Overweighted
Chapter Fourteen
By RocketMan

=====
"Would that I had died before any eye had seen me,
and were as though I had not been,
carried from the womb to the grave . . .
Let me alone, that I may find a little comfort
before I go, never to return,
to the land of gloom and deep darkness,
the land of gloom and chaos,
where light is like darkness."
-- Job 10:18-22
=====

Mulder watched her eyes dart around, from the social worker to the
doctor and then to him.

He felt his own heart crushing.

They were going to take Helen away.

He clutched his baby girl tighter, pulled her deeper into his arms,
buried his face into her hair.

"You can't."

He glanced up, saw Scully's tightly drawn face, her pinched eyes and
fear flashing.

"She's only safe with us. If she's taken somewhere else, they'll get
her . . . you can't let that happen."

"Ms. Scully, it's clearly obvious that she is not safe with you and Mr.
Mulder. Despite the fact that you are biologically responsible, your
care for Helen has --"

"You don't understand. She's mine. I want her."

Mulder was surprised at her quaking voice, at the way she almost seemed
to plead with the woman.

Mulder stood, shifted toward the hospital bed that Scully vainly tried
to lift herself from.

"Let us just find a safer place. We can take care of her without a
problem. She's in danger wherever she goes," he said, rubbing a hand
along his girl's back. "She was kidnapped before we even met her. It's
not us that's at fault here."

The social worker pursed her lips, tilted her head back.

"I'd like to talk to Helen alone."

Mulder felt his mouth run dry. "You . . . you can't."

"Mr. Mulder, I will talk with her --"

"No, I mean. She's deaf. She can't --"

A faint smile lit the woman's lips. "I know that Mr. Mulder. I meant
with ASL. I can speak her language."

Mulder felt his face turn hot and he glanced to his daughter's wide
eyes.

He signed an explanation to her and set her on the ground, steadying
her with a hand.

She reached out and took the social worker's hand, then gave his palm a
kiss.

Mulder felt his heart tighten as they left Scully's hospital room.

"Why now?"

Her strangled cry made him turn, pull her into his body and hold her
tightly, just as protectively as he had held Helen.

"I don't know. I don't understand. They don't want us to have her. They
want her dead, Scully."

"Because she's ours? Is that why?"

A slight chuckle from him made her bones vibrate deep within.

"Little arrogant, hunh? I don't think it's so much that, Scully. I think
it's because of what she can do. They messed up with her, gave her
seeing and hearing on a different level. Maybe they didn't even realize
she was empowered like that until just recently."

"So you think it's because of her . . . connection that she's being
hunted?"

"It's my only theory."

Scully fell back into the bed, closing her eyes briefly.

"What about Sam?"

Mulder blinked.

"Oh, the dog. He's fine." Mulder's grin made her cock her head at him.

"What?"

"Well, let's just say I got the nurses on this floor to hide him for
me."

"Where is he?" she asked, startled.

"Down the hall. They let him out at night and he comes in here with us."

Scully's face broke into an honest smile. "I feel better with that dog."

"I do too. He's always got this goofy grin on his face."

"The dog?"

"Sure. Dogs are just as human as we are."

Her eyebrow raised for a brief moment of suspended thought, then fell
back as she let the present crash back into her.

"I don't want to lose Helen. I don't want to lose us."

He clenched her hand tightly.

"Whatever happens, you will never lose me, Scully. Never."

It wasn't exactly what she wanted to hear.

=====

Margaret Scully took the social worker aside after her talk with Helen.

"Look. Ms . . .?"

"Lannigan. April Lannigan."

"I know you're doing your job, and so do my daughter and Fox. They
want what's best for Helen, and they know that being with them is
what's best for her. It may not seem like they'd be very good at
raising a child, but I promise, they --"

"Mrs. Scully? It's okay. I know they can. It's just the risk here. Their
jobs are very threatening. I have documented several incidents where a
known killer has managed to break into one of their apartments.
Thankfully, they were caught, but how many times can that happen before
something goes wrong?"

"Ms. Lannigan, if my daughter believes that things will change, if she
knows that it isn't dangerous, then I assure you . . . Helen will be
well taken care of."

April Lannigan shook her head. "That's not really up for me to decide.
I'll be speaking in behalf of Helen, recite the facts of the case, and
let another panel make the final ruling."

"How will you speak for Helen?"

April turned to her. "Helen wants to stay. She's afraid that if she
leaves, she'll never have love again. Now, I told her that simply wasn't
true but I'll still convey it."

"You can't convey a little girl's desparate need to be with her family.
Not properly."

April took the older woman's hand. "I think it will be all right, Mrs.
Scully. They've got someone high up pulling for them. It's the only
reason they were allowed to keep Helen in the first place."

=====

(one week later)


"Frohike promised me all the mess would be cleaned up by the time we
got there."

Scully rolled her eyes. "Sure. Cleaned up for Frohike is stuffing
underwear in the closet and those videos under his bed."

Mulder gave her a blank look. "Wait. That's not cleaning?"

She gave him a look and swatted at his arm.

He gave her a mock groan. "Well, at least I know your shoulder is
better. Sheesh, you hit hard."

Helen jumped between them, Sam nosing his way to her and sniffing at
Mulder's pants. Scully laughed as he tried to carefully pry the dog
away from him, and pick Helen up at the same time.

She finally grabbed his collar and tugged, causing him to jerk to a sit,
then stick his tongue out and pant there, acting for the world like he
was the best dog.

She rubbed his head and rang the Lone Gunmen's bell a third time.

"Where are they?"

"Right here, my little --"

"Frohike . . ." Mulder warned, gutting him with a quick elbow as the
door swung open.

He shot Mulder a dirty look and led them all inside.

"Okay, short tour. Here's the back room. It's the biggest one we could
clear of junk. The couch here, this bed, then the futon. However you
arrange the sleeping, I don't want to know . . . Unless, of course, the
lovely Agent Scully is by herself --"

Mulder's hand clapped his shoulder roughly. "You ought to be thankful my
baby girl can't hear you, otherwise I'd string you up for ruining her
innocence."

Scully cast him a withering look. "What about my innocence?"

Mulder shot her a lewd look. "I didn't mention that now, did I?"

A baleful glare from her made him stop smiling quite so big.

"Let's unpack, Mulder."

He kept quiet and nodded, winking at Helen.

=====

Scully walked softly into the room, careful not to wake Helen or Mulder.
Sam stretched and stood, padding carefully over to her with his tongue
lolling out and his eyes laughing.

She patted his head and whispered, "Good doggie."

He yawned, teeth bared and mouth wide, then went to sleep beside Helen
again.

She felt her heart ease.

She felt safe again. Even with the Lone Gunmen outside, probably
listening in on every move she made.

Well, maybe just Frohike.

She slipped up to the bed, stood over it a moment, watching Mulder.

His face was slack, eyes moving in sharp jerks. She could smell his
sleep, taste the dust of the room and their unpacking in the back of
her throat.

She wanted to feel too.

Letting the cold sheets chill her wonderfully, she crawled in next to
Mulder, edging right up to his back.

Her nose touched his spine, ran along the bumps there, then let her
mouth reach his skin.

She kissed his back very softly, very gently, still not quite sure of
herself, still really very unknowing of what she was trying to do.

He continued to sleep.

She placed a hand to his broad shoulder, let her fingers dance along the
softness of his warm touch, slid her palm to his chest.

She closed her eyes, tucked her arm around his waist, and buried her
mouth right against his neck, content with feeling whole beside him.

She drifted off to sleep hearing the breathing of the family she loved,
and the silent wuffles of a dog chasing rabbits in a wonderful dream.

=====

end chapter
adios
RM