Abah IX:  The Birth
by Susan Proto  (STPteach@aol.com)

Disclaimers in Part 1

Part 4/4

While Mulder was moving he did fine.  Scully told him to
help her into bed and then ordered him to find clean sheets
and clean towels.  He brought in a couple of large trash
bags to lay under her in an attempt to save the bedding.

Sam advised Scully to have Fox bring her a small container
to keep by her bedside in case she felt nauseous.  Also,
Sam asked her if either of them had an unopened package
of boot or sneaker laces.  Scully knew she had some and
asked Mulder to get them from the utility drawer in the
night table.

Next, Sam told her to direct Fox to grab two large
containers.  One should be covered with a blanket for the
baby, while the other should be covered in plastic for the
afterbirth.  Scully made a face when Sam mentioned that,
but knew it was necessary to keep in order for her OB to
examine it.

Mulder did all that was asked and then offered to boil some
water.  Scully laughed and she said a cup of tea would be
nice.  Sam, on the other hand, didn't laugh, but rather, said
it was a good idea to boil a small pot and place a pair of
sharp scissors in it to sterilize for a minimum of ten to
fifteen minutes.

Mulder nodded and left the bedroom to do his appointed
duties.  Scully smiled as she realized how necessary it was
to keep him busy until he was really needed.

And that would be soon.

Very, very soon.

The contractions were suddenly coming on fast and
furiously.  Every minute or two.  This child had taken
forever to be born, but boy, once she made the decision,
there was no stopping her.

Definitely a Scully girl.  Dana smiled at the thought of her
husband having to deal with three Scully women in the
family.  Poor Mulder.  He didn't stand a chance.  Dana
smiled even more, but the smile turned into a grimace
quickly and then she screamed.

Transition.

Shit.

This hurt like hell.

Mulder.

"MULDER!"

Mulder watched as the tea cup shattered into the sink.  He
moved as quickly as he could into their bedroom and
gasped.  Scully looked like hell.

"Scully?  Wha's wron'?  Wha's going on?" he asked with
concern and anxiety.

"It's almost show time, Mulder," she shouted in between
gasps.  "OH GOD!  Sam!  Talk to me Sam, tell me what I
should tell him to doÖ It hurts too damned much for me to
have to think!" she cried out in pain.

"Put him on the phone," Sam replied.  Scully pushed the
phone into Mulder's hands.  He picked it up gingerly and
placed it to his ear.

"Fox! Can you hear me?!" she practically screamed into the
phone.

"Yeah.  I can hear you now.  Sam?  Oh, God, what do I do?
She's in so much pain."

"Fox, listen to me.  She's in transition."

"Wha'?"

"Transition.  She's in the major part of labor, and when she
feels a contraction, she may feel like pushing.  You have to
check her cervix to see if she's dilated enough first!" she
said very loudly.  "Do you understand?"

"Yeah," he said into the phone.  Then he looked at Dana
and, in a self-conscious tone of voice,  told her he needed
to check her cervix.  *The man is a wonderful and caring
lover, which is what got me into this situation in the first
place,* she thought to herself.  *But now he's embarrassed
as all get out to examine me.  Go figure,* she chuckled to
herself.

And then she screamed.

This baby business hurt like hell, and she wasn't too thrilled
with the guy who got her into this predicament.  "Damn it,
Mulder!  I feel like I have to push!  Tell me what to do!"
she screamed in discomfort.

Mulder lifted the sheet to look at Scully's cervix.  He wasn't
sure what he was going to find there, but he prayed he
wouldn't faint from his discovery.  This was definitely not
Mulder's forte, and he was scared to death he was going to
fail his wife and child.

He worked hard to calm down and steady his breathing.
The last thing he wanted to do was have a seizure.  He
finally got up the nerve to look.

He looked up at Scully, wide-eyed.

"Mulder, what?" Scully gasped through a series of pants.

"Hair.  Lots of dark brown hair, Scully.  Ohmigod!" he
cried out in astonishment.  "Ohmigod!"

Scully somehow managed to smile through the pain.  She
reached for the phone, and asked, "Did you hear, Sam?
Did you hear what he said?"

"Yeah, but don't worry, Dana.  The baby hair always falls
out.  She may be a red head yet," Sam chuckled.  "Dana,
put him back on the phone."  Dana handed Mulder the
phone.  He put it to his ear.

"Sam?  I see my baby's head.  I can' believe I see her head!
Now what do I do?"

"Well, can you tell how long the diameter is, Fox?"  Sam
asked.

"Wha'?  Sam, I'm sorry, I didn' ge' tha'."

"Oh.  Sorry!" she responded more loudly.  "Fox, how wide
is the opening?  How many inches is the diameter of the
opening?"

"It's gotta be a good four inches, Sam," he responded
confidently.

"Four inches!?  Are you sure!?" she asked excitedly, and
more than loud enough for Mulder to hear her.

"Yeah," he responded in kind.  "Is that good?"

"Yes, Fox.  It is very good.  Tell Dana she can start pushing
during the contractions.  She's got to practice her breathing
between the contractions, okay?"

"Okay," he replied, and proceeded to repeat Samantha's
instructions to his wife.  He then returned his attention to
the phone and asked, "Now, what do I do?"

"Well, Fox," she began with a smile on her face,
"remember those summer days when you were playing
right field?  Get ready to make the biggest catch of your
career, big brother!"

"Sam, I don't know if I can do this," he whispered into the
phone.

"Of course you can.  Fox, that's my niece or nephew that's
going to be born any minute, so you'd better get your act
together, do you understand?!" she said loudly in an
attempt to convince him.

Mulder watched Scully working so hard to pant and breath
and avoid pushing until her next contraction.  He knew she
needed him, but at that moment, he felt as though he might
be in as much pain as she was.  His head was pounding
fiercely at the base of his skull, and his badly bruised ribs
were making it all the more difficult for him to breathe.

And he was so scared.  His hands were shaking, and he was
so afraid he would drop the baby.  His motor skills weren't
what they used to be, and he was terrified he wouldn't be
able to control the movements of a squirming, squalling
newborn.

"MULDER!"

"Wha'?!"  He looked down at Scully and realized she was in
the middle of a contraction and she was pushing with all of
her might.    He wasn't sure what he should do first.
"Scully, wha' shoul' I do?" he cried out.

But she couldn't speak, at least not yet.  She was almost
through the contraction, and she knew the baby was not
quite ready to pop out.  But she was exhausted already, and
this was only the first major push she made.  Scully hoped
their child wouldn't be too long in her arrival.  She wasn't
sure how much of this she could handle without her doctor
present and her husband at her side coaching her.

Poor Mulder.  Scully knew this was the last thing in the
world he wanted to be doing.  Hell, it was the last thing in
the world _she_ wanted him doing, but unfortunately
neither of them had much of a choice.  Thank God Sam
was on the line.

Suddenly, she felt another contraction beginning to start.
"MULDER," she called out.  "I have to PUSH!"

Mulder simply pulled the sheet off of her at this point so he
could sit on the bed and give Scully's back some support
while also keeping an eye on the baby's head.  As Scully
pushed on and on through the contraction, Mulder saw the
perspiration begin to bead up on her forehead.

She was working so hard, and seemingly getting nowhere.
When the contraction passed, Scully slumped back into
Mulder's arms.  "Oh God, Mulder, this is so hard."

"I know, Scully, but you're doing such a good job.  You're
working so damned hard, and you're doing such a good
job," he said softly in an attempt to encourage and console
at the same time.

She rested for what seemed like only seconds when the
next contraction began.  "OH SHIT!" she screamed out and
pushed with all of her strength.  Mulder continued to
support her back until he saw some movement of the baby's
head, and he startled.

"Scully, the baby!  The baby's coming!" He was quick
thinking enough to prop all of the pillows behind her back
for some support and then quickly came around to the front
of her and watched with rapt fascination as the baby's
forehead emerged.

He could hear Sam screaming over the phone, though he
didn't have a clue as to what she was saying.  He managed
to pick the phone up and said, "Say that again, Sam.  Loud,
please."

"Okay, Fox.  Now listen to me.  When the baby's head
comes out, you need to cup your hands around her head and
support it.  If you see some membrane around her face, tear
it off as quickly as you can with your hands. Do you
understand?" she shouted into the phone.

"Yes," he responded as he placed the phone on his shoulder
and leaned into it with his head which freed both of his
hands to catch the baby.

At this point, Dana was beginning another contraction and
she began pushing again.  "Good, Scully.  You're doing so
good.  The baby's coming, Scully.  Keep pushing
sweetheart.  Keep pushing," he said encouragingly.

At that very moment, the baby's head did pop out, and
Mulder did just as he was directed to do.  He cupped the
baby's head and supported it, and wiped away some
remnants of a membrane.  "Oh God, Scully, I can't believe
this.  I can't believe she's being born," he murmured over
and over again.

Another contraction began, and Mulder asked Sam what
was the next step.  She explained to him that as Dana
pushed, the baby's head and then one of the shoulders will
be visible.  After that one is through, simply raise the baby's
head , and the other shoulder would follow pretty easily.

Mulder watched while Scully pushed as hard as she could
through the contraction, and then he saw the baby's head
popped totally through.  He looked in awe at what he saw.

And then he looked in horror.

"STOP!  SCULLY, STOP PUSHING!!  STOP PUSHING!"
he screamed at the top of his lungs.  "The cor', Scully.  Oh
God, the cor's aroun' her neck!" he cried out in fear.

"FOX!" Sam screamed into the phone.  She was worried he
might start seizing, and then both Dana, the baby, and Fox
would be in trouble.  "FOX!  PICK UP THE PHONE!" she
screamed.

Scully was panting continuously in an effort to stop her
urge to push.  She picked up the phone and handed it to
Mulder.

"Sam?  Sam, what do I do?" he asked anxiously.

"Listen to me!  Calm down, now!" she demanded.

He took a breath, groaned a moment or two, and then spoke
into the phone.  "I'm okay, Sam.  Please, wha' do I do?"

"Support the baby's head with one hand and see if you can
lift the cord around her head with your other hand," she
shouted.  "Tug it gently.  It will probably give and you'll
probably be able to pull it up and over her head."

Mulder supported the baby's head with his left hand and
tentatively grasped the umbilical cord with his right one.
He tugged at it gently and pulled it up and over the baby's
head.  He breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Mulder looked at Scully, first with a grimace, for his
bruised ribs protested that last deep breath, and then with a
smile.  "I got it off her neck, Scully," he said with pride.
"PUSH!"

Scully stopped panting and the next contraction began
immediately.  As she began pushing, the baby's right
shoulder appeared and Mulder lifted the baby's head just as
Sam had told him to do.  Sure enough, the left shoulder
followed easily.

"Sam, she's coming out!" Mulder said excitedly.

"Get ready to make that catch, Fox!  And when she comes
out, swipe her mouth to clear away the mucus.  The baby
should start breathing by this point," Sam instructed.

The baby's body quickly followed her shoulders and arms.
Mulder did just as he was told to do, but the baby was not
breathing.  "Oh God, Sam.  Sam!  Sam, she's not breathing,
Sam!" he cried out in panic.

Scully looked on helplessly.  She was totally exhausted and
could only hope Mulder was able to understand what Sam
was telling him.

"Fox!  Listen to me!" Samantha called out.  Mulder had the
phone by his ear and told her he could hear her.  "Lower the
baby's head below her body so the mucus will have a
chance to drain away. Blow really hard, if you can, on the
baby's chest, or tap the baby's feet to stimulate her.  Do it!
NOW!"

Mulder tried everything Sam had suggested, but still
nothing.  The baby's lips seemed bluish to him.  She wasn't
breathing.

"Fox!?"

"She's not breathing, Sam.  Oh God, help me.  She's not
breathing," he lamented.

"CPR! FOX, CPR!" Sam screamed into the ear piece.  She
refused to believe they were going to lose this baby.  There
was no way any kind of a God would do this to her brother
and his wife.  Not after all of the shit they'd been through.
*Please, God,* Sam prayed silently, *Please help that baby
breathe.*

And then she heard the answers to her prayers.  A baby was
whimpering.  No, a baby was crying.  Loud.  Very loud.

"MAZEL TOV, BIG BROTHER!" screamed Samantha
Mulder, MD from the tops of her lungs in total and
complete joy!

"She's crying, Sam!  Your niece is crying!" Mulder said into
the phone as tears rolled down his cheeks.  "Oh Sam, she's
beautiful.  She's so beautiful."

"Okay, Doctor Dad, you're not quite finished yet.  Put the
baby on Dana's stomach, and look at the cord.  You're
going to see it pulsating.  When it stops, you need to tie one
shoe lace about seven inches away from the baby, and then
the second shoe lace about three inches away.  You're
going to cut in between the two ties with those lovely
scissors you sterilized.  Understand?"

"Yeah, I think so," he said, and proceeded to do exactly
what Sam had directed him to do.  After he'd completed his
"surgery" he wrapped the baby up in one of the clean
towels and placed her next to Dana.  "Okay, sis, I did it.
This doctor stuff isn't so tough," he said boldly.

"Good, Fox.  I'm glad you feel that way, because now you
need to help Dana with the afterbirth," Sam said with a
slight chuckle.

"Wha'?" he asked confused.  "Wha' do I have to do?"

"The afterbirth, Fox.  Dana's got to deliver the placenta, and
you need to save it for her doctor to examine it," Sam
instructed.  "And then once she's passed it through, you
need to massage Dana's abdomen gently every few minutes
until her abdomen feels firm in order to control the blood
flow.  Understand?"

Mulder watched carefully as Dana went through a couple
of more contractions and delivered the placenta.  She
seemed relieved to be finally done, as was Mulder.  The
placenta looked like a giant piece of liver, which in turn
reminded both of them of a certain liver consuming
monster they'd both rather never have to think about again.
He placed it in the large tupperware container and closed
the lid.  Tight.

Mulder then gently massaged Scully's abdomen and sure
enough, he felt it begin to firm up.  He then looked down at
his beautiful wife, his beautiful daughter, and leaned over
to kiss them both.

Mulder then picked up the phone and listened for Sam's
voice.  He wasn't sure if he was hearing correctly, but he
could swear he heard his sister crying.

"Sam?  Sam, you okay?" he asked.

"What," she sniffled in reply.  "Of course I'm okay! I'm an
aunt!  So, what's my niece's name?"

"God, Samantha, I don't have a clue.  We haven't discussed
it, to be honest," he laughed.

"What's so funny?" Scully murmured as she held her
daughter to her breast for comfort and nourishment.  Both
mother and father watched in awe as their daughter's lips
latched onto Scully's nipple and instinctively suckled
contentedly.

"Her name.  Sam wants to know her niece's name," he
explained.

"Oh.  That's easy.  Sarah Melissa Mulder," she softly
replied.

"Dana?  Are you sure?" he asked.  Upon seeing his wife
nod assuredly, he spoke into the phone, "Sarah Melissa
Mulder."

"Sarah Melissa?"

"Yeah.  Dana's idea.  I like it.  What about you?"

"Mom's gonna freak out, you know.  I really think you two
will not only make her day with this one, but her year as
well.  Oh hell, you've just made her millenium," Sam
exclaimed.

"Yeah.  I think you're righ'," Mulder agreed.

"Look, I just happen to love the name Sarah.  It's just a
coincidence it happens to be your grandmother's name too,"
Scully explained with a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah, right," he said while looking lovingly at her.
Mulder looked up when he realized he couldn't hear a
thing.  It had become very quiet all of a sudden.  He looked
out the window.

"Well, I'll be damned.  It's beautiful outside," he said. "I'm
going to see if the other phone is working.  Here, talk to the
new mother," he said and gave the cellular to Scully.

"Sam, do you really like the name?" Scully asked.

"Oh Dana, it's beautiful, but why did you decide against
Melissa Sarah?" Sam asked innocently.

"I suppose because my sister hasn't been gone long enough
to become a beautiful memory.  She's still very much alive
to me, Samantha, and I couldn't deal with the idea of
hearing anyone, least of all me, calling out for Melissa, or
God forbid, Missy, to do this or that.  Your grandmother
has been gone for a long time.  She deserves to have her
name kept alive, and I'm still honoring my sister by giving
our daughter her middle name," Dana replied.

"Dana, you're okay, sis," Samantha answered.

"Thanks, Sam.  And I do mean thank you for everything.
You really helped Mulder keep his wits about him," Scully
said.

"I'm glad I was able to help."

The two continued chatting, with Scully describing Sarah
Melissa's extraordinary features in minutia.  Meanwhile,
Mulder returned to the bedroom with a grin on his face too.
"I got through to 911, Scully.  An ambulance will be here
very soon.  I also got through to Mom and Abah, and my
mother.  Everyone will be meeting us at the hospital.
Okay?"

"Sounds like a plan G-Man," Scully replied.  "Did you
unlock the front door for the EMT's?

"I opene' the fron' door.  I's beautiful out there now, Scully.
I's jus' beautiful," he slurred.

"Mulder?  Mulder, are you all right?" Scully asked a little
anxiously.

"Yeah, I'm fine.  Jus' tire', Scully."  As Mulder spoke,
Scully noticed he looked a little green under the gills.  With
all of the excitement of the Sarah's birth, she'd forgotten her
husband had been injured earlier.

"Mulder, sit down before you fall down.  Please.  I'm fine
now, but quite frankly my dear, you look like hell."

Mulder managed  a light chuckle and responded honestly,
"Frankly, my dear, I feel li'e hell."  He started to sway and
Scully called out to him in desperation.

"Mulder!"

Scully's cries of his name didn't help.  He fell to the ground
in a heap.  If she hadn't realized the paramedics were
arriving momentarily, she'd have jumped out of bed,
childbirth, or no childbirth.  But as luck would have it, she
heard voices from the front  door the house and Scully
could hear someone calling out to her.

"Mrs. Mulder?  Mr. Mulder?" a voice called out.

"In the bedroom.  Please, hurry!" Scully cried out.

When the paramedics entered, they weren't quite sure who
to attend to first.  When Scully saw their dilemma, she
quickly informed them she and the baby were fine, and
explained Mulder's symptoms and long, complicated
medical history.

And not a moment too soon.  He began to seize.  Grand
Mal.

The technician radioed for an additional unit, as it was
obvious the entire family was going to be admitted.  The
paramedics timed Mulder's seizure at two minutes,
twenty-seven seconds.  Not his longest, but it was certainly
long enough to cause some concern.

As they began inserting IV lines, the second unit showed
up.  Scully said her good byes to Samantha at this point,
and asked her to call back both Walter and her mother, as
well as her mother-in-law.  Scully thought it was a good
idea to prepare all of the grandparents for their son's
condition.

Scully remained calm.  She knew Mulder would be fine.
She was so incredibly proud of him.  He managed to hold
himself together long enough to do what needed to be done
to bring his daughter into the world.  His daughter.

Their daughter.

Sarah Melissa Mulder.

She was obviously a fighter.

Just like her mommy.

Just like her daddy.

Scully watched as her husband was lifted onto the gurney.
He was just beginning to come out of the stupor his
seizures always leave him in, and the first word out of his
mouth was, of course, "Scully."

"I'm right behind you, Mulder.  We're all going to the
hospital, and we're all fine, G-Man.  I'll meet you at the
hospital," she said confidently.

"Sarah?" he called out softly.

"Don't worry, Daddy, Sarah's coming along for the ride
too," Dana said smiling.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
End of Part 4/4

Epilogue

Mulder wasn't sure how they managed it, but somehow he
was laying in a bed, in Scully's bedroom, in the maternity
ward.   He supposed it wasn't everyday a new father had to
be admitted with injuries on the same day he helped to
deliver his own daughter.

His daughter.

She was sleeping in the bassinet in between his and Scully's
beds.  Mulder quietly stood up and checked himself for
dizziness.  When he realized he felt fine, Mulder walked
over to where the baby was sleeping.  He looked at her
carefully for the first time since she'd been bathed.

"You clean up real good, Sarah," he said laughing lightly.
He wasn't sure if it was allowed, but he figured if he could
deliver her, he could pick her up and hold her.  So, he
reached down, gently picked her up, and held her firmly.
Mulder then brought her body towards his chest and held
her securely to him.  He breathed in her soft baby scent and
murmured over and over, "I love you, Sarah.  Your mommy
and daddy love you so much."

He felt strong enough to walk over to the window near his
bed.  He didn't want to wake Scully, as he figured she
would need all the sleep she could get.  As he walked with
care toward the window, he marveled at how bright and
clear the sky was.  It surprised him how Hurricane Melissa
seemed to suddenly disappear.  He held his daughter and
swayed to and fro in rhythm to a silent song in Mulder's
mind.

"Fox," called out a voice.  Mulder turned slowly, Sarah safe
in his arms, and saw his  mother-in-law and Abah smiling
contentedly before him.

"Have you met Sarah yet?" Mulder asked the two proud
grandparents.

"Yes, last evening, after you were brought in," replied
Walter.

"Last evening?" Mulder responded disconcerted.

"Sweetheart," began Maggie, "you've been pretty much out
of it for the last twenty-four hours.  I'm glad to see you feel
well enough to dance with your daughter."

"Dana?" he asked without really having to ask.

"She's fine, Fox.  She's been up every three hours feeding
your daughter.  Dana's just taking a catnap," Maggie
answered.

"Like hell I am," announced Dana.  "So, Dad, what do you
think?  We keep her, or what?"

Mulder looked over at his wife and beamed.  "Yeah.  She's
a keeper, Dana."

"She sure is, and so is her daddy.  Come over here, Fox.
Give the child to her grandmother. The poor woman has
been standing here so patiently for a whole ten minutes,"
Scully chuckled.

Mulder handed Sarah off to Maggie, who promptly began
cooing as any proper grandmother should do.  Of course,
Walter cooed in stereo, as any good grandfather should do.

Or as any good Sabah would do.  Walter Skinner, Abah to
Mulder and Dana, was now Sarah's Sabah.  And now
Maggie also had a special name, Sahvtah.  Mulder watched
two of the most important people in his life share in his joy.

Mulder next leaned down to give his beautiful wife, mother
of his child, a gentle, but passionate, kiss.  "I love you,
Scully.  I love you so much."

"Oh Mulder, I am so proud of you.  Thank you for taking
care of me and Sarah.  I love you, G-Man, with all of my
heart," she responded.

The door suddenly flew opened and in came a walking
balloon ornament.  Scully and Mulder both started laughing
aloud as they realized who was behind the dancing  Mylar
balloons.

"Samantha?!"

"That's Auntie Samantha to you two!  Now, where is my
niece?" she laughed.

Maggie turned toward Sam and showed her Sarah's
sleeping face.

"You still sleeping little girl?  That's right sweetie pie, you
lull them into thinking what an angel you are while you're
all in the hospital.  You just wait until you all get home
until you wake 'em all up and make them smell the roses!"
she said, only half jokingly.

"Sam?" Mulder called out quietly.  "May I speak with you?"

"Sure," she answered.

"Sam, I just wanted to say thank ___."

"__Fox," she interrupted, "you don't have to say anything.
I'm just glad I was able to help you bring my niece into the
world, that's all."

"Oh Sam, if it weren't for you __," he began, but before he
could say anything else, the door swung open again and in
walked Elizabeth Mulder and Jack Stein.

"Fox!  Dana!  Where is she?  Where is my Sarah?" cried out
Elizabeth.

"Hi Mom. Nice to see you too," Mulder said, lightly
mocking his mother's greeting.

Elizabeth laughed and walked all around the room, while
Stein hung back, fidgeting nervously with his fingers, and
craved a cigarette.

"Oh, Fox, I'm sorry.  We just got here.  The weather was
not cooperating with any of the airports, and well, I'm just
so excited,  dear!  How are you, sweetheart?  She walked
over to him, reached out, and  hugged him stiffly.
Elizabeth Mulder still had difficulty showing her son
physical signs of affection, though that had improved
somewhat over the last couple of years.

Next, she leaned down and kissed Scully lightly on the
forehead, and even reached over to give Walter and Maggie
Skinner a couple of light pecks on their cheeks.  Maggie
graciously handed Sarah over to Elizabeth.  Elizabeth
gazed at her first grandchild with eyes so loving, it took
Mulder's breath away.  He had not seen that particular look
on his mother's face in many, many years.

"So, Mom, what am I?  Chopped liver?" asked a bemused
Samantha.

"Oh, Samantha, I didn't ever realize you were here!  Hello,
sweetheart.  How are you?" Elizabeth asked and leaned
over to kiss her gently on the cheek.

"Fine, Mom.  I'm just fine," Sam responded
understandingly.

"She's more than just fine, Mom.  Did she tell you what she
did?" Mulder asked.  When Elizabeth shook her head no,
Mulder went on to explain how his baby sister, the doctor,
managed to talk him and Scully through the birth of Sarah.
He sang her praises and embarrassed her greatly, and all
were hanging on to every word of it.

All, except one.

All, except one, stood in rapt attention to the story of
Sarah's birth.

All, except one, kept their eyes on the story teller.

For his eyes remained on the youngest Mulder.

And as he kept his eyes on the tiny figure in her
Grandmother Elizabeth's arms, he twisted his fingers
nervously and craved a cigarette.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

End of Epilogue

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STPteach@aol.com

(And yes, this teacher knows she has a summer assignment! <g>)