Title:  On Your Back



Author:  Vickie Moseley



Spoilers:  Essence and Existence



Summary:  Fill in the blank for the episode Existence



Category:  MSR, V, Doggett-Free



Rating:  G



Disclaimer:  It's the perfect divorce.  Carter gets the money, we get

the characters.  What could be better?  And yes, the title and the

last line come from the Foo Fighters song on the Fight the Future

Soundtrack.  



Archives:  yes



Started and finished: May 22, 2001



Thanks to my Evil Twin, Susan.  We have a lot of work to do this

summer, but I think we'll have a lot of fun!



Notes:  The television series ended for me last Sunday, but the fan

fic will live on and on.  This is not the final chapter, it's just the

beginning.



 



On Your Back

By Vickie Moseley

vmoseley@i-made-this.com





"Agent Scully needs to go to the hospital."  



Mulder stared at the woman before him, finally pushing past her to

enter the building.  Let her go hail the chopper, he had to find

Scully, come hell, high-water or another fifty Billy Miles.  



And there she was.



He stopped dead in his tracks.  He stopped breathing.  He wasn't sure

but it felt like his heart stopped beating in his chest.



She was there, propped up against the headboard of an ancient bed. 

Her hair was damp curls all around her head, sweat still beaded up in

little pools on her cheeks and her forehead.  She was staring intently

at the waddle of blankets safely encircled by her arms.  



Then she looked up, sensing him near, and in one second, a smile broke

her face.  Breath rushed in to his lungs, his heart started to beat

again.  He took a step forward and she reached one small hand up to

move aside the blankets.



"It's a boy, Mulder," she said softly, not wanting to wake the tiny

child in her arms.  "A little boy.  Ten fingers, ten toes and a scream

that could wake the dead."



"My God, Scully," he gasped, his mouth suddenly too dry to swallow,

although he needed moisture desperately.  Fortunately, his eyes

decided to supply him with plenty as tears streamed down his face. 

"He's beautiful."



She smiled broadly.  "Look at his fingers, Mulder.  Look at his

hands."  She moved the blanket further aside, and withdrew a tiny

fist.  Without provocation, the tiny hand flexed and the fingers

curled around her index finger.  "Have you ever seen such long

fingers?"



He reached forward, placing his own index finger next to the little

fist enclosed one and she slipped her finger out.  The baby clutched

and caught Mulder's finger in its own.  



"They look almost as long as yours," Scully teased, eyes twinkling.  



"Makes it easier to dig in over-stuffed file cabinets," Mulder cracked

back, but his mind wasn't on teasing.  He was still marveling at the

perfection in front of him.  "How is he?  I mean, he looks fine, but

I'm not a doctor, Scully.  And you, how are you?" he asked, suddenly

anxious again for their safety.



"He's fine.  He's even nursed a bit.  I'm . . ."  He could tell she

stopped herself just before the dreaded four letter word made it's

appearance.  "I'm tired," she said honestly.  "I think there was some

tearing, I'm sore.  He's got a big head," she said, cocking one

eyebrow to stare into her partner's eyes.



"I suppose I'm gonna get blamed for that," he smirked in return.



"My family has small craniums, Mulder," she said haughtily.



"Well, we Mulders are just a bunch of fat heads, I guess," he

deadpanned back.



Her smile grew to a full fledged grin, but faded when she moved. 

"Mulder, here, hold him a minute.  I have to move, I can't get

comfortable."



"Me?" Mulder asked, his voice breaking on just the one syllable.



"Well, to be honest, I don't think I trust Agent Reyes at the moment,"

Scully said, not noticing his discomfort, or maybe just ignoring it. 

"Here, just hold his back like this and his head fits right there in

the palm of your . . ."  She stopped talking as Mulder took the child

from her arms and held it tenderly in his.  He shifted the baby's head

to fit in his hand while the little body and legs rested on top of his

arm.



"Scully, he barely reaches to my elbow," he whispered in hushed

reverence.



"Don't worry.  He'll be NBA material in no time," she said, shifting

until she found a spot.  Once settled, she made no move to take the

baby back.



"You said he nursed.  How late am I?"



"He was born about an hour ago, Mulder.  I'm sorry you missed it," she

said, and he couldn't help but notice the pain in her voice.



"I tried, Scully.  God as my witness, I tried," he answered sincerely,

tears threatening to choke him words.



"I know," she smiled her forgiveness.  "You're here now, and that's

really all that matters."  She winced again and he got worried again. 

Without giving back the baby, he started for the door to call for the

EMTs that had arrived with him in the chopper.  He need not have

bothered, they were already coming in with a gurney.



"She's over here.  She thinks there might have been some tearing," he

explained hurriedly.  The technicians swarmed around her, and then one

of them was gently taking the baby from his arms.



The EMT was a woman and she smiled brightly at Mulder.  "I'll give him

right back, Dad," she assured him.



"I'm not . . ." he started to say, but one look from Scully stopped

him.



"It's OK, Mulder.  His genes are going to give him away the minute

they figure out he never sleeps," she said while she was being lifted

and positioned on the gurney.



It took him a moment to realize what she was saying.  That it was all

right to admit to the world what they had both known for weeks.  He

let himself grin at her and nodded.  "I'm his father," he told the

EMT, who looked at him like that was pretty much common knowledge.



"Well, Dad, we need to get your family to the hospital," announced one

of the other EMTs.  At Mulder's anxious expression, he put a hand on

the leather jacketed shoulder.  "It's just for overnight observation. 

There's really not that much tearing, it's probably just a stitch or

two.  And they both look like they're doing fine.  You can probably

take them home tomorrow."



As she was being carried from the house, Scully craned her neck to

look behind her.  "Mulder?  Aren't you coming?"



He stood, looking up at the night sky.  For an instant, he closed his

eyes, sending up a silent prayer of thanks.  Then he opened his eyes,

got a bead on where the gurney and his new family were headed, and

started in a slow jog after them.



"I'm on your back, Scully.  Like always, I'm on your back."





The end (for now)



Come visit Mulder and Scully together (as

it should be) at Vickie's Pyramid



http://vickiemoseley.freeservers.com