Disclaimer: Nothing changed since last chapter

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Sorry for the delay in updating – but I spent Easter in Germany and just got back last night. Hope you enjoy.

Hold On To Love

Chapter four

"Mr. and Mrs. Richmond, I'm so sorry but I must attend to a difficult birth, my nurse will give you another appointment tomorrow." Without waiting for their answer he left.

With a quick gaze they agreed to stay in role, Mulder helped her down from the examination table and into her clothes, while she scanned the room and found two cameras, weakly she leaned into his chest "there are two cameras, Mulder."

Patting her back, he loudly said, "it will be all right, sweetheart. Are you ready?" Scully stepped back and turned around, still she kept her head bowed like she was crying. Mulder placed his hand lightly on her lower back and together they walked out of the room. The wave of happiness and belonging rushing through her warmed her body up, and absentmindedly she leaned deeper into his hand, wanting more of him. She had missed him for so long and this was the first familiar touchstone, he offered her since he noticed her growing abdomen. She wanted to make most of it.

In respond, he moved his hand in soothing small circles; she doubted the cameras would catch the small movements on the monitors. "Sarah, wait over there I will make the appointment." Understanding she walked close to the entrance door, standing with her back to Mulder she had a perfect view over the door and the area behind it. She kept her hand in her pocket.

Feeling Mulder's hand on her back again she opened the door, in silence they walked to the car. Mulder held the door for her and closed it behind her. She was grateful for his help it was getting harder and harder to close the door by herself, if only she didn't have to open it so widely every time.

"What was that about, Mulder?"

"I don't think the call was about delivering a baby, Scully. I think someone got suspicious about us. I just can't figure out why or who." Pausing he faced her, "is your baby ok, Scully?"

"My baby is fine, Mulder. Dr. Seller had turned the sound off the heartbeat is strong, I saw it on the monitor."

Taking his hand, she placed it on a moving spot on her stomach, "feel the kicking, Mulder, it's a leg. The baby is active as ever. Fortunately, it slept through the ultrasound scanning it would've been difficult for Dr. Seller to explain how a moving baby could be death."

His face glowed with awe and something she couldn't read, but it was similar to regret, "does it hurt, Scully?"

"It doesn't hurt but it can get a little uncomfortable sometimes, nothing to complain about."

Mulder withdraw his arm and slipped the car into drive, this time he didn't turn the radio on and the air around them was lighter. Neither said a word until they found an empty parking lot in front of her building.

"Come on up with me, Mulder."

In her apartment Scully pulled her weapon out of her pocket before she took off her coat, giving both to Mulder who just stood and looked around the corners of her apartment.

"Will you store my weapon in the bedroom? You know where I keep it. I'll make my long overdue morning coffee."

"It's a bit late for morning coffee, Scully?"

"Yeah, I was running late!"

Keeping her hands on her lower back she padded into the kitchen. She had spent most of the night thinking about Mulder and occasionally the case, the strain between them was taking its toll on her and it wasn't good for the baby. She heard the distant sounds of Mulder using her bathroom.

Scully was sitting on the couch with a cup of steamy coffee in her hands, her eyes closed but hearing the muffled steps of Mulder, she opened them and turned her head. He was standing behind the couch looking at her in question, in his hands he had a toothbrush and some shaving tackles. Lifting an eyebrow, she hissed, "what Mulder?"

"Scully, either have you started to shave recently or you like to hold on to old things?"

"I like old things, Mulder!" Shrugging her shoulders, she turned her head back to her coffee.

Mulder walked around the couch and sat next to her, "these are my old stuff, if I'm not mistaken?" He watched her closely, suddenly he had no problem being in the same room with her or keeping eye contact for more than a few seconds.

"They are."

His eyes flicked with several different emotions, it was impossible to read them all. "Why have you kept them, Scully?"

"The same reason why I kept your apartment, Mulder." She wasn't making it easy for him.

"I was wondering about that too, thought my money hasn't been transferred to you yet?"

Staring into his eyes, she wondered what he was thinking, "the transfer was completed two months ago, I've asked my lawyer to retransfer all your accesses back to you. You've money in the bank again, Mulder."

"I don't understand?"

Exhaling, she licked her lips; "you really don't have a clue, do you, Mulder?"

"No!"

Closing her eyes in disbelieve, she rubbed her eyes with two fingers. "Mulder, do you believe I sat at your hospital bed out of duty? That I searched for you until I found you out of duty? Or that I kept staying with you at the hospital after you woke out of duty? Do you honestly believe that?"

"Huh, well not at first. I felt so blessed, when I saw you face after opening my eyes and so lucky when I saw your smile and tears. But you never answered my question if I had been missed and then I saw your enlarged belly."

"And what, Mulder?" She couldn't believe her ears, could he be so blind after all they been through.

"I..huh." He stopped.

"You thought I had moved on, that I had replaced you and become pregnant the moment you were out of sight?" She drawled.

"Maybe." He admitted.

Raising her eyebrow, she repeated, "Maybe?"

When he said nothing but looked sheepishly at her, she shook her head. "You honestly believe the first thing I did, after learning about your abduction, was to become pregnant. Lying in my hospital bed I thought, what the hell, there are other fishes in the water. You don't have high thoughts of me, Mulder. After all, you should know me better than that." She was angry now.

"Huh, I've high thoughts of you, Scully."

"So I see. Do you know how far I'm in my pregnancy? Seven months. Do the math, Mulder."

Zipping her coffee, she saw the wheels turning in his head. "you, you were pregnant in Oregon. That was why you were ill. How did it happen, Scully?"

Rolling her eyes, she asked, "have you heard about the birds and the bees, Mulder? I thought you had learned something from those tapes which aren't yours."

"Scully!" He chuckled, "I know my biology in that area." Becoming serious he added, "I just wonder how it happened? You know what I mean."

"I do, and I don't know, Mulder. It's just too amazing to understand."

The confused and worried look in his face was replaced with wonder and happiness.

"A baby, Scully, a baby. Our baby!"

Locking eyes with him, she saw the love and peace in his eyes, in a swift motion he took the cup out of her hand and lifted her up on her feet and encircled her in his arms. Hugging her tightly, he whispered into her ear: "Thank you, Scully. If this is how I'm greeted after a longer period of absent I'll leave more often."

"Yeah, but you do know there is Skinner and my attraction to him to consider, don't you?"

Finding her mouth, his lips brushed her with a wild intensity, instantly parting her lips she welcomed his tongue into her mouth. The texture of his lips against hers, and the hungry pressure they met her neglected lips with were sweet and toxic, it was a fading memory only kept alive by dreams and fantasies blossoming in remembrance coming alive. It was by far better in reality compared to the stored memory afraid to be forgotten, she had carried for so long. For endless nights, she had held on to sweet memories that had started to fade; hands she remembered the size of but the feeling of their touch to her skin was slipping away. His special scent easily smelled in dreamland was difficult to recall in the middle of the day and only in the early hours of dawn, her lips would soften in responds to a lover's kiss, shaping into meeting Mulder's lips in an unanswered hunger of longing and loss.

Her body more efficient in remembering than her mind remembered instantly, a rainbow of colours and feelings shot through her body into the core of her very existence, where past and present melted together in hope and thanksgiving. All her senses brought to lives by one meeting with his lips sent her body into shock, the wave of multiplied pleasures dizzied her, leaning fuller into him to find grounding, she deepened the kiss. The well-known, and oh so sweet, dance of their tongues steadied her and brought her back into his arms. Mulder was all the grounding she needed and wanted. With a new attentiveness her senses breathed him in and her heart welcomed him home, for the first time truly believing he was here and back with her. That his love for her hadn't died somewhere above the skies of the world they fought for.

Pushing back, he rested his forehead against her forehead; "I think we can forget about Skinner."

"Absolutely. Take me to bed, Mulder!"

"Anytime, Scully."

In her bedroom Mulder paused to look at her, his warm, greedy eyes studied her roughly. Seeing the astonishment washing over his face, Scully took his hand, lifting up in her shirt she placed his hand right above their child. "It's ok to touch, Mulder. We won't break or get hurt."

Letting go of the breath he held, his hand wandered in small soft caresses over the roundness of her belly, feeling the responds he received a smile covered his face and made it glow. Stepping closer, he buried his head in her hair, taking a deep breath his hand glided to her breast and settled right atop of her heart

"You kept me sane, it was you who kept my alive all those months, Scully. I wanted to see you again, to touch you again."

"I know Mulder, I saw you in my dreams." She whispered back.

Her hands found the back of his head and pressed his face down to be at level with hers, claiming his lips in a deep and soft kiss, her need to re-bond on all levels and pass the depths of her love to him controlled her feverish arousal for him. Knowing it was only one level of her love for him, she pushed the urgency into the background. There had been too much urgency and fear in their lives together, now, she wanted, needed to bring a new start into their lives. A new beginning where gentleness and passion dominated their love over fear of being discovered or running out of time. Today, the world was theirs and their love for each other all that mattered. Today, no thoughts of tomorrow were welcomed or acknowledged, she wouldn't allow it.

Feeling the change in her Mulder willed his powerful feelings, the scared part of him wanted to hold her tightly in his arms forever and ever, afraid their moment would be stolen, before he had the chance to express his love to her. It was how their love life had started, urgent and passionate. Now, wanting something to hold on to, wanting to open up for the light he slowed down, pushing his fear aside he sealed their pact in a new and more life-giving way. He bid the urgency farewell and opened his heart up for a deeper love, a love which could break him down, destroy him in the wrong hands but this was Scully. Leaving the fear behind their love became gentle and profound. Forgetting the darkness of the world he kissed her back.

Breaking the kiss, she realised he was hovering over her in the bed, how they had gotten there was a puzzle, everything happened in a fog. Breathing in deeply her body glowed from arousal, more than ready to meld into his. Closing her eyes briefly, she lingered in how he felt and smelled; it was overwhelming but she willed her senses to stay alert, wanting to remember everything.

"Roll over, Mulder." She whispered. Obediently, he rolled over and taking her with him. Straddling him she felt herself drowning in his eyes, in the love they expressed. His eyes had always been the mirror of his soul.

Suddenly, feeling vulnerable she whispered hoarsely: "Do you want me, Mulder?"

Pulling her head down to his, he looked deeply into her eyes, "always. You've never been more attractive to me than you are now. It's our baby inside your body, Scully. I want you!"

Repositioning her, Mulder claimed her lips in hot kisses, expressing how much he wanted and loved her. Their eyes remained locked when they finally became one, the joy they shared silenced the world around them and everything but them stopped to exist. Eyes communicating that the love shared was on a deeper and more pure level than any simple physic love could ever be. Every gentle touch healed a broken wing, a broken heart and replaced them with faith and hope. Life was for the living and they had been given a second chance, the child growing in her body was a proof of that.

Much later their peaceful slumber was broken by Mulder's cell phone, patiently Scully waited until he had finished his conversation with their boss.

"What did Skinner want, Mulder?"

"There has been a fire at the hospital in Dr. Seller's office. There is nothing left, no files and no trace of the doctor."

Lifting the cover, she started to get out of the bed, she was pulled back into his arms; "Skinner told us to stay away, nothing validates the involvement of FBI and since we're not on duty we can not come near the hospital now. The case is closed and Dr. Seller goes free."

"Mulder, we didn't really have anything on Dr. Seller."

"Except that he wanted to kill our baby, Scully. I say Dr. Seller was continuing his genetic manipulation on humans, Scully. I think he steels unborn babies all over the county."

Sighing, she nodded her head, "I think you're right, Mulder. But we'll never know for sure now. Someone knew we were on the case, I just wonder who."

"Yeah."

Refusing to accept the darkness access to their private cocoon, she turned her head and found his lips. Tomorrow they would deal with the world again, tonight belonged to them. This was the homecoming she had dreamed of and prayed for.

The End