From fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Tue Dec 24 10:03:19 1996 This is a companion story to the story "Yes Sir, That's My Baby." by Michelle Hiley. When Michelle first posted it, back in April 96, Vickie, who had been one of the first people to read it, remarked that there was a lot more to it, and she would like to see the story told again, more fully, filling in the gaps Michelle had had to leave. Michelle liked the idea, and asked if she'd co-author. Vickie agreed and this is the result. We feel it important that you read "Yes Sir, That's My Baby." first, and so we have included the recently corrected version as the prologue to this story. The prologue follows now, below it is the introduction to "Inherently Given" and part one. Inherently Given's Prologue: Yes Sir, That's My Baby. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Here we go.. Mulder, Scully, Skinner and the Nisei man are not mine, they belong to Chris Carter. Everyone else and the story are mine. Mulder/Scully Romance Zone, warning hereby given. Minimal violence, angst etc, no graphic sex or bad language. This story may be freely distributed, as long as it remains intact and unaltered, with the author's name and e-mail address, and provided money doesn't change hands. Feel free to archive it, but the author reserves the right to ask for its removal from any archive and retains the copyright. I'm just covering my butt folks, in case it ends up on the cover of Time (like that's really going to happen.....:)) Spoiler Warning. I haven't seen "Nisei" or "731", but I won't let a little thing like that stop me... OK, the rest is introduction, you can skip it if you like. Hey! I think I beat my own long introduction record! Nearly 50 lines, plus a 12 line footnote! Did anyone actually read this? Hello. I've been reading fanfiction stories for a while now. Happy ones, sad ones, funny ones. But there is one kind of story I really hate. The ones in which Scully has an alien baby and/or eggs taken from her. I don't much mind if Mulder turns out to be Daddy, but otherwise...urgh.... Don't get me wrong please, this is *not* a flame towards the authors of such stories. The ones I've (accidentally) read have often been excellently written, and many people love them. As Sheryl Martin once sorta said, each to their own tastes, and if you don't like it, don't read it. So, when I can, I don't. It's purely a personal horror. I don't think that happened in the show myself, (I go with the idea of humans being mutated, not bred from), and if CC ever did do that, I'd probably quit. But that's what fanfiction is for, speculation. I just try not to read the alien baby stories.:) Anyway, the point of all this, is that while on yet another rant to my long suffering friends about how much I'd hated the whole abduction arc, someone (Sneakers) made a joking remark about something I'd said. And I realised, I was going to have to write a story to exorcise my demons. So, here is my version of What Will Really Happen. Yes, Michelle is writing an unexpected baby due to alien influence story. Those of you who know my feelings, prepare to faint.... The medical information is undoubtedly all preposterous, because I know nothing about it. But that's the nice thing with experimental procedures, if anyone says "That can't happen!" I can say "Ah, but you see it's *experimental* and secret......":D I know the doctors talk in simplistic terms. That's so I can understand them. It's like the aliens in Star Trek that all speak English. This will never happen on the show. But, in this version alone, I'd love it if it did.....:D:D ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Yes Sir, That's My Baby..... By Michelle Hiley e-mail fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Dedicated to Sneakers, for inspiring it. Blame her.<G> Autumn 1994. Hanson's Disease Research Centre. "So, is the test subject suitable?" The doctor turned to his Japanese colleague, who was studying a chart. "Yes, she seems healthy enough. I think she'll make a fine parent." "So, when do we proceed?" The Nisei man pondered. "We obviously need time to arrange matters. Perhaps in a few weeks, we can get started, once we have what we need." The other man looked down at the red-haired woman on the table. "Are you sure she's genetically compatible? This is a big step. No-one's done an experiment quite like this before." "She's the perfect person to help us with this. Strong and healthy." "Well, she looks anaemic to me. Curse of the redhead. And the tests you did to examine her must have weakened her. Inflating someone's stomach to look around takes it out of them, you know." They stared down at the unconscious Dana Scully. "You're right. We'd better give her an iron injection. Pass me the syringe please." He grasped Dana's upper arm and injected her. Almost at once she went into spasms. The doctor said a rather rude Japanese word, and grabbed the bottle his colleague had filled the solution from. "Are you insane? This isn't iron solution!" "Well, if you will keep labelling the bottles in Japanese... What did we give her then?" "Purity Control!" "Oops." They looked at the writhing woman, watching until she fell into coma. "Get her into a hospital. I doubt she'll survive, but if she does, then we'll arrange matters for sometime in the future." "Yes, sir" ***** October 13th 1996 "So Scully, want a sunflower seed?" "No thanks. How much longer?" Mulder checked his watch. "Twenty minutes and we're out of here. Why? Hungry?" "Yes." "Then let's pick up a pizza and...." He was interrupted by the sound of a rap on his door. Scully raised her eyebrows. A face came down alongside Mulder's window, flashing a badge. "Ah gee, and we weren't even necking, Scully. Guess this guy's either part of the surveillance, or bored." He wound down his window. "Yes, officer?" "Get out of the car please sir." Mulder showed his badge. "FBI, officer. We're on business here." The cop didn't budge but raised his voice a little. "Out of the car please. I have reason to believe you're drunk." He winked at Mulder and mouthed <I need to talk to you, but the suspect might be watching. Play along>. Mulder obligingly got out of the car, just as the second man hit him from behind. Scully dived for her gun, but came up to find the "cop" using a dazed Mulder as a shield, gun to her partner's temple. "Just step out of the car please Agent Scully, and I won't need to hurt him." Scully weighed her odds, and complied. She couldn't risk Mulder. Meanwhile the second man had signalled to a van which drew up alongside. The next thing they remembered was the sharp smell of the rags that were pressed over their faces. **** "You have both of them? Was that intended?" "I gave orders, sir." The French doctor paused. "I'm continuing our late colleague's work as he intended. This was his special sideline project. The resulting child, although special, will be entirely human. Therefore we needed both a male and a female. These two were separately examined at different times, and considered a good genetic mix. And because they were partners it would be easy to remove them together. They are also in peak condition, an important factor." "Then I suggest you proceed. You have taken an egg from the woman and fertilised it with her partner's sperm?" "We have." "Then implant it. And release them. We won't need them back, we just need to monitor the pregnancy, see whether it proceeds in an normal way or not." He waved his hand. "Just seeing whether a child conceived and born in these circumstances can survive will be enough. They'll no doubt try and have the baby in secret, but they'll know we know. Let them have it, and raise it. It'll be of no interest to us once it's born." He frowned. "If it is born. What if they just abort it?" The doctor smiled. "Agent Scully is a Catholic. And Agent Mulder wants answers. His curiosity will be too much. Besides, it'd be as dangerous to abort as to proceed. And they'll realise it's each other's. You haven't observed them as I have, sir." "They are lovers?" "No. But they are emotionally linked. It would seem a matter merely of time and courage on their part. They'll remember enough of this incident to know what has happened. And I'm wagering their feelings will ensure this baby is carried to term. I'd stake my life on it." His boss smiled. "You just did, Dr Philipe." **** Office of Assistant Director Walter Skinner 2 months later. "Pregnant???" Walter Skinner looked at the agents before him in disbelief. "When? How?" Scully cleared her throat. "As for when, well as close I can reckon it, about the time Agent Mulder and I vanished for two days. As for how...well I believe artificial insemination was used. Agent Mulder and I have memories of a sample being taken from each of us." She blushed. "And neither of us can recall any sexual activity." "Each of you? So this baby hasn't been fathered by an alien, Agent Scully?" Scully was turning redder. "No sir. We took the liberty of conducting a few tests. The baby is clearly mine and Agent Mulder's." "You ran a few tests." Skinner reached up and started pulling out what little was left of his hair. "I bet you had fun explaining yourself." Mulder stirred in his chair. "We just told them Agent Scully was a nymphomaniac, and that I'd been drunk." He smiled at his infuriated partner. Skinner regarded him coldly. "Agent Mulder, I fail to see any humour in this. How am I going to explain this upstairs? I lose two agents for two days, and one of them comes back pregnant by the other. Any ideas?" "They don't know about the birds and the bees? Jesus, I thought I had a sheltered upbringing." Skinner took a deep breath. "What are the medical implications here Scully?" He suddenly looked worried. "Is this baby's birth going to be dangerous?" The agents shifted in their chairs and looked at each other. Finally Mulder spoke up. "They did something to us, and we don't really know what. We've been able to determine that they did something to ensure the baby's supply of food and blood would be the same as a normal pregnancy. The child seems to be growing as expected." "And the birth?" "We..that is Dana, reckons a Caesarean in the eighth month. We'll give it every chance we can. But we're keeping it, unless things turn bad, and we have to abort." Skinner looked at them. "Very well, it's your right. But the circumstances that surround this have to be kept secret. You do appreciate that this child is unique?" They nodded. "Then I'm sending you together to a safe house in New Hampshire. You can await the birth there. I'll see that you're supplied with any medical equipment necessary. But I don't want one of my agents having a green blooded baby in a hospital! The National Enquirer is all I need!" His voice softened. "I'll ensure the best medical help is on hand." Mulder and Scully nodded and rose to leave. "Oh, and Agent Mulder? Agent Scully?" They turned. "Congratulations." "Thank you." **** A safe house One month later. The new Mr and Mrs Mulder lay in bed together, curled around each other. "So, did you enjoy our day?" "I loved it. Did I tell you that I loved you by the way?" "Yes. Did I remember to mention I loved you?" "Yes." They lay together in mutual warmth. "Can I ask you something?" "Sure." "You didn't just marry me because I'm carrying your child, did you?" "Of course not! I...I know this was all sudden, and we didn't have time to talk about how we felt until we came here. But I've always loved you, and I've always wanted you. That abduction, this baby..well, it was a blessing in disguise. I love you. And I love our baby." "Thank you." "You didn't just marry me because I got you pregnant did you? You never struck me as the type to do something you didn't want to, just to be respectable." "No, the fact you knocked me up didn't come into it." "What a charming way to put it." They both grinned in the darkness. "Really?" "Really. Just because I'm pregnant was no good reason to marry. I always wanted to marry you. I was always just trying to pluck up the courage to tell you how I felt when this happened." "And now we're lovers, spouses, and prospective parents." "Uh, huh." They snuggled up. "Do I show much yet?" "Not much. You won't see it in the photos, don't worry." "That's good. I know it's vain but I didn't want to look pregnant on my wedding day." "So, do you want to make love?" "Again??" "Sorry. Are you tired? That's OK if so." "No, no. I'm pregnant, not ill. I was just teasing you." "C'mere then....." **** "We'll be doing the Ceasarean now." Mulder and Scully looked at one another. Skinner had been as good as his word. The safe house had been equipped with a medical room, and a team of trusted doctors were on hand. Three of them, four if you counted Scully, although they knew she wouldn't be in much of a state to offer advice. "It'll be OK love. I'll be here holding your hand. It won't take long. And we'll have a beautiful baby afterwards, thanks to you." **** "Congratulations. You have a lovely little girl." The two agents just stared at the perfect miracle that was their daughter. Eventually Dana was coherent enough to speak. "Is she OK? I mean....she looks fine to me, but I'm not a paediatrician...." "She's normal and healthy. Here. You two get to know her while I stitch up after her." He passed the baby up towards them and carried on. None of them noticed one of the junior doctors slip out of the room. **** "Well?" "Baby Mulder born at 6.03 pm. Perfectly normal child. No reason to think she won't thrive." "Then the experiment is over. Make your excuses and leave." **** "Mulder?" "Yes?" Mulder was busy playing with his little daughter. "You know Scully, she looks like you. What'll we call her?" Scully smiled. "We'll figure something out. Look, while you were talking to the doctor, Skinner called." Mulder's face darkened. "What did he want? You look worried." "It's just that..well, he thinks it would be easier all around if we just told everyone that we conceived this child in a normal way, and that we filled out the paperwork saying that I am its mother and you its father." "He just wants to deny it all, huh?" "Mulder, he has a point. Imagine how she'll feel being pointed out as a freak. We'd get no peace." He thought it over. "You're right. It would be hell. But when she's older...especially if we have children the normal way and you give birth to her little brother or sister some day....can we tell her then?" Dana smiled. "OK. Now get some rest." She crossed to the bed and kissed her weary husband. "Mulder, you've had a long pregnancy, and a difficult birth. You'll be just fine, but you need to sleep. I'll bring you some food first, and we can bottle feed our baby at the same time." "I guess I can't claim to be eating for two anymore huh? Can I at least have some decent junk food now, instead of all that healthy stuff?" She smiled. "After the gift you just gave me, you can have whatever you want." She drew him and their child into the first of many embraces. The end. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Footnote (read the story first please!). OK...you should have known the weird way I look at things. Running and hiding now....:D:D Comments welcome at fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk A quick end credit should go to Vickie Moseley, because a scene she wrote suggested the ending of the scene where they tell Skinner. She alas, broke her story up and used bits elsewhere, so I used her "Congratulations" "Thank You" line with her permission. As she put it, the circumstances were rather different in her story.:) Final remark (then I'll shut up). The first two readers of this asked me if it had been inspired by the film "Junior". No. I never saw that movie, and I'd forgotten it existed. The story came about due to conversations with Ra Enright and Sneakers (especially the latter). But I might rent "Junior" out now.... ----------------------------------------------------------------------- And now, onto "Inherently Given" itself..... Fox Mulder and his parents and sibling, Dana Scully and her parents and siblings, Cancer Man, Pendrell, Henderson, Kathy, Ellen, Trent, Danny, Dana's Professor, Phoebe, Colton, Well Manicured Man, the Lone Gunmen, Kevin Kryder and Skinner belong to 10.13 productions, and are used without permission. Think that's all of them. Not a bad cast list.:) Mulder's unnamed uncle and cousin just *might* be Mike and Erin Mulder <grin>, or not. If they are, they are copyright Ra Enright and are used with her permission. Everyone else, and the story, are copyright M.Hiley/V.Moseley. The songs mentioned are "Wait" by Sarah McLachlan, and "Lose My Faith In You" by Sting and are used without permission. In both cases we have quoted the "official" lyrics from the album covers. This story contains spoilers for the third season, but not for the fourth. It does contain some consenting sex scenes between Mulder and Scully, but they are not explicitly described. A Mulder/Scully romance warning most definitely applies, read on at own risk. The authors of this story consider themselves reasonably knowledgeable about the subject of pregnancy, given that they have six children between them. Actually that's a bit misleading. One of them has six children, the other has never even been pregnant (though she did cyber-adopt). One's American, the other's British. One's well known for her thoughtful angst pieces, the other's a comedy writer who thinks angst is a unit of radiation. Both however enjoyed the chance to write "against type" and shared duties on both the serious and the comedy scenes; Vickie loved wallowing in comedy, while Michelle got a rare chance to do some soul searching. Hell, even if you lot don't like it, we've had a *lot* of fun writing it...Michelle *still* hasn't seen "Junior" by the way, and so remains completely unaffected by it, but Vickie's seen it.:D We would like to thank our test readers, Alasdair McLean, Juliettt, Scarlet, Char Hall and Ra Enright (Sarah Johnson) for their help, and on occasions suggestions, (it was Alasdair's question about forms that led to the rewriting of one part for example). Ra especially has been a source of immense encouragement, always ready with a suggestion or a punctuation correction, hence we included a small tribute to her in the final scene. Ta Ra.:) Additional note: for the story we have supposed that, as well as the home she keeps near Dana, Mrs Scully has a country home, (probably the old family home she shared with Bill), a few hours drive north of Washington. Warning: The medical information in this story is undoubtedly wrong and certainly far fetched, but then it's a work of fiction. Do not try this at home.:) Remember children, Mulder is indestructible, you are not!:) This story is being posted in 22 parts. Don't panic, many of them are quite small. Dedicated to Brian, Paul, Ra, Burny, Nate, Greg, Maggie, Patrick and Stevie. Inherently Given. by Vickie Moseley and Michelle Hiley. vmoseley@fgi.net, fbi-basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Part One. Second Month Blues. Basement office of Fox Mulder. FBI Headquarters, Washington DC. December 4th 1996. 10:35 am. Dana Scully checked her watch and then looked at the clock on the wall for verification. It was impossible, but it was happening. Her partner was late for work. It wasn't that Fox Mulder had never been late for work. It had happened before, usually the day after a wrap up of a particularly horrific case. He would sleep in, and she would cover. No problem. But this was the sixth day in a row that it had happened, and she was becoming more and more concerned. <He's got an ulcer,> she thought while booting up her computer. <All this crap we face has finally eaten a hole in his stomach. And those two days we went missing a couple of months ago have to be getting to him, too.> She was about to call him when the door behind her opened and he stumbled in. He looked dreadful. His hair was standing on end, his clothes looked thrown on, <and a little tight,> she noted. His face was an interesting color of green. He mumbled an apology and slumped down in his chair, avoiding her eyes. Still, he could *feel* her eyes on him. "I'm fine, Scully," he blurted out before she could say a word. "Well, if this is fine, I don't ever want to see you looking bad, Mulder," she shot back. Then, realizing that she wasn't helping him at all, she got up and walked over to his desk. "Do you feel as bad as you look?" she asked. "Do the world a favor, Scully. Don't ever decide to change careers and go into diplomacy," he quipped, and put on his glasses to read the file on his desk. She grabbed his chin and turned his face toward hers. His eyes were clear, if a bit miserable. He didn't look like he had a fever. Still, she reached up and put her hand flat against his forehead to be sure. He sighed with disdain, but made no move to stop her. Finally, she took her hand away, shaking her head in confusion. "Satisfied?" he asked sarcastically. "No," she answered honestly. "You look like you have the flu, Mulder, but you don't have a fever. What are your symptoms?" "I don't have any symptoms," he lied. When she glared down at him with her patented Scully Look, he finally caved in. "OK, I have a *few* symptoms. I just seem to have an upset stomach." She allowed her eyebrows to raise, a sure sign that she knew there was more to come. He relented. "And I'm more tired than usual," he commented casually. She still wasn't getting off his desk. "OK, OK, and I get queasy sometimes at the thought of certain foods. Are you satisfied, Doktor?!" She looked him over carefully and he suddenly got the impression that this is how a piece of round steak might feel, if it could feel anything. The next thing he knew, he was grabbing the wastebasket from under his desk and emptying his stomach contents into it. "That does it," she said with a note of finality. "We are going to the doctor's." Mulder merely nodded. Though he hated the idea of visiting the doctor's, he simply didn't feel up to arguing with her. "OK. If you insist." Scully opened her mouth to tell him exactly why he had to go, and stopped abruptly. "OK?" He gave her a miserable look. "Truth is, I don't think I can carry on like this. If there's something you can give me to make me feel better, then do it. I don't think you could make me feel worse." Scully looked at him. Now she was really worried. Reaching for their coats, she helped Mulder to his feet, making a mental note to get someone to clean up the wastebasket. Before he could change his mind she urged Mulder out of the building. She wanted a second opinion right now. End part one. From fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Tue Dec 24 10:04:05 1996 See part one for disclaimers. Inherently Given. by Michelle Hiley and Vickie Moseley. fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk, vmoseley@fgi.net Part Two. Excuse Me, That's MY Bloodwork. The parking garage. December 4th 1996. 10:50 am. They were halfway to the parking garage when Mulder grabbed Scully's arm. "Wait a minute, Scully," he said, coming to a stop. "What, Mulder? And don't give me that line about how you don't like going to the doctor. I've heard it before and I'm not letting you get by with it. . ." "No, Scully, think about it. We were abducted two months ago, right?" He waited for her reluctant nod. She was still not completely sure of what had happened when they had vanished two months previously. She had snatches of memories, most of them extremely vague, of things that occurred during their two day absence. In many ways, she hoped she was merely experiencing dreams, and had done her level best to convince Mulder of the same. "Yes, so we disappeared for two days. But we were fine when we came back. Are you thinking that something is just turning up now? And if so, why is it only affecting you and not me?" she asked, her arms crossed in front of her. "I don't know, but I don't want to risk going to a doctor on this. Can't you just run some tests here in the building? Use the lab, it's well equipped to do bloodwork, isn't it?" She gave him her sternest glare. "You *really* don't want to go to the doctor's, do you?" she accused. "What about wanting to feel better? Chickening out now, huh?" He gave her back his best "puppy dog" look. "Come on, Scully. Hey, I'll even pass up the lollipop. Whadda ya say?" He broke into a grin when she shrugged her shoulders in defeat and led him up to the lab. Agent Pendrell was more than happy to help out, especially if it meant spending time with Agent Dana Scully. All the while she drew the blood, the red headed lab tech was shooting her looks and Mulder was having a hard time containing his amusement. He found the "courtly affections" of the young man to be harmless and couldn't help but notice that his partner was completely without a clue. That made the whole scene even funnier, in Mulder's opinion. But his amusement was short lived when another round of nausea struck, just as another lab technician popped a bag of butter flavored popcorn into the lab microwave. Mulder beat a hasty path to the restroom and when he returned, Scully made him lie down on a gurney they had borrowed from pathology. Mulder made a snide comment about not knowing where it had been or *who* might have been on it, but that didn't stop him from taking the opportunity to grab a quick nap. "Agent Scully, ah, I just got the results from that last blood sample," Agent Pendrell said. Scully couldn't help but notice the decided blush that was coloring the younger agent's cheeks. "OK, let me see them," she said, reaching out to him. He snatched the computer printout just out of her hand. "Uh, I really think, well, there seems to be some mistake, Agent Scully," he stammered. "This vial was labeled 'Mulder', and I don't think that's right." "What do you mean? I drew the blood myself," Scully said, reaching further and grabbing the sheets of paper out of the other agent's hands. "Agent Scully, that blood contains high levels of. . .well, maybe you should. . .Oh, gee, Agent Scully, that blood is yours and you know it," he sighed in exasperation. "I mean, I won't tell, I promise. It's your business. But gosh, it's not a good idea to mislabel blood, you know. It can cause real problems. . ." Dana read the printout, then read it again. "Pendrell, this blood contains high levels of . . ." she said, her voice taking on the tone of a trance. "That's a . . ." Pendrell was studying a particularly interesting piece of ceiling tile. " . . .pregnancy hormone. Yeah, I know. I used to work summers in a small hospital lab." Finally, he met her eyes. "I meant what I said, Agent Scully. If you're, ah, in a family way. . .well, they won't hear it from me, I swear it!" He looked totally crestfallen as he walked back to sit at his desk. ***** "So you haven't told me why you're taking more blood," Mulder said, as his partner stuck him with another needle. "Ow! Hey careful, that arm's attached, ya know!" "Sorry Mulder," she muttered and hurried off back to the other side of the lab. Mulder watched her and shrugged his shoulders. She would get around to telling him what the problem was eventually. Until then, another nap seemed in order. About half an hour later, Scully was shaking him awake. "I *refuse* to let you have any more blood, Scully. Make do with what you have," he growled when he saw his partner. "No more blood, Mulder, I promise. We need to do another test and I need you to put this on," she said, holding out what looked like a hospital gown. He stared at it. "You want to tell me what's going on, yet, Scully?" he said evenly, but it was apparent that his good temper was sorely being taxed. "We need to do an ultrasound and I can't do that through your suit, OK?" she replied testily. "Want to tell me *why* we are doing an ultrasound?" Mulder shot back, not taking the gown. She pulled on his arm and draped the gown over it. "Trust me on this, Mulder. I'll tell you everything, just as soon as I know what the hell is going on." He glared at her a moment, and then reluctantly pulled the gown off his arm and headed for the restroom. He took a bit longer than usual, since he waited until the restroom was empty and then wouldn't leave its confines until he was positive no one was in the hallway between it and the lab. Finally he came back. "OK, now what?" he asked. "Lay back down on the gurney," she directed. He did as he was told. "Now, this isn't nearly as good as the picture we could get in a doctor's office. I mean this equipment is usually used in bomb disposal, but it's the best I could come up with," she chatted merrily. He couldn't help but notice that she seemed unusually cheerful, like she was hiding something, something *really* big. He eyed the machine suspiciously. "Bomb disposal? Are you sure this is safe?" he asked. She looked at him curiously. "Of course it's safe, Mulder! Do you think I'd do anything to harm you?" She was obviously offended. "Well, you did shoot me once," he reminded her. "And you are *never* going to let me forget that, are you?" she countered. "Mulder, this is as safe as walking through a metal detector. I just need to see something internal. It's not nearly as sophisticated as the one at the hospital, which is used for looking through soft tissue. But it will suit my purposes. Now, if you'll let me get on with this it will all be over in a minute. Just try not to wiggle, it will blur the picture on the computer screen," she directed. When she put the hand held scanner on his stomach he let out a yelp. It was cold! But he quieted down immediately when he saw the picture on the computer monitor. "Scully," he said slowly, "what is that little blob like thing?" "Ohmigod," his partner replied, growing very pale. Mulder continued to stare at the screen. "You know, Scully, the only part of biology I had trouble with was embryology. I actually had to read that part of the book *twice*. And that thing looks an awful lot like. . ." "Ohmigod," she repeated and grabbed for a chair. "Ohmigod. . ." "But that would be impossible, right?" he said, more to himself than anyone else, since his partner was in shock and not responding to any outside stimulus. "I mean, a man can't get. . ." Scully finally found the words she had been searching for. "Mulder, you're pregnant!" The usually stoic Fox Mulder passed out cold. ***** Mulder was a little shaky getting dressed and didn't even bother with his tie. Scully decided that it might be a good idea to take the rest of the afternoon off and drove him to her apartment. Agent Pendrell, who had been at lunch during the ultrasound, and as a result was ignorant of their findings, agreed to send Scully the results of the remaining tests over her modem. "What do you want to do?" she asked, once they arrived at her door. "A bowl of ice cream sounds good. I'm starved," he replied as he flopped down in a corner of her couch.. "That's not what I meant, Mulder. I mean, *this*," she said, patting his stomach. "What do you want to do about this?" "Scully, tell me the truth. Is this really possible?" he asked anxiously. "Well, I admit it's definitely in the realm of . . .No, Mulder, it's not possible. But it's happening. Can you remember anything of our abduction?" she asked. "Not a whole lot," he admitted. "I remember a mask over my face, like in the hospital. When I woke up, we were in that field. I was a little sore and I showed you that cut I got on my stomach. That's about it." He scratched his head. "I don't know. How is it even possible?" "I don't know. Maybe it was surgically implanted. It appears to be growing in a sac that's being fed by the blood vessels of your intestines. It's very, very complex. I'm still trying to figure out how they managed to get your body to produce the proper hormones. Synthetic hormone therapy usually takes longer than a couple of days. When we came back from Norway, it took close to a week for you to respond to it. . ." She stood up and absently got him a bowl of ice cream from the kitchen and watched as he dug in. "Mulder, I'm going to ask you again. What do you want to do about this?" "I'm not sure what you mean, Scully," he said between spoonfuls of ice cream. "You don't have to go through this," she said quietly. "But if it's surgically implanted and if they made sure that I'm producing the hormones, what would happen if I decided I *didn't* want to go through with it?" he asked. By the look on her face, he saw that it was indeed a very good question. "Do you mean, could it be dangerous?" she asked. He nodded. "I don't really know, but I'm afraid it could be very dangerous. Even so, carrying it to term might be just as dangerous. It's just too close to call which might be worse." He sat there, at her table, considering his options. This was unbelievable. But it was happening. He had been experimented on, and he raged inwardly at that. But if it were possible. . .the result would be mindboggling. Then, he remembered the ultrasound. That tiny little being, floating in a little sac. . . "What if it's alien?" he asked, suddenly fearful. Relief flooded him as she shook her head. "No, Mulder, there is no indication of that. It's human. Just like you or me. It's just growing in the wrong place, so to speak. Or if not the wrong place, at least a highly unlikely place. . ." she let her voice trail off. "So I was implanted with an embryo that was, what, a "test tube" baby?" he asked. "Yeah, basically, that's what happened." "So there's a woman out there who doesn't know she's about to be a. . .a 'father'?" he asked. Scully was silent for a moment. Then, abruptly, she burst out laughing. "Now what is it, Scully?" he demanded. She tried to regain her composure and not let him see what she was thinking. "I'm sorry, Mulder, I can't help it. This is all so. . ." "Impossible?" he asked. She nodded, glad he was leaving it at that. "But it sounds exactly like something that would happen to me, Scully," he said with a sigh of resignation to his fate. "Look, you still look beat. Go and lie down on my bed for a while and I'll wait for Pendrell's fax. Maybe we'll know more when we see the rest of the lab results." "OK, in a minute," he said, going out into the kitchen with his bowl. He filled it with more ice cream and then started to rummage through the refrigerator. "Mulder, what are you looking for?" she asked, as he proceeded to take out all of her condiments and line them up on the countertop. "I don't know, Scully, but suddenly pickles sound real good right now," he said with a lop sided grin. Fortunately the cushion she threw just missed his head. End part two. From fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Tue Dec 24 10:04:48 1996 See part one for disclaimers. Inherently Given. by Vickie Moseley and Michelle Hiley. vmoseley@fgi.net, fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Part Three. Facing The Music. Scully's bedroom. December 4th 1996. 3pm. There was a gentle tapping at the door. "Come in." Scully entered, a sheaf of papers in her hands. "Hey. How are you feeling?" Mulder grimaced and sat up a little. "Pretty bad. Still sick." "How about..how about emotionally?" She sat on the edge of his bed, not looking at him. "Shocked. I mean Jesus, Dana, I'm still having trouble believing this." That brought a smile. "You? I thought you wanted to believe." "I wasn't expecting this, though." Despite it all he grinned. He hadn't got any more used to this yet but... Then he noticed something. Dana wasn't looking at him. She sat, head down, nervously playing with the sheet. "Dana?" She looked up at him, and smiled again, but he could see the worry in her eyes. And something else....anticipation. She had something to tell him, and she wasn't sure how he'd like it. "What's up, Doc?" "Mulder..." she groaned. "What *is* up?" he asked more seriously this time. "Is there something wrong with the baby? Or is it me?" "No." She hastened to reassure him. "You both seem to be doing fine." "Seem to?" "Mulder, this is a rather unique case, you'll have to agree. Seem to is the best I can do, OK?" "OK. So then what is it?" She stopped looking at him again. This wasn't good. Finally, just as he was about to tilt her face up, she spoke. "Mulder, you remember I said this baby was human?" "Yes. Isn't it?" "Yes! Quite human. But, as you said, that had to have meant human parents. Two of them." He said nothing, and after a minute she continued. "I did some genetic tests. I...I had my suspicions. I figured they had to have taken an egg from a woman, fertilised it, probably with your sperm, and implanted it into you." "And what did you find, Dr Scully?" His voice was gentle. She looked at him then. "I used some common sense. They probably used your sperm, it would explain the sample you remember taken during our abduction. The tests proved it, the baby is genetically yours. And my other suspicions were confirmed as well. They...they took a sample from me too, Mulder. Just enough." She dropped her eyes, and Mulder saw tears begin to form. He put his hand to her cheek, raising her face to his again. "Are you saying I'm carrying *your* child, Scully?" She nodded. "This is a bad thing?" "I..." the tears began to fall faster. "No..I'm happy about it in a way, but..." "But....?" "Oh Mulder, I'm so sorry. I know this will ruin our friendship." She was sobbing and Mulder let her continue. "I always hoped one day..but to have it forced like this, and on you..." Mulder awkwardly pulled himself up and took her into his arms. God, she felt good. She felt right. He stroked her hair as she cried against his chest. Dana's baby. He was carrying a little Scully, a small part of her. Suddenly Mulder felt like he wanted to cry the news from the rooftops. The most wonderful woman in the world, and he was having her child. Eventually the sobbing subsided, and Scully, a little embarrassed, blew her nose on the tissue Mulder proffered and pulled away. "I'm sorry." "That's OK. Dana...is the idea of this baby really so repellent to you? Do you really feel unready for parenthood? Or is it that you just didn't want to have children with me?" Scully looked at him. He looked gorgeous, with his hair flopping over his face. But he looked worried. And she knew she didn't ever want to be with anyone but him. "Mulder...I'm happy about it. I wanted it to be mine. When I was running the tests, I was praying for it. But when it was...I was just afraid of how you'd feel. I thought you might blame me for getting you pregnant, might resent me, might not want a child with me." Mulder wrapped his arms around her again, lying back in an embrace. "Dana, there's nobody I'd rather have children with than you." She looked up at him, tentatively raising her head as his lips met hers lovingly. End part three. From fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk Tue Dec 24 10:05:40 1996 See part one for disclaimers. Inherently Given. by Michelle Hiley and Vickie Moseley. fbi_basement@hiley.demon.co.uk, vmoseley@fgi.net Part Four. Mom, We Have Something To Tell You. Scully's bedroom. December 4th 1996. 3:10 pm. The kiss lasted a nice long time. When it was over, they both looked at each other and Dana started laughing. "What's so funny?" Mulder asked, a little concerned. Could she be laughing at his kiss?! "I was just thinking that I always assumed we'd have sex *before* we conceived, Mulder," she laughed again. "I mean, talk about putting the cart before the horse!" He chuckled. "Yeah, this sure puts a whole new twist on the phrase 'safe sex'," he nodded. "But I want you to know that I'm a nineties kind of guy, Scully. I don't mind if you're more experienced than I am," he added with a wicked smile. She gave him her best 'Look' and gently punched him in the arm. "Hey, watch it! I'm in a delicate condition, here," he said with a grin. "Mulder, the last time you were delicate you were still in your mother's. . .Oh No!" She stopped short and sat up on the bed. "Oh No Mulder!" "You've said that twice now, Scully," Mulder said pointedly. "What's the problem?" She turned so that she could look directly at him, and the horror on her face froze his heart. She was frightening him now. "Scully, Dana, you are really scaring the hell out of me. What is wrong?" he asked anxiously. "Mothers, Mulder! What are we going to tell our mothers?!? I mean, it would be hard enough to tell them that *I* was pregnant, but *this*? What are we going to say? How is *your* mom going to take this? I mean, Mulder, she's been through so much. And if she thought you had been abducted, Mulder, think about it. This could be too much for her." She was looking very concerned and for the briefest second, he was reminded of exactly what a gentle person she was and how much he truly did love her. "Well, maybe we shouldn't tell my mom. I mean, not right away. I almost never go up there, she has never come down here. We communicate over the phone and we do that pretty infrequently. I don't think she would notice as long as I remember to call her on Sam's birthday, and send a card on Mother's Day. Hey, by the way, do *I* get a 'Mother's Day present' this year?" "Not this year, maybe next," she teased. "But you are changing the subject. That might work with your mom, but we see my mother all the time. If you just up and disappeared for eight months, she would be very worried. Besides, I couldn't lie to her, Mulder. She would know it the moment I opened my mouth." Dana chewed on her lip. "So, Oxford psychologist, got any brilliant ideas?" Mulder laid on the bed and considered the options. Finally, he pushed himself up on his elbows and shrugged. "Well, I refuse to lie to your mother. I have never lied to her and I won't start now. So that leaves us only one option: we tell her the truth. But first," he paused, "we have to tell Skinner...." ***** Margaret Scully's country home. December 10th 1996. 12:10 pm. Margaret hurried to the door, wiping her hands on a kitchen towel. She peeked out the curtained window and broke into a brilliant smile. Opening the door she immediately reached out to hug her daughter and her partner. "Hello, hello," she greeted them merrily. "What time did you leave the city? You had to have driven pretty fast if you left after you called," she said pointedly. "Actually, Mom, I called from my cell phone. We were on our way up to New Hampshire, and thought it would be nice to stop by," Dana said, as she took Mulder's coat and hung it with hers on the coat tree. "Mulder, take Clyde out to the backyard. He can terrorize the squirrels while we talk." Mulder nodded and led the little Pomeranian out through the kitchen. Dana caught her mother's knowing look. "I know, I know. It's the last thing I need, but darn it, Mom, I just got so attached to Queequeg. Mulder helped pick this one out. He's housebroken and everything," she added, as if that would make or break the arrangement. Maggie regarded her daughter with an upraised eyebrow for a moment, then softened. "Well, I'm glad you did. You need something to baby, Dana. You've always been such a Mother Hen. Now I have soup on and I made some chicken salad sandwiches. . ." Maggie's voice trailed off when she saw the concerned look on Dana's face and noticed that Fox, who was coming back through the hallway, was turning slightly green. "Maybe just the soup," he muttered. Dana steered him into the living room and sat him down on the couch. She asked him something and he waved her off with a weak smile. None of this was lost on Maggie. "Dana," Maggie said, her voice betraying her concern. "Is Fox all right?" Dana looked up at her mother. "Yeah, Mom. It's just that certain foods have been, well, not sitting well with Mulder these days," she explained. Maggie didn't look at all convinced. She stood looking down at the two agents and the beginnings of concern were flowering into full blown anxiety. "You *would* tell me if anything were truly wrong, wouldn't you?" she accused. "We better tell her now, Dana. Waiting won't make it any easier," Mulder said softly. "Mrs. Scully, I think you should sit down." Maggie obeyed, her fists clenched in her lap. Mulder looked at Dana and he nodded his approval and encouragement. She began. "Mom, I'm going to tell you something that I think you will find rather unbelievable. You know that Mulder and I are very close." Maggie smiled. OK, this wasn't so bad. "Yes, dear, I've known that for a very long time," she said, giving Mulder a knowing look. "Well, Mom, as you know, sometimes when two people care about each other. . .oh, this isn't working," she wailed and looked at her partner in dismay. "Mrs. Scully, what Dana is trying to tell you is that we are, uh, we're having, we're going to have a baby," Mulder blurted. Suddenly Maggie's face took on a totally different appearance. It was not displeasure, it was simply the look of a mother who had just found out that her daughter was using birth control. Or maybe *hadn't* used birth control. . . "Oh!" Maggie struggled to ensure she didn't look shocked. This was a different generation she reminded herself. Even so, she was hoping this announcement would have wedding bells attached. "Mom, it's not what you think," Dana started. Maggie looked very confused. "Then you aren't pregnant?" she asked, looking at her daughter. Mulder started fidgeting in his seat. "No, Mom, *I'm* not pregnant," Dana said kindly. "But we are expecting." She stopped and let that statement sink in. "I don't understand. . ." Maggie said, struggling with the statement her daughter had just made. "Gee, I think that's what I said," Mulder muttered to no one in particular. Dana was clenching and unclenching her fists and it was obvious that she didn't know exactly how to proceed. Mulder took over. "Mrs Scully. What I am going to tell you is going to seem fantastic. No, that's not even true. It's unbelievable. But it's true, every word." Then, very gently, using every trick he had learned in the Bureau and all the psych classes he had ever taken, he told her about the abduction, what they remembered of the experiments, and finally, of the <center> <div> <br> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.broadcaststation.net/ads/show_ad.php?width=300&height=250&cache=0"></script> <script language="javascript" type="text/javascript" src="http://ad.broadcaststation.net/ads/show_ad.php?width=300&height=250"></script> </div> <br> <br> </center>