TITLE: Almost Home (19/?)
AUTHOR: Shoshana
EMAIL ADDRESS: [email protected]
DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT: Gossamer, Spookys site, Xemplary,
etc.
SPOILER WARNING: Seventh season episodes through Requiem.
RATING: NC-17 (Most of the story is rated R, NC-17 parts will be
clearly marked)
CONTENT STATEMENT: MSR
CLASSIFICATION: SRA
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance
SUMMARY: Post ep for Requiem. Mulder comes back... but he's
missing something.
DISCLAIMER: These characters do not belong to me.
NOTE: Thanks to my great beta readers Keleka, Lisa and Sallie!

Almost Home (19/?)
By Shoshana

February 26nd, 2001
Monday
9:00 a.m.
Office of Dr. Myers

"Mulder, stop fidgeting! You're driving me nuts," Scully scolded.

If anyone had the right to squirm at that moment it was Dana Scully,
not Fox Mulder. Her bladder was 'optimally filled,' just as the
doctor had ordered. 'Optimally filled' so her bladder would move the
gas in the intestines out of the way of the ultrasound beam.

As a doctor, Scully knew all the science behind every test she'd
gone through over the last six months. That didn't mean she had to
enjoy them, particularly when the doctor was running twenty minutes
late and she hadn't visited a bathroom for an hour and half. Mulder
refused to sit still in the waiting room, discarding one magazine
after another. He was driving her crazy. He also had the nerve to
excuse himself to use the bathroom twice.

Scully knew it was irrational to expect him to adhere to the same
regimen she had to as a pregnant woman, especially when it
pertained to diet or exercise. Or not peeing before the ultrasound
examination. She hadn't told him why she hadn't made her usual twice
an hour pilgrimage to the rest room. He hadn't seem to notice, so
she just assumed he knew why.

He probably was too distracted to remember anything she'd told him
in the last twenty-four hours about the test. He was clearly more
nervous than she was about this doctor's appointment. It was their
first one together and she was delighted to have him beside her. She
just wished he'd settle down in his seat for longer than five
minutes.

"Sorry," Mulder apologized, uncrossing his legs and bracing his
knees with his hands.

Mulder threw her an tentative half-smile, and she pursed her lips,
trying not to laugh at his endearing restlessness. His episode in
the hospital over the weekend and subsequent retrieval of assorted
memories from the previous year had increased his solicitude toward
her, if that were even possible. He'd been so attentive to her over
the last week she'd sometimes felt like telling him it wasn't
necessary to constantly help her with the most fundamental of
movements.

Scully didn't protest at first because she found herself
appreciating his overprotectiveness for the first time in their eight
year relationship. She'd craved his company so much, for so long--it
seemed silly to complain. She also had to take into account his
amnesia; he could be trying to compensate for not remembering their
life together.

However, even after he'd regained enough memories from the last year
to feel confident of people, places and things he should know, their
encounter with a mysterious car on the highway Sunday night had
spooked them both. Her nightmare this morning hadn't helped either.
He'd had such a difficult time waking her, but he hadn't pressed her
for details of her dream. He'd simply told her they needed to see
Skinner as soon as possible, elaborating no further.

"I talked to the neurologist's office this morning, Mulder," she
offered, trying to divert his attention from the long wait.

"Do I have an appointment already? he groaned mildly. He'd seen
enough medical personnel on his own behalf over the weekend, and was
only glad to be in a doctor's office because Scully was the patient.

"Yes... it's a friend from medical school. It won't take very long.
I had your records faxed over from Westerly hospital to Alexandria
hospital where coincidentally he practices. All those tests we did
last week can be compared to your latest ones," she informed him.

"And Skinner?" he asked.

Mulder's eyes reflected genuine anxiety for her continued safety.
He didn't know whether they'd be lucky enough to elude pursuit next
time they were chased down a dark highway at night. Skinner was the
only person who could authorize personal protection for them at this
time, and they'd agreed it might be necessary not only for
themselves, but also their extended family.

"One p.m., his office," Scully responded.

She took his hand in hers and added, "We don't have to tell him
everything, Mulder. Just about the car on Sunday night. It's not
even necessary to mention Krycek's name. We're justified in asking
for his help."

"I know, I know. I'm the one who was so insistent about seeing
him." He raised his hand to her lips gently, preventing her response
until he could finish. "The more time I have to think this morning,
the more misgivings I have--but I do want to see him, and I do want
to protect your family."

"Mom can stay with Bill and Tara for awhile, Mulder. They're on a
secure naval base. I don't want to scare her though. We have so
little information to go on at this point. Have you talked to the
guys yet?"

"No, I forgot to call and tell them about our trip to the hospital,
Scully--" he voiced guiltily.

"I did," she told him with a self-satisfied grin.

"That's my Scully," he replied, leaning over to kiss her cheek.

"We're going over there for dinner tonight."

"So... when were you going to tell me? You certainly have my day
planner filled, Ms. Scully," he jested.

"I just like to keep you guessing, remember?" she said, smoothing
her hand against his own.

"I do now," he said solemnly. "I seem to remember more every day
since Saturday. Words and images come back randomly, then combine to
make sense ten, fifteen minutes later. Sometimes the whole story
comes back at once, but that's only about certain activities, if you
know what I mean," he leered playfully.

"Mulder!" she said, glancing around the waiting room at the other
patients.

"What? Scully, no one is listening! Even if they were, they would
be so confused by our conversation they'd tune it out." He put his
arm around her, then kneaded her tight shoulder. "Relax, we're
having an ultrasound."

"Yes, I know we're having one. I just wish they'd hurry the hell up
in--"

"Dana Scully," the technician yelled to the room at large.

"Yes," she responded enthusiastically, popping out of her chair
faster than she imagined possible at this point in her pregnancy.
Scully was eager to see her baby's development once again. Not to
mention her bladder was about to explode.

Mulder followed her into the examining room, then helped her hop up
on the table. He then leaned against the nearest wall, arms crossed,
patiently watching the two women prepare for the procedure.

"Hi, Dana. How've you been?" the technician asked while she helped
Scully lift her shirt and roll down her maternity pants. She then
tucked a large paper drape into the waistband to protect the fabric
from the gel.

"Great, just great, Amy. I haven't seen you since my
amniocentesis... Amy, this is Fox Mulder. He's the baby's father."

Scully beckoned him to her side while continuing to speak to the
technician, "Amy, you know I'm a physician so you gave me an
abbreviated explanation last time I was here. You can give Mulder
the grand tour, so to speak, if you like."

Amy chuckled as she warmed the gel between her hands. "It's nice to
meet you Mulder. You'll have to excuse me from a handshake for now."

"Quite all right. Amy. Why did you have to have an ultrasound
during your amniocentesis, Scully?"

"They monitor the insertion of the needle to gather amniotic fluid.
It only took about thirty seconds, and I barely felt it. I could see
the baby move on the monitor after the doctor withdrew the needle,
but I was so nervous about the results of the test I couldn't fully
enjoy it. I did get a nice photo to take home with me. I was too
embarrassed to tell you I'd lost it in my apartment," she replied
sheepishly.

Scully squeezed the hand Mulder had offered her seconds earlier.
This time was easier on her; she was confident the baby was healthy
after seeing the amnio results at sixteen weeks. He smiled at her
and moved his other hand behind her neck, gently massaging there.

"It doesn't matter now, Scully. I'm sure this will be just as
exciting," he assured her.

Scully shuddered involuntarily as Amy placed a puddle of gel in the
middle of the lower abdomen, about halfway between her navel and her
pubic bone. There was no way to completely warm the substance in the
few minutes they had, but Amy had certainly done her best. She used
the transducer to spread the gel over Scully's belly, from top to
bottom.

The room fell silent as the image danced across the monitor. Mulder
and Scully watched the blurry picture in awe, searching for
recognizable body parts.

"Look!" Amy pointed out finally, as the baby's position changed
slightly. "He's waving to you."

The baby wasn't actually moving, but he did have his hand and arm
extended, a pose very similar to one stop-action frame of a movie.

"Wow," was all Mulder could manage.

"Wow is right," Scully responded, smiling at Mulder's astonishment.

Amy grinned at both parents. It never ceased to amaze her how
predictable people were. No matter how well-educated or articulate
they were before the exam--they seemed to lose the power of speech at
the first sight of their developing child. 'Wow' was definitely in
their vocabulary, along with other common phrases such as 'Oh, God'
and 'Look at that.'

She'd been curious about Dana Scully's situation, aware only that
the child's father was also an FBI agent because she'd looked over
new medical information added to her file. She could only imagine
what Dana had been going through--not knowing where he was, what
assignment he was on. He'd probably done undercover work, just like
on those Discovery Channel shows. That was how Amy explained his
absence in her own mind; she could never imagine this attentive,
gentle man missing the first months of his child's life for any other
conceivable reason.

"Okay, I'm going to print out a few copies of that frame. Dr. Myers
should be in any minute. I know you requested this ultrasound, Dana,
and so far I see no problems of any kind in fetal development. I'll
let you ask the doctor any further questions you may have. Don't
move an inch!" Amy warned goodnaturedly.

Amy left the two agents alone, gazing at the frozen image on the
screen. Mulder stepped back from Scully a little and asked, "You
requested the ultrasound?"

"Yeah. She concurred with my request, Mulder. I was worried about
the size of the baby and... my size. There's no harm done. I was
going to have one done at eight months also, but I don't think we'll
need to. I'm no obstetrician, but I'm pretty happy with the baby's
physical development. I think Dr. Myers will be too."

Mulder smiled and leaned down to kiss her cheek. "Serves you right
for getting knocked up by a tall guy like me."

"Mulder! You're impossible," she scolded.

Dr. Myers opened the door to the room just as Mulder was moving from
cheek to lips for another kiss. He pulled away quickly, startled by
her entrance. One glance at Scully informed him of the close
relationship that had developed between the two physicians, no doubt
because Dr. Myers was noticeably pregnant herself. Not as much as
Scully, but enough to show.

"Hey there, how are you doing, Dana?" asked Ashley Myers as she
moved the wand over Scully's belly.

Ashley was a brunette with Mediterranean features, a couple of
inches taller than Scully. Her long hair was pulled up in a bun, and
her green eyes twinkled as she paid close attention to the image on
the monitor.

"Fine. Just fine. This is Fox Mulder, Ashley. Mulder, this is
Ashley Myers. We went to medical school together," Scully told him,
smiling broadly.

"You did, huh? Why didn't you tell me?" he said, feeling slightly
out of the loop.

"Probably so she can say 'Gotcha!' when you head back home," joked
Ashley before Scully could reply. "She was always pulling crap on
us, weren't you, Dana?" she added, grinning at her friend.

"*You* were the class clown?" Mulder asked incredulously.

"No, Ashley was. I just tried to keep up with her," Scully
responded.

"No, no. I was trying to keep up with you, Dana. But we'll never
see the end of this argument, will we? Now, I wish I could be more
chatty today, but I'm very behind schedule. I don't see a thing
wrong here, Dana. Everything looks really good. You don't want
another one at eight months, do you?"

"No, I don't think so. I don't see the need for it now. I think
we'll just go with whatever you think is best for the rest of the
pregnancy," Scully replied.

"Okay, sounds good. I don't have to see you for another month.
Keep alert for Braxton-Hicks contractions, however mild they are. I
also want you to keep a diary of any unusual bouts with heartburn,
leg cramps, or faintness. I know you're familiar with all the other
symptoms of late pregnancy, but those are the ones I'm most concerned
with, other than the contractions. We'll give you something for all
those things if you they're too severe. Won't we, Mulder?" she said,
surprising them both by addressing Mulder singly.

"Ashley! Are you suggesting I'm a difficult patient who won't take
her meds?" Scully teased back.

"Yes, I certainly am. One of the worst in my experience, and I can
see by the look on Mulder's face he agrees with me," she added.

Scully shot Mulder a mock glare. "There's only one person who could
surpass me in crankiness, and you're looking at him, Ashley."

Mulder let out an indignant little huff, then replied, "I'll remind
you of this conversation when you're pleading for your epidural,
Scully."

Ashley laughed gleefully, delighted her friend had finally met her
match, in more ways than one. They hadn't had very much time to
catch up with one another until lately, when Dana started coming to
her for her pregnancy. She was happy to see Dana Scully was a
changed woman since her last visit; her smile was genuine, her eyes
sparkled with life, not worry and dimmed hopes. The return of
Mulder, from wherever he'd been, was a joyous one for Ashley if it
made her old friend feel this great.

"I'm glad you two get along so well," she remarked dryly. Ashley
extended her hand to Mulder across the examining table over Scully's
still-exposed tummy. "Hope to see both of you next month, I gotta
run!"

Ashley squeezed Scully's right hand affectionately, before sending
both of them one last smile and rushing out the door.

Mulder and Scully turned to one another immediately, both
suppressing laughter. They both succumbed at the same time, as Amy
came walking in to help clean up Scully's slick tummy.

"Hey, I'm glad you're doing so well," Amy told Scully as she wiped
up the excess gel from her stomach. "Those sonogram prints are
waiting for you when you check out, Dana."

"Thanks, Amy. Thanks for everything," Scully said, hoping to convey
her deep regard for her. The whole office had been so supportive of
her while Mulder was still missing. She wouldn't have expected
anything less of her friend Ashley and the people she employed.

Scully adjusted her waistband and pulled her shirt back down with a
little help from Amy. Mulder stood ready to help her off the high
table, and they left the room for the receptionist's desk.

"Wait here," she ordered Mulder, ducking into the nearest bathroom.

Mulder nonchalantly leaned beside the door, chuckling to himself.
He had a hard time envisioning his Scully as a prankster in college,
much less graduate school. Then again, he'd been more wild in his
undergraduate years than he was willing to admit to most of his FBI
friends.

Phoebe had been the only person from those days to visit him at
work. Thank God she didn't spill everything to Scully, he thought to
himself. At least, he hoped she hadn't. He still had no memory from
that year of his life and no warning when he'd have another episode
like the one the previous weekend.

Scully emerged from the washroom and Mulder wasted no time asking
her what was now plaguing his mind, "When's my neurologist
appointment?"

"Three o'clock, more or less. My friend's on duty tonight at
Alexandria hospital. We'll go over and wait until he has a few
minutes. He promised to review your records before his shift, and I
believe him. He's a real nice guy. You'll like him."

Mulder smiled as they walked down the hall toward the receptionist.
"In other words, he's an ex-boyfriend, don't be jealous of him."

"Hardly. He's married to Ashley. We were all in school together,
smart ass. I'm not even going to remind you who I was seeing at the
time. I think you remember... Oh, God, Mulder, I'm sorry. What if
you don't remember?" she said, stricken by her faux pas.

Mulder stopped her from walking any further and put his arms around
her. He kissed the top of her head and told her softly, "You already
told me about Daniel, Scully. And I *do* remember the night we sat
and talked and you told me all about him. It's coming back to me
slowly, at least the last year or so."

"Do you remember what happened after I fell asleep on the couch?"
she asked, looking up at him beseechingly.

"Yes. Yes, I do, Scully. And I'm not likely to forget for the rest
of my life," he whispered, smoothing a stray hair behind her ear.

"Me neither," she responded. Scully reached up and caressed his
cheek lightly, her thumb grazing the outside of his lips. "I think
it's time we go visit our old office. What do you think of that
idea?"

Mulder turned his head slightly, kissing her palm as it rested
against his cheek. "I think it's a good one. A great one, actually.
I'd like to see if you've redecorated," he said lightly.

Scully groaned with humor, "No, Mulder. Every scrap of paper has
been left in its disorganized place! Except for the ones I added to
the mess. Come on, G-man, it's time to go back to work."

fin

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