~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Chapter Ten ~*~*~*~*~*~*~ After fifteen years of hard time as a soft-core pornography connoisseur, Mulder sometimes heard breathy female moans in his sleep. So when he dragged one eye open that morning, it was really more to make sure he had not left the TV playing. Instead he found Scully lying next to him in bed, touching herself. She was being discreet about it. She had one hand slipped inside her partially opened pajama top while the other hand disappeared beneath the covers. Her eyes were closed; her cheeks flushed. Mulder bit his lip to keep himself from squeaking. He had seen her do it before, of course, but always in the middle of a raunchy bout of lovemaking and typically at his suggestion. Scully put on a hell of a show, but it wasn't the same as catching her alone in the act. She was practically covered from head to toe and essentially inaudible, but still he was instantly, painfully hard. The voyeur inside him surged to the surface, making his skin tingle and his breathing deepen. He tried not to drool onto the pillow. Scully licked her lips and a furrow formed between her brows. He felt the mattress shift as she widened her legs. In the early morning light, he could just make out the stiff points of her nipples through the satin pajamas. Scully pinched them in turn and her bottom wriggled beneath the sheets. Her breath came faster, her head turning towards him on the pillow, but her eyes remained shut. Mulder drank openly at the sight, his own hand stealing under the covers. He realized he ought to be taking notes or something for future reference, but his brain seemed to have turned to fuzz. Her pace picked up as she rubbed herself more vigorously. Mulder thought he might explode from the effort of keeping silent. He put his hand over his dick and squeezed. Any more movement would have rustled the covers and outed him. Scully whimpered. "Oh," she said, getting close. Mulder couldn't help it: he gurgled. Scully froze and her eyes shot open immediately. Mulder screwed his shut and winced. "You're awake," she accused at last, sounding a little breathless. "Yeah." He paused, feeling guilty. "Sorry." He cleared his throat. "Please don't stop on my account." Scully blinked at him for a second and then started laughing. "What?" he demanded as she curled up in giggles. "Such earnest chivalry, Mulder." "You would have preferred begging?" He scooted closer to her. "Please, Scully, *please* don't stop on my account!" She laughed harder, and he hugged her, kissing the top of her head and urging her compact little body against his still-throbbing one. Scully rubbed her cheek against his T-shirt and hugged him back. "I didn't mean to wake you." "Next time, mean to wake me, okay?" he teased, and felt her smile. "I know it's been a while," he added a moment later. "Sorry about that." She pressed a kiss to his ribcage. "It's okay. How's your leg?" "A little better." He let his hand wander between them and slip under her pajama top. He stroked the warm, soft skin of her belly, and Scully's hips jerked against him in answer. "Mmm...much better." "Mulder," she warned. "Hmm?" he replied, his lips at her hairline. He caressed the underside of one breast with his fingertips. "You're not healed enough for this." "My hands are perfectly fine." He proved this by stroking the very point of her nipple with one finger. Scully sucked in a breath and squirmed a little. "Other parts of me are perfectly fine," he continued in a suggestive whisper. Scully's hand slipped lower on his belly, fingers grazing the waistband of his boxers. "You're a bad influence, Mulder. As a doctor, I shouldn't be encouraging this sort of behavior." "Encouraging it? Who's the one who started this party?" "Exactly the reason I left your name off the guest list," she reminded him. "Too late," he said, slipping his hand down the front of her pants. "Consider it crashed." Scully grabbed a fistful of his clothes and buried her face in his shoulder. Her knee was drawn up over his hip to give him better access. He found her swollen and hot, and she jerked at first contact. "Jesus, Mulder," she muttered into his T-shirt. "Good?" "Mmm-hmm," she said, sounding tense and distracted. His hand was kind of tangled up in her underwear, but he managed to find a rhythm she seemed to like. After his earlier interruption, it did not seem fair to make her stop long enough to take off her clothes. Scully started making little snuffling noises on his shoulder. Strands of her hair caught in his mouth, but he didn't have a free hand to remove them. Scully gripped him as though he were the lap bar on a Tilt-a-Whirl ride. He slipped a couple of fingers inside her, and she answered by setting her teeth against his collarbone. Mulder grinned. Got you now, he thought. Her hips rubbed against him in a slinky inchworm dance. "Oh," she said, her breath catching as she went rigid under his touch. Warm contractions embraced his fingers and Mulder pressed his lips to her head. Her hand clenched and unclenched on his belly. Mulder hugged her as best he could with the arm trapped under her body. Scully slumped against him and hugged him around the waist. "Better?" he asked. "I like this party," she said, voice muffled against his shoulder. "We should have it more often." Mulder chuckled and squeezed her. "My SPAM has been warning me for years about horny pregnant women. It turns out the rumors are true." A moment later her hand wandered back across his stomach and under his shorts. Mulder hissed out a breath, closing his eyes as she touched him. Scully gave him a few gentle caresses. "Does that hurt?" "Does it *hurt*? Scully, I got shot in the leg, not in the--hey, ow!" He broke off as she gave him a less-gentle squeeze. "Sorry," she said sweetly, and returned to her earlier rhythm. Mulder sighed and relaxed again. Scully had strong, nimble hands, and after all their years together, she knew just what he liked. Slack-jawed, he moaned as she quickened the pace a bit. "Lift up," she said, pausing to divest him carefully of his boxers. His cock sprang out in joyous freedom. Scully snuggled back up against his side and resumed stroking his penis from root to tip. She laid her cheek on his chest, watching her work intently, and somehow that turned him on more. He pushed his hips up with the rhythm of her hand. He tried to make it last, but it had been too long and he was too far gone. Scully rubbed vigorously and he groaned as orgasm hit. She gave him a few extra loving strokes as he lay there like a quivering Jello mold. After a bit, he grabbed a couple of tissues and cleaned up. Scully was still plastered against his side. "What time are Amelia and Adam coming?" he asked. She traced a lazy pattern on his chest. "About noon." "I guess that means we have to get out of bed." Scully sighed. "Remind me why I agreed to do this?" Mulder kissed her one last time before gingerly rolling out of bed. "Because," he said, "it was your idea." ~*~*~*~ Scully chopped vegetables for the hors d'oeuvres platter while Mulder worked on the cheese plate. Rather, he was supposed to be working on the cheese plate, but when she glanced at him he was mooning at the ultrasound picture he had taped to the fridge. Or at least it looked like he was mooning. Scully knew better. "Do you need me to point out the baby again?" she asked, matter of fact. Mulder shifted on his crutches and squinted at the picture. "It's like those 3-D drawings, Scully. I think I have it and then it goes away again." "This from a man who can find Sasquatch in a grainy photo from twenty paces." Mulder studied the photo again and then stared pointedly at her stomach. "I figure, push comes to shove, I can locate the baby just fine. I'll be happy when he or she gets 3- dimensional, though." "You mean when I get fat." He examined her belly pretty much every morning for signs of life. She had a couple of skirts she could no longer wear, but for the most part, her pregnancy didn't yet show. Mulder patted his own middle. "I'm the one getting fat. All this bed rest is killing me." At that moment, his doorbell rang and Mulder limped out of the kitchen in a hurry. "I've got it." Anything to get out of food preparation, Scully thought to herself with a mental sigh. She wiped her hands on a dishtowel and headed in the direction of voices. "Hi, there," Amelia was saying from the doorway with Natalie in her arms. "Belated happy new year, and an even more belated merry Christmas." "You too," Mulder replied, widening the door and getting out of the way. "Come on in." Amelia entered with Adam trailing behind. He held an armful of presents. "Where do you want these?" "On the coffee table with the others is fine," Mulder said. He had even purchased a small tree for the occasion. Amelia set Natalie down so she could remove her coat. "You remember Mulder and Scully," she said. Natalie's loose curls stuck up on end as her hat came off. Scully waved but Natalie was unimpressed. She turned her attention to Mulder's bandaged leg. "Boo boo?" she asked, sounding worried. "Um, a small one," Mulder answered. Amelia stood and wandered over to Scully. "I hear congratulations are in order." Scully felt herself blush a little. She hadn't even told her mother yet. Mom was not due back from California until the next day, and Scully preferred to break the news in person. At one point, having a pregnant and unmarried daughter would have broken her mother's heart, but Scully figured her horror-show life made this latest twist seem like a fairytale. Mom would be overjoyed. She returned Amelia's hug. "Thanks. You give me confidence that it's, um, possible to make the adjustment." Amelia had one eye on her daughter, who was examining Mulder's knee. "It used to drive me crazy when people said, 'Oh, kids change your life.' It kind of still does. I mean, it's a no-brainer. Of course they change your life. So does getting hit by lightning." Scully blanched, and Amelia laughed. "No, it's great, really. I adore her. I think, though, the biggest surprise has been what a neat person she is in her own right. She's got her own sense of style, her own laugh, her own pint-sized buttons to push. She sings "I Get Around" along with Beach Boys from her little car seat when we're out running errands. How could I have predicted that?" She paused and Scully smiled. Amelia continued, "I just think the world is a better place with her in it, and I'm feel blessed to have contributed in some small way. You know?" No, Scully thought, feeling teary again. "I hope to," she said, and Amelia hugged her around the shoulders again. "Boo boo," Natalie was affirming at Mulder's leg. "Careful, kiddo," Adam said. "You don't want to hurt Mulder." Natalie patted his bandage very gently and then leaned in to kiss it. "Awww," Amelia said, "That's very sweet of you, hon--" She broke off as Natalie grabbed Mulder's leg like a tree trunk, hugging him with all her might. Mulder braced himself against the wall and gritted his teeth. "Natalie, no," Adam said, pulling her back. "That's too tight." Natalie was unfazed. She smiled up at Mulder and spread her hands. "All better!" "Thank you," Mulder replied weakly. He met Scully's eyes, looking wounded. She smiled. "Love hurts." Scully and Amelia worked in the kitchen while Grenier and Mulder showed off Mulder's fish tank to Natalie. Up close, Scully could see the scars on Amelia's wrists that matched the marks on her own. "So you and Adam had Christmas together?" she asked, about as subtle as a log roller. Amelia didn't look up from tossing the spinach salad. "Yes, for Natalie's sake more than anything. After what she's been through, I wouldn't want to keep her from her father on Christmas." "He clearly adores her." "Yes." She ripped up some leaves. "I know." Scully was silent a minute. Amelia and Adam's relationship wasn't really any of her business. "You know what?" Amelia asked finally. "She did take the dog." "Excuse me?" "Penelope... Lily. Whatever you want to call her. She took our dog, Gypsy. They found her when they searched her house. Adam thinks she took her so Natalie would be less afraid." She braced both hands on the counter and looked down. "I've tried, but I can't hate her. I guess that means I can't hate him either." "Give it time," Scully said lamely. "Things will get better after a while." "Hey," Mulder said, sticking his head into the room. "There's been a vote that we open presents now." Beneath him, Natalie clasped her hands together and beamed. Amelia laughed. "I wonder who that could be?" "Presents it is then," Scully agreed, and Natalie ran back into the living room. The adults each took a seat while Natalie hovered over the wrapped gifts. "I think maybe she should go first," Mulder suggested. "I worry she might take my arm off if I made any sudden moves toward the presents." "Not you," Amelia replied. "The rest of us aren't safe." "Here you are, Natalie," Scully said, handing her gaily- wrapped box. Natalie shredded it in seconds, paper flying, and removed the lid on the box to reveal a stuffed monkey holding a "Curious George" book. "Ohhh," she crooned. "We like Curious George," Amelia said. "Don't we?" "Uh-huh." "What do you say to Mulder and Scully?" Natalie hugged the George monkey to her chest. "Mine." "How about thank you?" "Thank you," Natalie repeated, staring her monkey in the eyes. "You know who that is," coached Amelia as she leaned over to stroke her daughter's hair. "What's that monkey's name?" Natalie turned to her. "Mulder," she said in all seriousness. "Oh, God," Amelia groaned, and everyone laughed. "She's right," Grenier said. "I can see the resemblance." "Okay, then, how about you give Mulder his present?" Amelia suggested. Natalie put down the monkey and picked up a small red bag with a bow stuck to it. "Careful," Amelia warned. Natalie walked in tiny steps as if she were carrying an egg. She presented the package to Mulder, who accepted with a smile. "Thank you." She stood and watched while he removed the gift. "A fish!" he said. "Another Molly." "Scully mentioned you had lost one recently." "I did. This will make a great replacement, thank you." He stretched forward and set the fish on the table. "How about you give this one to your mom?" he asked Natalie. Natalie dutifully served as messenger. Amelia got a woven shawl and coupon good for a free night of babysitting. "Oh, I am going to hoard this," she said. "I figure we could use the practice," Mulder replied. Next Grenier opened his, a book on the Civil War. "I've been wanting to read this for a while," he said, flipping through the pages. "Thanks." "I remember you were always interested in the time period," Mulder said. Grenier looked surprised. "You did?" "Sure." Grenier shook his head and looked at the book. "I always figured you never heard a thing I said back then." "How could I know you were wrong if I didn't listen?" Mulder said. Grenier scowled until he realized Mulder was kidding. "Well, that must have been why I thought you weren't listening," he said. "Because otherwise you would have understood I wasn't wrong." "Boys? Can we keep them zipped for one afternoon?" Amelia handed Natalie another package. "This one is for Scully." Natalie looked at it a moment and then brought it to Mulder. "For you," she said. "No, I think it's for Scully," he said, handing it back. Natalie gave an exaggerated sigh and trooped back to where Scully sat. She handed her the box without a word. Scully carefully untied the ribbon and made sure not to rip the paper. Inside the box lay a small photo album. Scully initially thought it was in preparation for the baby, but she found it had already been filled with photos. All of them were of Mulder in his younger years. "Oh, my," she breathed. "Adam and I put our collection together," Amelia explained. "We thought you might like to have them." "They're wonderful." She laughed and held up the album. "I like this one." It showed Mulder asleep on a lounge sofa at Quantico with a pizza box in his lap. "It's nice to know some things about you haven't changed." The timer sounded in the kitchen, and Scully started to get up, but Mulder stopped her. "I'll go." "You sure?" "I'm fine." He hobbled past her, and she turned her attention back to the photo album. "This is a really thoughtful gift," she said. "Thank you both very much." "We have one more thing for you," Grenier said. He got up and went to where his coat hung on Mulder's rack. Returning with a folder, he handed it to Scully. "It's the final autopsy report on Gary Pittsfield." "Oh?" Scully accepted the folder and opened it. "Turns out he was faking the whole illness routine. Doc didn't find a thing wrong with him, save the bullet hole." Scully's heart skipped a beat. "That's impossible. I saw it. He was feverish and coughing up blood." "Maybe you saw what he wanted you to see." Scully scanned the report, looking for anything that would hint at Pittsfield's ill health. The ME's data looked solid: Pittsfield had died a perfectly healthy 50 year-old man. "Scully?" Mulder called. "Dinner's done. Can you give me a hand in here?" Scully put the folder aside and tried to still her trembling. "Coming," she called. Grenier toasted her as she went. "Merry Christmas." ~*~*~*~*~*~ End. Th-th-that's all, folks! Thanks for reading along. Many thanks to Amanda for proofing! I appreciate all your help very much. :-) Evil to the last drop: find me at syn_tax6@yahoo.com