Twenty-Two Weeks
It was a two story Victorian. The neighborhood was gay-friendly and the schools, both public and private, were excellent.
Mike sat down on the front porch steps. He was extremely tired and a little depressed. Mulder was inside talking to the real estate agent.
"Let me talk to Mike. We'll give you our answer this afternoon."
Mike heard Mulder shut the door and walk to the steps. They sat quietly for a few minutes.
"Mike, it's the right price," Mulder ventured.
"I know."
"It's a beautiful house."
"I know."
"It's got everything we wanted. Three bedrooms. Two baths. I had the building inspected, and the structure is sound. The wiring was redone two years ago. All the rooms were just redecorated. All we need to do is buy some furniture and paint the nursery."
"I know!"
"Mike, what's...?"
In a voice that broke more with sorrow than anger, he exclaimed, "It's Staten Island!"
That afternoon they signed the papers and made a down payment on the house.
Staten Island Precinct
The next morning
Mike walked over to his desk and greeted his partner. "Hi, Frankie." He sat down at his desk.
"Yo, Mike." Frankie saw him fingering his belt. "Feeling okay?"
"Yeah, I just have to get these pants let out."
Frankie grinned wickedly. "Finally starting to show, huh?"
"Yeah, I guess." He looked around the squad room. "So, do you think they'll stop anytime soon?"
"Stop what?"
"You know." Mike had hoped when he started back to work, he wouldn't get too much ribbing. He anticipated a lot of, 'So, old Tomcat Mike Logan got caught in his own trap. Heh, heh, heh.' Instead, he'd gotten a 'Hi, Mike,' and then the cold shoulder. "It's a good thing I'm not on the street. I'd have a hole in my back by now."
"Mike, it's not that bad. Well, it's not," she insisted when he gave her a look. "It's only been a few days, and most of the guys have only read about DS. They never knew anybody who actually had it. It's just a novelty. It'll wear off."
"Until the baby comes."
"Speaking of which, have you found out if the little bugger is a boy or a girl yet?"
"No, but Dr. Temple says that's not unusual. I have another visit tomorrow. Maybe we'll see what we're having then." Mike had had two visits to Dr. Temple since his incident with the bounty hunter. Her attempts to determine the baby's gender with the ultrasound had been less than successful.
XXXX"Your baby is bashful, Mike. He won't turn the right way." The two men looked at each other. "Are you sure this baby belongs to us?" Mulder said with a smile. XXX
Trista, one of the file clerks, yelled out, "Hey, Logan and Silvera! The Captain wants to see you."
"Captain?" said Mike. "Didn't you hear? Our new commander starts today."
"I'm really sorry I missed Stobar's retirement party." Mike had still been on bed rest and couldn't attend. "Who did the department finally send us?"
"You'll see," said Frankie mysteriously. "It's an old friend of yours." Mike was mentally running down the list of possible candidates when they entered the office. Sitting at the desk was the last person he ever expected to see.
"Lieutenant Van Buren?"
"That's Captain Van Buren to you, Detective. Have a seat." Totally flabbergasted, Mike sat and said the first thing that popped into his head.
"Who did you piss off?"
"Not everyone thinks of Staten Island as Siberia, Logan. I get my promotion, and the Manhattan brass don't have to deal with me anymore. Win-win. Aren't you going to congratulate me?"
"Right, yeah, sorry." He held out his hand. "Congratulations, Lieu...Captain." She took his hand and shook it firmly.
"Thank you. And I understand you deserve some congratulations as well. When are you due?"
"September 16th, though I'm told that few babies are actually born on their due date."
"Tell me about it," said Frankie. "My first was two weeks late, and my second a week early."
"God," groaned Mike.
"It's not that bad," Van Buren consoled him. "Although this might be." Mike heard a commotion behind him. He turned to see the members of his squad filing in bearing packages wrapped in pink and blue. "I convinced the squad that in lieu of a welcome party for me, they should give you a baby shower."
"I seconded," said Frankie.
"And I thirded!" said Trista.
Mike blinked at her beaming face. When he'd started at the Staten Island precinct, he'd asked Trista out numerous times and had been unceremoniously rejected every time. Now they were best buddies? Belatedly, he remembered the numerous, "Mike, how are feeling? How is the baby? What theme are you planning for the nursery?" inquires he'd been getting from Trista and the other female civilian helpers. Frankie was still the only female detective on the squad, much to her chagrin. //Maybe I should tell her she's mistaken about that. It would make her day. Great. I always wanted to be one of the girls,// Mike thought dismally. He received this revelation the day he returned to start desk duty. He'd been called down to Personnel to charge his ID.
XXX"What's wrong with my ID?" Mike had demanded.
"Well, you're DS and you're pregnant, right?"
"So?"
"So, we have to change the gender on your records." It took a second for the penny to drop.
"Wait a minute! Are you trying to tell me, according to the law, I'm a WOMAN!"
"Hey, don't yell at me, I didn't make the law! I just process the forms. You got a problem, write your congressman!" Mike was still seething over the discovery that evening. He'd yelled at Mulder for an hour, and Mulder had said nothing until he'd run out of steam.
"So?" Mulder had said after that. "Do you feel like a woman?"
"No!"
"Do you feel like you should be a woman? You know, like you should have a sex change operation or something?"
"Fuck, no!"
"Then the only thing that's changed is that we don't have to go to Vermont to get married."
Mike sat down on the bed. "What?"
Mulder sat beside him, an eager, earnest, and fearful look on his face. "I know this relationship has been going ass backwards, but let me at least get the last part right. It should have been love, marriage, house, baby." Mulder gently touched Mike's slightly curved abdomen. "We have the baby. We're getting the house. I love you, Mike Logan. Would you marry me?"
Mulder started shaking his head at Mike's response. "Mike, is this going to be the pattern of our relationship? I say something profound, and you laugh?"
"It's not that!" Mike tried to explain. "When I was about sixteen, my Dad told me that if I kept tom catting around, someday I'd 'have' to get married! Somehow, I don't think this is what he had in mind!" In spite of his mirth, Mike noticed Mulder's crestfallen expression. "I love you, too, Fox. Yes, I'll marry you."XXX
The women had given the brightly wrapped gifts, while the men had pooled their resources and given Mike a gift certificate. It was obvious by the way they hung back and the glares the Captain was giving them that Van Buren had told them to participate or else. Mike mentally blessed her. With his superior on his side, his life would be much easier.
Mike could make neither head nor tail of the Captain's gift until Van Buren explained, "It's a breast pump."
Mike amazed himself with his discovery that he could still blush. "I hope you kept the receipt."
"You're not going to breast-feed?"
"Not all DS can, and I don't intend to try! It's bad enough I have to push this little rug rat out my ass. I'm keeping my tits to myself."
"Oh, Mike," Trista protested, "didn't the doctor tell you how important that first feeding of colostrum is?"
"Yeah, she did, and I told her exactly where she could stick her colostrum."
The guys, a little grossed out by the talk of breast-feeding, started guffawing at Mike's last statement. The women gave them a hard stare, and it died quickly. Van Buren patted Mike kindly on the shoulder. "You've got plenty of time to decide."
Mike gritted his teeth.
When Mulder came to pick him up, he whooped at the sight of the packages. "Hot damn, loot!"
Mike said nothing. He followed as Mulder and Frankie carried the gifts to the car. Or rather where the car should have been. "What the hell is that?"
"Do you like it? I traded my old car in and picked it up this morning."
"I thought you drove to Virginia this morning to finish packing up your apartment?"
"That took about twenty minutes. And buying this baby took five. The internet is a wonderful thing!"
Mike shook his head as he regarded his fiance's latest purchase. "A minivan. You bought a minivan."
"According to Scully, a minivan is essential. You need the space just to pack up the kid's stuff. Great timing, huh?"
Mike said nothing as Mulder and Silvera loaded the gifts into the back of the vehicle. Mulder and Silvera gave each other worried looks. "What's eating him?" he whispered to Frankie."
"I don't know. Talk to him." Mulder nodded and went to join Mike, who had already seated himself in the van.
"A Ford Windstar," said Mike. "A red Ford Windstar. I would have figured you for a Nissan of some kind."
"Well, they do have a good safety record, but I thought you'd appreciate it if a bought American," he replied, gently tapping the American flag Mike habitually wore on his lapel. "You wore that long before 9/11. I know it means a lot to you."
"It does. Thanks."
"Okay, what's wrong? A quiet Mike Logan is not a good thing. I have at least learned that much about you."
"You know me better than most people, Fox." At his beseeching look, Mike smiled. "Nothing's wrong. I'm just in a weird mood."
"About?"
"You're not going to let this go, are you?"
"Would you?"
"I was right, you do know me. Alright, like I said, nothing is wrong. It's just sometimes, it's too much at once. I fall in love with you. I get pregnant. We move in together. We're getting married. Then an alien tries to snuff me and steal my unborn child. It gets a little overwhelming."
Mulder sighed. "Mike, I told you, my sources say that shouldn't happen again."
"The Lone Gunmen, right?" Mulder nodded, still finding it strange to be able to talk someone about his helpful dead. "Did they tell you why he wanted the baby?"
"Yes, they helped me hack into some encrypted sites this morning. Can we talk about that later? There's something else I wanted to discuss. Though in your present mood, I'm not sure the timing is right."
"Oh God, something weird?"
"No, something pretty normal, actually. It concerns our wedding." Mike perked up at that.
"I am always ready to hear about our wedding, but I thought there was something you wanted to take care of before we shared the news."
"There was, and I did." Mulder reached into his suit pocket and brought out a small box. "This is the real reason I wanted to go back to Virginia this morning. I got this out of my safety deposit box." He opened the box, and he took out a ring. It was heavy gold, set with a large, square-cut emerald. Etched into the gold on either side of the emerald was a stylized W. Too stunned to speak, Mike just allowed him to place the ring on the little finger of his left hand. Mulder smiled in delight. "I knew it would fit. You have large hands just like his."
"His?"
"My grandfather. My mother's father. He was the only Worthington who ever believed in me. Grandfather never had any sons, so when he died he left me his ring."
Mike thought about refusing it, but the look on Mulder's face killed the impulse in its tracks. Instead, he smiled and said,"I'm honored. Is this my engagement ring?" Mulder blushed. //Well, at least I'm not the only one!// "It is, isn't it?" On an impulse, Mike took off his own ring and put it on Mulder's finger. Unfortunately, it slipped off immediately.
Mulder snatched it up and put it in the jewelry box formerly occupied by the emerald ring. "I'll take it to a jeweler tomorrow and have it resized."
"Fox, we could pick out another ring," Mike said, suddenly embarrassed. "You know, something that matches what you gave me."
"I didn't give you my grandfather's ring because it's valuable. I gave it to you because it means something to me. This ring must mean something to you. I've never seen you take it off. So there's nothing you could give me that would make me happier."
Mike cleared his throat. "It was my Dad's. He gave it to me when I made detective." Unable to say anymore, Mike leaned forward and kissed Mulder on the lips. Mulder responded hungrily.
"Ever done it in a minivan?" asked Mulder, waggling his eyebrows suggestively.
Mike laughed. "You ass, we're parked in front of a police station!"
"Aw, where's your sense of adventure?" Mulder pulled Mike into an embrace and kissed him soundly. Before they knew it, they were panting, hands were seeking paths through layers of clothing, skin was being stroked. Since Mike's attack, Mulder had refused to allow Mike to return to his apartment, and they had taken the adjoining room to Scully's at her hotel. Walter Skinner had decided to retire from the Bureau and be a stay at home dad for William. So, Scully, Walter and William were in the next room, and the connecting door was not sound proof. The men were always in either earshot or in view of somebody since their reconciliation and the men were getting extremely frustrated. Just as they were about to take the action to the back, the passenger door opened.
"Hey, glad you're still here. You forgot...Oh, my God!" said Frankie when she saw what they were doing. "I so did not need to see that."
Reluctantly, Mike and Mulder readjusted their clothing and 'put away' what needed to be put away. They glared at Frankie.
"Yeah, well, you forgot this." She handed Mike an umbrella stroller decorated in a bright Winnie-the-Pooh motif. "I'll let you guys...Wait just a minute!" she exclaimed when her eyes caught sight of the glint on Mike's finger. "Yowza, what a rock! You're engaged, aren't you! Right on, partner."
"I take it you approve?" Mike asked with a half smile.
"Hell, yeah. I checked Mulder out. His family is loaded, so if the marriage doesn't work out, you'll make out like a bandit in the divorce settlement."
Mike was still laughing when Mulder pulled away from the curb. "Okay, that's it! We are moving into our house tonight!"
Mike stopped laughing abruptly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, are you too tired for a little quick shopping?"
======================
4848 Florin Drive
New Residence of
Fox Mulder and Mike Logan
"Yum," said Mike. He found that he liked Hawaiian Barbecued Chicken Pizza. Especially when he could lick the sauce off Mulder's lips.
"Ditto, yum," said Mulder, returning the favor. "More wine, sir?"
"Please." Carbonated Catawba grape juice actually tasted pretty good with pizza, and Mike could swear he was getting a buzz. Maybe it was the company. He drank the juice from the plastic wine glass, and at the same time drank in the sight of his soon to be...? "Fox, what will we be?" Mulder gave him a questioning look. "After we're married, I guess you'll be my husband, but what will I be? I am not going to be a wife. No way."
"We'll both be husbands, my love. Is that still bothering you? I asked a lawyer for some details."
"Oh, and what did he say?"
"It's a little talked about codicil in the law 'to protect and lend legitimacy to the unfortunate offspring in these unions.' Not my words, by the way."
"So what happens to some guy who's bisexual, has kids with his wife, gets a divorce, and then gets knocked up by his male lover? Huh?"
"I did ask a similar question. The upshot is that every judge in the US prays he or she won't be the one that has to rule on that idiot law. So far, it hasn't come up."
"You'd think it would be easier to make same-gender marriage legal. Noooo, they have to make a guy into a de facto woman. That makes sense," he groused.
Mulder took Mike's empty glass from his hand. He lowered his lover to his back and spooned up behind him on the floor. Mulder had purchased two sleeping bags and zipped them together. He stored their hastily purchased toiletries in the master bathroom. They lay in the master bedroom, on the floor, surrounded by the remains of takeout pizza and a battery lamp. The water and power were off. The phone was disconnected. And Mulder had never been happier. He stroked Mike's face and was relieved when he felt the tension ebb. "I think that for just a little while, we should concentrate on us. Tonight, let me make you feel good. Okay?"
"Okay," Mike agreed in a lazy voice, "but remember, you can't make me feel too good."
"Oh, I remember." When Mulder had suggested sex upon Mike's discharge from the hospital, Mike had shown him one of the no-no's on his list from Dr. Temple. No anal sex after the twentieth week. And since that had 'been' the twentieth week, well, Mike had gotten a good laugh out of his swearing. Mulder was beginning to feel like Mike's comic relief. Even Scully didn't laugh at him that much. //Maybe it's a good thing.// Mulder thought, surprised at himself. //Scully always took me seriously, even when she thought I was full of shit. Maybe, that's why our passion never kindled. There was no humor. No joy in the little things.//
They had already kicked off their shoes. Mulder guided Mike into the folds of the doubled sleeping bag. "Is this warm enough? Is the floor too hard on your back?"
"I'm good." Mike felt full and warm and very relaxed. He held out his arms. "Come on, big boy."
This time it was Mulder's turn to laugh. He took off his clothes, and then he helped Mike out of his. He inhaled deeply, and then let the breath out slowly.
"Fox?"
"Just relaxing." he assured Mike. "Getting in the mood." He reflected that one day he'd have to make love to Mike by a fire. He could imagine how sexy this man could be with the light of the flames glistening in his dark hair and in his beautiful eyes. Hell, he looked pretty damn good by the light of a battery lamp.
He started with a kiss. A deep penetrating kiss. Mulder lightly caressed the sides of his face and his throat, kissing him all the while. He smiled when Mike moaned softly into his mouth. God, Mike had such a wide, sensuous mouth. He ran his hands down Mike's body. Shoulders, arms, chest and abs. He started to tweak his nibbles.
"Christ!" swore Mike, and knocked his hands away. "Don't do that!" At Mulder's shocked expression, Mike apologized, "I"m sorry. I should have told you. I can't stand having them pinched. It hurts too much."
"I should have realized, the baby..."
"The baby doesn't have anything to do with it!" he retorted, annoyed. "I never could stand it. Too sensitive."
"Okay." Mulder pondered a moment. Then he bend down and carefully licked one nipple with just the tip of his tongue.
Mike gasped, bucked upward and exclaimed, "Oh yeah, you can do that again!"
Mulder spent several minutes licking and gently sucking on the sensitive nubs. Soon, Mike was flushed, aroused, and very hard. Amazingly enough, Mulder was just as aroused watching Mike respond.
//God, he's sensitive.// Mulder started turning his attention southward. He slid one hand down Mike's stiff and dripping cock. Mike inhaled explosively at the contact.
"I'm not going to last," he warned Mulder. "I've wanted you so long."
"I know." Mulder kissed him again. "It's okay. We've got all our lives to do this." He pumped Mike's cock firmly, using his precum as lubrication. Just as Mike said, it didn't take long. One, two, three more strokes and Mike came hard on his hand.
"Fox," Mike cried as he came. It was long and hard. Mulder kept pumping until Mike was finished.
"You needed that," Mulder observed, and marveled again at the beautiful man in his arms.
"So do you," Mike panted, indicating Mulder's still painfully hard penis. "Let me." Mulder didn't take long either. A few strokes from Mike's hand finished him as well.
"Oh crap," said Mike, looking at their semen coated bodies, "the water's turned off!"
"No problem," Mulder assured him. "I thought ahead." He ran into the bathroom and came out with a box of wipes. "Here we go."
Mike took one look at what he held in his hands and bust out laughing, "What now?" Mulder looked at the box. "Johnson & Johnson Extra-Gentle Aloe Baby Wipes." Mulder thought about it a moment, and then he smiled. "It's not 'that' funny." But he started laughing with him anyway.
***============================================***
Mulder's watch told him it was ten forty-two in the evening. Mike was spooned up against his back, and they were both snug in the sleeping bags. He enjoyed the comfort and the warmth and was amazed all over at his good fortune. Mulder had made subtle inquiries about this man he had fallen in love with. He had been shocked at some of the things he'd discovered. Mike had told him about being molested as a child, but he hadn't said a word about the battering he'd received from his mother. His parents' alcoholism. His close friend and partner murdered.
//Christ, I've profiled serial killers who were less screwed up!// Yet, here he was, a brave, passionate, sensitive man. A man who loved his country and loved the law, though both often made him angry and frustrated. Life was indeed strange.
The night was warm, and Mulder had left the window slightly open. One of their neighbors had their radio tuned to a soft rock station, and Mulder listened lazily to the words.
Another turning point
A fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist
Directs you where to go
So make the best of this test
And don't ask why
It's not a question
But a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
So take the photographs
And still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf of
Good health and good time
Tattoos of memories
And dead skin on trial
For what it's worth
It was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
It's something unpredictable
But in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
"It's something unpredictable, huh? You've got that right," he said aloud. "No way I would have predicted this." Mulder picked up the hand Mike had thrown over his shoulder, kissed it, and went to sleep.
============================================
Time of Your Life (Good Riddance) by Green Day
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