Title: Yclept Author: RocketMan >lebontrager@iname.com< Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully belong to CC, 1013, and Fox. No fringe is intended. Spoiler: sort of Requiem. There's a baby. Mulder's back. Nothing really angsty. yclept--(i-klept') v. (Archaic) named Webster's College Dictionary ===== Yclept ===== For Allie. You were right about everything. ===== The last dog was dying. She cried and the pink goo oozed from between her fingers and dripped all over the dog. Mulder pushed away in disgust and took the baby to the window, ignoring her. Scully blinked back the tears and gathered the poor animal to her chest and softly closed its eyes. It was a beagle. She had always wanted a beagle. It was their last dog. ===== "That was a strange dream." Scully nodded and stroked the baby's soft cheek. Mulder walked from the kitchen into the living room and dropped down beside her on the couch. "What was the pink goo about?" "Don't know. The dog's blood or something." "And I was disgusted?" "Yes." Scully handed Mulder his daughter and watched his hands cradle her softly, so softly, like he was holding the most delicate thing. His fingers were so long and large against the baby's small warm body, dwarfing her with his presence. Scully wondered how long she could have lasted without him with her, but decided not to think about that. "I think it was one of those dreams..." she said quietly, hoping the baby would fall asleep. "About me being gone?" he said and winced as his daughter stirred and gave a whimper. "Yeah, and having the baby taken away from me. I don't know why I had it last night. . .maybe I still feel like this isn't real..." "Oh. Why did the dog die?" She smiled and leaned against his shoulder, stroking the baby's cheek with the back of her finger. "Old. I guess. It looked old." He nodded and she noticed he wasn't paying much attention to her. His eyes were on the baby, his entire concentration was focused on their daughter, excluding nearly everything else. She wondered if he would remember her dream later, and suddenly begin a new conversation. He had done that a lot recently. She was relieved, in a way. She didn't want to remember what it was like in the months she did not have him. She was glad Mulder was distracted by their baby. Suddenly, the little girl squirmed, her eyes crinkling and her mouth opening in a wail. Mulder jumped with the sudden noise and looked to Scully in confusion, helplessness in his eyes. "It's okay," she said and rubbed the baby's belly. "What's wrong with her?" "She's just cranky, trying to fight off sleep." Mulder looked slightly panicked and moved as if to give the baby back to her. "No, no. Just bounce her a little. She'll quiet down and fall asleep." He seemed uncertain but hesitantly jiggled the baby, chewing his lip as she whimpered and squirmed in his arms. Scully stroked their daugher's arm and hummed as Mulder tried to quiet her. "This isn't working, Scully--" "Yes it will. Just wait." It took a full five minutes of Mulder growing increasingly panicked before their little girl closed her eyes again and nestled into his arms, falling asleep quickly. He glanced up to Scully with a brilliant smile, pride and love on his face. "She's sleeping," he said softly. "Yeah. You did it, Daddy." His grin widened and he leaned forward to kiss her, unable to help himself. She brushed a hand along his cheek and inhaled the scent of baby girl and men's cologne and Mulder panic. It was a beautiful combination to her starved senses, something she had not known before but had missed nontheless. Mulder was watching the baby sleep. He watched her all the time, his eyes taking in every movement, every change in her position, every smile that suddenly lit up her face. He told stories to her at bedtime while Scully rocked her to sleep, and he hovered by the rocking chair when she was being fed. He was in love with his daughter and in love with Scully and he was back. The last dog had not died. He had come home. ===== "What's that?" Scully said as he came through the door on Saturday. He took the baby from her and handed her a box with holes. The little girl squirmed and blinked her eyes, then smiled at him. Mulder bounced her in his arms and stroked her head, being careful and gentle and as soft as he could. "What is this?" she said, growing curious and letting a small smile spread across her lips. Mulder leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Something for you." She smiled and settled the heavy, off-balanced box onto the floor. Looking up to see Mulder's sly smile, she shook her head and opened the flaps. A whine and then a blur of fur and tongue was climbing all in her lap and knocking her down. "A beagle?" she laughed and looked up to Mulder as the puppy licked her chin and lips. "Yeah," Mulder replied and squatted down next to her, holding the baby carefully away. "You got me a dog!" "Do you like him?" "Oh, yes--He's adorable. What's his name?" The puppy was jumping on and off her lap, running in a frenzied circle between her and Mulder. Finally he settled for nudging her arm and wagging his tail excitedly. "I don't know. I got him from the Humane Society, took him to the vet and got his shots. You name him." Mulder sat down on the floor next to her, sitting the baby up against his chest so she could follow the puppy's frantic movements with her eyes. She giggled and clapped her hands, blowing spit bubbles. "What should I name him?" "Come on, Scully. Anything you want." "Mulder, I haven't even been able to name the baby. What makes you think I can name a dog?" He smiled and rubbed his finger over the baby's cheek. "How about this? You name the dog, I'll name the baby." She narrowed her eyes and then sighed. "Okay, that's fair." "Good. Have any ideas?" She shrugged and played with the puppy for a moment, letting him chew on her fingers with his baby sharp teeth. After a few minutes, he grew tired and curled into her lap to sleep, his cold nose burrowing into her thigh and his barks turning into soft whuffles. "How about Moby?" Scully said and looked up to Mulder for his approval. He smiled but shook his head. "Why Moby?" "The book...you know it's my favorite." He nodded. "Right. Moby. That's cute. Now for the baby..." She smiled and leaned over to kiss their daughter, feeling relieved that she would have a name. Scully had been insistent that Mulder would return before their daughter was born and they would talk over names then, but he had only been returned to her hours before her delivery. They hadn't had any time to think of baby names. "I have it," Mulder said and smiled. "Tell me. But I reserve the right to veto the name..." "No...no way. A deal's a deal, Scully." "Come on, Mulder--" "All right. But you won't want to veto this one." "So *tell* me already." "Allison." She glanced to the baby, picturing herself calling her daughter Allison, in joy, in tears, in relief, in laughter... "Why Allison?" "Do you like it?" Scully smiled and rubbed the dog's ears. "Yeah. I do. Little Allie." He nodded. "Yeah, baby Allie. Her name means truthful." She grinned. "How appropriate." "You really like it?" he asked, almost anxious. She nodded. "It's beautiful. It's perfect." Mulder brushed a hand along her knee, then leaned in and kissed her softly. "Allison Mulder..." Scully said softly, closing her eyes. "Our baby girl." He laughed into her hair and stroked her cheek. "It's crazy, having a daughter..." "Why's that crazy?" she asked. "I always thought it would be a bad idea. With my messed up life--" "Hush, Mulder. You're a great father." Scully smiled at him and looked down to their daughter--Allie. His dark-haired, blue-eyed baby girl with the smiles of her mother and the curiosity of her father. Allie waved her hand and the dog, Moby, licked her fingers. Mulder glanced to Scully and rubbed Allie's baby hand. "We're a normal family now. Child and a dog." She smirked back at him. "Oh no, Mulder. We're anything but normal." Maybe not normal, but finally whole. ===== end adios RM