Title:  In The End 
Author:  SnickJF
Rating:  PG
Classification:  SRA
Spoilers:  Up to Three Words
Keywords:  M/S Romance
Summary:  Reyes and Scully are at a remote cabin where          
Scully is about to give birth.  Mulder arrives just in 
time-----to say goodbye?
Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Reyes and all things X-Files 
Belong to CC and 1013.
Archive: Anywhere, just keep my name on it!
Thanks to: Supernova for the support and the ideas!!! You 
rock!!! 
Comments: send to-Snickelfrits1227@gateway.net  





Mulder skidded to a halt in front of the darkened cabin, 
his heart pounding and his blood racing.  Unsure of 
whether or not to enter, of whether or not she would even 
welcome his presence, he stood frozen. He wanted to be 
there for her more than anything, like she was always 
there for him. She was his constant, his touchstone. 

It didn't matter if the baby was his or not, he loved it 
because it was a part of her, just as he had loved Emily. 
Her tiny hands and shy smile had given Scully such joy, 
if only for a short time and with that alone she had 
stolen his heart. This child would be no different and 
this child would be completely different because THIS 
child was meant to be and he would see to it that THIS 
child wasn't ripped untimely from it's mother's arms.  
His heart ached as remembered Scully's grief at having to 
let go of Emily so soon after finding her.  His heart 
stopped as he heard Scully's pitiful scream rip through 
the still night.

His feet were propelling him forward once again and he 
was gasping for air more out of panic than actual 
exertion.  He stumbled as he reached the front steps and 
grasped the doorknob for support.  Twisting, he shoved 
the door open and it flew against the wall with a loud 
BANG!  He could hear low moans coming from a softly lit 
room down the hall and he was at the open doorway before 
the heavy front door finished it's swing and latched once 
more.  

He was greeted by Reyes' worried eyes and the steel 
barrel of a shotgun.  The agent relaxed visibly as she 
took in the man before her.  "Thank God you're here," she 
said at once, placing the firearm on the padded surface 
of an antique armchair.  Before she could utter another 
word Mulder's eyes had left hers in search of more 
familiar blue ones.  However, when they reached their 
destination Mulder's eyes went wide with shock and his 
heart, which had only just resumed beating, plummeted to 
the floor.  

Her face was flushed and sweaty, and her brow glistened 
in the candlelight.  Her tiny body was slumped heavily 
against the headboard and ragged breaths were escaping 
between her pathetic moans.  She looked so tired. 

"Scully?" At the sound of his voice her bowed head bobbed 
slightly and lifted to meet his gaze.  His heart began to 
climb back to his chest when she smiled weakly and said, 
"I knew you'd come."  Her eyes were full of tears and he 
felt his own begin to fill.  'What the fuck was he 
thinking? He should have been here all along. In all his 
times of need, and there had been plenty, Scully had been 
there holding him, saving him, hell, bringing him back to 
life and now when she needed him the most he'd barely 
made it there in time to hold her fucking hand.'

One hand clutching her distended belly, Scully held out 
her free one, reaching for Mulder's own which was curled 
into a tight fist.  He relaxed his hand and went to kneel 
quickly by her bedside taking her smaller one into his 
own.  He looked into her shining blue eyes and through 
her pain he could see it, complete trust.  Complete trust 
in him.  He knew she thought that everything would be 
okay because of the simple fact that he was there.  "I 
knew you'd come," her words from a moment ago floated 
back to him.  She had so much faith and it scared the 
hell out of him.  His earlier conviction to keep the 
child safe and in her arms was clouded with the 
realization that he had no idea how he would accomplish 
such a feat.  

Mulder could hear a strangled cry start low in Scully's 
throat and claw it's way upward.  As it lurched from 
between her dry lips he cast a tortured glance at Reyes 
who was moving towards the foot of the narrow bed with a 
stack of folded towels.  With a quick look at Mulder she 
dropped the towels to the small table at the foot of the 
bed and stripped off her jacket.  Flinging it to the 
floor somewhere near the old armchair she began speaking 
to Scully in a slow steady voice.  "Dana, I want you to 
try to relax as much as possible, okay?" 

Scully, eyes closed, breathed in a stuttered breath and 
nodded.  

"I'm just gonna look and see how you're doing."

Scully's fingers gripped Mulder's tightly and her eyes 
bore into his.  What he saw in their cobalt depths took 
his breath away.  He could swear that every emotion that 
had passed between them in the past eight years was 
swimming there in those bottomless blue pools.  They 
flooded out and washed over him like a tidal wave and he 
was swept into the current of all that was he and Scully.

Apprehension and wonderment at their first meeting----
humor at being "shipwrecked" on a rock in two feet of 
water----grief at so many shared losses----surprise and 
bliss at an impromptu dance request----heartache over 
countless illnesses and injuries----the prickling 
awareness that came with being Mr. And Mrs. Rob Petrie---
-the pure delight of wrestling over a nonn-fat tofutti 
rice dreamcicle----the thrill of a late night baseball 
lesson----the anticipation of a long-awaited kiss in a 
familiar hallway----jealousy over the Fowley's, Green's, 
Jerse's, and VanBlundt's----the intense passion that was 
the aftermath of a separation and a discussion of fate---
-the confusion and hurt when neither kneww how they fit 
together anymore----and the love throughout it all that 
could never be pinned to any one specific moment or 
event.  

It was the last emotion, an amalgamation of all the 
others, that prompted him to lean forward and brush soft 
kisses over her brow, her eyelids, her cheeks, and 
finally her open lips.  Having no access to ice chips or 
lip balm Mulder gently ran his tongue along Scully's lips 
soothing their dryness.  When he pulled back her face 
registered surprise and just the faintest glimmer of----
hope.  "Mulder?", she whispered.

I'm back," came his low reply.  Her eyes slipped shut and 
twin drops of moisture tracked down her flushed cheeks.  
She whispered brokenly, "What took you so long?"

Mulder ran his free hand up over the hard mound of 
Scully's belly and knew that his answer could wait.  
There would be plenty of time for apologies for his 
recent coldness later.  They both knew by the unspoken 
language they had always shared that he was here now and 
that was all that mattered.  

He felt her abdomen constrict beneath his palm and she 
bit her lip to keep from crying out again.  And then he 
was coaching her, "Breathe, Scully, remember? You have to 
breathe."  She shook her head back and forth and a sob 
escaped her throat.  "You can do this Scully.  I know you 
can.  This baby is counting on you to be strong.  You're 
so strong Scully and you don't even know----but I know.  
I know you can do this."  Her partially glazed eyes 
focused on him once again and she nodded, only once, but 
he knew that he had gotten through.  

"Okay Dana," Reyes' voice traveled up from the foot of 
the bed, "On the next contraction you're going to have to 
push, okay?"  Another small nod and Mulder smoothed her 
glistening red hair back from her eyes and moved behind 
her just as he had learned in her Lamaze and birthing 
classes.  Her slight weight settled against him with 
familiarity.  Before Scully could even relax from the 
last contraction another one ripped through her and she 
groaned at their persistence.  Supporting her shoulders 
and back Mulder lifted her up and forward and she pushed 
with all of her strength.  

Reyes counted, "----7, 8, 9, 10.  Good, Dana. That was 
good."  

Mulder lowered her back to his chest and before he could 
slip his hands from her shoulders he felt her tense 
again.  "My God this is happening so fast," he thought, 
"Please, let this be right.  Please let her be okay." 

"Come on, Scully," he said out loud, "You're doing 
great!"  He raised her up once more and felt her take a 
deep breath and push with her whole body, with all that 
she was.  This time when the contraction was over she 
didn't wait for Mulder to lower her back to his chest she 
just collapsed against him, limp with exhaustion.  

"You're doing it, Scully," he kissed the top of her head 
and squeezed her hand.  Her fingers were cool and she 
didn't squeeze back under his grip.  

"Scully?", he turned her face to look at him.  Her eyes 
rolled as she tried to focus on him and her lips, which 
were moving in silent conversation, had turned pasty.

"Scully, look at me!  Look at me, dammit! Scully, please!  
Try and focus!"  Her lids were slipping downwards and she 
struggled to pull them open again.  

A startled gasp from the foot of the bed brought his 
attention to Reyes, whose face had also turned 
frighteningly pale.  

"What?", he demanded, his arms tightening reflexively 
around Scully's small body.  

"She was bleeding a little bit before, but----this isn't 
right.  There's way to much blood----I don't know what to 
do!  If the placenta has torn loose again, Mulder, we've 
gotta get this baby out right now!"  Mulder understood 
perfectly the implications.  If they didn't do something 
fast the baby would suffocate and Scully would bleed to 
death.  Bile rose up hot and thick at the thought.  He 
had to wake her up.  Then he was shaking her.  

"Scully?  Scully!", He leaned her back and cradled her in 
the crook of one elbow so that he could see her face.  He 
could see her eyelids flutter and try to open and then 
the flash of blue was gone again and her lids were 
closed.  

"Scully, open your eyes. You have to stay with me.  
You've gotta push just a couple more times Scully.  This 
baby needs out, okay?  Just a couple more.  Come on----I 
believe in you----If anyone can do this you can----I 
believe in you Scully!" 

Though her eyes remained closed he could hear her 
muttered words this time, "Have the strength of your 
beliefs, Mulder." She squeezed his hand then and as 
another contraction rocked her body she struggled to lean 
forward.  Mulder lifted her once again and she pushed 
until her legs began to tremble and she couldn't push 
anymore and then she melted back into Mulder's waiting 
arms.  

"Okay," Reyes talked to Scully, but looked at Mulder, "I 
can see the baby, it's almost out, just a couple more 
pushes."  

Mulder was terrified, he didn't know if Scully could take 
that much more.  He was surprised that she was still 
vaguely conscious now.  

"Mulder----Muldeeer!", she moaned as another contraction 
ripped through her belly.  

"I'm right here," he said as he lifted yet again.  This 
time Scully's eyes opened wide and a yelp of pain 
exploded from her mouth as the baby's head made it's way 
from the warmth and safety of her body to the cool 
shocking air of the outside world.  

"Mulder," Reyes said, "You're gonna have to take one of 
these towels and put it by the fire to heat."  When he 
hesitated she explained, "I know you don't wanna leave 
her, but it will only take a minute and once the baby is 
out we have to keep it warm."  

He pressed a kiss to Scully's hot brow and looked into 
her cloudy eyes, "I'll be right back."  He hurriedly 
grabbed a towel and headed for the fireplace.  Behind him 
he could hear Scully's whimpers as Reyes coached her, 
"Push, Dana!  Push!!!!"  

As Mulder rose to cross back and resume his post at 
Scully's side she gave one final cry and released a heart 
wrenching sob as she collapsed back onto the bed.  Mulder 
stopped short at Scully's feet and saw the most amazing 
thing he'd ever seen in his life.  No X-file would ever 
compare to this.  Scully's final push had freed the 
shoulders and as Mulder watched the baby all but tumbled 
into Reyes' waiting hands.  It was a boy.  Scully had a 
son.  And he was perfect.  

Mulder's heart contracted in his chest at the beauty of 
what he had just witnessed.  Reyes cleared the baby's 
nose and mouth and was rewarded with a lusty cry.  As she 
cut the umbilical cord she instructed Scully to give a 
final push.  She wrapped the tiny baby in the hot towel 
and thrust him into Mulder's arms.  As Mulder gazed in 
amazement at the small life against his chest Scully gave 
a short push and successfully delivered the last remnants 
of her son's lifeline to her body.  

Breathing deeply, she looked at Mulder expectantly and as 
her tear-filled eyes met his own hers began to overflow.  
The baby had gone silent.  

Mulder sensed the direction of her thoughts and grinned 
in spite of his aching heart.  "You have a son, Scully."

Her expression changed to disbelief and then wonderment 
as he settled the child onto her belly.  Her eyes drank 
him in and then slipped closed and a small peaceful smile 
born of relief settled upon her lips.  

"Mulder," Reyes' voice interrupted the scene, "we have to 
do something fast.  We have to get this bleeding to stop 
or---," she cut herself off and continued to diligently 
pack Scully's lower body with fresh towels.  

Mulder's gaze swiveled back to Scully's face which still 
held it's pink feverish tint and he was alarmed to see 
that her breathing was shallow and somewhat labored and 
although she gazed adoringly at the small boy through 
veiled lashes, she had yet to reach for her son.  

"Scully?" Mulder said as he knelt to the floor by her bed 
once again.  

Scully raised her eyes to Mulder's and a steady stream of 
tears was revealed to him.  

His voice shook with emotion as he pleaded with Scully's 
silence, "You have to tell me what to do for you, 
Scully."  

Reyes waited silently for some sort of instruction.

Scully remained silent and Mulder's voice rose in panic, 
"For God's sake, Scully, tell me how to help you, 
please!?!"  His voice cracked on this last syllable.  

Her eyes softened and her shoulders shook with emotion, 
"There's no time," she whispered.  

"No. There's time Scully.  There is.  Just tell me what 
to do!"  He was begging her now, but it was no use, her 
eyes were closing and he knew she wouldn't be able to 
hold on long enough to give them medical instruction.  

Mulder dug in his jacket pocket and pulled out his cell 
phone.  He knew it was no use trying it now, it had been 
out of range for miles before he had reached the remote 
cabin.  Not waiting to see if she had her own with her or 
not he shoved it into Reyes' shaking hands.  "I want you 
to take this and drive until it works and get a doctor up 
here."

"But-," she started.

"Now!" he screamed.  

Reyes nodded and left the room quickly.  

"Scully, you have to hang on just a little bit longer, 
okay?  There's help on the way.  "

"No, Mulder," she mumbled, "No doctors----the baby.  
They'll take our baby away." 

"Shhhh," Mulder began to stroke her damp hair.  His hand 
stilled as her words sunk in, "They'll take our baby 
away."----'OUR baby.'  His body began to quake.  He had 
hoped and prayed to a God he wasn't even sure existed 
that this child was his and had tried his damndest to 
convince himself that it didn't matter.  It did.  

God, he had been so cold to her out of his own fear and 
hurt.  And it had all been for nothing.  If only he 
hadn't been such a coward, if he had just asked her.  How 
could he have asked her that though?  How could he have 
not known the child was his?  This was Scully.  He had 
been so blind.  

"Mulder," Scully whispered, "you have to go.  Take the 
baby," her voice broke on the last sentence.  

"No.  Scully, I'm not gonna leave you here.  I won't 
leave you alone.  Help is on the way and you're gonna be 
fine.  And I won't let anyone take our baby away.  I 
promise.  You just stay with me, okay?" 

Scully was no longer grasping his hand.  Her fingers lay 
limp against his palm as she struggled for breath.  "Take 
care of him, Mulder," came her weak voice, "he's our 
miracle baby."  

"No. No, you can't give up, Scully.  You're a mom now.  
Our son needs you."

Her eyes opened briefly and he pleaded with the endless 
blue, "Please, Dana----don't leave me."  

Summoning the very last bit of strength she possessed, 
Scully reached out a trembling hand and touched Mulder's 
cheek, "I'll always be with you," she whispered, "I love 
you, Mulder," and with that her hand slipped back to her 
side.

"I love you.  Oh God, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry, 
Scully," he choked, but he knew even as he spoke the 
words that it was too late.  He had seen her head loll to 
one side as her eyes drifted shut and the slow rise and 
fall of her chest had finally ceased.  

She was gone.  Scully was gone.  His other half was 
missing and he knew he couldn't survive without it 
because while he was flesh and bone, she was heart and 
soul.  And what creature could survive without it's soul?

He stared at her still form with blurred vision, sobs 
racking his body.  

"Had you big time," he heard her whispered voice drift 
back to him from the past.  He knew that this time she 
wouldn't be coming back to him though.  Not even if he 
breathed all the air he possessed into her empty lungs.  
He had felt the life leave her body.  Felt the incredible 
loneliness of being left on this earth without her.  

And in that moment he understood all that she had gone 
through in the months that he was buried six feet below 
her.  She had been forced to wake every day and walk and 
talk and eat and function as any human being does.  She 
had reminded herself to breathe in and out when all she 
wanted to do was stop and lie beside him and never be 
separated again.  And he understood exactly how she felt.  

The baby's pitiful whimpers drew Mulder's swollen eyes 
down the length of Scully's body to her abdomen where the 
child was still perched in a bundle of cotton towel.  The 
small infant, all but forgotten in Mulder's grief, seemed 
to sense that some integral part of his being had been 
removed.  

The pathetic cry shattered the last tiny fragment of 
Mulder's heart and he did the only thing his grief-
stricken mind could think to do.  He took the diminutive 
form in his hands and settled it gently against Scully's 
side, wrapping her lifeless arm around the squirming 
newborn.  Maybe he couldn't keep this child in her arms 
after all, but he would at least make sure she got to 
hold her son.  He pressed a light kiss to the child's 
brow and then very gently he brushed a tender one across 
Scully's cool lips.  

Mulder's shattered heart ached as he realized that in a 
million years he could never explain to his son how 
wonderful Scully was.  How perfect.  He couldn't put her 
into words, she was an experience.  One that her son 
would never know and it wasn't right.  It wasn't supposed 
to end this way.  

Mulder stared, unmoving as the tiny baby continued to 
fuss and kick his chubby legs.  Just as he was starting 
to reach for the crying child it reached out one flailing 
arm and wrapped it's miniscule fist around Scully's 
lifeless finger.  The sight was too much for Mulder, who 
began to sob again uncontrollably.  

"Scully," he choked, rocking himself back and forth, 
holding his head in both hands.  But as he glanced back 
up at the bed what he saw stopped his rocking 
immediately.  

As Mulder watched, the baby continued to hold onto it's 
mother's finger as if it would never let go and the most 
amazing thing happened.  Scully's finger twitched and 
then curled ever so slightly around the boy's tiny fist.  
Her chest slowly began to rise and fall once again.  She 
was alive!

Mulder's heart nearly exploded with relief and joy.  He 
was still sobbing, but now they were tears of joy.  He 
couldn't believe it, she had been dead, he knew it.  

His gaze quickly swept back down to their newborn son.  
He was asleep and Mulder could swear that a smile played 
around the corners of his Cupid's bow mouth.  

"Mulder?" the most beautiful sound he had ever heard 
reached his ears.  He slowly raised his eyes upward, 
terrified that he was hearing things.  Mulder had thought 
he'd never see anything more miraculous than the birth of 
his son, but as Scully's smiling eyes met his he knew 
that he'd been wrong.


~~~~~Everything is okay in the end.  If it's not okay, 
then it's not the end. ----unknown~~~~~