Chapter 5
2 and a half months later
(5 months - babytime)
June was beautiful this year. The sun shined through the windows
and the cold D.C. had seen only a couple of months back seemed
like a distant memory. The weather seemed to suit my mood. Sunny,
yet still held a couple of small clouds on the horizon.
It had been exactly two and half months since Mulder discovered I
was pregnant. Whats happened since? Tons. No, we didnt
run out to Vegas to get married. Nor did we declare our love for
each other in a passionate, splendid way. That only happens on
soap operas. We knew we loved each other, we didnt even
have to say it. We were going to have a baby, so we took a step.
We moved in together. In fact Mulder didnt tell me he loved
me until he was moving boxes into my apartment.
"Scully," he had said, placing a box of books on my
kitchen table.
I looked up from my crossword puzzle. "Yes?"
"I love you."
"I love you too, Mulder." Then I went back to my
crossword puzzle. It was as simple as that. No, I dont have
a ring around my finger. Yes, this baby is going to born into
wedlock. And yes, my mom is ok with that, for now. I can picture
her planning my wedding sometime in the future, however. What
mother doesnt want to do that for their daughter?
And are Mulder and I sleeping together? Well, if you mean were
getting it on every single night then youre probably seen
too many of Mulders porn films. But, yes, we love each, were
having a baby, and we do sleep together occasionally. Who knew
all it would take for Mulder and I to form a
"relationship" was a one night stand and a baby on the
way? Maybe we could sell our story to the soaps one day.
Oh, and yes my brother Bill knows as well. I didnt really
intend to tell him. I had been beginning to show, though, and he
noticed I gained weight when he came to visit. And, as some
people may think, he did not go out and murder Mulder on the
spot. He may be Navy, but hes not that rash. Sure, he spoke
a few choice words, and told me that I could do better. But I
know hell come around. He only looks out for me, even
though I can look out for me on my own. Guess Im always be
his little sister in the same way Ill always be my moms
baby girl. Tara, on the other hand, was very happy for me, and
even offered to go baby shopping with me. I have to admit
pregnancy is starting to grow on me.
Once Bill knew, he passed it along to Charlie, who passed it
along to just about the whole family. My mom always said:
"Tell Charlie Scully a secret and you might as well tell the
world." Before I knew I had distant family members calling
with congratulations and asking when they missed the wedding.
They didnt miss it; it hasnt occurred yet. I dont
even know if it will, but for the first time in my life, Im
okay with that. I dont need to plan my entire life. I just
need to get through the next four months. Then I can go back to
being a control freak. Ive decided hormones are a great
worry lifter.
Of course here comes the important thing: I have to tell people
at work, mostly meaning I have to tell Kersh. Something I think
Mulder was going to enjoy more than I would. It wasnt
something I was looking forward to, but something I had to do. I
was wearing baggy and non-flattering clothes to work to hide my
slightly bulging stomach. My morning sickness had just about
disappeared, but I was going to need some maternity leave. Maybe
I could just call in sick for a couple of months straight.
And maybe pigs will fly tomorrow, Dana.
Yeah, right.
I thought today would be as good a day as any. I had a sonogram
appointment at two that afternoon, something Mulder was strangely
very excited about. Hes been shocking me lately. The one
man who I would think would be scared at the prospect of
fatherhood went out yesterday and came back with a truckload of
baby toys. Every toy was neutral, since we didnt now if the
baby was a boy or girl. Though, come to think about it, Mulder
did buy a few pink things. I think he wants a girl. Hes
never really told me a preference, but after yesterdays
credit card bill I think he wants a girl.
Good. Another vote in my favor. Too bad votes alone cant
get you a baby girl.
Mulder got up early this morning, heading off to work saying
something a mound of paperwork Kersh had stuck him with. I
figured he was really going to play an early game of Doom™
with the Gunmen. I got up usually, got ready for work, and
intended to see Kersh about my condition at 10:30 sharp. That was
my schedule and Im sticking to it.
And before anyone asks, no I was not going to tell him about the
babys father unless he came out and asked. I knew what type
of people Kersh knew. It was only about eight months back when I
found that Cigarette Smoking bastard in his office. If he had to
ask who the father was, he was a little denser than I thought.
I stuck to my schedule. Went into work, and at 10:30 went by
myself to see AD Kersh. I sat down in the chair in the office and
told him I would need some maternity leave in about four and a
half months. He looked at me, said that I was entitled to the
leave, and gave me congratulations. He didnt pry into my
personal life. I hadnt walked into the office with Mulder,
so he couldnt assume we were involved. He couldnt
prove it. I knew that two coworkers dating was not against FBI
regulation, they just didnt like the couple to working as
closely together as partners. Something about how it would
distract them from their duties in the FBI. Oh wow, it would stop
Mulder and I from doing another background check. Oh, darn, how
the FBI would hate that.
I think Ive been around Mulders sarcastic comments
too long.
I found him back at his desk, glasses on, looking through a pile
of paperwork on his desk. He looked up as soon as my feet were
with his range.
"How did it go?" he asked, taking his glasses off and
placing them on the desk.
"Fine. I have maternity leave in about four and a half
months. I decided I wanted a little time before the baby
came." Mulder nodded.
"So he didnt pry?"
I raised my eyebrows. "Mulder, I highly doubt he doesnt
know. I just think hes not willing to ask."
Mulder smiled. "I did think he was a turkey, but never a
chicken." He checked his watch. "Its about
eleven. Want to duck out for an early lunch?"
"Mulder, regardless of the fact you may hate it, this is
still work."
He glanced at the papers around him. "This isnt work,
Scully. This is punishment."
I sighed and sat down in my own desk behind him. "Punishment
or not, it pays the bills. Especially the $387 bill on your
credit card from Toy-R-UsŪ."
Mulder just grinned. "A baby has to get a few toys."
"Define a few for me, Mulder."
He let his hands fall down to the desk. "Okay, Scully you
win. I work. Besides I do need to pay off the crib I just
ordered."
Crib? I dont want to know.
"Think of as a break from investigating mutants, Mulder.
Somehow I dont think this baby will work around your X-Files
investigating schedule."
Mulder looked up from the paperwork he had just gone back to.
"If we ever get them back," he mumbled before going
back to work.
Baby or no baby, some things never change.
Later that day
Mulder had gone back to his paperwork for exactly five minutes
when the fire alarm sounded. The entire building spent the next
forty-five minutes standing across the street as the fire
department declared the J. Edgar Hoover Building safe. Thanks to
someone who left their cigarette to close their own paperwork
(Mulder has his own theories about that situation, of course),
Mulder had his excuse not to work. Shortly after the fire
escapade, he dragged me out to lunch and it was straight to the
OB from there.
I had a two oclock appointment for a sonogram. Since I was
five months along, we would be able to see more, and even
determine the sex of the baby.
Personally, even though I wanted a girl, I didnt want to
spoil the surprise of discovering the sex of the baby before it
decided to enter this world. Ive had this discussion with
Mulder, about whether or not to find out the sex. I think Mulder
wants to know, but we agreed either both of us finds out now, or
both of us finds out at the birth. Not one now and one at the
birth. That could risk one telling the other. So, part of me
wanted to know, the other part didnt. Which would win? I
hadnt decided yet.
I caught Mulder leafing through Parenting™ Magazine in the
waiting room. He continues to surprise me. The same sunflower
eating, porn watching, paranoid as all hell man was also a sucker
for babies. Who would have figured?
He even took the magazine into the exam room, and kept pointing
out things as I sat on the cold table, bearing the stirups.
Mulder did gulp when he saw those. I have a feeling he may want
to step out of the room during that part of the examination. Oh,
well, cant exactly blame him for that.
"Did you know that a lot of new names are coming out?"
he said, looking up from the magazine. "Madison. Who wants
to name their kid after a sports arena?"
I smile and raise my eyebrows. "Well, your names not
exactly normal either."
He looked back down at the pages. "I am not going to punish
any kid by naming him Fox."
"Its not that bad of a name. Its unique."
Mulder just gives me a look. "Well, Im not of those
people who insists the first son be named after the father. There
are plenty of other names you could pick from."
"Such as?"
He grinned. "Well, we could always name him Melvin."
He ducks to miss the magazine I throw at him.
"So you think its going to be a boy?"
He looks at me. "I didnt say what I thought it was
going to be."
"No preference?"
"Youre not going to trick me, Scully," he say
with a smile. "Im not telling."
So much for my definite vote for a girl. Oh, well, he has to
crack sometime. My OB, Rebecca Johnson, comes in soon, and for
the first time, sees I have someone with me. However, she doesnt
pry. A lot of people havent been prying, and while its
a comfort, I find it a little strange. Like theres
something Im not seeing.
Paranoid, Dana, not everyone is interested in your personal life.
Five years in the basement sure gave me a new look on the world.
She goes through the normal exam first, with Mulder casually
lifting his magazine up to cover his face. He made a comment
about how the price difference in diapers was very interesting,
when I knew he was just trying to stall until that part of the
exam was over.
Finally we got down to the one part I knew Mulder had been
looking forward to: the sonogram. As soon as something began to
show up on the scene, he eyes perked up and he followed it as if
it were the truth he had been searching for his whole life.
"So what is it?" he asked.
"Dont you want it to be a surprise?"
He looked at me for the answer. We had both had enough surprises
in our life, enough twists and turns, it might be nice to know
what we were expecting for once. So that we could prepare, so
that we were at our best.
But then again, were not talking about aliens taking over
the earth (I still doubt that would happen) were talking
about the sex of the baby, here.
I shook my head. Some surprises were nice. He nodded in
agreement.
"Besides, I have a bet with Frohike going."
I dont want to know what the winner of that bet gets.
Though the Gunmen have been sweet, sending me a gift certificate
to a maternity store. Frohike had added to the bottom of the
card, "Though you would look good where ever you shop."
I dropped the card back to the kitchen table when I read that,
but I decided it was a sweet gesture. And I _did_ need maternity
clothes.
So about a half hour later, Mulder and I were walking out of the
doctors office, Mulder muttering something about buying a
frame so we could show the sonogram to the baby when it got
older.
And sure enough he did buy one, adorned with flying saucers.
Years from now, Ill laugh at it, and maybe the baby will
to.
End Chapter 5/?