Overweighted
Chapter Thirteen
By RocketMan

=====

Dedication: This is for Jaimes, cause she needs a happy ending.

=====
"Weren't you adored."
-- Foo Fighters, "Walking After You"
=====

There was the hiss of a respirator and the smell of lotion and Clorox.

He twisted in the seat and blinked and found himself in a hospital room.

He remembered the bad things happening. The way her body had arched as the
bullets went in, The way her face had crumpled into nothing and the fear
and sudden panic striding across her features.

He opened his eyes more and saw Mrs. Scully sitting down, her body rigid
and waiting, as if expecting her daughter to wake at any minute.

He sighed. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Scully. I --"

"Fox. It's okay. Dana's going to be all right."

He shifted and his little girl murmured against his chest. Mrs. Scully saw
him smile and stroke her cheek.

"Mrs. Scully, this is Helen." he whispered.

She nodded and smiled. "I figured that out. Do you know why Dana declined
to tell me about her?"

Mulder's frozen face was testament to his ignorance on this. "She . . .
she didn't tell you?"

He felt his breath constricting. Scully hadn't told her mother. Hadn't
told her, as if she was embarrassed or afraid of what her mother would say
when she said she had a child with him.

"Do you . . . you know about her at all?" he said softly.

"I deduced some things Fox. You're the father?"

He nodded dumbly and winced. "Sorry. Probably not what you wanted to
hear."

"Why do you say that, Fox?"

He shifted and looked down at Helen, twirling her blonde hair with one of
his fingers.

"I . . . I'm proud to be her father," he said suddenly.

Mrs. Scully smiled. "You shoulde be. She's beautiful."

"Yeah. She looks like Scully."

"She looks like you."

His head shot up and he gave her a considering look. "You don't mind?"

"What? Why would I have a problem with it?"

"I didn't think you particularly would find this --"

"Fox. You're a good man. Kind. Loving. You're good for my daughter and I
know you'll be good for my granddaughter."

He gulped down his fear and ran his hand along Helen's back.

"So . . . do you want to hold her for awhile?"

Mrs. Scully grinned and held out her arms, letting Mulder place her in
her lap.

"She's so warm and adorable, Fox. She's a blessing."

"Who's a blessing?" came a voice from the bed.

Mulder turned and found Scully's eyes flickering and her tongue moving
over her dry lips.

"You are," he breathed and went to sit on the bed.

She looked up at him and then back to her mother. "I'm sorry," she
whispered again, and her hand came up to clutch Mulder's.

Mrs. Scully smiled. "What's done is done, Dana. Just forget it. I'm glad
you're back."

Scully gave a worn out smile and looked back to Mulder.

"You okay?" she said, voice cracking.

"Fine. Fine. Helen's fine too."

"Good . . . good."

"You feeling okay?"

She nodded then winced. "No, not okay. But getting there."

He bent down and kissed her forehead. "You scared me. You going to
be okay?"

She moved a bit and smiled. "I'll live."

"That's all I'm asking."

He bent down again and she moved her face so that his lips brushed hers.

Pulling back, he saw her smile faintly, eyes slipping shut.

"Sleep, Scully. You can do more of that later."

=====

end thirteen
adios
RM