Title: Man to Man Talk VII
Author: Girlie_Girl7
Date: 11-15-01
Category: Baby FF
Rating:PG
Spoilers: If you haven't seen Existence then
I'll tell ya now M&S have a baby! 
Summary: Mulder continues his chat with his son.
Archive: Any where but the mens room at the Y, 
that's reserved for my phone number! 
Disclaimer: I didn't do it, I was just passing by 
when. Sorry, wrong kind of disclaimer. No I do not
own M&S or William and I find it kinda mean to
own people.


It's a cool, crisp late November day. Fox Mulder 
has been up for hours. He ran, showered and shaved, 
dressed his son and loaded the car. That was the
easy part, now for the hard part.


       ~Fox Mulder is Spending Thanksgiving
               with the Scully's~


Mulder pulls away from the curb with Scully and William 
in the back seat. Will's come down with a terrible cold. 
Scully preferred to keep him home but her mother insisted 
they spend Will's first Thanksgiving together as a family.

The baby has been on antibiotics but he's spent the night
keeping his parents up. Scully suspects he has the start 
of an ear infection. Neither parent is real keen on spending 
the day in a hot stuffy house with Bill Scully and a cranky baby.

Will fussed on the way to grandma's house but at least he 
wasn't screaming like he had been 12 hours earlier.
"You okay Scully?" Mulder asks as he adjusts the rear view 
mirror so he can see her face. 

"Yeah, I'm fine Mulder but you must be dead on your feet. 
You walked the floor most of the night."

"It's part of the job Scully and besides I don't take
much sleep."

"Well, thanks for helping."

"Scully there is no one I would want our son to spit
up on but me." Scully smiles at him as they make their 
way to Maggie Scully's house.



Scully grabs the diaper bag and the extra blankets while 
Mulder removes Will's carrier and covers him up with a
blanket. As they head up the walk, the door suddenly bursts 
open, with Maggie Scully and various relatives spilling out. 
"Dana!" Maggie says, hugging her daughter. "And Fox!"

"Hi mom," Scully says returning the hug.

Mulder turns red but can't avoid a hug. "Hi Mrs. Scully." 

"Fox someday I'll break you of that 'Mrs. Scully' stuff.
And where's my newest grandson!"

"Mom he's not feeling well, let's uncover him inside," 
Scully says as she moves indoors.

The party moves in to Mrs. Scully's living room.
Mulder sits the baby carrier on the couch and takes
Scully's coat as well as his own. He hangs them in the 
hall closet, mostly to stall for time; he's not comfortable
in a crowd.

Scully takes the blanket off the carrier and lifts up 
a whispy red haired, Scully-blue eyed, baby boy. 
William's cheeks are chapped and red, and his nose is
running.  He's trying to chew on his fingers as he blinks
his wide eyes at the crowd gathered around him.

Grandma Scully sweeps William into the air.
"Careful mom, his tummy has been upset lately."
Scully looks down as she feels a tug on her sweater. 
It's Mathew.

"Hello Mathew," she says bending down. "Can I get a hug?"

Mathew tentatively hugs Scully. "Who is that baby?"
He asks twisting the hem of his shirt. 

"That's William, Mathew, he's your cousin."

"William is mine?"

The whole Scully gang laughs at the small boy.
"No William is mine and Fox's."

Mathew loses interest and wanders off.

Mulder's lingering in the background, leaning against 
the door frame that leads into the living room.
Tara grabs Scully, "Dana you look great! Motherhood
certainly agrees with you."

"Thanks, I hope so."

"Where's Fox?"

"Oh I imagine he's hiding around here somewhere."

Tara spies Mulder and drags him over to Scully as 
Maggie cradles William, taking him into the kitchen. 
Tara hugs Mulder saying, "You'd better get use to 
this clan Fox, I've had too."

"Thanks for the warning," Mulder replies as he hugs her back.

Bill steps out from the kitchen, a glass in hand.

"Bill!" Scully says as she hugs her brother.

"Dana, you're looking well. A lot better then 
right after Will was born."

"Things have been a lot better since then."

Mulder steps foreword, thrusting out his hand, "Bill."

"Mulder" Bill says clasping Mulder's hand.

Just then the door opens. "Anybody home?" Charles 
Scully says jokingly as he and his wife come in with 
three little kids in tow.

Scully runs to Charles and grabs him around the
neck, hugging him. "Charlie! I've missed you."

"It's been too long Dana."

"Karen!" Scully hugs Charles' wife.

"Dana, you look great."

"Thanks so do you."

"So where's this baby I've been hearing about," Charlie says.

"Mom has him. I'm afraid he's a little cranky today, he's been sick."
Just then Maggie comes out of the kitchen with William.
Scully scoops Will up and brings him into the living room. 

"Karen, Charlie, this is our son William."

Scully grabs Mulder's hand, "And this is Fox Mulder."

Charles thrusts out his hand. "Fox nice to meet you."

"Thanks, nice to meet you too."

Will stiffens up in Scully's arms and begins to cry. 
"You need changed don't you sweetie," Scully says as 
she kisses the little boys head.

Mulder takes Will, "I'll do the honors Sc...Dana."

"Thanks Fox." Mulder cringes at the sound of his
name, taking the baby into the bedroom to change him.

"Hey buddy, how you feeling?"  The baby is sniffling, 
trying to breathe through his stuffy nose.

Scully, Tara and Karen walk into the kitchen to 
find Mrs. Scully busy working on dinner.
Karen speaks up, "So Dana, it looks like you've 
got Fox well trained."

Scully grabs a spoon and stirs a pot on the stove. 
"He's a natural at it actually."

Tara chimes in, "He sure seems taken with that little boy."

"Yes he is. Um mom can I do anything to help?" Scully asks, 
trying to deflect the conversation away from their personal life.

"I need the boiled eggs shelled, the jello unmolded and 
the potatoes peeled." The women all laugh.

"I'm sorry I asked." Scully says sitting down and 
grabbing the potato peeler.

"There we go. It feels better to be dry doesn't it Will."
Will sneezes and rubs his sore nose' causing himself
to whimper. Mulder pulls out a small tube of cream.
"Mom says this will make those red cheeks feel better." 
He gently covers the little boys nose and cheeks with 
the cream. "There we go, ready to face the crowd again?" 
Mulder grins at Will as they leave the bedroom, 
entering the kitchen.

"Scully."
All the women in the kitchen turn to look at Mulder who 
is beginning to blush. 

"I think he means me." Scully says as she walks toward 
him drying her hands on a towel. Mulder leans into her," 
Scully I think it's time for Will's meds."

Scully looks at her watch, "You're right Mulder, I'll take him."

Mulder looks at the women, "Ah, I guess old habits die hard,"
he says with an obvious blush as he rubs his hands together.

Tara speaks up, "Fox would you feel better if we all
just called you 'Mulder'?"

"That would be great! Thanks." Mulder says with a look 
of relief on his face.

Mulder wanders into the living room. Bill and Charles 
are sitting on the couch watching a football game.

"Who's playing," he says sitting down in an arm chair.

Charles speaks up, "Detroit and Chicago."

Bill groans at a play that was just made on the tv.
"You like football Fox?" Charles asks.

"Yeah I do and please call me Mulder."
Bill glances at Mulder but doesn't say anything.


Scully comes in with Will as two boys run past her. 
Charles yells out, "Okay boys, no running in the house!" 

Mulder jumps up to steady her before she falls. "Thanks Fox."

Mulder smiles at her, taking Will, he says, "It's ok Scully, 
everyone is calling me Mulder."

"Thank God for that, I knew I couldn't keep it up all day."
Charles snickers at Scully.

"I'll help mom if you can take Will."

"Sure," Mulder says taking the baby from Scully.

Will sneezes and coughs as Mulder jiggles him trying to
soothe him but Will just squirms and starts to bawl.
Mulder gets up and yells into the kitchen. "Hey Scully 
could Will be hungry?"

Scully comes out of the kitchen with messy hands. 
"I don't think he is, but I've put his bottles in the 
fridge. Why don't you try some juice."

"He feels really warm too."

"I know Mulder but he can't have any fever reducer
this soon."

Maggie overhears them and brings the bottle out, 
giving it to Mulder.

Thanking Maggie, Mulder heads back to the living 
room. He sits down and offers the bottle to Will, who takes
it but still fusses.

Bill and Charlie are caught up in the game.
"Tara," Bill yells.

"What!" She yells back.

"Can I get a drink?"

"Sure you can, I'm not stopping you."

Laughter can be heard coming from the kitchen.

"Great," Bill mutters, "Everyone is a comedian."

Charlie laughs and takes his feet off the coffee 
table so Bill can get his own drink.

"You're pretty quite Mulder." 

"Yeah I guess I tend to be."

"So how are you and 'Scully' getting along?" Charlie 
teases.

Mulder grins, "We're doing okay. She hasn't thrown 
me out yet so I guess that's something."
Will is starting to grow restless again.

"Looks like 'walk and talk' time to me," Charlie says.

"Excuse me?"

"'Walk and talk'; that's when you get stuck with a
cranky kid and have to walk and talk to keep him happy."

"Will and I did a lot of that last night."

"Better get use to it. I've been through hundreds of 
'walk and talks'."

Just then Bill returns, sitting back down and putting
 his feet back up on the coffee table.

"Where's he going?"

"Walk and talk."

"Oh, cranky kid, huh."

Mulder walks down the hallway looking at the Scully 
family photos covering the walls. He smiles at the 
thought of what Scully must have been like as a kid.
"Will I hope you have the same carefree childhood that
your mom says she had."
Mulder kisses Will's head, "You sure are warm kid."
He and Will move past the backstairs into the laundry 
room. "We could teach them a thing or two about doing 
laundry couldn't we Will," Mulder laughs.

Will is still uncomfortable and cranky. "Shh, you'll 
have these guys thinking I can't take care of you," 
Mulder says offering Will his toy duck but Will just
shoves it away.

Will is beginning to squirm and cry as sweat is soaking
the back of his head.
"We need to cool you down buddy."
Mulder opens the door leading into the glassed-in back 
porch. He sits down in a lawn chair being stored there.
"That feels better doesn't it Will."
Will stretches out and yawns as he drinks the 
bottle of juice. He grows sleepy and calms down as 
they sit quietly for some minutes.



"Mulder what are you doing out here?" Scully asks 
crouching down next to him.

"He feels better in the cool air Scully." 
Scully runs her hand over Will's warm head.

"Okay but don't stay out here too long. I don't need
two sick men on my hands." She says as she ruffles 
Mulders hair and goes back inside.

Maggie looks up as Scully enters, "How's the baby Dana?"

"He's asleep. Mulder has him on the back porch to
cool him down." Scully begins peeling potatoes again.

Just then Mathew comes in and grabs Scully's arm.
"Aunt Dana can you come play with me?"

Scully leans down to talk to the small boy. "No Mathew
I have to help grandma."

"Aunt Dana can Will come play with me?"
Mathew says as he twists his arms in knots.

I'm sorry sweetie but William is not feeling good."

"Aunt Dana who's that man?"

"You mean Mulder? He's William's daddy."

"Can he come play with me?"

"No sorry Mathew he's taking care of William."

Maggie speaks up, "Mathew the other boys are in 
the backyard why don't you go play with them."

"Okay gramma." Mathew says as he races out the 
back door. Both women smile at each other.

Tara and Karen come in with folding chairs and a
card table. "Mom can we sit this up in the dining 
room for the kids," Tara asks.

"Sure but we need to wipe it off first."

"I'll be right back," Scully says.

Mulder is still sitting in the cool porch. "Will, 
you know I wasn't sure about this whole father thing 
when I found out, but now I can't see myself anywhere 
else." Mulder nuzzles Will's chest with his nose.
"I couldn't let your mom down, she's sacrificed so 
much for me, but you wanna hear something amazing,
it's so much more than that. I love her like I never
knew I could love anyone. I guess I have always been
afraid I didn't have enough to offer her but now I 
know I have so much to give her that a lifetime 
won't be enough for us."

Will dozes in Mulder's warm arms. "But you don't 
care just as long as you get fed and are warm and dry.
I was like you once," Mulder grins at him as he covers 
Will with a blanket and kisses his tiny fingers. 
Getting up, he sees Scully standing there. She is 
smiling at him as she leans against the door frame.

"Hey, how long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough."

"I ah, I.."
"Don't say another word Mulder." Scully moves in, 
laying her arms on Mulder's as he cradles Will.

Mulder kisses her and says, "I was just going to say,
I meant every word of it."

"I know you do," Scully replies, "Now lets see if we 
can get Will to sleep for awhile."

Mulder yawns, "I could use some sleep too."
"Oh no, you're not leaving me alone with this crowd,"
Scully says taking Mulder by the hand as he carries 
Will into the spare bedroom.

"Let me take him." Scully says as she takes Will 
to the crib.

Just then Mathew runs through the door, followed 
by two cousins. The noise startles Will and he 
begins to cry and this time he is crying for all he's worth.

"Boys!" Scully says, her voice dripping with exasperation.

The boys run back out of the bedroom as Mulder leans 
in to lift Will out of the crib. "It's okay Scully.
Will and I will just walk and talk."

"What?"

"Never mind, I'll explain it later. Just go help your mom."
Will is really cranked up now.

"Are you sure Mulder," Scully says above the din of
Will's crying.

"Scully, I'm a pro."

"Yeah, where have I heard that before," she sighs
rolling her eyes. Mulder just smiles at her. Scully 
leaves Will with Mulder and returns to the kitchen.

Mulder takes off all of Will's clothing except for 
his diaper and cracks the window slightly. Will rubs 
his sore nose' and cries again. "Will! You need to
leave that nose of yours alone, or it's not going to 
get any better." Mulder gives Will the bottle of juice
but he wants none of it, jerking his head back and forth."

Scully gets up from the table and retrieves some meds
from the diaper bag. As she walks past Bill he quips, 
"You think Mulder can handle a baby Dana?" 
"Shut up Bill," Scully says as Charlie laughs at him.

Mulder is still trying to get Will to take the juice
but Will doesn't want it.

"Mulder," Scully says slipping into the room.
"Let me give him some fever reducer. It's nearly 
time anyway." Scully gives the baby a spoonful of 
the red liquid. He takes it but not without a struggle.
Scully and Mulder sit down on the bed as Will squirms
and cries and coughs. Scully sighs, "Mulder maybe
we should go home."

"Scully you've been looking forward to this. I can
handle Will, we have a simpatico." Mulder grins at 
her and squeezes her with his free arm. "Now get
back out there and help your mom. I'll be out as 
soon as Will quiets down."

"Okay but if he doesn't settle down we're leaving." 
Scully kisses Will's forhead. "Get some sleep baby," 
she says as she leaves the bedroom.

"Will you've got your meds in you, just wait until 
they kick in buddy, you'll be feeling better." Will
is sobbing and still refusing to eat.


"Dana if you can set the table, I'll get the turkey
out of the oven." Maggie says as Tara and Karen takes 
various bowls out of the fridge.

Bill and Charles are still sitting in the living room,
engrossed in the game, neither one has moved.

Mulder is dealing with his son, he's walked the baby
around the room, he has jiggled him, he's tried to 
lay him down but nothing seems to calm Will.
"You're still so warm." Mulder says as he places his
cheek against Will's. Will whimpers and clutches 
Mulder's neck.

"Okay that's it! I'm gonna get you comfortable
Will or else my name isn't Fox William Mulder!"

Mulder takes Will into the quest bathroom and 
fills the sink with water, stripping off the baby's
diaper, he puts Will into the sink. Mulder gently 
pours water over Will's back; he shivers but does quiet down. 
"There you go son, feeling better?" Mulder says as 
he continues to pour water over Will. 
Will looks' up at Mulder and yawns. "You're sleepy 
aren't you, so am I. We did a lot of 'walk and talk'
last night didn't we Will."

Mulder wraps the little boy in a big towel, taking
him back into the bedroom, he shuts the window 
and turns the bedside radio on to a soft music 
station. Dressing Will in a diaper, he covers 
his tender face with more cream and this time Will 
doesn't complain. 

Mulder crawls onto the bed and gives Will his bottle.
Will takes it and begins to settle down. 
"That's it, you're feeling better aren't you," Mulder 
yawns as Will reaches up and puts his hand on Mulders.
Will's eyes grow heavy and he begins to relax.



Scully has set the table and filled the water glasses. 
The kids have been corralled at the kitchen sink to 
wash their hands as Bill and Charles wander in.
"Dana you want to get Fox and Will. I think we're about 
ready to eat." 

"Okay mom," Scully replies as she walks down the hall 
to the spare bedroom. She softly turns the door knob and 
peeks in.

The dining room is filling up with hungry people as 
Scully comes back down the hall. "Mom, Mulder will eat
later, just save him a plate."

"Too good to eat with the Scully's," Bill says with 
the genetic Scully eye roll as Charlie laughs.
Scully's eyes grow wide as does her temper, grabbing 
Bill and Charlie by the hands she pulls them down the
hallway. "I want to show you something." Placing her
finger against her lips she quietly opens the door.

Mulder is laying on his side, sound asleep, curled 
around his son as Will sleeps on his stomach with his 
head turned toward his father.

The entire adult population of the Scully clan is
standing before the bedroom door as Dana quietly pulls 
the door shut. 

"That is so sweet," Tara softly says.

"That is not sweet," Scully says in a crisp tone. 
"That's a father who has spent too many hours caring 
for his son. He's exhausted and he deserves some 
credit, right Bill!"

Bill looks down and then back up as the others stare
at him. "What? Okay Dana, I'm sorry."

"No you're not!" Scully says as she walks back into 
the kitchen. She grabs a dish cloth and begins to 
wipe down the stove top.

Bill walks up behind her, "Dana I said I was sorry, 
why can't you just drop it."

"Drop it! Oh that's choice Bill Scully!" Scully says
standing toe to toe with her brother, her hands on her
hips. "I've been asking you to drop it for 5 years now!"

Bill leans against the counter with arms crossed 
seeming to not care what Scully says. 
Scully goes back to cleaning the stove. "Sometimes
Bill I just don't understand you." She turns and 
leans against the stove.

"Why do you hate him so? Is it jealousy, because 
he's done so much in his life and you've just 
followed in your father's safe footsteps."

"Dana, I."

"Shut up Bill, I'm not done," Scully snaps.

The rest of the Scully clan is gathered in the 
dining room, not about to come to Bill's defense.
"And don't try to feed me that bullshit about the 
things that have gone wrong in my life being Mulder's
fault. You're right, some of it was but so where the 
good things."

Scully moves over to stand next to Bill. 
"I've got a great job, I have a passionate man 
in my life who loves me very much. I have a child,
one that I was never supposed to have and he has a 
father who adores him. What more can you want Bill.
It's enough for me."



Mulder stirs as he hears the door open. He has no 
idea how long he has been out but Will is still 
sleeping. He swings his legs off the edge of the bed
and rubs his eyes. Scully sits down next to him and 

pats his hand. "Well Mulder you still haven't made 
it to a Scully Thanksgiving."

Mulder glances over at Scully. "You mad at me?"

"Mulder you made Will comfortable and he's finally
getting some sleep. I'd say that is more important 
than some old dinner."

Mulder looks wide eyed as Scully grabs his hand and
squeezes it, just then Will stirs.

Scully looks over at him. "I think I know a baby 
that's hungry."

"That's your department Scully." Mulder says as he
gets up, stretching his arms over his head.

There is a knock at the door, Bill Scully is peeking
around it. He's holding a heaping plate of food,
"Um Mulder, I have a plate for you if you're hungry." 

Mulder looks surprised. "Thanks Bill."

Bill looks sheepish and shuts the door.

Mulder sits down next to Scully, looking at her 
he asks, "What was that all about?"

"Bill is just being nice, accept it Mulder."

Mulder grabs Scully around the shoulder and
kisses her. "Oh I will."

Getting up, Mulder picks up Will who's making 
squeaky baby noises. "Here you go little one. Let 
mom give you some Thanksgiving dinner."

Mulder hands Will to Scully. 

"Thank you," Scully says scooting up against 
the headboard. Mulder heads for the door eager 
to get some food into his empty stomach.

"Oh and Mulder."

"Yeah Scully."

"Next year Thanksgiving is at our house."

                     ~The End~