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Chapter Text

Scully woke to the sound of an alarm clock; the beeping only slightly muffled by the thin walls of the motel she and Mulder were staying in. Since the interiors of the Henry Ford Motor Lodge all looked the same, she had to see Mulder’s suit jacket strewn haphazardly over the desk and an open packet of sunflower seeds on the bedside table to realize she was in his room, and it was her alarm going off next door. Scully groaned as she forced herself out of bed to stop the noise before the other guests called the front office.

This was the second day in a row she had woken up in Mulder’s bed, and Scully mentally chastised herself for breaking the rules they had agreed on so that their romantic relationship wouldn’t interfere with professional boundaries. The first rule of no ‘fraternization’ when they were working out-of-town only lasted a few cases until it was too difficult to enforce, at which point Mulder and Scully reworked it. The new rule stated that that fraternization could occur, but they had to sleep in their own rooms to maintain appearances. And now that one was broken, too. Unfortunately, it wasn’t easy to put limits on their relationship when at least half, if not more, of their time was spent on the road.

Scully silenced the alarm and started pulling clothes from her suitcase when she realized Mulder was missing. Yesterday when she woke up in his bed, he was in the shower, and then he walked to the cute cafe down the block to get her coffee. That could be where he was now, but Scully peeked out of the window and noticed that the rental car was gone. She looked around both rooms and couldn’t find a note, which was probably a good thing because sometimes he left hearts on the notes and that was another rule – no evidence of romance at the workplace.

Scully tried calling Mulder's cell phone, but he didn’t pick up. Getting nervous, she dialed the local police station, since they had been working closely with the chief on this case. She asked the receptionist if either Chief Craven or Agent Mulder were available and was told, “The chief is with Agent Mulder apprehending the suspect but should be back soon.”

Scully thanked the receptionist with a carefully modulated tone and placed her cell phone gently on the bedside table so that she wouldn’t throw it.

This was the third time since their relationship turned physical three months ago that Mulder left Scully to follow a lead or once to even solve the case on his own. It had taken them so long for their relationship to finally turn romantic for a few reasons, but one was that Scully wanted to be taken seriously in her career and she felt that couldn’t do that if it was known that she was sleeping with her partner. That was why Scully insisted on the rules of fraternization – so that no one at the Bureau would find out about them and they would be the topic of gossip or worse - their partnership split up.

Scully didn’t think she had to be worried about Mulder not taking her seriously, though. Did Mulder not view her as a capable agent now that they’re romantically involved? She knew that wasn’t true, at least not consciously, but was Mulder acting on some subconsciously chivalric attitude that all those Vineyard etiquette classes ingrained in him? She hoped not. Things had been good, really good, between them and now she couldn’t tell if this was a legitimate problem or if she was creating one in her head. Either way, Mulder was not going to get out of this one without a discussion, especially if it was becoming a pattern.

Since the case was apparently solved, Scully took her time getting ready, packing her suitcase, and compiling her notes for the case report. She couldn’t finish it, since she didn’t know how Mulder figured out who the killer was, but at least she could jot a few things down. The more she had time to think about Mulder’s behavior, the more annoyed she became, so by the time Mulder arrived back at the motel, she was ready for a fight.

Their rooms were connected, and Scully could hear Mulder unlock his door and then call out for her, as was a common occurrence. He burst into the room, clearly on a high from solving the case.

“Where were you?” she asked, not turning around from her laptop screen.

“I figured it out! After you fell asleep last night, I went back through the interview notes, and it just clicked. I put together the profile and then sent it to the chief, who decided we had enough evidence to make an arrest.”

“And why didn’t you wake me?” Scully asked stonily, glancing back at him. Mulder looked crestfallen that she wasn’t sharing his excitement.

“I wanted to let you sleep. I didn’t need you and thought you could use the rest.” If Mulder saw Scully flinch at his second sentence, he didn’t let on. Whether he intended it or not, she felt like the superfluous love interest in an action movie who sleeps with the male protagonist, not needed as part of the story, just a pretty face.

Mulder sat on her bed. “I think you’re my muse, Scully,” he assured her with a wink, referring to the sex they had before he cracked the case. He was trying to be cute, but it made Scully even more annoyed.

“You said nothing would change in our working relationship when we started this. And now you’re leaving me behind, catching suspects without me.”

Mulder looked dumbfounded at Scully’s vitriol. “Wait, are you actually mad at me? I thought you would be happy that I didn’t wake you up. You’re always complaining that I call in the middle of the night and you can’t get your beauty rest.”

She didn’t know how to explain to him that both of those things were true - she often did resent the late night and early morning wake ups from him, but now that they were romantically involved, she did not want him to change his behavior towards her at all. Scully wanted to be the one he called no matter what, the one who worked grisly cases with him, who witnessed the paranormal, supernatural, extraterrestrial with him. She wanted the sex and the romance to be a bonus to their already intense and intimate relationship, not replace all the other things. Since Scully didn’t know how to articulate her feelings - so much between them was unspoken and they already understood each other without words - she said the first thing that popped into her head: “I think we should take a little break, make sure we know what we’re doing.”

Mulder looked like he had been punched. “You want to end things?” he asked, sounding upset.

“I just need a break. I need time to think,” she explained, trying to backtrack a little but her pride prevented her from actually taking back the words.

“Take as much time as you need, Scully,” Mulder offered and went back to his room to pack.

Chapter Text

A week had passed since Scully put a pause on her and Mulder's relationship and things were still tense. Mulder may be stubborn to a fault but so was Scully, and she was waiting for an apology that did not seem to be coming. She had almost given in multiple times - even though they were still working together, she missed Mulder a lot. A lot more than she expected when she suggested this break. Scully missed waking up next to him in bed, missed arguing about who’s turn it was for the bathroom in the morning, missed the notes he would leave her, missed kissing him, and yes, she missed the sex.

Scully wished she could be more like her sister was in a relationship – Melissa was so relaxed, kept her expectations low, and didn’t get her feelings hurt. In high school, Scully would get upset with Marcus if he missed one of his nightly phone calls. In contrast, Melissa’s boyfriend went away to summer camp and didn’t write or call for the entire ten weeks. Melissa was totally unbothered and welcomed her long-lost boyfriend back at the start of the school year with open arms. Scully wanted to be like that, which would make going back to Mulder easier, but it wasn’t in her nature. She had expectations and standards for the partner in her life and she didn’t want to be relegated to just the role of “girlfriend” in Mulder’s eyes.

But she also didn’t want to lose him, and it wasn’t fair to expect an apology without explaining what she was feeling. Scully was just about to call a truce when the phone rang, and Mulder said that Skinner wanted to see them in his office. It was the most he had said to her all day. It was awkward walking next to him and even standing near him in the elevator. They had been avoiding each other a lot over the past week, and Scully hoped no one else noticed the tension between them.

Kimberly ushered Mulder and Scully into Skinner’s office, where they took the seats in front of his desk.

“I have a case from the FBI field office in Columbia, South Carolina. They need a pair of agents to go undercover," Skinner stated without preamble.

Scully groaned internally. Please do not tell me he wants us to play a happy couple, she thought.

“They need a male and female agent that can convincingly play newlyweds. Right now, you’re the only agents we have that fit the part and aren’t currently on an assignment.”

Two weeks ago, this would have been the perfect case for them. Mulder would have teased her that the FBI was essentially paying for them to sleep together (double entendre intended) and been very affectionate with her, like he was in Arcadia. Scully would have swatted him away while secretly enjoying it. Now, things were bad enough between them that it may jeopardize the case if they couldn't play a convincing couple. But, unfortunately, they could not explain that to their boss.

“What’s the case, sir?” Mulder asked.

“There’s a gated community in a small town outside of Charleston. There are currently seven missing teenagers, three girls and four boys. Like clockwork, one child has disappeared each month since the beginning of the year.”

“So, what’s the catch? Why is the FBI being brought in?” Mulder questioned.

“None of the parents reported their kids missing. After the students didn’t show up for school for a few days, the principal reported each one missing before the parents ever called the local police.”

“That is odd," Mulder noted, "But are these kids at high risk of being runaways?” he asked.

Skinner shuffled some papers around, searching for the answer. “Yes, in fact, all seven of the teens have been cited by the police for minor infractions: curfew violations, public intoxication, tagging, that sort of thing.”

Mulder leaned back, crossing his arms. “Sir, I don’t understand why the FBI is necessary. This case seems like it’s open and shut. The kids are having issues and ran away from home.”

Skinner continued, “Well, there is something else. All the mothers with missing kids are pregnant.”

That caught Scully's attention, but Mulder didn't seem impressed. “And? Any psychologist can tell you a big family shift like a new baby will cause children to act out.”

“Some of the pregnant mothers are over fifty years of age,” Skinner added. Scully sat up in her chair, even more intrigued now. She had let Mulder handle the debate with Skinner as she truly was not interested in going undercover. But this case seemed like more than a missing persons case. It seemed like an X-File.

Scully could feel Mulder drilling a hole in her head with his eyes. He must have noticed her perk up.

“Sir, respectfully, I don’t think this case is for us. Can you find another pair of agents?” Mulder asked at the same time that Scully said, “We’ll take it.”

Skinner looked at the two of them, eyebrows raised, clearly surprised at the fact they weren’t on the same page.

“Agent Mulder, your partner is amenable to taking the case. And since you two are not working on anything else, you’re officially assigned to this one. You will meet with the Special Agent in Charge later today for more information about the case and your undercover profiles so you can fly out tomorrow.”

Skinner handed over the casefile to Scully and turned back to his computer, dismissing them.

Mulder and Scully left Skinner’s office; Scully walked ahead of Mulder so that she didn’t have to talk to him. That didn’t stop him and his long legs from catching up with her, his hand easily grasping her shoulder to stop her.

“You really think this is a good idea?” Mulder asked. He looked concerned.

She brushed him off and headed toward the elevator, jabbing the down button a few times as if it would make the lift appear faster.

“Mulder, it’s work. The number one thing I said a few months ago was that I didn’t want this,” she lowered her voice on the last word, “to affect work.”

“Well, guess what - it is,” Mulder countered. “I can’t believe you want to go undercover. It’s a nothing burger of a case, definitely not an X-File, but we’ll be in danger if we can’t keep up the ruse of a happy couple.”

The elevator alarm chimed, and they stepped in. Unfortunately, it was empty, so Mulder kept talking. “And I don’t particularly think it’s a good idea when pregnancy seems to be a big part of the case.”

Scully glared at Mulder. “You can’t shield me from every pregnant person, Mulder,” she stated vehemently, knowing he was referring to the failed rounds of IVF she underwent recently, before their relationship evolved. “I can handle it. Let’s just do our jobs and solve the case.”

For once, Mulder looked skeptical but didn’t say anything else.

Chapter Text

Since it was mid-August, that meant South Carolina was hot and humid, and Scully was learning that it was a lot worse than DC in the summer. She felt herself perspiring, hoping she wasn’t sweating through Mina’s J. Crew attire. Scully couldn’t help but note that their last undercover case had much more pleasant weather. Thank goodness the “movers” (rookie FBI agents from the Columbia field office) were doing the physical labor, which involved moving mostly empty boxes and a few pieces of furniture. It was enough of a show that the neighbors wouldn’t be suspicious, and they could play their parts.

Unlike in Arcadia, there was no welcoming committee or neighbors to greet them. The community didn’t have an official Homeowner’s Association, but information in the case file indicated that there was an informal group that supervised Damara Estates, the neighborhood of about 100 homes where the missing children hailed. Mulder and Scully’s first order of business was to ingratiate themselves with this group as quickly as possible. But how would they do that if none of the neighbors were around?

Yesterday, her and Mulder flew into the small regional airport in Columbia for the briefing. Scully gave Mulder the biggest glare she could muster when she found out their undercover names were going to be Mina and Jonathan Harker. When he saw her scowl, he winked at her, and Scully had to take a deep breath and prayed that none of the people they met were Dracula fans.

They spent the night in separate hotel rooms, which Scully tried to enjoy as much as possible, because now they were going to share a house. Luckily, like in Arcadia, the house Mulder and Scully were living in was way too big for just the two of them but would be suitable for a growing family.

It was a bit hypocritical of Scully to dislike the fact that she and Mulder would be in close quarters, when she was the one who agreed to the case. Though, she got the feeling that they would be assigned one way or another. Scully was lying to Mulder (and to herself) when she said she wasn’t affected by the case summary. All the pregnant women, especially those who should be in menopause based on their age, definitely piqued her interest. Scully had come to terms with her infertility and intellectually understood that it was something that many women dealt with, and that it wasn’t a problem unique to her. But she couldn’t help but listen closely when she heard a story of a woman getting her miracle baby, wanting to know exactly how it happened. And maybe there was something here, something that could help her. Her first goal really was to find the missing kids. But if she discovered something about infertility along the way, then that was just a bonus. Mulder was wrong that her feelings and biases would jeopardize their investigation. She also wanted to take the case to prove that she could be professional about any topic or case that they worked on. He didn’t have to worry about her.

After a few hours of unpacking (and pretending to unpack for the neighbors’ benefit), Scully ran to the grocery store. Being undercover was truly a strange experience. Unlike her and Mulder’s usual cases on the road, where they stayed in hotels with a cleaning staff and all their meals were take-out, they would be forced to play regular people, who cooked three squares a day and mowed their lawn. And they had to do all that while investigating a case of missing children.

They ate a quick dinner and then Scully watched the clock. It was their first full day undercover, and nothing had happened. There were no suspects to talk to and no leads to follow. And because of this, there wasn’t even any research to conduct. Was undercover work supposed to be this boring?

Mulder was even worse, pacing around the house. “There must be something we can do, right? We need an excuse to meet people.”

“Maybe you should ask the FBI for a dog so you can take it on a walk,” Scully sarcastically suggested.

Mulder rolled his eyes, but then his face brightened. “We don’t need a dog; we can take ourselves on a walk!”

“It’s too hot out for a walk. You go by yourself,” she complained.

“I’m trying to not be suspicious and what better way to act naturally than to go on a walk and have my wife,” he looked pointedly at her, “accompany me?”

Scully sighed and went to find her sneakers. They hadn’t done much all day, and she was exhausted. It must be the heat making her lethargic. But Mulder was right that a couple’s walk was a good way to potentially meet people.

They turned left when they left their driveway to do a big loop around the community. Every house looked similar but had slightly different facades to give the appearance of uniqueness. Some had red brick, some had stucco, and a few with siding, but all of them had the garage, front door, windows int the same places. Scully always expected to end up living in a place like this, but she realized that it wasn’t that appealing. Maybe it was because they kept finding planned communities that seemed to have a sordid underbelly underneath the cookie-cutter homes and manicured lawns.

The first person they encountered was a middle-aged woman walking a small dog. Normally Scully would just smile and nod, maybe throw in a “Good Evening,” however, they needed to establish themselves in the neighborhood, so Scully stopped her to say, “Hello, we’re your new neighbors!”

The woman’s face lit up in a smile. “Well, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Judy and this is Sparky,” she responded, tugging a little on the dog’s leash. Sparky was small but bared its teeth, demonstrating an apparent Napolean complex.

“Mina and Jon,” Mulder introduced them.

“You seem like a nice young couple! There’s a neighborhood barbeque happening tomorrow at 202. You should stop by and meet everyone!”

Mulder and Scully glanced at each other, surprised at how easy their job was becoming.

“Oh, we wouldn’t want to impose,” Scully demurred, hoping this lady was about to show her some true Southern hospitality and insist.

“Nonsense!” Judy cried. “I’ll let the Hollands know you’ll be there! 5 pm tomorrow,” she said and whisked her dog away.

“See how easy that was, Scully,” Mulder nudged her with his elbow, but then pulled back like he’d been burned. It seemed like he had briefly forgotten the status of their relationship. It made Scully sad that they were missing their usual camaraderie. And honestly, she just missed Mulder. When the case was over, they needed to talk.

But for now, she didn’t say anything, and they walked back to the house.

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Later that night, as Scully was turning down the bed, Mulder entered the bedroom sheepishly, dragging a pillow by its case. “I think I should sleep in here tonight.”

Scully tried not to screech, but her “Why?” came out a little high-pitched. She did NOT want to sleep in the same bed as him.

“I know we didn’t in our last undercover case, but I don’t know, something feels off here. I think we need to keep up appearances as best we can.”

Scully finished throwing all the pillows off and pulled the comforter back. “So, now you think something is actually going on?”

“Well, not in the paranormal sense. But if anyone in the neighborhood is responsible for the missing kids, I’m sure they will go to great lengths to keep that secret. We don’t want anyone to be suspicious of us.”

What was she going to say? Scully was the one that agreed to the undercover case; she couldn’t balk when they had to act like a couple for the sake of their cover.

Mulder sensed her acquiescence and made his move. “It’s a king, so you won’t even know I’m here.”

“Fine,” Scully agreed tersely. “But stay on your side of the bed.”

Mulder bounded over like a golden retriever and got himself situated. Scully couldn’t help but notice that they were still on their usual sides of the bed. It reminded her that while they might be physically close right now, emotionally they were miles away.

Scully finished her nighttime routine, then joined Mulder in bed before turning the light off.

Once the room was dark, Mulder started, “Scully-” but she interrupted him. She could tell by the tone of his voice that he wanted to have a Conversation, with a capital C.

“Mulder, can we not discuss our relationship status right now? Or during the case at all? I think it’s going to complicate things.”

“When are we going to talk?” he asked petulantly.

“When the case is over,” she countered.

“It’s just – I miss you,” Mulder sighed. They were facing each other but the room was dark enough that she couldn’t see his face.

“I know,” she replied softly.

“I’ll do anything to fix this,” he said, bringing his fingertips to gently graze her cheek.

Scully wanted nothing more than to move closer, roll into his arms, but her pride was getting the best of her. She wasn’t sure what he could do to fix it. She wanted to go back in time when things were easier.

Scully moved his hand off her face and rolled to the other side, facing away from him. “After the case, we’ll talk,” she said, hoping her voice conveyed finality.

It was quiet after that.

Chapter Text

“Hi, welcome to the neighborhood! I’m Stacy and this is my husband, Don. We’re the Hollands!”

Stacy, whose blonde hair and white teeth both appeared to be artificially colored, shook their hands like a used car salesman. “We’re so lucky to have a beautiful young couple move into the neighborhood. Mina, why don’t you help me in the kitchen?” she asked.

Scully bristled a little at the gendered roles but put on a happy smile for Stacy. This role was really testing her acting skills. Stacy and Scully made their way to the kitchen via the back door and had to avoid a few young kids running around the yard, and a pregnant woman chasing after them. It was a neighborhood barbeque, but it seemed like there were a lot of young kids and expecting parents. And no one else in between. Were all the teenagers missing? Were there unreported cases? In addition, no one seemed to be in their twenties or older than fifties. It was probably nothing, but the demographics of the group made Scully a little suspicious.

Once in the tastefully decorated, rustic style kitchen, Scully set the tray of brownies down on the dessert table.

“So, Mina, what does your husband do for work?” Stacy asked conversationally. Scully was surprised at the question, though she shouldn’t have been. “He’s an engineer. And I’m a teacher,” she added quickly, trying to make a point.

Luckily that seemed to be an approved occupation for a married woman, as Stacy chirped, “Oh that’s wonderful! You must love children. When you have some of your own, you’ll have to join our mom’s group.”

The “when” instead of “if” was subtle, but still annoyed Scully. Women shouldn’t automatically be expected to have children. Of course, Scully couldn’t say that because there was a case to solve, and she had to get into the neighbors' good graces. It also seemed like that would be impossible without a child involved. Scully wondered if this “mom’s group” was the unofficial neighborhood association that the FBI’s intel had uncovered. She really needed to infiltrate this group if they wanted to make progress on this case.

Scully quickly came up with an idea and without thought, she blurted out, “Well, not a lot of people know, but…” and placed her hand on her abdomen.

She didn’t have to actually say the words, but Stacy picked up on the implication immediately. “You’re pregnant!” she exclaimed; eyes wide.

“That’s why we needed a bigger house and decided to move here,” Scully confirmed. She hadn’t technically lied yet, but still didn’t feel good about it. Especially because being pregnant was never going to be a possibility for her.

“Well, in that case, you’ll have to come to our mom’s group. We’re meeting tomorrow at 10 am. I'm hosting so you already know where to go!”

Suddenly, new guests arrived, and Stacy had her hands full, so Scully went to look for Mulder. He was still in the backyard, drinking a beer with two other men. They made eye contact and Mulder cocked his head, an invitation for her to join him. Scully turned away, not really feeling up to playing the happy wife. She went over to the food table and made herself a plate of potato salad, barbeque chicken, and a side salad so she had something to occupy her hands. She saw a couple, a man and a pregnant woman, sitting off to the side and Scully went over to introduce herself. She figured her persona, Mina, could be a friendly, bubbly kindergarten teacher. It wasn’t her style at all, but it was a way to get information from the locals.

“Hello, I’m Mina, I’m new to the neighborhood. My husband and I just moved in,” Scully pointed over at Mulder.

“It’s nice to meet you, I’m Adam and this is Kelly. We live next door to Stacy and Don,” the man replied. Now that she was closer, she realized that this couple looked to be a good ten years older than her. She wondered if this was one of the mothers of a missing teenager.

Scully smiled big. “Congratulations,” she said, looking at Kelly’s protruding belly. “Is this your first?”

“Yes,” replied Kelly, at the same time that Adam said, “No.”

Kelly shook her head. “Pregnancy hormones! What I meant is that it feels like it’s our first as our other son is quite a bit older and is spending the summer with his grandmother.”

Scully noticed that Adam was looking down at his beer bottle while his wife was talking and then took a long draw without saying anything. He looked uncomfortable.

Scully tried to appear unruffled by the weird exchange. “How lovely! I know how much fun summers with grandma can be.”

She suddenly felt a hand on her shoulder; the warm grasp could only be Mulder’s.

“Hello, folks, can I steal my wife away for a second?” he asked good-naturedly.

Scully said good-bye and then walked away with Mulder. “I was just going to come find you,” she said. “A potential break in the case.”

She explained how the missing son was supposedly with his grandmother out of state.

“So, is this just shoddy police work?” Mulder mused. “Or is something nefarious going on that the parents covered up?”

“I think we need to verify that the grandmother doesn’t exist before we assume the latter. We should probably try to talk to the other parents of missing kids and see if they have similar excuses and do our own investigation into the stories.”

Scully pulled out a PalmPilot that she was given at the FBI field office to take some notes.

“Well, let’s divide and conquer then,” Mulder announced.

Mulder and Scully made the rounds at the party – and they were sure to get the nickname of neighborhood social butterflies. Many of the couples explained where their missing children were located: at summer camp, a teen Europe tour, working on a farm upstate, visiting cousins out west. And yes, all of the mothers of those teenagers were now expecting, isn’t that lovely. A lot of congratulations were shared. Scully discreetly wrote everything in her PalmPilot to be checked out later. It was weird that they hadn’t shared this information with the police.

No one seemed concerned about their teenage children and while everyone at the party was perfectly pleasant, no one was very forthcoming either. Scully figured it would take some time to get to know everyone, but luckily, she had the mom’s group tomorrow to get started on the investigation.

Once the sun started setting and the mosquitoes appeared, Mulder and Scully walked back to their house. There was finally some relief from the heat and the temperature actually felt bearable. Scully didn’t talk on the way back because it wasn’t smart to discuss the case where someone might hear them, and she found it hard to make idle chitchat with Mulder right now. Which was a shame, because their conversations were always entertaining, even if they were downright ridiculous at times. Mulder loved to push her buttons with outlandish theories and Scully pretended to be exasperated, but really, she was always delighted by the dialogue.

Once they were inside, they determined that Mulder would go to the field office tomorrow to start the research into the missing kids’ whereabouts. Scully realized she would have to come clean about her little fib to Stacy.

After she brushed her teeth and looked at herself in the mirror to psych herself up, she found Mulder in the living room watching a basketball game on the TV.

“Mulder,” Scully started. “I have something to tell you.”

He looked away from the game to listen to her.

“I may have told Stacy that I’m pregnant,” Scully said, twisting the hem of her shirt.

Mulder blinked, sat up straighter, and muted the TV. “What, why?”

“Well, all the women are pregnant or have kids and I felt like it was the only way I would be able to get close to them. And it worked. Stacy invited me to their moms’ group tomorrow.”

Mulder let out a breath. “And what happens when they find out you’re not pregnant?”

“You really think we’re going to be here that long? Mina has at least a few months until she’ll be showing.”

Mulder started shaking his head. “I don’t like this. You’re putting yourself in a dangerous position. Something weird is going on here, and pregnancy and children are tied to it. I think you might be getting too close to the fire, so to speak.”

“That’s the job, Mulder! We’re undercover. It’s just a story to get closer to the women of the neighborhood so we can find the missing teenagers and solve the case.”

“I understand the assignment, Scully. But at the same time, I don’t think you should have to torture yourself just for work,” he stated, referring to Scully’s infertility.

“No one is being tortured, Mulder. I am perfectly fine being around pregnant women and even pretending to be one. I’m fine!” she insisted.

Mulder let out a short laugh and unmuted the TV. It sounded like he said, “I hope so,” under his breath, but Scully was already walking away, not wanting to engage any longer. She would work to solve this case and prove to Mulder that she really was fine.

Chapter Text

Unlike the night before, Mulder did not come into the bedroom to sleep next to Scully. She guessed he spent the night on the couch. Hopefully, if anyone noticed, they would just attribute it to a lover’s spat. However, the neighborhood was oddly quiet. No kids playing outside, no one walking their dogs, not even many cars drove by. Was it the heat keeping everyone inside or something else?

Scully got out of bed to make herself breakfast, when her stomach gurgled. She had a split second to decide to run to the bathroom, which was a good choice because she immediately vomited upon kneeling in front of the toilet. She threw up a few times, but then felt better after her stomach was empty. It must have been something she ate at the barbeque – that’s what happens when food is prepared in ignorance of health and safety standards. Scully wiped her mouth and then brushed her teeth, hoping that was the last of it so that she could make it to Stacy’s house in a few hours. She exited the bathroom and went downstairs to find Mulder in the kitchen, cleaning dishes. She didn’t think she should risk eating anything on her sensitive stomach so instead filled up a glass of water to drink. She wished they had ginger ale to settle her stomach.

“So, what’s the agenda for today?” Mulder asked over the running water, his eyes glued to the dishes he was scrubbing.

“I’m going to the mom’s group,” she reminded him.

“Right,” Mulder said curtly, once again not happy about Scully’s fictionalized pregnancy.

He looked up at her, then his brow furrowed. “You look a little pale. Are you okay?”

She bristled under his gaze. Of course, Mulder noticed something was off. His powers of observation were uncanny, especially when it came to her. It was hard to hide anything from Mulder, and since he would be alarmed if he knew about the vomiting, she downplayed it.

“I’m fine. A little nauseated. I think it might be something I ate yesterday.”

He kept staring at her. “I feel fine,” he said combatively, which was rich coming from someone who frequently tasted strange substances found at crime scenes. Naturally, he wouldn’t get sick from run-of-the-mill bacteria found on food. Normally she would tease him about his stomach of steel, but she didn’t have it in her right now. Plus, they weren’t doing that anymore. They weren’t doing anything except work.

She put the glass in the dishwasher. “Good luck at the field office,” she commented and then went upstairs to get dressed.

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Promptly at 10 am, Scully showed up at Stacy’s house for the second time in two days. Stacy ushered her in the door, but it turned out that she was the first to arrive. Apparently, timeliness wasn’t a requirement of the group.

Now that she was more familiar with the layout of the house, Scully could take in the décor, which was very elegant: expensive looking artwork on the walls, sleek hardwood floors, and fancy candelabras in just the entryway. 

Stacy rushed back to the kitchen, and it sounded like she was making some last-minute preparations for the meeting. “Can I get you something to drink?” she called out.

“Water is fine,” Scully answered, still a little nauseated, and she continued to look around. The front room was a den with great lighting, two leather wingback chairs, and a huge bookcase that took up the entire wall. Scully didn’t know what kinds of books she was expecting, but it wasn’t the variety of historical and religious texts, along with anthropological and sociological works, that filled the shelves. Some of the books were written in other languages, and not French or Spanish as one might expect, but rather something ancient but unidentifiable to Scully, like Greek or Sanskrit.

Scully was about to pull one of the books off the shelf to investigate further, when Stacy appeared, holding a glass of water.

“Come help me carry the plates to the living room; the other women will be here soon.”

Within a few minutes of carrying snacks and dishes to the living room, the rest of the women arrived. They filled in all the couches; plus a few extra chairs that Stacy had dragged over from the dining room. There were nine women in the group, if you counted Scully and Stacy. The other seven there were ones Scully and Mulder had talked to last night, the ones with the missing children. Seeing them all next to each other made Scully realize that they really all were pregnant, though at various stages. What was even more shocking is that most of the women were at least ten years older than Scully. While it’s not impossible to have a pregnancy at that age, it was a statistical anomaly for so many women in one group to still be fertile so close to menopause. The only woman not obviously pregnant was Stacy, which Scully made a mental note of.

“Where’s June?” Kelly asked. She was the first person Scully had talked to last night. The one who “forgot” that her son was visiting Grandma.

“She said she’s not feeling well,” another woman, introduced as Willa, answered. Willa glanced around the group, and it appeared like she was silently communicating with them. Were they trying to hide something from Scully?

“This is the third meeting she’s missed,” someone else chimed in.

“I’ll go check on her later,” Stacy offered, and offered a fake smile. Scully knew she would have to figure out who June was and pay her visit. June was definitely on the outs with the group and Scully wanted to know why. Maybe it would shed some light on the disappearances.

She moved the topic of conversation off of June and onto Scully. Or rather, Mina.

“Mina, we’re so happy you could join us. Share with the girls your big news,” Stacy introduced, raising her eyebrows.

Everyone turned to look at her and Scully felt very much on display. It was now or never for her acting skills.

“Well, it’s still early so not a lot of people, but you’re all moms so I know I can trust you.” She was trying not to outright lie, so instead she let her hand caress her abdomen and let the women infer what she was talking about.

There were exclamations of joy and congratulations, and Scully had to quickly swallow the lump in her throat. She would never actually have this, and it felt terrible. She thought about what Mulder said about how she didn’t need to torture herself and maybe he was right. She tried to surreptitiously wipe away a tear but of course the women sitting next to her, Allison, noticed. She put a hand on Scully’s shoulder and said, “I’m very emotional during pregnancy as well.”

They wanted to know all about how she and Jonathan met, and Scully supplied them with their canned response. One of the women even commented on how handsome Jonathan was and Scully had to tamp down the spike of jealousy she felt. It was even worse than normal because her relationship with Mulder was so precarious right now. The thought of him with another woman made her feel sick, though that could have also been the food poisoning she experienced earlier.

“Are you religious, Mina?” another woman, Tara, asked, looking at the cross around her neck.

“Yes, I am,” she confirmed. Normally, she would take off the necklace for an undercover assignment but felt like the religious jewelry would win her points in South Carolina.

“We’re very interested in religions here,” the woman continued.

“Are you Baptist?” Scully asked, trying to determine if her character should be Protestant or Catholic.

Stacy laughed. “Oh no, we’re not Christian. Well, most of us aren’t,” she amended. “But we study ancient religions and cultures during our moms’ group.”

So that must be what all the books are for. Scully thought that was pretty odd for women’s group in the south.

“Is that going to offend you, dear?” Tara asked.

“No, I think other religions are fascinating,” Scully stated.

It seemed like the group let out a sigh of relief.

“That’s wonderful,” Stacy commented. “We’re very open-minded here,” she added.

The rest of the get-together was spent hearing updates from all the women on their pregnancies. No one talked about any other children, even though based on their conversations last night, Scully knew they all had a missing teenager. 

As soon as Scully left Stacy’s house, she rushed back home. The heat must really be getting to her because she felt exhausted after the walk. Unfortunately, she could not take a nap, instead she went home to get her car. She was happy that this time her and Mulder each got their own rental, instead of having to share like last time. She quickly got in, put a baseball cap and sunglasses on, and drove back to Stacy’s. But she parked down the street, so she was not noticeable. Just as Scully expected, it wasn’t long until Stacy emerged from the house and started walking down the road. Scully drove extremely slowly because she did not want Stacy to know she was being followed. Fortunately, it was the middle of the day and no one else was around. Scully just prayed no one was looking out their window.

Scully stopped a few houses away once she saw Stacy leave the sidewalk and head up to the front door of a house a few blocks over. She lowered the driver’s seat on an angle so she could stay hidden, but still sat up enough that she could see out the window. About thirty minutes later, Stacy left and started walking back to her house. She didn’t seem any different at all and there was no indication if anything had happened inside the house.

Scully waited for Stacy to leave the block before she started the car again and in the few minutes she was waiting, Scully noticed a boy ride his bicycle up to the house and drop it on the lawn. He went inside without knocking, which meant he lived there. And he was a teenager.

Chapter Text

4 months earlier

Scully unlocked the door to her apartment and was surprised to see Mulder lying on the couch, waiting for her. She had planned on calling him to give him the bad news, but after telling him in person and hearing him say “Never give up on a miracle,” she was glad he was there. Once her tears had somewhat dried, he led her to the couch and wrapped a blanket around her.

“Let me make you some tea,” he offered.

“You make tea, Mulder?” Scully asked, just like every time he put the kettle on and pulled out the tea bags. It was a running joke between them. Mulder, who sometimes acted as though he was allergic to cooking, actually made a mean cup of tea. He claimed he learned from the best at Oxford. Scully would never say it to him, but she thought it was because it was Mulder making it and that made it special.

When he finally brought the steaming beverage to the couch, he turned on his “Cheer Scully Up” mode, which usually annoyed her but tonight it was nice. He found a VHS tape in her collection that they both agreed on and popped it into the VCR. She didn’t pay attention to the movie, but instead thought about what had transpired over the last few weeks.

Scully had been so nervous to ask Mulder to father her child. When Scully discovered that IVF was an option for her, she knew she only wanted a baby if it was with him. She wasn’t entirely against using an anonymous sperm donor, but to raise the child Scully needed him by her side. She wasn’t just asking for Mulder’s genetic material; instead, she was asking if he would tie himself to her for the rest of their lives via a baby.

Scully looked over at Mulder, who appeared engrossed in the film. Scully had a realization: she wanted a baby, but she also wanted him, with or without the baby. What were they doing? They were just going to pretend they didn’t have feelings for each other and combine their DNA before even kissing? After all they had been through, all the heartbreak and suffering and grief, why couldn’t they indulge in the one good thing in their lives: each other?

Scully sat up, blanket still wrapped around her, and scooched closer to Mulder. He didn’t take his eyes off the screen, but instinctively put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her flush against his side. They were so in tune that he didn’t even have to look at her.

“Mulder,” Scully said to get his attention.

When he turned his head and looked down at her, she leaned even closer and pressed her lips against his.

Aside from the disappointment and sadness that had preceded the kiss, it was perfect. Mulder was warm and soft and smelled good. It didn’t surprise Scully that this was what it took for her to finally admit her feelings for him because it seemed they were always more open with each other after life-changing events. He kissed her back for a moment, then broke away. It wasn’t a rejection; Scully could tell by the look on his face and because he stayed very close, their lips still touching. He cupped her cheek and his thumb moved over her face with a feather-light touch.

“Scully,” he whispered, almost reverentially. “I-...”

“It’s okay,” she said. She knew what he was going to say.

“I just – I don’t want to take advantage of you.”

“Mulder, I kissed you,” she emphasized with a chuckle.

He pulled back a little to look her in the eyes. “I know, but it’s been an emotional day. For both of us. I just don’t want to get this wrong.”

Scully felt so sure of herself, of them, that she calmly explained, “We can wait. I know the timing isn’t right, but I just wanted you to know that my feelings for you are the same, with or without a baby.”

She should be freaking out by making such a bold statement, especially after repressing her feelings for Mulder for so long, but instead she just felt relief that she didn’t have to hide anymore. And Mulder must felt the same way because he pulled her for a tight hug, face buried in the crook of her shoulder, breathing her in like she was his life source.

And so, they waited.

They took a little bit of time to process and grieve her infertility and it was so much easier knowing Mulder was there for her, that they were building something new between the two of them, their love and relationship growing like roots in soil.

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While Scully baked a pie, she reflected on the start of her and Mulder’s relationship. Being with Mulder made everything easier, everything better. What had changed that she thought it was a good idea to break it off with him? Mulder had always been impulsive, always run off without telling her. She knew that about him, and it was not a dealbreaker before. Why was she being so irrational?

The pie was still hot even twenty minutes after she pulled it out of the oven, but Scully wanted to bring it over to June as soon as possible. She drove since it was a little too far to walk. Scully was amazed that the neighborhood was big enough to be its own little town.

Scully rang the doorbell, and plastered what she hoped was a gentle and friendly smile on her face. She was used to talking to witnesses with her professional demeanor and she kept having to remind herself that she was currently not an FBI agent, but an elementary school teacher.

The boy Scully saw earlier answered the door. It was the first teenager she had seen since arriving and this boy must have known some of the missing kids. It was imperative that she and Mulder talk to him, and she quickly thought of a good excuse to do so.

“Hi there! I’m your new neighbor, Dana. Is your mother home?” she asked, as pleasantly she could muster.

The boy didn’t respond, instead yelled “MOM!” over his shoulder and backed away from the door. Scully tried not to take offense at his lack of manners as she remembered her brothers doing the same thing until they were scolded by their father.

The woman, June, who was discussed at the mothers’ group, appeared in the doorway. Her dark, curly hair was up in a bun, and she looked tired. June didn’t have the youthful glow of the other mothers, who all seemed to be well-rested despite their pregnancies or having young children around. 

Scully introduced herself again and June let her in. “Isn’t this supposed to be other way around?” June asked as she led Scully to the kitchen. “Since you’re the new neighbor, I’m supposed to bring you something.”

Scully tried to cover up the unconventionality of her visit. “Well, I just love baking and I heard you weren’t feeling well, so I wanted to do something nice.” Geez, she was really laying on the Stepford Wife schtick thick.

“Also, I wanted to ask you a favor. Would your son be able to mow our lawn? We’d pay him of course, but my husband’s just too busy right now.” Scully came up with the request on the fly, and luckily June seemed amenable to it.

“Sure, I think Seth would appreciate the extra money.”

“Great, does today work?” Scully asked eagerly.

June frowned. “I want him to work on his summer reading today. How about tomorrow?”

Scully knew how important talking to Seth was for the investigation, but at the same time she had to protect her cover.

“Yes, of course that’s fine,” Scully replied, then tried to change the topic of conversation. “Stacy said you weren’t feeling well. Is there anything I can do for you while I’m here?”

June looked wary. “They already have you in the group?” she asked. “Are you pregnant?”

Scully nodded and put her hand on her abdomen. “It’s pretty early, but yes.”

“Just be careful around them,” June said. Scully opened her mouth to ask what she meant, but then they could hear the garage door open.

“That’s my husband, home from work,” June stated. “I’m sorry, but I’ll need to cut your visit short.”

“Oh, alright then,” Scully said, disappointed.

June walked her to the front door. “I’ll send Seth over tomorrow morning.”

“Great, thank you. We’re at 214," Scully said on her way out. She wished she got to spend more time with June. Maybe she could come up with an excuse to stop by another time. June was little cagey and seemed to know more than she was letting on. This undercover case was proving harder to solve than Scully expected.

Chapter Text

When Mulder finally returned home, she filled him in on what Seth had told her after he mowed their lawn. They were standing in the kitchen across from each other, each leaning against a countertop. She told him about visiting June and how she hired Seth to mow the lawn, in the attempt to question him. Mulder chuckled a little which Scully found odd since she was not saying anything particularly funny.

She gave him a look and he shook his head at her. “Mulder,” she prompted. “Why are you laughing?”

He sighed. “Scully, you are mad at me because you say I run off and leave you behind while we’re working a case, and then on this one you’re doing the same thing you claim to dislike.”

“No, I’m not,” she quickly denied. She wasn’t ditching Mulder; she was just working.

“Scully,” he said gently. “You complicated our roles by saying you were pregnant, without talking to me first. Then, you followed a person of interest and then visited another person of interest alone and before even discussing it with me."

“I’m just following leads,” she argued.

“And that’s what I was doing!” he responded.

She opened her mouth to debate him, but he kept talking, “Are you really going to say that these situations are different? I trust you to do the job; why can't you trust me?”

She was quiet for a moment, trying to gather her thoughts. “Mulder, I do trust you. You're a great agent, but you can’t deny that you often get into trouble on your own. I want to be with you to protect you,” she admitted.

Mulder smiled, a genuine, non-acting smile, and it was the first time Scully had seen him look happy since their break-up. “And I, you. That’s why sometimes I go off on my own. I'm trying to protect you, Scully. That’s something I need to improve on, but I think it’s something we both need to work on, together.”

Mulder was making logical sense, and it was a real role reversal. Scully was unused to acting from emotion rather than logic and completely usused to Mulder using logic on her.

“You’re right,” she said, feeling defeated, hanging her head a little. Scully had been feeling so tired this case and she wondered if it was more emotional fatigue than physical. She hated when her relationship with Mulder, professional or romantic, was out of sync. She then looked up sharply, knowing how Mulder would interpret those words. He was smiling again and she was glad that she was able to make him happy. That being said, she wasn’t ready to completely forgive and forget, but she was glad that they were heading that way.

“We still need to talk more – after the case,” she added, trying to ignore the lost puppy dog look that appeared on Mulder's face.

Mulder sidled over to her side of the counter and took her hand in his. He squeezed her fingers and waited for her to squeeze back, which she did after a beat. She looked down at their hands, his big and hers small, but still fit perfectly together. Before she could say anything else, his kissed the top of her head and agreed, "Okay, Scully, after the case."

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The next day, Scully waited impatiently for Seth to arrive. June had said morning, but that could pretty much be a six-hour window. Mulder was annoyed that he was forced to leave the house, because he “was supposed to be at work.” Otherwise, he would be the one mowing the loan. Mulder made a big show of dressing up in a suit and driving away at 8 am. He was going to the FBI field office to conduct more research of the residents of the neighborhood. It was a decent amount of work to confirm the neighbors’ identities, find their relatives, and confirm the story they gave to Mulder and Scully. So far, none of the stories were checking out, which was concerning. There were seven missing teens and Scully was starting to get nervous that they wouldn’t be found.

Around 9 am Seth arrived on his bike. Scully walked out of the house to show him where the lawn mower and weed whacker were stored, delivered yesterday by the FBI field office specifically for this task. She was anxious to question him but wanted it to feel natural, so she waited until he was done. Scully brought him out a glass of ice-cold water and asked him normal questions, like what grade he was in and did he like school? Since she was supposed to be a new elementary school teacher, she asked him which teachers he had liked from his primary school days.

“Do you have a lot of friends in the neighborhood?” she asked, trying to ease into the topic of the missing kids.

Seth shrugged, so she tried again. “There doesn’t seem to be many other kids your age living here.”

Seth took a gulp of water. “There are but they’re not around this summer.”

“Where are they?” she asked, hoping her tone was curious, rather than interrogative.

“I don’t know, camp or something.” Scully was getting discouraged, until Seth kept talking.

“I heard my mom and dad say something about a cult. Maybe they ran away to join, like, the Satanists,” Seth added.

“A cult?” Scully asked. “What kind?” Now this was interesting information.

“Man, I don’t know. But my mom doesn’t like it when I go outside now. Like she thinks I’m gonna get kidnapped or something. And we used to go to all the neighborhood barbeques and parties and now we don’t. I’m surprised she even let me come here.”

Scully’s mind was whirring. She wanted to ask so many more questions, but she didn’t really think Seth had much to add. Also, she was careful not to blow her cover. So, she paid him (with cash from Mulder’s wallet because she was still feeling a little petty) and let him ride his bike back home.

Scully wanted to call Mulder with an update but decided it would be better to talk in person. She had encountered one too many bugged telephones to trust the ones in this house. So instead, she just paced around indoors, and compulsively cleaned, even though nothing was dirty. The highlight of the early afternoon was getting the mail. Nothing was addressed to Mina and Jonathan, but junk mail still came even though the house was being used in an FBI undercover operation. Scully sorted through the junk, ready to toss it, when she noticed a card, inviting her and Jonathan to dinner tonight. It was from Stacy. It felt less like an invitation and more like a summons, but either way it was good news for their investigation, another opportunity to learn more about the neighbors.
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Mulder and Scully stood at the threshold to Stacy and Don’s house, just like they did a few nights ago for the barbeque. Scully held a bottle of wine, not that she could drink it, and Mulder pulled at the collar of his polo shirt.

“It’s fucking hot out,” he complained.

“Mulder!” she admonished in a whisper.

“It’s Jonathan,” he reminded her, then plastered a smile on his face when the door finally opened, letting them into the cool air conditioning of their neighbor’s McMansion.

“Come in, come in,” Stacy exclaimed. “Y’all must be sweatin’.”

The dinner was pleasant but really put Mulder and Scully’s acting skills to the test. Stacy wanted to know everything about them and their relationship, but luckily, they had rehearsed the details of how they met, their first date, and their wedding. Scully’s stomach started bothering her as soon as she walked in, so she let Mulder answer a majority of the questions, while she pushed her dinner around her plate.

“Why aren’t you eating?” Mulder asked her once the questions had dried up.

“First trimester nausea,” Stacy said with a knowing smile.

“Right,” Scully confirmed. She hated that the heat and humidity were really bringing her down. Or maybe she did catch a bug after all. She was under enough stress that her immune system was probably not functioning at full capacity.

Mulder narrowed his eyes, and Scully knew he was trying to figure out if she was actually sick or putting on an Oscar-worthy acting performance. But he quickly sprung into solicitous husband mode and started rubbing her back and asking her if she needed ginger ale. She started to pull away from him, but then realized that they were a happy couple expecting their first child, so she let him hover over her for a minute.

Even a little bit of nausea wasn’t enough to stop Stacy’s interrogation.

“So, Mina, I heard you visited June yesterday. How is she?”

Scully was surprised for a second, but then realized that Stacy had her finger on the pulse of the entire neighborhood and was looking more and more like a witness (or a suspect?) in the missing teen case.

“She seemed okay. I wanted to bring her some food since you said she wasn’t feeling well,” Scully explained.

“Oh, don’t go to any trouble. You have enough to worry about,” Stacy glanced pointedly at Scully’s abdomen. “She’ll be back soon enough.”

“How do you know?” Scully asked.

“Well, she can’t be sick forever, now, can she?” Stacy laughed, though it sounded a little sinister. “That being said, we have another mom’s meeting tomorrow. Will you come?”

Of course, Scully agreed.

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“There’s something weird with that woman,” Mulder commented as they walked back to their house. “I’ll say it again, I really don’t like you spending time with her.”

Scully rolled her eyes. “Yes, you already made your feelings clear, Mulder. But she’s our number one suspect right now and I already have a relationship with her. And it’s not like you can show up to the mom’s group. So, you’re going to have to deal with it this case.”

Mulder smartly changed the subject. “Are you actually not feeling well or was that a ruse? I didn’t expect you to go full method with this assignment.”

“Uh, no, I wasn’t feeling well at dinner, but I feel fine now.” It was the truth. The brief nausea had passed. Maybe it was just nerves.

Mulder stopped to look at her. “Are you sure you’re okay? You don’t need to see a doctor?”

“Mulder, I’m fine.” She brushed past him to go inside their house, hoping he believed her.

Chapter Text

Scully was lying in bed, not ready to get up just yet, when it came on suddenly, and she started gagging. Scully ran to the bathroom, threw the door shut, and almost collapsed in front of the toilet in her urgency to make it to the bowl before she vomited.

“Scully! What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Mulder asked through the door. He jiggled the handle but luckily, she had locked the door.

“Just a second,” she said weakly. Talking caused her gag reflex to engage and she curled up over the toilet bowl once more. She laid her cheek against the cool porcelain, trying not to think of the germs when suddenly the bathroom door opened.

She closed her eyes, like maybe if she couldn’t see him, he couldn’t see her. “How did you get in?” she asked, as he clearly didn’t break down the door.

“The key was over the trim,” he said, holding up a small piece of metal meant to easily unlatch the locking mechanism. He set down the key to put the back of his hand on her forehead, surely feeling how clammy and sweaty it was.

“What’s going on? Are you sick?” he asked.

“Yeah, I think so. I just woke up really nauseated and suddenly had to throw up. It must have been something I ate last night. I’m starting to think Stacy doesn’t know how to cook.”

“This happened before and we’ve been eating the same things,” Mulder stated gently.

“Then it’s a stomach bug,” she offered weakly.

“That I’m immune to?” Mulder asked. She glared at him as best she could from her position on the ground.

He leaned back on his heels. “Scully, could you be - do you think there's a chance” — he stumbled over his words. “Could you be pregnant?”

Scully sat up quickly, no longer using the toilet as a crutch.

“No, I’m not pregnant. You know that’s impossible, Mulder. I'm unable to conceive naturally and IVF didn't even work.” She started to stand up, ready to end the conversation. Mulder worrying about her was nice for about two seconds but then he had to ruin it.

Mulder followed her out of the bathroom and downstairs. “Have you experienced any other pregnancy symptoms?” he asked.

Scully thought it over. She had been feeling tired lately and maybe her breasts were a little tender. But those could be for a million other reasons much more likely than a miracle pregnancy.

“No,” she said succinctly.

Mulder kept pushing; he could probably tell she was lying to him. “I think you should take a test.”

“Why? So, I can be reminded that I’m infertile?” she lobbed at him.

Mulder winced. “Well, I’m going to the drug store. You don’t have to take the test but I’m buying it anyway, just in case you change your mind.”

Scully blanched. “What - Mulder, no. You can’t be seen buying a pregnancy test. Mina is already supposed to be pregnant. You’ll risk blowing our covers!”

“I’m not going into town. I’ll find another pharmacy far away. And I’ll wear this -” he put on a baseball cap and sunglasses that were by the door. He looked like a celebrity trying to avoid the paparazzi.

“Whatever, Mulder. Just don’t let anyone see you.”

While he was gone, Scully paced around the house. Could she really be pregnant? It was much more likely that the stress of working undercover and fighting with Mulder had weakened her immune system and she had caught a stomach bug. And Mulder’s perfect immune system that allowed him to eat dirt off the ground had sufficiently fought off the virus, which is why he wasn’t sick. Everything easily explained away, and that’s how she knew she wasn’t pregnant.

By the time Mulder got back, Scully had resolved not to take the test. She didn’t want to know; she didn’t want bad news.

Mulder left the white plastic bag from the drug store on the counter and went to the den where his computer was set up. If she was talking to a friend or a patient, and they told her about the symptoms, she would encourage them to take the test. What the hell, she thought. She loved proving Mulder wrong and here was a perfect opportunity.

Scully left the test in the bathroom and went to find Mulder. “I took the test, but I already know it’s going to be negative. You can check it if you want to be proven wrong, but just throw it out after. I don’t want to see it or talk about it.”

She didn’t even wait for a response; she left the den and went back to the kitchen to unload the dishwasher. She thought again about how it was weird she was getting paid to do housework and didn’t even notice Mulder entering the room. He was holding the stick and had a big smile on his face.

“Scully, it’s positive.”

She blinked at him once, in shock, then rushed over to see the results, convinced he didn’t know how to read the test. But there it was: two pink lines.

“Scully, you’re pregnant,” Mulder sounded ecstatic, but Scully was still staring at the lines, in complete shock.

She burst into tears. Mulder seemed baffled, but he pulled her in for a hug. “Scully, what’s wrong? This is what you wanted, right?”

She pressed her face into his chest, unable to talk. He kept holding her, but his grip loosened a bit.

“Is it – is it because you don’t want it with me anymore?” he asked tentatively.

Hearing the doubt and fear in Mulder’s voice made Scully’s tears dry up quickly. She pulled back to look at him. His earlier grin was now a frown and he looked like he might cry himself.

“What? Mulder, no, of course I want a baby with you. That’s not why I’m crying,” she explained, trying to wipe away the tracks on her cheeks.

“But we broke up and you're still mad at me,” Mulder’s voice dropped low on the second part of the sentence, like it was blasphemy to say.

Scully reached up to hold his face in her hands. “Mulder, we do have some things to talk about, but I am very happy that we’re having a baby together. There’s no one else I would rather do this with. Even though you drive me crazy sometimes, I love you very much.”

He pulled her in for a tighter hug and kissed the top of her head.

“Then why are you upset?” he finally asked.

She led him to the couch so they could sit down. This morning had exhausted her.

“I’m afraid, Mulder,” she admitted, wringing her hands. He took them in his own and rubbed her knuckles with his thumb.

She continued, “I’m supposed to be infertile; I just can’t help but think that something will go wrong with this pregnancy.”

“Nothing’s going to go wrong,” Mulder reassured her. “You just have to believe.”

She gave a sad chuckle, “You can’t stop biology, Mulder.”

“I know, I just have a good feeling about this. And I’ll be there every step of the way. You’re not going through this alone.”

He pulled her in close; Scully buried her head in his chest. Mulder made it so easy to believe, but it was hard for her. Maybe he could believe for both of them. If she could just stay in his arms, nothing bad would happen.

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The rest of the afternoon and evening was spent in a comfortable truce. Now that there were more important things to worry about (well, namely one important thing), Scully could barely understand why they had been fighting. What had seemed like such a big issue on their last case now paled in comparison to an unexpected pregnancy. She needed Mulder and missed him and was ready to forgive him.

Mulder made dinner and Scully’s stomach was so tied up in knots she almost didn’t want to eat. But that wouldn’t be an option for the next nine months – both the baby and her would need nutrients. Then she realized that she would need to book an appointment with her OB to confirm with a blood test. From there, Scully’s mind raced thinking of all the preparations that needed to be made for the arrival of a baby. While she wasn’t fully convinced that she would be getting the happy ending she so desperately wanted, her Type-A personality wouldn’t let her not prepare for a child.

Scully went upstairs to put her pajamas on and brush her teeth. She started turning down the bed when she realized that for the first time in two weeks, she actually wanted Mulder in bed with her. The last few nights he slept on the couch, and they hoped no one was looking in the windows for gossip on the new neighbors. But now they wouldn’t have to pretend anymore.

Scully walked to the landing to call down the stairs. “Mulder, would you like to sleep up here tonight?”

Mulder appeared, holding a pillow by its case, already dressed in sweatpants. “Are you sure?” he asked.

She smiled at him and nodded. Mulder bounded up the steps, clearly pleased by her request. They both slid under the covers and turned the lights. Scully was ready to fall right asleep; at least now her fatigue was explained by her first trimester pregnancy. But Mulder wanted to talk.

“Scully, I want to apologize for the way I acted on the last case.”

“Shh,” she murmured. “It’s okay, Mulder. You were right – we both have things we need to work on. It’s been different, but good, being in a relationship with you. We’re still working it out.”

He kept apologizing, “I was an ass and didn’t look at things from your perspective. But I want you to know that I’m all in with the baby, Scully. I would never leave you or run away or anything like that.”

Scully felt her eyes fill with tears. These damn pregnancy hormones! Was she going to be crying the whole nine months?

“Thank you, Mulder. I think that I overreacted a little on our last case. Is it okay if I blame it on the pregnancy?”

She couldn’t really see him in the dark, but she knew he was smiling. “I’ll allow it,” he joked, and moved closer to her to kiss her forehead. He let his lips linger for a moment then started pulling away. Scully caught him before he rolled over and pressed her lips to his. It was the first time they had kissed since their fight, and it felt like coming home. Scully could tell that Mulder was trying to be respectful, keeping distance between their bodies, but Scully had different plans. She pushed her body against him and threw her leg over his hip, deepening the kiss.

He broke away to take a breath. “Is it safe?” he asked. “I mean, is it safe for the baby?”

Scully grinned. “Oh yes, unless the mother is on pelvic rest. But otherwise, it’s safe throughout the entire pregnancy. Many pregnant women even experience an increased libido, especially in the second trimester.”

“Something to look forward to, then,” Mulder commented, as he rolled over her. Scully didn’t know how she lasted seven years, if two weeks without him felt like an eternity. Being close to Mulder, physically and emotionally was like coming home, indeed.

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The next morning started out much better, as Scully didn’t experience what she now knew was morning sickness. She woke up to Mulder staring at her, with a dopey look on his face, and his hand was on her abdomen. There was no sign of the baby, but soon enough she would need new clothes. She wondered how many weeks along she was. Since her abduction and cancer, her period had been irregular or non-existent which made it difficult to ascertain when she conceived.

“Good morning,” he whispered, like he was afraid to wake a sleeping baby.

“Mulder, you don’t have to whisper right now. Save it for another nine months,” she said sleepily.

Mulder laughed softly and pressed himself closer. “Scully,” he started.

“Mhm?” she asked.

“I think you should go home.”

Scully fully opened her eyes. “What? No, Mulder, I’m not leaving you here.”

“I feel like it’s too dangerous for you to be here now. The missing kids, the pregnant women – something weird is going on and I don’t want you to get caught up in it. It was one thing when your pregnancy was fake, but now?”

“Mulder, what you’re saying makes sense. But you can’t be here alone, without back-up.”

“I don’t really want to stay here without you. Especially now," he emphasizied. "I’ll have to talk to Skinner, but maybe we can get other undercover agents to take our places.”

“I feel like we’re so close to figuring out what’s going on,” Scully protested.

“I know, but is it worth it?” Mulder asked, referring to the baby.

Scully sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. She didn’t like it, but she knew he was right.

She looked back over at him. “I’ll leave, but not until they find other agents to take our place. And you’re coming with me.”

“Okay,” Mulder agreed with that.

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While Mulder put in a phone call to Skinner, Scully got ready for the day. She was still going to the mom’s group meeting this morning, as she wanted to try to uncover as much information as possible before being extracted. Maybe they would end up solving the case before new agents could be oriented to the operation.

When she got to Stacy’s house, she was surprised to only see half the women that attended the last meeting.

“Small crowd today, huh?” she asked Stacy, who didn’t seem concerned at all.

“Oh, you know, it’s almost back to school time, so all the moms are getting ready,” she waved away.

Scully felt a prickling at the back of her neck. All the women in the group were mothers of the missing kids. They didn’t have anyone to send to school this year. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue. Or maybe Stacy was trying to be purposefully deceitful.

Stacy got up to hand out glasses of lemonade. The other mothers asked “Mina” if she was excited to go back to school.

Scully took a sip of the lemonade. It was more sour than usual, but it was probably her pregnancy causing things to taste weird. She wondered what other aversions would pop up.
The thing about being undercover is that you have to think fast on your feet. Scully decided her persona was looking forward to the new school year and meeting her students. She tried to answer, but her mouth was dry, so she drank more of the lemonade. Scully started feeling really hot. These pregnancies hormones are no joke, she thought. She stood up, hoping to get to the bathroom to splash cold water on her face. Stacy was suddenly beside her, gripping her arm. Hard.

“You don’t want to do that, Mina.”

And that was the last thing she heard before her vision blacked out.

Chapter Text

Scully woke up, her mouth full of cotton, brain fuzzy. She was laying on something hard and cold and could hear water dripping. Was she outside?

When she could finally open her eyes, she realized she was in what looked like a small jail cell. But instead of white concrete blocks, the walls were stone and mud. Scully must be underground. The memories of what happened before she passed out quickly resurfaced and she realized that Stacy and the other moms were the ones responsible for all the missing kids. She was starting to suspect that, but now it was confirmed. Knowing the danger she, Mulder, and the rest of the neighborhood were in, she sat up quickly, which was a mistake. The room swirled around, so Scully took a couple deep breaths, which seemed to help. She was just about to stand up to find a way out when Stacy appeared at the cell door, looking like an apparition. She was dressed in a white gown, that had a long cape with a hood around her head. She carried a single candle, giving her an ethereal aura.

“You drugged me,” Scully accused, her hand instinctively finding its way to her belly.

“Your baby is safe,” Stacy answered.

Scully decided to try to manipulate the situation to her advantage – a little bit of truth, a little bit of lie. “I’m not pregnant. I’m an undercover FBI agent. So, whatever you have planned, it’s not going to work. Jonathan is also an FBI agent.”

Stacy didn’t seem to register anything that Scully said and calmly stated, “Come with me.”

“And if I don’t?” Scully asked.

“We’ll kill your husband.”

So, Scully was dragged along down the long, dark hallway – her hands bound behind her back. The knot was tight, after just a few moments she could feel pins and needles in her hands. Like before, Stacy gripped her upper arm and was deceptively strong and Scully was weak enough from the drugs that she didn’t have the strength to run away. Besides, there was nowhere to go, and it was difficult to see – the only light coming from Stacy's solitary candle flame that she was still carrying. Scully couldn’t leave Mulder, though she didn't know if it was a ruse to keep her compliant. Hopefully Mulder was not captured like her, and would figure out that she was missing.

Stacy and Scully kept walking and the hallway opened up into a chamber. They were definitely underground as there was no natural light and everything had that musty, damp smell, though the incense burning overpowered most of it. The room was illuminated by hundreds of candles and all of the women from the group were in a circle, surrounding an altar. They were dressed in the same white garb as Stacy. This was as much a cult as Scully had ever seen, but she was still unsure exactly what their plan was.

Scully glanced around the room and saw that Stacy was not lying about Mulder. He was in the room, too, tied to a chair. There was a cut on his forehead from what was clearly a blow to the head. When Mulder saw Scully, he tried squirming to get free of his binds but was stopped when one of the women held a dagger to his jugular. Scully’s heart dropped. This was serious. How was she going to get the both of them out of here unharmed? She tried to pull away from Stacy to get closer to Mulder, but instead the woman pushed her to the center of the circle, next to the altar. Scully had no balance with her hands tied behind her back, and promptly fell to her knees.

“No funny business, or your husband dies,” Stacy proclaimed. “Otherwise, he’ll be unharmed. We only need your baby.”

Scully played dumb. “I already told you – I’m not actually pregnant. It was part of my undercover persona.”

Stacy’s lips curled into a sneer. “Oh, you’re pregnant alright. I knew it as soon as I saw you.”

Scully was surprised. How did Stacy know before she herself did?

“We need the eighth sacrifice on the eighth day of the month on the eighth month of the year. It needs to be the first-born child of a willing mother, sacrificed to the goddess for fertility.”

Scully must have looked confused because Stacy continued. “We know you’re willing, because you’ll go through with it to save your husband.”

“Scully, no!” Mulder shouted. The woman holding the blade pressed it harder against his throat, causing a drop of blood to roll down his skin.

“Mulder, stop, it’s okay,” Scully said. “I’ll do whatever you want me to, just don’t hurt him.”

Mulder looked stunned, but she gave him the smallest wink. Something Stacy said clued her in…

The six women gathered closer, linking hands. Stacy and Scully were in the middle by the altar. Stacy was rifling through what looked like an ancient text. She had some materials on the altar, but Scully couldn’t tell what they were from where she was kneeling on the floor.

The women started chanting, in a language Scully didn’t recognize, a language ancient and unsettling. Stacy leaned over to yank Scully to her feet. She spun her around and suddenly Scully felt a searing pain in the palm of her hand, and then the warm gush of blood. Scully turned to face Stacy and saw the red, glistening knife that Stacy then laid on a white cloth. Scully could hear Mulder calling for her, but his voice sounded so far away, as if he was yelling through a brick wall. The air started moving, like a big gust of wind, though Scully had no idea where it was coming from since there were no windows. Her hair started whipping around her face and it made it hard to see.

Suddenly, the candles extinguished, and the wind stopped, the room eerily still.

“It’s finally my turn,” Stacy proclaimed.

Then the room was illuminated again, the flames on the candles higher and brighter than they were before. The flames were so bright, it made Scully’s eyes hurt. She swore she could feel the heat emanating from the candles, which should be impossible.

Once again, the lights in the room went out, there was a loud whooshing sound, and a force knocked Scully back to the ground, disorienting her. It felt like she was in the middle of a hurricane, the wind making a high-pitched whistle, things were crashing, she thought she heard a scream, and then nothing.

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“Scully! Scully, wake up!”

She took a deep breath and then started coughing. The air seemed dusty, like a bomb had gone off.

“Mulder,” she croaked, to let him know she was awake.

“Oh, thank God,” he exclaimed. “I didn’t know if you were alive.”

“Yeah,” she confirmed, sitting up. She put pressure on her left hand before realizing that it was wounded.

“Shit,” she said. She couldn’t see her hand as she was still tied up, but she knew it was still bleeding and would definitely need stitches.

“What? What’s wrong?” Mulder sounded on the verge of panic.

“I’m fine, it’s just my hand.” She finally had her wits about her and looked around. They were the only two in the room. No trace of any of the seven other women.

“What happened?” she asked, standing up to go over to him. He was also still tied to the chair. She found the knife that had been used to threaten him and had to crouch down to pick it up with her hands behind her back. And it was not easy to transfer the knife to Mulder’s hand without cutting either of them. But, one-handed, he was able to saw through her bindings and then she did the same to him.

“They’re just gone,” Scully murmured. “Did you see them walk out? Why did they leave us?”

Mulder’s face was pale. “Scully, they didn’t leave. They disappeared.”

“That’s impossible, Mulder. Where are they?”

“I don’t know,” he said. “One moment they were here and the next they weren’t.”

Scully was baffled by what happened and was suddenly bone-wearingly tired. In about twenty-four hours, she found out she was pregnant, reconciled with Mulder, was taken hostage, and thought one or both of them was going to die. “Can we just get out of here?” she asked.

Mulder grabbed her shoulder, so she faced him. “Hold on a second, are you okay?”

He tilted her face up to look her in the eye and examine her face. She brought her hand up to check the injury on his head when they both realized she was still actively bleeding.

“Let’s wrap that up,” Mulder insisted, and he tore some of his shirt off to bandage the wound. While applying the cloth, Mulder commented, "I can’t believe you went so willingly. And were just going to let her kill you? Scully, why would you do that?"

"I wasn’t going to let you die, Mulder. Besides, I knew we would be fine."

"How?" he asked, while Scully checked his pupils and the cut on his forehead, trying to see if he was concussed.

"Stacy mentioned something about a first-born baby, and this isn’t my first-born," she said simply.

Mulder grabbed her wrist to stop her ministrations and then pulled her in tightly for a hug. “Emily,” he whispered into her hair. Emily had saved them.

They stood in the cavernous altar room for a few minutes reflecting on the little girl before finding their way out.

Chapter Text

Scully brought Mulder a glass of water. He was in the nursery, putting together the baby’s crib.

“Are you thirsty?” she asked, holding out the glass.

“Scully! You should be resting,” he admonished. It was a common refrain. Even though she was eight months pregnant, Scully had trouble sitting still. Once she started showing, she transferred out of the X-Files to the Quantico lab, performing autopsies and teaching classes. Her schedule was just as busy as before and frequently Mulder had to take the red pen out of her hand at night to stop her from grading papers before bed.

Mulder had a new gig too – on loan to the BCU. He tried taking on some X-Files cases solo, but he claimed it wasn’t the same. They weren’t sure what would happen after the baby arrived, aside from both taking parental leave, but Scully couldn’t imagine not working side by side with him again. Though, Mulder frequently found reasons to stop by Quantico and consulted with her on many cases. Their work was a little different now but still enjoyable.

After Mulder and Scully made their way out of the underground chamber where they had been taken hostage. The entrance was in the woods behind Damara Estates. When they exited the tree line, they were in Stacy’s yard. They immediately reported the missing women and then suddenly they were off the case. It was being transferred to a special missing persons division. Mulder claimed he did not pull any strings with Skinner to get them extracted, but Scully was glad to be going home regardless.

While at the hospital to get stitches on her hand, she told the nurse that she was pregnant, but it hadn’t been confirmed yet. Also, she had no idea what drugs Stacy had given her and if they could have affected the baby. They gave her a blood test, and yes, Scully was pregnant. The at-home test was accurate, after all. Because of her injury, she requested an ultrasound, and she and Mulder could see their baby (or a blob, as Mulder joked later) on the monitor.

Scully was ten weeks along already and she had had a slight panic attack thinking of all the preparation that needed to be done: finding a doctor, setting up the nursery, buying baby supplies. Mulder had to talk her off the ledge and she appreciated his more relaxed approach to parenthood. Whenever she was feeling overwhelmed and nervous, all she had to do was talk to Mulder and he eased her fears. And bought her a lot of chocolate, which sometimes worked even better than his pep talks, depending on Scully's mood. He was a wonderful partner to her, and she knew he was going to be a wonderful father as well. That was what she was most excited for: Mulder as a dad.

Mulder took the glass of water out of her hand and pushed her to the new rocking chair they had purchased yesterday. She sat and watched him assemble the crib and complain that the diagram only had poorly drawn pictures of the instructions instead of words. Then they argued about which side of the frame was A versus B (Scully was right), but finally it was done. Scully leaned against Mulder, and he put his arm around her as they admired their handiwork. The baby started kicking, reminding them who all of the work was for, and Scully couldn’t help but feel immense joy at how their child had helped them find their way back to each other.