"Mom! Stop it, please....I can't...."

Scully frowned at all the blood pooling on the floor. Grabbing Maria's face with both hands, she forced the girl to look into her eyes.

"Now you listen to me. Annalee is coming and there's nothing you and I or anyone can do to stop her. So you will have to wait and not push. Just another centimeter, sweetie. I know you can do it."

Maria's cheeks were sticky with tears and she nodded, wincing and gasping when another contraction hit.

"Oh Jesus, it hurts...it hurts..."

Liz winced and closed her eyes, clasping Max's hands tightly. The gang was all gathered there, two feet away from Maria. Scully had told Mulder to go take some fresh air outside. They held their breath when Scully got up and walked towards them, leaving Maria on the floor. Her expression was cold, but her eyes yelled of worry.

"She turned."

"What does that mean?"

Max asked, frowning.

"It means the baby it's standing up, instead of upside down."

Isabel whispered, covering her mouth with her hand.

"She is hemorrhaging. I need to take that baby out now or she will die. I don't even know if she'll be safe now."

Michael looked deep into her eyes and nodded.

"She will."

Scully nodded and looked at the group.

"I will need to do a c-section. My medical bag is in the car, go get it for me, Alex, please."

The boy nodded and ran to the door. Two minutes later he was back with the bag.

"I need more towels and water. I will need help holding her down. I don't have any drugs here and this is going to hurt. Anyone here who will not puke seeing blood?"

Isabel stepped forward together with the other two male aliens.

"Good, that's enough. Liz, I need those towels now."

Scully nodded at her three 'helpers' and they walked towards Maria. Michael gasped at the sight of a never-ending pool of blood under her bent knees. It was ruby red and it was everywhere. On Maria's skirt, on her belly, on her blouse.

"How do you know the baby turned?"

Max asked, knelling down beside Maria.

"Take a look at her belly."

They did. The skin was once again transparent and they could clearly see Annalee. And she was indeed standing up. Michael saw when the baby pressed a tiny hand against the belly and touched the mark with his finger.

Liz came running towards them, carrying a bowl of hot water and another one filled with normal water. Behind her, Tess and Alex carried the towels and Kyle was holding Mickey. Scully nodded and asked them to step back and wait over the table. When they were gone, she turned to look at Maria, already opening her bag.

"Okay, sweetie, listen now. Annalee's turned. Her feet is where her head is supposed to be and we can't wait for you to be dilated enough to take her out. I'll have to do a C-Section, okay?"

Maria nodded and grasped Michael's hand.

"Michael?"

He turned watery eyes to look at her.

"Promise me you will take care of her when I'm gone."

"Maria..."

"PROMISE ME!"

Michael locked gazes with her and nodded.

"I promise."

Maria sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"Max, you'll have to hold her legs down. If she kicks me, there's gonna be trouble. Michael, since you're already there, I'll need you to pin her arms down. She'll try to take the blade out of my hand. Isabel, hold her upper body. She can't move a lot, people. If she does, I can miss a cut and hurt her or the baby. Understood?"

They nodded. Scully sighed and grabbed a table towel Liz had brought her. Taking Maria's bloodied skirt off, she stretched the girl's legs and threw the towel over her pelvis. Searching through her bag, she took two plastic gloves and a scalpel.

"Okay, here we go. Are you sure she's safe?"

They all nodded. Michael had to look away when Scully approached the blade from Maria's belly. The first cut was followed by a heart-breaking scream. Maria tried trashing her legs and arms around, her upper body trying to levitate from the floor.

"Shh, baby....it's okay...shhh..."

Maria sobbed in pain and after the third cut, she had lost all her energy. Her limbs were limp and her eyes focused on Michael's who was holding both her wrists with one hand while the other caressed her sweaty, bloodied hair. Scully stuck both hands into the cut and grabbed Annalee by the feet, pulling her out of her mother's belly, blue from lack of oxygen, but whimpering softly.

Scully rolled the baby down on a towel, cleaned her nose and mouth and blowed air softly on her face. The baby soon started crying and Dana couldn't help but let the tears fall. Still crying, she cut the cord and delivered the afterbirth.

"She's okay...Jesus, she's fine...."

"Max..."

Isabel whispered and pointed a finger to Maria, whose body was limp, its life flying through her fingers.

"Oh shit, I need to stitch her up..."

"No, let us..."

Max nodded at his sister and grabbed the back of Maria's head, placing a hand on her belly.

"Maria...Maria, look at me...c'mon...."

The blond raised weak eyes and Max immediately opened a connection. Michael's and Isabel's hands soon joined the party and they healed her completely, closing the cut and even making the swelling on her belly disappear.

"All done..."

Dana smiled at them, a little overwhelmed by everything and let the tears fall from theirs eyes.

"My baby...give me my baby..."

Maria struggled to get up, and ended up in Michael's arms, her back pressed tightly against his front. Michael hissed through clenched teeth and tried to block out the feel of her warm, soft body once again against his. Tried to block the way she smelled and the way her back curved perfectly along his front. Dana placed the baby on Maria's arms and she quickly discarded the towel, and counted ten little fingers and ten little toes.

"Oh my god!"

She shrieked and everybody, who was already gathered around her looked at her with worried eyes.

"What's wrong, Maria?"

Michael asked, his voice not quite working that well.

"She has your hair!"

Alex snickered and the snicker soon turned into a full laugh, his sides aching. The rest of the gang soon followed and Michael found himself loving her even more. She had gone through hell and back to put that tinny thing on the world and now was complaining about the kid's HAIR?

"Maria, she's blond."

Mulder said, grinning. Maria shook her head, running a finger through Annalee's spiky locks.

"She had his hair! Oh my god, she has your hair, Michael!"

And right there, Michael did something that surprised even him. Slipping his arms around Maria's waist, he flattened both palms on her belly and laid his chin on her shoulder, nuzzling his nose on her sweet smelling neck.

"She's the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. But that does not include her mother."

Annalee's eyes popped open and Michael smiled, kissing Maria's shoulder.

"And look, she has your eyes..."