Title: Jade
Author: Mattress (Dana@platonic.co.uk)
Rating: Graphic description of a birth, but I guess it would be NC-17 for language.
Classification: Mulder/Scully Romance (What else?)
Disclaimer: Well, they're not mine. Wish they were, though. Their lives would be a LOT more fun!
Authors thanx: To Nesta for the name, I would be lost without your imagination(!). To Emily for egging me on and to Aimee for just being there.
Jade
It was a cold and lonely night.
Every house was dark and,
In the distance,
A baby was heard crying...
14th November
22:45
I snuggle my face into the side of Scully's neck, smelling the unique scent of her shampoo and body lotion. She smells so sweet and fresh, just out of the shower. She turns over in bed to face me.
"So," she begins, sighing deeply against my hair. "What are we gonna call him?"
"It's not a him," I argue, affectionately caressing a hand over the bulge at her middle. "I don't know why, I think it's gonna be a girl." I lift my head and see her smile.
"Whatever. Come on, Mulder. Think of some names." I chew the side of my lip in thought. The truth is, I've never really thought about a name. I guess I've always thought in the back of my mind, that the baby inside Scully would automatically come with one.
"I've always liked the name Sally." She giggles, a thing I often hear her do now.
"Sally Scully? Sounds like a dog." Smoothing my hair back, she kisses the tip of my nose, tenderly. We already decided the baby should have Scully's last name. We didn't think carrying on the Mulder name would be a good idea.
"What about you?" I ask.
"I like Rachel. Or Abigail." I nod.
"Nice." She smiles and lets me help her ease down into the pillows, my hand at her back. She turns her tired neck around to relieve herself of some of the tension that has built up over the day and closes her eyes. "What if it's a boy?"
"I dunno. Timothy? Benji?" I smile, pulling the covers up over her shoulders.
"Timothy's nice. Let's wait a few more weeks, until the baby's born. Then we can decide." She nods and sighs, contentedly. I watch her face as she dozes, peaceful as usual. And then, suddenly, she opens her eyes. Her hands fly to her belly.
"Oh my God."
"What? What is it?" I ask, my brain going into overload as I sit up and reach for the phone to call the midwife. She grins at me, touches my arm.
"I had you bigtime."
"Scully!" If she wasn't pregnant, I'd slug her. I lean against the headboard again and sigh, both in relief and, I have to say, disappointment. "Don't do that."
"Sorry. I just love to see you panic." I look indignantly at her.
"I did not panic."
"You should have seen your face, Mulder..."
"Let's not get into that again," I tell her, remembering the hot July afternoon, wandering around on the smelly, steaming roof of a falsely, wrong building. She smiles at me, remembering it too, and looks deep into my eyes.
"I love you, soooo much," she whispers, tilting her head at me, affectionately.
"I love you too," I say, nuzzling my nose against hers, leaning over her. I let my lips brush hers and she lets her smile widen as we kiss.
We stayed locked together for some time, just relishing in the intimacy and closeness we've shared for almost a year and a half. Scully starts to let out tiny whimpers and I turn down the heat a little. I'm too tired right now for that, and I know she's had a long day. I break away and lay down beside her, tracing her face in wonder.
When we found out that she was pregnant, we couldn't believe it. After all the angst she went through, what with the tests and being told she couldn't conceive, she was fairly fuming when she found out that they'd given her false information at the hospital. But when she calmed down, we couldn't stop hugging one another. Scully was ecstatic, of course, and I was pretty happy too, considering we'd only been sleeping together for a few months.
"Mulder," Scully whispers against my ear. I blink and come out of my reverie, smiling at the beautiful woman by my side.
"Mm-hmm?" She takes my hand in hers and smiles, amused.
"The baby's doing the Macarina." I grin and let her lead my hand to what we've grown to love and cherish so much. She presses my palm against her bare stomach, which is peeping out from beneath one of my old T-shirts that she often wears to bed. She caresses the back of my knuckles with her thumb, and there it is. The entire dance to the Macarina bumping around under my fingers. I lean down to leave a loving kiss bedside my hand, placing my ear to her abdomen. I look up at her, surprised.
"Scully," I whisper, "I can hear her."
"You're kidding," she whispers back, mournfully. "God I wish I didn't have so many sets of ribs down there. I really don't bend that far." She smoothes my hair back and lays a hand on her belly, absentmindedly. I close my eyes against her soft skin again and listen to our baby. I can hear the tiny, muffled throb of movement and feel the gentle kicks against my cheek. I smile, so content right now that I don't need the X-files, or anything for that matter, except my beautiful Scully and the beautiful baby inside her.
"So...Do you think we're gonna have another baseball player in the family?" I ask, smiling, as the baby continues to make a football out of my head. I hear her breathe out a tiny laugh and smile with her, opening my eyes.
"I hope not. I don't wanna be out-numbered."
"You won't be." I grin. "You can hit a ball like a pro." She grins.
"Mulder, I'm terrible, and you know it." I smile, helplessly and remember the many lessons I gave her. In the park with the same ballboy as that first time, more than two years ago. I beam.
"Scully, come on, you could play for Little League." She opens her mouth to give me an earful for joking about her height, but she decides to just roll her eyes and smile.
"I guess I must have a really good teacher." I smile at the warmth in her voice and lift my head to lie by her side again. I'm worn out. It really has been a long day. "Sleepy Baby," she whispers, touching a hand to my cheek, and I help her turn onto her side, away from me. I spoon up behind and wrap my arms around her, burying my face in the back of her neck.
"Love you," I murmur, finding the road to sleep much quicker than usual.
"Love you too," she whispers back.
"'Night little baby." I rub her tummy, affectionately.
"'Night." She places her hand over mine and sighs against me, finally falling asleep.
* * * * * *
13th December
19:35
"I don't believe it." I put down the phone and sigh. Scully comes out of the bedroom in her robe, rubbing her back.
"What?" she asks me, wearily, coming to kneel in front of the couch. I bring a hand down and begin to massage her lower back for her. She leans into my hands, sighing deeply. "Thanks."
"I've just been on the phone to Langly. The power's gone out all over the city. Looks like we're gonna have a dark night."
"Oh no, Mulder," she almost whines. Shivering, she turns to lay her head on my knees. "It's so cold tonight." I caress her hair and glance warily out of the window at the streaming rain. I jump a little when a giant clap of thunder pads against my eardrums. I shiver. She's right.
"Don't worry. I'll keep you both warm." She smiles and pulls herself up on the couch, sitting heavily onto my lap. When she turns around, her smile is hilarious. I pretend to look hurt. "Lord, Scully. You gotta loose some weight." She chuckles, sliding off me and onto her back, leaning her head on the arm. She pulls up her legs to rest them over mine and I lean down sideways to press a kiss against her belly.
"Any day now, Mulder," she whispers, smoothing back my hair. "Any day now."
* * * * * *
19:47
Bringing some candles into the living-room, I look around me for the matches. Finding them in the kitchen draw, I light the candles and place them around the room, creating a flickering effect across the walls. I love this apartment. It's so homey. And it's not just Scully's anymore. It's ours. We haven't tied the knot, well not yet, but we will do, once the baby's born. I've asked her, and she said yes, but she also said to wait until she can actually get into something nice.
She's beautiful to me whether she's got a large belly or not.
Moving into the bedroom and lifting a soft blanket down from the top shelf in her closet, I bring it out and return to the couch, where Scully is sat watching the glowing embers in the fire. Her face glows in the light of the flames and I just stand for a moment, gazing at her. I smile at her peaceful expression.
Finally, she senses my eyes on her and turns, smiling at me, warmly. She mouths her greeting and I sit next to her, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders. She closes her eyes, snuggling against me and I wrap an arm around her middle, keeping the baby warm too. She smiles, tiredly and sighs, pulling her legs to one side, up onto the couch.
"I hate being pregnant," she murmurs, sounding totally drained. I look at her, suprized that she said such a thing. She opens her eyes and sees my face, immediately taking back her comment. "No, I mean, I don't not like having a baby inside me." She rubs her tummy, gently, smiling warmly at me. "It's a miracle that it ever happened. But what I hate are the things I have to go through. Achy back, swollen ankles, etc. Even the morning sickness was hard. I wish pregnancy was as easy as they show it on TV." I nuzzle her face, leaving a soft kiss in her hair and she sighs again.
"You know I'd take all the pain from you if I could." She meets my lips in a passionate kiss. When we break apart, she nods.
"I know you would." Her voice is so quiet and I know she doesn't just mean the pregnancy. As she sighs, I think of all the times she almost died because of me. I still wish, sometimes, that she'd never met me. She's gone through so much... "Hey." Scully's soft tones wake me from my musings. She glares at me, affectionately. "Don't think about that."
"Sometimes I can't help it, Scully." I kiss her cheek, tracing her jaw with my fingers. "I love you too much." She sighs sadly, jumping against me when another loud clap of thunder sounds from outside. I rub her back and she looks out the window fearfully. I frown as I remember what happened last time we were in a storm like this one. That time in Kansas. I grin. "Scully?"
"Yeah, Sweetie?" she answers, turning back to me.
"You remember being in Kansas?" She smiles and giggles a little. She raises her arms in the air and begins to move her body, swinging her shoulders this way and that and pulling a completely ridiculous face. Her gigantic belly wobbles around and I smile, giving her a questioning look.
"Ah have the po-wer," she begins in a gruff voice. "Ah wa-hasn't gey-van this gey-ft." I laugh as she continues doing a pretty good impression of 'The Rainking' and soon we're both collapsed against one another in fits of giggles at her antics. "I think I might just remember it, Mulder. What about it?"
"Were you jealous?"
"What do you mean?" She takes my hand in hers and traces her thumb over the back of my knuckles.
"When that Sheila kissed me in the hallway." She frowns and thinks for a moment. Then she looks up, sheepishly.
"I was...a little envious." She smiles at me. "I was kinda wishing that I had enough courage to go up to you and do that." I grin and move to touch my lips to hers, not quite kissing her. She smoothes her lips along mine and I sigh, feeling almost restful. Not that I don't always feel like this with her. We break apart and she smiles sweetly at me.
* * * * * *
20:19
"The phone isn't working and there's also no hot water, Scully." I retreat back to the warmth of the open fire and my love's body. She gives me a look of regret.
"I knew I should have had a nice, long, relaxing bath when I got home." I shrug and move to sit behind her, letting my hands wander to her shoulders and caress the tense muscles there. She smiles and turns her head to me, sighing deeply. "I guess I'll just have to make do with this." I feel her tired muscles start to relax into my caresses and begin to kiss lazy patterns across her shoulders and the back of her neck. I begin to sing, slowly and softly into her ear.
"Five more days to go...five more days of sorr-ow..." She lets out an amused breath and I slide my arms around her middle, holding her back against me.
"Is it really only five more days?"
"Yeah."
"I can't believe it. The time has gone so quickly." She shifts to sit next to me and gazes in wonder at her tummy, smoothing her hands over the bump. "And I thought I'd never..." I tiny tear escapes the corner of her eye. She swallows and wipes it stubbornly away. She turns to look at me, her eyes wet and sad. She sighs and takes my hand. "After Emily. I thought she was my last hope of having kids."
I gently pull her body against mine and hold her to me. She isn't crying, just needs the comfort. "It's okay. It wasn't your last hope. In five days, your dream will come true." She smiles again and places her hand on her belly, giggling a little.
"This is definitely going to be a sporty baby," she smiles, laying her head against my shoulder, affectionately.
* * * * * *
23:57
I can't sleep. The howling wind and bashing trees are keeping me awake. I snuggle deeper into Scully's hair and try to block out the noises. She moans softly in her sleep and sighs. I love to watch her sleep. It's so calming to see her peaceful, happy. She also makes some really cute noises in her sleep that she never makes when she's awake. And without her knowing she's being watched, she's as unguarded as a baby. I smile and close my eyes, imagining what it's going to be like.
I know it won't be easy. Late nights and dirty nappies never slip my mind, but I try only to think of the good things. Teaching the child to play baseball. Watching him or her grow up. Finally being a proper family. Scully wants to bring the child up as a Catholic. That's okay by me. I don't really believe in God, but recently, I've been wondering. This baby is something of a miracle in itself, isn't it? I think that, maybe, there's someone out there, looking out for us.
I sigh and wrap my arms back around Sleeping Beauty, kissing the back of her neck, softly so I don't wake her. It's usually Scully who can't sleep, the baby doesn't sleep that regularly. It keeps her awake time and time again, kicking and moving around inside her. But it's unlike me to lay awake now. Things used to be different. Before we started sharing a bed, I could never sleep. Insomnia kept me awake and when I did sleep, I had terrible, terrible nightmares.
These nightmares were worst when Scully was taken. Even awake, I had visions of her lying on a steel table, needles being stuck in her everywhere. I was scared. For her life.
It was around then that I realized I was in love with her.
Carefully smoothing a lock of auburn hair behind her ear, I extricate myself from her, touching her cheek tenderly before sitting up and sliding quietly across the bed. I make my way to the kitchen to make some cocoa and glance up at the clock. I smile when I realize I'm going to be a dad in four days. It's a nice thought, I have to say.
Mixing the powder in with the milk, I can't warm it because the power's still out, I carry it into the dark living-room. Sitting on the couch, I place the mug on the coffee table and lay my head back into the cushions. I want to go to sleep, I really do. I just sit for a while, sipping the cold chocolate and trying to make my mind go blank.
Yawning, I pick up the TV remote, before I remember the power's out and get up to look through the window at the pitch black night. The orange of the street-lamp glows eerily against the wet pavement, but I can hardly see it for the driving rain. A spark of lightning flashes across the sky and I count for the answering thunder.
"Mulder." I hear Scully's voice calling me through the rumble and set the mug of cold cocoa on the windowsill, returning to the bedroom. I see her sat up in bed, the covers draped loosely around her shoulders.
"Sorry, Sweetheart. I couldn't sleep..." I trail off at the terrified look on her face.
"Mulder." She swallows and looks out the window, her eyes large as a deer being caught in headlights. "Is the phone still not working?" I lift the receiver and put it to my ear. Nothing.
"Nope."
"What about my cell phone?" I see it on the bedside table and click it on.
"No signal. Why?" She swallows again and takes a deep breath, placing a hand over the bump at her middle.
"Because I think the baby's coming." I stand for a moment, shock swarming through my head at her words. I clear the rough parch from my throat and swallow.
"You're sure?" We've had a few scares before and they weren't her fault, which is why I'm wary. Her eyes lock with mine for a long minute. I can see the fear in them. She nods, slowly.
"Very sure." There's a pause. I step around the bed and sit beside her, taking her hands in mine.
"Come on. How long does it take to get to the hospital?" I reach for the case we packed last week for emergencies and put my arm around her back to help her stand up.
"About ten minutes...but Mulder," She stops me with a hand on my arm. "there is no way we can drive in this storm. The wind's blowing the trees down all over. It's way too dangerous."
I look out the window and sigh. She's right. "Okay. So..." My eyes catch hers and she squeezes my hands, tight.
"What are we going to do, Mulder?" I can see in her eyes that she knows what the answer is.
"We're gonna have to..." I trail off and she lowers her head and closes her eyes.
"I'm afraid." I can see her eyebrows pushing down in the dimness of the room as she tries desperately not to cry. "I don't want to do it on my own."
"I'm here." She smiles a little and wraps her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. I circle my own arms around her back and feel her quivering slightly. We hold one another for a while, afraid and mute. Scully finally breaks away slightly and I notice a look of determination beginning to register in her brow. Another bolt of lightning lights up her face and she seems to gain courage from it.
"Okay. I...I need a few things." I nod and stand, waiting for her command. "A few towels. A bowl of water." She thinks desperately for a moment. "I can't remember...I'm a doctor and I can't fucking remember what's needed for a home birth." She swallows and I think for a while.
"What do I need to cut the cord?" Her face lights up a little and she sighs with relief.
"Thanks. Something to tie the cord...string or something. Scissors. Although they should be sterilized. Use the anti-bacterial spray in the cupboard...the one without bleach." She grimaces and leans forward, holding her belly and screwing up her eyes, tight. "Oh Lord." I sit beside her and take her hand, trying to ignore the pounding rain against the window. She squeezes my hand hard and sets her jaw. After a few seconds, she exhales and relaxes against me, closing her eyes and leaning against me. "God," she breathes, heavily.
"Okay?" She nods and I bunch the pillows behind her back. I can tell it's going to be a long night.
* * * * * *
02:42
"This is gonna sound weird, Mulder. But will you help me walk around a little." I smile and nod, hearing about that somewhere.
"Sure." I wrap an arm around her waist and she pushes herself to her feet. Leaning heavily on me, we walk unsteadily into the living-room and she heads in the direction of the window.
"This is a really hazardous storm. I hope it doesn't blow down any trees around here." She swallows and looks along the street. "I want to be able to take the baby to the hospital when it lets up." I squeeze her gently, reassuring her as best I can.
"We can always take a cab." She looks up at me and nods.
"I guess." Then she leans against me, suddenly smiling. "Lord. Mom is going to be *so* happy when we ring her in the morning and tell her that she's a grandmother again." I nod, smiling.
"Can't wait to tell her," I add, not mentioning that the phones may not still be working then. Scully pulls gently on my arm again, signaling that she wants to walk around again. I oblige and let her lead me back into the bedroom.
* * * * * *
04:04
"Mulder!" She bunches up yet again and cries out.
"It's okay, Sweetheart."
"I want to push so much."
"Not yet." I hold her against me, letting her take out the pain on my hand and arm. "When they're every ten minutes." Nodding, she closes her eyes and takes it. She's half lying on her side, leaning against me, holding desperately onto my arm and pressing her face into my shoulder. My arms encircle her body as the contraction subsides and she shifts onto her other side, trying desperately to get comfortable. She sighs, closing her eyes.
"I can't do this, Mulder."
"Yes you can." She sniffs against my arm and looks up at me, her eyes wet. Then she blinks and puts her hand down to feel the top of her thigh.
"Great. My waters have broken," she says quietly, tiredly. I reach for a towel and lay it out for her to lie on. As between every contraction, I try to keep her mind off it.
"So what does it feel like, your waters breaking?" I move her a little to see her face. I catch the beginning of a smile.
"It's actually like peeing. But I can't stop it. It feels *really* weird." She moves onto the towel and looks over to the night stand. "Can you pass me my scrunchy?" I give it to her and I hold her back as she sits up, scraping her hair into a loose ponytail. Lying back against me, she closes her eyes.
"It'll all be worth it in the end. The Lone Gunmen have already made bets on whether it's going to be a boy or a girl." I chuckle a little and wipe away the sheen of sweat across her brow tenderly, with the back of my hand. She turns her head and kisses the side of my neck. "Frohike's convinced it's going to be another beautiful, blue-eyed Scully, with auburn hair. I told him he'd be way too old for her." She grins.
"He still thinks that way about me?" I nod and she shakes her head a little. "You'd think he would have given up after all this time."
"He's not as hooked as he used to be." She sighs and closes her eyes against me. "And they're all really excited about being godfathers." She grins.
"I don't believe that decision was made when we were both sober." I caress her cheekbone with my finger and kiss her hairline. I know she wants to sleep, but there's just no way she's going to get a nap with the contractions as close together as they are. I shiver, realizing that it'll be time to push soon. I smile a little. I'm going to deliver my own baby. Certainly something to put into my folder at the Bureau.
"Lord, I can feel another one coming," she breathes, turning over again, holding her breath automatically, getting ready for blast-off. I take her hands in mine and look into her eyes, trying desperately to give her courage.
"Okay. Come on, Scully. Breathe." She nods, closing her eyes and beginning to breathe how we learnt to at the maternity classes, in through her nose, out through her mouth, as the contractions begin. Watching the skin on her stomach go taut, I breathe with her, encouraging her as much as I can not to push.
And then it ends, leaving her spent and gasping against me, closing her eyes as she attempts not to cry. I smooth a hand across her jaw and cheeks, soothing her, calming her down. She lets out a whimper, burying her face into the cotton of my T-shirt and holding onto my hands, tight.
"It hurts, Mulder. It hurts so much." I kiss her temple and continue to lull her into peace.
"I know sweetheart, I know." And then, suddenly, she turns on me.
"No Mulder. You don't know! You don't know how fucking bad it hurts, or how hard it is to have to fight the urge to push this baby out of me!" She turns in all her glory and starts to hit me, pounding her fists into my chest as hard as she can. I just sit and take it, until her angry cries turn to throaty sobs and she collapses against me, weary and miserable. I hold her tight as she lets it all out. "I can't do this anymore, Mulder. I just wish it would all go away."
"Shush, it's okay. It's okay." I lift her shoulders away from me a little and look into her eyes, willing her to believe me, just this once. I trace the line of her jaw with my thumb and kiss her forehead, tenderly. She sniffs and blinks, as if she's suddenly realized what she did and wraps her arms around my shoulders.
"God, I'm sorry, Mulder." I encircle her with my own arms and begin to rub her back, affectionately. "I didn't mean to hit you like that. I'm just so darn tired and all I want to do is go to sleep and wake up, finding out this whole thing was a dream." I nod, understanding, or at least trying to understand what she's going through.
"It's okay. You're forgiven." She smiles a little and swallows, closing her eyes against my shoulder. I continue to caress her back and stroke her hair, which is slightly damp with sweat. She sighs softly and I gaze down at her face, instantly reminded how totally beautiful she is.
"Mulder?" she breathes, tiredly.
"What?"
"How long has it been since the last one?" I glance at my watch.
"About ten minutes." She shifts and moves away from me, sitting against the pillows. She slides down into the mattress and looks up at me, her eyes wide and afraid. Then I realize. It's time to push.
"Here goes." She lifts her knees and plants her feet flat on the mattress, slightly apart. I scoot up the bed a little to sit by her shoulders and she grasps for my hand.
"Okay?" I ask her and she nods. I place my hand on her thigh and smooth my thumb over her soft skin.
And, for the seeming-like-hundredth time, she grips my hand, screws up her face and makes way for the painful contractions that sweep her body into fits of spasm. I encourage her as best I can, gripping her hand hard and urging her to make as much noise as she wants.
"Come on Sweetheart. Push." And she does, gritting her teeth and balling up her fist with a long growl. It's over too soon and she groans in frustration. I take a peek between her legs and see nothing but the usual. Sighing deeply, she waits for her breathing to slow down and finally sits up. "What is it?" I ask her, snaking an arm around her back.
"I'm not comfortable. I need to turn over." She takes a few deep breaths before rolling onto her side and levering herself up onto her hands and spread knees. She turns her head to me. "That's better," she breathes, letting her head hang on her tired neck. I kneel to her side and smooth the strands of hair that have fallen out of her ponytail behind her ears.
When the next batch of contractions come, she rocks her hips and rests her top half into the pillows, moaning out curses and prayers and anything else she can think of. I just wrap my arms around her shoulders and back, holding her up as best I can.
This time, when she quietens, she leans against me, letting her head loll against my shoulder. I stroke her forehead and back. "It's okay. Shhh...It'll all be over soon." All she can do is nod and rest her body against me, whimpering slightly.
She finally lifts her head and takes my jaw in her hand. "I want you to hold me as long as you can." I nod, kissing her cheekbone, tenderly, knowing that I can only hold her as long as the baby is inside her. I have the responsibility to tend to our child when he or she is born.
So I sit, leaning against the pillows I bunch up beneath my back, and hold my arms out for her. She shifts in front of me, nestling between my legs, and leans back against me. I wind my arms around her, holding on to her tightly. Parting her thighs, she begins to breathe deeply again, clutching at both my hands as the contraction takes her over.
"Mulder!"
"Come on, Scully. Push." She strains against me and I feel her gasp. She turns her head to me.
"Mulder. The baby. I can feel..." And she's lost again in another fit of energy as she toils to get the baby out of her. When the contraction finishes, she sits up and pushes my arms from around her. Looking into my eyes, she smiles a little at me. She takes my hand. "Mulder. You need to be with the baby now." I nod and slide from behind her, to kneel down at her feet. She shifts back against the pillows and gives me this gorgeous, excited grin that warms my heart and gives my no other option but to smile back.
I glance down between her legs and look for anything...babylike. All I see is her lips and...oh Lord. That's...that's our baby. I can really and truly see the crown of our baby's head peeping from between her legs! I gaze on, mute and enthralled at the sight before me. Then I smile and look up. Scully's eyes question me and I raise my eyebrows at her, my grin widening. "I can see..." Scully's face immediately brightens and she swallows, happily.
"What can you see, Mulder?" I gaze down again and look long and hard.
"Our baby's head. Just the top, but, oh Scully, I can see our baby." My heart suddenly misses a beat as I realize that I am the first person to ever see the flesh on this tiny being we created.
"What does it look like?" she asks, curiosity filling her voice, and I realize that she's referring to the baby's hair. I glance down again and catch sight of a little brown hair topping the tiny head. Or is it ginger? I can't tell because it's all wet and covered in blood.
"Well...either brown or auburn. I can't really tell." She smiles into my eyes and I feel my heart warm in her lovely, blue gaze. Then the lovely, blue gaze is interrupted by a swallow and a tensing of her body.
"Here we go again," she whispers as another contraction begins. I watch between her legs, urging her on and notice a tiny bit more of the pink head emerging. God. She's gonna stretch so much. I hope it doesn't tear her skin.
"Mulderrrr!" she cries as she strains and I take her hand in mine again, letting her squeeze it, hard. "I can't..." She gives another, long push and then collapses back down into the pillows. "God. I didn't realize it would be so darn hard." Her words are breathy and soft, giving away how tired she is.
She closes her eyes and tries to get her breathing under control. Looking between her legs, I see that there's about four centimeters of the baby's head showing. I reach timidly forward and touch the soaked trail of hair with my finger. The skin under my fingers is smooth and soft and I wonder, briefly, if the baby will have as clear skin as Scully has.
As another contraction starts, I smooth my hand up and down her thigh, holding her hand so tight. I watch, mesmerized, as Scully pushes as hard as she can and she begins to stretch, her lips opening past resistance and finally, the baby's head is completely out. The tiny mouth opens and starts to whimper at me, and I feel tears begin to form in my eyes. I reach forward and cup the back of the baby's tiny head in my hand, supporting it, reaching down the side of the bed with my other hand to bring up the other towel from the floor and spread it onto the bed next to me.
Scully looks up, her eyes shining, and I say, "Lord, Scully. I didn't know you had it in you." She snorts out a laugh that is cut short by the final contraction and she pushes as hard as she can. "Come on, sweetheart. You can do it." Her face screws up with pain and energy and she growls low in her throat. The baby starts to slip out of her, first its shoulders, then the rest of its body, and I reach my other hand under its back, guiding it out, into the world.
I lay the baby onto the towel and check that it's breathing okay, wiping a little of the gunk from its face, before looking up at the beautiful mother in front of me. Sweating, gasping, but bearing a smile that would light up the whole world on a rainy day. I want to hug her so much, but I know there's more to come, so lift the baby in the towel and hold them carefully on my lap, watching the dark-colored placenta slide out of her, onto the towel she sat on earlier when her waters broke.
Scully rests her head back into the pillows and sighs. "Cut the cord, Mulder," I hear her whisper and for some reason, I suddenly feel very important.
I lay the baby in front of me and take the string I got from the kitchen cupboard, tightly tying a little around the umbilical cord, about five centimeters from the baby's tummy. I spray the scissors with the anti-bacterial spray and wipe them clean on the bed sheets. Cutting the cord and wrapping the placenta in the towel it lies in, I move it aside and pick up the baby again, gently rocking it in my arms, trying to calm it from the sobs still spilling forth from its mouth.
Scully sits herself up in bed and holds her arms out tiredly. I kneel and carefully hand her our baby, all wrapped up and sniveling. She smiles and takes the baby from me, opening the towel to look at...
"It's a girl," she breathes, smiling up at me, her eyes drooping. Our daughter rightly decides that it's the best time right now to quieten and I scoot up to sit beside Scully, giving her a quick kiss on the lips. "Mulder, she's so beautiful." I let her lean against my shoulder and slide an arm around her, peeking into the folds of the towel to see the little baby girl.
She is gorgeous. No two ways about it. And she is so tiny. Her little button-nose peeps out of the folds and her lovely eyes possess long, long lashes. She wriggles a little and Scully opens the towel. Her baby hand with tiny fingers and even tinier finger-nails comes out to wave a little in the air. I reach forward a finger of my own and Scully smiles in delight as the baby's fingers close around mine, gently pulling.
"She certainly likes you, Mulder." I grin as she lets my finger go and I stroke her head, affectionately. I look down at the gigantic mess at the foot of the bed and cringe.
"I should clean that up," I say, indicating the towel and its contents. Scully frowns at me, obviously not wanting me to leave too soon. I leave a sweet kiss on her forehead and nuzzle my nose against hers. "I'll be back in a moment." I gaze down at the baby in her arms and kiss the tip of my finger, planting it on her tiny nose. "Bye, little baby. I love you." I look back at Scully. "Love you too."
And I slide off the bed to rid us of the mess we created.
* * * * * *
4:35
I return to the bedroom, hands clean and mind clear. When I see my Scully and the bundle in her arms, I understand how great it really feels to be a daddy. Scully looks up at me and smiles, holds out a hand to me. I take it and sit beside her, gazing down at our little miracle. I realize, with a smile, that Scully has stripped off the large T-shirt she was wearing and the baby cradled against her arm is suckling on her breast, happily. I grin at Scully and she sighs deeply, caressing the back of my hand with her thumb.
"She really likes *you* now, Scully." She giggles a little and leans her head against my shoulder.
"Glad to know I can be of some use," she jokes, squeezing my hand in hers. I let my other hand wander over the baby's hairline and trace her minute features. She lets out a little contented squeak and releases Scully's nipple, swallowing and opening her mouth wide, in a yawn. "She's tired."
"She's had a long day," I say, pretending to make up an excuse for her. Scully smiles and sighs, covering the baby up gently with the towel again and humming softly. The little girl closes her eyes and wrinkles her nose a little, before relaxing and falling asleep. I grin back up at Scully and she smiles back at me, warmly.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too," I whisper, kissing the bridge of her nose, tenderly and she leans back against me, gazing lovingly at our tiny, baby daughter.
* * * * * *
05:46
"Hush little baby, don't say a word, papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird. And if that mockingbird don't sing, papa's gonna buy you a diamond ring..." Walking slowly around our living-room, I rock my daughter in my arms and sing to her. I've never been much of a singer, not since that incident with the vampires but there's something about singing to my baby that makes me feel really happy. I can't help making up the rest of the words to the song, mainly because I don't know the real ones.
Oh well, I'll get a book or something.
I really cannot take my eyes off her. I didn't think I would really be a baby person, even when I had my own, but I guess things like that can change. She is *so* pretty. I rub her hair gently to rid her of the last few drops of moisture and realize that her thin hair is, indeed, brown. Like mine. I grin and wonder whether she *will* have lovely blue eyes like her mother.
I take her to the window and show her the brightening outside. The sun has almost come up and I can tell it's going to be a nice day, even though it is winter. She doesn't open her eyes, but I can tell she's listening to the, now soft, pit-patter of the drops falling on the window-pane. The sound is actually very soothing, calming me almost to the point of drowsiness. It's been a long night.
I hear muffled footsteps behind me and turn slowly, so as not to disturb her. Scully stands, smiling softly at me, in the doorway from the bathroom. A little steam comes through the door and I realize that the heat must be back on. I smile, relieved. She's wearing that beautiful, white, terry-cloth robe that makes her look so natural. Her towel-dried hair is pulled into a loose ponytail at the base of her neck.
"Nice shower?" I ask her, quietly. She nods and steps towards us, sighing happily.
"You two look so *sweet* together," she whispers, tilting her head to the side and taking in the picture of us. The bundle in my arms gives a tiny gurgle, as if she recognizes that her mommy's here, and wriggles slightly in the clean towel I wrapped her in, after bathing her.
Scully sits on the couch and holds out her arms to me. Passing her daughter to her, I sit down next to her into the soft cushions. She holds the baby carefully in the crook of her arm and pushes back the towel a little, to uncover slightly paler skin than we both expected. I wrap an arm around her shoulders and lean to nuzzle and leave a kiss on the side of her neck. She sighs against me and gazes down at the baby in her arms.
"Mulder?" she breathes, never taking her eyes off the baby.
"What?" I whisper near her ear.
"What do you think of Jade?" I furrow my eyebrows.
"I don't think I know her, Scully." She looks up at me grinning, and rolls her eyes, letting out a soft chuckle.
"I meant as a name." I shrug.
"I dunno. It's a very sweet name." I look back down at the baby and start to wonder. It's true. She *does* look like a Jade. I smile. "Now you come to mention it, I think Jade would be perfect." Scully nods and smiles. "What about a middle name?"
"I know Mom would like it to be Margaret. She was hinting about that a *lot* last time I saw her." I smile and try it out.
"Jade Maggie Scully. I like that." We both watch as the newly-named Jade Margaret opens her eyes and blinks. Obviously contented with life so far, she promptly yawns and falls straight back to sleep again, letting her petit head rest against Scully's breast.
"Sleep well, Jade," Scully breathes.
"Yeah," I say, "Sweet dreams." Then I think. "If the hot water's back on, it must mean..." Scully reaches to the coffee table and picks up the receiver. She tilts her head at me.
"You wanna do it, or shall I?"
"You can." She nods and punches Maggie's number into the phone.
"Hi, Mom. Guess who this is?" She holds the phone to the baby's mouth and waits a few seconds. Right on cue, Jade gurgles in her sleep and I hear a cry of joy from down the phone. She smiles back at me and puts the phone back to her ear. "You still conscious, mom?" I hear the answering yes and various congratulations. Scully listens for a moment. "It's a girl. We called her Jade Margaret." Scully grins at me, obviously listening to her mother's pleased words. "Yeah. Sure you can." She turns to me. "Mom wants to talk to you." I nod and take the phone from her.
"Hey, Mom."
"Hello, Fox. My Lord, I can't believe it. It's wonderful news."
"I know. Hey," I grin. She's never gonna believe this. "Guess who delivered her with his own two hands?"
"I have no idea."
"Yours truly. I cut the cord and everything."
"I'm very proud of you, Fox. I'm sure you did a good job." I grin like a kid who's just won a medal at sports day. "I'll leave you be for now. I'm sure you have some sleep to catch up on."
"You wanna say good-bye to the beautiful mother?"
"If that's okay." I hand the phone back to Scully and she says good-bye. She puts the receiver down and we both gaze at little Jade.
"And if that diamond ring turns brass, papa's gonna buy you a looking-glass..." Scully joins in and soon, both of us are dead to the world, our happy, little baby girl nestled safely in our arms.
La fini.