TOO QUICK TO DIE
PART 35: CONCLUSION
No sooner had she stepped out of the shower and wrapped herself and her hair in towels, Scully’s cell phone rang.
“Scully,” she mumbled, knowing full well who was at the other end of the line, but habit dictated she offer some sense of normalcy for her partner. He’d know by the tone of her voice her state of mind, and she’d been in no state of mind to even chit-chat when last he called. She fell back onto the hotel bed and glanced at the window to check and make sure the curtains were completely closed.
“Can...can I speak now?” Mulder asked hesitantly. Dana could tell by his tone he was partially wary, partially miffed. “Or are you through torturing whatever poor helpless woman you had captive in your room?”
“Did I forget to hit the exit button on the phone?” she asked, horror dawning at the memory of tossing aside the phone as Rachel’s labor came to its zenith. “I’m so sorry...I was...busy.”
“Yes, you did, and I listened to about five minutes of someone screaming that they were tired and a man telling her to keep going. What was going on, Scully? And did you take pictures?”
Dana could feel herself already fading, her muscles relaxed from the hot shower and the fatigue finally gaining foothold on her thought-processes. She couldn’t even bring up enough will to try and sort out the fact that Mulder had stayed on line for five minutes...listening...
“I was helping a woman in child-labor. It was Rachel, one of Terry Thorne’s employees. She went into labor just as we got there to get them out...to get the baby out.” She blinked as she finished the sentence, realizing she had not been very clear. The call to sleep was loud in her ears, but she rolled to her side to wake herself up a bit. She owed an explanation to her partner, at least.
“The Rachel, the one we thought was a murder suspect?”
“The very one.”
“And she was having a baby,” Mulder repeated.
“Utterly and completely, with all her blessed body parts. And her husband.”
“And you helped her?”
“Yeah. It was...amazing. I hadn’t done that in...oh, ages.” Dana felt herself soften at the memory of holding the newborn in its new swaddling moments before returning Hope to her parents. She had been very much in awe; not as much as the mother and father, but it was hard not to be caught up in the miracle of new life.
He was silent for a few moments. “You all right?”
Scully held the phone away from her ear for a moment, to look at it as if it were Mulder himself. But then, he knew much about her, knew how the Consortium and the early days of involvement with the X Files had taken away the very precious part of her that would have, could have, given her the same joy as she saw on Cort and Rachel’s face: the ability to have children.
She swallowed before she answered back. It was done. She did no good dwelling on it.
“Of course, I’m all right,” she replied, hoping she sounded casually dismissive. “Just...dead tired. The labor was only the end of a very long, long day. We defeated a robot.”
Mulder huffed softly in her ear with a chuckle.
“I’m beginning to think you come up with more interesting X Files on your own than schlepping around with me. Did the serum help?”
Dana felt her last remaining muscle collapse...relief, astonishment? “How did you know I was...”
“Scully, I’m the FBI’s Most Unwanted G-man for a reason: I know everything.”
She found herself grinning broadly at his cocky retort. “It did indeed. It took some doing, which is why I’m about ready to drop like a rock into deep sleep, but I think I can safely and reasonably say that NanoCorp is rid of its pest.”
“That’s a virtual endorsement of certitude for you, Scully. I don’t know what to say to that...I’m...impressed.”
“Yeah, well, you can show me how impressed when I get home tomorrow, okay? Yes, I’m taking a flight home in the afternoon. I’m beat, Mulder. Good night.”
........................................
Two days later Cort was wheeling Rachel down the hall as she held Hope in her arms. Well-wishers lined the long corridor and stood around all through the main lobby as they passed by. Hope...the first...the only baby born in Emerald City. Cort had rather she'd be born in a hospital, not in this place that was somewhat of a monument to Sid. But warping in during Rachel's labor, there had simply been no choice. At least it was better than the floor of the saloon!
As they came through the entrance doors and down a side ramp, Bud pulled up in his car to drive them back to the blue house. Maximus and Caroline had already left for her home out in the country. Cort paused as Bud got the car into position and while he waited he looked up at the sky. It was one of those perfectly blue days with not a single cloud anywhere in sight. A blue sky over a blue house. He touched Rachel's shoulder and leaned down to whisper, "I'm glad we're going home."
Rachel looked up from her child’s face, cradled as she was in her arms as she rode in the wheelchair out to the car. Hope’s was a face she still could not stop watching, learning, examining, and even though many of her friends and co-workers stopped to congratulate them, they all swam past her in a blur because Hope’s dominated. She was only two days old and she could already see her father in her eyes: something about the shape of them told Rachel that would be something that would become more prominent as Hope grew. Little wisps of dark brown hair stuck out from the edge of the little cap.
“Me too,” Rachel replied to Cort, softly, smiling up at him in the sunlight. It was all she could think about, getting away from the building, away from watchful eyes. All she wanted was to cocoon with the two people she loved the most. Bud pulled up in his car and dashed around, opening the back door as though a waiting chauffeur. Cort took the baby and Rachel edged her way into the car, Cort sitting in back with her.
Since the house was on the outer grounds of Emerald City, it was only a moment before they arrived at the curving drive through the tall pines. Cort looked out the window at them and murmured, "Green," then turned to Rachel. "After Redemption, green is...wonderful."
Rachel met his eyes and nodded, smiling. Yes. Green was wonderful – a sign of life.
The baby carrier Bud had bought for them was buckled between him and Rachel. Her hand lay on the blanket over Hope's legs and he lay his lightly atop it. His women. Now he had two of them. His mind skipped back to the mission when he'd watched over so many children at the orphan school. Never did he think he'd know a moment like this. "I'm so grateful," he said softly, cupping his fingers just a bit more tightly.
“We got together and pooled our resources to get you two set up,” Bud said, as he pulled up into the driveway. He paused for a moment and then looked back at the couple. With a soft whistle, he added, “Boy, does this feel like deja vu all over again.” Then he bounded out of the driver’s seat and opened Rachel’s door, helping her out and letting her lean on him while Cort removed the baby.
“This is where we part ways,” he said as he brought their suitcase of clothing. “At least for now.”
“Thank you, Bud,” Rachel said, wishing there were more than little words to offer for what she really felt. Bud had kept her sane while in the movie, had been a fierce protector and it was because of him that Cort had not had to suffer as much as he might have. She opened her mouth to add her thoughts on that, but found herself inadequate. So, instead, she leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you,” she repeated.
Cort had Hope tucked up in his left arm and when Rachel was
done, he, too, said, "Thanks, Bud. What you did...all of it...it means a lot.
I'll never forget it."
Then Cort took hold of Rachel's left elbow and together the three of them ascended the white steps to their house. "Home," he repeated. He tipped his head way back. "Thank You."
THE END
TO BE CONTINUED IN FOUR SEPARATE STORYLINES:
ON TO HOPE...RISING, Cort and Rachel's storyline, with Maximus and Caroline
ON TO THE SCIENCE OF LOVE, Sid's storyline
BACK TO LIBRISCROWE
BACK TO PART 34
BACK TO INDEX