Caitlin
These beautiful manips are courtesy of Fiona
Rating: PG
Category : BabyFic, Family fic
Spoilers: none
Summary: The birth of their second child.
Disclaimer: CC owns them. Except Caitlin, she belongs exclusively to her parents.
Author’s notes: Written for the May's Kiss It and Make It Better Haven Challenge. Any characters but one must be taking care of the other for some health like reason.
Elements:
- Finding something you didn't know was lost (or you forgot about)
- Hope
- Volunteers or volunteering
- Mystery Science Theatre
- Suicide
A big warm hug to my wonderful beta and friend, Tali. What you do for me means a lot! Love you sweetie. Thanks to Maia for behaving when her Mommy is correcting my mistakes.
***
Mulder’s residence
10 PM
Dana Scully-Mulder was exhausted. She had gone over her due date by four days,
and it beginning to look as if her baby daughter was in no hurry to be born. She
felt as large as a house, her legs were swollen and her back hurt, night and
day. She wanted her pregnancy to be over.
Her husband was watching that silly show, Mystery Science Theatre. He was
sitting up against the headboard of their bed, shirtless and wearing his
glasses. He looked good enough to eat. If she hadn’t been so pregnant, she
would have jumped his bones but the reality was,there was no way she could
straddle her husband in her current state!
She sighed and went to the bathroom. She needed a shower to relax. She undressed
and climbed under the hot spray. She hoped that it would get the kinks out of her
back and allow her to sleep for two hours straight before it was time for her
first pee break of the night.
She thought about her husband and how much time he had invested in this
pregnancy. He had been MIA during the first six months of William’s and then just missed his birth. This time, he was determined to be there and to help her
deliver.
He had willingly volunteered to attend Lamaze classes. He was the only
father-to-be who wasn’t shy about asking anything. Mulder being Mulder, he
also enquired about the easiest sexual positions!
He was a wonderful father to William but she could tell he regretted that he
hadn’t been around for the first ultrasound. This time, he was there when
their baby appeared on the screen, all toes and fingers and heart beating
steadily. He had cried silent tears, thanking the Powers That Be for blessing
them with another healthy baby.
After the second ultrasound, they knew it was a little girl this time and Mulder
couldn’t hide his joy. She would be her daddy’s little princess as much as
William was his little prince. Mulder was a natural when it came to fatherhood,
understanding his son like no other.
Scully came out of her daydream and switched off the water, as a contraction
hit her. She grabbed the bathtub edge and breathed into the pain. She knew that
it was for real, this time. The contraction had felt different to the usual
Braxton-Hicks contractions, she’d been having on and off. She noted the time
and put on her pjs. There was no hurry yet and she didn’t want to alarm her
husband for no reason.
When
she got back to the bedroom, she found Mulder fast asleep and snoring softly.
She decided to let him rest. After all, labor could take several hours even for
a second one. When she pulled his glasses off his nose and put them on the
bedside table, he didn’t even stir.
She went to check on William. The little boy was sleeping, peacefully, in his
bed. He looked so much like his father. He was a handful, curious and full of
life but loving and caring, just like his Daddy. He was a cuddly baby, always
needing reassurance about his place in his mother’s heart. She hoped that
there wouldn’t be too much jealousy with his soon-to-be born sister. She
closed the door just when she was hit by a second contraction. It had only been
five minutes. It was already quickening.
She
went downstairs and picked up the cordless phone, dialling Monica’s home
number. She wasn’t surprised when a male voice answered.
“Hello?”
“John, it’s Dana”
“Dana? What’s wrong? Is it the baby?” He said panicking
“Calm down. There’s a way to go yet. Is Monica there?”
“Yes, of course, I‘ll call her”
A minute later, Monica was on the phone, excited to the max.
“Hi Dana. So this is it?
“Yes. Could you come over to keep an eye on Will? The contractions are already
five minutes apart and I’ll need to go to the hospital pretty soon.”
“Ok. We’ll be there asap.”
She
put the receiver down, turned around and walked straight in to her husband.
Busted! He was clearly angry at her. She knew precisely why and braced herself
for the lecture.
“Why the hell didn’t you wake me up?”
“Please, let’s not argue…” She stopped, tightening her hands on
her belly. Another contraction hit her and Mulder immediately wore his panic
face. Once pain decreased, she could speak again.
“Monica will be here soon and then we can go to the hospital”
“What do you need me to do?”
“Get the car ready, take my suitcase and come back to me. I need you”.
Admitting
her neediness meant a great deal to him. He tried to calm his nerves and went in
the bedroom to fetch the suitcase,then to the garage to get their car out. He
came back to his wife just as she was hit by another contraction. He sat down
with her, encouraging her to breathe through the pain. She was covered in sweat
and he could tell that she was surprised by the intensity of the pains. He had
the feeling that it wouldn’t take long this time.
John Doggett and Monica Reyes must have played with speed limits because they
arrived in less than 15 minutes. Dana was glad that her friends were there to
take care of William, while she went to the hospital. Maggie had left for
Monica
smiled at the parents-to-be. She would love to start a family of her own but
John was still a bit resistant to the idea. She could understand that Luke’s
death had left a dark shadow upon his soul but her biological clock was telling
her to hurry. She still had to get him to commit and marry her but that was
another fight altogether.
Mulder and Scully were made for each other. Monica had strong beliefs in the
existence of soul-mates., She felt their mutual energy, they glowed from
happiness. They were wonderful parents, too, and they were blessed with the
cutest little boy. She liked to think that she wasn’t biased, by the fact that
she was his godmother. William was special to her because she had been there
when he was born.
“Time to face the music, Fox” she said to a worried looking Mulder
“It’s a beautiful thing to give birth”.
“Easy for you to say” answered Scully, gritting her teeth
“Do you want a whale song?”
Mulder rolled his eyes and helped his wife to stand.
The ride to the hospital was uneventful. Scully continued to have contractions
and they were getting closer but were bearable. Mulder parked in front of the
emergency entrance and helped his wife to get out.
“Ohhh” she said, breathless, when another one hit her.
A nurse came out to help, with a wheelchair. Scully sat down after the
contraction had faded. Another one started immediately indicating that the
delivery was close. The mother-to-be was wheeled into a delivery room, closely
followed by Mulder.
The examination showed that Scully was not only fully dilated but that the baby
was already crowning. The contractions were coming rapidly now and she was in a
lot of pain. Her face was covered in sweat and she was breathing through her
nose. Her legs had been elevated in the stirrups and she had been given the
green light to push.
Mulder
was sitting next to her, holding her hand tightly. He tried to convince himself
that he didn’t look as terrified as he felt. He wanted to be strong, to be the
rock she could rely on but truth was that he was scared. It was terrifying to
witness the woman he loved in this much pain and know that there was nothing he
could do to really help her. He looked at his wife and all his self-doubt
dissolved in the trust he saw in her eyes. She was hit by another contraction
and started to push with all her might.
He wiped her face tenderly with a cool wash cloth that the nurse had given to
him.
“You are doing great, baby…”
“Ahh…” she groaned as she pushed again.
He held her hand, wiped her face and encouraged her for the long half hour that
it took to deliver their baby girl. It was
“Oh…she is so beautiful” She said tearfully “ Look at her!”
Mulder was speechless at the sight of his new baby girl. He was hit with the
sudden realisation that she was real and he had helped to create this
brand new life. He couldn’t find the right words to express what he felt, at
that very moment. He let the tears fall freely while he took a delicate little
hand in his big one.
“Do you want to cut the cord, Mr. Mulder?” The nurse asked.
He was so enthralled with his daughter that he didn’t hear what was asked.
Scully gave a sign to the nurse to just go ahead and cut it, without him. The
little girl started to wail, searching for her mother’s nipple.
“Can you help give her to me? She’s hungry”
He hesitated. She was so little. Scully saw his reaction and rolled her eyes.
“She not made of china. Come on, sweetheart, you can do it”
He lifted
her carefully and set her on Scully’s stomach. After a couple of false starts
Caitlin latched on and began to suck furiously. Mulder sat down on the bed next
to his wife, kissed her on the mouth gently and whispered: ”thank you”
Scully’s hospital Room
Scully had finally fallen asleep. Mulder was sitting in a plastic chair between
his wife’s bed and his daughter’s bassinet. He was in awe of the tiny baby.
She looked so much like her mother and he was sure he would love her beyond all
reason. He had been swept off his feet by William as a newborn. He was their
first and Mulder was thrilled, and afraid, of the unknown journey that they were
starting. But this time he felt more prepared, although he doubted he would
worry any less. He knew a lot about babies and their needs now and felt
confident he would be a good father. He had been given a second chance with his
children and he was determined to enjoy every moment of it. He felt complete and
had found the one thing he thought had been lost to him, forever; unconditional
love.
The end