Title: Be Patient to the Last
Author: MissAnnThropic
E-Mail: miss_annthropic@yahoo.com
Spoilers: semi-sequel to 'A Love Meant for Him Alone'
Summary: Scully seeing Mulder as the dutiful father.
Disclaimer: I own nasing! Really, I don't. All you see here (that you recognize, anyway) is the creation of someone else. I take no credit.



The screeching howl was almost inhuman, and Scully's initial reaction to it as it pulled her from pleasant sleep at two in the morning was almost just as beastly. Except for the fact that, in the half-second it took her to recognize the god-aweful sound, she could not MAKE herself be angry at it. No power within her or otherwise could make her mad... nothing in that sound, that was for sure. Nature and years of human evolution had trained her to always tolerate that particular sound. After all, it was the needful cry of her own offspring.

Scully grumbled under her breath, postponing opening her eyes to look up at the clock, hesitating even more getting out of her warm bed. Strangely, even this biology provided for. Despite how tired she was, how comfortable she felt, at her baby's wail she felt like she HAD to get up. It wasn't really a choice; her mind kicked into automatic at the sound. It was just a matter of getting her tired body to catch up with her roused mind.

She mentally shook her head at herself, 'geez, when do I stop being a scientist? I'm even thinking of my own daughter as my offspring.'

Not that any of that was untrue, but the almost neutral reference to the small child took by surprise even her. Of course, all that changed when she stopped thinking of the little creature in her guest-room-turned-nursery as an infant or offspring. The moment she mentally referred to it as Savannah, all scientific objectivity went out the window. She fell in love with her daughter all over again just from picturing her very name.

As these thoughts moved quickly through her mind at two in the morning, the infant's crying became louder... more urgent. Whatever she wanted or needed, she was convinced she needed it NOW.

Scully was just about to move toward getting out of bed when the warm arm around her waist moved, sliding across her clothed body then disappearing. The warm appendage vanished, as did the comforting body heat that had been tucked around her back. Then the mattress jostled, though no sounds were made, as Mulder slipped out of bed and moved toward the door.

Scully did not try to fight the strange smirk that came to her face. So many years on the X Files... who would have ever thought she would be here? Certainly never either of them.

Not to say that any of this came easily, though. First, she discovered that she was sterile, unable to conceive due to the experiments done on her years before. Then she and Mulder, after seven years of denial and unresolved sexual tension, began the first ventures of their sparse but needed personal relationship, THEN Mulder gets abducted by aliens in Oregon just as Scully was at the hospital finding out she was going to be a mother, something she was never supposed to hear.

There had been so many things then that didn't make sense, sometimes she felt she was still sorting it out months later.

Actually, she and Mulder had not been together in a sexual sense very often, perhaps maybe only three or four times. Work was always on their minds, consuming their almost every hour as always and not to mention the fact that in the back of their minds was the fear that the FBI would find out and split them up. Fraternization wasn't against the rules, but it was highly highly frowned upon, and if two partners were the culprit the team was usually split up. That fear was overriding... it was what kept them discrete to the bureau and themselves when they finally broke... at last admitted that they were the one person the other needed most in the world.

And the idea of a contraceptive or protection hadn't even crossed their minds. Not once, after all, Mulder and Scully had yearly physicals per FBI policy that verified repeatedly that they had no diseases (not that Scully had expected Mulder to... for all his taunting, she knew he was a very sensitive and reserved man when it came to the women he actually got involved with), and the issue of pregnancy... they hadn't even considered it. After all, Scully was incapable of having children, so why should they worry about that?

Or so they'd thought. On whose part the miracle could be accredited she wasn't sure... not even to this day. Was it her miracle or Mulder's? The more she mused on this, the more she had to accept that maybe it was both, and that that was the best answer she was ever going to get.

If only she'd been able to stop Mulder from going to Oregon, to tell him before he'd been taken...

Scully's astute maternal senses picked up the soft changes in her baby's crying, indicating Mulder had probably picked her up.

Scully remembered there had been two true moments of pure joy in the last five months. When Savannah was born, and the day Mulder was returned. Scully could remember the tight feeling in her chest, almost crushing hope and willingness to believe when, sitting at home with Savannah (who was about three months at the time) Doggett called from Oregon where he and Skinner had gone after reports of a man fitting Mulder's description in the hospital. Those simple words, 'we found him', and her entire world became brighter... held the possibility of being right for once... of being perfect.

Maybe a close third in that list would be the day she brought Mulder home. His own apartment had been leased to someone else long ago, most of his furniture either in storage or in Scully's apartment. He just seemed to accept that he was living with Scully at that point, no comments about finding a new home. No resistance as Scully led him into her apartment.

And when he'd seen Savannah it all fell into place, she could see it on his face.

Of course, to satisfy any underlying uncertainties or doubts, they had a paternity test and DNA sequencing on Savannah, not only to be sure she was Mulder's, but that she was even Dana's (after all, it was almost more shocking that Dana could have a baby than the fact Mulder could father one). Not that anyone looking at her could doubt she was Mulder's. Her chocolate hair just like Mulder's, only a few days after her birth her baby's blue eyes had started to take on a greenish hue, soon interposed with brown and gray that fluctuated often with her mood. Even something behind her eyes... even as a newborn, something that went straight down to her soul seemed to let everyone know she was of Mulder's essence.

Scully still could not believe how Mulder had taken to her. Even once he knew beyond a doubt she was his, Scully had expected a few days of shell-shock on his part. After all, most fathers had months to prepare for the idea of being a dad. Mulder was thrown into it without warning and after having come out of a traumatic experience.

But he coped. In fact, Scully suspected the domestic normality that greeted him upon return probably helped him focus his attention away from what had happened to him. Having Scully and the baby was probably therapeutic.

Even though Scully knew Mulder had a heart of gold, that he was a kind and gentle man to her as long as she'd known him, she was still surprised. As it turned out, Mulder was a wonderful father.

Scully would never have suspected it. He was always good with children, but she had never imagined he would be as great with his own as he turned out to be with Savannah, or 'Vixy' as Mulder liked to call her (from her middle name, Vixen).

Whatever softness and tenderness Scully had seen from Mulder towards her over the years, it paled to the delicate paternal instinct he ended up having for Savannah.

Maybe most surprising and amusing about the whole affair was that Mulder was completely unaware of how well he was doing at being a father. In fact, if his questioning indicated, he didn't think he was very good at it. He'd be holding her securely and softly and ask if he was doing it right, he'd set her down in the sink for a bath in perfectly lukewarm water and ask if it was too hot, he'd dress her carefully as though she were china and ask if he was being too rough... The truth was, nothing he did was wrong. At times when Scully was worn down from lack of sleep, she'd start to think he was better at being a parent than even she was.

Tonight was a perfect example. Scully's mom-mode was just kicking in to drag her out of bed to see what her daughter wanted, but before she could do so Mulder had slipped from bed and gone to see to Vixy.

The bed situation had worked itself out merely because there was no longer a guest room in her apartment. That left only one bed, and the unspoken fact that Mulder and Scully had missed each other so much, they didn't want to sacrifice an accidental arrangement that both were ready for and needed.

The first time Mulder started to believe that Scully hadn't been telling Mulder just what he wanted to hear about doing a good job at fathering was when Maggie came over one day for dinner.

Margaret Scully was thrilled beyond definition at the turn of events for her daughter. Not only did she have a child, one she was never supposed to have had (and Mulder's, no less), but her partner was returned to her and they'd admitted the fact at last that they were an item. It took a baby to do it, but whatever it took was fine by Maggie... she was ecstatic and came over often to see the happy little family.

Scully rolled over, listening to the still-present whimpering of her daughter that was now stronger through the baby monitor (rather than the hallway) on the nightstand, recalling fondly the second such visit from her mother. That night Mulder had, for the first time, referred to Savannah in front of Scully's mother as 'Vixy'. Maggie had started a moment, then asked 'Fox, did you call her Vixy?' Now, Maggie had long since practically adopted Mulder as her third son, so she already considered him hers as much as her granddaughter was. Anyway, when Mulder explained the nickname, Maggie had taken to asking Dana on the phone how her 'pups' were doing, her fox pups. Her Fox and Vixen... it was actually really cute. One of the little things Scully knew she was going to be smiling fondly about when she was 80 years old.

Returning to the original thought, however, how Maggie had been the one to wake Mulder up to the notion he might actually be a good father. Maggie had been in the kitchen with the little family, Mulder and her fixing dinner while Scully stood back some holding Savannah. Maggie was telling stories about all the Scully boys' initial attempts at their first babies. Stories about backwards diapers, near drops, slips... to Mulder, horror stories he no doubt visualized himself doing.

At some point, Maggie had asked Dana to give her a hand, a woman's touch in cooking obviously needed over Mulder's untrained techniques.

Scully had nodded and stepped forward to hand limply sleeping Savannah to Mulder. It was the first time Maggie had seen Fox handle the baby.

With those stories fresh in his mind, Mulder looked a little uneasy or perhaps a little scared, but when Scully passed the baby to him, he took her ever so gently, bringing her to his chest with care and securing her from any harm with his hands. He absolutely cradled her, bringing her to his body so gingerly that she had not even stirred from her sleep. Just the same, Mulder had stepped aside, then faintly began swaying to and fro from one leg to another, lulling the already sleeping daughter in his arms.

Maggie had been stunned and flabbergasted. She too had always known that Fox was a man of gentle soul, but only now did she realize that softness extended into so kind a touch.

Mulder had seemed worried by Maggie's look, and Margaret had smiled kindly and commented, 'It seems the Scully men's ineptitude with babies is not passed on by marriage... Fox, I'd swear you'd been doing that all your life.'

Mulder had said nothing, but Scully could see it in his face. He was touched. He didn't even have time to startle at the 'marriage' word... he was too profoundly effected by the rest of Maggie's words. She'd told him in more words that he was a good father. From the woman that raised Dana Scully, that meant a lot to him... more than Scully actually knew.

Scully finally opened her eyes. She never realized how cold and lonely her bed had always been until she let herself get used to having Mulder in it with her.

She listened to the whining over the baby monitor. She frowned... it didn't seem quite right. Mulder should have been able to quiet her by now.

Curious and a little uneasy, Scully rolled out of bed, moving toward the door then down the hall.

The nursery door was open, a small table light inside casting a faint and gentle glow to the room, a subdued and calm illumination. The crib was pushed against the right wall, an old oak wood crib that was an old one in the Scully family. Scully herself had used that crib as a baby, then Charlie's and Bill's kids... now hers.

On the walls, left their egg-shell white, were plush animal decorations. Mostly cute little red foxes... Scully hadn't been able to help herself, and Mulder hadn't seemed all that amused at first. Until Scully let him pin up a few green alien heads and spaceships. They called it even.

Mulder was sitting near the crib in a rocking chair Bill had given her. It was an unexpected gift from her brother, the chair he'd gotten for Tara when she'd had Matthew. Her big brother, strangely, seemed to melt into a completely different attitude after Scully's baby had been born. He'd come visiting once with Tara while on leave, and at first sight of Savannah kicking in her crib he'd said quite amiably to Mulder, 'she looks so much like you, Mulder.' He'd been... friendly. Bill used to almost literally spit at Mulder, but after Savannah... it was maybe that he couldn't let himself show hatred to his niece's father in front of her. Or maybe, with Mulder's new fatherhood, the two old enemies finally had something in common. Bill really could be a nice guy when he wasn't so up in arms.

Mulder was trying to get Savannah to sleep, rocking her soothingly, but her distressed whimpers continued.

"What is it?" Scully asked softly from the door.

Mulder looked up, an absolutely sick and worried look on his face. Scully felt her stomach knot just at the look.

Mulder answered feebly, "I don't know... I think she's sick... she feels warm."

Scully moved, crossing the nursery and stopping in front of the rocking chair. She bent down, touching her daughter's small forehead with the back of her fingers. Mulder was right... she had a fever.

Scully frowned, "Did you notice anything before we put her to bed?"

Mulder shook his head, looking down once again with some concern at the baby in his arms. He had that look again that he was so used to wearing... that something was his fault and that he should have done something to stop this or predict this. Some ways Mulder never changed.

Scully stood up, "I'll go get the baby thermometer."

As Scully left, she heard Mulder's grimacing shudder and he whispered to Savannah, "If I were you, Vixy, I'd get better in the next thirty seconds."



****



Scully made note of the time and Savannah's temperature. 100 degrees.

Mulder, standing by her side at the kitchen table, watched her, then asked, "What now?"

Scully sighed, "We'll check her again in a little while, if it gets higher we'll take her to the hospital."

Mulder nodded, though he seemed to pale a little at the mention of the hospital. As if picking up on her dad's vibes, Savannah cried louder. Scully, understandably exhausted at this early hour, strongly hoped Savannah wasn't picking up her father's despise of hospitals at such a young age.

Of course, maybe they wouldn't have to visit the hospital tonight in the first place... hopefully her fever would go down on its own.



****



Two hours later, they were seated in the waiting room of the local hospital. The chairs room was rather deserted at this hour of the morning, except for the truly strange, the almost deathly ill, and a few homeless people who were unobtrusively seated in corners sleeping in a sitting position.

Certainly not a place Mulder or Scully wanted to be taking their five month old daughter (while Scully sat with Vixy in her lap Mulder was noticeably watching those around them with wary eyes), but Savannah had only gotten worse at home. Her fever climbed higher and she'd started crying harder (not the mention the fact she'd refused food), her wail more and more desperate. When they finally left the apartment, her temperature had reached 101.4 degrees and she was starting to sound funny from having been screaming her lungs out for so long.

The fact that Savannah was continuing her now considerably hoarse and strangled wail got them in to see the doctor relatively quickly, all the staff anxious to find a way to stop the bawling of the rather irritating baby.

Scully carried Savannah into the exam room, Mulder tight on her heels.

The doctor that greeted them looked as tired as they were... and as accustomed to the screaming of a baby.

"Hi, I'm Doctor Bryans."

Scully paused, looking at Mulder behind her right shoulder, clearly indicating that he could handle this one. Introductions could oftentimes be tricky when the people would naturally assume they were married, since they DID have a child together. Quite frankly, Scully didn't want to deal with it... with anything other than getting her baby feeling well again.

Mulder nodded, "Hello, I'm Fox Mulder, and this is Dana."

Scully nodded, content for the moment that her own last name had only been omitted, turning back to the doctor.

Doctor Bryans nodded, looking at the little girl in Scully's arms. "And who's this little piece of sunshine?" Savannah's runny nose, flushed cheeks, and pitiful wail made obvious humor of the doctor's gentle taunt.

Scully moved closer to the table behind which the doctor stood, "This is Savannah."

The doctor reached forward, feeling the baby's skin on her cheek. She was dressed in a funny set of pajamas with little flying saucers on them... cute.

"What seems to be the problem?"

Mulder stepped up beside Scully, "She won't stop crying, she won't eat, and she has a temperature."

Bryans motioned for Scully to lay the baby down on the table, asking as he whipped out his stethoscope, "When did this start?"

Scully answered, "About two this morning. Her temperature then was about 100, but when we left the apartment to come here it was up to 101.4."

The doctor listened to Savannah's lungs, heart, gently applied pressure to her little stomach looking for tenderness, then got out another tool and started to peer into her other orifices.

At her left ear, Doctor Bryans spoke, "Op... yeah, here it is. Ear infection."

Mulder asked uncertainly, "Is that bad?"

Doctor Bryans stood, "Not really, we can treat it fairly simply with antibiotics. How old is she?"

"Five months," Scully answered.

The doctor nodded, "Well, with her so young, I don't think we'll give her too much then, just enough to bring her fever down until her own body has time to fight it off. Is she breast-fed?"

Scully nodded.

The doctor put up his stethoscope, "That's good. I think if you do your part by trying to eat more vitamin-rich foods while we put her on some medicine... I think we can clear this up without any problems. She'll probably be cranky for a while, though."

Mulder muttered, "Cranky's better than sick."

Doctor Bryans nodded, "So true... I can take one of you to get the prescription and medicine now, if..."

Scully broke in, "I will."

Doctor Bryans petted Savannah's dark head lightly, then moved around the table, "All right then, if you'll come with me, Mrs. Mulder."

Scully made no comment, just followed the doctor.

Mulder stepped up to the bed where his daughter still lay screaming. He frowned sadly, reaching down and brushing his index finger against the palm of one of her small hands. The little fingers closed around it in the vanishing infant reflex, then released and pulled away in her crying fervor.

Mulder sighed, "I know, Vixy, but look at it this way. When your dad's in the hospital he usually ends up having to stay overnight... you got off easy, girl."



****



Scully could barely keep her eyes open as she turned the key to gain access to her..... their apartment. After leaving the hospital, they had given Savannah her first dose of antibiotics (which didn't just make her cranky... it seemed to piss her off; she was certainly Mulder's daughter to get so angry at being given medicine), after which they'd decided to take her for a walk. Sometimes taking her for a walk helped her calm down and hopefully fall asleep.

This time, Mulder was the one who talked to her. They both talked to her when they went walking, but different occasions called for a different voice. Scully's voice could make her laugh, Scully could usually elicit a giggle out of her daughter at any time. When she was really mad or upset, Mulder's voice was the ticket. His deep monotone calmed her right down... like mother like daughter. Scully knew all too well how soothing Mulder's voice was. It was even she who first suggested to Mulder a month ago that he might be able to talk Savannah out of her bad mood. Mulder had been dubious, but he was willing to give it a try. Scully had just known that Mulder's voice would work on Vixy as well as it had on her for so many years. And it did; the upset Savannah had been asleep in about ten minutes of Mulder's voice.

So tonight on the walk, Mulder spoke to Savannah. He told her about baseball, the constellations... anything he could think of. They walked for hours in the early morning, but nothing worked. Savannah was pissed off and not about to let the incident with the foul-tasting medicine go.

Scully, at her wit's end and tired beyond belief, finally suggested they head home. Mulder looked as tired as she, and he agreed with almost a sigh of resignation.

Scully turned on the light, stepping aside and letting Mulder come in, carrying the baby.

Savannah's cries had simmered to an angry gurgle, but Scully knew without having to look that it was indeed an angry sound. She sighed heavily, the haze around her tired brain causing a kind of disembodied quality to engulf her voice as she spoke, "You want to try a warm bath?"

Mulder, how he could do it she'd never know, managed to smirk faintly at her and comment, "You know I'm game, Scully, but we should probably take care of Vixy."

Scully smiled, despite herself. She closed her eyes, shaking her head softly as she corrected, "I was talking about one for Vixy, Mulder. Maybe a warm bath would get her sleepy."

Mulder tried to stifle a yawn, "At this point, I'd be willing to try just about anything."

Scully, caught by the contagion of Mulder's yawn, did so also and muttered, "Amen to that," as she moved toward the bathroom to gather the things needed.

Scully brought the baby floaty, scenting lavender oil, and gentle soap into the living room, moving toward the kitchen where Mulder was standing at the sink. He'd already cleared the dishes from the largest basin, given it a cursory cleaning, then set about finding the right temperature... all with Vixy grumbling angrily on his shoulder.

Scully took over fixing the water, eyes bleary from exhaustion, while Mulder went back into the living room to lie Savannah on the couch and undress her.

Scully had the water at the right temperature (slightly warmer than a normal bath), a dash of lavender added into the stopped sink water for the calming effect, and the peach-colored floaty awaiting in the sink when Mulder came back. He held against the cold as best he could his now curled, naked daughter. Being disrobed in the cool apartment hadn't made her any happier, and her malcontent grumbling was starting to rise into a cry again.

Gently, Mulder lowered her into the water.

At the first contact with something wet, Savannah made the most 'Mulder' face Scully had ever seen, and kicked. Scully even chuckled (though she was so tired, it felt more like one of those deliriously sleepy laughs than a real one); Savannah had the same look Mulder got when he'd have to go face the finance office... that look like he was undecided whether he should be spitting mad or dejectedly fed up.

Mulder looked up quickly at Scully's chuckle from settling their daughter on the flesh-colored floaty, asking her a little suspiciously, "What's so funny?"

Scully smiled faintly, "That look she just made... that is so YOU."

Mulder faked a frown, "I don't look like that," but Scully knew he was secretly delighting in the little girl being likened to him by someone else's admission.

Scully's left brow rose, then she commented, "Oh? If you say so. I almost forgot, Skinner told us we're meeting with the expense officer tomorrow."

Mulder grimaced in the same look Savannah had made only moments before... the one Mulder had denied sharing with his months' old daughter. The only thing missing in the dad-version was the unhappy kick to add emphasis.

Scully smiled, then yawned again.

Mulder spoke to her softly over his shoulder as he began bringing up handfuls of water to pour on Savannah's body, "You're tired... why don't you go ahead and go to bed?"

Scully actually considered it for a moment, then retaliated, "You're tired too."

Mulder looked over his shoulder at her while Savannah, getting in the spirit of the bath, had started splashing with her legs and hands. Mulder's look was serious, his 'concerned for Scully's well-being' look... one she knew better than to screw with (lest she want Mulder at his most overprotective). He stated again gently but firmly, "I'll put Vixy to bed... go get some sleep, Dana."

Scully paused, about to insist on staying up with him, then she remembered something her mother had told her. 'Dana, if there's only one piece of advice I can impart on you as a mother, it's that you should sleep whenever you get the chance.'

Scully patted Mulder's shoulder affectionately, smiling kindly as she shuffled toward the bedroom, "Good night, Mulder."



****



Scully had slipped back into her pajamas and crawled into bed, falling asleep within seconds. But it was a conscious sleep... more of heavy dozing. Even on the brink of deep sleep, she was waiting for Mulder to come back to bed.

She had a good long nap though (or so it seemed) before she could swear she heard music bringing her gently from her sleep.

Confused, Scully sat up in bed and looked over at the clock. It was nearly five thirty in the morning. She must have taken a relatively short nap, but she felt rejuvenated just the same. For a while there, she'd been feeling like she was going to fall asleep on her feet.

She wondered how Mulder could still be up. He had to be even more exhausted than her by now.

Scully slipped from the bedroom, padding silently toward the living room to investigate. There was indeed music... soft tunes of Elvis love songs. At times, Scully had reservations about all of this. After all, what was she to do if she ended up living in a household with TWO Elvis fans?

Scully peeked around the hallway corner toward the living room, where the music drifted faintly from.

The room was dim, the main light turned off and the only illumination the soft glow from a table lamp. Mulder was in the center of the room, holding the baby to his chest. Savannah was nude, the white towel wrapped around her... the cloth warming her from the back, her father's body heat warming her from the front. She was fast asleep, her head of nearly black, chocolate brown hair almost completely dry. Scully could see that Mulder's shirt was wet, but he didn't seem to care. He was pacing the space in front of the stereo very slowly and lightly. One hand supported Savannah, the other was cupping her head as it rested on his shoulder.

As Scully watched, she saw Mulder's lips were moving. He hadn't seen her, his attention on his feet or Savannah's still form, and he obviously felt these actions were unknown to her.

As Scully strained, she could swear she heard Mulder just barely whispering... but not quite.

Scully startled when it hit her. Mulder was singing. Faintly, barely audible, but the timing of his faint sounds were in time with the King's. As he paced slowly, his thumb began caressing Savannah's soft hair. So THAT'S what it meant to be sleeping like a baby. Savannah's mouth hung partially open, drool splotching Mulder's shirt... again without heed.

Scully stood there a moment, amazed once again by Mulder's natural ability at being a father. She knew for a fact that he'd been just as tired as she when they got home, and he'd been up all this time while she'd gone and taken a nap.

Scully had been feeling pretty frayed tonight, and her greatest fear was that her patience would fade. It was always her fear... that she'd reach a point where she couldn't be patient enough for Savannah. It had never happened before, but she had moments where she feared it might.

But looking at Mulder... it was shocking.

She had never known Mulder to be a patient man. He was prone to flying into things without thinking... jumping before he looked. In a way, she'd always kind of felt that would end up being his greatest downfall as far as parenting went... that he was, by nature, an impatient man.

But it was clearly completely different with his daughter.

Scully never imagined Mulder could BE so patient as he was now. In that moment of realization, Scully knew that so many awaiting trials in Savannah's future would find their ways to working out without too much trouble. Mulder, as a father, had the patient of a guardian, a friend, a protector, and a teacher.

Combined with all that Scully had to offer, in a strange and unexpected twist of fate, Vixy had everything she (or any other child) could ever need from a mother and father.

Scully inched away, sneaking back to bed before Mulder was alerted to her presence. Before, she would have relieved him of his duty and sent him to bed for his own nap. After tonight, though, she wasn't worried.

She knew he could probably keep doing that all night.



END