Condoms (14/18) by Lola e-mail: lolabeegood@gmail.com Time: Set during and post-The Truth. Spoilers: Everything up to the end of the series, IWTB. Summary: Mulder hates condoms for more than the obvious reasons. Overall Rating: NC-17 Author's Notes: It's looking like it'll be wrapped around part 18 so hang in there as I finish it off. I have really enjoyed this WIP and love all the comments people have been sending--keep them coming! I really wanted to explore Mulder and Scully's life after The Truth and wanted to tie some of my thoughts to the earlier series--thus the flashbacks to other episodes. I am trying to make everything fit together nicely (but even CC couldn't hold true to that always!). So, if you notice any issues with the original storyline please let me know so I can fix it. I do not own the characters. I do not make any money from this. Enjoy! *** James Blythe's log cabin was rustic and peaceful and set on the banks of the French Broad River. It had very basic amenities and was only one room but perfect for Mulder and Scully. They hiked up to it later in the day after stopping for some supplies and were pleasantly surprised to find it exactly as James had described it, unlocked and without neighbors. Scully had taken her second dosage of the morning after pill and by dinner time was retching in a bucket on the front porch. Mulder rubbed her back, and pushed her hair out of her eyes even though he knew she thought it was patronizing. There was nothing else he could do. After several minutes of bile Scully moved to sit on her haunches. "Thanks" she said "I'll be okay. Is there any water?" "Sure, I'll be right back." As Mulder walked inside the cabin to get her a bottled water he suddenly realized this was what he had missed out on when she was pregnant with William. He had missed everything from her morning sickness to sonograms to her gradually increasing girth. All of it was an experience he did not have and she did. He handed her a bottled water which she first placed on her forehead before opening. "Is this what it was like with William?" "Uh, yeah, it was for a little while" she hesitantly answered. "What did you do to get through it?" "I ate a lot of crackers" she snickered "plain, dry, crackers." "Did we buy any of those?" "Actually, I did. They are in the cupboard, can you get me a few?" Mulder quickly returned with the requested crackers and watched as Scully gingerly nibbled on one. They were quiet for several minutes as he studied her, unsure if he wanted to continue the pregnancy conversation, and unsure if she wanted to discuss it. "You know Scully," he began "you didn't tell me much about your pregnancy with William before I came back." "Uh, huh." "Can I ask you some questions now?" "Uh, sure Mulder." "I know your mom knew from early on. How did you tell her that her unmarried Catholic daughter was with child, did you go with the immaculate conception angle?" Scully snickered at his comment and moved to sit on the wooden chair on the porch. "Well, I actually didn't tell anyone but Skinner for quite some time. I was too focused on finding you to deal with my pregnancy. But, then I figured I better tell my mom before she showed up one day and I looked like a linebacker." "Scully you never looked like a linebacker." "Whatever. Anyways, I went out to her house for dinner all ready to tell her and when I got there Father McCue was also there. I couldn't imagine telling her in front of him and the man stuck around forever. I was so exhausted I eventually fell asleep on her couch. I woke up as she was locking the door for the night and I felt like if I didn't tell her now I'd lose my nerve. So, I said 'Mom, you know how much you love grandchildren? Do you think you could handle one more?'. It took her about half a minute to figure it out but she hugged me and cried. There was no judgment, no guilt, just pure joy. It was wonderful, actually." "It sounds wonderful. I'm so happy she didn't give you a hard time." "Well, I'm sure she knew it was yours but she didn't ask. With you missing I guess she figured she didn't need to poke at that raw nerve." "You must have questioned how you were going to manage." "No, no. I knew in my heart I would find you." Mulder saw a shadow fall over her eyes and suddenly felt the need to lighten the mood. "Did Skinner faint on the spot when you told him?" Mulder got the response he wanted as Scully laughed at the question. "He did go really pale for a minute, but he held up well." "You know he asked me outright if the baby was mine." "When?" "Near the end. We had decided to keep it quiet so I didn't want to divulge the information without consulting with you first, so I deflected the question." "I think he knew it was yours. He just wanted undeniable proof. It's not like I was making the rounds among the agents in the office." "I don't know Scully, you did have a reputation." For that comment Mulder got a swat. "Hey, what was that for?" "Mosquito. We better get inside" she deadpanned as she rose to go in. "Scully, you have quite a violent streak, did anyone ever tell you that?" Within minutes they were nestled in the double bed with the blankets pulled up high. Despite the summer warmth, the mountain region got cool at night and Scully was still a little clammy from vomiting. Mulder did not want her to catch a chill. As he lay there he thought about the remote cabin where Scully gave birth to their son and how she was the bravest woman he had ever met in the face of horrible danger. "She's inside. She needs to get to the hospital" Reyes anxiously tells him. He quickly turns into the ramshackle room and at first cannot focus in the darkness. Cannot see her or the baby. Then he hears "Mulder" gasped from the other side of the room and he sees her. She is propped up on an iron bed holding a bundle to her chest and is covered in blood. Then the smell of blood, dust, urine, and vomit hits him as he crosses the room quickly to be at her side. His heart is pounding so hard he's sure it's leaping from his chest. "Scully, you're okay, you're okay" he says like a mantra as he kneels next to her and wipes her hair from her face. "They didn't take him Mulder and you're here" she gasps as she reaches out for him. "I'm here and everything is going to be just fine. I just need you to hang in here with me just a bit longer, ok?" he says as he kisses her cold, clammy hand. "Okay" she whispers. "I have a helicopter, we're getting you to the hospital." "The baby...." she begins. Then he notices her head lull to the side and the grey pallor of her skin. "Scully?" he asks as he leans in tapping her cheek. Then there is a rush air behind him. He turns to see the door has been propped open and Monica is running toward him. "The chopper is ready to take her. Mulder you have to get her to a hospital to deliver the placenta. It's not coming out." "I think she's unconscious Monica. What the hell happened here?!" "You have a son" Monica says tersely as she lifts the bundle from Scully's chest and runs out of the cabin. Mulder then really looks at the woman he loves. Her chest is exposed, her legs spread wide open, her arms dropped at her sides, blood covers her and there is vomit on the floor next to her. It is a horror show and Mulder needs to get her out of there. He lifts her to his chest and jogs out the door, never looking back. While in the helicopter Mulder holds her tightly to him hoping that the adrenaline rushing through his body will somehow be magically transferred to her. Monica sits up front with the baby that Mulder has not even looked at, and seems to be swaying in her seat as she holds him. Scully starts to shiver and Mulder notices that she is covered in a cold sweat that has drenched the bloody sheet she is wrapped in. He cautiously removes his jacket while still holding her and peels the damp crusty sheet from her legs. Her body flops around freely in his arms. He pushes her arms into his jacket and wraps the wool blanket laying next to him around her bloodied legs. A million questions race through his mind: How could Agent Doggett send her to such a horrible place to have a child? What happened while she was giving birth? How much blood has Scully lost? Why is the placenta making her so ill? Is the baby okay? They arrive at the hospital in a flurry of activity. ER doctors meet them on the helipad and immediately snatch Scully from his arms and place her on a gurney. The baby is lifted from Monica's arms and in seconds the two patients are hustled away and into the elevator. Mulder and Monica are left standing on a rooftop helipad covered in blood. "Monica, what the hell happened?" "What the hell happened?" she curtly laughs "what he hell didn't happen?" "I want some answers." "Oh that's rich coming from the man who sent her to a remote cabin without running water and with a woman who is not an MD to have your baby." "I didn't send her there." "Yeah, but you didn't do anything to not send her there." "What the hell are you getting at?" he asks frustrated. "Mulder, you saw this coming. Hell, we all saw this coming, and instead of doing something about this you wait until the eleventh hour and pull this remote destination crap out of a hat." "What else was I supposed to do?" "How about be with the woman who is having your son? Instead of all this macho protection garbage, what she really needed was you there, holding her hand, helping her get through this horror of a delivery. I know, I was there." "You...you don't know anything about us" he said as he walked toward the elevator. "I know more than you think. More than you want to acknowledge" she yells after him. "Oh, yeah. Well, share this wealth of knowledge with me why don't you?" he says as he turns toward her. "You love her but she scares the crap out of you. As brave as you are at work, you are a coward when it comes to love. You'd rather think you were doing a noble act by sacrificing yourself then taking part in your life. That baby forces you to make a decision that you don't want to make. How am I doing so far?" "Monica..." "Mulder," she calms "I am trying to see your side of this, but today...today that woman went to hell and back and I hope that you realize she will never ask you for anything in return. You just need to give her everything." Just then the door to the elevator opens and a nurse rushes out. "Mr. Mulder, you need to get downstairs. Ms Scully has regained consciousness and is refusing a blood transfusion because she claims we stole her baby." Mulder ran for the elevator pushed the button down and watched as the doors closed on Monica standing on the helipad, covered i n blood and looking exhausted. He knew she was right and tears stung his eyes as he rode down to the ER. Mulder's thoughts were interrupted by scurrying outside the cabin and the distinct sound of a raccoon foraging in the woods around them. The raccoon's chatter was loud and Scully stirred. "What is that?" she groggily inquired. "It's just a raccoon. Go back to sleep, Scully." "It's hard with all that noise. Is it just one raccoon?" she asked rising from the bed. "I think so," he said as he joined her at the window looking in the blackness of the woods. "God, it's really remote out here huh?" "Very." "I like the quiet but, at times like this is really does make you feel like you are truly on your own." "I'm here" Mulder offered as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "You always are." "Well, from now on at least" he mumbled into her shoulder. "No Mulder, you have always been with me, here" she said as she placed his hand over her heart "even when you weren't with me in body." "I wish I was with you more in the past Scully." "I know, but that's the past. We can't change it." "Yeah, but we can regret it." "No regrets Mulder. I have come to see that life is too short to spend all my time figuring out how things could have been different. One wrong move and everything would change, and that, I couldn't stand." "Scully, when we get to Virginia..." "Yes?" "I'll do whatever it takes to make life as normal for you as possible. I want you to have that, and I want to give that to you." "Mulder, how about we see when we get there?" she chuckles attempting to lighten the mood. "No, Scully. You have always given me everything I needed and wanted, and even some things I didn't know I needed." he sighed "Now, you need simple and normal, you need a home. I have that to give to you and I'm going to do just that." "This is really important to you isn't it?" "Scully, when I bought that house a year ago I knew that one day it would be our home. I want it to be that, a home." "It will be Mulder." she said as she leaned back and smiled "Wherever you are is home to me." **************** Continued in Part 15