?" More than anything Scully wanted to see Mulder right now, but not until she knew something, even if it was bad news. "Ma'am?" "No, not now, I have to find out about the baby first." "I'll let Dr. Hannah see this information and tell her it's very important she sees you as soon as possible." Molly said. "Thank you." * * * Mulder pulled up to the emergency entrance and parked the car, trying not to think of all the things that could be wrong with Scully or their baby or both of them. He rushed over to the front desk and asked where she was. "Down the hall, the last cubicle on your right." a nurse informed him. Mulder ran down the hallway and pushed back the curtain surrounding the area and saw her sitting on the edge of the bed. "Mulder . . ." she breathed. Her husband came over to her and put his arms around her. "Hold me tighter." Scully pleaded. Mulder did as she asked as she buried her face into his chest feeling her trembling as he held her. He wished he could take all the suffering and pain she went through away by just doing this. They stayed in each other's arms for a few minutes. Nothing else mattered but the two of them. Right there. Right now. Scully pulled back. "I'm sorry. I should have protected our child better." "No. I shouldn't have left you that morning. I should have been there for you." Scully looked at him. He looked like hell. The blue shirt he was wearing looked like it had spent the last few days on the floor. On the other hand, he looked wonderful. "Are you hurt? Is anything wrong?" "I don't know yet. But I'm afraid to find out." Scully told her husband. "Is it the baby?" Scully closed her eyes. "They were too strong. He held me down. The sedative. I don't know what it did." she tried to say everything, but her tears were making it hard to talk. "Start from the beginning. Tell me everything that happened to you." Mulder said to her holding her hand. Scully explained the sedative that was given in the initial kidnapping and the questions about the case. She also told him about the food that was withheld from her and the recent dose of sedatives before she had been rescued. Mulder just listened not believing these people would give her drugs, threatening her life but also their child's in the process to get what they wanted. "If anything is wrong with our child . . . " she began to say. "If anything is wrong we will handle it together." Mulder said, finishing the sentence. . "I talked with one of the nurses and she said Dr. Hannah will try to see me. I'm not leaving until I know something - good or bad." Mulder looked at his wife. She was exhausted and upset from her experience, trying to cooperate with them and also protect their child at the same time. "I love you - both of you so much." Mulder said with tears in his eyes. "We love you very much." Scully told him, brushing away the tears running down his face. Dr. Hannah came into the cubicle and saw how upset they both were. "I'm sorry to interrupt both of you." "No, please come in." Scully said. "Dana, I read over the papers you filled out. I am sorry about your ordeal." the doctor said. "Thank you, but I'm more concerned about our child." "You wrote about a sedative - wondering about its effects. Also, not getting enough to eat during that time." Scully nodded. "I don't think the sedative is a problem. The effects you experienced were minor and didn't last long. It will be the same with the child. The food could be a problem. You are past the first trimester, but nutrition is still very important. How long did this kidnapping last?" "Three weeks, one day." Mulder interjected. Scully looked at him and squeezed his hand tighter. "That's not too long for the child. However, I am still concerned about the possibility of low birth weight." she explained. "I'll go get an Ultrasound machine and see what the baby looks like." Scully laid back on the bed. She looked over at Mulder, who had pulled up a chair beside the bed. "It's going to be all right." he said softly while squeezing her hand. She wished she could believe him. He didn't go through the waiting and wondering and hoping. She didn't discount his feelings. He looked as if he wanted to tell her more, but was waiting until they knew about the baby. Mulder had more questions for her, but the only thing that mattered now was finding out if their child would be fine. Everything has to be fine. They have been through too much already. He just wanted to take her home and hold her. "Your mom is at the apartment." Mulder told her. "I had her come over so I could tell her in person what happened and she decided to stay." "Oh God, how is she, she's probably so upset . . ." she trailed off. "To be honest, she was holding up better than I was during this whole ordeal." Mulder said. "I can't wait to see her. I hope we have good news about her grandchild." A nurse came in wheeling the machine, followed by Dr. Hannah. The nurse gave Scully a blanket to cover herself with while she got the gel ready to put on her stomach. "This is going to be a little cold." the nurse told her. Dr. Hannah started to move the transducer over Scully's stomach to see the baby. She said nothing for a couple of minutes. "Is the baby OK?" Scully asked her. "Your child looks fine." she said with a smile on her face. Mulder leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. He was relieved. Scully had tears running down her cheeks. "Thank you so much." "Don't thank me. This child is a fighter." Dr. Hannah said. "I'm still concerned about low birth weight, but if you resume taking your prenatal vitamins and get enough to eat I don't think there will be a problem." "Don't worry about that." Scully told her. "Another thing, I know you didn't want to know before, but now do you want to know the sex of the child.?" Dr. Hannah asked. Scully looked at Mulder. He smiled at her. "Yes." Scully told the doctor. "It's a girl." Scully leaned towards Mulder and whispered, "Samantha." "Dana, make sure you get plenty of rest the next few days and I'll see you next month." Dr. Hannah left after that last piece of advice. "I'll be right back with a wheelchair." the nurse said. "No, that won't be necessary." Scully told her. "I'm walking out with my husband." Mulder took off his coat and put it around her shoulders. He helped her off the bed and they walked out of the hospital to the car. Scully got in and buckled the seat belt across her lap. She started to cry. Mulder looked over at her. "I'm OK, just happy that our daughter will be fine." The rhythm of the car lulled her to sleep until they got home. Mulder opened the door and Scully walked inside. It looked great. Her mother was standing right there. "Dana." she said through tears, throwing her arms around her daughter. "Are you all right?" "Yes." "And the baby?" "She's fine." "A girl?" her mother asked. Scully nodded. "That's wonderful." she said, hugging her daughter. "Can I do something for you? Are you hungry?" "Maybe some tea and soup." "Whatever you want, honey." she said walking to the kitchen. "I'm going to take a shower and change out of this before I eat." Scully said, turning to Mulder and kissing him on the cheek. "I won't be long." Mulder sat down at the kitchen table. Mrs. Scully came over to him and hugged him. "Thank you for bringing her back to me, Fox." She began with tears in her eyes. "And congratulations on your new daughter." "I want to know who got her out of that building. It was destroyed by the time I got there." Mulder said, changing the subject. "What are you talking about?" Scully got out of the shower, dried her hair and put on a violet silk nightgown. She needed a change from white. She was hungry and exhausted. However, hunger won out since she was eating for two. She walked into the kitchen where her husband and mother were waiting for her. Scully sat down and started to eat the soup and sip the tea. Both of them were looking at her. "How did you get out of the building?" Mulder asked her. "A man found me. Someone from the FBI." she said between sips of tea. "Couldn't have been." "How do you know that?" He told her about the meetings he had with Skinner and the help he provided. "So you came there after it had burned down?" "Yes. I wasn't sure if you . . ." he trailed off. "Then how did you find me at the hospital?" "A injured man said he had seen you leave with someone and were headed to George Washington." Mulder explained. "So the man in black who rescued me wasn't with the FBI?" "No." "I just assumed because he called me Agent Scully." she said sipping her soup. "What happened to him?" Mulder asked. "I don't know - he dropped me off at the hospital entrance and left, I guess." "I wish I knew who he was." Mulder said. "I owe him everything." Scully looked at her husband and reached for his hand. Mrs. Scully felt this was her cue to leave. She got up from the table. "I'm going to bed. I'm pretty tired." She hugged her daughter and kissed her on the cheek. "I'm glad you were here with Mulder during this time." Scully whispered to her mother. "Good night, honey." " 'Night, mom." Mulder waited until her mother had left before finally telling her this. "During the time you were gone, a man called me three times and told me how you were doing." Mulder said. "It must have been the man in the suit. What things did he say?" "That you were all right and would stay that way if you cooperated." "It was him." Scully assured. "He also told me something else that upset me." her husband's voice became serious. "What?" she asked. "He told me that if you didn't cooperate you would stay there until the child was born. He told me he would let me know if I had a son or daughter." Scully stared at Mulder not believing what she just heard. "C'mon, you're exhausted. You need to get some rest." They both walked into the bedroom. Mulder walked into the bathroom. Scully pulled the covers down and sat on the middle of the bed. She thought about what Mulder had said, they were going to keep her there until she had the child. Then what? Take the baby away from her? Kill both of them? Tears started to come down her cheeks. Mulder came into the bedroom, wearing only his boxer shorts, and sat down behind her on the bed wrapping his arms around her. He kissed her on the cheek. Scully then turned to face him. Mulder noticed the tears on her face. "It's over now." he said, knowing the words must seem hollow to her. "Mulder, when I was there, the last few days all I thought about was what would happen to me and I could only think of two things - I would lose the baby or I would have the baby there and they would take her away from me in order to get more information." "But that didn't happen. You're fine. And our daughter will be fine - she's strong just like her mother." "I should have tried to get out of there sooner. I could have done more to protect our child. It would have been my fault." she sobbed. "Listen to me," he said tilting her face to look into her eyes. "If anything had happened to our baby, it would have been the fault of those bastards who took you." "I just keep thinking of what could have happened and it scared me, Mulder. If I lost our child because of them I don't know how I would cope." Mulder put his arms around her and eased them both down on the bed. She put her head on his chest and softly cried herself to sleep. He pulled the comforter over them when she fell asleep and then turned off the light. Scully awoke just before dawn, lying next to Mulder instead of in his arms. She sat up and watched him sleep, wondering if he slept here or on the couch during her absence. She touched his cheek and leaning down whispered: "I love you." Then she kissed him. Snuggling next to him, she went back to sleep. * * * "Mulder, wake up." Scully said anxiously. "What it is, what do need?" She placed his hand on her stomach. "Do you feel that?" "Yes." he smiled at her. "I didn't want you to miss it." "I'm glad you woke me up." he said with a smile. "That was it?" Scully said referring to the baby that had stopped kicking. "She must be tired." "Are you hungry?" Mulder asked. "It's almost 10 o'clock." Scully said glancing at the clock "It sounds as if my mom started without us." "Let's go." Mulder said. After a breakfast of blueberry muffins, fruit, and juice, Scully still felt a little tired. Mulder and her mother both thought she should get some more rest. Scully went back into the bedroom and was just about to get into bed when Mulder walked in. "I remembered I forgot to welcome you home properly." He framed her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. "Welcome home." he said softly. * * * For the next week, Scully basically rested and slept. Her mother and husband were there to get anything she could possibly need. Her mom said she needed to get back home unless Scully wanted her to stay. Scully thanked her again for being here with Mulder. She promised to call next week. Scully was getting tired of doing nothing, but it gave her time to think about what she would do after the baby was born. She wasn't sure how Mulder would react to her decision. Later that night, when they were getting ready for bed, Scully approached the subject with Mulder. She told him she had been thinking about their future. "When our daughter is born, I am going to take some time off." She stated. "I was wondering about that. How much time?" Mulder asked. "A couple of years." "A couple of years?" he repeated. "I want to stay home with our daughter. Mulder, think about our life for the past few years, that is no way for a child to live. We can't do that to her." "Scully, if this is coming from what I did before, wanting you to stay home and protect our child. I had no right to do that - I was being too protective of you and the baby." "No, it's not. I may not go back to work for years or may request a transfer back to Quantico." she said waiting for his response. "Leave the X Files?" "Yes." "I had no idea you were thinking about that. Scully, if you do they may close it down again and we will be reassigned." "I know. But I haven't made my mind up yet." "They could shut down the X Files permanently." He looked worried. "I don't want to do that to you, but look at what has happened to us on these cases, Mulder. We've been in dangerous situations and have been lucky so far. Something could happen to both of us and where would that leave our daughter." she explained. Mulder looked at her and knew that could happen. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to come off like that." "No, you're right we have another person to think about now." "I just want to consider all of the possibilities." Scully said. "Whatever you decide to do, I will support you in it." * * * Three months later, Scully gave birth to Samantha Katherine, weighing seven pounds, seven ounces. She had blue eyes and red hair just like her mother. END Well, what did you think of one of my earlier efforts? -L.