Date: Mon, 1 Apr 1996 16:16:38 -0500 (EST)
From: BERNARD CULLINAN <macspooky@erols.com>
Subject: Generations: Valentine's Day


Hi all!  Eowyn and Macspooky here with Mac writing the
intro. and doing all the legal routine.  You know, "Xfiles" and
every one in it belongs to Chris Carter, Fox, Ten Thirteen,
etc.  etc. etc.  You can see all our other stories for the same
routine, so I think it's covered.  Finished up this one on
March 6, 1996.  Giving birth is a difficult process.  Well, in my
case, giving birth to this story proved more time consuming
than giving birth to two live children!  All comments, flames,
etc. can be sent to macspooky@erols.com or
Eowyn  72620.3447@compuserve.com.  
or Eowyn7@ix.netcom.com  Enjoy folks!


Valentine's Day
by Eowyn and Macspooky
Chapter 1
"Paperweight"

     The gray haired man paced down the corridor of the
Hoover building smoking as he went.  He'd come to hate
these meetings with Skinner.  The man had been a useful tool
at one time, now he was a major threat.  If Mulder was a
thorn in his side the AD had become the whole damn
bush.  Mulder stepped on toes and his theories put him out on
the fringes of the Bureau.  Skinner was an astute politician,
very well respected and with some powerful connections. 
There was even talk that when the current director's term
expired Skinner would make an excellent replacement.  
     <Damn... damn... damn.>  And now Skinner was firmly on
Mulder's side.  Hell, worse than that they were now related
by marriage.  <Shit!>  Well at least that fiasco in Arizona had
had one benefit.  Mulder and Skinner were now at odds, not
even speaking if the reports were to be believed.  At least
some good had come out of it.  The pulling of that backup
had been a major miscalculation on one of his associate's part. 
<Davis would pay eventually.  I'm glad I don't have to decide
her fate.  At least I don't have to take the blame for pulling
the backup.>  He doubted that had that been his error he
would be alive today.  You only get so many mistakes and
he'd already made his share with the MJ files.  Another one so
soon and he would have a fatal accident.  Especially with the
heat that was now coming out of the White House.  Faking
Schmidt's record had been a stroke of genius, if he did say so
himself.  With Mulder's track record and cases it was only a
matter of time before her particular problem got him injured
or killed.  He really didn't want the boy to die but he did want
him stopped.  The AD wouldn't have been able to blame him,
with her connections it could never be proved that the
changes hadn't been at the behest of her uncle or failing that
someone who was trying to curry favor with him.  But pulling
the backup had been sheer stupidity.  It then became obvious
that unofficial forces were involved and Skinner had been a
master at playing this fact to his advantage.
     All the AD had had to do was to allow Schmidt's uncle to
receive all the facts.  Skinner didn't have to lie, exaggerate or
even let the man in on all the background, just enough so that
he realized that there were conspiracies in the government
unknown to the White House.  Now the Executive Branch
was stirring up a firestorm in DC trying to get to the bottom
of what was going on.  And his group had had to assume an
extremely low profile.
     Making an enemy of Assistant Director Walter Skinner
had been a major miscalculation.  The man played hard ball
and he was playing it now.  When had Skinner chosen sides? 
Scully.  Yes it all went back to Dana Scully's disappearance...
hell even before that to her assignment to the X-Files.  It had
seemed perfect.  Brilliant, smart, ambitious, good little girl
scientist assigned to debunk Mulder's work.  It should have
been the last straw to force him out of the FBI or at the
very least to make him look like a fool.  Instead the
"obedient" little girl had been willing to listen to Mulder's
stupid theories and consider them, and then she had forced
him to prove them to her.  Hell, that was worse than the
partners that just treated him as a nut case.  She respected
him and focused him so that his work became more scientific,
more based in fact and his solve rate, no their solve rate went
through the roof.  Instead of being at each others throats,
they became one of the best teams in the FBI.  Well he'd let
that go on for about a year before he pulled together all his
resources and had the X-files closed down.  Skinner had 
protested even then but had eventually acquiesced.
     They had still continued to work together through all the
crap that was thrown at Mulder. <That was my major
mistake.>  He thought to himself as he ground out another of
the foul tasting cigarettes.  <I should have just let them work
together unofficially, but no, I had to try to stop them all
together and had her taken.>  That had sent Mulder around
the bend, a very satisfying occurrence, but it had also pissed
Skinner off royally, big mistake.  It had not been worth it,
getting Skinner mad.  The AD had reopened the X-files and
had gone after him tooth and nail.  
     And he had met Margaret Scully.  <Skinner in love.  What
 a delightful thought.>  The smoking man mused to himself 
sarcastically.  <And Mulder married to Scully.  Bloody 
Noah's ark.  It should have distracted them, but no, they 
were more insistent than ever at getting at the truth and 
more dangerous.>  Because Skinner had started calling in all 
sorts of favors and circulating information that he and his 
associates would prefer to keep secret.  Before, the AD had 
been a man trying to do his job to the best of his abilities. 
He'd been rather naive about certain aspects of the
government he worked for, and somewhat protective of 
Mulder.  Now he was alert and becoming a player, damn
near as driven and intense as Mulder, and very protective 
of the younger agent.  Word was out among those in the 
know at the Bureau that if you wanted Mulder you were 
going to have to go through the Assistant Director to get 
him.  Well hopefully between the fight with the boy and 
this new baby... 
     The AD's son had been born a couple of weeks previously. 
He'd taken a couple of days off  but had refused to take
longer.  Seems he didn't trust Davis.  <She's lost her
usefulness.  Might as well have her transferred out since
Skinner wasn't going to let her into a position of power
again.> When he'd suggested to Davis that she should protest
Skinner's treatment of her as discriminatory against her
because she was a woman she had glared and said that she
couldn't.  The AD obviously had something on her and if that
was the case she was useless where she was.  He took
another puff and debated what to do about her.  <Mostly
useless, but too dangerous to leave on her own.   Hmmm.> 
Well with Mulder and Skinner at odds maybe it didn't matter.  
He paused to light another cigarette before entering into AD
Skinner's office satisfied that for the time being at least
Mulder was under control.

     Walter Skinner looked up as Cancerman entered the
office.  <God how he hated these meetings.>  The only
satisfaction he got was that the smoking bastard now seemed
to hate them as much as he did.  As a result they were now
infrequent, short and to the point.  They sat down to discuss
several current cases.
     Skinner then proceeded to detail the progress of a White
House investigation into the cancellation of backup on the
Arizona case.  He was pleased to see that Cancerman looked
uncomfortable at the discussion.  By now the AD was firmly
convinced that the man before him hadn't been behind the
backup cancellation.  He seemed as angry about it as Skinner
had been.  Walter knew that it wasn't because of what had
almost happened to Mulder but because of the trouble it had
brought down on his head.  Skinner decided to use the
leverage this investigation had given him to try and remove a
thorn in his side.  "As you can see from the records both the
alterations of Agent Schmidt's file and the cancellation of the
back up can be traced back to Davis' office.  I feel that it is
about time that she was removed from Washington.  Perhaps
the Bismark office could use her talents or maybe Fairbanks? 
I believe they both have openings." 
     Cancerman hated being dictated to, but Skinner had him
by the balls.  He nodded his agreement.  <Davis would now
have to be watched.  Bitter operatives often talked.>  It was
when he turned away from Skinner in disgust that he saw it. 
<F**k!  It couldn't be... but it is.  Damned alien paper
weight.>  He had it on good authority that the last one had
been smashed to pieces against Skinner's wall.  If you looked
hard enough you could still see the dent.  So where did this
one come from?  Surely not...?  No.  Reports said that the
break was final.  Yet who else would have given him such a
thing?  The AD certainly wouldn't buy it for himself.  He
turned to look at Skinner.
     Walter Skinner met his eyes with an ice cold smile of
satisfaction.  <This feels almost as good as telling him to kiss
my ass.  Well let's rub his nose in it, he'll find out soon
enough anyway.>  "Excuse me a minute but our meeting is
running a little long and I'm expected somewhere."
     The AD walked over to his phone and buzzed Angela. 
Skinner watched Cancerman's face as he talked to his
assistant thinking, <Should I call him Fox?  No.  That might
be pushing it.>  
     "Angela, would you call Agent Mulder and tell him
my meeting's running slightly longer than I thought and that
I'll meet him for lunch in an hour.  Thanks."  He saw a look of
pure hatred swiftly cross the smoking bastard's face before it
was quickly replaced with one of cold indifference.  
     <Damn.  All this shit coming down from the White House
and apparently they are on speaking terms again.  Well, we'll
have to see what we can do about that.>  He thought to
himself before finishing the meeting quickly and leaving.  
     Skinner finished filling out the reports and forms for
Davis' transfer.  He signed off on them feeling very satisfied
that he had gotten rid of or at least gotten out of the way one
traitorous agent.  He was looking forward to informing her of
her transfer to North Dakota this afternoon.  Finishing early
he headed to Mulder's office to see if he was ready.


     Knocking on the door marked Special Agent Fox Mulder
Walter Skinner entered when he heard Mulder call out.  "I
got done early and thought I 'd see if you were ready."
     "Yeah I can go now."  Mulder stood up, grabbed his suit
jacket off the back of the chair, and walked towards his boss,
putting on his suit coat as he went.  As he started to reach
behind Skinner for his overcoat he sniffed.  "Damn it, Walter,
you stink."
     "Very funny, Fox.  I've been closeted with you know who
all morning."  
     "That's obvious from the smell.  Anything productive or
are they going to shut me down next week?"
     "Not as long as I have any say in the matter.  And yeah we
had a productive little discussion."
      At his grim smile Mulder pumped him for more.  "So are
you going to tell me why your looking so sated?  I know it's
not because Cancerman's nickname is BJ.  Let me guess
they've got a giant sewer slug under the streets of New York
that they want me to chase down."
      Skinner gave Mulder a disapproving look before
answering, "Not exactly.  The DC office is going to be losing
one of its more ambitious female agents to the North Dakota
field office.  I'm afraid I can't tell you who until she's been
informed."  At Mulder's wide grin Skinner cut in before
he could say anything.  "Seems that some rather unfortunate
decisions have been traced back to her office.  Oh, by the
way, Cancerman noticed my new paperweight.  He didn't like
it at all.  I'd be careful if I were you. His group could get
mean if pushed and the White House is pushing."
      Mulder smiled even more and squeezed Walter's shoulder
before grabbing his coat.  "You know that news makes
dinning with you smelling like this worth it.  I'll watch my
back.  Wish I could have seen his face though.  What do you
feel like for lunch?"  They headed out the door.
____________
End Chapter 1

===========================================================================


All disclaimers still apply

Valentine's Day
By Macspooky and Eowyn
Chapter 2
"Thing Gets Lucky...or Mulder's Ultimate Indignity"

     Dana and Fox stood in the nursery looking at the piles of
baby things that had suddenly come their way.  Today had
been Dana's last day at work.  Although she was not due for
another month, she had suddenly gotten huge.  She had had
to buy a support belt to hold her abdomen and keep pressure
off her bladder and her feet had begun to swell.  When Fox
had called Amy, and Amy had insisted she begin her
maternity leave, Dana hadn't argued.  There were times when
she still felt as though she were walking on eggshells with
Fox since Arizona, and she had been treading just a wee bit
carefully.  Things had been wonderful between them, but she
knew Fox worried about her all the time now.  She was trying
very hard to be considerate of his feelings.  He would always
have his dark moments, his bleak moods.  There would
be times when he was difficult to live with, but in the
end he always came around, and then she would try very hard
to be extra gentle with him.  The bad times came when he
was deeply emotionally involved with something or someone,
as he had been with his unborn child these nine months.
     Fox watched his wife sort the baby clothes removing
tickets and getting them ready to be laundered.  No one had
been more shocked than he had at the baby shower that had
been thrown for her at the office.  He had had no idea that
"Mrs. Spooky" had been so popular.  Of course, he
admittedly tended to be oblivious to these things.  Female
staff members had taken her out to lunch.  He had gone off to
do some research, and when he came back he had found his
door sealed with crime scene tape and a keep out sign.  He
had immediately burst in, only to find it filled with women. 
Banners had been hung all over, and his desk had been
stacked with presents.  Raucous laughter filled the air.  He
had excused himself quickly seeing Dana looking so surprised
and happy.  The scene was so entirely normal and he knew
that every once in awhile, his wife needed the normal, the
mundane, to maintain her sanity in the face of his frequent
"madness."  He had met Skinner in the hallway who had
informed him that Angela had organized the shower
"amongst" the girls, but that he felt obligated to stick his nose
in and say hello.  Fox wished him luck and with a pleased
chuckle headed out.  He would never be able to find anything
again, but that was okay.  Somehow, he didn't mind as much
as he might have under other circumstances. Also, Dana had
informed him later that Skinner had walked in just as one of
the secretaries was making guestimates as to the size of the
private parts of the Assistant Director's anatomy just as
he had walked in the door, and the description of his face
when he had heard it was well worth the loss of some
paperwork.  All information that could be used to needle
"Wally" was always more than welcome.
     Now the nursery resembled a baby superstore and after
way he had teased Skinner about overkill in the infantwear
and toys department!  His mom had sent so much, and Aunt
Sophia had gone crazy buying boy's clothing which she had
insisted that they were going to need inspite of the fact that
they were certain it was a girl.  She had even purchased a
second crib and chest of drawers in a beautiful dark pine and
told them that if they didn't like it, she would just move it
downstairs for when she had visitors.  They had indulged her
eccentricities.  How could you argue with wonderful after all? 
Dana had asked that no one in the family give her a shower. 
She had missed Melissa's because she had been ill, and she
had wanted Margaret to get a lot of attention so they had
thrown a huge one for her, and she already had so many
things, she had felt it would be wasteful.  Besides, there was a
point when people got royally sick of baby showers, and
Dana felt, wisely, that it had been reached in her family.  
With what she had gotten today, they were suffering from a
severe glut of baby clothes.  Someone had even purchased
them a vibrating baby chair, something his wife had declared
to him later was the "ultimate waste" in baby equipment.  
     Fox slipped his arms around her from behind and nuzzled
her neck.
     "Happy ?" he whispered in her ear rubbing her tummy.
     "Yes..."
     "Me too...."  One hand worked its way to her breast as
another slid down in the opposite direction.  Unlike many
men who were turned off by their pregnant wife's size, he had
never found her more sexy or responsive... not that she had
ever been unresponsive.  
     "Mmm..." she murmured as his hand found it's target. He
was pressed tightly against her, filled with desire.   Suddenly
the doorbell rang... and rang... and rang...
     "Get rid of them...." admonished Dana.  While he was
gone, she was going to move this little exercise to the bed. 
The baby clothes could be washed later.  She wasn't due for
another month.
     "Hold your damn horses will you...." yelled Fox going to
the door.  His weapon was at ready although not revealed.  It
was quite a sight that assailed him when he finally reached the
door.
     "Bluto" must have stood 6'4" tall and weighed 300 lbs. all
of it solid muscle.  He had hair down to his shoulders and
wore a Viking hat, leather dropped waist bell bottoms with
studs and a ripped t-shirt.  Fox thought of him as Bluto
because on one arm he had a large tattoo of Popeye
and on the other Olive Oyl.  In his hand he held a picnic
basket.
     "Are you Fox Mulder?"
     "Uh... yeah..." said Fox.
     The man pushed his way in the door.  Fox caught sight of
a Harley-Davidson.... vintage....parked in the garden, the
flower bed to be exact.
     "Your son is responsible for my daughter..." said the man.
     "There must be some mistake... I don't have a son...." He
was reaching for his gun.
     "Oh yeah.... well, if you can't keep the little bastard on a
leash, you can deal with the results.  I hate this f**king thing
anyway.  Damn women have to have them you know."  He
shoved the picnic basket into an astonished Mulder's hands
and walked out the door so fast the agent didn't have a
chance to react.  Before Fox knew it, Bluto was on his
motorcycle and had roared out the gate and down the street
just as two police cars converged on the house.
     "Fox..." said Dana from the top of the stairs.  She had
gotten worried when he hadn't come back up.
     The police came in.
     "We got a report of  trouble at this address.... someone
said there was a weird guy hanging out in front of the house."
     "Uh..." said Fox... "I... uh... don't quite know... I mean...
this guy in a Popeye tattoo came to the door and gave me
this..."  He knew he didn't sound very coherent.  It had been a
difficult day.   
    "There is a ticking sound coming from this basket..." said
the younger of the two police officers.  He looked all of
nineteen and fresh out of the academy.
     "Oh my God... Out... both of you... out now... I'll go radio
the bomb squad..." said the other patrolman.  
     Fox gently set down the basket and gathering Dana
headed out the door.  <I wander if this could be cancerman's
revenge for Davis.  Wouldn't think so.  Too heavy handed for
his style but you never know.>  Quickly he went to the
downstairs apartment and got Aunt Sophia and Thing
and Krycek.  The two cars cordoned off the area and kept
neighbors at bay.


     Walter Skinner had left work a little early, something of a
rarity for him. He was fed up from all the meetings he had
had earlier.  Meetings... Meetings... Meetings... That was the
beauty of government.  Nothing got done because the
employees were always at meetings about why things
weren't getting done.  Meg had promised him a roast beef
dinner, and he was eager to get home and play with Jr. Fox. 
Somehow or other, much to the consternation of his son-in-law,
that was the name that had stuck, not the child's first
name of Walter.  He took it philosophically.  It was better
than Wally.  At least there would be no "Leave It To Beaver"
jokes in his little boy's life.      
      Anyway, he had neglected to turn off his scanner, and all
of a sudden he heard Mulder's address... Mulder's address... 
bomb squad... Oh, God, what now?  Maybe he shouldn't 
have been surprised that something was going down at the 
Mulder place.  It had been what... maybe two hours since 
Mulder had gotten into trouble... that long?... Then there 
was always Cancerman... he had been none too happy that 
the AD and Mulder were working together again.   And jeez 
with Dana pregnant...  He did a wheelie in his little sport's 
car and was promptly stopped by a traffic cop... oh great... 
"Make my day." They lived in the murder capital of the 
world and this bozo was giving traffic tickets to FBI 
directors...  By the time he convinced the cop of who he 
was and where he was going, and actually got to Mulder's 
house, the street was blocked off,  and the press had 
arrived... and two guys from the bomb squad dressed in full 
armor were coming out of Mulder's house.
     "Walter Skinner... AD, FBI... What the hell is going on
here?"
     "Some guy in a Popeye tattoo left a picnic basket here. He
looked weird so neighbors called the police.  It was ticking so
they notified the bomb squad...." said a young officer.
     "Is this some kind of a joke?" roared one of the bomb
squad men.  He was in Mulder's face.  "I mean we get all
geared up... get the adrenaline pumping and... I think you are
under arrest..."
     "Hey?" said Mulder backing away.
     "Well, somebody is going to be f**king under arrest..."
ranted the man.
     Skinner approached flashing his ID.  "What's going on?"
     "This... this is what is going on..." the enraged police man
spat opening the picnic basket. Inside was a small
immaculately groomed terrified white poodle who looked as
though she had been tranquilized and a litter of five pups all
of whom bore a distinct resemblance to Thing.  The
guy in the Popeye tattoo had lain them neatly and gently on
clean receiving blankets and had placed in the basket a small
ticking clock apparently to sooth the pups during the
motorcycle ride.
     "I'll kill him...." roared Mulder.  "So that's what you were
doing when you slipped the leash that night you little
bastard...."  He walked toward Thing whom Sophia had on a
leash with a menacing look on his face and as the video
camera rolled, Thing told him exactly what he thought
of the situation by lifting his leg and peeing all over his brand
new $200 leather work shoes.
     "Okay... that's it..." roared Skinner.  "Everybody go home. 
Party is over."  He turned to the policeman in charge and said
with a smile,  "Think we can put an APB out on the man who
abandoned the puppies?  There must be some law against it
somewhere."  The police sergeant shook his head no but
smiled ruefully.
     Just then Meg ran up with Jr. Fox in the front carrier... 
"My, God... Walter... Dana's neighbor called..."  She looked
frantic which didn't help Skinner's mood.  It was too soon
after her surgery for aggravation.
     "Everything is okay, Meg...." he said slipping an arm
around her forcing himself to remain calm. 
     "But they said....."
     "False alarm....."  he squeezed her gently.  "Mulder,
Scully, Sophia.... back in the house."  He turned his attention
back to the policemen and told the senior officer to have fun
dealing with his young recruit.  Poor kid was never going to
live it down. Calling the bomb squad for a postpartum
poodle.  Then they all went inside, Fox sort of hopping in one
stockinged foot.
     "Uh..... I'll make coffee....." said Dana.  She looked at Fox
and started to laugh.  
     "So much for my roast beef dinner...." muttered Walter.
     "Well, thank God everyone is okay...." said Meg.  Sophia
who held Thing protectively in her arms was looking into the
picnic basket.  "You've been a very naughty boy, Thing...."
she said softly.
     "Oh, my, is this what all the fuss is about?" asked Meg. 
She handed the baby to Walter ignoring the steam that was
still coming out of his ears.  He was still somewhat undecided
about whether or not to have a snit at Mulder.  <Only
Mulder!>  I mean it didn't exactly make the Bureau look
good to have a tough G-Man being put into his place by a
five pound Pom.  He sure hoped it wasn't a slow news day or
Mulder would be the film at eleven.
     The little white poodle snarled.... terrified.
     "Oh, it's okay, sweetie," said Margaret softly slowly
holding out a hand for the terrified animal to sniff.  "Poor
little thing... you must be so frightened... how can something
your size protect your babies?"  Within a moment, she had
eased the dog out of the basket, always within sight of
her babies.  "It's okay."
     "What the hell am I supposed to do with a goddamed
poodle and a litter of puppies..." muttered Mulder who was
going through a phone book intently.  "I hate poodles. Your
ass is grass, Thing..." Dana wasn't saying much... anything in
fact.  She was too afraid she was going to lose it and start
laughing again, and once she did, she would never be able to
stop.  The look on his face when Thing had lifted his leg....
She chewed on her lip and watched the coffee drip.
     "But they are so cute..." said Margaret...  "Don't worry.  
We'll take two... maybe two little females.  Jr. Fox is going to
need pets...."
     "We will?" inquired Walter.  "He does?" <Jeez...what the
hell have I gotten myself into... kids, grandkids... now dogs...
Over grown rats more like.>
     Mulder looked up from the phone book at Walter, who
was not looking happy at the thought.  His father-in-law with
two little dust mops... maybe this had an up side after all.  If
word got out at the Bureau... Skinner looked like the great
dane type or maybe a doberman but two little fuzz balls. 
<Hell, they were going to be even smaller than Thing judging
by the mother's size.  Next Christmas a picture of the AD
with two little dogs... now what do I want not to publish....
hmmm?>
     "Well, of course.  Bill and I could never have a dog when
the kids were growing up, but JF here is going to be more
fortunate." laughed Margaret.  "What do you call these things
anyway PommyPoos... Pooranians...
     "Please, mom, stop..." pleaded Dana.  She was laughing
so hard now she had to put down the cup of coffee she was
pouring and run to the bathroom.
      Mulder and Skinner exchanged looks.  Mulder, who had
been frantically leafing through the yellow pages, muttered
something about Oodles of Pompoodles and went to the
phone as Dana returned and poured coffee and Sophia went
for a large box and some old towels and blankets.  She tore
out the side and placed Mama Dog and puppies in it along
with the basket and clock and set out a bowl of water and
some of Thing's food for the mother who was ravenous and
thirsty.
     "No... I have to leave him tonight..." Mulder was saying... 
"Okay, that's fine... No problem... so long as I can bring him
tonight..."  He hung up the phone.  "Say, Walt, how would
you like to do me a big favor since you are going to be the
father of two of these Pommypooranians...."
     "Uh what do you need, Mulder?" he asked reluctantly.  He
had already missed out on the roast beef over "the case of the
exploding poodle" as he was coming to think of it.  Hmm...
maybe Cancerman really had set this little domestic comedy
up.  If you couldn't kill them, drive them crazy... It was
plausible... sort of.  <I'm starting to get as paranoid as Fox!>
     "Company to the all night animal hospital in Annapolis,"
he grinned.  "They said if I bring Thing tonight... they'll
operate tomorrow, humanely of course, which is more than
he deserves,  and we can bring him home later in the day.  
Then, you little son of a bitch...." he grinned wickedly in
Thing's direction, "we can start calling you No Nuts."  He
looked around at the women... all the women... daring them
to say something.  Nobody did.
     "I'm starved," he announced.  "How about I order out
some Chinese?"
     Squawk... Squawk... No nuts... Squawk... No Nuts... No
Nuts... No Nuts...
     "Do they do parrots too?" inquired Scully innocently.
     "Scully, I'm not even sure they have figured out where a
parrot's nuts are," Fox informed her.
     "Or even if they have any..." added Skinner dryly.
     "Well, you better watch out...." said Margaret ominously. 
"We know just what to do if either one of you ever decides to
slip your leash one night.  We know just where they are, and
my daughter is well qualified to do the surgery.  We won't
need the all night animal hospital either."
     "Uh... I'm really hungry, Mulder," said Skinner quickly...
"Let's not call... Let's go pick up the food and afterwards
maybe we can take the scenic route down to Annapolis...
even if it is after dark.  We don't really need this coffee
anyway."


      After dinner Mulder and Skinner loaded Thing up and
headed to drop him off at the animal hospital.  Skinner was
still slightly irritated at Mulder for managing to again stir up
trouble.  He supposed it wasn't really Fox's fault this time but
how the hell he always managed to...  
      Mulder's words interrupted his train of thought.  "Well I
managed to make an ass of myself, again.  I should have just
lifted the damn lid after getting everybody out and then the
police wouldn't have scrambled the bomb squad and I
wouldn't end up looking like an idiot.  Spooky Mulder the
biggest paranoid stooge in the FBI."
     Walter who had been thinking the same thing most of the
evening suddenly decided that he was the one being idiotic. 
"Damn it, Fox.  You've got reason to be afraid.  Admittedly a
bomb isn't Cancerman's style, but still, you never know.  Hell,
I don't know how far Davis would go but she didn't take her
transfer well and that tape you gave me was one of the major
clubs I held over her head to get her to accept it without
protest.  Do I have to go on with the list?  Don't take chances
with your safety, okay?"
     "It wasn't a chance..."
     "But we didn't know that.  Did we?  Hell the bomb squad
took it seriously until they ran a few tests.  I want your word
that you'll play it safe."
     "I always..."
     Now Walter was getting mad again but for a different
reason.  "No you don't.  You put your life on the line all the
time for people who can't defend themselves.  Blindly
jumping in to help someone before weighing the dangers or
the consequences to yourself.  I've been on egg shells
since I pulled Scully off field work afraid that something
would come up and that no one would be there to back you
up.  You've got to stop taking unnecessary risks."
     "Yes, Sir."  Mulder's voice was firm but Walter couldn't
tell from the tone whether he had made Fox mad, hurt his
feelings or if everything he had just said had fallen on deaf
ears.  He doubted that Mulder would take him seriously.



      It was eight pm a couple of days after the trip to the
animal hospital with Thing and Walter Skinner was tired and
depressed.  He had had to assign Fox Mulder to the VCS
section for the next three months and he didn't like it at all. 
Mulder had stormed out of his office that afternoon furious
with his decision but until Scully made it back it was just too
risky to have Mulder out on his own investigating and with
the luck that he'd had for picking replacement partners he
wasn't about to assign someone new to Fox.  So when the
pressure for the temporary reassignment had come down he
hadn't fought it too hard.  This time the pressure was from
the White House.  They wanted the agent who appeared to be
the target of the backup being pulled out of field work
while they finished their investigation.  They didn't want any
'accidents' in the line of duty.  
     Well at least the smoke had stopped coming from the
adjoining office an hour ago. Cancerman must be gone.  That
smoking bastard, he knew had to be behind the pressure
Walter was under to get Fox Mulder out from under the AD's
direct authority.  Well profiles of killers should be
relatively safe for Mulder for the time being.  Walter
wondered how long Fox would be mad this time and sighed. 
Why couldn't they just leave Mulder alone.  He hadn't stirred
up any trouble for several months, they should just let sleeping
dogs lie.  


     Cancerman was finishing up several reports and none to
happy.  The damn day had gone on forever and he'd run out
of cigarettes over an hour ago.  Well he at least had the
satisfaction of pissing Agent Mulder off.  Skinner should have
his hands full for awhile.  He was getting ready to leave when
he stopped and listened to voices coming from the AD's
office.
     "Come in."  Walter Skinner called in answer to a knock on
his office door.
     "Hey, Walt, you're going to miss Little Squirt's bath time
if you stay here much longer.  Come on, call it a night and I'll
give you a ride home."
     <Shit that was Mulder and he didn't sound the least bit
upset with Skinner.  The SOB even called him Walt!> 
Cancerman thought to himself, wishing more than ever for a
cigarette he even contemplated the used ones in the ashtray. 
<No.  I'm not that desperate.  Yet.>
     Walter Skinner looked up a bit surprised himself to see
Fox smiling at him.  "I figured you wouldn't be talking to me
for awhile?"
     "Hell, Walt, I wasn't mad at you, I know your hands are
tied.  Doesn't mean I have to like it though.  I really hate
seeing them push you around because of the X-files.  Besides
with Dana due in a few weeks it's kind of nice not to have to
go gallivanting all over the country chasing aliens and
monsters.  Unless something major comes up between now
and when she returns from maternity leave I'll ride it out here
in DC."
     Walter smiled at Fox.  Maybe his talk the other night had
gotten through.  After his last major burst of anger over the
Phoenix case his son-in-law really seemed to have lost the
edge of anger that had driven him for so long.  Some of the
guilt, too, apparently.  <Fox might actually let himself be
happy for a change.>  "Let me sign off on this report and then
I'll take you up on that ride home."  Something about
Mulder's look told him that Fox had more on his mind.  
     "Okay, Fox, what's bothering you?"
     <Fox?  Nobody calls him Fox.  Do they?  Damn I want a
cigarette.>
     "You should drive in when you're going to work this late. 
It's not safe walking after dark to the subway on cold nights
like this.  There aren't many people out and gang activity has
been increasing."  At his father-in-law's disgusted look
Mulder continued.  "Don't give me that crap. You're the one
who's always telling me that anyone can be a target.  I
distinctly remember you lecturing me just two days ago about
taking unnecessary risks.  Well that goes for you, too.  Two
or three gang members together on an ambush... even with
your gun... look it doesn't hurt to be cautious, okay?"
     "I'll take it under advisement, mother."
     "Very funny.  Come on, Dad, Mom said she'd wait til nine
to give Squirt a bath."
     "Not Junior Fox?"
     "Now don't you start.  Growing up with the moniker of
Fox was bad enough.  Junior Fox is god awful.  Despite what
all the Scullys insist on calling him.  I don't hear you calling
him that by the way."
     "Yea.  I agree Junior Fox isn't my favorite appellation, but
it beats Little Wally all to hell.  Last thing the poor little
fellow needs is to be constantly asked where the Beav is."
     "Well what did you want him to be called?"
     "Either Fox or Walt would have been fine with me."
     "Well I have the feeling that he's going to have to grow
into those.  You know every now and then when Scully gets
real pissed at her big brother she'll call him Billy.  It's great...
she really manages to get under his skin with that.  Makes
him feel about ten years old is my guess from the way he
acts."
     "I saw her do that last week.  Very funny.  'Course it
unfortunately reminds me of my sister." 
     At Mulder's sudden grin and move to comment
Walter interrupted him.  "Don't start, Mulder."
     "Now would I do that, Wally?"
     <Skinner's son was named after Mulder!  Wally?!  F**k.> 
He grabbed one of the butts out of the ashtray and lit up.
     They grinned at each other.  "Guess he's going to be Little
Squirt to us for awhile."  Mulder finished.  "Come on, Walt, I
want to get home."
     Cancerman heard Skinner's office door open and close. 
After all that he had just heard he realized that it would be
virtually impossible to come between Walter Skinner and Fox
Mulder.  They were closer than anyone had suspected. 
<Dad?  Shit!  I should have figured.  That boy's smarter than
either of us, Bill.>  Well he would have to come up with a
new plan to stop Mulder's work.  In the mean time he needed
a smoke and a drink.  He sure as hell wasn't about to report
this development to his superiors.
__________
End Chapter 2


===========================================================================


All disclaimers still apply

"Valentine's Day"
by Eowyn and Macspooky
Chapter 3
"Waiting"

     Fox didn't know why he decided to leave work early.  He
really had nothing pressing to do and he had already put in his
forty hours anyway.  Maybe it had something to do with the
fact that the entire building seemed empty without Dana in it. 
He put his key in the door and was promptly greeted by
Thing.  Having duly recuperated from his surgery, the little
monster had become suddenly devoted to his master. With a
sigh Fox bent over and picked him up carefully in case he
was still sore.  It had only been 48 hours since they had
brought him home after all.  Besides he felt a little guilty... I
mean suppose someone had cut his nuts off after Dr. Bambi...
not that, he only realized later, Dana hadn't been tempted. 
Bambi calling him Fox had really pissed Dana off.
     "Hi, stupid," he muttered, "Guess Aunt Sophia went to
visit someone huh...."  Krycek sat in the corner of the family
room carelessly scattering seeds.  "No... nuts.... No... nuts...."
he began to repeat over and over.  Fox chuckled.  Jeez... it
was so much more peaceful when Sophia was home. 
Something smelled good coming from the kitchen and he
decided to check it out.  The sight  that assailed him came as
something of a shock.  Dana was standing with the
refrigerator door open staring into it... a cleaning rag in her
hand.  He swore the baby had gotten bigger just
since he'd left for work that morning.  Tears were running
down her face.
     "Dana, what is it?" he asked in alarm.
     "There's nothing to clean...." she sniffed closing the door. 
She knew she was being really silly but she wanted to clean
her house.  
     "Of course there isn't.  Mrs. Evans keeps the house
immaculate..."  Fran Evans was an old friend of Dana's mom. 
She had raised five kids but then the death of her husband had
left her at a loss and with a greatly diminished income.  Meg
had suggested that she use her domestic skills to start a
cleaning business.  To her consternation, Walter had been the
first to hire her and Fox Mulder had been the second.  She
kept Meg's suburban house spotless for lookers and the
Mulder house immaculate.
     "But I..." she made an effort to pull herself together. 
Jeez... she wasn't due for another three weeks... and she was
going crazy....
     "But you are acting silly..." he said .  Seeing the hurt look
that crossed her face, he mentally kicked himself.  He put the
dog down and taking the cleaning rag from her hand wrapped
his arms around her.
     "Feeling a little lost?" he asked softly.  He felt her nod yes.
     "It's okay..."  She looked up at him. 
     "I didn't think... I didn't realize what it was going to be
like.... not being your partner..." she said.
     "But you are my partner... You'll always be my partner...
Mr. and Mrs. Spooky against the world..."   Thing was
scratching at his leg to get back up but Mulder pushed him
away.  The dog went over to Mrs. Thing and the pups but she
snarled at him so in a snit he went to join Krycek. 
The bird always welcomed his company.  He had vague
thoughts of what he could do to Mulder's pants leg on the
way by, but somehow that didn't seem quite as much fun
anymore since his surgery, so he quietly retreated leaving his
people embracing.  Ignoring the animals, Fox brought
his lips down against his wife's and kissed her.  
     "I have an idea, sweetie." he said, "Let's go pick up your
wedding ring at the jeweler.  It's been ready for a few days. 
It's not too cold out.  We can walk."
     "Okay," she said with a smile. When  he was like this, it
was difficult to remember the bad times.  She wondered how
many women were married to men who were happy  just to
hold them sometimes the way Fox did.
     There were hints of spring in the air even though it was
only mid-February.  It happened like that in Washington
sometimes, rare precious moments during dull gray winters
when one was lifted out of the doldrums and reminded of
daffodils and sunshine to come. 
     "Oh, look Fox.... crocus..." she said looking down at the
small front garden.  They had popped up right through the
Harley tire tracks Bluto had left in the garden.  "Aren't they
lovely?"
     "Yeah...." he grinned, "Harley little flowers aren't they?" 
Dana moaned and then laughed. That was about the worse
joke he had ever told... nearly as bad as the one about the
Rary.  They stood for a long moment studying the patch of
earth, and perhaps for the first time, Fox stopped
thinking of the house as a noose around his neck and started
thinking of it as his own patch of earth, a place where his
little girl could pick flowers.  Then, arms wrapped around
each other, they headed to jewelers to get Dana's ring.  
     It still didn't fit of course.  They had known it wouldn't,
but he didn't quite expect it to distress her the way it did.  For
a moment he thought she might cry, but she was out in public
and would not permit herself to do so.  Then something
caught his eye and he started to laugh.  He said something to
the jeweler.
     "We'll take it... it's perfect...  You can wear it instead of
your wedding ring..." He held it up to her.  It was a gold
charm for her bracelet... a whimsical little thing of a pregnant
woman.  When she saw it she couldn't help but laugh.
     "I'm not so sure I want to be reminded of being as big as a
house...."
     "Of course you do.... One day soon when you haven't
slept in three weeks, these will seem like the good old days..."
he laughed.  "Come on, love... Let's go home to our beautiful
house and menagerie."
     "Okay, but you have to get me an ice cream cone on the
way... Pistachio... it has to be pistachio..."
     "Anything, babe, as long as you don't put sardines on
top...."  
     After picking up the desired ice cream cone they stopped
and rented a movie, and after they had eaten dinner Dana
made some pop corn and they settled in to watch it, Thing
and Krycek settled on Fox's lap.  Mrs. Thing wasn't leaving
her pups much yet, so she couldn't be included in the group. 
They watched the film for awhile, but it was rather boring.
     "You know, sweetheart, we've never discussed a middle
name for the baby," said Dana.
     "We've never discussed a name," he replied feeling a little
weird somehow.  Here he was in a house that he owned, his
arm around a pregnant wife, a dog and a parrot sitting on his
lap, and a poodle with a litter of puppies in the kitchen.  What
the hell had happened?
     "We've never had to, Spook.  I always knew it would be
Samantha...."
     "I love you for that, Dana..." he said softly, "for giving up
choosing a name because you thought I wanted Samantha..."
     "But don't you?"
     "No, babe... if we call our daughter Samantha that would
be like... well, it would just kind of like admitting that she
wasn't ever coming back... I mean unless you had your heart
set on the name...."
     "No... pick one... a name..." she looked up at him and
smiled.... bravely.
     "How about Hortense?"
     "Henrietta..." she countered.
     "Wilhimina...."
     "Prudence...."
     "Brenda..." he said finally.  He knew if he kept her
laughing she was going to have to get up and go to the
bathroom and he liked her right where she was.
     "But what about your promise to Gran?"
     "I promised I wouldn't name my son Brendan... I didn't
say anything about a daughter..."
     "It's beautiful, Fox.  I've always loved it."
     "So pick a middle name...."
     "Marie," she said immediately.  "Brenda Marie
Mulder....."
     "Brenda Marie Scully Mulder," he replied.  He bent over
and kissed her.  Then he placed Thing and Krycek on the love
seat and held out his hand to help her up.
     "And just what exactly do you have in mind Mr. Mulder?"
she asked him on the way up the stairs.
     "You'll see.... if I can find the key to that stupid chastity
belt you are wearing...."
     "Oh, you mean the one that is holding the baby in..." she
chuckled because that was the way it felt.
     "It'll be alright...."
     "Okay, Mulder, but if you get bitten I'm not going to tell
everyone it was Thing..."
     "Little babies don't have teeth...." he said as they entered
the bedroom.  He started slipping her blouse off.  She
shivered with anticipation.
     "Sometimes they do, Mulder... sometimes they do.... That,
however, will be your problem." She pulled him down on the
bed next to her and began showering him with kisses.
___________
End Chapter 3


===========================================================================


All disclaimers still apply

"Valentine's Day"
by Eowyn and Macspooky
Chapter 4
"Never Laugh at Aunt Sophia"
 
    "Okay push, Dana.  Again...  Very good.  I can see the
head, shouldn't be long now."  Dr. Amy Chan was
encouraging one of her patients.  
     Fox Mulder felt a hand squeeze his shoulder.  "How are
you holding up, Fox?"
     "I could use a drink.  This is taking forever."  At the look
his wife shot him he decided any more such comments would
have to wait until he was alone with Walter.
     Walter Skinner seeing his step daughter's look and
Mulder's sudden discomfort grinned and replied.  "Buck up,
Mulder, you've been in worse situations.  Think of the Jersey
sewer."
     Dana Scully Mulder shot her step father a look that shut
him up quickly.  As far as she was concerned he wasn't her
boss right now and another crack like that and he was going
to get a piece of her mind.  <Oh god here comes another
contraction.  Breath... breath... breath... PUSH...!>
     "Come on sweetheart, push.  That's it you can do it. 
Scream if you want to."  Mulder was frustrated with Dana. 
She was being stoic and stubborn.  Refusing to have any pain
medication and holding in any screams.  He knew it was
hurting her because his hand where she held it was numb by
now and this had been going on for over thirty hours.  "Come
on, Shorts, quit trying to be so brave and scream."
     "One of you has to be brave, Mulder.  You're a basket
case."  Skinner whispered in his ear.  
     Dana watched as Fox grinned up at him and replied.  "At
least I'm going to cut the cord."   As the contraction ended
she panted heavily giving her husband  and step father the
eye.  <Great, just what I need two comedians.>  She thought. 
But she was thankful for Skinner's presence.  It had a calming
effect on her husband and Fox definitely needed calming right
now.  Her contractions had started yesterday afternoon and
progressed normally if a tad bit on the slow side.  Fox had
gone up the wall when she told him that she was having
contractions every ten minutes when he had gotten home
from work.  
     "Why didn't you call me?  What if something had gone
wrong?  I should have been here.  Damn it, Dana, you're not
going to go through this alone!"
     "I wasn't planning to, but once every ten minutes means
it's very early labor.  If they had gotten closer together then I
would have called."
     He hadn't looked happy but had bitten his lip and let it go. 
"I'm calling Walt and telling him I won't be in tomorrow."
     "Now don't get everyone all excited.  You can call Mom
and Walter when we're on the way to the hospital."
     "Now whose not thinking?  That could be the middle of
the night.  You can call and wake Skinner up at three in the
morning if you want but not me.  He's been looking pretty
sleepy of late anyway.  He's got the night time feeding
remember."
     Dana smiled at her husband.  <He does have a point.> 
"Okay.  If I'm still having contractions around nine we'll call
then."
     "Agreed."
     Fox Mulder then proceeded to drive her crazy for the rest
of the night.  He wouldn't let her lift anything.  Insisted on
fixing dinner and had a fit when she wanted to go for a walk
afterwards, absolutely refusing to let her go until she pulled
out one of the myriad of books he had purchased and pointed
out where it said that many doctors recommended walking
during the early stages of labor.  He'd agreed but had hovered
the whole time.  Finally nine came and he had called her mom
and step father.  
     Her mom had of course wanted to come over but she'd
had a caesarean section only a few weeks before and all three
of them, Dana, Fox and Walter, had vetoed that idea.  Walter
had told Meg that if she rested then he would take her to the
hospital when Dana got near delivering.  Fox promised to call
them as things progressed with frequent updates.  He sent her
up to bed at ten telling her to get some sleep.  
     She hadn't felt like arguing, so she went knowing full well
that with her contractions between eight and ten minutes
apart she wouldn't get much rest.  First he cleaned the kitchen
then she heard him vacuuming the house.  <He must really be
nervous. Hadn't he lectured her just yesterday about Fran
doing all the cleaning? The house was spotless.>  And in
between he checked on her every fifteen minutes.  After the
whole first floor and been swept she heard him pacing then
flipping channels and finally grow quiet.  
     A half an hour later with little sleep and the contractions
getting closer and stronger she decided to go downstairs for
company.  Fox was in the family room stretched out on the
couch watching one of _those_ tapes.  "Contemplating what
you've been missing, Spook?" <Had he forgotten the night
before already?>
     He looked up embarrassed.  "They used to help me relax. 
Not doing any good tonight.  I never noticed how stupid the
plots are."
     "I don't think they sell because of their intricate plotting." 
She replied laughing.
     He stopped the tape and asked, "I thought you were
supposed to be sleeping?"
     "Sleep doesn't come so easily when your gut feels like
someone punched you in it every five or six minutes."
     "Are the contractions that close?  Maybe it's time to go to
the hospital."
     "Not yet.  If you think it's boring here it's even worse
there.  They'll want to hook me up to a monitor and won't let
me move.  I want to stay here as long as I can.  Let's watch a
movie that we both can enjoy."
     "You don't like 'Eatapuss Rex'?  It's based on a classic."
     She'd laughed and cuddled up next to him on the love
seat.  He'd vetoed her idea of Sleepless in Seattle  'It's a
chicks flick,'  but had given in and gone with When Harry
Met Sally.  Finally around four in the morning she'd woken
Fox, who had finally succumbed to exhaustion and fallen
asleep holding her, and told him the contractions were five
minutes apart.  She didn't tell him that they had been for over
an hour.  
     Her labor had progressed slowly.  The initial exam had
shown her to be dilated to three centimeters when she went
into the hospital.  Fox had called her mom and Walter around
six, knowing that Junior Fox would be dining and Walter
getting ready for work and told them that they were at the
hospital but that it would be awhile before the baby came. 
The day had been long and tiring.  She hadn't wanted to take
pain killers and so had resisted.  But the pain was wearing her
down and she knew that her husband hated to see her suffer. 
Fox had paced, watched TV, until Dana couldn't take it any
longer and insisted that he turn it off, and called Skinner
every couple of hours.  At first he had called on the regular
office line and Angela had put him through.  By the third call
he was writing down Skinner's new cell phone number which
the AD said he would keep turned on during the day.  Dana
had thought about telling Fox that Skinner didn't need an
update every ninety minutes or so but had noticed that the
calls although never more than five minutes or so seemed to
calm her husband.  So that when Skinner stopped by on his
way home from work to see how she was doing and offered to
stay she had gratefully accepted.  
     Fox had looked like he wanted to argue but one look at
her and Walter and he hadn't said anything.  So for the last
four hours Stanley and Ollie had been trading barbs and
talking work.  Dana had even managed to join in the work
discussions between contractions and found that having her
step father here to pass the time really helped.  When she
reached ten centimeters Skinner had called Margaret who had
called Bill Scully.  Bill dropped his wife off to watch J F
while he drove Mom to the hospital.  Mom had been sitting
quietly on one side of her bed talking to her off and on while
her husband divided his time between telling her to breath and
joking with Walter.  <Fox would have driven them all crazy
without Walter here.> She thought to herself as she felt
another contraction coming on.
     "Push, Dana.  This should be it.  Great... push again, the
heads crowning.  Super... here she is."  Amy held up her new
daughter for her and Fox to see.  She'd been listening to
Mulder's banter with Walter and was going to call his bluff. 
If he cut the cord then she would be even with Dana, who
had bet her that neither of the big strong FBI men would have
the stomach for it.  
     "Okay, Mulder, are you ready to cut the cord?" 
     Fox Mulder lost some of his color, but nodded yes.  He
saw the look of amusement and understanding that Walter
shot him and decided he would be macho some other time. 
"That's okay, Amy, I'll let you do it."  
     Dana, as weak as she was, made a fist and brought it
down in the traditional yes sign.  Amy mumbled, "Drat."
     They laid the baby on Dana's chest for a moment and she
and Fox stroked her damp hair.  For a brief instant they
looked at each other but then their eyes returned to the tiny
creature.  She was very small.  <My God, she's beautiful... it
looks like her hair will be red... like Dana... just what he
had wanted... just what he had hoped for... although it
wouldn't have mattered... a daughter... mine...>  "Welcome to
the world, Brenda Marie," he said softly.  "I love you."
     The placenta was delivered and Amy was preparing to
stitch Dana up, when suddenly all hell broke lose.  Dana cried
out in pain.  Fox who had been wandering over to watch
them clean up the new baby hurried back to her side.  
     "What's wrong?"
     Dana was panting and pushing trying to endure the pain. 
After it passed everyone was staring, waiting for her to
answer.  "I don't know what's wrong it felt like another
contraction.  Ahhhh."
     Fox became terrified.  Dana had screamed!  She hadn't
screamed throughout her entire labor, had held it all in.  <She
must be in agony to yell like that.>
     He shouted at Amy.  "What the hell is wrong?  Damn it,
this isn't supposed to happen."  He felt himself panicking...
Dana... if he lost Dana....
     He felt a hand on his shoulder.  "Take it easy, son. 
Yelling doesn't help."  Walter had been standing by
Margaret's side holding her as she had oohed and ahhed over
her new granddaughter...the first redhead in the lot.  He
moved to his son-in-law quickly however.
     Dana curled up her body and screamed again.  Fox
thought he was going to climb straight up the wall.  <What
the hell is wrong.>  He tried to control, tried not to panic but
the fear was clutching at his heart.  The only thing restraining
him from he knew not what was Walter's paternal comforting
hand on his shoulder.  Then he heard Amy's voice.
     "Shit!"
     <Shit? The doctor just said shit.  My god what was
happening?>  Before he could form another question Dana
screamed again.
     Over Dana's screams he heard Amy giving instructions to
the nurse.  "Get another incubator in here quick.  We've got
twins! It's a breach."
     "I need an anesthesiologist... stat... Start prepping in case
we have to do a c-section..." ordered Amy.  
     "But..." said Fox... Then it hit him.
     <Twins?>  He turned and looked at Walter, lost all color
and started to go down.  
     Walter Skinner suddenly found himself with an armful of
Mulder.  He looked across his step daughter to his wife and
nodded in Dana's direction indicating that she should help her
daughter and that he would take care of Fox.  She smiled and
nodded in reply.  Holding  his nearly unconscious son-in-law
up he guided him into a chair and put his head down between
his legs.  "Come on, Fox, take some deep breaths."  As his
son started to raise his head, Walter held it down.  "Not so
fast, son.  Take it easy... deep breaths.  That's right.  Don't
move I'm going to get you a glass of water."  
     He stepped over to the bedside table and filled a glass with
water and then knelt down by Fox helping him raise his head
and get a drink.  "Keep breathing take it easy you don't want
to miss your other child being born do you?"  Mulder looked
up at him his face a total blank.
     <I've never seen Fox look so stunned or be so
speechless.>  Skinner laughed to himself. 
<'Course if I'd ended up with surprise twins they would
probably have had to pick me up off the floor as well.> 
Walter knelt beside Fox gently rubbing his back.  
     Slowly Fox became aware of his surroundings.  Margaret
was holding Dana's hand and encouraging her.  At Amy's
announcement that she was having twins Dana had stopped
screaming.  She had been ordered not to push, but she didn't
seem to have very much control over it.  Amy was again
giving her encouragement telling her to hang in there as the
anesthesiologist entered the room, and then the young
physician caught sight of Margaret ever so slightly shaking
her head in distress as a tiny foot emerged.  Suddenly Amy
had a vision of Dana's Gran...."You'll be a wonderful doctor
Amy Chan... but remember that the complicated procedure
isn't always best. Sometimes it's best to work with nature and
not against it...."  How she had loved and admired Gran... the
stories she had told of the babies she had delivered.  Gran had
inspired her to go into obstetrics to begin with for the joy of
helping new life into the world.
     "It's going to be okay, Dana..." said Amy softly.  She
turned to the anesthesiologist, "It's a breach.  I'm going to
make one try at delivering, if I fail be ready."  He nodded at
her and went over to get his equipment ready, just in case. 
Ever so gently she reached in and freed the other foot.  "Now
push, girlfriend... one good hard one...."  Mulder watched
from a sitting position as his second child was born.  
     "It's a boy!" he burst out.  "We have a boy and a girl."  His
son had been a sunnyside up baby born facing the ceiling...
yeah... upside down... backwards.... just like his father.  Well,
you sure hadn't been able to miss the sex.  He turned to look
at his wife who by this time was exhausted and beyond
speech. She simply nodded yes and started to shake.  Dana
couldn't seem to stop shaking Fox collected his thoughts and
turned to Amy.  "Is Dana alright?  She's shaking."
     "She'll be fine.  It's just shock.  Her mind had relaxed
thinking that labor was over so that the shock of finding out
that she had another baby to go has drained her.  Give her
about half an hour and she should be fine.  Congratulations
you two."  She turned and smiled at Dana.  "Are you done
now? Can I sew the tear up?"
     Dana smiled back but didn't say anything as Amy gave her
a local and stitched her up, mumbling to herself about
rechecking the damned ultrasound.
     "Fox?"  Walter asked, "Do you want to go over and look
at your new son?"  Strange, Fox seemed a bit hesitant.
     Fox nodded yes and so Walter helped him up and guided
his dazed son over to watch them clean up his new little boy.  
     "Would you like to hold your little boy, Mr. Mulder?  Do
you feel up to it?" 
     Fox just stood there numbly in answer to the nurses
question.  Walter thought that he looked to be in as much
shock as Dana.
     Walter realized that something more was at play here,
something deeply emotional.  Fox had been so eager to touch
his little girl, but now he seemed strangely reluctant.  It didn't
make sense in light of the way he had picked up Little Squirt
so easily and naturally. 
     "Don't be afraid to hold your son, Fox," said Walter softly
remembering what little he knew about his son-in-law's
upbringing.  "Don't ever be afraid to show him that you love
him...."
     Fox nodded and took the infant in his arms.  He was very
small, frighteningly so with a head of dark hair... he felt tears
start to run down his cheeks knowing that his own father had
never held him this way...  Then he was embarrassed.  He
turned away not wanting anyone to notice the tears.  "You're
a wimp, boy.... have to make a man out of you...."  Those
hated words... 
     Walter put a hand on his shoulder, bringing him back to
reality, turned him back toward him and then wiped the tears
away with his handkerchief.
     "Don't you dare tell me to blow my nose."  He cracked at
the man he very much wished had been his father.  
     "Don't worry, Mulder, I'll save that for Little Fox." 
Mulder grinned at him and handed the baby to Walter. 
"There you go, Gramps."  He began studying his daughter. 
She was so cute and tiny, so much easier to relate to.  "Hey,
Scully, if we can get Gramps to give him up you want to
hold your son..."
     Dana nodded no but didn't say anything.  She was just too
tired.  In truth, she was dying to hold him, but she simply felt
too weak and was afraid he might slip from her arms.
     Walter handed the baby boy to Margaret as Fox turned to
Walter and held out his daughter to him to hold, ignoring the
looks of displeasure on the faces of the nurses.  His
father-in-law took her happily, while Fox went over to hold
Dana's hand.  Looking down at his exhausted wife he
had a sudden memory of her in the coma and then other
thoughts came unbidden. <Sam, oh God, Sam... I'm a dad...
the happiest day of my life and you aren't here with me...
Sam....>
       Dana looked at him and for an instant her joy was
overcome by sadness...  Even on this day, the day that
should be the happiest of his life, his thoughts, she knew,
were marred by the one who was absent.  She gazed up at
him, her beautiful, dark and brooding man.  He brushed her
hair away gently and bent down and kissed her softly.   His
wife was becoming a little more animated but he could see
that she still wasn't up to holding either of her new babies for
now and he was grateful that once again she had seemed to
read his thoughts and understand.  It was alright that she
couldn't hold them just yet, Walter and Meg were having a
blast.  
      Walter was thinking that this was the first time he really
felt like a grandfather.  He was learning to love and enjoy all
of Meg's grandchildren but he always thought of them as her
grandchildren.  The older ones called him Uncle Walt or
occasionally at Mulder's urging Uncle Wally.  But these, these
were his grandchildren, they would call him grandpa.  
     As a nurse moved to take the babies away the door
opened and who should come in but Aunt Sophia, and a small
army of staff trying to stop her.  Amy signaled them to wait. 
She'd known this family a long long time.  Whoever the
woman in the blue Afro was it had to be another wonderful
relative, and she wasn't about to interrupt the two tough guys
and Dana's mom.  Since the twins appeared to be quite
healthy in spite of their small size, she let them enjoy
themselves a bit longer. 
     "Aw.... shucks.... I missed it... Always wanted to see
someone push a watermelon through a keyhole in defiance of
the laws of physics," said Sophia.  "Just got back in town...." 
She took one look at the little boy and grinned wickedly. 
"See... I told you so... that's what you get for arguing
with your Aunty Sophia.... and as for you," she said to Dana,
"serves you right.  You fool around with the Mulder men and
you never know what might happen!  Fortunately you're a
little hellion. You can take it.  And a little redhead for Fox. 
Perfect...  See you later..."  With that she was gone in the
same whirlwind style with which she had entered.
     After staring at Sophia's retreating form, Fox noticed the
nurses huffing and puffing but thought he'd give Dana one
more chance to hold one or both of them.  "You feel up to
holding them yet, Shorts?"
     Dana still didn't say anything but she nodded yes, so Fox
handed her their son.  She was still shaking a little but she
managed to hold him for a couple of minutes.  Taking him
back from her Fox handed him to the impatient nurse and
then took his daughter from Walter and handed her to
Dana.  She cuddled her for a few minutes and then the nurse
took her.
     Margaret who had been waiting in quiet amusement
through Aunt Sophia's dramatic appearance stood up and
said, "Well I'm going to go call the family and tell them about
your little Valentine babies."  She bent over and kissed her
daughter on the forehead before walking out.
     Mulder looked up at the clock startled.  It was one fifteen. 
<I'll be damned, February fourteenth.>
_____________
End Chapter 4


===========================================================================


All disclaimers still apply

"Valentine's Day"
by Eowyn and Macspooky
Chapter 5
"Postpartum Troubles"

     A couple of hours after the birth of his children Dana,
Meg and Walter had insisted that Fox go home and get some
rest.  He was dead on his feet, but he didn't want to leave
Dana and the new babies, but since it was three am and this
was his second night without much sleep he acquiesced.  
Dana had been asleep for over an hour anyway and the babies
being a little on the small side were to spend the next twenty
four hours in the nursery instead of Dana's hospital room
except when she was feeding them. Walter and Meg had
insisted on driving him home.  His father-in-law had told him
that he would pick him up around one in the afternoon and
take him back to the hospital so that he could get his car after
he visited his new family.  Fox had started to insist that he
was quite capable of driving himself, and Dana had briefly
awakened to agree with Walter.  They had started to argue
when Skinner had thought it best to intervene.  He'd grabbed
Mulder's upper arm in a vice like grip and frog marched him
out the door.  As Fox opened his mouth to protest, Walter
had threatened to throw him over his shoulder.  Fox Mulder
had considered the proposition and decided that he wasn't
about to test whether or not Walter, in his present AD mode
was serious and had finally followed meekly along.
     When they had gotten home both Meg and Walter had
insisted on coming in.  Meg to check the kitchen and see
what needed to be stocked for this unexpected early arrival
and Walter, much to Mulder's chagrin, to "tuck him in." 
Walter had poured him two fingers of whiskey, ordered
him to drink and then taken him upstairs and sat and waited
while he got ready for bed.  Fox had griped at him the whole
time.  "I don't need a GD mother hen, Skinner."
     Walter could tell how irritated Fox was when he started
calling him Skinner in that tone of voice.  "You don't,
Mulder?  I know you.  If I don't make sure that you're asleep
then you'll get up and pace around the house and run errands,
make calls and even go over case files, you are so damn
wound up.  You need to stop and rest.  You've just acquired
a handful and they are going to be released in about thirty six
hours.  Dana needs you rested."
     "Yeah.  I know but I don't think that I can get to sleep.
My mind is running a marathon.  Two kids... jeez... two....
and I've never been certain I was really ready for one."
     " You'll survive," said Walter dryly,  "Now, lay down and
close your eyes for a few minutes and I bet your body will
take advantage of the situation."
     Fox sighed and stopped arguing as he got under the
covers.  He figured he'd wait until Walter left and get back up
and take care of business.  He made it ten minutes and to
wondering how much longer his mother hen was going to
hang around when his body gave out and he was asleep.
     Walter gave it another five minutes to make sure that Fox
wasn't faking it and then got up and headed downstairs to his
wife.  
     She smiled at the tired look on his face.  "Is Fox asleep?"
     "Finally!  I swear that boy runs on nervous energy.  Are
you ready to head home?"
     "Definitely!  I hope JF is hungry when I get there."
     Walter laughed.  "I guess he's going to miss his bottle
tonight."
     "Maureen gave it to him earlier.  And I'm dying here.  I'll
be glad when we get moved into the new house and are
closer to Dana and Fox.  The apartment's nice but I want a
larger place close in."
     "Bill said the renovations would be done in two to four
weeks, depending on the weather.  Are you sure it wouldn't
be better to hire some professional movers to pack everything
up and move it."
     "Don't be silly dear.  That's a waste of money when we
have the Scully brigade available.  Besides the kids are going
to have to pack up a lot of their stuff that they left at the old
house and take it home with them.  The new house is still
quite large with four bedrooms and an attic but not
near as big as that old six bedroom monstrosity that we spent
the last twelve years in.  I'm am definitely looking forward to
that big remodeled kitchen in the new house.  Even a trash
compactor."  Margaret sighed as Walter locked the front
door and led her out to the car.
     Walter tried not to laugh, <a trash compactor... who
would have thought it!>  He thought about how three months
ago Fox had slipped into his office and asked if he had
anything in mind for Mom's Christmas present?  He had
replied that he was thinking about diamond earrings or
maybe a necklace.  
     "Very romantic, Walt, but I don't think that's what she
wants."
     Walter looked up at his son-in-law questioningly and he
had continued.  "I saw her going over appliances for the new
house yesterday and I swear that she was sighing over a trash
compactor." 
     At Walter's skeptical look he added.  "I asked her if
she was going to get one and she said no it was too decadent. 
But she definitely looked wishful."
     "So I'll tell her to just get one."
     "You know the Scully women, well at least Mom and
Dana, they won't spoil themselves.  However, if you were to
set it up with Bill and buy it for Christmas..."
     Walter had thought that Fox was crazy but he'd arranged
with Bill Scully, who was doing the renovation work, to have
the kitchen design modified with a spot for the compactor
and had the box beside the tree.  He'd also gotten the more
romantic earrings but on Christmas morning Fox had been
right.  Margaret kept eyeing the large box with a happy smile. 
He wished he could have thanked Fox that day but they
hadn't been talking so he had let it go.  His son-in-law was
one of the most caring and observant people he knew.  
     As he drove back to the co-op he thought that he too
would be glad to be settled in closer to Dana and Fox in the
house that they had bought.  Just a few more weeks.


     Walter took a late lunch and dropped Fox at the hospital
the next day before going back to work.   When he got there,
he found Dana in tears.  At first he assumed  that it was just
hormonal, but then before he knew it she was up in his arms.
     "I can't leave them, Fox..." she wailed.  "I just can't..." 
She was still so tired and felt so sore, and she hadn't wanted
to cry.
     "Leave who, angel..." he said wrapping his arms around
her.
     "Little boy's weight has dropped two ounces and Brenda
has fallen just under five pounds, and they want to keep the
babies but send me home...."
     "Oh, they do do they?" he asked his face darkening.
     "I've paged Amy but she's in surgery...."
     "It's okay, Dana.  It's gonna be okay...."  He gently helped
his wife back into bed. She seemed so vulnerable just then,
finally a Dana in need of someone to lean on.  "I'll be back in
a little while."
     It didn't take him long to get the matter settled and he didn't
need Amy's help either.  He had had to raise his voice down
in the billing office, and of course security had been called,
but one call to his bank had assured Dana a bed as long as she
wanted one.  God, he was pissed.  She didn't need this kind of
stress... not now.  Her labor had been too long and too hard. 
Then he had gone to the nursery prepared to put up a fuss
there until he got some answers about his children,
but they had informed him that the babies were already in
their mother's room.  He returned and found Dana nursing his
son.  Quickly he reassured her that he had taken care of
everything.   "Are they alright, Dana? Are they healthy?"
     "Yes," she said relieved, "but they don't like to send babies
home at less than five pounds, and I... well... I just didn't
want to leave them...."
     "Well you don't have to.  Money talks.... damned
insurance companies...." 
     Fox Mulder happily picked up his new daughter and began
to play with her  while his wife nursed their son.  They began
debating boys names,  Brenda Marie Mulder having already
been decided for their little girl.  "Fox, I don't see why you
want to give the poor boy three names. You know what
government red tape is like.  What if he decides to join the
FBI or the military, do you know how irritated he is going to
be at us for giving him three names?" Dana told him when he
announced that his son would be called Patrick Steven Wolf
Mulder.
     "Hey we're his parents, irritating the kids is in our job
description.  You think he's going to like being saddled with
the moniker Wolf?"  At her smile he laughed.  "You know
how much I loved growing up with a name like Fox."
     "Then why call..."
     "Because that was my great uncle's name, Gran's beloved
first husband and I want to honor their memory."
     "Okay, fine.  Patrick Wolf is fine, but why the Steven?"
     Mulder looked obstinate but his only reply was, "I like the
name Steven and want to name him that too."  
     Dana could tell that he was hiding something but had no
idea what or why.  She didn't know any Steven's, at least not
closely.  Fox didn't know any Steven's, so why...  She sure
hoped it wasn't after Steven Spielburg or something silly like
that.  She detached Boy Mulder, who had fallen asleep
sucking, and handed him to his father to put in the bassinet.  
     A nurse came in.  "Time for them to go back to the
nursery..." she announced.  Dana started to protest, but Fox
forestalled her.  She looked tired.  He got up and helped the
nurse push the bassinets out of the room.
     They hadn't  been gone to long when the phone rang. 
"Scully."  She answered out of long habit.
     She heard a laughing voice reply on the other end of the
phone.  "Oh, and I was looking for Ms. Mulder."
     "Hi, Mom."
     "Hello yourself, dear.  How are you feeling."
     "Tired but fine.  Definitely a little sore.  So how did your
checkup go with Amy?"
     "Fine.  I'm a free woman now, well partly anyway, and
allowed to drive, like I hadn't already.  I thought I'd run by
the store and pick up some groceries for you.  You won't
have to cook for at least two weeks when you get home and
that chest freezer is now stocked."
     Dana laughed, "Let me guess the Scully and McBride
food pantry."
     "Well they all know how hard it is with just one baby and
now you have two."
     Dana laughed, "I know, I know.  Knowing that crew by
the time I get home I'll have enough food to hold out till next
Christmas."
     "So you sounded a little put out when I called.  Something
wrong?"
     "Not really, it's just that Fox is being stubborn about the
boy's name."
     "What, he doesn't want something silly does he?" 
Knowing her son-in-law's sense of humor she thought there
was an outside chance that he might get a little crazy but...
     "No, nothing silly.  Unless you consider Patrick Wolf,
silly."
     "Mom's first husband's name.  What's wrong with that? 
He was his great uncle."
     "That's not the problem.  He wants to give him three
names.  You know what the paperwork would be like if he
joins the military or a government job.  They insist on using
all three names..."
     "What's the other name?"
     "He wants to call him  Patrick Steven Wolf Mulder.  Now
is that a handful or what?!"
     "I see, dear."  
     Her mom had suddenly gotten quiet and Dana began to
suspect that her mom knew why Fox was being so stubborn. 
<I wonder what she knows that I don't?  Well I can be
stubborn, too.  And I'm not saddling my son with three
names.>
     "Walter's on his way by, would you tell him that I'm going
to pick up Sophia. She, JF and I are going grocery shopping
for you and us and that I'll see him at home in a couple of
hours."
     "Okay.  Mom, do you know..."  But the dial tone told her
that her mom had rung off before she could ask her if she
knew any Stevens. 
     Fox came back fifteen minutes later carrying Little Wolf,
explaining.  "They insisted on giving him a blood test and
woke him up and he started crying.  Brenda cried a little and
went right back to sleep but Patrick Steven Wolf  here took
great offense. Hell, if someone stuck a needle in my heel I'd get
mad too....  I thought I'd take him on a little walk to
see his Mommie." 
     He was cuddling and cooing at the baby.  Dana was glad
that he seemed to be getting over his reluctance to hold and
cuddle their son.  He never had any reservations with their
daughter but he'd been shy around the Little Wolf.  <And
why the hell does he insist on calling him that?>  
     "Think a drink might settle him down, Dana?"
     She held out her arms, and began to nurse her son once
again when they brought back Brenda.  Fox just shrugged. 
They were in the middle of  shift change.  He really didn't
mind having both babies around anyway.  "Fox, we've really
got to settle this name thing..."  Before she could continue
her step father walked in.  <Good.  Maybe he'll listen to
Walter.  Walter was in the military so he can convince Fox
that three names would be cumbersome.>
     Dana waited until all the hello's had been said, her son had
again fallen asleep and Fox had handed him over to Walter to
hold.  
     "So have you two decided on a name?"  Her step father
asked.
     "Yes," said Fox.
     "No," said Dana.
     "Uh Oh..." thought Walter.
     "Fox wants to give him three names."  Dana had
answered. "Patrick Steven Wolf."  She didn't say any more
not wanting to prejudice her case.  She was hoping that
Skinner would point out how cumbersome that would be
without her prompting.  <Course if he doesn't I'll prompt him
a little.>
     Walter was  was happily playing with the baby and trying
to think of how not to become embroiled in the argument, not
paying too much attention to what she said or even his
answer. 
     "That's a nice name."  He was holding the little boy's
hand in his, amazed by how much he realized his son had
grown in only a couple of weeks when he added.  "Steven's
my middle name."
     <Shit!  Well you could have just told me, Fox, and saved
all the argument.>  She looked over at her husband, who had
suddenly taken to contemplating his feet.  <How the hell did
he find that out?> 
     She didn't get a chance to ask however because suddenly
she had a visitor.  Cancerman walked in the door.  Of all the
damn nerve.... Walter and Fox glared.  Dana eyed him coolly.
     "I understand congratulations are in order...." said C-man. 
<If he tries to light a cigarette I'll kill him....> three minds
thought simultaneously....
     Walter handed the little boy back to Dana.  He wanted his
and Mulder's hands free just in case.  He didn't expect trouble
but best to be prepared.  Beside, if Cancerman pissed Fox off
Walter would have to stop him from hitting the man.
<Provided I can control my own temper.>  He thought.
     C-man hadn't expected a warm welcome, wasn't entirely
certain of what his own motivation in coming was... to gage
reactions... to remind them of his existence... to see the
babies?
     "Twins...." he observed.  Their silent stares didn't
particularly perturb him.  He looked in the bassinet at the
little girl...  "Hmm... redhead... like you, Scully... cute..." 
Then he walked over to the bed.  Fox was very nearly out of
his chair the tension building in his body.  C-man held out his
arms for the little boy wrapped in a blue blanket.  With a
touch of reluctance Dana handed him over.  Fox started to
get to his feet but Walter pushed him down.
     "He looks exactly like you, Mulder," said C-man.  "I
remember.... first time in my life I ever saw William Mulder at
a loss.  Didn't know what the hell to do with you."
     "Yeah... right...."
     "Named them yet Scully?" he asked.
     "Yes..." she said looking directly at him.  She didn't
entirely understand what the bastard was doing here... what
game he was playing... but she sensed her baby was in no
danger for the moment.  "Brenda Stephanie Margaret and
Patrick Walter Wolf...."  
     Walter could barely contain a snicker.  Fox looked at his
wife in surprise, and then he remembered why he had fallen
so in love with her to begin with.  She was strong and
independent and could hold her own with anyone.  He smiled
at her with his eyes.
     "Good names...." he handed the boy to Mulder.  "Good to
see you hold your hostage to fortune, Mulder.  Wasn't
something your father could do."  He laid a package he was
carrying down on the bed and headed to the door.
     "Maybe you are smarter than I ever gave you credit for,
Mulder, or maybe not.  Some of us sacrificed everything to
our cause...  Well, they say living well is the best revenge.  I'd
say your well on the way to getting yours.  Watch them
carefully."  He nodded at the babies and was gone as quickly
as he entered.
     "Now what the hell was that all about?" sighed Walter
feeling a pain in his gut.
     "It was a gesture of respect...." said Dana quietly, "And a
warning...."  
     "I'm going to arrange for some guards for these two while
they are here," said Walter.
     "It's alright...." said Dana softly.  "He wasn't threatening
us... he was telling us to be careful. He seemed a little
shaken."  She mused almost to herself.  The nurses came in
and informed them that a mistake had been made in bringing
the babies back to the room and took them away.
     "Think I'll arrange for the guards anyway..." muttered
Walter.
     "Is this box ticking or anything?" asked Mulder shaking
the package around.  He was remembering the night he had
come so close to killing C-man... Why?  What do I have?  No
wife... no family.... some power....  My God, he could have
ended up like C-man.  If he hadn't met Dana.... empty... so
empty.... He suppressed a shudder.
     "I think it's safe to open it."
     Inside there were two silver baby cups with a family crest
on each of them and an old photograph... a picture of C-man
with Fox as a child of about 5, his arm around his shoulder
with a year old Samantha in his arm and Bill standing beside
him.  Ruth must have taken the picture.
     "Jeez...." he muttered in disgust.... "Oh, and by the way...
where the hell did Stephanie come from?"
     "I like it..." replied Dana innocently.  "Patrick Walter Wolf
and Brenda Stephanie Margaret...sends a good message...."
     "Loud and clear...." laughed Walter.  "But do you really
want to name the kid Walter Wolf?  I mean Walter's bad
enough but when they use Wally..."
     "Wally Wolf?"  Mulder grinned up at his father-in-law.  At
Skinner's disgusted look he finished "Okay, I guess it's settled
then  Patrick Steven Wolf Mulder it is."  He grinned.  He'd
even go for the Stephanie.  It was kind of pretty. 
      As her husband looked at her a smile breaking across his
face she said to him softly, "You could have just told me why
you wanted the name, Fox."
     He simply shrugged his shoulders and smiled at her.  He'd
been a bit embarrassed to admit how much it meant to him to
name his son after Skinner.  "Okay I'll make out their birth
certificates."  
     At her nod of yes he sat down to fill out the first
paperwork that he could ever remember being
joyful about.  <The kids were going to hate this when they
got older but at least this way, they could blame it on each
other.>  He exchanged one of those knowing looks with
Dana and felt happy in spite of their unexpected visitor.  
     Skinner looked up puzzled, realizing that he had missed
something but had no idea what.  


     As Walter and Margaret headed home from the hospital
that evening after visiting their new grandchildren he asked,
"What were you and Dana whispering and giggling about
over there?"
     "I asked her if she and Fox had settled their debate about
naming the baby."
     "What debate?  They seemed to have decided on his name
by this afternoon, when I got there." He fibbed knowing that
she would know he was fibbing.  He didn't care to explain
about Cancerman.  
     "She didn't want to give her son three names but Fox was
adamant.  Dana was puzzled...seems she couldn't figure out
why Fox was so adamant about naming the baby Steven.  I
didn't tell her, I thought I'd wait and see if Fox would.  But I
could guess, Walter Steven."  She leaned against her husband
and smiled.  <This little sports car did have one advantage
it was easer to cuddle up to her husband this way than in a
big car or mini-van.
     Walter patted his wife's hand on his arm wondering if she
was right about that being the reason why Fox had chosen the
name.  As far as he knew no one at the FBI knew his middle
name.  But if that was the reason it made sense then that
when C-man had shown up Dana had gone him one further. 
Hmm.... How had he missed that little by play?  "How did he
find out, my middle name's not on any of my Bureau records? 
Did you tell him, Meg?"
     "Wasn't me, dear.  But he does work for the FBI you
know.  And he can be very determined when he wants
something."
     He grinned back at her and sighed.  "He certainly can.  I
hope Little Fox isn't quite as stubborn. Oh, and by the way,
it's Patrick Steven Wolf and Brenda Stephanie Margaret..."
     "Now you know that you don't mean that about Little
Fox, Walter, and I'm not sure I'm going to be able to live with
your ego."  She laughed aloud.  Sounded as though Fox had
really won the fight this time.
     "No, I suppose not.  But sometimes..."  His voice trailed
off.  It had been a hectic couple of weeks.
____________
End Chapter 5


===========================================================================


"Valentine's Day"
by Eowyn and Macspooky
Chapter 6
"Homecoming- Not Quite Perfect, But He Tried"

     Fox was absolutely adamant that Dana's homecoming
should be nothing less than perfect, and he and Aunt Sophia
worked very hard to see that it would be that way. 
Everything in the house was in excellent order.  They had
rearranged things temporarily so that the sofa bed was near
the TV, had opened it, and gotten it ready with blankets and
pillows.  Knowing Dana, Aunt Sophia had tried to convince
her nephew that this last step was overkill, but he had been
adamant.  HIS wife was going to rest.  HIS wife wasn't going
to climb stairs.  HIS wife wasn't going to drive. 
     "Yeah, right," thought Sophia, but there were times when
it was simply easier to humor him.  They could put the sofa
bed away later after Dana announced that she was going to
sleep upstairs.
      Maureen and Bill's baby had outgrown the bassinet, so
they leant it to Fox, and along with the cradle swing, that
gave them two containers which were set up downstairs. 
There were little boy disposable diapers and little girl
disposable diapers on both floors with everything that would
be needed for changing.  Fox even tried to fit both cribs in the
bedroom/sitting room but that didn't quite work.  A hasty call
to Margaret reassured him that everything would be alright,
that with babies that little they would both fit in one crib for
the time being.  Later they could and should be in their own
bedroom.
      Fox went to the store and bought disposable bottles of
formula to supplement Dana's nursing as the pediatrician had
suggested, and yes, even the large box of Kotex, only he
made certain to make sure the price was marked before
bringing it to the register.  Then he stopped and got another
car seat to toss in the back of the Mustang.  Dana was to do
nothing but come home and play with her babies.  He had
even had two dozen yellow roses delivered in a Waterford
vase he had purchased to sit next to the sofa bed and tell her
every moment how much he loved her.  It was the first time
that he had ever bought her flowers.  He was determined not
to screw up this time, to have everything just right for her. 
He felt as though he owed it to her for the way he had treated
her after Arizona.  Once his anger had faded, he had come to
realize how truly unreasonable he had been, but then that was
him... a Mulder all the way through... so like his father
sometimes... The moment finally arrived.  It was time for him
to go to the hospital.  Aunt Sophia offered to come and help,
but he declined wanting it to be a special moment for just he
and Dana and Bren and Wally Wolf.  With the seats tossed in
back of his dream car, Fox headed off to the hospital
whistling under his breath.  
     He kissed his wife, who said that she hoped they could get
home fairly quickly since the kids would be looking to be fed
soon, and they began to bundle up the babies in snow suits. 
Melissa had bought the cutest warm suits for them, white and 
had hand embroidered, their names on the front.  Of course,
Mulder couldn't quite get Brenda into hers.  It had a
combination of zippers....well, it was a little twisted... what
the heck...  It should, he decided, be just fine.  He checked
Dana out and with each of them carrying a baby, they headed
out to the car.
     It was then that Fox made the discovery... no seat belts in
the back of the Mustang... uh oh...he had ordered that they be
installed... but he had never checked to see that it had been
done.  He was, he decided, in big trouble now.  He had two
babies and an exhausted wife in the hospital lobby, and two
car seats and no way to fasten them securely.  In other words,
he had no way to get his babies home.  By the time he got
back to the lobby the nurses had left Dana sitting with an
infant in each arm.  Wally Wolf was already starting to fuss.
     "Uh... Dana..." he said softly, "We have a little problem..."
     <Now why did I know that?>  "What sort of problem,
sweetheart?" she asked him.  She was all bundled up in her
coat and was starting to sweat, and didn't exactly  feel like
nursing Patrick here in the lobby.
     "Uh... they sort of didn't install the seatbelts in the car..."
     Brenda let out a yell.  
     "You mean you never checked!" she burst out.  "I've been
telling you and telling you to make sure the car seat fit
okay..."
     "Yeah, well... you know me..."
     "Yes... yes I do know you...  Why am I not surprised that
you didn't do it? Oh, hell.  It felt like she needed to change
her pad....  "Here, hold him.  I'll be right back... and hurry up
and think of something...."  Slowly and painfully she walked
off to the ladies room.  
      <Okay, Mulder... think.... I mean you sure f**cked up
royally this time....>  Wally Wolf was no longer just cranky. 
Both of them were screaming at the top of their lungs and
everyone was looking at him...  <Aliens... yeah... aliens... give
him some aliens... mutants... sewer slugs... jeez...."
     "I'll call your mother," he said miserably when Dana came
back.  <Ah jeez... and Dana had been so good about the car... 
He knew she had been miffed when he came home with it, but
he hadn't exactly gotten the knee buckling lecture he had
expected.  She had been very sweet about it, and had even
told him to enjoy it. He didn't know of course that Skinner
had gotten home first that night and Meg had hastily
admonished her daughter over the phone that they were
both to blame.  You couldn't send little boys to a toy store by
themselves and expect them to come home empty handed. 
Dana had wanted to blow a gasket, but had deferred to her
mother's wisdom.  He only knew that she hadn't yelled and
had accepted the situation with good grace, and
he, jerk that he was, hadn't even bothered to check the seat
belts.
     "But, Fox, dear, Walter has the wagon and he's at a
meeting.  The MG is in for a tune up."
     "Oh, shit.... oops.... sorry, Mom... talk to you later."
     He had tried calling Bill, but Bill was unreachable, and
he got the answering machine at their home number.  Chris
was in the same place that Bill was apparently, and Jen
couldn't be reached either.  Kevin of course had gone back to
where he was stationed, and damn it all, Sinead and Tim were
in Ireland.  Melissa was no where to be found, and he didn't
have Chuck's work number.  Aunt Sophia didn't have keys to
the car if she even knew how to drive. 
     So, he had called Walter out of a meeting... an important
meeting with representatives from the Attorney General's
Office.  Skinner pulled up in front of the hospital having been
told only that there was an emergency and run in the door to
see a sheepish looking Mulder holding one screaming infant
while Dana tried to nurse the other, but was so obviously
tense and upset that her milk was not flowing.  
     "What is it?  What's wrong?" he demanded concerned.
     "Uh... there's no seatbelts in the back of my car...." said
Fox.
     "What?  What?  You called me out of a top level budget
meeting because there were no f**king seatbelts in your car? 
Jeez... I should have left you in Alaska that time... or maybe
New Jersey.... hell, I should have chained Scully to the wall
so she couldn't go to Arizona...."  
     "I'm sorry," said Fox miserably.  He realized that once
again he had let everyone down, including the man he had
come to respect so much.  It felt like being 12 years old
again....<I don't know what happened to her dad... I can't
remember... I can't remember... I'm sorry, dad... I'm sorry...
I'm sorry... I'm sorry....>
     Walter sighed and said, "It's a good thing the Attorney
General has a sense of humor about this stuff.  Never mind...
forget it...."  he sighed, "Let's just get Dana and the babies
home."  Just then Aunt Sophia pulled up in a cab.
     "I got worried when you didn't come back...."
     "I'm glad you are here Aunt Sophia..." said Dana quietly. 
"Mulder, give her the keys to the car..."
     "What?"
     "Give her the keys to the car.  These two screaming
creatures are all yours.  Aunt Sophia can drive me home in
the Mustang while you deal with your children...  Thank you
for coming Walter... I appreciate it.  I was getting ready to
call a cab myself."  With that she handed both the babies to
her husband and walked out the door with Sophia...  They
placed the two car seats on the curb and pulled away.   Aunt
Sophia popped the clutch spinning the back wheels, then
ground the gears as she put it into second gear instead of
first, the car shook but didn't stall  and finally she got it going
forward very nearly hitting an incoming ambulance on the
way out and running the first stop light she came to, all within
sight of a deeply shaken FBI agent.
     "Sit down with your kids, Fox, while I put the car seats in. 
I've had a bit more practice."
     Fox Mulder did as he was told and watched Walter
quickly install the seats.  He came back and took Bren from
Mulder and they walked out to the car.  Their father watched
as Walter secured them into the seats.  "These seats are a
little big for them.  They'll be okay for now but you need to
go by the store and get some infant seat pads.  I forget what
they are called just ask the clerk.
     They got into the car and as Walter pulled out of the
parking lot Mulder started to apologize again.  "I'm really
sorry, Sir.  It was stupid I should..."
     "Forget about it, Fox.  My part of the meeting was done
hours ago and I just had to sit and listen to everybody else to
be polite.  This way instead of being stuck another three or
four hours in that boring meeting I get to go home and spend
time with Little Fox and Meg.  Just you don't tell anyone I
said that."
     "You sure it's okay?"
     "Yeah I'm sure.  But I've got some bad news for you,
Mulder.  We're going to have to break down and buy second
cars that can hold kids."  They exchanged chagrinned looks
and shuddered.  
     His children, of course, screamed all the way home. 
Skinner decided to be smart and dump them on the doorstep
and go home.  He didn't wish to be embroiled in the battle
that was likely to rage.  He knew that Mulder was still deeply
upset... with himself.


     Eventually Dana got them nursed and changed and was so
tired she simply laid them down on the sofa bed next to her. 
In truth, she was too tired to protest that she didn't need it
open.
     "Hey, Shorts.... how are you doing?" he asked sheepishly
sitting on the edge.
     "I'm fine, Mulder...."
     "Yeah, right..." he stroked her head.  "I'm sorry, baby. 
The car will go back to the dealer tomorrow for seat belts
and I'll go out and buy a van in the next week or two.  In the
mean time I'll call Chris to come over like he said he would
and put a new battery in the toyota.  That should hold us."
     "Okay..."
     "I wanted everything to be perfect.  I wanted to take
pictures and... I guess I really screwed up..."
     "I guess you really did," she replied.
     "You have every right to be angry..."
     "I suppose I do..."  but then suddenly she smiled up at
him.  "But the roses are beautiful and you worked so hard...
and you forgot to put this away."  She held up the beautiful
emerald and diamond chip tennis bracelet he had bought her
as a homecoming gift...  "And I love you so very much...."
     "Then I'm forgiven?"
     "Under one condition."
     "What, angel?"
     "That  you come here and lay down next to me.  I've been
in the hospital for three days, and I just want you to hold
me."  She began adjusting babies on the bed.  He slipped into
bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her.  Thing
took a flying leap and sniffed at the infants, then
decided not to dignify himself by bothering with them and
curled up at the foot of the bed.  Ignoring Thing as she
usually did, Mama Thing, on temporary leave from pups
hopped up too. Holding on to his wife, Fox was suddenly
overcome with the realization of how lucky he was...  All
this love!  Where had all this love come from?  Sophia had
forgotten to take Krycek downstairs in all the chaos and he
watched the scene peacefully for several minutes before
opening his mouth.....
     "Open  your legs, Scully... Up and at 'er, Mulder... Open
you legs, Scully...."
     "Not in your life, buster," muttered Dana.  Fox found
himself chuckling and suddenly he and his menagerie were all
sound asleep.

That's all for now.  To be continued.  Oh, yes, and thanks to
Tim Helbing for his help with cars.  He favored a GTO,  but
it was just a little too big for the story!