From: Donna Honeycutt Date: Tue, 1 May 2007 06:56:34 -0700 (PDT) Subject: After the Future - LX, part 1 Source: direct Reply To: donnah@donnas-stories.com Title - After the Future - LX part 1 Author - donnah Email address - donnah@donnas-stories.com URL - http://www.donnas-stories.com/ Rating - PG-13 Category - MSR, post-colonization, angst Spoilers - None Keywords - MSR, post-colonization, angst Summary - First part of the finale, several years in the future . . . Feedback - Please Archive - Anywhere, just let me know so I can visit Disclaimer - Mulder, Scully, the Lone Gunmen and Skinner all belong to Chris, 10-13, and Fox - Bless them for it!! No infringement intended. After the Future LX - 1 Mulder looked up as Kevin came to the door of the office Mulder and Walter shared. "I'm heading out, see you in the morning." "Yeah, I need to head on home too." Mulder stretched his neck and reached for the bottom drawer. He heard Kevin open the back door before he remembered that Charlie had wanted Kevin to meet him at greenhouse #4 first thing in the morning. He rose and headed after the younger man. The sight out of the small kitchen window stopped Mulder in his tracks. What the hell! Kevin, with his arms around Katy, kissing her! Before he could decide which weapon to use, they had moved on and still he stood there in shock. He didn't even hear the front door open. "Mulder? You here?" Scully wandered back to look for him. "Mulder?" He turned toward the sound of her voice but didn't look at her. "I'm going to kill Kevin." "I beg your pardon?" His wife looked at him curiously. "I'm going to kill Kevin." "Oh, I thought I misunderstood you. Was this a long term plan, or do you just need something to do this evening?" "I'm not kidding! I just saw . . . " He looked back at the window again. "Saw what, Mulder? Come in here and sit down." Scully took his arm; the man was obviously rattled, but . . . oh shit! "I'll strangle him. Scully, I need to go." "You don't need to go anywhere. What did Kevin do that has you so upset?" She needed to get him talking. He allowed Scully to lead him back to his desk. He was still more in shock than homicidal but he could feel it growing. "Kevin, he was . . . he had his hands . . . he was kissing - " "Katy?" She sank into the chair next to him. He whipped his head around and glared at her. "You knew!" "Mulder - " "He's twice her age!" Finally his outrage found words. "He won't be next year." She said reasonably and he gaped at her. "She's just a child! He's a grown man, he has no business fooling around - " "Mulder, calm down. Katy's 17, that's not exactly a child and as for fooling around, I can assure you that Kevin has been a complete gentleman." "That's not what I saw." He was still reeling from this double punch. Scully knew? And she hadn't said a word? Scully sighed. "Why don't we go home, we can talk better there." "I don't want to go home, I want to go after my daughter and that . . . Kevin." His hands were balled into fists and he nearly jerked away when Scully placed her own hand on top of his. "Don't do this, Mulder. Walk me home, come on." She rose and after a moment he stood as well. She took his hand and moved him toward the door. He didn't speak during the walk home but she could feel his mind churning over the events. She wasn't surprised not to meet any of the children on their way home, or to find the house empty. They were barely in the door when he turned on her. "You knew. Tell me what's going on." "Nothing's 'going on', Mulder. Kevin came and talked to me about the situation. He's concerned as well." "He damn well should be concerned! He's a grown man and she's . . . she's -" "She's your little girl. Which is why he came to me and not you. Mulder, he's in love with her." Mulder loomed over her at those words, outrage plain on his face. "In love! She's a baby! What makes him think he can take advantage - " "Mulder, calm down. He has taken no advantage and he didn't make the first move. Katy's in love with him too. When she made her feelings known to him, he panicked and came to me." Mulder's mouth moved but no sound emerged. She took his hand and moved him to the couch. Once he was seated she joined him, sitting close, holding tightly to his hand. "Why didn't he come to me?" he finally said. That brought a slight smile to her face. "Fear of mutilation? Mulder, look at you. You're . . . you're beside yourself. Katy's not a baby; she's a woman. She's loved Kevin since she was a little girl, now those feelings have matured." "He changed her diapers." "His exact words to me. Mulder, he's as thrown by this as you are. But he loves her. He didn't mean to fall in love with your daughter. He's fought it if you want to know the truth. He thought he was too old for her as well." "He is!" "Mulder, age does not dictate who you fall in love with. Look around this place, Frohike and Beth, Byers and Lynne, Mom and Walter." He was calming down a little, but she wasn't completely reassured. "At least they were adults." "They wouldn't have been if they had met earlier. Mulder, please. I've talked with them, I believe they really do love each other. That's not something we can control and I don't want to alienate either of them." She leaned over and kissed the love of her life. "I do understand how you feel." She paused for a moment, "Do you remember purple explosion day?" He faced her then. "Sure, when you cured me of my phobia." "Right. And while we were there, what was going on here?" "Everyone got together." "Right again. Where did Kevin go when everyone else paired up?" "He checked on the kids - " "He went to Katy, Mulder. He went to Katy even back then. Nothing happened. I'm sure he didn't even realize what he had done because he didn't think of Katy as a woman then. She was his little friend with a crush on him. But that's where he headed instinctively when everyone turned to the one they loved." Mulder was silent for a long moment, then, "I need to talk to Kevin." "Not until you're calm, Mulder. I don't want you saying something . . . Please." They turned as the door opened and Walt stopped just inside, taking in the posture and expressions on his parents' faces. He made a conscious decision not to probe their thoughts. "What did I do?" "Nothing, Honey. We were talking about something else. Are you through for the day? I haven't even started dinner." "No problem, Frohike's cooking tonight, so I thought Lexie, Chrissy and I would head over there. Katy here?" "Uh, no." "Okay, I'll stop by Kevin's and see if they want to eat with us." He headed for the stairs to change clothes and shoes. "Hold it! Why would you look for Katy at Kevin's house?" Mulder watched his son pause at the foot of the stairs. "Because that's where she'd be." It was a flip answer, but held the ring of truth. Scully put her hand on Mulder's arm to forestall any heated words. Mulder took a deep breath. "When you see Kevin, tell him to stop by here. Before dinner." "Dad . . . Yeah, okay. Anything else?" Scully shook her head and Walt headed up, taking the stairs three at a time. At fifteen he looked so much like his father it was scary. The kids were growing up so fast. ***** Since neither had any appetite and the kids were out for the evening, Scully fixed salads for dinner. They were eating in silence, when Kevin tapped on the door. He stuck his head in as Mulder rose from the table. "Hi, Walt said you needed to see me. Is anything wrong?" "I think we need to talk, Kevin." Mulder motioned toward the couch. Kevin glanced over at Scully, who gave him a look of sympathy. "About?" Kevin asked warily as he seated himself. Mulder remained on his feet, looking down at the man. "Katy." Kevin's face flushed a dark red. "Yes sir." "Sir? A little formal aren't we?" "Mulder, I don't know what to say to you. I knew you'd be unhappy about this situation and I've been racking my brain for a way to talk to you about it. I'm in love with your daughter. I don't know how to change that. I have been for a long time, but I ignored it and I'd planned to continue ignoring it due to the difference in our ages. When she came to me and told me how she felt . . . Mulder, I didn't know what to say to her either." "She's a child, Kevin." "She's your child, but she's a woman too." Kevin managed not flinch from Mulder's glare. "Are you a virgin, Kevin?" "Uh, no." Kevin knew where this was going, but knew of no way to stop it. "Is Katy?" Mulder's voice was hard. "Mulder!" Scully moved to him and placed what she hoped was a calming hand on his arm. "She is. Don't do this. Kevin maybe you better - " "Dad, don't do this." None of them had heard Katy slip into the house. Scully closed her eyes; this had the potential of something irreparable. "Katy, this is between Kevin and me. You should - " "It's not between you and Kevin. It's about me. It's my life that's being discussed. I love Kevin, I always have. I want to marry him and be with him forever." "M-marry!" Mulder sputtered the word and Kevin sank back onto the couch from where he'd risen. "You two have discussed marriage?" He turned back to Kevin at those words. "Not exactly," Kevin said quietly. "That's right, Dad. He hasn't, I have. I knew he'd never ask me to marry him, because of this so-called age problem and . . . and you. He works for you; you're Mulder. No one wants to marry the boss' daughter and that's what I am. I love Kevin and I want to be with him. He won't even consider me living with him without marriage, so here we are." Scully could see Mulder's blood pressure rise. She should have warned him, and she would have eventually. She just hadn't seen this coming. "Live with -!" He lost his voice at that point and Scully stepped in front of him. "Katy, this is all new to your father. Let the two of us talk. This conversation is not going anywhere productive. Please, go back over to Frohike's and give your father a little time." Kevin rose again, an escape had been placed in front of him and he was anxious to take it. Katy opened her mouth to protest but he took her hand. "Let them talk, Katy. This is not helping. Then the four of us can discuss things more calmly. Let's go." "Kevin, I - " "Let's go." He gently but firmly turned her toward the door and with one last glance at Scully, escorted Katy out. Mulder looked down at Scully, not moving for a long moment after the door shut. She turned to look up at him but he wouldn't meet her eyes, finally turning and walking away from her. "Mulder . . . " "Not now, Scully." "Mulder, please - " But he had let himself out the back door, heading toward the lake. She took a deep breath. She'd made a terrible miscalculation keeping this from him. Katy was the light of his life, the child they'd never dreamed they could have, and the beginning of immunity for all humanity. It was just so hard for him to see Katy as a woman. To have her love a man like she loved Kevin was incredibly difficult. Scully decided to give him a little time, but not much. She didn't want him to go too deep within himself. Scully changed into her clean clothes, then checked out the back door. No sign of him. He'd been alone long enough; she needed to get him to talk. He wasn't that hard to find, sitting under the tree where he and Samantha had carved their initials as children. "Hi." She sat beside him. "I wanted to be alone." "Too bad, you're an old married man, Mulder. You're never really alone." She leaned against him and after a couple of heart beats, he put his arm around her. "I'm not . . . Scully, why didn't you tell me?" "I made a mistake, Mulder. I should never have kept anything from you. I guess Kevin's fear got to me." "I'm that scary?" "Yeah, Spooky, in this case you are. I kind of admire Kevin for having to the courage to talk to you tonight. Katy's your baby girl. Everyone knows that." She put her hands over his. "She's so young." "Yes and no, Mulder. She's grown up differently than we did. She'd done manual labor on the farm, she's done her rotations in the clinic, she's helped raise the other young people here, and let's face it, around the world. Maybe she didn't go to proms or college, but she's an adult. She loves Kevin, she always has." Mulder sighed. "Couldn't it be infatuation for an older brother?" "Mulder." She shook her head. He sighed and tightened his hold on her. "I feel old." "You're never gonna be old, Mulder. You're too 'Mulder'." He forced a chuckle at that and squeezed her. "What does that mean?" "It means I want to take you back to the house. All the kids are out; we'd be alone. Then we'll see how old you are." "You trying to seduce me, Agent Scully?" "Yeah. Is it working?" He nodded and then stood, pulling her to her feet. They walked back toward the house, arms around each other. They stopped when they saw Samantha hurrying toward them from the house. "Okay?" Mulder's expression softened as his sister's obvious concern. "Yes. We're okay." He put an arm around her. Samantha stared at him, clearly picking up on his mood. "Really, Sam, I'm okay." "Happened?" Mulder looked over at Scully. She nodded. "Katy and Kevin want to get married," he told her. Samantha stood there waiting. She's known that about the two of them for ages. "Did you hear me? Katy wants to get married." Samantha nodded. "Happened?" "Don't you think she's a little young for Kevin?" Samantha blinked then. "No." Scully's muffled chuckle caused Mulder to glare down at her. "Okay now?" Samantha lightly touched Mulder's arm. He sighed and gave her a hug. "I'll try." She looked deep into his eyes and finally nodded. "Bill." "Yes, go back to Bill. Scully will look after me." "I will, Samantha. Thanks for checking on him." Samantha smiled at them both, then lightly ran toward the clinic. Mulder and Scully continued on to the house, their arms around each other's waist. Once they were back inside Mulder turned to her. "They're going to get married, aren't they?" "Yes. Can you be okay with that?" "I don't know, Scully. What choice do I have?" She sighed. "Not a whole lot. But Mulder, I don't see a problem." "You don't?" "I mean, I haven't had a flash on them. They just love each other. Come on, I want to think about you now, no one else." She tugged him toward the bedroom. Once there she reached for his belt buckle. He chuckled and pulled her shirt over her head. Yeah, this woman would always be able to seduce him. ***** Kevin was waiting for him at the office the next morning. He rose from his desk when Mulder entered. Mulder didn't speak, waiting at the door. "Can we talk?" Kevin stepped toward him. Mulder nodded and after what felt like a long time turned toward his office. "Is Walter here?" Mulder asked over his shoulder. "No, not yet." "Good. Have a seat." He let Kevin precede him into the office then shut the door and turned toward Kevin. "I'm not sure what to say to you. You know I think you're too old for Katy. Scully says that's not that big a deal. What do you think?" "I see your point. But Mulder, don't doubt that I love her. I didn't see this coming, I swear. You asked if I'd . . . touched her. No. I've fought those feelings. I should have come to you, but . . . damn it Mulder, how could I? We're talking about Katy! I was in a panic when I talked to Scully. And listen; don't be angry with her. I begged her not to say anything to you. I thought Katy would get over it, move on to someone more . . . I don't know." "Did you tell her how you felt?" "No! I was trying to get her to move on. I thought it would be better for her, someone else would be better for her. I don't know that I kept my thoughts from her, but I tried." Mulder sighed and looked around the room, at the ceiling, and finally back at Kevin. "Do you want to marry her?" Kevin blinked at him then. "Yes. Yes, I do." Mulder winced, but then continued gamely. "There's a lot of her mother in her. She's stubborn as hell. She goes after what she wants." Kevin nodded, not sure what to say. "Scully and I talked a long time last night. She seems to think you'd be an okay son-in-law." Kevin didn't dare move - what other shoe was going to drop? "Don't hurt her. Don't betray her. You understand me?" Kevin nodded slowly. "Are you . . . what are you saying?" "Scully doesn't have to know this, but sometimes I do listen to her. Go find Katy." At that a huge smile broke out on Kevin's face. He decided not to push his luck by kissing his future father-in-law full out on the lips. He was up and out without another word. Almost immediately Walter stuck his head in the door. "What's up with him? He was grinning like a damn fool." Mulder motioned for him to come on in and sit down. "He's gone to ask Katy to marry him." "He's what!" Mulder nodded. "Kevin and Katy? He's more like a father to her." Mulder leaned back. "Don't remind me." "You okay, Mulder?" "Hell no, but Scully says it's the right thing. It's nice to know you weren't aware either." The two men sat back, not speaking, savoring memories of their first child and grandchild. ***** She was lovely. Somehow the women had come up with the material and lace to create a true wedding gown. Scully had found ties for Mulder and Kevin and after several attempts they were tied to her satisfaction. Katy took Mulder's arm. "You're not going to cry, are you Dad?" "Of course not." She smiled up at him and he kissed her cheek. "Now your mother . . . " She laughed at that and turned toward the door. Mulder looked at her, he was hurting, but he had to hide it from her. She was ready to marry Kevin. She'd been ready for a long time - since she was twelve, maybe earlier. Scully watched Mulder escort their daughter down the aisle. Her eyes were a little wet, but she knew what this was costing Mulder. She found herself watching him rather than the bride. Yes, there was gray in his hair now, and when it was cold he limped a little from past injuries, but he was still the sexiest, most desirable man she'd ever known. Inappropriate thoughts for their daughter's wedding, but she saw him watching her now, and he knew. He winked at her, sucking it up and moving on to the front of the room with Katy on his arm. Scully looked over at Walter and Maggie. She was so glad her mother had lived long enough to see this. And Walter - he couldn't be more proud if Katy were his own daughter. She was so blessed. The ceremony was beautiful. Katy's two sisters, so different in complexion, stood with her in a copy of the old fashion weddings from before. Walt stood as best man for Kevin, making it a true family affair. Mulder stepped from escorting her down the aisle to officiating. It was legal, at least to them. If Mulder came across a little strong on Kevin's vows it only brought smiles to the guest's faces. Then they were kissing and Mulder turned to look at Scully rather than watch. Katy was always going to be his little girl. He couldn't dwell on what was going to happen tonight. He flashed for an instant on those porn videos he'd collected before Scully. All of those women had been someone's daughter. Not exactly a pleasant thought right now. Everyone was clapping and moving forward to congratulate the couple. Scully hugged Katy and kissed Kevin, but quickly put her arms around Mulder. They made room for Maggie to speak to the bride and groom, then Walter seated her again and they watched the festivities from a position of honor. The party lasted into the night. Katy was special to all of them - the first child born here, not to mention the beginning of their salvation. Scully stood close to Mulder, watching the celebration. Lynne was playing guitar and singing as the couples danced. Byers are standing to one side, watching her and swaying as their three year old slept on his shoulder. Walt was dancing with Esther and Alex had his arms around Lexie, teaching her some dance step. Chrissy and Malcolm were sitting with Maggie and laughing about something. Bill had Samantha on the dance floor as well and she was blushing with pleasure at their 'dancing'. "Thirsty?" Mulder leaned in close to her. She nodded and continued watching their extended family enjoy this celebration. Mulder returned to Scully with a glass of Frohike's homemade wine and realized he couldn't spot Kevin or Katy. He handed her the glass and looked around again. "They slipped out, Mulder." He stiffened slightly and felt her hand caress his arm. "It's okay Mulder. They are married." "Yeah." She pulled his head down so that their lips met. ***** After the Future - LX part 2 Mulder thought he was handling it pretty well. Kevin had sense enough not to come into the office grinning like a fool, for which he was grateful. The problem was, even he could see the purple that surrounded Kevin now. Kevin's happiness was only surpassed by Katy's. He had checked with Scully on that. Katy was delighted with her new life and seemed older somehow. He did his best to avoiding thinking about it. That's why he was startled when the office door burst open just a few weeks later and Katy blew into the office. "Kevin!" "Yeah, Katy? What?" Kevin was on his feet. Mulder and Walter froze. "I need to talk to you. Dad, we need just a minute." "Is something wrong?" Mulder asked quickly. "I just need to talk to Kevin. Okay?" She had hold of Kevin's hand, tugging him to his feet. "Uh, I'll just be a minute. Sorry." Kevin allowed his bride to pull him from the room. "What the hell was that about?" Mulder stared at the door. Walter shrugged, and turned back to his schedule. Less than five minutes later the door opened again and Scully joined them. "Mulder, I need to see you." Walter's brow furrowed. This time he decided he was the one to cut out. "I'll, uh, I'll see you later." Mulder didn't seem to hear him, focused completely on Scully. She turned to Walter. "Thanks." He nodded and squeezed her hand as he left the room. "Is Kevin here?" "No, Katy came for him. She was . . . insistent. What's wrong?" "Nothing, but - " "Scully." "Mulder . . . Katy's pregnant." Mulder froze, unable to process the words for an instant. "It's a boy," she said softly, trying to get him to speak. He closed his eyes and turned away from her. "Mulder?" He shook his head and she fell silent. She had hoped he would take it better. Obviously his problem with pregnancy extended to Katy as well. "She'll be okay," Scully offered. "You know the kids will keep an eye on her for the whole time." He didn't seem to hear her. "Mulder, are you okay?" Mulder ignored the question, feeling numb. "Mulder?" "I'll see you later," Mulder answered as he walked out of the room. Scully started to reach for him, but he evaded her as he brushed by her. She wanted to be exasperated, angry, but he was so devastated. Instead she sank into his chair. Walter had obviously seen him leave and returned quickly to check on Scully. "Can you talk about it?" he asked Scully quietly. "It's good news," she spoke without looking at him. He took his seat back and waited. "Katy's pregnant." "Uh, wow. So I'm going to be a great-grandfather again." Scully cut her eyes at him, then covered her face with her hands. "Why is he like this?" "Maybe those first thirty plus years when he was abandoned and alone? He'll never get over the fear of losing someone he loves. It's too deep and it's a gut reaction, Scully, totally knee-jerk. You know he'll be happy when he gets it together." She sighed and rose from the chair. "I know, but it's gonna be hard between now and then." Walter grinned and winked at her. "You can handle it, Grandma." Her eyes narrowed but she couldn't sustain it. "A grandmother. Yee gods." She shook her head and gave Walter a hug, then went in search of Mulder. She headed for the tree, but he wasn't there, or the house. After a while a new idea came to her and she moved rapidly down a path that wasn't used very often any more. The shack was in a lot worse shape than the last time she'd seen it. She didn't come here often and as far as she knew Mulder never came here. The door was missing now and the hinges had rusted off. She quietly stepped inside. He was sitting on the ground, his back against the wall. "Hi." She joined him, sitting beside him. He didn't respond but he didn't move away from her either. "Why here?" she finally asked. "Seemed appropriate." "Here? Mulder, Walt's fifteen years old. We're way past his birth. Katy will be fine." "She's too - " "Young? No, she's not. She's actually at an optimal age to give birth." "Optimal age?" He turned to look at her then. She chuckled, "I thought sounding like a doctor would make me sound more sure. Hey, you know I'm going to be a grandmother here, I'm the one who should be going to pieces." "You'll be one sexy grandma." "I hope so. I have to keep you interested." His arm went around her then. "Don't worry about that." He turned back toward the room, looking at memories. "I, I thought they would wait a little while . . . " "Until they get to know each other better?" she asked, her lips quirking up into a smile. He glared at her then looked away. "He said he wasn't a virgin, Scully. He was just a kid when he got here. Do you think he got with Kelly or - " "Mulder, that's none of our business." "But, you don't think he'd cheat on - " "No! Besides, I don't think Katy is giving him any time for such activity." Mulder looked over at her clearly outraged. "Mulder, did you honestly think a daughter of yours, of ours, wouldn't enjoy sex?" His face darkened and he looked away. "Oh, Mulder, you're being unreasonable now. This child has grown up surrounded by loving and loved people. She's seen 'purple explosions' since day one. Unfortunately she's also seen the other side, because of Ian." Mulder jerked at those words and his arm tightened around her. She cuddled in. "So she knows the difference. I'm sure Kevin was gentle and loving." She could feel Mulder's wince and bit down on her chuckle. "Damn, Scully . . . " "This from the man with the extensive porn collection that he didn't own in his apartment." "God, don't remind me. I've been having residual guilt for weeks." "You never saw Katy as a sexual being." "Scully - " "Do you feel the same about Walt? He's fifteen, he's in puberty." He looked over at her. "I'm going to get caught on one of those double standard things, aren't I?" "Depends on your answer," she said dryly. "I think I'll keep my balls intact and not answer." Scully did laugh then and he pulled her tighter. "But, couldn't he have waited a little while?" "He? They both got pregnant. It's a honeymoon baby. It's better than we did." "I beg your pardon. We were together for years." "Not as long as they've been together." Her eyebrow rose. "And I was pregnant when we tied the knot." He nodded in concession. It was true, they hadn't known, but it was true. That didn't help. He was shaken and part of him wanted Kevin's hide. That wasn't an option. Kevin was married to his daughter. He tucked that away. They had to work together and not cause a problem for the community. He could do that. "Scullys' breed fast. Walter hit it on the nose." She laughed lightly. "Maybe, Will and Jennifer already have a couple of kids, Sam and Tracy have one. But we're not the only ones; look at Anne and Todd, five kids, Mulder. Come on, we have a regular factory going here and they're all immune. They'll be part of repopulating the earth. Now we'll have another generation. Please try to be happy about this." "Part of me is. Really." "You could sound a little more convincing. Are you going to hold this against Kevin?" He didn't answer, just pulling her closer. ***** Heading home for dinner, his thoughts doggedly on inventory, Mulder was startled when Charlie clapped him on the back. "Welcome to the club." Confused, Mulder looked over at him. "The grandpa club. I heard about Katy and Kevin." "Yeah, how about that." Mulder tried to smile. Charlie stopped, holding his arm so that he was halted as well. "What?" "Nothing, it's great." "Great? So why do you sound like your dog died?" "See how you feel when Missy gets pregnant." "I handled it okay with Jennifer and Tracy, I think." "But they're not - " "Hold it right there. They're my daughters. They don't have any parents other than Mary and me." "You're right, I'm sorry. I'm . . . thrown." "No shit." Charlie grinned. "You know Katy's going to be fine." Charlie was startled at the pleading look in Mulder's eyes. Damn, he'd forgotten how this man was around Dana's pregnancies. His arm went around his brother-in- law's shoulders. "You need to relax. You're headed into the good part, where you can spoil and never have to discipline. And get them back for all the grief your kids gave you." He leaned in and whispered, "They'll have to learn to sleep through the night at someone else's home." Mulder actually chuckled at that and nodded. "I hadn't thought of that. Just don't make me witness this one, okay?" "Hey, fine with me, but you'll have to ask the proud parents. There is a tradition you know. Maybe you can get a pass for Walt's first kid." Mulder groaned and shook his head, but he did feel better. ***** Mulder stopped with his fork halfway to his mouth. The family, along with Walter and Maggie, were together for dinner tonight at their house. All of the children had stopped and were looking at each other. "What? What's wrong?" he demanded. Katy exchanged glances with Walt, Lexie and Chrissy, then squeezed Kevin's hand, and turned to Mulder. "Not wrong, exactly. It's the others." "What about them?" Scully asked quickly. "Have they left their area?" Mulder was right behind her. "No, they're still in what was the middle east. They have no reason to leave. They like the climate and there's no water. No, it's . . . they've found out about our baby." Kevin and Mulder both tensed. "Are you in danger?" They seemed to speak together. "No, of course not." She took Kevin's hand while she caressed her belly and smiled at her father. "Really, I'm protected, but they weren't . . . they know they can't harm us. What we're picking up is," she looked over at Walt, "despair." "De-despair?" Mulder looked between his two oldest children. Katy nodded. "They've known for a long time that they were here to live out their lives, but apparently this baby overwhelmed some of them. Five?" Again she looked over at Walt, who nodded. "Five of them decided to . . . turn off." "Suicide?" Mulder asked. "I guess that's the closest analogy. They didn't 'harm' themselves as much as quit." "You say five?" Walt nodded. "There's not that many of them. They lost over fifty of them back when California fell off. At their largest there were only about five hundred of them on the planet. Now they number a little less than two hundred." "What's . . . different is that three of the five weren't elders," Katy offered. "Elders?" Scully asked. "Yes, these were less than eighty years old, the elders are often over 200 years old." "Mulder?" Scully squeezed his hand. "Just thinking. I don't know whether to dwell on their age or the fact there were less than five hundred when they did this to us." "Why don't you dwell on the fact they've lost hope," Walter said quietly. Mulder looked up at him and nodded. "Right, and the fact that they're half a planet away with no humans around them." ***** Mulder watched as Katy moved toward the clinic. She was glowing with both her happiness and the child within her. She never seemed to be alone anymore, with one or more of the children around her. Everyone seemed to want to touch her, caress her belly. That had embarrassed Scully during her pregnancies, even annoyed her slightly, but not Katie. Of course Katie had had such a different upbringing. Scully had moved around all of her youth, while Katie had such a stable home life. Oh there had been rough years, but never a sense of being uprooted or having to leave friends or loved ones behind. And of course there was that ability to be in touch with all of her siblings at all times, he thought ruefully. Kevin was the same, he had suffered some losses in his life, losing his mother and stepfather and somewhere along the way, his sister Ruby, but he'd been 'home' a long time and he'd had Katie in his life all of hers. Mulder found himself melting a little in his attitude toward Kevin. Maybe he was feeling jealous? Not of their love, he had that, but of their time together. He'd only gotten to claim Scully as his own when he was nearly forty. What would they have been like if they had met earlier? Would they have been closer if they had been together as long as . . . No, he smiled to himself. Maybe longer together, but not closer. ***** Mulder tapped on the door and entered when he heard his daughter's voice responding. Scully had encouraged him to accept this invitation to dinner since she wasn't going to be home until late tonight. She'd wanted to get in one last visit to the village before Katy delivered. Esther had gone with her, leaving Walt and Beth for any problems at home. And, he was aware, give him more downtime to spend with his daughter and her husband. The distance between Kevin and him was still a little uncomfortable, and he knew it was his fault. Kevin had done nothing to him - his work was still top notch - he'd just married Mulder's little girl and gotten her pregnant. As Scully said, he should be grateful it wasn't the other way around. Mulder still couldn't see the humor she'd tried to inject in that statement. Yes, the age difference still bothered him. A seventeen-year-old - okay, eighteen now - married to a 35-year-old man. Especially a man who had helped raise her . . . no, he had to put that out of his mind tonight. He wanted this to be a pleasant evening. Damn he wished Scully was beside him. She was the one that had always made him presentable in company. "Hi Sweetie. How you doing?" He kissed Katy and looked with trepidation down at her huge belly. "I'm great, Daddy. Come on in, dinner's almost ready. Kevin, Dad's here." Kevin emerged from the bedroom. He'd showered and changed out of his work clothes. He did look a lot younger than thirty-five, but Mulder had met him when he was seven and had really known him since he was Katy's age now. Maybe that was the problem. Enough! "Thanks for having me over. Scully doesn't trust me in the kitchen often." "There's a reason for that, Daddy." Katy grinned. Dinner was good and Mulder managed to refrain from comment about how little she ate. She was up and down a lot, though both men continually offered to get whatever she needed. She just seemed unable to sit still. Both men looked up startled when she abruptly rose and went into the bathroom. Mulder turned to Kevin. "Is she okay?" "I think so. Her energy is pretty high this week. As big as she is I can't see how she jumps up as well as she does." "Yeah, Scully couldn't do that. Of course, she's not as big as Scully was, I think." He found himself visualizing Scully just before Katy was born. Kevin grinned. "It's her height. She takes after you there, not Scully. Beth assures me she's had excellent weight gain. I don't know how much bigger she can get anyway. Fortunately she only has a week or so to go." They turned as the bathroom door opened. "Kevin . . . " Both men were on their feet instantly. "Katy, are you okay?" Kevin hurried to her side. "I, uh, I think we should go to the clinic." "Katy what's wrong?" Mulder made himself stay still, forcing himself to let her husband support her. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just having the baby." "That's not funny, Katy. Your mother won't be home for hours." Mulder was beside her now too. "I'm not being funny. My water broke. I'm in labor and . . . " "Katy, it's okay, I've got you. Mulder, I think we ought to get her over there." Mulder nodded, taking her other arm. What should have been a five-minute walk took over ten, with the stops for her to hang from Kevin as the contractions grew in intensity. Mulder held the door and helped Kevin get her inside. "Beth!" "Mulder? She's not here." Sam came around the corner. "There was an accident out at the farm. Jose's leg was torn up pretty bad, broken in a couple of places at least. Beth and Walter rushed over there. She asked me to sit here while she was gone." He glanced over at the door. "Katy?" "I need . . . I need to lie down." Mulder moved back to her side and helped Kevin get her into the first room. "I'm gonna send Sam for Walt." Mulder headed for the door, letting Kevin help her undress. "Dad, they can't leave in the middle of setting Jose's leg. I'm feeling a little better now. Just stay here, okay?" She was making sense, but he didn't have to like it. His daughter was in pain. Scully wasn't here and now Walt was off somewhere. The memory of other births came unbidden - Mary, Kelly and of course Chrissy. Damn! He moved to the far side of the room, letting Kevin comfort her, help her through her contractions. This was as bad as watching Scully in pain. When the hell was Scully going to show up? Surely Walt was aware. Couldn't he do something from the farm? Maybe Missy or Lexie could - "Daddy. I need you . . . I need you to deliver my baby." "Katy, Katy hold on. Your mother should be here in less than an hour." She almost laughed. "Then she can help us name him, but he's not waiting for her to be born. He's coming now." He recognized that groan - shit! "Hold on, Honey." He turned and found the gloves in the drawer. He closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "Kevin, I need to exam her." Kevin nodded, his face was pale but he was right there, doing whatever his wife needed. Mulder caught his eye and tried to look reassuring. Well, she was right. This baby wasn't waiting for Scully or anyone. "Honey, push slowly, steady. That's right. Kevin hold her, yeah there. That's good." ***** "Mulder, what are you doing here?" Scully put her bag down on the chair as Mulder looked up. "Well, Grandma, I - " "Mulder! Is Katy here? Is she in labor?" "Not anymore." Her eyes widened and she turned toward the back. He rose to follow her. She pushed open the door and stopped dead still, leaning back against Mulder as she saw Katy and Kevin checking out the newborn in Katy's arms. "Oh my god. Katy, are you - oh my god!" "We're fine, Mom. Come meet your grandson." "Grandson." She didn't seem to be able to move, so Mulder gave her a slight push. She was able to approach the bed then and touched the infant's face. "He's beautiful. He's got your father's eyes." "I wanted you to be here Mom, but he just wouldn't wait. Daddy did a great job." Scully whirled toward her husband then, "Mulder?" He shrugged. "Where's Beth?" "There was an emergency at the farm. She doesn't even know yet," Kevin spoke up. "Oh my god." Kevin took the baby from Katy's arms. "Why don't you check Katy and him out? I think everything went well, but it was the first time I've seen a baby born. I guess we ought to give you some privacy." His hand caressed Katy's face. "I've got him, Katy. We'll be right outside. I love you." He leaned in to kiss her and her arms went around his neck. "Don't go far." He smiled and they kissed again. He moved to the door. Mulder trailed after them. Once the door was closed Scully took Katy's hand. "Sweetheart, how you do feel, really?" "I feel great Mom, honest. And it was so fast. Next time Kevin and I may move home to be closer to you. I wasn't sure we were going to make it to the clinic." "I wouldn't mention 'next time' to the men today. They wouldn't understand." Katy nodded, smiling. Scully did a quick exam. "You're doing wonderfully, Katy. Did Byers take care of the cord blood?" Katy nodded. "I know. I didn't even tear. Walt kept an eye on things even though he couldn't be here. Mom, he's the strongest yet, even more than Chrissy." Scully pulled the sheet back up over her daughter. "I'm not surprised. Kevin's had something 'extra' since he was a little boy." She looked down at her daughter, a woman now, and had to blink back tears. "I'll sleep in my office tonight, just in case you need me." "Mom, I appreciate it, but . . . why don't you get Walt or the girls to stay here with Kevin and me. I think you need to be with Daddy tonight, maybe with some privacy." Scully looked at her with concern. "Was it that bad?" "He was, well you know Dad . . . he was shaken. He certainly hadn't planned to deliver Kevin's and my baby. In fact, I'm pretty sure he didn't even want to attend. I just think he needs to be with you right now." Scully leaned down and kissed her daughter. "You're turning into a very wise woman. I'll check out the baby, then I'll find Lexie and Chrissy." ***** Mulder looked up, surprised to see her when she entered the house. "I thought you'd be staying at the clinic tonight." "The kids are going to stay. They'll get me if they need anything. They've decided their nephew is 'way cool'. How about a drink?" "You think I need one?" "Probably. But I thought we should toast our new grandson." At his nod she fixed the two drinks and they sat together on the couch. She touched her glass to his, "To Brian Fox - " He winced at the Fox. "They shouldn't do that." "They want to. It hasn't bothered any of the other boys here." Mulder shrugged. "Mulder," He was deep inside himself and her concern grew. "I'm sorry I wasn't here. I know how hard that was on you, to have to handle it alone." "I wasn't exactly alone. Kevin was there." That surprised her; the distance between the two men had bothered her for some time. "He does love her." She waited; he had more to say. "They love each other. He was so . . . I recognized his fear, his concern." Mulder took a deep breath. "When we came up here, that day we escaped Washington, I really thought we'd come up here to die. I was just glad you'd come with me. That however long we had, we'd be together. But now . . . I have a family, kids, a grandson. Hell, you got them to give me back Samantha, but most of all, I still have you." Tears filled her eyes. "I thought there was no future, but it was just the beginning. And now, with you still beside me, the future looks better than ever." He pulled her into his arms and they held each other - together for now and the future. Donna http://www.donnas-stories.com/ "Writing is not necessarily something to be ashamed of, but do it in private and wash your hands afterwards." Robert Heinlein If every customer who vists Wal-Mart in a week bought one long-lasting compact fluorescent (CF) light bulb, that would reduce electric bills by $3 billion, conserve 50 billion tons of coal and keep one billion incandescent light bulbs out of landfills over the life of the bulb. - Fortune Magagine 8/7/06