Baseball, Babies and Brides (1/1)
8/22/99
Author: Denise Schoppe dschoppe@hotmail.com
Spoilers: The Unnatural
Rating: PG
MSR
Authors Notes: I'm a bit embarrassed by this story. I'm not sure why - I guess because its pretty different from what I usually write. It is complete insanity. I have absolutely no clue where this came from. I think maybe the heat is affecting my brain. It's fluff and pretty much pointless . . . but that just makes it more fun. I hate to put a summary because I don't want to give the ending away. Just go with it. I thought about putting an opener that leads into the story and lets you in on what is up… but that would kinda ruin the fun. So no summary except to say… go with it.
Archive: Sure, just let me know where and keep my name and addey on it.
Feedback: Love it!
Disclaimer: Not mine obviously. Poor girl just trying to have some fun.
< - - - >

"Scully, I quit."

"You quit?"

"I quit."

Scully stared at her partner like he had lost his mind. He was staring at the door of their basement office with a look of determination. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts she was afraid to say anything -- feeling almost as if she'd be interrupting him is mid sentence.

"You - you quit."

"Yes, I quit. I'm sick of this. I think I'll go play some baseball."

Scully pursed her lips, arched and eyebrow as she looked at him as if he'd lost his mind.

"Baseball?"

Mulder nodded and finally focused on Scully.

"Baseball. You know I've always loved the game. I bet I could get a place on a minor league team. It would be a fun and relaxing job, I could - Scully quit looking at me like that."

"I'm sorry Mulder. After all of these years, I'm just amazed you could walk away from all of this."

"Oh I won't be totally walking away from it. You'll continue to work here on the files, I'll play baseball and after we get married I'll be free to help you out on the weekends."

"Thank you for planning my future for me."

"Awww . . . come on Scully. Don't tell me that it wouldn't work - and that you couldn't see this happening."

Scully shook her head and walked over to Mulder and felt his forehead.

"Are you feeling all right, Mulder?"

He laughed.

"I'm feeling great. So how about it?"

"How about what?"

"How about what?! You know… you and me - married."

Scully continued to look at him as if he were crazy.

< - - - >

Within two weeks they were married. True to his word, Mulder quit the bureau and got a spot on a minor league baseball team. Before anyone knew it, Fox Mulder became a star player and was being watched my some of professional baseball's top teams. People from all around came to watch him lead his team to victory after victory. During this time, people began to become curious about the quiet, brooding man behind the bat. The more journalists poked into his private life, the more protective and shut off he became.

No one knew he had been a FBI agent, ever chased 'little green men' or even that he was married. They certainly didn't know of the surprise and joy he felt when his wife turned up pregnant.
Scully had done just as Mulder predicted and stayed with the bureau to continue investigating the X-Files. She had requested not to be assigned a new partner, and her wish was granted. She worked with different Field Agents at each case she investigated. No one at the FBI had been surprised when the two of them had married, and it was even commented about how they'd waited so long. Her world joyfully turned over when she found out she was pregnant. Neither of them could explain how, since she had supposedly been rendered infertile years before.

When ever possible, Scully would attend baseball practice to freely watch Mulder playing the game he loved so much. She didn't attend many games because of her condition. When she did go, however, she always got a kick out the young women who hung around the dung out waiting for "Fox."
One day, things seemed to change. Scully found Mulder sitting in the kitchen of the small house they had bought shortly after their marriage.

"Mulder?"

"Scully, I quit."

"Again?"

Mulder laughed.

"Yeah again. Think I can get my job back at the bureau?"

"I think that can be arranged. What changed you're mind?"

"I want to be here when the baby comes. I don't want to be on the road going to some game across the country."

Scully nodded.

"I want to be working beside you once again."

Scully nodded again and smiled.

"Sunday's game will be my last."

< - - - >

Sunday's game was packed. Everyone wanted to see Fox Mulder's last game. He'd built up quite a fan base, and many were disappointed and confused by his choice to quit.
As the game drew to a close, and the team and fans were preparing to bid Mulder good bye - and announcement came over the speakers at the ballpark.

"Mulder it's me."

Mulder turned to the press box, surprised to hear his wife's voice. He couldn't see her and he began to search the crowd for her.

"Mulder, I want to congratulate you on how well you have done at this game. I also want to tell you how much I love you. You asked me to marry you when you made you're last career change - this time I'm asking you. I want to marry you all over again. I can't wait to start working beside you once again."

Mulder was grinning ear to ear by this time as he searched the crowd. A voice behind him startled him.

"Does that smile mean yes?"

Mulder spun around to find Scully standing right behind him. She was just inside the dug out, where no one but himself and the other players could see her.

"Yes, Scully that means yes."

She walked carefully out to him where he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her gently.

< - - - >

Scully woke up with a start. A slow smile crossed her lips. The insane dream she'd had amused her and she began to try and figure out where it had come from. She looked to her left to find Mulder sleeping peacefully beside her.
Slowly the evening before came back to her. The batting practice that had been her "very early or very late birthday present" ended in complete truthfulness to one another. The walls they'd carefully built to keep their relationship strictly professional came tumbling down around them as they admitted their true feelings for one another.

She slipped out of the bed and walked across the room to where the baseball jersey Mulder had been wearing was laying. She picked it up and slipped it on. She returned to the bed where she sat and watched him sleep. After awhile she slid down beside him and draped her arm over his stomach and entwined her fingers with his. She kissed him gently on his cheek and whispered into his ear, "I love you Fox Mantle."
The End