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 8 - Safe

"Cain' find 'em, no sir."

Scully forced one eye open to see a wizened dark face inches

from her own.

"Ah think somebody stole 'em," the old woman said with conviction.

"Coulda been you. D'you take my shoes?"

"Huh?" Scully opened her other eye and looked around. She was

in a hospital--there was no mistaking that, apparently lying on

a gurney pushed against a corridor wall.

"Mrs. Kitchings, you need to come back to the exam room, honey."

A nurse approached the old woman. "Let the lady sleep, okay?"

"I think she stole m' shoes."

"Mrs. Kitchings, your shoes are back in the exam room."

The nurse glanced at Scully. "This doesn't look like one of our

blankets," she said, curiosity in her voice. She checked Scully's

wrists for a plastic identification band. "Now, where did you

come from?"

"Don't touch me," Scully growled, pulling her hand back, panic

rising within her. Would Rabbitface find her and put her back in

the cold white room?

"Dr. Nasir!" the nurse called out. "This patient doesn't have

an ID bracelet."

A dark-skinned balding man walked over, shaking his head. "How

long has she been here?"

"It's been so busy tonight; we've had them stacked out in the

hallway. I didn't notice her until a minute ago," the nurse said.

She turned to Scully. "Do you know how you got here?"

Dazed and frightened, Scully tried to climb off the gurney. She

had to get away--they might be coming to get her, to hurt her

baby. "Don't come near me," she warned.

"Easy...easy," the doctor said, grabbing her arms. "We only

want to help you."

The struggle to escape caused the room to spin. Scully squeezed

her eyes shut trying to ease the dizziness. "Please don't hurt

my baby," she mumbled as she passed out.

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"Dana! Oh my God, Dana, everyone's been so worried about you."

Paula Sherwood burst into the cubicle, embracing Scully as she

sat on the exam table. Pulling back a little, Paula looked at

her patient. "They called up to Obstetrics, asking if we'd lost a

patient. As soon as they described the woman, I knew it was you."

The second time she'd come back to consciousness, Scully had been

coherent enough to identify herself. She'd held herself together,

making sure the hospital staff bagged the gown and blanket she'd

been left in as evidence.

Dressed in a fresh gown and covered by a new blanket, she tried to

make sense of what had happened to her. The dizziness was gone,

but she was left with a dull headache and a knot of fear in her

belly.

"Where were you, Dana? Are you all right?"

"I don't know...I was kept in a room. I don't know where." Scully

looked down at her hand, resting on the small bulge in her abdomen.

"Your mother's been frantic," Paula said. "And your partner...Dana,

I was getting worried about him. Have you called them?"

"I tried. One of the nurses brought me a phone. I talked to my

mother--I thought she was going to pass out on me. I wasn't able

to get hold of Mulder though--I left messages, but he wasn't answering

his phone or his cell. God, I hope he's all right."

"I think the question is, 'are you all right'?" Did they hurt you?"

Concern played across Paula's face.

"Paula," she whispered, her voice shaking. "I'm not sure what they

did to me."

"Oh Dana." Paula slipped an arm around Scully's shoulder. "We'll

find out, okay?"

"Okay," Scully whispered. Her stomach roiled in fear and uncertainty

as Paula collected the items she'd need for an exam.

"Dana...I have to ask you something. Do you think you were raped?"

"No. Not sexually." Scully closed her eyes, willing herself to

continue. "They drugged me several times, and I know they

performed tests. But, I don't know what they did when I was

unconscious. I think they did an amnio. Oh God, Paula...what if

they hurt my baby?"

"We're going to find out, I promise. "Right now, I'd like to draw

blood for some testing. Are you comfortable with that?" Paula asked.

Nodding, Scully looked away as Paula worked. It comforted Scully,

knowing that Paula was saving her patient from one more pair of hands

touching her. "All done. Dana, we're going to get through this.

I'm going to have you lie down now."

Scully's body wouldn't obey her, her arms and legs felt paralyzed with

fear. Paula rubbed her shoulders, speaking softly. "I know this is

hard, Dana. But it's the only way we can find out what happened."

Scully nodded, the lump in her throat making speech impossible, and

allowed Paula to help her get into position. The doctor was gentle

as always, talking through the entire exam. Every action was made

with a quiet notification beforehand.

"Dana, I think we should treat this as an assault," Paula said, as

she reached for a rape evidence kit.

Scully squeezed her eyes shut, nodding. She tried to control her

breathing, reminding herself that this necessary and careful exam

bore no resemblance to the invasion her body had undergone when she

was unconscious. But that didn't stop the tears from slipping down.

"All done. Dana, everything looks fine. I'm just going to listen

to the heartbeat."

Paula stripped off her gloves and straightened the hospital gown

over Scully. She fitted the earpieces in place, and positioned

the stethoscope over Scully's abdomen. Her face broke into a

smile.

"Sounds great. Nice, strong heartbeat."

"Thank God." Scully exhaled shakily, covering her face with her

hands.

"Listen for yourself." Paula smiled, fitting the earpieces onto

Scully and moving the stethoscope into place. Scully gasped with

joy at the sound of the baby's fast, strong heartbeat.

Paula extended a hand, helping Scully sit up. Both women turned

at the sound of shouts and scuffling beyond the door.

"I need to see Dana Scully!" Scully's breath caught at the sound

of Mulder's voice.

"Sir, you have to calm down! The doctor is in with her now.

Sir! You can't go in there."

"Scully! Scully!" The pounding on the door echoed like gunfire.

"For Pete's sake, hold on a minute," Paula muttered, opening the

exam room door. Mulder burst through, saw Scully and seemed to

sway on his feet.

He crossed the room in three long strides, enfolding Scully in an

embrace that threatened to fracture her ribs. Burying his

face in the crook of her neck, his body shuddered against her.

"I thought I'd never see you again," he murmured into her hair.

Her hands moved over his back, feeling the too sharp bones of his

shoulder blades through the limp fabric of his shirt.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"I think so." She blinked back tears. For the first time since

she walked into her apartment, who knew how many days ago, she

felt safe. Now, if she could only figure out how to go to work

every day wrapped around Mulder, she might just make it.

"I'm sorry. So, so sorry," he whispered against her.

"It's okay. I'm okay." She turned her face into the crook of

Mulder's neck, inhaling the scent of pain and sweat.

*cough* "I'm just going to run these blood samples out to the

desk."

They continued to cling together long after Paula quietly

closed the door behind her. When they separated, finally,

Scully took a good look at Mulder.

What she saw shocked her, and she understood why Paula had been

so concerned about him. His face was all angles, his jaw a sharp,

painful edge. His hair had become overgrown, casting shadows

where it hung over his eyes. It was the pain and desperation in

those eyes that took her breath away.

"When was the last time you slept, Mulder?"

He offered a wry smile and shrugged his shoulders. "Doesn't

matter. Nothing matters now that you're safe." Hunger radiated

from his eyes, and he seemed unable to look away. His hands never

left her, touching her arms, her face, her hair. Even a discreet

knock on the door failed to distract Mulder.

"Dana? Dana, are you in there?"

"Come in, Mom," she called out, recognizing her mother's worried voice.

"Oh thank God." Her mother flew across the room, arms outstretched.

Mulder reluctantly stepped back, allowing Margaret Scully to embrace

her daughter. "Oh, honey, I've been so worried."

"I know, Mom. I'm so sorry."

"Hello, Mrs. Scully," Mulder said, shuffling his feet and looking

at the floor.

"Agent Mulder." Her mother's tone was wary as she nodded to him.

He seemed to fade into the background, perhaps unsure of his place

now that her mother had arrived. But his eyes never left Scully.

"You're shivering, sweetheart," her mother said, her arm protectively

around Scully's shoulder. "I brought some clothes as you asked.

The waistband on the pants is elastic--I think they'll fit." Maggie

pulled a turquoise jog suit out of a bag, her fingers busily

smoothing the fabric.

"Thanks, Mom," Scully said as she reached for the suit. "I

can't wait to put on some real clothes."

"Do you need help, dear?"

"I'll be fine, Mom. I just want to get out of here."

"Well, I see good news travels fast," Paula said, returning to

the room. "It's wonderful to see you again, Mrs. Scully."

"I'm just so happy that Dana is all right," her mother said.

"She is all right isn't she?"

"I'm fine, Mom," Scully said, hoping to regain some control of

the situation. "And as soon as I get dressed, I'm going home."

"Is that wise?" Margaret Scully asked Paula. "I mean, Dana was

unconscious just a few hours ago."

"Dana, we probably should keep you for observation," Paula said,

turning to her patient. Scully was grateful someone was talking

to her.

"Paula, I want to go home." She glanced around the examining

room with a shudder. "I...I don't think I could bear a

night in the hospital."

Paula met her patient's eyes with understanding. "I'd prefer

you to be here, but I agree--you can't rest if you don't feel

safe. I do think someone should be with you, though."

"Of course she shouldn't be alone..." Mrs. Scully began.

"She won't be alone." The three women turned, surprised at the

intensity of the quiet, deep voice. "I'm taking you home, Scully."

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