Back Just In Time (R)


She was more tired than she had thought and her back was killing her. She shouldn't have stayed so long, but spending time with Mulder made her feel better than anything else. She had felt a little off all day except when she had been sitting on his couch, listening to his voice. Well, she'd be home soon and could put her feet up. That didn't help much any more, not as large as she had gotten, but it wouldn't be much longer. That brought a smile to her face, he was here, he was back, that was the main thing.

The smile faded as she felt the muscles of her stomach tighten painfully. What the . . .? Damn, it kept building. She eased up on the accelerator, in too much pain to continue driving at the posted speed. She managed to pull over into a delivery area and finally felt the pain begin to recede.

She sat there trying to regulate her breathing. That had almost felt like . . . had it been a contraction? It certainly was within the realm of possibility. A first baby, it could come at any time within the two weeks before or after her official due date.

But if she had another one while she was driving, she could be in trouble. She looked around. She was only a couple of blocks from Mulder's apartment. She better head back that way, just in case.

She was relieved to pull up in front of his building without experiencing any more pains. She turned off the key and reached for the door handle when another contraction engulfed her. She gripped the steering wheel white-knuckled, trying to breathe through the pain, but gasped, losing her control when she felt her water break. "Shit! Mulder, where are you?"

Beginning contractions did not last this long, and they shouldn't be this painful. She'd observed women in labor, hell; she'd delivered that baby down in Florida. It shouldn't be this bad yet.

When she was able, she opened the car door and forced her body out of the car. She realized immediately that she wasn't able to stand completely upright any more. And the baby had obviously dropped into position. She needed help.

She kept moving, holding tight to the handrail to get up the stairs. The next contraction hit when she was in the elevator and she had to hold onto to side of the car when her knees threatened to buckle. When she reached the fourth floor she forced her body to move toward his door as rapidly as possible, knocking loudly.

"Scully?" He opened the door quickly. "I thought you were headed home. Are you . . . are you okay?"

"I, uh, I think I'm in labor Mulder. I was afraid to drive myself."

"Scully?" He had hold of her arm then helping her inside.

"I'm okay, I think. I just . . . "

"Come on, you better sit down."

"You need to get a towel. My water broke in the car."

"Your water broke? Scully, we should call your doctor."

"I think you're right. Would you drive me?"

"Of course. Let me get my shoes." He tossed a towel on the couch and seated her carefully.

"Thanks Mulder."

He grinned, more than a little nervously, and nodded. "I'll be right back."

He hurried into his bedroom and glanced around for his shoes. Where the hell were they? Scully was in labor. He'd been looking forward to and dreading this moment since he first saw her. They hadn’t talked about how this had happened, well she had started to, but he had ducked out of it until she had quit trying. He was back; thank goodness he had gotten back in time for this. She seemed to need him.

"Mulder! Oh god, Mulder!!"

He raced back into the living room. She was reclining on the couch now, writhing, her hands clutching at her swollen abdomen.

"Scully? Come on, breathe through it." He had his arm around her.

When the pain finally began to pass, she sank against him. "Mulder, we need to go."

"Yeah, yeah, I agree." He spotted his shoes under the coffee table and shoved his feet into them. He helped her to her feet then and they moved carefully toward the door.

Before they reached it she was doubled over again and his arms tightened to support her.

"Mulder, Mulder I think maybe you better call 911."

"Scully are you okay?" He was moving her carefully back toward the couch.

"Not really. This baby's coming fast. Mulder, call them, now."

He nodded, moving toward the desk once she was on the couch again. She glanced at her watch. This was insane, no labor was this quick.

“Scully, you just need to relax, the ambulance is on the way.”

Relax? What planet was he on? “Mulder, get some towels and the alcohol and some scissors.”

His eyes widened, but he didn’t move. “Scully?”

“They’re not going to get here in time. Mulder, hurry!” She lost the ability to speak as another contraction took control of her body, allowing her only to groan what sounded like his name.

She saw his pallor and hoped that he wouldn’t faint, not yet at least. She saw him run to get the things she had requested through the haze of pain.

She barely had time to take a breath before the next one hit. She had no idea the pain would be this severe, but then she had always imagined a hospital with an epidural close by.

“Scully, can you hear me?” She felt him beside her then a cool cloth bathed her face. She opened her eyes to look into his frantic expression.

“I need to push.” She barely whispered it, but saw his eyes widen in true terror. This wasn’t exactly what she had planned either, but the pain was overriding her own fear.

He glanced over at the door as though hoping the calvary would burst through with several doctors and a midwife or two. Where was the damn ambulance?

“Mulder, help me.” The rest was lost in a gut-wrenching groan and he watched her body begin to push the child from within her.

She was having the baby and she needed his help. He had actually pulled up a couple of websites on childbirth after he had seen her. A quick look had assured him that this was not his field. It didn’t matter, she probably wouldn’t want him there anyway, maybe her mother or . . . anyway he’d shoved it aside and tried to convince himself it was none of his business.

He had never imagined this.

She had hold of his hand now as another brutal contraction wracked her. He forced what he had seen back to the forefront of his mind. He needed to check her . . . her dilation.

She needed to be propped up, supported in order to push more effectively. He moved her as gently as possible, and arranged the pillows at her back. He had several million questions he wanted to ask her, but she was in too much pain to answer.

Instead of speaking, he squeezed her hand and moved down the couch to lift her knees. He quickly removed her underwear. Her body pushed again and his blood chilled at the sounds she was making - animal sounds. He had never seen her in pain like this.

Well he didn’t have to worry about examining her, the baby was crowning. Where the fuck was that ambulance!

“Scully, can you hear me? The baby’s almost here. Push Scully.”

She was watching him now, concentrating on his face. She cried out then and he winced but didn’t look away. Instead he forced his shaking hands down to support the head of the infant. What had the website said? Make sure the mouth was clear, and the nose, so it could breathe. He didn’t see the cord.

“Scully, come on. The head’s out. You need to push again.”

The instruction was unnecessary; her body was in control now. He watched helplessly as her body spasmed again and she screamed as first one, then the other shoulder was birthed. The rest of the baby’s body slipped into his hands.

To his relief the child screamed out his rage, but Mulder’s attention was on Scully. She had collapsed back against the pillows.

“Scully? Scully!”

She managed to open her eyes. “Mulder.”

She sounded exhausted and . . . and weak.

“Scully it’s a boy. You had a boy.” He placed the baby on her stomach and she tried to lift her arm to touch it, but fell back.

Body heat, the website had mentioned keeping the baby warm. He took one of the remaining towels and wrapped the tiny boy in it, then took Scully’s hand and placed it on the baby.

“Tie . . . tie off the cord.”

Mulder nodded and reached for the package of shoelaces he had thought to grab. He wasn’t sure she was still conscious. He hadn’t read this far and she was in no shape to help him. He’d have to wing it. He hurried to cut the cord, but before he could speak she seemed to be pushing again.

“Scu . . . Scully?”

“Have, have to deliver the placenta.”

At least she seemed to be getting her breath back. He forced himself to concentrate on her. Without him, she would be alone. He had to get through this. At least she wasn’t in that horrible pain anymore. He covered the afterbirth with a towel and moved it out of sight.

“Mulder.” He’d come through for her so far; she couldn’t have him passing out of her now. “Take the baby.”

“I . . . I don’t think I should.” He moved his shaking hands out of her sight.

“Please, you need to keep him warm.” Her eyes were closing again. Even he could see she was going into shock. Where was the fucking ambulance!

He rose to his feet and gathered the baby against him, then with shaking legs headed to his bedroom. He clutched the baby even tighter and yanked the blanket off of his bed, then hurried back to her. He covered her but she barely stirred.

He sank onto the coffee table. The baby, Scully’s son, had quietened when pressed against Mulder’s chest. Mulder thought he was asleep. He carefully pulled the baby away from his chest to really look at him. The infant stirred, but didn’t start crying again.

Mulder stared at the child, his eyes widening in shock. His mouth fell open and he couldn’t get his breath.

“Mulder?” He didn’t seem to hear her and fear blossomed inside of her. “Mulder! What’s wrong? Is he breathing?” She struggled to rise.

“No, no Scully, he’s okay.” He managed to look up at her.

“Then what? What’s wrong?”

“It’s Samantha - he looks just like Samantha.”

She was just watching him now. “Scully? Why does your son look just like my sister?”

“Why do you think?”

“He’s . . . he’s mine?”

“Who else did I ask to loan me some sperm?”

“But, but it didn’t work.”

“No, that didn’t.”

That didn’t? Do you mean . . . You mean we did this?” She actually chuckled. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried.”

He just looked at her for the longest moment. “You . . . you did, didn’t you.” She nodded. “I’m sorry, I . . . god, I’m a shit.”

“Not really, and you did make it back for the birth. I didn’t plan for you to take quite so active a role though.”

“A wise plan, too bad it didn’t work.” He turned his head as he finally heard a siren in the distance. “I think your ride’s coming.”

”Thank you. Mulder, thank you for coming home in time.”

He didn’t attempt to speak around the lump in his throat, just placing a kiss on her forehead and after an instant, meeting her lips with his own. She responded and the tightness in his chest vanished. He had a son, a son with Scully. It was good to be home.

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Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunman and Skinner all belong to Chris Carter, 10-13 and Fox. No infringement intended.