Title: Take My Breath Away
By: Ayla
Email: ayla1209@hotmail.com
Rating: PG
Category: Mulder/Scully Romance
Spoilers: Requiem
Keywords: Romance, Baby
Disclaimer: Not mine, never were. Alas, they belong to Fox,
Chris Carter, and 10-13 productions. I just borrow them for my
fantasies! =)
Feedback: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!!
Summary: Mulder returns and meets his newborn daughter for the
first time. The Lone Gunmen make a cameo.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fox Mulder walked briskly down the hospital corridor, his
slightly shaggy hair bouncing with each step. He could
hardly believe how much his life had changed in the last 24
hours. When he woke up in the Seattle motel room the day before
his first thought had been of her. After trying to call her
apartment in Washington and getting no answer, he called Skinner,
who immediately flew out to meet him and bring him back to D.C.

Every time he had asked about her Skinner had changed the
subject, asking where he had been, if he remembered anything.
After half a dozen of such sidesteps he finally grabbed Skinner
by the shoulders and demanded to know why he wouldn't tell him
anything about her. Skinner was silent for a moment, looking
intently into Mulder's eyes, seeing the desperation, fear, and
love, that Mulder held for the tiny woman who had been forced to
bare what had to have felt like the weight of the world by
herself. What he said next made Mulder's breath catch in his
throat and his heart skip a few beats.

Scully was in the hospital having a baby. *His* baby.

When Skinner told him his thoughts immediately went back to that
evening so many months ago, the not long before the
abduction. Snapshots of memories flashed into his mind -
Scully's reaction when he kissed her again, the first time since
New Year's. Scully's surprising not only herself but him as well
with the intensity of her response. Scully's hands on his arms,
in his hair, running over his back. Then later, the feel of her
lying against him. The gentle rise and fall of her chest as she
slept. Most of all, the feeling of complete peace and wholeness.
For the first time in many years, he slept that night, and the
nightmares didn't come.

Now as he walked quickly down the hall he felt as if he was still
dreaming. So many thoughts, so many questions unanswered - he
hardly knew where to begin. As he came to room 1013 he paused
outside the closed door, collecting himself. He raised a hand to
push open the door, and was surprised to see it trembling.
Closing his eyes for a moment he took a steadying breath and
slowly pushed open the door.

She was sleeping quietly, lying on her side. Mulder stepped
inside the room and softly closed the door behind him. The early
morning light was just starting to peak through the curtains. He
slowly walked over to her, being careful not to wake her. She
looked so peaceful, like an angel - a very tired angel. There
were hints of dark circles under her eyes, and she was even paler
than was normal for her. But she was still beautiful to him. He
ached to touch her, but he didn't want to wake her quite yet -
she was so tired, so worn out, and she needed her sleep. His
heart constricted at the thought of what the last 9 months must
have been like for her. He silently cursed the beings that took
him from her when she needed him most.

A small sound coming from nearby made him tear his eyes away from
Scully's sleeping form. Next to the bed was a small bassinet,
and inside was an even smaller baby, wrapped in a pink blanket.
*Their* baby girl. Mulder held his breath. Stepping over to the
bassinet he gently picked up the fidgeting infant, hoping to
sooth her so she didn't wake up her exhausted mother. He sat
down in a chair near Scully's bed, and settled the baby in his
arms. She immediately quieted down, as if sensing that she was
safe in the arms of the man who held her.

Mulder looked down at his daughter in awe. She was so tiny, so
perfect. One impossibly small fist flailed awkwardly, and gently
Mulder caught it with a trembling hand. She grabbed onto his
little finger, surprising him with the strength in that tiny
grip. 'Just like her mother' he thought. He stroked her cheek
with the tip of his index finger, amazed at the softness of it.
Just then she opened her eyes at looked up at him. He could
scarcely breathe as his looked back into the eyes of his
daughter. The trusting way she gazed up at him brought tears to
his eyes. He knew at that moment that he would do anything,
anything at all, to keep her and her mother safe and happy.
Suddenly, looking into her small face, nothing else mattered.
The CSM, everything that had happened to him over the last 9
months, hell everything that had happened to him in the last 6
years - none of it mattered. It never would again.

***
Her senses woke up first. It had always been that way. Even
before she opened her eyes she knew he was there. The knowledge
warmed her heart, and she felt herself release a knot of tension
and fear that she had been carrying with her for 9 months. Even
though Skinner had called her yesterday and told her that he'd
been found, she knew she wouldn't relax until she saw him with
her own eyes. Had their daughter not chosen that moment to
decide that it was time to make her appearance, Scully would have
been with Skinner when he flew out to Seattle.

Opening her eyes, she nearly wept at the site that greeted her.
Mulder was sitting in the rocking chair near the bed; their tiny
daughter nestled in his strong arms. He was gazing down at her
with a look of awe and love and tenderness on his face that
Scully had never seen before. She looked at him not only with a
doctor's eye, but that of a woman seeing the man she loved
returned safely to her. The doctor in her noted that he was a
bit thinner, a bit paler, but otherwise seemed fine. The woman
in her just thought he looked wonderful.

He must have felt her gaze on him, because just then he looked
up. Their eyes locked, and in that one moment Scully knew that
everything was going to be fine. When she softly smiled at him
she was rewarded with a wide grin from Mulder. His eyes bright
with emotion, he blinked and took a deep breath. He stood up and
gently placed the now-sleeping infant back in the bassinet.
Coming to her, he gingerly sat on the edge of the bed. "Is this
ok?" he asked, "I'm not hurting you, am I?"

"Mulder I'm not made of glass- you're fine." Scully carefully
pulled herself into a sitting position. "I'm a little sore, yes,
but that is entirely normal for a woman after giving birth." She
looked into his concerned face, wondering if she was really
seeing more than concern there. She opened her arms to him, and
he gently pulled her close; wrapping his strong arms around her
small frame. As she buried her face in his neck she felt as
though the missing part of her soul had been returned.

For several long minutes they simply held onto each other.
Pulling back, Scully looked up into Mulder's face. "I was afraid
I'd never seen you again" she whispered. She reached up to
stroke the side of his face with the tips of her fingers. He
captured her hand in his, bringing it to his mouth to place a
soft kiss in the palm of her hand. The simple gesture nearly
brought her to tears yet again.

"I know" he whispered back, bringing her hand down and pressing
it against his chest, right over his heart. "But you also knew I
would come back. Skinner said you never gave up hope." He
looked down for a moment, taking in a deep breath. When he
looked up again she could see the questions in his eyes. She
knew he had to have hundreds of them. Before he could open his
mouth to speak they were interrupted by a sharp cry emanating
from the nearby bassinet. They both smiled.

"I believe your daughter is most likely hungry. As is her
mother." Scully smiled as Mulder stood up to retrieve the crying
infant. As he lifted their daughter her cries subsided to
whimpers, and he gently placed her in Scully's arms. "Mulder,
would you mind finding me some juice?" Scully asked. Mulder
nodded and started to turn to leave, when he paused and returned
to Scully's bedside. When she looked up he cupped her face in
one hand, leaned down, and softly kissed her. Straightening he
gave her another wide smile and bounded out of the room with
promises to be back in a flash. Bringing her hand up to her
lips, Scully smiled, and then turned her attention to their
impatient daughter.

******
After making several wrong turns and stopping at two nurses'
stations, Mulder finally found the cafeteria. When he returned
to the room, the sight that greeted him took his breath away.
Scully was sitting in the rocking chair, breast-feeding their
daughter, humming softly as she rocked. The morning sun was now
streaming in the window and catching in the fiery red of her
hair, seeming to make the very air around her glow with warmth
and light. Mulder had never seen such a beautiful sight, and he
knew without a doubt he would never forget it.

Mulder walked over and knelt next to the chair. He watched in
awe as the tiny babe suckled at her mother's breast. Realizing
suddenly that he was staring he snapped his gaze upwards to
Scully's face. She was looking at him intently, gauging his
reaction. "God Scully, I don't know where to begin- there is so
much to tell you, so many things I want to ask-" he trailed off,
at a momentary loss for words. Scully remained quiet, giving him
time to collect his thoughts. "I- you- uh, What - what's her
name?" he finally finished.

Scully smiled. "Actually," she said, "I haven't named her yet.
I had just gone into labor when Skinner called to tell me you had
contacted him, so when she was born I decided to wait for you."
The little girl in question had fallen fast asleep, and Scully
moved to adjust her gown and robe. Mulder picked up the tiny
bundle from her lap and laid her gently back in the bassinet.
Turning and seeing Scully move to get up from the rocker he
hurried back over to her to help her back to bed. Settling once
more into bed, she patted the space next to her.

He sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. "I am so sorry I wasn't
here for you-"

"Shhh-" she said, placing her hand against his lips. "It's ok,
it wasn't your fault. I know you would have been here if it had
been in your power." Scully smiled as he again kissed the hand
against his lips. "I don't want to think about where you have
been, or what happened to you - not yet. There will be time for
that later. Right now, we have a daughter who needs a name."

Mulder sat quietly for a moment, thinking. Scully watched him as
he searched his mind and memories for a name befitting their
precious daughter. She knew the instant he found it, she saw his
eyes light up and his face relax into a smile. "I can't quite
remember where I heard this name, but it's one that has always
stayed with me- what do you think of Shayla?"

"Shayla," Scully said, trying out the musical sound of it. "It's
a beautiful name- what does it mean?" Scully had never heard the
name before. Mulder smiled. "Well- it means, uh-" he
faltered, actually blushing slightly. "Mulder, what does it
mean?" Scully was more than curious by this time.

"It's Irish- it means 'from the fairy palace'. It's meaning
might sound silly- but I just can't help feeling like this is all
a dream, all part of a fairytale that I never thought would come
true." Mulder took both of Scully's hands in his, stroking his
thumbs over her soft skin. "Scully- Dana, I love you. I've
been in love with you for so long that I hardly remember what my
life was like without you in it. You complete me in more ways
than I can explain. I need you more than I need air to breathe.
I never want to spend a single day without you by my side. Marry
me?" He was so earnest, so intense as he spoke those words of
love. But then Mulder didn't do anything halfway; with him,
everything was intense.

Scully was so moved by his words that she could barely speak.
When she at last found her voice again her words returning his
love were thick with emotion. "Mulder, I fought loving you for
so long; not because I didn't want to love you, but because I
didn't know how to handle emotions as intense as you made me
feel. I love you more than I thought it was possible to love
anyone. You are my best friend, my lover, my soulmate, and now
the father of my child. And I thought you'd never ask." Scully
stroked the side of his face gently and smiled lovingly into his
eyes as tears of such joy and happiness coursed down her face.

"Um... are we interrupting?" Scully looked over Mulder's
shoulder and couldn't help but laugh at the incredibly
uncomfortable expression on Frohike's face. The Lone Gunmen,
Mulder's eternal shadows, peered curiously in from the doorway.
Wiping away the last traces of tears Scully smiled and waved them
in.

"We brought the baby a present," Langly said as he handed Scully
a colorful gift bag overflowing with tissue paper and ribbons.

"And hey, we didn't forget mommy either!" Byers smiled as he set
a vase of daises and daffodils on a nearby table. "So where is
the little squirt anyway?"

Acting every bit the proud papa Mulder scooped up Shayla from the
bassinet and held her up for the Lone Gunmen to see. "Gentlemen,
meet Shayla Katherine Mulder."

Even the stoic Frohike couldn't help but smile tenderly at the
tiny babe nestled in her father's strong arms. But he couldn't'
resist getting one jab in at Mulder. "You sure she's yours
Mulder? She's too beautiful. Then again, I guess I have to
remember who her mother is." Langly smacked him for that one,
and again Scully couldn't help but laugh at the look of chagrin
on his face.

As the three ever-loyal friends gathered around Scully, Mulder,
and their miracle baby, Scully couldn't help but think that this
was exactly how it was supposed to be. She felt so blessed, so
very lucky to have such wonderful, special people in her life.
The thought alone took her breath away.