From: JEhrat2@aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:30:18 EST
Subject: REVISION: Beating of the Unborn Heart 1/6

I found some errors after mailing this story off to you earlier this week. 
Please use this version.  Thank you and sorry for the inconvenience.  Janis

Title:	Beating of the Unborn Heart 1/6
Author: JEhrat2@aol.com
Rating:	PG
Spoilers: Nothing and everything.  This story was written by
	request (by nikki) as a sequel to Doppleganger.  It is not
	necessary to read that story to understand this one, there
	are plenty of flashbacks.  However,  Doppleganger was
	written about three years ago, but posted in Feb. 1998. 
	That would make it written way before it was
	revealed that Scully couldn't have children, and
	therefore obviously pre-Emily, too. So you will have to
	suspend that belief for this story to work.  All other
	references are up to date, including Scully's cancer.
Key Words:  Mulder/Scully relationship, some angst, very little
	schmoop, some actual story!
Archive: Anywhere as long as disclaimer and my name stay. 
	Please notify me so I can visit!
Summary:  Events from a sexual relationship a month earlier
	cause dire consequences for Scully, with which Mulder
	must contend.  The plot thickens from Doppleganger's
	ending, 'nuf said.
Disclaimer:  Nobody you recognize is mine.  They belong to
	Chris Carter, Fox Broadcasting and Ten Thirteen
	Productions.  No infringement is intended, and
	ABSOLUTELY no profit is being made from my
	playing with them!!!
P.S.	More notes at the end.
 

Beating of the Unborn Heart 
By  JEhrat


Mulder's Apartment
Tuesday, 7:30pm

	He slowly and methodically placed his cell phone down
on the coffee table.  Well, there it is, he thought to himself.  The
test had just come back, confirmed.  He was the father of this
unborn child, currently lying in wait to greet the world several
months from now.
	The ironic thing was, he wasn't the father.  Not really. 
Hell, Mulder thought, I didn't even have the pleasure of
performing the act that impregnated her!  Her.  Another
thought crossed his mind.  Her.  She.  Scully.  
	He wanted to call her.  But he couldn't.  What would he
say?  She was the one who had informed him last week that he
was the father.  She had only run the blood test to appease him
when he didn't believe her.
	In fact, she had been insulted that he would think she
didn't know who the father was;  that she wasn't aware with
whom she'd slept with in the last four weeks.
	But it wasn't him, not really.
	Mulder thought back to how a month ago his
doppleganger had convinced Scully, after infusing chemicals
into her system via a powerful airborne agent, to make love to
'it'.  In her state, protection had not been thought of, much less
used.
	He began to think of the future.  Daddy?  There was a
sobering thought!  I don't want to be a dad, Mulder thought.  I
don't have the inclination or time to devote to that job.  I'm just
not cut out to be the stay-at-home, play catch, do homework,
join the PTA, kinda guy.  What am I going to do?  Mulder ran
his hands through his short brown hair, not disturbing it in any
manner.  
	As he sat on the edge of the couch, he held his head in
his hands and stared down at his shoes.  They were shiny
enough for him to see his reflection.  Even in the distorted
image of himself, he could see the fear in his eyes.
	I'm just not cut out to be responsible for someone else. 
Hell, I am barely responsible for myself!  What am I going to
do?   These thoughts played over and over in his mind.  A new
thought pushed its way in:  Who says you even get a say in that
choice?  This is Scully's baby.  Baby.  Baby.  That word seemed
foreign to him, too.  A word he had never really contemplated
the full ramifications about before.  He'd never had an
opportunity or need to think about that word: baby.  Family. 
Wife.  Other words he had never contemplated the true meaning
of.
	What he did know, was that he didn't want them in his
life right now.  His life was full as it was;  always dashing off in
the middle of the day or night, following up on slim leads,
danger all around him.   Commitment was a word he
understood.  He was committed to the X-files.  He was
committed to the FBI.  He was committed to the truth.  He was
committed to, yes, he had to admit, he was committed to
Scully, herself.
	How could this have happened, he wanted to scream
out.  He thought back to the case of the dopplegangers.  A
small smile played across his face as he remembered the Scully
clone that he had encountered.  He'd certainly thought she was
Scully when he'd made love to her.  He knew exactly how the
real Scully had been fooled by his own clone.  Clone.  Exactly,
the clone, in essence, was Mulder.  
	He'd like to think that she had made love to the clone
entirely because she thought it was him.  But he knew better. 
He knew the Z80 compound had been the major influence in her
decision.  She really couldn't help herself.  He even understood
the lack of protection for sex during the affair.  He remembered
he hadn't cared about using protection with his Scully clone. 
He'd just happened to have a condom in his wallet.  He
wondered if Scully even carried them around with her?  He
wasn't sure why he did!  He'd certainly not had any use for
condoms longer than he wished to dwell on, though in truth, he
had bought new ones regularly, just in case! 
	His thoughts continued to wander back to Scully.  He
would have to talk with her.  He couldn't ignore the facts any
longer.  He laid back on the couch, forearm crossed over his
eyes, trying to shut out not only the pale moon light coming
through his window, but also the thoughts that were nagging at
him about the future.

---xxxxx---

Scully's Apartment
Same Night, 7:35pm

	"Thank you," Scully said as she replaced the phone back
in it's cradle on the desk.  
	Well, now everyone involved knew the news.  John, a
friend at the FBI lab, had run the test for her on his own time
after work.  He had just told her that Agent Mulder had been
informed of the results first, as per her request.
	So, now Mulder knows the truth, she mused.  Wonder
what he's thinking now?  She laughed out loud.  I don't even
know what I think about the situation, how could I hope to
fathom his mind? she wondered.
	She sat down at her dressing table and mindlessly picked
up her hairbrush and began to stroke her auburn tresses as her
mind went down the same path it had for the last couple of
weeks.  What am I going to do?  She stared unseeing into her
crystal blue eyes reflected in the mirror.  Her memories went
back for the thousandth time to that night in the New York
hotel.
	Mulder had come to her door in the wee hours of the
morning.  He'd come professing his love for her.  She had been
exhausted.  The last few days she'd stayed out late every night
on her vacation.  She'd taken the red eye flight from Aruba to
New York for the conference.  Then she'd worked very hard all
that day trying to discover the meaning and source of her own
clone that Mulder had encountered.
	She should have seen it coming.  She should have
known better.  A small voice in the back of her head tried to
remove some of the blame and guilt by reminding her that the
Z80 had induced her to behave as she had with such wild
abandon.  A gentle smile played across her face.  At least she
had enjoyed the night!  It had been all she had ever imagined it
would be with Mulder.  In that one respect, it had certainly been
worth it.
	Worth it.  Had it really been worth it?  Now she was
faced with being a single parent, loss of active status within the
FBI, and most assuredly, she would be reassigned out of the X
files.  However, the worst was yet to come.  She would have to
explain this situation to her mother, and, her heart sank, to her
brother, Bill.  They would never understand.  They probably
wouldn't even believe her!  It was an outrageous story.  She
had trouble believing it herself sometimes.
	Her mind wandered to Mulder.  Mulder. What would he
do now?  Patronize her?  Protect her even more on
assignments?  Maybe he would disassociate from her.  After all,
he really wasn't the father!  He might be disgusted by the fact. 
Who knew?
	Well, that answer would come first thing in the morning. 
She was certainly going to discuss it with him tomorrow in the
office.  And Skinner had to be told.  Skinner.  For some reason,
she expected him to have the most compassion of all in this
situation.  Skinner was an unusual person, not to mention boss. 
She sometimes caught him looking at her in a most unboss-like
manner.  He was more polite to her than most female agents. 
He certainly gave her more leeway in her actions with the
bureau than was to be expected.  And it wasn't just because she
worked with the unconventional X files.  
	She knew he thought her to be a more than competent
agent, but she occasionally caught him being just as protective
of her as Mulder was.  The cancer she had over come had
changed all of her relationships.  For the better, she concluded. 
Skinner had proven himself to be her friend.  Their friend, she
corrected herself.  She contemplated the haunted looks she'd
seen on Skinner's face as she remembered her near-final days.  
	Well, she thought as she pulled the covers up to her chin
after turning out the small lamp by her bedside, tomorrow
would tell the tale.  She closed her eyes in preparation for sleep,
knowing full well it would not come any easier tonight than it
had the last two weeks.

---xxxxx---

FBI Basement Office
Wednesday, 7:10am

	The tension was thick in the office.  Scully sat down at
her desk with coffee in hand.  Mulder played with a pencil,
tapping it incessantly on his desk blotter.  He was trying to
figure out why he felt guilty.  He had done nothing wrong, yet
he somehow felt responsible.  He smiled gently at her, and
raised his eyebrows, implying he was waiting for her to start the
conversation.
	Scully caught the body language and put her coffee cup
down.  Briefly crossing her brain came the reminder to give up
caffeine.  She cleared her throat, unsure exactly where to begin.  
	"Well, I guess you got the call from the lab last night?"  
	Mulder pursed his lips and nodded his head dutifully. 
Scully didn't know what to say next.  She had already been
through this once with him a week ago.  It had been hard
enough then.  She recalled his incredulous, big-eyed stare as she
broke the news to him that she was not only pregnant, but that
she suspected he was the father.
	Neither spoke for a moment.  Finally, Mulder realized
this was all Scully was going to say.  The ball was in his court. 
He began slowly, starting with putting down his pencil.  "Uh,"
he began unceremoniously.  Scully just stared at him,
non-judgmental, not really expecting anything.  That way, I
won't be disappointed, she reminded herself.
	Mulder stood up from his chair and sat on the corner of
his desk facing her.  His actions afforded him a few more
seconds before he was actually expected to respond.  Finally, he
just spoke the truth.  "Scully, I don't know what to say."  A
pause as she continued to just look at him.
	He passed his hand over his eyes, realizing what he was
about to say next would probably not be received very well.  "I,
uh, I don't want the responsibility of a child right now." 
	Well, Scully thought, that pretty much said it all.  She
was glad she wasn't expecting anything from him, because that
was sure what she got: nothing.  But in her heart, she knew that
was a lie.  She was expecting *something* from him!  In her
mind she replayed the response she had hoped for:  Scully, I
know this isn't how you planned your life, and I want you to
know that I will do what I can to help you during this time of
transition.  She was just looking for a show of support in some
fashion, she realized.  She just wanted to know that she wasn't
going to have to go through this alone.
	But this response of his was pretty plain:  leave me out
of it all together.  
	Could she really fault him for that thought?  He didn't
get her into this situation, and he had never professed or
pretended to be interested in being a husband or father.  Still,
she was hurting, couldn't he see?  Didn't he even care a little bit
about how she felt?
	Scully's vision began to blur as tears welled up,
threatening to spill over.  What was she going to do?
	Mulder jumped up immediately from the corner of his
desk and was at her side in an instant.  Shit, he thought.  Now
I've upset her!  Who said it was always best to be truthful? 
But, hell, he and Scully had built their relationship on the truth,
he wasn't going to start hedging now.
	"Scully," Mulder pulled a handkerchief from his back
pocket, "I'm sorry.  I don't mean to upset you."  The tears
were spilling over now, dripping onto Scully's pale green suit. 
She grabbed the piece of cloth from Mulder's hand and turned
quickly from him, trying to hide her disappointment and pain.
	"It's all right, Mulder," she said haltingly.  "I didn't
really expect you to feel any other way.  This is not your
problem.  And don't worry about these waterworks.   It's just
my hormones going into hyperdrive.  I'm all right."  She stood
and left the room, careful not to slam the office door on her
way to the ladies' room, least he get the wrong idea.  She really
wasn't mad at Mulder, she was upset at the situation.
	In anger at himself, Mulder slammed his fist into his
thigh.  Maybe some pain would help him focus on somebody
else's needs, instead of only his own selfish interests, he
thought.
	Fox waited for twenty minutes before he realized she
wasn't coming back.

---xxxxx---
	
	After fixing her face, Scully spent a few minutes trying
to dry her skirt with the hand dryer in the restroom.  She didn't
want the tears to leave spots.  She contemplated her next move
as she patiently waited for her skirt to dry.  
	I might as well go see Skinner and get it all over with,
she finally decided.  Secretly she just couldn't face going back to
the office and working with Mulder right now.  It was too
stressful and strained in that small office.

---xxxxx---

	"Agent Scully," Skinner greeted her cordially as she
came into his office after being announced by his administrative
assistant, Kim.  "You wanted to see me?"  His manner indicated
he had some time, and that she was welcome to sit and discuss
whatever was on her mind.
	Skinner took in Scully's form appreciatively.  She
certainly wasn't hard on the eyes, he thought to himself.  In
fact, he continued to muse, she is indeed a welcome sight in that
suit today, he noted with normal male hormonal response to
Scully's good looks.  Her red hair contrasted beautifully with
her pale skin and the suit's celery color.  If possible, all of the
color combinations actually enhanced her crystal-clear blue
eyes.  
	Skinner noted her tiny waist.  The suit had darts in all
the right places, accentuating all the finer parts of what it meant
to physically be a woman.
	Scully sat silent for a moment or two, hands patiently
resting in her lap.  There was no easy way to put this, she
decided, so she began to speak.
	"Sir, I'm sure you remember the incident a month or so
ago with the clones in New York."  She saw Skinner nodding
his head in agreement.  She surmised he didn't speak so as not
to interrupt her train of thought, so she continued on.  "I know
you are aware Agent Mulder and I both had sexual encounters
with the clones," Scully paused to let her words sink in.  And
sink in they did, Skinner began to feel uneasy, his mind was
already logically leaping ahead.
	"Agent Mulder mentioned his use of a condom with his
clone, but you may not be aware that I did not use one...," her
voice trailed off.  Skinner began to blink rapidly behind his
round glasses and his breathing picked up, still he held his
voice.
	Scully shifted her gaze from her lap to Walter Skinner's
face.  "I'm pregnant, sir," she finished telling him her reason for
coming.  She waited silently for his reaction.  She truly had no
idea how he would take this.
	Skinner contemplated his options, and decided to be
factual.  In a soft voice, he asked, "And you are sure the clone
is the father?"  He didn't want to intimate that Scully slept
around, but maybe Scully was using the clone idea because she
didn't want to admit the real father was Mulder.  Skinner knew
some women feared repercussions when they got pregnant and
looked for a way out.
	Scully just nodded her head.  Her eyes were just a little
too bright in Skinner's mind, and he immediately decided to
drop the factual route.  Dana Scully was about to break, and
damn if he was going to be the catalyst!
	Skinner was a hard man.  He had to be in his position. 
There wasn't much room for gentleness and kindness or
warmth.  That didn't mean it wasn't there.  Scully had affected
him from the first time he had been made aware of her presence
in the FBI those many years ago.   He had avoided thinking
about her, certainly from the beginning because he was married. 
Then later, by the time his divorce had become final, he had
mentally become aware of Mulder and Scully's attraction for
each other, though neither would admit it openly; still it was
there for a blind man to see.  Walter had simply put his
intentions on a shelf, knowing Scully would never reciprocate
them.
	Still, he felt a special something about her and tried to
protect her whenever he could.  Hell, he had committed crimes
for her, doing his best to find a way to cure her cancer last year,
sliding into a pact with the Devil himself, Cancer Man.
	Walter Skinner got up from his chair, walked around his
desk and stood in front of Scully.  He gently pulled her up from
her sitting position and put his arms around her and held her
close.  He meant nothing sexual, but simply expressed his
compassion for Scully and her situation the only way he knew
how.
	The pent up tension in Scully's body, the
disappointment of the conversation with Mulder, the
desperateness of the situation culminated in Scully at that
moment with this simple act of kindness from Skinner, and she
began to cry, very softly at first, until finally huge sobs came
from her tiny body.  From the very depths of her being, Scully
let out her despair of the situation for the first time.
	Skinner just held her loosely and let her cry.  When she
finally passed the quivering and hiccup stage, he released his
arms from around her and allowed her to sit back down.  He
crossed to the conference table for the box of Kleenex that was
there and returned with it to Scully's side.


From: JEhrat2@aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:30:25 EST
Subject: REVISION:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 2/6

Title:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 2/6
Author:  JEhrat (JEhrat2@aol.com)
Disclaimers:  See Part 1

Scully didn't know what to say.  On the one hand she was
relieved to get a release from the tension that had been building,
but on the other, she was profoundly embarrassed that she had
cried in Skinner's presence.  This wasn't like her at all.  Her
ability to contain her emotions was totally out of control!  This
was going to be a long nine months!
	"I'm sorry," Scully began.
	"It's all right,"  Skinner tried to calm her.  He knew she
was just as upset at having lost control as she was about the
information she had imparted to him concerning her condition. 
He couldn't remember ever seeing her in tears.  She tried so
hard to be in command of every situation, to show no fear, to
prove she was as tough as the 'boys'.  "Except," he tried to
lighten the moment, "you will have to buy me a new shirt."
	Scully looked at his chest.  His previously clean,
starched white shirt was a sodden mess covered with streaks of
mascara and bits of brick red lipstick stains.  "Oh, God!" she
started, horrified even more now that she'd ruined his shirt. 
She reached over absent mindedly to touch the stains.  "I'm so
sorry!" she began again.
	Scully's touch electrified Skinner's very being.  Just the
casual brushing of her fingertips across the tear-stained shirt had
done something to his heartbeat that even holding her
innocently had not.
	He quickly backed up to place distance between them
and headed for his bathroom.  "It's all right, really," he
stammered.  "I have other shirts here in the office.  I'm sure the
cleaners can get the make-up out.  I'll be right back."  Walter
disappeared into his private bathroom and gave the door a
quick shove.  
	He studied his face in the mirror as he stripped from the
waist up.  He wasn't sure he liked what he saw.  He pulled out
a clean undershirt and a long sleeved dress shirt from the closet
inside the bathroom.  Get a grip on yourself! he hissed quietly. 
Scully doesn't care a thing about you, and now she's having
Mulder's baby!  Skinner didn't care if it was really Mulder's or
a clone's.  After all, a clone is an exact replica of the original, so
it might as well be Mulder's.
	Anxiously, Scully glanced toward Skinner's bathroom. 
The door had not completely closed and from her vantage point
Skinner's backside was visible.  Scully was surprised to feel
herself reacting to Skinner's naked upper torso.  His muscles
were well-defined and looked rock solid.  She had never noticed
before how broad his shoulders were, and how they set off his
entire body.   Scully watched Skinner change his shirt with
fascination, her mouth partially open in surprise.  When she saw
him unzip his pants to tuck his shirt in, she turned away.  She
was dumbfounded that she had gained enjoyment from
watching his movements, and began trying to clear the images
from her mind.
	Having those kinds of thoughts about your boss simply
won't do, Dana, she reminded herself.  It's bad enough Mulder
has this kind of effect on you, she told herself.  Scully felt
extremely confused at this moment.  Damn these hormones!  
	She, like most people, was aware of the food cravings
that often came with pregnancy.  But she was also aware that
more than fifty percent of pregnant women were often plagued
with raging hormones that frequently made them prone to
extreme and often sexual urges.  She hoped she was going to be
cursed with a food addition rather than a sexual one!
	Skinner changed quickly and returned to his office in
only a minute or two.
	Scully tried to apologize again, "I really am sorry, sir."
	"Forget it, Agent Scully," Skinner tried to put distance
back between them.  That had been entirely too close for his
comfort.  Hell, he thought, how does Mulder do it!  How is he
able to work so closely with her on a daily basis and not give in
to nature, he wondered, and then pushed those thoughts back in
his mind.  Scully was here for comfort, not his mind fantasies,
he reasoned.  Another thought quickly entered his brain, 
perhaps Mulder hadn't been able to contain himself any longer,
and this was indeed a story concocted to cover their
indiscretion.
 	Skinner tried to get back to business.  He decided to get
back on the factual track. He spoke not with his usual
bruskness, but with a soft tone. "What do you want to do about
your job with the X files?  I assume that is why you have come
to me today, to discuss your work."
	His business-like attitude helped put Scully back on
track, too.  She desperately wanted to pull herself together, as
well.  "Yes, sir," she replied sitting up straight in her chair.  "I
did come to not only let you know about my condition, but to
discuss my options as well.  I would like to continue working
with the X files as long as possible."  She almost faltered with
her next statement.  "I realize that at some point, I will have to
be pulled from field duty.  Perhaps I can go back to Quantico
and teach until the baby is born.  After that, we can make
further changes if necessary."
	Walter passed over her work comments and hit on
another point.  "So, you are going to have the baby," he put it
as delicately as possible.  He was aware of Scully's Catholic
background and did not wish to offend her.
	Scully's eyes opened wide.  "Yes, sir!"  It was said with
formality and total conviction.  Abortion had never been an
option in Scully's mind.  Life was precious in all forms, no
matter how it had come to be conceived.  The only question
Scully really faced was if she would keep the child or give it up
for adoption.
	Flustered, Skinner backtracked to the assignment issue. 
"Well, your plans about work certainly seem reasonable.  Being
a doctor, I'm sure you know how much to push yourself in the
coming months, and when to slow down.  I will expect you to
abide by any guidelines of advice that will keep you working at
optimum status.  That means plenty of rest, and eating right." 
Skinner felt a little foolish giving this advice, but he was acutely
aware that Scully did not always do what was best for herself,
forever pushing herself beyond any limits others expected of
her; again, trying to fit in with the 'big boys' expectations in her
mind.
	Scully just nodded weakly, having already admonished
herself in the same manner.  She knew how to take care of
herself, she just didn't always do it.  She would make herself
behave, for the sake of the life she was carrying.
	Skinner was talking again, "How does Agent Mulder
feel about...this?"  Skinner wasn't sure himself if he was asking
about the job changes or the pregnancy.
	Scully hesitated before answering.  She didn't want to
lie, but she also didn't want Skinner concerned about her
situation.  She didn't want to drag him in any further than he
had already come.  "I think he will be fine with the working
adjustments I suggested," she hedged.  Skinner just nodded his
head.
	"If that's all," Skinner tried to end the meeting.
	Scully rose from her chair, "Yes, sir, I'd say that about
covers everything I wanted to talk about."  She walked to the
door, aware that Skinner had also stood and was following her
to the door.   Scully desperately needed to get out of this office. 
She felt she had humiliated herself and her boss with her
previous actions.  However, she wasn't necessarily looking
forward to going back to her office, either!
	"Agent Scully," Skinner began bruskly.  He removed his
glasses and his voice softened, "Dana." she turned to face him. 
Standing within inches of her, Skinner's 6'2" towered above her
diminutive frame.  She could smell his cologne.  It was pleasant. 
"I'm sorry," he continued, warmth having returned to his voice,
he just couldn't help himself.  "I know this isn't something you
planned for.  I just want you to know, if you need anything, if I
can do anything for you," Walter stumbled over himself
verbally, "well, I just hope you will call on me.  I'd like you to
know I'll be there for you," he finished awkwardly.
	Scully graced him with one of her smiles.  She couldn't
help herself.  Skinner's kindness at this moment was a blessing,
and she was thankful he had offered his help to her, though they
both knew she would never admit it, nor call on him.  Still, the
offer was appreciated.
	She nodded her head in thanks and turned and left the
room.  After shutting the door behind Scully, Skinner leaned
against it for a few minutes in deep thought before returning to
the paperwork still waiting for him at his desk.

---xxxxx---

	Scully approached her office with trepidation.  The door
was half open, meaning Mulder was still there.  He would have
shut and locked it had he left for any reason.  Scully took a
deep breath and then marched in confidently and took her place
behind her desk to begin work.
	Mulder had looked up when he'd heard the clicking of
her high heels on the highly polished floor tiles in the hallway. 
He wasn't sure what he expected to see, but after she'd left the
office in tears, he certainly didn't expect the cheeriness of her
return.
	Mulder mused to himself, Scully just loves denying her
feelings, and he gave his head a small, imperceptible shake.  
Out loud he said, "Welcome back," and he meant it sincerely. 
"Are you all right?"  He expected the usual clipped, 'I'm fine'
statement.  That wasn't what he got.
	"Nope, but I will be," was her unusual reply.  Mulder
noticed not a trace of anger, resentment, or sadness in her
voice.  He pursed his lips and arched his eyebrows as he tried to
assimilate her mood and words.  Scully was silently at work on
the computer and did not offer any other explanation or banter. 
Mulder quietly picked up the file folder from his desk and
returned to contemplating whether or not he should book a
flight to Wisconsin to follow up on this report concerning the
supposed soul transmigration of an escaped felon.
	They passed the morning quietly.  Mulder occasionally
read out loud parts of  his files to get Scully's opinion.  She
frequently rolled her eyes and sighed in response. 
	"Hey, are you hungry yet?" Mulder tossed out the
question to Scully.  He had risen from his chair and was in the
process of putting his suit jacket back on.  He had Cajun food
on his mind.
	"No, thanks," Scully replied easily.
	"Oh, come on," Mulder said gently, "You've got to
eat." He stopped short of the cliche that she was now eating for
two.  To make light of the situation, he added, "What, you've
got a lunch date with someone else?"
	Scully turned and faced him squarely, her expression
serious, "As a matter of fact, I do," she replied.  Surprise was
written on Mulder's face, though he dared not voice it.  Scully
could easily read it.  She added, "With my gynecologist.  It's
time I got started on pre-natal care."  She looked him straight in
the eye.
	"Ah, yeah, right."  Mulder felt like a fool.  "Of course
you do."  He paused a moment before adding, "Do you need
someone to go with you?"
	"No," she stated.  She didn't dare mention that while
she didn't need anyone to go with her, she *wanted* a certain
someone to go with her.  At least she had earlier this morning. 
After Mulder's extremely truthful confession that he didn't want
to be connected to this baby, nor want any responsibility, she'd
be damned if she would ask him now! 
	"Have a good lunch," she dismissed him and returned to
her keyboard.
	Mulder felt strange.  They always went to lunch
together when they were in the office.  He fumbled for words. 
"Well, then, can I bring you something, so you don't miss
lunch?"
	Scully looked up perfunctorily, "That would be nice,
thank you.  Where are you going?"
	After making lunch arrangements, Mulder awkwardly
left the office to fend for himself.  Ten minutes later, Scully left
for her appointment.

Danzer Medical Building
Dr. Curtis Stephens' Office

	Dr. Stephens left Scully to get dressed and returned to
his office.  He closed the heavy oak door behind him and
purposely crossed the thick, expensive white carpet to sit
behind his large desk.  Picking up the receiver of his phone, he
carefully pressed "1" and a ten digit number from memory and
leaned back in his soft leather chair to wait for the connection.
	"Yes,"  he heard the gravely voice finally answer.
	"I've just seen her.  The pregnancy is confirmed."  Dr.
Stephens was not smiling as he gave out the information.
	"Good," his contact replied.  Dr. Stephens heard the soft
sucking in of air over the line, and imagined the smoker on the
other end as he heard his voice once again,  "Keep me informed
and continue with the planned schedule."  The connection was
unceremoniously severed.  Dr. Stephens slowly replaced the
receiver back in the cradle and stared solemnly into space.  How
had he gotten himself into this mess?


Same Afternoon
Skinner's Office

	Mulder knew why he'd been called into Skinner's office,
but he sat, waiting patiently.  His boss would lead off the
conversation when he was ready.
	Finally, Skinner took off his glasses and rubbed his tired
eyes.  He had a raging headache.  A lot of it brought on by the
news of this morning.
	Putting his glasses back on, Skinner's eyes made contact
with Mulder's.   "So," he began, "I'm sure you are aware of the
news about Agent Scully."
	Mulder only silently nodded his head.  He didn't want to
be here, and he sure as hell didn't want to have this
conversation.  It had been tough enough with Scully, but
Skinner had no rights at all as far as he was concerned.
	"Do you have any plans concerning this information?"
	"Plans?" Mulder asked, seemingly not comprehending.
	Skinner hated playing twenty questions.  He was a
bottom line sort of guy.  Skinner's silence finally got to Mulder.
	"Oh, you mean about working with Scully now that
she's pregnant?" Mulder threw out.  He nodded his head then,
"Yes, I, um, I expect we'll work in the field until she feels she
needs to stop, and then other arrangements will be made," he
ended vaguely.  Trying to throw the ball into Skinner's court he
added, "Do *you* have other plans in mind?"
	Mulder innocently stared back at Skinner.
	It was all Skinner could do to not haul off and hit
Mulder at this moment.  He sincerely struggled with himself to
keep from enlightening Mulder with a fist to his jaw and a foot
to his balls.  Couldn't Mulder see what an opportunity was
passing him by; possibly being allowed to be deeply, personally
involved with Scully on more than a work or friendship level.
	Hell, given the choice, Skinner thought, I'd jump right
in.  But he knew it wasn't him that Scully wanted.  For some
sorry reason, despite all her training in science and logic, she
gravitated toward the unsteady, undependable, screwed up,
illogical Mulder.  Well, he'd always heard opposites attract.  A
no truer example could not be found than these two:  Mulder
and Scully.
	Exasperated at this point by Mulder's apparently total
lack of concern for Scully and her situation, not to mention
Mulder's personal involvement seeing as how it was *his* DNA
that Scully was carrying, Skinner stood up, placed his hands on
his desk and leaned heavily toward Mulder, closing the physical
distance between them, if not the emotional.
	"Mulder," he began, "surely even you are aware of how
unique Agent Scully is.  Not only is she one of the best damn
agents I have, but a finer example of womanhood does not
exist.  
	"Have you even considered the ramifications of her
giving up her baby?  Not to mention the flip side; of her keeping
the baby?  
	"If this is your idea of supporting Scully through this
time,"
	Skinner didn't get to finish.  Mulder stood up quickly,
anger visible deep within his eyes, "If that's all, sir, I'll get back
to work."  Mulder faced Skinner defiantly.  Skinner knew he
was treading on extremely personal ground.  It was, after all,
none of his business how Mulder and Scully handled their
personal lives; only how they behaved at work.  He just hated to
see such a waste of lives and opportunity.  
	Skinner backed down.  He sat down and picked up a file
off his desk.  "Yes, Agent Mulder, that's all.  Please keep me
appraised of Agent Scully's condition and ability to do her
work.  I know she won't keep me informed as to her health and
status.  That's all."  Skinner pretended to read the file in his
hand having verbally dismissed Mulder.
	When he heard the door close, just short of a slam
actually, he looked up.  There goes one sorry son-of-a-bitch,
big time, Skinner thought.  He was certainly a true paradox;
demanding the truth at all costs in his work, and none in his
personal life.  He was too screwed up to even contemplate the
ramifications of the dynamics of Scully's situation.  
	Either she was going to keep the baby, and Mulder
would lose a large part of her attention and fervor dedicated to
the X files, or she would give up the baby and lose a large part
of herself.  He sighed heavily and reached for a bottle of aspirin.    



Skinner's Office
Three Months Later
	
	All eyes were on Scully, very wide eyes!  One pair was
tinged with fear.
	"What?" two voices chimed in at once.  
	"Are you all right?" AD Skinner had jumped to his feet. 
"Should I call someone?" he added.  Skinner's hand was already
on the phone.  
	The look of concern on both of their faces nearly made
Scully laugh out loud, but then it happened again, and her
attention was focused back on herself, the two men in the room
with her totally forgotten.
	The three of them were sitting in Skinner's office
debriefing the latest case, when Scully'd felt the slightest tickle
inside her belly.  A flutter, like hundreds of butterflies beating to
get out, but more distinct than that.  Scully wasn't sure how to
describe it.
	The sensation had startled her, and she had let out an
involuntary, "Oh!" with a look of surprise on her face.  In the
same instant, she knew what it was: the feeling of life stirring
within her.  She had read many times about the event, but to
feel it for the first time was to suddenly know so much more.  
She was delighted!
	"Scully?"
	It was Mulder's caring voice that cut through her
self-indulgence, and made her realize the men were not sure that
what was happening to her was a good thing.
	Scully smiled easily, beamed actually.  "It's all right. 
I'm fine."  Out of the corner of her eye she saw Mulder wince. 
He hated it when she said that.  But she really was fine! she
thought, and decided she had better explain.
	"Really, I'm fine.  It's just," she hesitated.  This
information seemed extremely personal to her for some reason,
like it was her experience alone, and not to be shared.  She
continued, "I just felt the baby move for the first time."  She
visibly saw both men relax as she continued to explain.  "I've
never had that sensation before.  It just took me by surprise." 
Suddenly, she was all business again.  She didn't want to be a
source of interruption.  "Let's get back to the meeting."
	Yeah, right, Mulder thought to himself.  He looked at
Scully with new eyes.  She looked so serene, he thought.  Up
until now, it had been easy to dismiss Scully's condition.  She
never brought up the pregnancy, and it wasn't yet visible.  He
had noticed her slowing down in the afternoons, and
occasionally she had mentioned she was extremely sleepy, but it
had not affected her performance, so he had ignored it.
	Now, here was confirmation that she was indeed with
child.  The baby had grown large enough to where she could
feel it moving inside her.  She had felt the stirrings of life.  His
eyes involuntarily strayed to her belly.  It was a little rounded,
but not enough to know it was due to pregnancy.  Scully had
not begun wearing maternity clothes yet.  Still, there was
something very different about her now.  Mulder couldn't quite
put his finger on it.  He turned his attention back to Skinner's
voice, and the meeting went on.

	
Scully's Apartment
Three Months Later

	Scully felt like a duck.  She seemed to waddle
everywhere she went.  She longed for the days when she could
walk upright, instead of leaning back to compensate for the
baby she was carrying.  She had trouble getting out of chairs.  It
was getting ridiculous.  Her mother had actually had to pull her
off the sofa yesterday!
	And when she wasn't feeling like a duck, she sometimes
imagined herself to be a whale, especially in the bathtub.  She
could barely see over the mound of flesh that was expanding in
all directions!  She was glad she owned mostly slip-on shoes,
she couldn't bend over and tie her athletic shoes anymore.  It
sometimes looked like her womb was threatening to overtake
her whole body.  Most certainly, it had something to do with
her petite size.  	
	Yet secretly, Scully loved every minute of being
pregnant.  She looked at herself in the mirror when she dressed
each morning and when she undressed each evening.  Turning
sideways, she contemplated her blossoming shape.   She placed
her hands lovingly on her belly and caressed it often, each time
reveling in the thought of the child that was growing and
developing within.
	Her naturally growing attachment to this unborn child
was making it more and more difficult each day to make the
final decision as what to do when the baby was born.  Her
mother and brother were of the mind of keeping it.  No matter
who the father was, it was half of a Scully, and belonged with
them, they said.  Dana's mother had even told her she would
raise the child when Dana worked or was out of town on
assignments.
	Considering the circumstances, her family had been
totally supportive when they had learned of her pregnancy. 
However, she was at a loss as how to explain to her mother
how Mulder could cope so easily with the thought of this child,
in essence his child, being brought into the world, and not
wanting to be around it.  
	And, of course, Bill had voiced his rather loud opinion
that he knew it was Fox Mulder's baby and he refused to
believe the clone story.  During the bi-monthly phone calls Bill
made to check on Dana, he often made unkind remarks about
Mulder, and frequently vented his anger by saying that he
thought Mulder should step in and do his share.  Heaven help
Fox if he was ever left alone in a room with Bill.  Fortunately,
they lived 3000 miles apart.
	However, Scully believed a child should have the best
start in life and the most advantages it could.  To her, that
meant a mother and a father, in a loving home, where parents
actually came home each day.  And children certainly did not
belong in a home where family members were routinely shot,
drugged, or shanghaied, whether by earthly or unearthly beings
if they could help it!  Scully didn't care if people called her old
fashioned.  She was raised that way, and that was what seemed
right to her.  She had no doubt she could raise a child herself
and do a wonderful job, but she knew a family in the truest
sense would be the best.  
	But Scully wasn't sure if she could give away something
that was made up so much of herself.  Not to mention who the
other half of the baby was made from.   
	Could she really give away the only piece of Mulder that
she might ever have?   But could she live with looking at the
child every day and being reminded of what she did not, and
could not have, either?  So many questions, and never any
answers.
	Mulder.  She reflected on how he had treated her since
he had discovered she was not only pregnant, but pregnant with
his DNA.  
	He had remained cordial and polite the last several
months, ever respectful of her, and her ever-changing
appearance.  He had not made any "fat" jokes either, well, there
had been that one, she thought ruefully.  But, bless him, he had
seen the hurt he caused and he had immediately apologized and
never attempted that kind of humor again.
	She had appreciated the fact that he had not been
condescending toward her as her belly began to swell. 
Apparently, he had simply put the thought of her pregnancy out
of his mind and overlooked it as if it were nothing more than a
mole on her face.  She supposed he thought if he didn't think
about it or mention it, it didn't exist.
	

End Part 2/6

From: JEhrat2@aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:30:32 EST
Subject: REVISION:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 3/6

Title:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 3/6
Author:  JEhrat (JEhrat2@aol.com)
Disclaimers:  See Park 1

---xxxxx---

	Mulder was ensconced on his leather couch, sipping his
third beer, trying to keep his attention on the lusting going on in
front of him via his latest porn video selection.  He had made
the mistake of choosing a video with a gorgeous redhead
prominently featured.  All that had accomplished was to bring
images of Scully to the forefront of his brain.  The sexual acts
he was witnessing weren't bringing him much enjoyment.  They
only seemed to lead him to the thought of pregnancy, and a
certain someone's pregnancy in particular.
 	Fox closed his eyes for the hundredth time and focused
his attention on Scully.  He wondered what she was doing
tonight.  His mind began to wander over the last couple of
months. 
	He would never in a million years tell Scully, but he
swore she glowed.  Every time he looked at her fresh face in the
morning when she waddled, er, walked into their office, he
thought her absolutely radiant.  Her eyes were a brighter blue
than usual, and her alabaster skin gave off a sheen that radiated
beauty and happiness.  She had always been attractive to him,
but since her pregnancy, somehow, he had found her even more
beautiful.
	He had certainly seen his share of pregnant women in his
life, but none of them had seemed beautiful to him before. 
Sure, Scully had grown broader, her face had become very
round, and she now had a certain silly swagger, but to him, she
was beautiful.  Perhaps it was different because he also
intimately knew the father in this case.  He could deny it every
way he wanted to, but in actuality, this baby was his.  His very
DNA had connected with Scully's and like it or not, had
produced another human being that she was incubating.
	He had determined to overlook her pregnancy and
pretend it wasn't there.  He had tried to treat her as he had
before.  He still opened doors for her, gently guided her in and
out of places with a soft touch to the small of her back, but
other than that, he had tried not to show her any deference. 
Besides, she would not have appreciated it at all.  Mulder
smiled.  She was a little dynamo and he did not want to be on
the receiving end of her explosion.
	He was profoundly grateful when she had finally taken
herself off field duty last week, though.  The strain was
beginning to wear on him.  It was very difficult to keep an eye
on Scully while chasing unknown dangers, and especially
without her knowing he was doing it!  She'd have shot him
herself if she suspected he was holding back on her.  It had been
a very fine line he had walked lately.
	At least Skinner had not reassigned her to Quantico to
teach as she had requested.  Even Scully had looked somewhat
relieved when the order came down that she would simply be
desk bound in the X-files office.  Skinner reasoned that she
could still be extremely useful to Mulder doing research, back
up work, lab work, and follow up.
	About once a month she had skipped going to lunch
with him as she continued to visit Dr. Stephens for pre-natal
check ups.  He always asked if she wanted company, but she
always firmly refused.  She never mentioned anything about the
visits, nor about the pregnancy.
	Occasionally though, when she thought he wasn't
around or couldn't see her, he had seen her caress her belly with
a happy smile on her face.
	But he had also observed her rubbing her lower back
with a pained expression after being on her feet several hours. 
And sometimes after a long day she would put her head down
on her desk in exhaustion.  
	He longed to rub her back for her, or just hold her
sometimes, she looked so fatigued and fragile, but he kept his
distance, as she seemed to want him to do.    
	She had given up insisting that she drive places when
they were on a case.  It was getting to be more than enough just
getting in and out of the car!  She almost couldn't get behind
the steering wheel any more.  He wondered if the day would
come when she would ask him to drive her to and from work. 
He gladly would, but he would never offer first, and since she
never asked for help, he suspected it wouldn't happen.  
	He didn't have the faintest idea what she was going to
do with the child after it was born.  They had never discussed
any aspect of the pregnancy after their conversation in the office
when he had renounced all interest or responsibility for the
baby.
	He thought of the office gossip.  He knew it bothered
Scully to hear what others thought of her and her condition, and
their speculations concerning his and Scully's *supposed*
relationship.  It was bad enough people assumed she had loose
morals, but what was worse, no one believed the clone
story...come to think of it...would he if he hadn't actually been
involved?
	It didn't bother him that his reputation was further
impugned at the office.  But it hurt him to see her stung by
other's comments.  Scully was much too private a person to
refute anything she heard, even to set people straight with the
truth.  She simply avoided as much contact with others as
possible, and kept her conversation strictly professional.   
 	Mulder's thoughts went back further to his and Scully's
clones night of lovemaking again.  It had been incredible.  She?
It? had taken him to heights of ecstasy that no other woman,
and certainly no video, ever had.   With a small grin on his face,
he reminisced how she had come on to him, her seductive
looks, her flirtatious conversation.  But what he remembered
most of all were her kisses.  Scully, or whoever, had lit a fire
deep within him the moment her tongue had licked his lips; and
when she had placed her mouth fully on his and sought to taste
every morsel of him, he had almost been driven out of his mind. 
In a way, Mulder grinned wider, he actually had been.
	Mulder's hand strayed downward toward his thighs. 
Images of her dropping her clothes and then dropping to her
knees in front of him caused a tightening in his jeans.
	Suddenly, Mulder sat up and shook his head.  It
wouldn't do to dwell on such thoughts.  It wasn't the real
Scully, and she had made it perfectly clear these last months
that she could do without him very well, thank you!
	Mulder turned his attention back to the video.


FBI Basement Office
One Month Later

	Scully was so tired.  She laid her head down on her
desk.  She didn't care who came in at this moment and caught
her.  She was exhausted.  She was pushing herself too hard at
work, for some foolish reason, trying to prove to herself and
others that she was as tough as anyone else.  Well, she wasn't. 
At least, not now.
	Carrying around all this extra weight was beginning to
kill her.  Her back muscles protested most of the day, right
behind her aching feet.  She hated to look at her face in the
mirror any more.  She thought her head had become a very
round, fat ball.  At least she couldn't complain about her hair
and fingernails, they were growing like crazy!  She was having
her hair cut once a month now instead of the usual six to eight
weeks.
	Lately, everything irritated her.  Her mother's daily calls
to check on her condition irritated her.  Skinner's extra
politeness and inquiries about how she felt each day irritated
her.   The thin, beautiful secretaries upstairs in reception
irritated her.  But most of all, Mulder irritated her to death
some days.  She half smiled.  Poor Mulder.  She supposed since
he allowed himself to be a target, she allowed him to be one. 
She had blasted him more and more as the weeks went by.  She
felt horrible.  He had become the recipient of her ill humor.  She
was verbally sarcastic concerning his outlandish, out of this
world so-called solutions to some of the X files, she was
intolerant of his kindness to her, and she rebuffed any and all
attempts of his to help.  Even those she desperately, really
needed.
	Today had started off in the same manner.  Scully knew
she looked like a tent from the sporting goods department in the
new olive green jumper she was wearing.  When she had looked
in the mirror she wondered what in the world had possessed her
to buy it.  Just when she needed her self-esteem boosted with a
compliment, she had blasted him.  
	Mulder had greeted her sweetly, really.  She was sure he
knew her entire maternity wardrobe as well as she did after
seeing it day after day.  All he'd said was, "Good morning,
Scully.  Hey, is that a new dress?"  
	But what had she done?   She had responded with a very
ugly, "Shut up, Mulder." Her tone of voice squelching any
further attempts at conversation.  She had then stomped over to
her desk and tried to gracefully squeeze into her chair.  It was
becoming a tighter fit each day.  She secretly wondered how
overweight people compensated every day with the items built
for average size people.
	Well, Mulder had clamed right up and not said another
thing all morning.  Thank God he was gone for lunch now and
she could just rest undisturbed.  At least for the next 10
minutes.  She had her monthly check up appointment today. 
Without humor at this point, Scully saw herself as a
jack-in-the-box with everyone just waiting for her to pop up
with a baby and be done with it.  She was wishing right along
with them right now.  She wanted to get this over with!
	
---xxxxx--

	Returning from his lunch break with Scully's requested
pasta and vegetables, Mulder almost tip-toed into the office. 
Scully had been in an ugly mood when he left, though no uglier
than that tent she was wearing, his mind interjected.  He didn't
want to set her off again.  Her found her sitting at her chair and
uncharacteristically staring into space.  Her face was fixed in a
frown, laced with concern.  
	He immediately set the take out box down on her desk
and asked with great concern in his voice, "Scully, what's
wrong?"  Scully seemed not to have heard him, her mind further
out of touch than Fox knew.  He touched her shoulder gingerly. 
"Scully?" he repeated, "Are you all right?"  He backed away
from her to avoid any eruption she might throw his way for
interrupting her thoughts.
	Mulder's touch brought Scully back to the present.  She
slowly blinked a few times as everything in her life came back
into focus.  She had debated all the way back from the doctor's
office whether to involve Mulder or not.  He had seemed so
adamant about not wanting to be involved with her pregnancy
and she had been as determined to keep him out.  But this could
be something serious.  Technically, it did involve him.  Like it
or not, this baby was part of Mulder.  Besides, she wasn't sure
she wanted to face this new predicament on her own, or even
sure if she could.
	"No, Mulder," she finally spoke, "everything's not OK." 
Scully spoke slowly, and carefully, trying to still the quiver in
her voice.  Mulder didn't interrupt.  Scully rarely opened up to
admit anything was wrong.  He had half expected her to just say
she was fine and begin working, covering up whatever was
bothering her.  He wanted her to keep talking, so he kept silent.
	After a moment, Scully continued, "Dr. Stephens wants
me to come in tomorrow morning for an ultra sound."  Her eyes
began to glisten.  She dropped her gaze to her lap.  She knew if
she continued to look at Mulder, she would break down.
	Mulder interjected, "Is something wrong with the
baby?"  Genuine concern was reflected in his gold-flecked eyes
and in his voice.  He squatted in front of Scully's chair to see
her face since she wouldn't look at him.    
	"He didn't say exactly what he wanted to check.  But the
concern displayed on his face as he questioned me about the
frequency of movement by the baby didn't sit right with me. 
Nor when he listened to the baby's heartbeat."  Scully took a
deep breath as a single tear made it's way down her alabaster
cheek.  "He said he would know more after the ultra sound
tomorrow."  A second tear joined the first, and then a third and
a fourth, until there was a continuous stream coursing over her
cheeks and dripping off her chin.  Scully struggled to regain her
composure.
	Mulder enfolded her to him as best he could.  Her
swelled belly butted in between them.  He could think of no
soothing words that would quell the fear within Scully's heart. 
So he said nothing.  He just held her until she leaned her head
back from his shoulder, indicating that she had regained control
of herself.  He let her go.
	"Why don't you take the rest of the day off.  Go home. 
I'll take you home if you want," he volunteered.  Scully silently
nodded her head in agreement.  She would get no more work
done today.  Her heart was too heavy.  She was silent all the
way home.
	As Scully struggled to get out of Mulder's car, he
remained seated behind the wheel and again resisted the urge to
help her.  Before going into her apartment building, Scully
turned and walked back to face Mulder.  
	"Mulder," she began tentatively, she hated asking him
for anything even in normal circumstances.  He gave her his full
attention.  "Would you go with me to see Dr. Stephens
tomorrow morning?"
	Mulder was caught off guard by the needy sound in her
voice, but he was glad she had asked.  "Of course," he
responded simply.  "What time do you want me to pick you
up?"
	"7:15.  Dr. Stephens scheduled me as early as possible
so I wouldn't miss very much work."  Mulder nodded in
agreement.   Without another word, Scully turned away and
headed into her apartment.



Danzer Medical Building
The Next Morning
8:00am

	Mulder was doing his best to endure the doctor's
waiting room.  He had spent the last fifteen minutes
remembering exactly why he wasn't excited about small
children.  
	Even this early in the morning, the waiting room had six
or seven rug rats waiting to be seen by the doctor.  One or two
were seemingly too sick to move around, but the others were
more than making up for their lack of energy.  Toys, books, and
blocks regularly sailed through the room.  Incessant squealing
and screaming came out of the four tiny toddlers under the age
of three.  
	Two mothers tried in vain to control their children. 
Several of the children were sneezing and coughing, and then
touching everything in sight.  Two had already rubbed their
hands on Mulder's neatly pressed slacks.  Thankful he always
kept a extra set of clothes at the office, he made a mental note
to change his pants when he returned to the office.
	Mulder was the only male in the room, and the other
mothers were giving him their full attention.  A man in the
doctor's office was unusual; a handsome man in the doctor's
office was downright exciting!  He was certainly making their
day.  Several had already noticed that he wasn't wearing a
wedding ring, and were openly flirting with him.  Mulder
wished Scully would hurry.  He wished he knew how long ultra
sounds took.  He wished he wasn't here.
	That reminded him that he was indeed *here*, and that
made him remember all over again *why* he was here.  He had
spent a miserable night.  Sleep had not come for a long time. 
He was worried about Scully.  When he had picked her up this
morning, her eyes were red-rimmed and hollow looking.  It was
obvious she had not only spent the night as he had, but had
filled it with tears as well.  As usual, they had not spoken of
their thoughts or fears with each other.  Each stoically tried to
carry on.
	"Mr. Mulder?"  A voice cut through his revere.  His
head jerked up as he managed to tear his eyes away from
watching the nearest child bite the one next to him.  The nurse
beckoned with her head for him to join her in the back offices. 
Mulder stood up hastily and carefully stepped around a little
boy and girl fighting over a stuffed animal.
	He crossed the room quickly.  "Mr. Mulder?" she
inquired again.  Fox nodded his head in confirmation.  
	"Dr. Stephens is requesting that you join Ms. Scully and
he, please," the nurse responded professionally, no hint in her
voice of anything amiss.
	"Is everything all right?" Mulder followed her down the
hall.  Instead of answering, she indicated a room, and opened
the door for him.  She placed her hand reassuringly on his arm
and smiled as she ushered him into the room.
	Mulder instantly took in the scene.  The room was
minimally furnished, but had a cheery countenance overall with
bright colors reflected in the curtains and in one upholstered
stool in the room.  Sunlight filtered through the clean glass
panes and lit up the room.  As he entered he focused his
attention on the backs of a second nurse, and presumably Dr.
Stephens standing in front of a metal table.
	They were engrossed in looking at a display screen that
was mounted on a shelf next to the table.  They parted slightly
as they heard Mulder enter.  He could see Scully lying on the
table, discreetly draped from neck to toe, with the exception of
her mid-section.  Her belly was exposed and there was
something oily glistening on her exposed skin.  The nurse was
passing a flat, paddle shaped object over Scully's stomach,
pressing in here and there.  A coiled cord extended from the
paddle to the display screen.
	Dr. Stephens held out his hand to Mulder in greeting. 
"Mr. Mulder?  I am Dr. Stephens, Dana's physician.  Mulder
shook the doctor's hand firmly in return, and slightly dipped his
head in greeting.  Grateful as he was to be out of the waiting
room *playground*, he wanted to know why he had been asked
to join this group.  He wanted the bottom line.  He eyes skipped
from the image on the display to Scully's burgeoning stomach to
Dr. Stephens' face and finally came to rest on Scully's eyes.
	"Is, um, is everything all right?"  Mulder was getting
tired of asking that question and receiving an unsatisfactory
answer.  He wanted to know what was going on with Scully.
	At that moment the nurse that had escorted Mulder to
the room popped her head back into the room.  "I'm sorry to
interrupt you, Dr. Stephens, but you have an urgent call on line
2.  Do you have a moment?"
	Dr. Stephens began pulling off his latex gloves.  "I'm
sorry, Mr. Mulder, Ms. Scully, I'll be right back.  Please excuse
me."  Without waiting for Mulder to respond, he left the room. 
Mulder turned back to face Scully and the nurse.  He read the
nurse's name tag:  Tera.
	It was she who spoke up next, trying to fill the void left
by Dr. Stephens.  "Would you like to take a look at the baby,
daddy?" she said with a smile on her face.  Mulder raised his
eyebrows at the way he was addressed.  Obviously, she
assumed since he was here that he was the father.  He saw
Scully's horrified look.  She opened her mouth to correct the
nurse, who stood between her horizontal figure and Mulder's
vertical one.  Mulder just shook his head behind Tera's back.  It
wasn't worth the trouble to explain the situation.  He didn't care
what Tera thought anyway.
	"Sure," he said simply, but without enthusiasm.  He was
not comfortable here.  He was not comfortable staring at
Scully's bare midriff.  He was not comfortable with the whole
set up.
	Mulder spoke up again. "What exactly am I looking at?"
he asked honestly.  All he could really see was a lot of black
lines and a small white blob in the center of the monitor.  The
shadowing made it difficult to distinguish very much in
Mulder's opinion.
	Without causing Scully any pain, Tera was pressing the
paddle firmly into various spots around Scully's belly.  With her
other hand, she began pointing out features to Mulder that her
trained eye easily picked out.  "See here, and here," she pointed
to specific points on the screen.  "That's the baby's arms.  And
here and there," she pointed again to another area, "those are
his legs."
	"His?"  Mulder asked.
	"Well," Tera replied, "We don't really know yet, I just
call most babies 'he' unless I know for sure what sex they are." 
Mulder nodded his head in understanding.  "Do you want to
know what sex the baby is?"  Tera asked with a sly smile.  "If I
can get the baby to turn over, we might be able to get a peek!"
	"Sure," Mulder repeated nonchalantly.  He didn't really
care.
	"No!" Scully's voice quickly followed his.  They both
stared curiously at her rather loud outburst.  "It's just," Scully
stammered, "that is one of the last real surprises in the world. 
Besides," she added, "all that matters is that the baby is healthy
when it's born.  It doesn't really matter what sex it is."
	Tera tried to explain her position.  "Some parents think
it is important so they can outfit the nursery in a certain color or
theme, or buy the appropriate clothing.  I thought you might
want to know."
	Up until that moment, the form on the screen had been
very still, curled up like a ball, barely moving.  Suddenly, the
baby seemed to stretch and roll over, as if waking up from a
nap.
	"Whoa!"  Mulder flinched a little at the unexpected
movement.
	Tera and Scully began to laugh.  "Well," Tera said,
"maybe you'll have a little gymnast.  I guess he has decided to
wake up.  We've been pushing on him for a while now, I guess
he is pushing back!"
	Tera put the flat paddle down on the table.  The last
image that had been picked up was now frozen on the screen. 
"Would you like a copy?" she asked.  "We can print a photo
right off the screen for you to take home with you."
	Scully smiled.  "Yes, please," she responded.  
	"Fine.  It will take just a few minutes."  She turned to
leave, then turned back to face Scully and Mulder once again. 
"Would you like to hear the heartbeat of your baby?"  Without
waiting for an answer, she turned up the volume knob on the
display screen.  She smiled sweetly, then turned away again and
crossed to the other side of the room to wait for the photo to be
printed out.
	Scully and Mulder, both uncomfortable looking at each
other, continued to stare at the frozen image on the screen. 
Nothing was spoken between them.  Mulder began listening to
the steady, even, but slow, heartbeat.
	Thump, thump, thump-thump, thump, thump,
thump-thump.  The easy rhythm was soothing.  Mulder
continued to stare at the screen, discerning the shape of the
baby, listening to the heart beat.  Like the proverbial light bulb
going off in his head, the connection was finally made for
Mulder.  This was a real human being.  This was a living,
growing thing.  Actually seeing and hearing the baby made
Mulder fully realize 'baby' wasn't just a word.  This was life and
blood, with shape and form.  Scully was carrying a life within
her.  A baby.  His baby.
	Suddenly he felt a rush within his veins.  He was looking
at his offspring.  He couldn't explain it, but he began to swell
with a sort of pride. He didn't fully understand his reaction and
feelings.  But the beating of this unborn heart captivated him. 
He finally tore his eyes away from the screen to see if Scully
comprehended what was happening to him.  While he realized
that just looking at him from the outside there was, in reality,
nothing to see.  But if anyone could understand what was
happening to him, she would.
	His eyes found her already staring at him.  Scully's eyes
were glistening, threatening to spill over the dam of her eyelids. 
She recognized the awe that had come over Mulder.  At last, he
understood the enormity of the miracle of conception, and the
results.  She could see it in his face.  He fairly beamed at her,
and she back at him.

End Part 3/6

From: JEhrat2@aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:30:38 EST
Subject: REVISION:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 4/6

Title:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 4/6
Author:  JEhrat (JEhrat2@aol.com)
Disclaimers:  See Part 1

---xxxxx---

	"Yes," Dr. Stephens spoke into the phone line, "she is
here now.  So is Mulder."  He listened for a moment, nodding
his head in agreement with what he was hearing.  "Yes,
everything is progressing according to schedule."
	"Can we move the schedule up?"
	Dr. Stephens considered this for a moment.  "Yes," he
said slowly.  "But it is not without risk.  The subject would be
viable delivered now, but it is early.  I would suggest waiting at
least two more weeks to give the lungs more time to develop. 
Also, this early in the program, there will be some risk to the
mother as well."
	The connection was silent for a moment and air was
sucked in once again, and slowly blown out before an order was
given.  "Wait two more weeks, and then bring the project to an
end."
	Dr. Stephens replaced the receiver and hurried to return
to the waiting Scully and Mulder.


FBI Headquarters
Basement Office
10:30am

	Both agents sat at their desk staring at files, occasionally
answering the phone, now and then retrieving something from
the file cabinet; in other words, work seemed to progress as
usual.  At least on the outside.  Inside, their minds were
anywhere but at work.
	Mulder had read the same paragraph five times.  Even
with his photographic memory, he was not cognizant of what he
was reading.  He was only seeing the type on the paper, not
absorbing it.  For the fourth time he heard a sigh come from
Scully's desk.  He closed the file on his desk once again.  This
was ridiculous.  They needed to talk; but both not only didn't
know what to say, they didn't know how to start.
	Mulder knew Scully would not jump in since he had
been too removed from the pregnancy up until now.  It would
be up to him.  He decided to at least try to get the ball rolling.
	He looked over at Scully, who was pushing papers from
one pile to another.
	"It's good," Mulder started, "that Dr. Stephens seemed
satisfied with the ultra sound, don't you think?"
	Scully stole a quick glance at the small 3x5 black and
white photo the nurse had given her before leaving.  She had
propped it up against her pencil holder for the moment.  She
planned on taking it home tonight to show her mother.
	"Mmmm," was all Scully put forth.
	Mulder tried again.  "The heartbeat sounded good, and
strong."  His voice trailed off.
	"It's too slow," Scully began, and then her voice faded
away.  She openly stared at the photo now.  Her medical mind
had been trying to retrieve all the facts she knew about
pregnancy, which were precious few, to find the cause of the
slow heartbeat.  She didn't know, and Dr. Stephens had indeed
indicated things were satisfactory as far as he was concerned. 
Scully had decided to hit the medical journals she kept at home
later tonight to try and discover what might be the cause, and if
there was anything she, Scully, could do to help her baby be
healthier.
	Mulder knew what was on her mind.  "It's not your
fault, you know," he said gently.
	Scully snapped her head around to face him, her eyes
wide, her ruby red lips parted slightly.  Damn him!  How does
he always seem to know just the right button to push with me?
she thought to herself.
	Mulder tried to soothe her jangled nerves.  "Dr.
Stephens says things are progressing within the 'norms', and for
you not to worry."  He paused.  "Dana, you are going to be a
fine mother.  You haven't 'done' anything to harm this child,
and there is nothing that you have done to cause Dr. Stephens
to be concerned.  You have followed all the medical advice on
this subject carefully.  Don't blame yourself."
	Scully didn't know how he knew, but he did.  Her
deepest fears at this point centered not only on the worry that
the baby was all right, but that she had somehow produced
stress on her baby's heart by overworking, or because of her
heavy schedule and strenuous struggle to keep up with her
original energy output before the pregnancy.
	It was good to hear from someone else, even Mulder,
that it was not her fault.  That it was just the way life went.  A
grateful smile played on her lips now.  "Thank you," was all she
said softly.  The absolution lifted a heavy weight from her
shoulders.  With one more glance at the photo, Scully opened
another file and began to read.  Mulder, too, returned to his
tasks.

Later that afternoon
Skinner's Office

	"So, everything is all right with the baby?" Skinner
inquired.
	Mulder had reported to Skinner's office, in accordance
with Skinner's request those many months ago, to fill him in on
Scully's recent visit to Dr. Stephens.  They both had buried the
hostility from that first meeting and chalked it up to tension and
stress from the newness and the unforeseeable future at that
moment.  Both men had pretty much avoided the topic all
together except for Mulder's occasional updates, like today.  
	Mulder stood behind the chair that faced Skinner's desk. 
"Apparently," he answered.
	"But...," Skinner could see that there was more Mulder
wanted to say.
	Mulder came from behind the chair and sat down.  "But,
I wonder how long that will last."
	Skinner inclined his head and raised an eyebrow behind
his round glasses.  His brown eyes took on a look of concern. 
"Spit it out, Mulder."
	Mulder let out a deep breath.  "Well, sir, to be honest,
Scully is pushing herself way beyond what she needs to.  She's
worn out, run down.  Even though she's not working in the field
any more, she just won't slow down."
	He paused for a moment.  Skinner waited.  Mulder
debated with himself whether or not to reveal a piece of
information Scully would consider highly personal.  Eventually,
he spoke again.  "I don't think the stress concerning the final
decision of what to do with the baby is helping the situation
any, either."
	"So Scully hasn't decided whether or not to keep the
baby after it's born?"
	"Well, I'm not completely sure.  We never discuss her
pregnancy," Mulder confessed, "but occasionally, in the office 
I've heard snatches of phone conversations with her mother."
	Skinner decided to stick out his toe and test the personal
waters, "How do you feel about it, Mulder?"  If Mulder didn't
want to talk about it, then he wouldn't.  Skinner figured it
couldn't hurt to ask.
	Mulder dry washed his face.  "I really don't know, sir.  I
thought I did before today.  I was sure I really wanted nothing
to do with a baby."
	Skinner's brow creased as he stared at Mulder.  "What
changed your mind today?"
	Mulder thought back to earlier in the day when he had
heard the baby's heartbeat.  How could he explain what he felt
and now understood, to another man who himself was without
children.  If someone had tried to explain it to Mulder
yesterday; these feelings of pride, oneness, and continuance,
well, there was just no way to comprehend the magnitude of his
revelation today.
	So he simply said, "I heard the baby's heartbeat today,
and saw it moving.  It just became very real in every sense of
the word."
	

That Evening
Mulder's Apartment

	Mulder sat on his beloved leather couch catching up on
the news as he consumed the sweet and sour chicken dinner he
had picked up on the way home.  He'd dropped Scully off at her
apartment an hour earlier.  He had wanted to stay.  She didn't
look well.  For his inquiries, he had received a well-rehearsed
"I'm fine, Mulder."  She had brushed it off as fatigue and lack
of sleep from the night before.  She had told him she was going
to do some reading and then go right to bed.  
	So, he had reluctantly left her at the front door to her
apartment, with a promise to return tomorrow morning to pick
her up for work.  In this manner, he had managed to avoid her
having to ask for help in getting back and forth to work.  He
smiled to himself.  Score one for Mulder, he silently tallied.
	He turned the page of the newspaper and found himself
staring at a color photo of a small female child.  Her red hair
was flying out behind her as she ran along the bank of a pond. 
The caption mentioned something about park improvements
being continued through the next few months.  
	Fox focused in on the photo.  It could be Scully as a
little girl.  The child in the picture had startling blue eyes and a
wide grin that almost screamed to the world the words, "I'm
fine!".  
	Fox leaned his head back on the couch and looked up at
the smooth ceiling.  Before this morning, he would have moved
on to the next page without giving the photo even a cursory
glance.  But he couldn't deny feelings in him now that had been
awoken with the soft thumping of the heartbeat he had heard
today.  He had tried to push it from his mind at the office.  But
now, he had time to contemplate what it meant to him, to
consider what was happening to him.
	He still wasn't ready to be a parent.  But he couldn't
deny that his attitude had been moved from way to the left of
the scale to somewhere near the middle.  He had experienced a
new feeling today. He had always been someone's son, brother,
nephew, friend, lover.  Each of those roles had a different set of
'rules'; a particular way of being and feeling.  Being a 'father'
had just hit home with him.  A flood of emotions had hit him as
the realization of what life might actually be about.  The words
'son', and 'daughter' floated through Mulder's brain.  He had
said them often in context with people at work, interviewing
victims, talking with friends, but had never considered what it
meant to add the word 'my' in front.
	Mulder began to understand a little of what Scully had
been feeling all these months.  He supposed it was different with
a woman because of the intimate knowledge of the event,
hormonal changes, and actually feeling movement within your
own body.  Mulder contemplated that thought for a moment. 
What would it feel like for something to kick you from the
inside?  To turn over, or around, within the confines of  his
body?  Fox gave an involuntary shudder!  He didn't want to
think about that any more!  
	He leaned forward and went back to his dinner and his
newspaper.  He stared at the photo once more for a full minute
before turning the page.

Same Evening
Scully's Apartment

	Scully carefully penciled in the next appointment with
Dr. Stephens on her calendar.  It would be two weeks from
now.  He said he wanted to keep a closer watch on her now
that the pregnancy was drawing to a close.  Yet, at the same
time he continued to tell her that everything was fine.  Scully
had perused the few journals she had at home concerning
pregnancy.  She had read nothing suspicious or upsetting that
would seem to pertain to her.  Perhaps she was letting her
imagination run away with her.  She searched her mind to see if
there were things she could change; her eating habits, or mild
exercise, and then settled on getting more rest.  
	She was tired.  Mental anguish always seemed to take
more out of her than physical pains.  When not pregnant, Scully
was physically ready for most challenges.  But who was always
up for the stress caused by emotional turmoil?  She stood
awkwardly and made her way over to her bedroom, undressed,
left her clothes in a heap on the floor, and slipped on a huge
nightgown that floated gently over her head and skimmed the
rest of her overgrown body.  She turned out the light, slid
between the sheets and was instantly asleep.



Two Weeks Later
Dr. Stephens' Office
8:00am

	"How does everything sound?" Scully asked, not
without some anxiety in her voice.  She had felt as fine as
possible in the last two weeks, but she wanted to hear the
reassurance in Dr. Stephens' voice.
	He frowned slightly before answering.  Scully's heart
began to beat a little faster.  He looked up from the notes he
was writing and caught the edge of fear in her eyes.  He
hastened to reassure her.  "The baby seems fine, Ms. Scully. 
Don't worry." He pasted a smile on his face.
	"Then why were you frowning?" Scully asked.  She
wasn't going to beat around the bush.  She wanted direct,
honest answers.
	"Frankly," he began, "I'm more concerned about you
than the baby right now."
	"What do you mean?"  Scully sat up as fully as possible
on the small, paper covered, slightly padded table,  her weight
supported on arms braced behind her.  Her ice blue eyes had
opened a little wider, and an eyebrow was arched in the familiar
'Scully' attitude.
	Dr. Stephens stood up and crossed to the small locked
cabinet against the wall.  Before opening it, he turned back to
face Scully.  "You seem very run down, and slightly anemic, as
well."  He consulted his notes again.  "You tell me you aren't
sleeping well, which is normal.  I know it is difficult to get
comfortable at this stage of the game, and you seem to have a
lack of  get-up-n-go, you tell me."
	"What do you recommend?" Scully asked cautiously. 
She didn't really know of any drug-free remedy that he could
suggest to her.
	Dr. Stephens turned back toward the cabinet, unlocked
it and fiddled around inside for a moment, looking for just the
right medicine.  He turned back with a small vial and syringe in
his hands.  "I want to give you a shot of B-12, and then give
you an extra strong dose of B-12 vitamins to take.  I think you
will find your energy level shoot up very quickly.  I can't do
anything about your rest level other than suggest you take a
mild soaking in the tub before going to bed, or the usual warm
milk," and then he gave her a small grin, "or watch an extremely
boring television program."
	Scully immediately relaxed.  Vitamin B-12 was natural,
and drug free, and would not be objectionable to her.  In fact, it
was a good idea.  Dr. Stephens walked toward her with the
syringe, and with her permission injected the solution directly
into her system.  
	"It so happens," he added after giving her the shot, "our
pharmaceutical rep just dropped off our new supply.  I believe
he included some B-12 vitamins.  I can give you two weeks
worth now and save you a trip to the pharmacy.  
	"They are a new, concentrated dose developed for more
immediate release and quicker build up in the body so they
produce results faster.  You take one every two hours the first
day, then one every four hours the second day, and from there
on, one every twelve hours.  Would you like me to get them for
you, or would you prefer I write a prescription you can fill at
your convenience?"
	Scully glanced at her watch.  It was getting late in the
morning.  This would certainly be a convenience for her now. 
"It would be helpful if I could get them now," she said.   Dr.
Stephens helped her slide carefully off the examining table.
	"Since the rep gives us the samples free, I won't charge
you, either," he said.  "Can't get a better deal than that."  He
smiled widely at her.  "I'd like to see you again in two weeks,
Ms. Scully."  He turned without waiting for her answer and
went out the door, apparently headed for his next appointment. 
Scully began to get dressed.  
	When she stopped by the receptionist's desk to make her
next appointment, Jackie handed her a small vial of dark brown
pills.  "Here is a two week supply of your vitamins, Ms. Scully."
She pointed out, "Just follow the directions on the label."
	Scully put the pills in her purse and headed out the
office.



FBI Headquarters
Basement Office
2:45pm

	Scully sat back down after getting a cup of water.  She
opened her purse, retrieved a vitamin and placed it in her
mouth.  She followed it with the water.  Mulder had noticed her
doing this several times today already.
	Concerned, he asked, "Do you have a headache,
Scully?"
	She put the pills away and placed her purse back in the
bottom drawer.  "No.  Why do you ask?"  She looked at him
with abject objectivity.
	"Well, I've seen you take a couple of pills today."  His
voice trailed off.  
	Scully nodded her head slightly.  "Oh, no," she
explained.  "They are vitamin pills Dr. Stephens gave me today. 
He said to take them every two hours the first day, to help build
up some needed energy.  They are just B-12 vitamins."
	"Are they helping?"
	Scully explained, "I just started them a few hours ago. 
They haven't had time to build up yet."

---xxxxx---

	Two hours later, Scully went to take another vitamin. 
She pushed herself up with great effort from her confining desk
chair.  "Oh," she said quietly, and leaned heavily against the
desk.
	Mulder turned from the file cabinet in response to her
voice.  "Scully, are you OK?"  He did not rush to her side.  He
wanted to assess the situation first.  Scully would not have
appreciated his efforts on her behalf.
	Still leaning over her desk, Scully shook her head
experimentally.  "I, I guess I got up a little too quickly." 
Mulder tried to suppress a smile; Scully didn't do anything too
quickly any more.  "I just got a little light headed," she
continued.  After a moment she straightened up as much as
possible in her condition, and then continued on to the water
cooler.
	She swallowed another pill and began to return to her
desk.  Mulder had continued to watch her out of the corner of
his eye as she had moved unsteadily to the cooler.  When she
turned back toward her desk, he noticed she was still slightly
unsteady on her feet.  Then Scully seemed to stumble, and
Mulder dropped the file he was holding and managed to catch
her under her arms.  At the same time Scully also managed to
stop herself from falling by grabbing onto the edge of her desk,
probably preventing a head injury in the process.
	"Scully!"  The word had exploded out of Mulder's
mouth as he lunged forward to catch her.  Mulder lowered
Scully to the floor in a controlled sit.  Mulder was on one knee
beside her.  Concern laced his hazel eyes.  He watched her
closely for further signs of trouble.  And they came.
	Scully's eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted. 
Mulder laid her head down carefully on the thin, harsh
carpeting.  He grabbed his suit jacket from off the back of his
chair, balled it up and placed it under her head.  He bent low,
his cheek to her nose.  Air softly blew across his skin.  It was
even, but faint.  He jumped up again and called for Security.
	"Security," came the strong reply on the other end of the
phone.
	"This is Agent Fox Mulder, in the X-Files division,
basement floor.  My partner has fainted, she is eight and a half
months pregnant, send whatever first aid crew we have
immediately."  Mulder slammed the phone down, not even
waiting for a reply.  He returned to Scully's prone figure.  She
still had not stirred.
	Mulder jumped up again heading for the water cooler. 
He brought a half-filled cup of cool water.  He dipped two
fingers into the liquid and began touching Scully's pulse points:
her temple, behind her ears, inside her elbows, her wrists.  He
continued to softly call her name.  There was no response.
	Mulder heard the pounding of feet in the hallway
outside his door.  Three security agents rushed into the office,
first aid kit and oxygen tank in hand.  Mulder instinctively
moved backward, out of their way.  At the same moment, he
saw Scully's head begin to move from side to side.  He moved
to position himself by her feet giving the new agents space, but
still in a position to see Scully's face.  The three agents moved
in swiftly.  Scully was already beginning to stir at this point.
	One agent, Dobson, was known to Mulder.  He had a
stethoscope out and placed it over Scully's heart.  The second
agent, Sarouse, touched her face as he saw her coming around. 
The third agent was standing next to Mulder.  Mulder didn't
know him.  His name plate read: Tate.
	"What happened?" Tate asked.
	Mulder ran a hand through his short, brown hair.  He
wasn't paying attention to the question, he was focused on
Scully.  "Is she going to be all right?"  No response was made in
his direction.  
	"Scully, are you all right?" Mulder thought he would try
going to the source.
	Tate touched Mulder's arm to gain his attention.  "What
happened?" Tate asked again, a little more insistently now. 
Mulder turned his way at the touch.
	"She wasn't doing anything unusual," Mulder insisted. 
"She got up to get some water, and fainted on her way back to
her desk."
	"Did she strike her head or take a hard fall?"  Mulder
noticed the agent was taking notes now.
	"No," Mulder answered, "I was able to catch her and
lower her down carefully."
	"How long has she been out?"
	"Only seconds before I called you.  Is she going to be all
right?"  Mulder asked again, his voice rising a little now.  Then
another thought hit him.  "What about the baby?"
	At these words, Scully seemed to find her voice.  "What
happened?" She tried to sit up.  Disorientation and confusion
showed in her eyes.  The two agents on either side of her helped
her achieve a sitting position.  She leaned heavily upon them. 
	Mulder blurted out, "You fainted, are you all right?"  He
was getting tired of asking that question and not getting an
answer.  At this point he would even have settled for an icy,
"I'm fine," from Scully herself!  But it wasn't forthcoming, and
that seemed to worry him all the more.
	Scully raised a hand to her head to stop it from spinning. 
It helped a little.  She attempted to stand.  The two agents held
her back without any difficulty.  "Please, stay down," one of
them commanded, he wasn't asking.  
	They continued to check Scully's vital signs while she
regained her faculties.  After a few minutes they were finished. 
Giving her the signal that they were through with their
examination, Dobson asked, "Would you like to try and stand
now?"  Mulder had remained silent during their testing.   He
watched the agents assist Scully.  If not for the seriousness of
the moment he might have laughed when it took all three of
them to get her up off the floor.  They seated her at her desk,
Sarouse stood behind Scully to ensure the casters did not cause
the chair to move out from underneath her hulking form.  
	Scully was finally regaining control of herself.  Now she
wanted to regain control of the situation.  She stiffly pulled her
arms away from the agents helping her.  Mulder recognized the
sign immediately; he had certainly been on the receiving end
enough times.
	Mulder stepped toward the office door.  "I think,
gentlemen, that Agent Scully is all right now."  He swung the
door a little wider to further indicate his meaning.  "Thank you
for rushing down here.  We appreciate your help."
	The agents weren't budging.  They had a report to fill
out.  "Just a minute, please," Tate responded.  Scully spent the
next ten minutes answering personal questions, and convincing
them she was, indeed, fine.  Finally, the agents seemed satisfied
and moved toward the door, picking up the equipment they had
brought with them.
	Mulder had sat down at his desk during the question and
answer session between Scully and the security agents.  He had
been carefully studying Scully as she performed for them all.  

End Part 4/6

From: JEhrat2@aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:30:45 EST
Subject: REVISION:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 5/6

Title:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 5/6
Author:  JEhrat (JEhrat2@aol.com)
Disclaimers:  See Part 1


He could see the tiredness in her eyes, the draining of her
energy with each answer she gave, and he saw her deep
embarrassment at needing any kind of help.  He also watched
her wring her hands occasionally, and nervously lick her lips. 
He knew worry had crept in around the edges of her mind.  To
faint was certainly not normal and it indeed, concerned her.
	After the agents had left, pulling the door shut behind
them, Mulder calmly picked up his phone and punched in a
phone number.
	"Who are you calling?"  Scully was instantly suspicious. 
	Mulder held up his hand to silence her as the connection
was made.  "Mrs. Scully?"  Dana slumped further down in her
chair.  "This is Fox Mulder.  I'm bringing Dana home.  She isn't
feeling well.  I thought, if it were possible, you could meet us at
her apartment and maybe stay with her awhile."  Scully's dull
blue eyes were casting darts in his direction.  "I'm sure she
would appreciate it if you could stay the night."  Out of the
corner of his eye, Mulder could see Scully waving her arms at
him in desperation.
	"No!  Mulder, no!"  Scully hissed at him.  Mulder
ignored her completely, even turning his chair so that she faced
his back.  
	"Yes.  She is all right now.  We'll be there in about half
an hour.  If you aren't there yet, I'll wait with her.  Yes.  Yes. 
Good.  We'll see you shortly."  Mulder turned back to face
Scully as he replaced the receiver.  He wasn't going to take
anything from her.  He wasn't going to ask her permission.  He
was simply going to do.  He stood up from his chair, completely
ignoring the anger he read on her face.
	"Mulder," Scully began, hands defiantly balled on her
ample hips.
	He moved to help her from the chair as he interrupted
her speech.  "You can come quietly with me now and go home
and rest with your mother in attendance, or I will personally call
for an ambulance and have you delivered directly to Dr.
Stephens' office.  Which do you prefer?"  It wasn't a real
question.
	Scully struggled out of her chair ignoring his helping
hand.  Anger stormed across her face, and Mulder inwardly
shuddered; he almost believed he could detect ice chips floating
in her eyes.  But Mulder knew he was in the right, and he also
knew that Scully knew.
	And Scully did know he was right.  Something was
wrong, and she needed to go home and rest.  Inside, she felt
herself, and everything seemed normal.  But fainting certainly
wasn't normal.  But she resented the treatment she was
receiving, even though she knew it was all for her own good. 
She wanted to be the one to make the decisions about her
health, and given half a chance, she would have made the very
same decisions.  She resented having the control taken away
from her.  As best she could, she stomped toward the door
without a word to Mulder.
	Mulder let go of the breath he was holding, and a small
sigh escaped his lips as she passed through the door.  He
retrieved her purse and briefcase, remembered her coat from the
hook it rested on by the door and followed her out.  He shut
and locked the door as she continued toward the elevator.  He
heard the 'ding' that announced it's arrival.  He barely made it
into the elevator car before the doors shut.  Scully's arms were
crossed and resting on her blooming belly, and she wore an 'I
dare you to speak to me' look on her face.  Mulder backed
quietly against the side wall.  He juggled the possessions in his
hands until he could push the correct floor button.  Scully made
no move to help him.
	The drive to Scully's apartment was no more pleasant. 
Mulder delivered Scully safely to her front door and was
relieved to see Margaret Scully open it while he was getting his
key out.  Scully's face softened at the concern mirrored in her
mother's face.  Mulder handed Maggie Dana's things and made
a hasty retreat to his car, very glad that he was not Scully's
guardian tonight!



Mulder's Apartment
1:00am

	Fox jumped at the first ring of the telephone.  By the
second ring, his hand reached for the instrument as he tried to
clear away the cobwebs of sleep.
	He barely got out a perfunctory greeting before
Margaret Scully's voice assaulted his ear, and pierced his heart. 
"Fox, Dana's in emergency surgery to save the baby.  She began
hemorrhaging!  We are at Washington Memorial Hospital! 
Hurry!"
	Fox couldn't answer for a moment.  His brain struggled
to make sense of what he was hearing.  All he could get out at
the moment was a confused, "What?"
	Margaret repeated, "Washington Memorial Hospital! 
Fox, I mean it, hurry!"  Her voice was quivering at this point. 
He could tell she had been crying.
	"What happened?" he tried again.  He was putting on his
shoes as she spoke and trying to remember where he had
thrown his keys when he came home.
	"I'll explain when you get here," she answered almost in
exasperation.  "Oh, Fox, please, hurry!"  She was definitely
trying to tell him something without actually saying it.  Fox
began to get the message.  It wasn't just about the baby, Scully
herself was in mortal danger.
	Mulder slammed the phone down, found his keys, and
was out the door.  Fortunately, there was little traffic this early
in the morning.   Mulder didn't bother to park in an appropriate
place.  Instead he drove to the emergency door entrance.  He
did manage to have the presence of mind to leave room for any
ambulance that might need access to the premises while he was
here.
	He jumped out of the car and rushed through the
automatic doors, and nearly assaulted the nurse at the
information desk.  "Scully, Dana Scully, where is she?"  He was
almost yelling.  On his drive over, fear had gripped his heart and
Scully's mother's words finally hit home.  His Scully might be
dying at this very moment.  He had to get to her.  He had to see
her.  Now! 
	He continued his description, hoping to save time by
anticipating the questions the nurse would ask.  "She was
brought in here within the hour, pregnant, hemorrhaging. 
Where is she?"  He had run out of breath.  He was leaning over
the counter, frantically scanning the pieces of paper he saw for
her name, a room number, any kind of reference.
	Fortunately, the nurse was very used to distraught
family members and friends in the emergency room.  Besides, a
Mrs. Scully had already warned her a highly excitable, and
agitated man would be arriving shortly, and she had advised the
nurse to point him in the right direction as quickly as possible.
	The nurse nodded her head calmly and waited for
Mulder to stop speaking.  "Mrs. Scully is waiting for you," she
pointed down the hall to his left, "Waiting Room A - third door
on the right."  Before she had completely finished speaking,
Mulder was on his way.
	He found the room, and grabbed the door knob. 
Something inside made him stop.  He knew he had to get a hold
of himself.  He needed to focus on the situation, and not scare
Mrs. Scully with his actions.  He took a deep breath, and
pushed the door open. 
	Margaret was standing, looking out the window, seeing
nothing.  But as the door opened, she caught Mulder's rough
reflection in the glass and turned immediately to face him. 
	"Fox!"  He crossed the room to her side, and pulled her
with him to sit on the couch.  At this time of the night, they
were the only ones in the room.
	He tried to control his emotions along with his voice. 
"Tell me what happened," he commanded softly.
	Maggie's eyes were red and swollen.  Tears were still
evident on her face.  She wrung her hands trying to release
some of her pent up fears and frustration.  She made a great
effort to speak from a position of control.  She wanted to
clearly communicate to Mulder what happened to Dana on her
first try.
	"After you dropped her off, I made dinner, and she
rested most of the evening on the couch.  She didn't want to
watch TV, or talk.  So we spent the evening rather quietly.  I
read and she just stared at the ceiling.  Over dinner she told me
about her fainting at the office, but didn't really say anything
else about her condition."
	"How did she seem tonight?  Restless, comfortable?" 
Mulder needed more to assess Scully's mood and mind set.
	"She was very calm all night, and she seemed fine." 
Margaret continued.  "She told me about the vitamins Dr.
Stephens suggested, and continued to take them every few
hours.  Around 8pm, she announced she was going to bed, and
that I could go home."  Maggie smiled a little, "But I know her
tactics as well as you do.  I wasn't going to leave her for a
minute!  I knew if you called me to watch over her, I needed to
be there."
	Mulder was absently nodding his head in agreement.  He
knew he could count on Margaret to understand the seriousness
without his having to say much on the phone.
	"Anyway, I told her I was staying all night.  She seemed
to realize her fate," another small smile escaped, "and she went
to bed.  I told her I would stay up a while.
	"I checked on her every hour or so.  After the 11:00
news, I decided to turn in and I checked on her again.  She
seemed fine.  Around 12:30am,  I thought I heard her moaning,
so I turned on the bathroom light so I could see without
bothering her in case she really was asleep.  She didn't seem to
be awake, but she was moaning softly and she was very restless,
sort of rolling back and forth.  The covers had gotten all
twisted.  So I pulled them down to rearrange them, and I could
see the bed and her pajamas were covered in blood."
	Maggie picked up Mulder's hand.  "I'm sorry I didn't call
you right away, but I called 911 first and was busy trying to
stop the bleeding.  The ambulance got there very quickly, and
then we were out the door.  I called you as soon as we got here.
	"Oh, Fox, I am so afraid for Dana," Maggie began to
break down as thoughts crowded her mind.  "The paramedics
said her loss of blood was at the critical level, and they were
very concerned for the baby, and," she could not go on.  Tears
were streaming down her face now, and even Mulder's eyes
were unusually moist.  He felt Maggie's pain, for the pain was
his own.
	He grasped her other hand, trying to silently will his
strength into her, and at the same moment, trying to infuse the
strength of Maggie's beliefs into his own system.  After a
moment, he resumed his questions.
	"Where is she now?  What's happening with her?" 
	Margaret dried her face with her fingertips before
answering.  She tried to collect her thoughts and her control. 
Mulder marveled at how much Scully had inherited from her
mother in both actions and mannerisms.
	"They have her in surgery.  They are trying to stop the
bleeding and make sure the baby is all right."  Margaret was
very much in control now.  Mulder could see that her motherly
concern had shifted to him now.  Her eyes were filled with
compassion at the thought of what he must be feeling.
	The waiting room door opened.  Two sets of eyes, one
brown and one hazel, turned to see who was entering.  When
they saw a man in a traditional green surgical outfit, they both
stood and waited for him to speak.
	The doctor wasted no time on preliminaries.  He knew
these people craved information about their loved one.  "I'm Dr.
Krotski." He extended his hand as he spoke.  "Ms. Scully is in
critical condition at this time. We have stopped the bleeding and
given her a transfusion.  Dr. Stephens is scrubbing now.  He
will be going in to take the baby.  It's heart rate has dipped
dangerously low.  At eight and a half months, while premature,
it should have sufficiently developed heart and lungs to survive.
	"And Dana?" Mrs. Scully interrupted.
	"We believe you got her here in time.  In fact, incredible
as it sounds, she is lucid at this moment and wants to see you
both before Dr. Stephens performs the cesarean."  Dr. Krotski
turned back toward the door.  "If you would both just follow
me."  He didn't have to say any more.
	Two minutes later, Margaret was holding Dana's hand,
soothingly touching her forehead and cheek.  Mulder watched
from the other side of the glass barrier.  Dr. Krotski was
allowing only one at a time to see Scully, and only for a minute
or two.  
	Scully was stretched out on a gurney, swathed in clean
white sheets.  Her hair was pulled back in a white paper cap. 
Monitors were hooked up to various places about her body. 
She looked even paler than usual if that was possible.  Her eyes
were droopy, she seemed extremely listless.
	Fox watched Maggie lean forward and kiss Scully,
smiling confidently at her daughter.  After a moment Maggie
hugged Scully as best she could, and then she looked up at
Mulder through the glass, and gave a brief nod of her head,
signaling that she was through, and it was his turn.
	While waiting his turn, Mulder had donned a surgical
gown over his street clothes, as Maggie had before him.  He
held the door open for Maggie as she came out of the room. 
Unashamed tears were streaming down her face now that she
was out of Scully's eyesight.  Mulder entered the room.  He
immediately noticed the sound of a heartbeat.  The baby was
hooked up to a fetal monitor, of course.  He heard a very slow,
dramatic thump, thump, thump, every few seconds.
	He rounded the top of the gurney and came around to
the side to face Scully.  Her eyes were closed.  This close,  her
skin was almost translucent.  Mulder clasped Scully's hand to
let her know he was there.
	In his lightest voice he asked, "You wanted to see me?" 
	Scully barely opened her eyes at the sound of his voice. 
"Mulder?"  It was more question than statement of fact.
	"Yes?"
	"Mulder." She said with finality now that she knew for
sure whom she was speaking with.  "Listen," her voice was
slow, low, and forced.  Her energy was almost completely
gone.
	Mulder leaned closer to catch her voice.  He could
barely hear her above the soft, slow heartbeat of the baby; it
was drowning out Scully's words.
	"If I don't make it," she began.
	Mulder interrupted her, "You're going to be fine.  Dr.
Krotski said you got here in time.  Don't worry."  He tried to
reassure her, squeezing her hand gently for confirmation.
	"If I don't make it," Scully repeated more firmly, "tell
Mom I want her to raise the baby for me."
	"Shhhh," Mulder didn't want to hear this.  "You are
going to be fine."
	Scully continued as if she hadn't heard him.  She had
something to say, and she didn't have much time.  She could
feel herself slipping away.  "And if it comes to a choice between
me or the baby,"
	Mulder's eyes moistened.  No!  He didn't want to hear
this!
	"Tell the doctors to save my baby."
	Mulder didn't answer.
	"Mulder.  Tell them.  Promise me."
	No!  Mulder's brain was screaming at him.  No!  No!
No!  
	"Promise me!" Scully gave her voice as much emphasis
as possible.
	"Sure, Scully,"  Mulder answered dutifully to calm her. 
"Now, stop talking like that and rest. Everything is going to be
fine.  Listen.  Listen, you can hear the baby's heartbeat.  Just
listen, and know that everything is going to be fine."  Mulder
stood there a few more seconds, grasping Scully's hand in an
almost life and death grip. They both listened to the soft thump,
thump, thump of the baby's heartbeat.  Scully's eyes were
closed, and Mulder's were overflowing.  
	A nurse entered, indicating it was time for him to go. 
He reluctantly placed Scully's hand back on the sheet and let
go.  He left the room and joined Maggie, and they watched
from the other side of the glass as the nurses rolled Scully and
the monitoring equipment into the operating room.

---xxxxx---

	Time passed slowly for Maggie and Mulder in the
waiting room.  Both were restless.  Mulder expressed his by
pacing, Maggie by flipping magazine pages, seeing nothing on
the glossy pages.  Briefly she wondered to herself why hospital
magazines were always six months out of date.  Then she
realized it was because it didn't matter, no one read them
anyway.  Anyone waiting in this room for a loved one couldn't
focus on the written word for more than a minute at a time.
	After the doctor had apprised them of Scully's condition
and the proceedures that would follow, Mulder had called
Skinner to inform him.  Mulder had stressed that Skinner didn't
need to come, that nothing could be done now but wait, and he
might as well do that from home.
	Each step in the hallway, each brief sound brought their
heads up to face the door, waiting, looking, hoping a green clad
person would enter and give them good news.
	Finally, their turn came.  Dr. Stephens' frame filled the
doorway.  His surgical cap was in his hand, his green mask
slung under his chin.  His eyes were not bright, but instead
looked very tired.
	Mulder stopped pacing and faced him, Maggie stood
from her sitting position on the couch, both waited expectantly
for words of good news, their eyes already assessing that was
not going to happen.
	"Dana is going to be fine," Dr. Stephens started.  "She is
in recovery right now, and as soon as we are sure she is stable
and out from under the anesthesia, you may see her.  Maggie
turned to face Mulder with a large grin on her face.  Mulder
smiled tightly back.  He knew there was more than one patient
involved here and, pessimist that he was, he was waiting for the
other shoe to drop.  And it did.  It came wrapped in a soft
voice, but it produced a mighty loud thud when it hit.   
	"I'm sorry," and Mulder and Maggie knew what was to
follow.  "The baby didn't make it."  Maggie reached back for
Fox's hand.  Tears filled her eyes.  Mulder remained stoic.  
	Dr. Stephens continued his prepared monologue to his
captive audience.  "We aren't exactly sure what caused Dana to
begin hemorrhaging, or what happened to cause the death of
the baby."  He paused to let the horrible news sink in.  "We are
going to do an autopsy tomorrow morning and try to pin down
the reasons."  There seemed to be nothing left to say.
	"Does Dana know?" It was Maggie's worried voice that
spoke first.
	Dr. Stephens nodded his head solemnly.  "We only gave
her an epidural, so she was awake during the cesarean.  As soon
as we told her the news, she, of course, became hysterical.  We
sedated her immediately.  As soon as she wakes up, if she is
calm, we will move her to a room."
	"May we see her?"  It was Mulder that spoke this time. 
Though his heart was breaking, he knew he had to be with
Scully right now.  There was a yearning within him to see the
mother of his now dead child.  Maggie looked expectantly at
Dr. Stephens also.
	"Not at this time," he replied carefully.  He took notice
of their crest fallen faces.  "I'll tell you what."  Two pair of eyes
snapped up to meet his as a deal was about to be made by this
god of the hospital.  "Let her sleep now, in the recovery room,
and when she awakens, if she is rational, you can see her then,
before we move her to a room."
	Ever practical, Fox asked, "How long will that be?"
	"Well," Dr. Stephens hedged.  "Probably at least an
hour, maybe more.  It just depends on how Dana responds." 
His voice signaled that he was through here, and he turned back
to leave the room.  "I'll have a nurse come get you when she's
ready.  Why don't you just wait here, and try to relax."  
	Fox quickly took a step forward.  "Wait!" he called out.
	Dr. Stephens turned back toward the room and waited
for the question to come.
	Mulder hesitated just a moment.  He had to know.  "The
baby," he almost whispered, "what was it?  A boy or a girl?"
	Stephens swallowed to try and clear his throat of
emotion.  "It was a boy," he said simply and left.  
	Dr. Stephens sighed heavily as he shut the door.  He
hated misleading people.  	
	A son.  Mulder repeated the words to himself.  A son. 
He'd had a son.  A profound sense of loss came over him;
deeper than the loss he'd ever felt for Samantha all these years
if that was possible.
	Maggie wanted to collapse on the soft, blue couch, but
she sat down with dignity and control.  Dana was going to be
all right.  Her baby was safe.  Baby.  The full ramifications hit
her, and her hand flew to her mouth.  Poor Fox!  What must he
be going through?  His baby didn't make it...her thoughts trailed
off.  Slowly she raised her eyes to meet his.  The normally
beautiful, pale hazel shade was now a deep, murky brown. 
Mulder, his lips set in a tight line, his jaw grinding, struggled to
maintain the illusion of non-caring; trying to project the
off-hand attitude he often adopted for the outside world to see
toward things that were really important in his life.
	Maggie stood back up and enfolded Mulder in her soft
embrace.  He allowed her to hug him, but he could not bring
himself to return it.  To do so, in his mind, would have been
tantamount to acknowledging that everything was fine.  And
everything was not fine.
	Maggie recognized the tenseness in his body, and did
not force him to either fake his feelings or even to express them. 
That was one of the things that Fox loved about this woman. 
She simply allowed him to be himself, warts and all, and still she
loved him.  Indeed, how much was her daughter like her.
	Her daughter.  His thoughts turned to Scully, and then
he realized how cruel he was being to Maggie, not to
acknowledge her relief, as well as his own, at how thankful he
was, too, that Scully was safe.  His Scully.  He did still have
her.
	Fox returned Maggie's embrace at that moment, and she
buried her head in his tee shirt and released the great tears of
relief that had been building inside her.  Mulder held her for a
few minutes, then gently pulled her down with him to sit on the
couch again.  After a few moments, the tension had flowed
from her body and she sat back.  Mulder produced a
handkerchief from a back pocket.  "You Scully women never
have a handkerchief when you need one," he gently chided,
trying to lighten the moment.
	Maggie smiled back, grateful for his trying, in spite of
the pain he himself must be feeling.  She could see he didn't
want to talk, so she said nothing.  She leaned back against the
sofa and closed her weary eyes.  Fox stared out the window.  It
was still not light enough to see out, so he pondered his own
reflection.  He didn't like what he saw.  His guilt meter had just
raised a few degrees.
	He hadn't supported Scully through this pregnancy; a
time when she really needed him.  He hadn't even offered her
emotional support.  Now, he wanted to help her through this
time of deep disappointment, anger, and pain.  And he knew he
would have to fight his way in; she wasn't going to voluntarily
let him in.  
	He turned to speak to Maggie.  She had leaned over and
rested her head on the arm of the couch.  She appeared to be
asleep.  The tears and worry had worn her out.  Now that she
knew everything was going to be all right, her body had
completely relaxed.
	Mulder quietly got off the couch and decided he needed
to get out of this room for a while.  He knew sleep would never
overtake him tonight, no matter how weary he was. 
	After some time of wandering up one hall and down
another, taking the elevator to this floor and that one, he
suddenly found himself in front of the nursery window. 
Without knowing where he was going, he had ended up at the
one place he didn't want to be.  He stared at the tiny forms,
some asleep, but most of them moving around or squalling. 
The early morning time meant nothing to them at this stage of
the game.  
	Each baby's head was covered with either a soft blue or
pink cap.  There certainly was no other way to tell what sex
they were!  On each clear, plastic bassinet there was a hand
lettered card indicating to whom each baby belonged.  Mulder
recognized a hollow feeling inside as he gazed at an empty
bassinet and realized his name might have adorned that very crib
tonight.  His vision became blurry, and he turned away.  He
headed back to the waiting room.  
	As he approached the waiting room door, he noticed a
nurse heading his way.  He allowed her to intercept him.  "Are
you waiting to see Ms. Scully?" she inquired.
	Mulder's eyebrows shot up and his eyes widened in
interest. "Yes," he answered eagerly.  "Is she awake?"
	"Yes," the nurse replied.  "If you will follow me, I'll take
you to her."
	"Just a minute," Fox answered, "I'll get her mother."  He
opened the door.  Maggie was still sound asleep on the couch. 
He was surprised for a moment to see Skinner sitting in the
chair opposite her, holding a cup of coffee, long forgotten.  But
in reality, he shouldn't have been, Mulder knew.   He wondered
if a nurse had informed Skinner about the baby yet.  The men
nodded their heads at each other in silent acknowledgement.
	"Well, only one at a time can go in anyway," the nurse
whispered. "Why don't you let her know when you return."
	"I'll stay with her," Skinner said softly, indicating his
head in Maggie's direction. 

End Part 5/6

From: JEhrat2@aol.com
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 11:30:49 EST
Subject: REVISION:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 6/6

Title:  Beating of the Unborn Heart 6/6
Author:  JEhrat (JEhrat2@aol.com)
Disclaimers:   See Part 1

---xxxxx--

	Mulder looked through the glass picture window at
Scully.  He couldn't totally see her face, but her eyes looked
closed.   "Are you sure she's awake?" Mulder stalled.  While he
desperately wanted to see Scully, he had no idea what he'd say
to her.
	Scully's arm rested idly across the sheet that covered
her still gently rounded belly.  For some reason, Mulder had
expected Scully to instantly be in pre-pregnancy shape.  It
hadn't occurred to him that she would still look somewhat
pregnant.
	Mulder pushed open the door.  Silent though it was,
Scully felt the pressure change in the room.  She turned to see
who had come in.  Her cool blue eyes fastened on Mulder's
eyes.  The usual golden flecks had been swallowed up into a
deep brown haze: his troubled look.  She knew then he had
been told. 
	She had promised herself that she would not break
down.  She could cry later. When she was alone, she thought,
then she would console herself.  But it only took one look in his
eyes; the depth of the pain she saw there nearly crushed her. 
She couldn't tell if the pain he felt was for her, or for the life
that was now lost.  Either way, she couldn't carry it for him, not
this time.  Her own pain was crushing her from the inside out. 
The lack of weight against her spine, knowing the womb was
empty, it was too much.  She couldn't bear it, much less
Mulder's pain, too.    
	The tears instantly flowed, running down her face and
pooling in her hair and ears, soaking the pillow.  She couldn't,
she wouldn't, ask for his comfort.  She only knew she could
contain the tears no longer.
	Mulder hurried to her side, carefully slipping his arms in,
around and over the tubes, bags, and monitor feeds that
engulfed Scully.  He held her tightly to him.  Scully felt his
intensity, but did not completely understand it.  Scully's sobs
grew in strength until her whole body was shaking.
	"Oh, Mulder," was all she could get out.
	"Shhh," Mulder tried to soothe her.  There were no
words that could do the job, so he didn't even try.  She needed
to cry for her loss.  She needed him to be here, now, for her. 
He composed his face before pulling back to face her.
	Her eyes were red and swollen, her soft, ivory skin
blotched here and there with deep crimson, and her hair was
mussed from having been pulled back previously in the surgical
cap.  She looked about as bad as she probably felt.  Yet,
somehow, to Mulder, she was still beautiful.  He imagined it
was because he knew her soul.
	Her eyes dipped downward.  All of the sudden she
couldn't face him.  It was as if she had personally failed in this
mission, the cost being the life of the baby.
	"Scully," Mulder began.  "I'm so sorry," tears welled up
and once again threatened to spill over.  Mulder continued on. 
He could read the blame she placed on herself on her face, the
shame that she felt she was due.  "But," he continued on, "I am
so relieved that you are going to be all right.  Your mother and
I were so worried," he brushed a strand of copper hair from her
face.  "We were afraid we were going to lose you.  But Dr.
Stephens says you are going to be all right."  Mulder wanted to
bite his tongue the moment the words came out of his mouth.
	"All right?"  Scully echoed.  "All right?" her voice got a
little louder.  Her pain had quickly developed into anger.  She
decided to use the convenient and very often oh-so-willing
target.  Scully gritted her teeth in anger.  "Nothing will ever be
all right again!" she wanted to scream.  "Don't you know what
has happened?"  Scully's voice reached a fevered pitch.
	Mulder was trying desperately to restrain Scully without
disturbing any equipment.  Two nurses joined him in the room
at this moment, their monitors having gone off at the nurses'
station when Scully's anger increased her heart rate and blood
pressure.
	"Get out!" Scully screamed.  The nurses stopped, then
realized she wasn't speaking to them.  Their heads turned to
focus on Mulder's face.  Scully had been speaking to him.  "Get
Out!" she yelled again, struggling against his hold on her.
	Mulder finally comprehended she meant him!  Confusion
swept his eyes, almost swallowing the pain revealed in them,
but not quite.  A nurse moved quickly to his side, and placed
her hand on his arm, gently pulling him back toward the door.
	"She doesn't mean it," she tried to gently whisper. 
"She's just very upset at the loss of the baby."  Mulder allowed
himself to be pulled out of the room, his lips parted, his
eyebrows furrowed, his heart breaking.  The other nurse
attempted to quiet Scully as he left the room.
	"Please don't take it to heart," the first nurse, Tricia,
said.  She spoke soothingly, realizing she had two patients here. 
She had seen this many times before, and it was always
distressing to all involved.  "She will calm down, and I promise
you," she tried to soothe Mulder's pain, "she will ask for you
again.  Please don't worry."
	Tricia could see that she was having no effect.  This man
was deeply lost in his own thoughts, and had heard nothing
she'd said after he'd been told to get out, presumably by the
woman he loved, after the loss of their baby.  She could see she
could do no more for him and pushed him down gently in a
chair across from the large plate glass window facing Scully's
room.  She left to help the other nurse.
	"Connie," Tricia stuck her head in the door. 
"Everything all right?" She could see that the patient had
calmed down.
	"Yes," Connie turned to face her co-worker.  I had to
sedate her.  She was totally out of control.  How is he doing?"
she indicted Mulder.  
	"As you'd expect; he's out of it."
	Both of the nurses returned to the central desk that
oversaw the recovery of  patients from surgery.
	Mulder could not find his place in this world.  He hadn't
wanted a baby, but he hadn't wished for its death, either.  Scully
would be able to come back to work now, and he didn't have to
fear losing her companionship, her diligent work, nor her
steady, clear, beautiful head.  But she would come back less of
the person than she was before.  A piece of her was now
missing.  A piece that he would never be able to find and put
back.  He began to wonder if a piece of himself wasn't now
missing, too.  He felt a profound sadness.  In his head, he
continued to replay the tiny heartbeat sound he'd heard in Dr.
Stephens' office, and then again recently before Scully's
surgery.
	The beating of that unborn heart haunted him.  He could
not stop the sound in his ears.  He stood to contemplate Scully,
resting peacefully now.  Tears slid down silently, dripping onto
his shoes.  How could he hope to repair this?

---xxxxx---

	Smoke curled around his gray hair, the smell never to be
completely washed away.  The years of chain smoking had
permeated every pore of his body and would never be erased. 
He held the phone lightly to his ear as he listened to the
doctor's report.
	"The baby has been taken away to the address you
requested.  He was perfectly healthy, though there is some
concern due to the premature delivery.  But he will be fine.  The
staff and equipment you had waiting at the facility is caring for
him properly and I will check in with them ever few hours for
the first couple of days."  Dr. Stephens paused.  He didn't know
what else this maniac wanted to hear. 
	Dr. Stephens began deeply regretting the monetary
fiasco he had gotten himself into.  Exactly how the overbearing,
autocratic, sadistic person on the other end of the phone had
ever found out, and then had managed to blackmail him into
being a party to this horrific deception, eluded him.  But what
eluded Dr. Stephens even more was defining the exact moment
his personal character and his steadfast belief in the Hippocratic
Oath had left  him.  He tried to soothe his conscience over his
actions.  He would do only this one thing, and after this deal, he
would be financially solvent again, and his wife, family, and
associates would be none the wiser.
	"What about the 'vitamins' you gave Agent Scully?"
came from in-between puffs of smoke.
	Dr. Stephens took a deep breath.  Those pills, of course,
were not vitamins, and were the one thing that could seal his
fate.  He had taken quite a risk going through her personal
things before the cesarean.  Fortunately, everyone had been
busy prepping for the surgery, and Scully herself had been
talking to her mother and that Agent Mulder guy.  It was the
only time he would have unrestricted access to her belongings. 
His searching had led to the retrieval of the pills from her purse. 
Thank goodness they had been there, otherwise he would have
had to hire someone to break into her house to retrieve them.  
	If Agent Scully upon her recovery ever suspected they
might be something other than vitamin B-12 and had them
analyzed, well, he didn't even want to think about the
consequences to him.  
	"I've recovered them."  He held the small vial of pills in
his hand as he spoke.  "There are no loose ends."  He paused a
few moments longer.  "When will I get my money?"
	Cancer Man allowed himself a small grin.  "Oh, don't
worry, you'll get what's due you.  That's a promise."  And he
hung up the phone.  Dr. Stephens leaned heavily back in his
expensive leather chair and worry creased his brow.

---xxxxx---

Mulder's Apartment
Early Morning

	Mulder slumped down on his couch.  But even it could
not bring comfort to his bone weary body and soul.  Not this
time.  A hole had somehow been punched within his soul.  He
had dealt with similar holes; there was one for his sister,
Samantha, and one for his father.  But for some reason, this
cavity felt like the Grand Canyon.  He couldn't even tell if the
void was for himself, or Scully.  He didn't want to even think
about if it was for the baby; his son.  Those words hit deep
within him once more.  A son.  
	Worse than the pain he felt, however, was the constant
rhythmic unborn heartbeat Mulder continued to hear within his
head.  He placed his hands over his ears and tried to shut out
the sound, but it was to no avail.  Mulder tried humming to
replace the sound of the constant tiny beating.  Suddenly, he
realized he was humming a familiar lullaby from long ago. 
Mulder stood up, hands still pressed to his ears, and yelled
"Stop!" in anger and frustration.  Thump, thump, thump-thump,
the sound continued, only softer now.  
	Mulder, in total defeat, sank to his knees beside the
couch.  "Stop," he begged, "Please stop," came softly out of his
mouth.  Thump...thump...thum, and then the sound was no
more.  That was when Mulder knew he was completely and
utterly alone.  While great sobs tore from his throat, tears
caressed his cheeks as he realized he would never again hear the
beating of that unborn heart.  

The End of the Whole Story!
Please send feedback...JEhrat2@aol.com

Further Notes:

When nikki suggested I write a sequel because Scully didn't use
a condom in the first story, Doppleganger, I didn't think I could
'cause that would mean this would be a "baby" story.  I usually
detest such stories, simply because they do not fit the characters
of Scully and Mulder.  I didn't even like watching Emily on TV! 
I don't like "cutesy" endings with weddings and/or babies for
our two heroes...would never happen...they aren't even
responsible enough to run their OWN lives much less raise a
child....

But then, I heard an old song on the radio by Dan Curtis called
the Unborn Heart (sorry for somewhat stealing your title, Dan,
don't sue...nothing but blood left here), where a man suddenly
realizes just what a "baby" is the moment he hears the heartbeat
in the doctor's office one day.  This sort of gave impetus to my
story...finally, a way to involve Mulder realistically, and to
maybe even care about a baby.

I want to thank nikki for suggesting I write this story.  It was
good discipline, and I hope for the reader, it turned out to be a
worthwhile story, too.

P.S.  I tried to work this joke in, but just couldn't find the right
place, so here it is for all you who read to the end:
	What do you call a blonde with two brain cells?
	Answer:  Pregnant!       LOL!