From: "David Hearne" <ottercrk@sover.net>
Date: Mon, 2 Apr 2001 12:25:39 -0400
Subject: xfc: Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here (1 of 1)
Source: xfc

TITLE: HAIL, HAIL, THE GANG'S ALL HERE (1 of 1)

AUTHOR: DAVID HEARNE

RATING: R

CLASSIFICATION: Post-ep for "DeadAlive"

SPOILERS: DeadAlive, The Gift

Send feedback to ottercrk@sover.net

Website is located at http://members.dencity.com/hearne

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She laid against his damaged body as if it was a silk cushion. Beneath
that scarred and weathered flesh, a heart beat strongly. She could
hear its sound and feel the air course through his lungs. The memory
of long months did not burden her anymore. Agony was melted by the
gradually rising warmth of his touch. Pressed against him and knowing
there was no other place in the world she wanted to be, she said --

"Mulder, you can be a sadistic little fuck, you know that?"

"Sorry," he said. "I couldn't help it." It had been over an hour since
he had last spoken to her. His voice had gotten a little stronger. The
two of them hadn't moved during the entire time. He hadn't stirred in
his bed and she had only rested upon his chest.

"'Who are you?' I can't believe that..."

"Sorry. Again."

She lifted her face to him and smiled. "To tell the truth,
though...that's when I knew everything was all right."

"Well...maybe everything is."

"Yeah. Maybe."

Mulder took a long breath, then said, "You know...I couldn't help but
notice..." He indicated her swelled belly.

Scully closed her eyes and nodded.

"What can you tell me..."

"Celllll-ebration time, come on!"

The sound of a portable CD player heralded the entrance of four men
into the room. Byers, Langly, Frohike and a large man showing a large
dopey smile entered the room. This fourth individual was the only one
walking on steady legs.

"Welcome back, Agent Mulder!" Byers called out, stumbling over to
Mulder's bedside.

"How's it going, bud?" Langly asked. He situated himself at the foot
of the bed. The CD player was being held on his shoulder.

Frohike thrusted an almost-empty whiskey bottle into the air. "Yea,
verily, he has..." Then all three of them saw Scully's expression.

"Oops," Frohike muttered.

"Sorry if we interrupted," Langly apologized as he pressed a button to
silence Kool and the Gang.

Scully looked at the Lone Gunmen.

Then she shook her head and laughed.

"Hi, guys," Mulder said. "Guess you heard about me."

"We did, indeedy," Langly replied.

"I see you've been out enjoying yourselves."

"We were marking this happy occasion, yes," Byers said, his head
bobbing.

"I thought you didn't drink, Byers."

"Not usually, but this is...you know..."

"A happy occasion."

"Right."

The fourth man stepped forward. "Sir?" he said.

Mulder turned his eyes to him.

"It's a honor to finally meet you, Agent Mulder," the fourth man said,
holding out his hand. "The guys have told me so much about you."

Mulder reached up and shook the man's hand. "Thank you very much. Who
the hell are you?"

"Jimmy Bond, sir," the man answered, not losing a bit of his
friendliness.

"No, really."

"Uh, that's his name," Frohike said. "He sort of hangs out with us."

"I fight the good fight with them," Jimmy declared.

Mulder looked the huge man up and down. "Well," he said. "somebody's
gotta."

"Absolutely. This great nation of ours deserves no less than..."

"So, Mulder," Langly interrupted. "this is...what?...your third
resurrection?"

"Actually, it's my second. Technically."

"Whatever," Frohike said. He toasted Mulder with the vodka bottle. "To
the FBI Energizer Bunny."

As Frohike sucked from the bottle, a woman entered. She had dark hair
streaked with gray. After she looked at the gathering in the room, she
said, "Ah, am I interrupting something?"

"Come on in, mom," Scully said.

"Mrs. Scully," Byers said as he stumbled over to Margaret Scully with
an outstretched hand. "I'm John Byers. We met ever so briefly at
the...uh...you know..."

"I remember you," she said, smiling and shaking his hand.

"I just wanted to tell you that..." Byers waved a jittery hand in
Scully's direction. "...you have a fine, upstanding daughter. A
wonderful human being."

Margaret looked at her daughter. "I know."

Mulder said, "Uh, guys, it's getting a little crowded in here..."

"Right, right," Langly said. "Come on, guys. Let's hit the trail."
Langly pressed a button on the CD player and the Lone Gunmen exited
while singing "Jungle Boogie." Jimmy Bond followed behind them. Just
before he went through the door, Mulder said, "Jimmy?"

Jimmy stopped and turned.

"You're the designated driver, right?"

Jimmy smiled and gave Mulder a thumbs-up. Then he said "Ma'am" to
Scully and "Ma'am" to Margaret before leaving.

"They mean well," Mulder told Margaret.

"They're happy," she replied. "We're all happy."

She walked up to Mulder's bed and pressed a hand against his cheek.
Mulder covered it with his own hand.

"God must watch closely over you, Fox."

"I keep him real busy," Mulder responded. Or that's how Scully
expected him to respond. Instead, he said --

"He must." Mulder looked between the two smiling women, then added, "I
think you two need to talk a little."

Mother and daughter looked at each other. "I guess we do," Scully
said.

"Go ahead. I'll still be here when you get back."

Scully squeezed Mulder one more time on the hand, then stepped outside
with her mother.

Mulder closed his eyes. He tried to keep himself awake, but found it
difficult. A knocking on the door prevented his slumber.

"Come in."

He opened his eyes and saw Skinner walk into the room.

"Well, geez, I didn't know I was so..."

Then he saw Alvin Kersh behind Skinner.

"...popular."

"Welcome back, Agent Mulder," Kersh said.

Mulder nodded.

"I have to say that...your..."

"Resurrection?"

"Your sudden improvement in health has been a surprise to us all."

"I only want to make your life interesting, sir."

"Well...it's good to see you again. Of course, I assume you'll be
taking an extended break."

"Oh, you know what a workaholic I am, sir. I'll be re-inserting myself
in your side in no time."

"Yes...well. Good to see you again."

Kersh turned and headed for the door. He and Skinner exchanged looks
before the director left the room.

"Whew," Mulder said. "Boy, I'm glad he left. The director was
embarrassing himself with all that crying and blubbering."

"Do you expect me to cry, Agent Mulder?" Skinner asked.

"I expect...that you have been keeping a close eye on Scully."

"I have."

"She's pregnant, you know."

"That kind of caught my attention."

Mulder sighed. "Christ. I can't imagine what it was like, dealing with
everything else along with..."

Skinner abruptly turned his eyes to the floor.

"What is it?"

Skinner made no response.

"Walter?"

Skinner slowly raised his head. "I have something to tell you."

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Outside in the hospital lobby, Scully was telling her mother
everything.

Everything.

After she was done, Margaret dug her fingers into her sweater. It took
her a few moments before she could look at Scully.

"I...I never thought I would hear this from you," she said.

"I never thought I would be saying it."

"However...if you say it's true...then I have to believe it, too."

"I'm glad you have that kind of faith in me."

A nervous smile crept on Margaret's face.

"What is it?"

"I was just thinking what Melissa might have said if she had just
heard you now. Heard you talk about aliens."

Scully had to smile as well. "She would have been insufferable."

Margaret held out a hand and her daughter touched it. "There has been
so much loss..." Margaret said.

"I know. For us. And for Mulder."

"So is this the meaning behind it all?"

"The meaning is...we care for each other very much."

Margaret leaned against her daughter's shoulder as Scully hugged her.
Scully looked to Mulder's hospital room, knowing what was being
discussed in there.

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"What I did..."

"Was the right thing."

Skinner stared at the man lying in bed.

"If the choice was between me and Scully or her child, then you know
where I would fall."

Skinner was motionless for many seconds, then he slowly nodded.

"The question is -- why does..."

A cellular phone chirped under Skinner's coat. He frowned at it.

"Go ahead," Mulder said.

Skinner pulled out the phone and answered it in a gruff voice.
"Skinner."

His frown became a meaner, colder expression. "You go to hell...We
have nothing to..."

"Give it to me," Mulder said.

Skinner turned to Mulder.

"I know who it is."

The assistant director handed the phone over to Mulder.

"What do you want, Krycek?"

"Mulder. Welcome back from the dead."

"It's not such a bad place. You should go there sometime."

"I've got too many obligations here."

"Well, you're gonna find them hard to fulfill if I ever catch you.
Especially after you have three other limbs to match your left arm."

"Are you through, Mulder?"

"Krycek...I never thought you could have made me hate you more, but I
swear...if you lift one wooden finger to harm Scully's baby..."

"You have no idea how dangerous that baby is."

"No, you have no idea how dangerous I am. Now fuck off."

Mulder pressed the disconnect button. "Well-put," Skinner said as he
took back the phone.

"Thanks." Mulder paused, then said, "However...the fact remains that
there is much about Scully's baby we don't understand."

"I'm aware of that."

"The only thing I do know is that we have to protect it at all costs."
Mulder looked straight at Skinner. "I've...we've seen too much loss."

The two men kept silent for a couple of seconds.

"There's one more thing you should know," Skinner said.

"It has to be bad, right?"

"Not necessarily. Scully has a new partner."

Another few seconds went by without noise.

"Does she?" Mulder said.

"His name is John Doggett."

"Huh. I've heard of him. Somewhat. He's supposed to be good."

"He is. What's more, he's a decent guy. He's been supportive of Agent
Scully."

"Hope so."

"And he knows about what happened in Squamash."

A third pause took its time to end.

"Has he told anybody?"

"No. Partly because he had his own experience there."

"What do you mean?"

"I'll let him tell you about it. Let's just say that the two of you
have something in common."

Mulder slowly shook his head. "I need to be caught up on a lot of
things."

"So do we, Mulder. For instance, the reason why you were in Squamash
to begin with."

Mulder looked up at Skinner with tense, apologetic eyes.

"But that can wait for later. Get some rest now."

"I had three whole months of that already."

"Well, get a little more."

With that, Skinner departed the room. Mulder found that he didn't feel
tired anymore. Instead of sleeping, he watched the door in uneasiness.

Then she came back and sat down next to Mulder's bed. She saw the look
on his face and said, "What is it?"

"We need to talk...about something I didn't tell you...last year."

For a moment, anger and weariness struggled in Scully's features. Then
she asked, "Why didn't you tell me?"

"For the same reason I didn't tell you...other things. You had been
hurt so much already..."

"So when was I supposed to know?"

"I...I guess I don't like to give up on miracles. I was hoping to
find...a cure...something..."

"But you should have told me anyway."

"I know. It's just that I remember...how I felt when you were sick.
And I wouldn't wish that on anybody."

"You didn't wish this on me or yourself. But it happened." She leaned
forward. "Mulder...what's the one thing you have kept saying over and
over again? What have you tried to teach me?"

Mulder knew the answer, but it took him awhile to say it. "The truth,
no matter what."

"I have to see the truth, Mulder. No matter how much it hurts me.
Besides..."

She smiled, gently took one of Mulder's hands and placed it on her
belly.

"I believe in miracles, too."

Mulder felt the warm curve of her belly, imagining...or perhaps not
imagining...the form underneath the skin.

"You know..." he said.

"What?"

"That little bugger is going to have one hell of an extended family."

Scully laughed.

"So...tell me about this new guy..."

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