From: "Angel Brown" Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 13:16:50 -0500 Subject: Separate Lives Source: direct Title: Separate Lives Author: Angel Brown Rating: NC-17 Category: Scully/Skinner Romance Spoilers: Season 8 Summary: Mulder is off the X-Files and out of Scully's Life. Big Mulder fans or Shippers may not like this. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Skinner, Doggett, Kirsch, and Maggie do not belong to me. They are part of the cast of the X-Files, which was created by Chris Carter and airs on Fox television. I am making no money from this story. I am just doing this because I love the X-Files. Thanks: A special thanks to Charlie for the idea. Feedback: Love it! Keep it coming! Write me at: angelbrown99@hotmail.com Visit my web page at: http://zerblattzoo.co.uk/angel XxXx 8:45 AM, Monday The X-Files Office Fox Mulder stormed into the office and slammed the door. John Doggett turned from digging in the file cabinet. "What's up with you?" he asked. "Fuck you, Doggett!" "Hey, Man, I just wanted to help." Doggett raised his hands in surrender. "Help yourself to my job, you mean!" Mulder began grabbing boxes off the shelves. "I don't want your job. When Agent Scully gets back from maternity leave, I'm outta here." "Yeah, that's what you wanted me to think until Kirsch tossed me out on my ass!" "Look, Mulder, every body knows the X-Files are your baby. I'm glad I could help out and all, but I don't plan on hangin around here forever." "Well, apparently, Kirsch has other plans." Mulder pulled out the center desk drawer and dumped it into a box. "What are you driving at?" "I'm the one who's outta here. Kirsch just fired me. I'm off the X-Files and finished in the FBI." Doggett looked surprised. "Fired you? When? Are you sure?" "I just came from his office. He ambushed me when I came in this morning." "That's crazy! Does Skinner know?" "Yeah, he's in Kirsch's office now." XxXx Deputy Director Kirsch's Office "Sir, you can't just let Mulder go," Assistant Director Skinner protested, fists clenched. "I can and I did." Kirsch said with a self-satisfied grin. "This is so wrong...you can't just let your personal feelings..." Kirsch cut him off, "You are the one who lets your personal feelings influence your decision making around here. If you were unbiased, you would have let Fox Mulder go years ago. He's a disgrace to the department." "Fox Mulder is an outstanding investigator." "That's your opinion. However, it is not the opinion of the rest of the Bureau. Besides, he has opened his mouth and leaked confidential material to the media." " 'Unsolved Mysteries' contacted him." "That's what he'd like you to think. I happen to know otherwise." "But, it's the story of HIS abduction. He is telling them his story as a private citizen, not as an FBI Agent." "Then, he can tell his story as a private citizen. He is no longer employed with the FBI." "Are you planning on closing the X-Files as well?" Kirsch grimaced. "Unfortunately, no. I am being told to keep it open." "John Doggett's a good agent, but he can't handle the X-Files by himself." Kirsch smiled like a cat that finally cornered a mouse he had been chasing. "That's why I'm temporarily assigning you to the X-Files while Agent Scully is on maternity leave." "What? Sir, that's a demotion!" "That's correct, Agent Skinner. And, if you do your job correctly, you can have your old title back when Agent Scully returns." Kirsch delighted in revealing this to Skinner. Skinner chewed his lip. "I assume that by 'correctly' you mean solve cases with explanations you approve of." "Why, Agent Skinner, I can see why you moved up in the Bureau so quickly. You're a bright man. I am sure you will have no trouble resuming the position of Assistant Director. You may go." XxXx 1:00PM The Same Day Mulder's Apartment Mulder sat on the couch watching "G-String Divas" on HBO. A knock came at the door. He ignored it. "Hey, Mulder, it's me. Can I come in?" "Go away, Scully!" "Mulder, I want to see you." He ignored her. She knocked again, then, used her key. "I told you, go away." "Doggett told me what happened. Look, I'm sorry." "Don't be." She sat next to him on the couch. He never took his eyes off the TV. "Mulder," she placed a hand on his knee, "now that you have some free time, I was wondering if you would reconsider going to Lamaze classes with me?" "Being fired hasn't changed my mind. I don't want to go to Lamaze classes with you." "I...um...just thought...you'd want to." She stared down at her swollen feet, puffing over her shoes. "It's your baby too." "No, it's your baby. You wanted to get pregnant. I donated the sperm; that's all. You never said anything to me about being a father to it." "But, I assumed you would want to..." "Well, I don't." "Why won't you even look at me?" He pointed the remote and turned off the TV. He glared at her. Tears welled up in her eyes. "Mulder, why are you being this way?" "What did you think, Scully? That I'd come back from being abducted, pledge my undying love, marry you, and live happily ever after?" She turned her face away as a tear started to fall. "I don't know what I thought." She got up and walked out of the apartment. Mulder turned the TV back on. XxXx 7:15 PM, Saturday Two Weeks Later Scully's New Apartment Walter Skinner and John Doggett spent their entire Saturday helping Dana Scully move into her new apartment. "I really want to thank you guys. I couldn't have done it without you," she beamed. "Don't mention it," Doggett responded with an 'awe shucks' look on his face. "It really was my pleasure," Skinner said, taking Scully's hand in his. "I'm more than happy to help out." Doggett looked uncomfortable at the exchange. "Ahhh...hey, I gotta go. See you at the office Monday," he said heading for the door. "Oh, don't go. Stay, we can order a pizza," Scully offered. "No, really, I should be going." "Yeah, see ya, John," Skinner called after him. He picked up the phone, "What do you like on your pizza, Dana?" "I'm kinda partial to Hawaiians, now that I'm pregnant." "Ham, pineapple and almonds it is, then!" he smiled. One hour later... Skinner stood leaning against the front door. "Thanks again for helping me move," Scully said, smiling up at him. "Thank you for the pizza." He gazed fondly at her. "You have some on your chin," he said as he wiped pizza sauce off her face with his thumb. She closed her eyes at the contact. He kissed her forehead. "Good night, Dana." "Good night....Walter." Trying out the feel of being on a first name basis with her former supervisor was a bit awkward for her. He had called her Dana many times through out the years, but she had never once called him by his first name before. She kind of liked the change in their relationship. XxXx 2:00PM, Sunday "Dana, you really shouldn't over do it in your condition," Maggie Scully warned. "Mom, I'm fine," she reassured her as she unpacked boxes in her new kitchen. Maggie installed contact paper on the shelves. "All I'm saying...is...you need to rest more often." "I do rest, Mom, sometimes, I feel like that's all I do anymore. I miss my job." "You miss Fox," she admonished. "Mom...stop. Please, I don't want to talk about it." "I can't believe that he has turned his back on you, especially since you're carrying his child." "I'm carrying MY child." Just then, a knock came at the door. "Maybe that's him!" her Mom whispered hopefully. Scully opened the door to find Walter Skinner carrying bags of groceries. "The cupboards were kinda bare last night and I thought you could use a few staples." Her eyes lit up. "Come on in! So, what did you bring me?" He stepped inside and smiled sheepishly. "Milk, bread, canned goods, mostly." "That's so sweet of you," she said reaching for a bag. He backed up, preventing her from grasping the grocery sack. "I'll carry them into the kitchen for you," he said with a smile. He walked into the kitchen and was startled to find Maggie Scully placing glasses on the shelf. "Ah...hello, Mrs. Scully." She turned and smiled broadly. "Hello, Mr. Skinner. What brings you to the neighborhood?" He blushed. "Ah...I...um...helped Agent Scully move yesterday...and...I noticed she didn't have much in the way of groceries...and... I thought I'd...help out." "How nice! Here let me help you with those," she said as she grabbed a bag from him. Her daughter watched the two of them with an amused smile on her face as they put away the groceries. She cleared her throat when they were finished. "Hey, you two, don't you think you should have asked me where I wanted to put my groceries?" The big man looked embarrassed. "I thought she knew where they went." "I guess, I just figured you would set things up like you had them in the old kitchen," her mother said apologetically. The redhead laughed. "It's okay, really. It was just fun to watch. If you had made any major mistakes, I would have let you know." They both looked relieved. "Dana tells me you and Agent Doggett helped her move in yesterday," Maggie commented. "It was no big deal. We just wanted to help." "It was a very big deal to me. Not everybody is willing to give up an entire Saturday to help a fat woman move!" Dana commented. "You're not fat, you're just pregnant," Skinner corrected. Mrs. Scully took note of the tender way they looked at each other. Maybe Walter Skinner was the reason her daughter was not so upset by the insolent behavior of her former partner? He always seemed like a very nice man. "Well, Sweetie, I really should be going," Maggie said as she went to the coat rack to get her wrap. "Mom, I thought you wanted to go with me to pick up a few things for the baby's room?" The woman made an excuse, "I lost track of the time helping you put things away. I promised Mrs. McNaulty I would go over to her house for dinner. I really should get back home and pick up something for dessert." "Since when have you gotten chummy with Mrs. McNaulty?" she inquired suspiciously. "Really, Dana!" her mother shook her head in dismay. "Well, if you have to go..." "I do," she said as she hugged her daughter. "You take care of yourself. I'll meet you at the hospital on Thursday for Lamaze class." "Okay, Mom." When her mother had left the apartment, Skinner offered, "I could take you to the mall to go shopping for baby things." "I don't think you'd like it. Its pretty boring stuff for a man." "I could help you carry your packages." She licked her lips, "Well, if you really want to. Sure, why not?" XxXx Designing Babies Boutique 3:15 PM, Sunday They stood among the baby room displays. "Which do you prefer, Noah's Ark or Teddy Bears?" She asked her companion. "Teddy Bears," Skinner responded. "Really?!" she said in an amused tone, grinning with mirth, arching her eyebrow. He blushed. "Actually, I prefer Winnie the Pooh." "Winnie the Pooh? Traditional or Disney?" "Traditional." "Me too!!!!" she exclaimed. "Well, we should definitely buy it then," he grinned. "Great!" The pregnant woman began throwing crib sets, curtains, sheets, and layettes in the shopping cart. "Do you think the border would be a little too much?" "Not at all. I think this little night light of Pooh stuck in Rabbit's tree is adorable." "Okay, I'll buy that too," she said, reaching for it. He grabbed it off the shelf. "No, you don't! I want to buy it." She licked her lips and smiled. "Thanks, Walter." "Don't mention it; I should have gotten a gift for the baby before you left on maternity leave." When they were done shopping, they stopped at Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream parlor. "Chunky Monkey," Dana ordered. "I have been craving bananas like crazy!" she confessed. Skinner ordered, "Cherry Garcia". They sat down at a booth to eat. Skinner was glad he kept his overcoat on to hide his unexpected reaction to watching her lick the ice cream cone with her sensual tongue. He chided himself for being turned on by a woman in her condition. XxXx Scully's New Apartment 6:30 PM, Sunday Skinner finally finished carrying in all of the packages into the nursery after several trips. Dana sat like a nesting bird in an Oak rocking chair ornately carved with acorns and oak leaves. "You know, I could have helped you carry in all those bags." "Pregnant women should not carry heavy objects." "And when did you get your obstetric degree, Doctor Skinner?" she chuckled. "Advice from my Hungarian Grandma." "Oh," she rose from the rocker, "you can't beat advice from Grandma," she said as she approached him. He looked down at her adoringly. "No, you can't." He drew her close to him and bent to tenderly kiss her full lips. She responded hungrily, opening her mouth, encouraging him to deepen their kiss. When they finished, their eyes locked, searching for answers to questions unasked. He spoke first, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that." "I wanted you too." "I don't want to complicate things for you. I know you are going through a difficult time right now." "Pregnancy is a temporary condition." "Yeah, I know. But, I don't mind you being with child. It becomes you." "Now, you're going to say I have that 'pregnant glow'." "You know, I've watched you change hair styles, lose weight with the cancer, and now, gain weight with the pregnancy. I've always thought you were beautiful," he confessed. She pressed her forehead against his chest. "You know, you were my second choice. If Mulder had said 'no', I would have asked you." He wrapped his arms around her. "It wouldn't have done you any good. I came down with Malaria in Viet Nam. I had a high fever for more than a week; it left me sterile. That's why my wife and I never had children." "I'm sorry. I didn't know." "No one knows. No one but my family doctor." "Well, your secret's safe with me." He kissed her once more and caressed her swollen belly. "Mulder's a fool. I'd be so honored if you were carrying my baby." Tears fell down her cheeks in big droplets. "Thank you, Walter. Thank you so much." He kissed the top her head. "Hey, I gotta go. I'll help you put up that border next weekend, if you want." "I'd like that." XxXx The Basement of the Hoover Building Skinner entered the X-Files office whistling. Doggett looked up from his desk. "You're awful chipper this morning," he mused. His partner smiled and hung up his coat. "How's Agent Scully doing?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "Look, I was out doin' a little shoppin' myself yesterday; I saw the two of you at Ben and Jerry's." Skinner busied himself looking in a file. "She's fine. Had a little craving for Chunky Monkey." "Uh, huh," Doggett shook his head in mock understanding, "so...ah...she called you and...asked you to...take her for ice cream?" "Is there a problem with that?" "Ah...no...no problem. I mean, you're not her supervisor anymore. I'm sure..." "Dana Scully is my friend. I care about her welfare. Mulder's being a real jerk to her. Somebody has to check on her." "Yeah, I guess so. Maybe I should stop by and see her after work today?" Skinner glowered at him over the top of his glasses. Doggett grinned from ear to ear. "Just kiddin, Walt! She's all yours." XxXx Three weeks and two days later... Walter Skinner paced in the waiting room. Sweat beaded on his forehead. Almost two hours had gone by since Dana called him to say she was in labor. Why did giving birth to a baby take so long? John Doggett entered the area. "Hey, I got here as soon as I could. How's she doin'?" "I don't know." "You look like shit. Can I get you some coffee or something?" "God, I don't know. I'm afraid caffeine will make it worse." "What?" "My nerves!" he growled. Just then, Maggie Scully slipped out to see them. "It's a girl!" she announced. "How's Dana?" Skinner asked. "She's fine, just fine!" "And the baby?" "She's fine too. Beautiful! Healthy!" The bald man looked relieved. "That's wonderful!" Doggett interjected. "I gotta go," Skinner announced. "What?" John Doggett couldn't believe it. Skinner had waited around all this time and now he was leaving. "Tell her I was here, but something came up," he called over his shoulder as he headed down the hall. XxXx Mulder's Apartment Fox Mulder was lying on the couch watching a college basketball game when he heard heavy banging on the door. He ignored it, hoping whoever it was would go away. The banging persisted, followed by, "Mulder, you open this door or I'll bust it down!" Skinner! What in the Hell was he doing here? "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming," he called as he got up. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked when he opened the door. "Fatherhood!" he replied as he took two large strides inside the apartment. Mulder turned his back on his friend and sauntered toward the couch. "I take it, she had the baby." "That's right. And now, you're gonna go visit her." "You're wastin' your time," he said as he flopped back down on the couch. Skinner grabbed him by the t-shirt with one meaty hand. "Listen here, you sorry son-of-a-bitch! You are going to get your shit together and go see her! You owe her that much." "I don't owe her a thing!" he countered with a shove. The bigger man put him in a restraining hold and shoved his face into the couch. "You are going to go see her, you jerk off!" XxXx The Hospital Walter Skinner entered the hospital with an unshaven Fox Mulder in tow. He stopped at the hospital gift shop and bought a yellow rose in a pink vase. He handed it to Mulder, "Here, you're gonna give her this." Mulder ground his teeth together as he took the flower from him. They walked into Scully's room together. The mother was holding her child in her arms and murmuring words of love. She looked up and wave happiness washed over her face when she saw her former partner. "Mulder!" "Hi, Scully. This is for you," he said holding out the flower to her. "It's beautiful, thank you. You can put it on the stand." He placed the vase on the stand next to the bed. "Is that the baby?" She grinned proudly, "You want to hold her?" "No! No, that's okay. I'm not very good with babies." "I named her Samantha Margaret Scully. Sam, for short. You like that?" "It's a nice name." "I think she has your lips and your eyes, see?" she said as she held the baby up for him to examine. The infant wriggled quietly. "Babies all look alike to me." Scully's face fell. She realized he was not here of his own volition. Skinner had made him come. Walter Skinner stood leaning in the doorway, watching and listening to their verbal repartee. He no longer had respect for Fox Mulder, no longer wanted to call the man his friend. How could he be such an asshole to the mother of his child? Mulder was always a bit of a jerk, but he was never this bad. He walked over to the bed and held out his arms, "May I?" "Sure! You want to hold her?" she asked, astonished. He took Sam from her mother and cradled her lovingly in the crook of his arm. "Hey, little girl," he spoke softly as he stroked her red, wrinkled cheek. "Aren't you a cutie pie?" Mulder looked at him and the baby with disdain. He looked back at Scully and saw the look on her face; she was practically drooling at the sight of Skinner holding the kid. His lips formed a smirk. He knew what was going on here; Skinner wanted to play 'Big Daddy'. Well, fine, let him! "Well, I gotta be going. Congratulations on the kid, Scully. I wish you all the best," he said as he walked out. John Doggett approached him in the hallway. "That baby daughter of yours sure is a sweet one, huh?" "You've seen her?" "Yeah, I got here just before she was born. Skinner was here the whole time Agent Scully was in labor. You should have seen him! He was a nervous wreck, almost as if she was havin his kid." "Yeah, I bet!" He replied as he continued down the hall. If Walter Skinner wanted to act like the father of Scully's child, more power to him! Meanwhile, back in Scully's hospital room... "You shouldn't have made him come if he didn't want to," she admonished. He looked sullen. "A man should want to see his child." "He doesn't think of her as his child. He thinks of her as MY child." "That is so wrong...to turn his back on a miracle like this...to turn his back on the two of you..." "It doesn't matter anymore. Mulder served his purpose in my life; he gave me a baby. Maybe that is the only reason God put me on the X-Files." He handed the baby back to her. "I'd like to think God put you on the X-Files so you could meet me too." Dana smiled, "I'm sure He did." XxXx 8:30 PM, Saturday Dana Scully's Apartment One Month Later Dana and Walter were sitting on the couch watching TV after a satisfying dinner. Sam began crying in the nursery. "Ah, 8:30 feeding time, right on schedule," the new mother commented as she got up to go to her hungry child. He got up from the couch to follow her. "I'll help you." She chuckled, "That's nice of you to offer, but there's really not much you can do." "I'm pretty good with my nieces and nephews." "Are you lactating?" "What?" Dana picked up her crying redheaded baby from the crib. "I'm nursing her." "Oh, yeah. But, I've seen you give her a bottle when you brought her to the office." She placed little Sam on the changing table and began unfastening the bottom of her pink sleeper. "I use a breast pump, so I have milk to feed her when we go places. But, you can help change her if you want to; it's not a messy one." "Ah, sure. I'll just grab a fresh diaper over here," he said reaching for the box of Huggies. "Oh, no, not those. I only use disposables when we're not at home. I have cloth ones in the drawer." He took a cotton diaper from the drawer and placed it under the chubby little baby. "Hey, you're gonna have to pin this." She helped him finish up and took the baby over to the rocking chair. She sat down and began unbuttoning her blouse. "Uh, maybe I should step out," he offered. "It's okay. I don't mind. Sam, here, sure doesn't mind. She'll take her dinner in front of anyone," she said as she pulled her breast free from her nursing bra. The baby quickly attached its mouth to the cherry pink nipple and began vigorously suckling. Walter Skinner watched in rapt fascination. "You're beautiful," he murmured. She looked up at him and smiled. Dana and Sam made a perfect picture of Madonna and child. Within ten minutes the infant had fallen asleep at the breast. Her mother placed her back in bed and covered her up. She put her breast back inside the bra. "I have to go pump the other one," she announced as she walked to the bedroom with her blouse open. "Ah, I'll just go back to the couch," Skinner offered. "Good idea. If I'm gonna miss the start of the show, will you turn on the VCR?" "Sure." Dana Scully didn't have to worry; she was finished with the breast pump by the time the special episode of "Unsolved Mysteries" began. "And now, we have a story of the most dreadful torture from a man who claims he was abducted by aliens. Fox Mulder was an investigator working on a case for the FBI when he was transported into a space ship filled with other abductees. Mulder was placed into a an examining chair from Hell and subjected to horrifying cruelties." The television screen revealed a naked actor held in a metal chair with pins in his wrists and ankles and face. "That's just the way it looked in my dreams," Scully commented. She winced when a surgical saw began cutting through the flesh of the man strapped to the chair. Skinner protectively put his arm around her. When the episode was over, she had tears streaming down her face. "I know Mulder's been through a Hell of a lot," Skinner remarked. "I still can't believe they fired him," she said softly. "They might as well have killed him." "The Mulder we knew IS dead, Dana. He's changed. I've seen it happen to guys in Nam who were left in a box. They're never the same after that." She threw her arms around his neck and sobbed. He kissed her hair, her forehead, her cheeks and finally her lips. She melted into his embrace. She finally realized any dreams she had of a life with Mulder were gone. Walter Skinner loved her and her baby. She was so tired of being lonely, going to bed at night with her body aching to be touched. She straddled Walter's lap and ground her hips against his growing erection. He sighed into her mouth. She caressed his ears as she kissed his baldpate. He removed his glasses and tossed them onto the coffee table. She traced her finger along his prominent cheekbone down to his full lips. He opened them and sensually sucked her finger, swirling his tongue around her digit. Her female fluids responded to the promise of what his tongue could do to her clitoris. She pressed her groin harder against him, breathing heavily, bringing herself close to a dry release. He squeezed her ass; rotating it just enough to make the seam of her slacks ride against the head of his penis. They were both breathing hard. He kissed down her neck and began unbuttoning her blouse. He slowly licked between her cleavage. She tugged at his t-shirt and yanked it over his head. Skinner always had the body of a god! Strong, tight pectorals, six pack abs, powerful thighs, and rock solid biceps. She raked her nails over his chest sending shivers down his spine. He made a hissing sound as she did this. God, how he loved her and dreamed of this day! "You wanna take this into the bedroom?" she asked. He silently answered by rising from the couch with her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her into the bedroom. He eased her onto the bed and followed her down in one liquid motion. He unfastened her bra and pulled it aside, revealing her full, swollen breasts. He kissed around the orbs, and began running his tongue around one breast, making smaller and smaller circles until he came to her big pink nipple, it was oozing milky fluid, he clamped his mouth upon it and suckled. He marveled that breast milk was so tasteless. She arched her back in pleasure. His mouth felt nothing like her baby's; he was practically making her come! She was wriggling beneath him, tugging at her slacks, trying to free herself from the restrictive garment. He leaned back on his haunches and helped her pull them off with her underpants. She lay naked before him, her body still slightly misshapen from pregnancy, but beautiful and sexy nonetheless. He stood up and took off his jeans and boxers. His ample cock was fushia colored and ready for action. He got back on the bed and knelt between her legs. She placed her hand in front of her auburn pubic curls. "They cut me. I'm sure it isn't pretty." He smiled, "All pussies are pretty when you're horny!" She giggled. "I suppose you're right." She moved her hand and allowed him to kiss her most private areas. He avoided the red, swollen episiotomy scar. He licked her opening with long, sweeping strokes as she moaned in pleasure. She reached down and guided his face to a spot right above her clit, "I like it there," she urged. He moved his tongue in shorter strokes from her clit to the little crevice above it. "Yeah, like that," she breathed. "Oh...yeah...that's...soooo...perrrrrfeeect," she cried as she reached her peak. He lay down beside her, relishing the skin-to-skin contact. Never had he felt so free with a woman. She reached down, taking his stiff rod in her hand, and masterfully stroking him. She made a fist and forced it down from the tip of his head to the base of his shaft, over and over. "Oh, I can't take much more of this," he admitted. "I'm a little afraid," she confessed, "I've read that the first time after a vaginal delivery hurts." "Do you have any lubricant?" "Yeah, in the drawer." "Well, it shouldn't be so bad then. I promise to be gentle," he vowed as he deeply kissed her mouth. "Wow, you sure know how to convince a lady." He reached over and pulled open her night table drawer. He stopped short when he saw the extensive collection of vibrators and dildos. "Why, Miss Scully, I never knew you were such a nasty girl!" he chided. "You didn't think I was a nun, did you?" "No...but...you must be...one...horny little minx!" he said as he poked around in her collection. "What do you call this?" He pulled out a blue vibrator. "The Dolphin. Are you gonna fuck me or not?" "Mmmm, I love it when a woman talks dirty!" She pushed him aside, grabbed a tube of Astroglide from the drawer, and squeezed some clear fluid into her palm. She began stroking him again. "Oh, I am so into this!" he sighed. She let go of his erection and he poised himself between her legs. He rubbed the head of his cock against her hole, teasing it open. "That's it, Baby, yeah, mmm." He slowly inched his way inside her tight cavern. The initial penetration pinched her just a little. She tried not to let him know it hurt He noticed her wince as he entered her. "Oh, God, you're so tight! You okay?" Her eyelids fluttered. "'Yeah, I'm fine. Better than fine." She arched her hips, encouraging him to go deeper. He maintained copulation, but did not move inside her as she got used to his size. He licked her neck and nibbled at her ear. He could feel her body relaxing. He moved his face down so he could pay more attention to her breasts. She began to gyrate her hips in pleasure as he sucked her nipples. They soon had a good lover's rhythm going, that intimate give and take created by shared pleasures. Walter Skinner was a man of his word; he was gentle and tender with her. Their first time together was not painful at all. Her orgasm was brief, but at least she had one. He followed her, grunting as he came into her. When they finished their love making, he spooned around her, wrapping his arm around her belly. They both slept soundly. XxXx Mulder's Apartment Two Weeks Later Frohike called Scully and told her she better go talk some sense into Mulder. So, here she was banging on his door with the baby lying against her belly in a snuggle sack. She was surprised when he opened it. She peered past his shoulders and saw that everything was packed up in boxes. "It's true, then?" She inquired. "What?" "You're leaving? Moving away?" "I've been offered a job doing research at Duke University. 'Unsolved Mysteries' did wonders for my career." "You're serious? You're going to take it?" "Why not? There's nothing for me here." "I'm here. Sam's here. You're friends are here." He put his arms around her in a genuine gesture of affection. "Look, don't you think all this has been hard on me? My career with the FBI is over. If I pursued a relationship with you, your career with the FBI would be over, guilt by association. You have a baby to think about now; you can't afford to have your life ruined because of me. Think of Samantha." "I am thinking of Samantha; she deserves to know her father." "She will Scully, I promise. I'll send birthday and Christmas presents. You can bring her to visit with me anytime you want." Dana Scully began to cry; she promised herself she wouldn't cry. "I want her to visit you everyday. I want you to visit me everyday. I love you, Mulder." He kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Scully. That's why I've got to get out of here. I'm no good for you; either of you. I'm starting over. Be happy for me." "It's...so...hard! I can't just let you go." "Yes, you can. I know you're involved with Skinner. He's a good man. He can give you everything I can't." "He's not you," she protested. "No, he's not. You should be glad of that. He is emotionally stable, well respected within the Bureau. Kirsch is just throwing his weight around right now, but Skinner will be back as AD soon enough. He has a good future ahead of him. He'll make a great father for Samantha. You should marry him." She looked at the only man she ever really loved and knew he was right. She was in love with Fox Mulder, but he only loved her as a friend. Some men were just not meant to settle down. Mulder would always be chasing The Truth and trying to explore Unsolved Mysteries. Walter Skinner would be satisfied attending PTA meetings and going to Sam's confirmation. "You really want me to marry him?" "I really want you to be happy. I want our daughter to have a safe, normal life. That's not gonna happen with me around." "Well, I guess there's nothing more to say, is there?" "No." She turned and walked out of the apartment without saying good-bye. XxXx Sam's First Birthday. The red-haired toddler sat in her high chair mushing chocolate cake around in the tray. Her pink party dress was smeared with icing. Maggie was busy catching every move on digital tape. Walter Skinner sat at the kitchen table laughing at the little girl. Fox Mulder put his arm around his former partner's waist and she leaned her head against his shoulder. "See? I told you everything would work out." "You were right; I am happy. He's a good father." "I bet that's not all he's good at!" he teased. "Mulder!" She smacked his arm. He laughed. "Hey, I gotta go. I have to catch a plane to California." Skinner turned and addressed him, "Who'd have thought you'd be making movies?" "I'm not 'making a movie'," he corrected, "I'm consulting on a film about extra terrestrials." "Well, whatever. It's been good seeing you." He got up from the table and shook hands with his friend. "Good seeing you again too. Bye, Maggie. Bye, Baby!" He kissed the top of his daughter's head and she patted him with a gooey hand. Scully rushed to wipe him off with a dishtowel. "Sam, you're so messy!" He grinned. "It's okay. Really." He caught her hand in his and looked deeply into her eyes. "I'll see you later, Scully," he promised. She smiled ruefully. "I know." With that said, Fox Mulder left to catch his plane. Dana Skinner took Sam to the bathroom to clean her up after all of the festivities while her mother and husband put the kitchen back in order. She wished things could have been different, but she accepted that she and Mulder were destined to live separate lives.