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Title: Kelly Summary: Holding onto control and keeping everyone safe requires some sacrifices. Author's Notes: This idea just popped into my brain one day and it's been brewing there ever since. The story will not be everyone's cup of tea, and despite some recent fanfiction, I am a diehard MSR fan but, sometimes other evil thoughts lurk and they won't leave me until they are written out. Here is one of those thoughts. Kelly O'Connor lay partially naked on the bed, covered in a thin white sheet, waiting. She was now ovulating regularly after the birth of the girl and it was time to start again. It had been 9 weeks since the painful birth, but her doctor said she had healed nicely and hoped that this first time would not be too painful. Dr. Scully had cautioned the Procreation Program that Kelly might not be able to keep up with her regular schedule. Hopefully, she would get pregnant as quickly as last time and then she would have almost a whole year off. She had been waiting almost ten minutes. Her scheduled appointment was late. Life in the gated commune was good by post-colonization standards. There was enough food and water, medical help, and lots of armed people that kept the aliens and any other unscrupulous individuals out. She had lived outside a walled community for a while with her parents but life had been hard, then her father was killed, and her mother died of exposure. Kelly really had no choice but to join. A woman's part in the Procreation Program was completely voluntary. It hadn't taken her long to realize that not becoming part of the program as a healthy 22-year-old had its major drawbacks. She likened it to voluntary enlistment during a time of war, you could choose not to enlist but no one at home respected you. Men enlisted sometimes out of a sense of duty, but mostly because they needed the respect of their community. The same was true for her. She enrolled in the Program and suddenly found herself with a new group of friends and extra support within the community. All she had to do was keep to a schedule when ovulating and stay healthy while she was pregnant. Not a bad deal. There were rules that everyone adhered to and the Procreation Monitors assured they were followed. She had sex with two men a day during her ovulating time and if she was in a relationship, she could also have sex with her partner to increase the chances of pregnancy. The participants were always healthy, disease-free men with good sperm motility and fertility. There were currently 63 men in the Program and they were rotated around the women. They ranged in age from 18 to 65 and had to submit to the rules of the Procreation Program as well. There was no kissing, no fondling, no prolonged contact, and usually no talking. They were given dates and times they were expected to arrive. She had not had sex with the same man twice, because she had managed to get pregnant so quickly. If they encountered each other, or worked with each other in the commune, neither mentioned their appointment or suggested a familiarity with the other person. The children were cared for by the older couples within the community and the birth mothers had no claim to their offspring. Kelly was happy with that arrangement, and it seemed to make the women who were too old to participate in the Program happy to contribute. The men were expected to show up 'prepared' and merely come inside of her. Most of the time it worked. If they, as a commune, had more money to spend on medical supplies, equipment and drugs, the Procreation Program would operate differently. A few wealthy communes used IVF to procreate, a much more civil process, but most were in the same boat as them and had to resort to good old-fashioned sex. There were 27 women currently participating in the Procreation Program within their community and they ranged in age from 18 to 38. Most of them were single but she did think about a third of them were married. She wasn't sure how that worked, but assumed that many of the men that had sex with her probably went home to their wives too. In a Post-Colonization world things had changed in many relationships. The door opened with a flourish and he walked inside. She knew exactly who he was, one of the leaders in their community, the man responsible for the safety of them all, the man who lived with Dr. Scully. He closed the door and ran a hand through is dark brown hair. He seemed anxious and uncomfortable as he paced circles around the corner of the room. He walked up to the glass window, where on the other side the Monitors sat, and looked angrily at them. He slammed the glass with his open palm and leaned his forehead heavily against his arm, speaking softly to himself. Kelly sat up in bed and watched the man closely as she tried to listen to his soft, muted voice. The white sheet fell to her waist and the pink tank top she wore barely kept the shivers from running up and down her milky white body. She watched as the man glanced over at her and then shook his head again. He marched from the glass window to the door and walked from the room. She lay back down on the bed and wondered how long she had to wait before the replacement arrived. From time to time a man couldn't perform and a replacement was called over, the Program couldn't waste valuable ovulation time. She could hear two men arguing in the hallway outside the room she was in. Her ears strained to hear the voices and make out what they were saying. She heard something about 'the ranks', and 'you have to' and then everything went quiet. The door opened again and the man re-appeared. She saw the look of horror on his face and realized exactly why he had to do this. She had heard rumblings lately about a group of young men who wanted to change things on the commune. They wanted to wage more aggressive attacks against the aliens, they wanted to make the Procreation Program mandatory for all women, they wanted to use people as a type of currency that's traded for money. She had heard of uprisings like this on other communes and they had become terrible places of slavery. This man was here to prove to these young men that he would make sacrifices too, that he believed in the Program. He had to do this if he wanted to hold onto his power in their community and keep them all safe. He strode toward the end of the bed and stood looking at his shoes for a very long time. Kelly sat up slightly and moved down the bed toward him. She knew all of this was not part of the 'rules' but she sensed that the Monitors would grant her some latitude when it came to him. She reached for his pants and undid the top button, releasing the zipper as he made no movement to aid her. She slid the pants over his ass and pulled his boxer shorts down with them. The first movement he made was to take off his shoes and step from his garments. She looked at his flaccid penis and realized this man was not only mentally unprepared for this, but physically as well. She went to reach for his penis but his hand snapped up to grab her wrist. "Do you want this over with quickly, or for us to be here all afternoon?" Kelly asked as she pulled her hand from his grasp. His eyes closed and his hand fell to his side, defeated. She grasped his penis in her hand and started to slide it up and down his shaft. She could see he was trying to keep his hips still but with each motion he responded with a slight shift of his body towards her. He was getting hard quickly but still needed more to properly enter her. She wrapped her mouth around his penis and sucked him off hard as she took him completely into her and down her throat. He let out a soft moan and she felt his penis become fully hard. She released him and lay back down on the bed, her red hair splaying over the pillow as she spread her legs wide to accommodate. He hesitated for a moment, deep in thought, before he climbed on top of her petite body. She could tell that reason had won and he wanted to get the act over with as quickly as possible. He entered her slowly, seemingly aware that this was her first time since childbirth, and he allowed her to adjust to his size before pushing himself further into her. She absently wondered if Dr. Scully knew he would be here with her and had warned him about her recovery. Once completely submerged, he moved himself in and out of her, gradually and gently as his face contorted above her and his eyes remained closed. Within a few minutes he was exploding inside of her and pulling out as quickly as he came. "Are you okay?" he asked her softly as he stood next to the bed. "I'm, uh...fine," Kelly said as she watched him quickly reach for his pants on the floor. He pulled on his pants and sat on the edge of the bed to do up his shoes. "Thank you for...for helping me," he said as he hung his head low on his chest holding a shoe in his hand. "Your first time?" Kelly asked as she fixed her pillow. "Participating in the Program?" he asked turning to really look at her for the first time. "Uh, yeah." "It'll get easier," she said matter-of-factly. It was then that she realized the men in the Program had no breaks. When a woman wasn't ovulating she had no appointments, when she was pregnant she had no appointments. Men were called to participate in the Procreation Program at all times. How had this man managed to not participate for almost 2 years? "How come now?" she asked, not sure if he would answer the question. He looked at her again and his hazel eyes seemed to penetrate her soul. "Apparently there's a group of men who don't think I'm doing enough, there's a feeling that...that I need to lead by example in order to win their respect. I...I need to keep this community safe and out of their hands, if they lead..." he paused to shake his head. "That's why 'now'" He did up his shoe and rose to leave. "Do you need...?" he asked, unsure of what to say. "I'm good," she said as he walked out the door. When the door was about to close behind him she offered up a quiet "thank you" that she wasn't sure he heard. Kelly O'Connor waited patiently in the small doctor's office for Dr. Scully to arrive. The nurse who usually took care of her pre-natal check-ups had asked her to wait a minute for the doctor. Kelly sat very still and wiped her sweaty hands on her skirt. If there was a problem with the pregnancy, wouldn't they know by now? Kelly hoped there was nothing too wrong that would mean she would have to stay in bed for the next 3 months. Having a baby was enough work, bed rest would be torture. She then thought of another reason the doctor may have wanted to see her. Her partner, Mulder, was the father of this baby. He was also the father of all 27 babies that were currently gestating in the bellies of the women in their community. The Procreation Program had come to a halt when all women involved became pregnant within a month of each other. It had never happened before and the only variable that was different was Mulder's involvement in the Program. DNA testing had proven that all 27 children were his; he had managed to impregnate all the women he'd had sex with as part of the Program. The greater ramifications were discussed at length. These children could not mate with each other in the future because they were siblings. Mulder could not participate in the Program for an unspecified period (when it started again in a few months) because they would not have a future if all offspring were related. Finally, everyone wondered what about this man's DNA allowed him to impregnate every woman after only having sex with them once. The door opened with a flourish and her red-headed doctor walked inside. "Hi Kelly, I see everything is progressing nicely," she said as she read over her notes. "I've been taking my vitamins and eating my veggies," Kelly joked. "Uh, huh," Dr. Scully mumbled as she put down the file and walked over to lift Kelly's loose shirt. "May I?" "Sure," Kelly said as she felt Dr. Scully's clammy hands lift the edge of her shirt up to reveal a round belly. Kelly watched as Dr. Scully brought her stethoscope down to listen and felt the shape and size of the baby inside with her clammy hands. "Seems just fine," she said with a tight smile as she lowered Kelly's shirt. "I feel fine," Kelly said confused about the purpose of the doctor's need to see her. "Your next appointment is..." Dr. Scully paused to look at her notes. "He didn't want to," Kelly suddenly blurted out, and then felt the need to catch the words before they reached Dr. Scully's ears. "Excuse me?" Dr. Scully asked as her blue eyes fell on Kelly. "He, uh..." Kelly stammered as she watched the woman's face starring back at her. "He left, and then when he came back he looked horrified and then I...I helped and he must have known I had just had the baby because...and then he apologized and thanked me and..." The Doctor's eyes closed in quiet thought. Kelly stopped explaining and she sat in silence waiting for Dr. Scully to speak. Several minutes passed in uncomfortable silence while Dr. Scully gathered her thoughts and Kelly admonished herself for being an idiot. "I wondered how it went," Dr. Scully said quietly. "We don't...talk about it." "He had to," Kelly said quietly. "I'm the one who..." Dr. Scully stopped herself from saying more. "He needed to do this, for...everyone." "But now, with all of us..." Kelly stopped and realized this woman didn't need a reminder of how many women her partner had had sex with and gotten pregnant. "Now, he's out of the Program." Dr. Scully said definitively. Kelly thought she saw a look of relief wash over the doctor's face as well. The room again became bathed in silence. Kelly sensed there was more Dr. Scully wanted to talk about. "Have you thought about all the babies?" Kelly ventured to ask. "I think about them a lot," Dr. Scully admitted as she took a seat next to Kelly. A realization hit Kelly suddenly. Dr. Scully and Mulder didn't have a child. Surely, if he was as virile as he'd proven himself to be, why didn't they have slews of children around their house? Dr. Scully must not be able to have children. Kelly decided that she'd already been bold in her conversation with Dr. Scully, so she may as well keep going until the woman threw her out of the office. "Why don't you have kids?" she asked quietly. "I had an operation years ago," Dr. Scully offered. "So...you can't?" "Not since the operation," she offered. "Did you...?" "Very much," the doctor interrupted. Kelly noticed Dr. Scully reverently starring at her bulging tummy. Dr. Scully wanted her child; that was the reason for this meeting. "Have you applied?" Kelly asked as she laid a hand on her tummy. "Yes," Scully said as she nodded her head. "And you're getting this one?" Kelly asked as she patted her belly. "Yes," Scully said softly. "Do you want me to come in more frequently?" Kelly asked, knowing this woman wanted to touch her belly as much as possible. "Kelly, you don't..." "I'll book for next week," Kelly said as she hopped off the table. Dr. Scully smiled at her, obviously pleased with the outcome. "Mulder finally got the council to agree to kick out Frank and his gang?" Kelly asked. "Last week, they left this morning," Dr. Scully said. "So lots of good things have happened as a result..." Kelly started. "Yes, lots of good things," Dr. Scully agreed with a soft smile. Kelly wasn't totally convinced she was okay, but decided for Dr. Scully's benefit to drop the subject. "Thanks, Dr. Scully," she said as she walked out the door. It took a long time to book an appointment so, 10 minutes later Kelly was still waiting in the chairs for the secretary to call her, when Mulder walked in the door. He smiled briefly at the secretary and whisked past her and down the hallway. He hadn't noticed anyone else. Kelly watched as he walked up the Doctor Scully in the hallway and leaned down to gently kiss her on the lips. She kissed him back and when they parted there was a smile on both their faces. He moved a strand of hair away from her face with such reverence Kelly would have thought he was handling precious gold. Dr. Scully walked into her office and he followed behind her shutting the door as he entered. "Kelly?" the secretary called. "Dr. Scully can see you on Tuesday at 10 am." "That's great," replied Kelly as she rose and took the appointment card. "Is there something wrong dear?" the secretary asked. "Hmm?" Kelly replied, distracted by her thoughts. "Dr. Scully has a note here saying she wants to see you every week for the duration of your pregnancy." "She just wants to keep an eye on a few things," Kelly said with authority. "Okay, dear," the secretary smiled and then reached to answer the phone. "See you next week," Kelly called as she walked from the office. Kelly sat on a park bench eating an egg salad sandwich and reading a book. It was one of the few days left of nice Summer weather before the humidity hit and she was enjoying every last second of it. Her eye caught a tall lanky figure walking purposefully across the paved area of the small park. She knew the stride well, it was Mulder; one of the leaders in their community and the father of the child inside her. 'It's funny,' she thought as she watched him walk, 'how you can pick someone out that you barely know.' She had been seeing Dr. Scully for weekly visits and things had been going very well. They talked less and less about boring medical crap, and more and more about the community where they lived and their past lives. Kelly had known Mulder was an FBI agent in a former life, but she had no idea Dr. Scully had worked for the FBI as well. That she once carried a gun, hunted down the bad guys, and even killed people. Dr. Scully was getting more and more interesting with each visit. Kelly wasn't attached to this baby, anymore than the other. But, she was happy that this child was going to make Dr. Scully happy. She secretly wondered if Mulder wanted the kid as well. She watched as he slowed his pace and Dr. Scully approached him. He immediately reached out to grasp her hand and pull her slightly toward him kissing her quickly on the lips. They stood talking for a few minutes and Kelly looked back at her book. 'They're probably meeting to go home,' she thought to herself as she continued to read. Her book was due back at the library tomorrow and she still had several chapters to go before she was done. It wasn't the most interesting book she'd ever read, but there were so few books on the compound you had to be grateful for what you got. "Kelly?" She heard her name called a few minutes later. She raised her head to the familiar voice and saw Dr. Scully standing in front of her. Mulder's arm was around her waist. "Dr. Scully, Mulder...nice to see you." Kelly smiled up at them. She couldn't help but notice that Mulder couldn't make eye contact and that he seemed like he was itching to leave the area. Everyone was obviously uncomfortable with the conversation but they were all too polite to do anything about it. "Enjoying the last of the nice weather?" Dr. Scully asked conversationally. "Yeah, pretty soon I'll be blowing up like a balloon with the heat and humidity," Kelly replied with a chuckle. Mulder still hadn't spoken or looked up at her. Kelly wondered if he was like this with all the women he'd slept with. "Well, just make sure you drink plenty of water to keep you and the baby hydrated," Dr. Scully offered with a smile. "Don't worry Dr. Scully, I'll take good care of her for you," Kelly said casually. Mulder's head snapped up at her last comment and, for a moment, Kelly wondered if he had any idea Dr. Scully had applied for a child. "It's a she?" he asked Dr. Scully as he turned to look at her. "I'm sorry Mulder," Dr. Scully apologized. "She didn't know you wanted to be surprised." "Oh, shit," Kelly apologized. "I didn't know... Dr. Scully hadn't said..." "It's fine, don't worry about it," he replied quickly and really looked Kelly in the eye for the first time. "I still got surprised, just a little earlier." "Surprise!" Kelly said uncomfortably. Dr. Scully and Mulder laughed uncomfortably across from her. "We better get going, Scully," he said as he smiled at his partner. "Uh, yeah, sure Mulder," she said as she starred at Kelly's belly. "Do you need anything Kelly?" Mulder asked quickly. "Can you stop the humidity from coming?" Kelly joked. "No, sorry," he chuckled. "Then, I guess I'm good," she said as she smiled up at them. "I'll see you next week," Dr. Scully said as they turned to leave. "Yeah, next week." Kelly confirmed. Kelly let out the breath she didn't realize she was holding as soon as they walked away. She was sure they were just as relieved to leave her. Kelly had encountered men she'd slept with as part of the Program before, but, for some reason it felt different with them. Perhaps it was because he hadn't been a willing participant, or maybe because she knew they were getting the baby inside her, or possibly it was because she felt like she knew Dr. Scully so well. Kelly couldn't quite put her finger on it, but she wanted to have this baby as soon as possible so her life could go back to normal. She watched the couple walk away and wondered more about them now, than before. He obviously knew about the baby but still seemed uncomfortable with the concept. Kelly thought he needed to start getting comfortable with his offspring running around because, there would be a lot of them very soon. Kelly waited patiently for the elevator to arrive at her floor. She had just come back from visiting a friend in one of the few buildings on the compound that was more than a couple floors high. The building was offices on the top three floors and living quarters on the bottom five floors. She could have taken the stairs but elevator rides were so rare she decided to indulge. Also, she was only two weeks away from her due date and she felt like conserving as much energy as possible. Bridget had a boy just two days ago and she was home and recovering nicely. She was seventeen days early but everything had gone without a hitch. Apparently, the boy was in good health. Bridget was just happy that she didn't need stitches this time. She did say that Dr. Scully had seemed odd throughout the delivery and Bridget had suspected it was because the boy was the first in a long line of Mulder's children about to be born on the compound. In the next month, Dr. Scully would be delivering a lot of her partner's children, a sad reminder of her inability to have them, and his sexual contact with many women on the compound. Kelly thought about the horrible circumstance Dr. Scully found herself in. As the only doctor on the compound she was required to deliver the babies. But, as a woman who obviously loved the man who fathered those children, she must want to be anywhere but on the compound. 'she must want to get plastered every night,' Kelly thought to herself as the elevator opened in front of her. Two people left the cab of the elevator and as Kelly stepped inside she noticed Mulder standing in the far corner. "Hi," she said shyly as she pressed the button for floor one. "Uh, hi," he said quietly back as he looked quite closely at the fake grain on the walls. The elevator started to move and Kelly counted the seconds until she was out of this horrible situation. Her love of Dr. Scully and the compassion she felt toward this strong woman, made her feel desperately uncomfortable with her partner; the father of the child she was carrying. He too seemed equally uneasy in her presence. Suddenly, the elevator jarred to a quick stop and Kelly found herself being jostled around. She felt his hand reach out and grab her by the arm before she fell to the ground. Once steady, she turned to the source. "Thanks." She smiled at him. "What the hell happened?" "I think we're stuck," he said as he let go of her arm and looked up at the ceiling for answers. She looked around the small cab and thought there was no way the two of them could live in their uneasiness for more than the ride to the first floor. She watched as he walked over to the control panel and hit the 'Emergency' button setting off a faint alarm she could hear in the distance. "I'm sure they'll get this thing going any time now," he said as he paced in the corner. "I should have taken the stairs," she muttered to herself as he held onto her aching back. He seemed to ignore her comment as he listened for activity around them. She heard faint voices a couple of minutes later, but there seemed to be no sign of movement anywhere around them. Kelly walked over to a corner and slowly eased herself down onto the floor, hoping even the hard wall behind her would be better then the ache she felt from standing too long on her swollen feet. "Are you okay?" Mulder asked when he became aware of her seated position. "Fine." She smiled up at him. "I just have swollen feet from all the humidity and a sore back from the weight." "Oh," he said quietly back. Time stretched on and seconds turned into almost ten minutes before they heard the maintenance guys calling down to them, explaining that a mechanism had rusted and they would have to replace it before starting the elevator up again. "Great," Kelly muttered to herself as Mulder paced in front of her like a caged animal. "Can you stop that? You're making me edgy." "Uh, sure," he said stopping mid-step and then sliding down against the wall so he was seated across from her. "So were you here for business of pleasure?" Kelly asked nicely as she heard equipment being moved around above them. "I had some meetings about a new drainage system," Mulder offered as he played with the tattered carpet. "So business?" She confirmed as he nodded his head. "And did you figure out this drainage system?" "Not really," he said with an air of sadness. "We need a new one but there were some vehement arguments about long term use versus cost effectiveness." "Let me guess, cost effectiveness won?" "No one won," he said meeting her eyes with his. "We go back to vote again tomorrow. It gives everyone a chance to sleep on it." "What do you want?" "I think we should invest in a good system. Instead, all those cheap bastards want to just build something that will need a complete overhaul in five years time." "Maybe they hope to be gone in five years?" she asked, pretty sure that was the answer. "That's the problem. No one wants to live like this forever so they don't want to make the investment. But what do they think? Everything will be back to normal in the next five years?" he asked angrily. "Nothing will ever be the way it was again," Kelly said softly. He nodded his head in agreement and the room went painfully silent for several minutes. "So were you here for business of pleasure?" he asked, trying to lighten the mood. "I was visiting Bridget, she just had a bab..." Kelly stopped herself from continuing. "The one Scully delivered a couple of days ago?" he asked quietly. "Yeah, that one," Kelly said gently as she admonished herself for not having a good lie on hand. "There was another one this morning," he said as he studied his hands resting on his bent knees. "Girl or boy?" she asked. "Another boy," he said with a sigh as he looked up to the ceiling of the elevator. Kelly wondered if he was contemplating their rescue of silently asking God why he tried him so much. "Well, you know there's at least one girl," Kelly said as she patted her belly and tried to be nonchalant. "Yeah," Mulder chuckled nervously. She looked at his pained expression as he picked at the skin around his nails. "You know," she started, not sure if this was a good choice. "You're just going to have to learn to live with all this." "Excuse me?" he asked as his head snapped up. "Two down, twenty-five to go," she said pointing to her belly. "They're going to be everywhere Mulder; at the store, in Dr. Scully's office, playing outside...you have to separate yourself." "I don't think you know..." "This is my second one," Kelly said as she looked at her belly. "It may not be twenty-seven but, I need to get over the fact that there are children that are half mine who will be walking around me for the rest of my life. I don't know if I'll get up to twenty-seven...god, I hope not" He snickered at her joke. "But, in the end, you have to think of them as not yours. Almost like you were just a donor at a clinic, and you have done something greater than you to make others happy." "I'm trying," he said honestly. "Dr. Scully has it worse," she muttered half under her breath. "What?" he asked quickly. "I..." she started to fumble. "We should have it running in about a few minutes!" a voice yelled from above them. Mulder stood and looked at the ceiling. "Thanks!" he yelled back. He stood with his hands on his hips for a while looking intently at his shoes. Kelly felt very small sitting on the floor of the elevator; he was a very tall and imposing man. "You see her all the time for appointments, right?" he asked with a cracked voice. "I go every week," Kelly answered, trying not to put her foot in her mouth again. "How does she seem? I mean I don't know how she really is with all the...women," he said in a strained voice. Kelly looked up at his tight expression and decided he wouldn't accept anything but the truth. "She asked to see me. At first I thought there was something wrong, but then, when I saw the way she was...I knew you two were getting this baby. She...she touched my belly as much as possible during the appointments. She and I talk about our past lives and stuff that's going on in the community. I really think of her as my friend." Mulder looked at Kelly and smiled. "But Bridget," she started the part that was harder. "Bridget said Dr. Scully let her nurse deal with most of her appointments and only saw her if she needed to. It's the same for the other women, from what I've heard." Mulder nodded his head, he knew this already. "And when she delivered the baby, Bridget said she seemed very emotional. That, the other two times Dr. Scully had delivered babies for her she was very business-like, but this time it was very different." "What else do you know?" he asked, almost pleading with her. "She left the delivery room just after the boy was born, and the nurse delivered the placenta and stitched Bridget up. Bridget didn't see Dr. Scully again for a while." She saw him put his hand up to his eyes and rub them, wiping away a couple of tears, he didn't want her to see. "I was thinking of going by to see her so she could spend some time with the baby...maybe it would make her feel better." "I'm sure it would," he said still not uncovering his eyes. "That's why," Kelly started, hoping she would not make the situation worse. "That's why I said you have to get over it. The quicker you deal with all this, I think, the easier it'll be on her. Then maybe she can tell you what's really going on in her head. Right now she's probably really worried about you." He raised his head to look at her, his eyes were red. "Which is why," Kelly continued before she lost her nerve, "you have to find out from me what's really going on with your wife. She's the strongest woman I've ever met but, if she's going to get through this, she's going to need you." He nodded his head in agreement just as the elevator groaned and the cab started to move down. Mulder reached over and helped Kelly to her feet. "Thanks," she said as she dusted off her pants. "No." He looked at her very thoughtfully. "Thank you. You gave me the kick in the ass I needed." The doors opened and they were greeted by two mechanics. "Thanks, George," Mulder said as he slapped the man on the back. "Hey if I knew you were in there, I would have left it stuck for another few hours," George laughed. "I get no respect around here," Mulder laughed. Kelly quietly left the group; intent on visiting Dr. Scully at the clinic. She didn't know, until Mulder told her, that another baby had been delivered this morning. Dr. Scully would be really happy to see her. Kelly paced in her room as the contraction took hold of her, squeezing her back and tightening her belly into a solid rock. There was another baby currently being delivered, the fifteenth one. Kelly was ten days overdue and in that time many babies had been born ahead of hers, when technically hers was the first. "How are you doing?" Nadia asked as she rubbed Kelly's back. Kelly looked up at her and grunted. She took a tentative step around the side of the chair she had been leaning against during the contraction. "That good?" Nadia smiled. Nadia reached over and grabbed some ice chips from a cup on the table and put them up to Kelly's mouth. "Open up." Kelly sucked an ice chip off her hand and shook her head indicating she didn't want any more. Nadia continued to rub her back and wait with her for the next contraction. As birthing coaches went, Kelly liked Nadia. She had a good head on her shoulders and remained calm at all times. She instinctually knew how to help a woman in labor and for that Kelly was eternally grateful. She was also the mother of two kids, now adults themselves, and knew this particular type of pain, even if the memory was over twenty years old. Another contraction rolled over her body like a wave. Kelly grunted and Nadia rubbed her back pushing hard against the strain. "That was a good one," Nadia smiled at her. Kelly pushed her sweaty red hair from her face and took an ice chip from the cup, popping it into her mouth. She wondered if they had forgotten about her, she hadn't seen the nurse or Dr. Scully since she was admitted. The other birth seemed to be taking forever. Kelly walked over to the door to look out into the hall, Nadia left her alone and started to play with the CD player in the room. Kelly looked up and down the hallway and noticed things seemed busier than usual. Both nurses were on duty and the receptionist ran around yawning as she carried supplies into a room. Everyone seemed to be on duty at the clinic today. It was then that Kelly's ears focused in on the sounds of several women grunting and moaning around her. "Is someone else in labor too?" Kelly turned to ask Nadia. "There's a woman delivering right now, you, and two others also laboring," Nadia said as she turned on some soft nature sounds. "Four of us?!" Kelly yelled a little too loudly. "You knew that was a possibility with all the conceptions so close to each other," Nadia said casually. "I think there was even another one born earlier today." "But four at once?" Kelly asked again. "He really should have spaced everyone out more," Nadia said as she walked over to fluff Kelly's pillows. "He wanted it over and done with as quickly as possible," Kelly muttered to herself. "What?" Nadia asked from across the room. "Nothing," Kelly said as she shook her head. "You know he's been here for all of them, except the first two," Nadia said as she tried to coax Kelly over to the bed. "I'd heard something about that," Kelly said as she walked toward the bed, wanting to get more information from Nadia. "He's in the birthing room with Dr. Scully, I think for moral support more than anything," Nadia said as she helped Kelly get up onto the bed. "He goes wherever she goes in the clinic." "That must be time consuming...with all the babies," Kelly said as she laid back. "Dr. Scully seems good with it," Nadia said, not wanting to say more. "She'd not so upset anymore?" Kelly asked. She had heard rumors of Dr. Scully crying in a supply closet after the first two births but she and Dr. Scully had not talked about it. "I think she's good," Nadia said, keeping her cards close. "She'll be even better after this little one arrives." "The sooner the better." Kelly smiled at Nadia. She heard a loud scream come from another room. Just then, a contraction raked across her abdomen and through to her back. "Ahhhh," she screamed. She felt Nadia tying back her loose tendrils and wiping her forehead with a cool cloth. Nadia stayed with her through the contraction but then excused herself to find the nurse. Kelly knew she was close to having this child but Dr. Scully needed to check her to see how close. Kelly laid back on the bed and tried to even out her breathing. The contractions were closer and stronger which told her this baby was anxious to arrive. She would be happy to oblige. She was just about to drift off into a cat nap when the door opened suddenly. "Kelly, how are you doing?" Dr. Scully asked as she walked through the threshold in a hurry, tearing off some bloody gloves and a bloody smock and throwing them in the trash. "I think your daughter is anxious to meet you." Kelly smiled from her bed, grateful Dr. Scully had arrived. Just then, a contraction rolled over her body and Dr. Scully grabbed her hand, helping her through the pain. Kelly grit her teeth and bore down as Dr. Scully held her hand tightly and rubbed her back with the other. "You are being very brave," Dr. Scully said as the contraction waned and Kelly started to drift back to the world. She then noticed that Mulder and Nadia had walked into the room at some point when she had been experiencing the pain. Nadia walked up beside the bed and went to Kelly's side while Mulder hovered in the top corner of the room, his eyes intent on Dr. Scully. Nadia placed a cold cloth on Kelly's head and patted her back. "I'm just going to check your dilatation," Dr. Scully said as she donned a fresh pair of gloves. Mulder then drifted towards the door and hovered there looking out the window, a spot where he was not privy to the examination itself. Kelly felt Dr. Scully's latex hands gently pulls apart her legs and reach under her hospital gown. She felt a bit of a burning sensation as the doctor touched her flesh and then, just as quickly, retracted her hand. "Kelly you are at ten centimeters and it's time to start pushing," she said with a hint of excitement in her voice. "You're done with the other delivery?" Kelly asked as another contraction hit her full force. Nadia braced her as she screamed. When she came to again, Dr. Scully was positioned between her legs and was gently coaxing her feet into stirrups. Mulder still hovered near the door but this time he was looking down at Dr. Scully instead of out the window. "Okay, Kelly, I want you to follow the contractions, push when you feel you need to and let me do the rest," Dr. Scully said as Kelly felt her gently stretching her. Kelly pushed and screamed through over a half hour of contractions and the baby kept on bobbing to the threshold and then retracting back inside her. "Okay, we're going to take a little break," Dr. Scully said as she pulled the mask down off her face. "You're doing great." Dr. Scully patted her knee and rose to stand and walk around the room a little. Kelly could see her trying to work the kinks out of her shoulders and neck. Dr. Scully walked towards Mulder and his hands immediately went up to massage her shoulders as she leaned her back against him. "How many today?" Kelly asked as she chewed on an ice chip and watched the couple in front of her. "You're number three and there's two more women laboring," Mulder answered as Dr. Scully closed her eyes and breathed deeply. Another contraction started and Kelly pulled herself up by her knees. Dr. Scully ran over to her and quickly pulled on another pair of gloves, forgetting the mask. Kelly felt a burning sensation as the baby's head finally made its way out of her. "Okay, stop pushing for a minute while I turn her," Dr. Scully said as Kelly leaned back into a bed. "You're almost done." Nadia smiled down at her. Another contraction hit and Kelly looked to Dr. Scully for guidance. "Push," Dr. Scully mouthed to her as Kelly sat up and gave it all she had left. She felt the burning sensation again and then the suction of the baby being released from her body. "Oh my god," Dr. Scully muttered as the baby slipped into her waiting hands. Kelly then heard the murmurings of an unhappy child. It started out soft but soon became an all-out wail as she made everyone aware of her presence as Dr. Scully cut the umbilical cord. The room broke into laughter as Dr. Scully held the small baby in her hands and cradled her close to her body. "Mulder, get me a blanket," she said softly. He nodded and quickly moved into action. "Kelly, you were wonderful," Dr. Scully smiled over at her as Mulder came around and tucked a blanket gingerly around the baby's body. The baby had a full head of dark brown hair and was screaming and red from head to foot. Dr. Scully leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to the child's forehead and handed her to the surprised man standing next to her. Mulder fumbled to hold the baby correctly but then settled her into his long arms. "Nadia, can you help Mulder clean her up? I have to finish with Kelly," Dr. Scully noted as she walked back over to Kelly. "Sure," Nadia said as she hopped up off her chair and started towards Mulder. Dr. Scully looked over at Mulder smiling down at their daughter. "He hasn't held a baby in a long time, but he'll be just fine." "You'll both be fine," Nadia said back to her. Dr. Scully looked at her thoughtfully for a moment. "We will," she said before she took a seat between her legs. The placenta was delivered in tact and without incident and Kelly was pleased she didn't need any stitches. She was given some pain medication and Nadia was going to help her change into some dry pajamas after Mulder and Dr. Scully left the room. Then she would be able to rest, finally. "Do you want to hold her?" Dr. Scully asked as she approached Kelly with the swaddled baby. "No," Kelly said with a yawn. "She's not mine to hold." Dr. Scully looked down at her, grateful for the clarity of her response. "Thank you, Kelly." "What are you going to call your daughter?" Nadia asked as she came up beside Kelly. "Katherine," Dr. Scully said as she met Kelly's eyes. "It's my middle name." "Is it?" Kelly asked, knowing that Dr. Scully knew it was hers as well. "Katherine Mulder," Dr. Scully said as she put out a pinkie for the baby to grip. "It's a beautiful name," Nadia said as she beamed down at the baby and then noticed Kelly yawn again. "You better go so I can help her get changed and she can sleep. And, you have a couple more babies to deliver before you sleep." "Yeah," Dr. Scully said turning to find Mulder. He was walking up behind her with a bag slung over his arm. He leaned over her shoulder and beamed down at the baby nestled close to Dr. Scully, sleeping soundly for the first time. "They're still a ways away, so you and Katherine can go and take a nap while I hold down the fort," he said softly to her. "I should go and check on everyone first," Dr. Scully said as she was about to hand the baby over to him. "Sandy has it all covered and one of us will come and get you when you're needed." He smiled down at her. "Until then, you can catch some winks with our little girl." Dr. Scully looked down at the sleeping baby and smiled from one side of her face to the other. "Get some rest, and I'll come by to check on you when you wake up," she said quietly to Kelly. "Sleep, I can do," Kelly said as she rolled onto her side. She watched as Mulder ushered Dr. Scully out of the room and into the brightly lit hallway. Kelly O'Connor sat on the examination table and rubbed her back. This sixth baby was a heavy one and it was taking it's toll on her lower back. She couldn't wait to get home and fall into her soft bed with a heating pad pressed firmly against her. Then, when he got home from work, Borut would rub her back and she would feel better. She had some news for Dr. Scully today and she figured it would be well-received. She was taking herself out of the Program after this birth. Borut was going to do the same. They were going to have their own children, raise their own family, and she was very excited about the idea. She had met Borut almost two years ago when he came to the Commune. He still didn't talk much about what it was like on the 'outside' but from what he did say, on occasion, she knew he had been traumatized by it. The stories of mass suicides, torture, rape, starvation, and brutality that she had heard about for years all seemed true. Borut's eyes almost glazed over whenever he mentioned life on the 'outside'. He seemed eternally grateful to be accepted into this commune and there seemed to be a spring in his step when he left for work everyday. They had met by accident when Kelly was newly pregnant with the fifth baby and Borut had injured his hand repairing a machine. They had been in the waiting room of Dr. Scully's clinic and something sparked instantly between them. She appreciated the kindness Borut showed her from the beginning, and his ability to see who she was separate from the pregnancies and the post-colonization world they lived in. She liked how he separated their life together from their participation in The Program and never once seemed upset about her 'job' as child-bearer. But now that they were ready to have a family of their own, Kelly wanted nothing more to do with the Procreation Program. Despite the fact that, with an influx of money their Commune had received from the sale of specialty equipment Borut and his fellow mechanics had made, half the babies born were the result of IVF, Kelly still didn't want to have other people's children. And, she didn't want Borut fathering any other children, besides their own. The Procreation Program had advanced and transformed a lot in recent years. The introduction of IVF in the last year had really changed the way things operated. Despite the risks associated with hormone therapy, many women were more interested in signing up to help when it didn't involve having sex with multiple partners. Kelly could appreciate that. The door opened slowly and Dr. Scully walked inside while reading her file. Kelly remained quiet until Dr. Scully was done. "How are you today, Kelly?" she asked gently as she put the file down on the desk in the examination room. "This one is killing my back," Kelly said as she kneaded at her sore muscles. "This is the biggest you've ever been," Dr. Scully smiled as she warmed her hands before touching Kelly's belly. "You don't have to tell me that," Kelly groaned as she followed their routine and lay on the examining table and lifted her shirt. As Dr. Scully felt around and asked her questions Kelly grew a little sad. She had been used to seeing this woman so regularly over the years. If she and Borut had trouble getting pregnant for a while, it might be a long time before she saw her again. "Only another week or two to go," Dr. Scully said as she made a note in her chart. "This is the last one," Kelly said as she sat up on the examination table. "Pardon?" Dr. Scully asked, not understanding what she had said. "Borut and I want to start our own family...we're both pulling out of the Program," Kelly said as she straightened her shirt. "I'm so happy for you," Dr. Scully smiled over at her. "So, you want to start your own family?" "It's time," Kelly said with a smile. "You're going to be a great mom," Dr. Scully said as she patted Kelly's knee. "I hope so," Kelly said nervously. "I know it's a lot of work..." "It's sort of trial by fire," Dr. Scully chuckled. "You have to figure everything out very quickly and you'll feel overwhelmed everyday but then your child will look at you and..." "It will all be worth it," Kelly interrupted her. "Yeah," Dr. Scully smiled at her wistfully. "Well, hopefully, I'm as good at being a mom as you are," Kelly said as she lowered herself from the table. "Borut seems like a great guy...you need one of those so you can be the best parents possible," Dr. Scully said as she closed Kelly's file. "I'll see you here next week, or in a delivery room before then." "I'm crossing my fingers for the delivery room," Kelly said with a smile. "Sandy will be in with your post-natal kit in a couple of minutes," Dr. Scully said as she reached for the door handle. "Thanks, Dr. Scully," Kelly said as she rubbed circles on her tight belly. "And Kelly," Dr. Scully said before she opened the door. "I'm happy you are going to start your own family outside of the Program but...but thanks for being involved in it when you were, I'll always be grateful for what you did for my family." "You're...you're welcome," Kelly stammered, caught off guard by her emotions in the moment. Pregnancy hormones were wreaking havoc on her system. "I just did my part." Dr. Scully smiled slowly and then walked from the room. Kelly took a moment to compose herself. She had been told over the years how important her work was, how the Procreation Program was the human race's chance against the invaders, that they needed to re-populate the earth. But, it wasn't until the moment that Katherine was born, four years ago, that she really felt that what she was doing had a greater purpose beyond The Program. in some ways, leaving the Program felt like a bit of a desertion. There were other families that she could make as happy as Dr. Scully's. But, she also knew for their family to work, she and Borut needed to commit to it fully, just like they had committed to the Program the first two years of their relationship. It was now time for her to make her own family instead of supplying others with theirs. Sandy arrived and gave Kelly her kit and Kelly began her slow waddle out of the office. As she walked down the street she saw a familiar figure standing outside the school waiting with the other parents. Mulder laughed jovially with another father as the bell rang and children started to run in every direction around them. Little girls and boys with backpacks, lunch pails, and art flailing in the wind, ran to their parents or were taken by an older sibling from the playground and onto the sidewalks home for the day. A little girl with long brown hair that was falling out of two pig tails ran excitedly into Mulder's waiting arms and was hoisted high in the air above his head. She giggled as she flung her arms out to the side and pretended to be an airplane soaring above her father's head. Mulder laughed below her and his eyes shone with love. Kelly watched as he slowly lowered Katherine to the ground and righted her skirt. She lifted up her artwork to show her father and they talked at length, despite the whirlwind of activity that surrounded them, about the picture she was showing him. Just then, Katherine looked up and dropped the picture into her father's hands and bolted for a woman walking onto the playground. Her little body smacked aggressively into Dr. Scully's and her little legs spidered around her mother's as she attempted to scale her. Dr. Scully grabbed hold of her under her armpits and pulled her up to place a kiss on her lips. Katherine did a raspberry on her mother's cheek and they both dissolved into fits of laughter. Mulder soon appeared at their side with artwork in his hand, and leaned down to kiss both of them. Dr. Scully lowered Katherine to the ground and both parents held Katherine's hands; walking her home and swinging her between them as they did. Kelly laid a hand carefully on her hard belly and smiled. She hoped this child would make another family as happy as Katherine had made them. The end.
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