TITLE: The Way Things Are

AUTHOR: Sukie Tawdry

EMAIL: sukie_tawdry@hotmail.com <mailto:sukie_tawdry@hotmail.com>

RATING: NC-17

SPOILERS: Season 1

CATEGORY: Guess you could call it AU. Diverges

from canon some time during season 1.

KEYWORDS: Story, M/S (some elements of M/other)

DISCLAIMER: None of the characters belong to me. Sniff

SUMMARY: One night and their whole lives were changed

forever.

FEEDBACK: Good or not so good--go ahead. I can

take it. I'm a big girl.

ARCHIVE: Again, go ahead.

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Thanks go to Sybils for wonderful beta and support.

And a big thank you to Foxymulderluver for giving this

story a home on her website:

<http://www.oocities.org/foxymulderluver>

Part 10 - Hunch

"We're all grateful for your safe return, Agent Scully."

Assistant Director Skinner's large frame dwarfed the easy chair as he

fidgeted with his pad and pencil. She regarded him from the sofa,

still a bit surprised that he was conducting the interview himself.

"Thank you, sir," she replied, clutching a mug of hot tea between her

chilled hands. "I'm glad to be back."

Mulder sprawled at the other end of the sofa, his eyes never leaving

her. He'd arrived earlier that afternoon with a duffle bag, two

suitcases and a large carton of papers--far more than two weeks worth

of belongings. She'd half expected to see his fish tank strapped to

his back. Now, he was making himself quite comfortable. Skinner

eyed him with curiosity.

"The hospital gown and blanket are still being examined, and the

analysis from your physical exam isn't back yet," Skinner said,

shifting position in his chair. "Agent Scully, what do you remember?"

"Agent Mulder and I returned from Fredericksburg on..." She couldn't

remember what night it had been, which upset her more than she

would admit.

"Tuesday. July 10th," Mulder prompted. He watched her through hooded

eyes. This was the first time he would hear her story; she'd been too

exhausted to talk on the drive home last night. He'd seemed satisfied

just to have her beside him, but this afternoon, she had his undivided

attention.

"Yes. We returned the evening of the 10th. Mulder dropped me off

around 8:30. I unlocked my apartment door and walked in. Someone

grabbed me and placed a cloth over my nose and mouth--possibly

chloroform or another sweet-smelling anesthetic inhalant; I was

unconscious almost instantly." Her mouth was unbearably dry. Taking

a sip of her tea, she forced herself to go on. She hoped her voice was

calm and matter-of-fact, and didn't reflect the turmoil in her mind.

"I woke in what appeared to be a sparsely furnished hospital room. I'm

not sure of the actual location...I was locked in the room the entire

time, except when I was examined."

"Examined? By whom?" Skinner asked. He seemed to have gone rather

pale, sweat glistening on his bald head.

"I never saw their faces--they wore surgical masks. There were three

individuals, one woman and two men. The woman was large and powerfully

built, very blonde, almost white hair under a surgical cap, and pale

blue eyes. The two men were both muscular and dark-haired with dark

eyes. They overpowered and drugged me."

She stopped and took a long drink of tea. Her hands had begun to

tremble, creating a tiny tidal wave in her mug. Mulder was no

longer lounging on the sofa. He sat forward, hands clasped between

his knees, tension evident in his every fiber.

"Have you and your doctor been able to determine...what was done to

you, Agent Scully," Skinner asked, his eyes trained on his pad.

Mulder had sprung off the couch, pacing the edges of the room.

"As I said, I was sedated throughout the exam. But I believe

blood was drawn and a pelvic examination was performed." Just

within her line of sight, Mulder froze, his body vibrating like a

tuning fork. "And an amniocentesis was probably done, though it was

dangerously early for that test to be administered."

"Did it hurt the baby?" Mulder asked, his voice choked with emotion.

He returned to the couch, perching on the edge of the seat.

"I don't think so. My doctor thinks the baby wasn't harmed. She's

scheduled me for a full exam and a sonogram, just to be on the safe

side."

"And after the testing, was there any other interaction with your

captors?" Skinner asked.

"They brought meals, clean linen. I saw the woman most often. She

appeared to have a medical background. She took my temperature and

blood pressure--superficial testing only. But there was always this

element of control."

"Did they hurt you, Scully?" Mulder asked, his words sharp and

tight.

"No. Their purpose seemed to be making sure I knew I was vulnerable,

that they could subdue me whenever they chose. They made it clear

that they didn't want to hurt the baby, so their approach was more

psychological than physical."

"Agent Scully, it's clear the focus of this abduction was your

pregnancy." Skinner cleared his throat. "Who knew about the baby?"

"Mulder, my mother, my doctor, and....you, sir."

"And the baby's father?" Skinner asked.

"The father is aware," Scully answered, her voice cool and controlled.

She willed herself not to glance at Mulder. Skinner's eyes drifted

from her to Mulder and then back, but he didn't pursue the question.

"And you told no one else, Agent Scully? Agent Mulder?" Mulder

shook his head. "What about your mother, Agent Scully? Did she

tell anyone?"

"I doubt it. She isn't likely to broadcast the news that her

daughter is going to be an unwed mother."

"And the father," Skinner said. "Would he have told anyone?"

"The father has made it clear he won't be involved. I doubt he

would be discussing it with anyone." She fought back a bitter

chuckle before leveling her gaze at Skinner. "Sir, did you tell

anyone about my pregnancy?"

She couldn't categorize the look that briefly passed over Skinner's

face: guilt, anger, or maybe just surprise that she'd confront him

on this. It passed almost immediately as Skinner composed himself.

"I haven't...spoken to anyone about your condition," he said, rising

from his chair. "Agent Scully, you must be exhausted. I'll

call if I have any further questions."

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"You missed a spot," Mulder said, pointing to a smudge of tomato

sauce on the back of a dish.

"Thanks." She dunked the dinner plate back into the soapy water.

This was truly bizarre--washing up after dinner like an old married

couple. If she didn't dwell on the details of an unwilling father,

unwed pregnancy and unpleasant abduction, she and Mulder could be

almost normal.

They'd enjoyed a dinner consisting of her mother's lasagna and garlic

bread. Mulder had put away two servings leading Scully to wonder if

she could afford the grocery bills he'd generate. But remembering

how thin he'd felt when he embraced her, she found herself offering

him a third helping.

Margaret Scully had surprised her daughter by accepting Mulder's

houseguest status without argument. Scully wasn't sure what

precipitated that agreement. Perhaps her mother thought a reluctant

father was better than no father at all. Unfortunately, Mulder

was concerned with her safety and nothing else. He had no intention

of being more than a bodyguard.

"What did you mean back there...with Skinner?" Mulder asked as he

took a wet dish out of her soapy hand.

"I answered his questions. What do you mean, 'what did I mean back

there'?" Scully rinsed the suds from a salad bowl.

"Skinner thinks the baby's father is a deadbeat, Scully."

"What does Skinner's opinion matter? The less he knows about the

whole thing, the better."

"It sounds as if you suspect him of involvement in your abduction."

Mulder carefully placed the dish on the counter as Scully handed

him the clean bowl. She looked down at the steaming dishwater.

"It all seems so coincidental; I meet with Skinner, and in a

matter of days, I wake up locked in a hospital room.

"That's quite a stretch, Scully. Do you have anything beyond

coincidence to base this on?" Mulder lounged against the counter,

waiting for her to finish the next dish. She scraped fiercely at

a clump of congealed cheese on the surface of a plate.

"No, nothing concrete, but I had the strangest feeling when I left

his office that day."

"So you're condemning him on a 'hunch'?" he asked, incredulous.

"Mulder, you make leaps every day, and I'm expected to jump along

with you. Will you give me a little credit here? There was a

smoldering cigarette butt in his ashtray, and the place reeked

of smoke. We both know who hangs around that office. I don't

think Skinner scratches his backside without that man knowing

about it."

The dishwater sloshed as she scrubbed the plate, splashing up on

the front of her shirt. "Damn it," she muttered, wiping at her

belly with a dishtowel.

"I think you're wrong about Skinner," he said with conviction.

"Oh, and what do you base that on? A 'hunch'?"

"He was there for me when you were missing. I was going off

the deep end there, Scully. I mean, really losing it." Mulder

seemed embarrassed by his admission. "Skinner isn't that

good an actor. He was genuinely worried about you. And he kept

me from falling apart."

She rinsed the last dish and handed it to Mulder. Emptying

the dishpan, she turned to face him. She was moved by his

honesty, but couldn't deny her instincts.

"Something isn't adding up about him. I don't know what's

wrong, but he's connected somehow." She dried her hands on

a dishtowel and turned to him. "I'm tired. I think I'm going

to take a bath.

Mulder was still leaning against the kitchen counter, lost

in his thoughts, when she left the room. Entering the

bathroom, Scully closed the drain on the tub and turned the

taps full throttle. She poured a capful of sandlewood bubblebath

under the rushing water and checked the temperature of the water.

Rising from the tub, she caught a glimpse of herself in the

mirror.

They say pregnant women glow. This pregnancy had been

anything but easy, but as she looked at her reflection,

Scully had to admit there was a certain luminescence to her

skin. Her eyes were brighter, her hair shinier. How

incredibly ironic.

Scully went into the bedroom to undress, stripping off the

slacks and long-sleeve top she wore. Looking down at her

rounded belly, she realized that maternity clothes were

definitely on the horizon. She removed her underwear and

wrapped herself in a white terrycloth robe.

The bathwater continued to rise, filling the air with woodsy

scent. Scully shrugged out of the robe, accidentally

over-turning a metal towel rack when the sleeve got caught

on it. The rack toppled with a mighty clatter as it hit the

tile floor.

She replaced the rack, straightening the towels, when she

heard pounding on the bathroom door. Before she had a chance

to open her mouth, the door flew open, revealing a worried

Mulder.

"Are you all right?" he gasped. His expression changed from

worried to embarrassed in the space of a heartbeat as he

realized she was naked. "I'm sorry. I called out, but you

didn't answer. I was afraid you'd fallen."

His gaze never left her, eyes glued to her changing body.

Embarrassment changed to something else, as a look of

amazement overtook Mulder's face. He seemed transfixed,

staggered by the changes in her body.

"I knocked over the rack. I didn't hear you over the running

water," she said. Indeed, the noise almost drowned out the

sound of her heart thudding in her chest. The water needed

to be shut off, but she couldn't make her body move. She was

barely able to breathe.

His hands twitched as his side, almost as if he were fighting

not to reach out and touch her. She glanced down, noting the

roundness of her enlarged breasts, the nipples hardening even

in the warm air of the bathroom. She rested her hand on the

gentle curve of her belly. "I think I'm getting clumsy."

"I think this is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," he

whispered and shook his head, as if to clear it. "I should

let you take your bath."

His embarrassment seemed to return as he slipped out of the

room. She watched the door close behind him, trying to

figure out what had just happened. As she slipped into the

still warm water, she smiled at the sound of Mulder gently

banging his head against the wall.

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