Sometime in the future.....
"I can't do this, Mom."
Dana Scully-Mulder looked over at her daughter as the woman maneuvered her chair around the nursery. "What are you talking about, Hunt?"
"This," she motioned toward the baby and ended with a forlorn look. "She hates me. How can I be a mother to someone who hates me?"
Dana chuckled as she shifted her little bundle to the other arm. "Lexie doesn't hate you. She's barely seven weeks old; what does she know about hate?"
"Enough. You obviously haven't witnessed her reactions when I hold her. It's like she has it in her mind to break the sound barrier if I so much as look at her."
"You're looking at her now and she seems quiet enough to me."
Hunter locked her wheelchair in place and crossed her arms. "That's all a part of the conspiracy." She watched as her mother fought to contain her laughter without jostling the baby. "Lexie has it planned so that whenever we're around others, she's the model baby." Shaking her head. "But you get us alone, and it's Soprano City!"
"Lexie, love. I think your mother lost it during the delivery." Dana made all sorts of faces and rocked the little girl. "Oh, yes I do. And do you know why I think that? Because it was only a matter of time before she started sounding like your DA."
"She's got you fooled too."
Dana looked up at the young woman and frowned. "What does Dante think?"
"He thinks I'm making a big deal out of nothing. But then he would; she's pretty much okay with him. 'So she's a little unsettled with you, Hunter. It's normal. You're both adapting to each other after the birth. Zach's fine; Lexie will be too. Just give her some time.'" She rolled her eyes and Dana thought back to the countless number of times she'd watched that motion. "How much time do you need to get used to your mother?"
"He's probably right you know? The birth was pretty traumatic for all of you and you've only been home a couple of weeks. That's not really enough time to get to know anyone."
Hunter cocked her head and watched as her mother laid the baby in her crib. "I carried them for thirty-three weeks. She should know me by now!" Sighing. "If only for the reason I choked down 1,617 glasses of milk and orange juice."
"You counted them."
"Dante'll show you my little chart." Seeing her mother's look and shrugging. "It was something to do."
Dana shook her head and made sure the baby was asleep. When she was convinced, she unlocked Hunter's wheels and pushed her out into the hall. "Where's the electric?"
"Downstairs in the charging closet. It's easier to get to when I go out. Why?"
"You might want to start using that one up here. It'll be easier to handle when you're dealing with the babies."
Hunter grabbed the bannister and effectively stopped their forward motion. "You know I don't use that one in the house. I hate being dependent on the stupid thing."
"That was before." *A lot's changed, Hunter. You're going to have to change with them.*
The younger woman stayed silent and didn't resist as they resumed their journey. Dana maneuvered the chair onto the platform at the top of the stairs and helped to secure it. She pushed one of the buttons and watched as the whole thing descended. When Hunter was about halfway down, Dana headed down to meet her. "You know, I still don't understand how Dad was able to teach you how to communicate with us like that." The young woman arched her eyebrow as they worked to remove her from the lift. "It still takes Dante, Suzannah Blake /and/ me working together for Mac to do it."
Dana straightened and winked at her daughter. "Your dad and I always had our own way of communicating, so this was a piece of cake." She chuckled. "Seriously. The only thing he taught me was how to open my thoughts so that you can receive them. I don't do anything special; you guys are the ones who do all of the work of retrieving them."
They slowly moved into the kitchen area and Hunter headed for the refrigerator. She pulled out a pitcher of lemonade and rolled herself up the mini-ramp that put her level to the island. She poured the liquid into the two glasses Dana put in front of her and set the pitcher down. "Still. There has to be something on your part; it couldn't work otherwise."
"Whatever you say, Dear." Dana glanced into the portable crib in the den. "Where's Zach?"
"Dante grabbed him and took him outside with him, Dad and Liam; he wanted a male-bonding experience for his son." With a mocking tone. "A chance for him to get to know his DA and his Uncle. He asked permission while we were upstairs." Rolling her eyes. "As if Zach could care less about remodeling that old car."
"I think it's some new tradition or something." She took a sip of her drink. "Mulder has been dragging your poor brother over here every Saturday since they went and bought the stupid thing. Poor Liam just follows right along behind him even though I know he'd rather be playing t-ball with his friends." Dana sighed. "I've tried telling Mulder to let the boy have his own space, but he insists it's a father-son thing and that he's fine. Sometimes, I think he sees him as more of a puppy than an eight-year old boy."
Hunter nearly choked on her laughter as she watched her mother's expression. "Well, it would explain those puppy-dog eyes and that hang-dog face he pulls off when he's in trouble. I ..."
The back-door opened and a very grown-up (and handsome) Dante entered the room cradling a small bundle. "I was hoping you guys were down here. Zach didn't find the car as fascinating as we had hoped and drifted off." He walked to his wife and kissed her forehead. "I figured Lexie was probably asleep since they like to nap at the same time."
"Mom just put her down a few minutes ago." Chagrined. "That's something else. I heard all of these dire predictions of how twins hardly ever do things on the same schedule and how they tend to be more fussy; you put /them/ together and they're quiet and content until they really need something." She turned to Dana. "Do you know, as long as they are in the same crib, they sleep the whole night through. It's unnatural! Babies their age, don't do that."
"Honey," Dana tried to soothe her daughter. "There is no definitive source on how babies behave. I think your mind is trying to latch on to things that aren't there because your body is still trying to recover from what happened when the twins were born." She smiled. "If it's any consolation, remember how Liam was; he never cried at night or when he woke in the mornings. The only way I knew he would be awake was when I'd go check on him. It's the same thing here. Don't worry about; in fact, you should be rejoicing."
"That's what I've been trying to tell her, but you know Hunter. She's her father's daughter." A horn could be heard from outside. "Oh, man. I forgot. We're heading to the parts store and then to pick up Pop." Looking down at his son. "Fox suggested I bring Zach back in instead of dragging him around and messing up his sleep."
Dana walked around the island and reached for the baby. Once she had him settled, she headed back towards the stairs. "I'll take him up while you two talk."
"Thanks, Sis." He turned back to his wife. *Are you okay?*
*What do you care? You and Mom have made up your minds that I'm imagining things and making a big deal out of nothing. Well, fine. I am, okay? Does that make you happy?*
*Of course, it doesn't. I'm not saying you're imagining everything; I've picked up on some of the stuff from Lexie. All I am saying is it's not that big of a deal. She just needs time. With us as parents, who knows what's going on with them. We just have to wait and see.* Dante winced. *Your dad just summoned me, so I have to go.* He kissed her on the lips and headed for the door. *It'll be all right, Hunter. I promise.*
Hunter watched him leave and then wheeled herself into the den. She stopped in front of one of the bay windows and stared out at the view as tears quietly rolled down her face. She didn't move when her mother came back into the room and stood behind her. Dana placed her hand on her head and softly soothed her. "I guess it wouldn't hurt so much if I didn't think about how I really wanted them. How hard I fought to get them here." She shrugged. "I guess I wanted them too much."
Dana grabbed the handles of the chair and moved them to the sofa. She locked the wheels and then helped Hunter to settle on the couch. As soon as the other woman was stable and the tears gone, she positioned herself behind her daughter and wrapped her in her arms. "That's nonsense and you know it! I know this is going to sound redundant, but, give it some time, Baby." Dana placed a kiss on the back of Hunter's head and listened to her sigh. "So, other than believing your daughter is the fulfillment of "The Omen," how are you liking your first Mother's Day?"
"I suppose it's okay. You saw the bedroom; I couldn't believe he found that many roses." Her eyes twinkled as she angled to look at her mom. "I don't think yours has been too bad, either. I know for a fact that before Liam ran in to wish you a happy day, Dad was /giving/ you his Mother's Day present rather .... vociferously." She laughed. "I'm sure the neighbours heard."
"Hunter Shelby Ianha Mulder-Skinner, I am shocked!"
Laughing harder. "No more than Dante! He couldn't believe Dad was scoring better than him this morning. I think he was praying Liam would interrupt before the big moment, but his prayers were in vain." Mischievously. "With the way you two go at it, it's a wonder Liam and I are the only offspring."
"What can I say? We're very careful." Both women laughed a few minutes more until they shifted to a more comfortable position. Dana heard Hunter sigh. "What are you thinking about?"
A dreamy smile. "I was remembering the first time I called you Mom."
"The very first time or at the hospital? I remember both, but I don't think you could remember the time at the school."
"I remember it; it's a little hazy, but it's there."
Both women grew quiet as the shared memories carried them back in time.
May 4th
Selwyn School
3rd floor
Dana Scully was tired.
She had worked on so many injured kids in the time she'd been there that their faces were starting to blur together. Even though her mind and hands were busy patching up cuts, scrapes and bullet wounds on the young victims, her heart was somewhere else. Every so often, she'd catch her eyes wandering over to the small figure huddled under several blankets desperately trying to breathe. Scully would visibly shake herself and return her attention to whatever task was at hand praying that the sick bastard who had decided to do a little target practice at Dante and Hunter's school would burn in Hell. //How could someone do this to innocent children?//, she thought to herself. She wiped the tears from the too young face staring up at her and laid the child gently back on the makeshift pallet. She suddenly realized the little girl was the last one. She moved quickly over to the figures near the corner and reached out her hand to feel the forehead of her brother. "How ya doing, Dante? Your fever's back."
The boy looked wearily at the woman who looked as tired as he felt. "I'm hot and cold at the same time and my side hurts. "He looked like he was about to cry. "I'm scared, Dana. What if Pop can't get us out of here before we ...?"
"Stop it!" The agent gently took him in her arms and quickly examined his bloody side. "We're going to get out of here - I promise. We just have to be patient." She kissed his too hot forehead and looked down at the now thrashing figure in front of them. "How's she doing?"
"I checked her just like you said. Most of the bleeding's slowed down or stopped. Her breathing's not so good and she's hotter than I am." Dante turned his sorrowful night-eyes on his sister. "She's not getting any better, is she?"
At that moment, the little figure pushed the blankets off herself and let loose a terrified cry. Scully brushed Dante's hair away from his face and softly laid him down next to her. She leaned over the girl and tried to comfort her as she replaced the covers. "It's okay, Hunter. I'm here. You're safe. We're going to get you out of here and give you lots of TLC. You're going to be fine; I promise."
The child trembled within her hidden turmoil. Scully continued to caress the child's face even as she noticed the wounds reopening with the violent movements. She turned to pick up some clean towels to put over them when she heard a tiny sound. She looked back and saw Hunter's eyes were open and full of pain. "Mommy?"
Scully's heart broke as she realized the little girl was delirious. "Hunter, it's me, Dana. I'm here to help you; to make you better."
"Mommy. Make her go away." She gasped for breath. "Tell her I can't go with her." Frantically. "Please, Mommy. Don't let me go!"
"Hunter, nobody's trying to take you anywhere. You've been hurt and you're very sick and it's making you see things that aren't there." Taking a deep breath. "I want you to try to relax. You need to conserve your energy. You don't want to ..."
Hunter twisted as she cried out in pain and fear. "No!" She begged. "Please, Mommy. Please, tell her to go away. Tell her I want to stay here with you and Daddy. Tell .... her .... I can't go yet."
The woman had focused all of her attention on the child when she heard her mention her father. Something didn't feel right. "Hunter, who's trying to take you away? Who do you want me to tell?" Even though her mind kept telling her, the child was mixing her up with her mother, the agent couldn't fight the feeling of dread that was threatening to overwhelm her. "Who is it?"
"Sherron," the child wheezed. "She wants to take me with her and him. But I don't wanta go." Tiredly. "I wa.... to stay wit you an Da- Daddy." The tired eyes stared up at Dana. "Please, Mommy stop her. I don wanna go."
A trembling started in the pit of Scully's stomach and worked it's way throughout her body as she realized what she was witnessing. Without a second thought, she gathered the tiny body into her arms as gently as she could and held her close. "You can't have her, Sherron. She's mine now. You gave her to us and you can't have her back." Crying. "Please don't take her. Mulder needs her so much; she's his heart and he'd die if she wasn't (sob) there." She looked up toward the ceiling, pleading. "I need her, too. I love her more than I ever thought I could and I can't lose that. Don't take that away from me, please." The woman softly kissed the feverish brow and started to rock her in her arms. "It's okay, Hunter. I'm not letting you go. You're safe. Mommy's here, Baby-Girl. Mommy's here."
May 16th
NGMC
Pediatric Intermediate Care Unit
"I'm sorry, Agents Scully, Mulder. There was too much damage." The doctor sighed. He hated doing this. In all of his years as a pediatrician, he hated destroying hope more than anything. "With extensive therapy, she should regain full use and range of motion in her upper body and arms. But, as for walking, there's nothing we can do."
Scully shook the doctor's hand and said something she hoped was appropriate. It must have been because he gave her a supportive smile and turned to leave. For the life of her, she couldn't have told anyone what she said. The roaring in her head was too loud. Paralyzed. Hunter was paralyzed from the waist down ... forever. She turned stricken eyes towards her partner and watched as he relied on the wall to hold him up. She began to walk towards him when...
Mulder pulled back his fist and hit the wall as hard as he could. Thank goodness it was not as solid as it should have been or else he would have definitely broken something. As it turned out, his hand put a pretty sizeable hole in the wall, but he didn't notice. "Why, Scully? Why did they have to target a school? Her school? We lost 23 kids for no reason. 23, Scully!" Tears rolled down his face. "And she's pa .... she can't walk. It's not right! Why do they always have to hurt the innocents?"
His partner took a deep breath and checked over his hand. "I don't know, Mulder." Tiredly. "Just when I think I have everything figured out, something like this happens and my world is rocked." She sighed. "All we can do is try to stop the hurting and just try to be there when we're needed." Wiping the tears from both of their faces. "Like right now. Hunter's going to need us both to be strong for her. This isn't going to be easy. In fact, it's going to be damn hard, but we have to be there for her and each other so that all of us will survive." Scully stepped toward the room door and held out her hand. "You with me, Mulder?"
The agent hesitated for only a second before firmly grabbing his friend's hand. Together, they walked into the room and stood beside the bed. Scully softly caressed the sleeping face and Hunter slowly opened her eyes. "Mommy?"
Mulder grabbed the chairs in the room and moved them beside the bed. He watched as Scully lowered the rail and grabbed the child's hand. He placed his hand on her leg. "Hiya, Squirt. How ya feeling?"
Hunter yawned, as only a child can, and smiled at them. "I'm okay; I had a very good nap." She wrinkled her nose. "You look like you could use one, Daddy."
He couldn't help himself when he chuckled. "You're probably right."
Dana reached her free hand out and smoothed the hair away from the child's face. "Hunter, we talked to Dr. Mendez-Grant and he .... He .... umm .... told us the results of the tests. Ummm, ..... it's not good, Baby." For a moment, the woman lowered her eyes to regain her strength, but soon she was looking into the child's eyes, willing that strength to her. "With therapy, you'll have full use of your arms, but.... But, you're paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors did all they could, but there was too much ...."
"No." The child shook her head. "No, it's not true. They're lying. It's gonna be just like the last time." She took a shaky breath and the tears started. "I'm going to work out and do every .. everything they tell me and I'll be wa-wa- walking and running in n-n-o time. Right, Mommy?" No response. "Daddy? Please."
Dana stood and climbed up beside the crying girl and cradled her. "Just let it out. Just let it out." Kissing her forehead. "We'll be here to catch you. Mommy's here. Mommy's right here, Hunter. I won't let you go."
Dana Scully-Mulder looked down at her sleeping daughter with tears in her eyes. That day had been one of the best and worst Mother's Days she had ever had. As she thought back over the days since then, she could only smile at how things had turned out. She knew there were going to be some interesting times ahead for Hunter and her babies, but she knew her daughter would make it through. With her help, of course.
And that made this Mother's Day all the more perfect.
The End