TITLE: Crossing the Water AUTHOR: Eva James EMAIL: ejxf@hotmail.com WEBSITE: http://evajames.tripod.com RATING: NC-17 CLASSIFICATION: SRA, MSR SUMMARY: Scully and Mulder discover that they have telepathic powers that could help save the world from colonization. KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance ARCHIVE: Yes please. Anywhere is fine, as long as my name and email stay attached. If you're not Gossamer or another huge archive, I'd appreciate a note telling me where it'll be! TIMEFRAME: After the movie but before Season Six. Assume that when the telegram said "X-Files Reopened," it meant along with Mulder and Scully. DISCLAIMER: Mulder, Scully, Samantha, Margaret Scully, the Lone Gunmen belong to Chris Carter; the other characters all belong to me (unless I forgot about another of Carter's.) DISCLAIMER II: This story had a large MSR factor, and it is recommended for 'shippers only. AUTHOR'S NOTES: I started this story a looong time ago, and in a way I'm sad to see it go. In another way I'm very sick of it and I'm glad to let it go on its way! Either way, I hope you enjoy this, I've loved writing it. The title to this story comes from the song "Crossing the Water" by Bill Stains. This song is also printed right here for your viewing pleasure: "Crossing the Water" (Bill Stains) We are crossing the water our whole life through, We are making a passage that is straight and true. Every heart is a vessel, every dream is a light, Shining through the darkness of the blackest night. There is no shallow water and not but love to keep Us safely from the danger and the devils of the deep. Yet with every breath within us we look forever more To find some peaceful harbor on some far off shore. We are crossing the water our whole life through, We are making a passage that is straight and true. Every heart is a vessel, every dream is a light, Shining through the darkness of the blackest night. For some it is a glory, for some it is a game For some it is a story filled with emptiness and pain But with rising winds in chorus, we search for steady ground There is only that before us, there can be no turning round. We are crossing the water our whole life through, We are making a passage that is straight and true. Every heart is a vessel, every dream is a light, Shining through the darkness of the blackest night. Oh there is no other journey that will ever be the same No second chance horizon that will call you by your name So when the welling waves wash o'er you, and the stormy winds they drive, Give your heart a song, sing it loud and long, keep your dreams alive. We are crossing the water our whole life through, We are making a passage that is straight and true. Every heart is a vessel, every dream is a light, Shining through the darkness of the blackest night. *** Chapter One -- "Uninvited" *** Must be strangely exciting To watch the stoic squirm Must be somewhat heartening To watch them burn me, shepherd But you you're not allowed You're uninvited An unfortunate slight --Alanis Morrisette "Uninvited" *** He ran his hand along the smooth wood of her tabletop, inhaling deeply. He had followed her home the previous evening, waited for when she would drive off in the morning -- and she had just left for work. He wandered into the bedroom, picked up a picture there. It was of her and a man. He couldn't be a husband, or he would have been with her. There was no sign of a man living in the place anyway, and only the woman's name was on the mailbox. So who was the man in the picture? A boyfriend? Lover? He sensed that he must be something to the woman, they always were. He let the picture slip from his fingers and fall heavily to the floor, cracking the glass in the frame. He sat down to wait. He got excited just thinking about which of the houses he would take her to, and what exactly he would do. He knew she would have to die eventually, they always did. He couldn't leave her lying around to remember him. That would be too great a risk, even if he *was* unseen. His women could always see him after, and he'd almost been caught the first time, until he realized what was happening. The hours passed quickly, as they always did, just wallowing in the newness of it. The newness and the familiarity. The apartments were always a little familiar to him, he having been in so many, and yet each was new and unique, and elevated him to a high he couldn't find any other way. How many had it been? Ten? Thirteen? Eleven? Twenty- one? He couldn't quite remember. Presently, she returned, and he caught her from behind, knocking her gun -- gun? -- to the floor. Never mind that.. He covered her mouth, and grinning, pulled out a syringe, pushing it deep into the vein of her arm. In moments, the woman stopped struggling and slumped over and he went into the restroom to dress the bite wound on his hand. He always prided himself on his threshold for pain, and never even felt a thing until they were out. He lifted the woman up into his arms and carried her out the door and into his car. No one noticed, how could they? It took effort, and so he only did it when necessary, but he was, for all intents and purposes, invisible when he wished to be. *** Mulder woke up in a cold sweat. He hadn't been having one of his usual nightmares, at least, not as far as he knew. He just felt, in some inexplicable way, that Scully was in trouble. Come to think of it, he'd been feeling uneasy since they'd left the office, but had shrugged it off as paranoia. It was very nearly almost a physical pain, and Mulder was scared by it. Swiftly, Mulder pressed the speed dial for Scully's home number. No answer. Her cell phone. No answer. Mulder went into full panic mode. Mulder hoped. The realization hit Mulder like a sledgehammer. How many times had he ditched her? Was *that* fair? Was this how she felt? Then again, ditching was still Mulder's style, not Scully's. Mulder rationalized. a little voice asked him. He only felt this way when Scully was really in danger. Ring. Ring. "Hello?" asked a tired, muddled voice. "Hello Mrs. Scully. This is Fox Mulder. I'm sorry to bother you so late but, umm, I'm looking for Scully and I wondered if maybe she might be over at your place. I'm sorry to bother you so late at night. I really didn't mean to disturb you." "No, Dana isn't over here. What's happened? Is she all right? " Margaret replied, her voice laced with concern. "I'm not sure. Don't worry, though. I'll figure this out. I'll find her. Thanks for your help." the voice in his head told him. "Bye, Fox. Please call me when you know something." "I will. Bye Mrs. Scully." Mulder rested his head in his hands. Where was Scully? This always happened when she was in trouble. The first time it had happened, it had shocked the hell out of him. It was only their third case, but he had already felt the bond between them. Mulder had been down in Tooms' cellar when he had seen that ugly necklace of hers. Suddenly he knew she was at home -- not the office or anywhere else she might have been. How had he known that? Then, he had known she was in trouble, just like now. Then, though the connection between them had been comparatively weak, he had known where she would be. He had *known.* Why couldn't he find her now? Had they really grown that far apart? Maybe if he concentrated on her it would work. He really couldn't imagine his life without her in it. It scared him profoundly to realize that losing Scully was losing himself. Without her, he was nothing. Mulder thought back to other times when Scully had been in trouble. He remembered when Duane Barry had gotten her. He had actually had flashbacks of the kidnapping when he was in her apartment, looking at all of the horror left over. Despite the fact that there was no real way to know -- he had. Similar experiences had occurred when he was profiling, but never this strong. He went to her then, but couldn't save her, being perhaps only seconds too late. When she came back to him, in a coma, he thought he had been one of the things bringing her out of it. Mulder had distant memories of standing on the shore, watching Scully float away in a rowboat. But she *had* come back to him, in the end. He remembered Chaco Chicken and saving her from certain death then, despite what must have been tremendous odds. He remembered her cancer. Mulder remembered Antarctica, when he had literally gone to the ends of the earth to save her. Scully had lived then. She would live now. She had to. Mulder paced across his apartment. Back and forth, back and forth. He had to *do* something. He couldn't just stay here. He plopped down on his couch. He visualized Scully's beautiful face in his mind's eye. He saw her alabaster skin and her fiery hair. He saw her bottomless eyes. Mulder could get lost in those eyes, easily. They were closed, now, but he could imagine them open. His eyes lit upon her perfect lips, just red enough, just plump enough. A red cloth was tied, so that she couldn't speak or scream, but Scully looked peaceful there, in sleep. Mulder's eyes began to travel down Scully's body, Scully's very naked body. Her arms were tied above her head. His eyes popped open. He had to be messed up in the head. His beautiful, intelligent, *perfect* partner was missing, perhaps injured, and here he was having some sort of dream straight out of one of his videos. Suddenly, Mulder took pause. What if...just what if that vision hadn't come from his own head. He'd never imagined her tied up before, at least not in *that* way. If he had, it had always been much more nightmarish in nature. He'd always felt he had a telepathic link with Scully. They could communicate with a glance or his touch at the small of her back. Mulder closed his eyes and began to picture her again. Her eyes began to blink open, very slowly. Her eyelashes fluttered a few times, and she looked confused. Scully noticed where her arms were, and her state of undress. A look of panic crossed her face. Pulling against her bonds, Mulder realized that Scully's legs were tied also. A single tear appeared at the corner of Scully's eye and began to trickle down her cheek. Her wrists and ankles were becoming red and abraded from the ropes that held her. Mulder saw that Scully was lying on a small bed covered with a dirty, stained sheet. The floor around it was cracked and worn. He knew he had to try to find out where she was, but first he lay a cool hand on her forehead and whispered, "It's okay. I'll find you. Don't worry Scully, I haven't forgotten." Scully quieted, and Mulder looked around the room to see where he might be. A man he didn't recognize was leaning over a table in the corner. The man had blond hair, which stood out in the dark room. Mulder realized with a start what that man would do to Scully if he didn't get to her first. Quickly, he tried to peruse the area for some sign of where he was. Getting an idea, Mulder turned his eyes toward the door and exited it. There was a number just outside. He could barely make it out in the low-lit atmosphere. Mulder squinted. The ornate numbers read 1010. No street name was posted on the door; he supposed he would have to look farther down the road. The house was brick, and very run down. Some of the bricks were actually crumbling. The door was made of a dark wood and looked flimsy, but was locked. It had a dirty pane of glass in it, and all that obscured Mulder's view of the room was a filthy curtain, with a red and yellow pattern, barely discernable under all the grime. Mulder knew he had to remember every detail he could, so that he would be able to find this place again. Mulder's gaze traveled down the lane. All of the houses and apartment buildings were broken down and crumbling; some even had signs marking them as condemned. One building had a "For Sale" sign in the tiny yard. Mulder almost chuckled at the irony -- who would ever buy the place? -- until he remembered what was happening. He had to save Scully. Mulder checked the sign at the end of the lane to find its name, and recognized the area of Washington he was in. Mulder opened his eyes slowly. What the hell had just happened? Was that real or imagined? He had to try, either way. He had to get to Scully. He had to save her. If he didn't, he was as good as dead himself. Grabbing his gun and phone, Mulder glanced over his apartment one more time to make sure he had everything. Remembering Scully's bonds, he grabbed his pocketknife from where it lay on the couch, having fallen out of his pocket during his sleep. Satisfied, Mulder raced out of his apartment down to his car. Panic drove him to high speeds. It was lucky there was no traffic, and even luckier that no policemen were watching. He ran it through his head like a mantra. The closer he got, the more certain he was that his vision had been a reality. Mulder could feel Scully's fear and panic; it mirrored his own exactly. He could almost picture the man standing over her, but snapped his head back up. If he was going to get to Scully, he had to concentrate on driving and not wreck the car. Killing himself would kill her as surely as her death would cause his own. Mulder pressed down on the accelerator a little more. Faster. Closer. Convinced that he was on the right track now, Mulder called for backup on his cell phone. "This is Special Agent Fox Mulder. I need backup and an ambulance to 1010 Eaton Street immediately. An agent has been taken hostage, repeat, unknown suspect has taken hostage an agent. I'm on my way over there right now, but I will need backup." Mulder clicked off his cell phone after hearing confirmation from the officer on the other end. He was almost there. Mulder could feel it, just like he could feel every time Scully needed him. Mulder rounded the last corner and recognized all the houses on the way, right down to the "For Sale" sign in front of one of the buildings. No time for that now, though. He had to get to her. Mulder parked his car messily and jumped out. His memory noted that the curtain was the very same one he had seen in his mind's eye. Knowing the door was locked from his previous explorations, Mulder rammed into it with all his force and broke it down on the first blow. He aimed his gun carefully at the man standing over his Scully and emptied the entire clip into him. The man slumped over onto the floor, and Mulder ran to her side instantly. He cut the ropes binding her hands and feet and gently loosened her gag. She immediately clung to him, sobbing. Mulder was a little surprised, as Scully had never seemed so scared. He had never seen her cry like this before, not when she was close to death, not when the X-Files were shut down, not even when she had been about to leave him that past summer. She was usually the picture of calm and serenity, even when he knew that her soul was crying out in pain. Mulder had never seen her this panicked before. Mulder rubbed her back soothingly and murmured in her hair. "It's okay, I've got you. It's all over. You're okay. We're okay." Scully's sobs finally slowed, and then almost stopped, although she still clutched his jacket. "How --" her voice broke, "How did you find me?" "We'll talk about it later. Right now I'm just glad you're safe. He didn't -- do anything to you, did he?" "No, but he would have if you hadn't gotten here. Thank you so much Mulder. You always seem to save me. Thank you." "Scully, you know you don't have to thank me. We save each other. That's why we're partners. Here," he finished matter-of-factly, removing the leather jacket he had thrown on and wrapping it around Scully's shoulders, in an attempt to cover up her nakedness. Her clothing was nowhere to be seen. Mulder heard the sound of sirens in the background. They would be here any minute. "Scully, I called for backup on the way over. I can hear them coming. Do you want to go out to the car and I'll deal with it or do you need to go to the hospital?" "No, please, I'm -- well, I'm not fine, but I will be. Just, please, don't leave me right now. I don't know how -- I -- I need you." Now there was a big shock. He knew Scully needed him, just like he needed Scully. They were two halves of one single whole, but he'd never expected her to actually say it. It was just known. It was a fact of life that didn't really need to be said, like needing air to breathe or food to sustain. Mulder found his voice. "Hey, I need you too, Scully. I won't leave you. You know I'll never leave you. It'll all turn out," he whispered quietly into her hair. A few more tears fell from Scully's swollen, red eyes and she buried her face in Mulder's chest again. It felt so good for him to hold her like this. She didn't ever want it to end, although she could hear the sirens getting closer and knew that it would, very soon. This had been one of the most fear-inspiring moments in her life. Other times the danger had been quick -- she could do something or trust Mulder to. Her abduction, if she had been able to remember it, might have been worse, but she couldn't. This time, there had only been the horrible dread of what was happening to her and no way to stop it. The whole time she had been hoping that Mulder would find her in time, but not really expecting it. She had thought of him, his strength and his compassion. At one point, she had even felt like he was there with her, protecting her from harm, like always, but then had dismissed the thought from her mind. Maybe she had even known, on some elemental level, that he would get to her. He always had; he always would. It still puzzled her though. How had Mulder found her so quickly, with virtually nothing to go on? Oh well, Mulder would tell her later. It wasn't important right now. She would enjoy his arms for a few more moments and then they would go home, as they always did, to their own apartments, and this whole thing would be over. Then, help arrived. The corpse was taken away in a blue body bag. Mulder held Scully close to him the entire time, protecting and sheltering her, although she was relatively safe here. He could sense that she was still uneasy, and so he held her, just like she would have done for him. He almost went over to the EMTs to ask them for a blanket to wrap her in, as Scully was still pretty much unclothed, but when he began to move, Scully clung to him all the more, and in the end he just yelled over. He wrapped her up in the big, soft, blue blanket and gazed deeply into her eyes. "Okay?" he asked in a soft voice before pulling her close again after responding nod. A nameless face came over to ask for an official report, but Mulder's snarl of, "Not now," seemed to scare him away well enough. Soon, Mulder deemed that it was the earliest appropriate time for them to leave without getting in trouble, and so led Scully out to his car. After tucking her gently but firmly into the passenger side, he walked around and opened his own door. He hadn't locked it, understandable in light of his earlier haste to get to Scully, and luckily the crowd of police officers had scared away any would-be robbers. It was actually very lucky, considering the neighborhood. They got to Scully's apartment quite soon. The drive was silent, yet comfortable. They were both satisfied just feeling the other close by, safe, away from harm, near. Mulder pulled up to the door and asked quietly, "Would you like me to walk you up?" "Please," she replied, with a tiny ScullySmile. The two went up to Scully's apartment and Scully unlocked her door. "I'm going to take a shower," she said. "Would you mind making some coffee?" "No problem," he replied softly. Mulder wandered into the kitchen and washed out the coffeepot. He whistled a tuneless tune as he worked, preparing the coffee. Suddenly, he heard a short scream come from the bathroom. He found Scully sprawled on the floor, holding her hip. She grimaced when he came in. "I decided to take a bath instead because my muscles hurt. I slipped getting in. Sorry to bother." "It's fine," replied Mulder amicably, helping her up (once again clothes-less) into the tub. "Call me when you're ready to get out. I don't want you hurt. This has been a pretty rough night for you anyway, you don't need to be injured on top of all that." Mulder returned to the kitchen. This little experience was going to give him innumerable wet dreams, not that that was all bad. The other times he had seen her naked, she was in great pain and danger. It was only twice. The first was the past summer, when she was trapped in the icy spaceship of Antarctica. He hadn't had time to stare then, only concentrating on getting her warm. The second had been today, and then, time had been all that mattered, getting to her in time. But now, now he had an image of her with only a slightly injured hip, an image that wouldn't bring back horrible memories. Not a good development, this. He didn't feel quite right thinking about his partner in that way. Somehow, it seemed to debase their relationship to think of her in a sexual way, as if he didn't love her for -- Mulder's train of thought came to a complete and utter halt. Love? Had he thought love? The word had always been a rather distant goal for him, one that he barely hoped to attain. Only one person had ever loved him before, and that was Samantha. After she was gone, there was no one. His parents had been too preoccupied with their own lives, and he had never before met a woman that he literally couldn't live without. But Scully, it seemed, he did love. There was no other way to catalog his feelings. To say he liked her was a gross understatement. To say he respected her was true, but then he respected Skinner, and he certainly didn't love him in a romantic way. He enjoyed being around her, whether they were in one of their intellectual spars or sitting in a comfortable silence. There were so many facets to their relationship, and only one word encompassed them all. Love. Love. he thought to her. Scully, without warning, got the feeling that Mulder was trying to communicate with her. She could almost hear him whisper in her ear. "I love you Scully," he seemed to say. Scully whirled her head around, trying to determine if he had actually sneaked into her bathroom. No one was there, of course, but the feeling remained. She'd have to talk to Mulder about it later, but for now, this water was getting cool. "Mulder!" she called out, laughing a little. This was as intimate as they had ever gotten, but it wasn't at all uncomfortable. They loved each other, even if they couldn't say it, and were as close as any couple on this earth. They had their romance, of sorts. *** Notes: I've gotten the comment that Mulder probably would not have fired on Scully's attacker, as he did not seem to have a gun. Yes, if Mulder were a real FBI agent, he likely would have simply arrested the man. However, this *is* Mulder, and the person threatened is Scully. If (however unlikely) this ever came up in an episode, I don't think I would be very surprised by his behavior. *** *** Chapter Two -- "For the First Time" *** For the first time I am looking in your eyes For the first time I'm seeing who you are. I can't believe how much I see When you're looking back at me Now I understand what love is, Love is, For the first time -- Kenny Loggins "For the First Time" *** Mulder came into the bathroom shyly, grabbing a big, fluffy, white towel. He held his hand out to Scully while she exited the tub, then wrapped her in it. Feeling a little bit brave, Scully stepped farther into his arms than he had intended her to and snuggled up close. She knew perhaps she shouldn't, but then, it made her feel safe and she deserved that, after tonight. Mulder's face turned bright red and he coughed loudly. "Umm, I better go get that -- uh, coffee, before it -- before it, umm, burns." "You're stuttering," she whispered to him. "Yeah," he whispered back shyly, stepping out of the bathroom quickly. Scully wandered into her bedroom thoughtfully. She had felt such a bond with Mulder in this whole, frightening, kidnapping, almost-rape night, more than usual. She always felt close to him, but sometimes he seemed so very distant, as if he weren't there with her, but in some weird dream world all his own. Although she'd toyed with the idea in her mind before, this was the first time Scully had ever felt really ready to take their relationship to a new level. Scully paused a moment. This was what it was, wasn't it? She could hear her therapist telling her that she was reaching out for any human contact, that she should wait and think about it for a while. But no, that wasn't true. This was Mulder, and he would tell her if she were making a mistake; he would be oh so careful not to hurt her. He would make sure she meant it like she would make sure he did. They just worked that way. In any case, she felt like teasing Mulder, in a way that wasn't even really teasing; she was half-serious. She wasn't sure tonight was the night -- after all, it wasn't as if she felt up to much after all this -- but he should get used to the idea that she might want something...more. Scully stopped that train of thought immediately. No, it wasn't something only he needed to get used to; this would mean big changes for her also. The way she thought of him implied that he was more something to be controlled, even if only in her own mind, and Scully never wanted to think of him like that, like a plaything. They were truly equals in every respect. Scully slipped on something she had bought herself as a feel-good gift after the whole nightmare with Van Blundht. She'd gotten it at Victoria's Secret, so the negligee had cost a fortune, but it had sat in her drawer ever since, unworn. At least she'd get a chance to wear it now, even if nothing happened, she pondered silently. Scully slipped on the green silk bra and underwear set, the dark color complementing her hair perfectly. Then, she put on the nightgown, a sheer, shimmering white garment with an empire waistline, so thin that it was translucent with such a dark color beneath. Scully fluffed her hair, which she had taken care not to get wet in the bathtub, and surveyed her reflection in the mirror. Nice. Very nice. Scully tiptoed out into the kitchen, where Mulder's back was turned to her, and slipped her hands under his arms to rub his chest, holding him so he couldn't turn and see her. She acted as if they had just gotten out of bed in the morning, new lovers. Scully jumped at the thought. This wasn't fair to him, well, to either one of them, really. She should stop this, should go back to her room and change, should forget this whole charade and go back to the way things used to be. Somehow, though, she couldn't. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't bear the thought. There was no way she could imagine her life without Mulder. Still...Scully released him and stepped back. "What about that coffee?" she asked bravely. What the hell had just happened? Yesterday, Scully had been normal, everyday Scully. Tonight, she acted, well; she acted like she loved him back. He knew she needed him, but though he loved her, he never thought that that distant dream could be his. He had valued her friendship above all else on the Earth and had never needed anything more...until now. Mulder poured the coffee and turned to hand the mug to Scully. He noticed for the first time what she was actually wearing. His eyes widened as they drifted down her body. Down went the coffee onto the floor, luckily not burning either of them. "Shit," he muttered softly, staring at Scully instead of the hot liquid on the floor. "Nice view?" Scully laughed. "What are you wearing Scully?" Mulder ventured. "Huh? Oh, I always wear this to bed." A lie, but she couldn't tell him the truth. Yet. Soon. "No you don't, at least, not when we're on cases." "Oh, it's too cold for a drafty motel. Are you going to clean that up or not?" Scully dismissed his comment with a wave of her hand. Mulder mechanically sank to his knees and began to wipe up the spill, never once taking his eyes off Scully. Slowly, his pulse (and other things) returned to relatively normal. He poured coffee for the two of them, and tried to change the subject. "I called your mom while you were in the bath, to let her know you were okay. I had called her when I was looking for you, so I knew she'd be worried out of her mind. She said she didn't want to disturb you, but that she'd come by around three tomorrow to go out for coffee. Your usual place." "That'll be lots of fun. Thanks. And by the way, how exactly *did* you find me, Mulder?" "Umm, why don't we talk about it in the morning. Okay?" "Okay," Scully yawned. "I'm exhausted. What time is it anyway?" Mulder turned his wrist to look at his watch. "Wow. It's almost four o'clock. I hadn't even noticed. I guess I'm just used to being up from various cases and stuff. It's lucky tomorrow -- today is Saturday." "Yeah." Scully yawned again. "Tuck me in?" she questioned, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Uh, sure." Mulder and Scully walked into her bedroom. Mulder tucked the covers high up around Scully's chin and whispered, "Night Scully," giving her a feather-light kiss on the cheek. Scully grabbed Mulder's hand and held tight. "Mulder," she whispered, her voice genuinely scared, not playing or teasing any longer, "Please don't leave me. I can't stay in this apartment all alone tonight, I just can't. I know it's an irrational fear; call me crazy. Please don't leave me. I'll be fine soon, I just really need someone with me right now, if you wouldn't mind too much." Mulder saw that a tear had trickled down her cheek. He wiped it off with one finger and brought it to his lips. "No, it's okay. I won't leave. Never, ever worry about that. I'll go get a blanket and sleep on the couch." "No, I mean stay here with me. I just -- I just need someone to hold me, to keep me safe. This must sound really odd. I know I've acted weird all night, I just -- I cannot lose you. Please." "Oh Scully," Mulder breathed, thinking he knew what had been going on through her mind. Of course she must know he loved her, and maybe thought this was the only way to keep him there. So that was what had been going on all evening. "I won't leave you, no matter what. You have to know that. It doesn't matter what happens. I don't want you pretending to be something you aren't. Just relax. It's okay, you will be okay, we will be okay." Mulder walked around to the other side of the bed and pulled back the covers, sliding in. He pulled Scully close, spooning around her. She began to speak, but he cut her off with a gentle, "Shhh. Tomorrow." *** "So Mulder," Scully said the next morning over breakfast, "How exactly did you find me last night?" They were sitting on Scully's sofa, sipping coffee. "Well, this is going to sound really weird, but --" "Mulder, that wasn't much of a disclaimer. Every theory you come up with is weird, to some degree," Scully laughed. "Do you want to hear this or not?" Mulder said, feigning hurt. "Yes, yes. I'm sorry. Go on." "Anyway, as I was saying before I was so *rudely* interrupted, this is going to sound like one of my theories, but it really isn't. I woke up, terrified, but I couldn't remember having any sort of nightmare, like usual. I just had this feeling in my gut that you were in trouble. It wasn't a nightmare Scully's-in-trouble, it was a real one; I can tell the difference. I tried to brush it off, but you weren't answering your phone. I even called your mom. "I sat down on my couch and was picturing your face in my head. I noticed you were tied up --" "You pictured me naked?" Scully asked, holding back giggles. Mulder looked more than a little uncomfortable. "Well, yeah. You were there, and I thought that it was real. I didn't think I would picture it if it weren't. I mean, I wouldn't do that. So I looked around the room and saw a man in the corner. I could tell he was going to hurt you, so I tried to figure out where you were. I found a house number and got the street name off a sign down the road. Then, I came and got you. It was so odd; all the details were the same. I even remembered the pattern on the curtain and a 'For Sale' sign in one of the yards." "Mulder, I really don't think--that is--are you certain that's how it was?" whispered Scully. "Well, no, but I certainly didn't find you any other way, if that's what you're asking. I do have a theory, however." "Let's have it," replied Scully. "I don't know about this Mulder, but you found me somehow, I know that." "Scully, you know we share a bond. I've even heard other agents talk about how weird it is. We have conversations without a word. I don't notice it as unusual; it's become commonplace when I'm with you. I don't know if this is true for you, but I can always tell when you're in trouble. I think maybe the bond between us is more than just the bond of two people who are in tune with each other from years of being partners -- I think it's some sort of psychic bond, because we're so close." "Mulder, that is the most --" Scully broke off suddenly, looking pensive. "That -- at first I want to discount it, but you're right. I do know whenever you're in danger. I know where I can find you and just how to help. We have silent arguments. It's...'spooky.'" Mulder chuckled slightly, his face then turning serious. "Scully, I have an idea -- a test of sorts." "Yeah?" "Yeah. I'll just describe some shared memory of ours, only vaugly, without really describing it. You see if you can figure out what I'm talking about. Okay? I'll try one first...like, oh, 'remember that time with that guy who had that thing he --'" "Darin Oswald," Scully interjected. "D. P. O." "Right. You try one." "Okay, um, remember that time with those people who would do that --" "The Eves. I'm right, aren't I?" "Uh-huh. Remember that time with the guy who --" "Van Blundht. Remember that time when you --" "Antarctica. This is too easy. Here, try to get what I'm thinking of." Scully was really getting excited. It was obvious that neither of them were playing tricks. Scully tried to picture the Flukeman, from their second year together, as vividly as she could. Mulder closed his eyes and whispered, "Flukie. Now you." It came to her almost immediately. "Detective White...oh Mulder, I know you didn't really mean it. And I don't think you're a big macho man either. It's not a big deal, you know." "Yeah, but it hurt, didn't it? I could tell, even then, that it did." "I know. I wasn't angry, just -- sad, I guess. It doesn't bother me anymore. Not her. I-- Diana still hurts though." Had she just said that? "I'm sorry about that, really I am. I was just so scared that I would use my feelings for you against us both. I ought to have known --" "No, neither of us knew then. Now, wait, see if you can get at something I try to keep from you." "I don't want to. I would never pry into your private thoughts and I don't want to know if it's possible. I would never do it, period, so it doesn't matter." Mulder spoke sharply. "Thank you. Oddly, that's probably the sweetest thing anyone's ever said to me. Most people always need to pry into my life all the time but you've always just accepted me at face value, just challenging, not arguing. Mulder?" "Hmmm?" "Does this mean you know how I feel about you?" "I think you know. But you'll want to hear it anyway. I love you." Scully sighed happily. I love you too, y'know." "Yeah, I know." Scully set down her coffee cup and snuggled up close to Mulder. she thought to him. <*Very* nice, Scully. It feels good to be able to love you freely, without wondering -- do you love me back? That's quite a relief, you know. > *** Mulder awoke around two o'clock feeling the best he had in, well, forever. There had been once, as a child, when he had found similar comfort from a dream, but it hadn't turned out to be real. This was. He wondered what this new change would mean for them, but at the same time, knew that everything would turn out. It always seemed to, with them. He snuggled closer to Scully, who had shifted and was now lying over him on the couch, their legs tangled. Mulder closed his eyes and Scully was there, both in real life and his mind. She was kissing him all over and -- Mulder snapped his eyes wide open. He shouldn't be doing this, not if he really loved her. It would probably get to that, eventually, but he had to be careful not to push her into something that neither of them were really ready for; something they both wanted, yes, but they both needed to get used to this new relationship first. It needed to evolve on its own terms, not from some sexual need or desire. They were more than that. It wasn't that Mulder didn't think she was attractive -- quite the opposite, actually. But he thought a lot of women were attractive and he only loved her. Maybe that's why he had his videos...he could find someone attractive without the guilt it always seemed to bring to him. It had annoyed a lot of women, but that was just him -- when he loved he loved everything, not just a pretty face. And even if he had loved her for her for just her looks, he would still have known that it wasn't time for this -- yet. The vision, however, wouldn't leave. It stuck with him as he tried to shake it out of his mind. Mulder tried everything he could think of to clear his head. Dead cats. Toenail clippings. Tooms. Square roots. Anything. It wasn't working. Suddenly, Mulder realized where it was coming from. He smiled down at a dreaming Scully, who was smiling also. He should wake her before it got -- embarrassing. he reached out. "Scully," Mulder spoke, "Do you want it, to make love, I mean?" "I-I will--" Mulder could tell what was going on in her mind; he could see that, although her voice said yes, she wasn't sure. "Scully, you don't have to lie to me. It's okay. I love you and I would never leave you, for anything. I don't think either of us are ready for that step, in any case. I was just curious as to how you felt on the subject. Until *both* of us can give a definite 'yes,' it won't be time." "I know, I just don't want to hurt you, that's all. It isn't that I don't want you or love you, I truly do." "Ready for some breakfast, or lunch, rather, by now?" Mulder asked, changing the subject. "Sure. Just a few more minutes." "This won't end when we get up, you know," Mulder softly chided her. "I do. But it is nice to be held by someone like this. To be held by you like this," Scully replied, her voice a little wistful remembering another time and place, yet still extremely happy. "I'll hold you in my mind." "I get the feeling that paperwork is going to get a lot more interesting after today. Somehow the idea of sitting in our office writing reports doesn't seem so bad, if we can hold each other in our heads." "I think you just might be right, Agent Scully." The two eventually hauled themselves off the couch, walking hand-in-hand into the kitchen to get some lunch. Scully hadn't even remembered that she was still wearing the gauzy nightgown from the night before, and neither had Mulder, until they had gotten up. Mulder tried his best to keep it out of his thoughts or at least away from Scully's. He figured she couldn't tell, because she was busy fixing coffee, which seemed to be all they were drinking lately. She spun around abruptly. "Mulder, what are you keeping from me? Something's wrong but you won't tell me. What is it?" Mulder hung his head, looking embarrassed. Scully thought. "But if it bothers you..." she was quick to add, this time aloud. "It isn't bothersome. You're lovely, and so beautiful. I just feel wrong looking at you and seeing your body when that isn't even what I love the most about you. I love your mind, and your spirit, and all of your being, and looking at you and having lascivious thoughts, however nice, makes it all seem trite, as if I don't really feel what I feel." "Mulder, you're being silly. We're normal human beings and we're bound to think about each other that way, especially now that we've grown even closer. Whenever you think about me, let me know. I like it." "Really? I guess I've always been this way. When I care about someone, I try to escape the physical at first, because in the end, that isn't what holds people together. But you *are* beautiful, don't ever think you aren't Scully." "You don't know how good that makes me feel. I've never really been the pretty one you know? In fact," Scully broke off, as if not wanting to say it out loud. *** Yes, I know, Mulder is a *tad* sexually repressed, but then, he had been subject to Phoebe and Diana, what do you expect? He gets better soon, I promise. :) *** *** Chapter Three -- "I Love You" *** I stare for a while the world around disappears just you and me on this island of hope a breath between us could be miles let me surround you my sea to your shore let me be the calm you seek --Sarah McLachlan "I Love You" *** Mulder asked, stepping closer to Scully and placing his hands on her hips. Scully replied, leaning upwards to kiss him deeply, their first. Mulder reached out with his mind, grazing her nipple with the back of his hand. His real hands were still planted firmly on her hips, and their mouths were entangled in a steamy kiss, but his mental hand had reached out and touched her. Scully groaned, not a real groan, but one only their minds could hear. If anyone had seen them, they would have thought it was just a kiss, but it was really so much more. Scully pushed him away, after a moment. "My mom is coming over around three, and we shouldn't be doing this when she comes in." "You're right. It's two forty-five now, and she's usually a little early. Rain check?" "Mmm, yeah. Do you want to come along?" "You're going out for the usual coffee, right?" "Yeah, coffee and talk, if what you said last night proves to be true." "I don't want to intrude on your time together," Mulder said a bit uncomfortably. He knew that Scully valued the special time she shared with her mother, and didn't want to ruin what they had by over-extending his welcome. Mulder's mind reached out and pulled her close, even though they were now standing on opposite sides of the room. Their lips were about to touch when Mrs. Scully breezed into the room. Both jerked themselves out of the trance they were in and greeted her cheerfully, before Scully realized what she had on and what this must look like. "Oh!" she exclaimed quietly, "Umm, I've got to go change, entertain my mother, will you Mulder?" "Oh yeah, uh, sure Scully. You go change and I'll stay here." The whole thing had happened in the space of a few seconds, undistinguishable except to the trained eye. Unfortunately, Mrs. Scully had a trained eye. She didn't know what exactly was going on, of course, but she could see the electricity crackle between them, and thought she had a pretty good idea of what had gone on last night. "So Fox," she asked sweetly after Scully had left, "Did you spend the night over here at Dana's?" "Uh, yeah -- I mean, we didn't -- she was just scared, you know, because of what happened, and she did -- didn't want to be alone. It wasn't anything more than that, really." "Oh, really? Because it looked to me like --" Mrs. Scully teased. "Well, it was nothing like what it looked like, really, Mrs. Scully." Mulder looked like a deer caught in very bright headlights. Scully would absolutely kill him is he messed this up with her mom. "Oh, I know Fox. I know you'd never hurt my baby girl. I'm just giving you a hard time about it," Maggie laughed. Inside though, she wondered. She knew he wouldn't hurt her, of course, but whether or not their relationship had moved to a higher level -- well, *she'd* known they were in love but hadn't expected *them* to figure it out so soon. They didn't appear to have made love, but it did look like something was going on, something out of the ordinary. Good. It would be nice for Dana to settle down, finally. She certainly did deserve happiness, after all. And Maggie did like Mulder. Suddenly, Mulder got the image of Scully undressing. Up went her gown, slowly, teasing. She turned and unhooked her bra, drawing it off slowly. he thought, but it didn't help. He could feel himself go hard, and with Mrs. Scully mere feet away...not a good development. Scully was flirting with him, no doubt about it. Still, knowing what it was and ignoring it were two very different things. After a few more moments of sweet torture, Scully stopped. It wasn't really fair to him, and her mother *was* out there, after all. Five minutes later, Scully walked out of her bedroom, looking considerably more respectable in jeans and a green tee shirt that contrasted with her hair perfectly. "Ready to go mom? I thought Mulder would join us, if that's okay." "It's fine dear. I could come back later if you two are...busy." "Mom!" Scully admonished. "Now really Dana, you can't say it didn't look...suspicious. I walk in here and you're in -- whatever you were wearing. You and Fox, well, a mother dreams." *** They were sitting at a small table twenty minutes later, sipping their coffee slowly. "I think so too." "Not with--" "Very true..." "I--" "That's true. You know, I was thinking of something..." "Well, then I definitely want to hear...see." "What the heck are you two talking about?" Mrs. Scully interjected. The two looked up guiltily. "What?" Scully squeaked. "You're talking random sentences. I was curious as to what you were discussing. I feel left out," Maggie laughed. "Umm, nothing Mom. Just talking. Sorry you felt left out." *** Maggie and Scully were discussing a topic of no particular interest to Mulder when he got a very naughty idea. If Scully could do it to him, after all, why couldn't he do it to her? He reached his mind out and brushed the hair slowly off the back of her neck, bending down to kiss it gently. He ran his tongue over to her ear and suckled her earlobe softly. Scully gasped. "What is it dear?" asked her mother. "Uh, nothing mom. What were you saying again?" Mulder replied, concentrating his whole being on her. He reached over and slid his hand under Scully's shirt to stroke her stomach. He drew small circles and figure eight's with his fingers, pausing for a moment before dipping below the waistband slightly. Scully, meanwhile, was practically biting her tongue in half trying to keep herself from moaning. He should stop; she should make him stop -- but she didn't want him to stop. It felt too good. Mulder reached down a bit further to cup the curly mound at the apex of her thighs in his large hand. Mulder didn't reply, but simply placed a feather-light kiss on Scully's lips and removed his hand. Suddenly, "Fox?" "Uh, what is it?" "You were just sitting there staring off into space. I asked if you were ready to leave," grinned Maggie. "Ready to go? Yeah, uh, I'm finished with my food. Just let me grab the bill and we can go." "Oh, you don't need to do that Fox." "Yeah, I know, but I'd love to. It would be my *pleasure.*" Mulder stressed the word 'pleasure' just enough so that Scully would catch his hidden meaning but that Mrs. Scully wouldn't. "Thank you. That's very sweet of you," she smiled. *** The ride back to Scully's place was quick, but not quick enough for the two agents. Mulder decided that he'd better go home to change, since he was still wearing his clothes from the last night. "I promise," he told her quietly, "I will come right back over here after I take a shower. I want to get cleaned up before we make love, even if it's in our minds. I'll just be half an hour or so." "Why?" she asked him. "Why?" he replied, confused. "Why would you come back here after taking a shower. Why don't you let me take a shower with you and then..." "Take a..." Mulder's voice tapered off. "Oh, you mean..." "Yes, that's what I mean. Now, let's get a move on. I can't wait, and I don't think we'd better try anything more than conversation while you're driving until we've better learned to control this thing, so we can concentrate on two things at once. I certainly don't want you dead, Mulder." Scully deadpanned "Yeah, you're right. I don't want to end up turned over on the side of the road. Meet you there?" "Meet you there." *** Mulder sped down the road, going just a little over the speed limit, but not so much that he would get arrested; he wasn't sure he could deal with having to stop the car and talk to someone. His whole body was focused on one single thing -- Scully. He finally got to his apartment and fumbled with the key in his lock. Mulder collapsed on his sofa with a grunt. he thought. Mulder peeled off his shirt, taking care to send the motion to Scully at the same time. He saw her similarly remove hers, and reached out to unbutton her jeans. He slid the fabric down Scully's legs, kissing them as he went. She stood there a little shyly, in just her underwear and bra. Then, Scully reached out to unbutton the fly of Mulder's jeans, moving slowly. Soon they were undressed, and wandered into the bathroom hand in hand. Scully whispered into his ear, Scully transformed the place slowly, first changing the colors to a pale blue-green, the turning all the fixtures an ornate silver. All the dirty ceramic tiles turned into a lovely aquamarine marble, and lighted candles appeared everywhere, eliciting a beautiful scent. sighed Mulder, He vaguely remembered it, an odd sense of deja vu. Well, she was probably taking things from his mind as well as her own, perhaps without even realizing what she was doing. Mulder searched his mind for where he had seen the place. Just a bathroom, but still it seemed so familiar. He put the thought out of his mind for later, now really just wasn't the time to think about it. <*Your* Scully? > replied Mulder softly, reaching around her slender waist and pulling her towards him. He adjusted the water in his real bathroom, as she did hers, and then both returned to the world with each other. The two stepped inside the shower carefully and closed the embossed door behind them to hold in the steam. Mulder pulled Scully to him again in a fiery kiss, stroking the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He ran his hand down her smooth body to her hip, where he let it rest, squeezing a little. She pressed her body up against his, moaning with the feeling. Scully grabbed the sponge on the side of the bathtub and stepped away from Mulder, rubbing it gently over his chest. intoned Mulder. She reached a little lower, the sponge almost - but not quite - reaching his erection. Mulder groaned louder as she took him in her hand, squeezing lightly, running her hand up and down him, memorizing. After a few minutes, Scully rise to her tiptoes and whispered in Mulder's ear, he whispered back. she replied. Mulder replied dryly. Mulder slid the shower door open slowly, grabbing a towel to wrap Scully in. He wrapped her in it just like he had the last night, then staring into her eyes and whispering, before pulling Scully close again. He enfolded her in his arms, safe and secure, just like he always wanted her to be, just like he always felt around her, no matter which of them was doing the comforting. They stood that way for a few moments, breathing in each other's scents and relaxing in the knowledge that they were safe here, at least for the moment. Scully pulled on Mulder's hand then, leading him into the bedroom, which she had also evidently decided to fashion to her liking, with soft silk curtains and a canopy bed. Scully pulled Mulder down on top of her, kissing him deeply and enjoying his weight on her. Scully thrust her tongue deeply into Mulder's mouth, caressing the roof of his mouth, when she felt that he wasn't quite there anymore, and he wasn't kissing her back. "Scully!" she heard, but with her ears, not her mind. It took her a moment to realize that Mulder was actually there with her, not just in her head. Scully pulled herself out of the dream and opened her eyes. She gave a small shriek when she noticed her surroundings. The real world had changed, so that now they really were in the place Scully had imagined earlier. Scully blinked quickly, trying to rid herself of the vision. "Mulder, where are we?" she asked slowly, both dreading and knowing what his answer would be. "I don't know. One minute we were here in our imagination and now we -- aren't. It looks so real, but it can't be, can it?" Scully pinched herself hard. Ouch. "Mulder, what if this is still just made up? What if I'm crazy? What if we're still at our apartments and this is all still in our minds? How can we tell the difference between reality and fantasy anymore?" "Scully, we aren't both crazy. It was an epiphany being with you in the shower, believe me, but there was still the distinct feeling of surrealism, that I wasn't really there. I could tell the whole time, that I could pull myself back, if I'd wanted to, a little like in a dream, but stronger. Maybe like a lucid dream, I don't know, but it wasn't like this at all. Somehow...some way we got here, wherever here is. Do you know where you made it, when you made it earlier? Were you creating it in a certain place or did you just set it down wherever it fell? Was it somewhere you had imagined yourself before or was it totally new, just a spur of the moment thing?" "No...it was a place I always imagined as a little girl. If I remember correctly, outside the window is Lover's Lane in full bloom, from Anne of Green Gables. To the other side of the house is a walled garden. In the garden there are a few swings, just wooden ones that I used to swing on. I even wrote some short stories based around this place, but as to where it is -- I have no idea. It was just a dream I had a child, and while I loved it so much, I always knew it wasn't real. It was just a place to escape my problems. It made me feel safe, when we were always moving, to have a place of my own to go to. I would lose all my old friends except --" "Scully, were there any other people, or special animals? Ones we might have to deal with here?" "No, it was always me and a little boy -- but I think you're him. He was -- he was called Fox. I thought it was thhe oddest coincidence when I met you, that you had the same name, and that you looked so much alike, but I never paid it much attention, as thinking on it would likely have caused problems that I didn't want to deal with. My parents always thought I was crazy, to have an imaginary friend named Fox. We'd never met anyone with that name before. I don't know where it could have come from, if not from you." Scully was having trouble breathing. "You don't think we're really in this dream of mine, do you? I haven't even thought of it for years!" "Scully, I don't think this is a dream. I wanted to see how much of it was the same, but I had this -- dream or whatever -- too. I didn't notice before, because I was, well, distracted, and I thought we might be combining thoughts anyway, but I had an imaginary friend named Dana also. When my dad -- when he -- when he would hit me, you were always there. I would dream about you almost every night. I thought I was crazy then, but now -- thank you -- thank you so much helping me through that. I don't know if I would have made it otherwise. It was just the amount of insanity I needed in a world that was all too real. Scully, just think about what's happened in the past day and night. Do you really think this is that much stranger?" "No, I -- let's just look around and see if we're really here." "Clothes-less?" Mulder laughed, as he had realized the lack before she. It might be rather uncomfortable for both of them, especially if more people started turning up, however unlikely that possibility might be. "No, we always wore clothes before, didn't we? Maybe we can just imagine them on. After all, I could imagine things here before, and they would happen." "I don't know; this wasn't real then, but it is now." "Mulder, do you mean to tell me that what you felt as a child wasn't real? Because -- because I remember being with Fox -- you -- when I was, oh, up to maybe college age or so, and if I'm not mistaken, Mulder, we *have* made love." Scully laughed, a little embarrassed. "Yeah," he whispered. "I think I loved you even then, even when I didn't know you were real, when I didn't know you were you." "Here, you do my clothes and then I'll do yours. But Mulder -- " "Yeah?" "Remember that we are going to be walking around and exploring, so don't make it too -- bedroomy." Mulder laughed quietly. "Close your eyes." *** Chapter Four -- "The Circle Game" Yesterday a child came out to wander Caught a dragonfly inside a jar Fearful when the sky was full of thunder And tearful at the falling of a star "The Circle Game" -- Joni Mitchell *** Scully did as she was instructed, and began to feel the oddest sensations. She was being dressed with no hands, the clothes were being created *on* her with the utmost care -- but with no needle and thread or sewing machine. After a few moments, Mulder told her she could look. She didn't look down quite yet, though. "Let me do you first," she told him. She dressed Mulder in jeans and a gray tee shirt, an outfit of his she'd always thought he looked particularly sexy in. It wasn't that it was meant to be a deliberately seductive ensemble (and perhaps that was part of why it was), but it was just that Mulder wore it so well. Then, Scully peered into a mirror and laughed a little. "The dress I wore the day we met," she whispered. A few tears popped into her eyes suddenly, and she dabbed at them quickly, as memories she'd so often tried to repress returned to her. "You look even more beautiful in it now." The dress was made of cream colored muslin, with a pale blue sash tied at its waistline. Mulder leaned down to whisper in her ear, "Let me push you in our swing again." "Okay," she nodded, brushing away a few more tears. "I don't know why I'm crying. I'm the happiest person alive and I can't seem to stop." "It's okay. I feel a little sad too, thinking back to those times. But it isn't over; it's just beginning." *** Scully laughed harder than she could ever remember laughing since her childhood, the bright melody resounding clearly over the little glen where the swing was. "Higher!" she cried out, mimicking a call she barely remembered from when she was little. Mulder's deeper laugh joined hers, as she jumped off the swing and landed a few feet ahead of it, dress billowing over her head. Mulder strode over to sit beside her, plopping himself down on the soft grass and catching her mouth with his. The kiss was sweet, almost chaste, and then Mulder pulled away abruptly. "What is it?" she asked. "Nothing," he replied. "I just want to look at you for a moment. Do you know how beautiful you are when you let your guard down? I mean, you're always beautiful, but especially so right now. Thank you for letting me see your heart, thank yo u for letting your guard down with me, Scully." "Mulder, I don't have to let you see my heart, you've always had it." Scull y lay back suddenly, and stared up at the boundless blue sky above. "You know Mulder, we're going to have to go back eventually." "I know," he whispered back. "But I want to stay here with you." "You'll still have me. You always have. It's just that we can't leave the X-Files and everything behind just like that. I don't think I would even want to. The X-Files have become as much a part of my life as they have yours, and I'm not quite to a point where I can see us without them holding us together. This is nice, but let's face it, the excitement factor isn't quite up there with chasing shadowy government figures and aliens around the country. We can still come back here, I just don't want to be here forever." Mulder's face brightened visibly. "That's true," he replied. "But -- not quite yet, right?" "No," she replied softly, "not yet." Scully stood quickly then, pulling Mulder up after her. She gazed out to the horizon, then turned back to him. "It's almost sunset; let's go and watch." He agreed, and the two set out for the short walk to their favorite hill. Mulder could remember other times when they had done this very same thing. When he was nine, they had just been good friends, and he had held her hand as a friend. They had skipped along, oftentimes singing, but more often just walking in a comfortable silence, as now. When he turned fifteen, he had kissed her for the first time, standing on the hillside watching the sun set with bright golds and reds. He had held her in his arms and known that everything would be okay, with Samantha, with his father, and with the rest of his life. He had never talked about Samantha with her. It wasn't that he was unable to confide in her, it was just that neither really wanted to talk about the outside world when they were there together, preferring the sweet innocence they shared, away from the world's hurts. Their place here was magical, beautiful, and both feared that too much analysis would break the spell it held. They had made love for the first time when he was nineteen, four years afte r their first kiss. She had just turned sixteen, and the snow outside the house had only served to make it warmer indoors. Afterwards, they had bundled up and gone outside for a snowball fight, and then gone to watch the sunset. So it was a feeling of nostalgia that hit Mulder as he walked along, and he could tell it was affecting Scully too. He pulled her a little closer to him, savoring the feeling of it, and knowing surely, for once, that all was right with the world. This world, at least. *** The next morning, Scully awoke first. They had spent the last evening reminiscing about old times, and had fallen asleep exhausted. It was certainly interesting how things turned out. To imagine that her childhood fantasies turned out to be a reality, and in more ways than one. It was a little hard for Scully to grasp; she was used to grasping the one thread of sanity she could find in every case, and this had none. Mulder awoke then, and she murmured hello, breathing in deeply his scent. "Mulder," she whispered happily, "Why did we ever lose each other?" Mulder stiffened in her arms, then sat up abruptly. "Didn't you know?" he asked softly, a little scared as to the nature of her reply. "No," she replied, pulling herself into a seated position also. "I always assumed that I just got too old. You know, too old for dreams like that. Too much a scientist." "No." Mulder was near tears. "What is it? What's wrong?" "It's my fault. I--I was so stupid. I met Phoebe that year, and she had her hair died red then. I *knew* she wasn't as perfect as you, but I thought maybe -- I thought you couldn't be real. Please understand, I though you were a dream. I slept with her and then you never came back to me again. I'm so sorry. I've probably ruined everything now. I always hurt you. With Phoebe, with Diana, even with that horrible Angela White. I always hurt you and it kills me inside every single time. I don't know why I can't stop doing it. I don't want to hurt you, Scully." Mulder's tears flowed freely now, and Scully pulled his head down to her shoulder. "It's okay Mulder, I forgive you. I forgave you before I even met you, because I love you so much. It doesn't matter; we're here now, and we're together. Don't you se e that the past doesn't matter anymore? It's now that counts. We've both made so many mistakes, and hurt each other in so many different ways. It doesn't matter why or when. What matters is that we're here *now,* and that we love each other, no matter what mistakes we may make and no matter how many times we may inadvertently hurt each other. I know you didn't mean to hurt me, and that's all that matters. "Besides Mulder, it's not like I never had relationships. I was just too damn Catholic to do anything more than a little groping. I don't know, I was never very pretty, and I didn't really have that many friends in college. Just a few people I was close to , quiet ones like me. I think I maybe went to one wild party and gave up on it. That wasn't me. I could have done it with Jack -- I might have -- but then we broke up and that was that. Then I met you and I'm not so religious anymore -- well, not in the same way -- bu t I was in love with you and so I wasn't about to sleep with someone else. "There was Ed, I suppose, but in the end I just couldn't go through with it I thought I wanted to. I was so angry at you right then, and I did know it would hurt you, even if I wouldn't admit it. I was so close, but in the end I just couldn't do it. I didn't love him; I didn't want to waste it, after all that time. And I still did love you." Mulder lifted his head up, and smiled a little. "You don't know how much that means to me, to know that you love me unconditionally like that." "Yes I do. It's the feeling I get whenever you wake up and I thought I almost lost you. It's the feeling I get when you choose me over something else, even when I know it's hard. It's the feeling I get anytime I'm around you, to know that you love me every bit as much as I love you." "Scully?" Mulder asked, a little shyly. "What?" "I -- I don't have a ring, but -- will you -- will you marry me?" "Of course I will. Just as soon as we figure out how to get back to Washington." "Then let's go now!" Mulder laughed with childlike glee, so unusual for hi m before he knew she loved him. "Let's. How do you suppose we do it?" "Well, we just think ourselves there, I suppose. I mean, that's all we did before, right? It shouldn't be too hard." They closed their eyes and tried to imagine themselves in Mulder's apartment, back home. Nothing happened. "What's wrong?" Scully asked, frightened. "I don't know," Mulder replied. "I can still see in your mind, and we stil l love each other, even more so if that's possible. The connection between us should have grown stronger, if anything." "Unless--" Scully interrupted. "Unless what?" "Unless the connection isn't the same. I mean, the love is there, but it's a different feeling that we've got this time. Last time, I remember really, really wanting to be here with you, and nothing else mattered. Only you. It was really more like lust. Now, we're considering this new level of our relationship, and we're thinking about going back home. It may be a stronger connection, but it's certainly a different one. It isn't as sexual and singular. The purpose is different too." "You're right," Mulder breathed, leaning over to kiss her shoulder gently. "So there seems to be only one solution, doesn't there?" He kissed her square on the mouth this time. "Yes," Scully whispered pushing him away, "but *that* isn't it, you know. We can't really make love, it has to be imagined." Scully's mind reached out and opened the door to Mulder's apartment. He wa s there inside, smiling at her. She didn't reply, just slid her hands up and down his chest thoughtfully. Scully went for his shirt first, stripping it up off over his head. Then, she pushed him towards the bedroom. Scully turned the handle on the doorknob anyway, and peered into the dark hole of a room. Scully turned and led Mulder back into the living room, where she seated hi m on the couch. Scully peeled her shirt off her body seductively, slowly revealing inch by inch of skin, leaning in close to suckle Mulder's earlobe for only a second before releasing it. She removed the rest of her clothing in a most professional and economic manner, and then perched herself on Mulder's lap. She kissed him again, this time on the mouth, and he pulled her legs on either side of his body so she was straddling him. Scully reached down to unbutton Mulder's pants, but he stopped her. "We're back," he whispered in her ear. She nodded quickly, then slid off his lap, seating herself on the sofa beside him. Mulder reached over to grab Scully's hand, then kissed it lightly. "Scully, for real this time, will you be my wife?" "Yes, yes I will. I already am in so many ways, and I love you so very much." "I love you too, Scully. I don't think I will ever get tired of saying that. I don't think I ever could. I love you." "Well, I don't think I'll get tired of hearing it Mulder. Now, let's get dressed. I want to make our first time special, not that every time won't be special, *hasn't* been special. It's just --" "I know exactly what you mean. I wish I could give you the same thing you're giving me. I wish I hadn't --" "'Ours.' I like that word." "Yeah, it's pretty nice," Scully laughed. "C'mon, get up." "Sure Scully, but what in the world are you going to wear?" Mulder asked wickedly. Scully thought for a moment, realized she had no clothes at Mulder's place, and decided on her best course of action. "Well then, I'll just have to wear something of yours then, won't I?" Mulder was positive Scully was trying to kill him with desire. He wondered fleetingly if she would be offended by him jerking off in her presence, but then dismisse d the idea as Scully breezed past him into the bedroom and pulled out a white button down shirt, pulling it on and buttoning it up, but leaving the top few undone. Of course, it was really all that would fit her of Mulder's, but that was okay. He could get some o f her things later on. Scully wandered back into the living room and looked around for Mulder, who was evidently in the kitchen, judging from the noise coming from that direction She plopped down on the couch and turned on his television, flipping through the channels. Suddenly, she stopped cold on a news station. "Mulder, get in here!" she called into the kitchen. "What is it?" "Mulder, it's Sunday. The time we spent in -- wherever it was -- it passed here too. What if my mother called my place?" Mulder wandered into the living room to join her. "Scully, calm down sweetheart. It's no big deal. We'll be fine. I'm sure your mom isn't too worried. We're always gone on cases anyway. Didn't you expect this?" "No, no I didn't. I guess I thought it would be just like a dream or something. I'm sorry, it just shocked me at first. I wasn't expecting it. Guess I just got a little carried away," Scully laughed, then let herself be enfolded in Mulder's arms. She pulled up for a moment, staring at him lazily. "You called me sweetheart." "Yeah. I won't if you don't want me to. It just seemed appropriate, you being both sweet and owning my heart." *** Later, after Mulder had gotten clothing for Scully from her apartment, the two decided to test their mental abilities and see just how far they would reach and what they would affect. After a bit of testing, they were able to ascertain that not much was done alone, but together they could move small objects around the room through telekinesis. Mulder had tried to move a little paperweight on his own, and failing to do so, he enlisted Scully's help. "Scully, help me move this paperweight on my desk." "Huh? How?" "I don't know, just sort of will it to move, and see if we can do it. I tried on my own, but I think that it will only work if we do it together." "No, I mean how do I will it? Before I've always affected things in my min d only, and this is something out of my mind that I'll be trying to move. That is, it isn't a picture in my mind, it's something real, in the room." "Here, just get a link with my mind and then follow my lead. It'll be easy , you'll see. Just like creating clothes on each other." she replied, skeptically. It took a few moments to get oriented on the object, but once they did, the result was immediate. The little gray "moon rock" jumped in the air and flew over to settle on Scully's knee. She jumped backwards and the object fell to the floor. "Mulder, what just happened? I thought your paperweight flew over and sat on my knee, but I think I may be having hallucinatory visions." "Well, if it was, we're both crazy. I saw it too. Do you realize what thi s is Scully? We're beginning to use the so-called 'God' portions of our brains, like Gibson Praise was able to do, although on an admittedly smaller level. We're living proof of telekinesis and clairvoyance. No tricks whatsoever. This means that the majority of so-called 'hoaxes' in the past may not have been. Hoaxes that is. They may have been something like this, just a person or people with special abilities." Scully shook her head slowly. "I don't know Mulder, this is all a little hard for me to digest. It's not something I've ever...accepted before. It's just...can w e stop, just for now? I do want to find out more about all this, but I -- I'd like to take it a little slower, okay? I made me really...um...tired too, like I've just been out running or something." "Okay. I think it made us tired because we aren't used to it yet. Let's go to bed. I just want to hold you tonight, more than anything." "Mmm, good idea. Only one problem, though, no bed to be seen. I don't kno w about you, but I really don't feel like sleeping on this sofa tonight." "No problem at all, my dear Agent Scully. We just think ourselves back to your place, where there is a very nice and acceptable bed, in case you hadn't noticed. Very beautiful in fact. Perfect." Scully yawned. "I think I've just been taken, but I'm tired and I don't feel like driving. Let's go for it, but first change your clothes into whatever you're wearing to bed, which admittedly shouldn't be much, but at least get some clean clothing for tomorrow morning, so we don't run into the same problem as this morning. I may look nice in your clothes, but you won't look half as good in my underwear as I do. I'm rambling. Go change before I really lose it." Mulder gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and ran into his bedroom to grab a change of clothes. He returned not two minutes later, gym bag in hand. Grabbing Scully's hand, Mulder imagined himself in Scully's apartment, and found that she was there too, waiting for him. Mulder said ruefully. Scully replied in a similar tone. It took a minute of fierce concentration, but pretty soon the two were standing in Scully's apartment, still holding hands. Scully yawned widely and so Mulder lifted her up into his tanned arms and carried her into the bedroom, laying her down on the bed an d pulling down the covers to slide in beside her. Mulder gathered Scully into his arms again, kissed her forehead, and promptly fell asleep, a deeper sleep than he could remember, a sleep un-plagued by the nightmares that usually kept him awake. *** "Hello, Mom?" "Yes, dear. What is it Dana? Nothing's wrong, is it? You sound a little apprehensive. You aren't sick? Fox is okay?" Scully laughed at her mother's worry, but it made her a little sad, that he r mom thought something was wrong whenever she called. "No, everything's great. We're both the best we've been in a long time, in fact. I was just wondering if I could come over later today. There's something important I need to talk to you about, and I'd like to do it in person instead of over the phone." "Certainly, Dana. I'll see you around three, okay?" "That's good, I'll see you then." *** Chapter Five -- "Change the World" *** If I could change the world I would be the sunlight in your universe You would think my love was really something good Baby if I could change the world --Eric Clapton "Change the World " *** They arrived a little early at her house and Scully rang the doorbell hesitantly. Her mother answered the door with a smile. "Oh, Fox, I didn't know you were coming. It's nice to see you again so soon. Come on in you two." The two entered Maggie's house a little nervously; it wasn't that they thought she would protest to their relationship, it was just a somewhat awkward situation, although not as awkward as it would be telling Skinner, and the Lone Gunmen. "Mom," Scully began, "Mulder and I have -- have -- well, we've decided to get married." Maggie smiled warmly, first enfolding her daughter in her arms, then Mulder. She wiped a few tears from her eyes. "Congratulations. I couldn't be happier for you both. I knew you'd figure it our eventually. When's the wedding?" "Uh, figure what out Mrs. Scully?" "Mom." "Mom," Mulder repeated, smiling, getting used to the new name. "Mom, what did we figure out?" "That you're in love. It didn't take a genius to know that you loved Dana from the moment you met her, and the feelings were evident in her also. We were wondering when you'd ever realize it yourselves. I know Bill has been sharp with you in the past Fox, but I hope you know it was only because he wanted to protect his littl e sister. He -- he'd always thought any man who loved Dana was never good enough for her, but you *are* Fox, no one could love her more." *** It wasn't long before Mulder brought up the subject of psychic abilities again. He knew that it made Scully a little uncomfortable, but at the same time thought that it was important to discuss. Tentatively, he began, "Scully, I've been thinking." "I hadn't noticed." "Very funny. Anyway, if we can use this ... 'power' of ours to control little flying paperweights and make new clothes, why aren't we using them to do something bigger? As in overthrowing the conspiracy?" "Mulder, you know we can't do that. It takes a lot of energy just to do simple telekinesis. There's no way we could really muddle their plans badly enough to make it worthwhile. I would love for us to be able to do that...but I just don't think it's possible." "Scully, think about how crazy the conspiracy's plans are. Take getting yo u infected and to Antarctica. The whole plot depended on so many factors -- and many were unlikely at best. They were betting that you would decide to chase after me, that we'd run into those three kids and that we would pick the correct road of three. They were taking the chance that we would see that train and follow it, and that you would get a bee stuck in your collar. Now, even if that was a special trained bee, they were still depending on the fact that you wouldn't change your clothing before coming over to my place. "They were betting that the bee would sting you at precisely the right time , and that they would be able to get their ambulance there before the real one that I had just called. Change any one of those factors and the whole thing never happens. I mean, that's a really awful plan. So if we can just make little problems for them, it stands to reason that we'll make a big difference. Of course, it will be tough to see just what we have to do beforehand, but we'll get it right eventually -- I know we will Scully." "You know Mulder, you just might be right. I'd never looked at it that way , but Cancerman and his gang isn't very intelligent! I mean, why not just kidnap me from my apartment and inject me with the stuff -- it would have saved a lot of trouble. This actually might work." *** "Hey boys, open up, I come bearing gifts," Mulder beamed. Several locks clicked open and Langly peered out the heavy door. "Mulder, Agent Scully, come on in. What's this I hear about gifts?" "Well," said Scully, "I seem to have convinced Mulder that certain things i n his possession would be of much better use in yours." "What's that?" asked Frohike, interested. He couldn't have even begun to guess what they were about to announce. Mulder handed over a heavy suitcase. "There's more where those came from i n my car, if you'll come out to help carry them in. They're some top secret surveillanc e videos, many of which you guys don't have yet. Yours to keep, totally free. Scully and I have only kept a select few." Scully reached up to punch him playfully in the arm, but he just reached down and whispered in her ear. "Just so you can see my favorites." Byers opened up the suitcase and peered inside, while the other two returne d with the other two suitcases and opened theirs. "Your porn collection? Are you sur e you want to give this up Mulder? There are some real classics in here." "Yeah, I'm sure," Mulder grinned smugly. Frohike, who had been quickly examining the contents of the three cases suddenly spoke up. "Mulder, where's "Agent Red Does D.C.?" You know that's one of my favorites." "Oh, that's one of the one's we decided to keep. You see, the lovely Agent Scully and I have decided to get married." *** Scully raced up the stairs behind him, laughing. The look on the Gunmen's faces when they heard had been priceless. Afterward, they had reacted in much the sam e manner of Maggie Scully. It seemed that everyone had known they were in love except they themselves. He tagged his apartment door and then captured her in his arms. "I win," h e whispered into her hair. Scully grabbed the keys out of his hand and unlocked the door, pulling him down for a kiss. "No, I do." Mulder stepped inside his apartment and stopped cold in his tracks. "X? You were dead. They found your body right here, by my door. Who are you?" The tall man, known only to the two agents as 'X,' rose slowly and heavily, as if he were used to a place with lower gravity. "Yes," he replied slowly. "The man yo u knew as X did die. I am not him, but I'm not here to hurt you. I was sent by the rebel cause. The black oil has enslaved many of our other people, but we remain alive only b y scarring ourselves. What you see now is a mask -- we thought it might be easier for you to see a familiar face. "In any case, our number is diminishing, as the black oil takes over more and more bodies. Let me be frank. We need your help. Although many of the human components of this dangerous liaison were killed in a fire that we planned, there are still many remaining. The time is near, and was only delayed by the aforementioned deaths. We speculate that the date is set sometime in August 2001. That means we don' t have very much time, not at all. If we're to have any hope of acting on this, we hav e to do it now, before it's too late. I don't want to see one more planet taken over by them. There are so many... "Would I be correct in assuming that you have been communicating with your minds?" Both nodded yes wordlessly. "We have been watching you. Thought is our primary means of communication, and although there are not many Terrans that can do it, we have met some. We had been watching you ever since the start, because you seemed to be in our aid and we noticed certain signs, but we couldn't really use you unless it turned out you could rendoe. That's what we call it, 'rendoe.' "Even from the beginning, we could tell that you had a mild connection, but it wasn't until recently that we noticed it as a stronger force. Almost everything w e do is by rendoe. All of the manufacturing of our masks and other disguises which we wear, such as a translator so you can understand us; many of our means of killing the enemy; much of our travel. What have you worked out on your own?" Scully spoke first. "Well, we seem to have a direct mind-to-mind connection, and are able to transport our bodies and the things we are with to other locations. We can move small objects with our minds, but only if we concentrate together, and it i s very tiring. We were able to locate a place where we had a connection as children, and g o to this place, even though it had only been in a dream previously." "Good," replied X. "We didn't know you had discovered your ground basic home, but that is certainly to your advantage. We thought we detected it in you as children, and that is why we had you partnered with one another. Even if we hadn't you probably would have ended up together in some way. A ground basic tends to draw people to each other. Strong ones are actually rather rare in people of your planet. Even many o f my species only have basic linkage, although many, like you, have a ground basic link. The most powerful, of course, are those with a general ground link. "Your particular type of link means that you can communicate absolutely wit h each other, and to a degree with others, once you've had some practice. The one s with only basic have a harder time communicating, because they don't have a ground person to work with. Still, they can develop the same basic links with everyone else , just like you could with practice. Those with a general ground are much more powerful, because they can communicate with any other general ground like you do with each other, but they aren't limited to one person. They also generally have a much easier time developing casual basic links with others. I myself have a general ground, which is why I was sent to you. I've been overseeing your case for quite some time now. "You can develop your basic skills, although it will be hard, I'm not sayin g it won't be. If you were willing to join us, we would greatly appreciate it, as you have on e of the strongest untrained ground basics we've ever seen. Terrans tend to, if the y have any links at all. We have, on the other hand, found very few general grounds from your planet, so perhaps that's why. Young Gibson is one of them and there are about three or four others around the globe with Terran origin. If you were of my species, you would likely be general grounds. But a ground basic link is still very, very strong, especially yours. In addition, your human bodies are better suited for this planet than ours. What do you say?" Mulder glanced at Scully. "We'll do it." Scully confirmed out loud for X. "How will we get the necessary training?" "We have created masks of you two to work at your jobs for a few weeks, if you are still willing, and thus you can be free to come to our main base and get some basic training. Of course, we can't fit all the learning of a lifetime into a few weeks, bu t you have completed much of it just by the strong bond you already share. You'll wan t to notify any family members or friends ahead of time, so they won't encounter your doubles. You can talk to the doubles beforehand, to let them know anything they need. The doubles we have selected are highly trained ground basics who share your basic body descriptions. Once their disguises are in place, they will be literally indistinguishable from you, unless put under direct and heavy questioning from someone who knows you well, lik e a parent. "These doubles will perform your duties at the office, not taking on terribly important cases. In fact, we have some cases set up for them to 'solve' out of town, with our own people. Meanwhile, the two of you will come to our base, which is in a virtually unpopulated area of South America. We have a program set up especially for those of your planet, which has worked extremely well in the past. After a few weeks, you will be able to return to your jobs, which is where we feel you will be able to hav e the most impact, although that is certainly up to debate if you disagree. "I can't really tell you much about the training, not because it isn't allowed, just because it's sort of something you have to experience. Don't worry, it isn't too bad. Soon you will be able to do everything you only dreamed of doing before. "Can you both be at the airport at noon tomorrow? Your doubles will meet you here early tomorrow morning to give you tickets and disguises. You will also receive any last minute information then and can tell them any important things they may nee d to know. Is this all satisfactory?" "Yes," murmured Mulder. "Can you--is there any way you could give me information about Samantha, my sister? She's..." "I don't have any information on her myself, but you may be able to get mor e information once you get to the base." The three made hasty good-byes and then Mulder and Scully were alone. "Wow," whispered Scully, sinking to a squat on the floor. "Double wow," Mulder whispered back, probably more shocked at this than at anything else he had seen over the years. Anything else, and that was saying a lot in his line of work. He slid down to sit next to her on the floor. Mulder grabbed Scully's shaking hands in his own and touched her forehead with his. "You were amazing through all that Scully. So calm, unwavering. I don't think I could have done it alone." She laughed weakly. "Of course not. That's why it depends on both of us, y'know. Mulder, what are we gonna do? Can we really do this? Really?" "Yes we can Scully. We will do this, I know we can. We're strong -- we've been through worse before. This is just...a training course. Don't worry, it'll probably be almost as ridiculous as building towers out of office furniture -- only we don't get to use hands." Scully laughed quietly. "That'll be the day. Mulder, I'm not exactly afraid of this little side trip, just -- apprehensive, you know. That something will happen and we'll never get to have any more time together. I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you. Make love to me tonight Mulder. Make this all okay. Make us able to do this, please." "Okay Scully...are you sure? We don't have to do this because of this trip. I only want us to do it if you're absolutely sure and ready." "Yes, but only if you are. I really want to do this now, but not if you want to wait. I love you and I trust you, so I think this can only be good for us." Mulder didn't say anything else, just tilted his head a little so their lip s met in a gentle caress. He slid his hands down her shoulders, pulling at the collar of her tee shirt a little. Scully responded in kind, slipping her fingers under the hem of his shirt and peeling it off his chest. Their lips returned to each other after her shirt was removed too. Mulder reached behind Scully's back and fumbled with the clasp, failing to undo it. She reached back to help him, easily unhooking the bra and drawing it off. Mulder stared at her a moment, until he realized she was blushing furiously. Scully laughed, reaching down to undo the button on his jeans. She slipped the zipper down slowly, notch by notch, until she could pull th e pants off. Mulder stood to help her, then she slipped out of her own pants. Both discarded their underwear and mutually decided to continue the party in the bedroom. Unfortunately, they had also forgotten about the lack of bed. "No," Scully groaned. "Thi s is absolutely *not* fair." Mulder's mind nudged hers. Pretty soon, they found themselves in Scully's bedroom, holding hands. Scully fell onto the bed with a sigh, and Mulder beside her. He reached over her and rolled Scully on top of him, kissing her hard. Scully gave a little squeal, then settled in the rhythm of his hips pushing insistently against hers. Quite suddenly, Mulder flipped her over, and kissed his way down the center of her torso. She realized what he was about to do and almost stopped him -- but this was Mulder after all, it would be okay. Much bette r than okay, in fact. Mulder parted her lips with two fingers and greedily kissed her clitoris. Scully threw back her head and moaned -- this was like nothing that she had ever felt before, nothing she had been able to bring herself to alone. Mulder continued his assault, licking his way down and over her. He experimentally pushed his tongue into her, then returned to her clit. She tasted so good. Scully was writhing beneath him and when he raised his head to look at her he almost came himself. "Mulder -- Mulder, why did you stop?" "Because I want to be inside you when you come." "Mulder, you know -- I might not be able to...I've never done this before. So don't feel bad if, you know, I can't." Mulder nodded and his eyes asked if she was ready. She was, and he slowly pushed his way into her. She cried out softly, pressing her cheek into the pillow. H e almost pulled out, not wanting to hurt her, even for this, but something stopped him. It was Scully, he knew. She didn't want him to stop, so he didn't. He felt her barrier beneath him, and ever so slowly and gently broke it. Their last wall crumbled and both finally felt at home. Mulder pulled out almost all the way and then pushed back in. "Does this hurt too much? Do you want to stop?" he questioned her. "No. It hurts, but it feels good too. More good than bad, I think. Keep moving, don't stop." He did, and the feeling of being inside her was soon too much. Mulder came , earth- shatteringly, and Scully fell along right behind him, perhaps not as intensely, but just as far. He rolled off her, pulled out, and held her in his arms for a moment. "Wow," he repeated he words from earlier. "Double wow," she laughed back at him. "You okay Scully? You don't need anything more do you?" "No, that was absolutely perfect for me too. A shower would be nice though Want to join me?" "Tomorrow." *** Much too early the next morning the alarm clock rang, pulling the partners from a deep sleep. Scully dragged herself out of bed and then shook Mulder, trying to wake him also. "Mmph," he grunted, tired out from the previous night's activities. Mulder slowly sat up, pulling Scully to him. "Yes, but we still have to get up. You don't want me to have to take a shower without you now, do you? And we have to get back to your place anyway." "You mean I get to take a shower with you?" "If you get up..." Mulder groaned and stood up. It wasn't fair, blackmailing him like that. *** Chapter Six -- "Magic" *** Come take my hand You should know me I've always been in your mind You know I will be kind I'll be guiding you You see your dream Has to start now There's no other road to take You won't make a mistake I'll be guiding you --Olivia Newton-John "Magic" *** The knock came at five to nine, and Scully jumped up from her nervous place on the sofa. She strode over to the door, Mulder at her back, and took a deep breath before opening it. "Hello," said the two outside. The male peeled off his mask and set it down on the coffee table as he came inside. The woman introduced herself after taking off her own mask. "I'm Renadfla, and this is my ground basic Herniol. Please excuse our faces. The scars are not permanent, and are only here to protect our safety. The masks are not noticeable when worn anyway, so it's no problem. The only problem occurs when the masks are ripped off without preparation. Then some damage may happen to the mask, causing it to appear as if it is bleeding, but otherwise the disguises are foolproof. You two are to wear these when you leave, so it doesn't look suspicious." She handed Scully the mask she had been wearing and Herniol gave Mulder his. Renadfla pulled two more masks from her purse, one whose face looked like Scully, the other a dead-ringer for Mulder. She pressed the edge of the Scully mask to her face and in a moment the transformation was complete. Her hair was exactly the shade of Scully's and her features identical too. Herniol did the same with his mask, and then proceeded to pull clothing like that he and Renadfla were wearing out of his briefcase. He handed them to Mulder and instructed the two to go change. "The masks are very easy to apply," he concluded. "Just press it to your face and imagine it bonding." Mulder and Scully went back into the bedroom and stripped off their shirts and jeans, putting on the clothes Herniol had given them. Scully had a pale green sundress and Mulder a gray silk dress shirt and black pants. Scully was first to try her mask. She pressed it to her face as she had seen Renadfla do and thought of it bonding. Mulder reached down to touch her cheek and asked, "God, is that you Scully?" Scully stared up at him with short blond hair in a stylish cut, and after a moment he looked back down with jet-black hair and almond shaped eyes. They took a deep breath, grasped hands and headed back out to the living room. Renadfla and Herniol handed them airplane tickets and quickly said goodbye as Mulder and Scully hurried to catch their flight. After a short taxi ride to the airport, 'Luke and Laura Spencer' boarded a plane for Texas, where they would take a private jet to the base. The hours passed uneventfully. Mulder had always enjoyed flying, but Scully was generally the opposite. Flying terrified her, although she had learned to mask the fear well years ago. The flight was better, though, because she didn't have to. Perhaps the fear would have vanished long before if she had been able to do this then, but she had not. It was refreshing to be able to show her vulnerability without fear of hurt. She trusted Mulder with her feelings in a way she had not been able to before and with his gentle hand holding hers, she found that airplanes were, as statistics stated, much safer than cars. In Austin, the two walked out of the airport into sultry ninety-nine-degree weather. They rented a Ford and drove half an hour to the airport of a small town, finding their plane with ease. The pilot introduced himself as Keith Wetherbys and seemed very friendly. Once the plane was off the ground, he informed them that he was also with the rebel cause, and although he had just a basic link, what he had was rather strong for what it was. Soon, the jet touched down on the runway in South America. Keith had informed them that the base made use of a fairly recently discovered technology which made it invisible. The rebels were fairly certain that no one else had the technology yet, which left hem with an even greater advantage. Discouraging beams distracted the unwary traveler from the area, and so the base was almost completely safe from attack. Because traitors were easy to spot because of the mind links, spies were literally non-existent. 'X' ran up to greet them almost immediately. "Greetings," he called out loudly, waving. He brought with him two small devices for translating purposes, which would allow Mulder and Scully to communicate with those who did not speak English. After the devices were slipped comfortably into their ears, they removed their masks carefully, being sure not to rip them and extended them to 'X.' "No, you can keep those. If you're ever in trouble, they may be just what you two need. By the way, you can call me Grehnel, which is my real name. Let me show you to your room; I hope you'll find it comfortable. You'll meet your guides tomorrow morning. I'm well, sort of like their supervisor, and I have to tell you, they're some of the best ground basics we've got. For this evening, what left of it there is, you can just explore a little, although we would ask that you stay around your rooms until you get more experienced with the area. In your rooms you will find location devices which you can use to lead you around to various areas and find your way back if you get lost. "If you have a problem, just let someone know, they'll be happy to help out." As he spoke, Grehnel walked briskly, leading Mulder and Scully quickly down the myriad of passages to their room. They soon reached the door, marked with the number 1121, and stepped inside, waving goodbye to Grehnel. Scully and Mulder dropped their bags tiredly and Mulder laughed. "This is shocking -- I'm talking to people other than you and they aren't treating me like I'm either crazy or the scum of the Earth. It's a rather new experience, you know." Scully laughed with him, and they both found the location devices, which looked much like rather large watches, with extremely clear displays. Mulder put his on and flipped up the cover. "How do I get this thing to work?" he asked out loud. Instantly his device printed out words on it's small screen. >Just ask me for what you want. You can think it too, if you do it clearly enough. Proper training must be acquired before it is possible for mind control to succeed, however.< Mulder turned to Scully and told her how the locator worked, finding that she had already discovered it herself. Mulder's stomach grumbled and he decided that would have to be the first order of business. He hadn't eaten on the plane because he couldn't stand airline food. Maybe that was part of the conspiracy's plot also. "How do we get food around here?" he asked his locator. >Take a right outside the door and then a left.< The two walked out, hand in hand. It was the first time they had really been able to publicly display their relationship, as they were always concerned about their enemies discovering it, if they weren't already aware, and they intended to enjoy it for all it was worth. After the two turns, they walked a short distance and then came to an open area where people were eating. Around the open areas were what looked like small metal booths with different signs over them. They walked over to one, although they weren't quite certain if it was the correct one, and Mulder spoke up. "Um, is this the right place for food?" "A few short questions first," the booth responded, recognizing their language as English. "First, what is your planet of origin?" Mulder told it and it asked of them their names and status. They told it that they were ground basics there for training, correctly assuming that that was what it meant. "Thank you. You have been logged into the food computers. From now on simply state your names for service. Please notify of status changes. What would you like to eat? We have most Terran foods available." "Uh, I think I'll just have a cheeseburger and fries," Mulder replied, opting to stick with something safe. "I'm sorry, but as per the Garnanian Treaty of 1364, animals are not to be killed for food unless necessary for dietary purposes in areas occupied by the UL. Might I offer you a soy or vegetable burger. I think you'll find the item quite tasty and the texture is similar to the item you requested." Mulder pouted. "Sure, I guess that'll have to do. Vegetable." Scully laughed at him and asked for the same thing. In moments a tray slid out onto the counter of the booth with the items they had requested, plus two glasses of water to drink. Dinner pleasantly surprised Mulder, and soon the two had finished and were ready to do something else. Scully asked her location device what there was for entertainment at night and they were informed about a concert going on that very evening. Soon they reached the area where it was being held and enjoyed themselves very much. The music, performed in a language that neither had heard before yet could understand because of their translators, was strangely beautiful, like nothing either had ever heard before. After the concert, the two agents returned to their room for the night, changing into comfortable nightclothes and falling asleep in each other's arms. *** The next morning they woke early, grabbed some breakfast in the open area, and returned to their room to wait for their guides. Within fifteen minutes, the two had arrived, and knocked loudly on the door. "Hello, I'm Dahline," the woman said, smiling widely. "This is my ground basic, Chreem. We'll be your guides for your stay here. There's a room where we'd like to begin if you'll come right this way." Chreem led the way down the thin hallway to a small, comfortable room with two sofas facing one another. The four seated themselves and he began. "The Universal League has been working for years to overcome the black oil. It seems that only two types of sentient life forms are capable of developing here in this universe. We don't know why this is, only that we have only come across these types. "First are much like you and I. This type of creature has two arms and legs, eyes and mouth, etc, although the skin tone and specific shapes may differ. There are usually three to six fingers and toes, and in all, the figures are quite similar. Included in this category would be what you call 'Reticulans' or 'grays.' This humanoid type of being has the possibility to develop mind control with others, but this generally only occurs in certain individuals, and is more wide spread in some species than others. We have never found a group in which there is no mind power at all, but many are not aware of the rendoe they possess. Ground basics will always make the best marriages, and general grounds, if there are any to be found in that species, will generally make the best leaders." "The second type is the black oil," Dahline continued. "These beings seem to have originated from only one planet and they are generally hostile. They work towards universal domination and slavery. This species shares a collective consciousness, as if they were one being, and so they are often referred to as singular. What makes them so dangerous is the fact that they can completely take over the mind of an unsuspecting humanoid. This is why most of the grays you see have black eyes -- their minds have been enslaved and the black oil sees through their eyes. In others, this 'black eye' is sometimes only seen in certain instances, but it always occurs at some point during the enslavement. "We will help you put up blocks in your mind to protect you from the black oil, which is almost one hundred percent effective. One of our advantages is that once enslaved, a humanoid loses their rendoe powers and becomes part of the collective consciousness. While this method of mind control is effective in some ways, it cannot affect matter in the way rendoe can, so the black oil is limited in resources and space travel. Still, the power they hold is great." Mulder reeled at this deluge of information, grabbing Scully's hand beside him. She turned to them and, skeptical as always, asked, "I'm sorry, what you say sounds reasonable, I suppose, but do you have any sort of scientific proof I can look at? I believe this rendoe thing, but the rest...it just isn't--" "Scully!" Mulder almost shouted. "How can you say that? After all that's happened you mean to tell me you don't believe them?" "I didn't say that Mulder. I just want -- no I *need* to be able to quantify this with science. Don't you know that about me yet?" Chreem interjected quickly. "We get this response a lot. Don't worry about it. Soon you will be able to see for yourself that we are telling you the truth as far as we know it. You can also go down to the library in your spare time to look at some research if you'd like. "I'd like to begin with a small test to see where your current skills lie. Scully, why don't you go with Dahline and I'll take Mulder. Don't worry, you can keep the link in your mind up the whole time." Chreem led Mulder to a small room off to the side, while Dahline took Scully to a similar room. "Now, Mulder," Chreem said, "I'm going to show you these cards and I want you to try to give the images to your partner. I realize that you've probably done something like this before, but this is just a preliminary test. Here is the first one." He handed Mulder the top card, on which was a polar bear. In the other room, Scully selected the correct card from a computer display. After a few times, Dahline explained to Scully what the next part of the experiment would be. "Now, once you get the image from Mulder, I want the two of you to try to construct an identical card in this room, right there on the table." "Wait a minute," Scully replied, shaking her head. That isn't possible. Matter can't just create itself. That won't -- " "Matter isn't creating itself," Dahline assured her. "The needed molecules are right there in the air, you're just moving them around and reconstructing them. Sometimes taking some from somewhere else if need be, but not really creating. Later, we'll go over changing energy into matter, but for now this is enough. You may even have experienced this in your ground basic home, as these things tend to be easier there. Many people have trouble realizing that anything you can do there, you can do here." Scully nodded and received the image of a marigold from Mulder. He smiled at her and they worked at creating a card with the picture on it. First they came up with an almost square card with some wavy flowers on it, but after a few moments, the image solidified and angles squared to create a perfect duplicate of Mulder's card. "Now Scully, join your ground basic and mine back in our main room." Scully started to get up but Dahline shook her head and Scully realized what she wanted her to do. She realized that Mulder was trying to get her attention and soon they found themselves seated on the sofa once more. Chreem spoke first. "So, that was mostly pretty new for you guys, huh?" "Yeah," Mulder laughed, Scully nodding in agreement. "So what's next on the agenda for today?" "Well, you guys should probably work on this some more on your own, maybe back in your room if you like, or here. One thing you'll need to work on is keeping a constant conscious link with one another. I never realized this until we started teaching. Ever since we were children, Chreem and I have been together and our link is so much of a habit that we don't even think about it anymore. For you, though, you'll have to be constantly checking up to make certain that it is there. Never be unaware of how the other is feeling. Become used to having them there in your mind. Only when this link is cemented will you truly be able to move into the higher levels," Dahline answered. *** Over the next few days, Scully and Mulder did cement their link, while also learning new skills. At first, Scully thought it would be intrusive to have him with her constantly, even when they were bodily apart, but as it turned out, it didn't bother either of them a bit. She had never known this feeling before, and she recalled Mulder's words the past summer that she made him a whole person. They did complete one another, and in the few times when they accidentally lost their link, Scully had felt lacking, injured. If someone had told her as a medical student or in her early days with the Bureau that she would ever depend on anyone like this, she would have laughed at them, but now she knew it wasn't a weakness, it was a strength. Their love was strong enough to bond them together in a way that nothing could break. On the fifth day at the base, Dahline informed them that they were ready for the next part of their training, a basic link. "This is usually one of the first links learned in early childhood, and is easier formed before a strong ground basic is developed. You'll probably never have as much success with is as someone raised in our culture does, but you can compensate with your especially strong ground basic. This link is the kind that most of the general populace of many of the planets has. "The object is just a loose, information gathering link. You'll never use a basic link to manipulate matter or transport yourself. This link is just for instances like warning of danger or obtaining information. For example, I might happen to lose my way in the halls with Chreem and we might contact someone who was where we wished to go for directions. "I'd like for you two to attempt to contact us and find out what, oh, our planet of origin is. Just relax and concentrate. Think back to the first time you established a conscious link and try for that feeling." Mulder and Scully reached out, feeling nothing but a faint glimmer of what the felt might be what they were looking for. They were about to give up and admit defeat when they broke through and got the information they were looking for. Dahline and Chreem felt it too, and smiled. "Gardeniu," Scully said softly. "That's correct, isn't it?" "Yes, it is." Chreem replied. "You two seem to have accomplished this very quickly, I must congratulate you. We can work more on this later; it's time for lunch. You might try operating your locators with rendoe; the process is very similar. If you can't get the hang of it, we'll help you out with that too." "Thanks," said Mulder, leading Scully out to the open food area for their midday meal. He was starting to get sleepy; the strain from the rendoe was finally getting to him. He felt that Scully was the same way and before they parted they asked if they might have the afternoon off, which Chreem and Dahline readily agreed to. Over-exhaustion would be much worse than a few wasted hours, and they knew that Mulder and Scully would be likely to work on the skills at least a little during the afternoon. *** They were in their room an hour later, deciding what to do with the free afternoon. Scully teased, unbuttoning his dress shirt and waiting as he shrugged it off. He took off his undershirt and pants, and then Scully pulled down his boxers, eagerly taking him in her hand and stroking gently. She ran her fingers lightly up and down his penis, teasing. Gently, she kneeled down to kiss it, then ran her tongue up and down him, slowly and then faster. Mulder groaned loudly and Scully continued. After a moment, she pulled Mulder over to the bad and had him lay down, sitting on her knees between his thighs. She reached below to cup his balls, finally taking him completely into her mouth. Mulder was almost there when she suddenly lifted her head, looking up at his face. Mulder's eyes scrunched up and he let out a little breath. "Please," he groaned. She laughed, "Open your eyes, look at me." He did, and in moments he exploded into her. He pulled Scully up beside him, kissing her deeply, and tasting himself on her lips. Scully smiled. *** "Mulder, Scully, congratulations. You've completed your training. Of course, there is always more to learn and do, even for the most accomplished of general grounds. There's a little ceremony tomorrow for the graduating pairs, if you'd like to come, although it isn't necessary to attend. Chreem and I would like to leave you with just this: ask questions and you will receive answers. If you ever need anything, we'll be here, or you can just ask the neared general ground. Keep up the good work; you won't regret it. Is there anything else?" "There is one thing," Scully began. "Mulder's sister was abducted when she was a little girl. He's been searching for her ever since and we just wondered if maybe -- " "Oh yes, we were informed about that. I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but the black oil has enslaved her. Please understand that it isn't that she's become a bad person. Her body is being used as a vehicle for the oil. It's all the more reason to fight, because if we can kill the black oil, she'll be freed." "Thank you," Mulder replied. "I guess there's one more thing too. Scully was -- experimented upon by the black oil's slaves, and it has had some bed effects on her. She is in remission from her cancer, but only because one of their chips is in her neck. And it also left her barren. Is there anything you can do for her, anything at all? We'd give anything -- we were just discussing it last night. We're not ready for children yet, but we definitely want them sometime, if possible. Do you have anyone who could help?" "Yes we do," replied Chreem. "Some of the general grounds and ground basic pairs are trained specially in healing. Let me check on it and I'll write down the address of their nearest office. Here you go," he continued, having quickly scribbled down the address he'd just received. *** Chapter Seven -- "Nothing's Gonna Stop Us" *** And we can build this thing together Stand this stormy weather Nothing's gonna stop us now And if this world runs out of lovers We'll still have each other Nothing's gonna stop us, Nothing's gonna stop us now -- Jefferson Starship "Nothing's Gonna Sttop Us" *** Mulder and Scully thanked Dahline and Chreem, and were on their way home the next day after the ceremony, which was just as Dahline had described it -- small and simple. Renadfla and Herniol, who had to leave quickly but informed them that the week had gone spectacularly, warmly welcomed the two partners home. Skinner had never suspected a thing, and they had solved the two "cases" that had been set up. Mulder and Scully scheduled an appointment with a nearby general ground healer. Scully was, of course, a little skeptical at first. Garnintel actually advertised himself as a Reiki Master, but assured them on the phone that that wasn't all he could do. They set up an appointment for the following Sunday, so that Skinner wouldn't be suspicious about time off. "Reiki can actually be helpful even to those without rendoe, of those untrained in it, but it is especially helpful to those with strong links. Reiki is basically a healing without touch, which is what rendoe healing is, although the two are significantly different. What do you need help with?" "I had cancer, and while it's in remission, I still have a chip in my neck controlling it. We think that this chip is the only thing keeping me alive, but we're also afraid that it could control me mentally. Additionally, something was done to me that left me infertile, and we'd like to be able to have children." "Okay, come right over here to this bed and lie down. It will take perhaps thirty minutes. Sir, you can wait outside if you like, but the procedure isn't painful, and she'll be pretty much unconscious the whole time. Your energy may help, though, if you'd like to stay with her." "I'll stay here," Mulder agreed. Garnintel positioned his hands above Scully's abdomen and closed his eyes. Scully closed hers and felt a tingling spread throughout her body, and a warmth in her stomach and the back of her neck. She opened her eyes at the touch of Mulder's hand on her shoulder, and asked, "It's over? But that wasn't half an hour." Garnintel nodded. "Yes, many times people report missing time. It's nothing to worry about, you'll be fine. There may be a little cramping in your stomach and neck, but nothing serious and it should disappear completely in a couple of days. If you have any problems just ring me up again." Mulder thanked him and pulled out his wallet. "What do we owe you?" "Nothing. We don't really have a use for your money, and wouldn't take it if we did. There's no greater joy for me than to know I've helped someone." Mulder was about to protest, but Scully just put out her hand and smiled. "Thank you so much. This means everything to us." "I know." *** Scully and Mulder arrived back at her apartment about fifteen minutes later. He grabbed her roughly after they had closed the door and just held her for a minute. *** Mulder led a laughing Scully across the grass, falling in a heap over her. He rolled over so she was on top, then kissed her soundly. She put her hands on either side of his head and pushed up, racing off toward the house. "Wait," he called out. "I'm not going anywhere, Mulder. Are you coming?" "Okay, but why are we going inside?" "I've got a proposition. I do want to make love to you, you know that. We just need...special circumstances this time. Don't want to get boring after all." "You'll never get boring Scully," Mulder replied automatically. "What do you have in mind?" "Make love to me like our first time. Like the first time when I was sixteen. Hold me like that." "Okay Scully," Mulder considered. "I'll see you up in your room in ten minutes." Scully jogged up to her room and pulled off her clothes, putting on the outfit she had been wearing, jeans and a pink tee shirt. She sat down on the bed with her book, pretending to read. "Dana?" "Fox. Hi, come on in." He walked in slowly, leaning down to plant a light kiss on her lips, catching his teeth on her lower lip, raking them gently over it. Dana moaned softly. "Fox, was there something you wanted?" "Yes, I...God Dana, you're so beautiful." She looked down and blushed slightly. She had never taken compliments well back then. "Can I touch you?" "I--if you want to you could. I wouldn't mind...I mean, I'd like that. A lot, I think." "Really Dana? Do you want me to touch you? Are you sure?" "Yes, of course I'm sure. You know I love you Fox." "I know. I love you too." Fox leaned down to kiss her again, cupping her right breast gently in his fingers. He ran his thumb slowly back and forth over her nipple, and she tilted her head back to get better access to his mouth. Fox kissed his way down her neck, and Dana moaned again, louder this time. "This okay?" he asked. "I've never done it before so I don't..." "It's perfect. Where do you want me to touch you?" "Anywhere. Everywhere." She grazed a hand down the front of his chest, grabbing the bottom of his tee shirt and pulling it up off his head. He reached down and did the same with hers, his eyes asking if it was okay before carefully reaching behind and unhooking her bra. He drew it off her slowly, savoring each moment, engraining them in his memory for future reference. Fox slowly lowered his head and placed a clumsy kiss on her right breast, then took a nipple is his mouth and began to suck lightly. After a moment, she whispered softly, "Harder Fox, please." He increased the suction, and she reached down and squeezed him lightly. Dana unbuttoned his pants quickly, and he struggled with her jeans. She reached down and unzipped them herself, pulling them off and tossing them to the side of the bed. Fox reached down and, almost reverently, pulled off her panties, pushing one slender finger slowly into her wetness. They both groaned and Dana tipped her head back a bit, allowing him access to her neck, which he eagerly took advantage of, kissing her tenderly there. Fox began to move his finger in and out of her, then added another. Dana reached in his boxers and stroked him gently. "You want this?" he asked softly. "I need this." He pulled off his underwear and Dana gently unrolled a condom onto him. They both smiled, overjoyed that this was something they had to do now. He gently slipped inside. Fox almost expected it to hurt her a little, like it had that first time, but he slid in easily, filling her. He began to stroke in and out slowly and then faster, as they both approached their climax. Fox slipped a hand between them and squeezed her clitoris gently. Dana shuddered and she toppled over the edge, then Fox's orgasm was triggered by hers. He collapsed on top of her, kissing her gently before slipping out and curling up beside her to sleep. *** It was still a little hard for Mulder to believe. After all the years of yearning, loving, needing, she was finally his. He often felt possessive early in the morning like this. When she was awake, he could see them as partners again, but when he was just watching her sleep, her hair tickling his nose with each breath, her lips red and full, her eyes closed, her face calm...she was simply his and he was hers. Nothing complicated. Nothing wrong. Just perfection, just them. Scully's eyelids fluttered and she turned over to face him. "Hey babe, what time is it?" "I don't know. Last night was -- wow." "Yeah. Love you." "Love you too," Mulder replied. Scully lifted her hand and stared at her watch, her mouth open. "Mulder, it's ten o'clock." He looked at her blankly. "Monday. Ten o'clock. Office. Are you getting any of this?" "Yeah," Mulder muttered. "Late again." His face brightened. "Or maybe not..." "Mulder, how..." "What if we could use the rendoe to sort of turn back time. You know, go back to your apartment circa seven o'clock this morning. I know you told me time is a universal invariant once, but we both know that isn't true, at least not anymore. You ought to know best, having written your thesis on Einstein. Time is relative, and maybe going from this world to that, we can go back a couple of hours." "Well, we might as well try it," Scully sighed. "I don't think I could stand a lecture from Skinner on our first day back. They tried for Scully's apartment, seven fifteen. Scully took the first look at the clock and nodded. "The clock says seven fifteen. We ought to check the TV though, just to make sure we haven't just changed the clocks. They did, and it was, and as they did every morning, they dressed and went off to work, another oddity behind them. *** "Good job on your last case," Skinner began. "The expense report was rather odd -- in a good way I mean. I don't think you've ever claimed so few cell phones and guns Agent Mulder. Zero. This must be a brand new world record. I've got another case for you, why don't we see if we can keep this up. Amazing." Skinner shook his head, trying not to laugh. Mulder and Scully excused themselves quickly after grabbing the case file, and retreated to their basement office. Scully flipped through it on the way down. "Four students from Wapiti Senior High School have died in the past four years. Now that isn't so unusual, but the school only has about six hundred kids, and all the ones that died were in the marching band, of about fifty kids. The cause of death is odd too, in all cases. The murders are ritualistic, with satanic cultist-like markings around the bodies. The hearts have all been removed. "We're scheduled to fly up there tomorrow. It's a small town in Ohio, uh, Soleston. It says here that we can observe a band practice in the evening, then talk to the band director afterwards. That sound good to you?" "Great. It'll be nice to sink our teeth into a good old satanic cult case again. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Scully sighed deeply. "Mulder, you do realize that even with the evidence of cult activity, there is really no reason to jump to conclusions. We don't know anything about this. Let's just go up there and see what we see." *** The next evening at five to six, Mulder and Scully arrived at Wapiti Stadium in Soleston. They stood outside of a wire fence, peering over it into the football field and stands. A group of students with instruments was congregated at one side, while another girl dragged a podium over to the side of the field. Scully overheard the conversation of some of the girls who were standing nearer to them. "Hey Jen!" an older girl called over to slim girl standing on the other side of the group of teens. "Hi Laura," she replied, laughing, walking over to her. She pulled a small stuffed giraffe out of her pocket. "Look at this giraffe Evie bought for me for my birthday. Isn't it neat?" "Yeah. I love giraffes! I'm glad that the piccolos picked them as our mascot." "Me too. Hey, there's Evie now. Let's go over and say 'hi.'" Just then, a short, baldish man clapped his hands and yelled, "Okay everyone. Let's get on field, set one of 'Come Out and Play!'" The students ran onto the field with their instruments. A girl from on the podium raised her hands and yelled, "Get to attention when you get there." After a moment, everyone was silent and the band director gave instructions. "Okay, I want to do this set by set first. Now, it's fourty-eight counts to the second set. Look spirited out there people! Look like you're having fun. And for heaven's sake don't wave in time to the music, it looks kinky." The band doubled over in laughter and Mulder heard one of the girls saying, "Nightmares, nightmares. You do realize, Evie, that I'll have nightmares about this for weeks now." "I know," the other girl replied. "Not something I ever wanted to hear Mr. Hans say." Mr. Hans, the band director was desperately trying to get everyone calmed down. "Tacky, I meant to say tacky. Okay everyone, let's do this set. Percussion?" *** Two hours later, Mulder and Scully were still watching the band practice. "Don't you think it's a little rough Scully? It's really warm out and they haven't had a break in two hours!" "It isn't so bad Mulder. I was in band in high school. It's just the way they practice. It's tough, I guess, but it really isn't something that's peculiar to this particular band." "If you say so, Scully." "Actually Mulder, band was great for me. I was switching schools a lot, but I'd always be able to make new friends. The band was always very close-knit, and even when individual members didn't like each other, they'd still stand up for one another in a tough spot. It was great. "I remember in elementary school having to sit all alone at lunch, but once I got to high school, there was always a seat at the band table. To tell you the truth, I think the fact that it is a marching band may be the only thing keeping these kids together despite the deaths. If it had been any other sort of group, it probably would have been shut down long ago." "Okay, whatever. Look, they're done, or taking a break or something. Let's go talk to the director." "Mr. Hans?" Scully began. "Yes?" "Hello, I'm Dana Scully and this is my partner Fox Mulder. We're from the FBI and we're her to investigate the deaths in your band. Do you think we could ask you a few questions after practice?" "Sure, that's fine. In fact, we can talk right now. They told me you might be coming around. Uh, we can give them a little longer than usual break and then I'll call them over. That okay with you guys?" "Yes, that's good," confirmed Scully. "So, Mr. Hans, you've lost four band members, one a year, these past four years," Mulder began. "Yes, it was always right before our last football game, and that isn't too far away, just four weeks, so we're pretty worried. Some kids are even thinking about quitting band this year, although most of 'em are loyal members, you know. Were either of you two in band?" "Yes," said Scully. "I played the piccolo. Those were some of my best high school experiences. Mulder wasn't though." "That's too bad. I would have guessed you for a boner." "Excuse me?" "A trombone. That's what we call 'em, ya know." "Anyway Mr. Hans -- " "Oh, call me John." "John, uh, could you tell me a little about the dead players?" "Yeah, the first one was Nicole, she played the saxophone. She was an average player, not bad but not a genius. I don't think she was too well liked by the band, but nothing bad. The second was a trumpet, Chris. He was the section leader, and a fantastic marcher. Again though, he wasn't too popular with the others. The third was another girl, Misty. She was low brass, and she was only in band a year, but it seemed like she had a lot of friends. Then last year was the worst. Herdrick, our accordion player. He was one of the most loved band members, I have to tell you. Congenial, friendly, fantastic player." "You had an accordion player?" "Yes, he was just in the pit, didn't march or anything, but still...he also played clarinet, which is what he'd played other years, but he wanted to do accordion, and since he was a senior, I let him." "Were all the kids seniors?" "No, Misty and Nicole were both sophomores, Chris was a junior." *** Author's note: The term 'boner' in reference to trombones was very prevalent in my high school marching band. I did not make this up! Just wanted to throw it in there... *** Chapter Eight -- "Building a Mystery" *** You sleep in a church Where you sleep with voodoo dolls And you won't give up the search For the ghosts in the halls -- Sarah McLachlan "Building a Mystery" *** Warning -- This chapter includes religious material. *** "Can we speak with some of the band members later?" "Yeah, that'd be great. Who'd you like to talk to?" Scully glanced over to Mulder. "Anyone who knew any of the kids who were killed, I guess. We can set up times during school so they can get out of class for questioning, if they'd like." "I'm sure they would. I'll get 'em all over here right now." Mr. Hans replied. "Guys, break's over. Meeting over here!" App the kids slowly trickled over from their various areas, gathering around the band director. "Okay guys, these two people are agents from the FBI. They're here to talk to you about the killings. They want to interview anyone who knew Misty, Nicole, Chris, or Herdrick. They said they could do it this week during school, so you guys can miss some classes. Sound okay?" They all nodded, and Mr. Henry said that they might as well start now. He turned to Mulder and Scully and told them that they could go by section. "Laura's the piccolo section leader. I'll have her stay here so you can talk to her. Is that okay?" "Yeah, that'll be fine. Sounds good." Laura came over shortly, looking a little scared. "So Laura, you're a senior this year?" Scully asked. Laura nodded mutely and Scully continued. "Okay, we have some questions for you and I'd like you to answer them as honestly as possible. We'll ask you some questions about their character and personality too, and I'd like for you to be as truthful as you can. Don't cloud your story just because they're dead. Okay?" Laura nodded again and Mulder asked the first question. "Laura, how many of these kids did you know?" "All of them. I've been in band since eighth grade, so I knew them all. Nicole was, well, I hate to say this but..." "Laura, we need you to remember everything you can. Don't let your feelings guide this." "Nicole wasn't liked that well. Everyone was pretty nice to her face, but whenever I'd be talking to the older girls if she weren't around, they'd always talk about how annoying she was. Everyone felt real bad when she died, as if we'd caused it by hating her or something. "I didn't know Chris that well; he was a junior when I was freshman. Again though, I know him by reputation. He was sort of the joke of the band, although I think it was easier on him because he was a guy. Misty was a really good friend to me though. We were in the same grade and had pretty much gone through school together. I remember we were in a lot of the same classes and we'd always share homework and stuff. She wasn't popular in the band by any means, but people didn't have a problem with her or anything. "Herdrick was different though. It was his senior year, and I was only a year behind him so I knew him very well. Everyone loved him from the start. He was always joking around and friendly to even the eighth graders. We all laughed about his accordion, it was great. And it was very sad about Herdrick too...no one knew it, but when they did the autopsy they found out that he had cancer. He probably would have died in a few years if he hadn't been killed." "Thanks Laura. Is there any reason you can think of that anyone would have killed these kids, or anything that linked them together?" "I don't think so. I mean they were all really different and stuff. It doesn't even seem like an anti-band sort of thing, because Herdrick was pretty popular in school also. I can't think of a thing." "Okay, just let us know if you think of anything." The rest of the questioning, over the next week, revealed nothing new. It wasn't until Friday night around eleven that they got their big break. A knock came at the door and Mulder and Scully struggled quickly into their clothes. Scully smoothed her hair down and answered the door. One of the girls they had interviewed came into the room. "Evie?" Scully asked. "Is everything okay?" The girl's eyes were wide with fright. Mulder strode over to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's wrong?" Evie stumbled in and sat down carefully on the rumpled bed. "I--I think I know what it is." Scully nodded encouragingly and Mulder sat down beside the young girl. "This is a small town, most of the kids are Christian or nothing, and most of the kids in band go to church. That's what was odd about the deaths. I've been trying to figure it out, because I knew there was something there, I just couldn't grasp it. All the kids who died were ones that didn't go to church. I know because I've actually heard people talk about it, about how it was too bad they died before they were saved, but I just didn't connect it until now. And that's why I'm so scared, because I'm Jewish. I'm afraid I'll be next. What if I've only got a couple of weeks left? You've got to help me." Mulder replied as he rubbed soothing circles on the girl's back. "Is there anything you can do?" Evie asked. "Yes," replied Mulder. "Which kids do we need to talk to about this? Is there anyone in particular you think may be a part of it?" "Yeah, you could talk to Sarah and Brian. There are some others too, if it isn't them." "Okay, we'll see what we can do. I'd like to put you in protective custody for now, as well as anyone else you think might be a target." *** *** "Look, we had to do it, okay? We're God's chosen people! We couldn't let them live. Their hearts full of sin and their minds full of filth -- we knew where they were going and we gave them a chance to be saved. We asked them to be saved but they wouldn't listen. You can't touch us -- He will protect us!" "Can you give us the names of the others in your, er, group?" "Certainly. It's seven other kids, Laura, Chrissy, Bernard, Sergio, June, Olive, and Jackie, plus me." "Well, we'll see how well He protects you in trial and prison!" Mulder exclaimed angrily as he stomped off, leaving Scully to book the girl. *** "Mulder, are you okay?" Scully whispered into his room two hours later. He sat in a chair with the lights off, head in hands. "Mulder?" Scully stumbled over to the lamp and turned it on, then walked over to Mulder and planted a kiss on his forehead, pulling him down close. "Shhh Mulder, it'll be okay." "No it won't Scully. It can never be okay." He said quietly. "What's wrong Mulder? I don't understand. Why are you shutting me out like this?" "Can't help it Scully. This case has brought up everything I was afraid of that I thought I'd resolved. How can I tell you what's wrong when you're the problem?" "I don't know Mulder, but I can't help you otherwise. Please let me know what's going on." "Scully, you're Catholic, and I know that that's a big part of who you are. I guess religion used to be something I cared about, but it isn't anymore. I guess I've found my 'cause' somewhere else. In the X-Files, in you, I don't know. But churches haven't done anything for me in a long time. That's fine, I don't worry about that -- it's just that one little thing that bothers me...you think I'm going to Hell, don't you?" "No Mulder, no. You have to know I've never, ever thought that about you. I don't share all the beliefs of the Catholic Church. I'm obviously not against pre-marital sex and I'm definitely pro-choice. I have nothing against homosexuals, and I think they deserve the same rights and respect that we do. I think that a lot of the Bible is parable and not fact. And I don't think I'm going anywhere you aren't. I love you so much Mulder, how could you even think that?" "Okay," Mulder nodded his head. "I can accept that." Scully smiled and kissed him chastely on the lips. They undressed in an almost dream- like state. Shirt-shoes-skirt-pants-bra-boxers. Mulder kneeled between Scully's thighs. "You know what I worship?" "Tell me." "You, Scully, I worship you with every fiber of my being. That's what this is to me -- the most religious, holy thing I've ever experienced." "I love you too, Mulder," Scully groaned. "Please, now." Mulder smirked, then planted a tiny kiss on the moist curls. "Like that?" "More." Mulder complied. He ran his hands up in-between her thighs, then behind to lift up her pelvis to slide a pillow underneath. He lowered his head again and ran the flat of his tongue roughly through her folds. Scully gasped loudly and he set in for earnest. He ran his tongue in circles around her clit, never touching its target. "Please." Mulder finally took her clitoris and rolled in around in his lips before finally letting it slip into his mouth. He began to suck gently, then harder, using one hand to brace himself so he didn't crush her and the other to reach down and spread her wetness around. Scully could feel her orgasm begin at her toes and fingertips, then spread to a warm, rosy glow. She gave one short cry and them toppled over the edge into one timeless moment. When she regained conscious thought, she pulled Mulder up to her and kissed him, tasting the beautiful combination of him and her on his lips. "Now," she whispered and he slipped into her with one quick thrust. Mulder pulled out slowly, almost all of the way, and both partners groaned. He pushed back into her again, pulled out, his pace maddeningly slow. Scully pushed him over so she was on top and quickened their rhythm, each one perfectly in synch with the other. Mulder reached between then and thumbed her clit, then grabbed it and pulled sharply. Scully came for a second time, Mulder seconds behind her. They woke up that way the next morning, Mulder still in her, morning erection raging, and Scully smiled lazily as her rolled on top of her to demonstate their love one more time. *** Chreem and Dahline contacted them the next week by basic link. Mulder and Scully scoured the local libraries and Internet for ideas during their spare time, and it was a week later that Scully made her big breakthrough. She was reading 'Xenocide' by Orson Scott Card when all the pieces just seemed to fall together. "The hive mind," she gasped. "Hmmm?" asked Mulder. "The hive mind, that has to be it. In this book there are some aliens who are controlled by one central mind. We've been thinking that the black oil shares one collective consciousness, but what if they're really controlled by some vast *central* consciousness? Sort of like the queen bee in a beehive, except no backup. It seems likely that they'd have developed some type of rendoe like the humanoids have, and why shouldn't they have. They can't control matter but they can communicate much better. "The point is that if we can kill the queen, we'll effectively destroy the minds of all the other oil organisms. That has to be what he discovered, it all fits. If we can only find their 'queen bee,' we ought to be able to destroy the black oil forever!" "Scully, you're a genius," Mulder laughed, squeezing her around the shoulders. "We've got to get word down to the base." "Already done, Mulder, your linkage skills could use some work." Mulder chuckled again. "Sorry babe, just got too excited to think clearly." "Mulder, you realize there's a long way to go yet," Scully sighed. "Even if we find their queen, there's no guarantee that we'll be able to kill her. The vaccination used on the regular black oil may not work on her. Well, it's more of a serum than a vaccination, but you get my point. We know more than we did, but it still might not be enough." Scully smiled widely, *** Renadfla and Herniol took their places again so they could travel down to the base. The trip was uneventful, the disguises flawless. Scully thought she might actually have enjoyed the plane trip, an unusual event. They had to sit separately, as secrecy was of the utmost importance, but Mulder's mind calmed her and they discussed things on the way. Chreem and Dahline met them at the runway, talking hurriedly. Mulder asked. Dahline replied, Suddenly a loud siren went off in the base. "We're being attacked," Chreem shouted over the din. "Set your protective shields to the highest level now, and concentrate on your ground basic link. We have to go, but stay here. You'll receive further instructions so we can protect the base!" Mulder and Scully nodded quickly, setting their shields and following the instructions that were streaming in via basic linkage. Mulder slammed down a switch that set off sprinklers of the serum in the room. It wouldn't kill the black oil this way, but it might be enough to slow it down enough to get it out of the base in time. A black oil organism slid under the door and started toward Scully. Mulder grabbed her hand and squeezed tightly, knowing that resisting the oil, even with their shields, would likely be one of the most difficult things they would ever have to do. Scully shrank towards him as it reached her and began to crawl up her leg, and then Mulder felt a coldness against his brain, like the wind of the Arctic and Antarctic he always seemed to turn up in. Then, warmth returned and the black oil slithered away across the floor. Scully gave a sigh of relief and hugged Mulder tightly. They'd beaten it, they really had, and proved that their shields and links were strong enough to withstand the oil's enslavement. He kissed her hard on the mouth, squeezed her tightly around the waist, and grinned. She laughed back at him and the siren and sprinklers stopped. The base was safe from harm now, although it would have to be moved soon now since the oil knew where it was. Or perhaps not, after all, they were under tight time constraints and it was very possible that they might succeed in defeating the queen before it was necessary. Whatever the outcome, Mulder and Scully knew it didn't matter -- they would always be together and free -- they knew now that it was possible for them to resist anything. Death didn't even scare them anymore; after all, it had always been the other's death that had scared them before and now they knew that they literally wouldn't be able to exist without one another. It made it easier, somehow, to know that they would never be faced with the task of carrying on alone. Chreem and Dahline rushed back in presently, and Dahline hurriedly told them that they had to get down to the clinic -- everyone was being checked just in case. Half an hour later, five people had been given the serum and Chreem told them excitedly, *** Special note on this chapter: The religious material in this chapter was not meant to offend anyone. I simply chose Christianity because it is the religion I know the most about. I have never met anyone (nor do I hope to) who has acted like the kids in the beginning of this chapter. I have, however, been in marching band, which was nothing but a good experience. :) (No killers!) *** Also, I have to give Orson Scott Card credit for his fabulous novels, which inspired my black oil creatures. If you'd like to read the ones in question, they are "Ender's Game," "Speaker for the Dead," "Xenocide," "Children of the Mind," and "Ender's Shadow." He's written many other terrific books, but these are the ones that deal with the hive mind. To my knowledge, he has no psychic powers, rendoe or otherwise. ;) *** *** Chapter Nine -- "By Way of Sorrow" *** All the nights that joy has slept Will awake to days of laughter Gone the tears that you have wept You'll dance in freedom ever after You have come by way of sorrow You have come by way of tears But you'll reach your destiny meant to find you all these years --Cry Cry Cry "By Way of Sorrow" *** It was perhaps two hours later when Mulder and Scully got the message that the queen had been located. they replied simultaneously. This was just what thy lived for, field work, not just waiting around for someone else to do it for them. The trip to Transpon was achieved easily and they were greeted by several grays. It shook Mulder at first, but these were just the species they had learned about in their training sessions. There weren't many grays on the base in South American, because if they were spotted it would be disastrous. Their guide handed Mulder a small red orb, glowing gently. To Scully she gave a green one, and instructed them to wear the spheres around their necks -- they were the invisibility devices. She then handed Scully a compass-like device. "The red arrow points toward the queen, as best as we can tell. When you're within five to ten feet of her host, it will start flashing yellow. Get the compass within a few inches of the host just to be sure and the arrow will turn green. Got it?" Scully nodded, and the guide turned to Mulder. "Here's the syringe, with a heavy dose of the serum. Careful not to prick yourself. It will surely harm the host, although I'm sure they told you that, but the poor thing may recover. You've got to get him or her back to Earth as soon as you can. Ready to go?" They both said yes before they could lose their nerve and set out on the city. The compass needle pointed south, and so they headed down a small side street lined with little shops. They could understand a little of the conversation going on around them, because they always wore their translating devices now. Mulder and Scully reached a small wooden building and the arrow promptly turned toward it, so the two headed inside, clasping hands. They were both staring at the arrow as they walked, so it surprised them both when it started flashing yellow. They looked up and both gasped. This was, perhaps, the worst case scenario, because standing not ten feet away was seven-year-old Samantha. Both briefly entertained the thought that it might be a clone, but remembered the fact that clones aged and Sam would not have. So it was her. Scully stepped closer to the young Samantha and held the compass close to her arm. The needle turned green. Scully began. Scully considered asking if he'd like her to do it, but she knew that this was something he had to do on his own. Mulder nodded quickly, then closed his eyes and whispered, "I love you Samantha. I'm sorry, so sorry. I'll love you forever, no matter what. > A tear slipped down his cheek and Scully squeezed his hand as Mulder took a deep breath, grabbed her arm, and pushed the needle into her vein. Samantha gave a short scream and fainted. Mulder and Scully grabbed her as she lost consciousness and rendoed back the base on Earth. There they turned Samantha over to the medical professionals and in a few hours finally got word on the present situation. "It worked, as far as we can tell," Dahline told them. "Yes," Chreem continued. "All over the planets oil has been crawling out of people and dematerializing into the air, which is what usually happens when we kill it. The fact that no one has aged is somewhat of a problem. Parents are finding that their children are older than they are, and many children have no parents at all. Everyone has been taken in somewhere though, it isn't that bad. "We should have most of the planets under control within the week -- we're testing for rendoe on many planets as we speak. The general grounds are calming people down, and we've tried to tell all the truth when we can. There have been some shootings, suicides too, but most people are good inside without the oil controlling them. Things are actually going better than we expected. There are some planets like Earth that haven't learned about life on other planets, but they too are taking it very well." "What about Samantha?" Mulder asked. "Is she doing okay?" "Oh yes, your sister. Samantha is sleeping right now, but she ought to wake up sometime by tonight. You can go see her sometime today if you'd like; the positive energy might help. We did check up on your other family members too. Your mother and brothers are fine Scully, but Mulder, I'm afraid your mother had a heart attack when she heard the news report on television. We've kept Samantha quiet so she isn't saddled with it her whole life, but just hearing about the plot was enough to do it. I'm very sorry." Mulder stared at the floor and Scully pulled him down into a hug. "Let's go see Samantha, okay?" Mulder nodded back and they started into the room. "Nurse Owens?" Scully gasped. "Yes dear, it's me," the kindly nurse who had watched over Scully during her coma laughed. "I'll let you two talk to her now, okay? We'll talk later dears." Nurse Owens left the room and Mulder walked over to Samantha, Scully right behind him. "Sammy, it's me Fox. I know you probably don't recognize me anymore, but I waited for you all these years and I love you so much. Please wake up, it's Fox." Samantha's eyes fluttered open. "Fox? You're not my brother." "Sam, it is me, just all grown up. Do you remember anything?" "Where am I? We were playing Stratego and then a light came...what happened? Are you sure you're my brother? And who is that lady by you?" "Shh, try to rest and I'll talk, okay? You're in a hospital because of something that happened to you. I'll explain it all later, but for now just know that you're all safe now. The thing that happened to you, that's why you're still seven while everyone else is older. Don't worry, it's all okay. "I'm sure you're my sister, but we'll have a few tests run anyway, just to be certain. This lady with me is named Dana Scully, and she's my partner and best friend. I hope you'll like her Sammy, because I love her a lot. She's everything to me," Mulder finished, his arm around Scully and his hand in Samantha's. "Scully, you want to go get something to eat, I'm going to stay here for a while and watch her sleep." *** "Today in the news -- more information on our current situation. The FBI Agents pictured here, Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, are believed to be responsible for capturing the leader, or queen, of the extraterrestrial oil which we reported on earlier. The two are not available for interview, and we do not know at this time if they are even on Earth. We have, however, contacted some extraterrestrials who bear a striking resemblance to the agents and claim they are safe. Nevertheless, it is certain that they will be long hailed as heroes both here on Earth and elsewhere." *** Scully returned to the room a couple of hours later to find Mulder sleeping in the chair by Samantha's bed. She formed a blanket over him and kissed him on the forehead. He yawned and opened his eyes. "Sorry, didn't mean to wake you," she whispered. "S'okay. I'm starved, will you stay with Sam while I grab a bite to eat? I don't want her to be alone." Mulder left to go get some dinner and Scully sat by Samantha's bed thinking. How would this change them? She knew that Mulder would give her up for adoption or to a relative if she asked him to, but there was no way she could ask him that. She had always wanted a child, perhaps now was the perfect opportunity. Samantha wasn't her daughter, but she was like one, about the right age if she had had children earlier in her life. Scully knew that she would always be the most important person in Mulder's life, that they would always be together, but she couldn't help feeling a little jealous of the little girl who lay asleep in the bed, having lived a lifetime but not realizing it. Mulder's thoughts came to her. "Hey Samantha." "Hi, you're Fox's friend, right? Is he really my brother?" "Yes, he really is. He's been looking for you for a very long time. He'll be back in just a few minutes; he needed some dinner." "Oh. What's your name again?" "I'm Dana Scully. You can call me Dana if you want." "Okay Dana. Are you Fox's wife?" Scully laughed. "No, we aren't married. I suppose we will get married sometime, he asked me and I said yes, but we aren't yet." "What are you then, his girlfriend?" "Sort of, I guess. I don't really know what we are to each other, just partners I guess. Did you have a best friend?" "Yeah, Jane Carter's my best friend, but I was sort of mad at her the last time I saw her." "I guess it's a little like that, and a little like how you feel for your brother and parents. And more. We love each other a lot." Samantha nodded and smiled. "You're nice. Am I going home with you when I get better?" "Yes, Mulder and I would like for you to come live with us. We live in Washington D.C. Do you know where that is?" "Yeah, we learned about it at school. Daddy had to go there at lot for work. It's the 'govnermet' place, right?" "That's right, it's the place where a lot of government buildings are." "Why did you call Fox by our last name?" "I don't know, that's just what we've always called one another. At first it was professional courtesy, and we were afraid to let each other get too close, but now it's more habit than anything. I call him Fox sometimes, but we mostly call each other Mulder and Scully." "Dana, I'm hungry, can I have some dinner?" "Sure," Scully laughed. Samantha was just like Mulder, always thinking of food. "I'll tell Mulder to bring you back something, okay?" "Sam, Mulder's going to bring you back something to eat in a few minutes, okay? He says to tell you 'hi'." "How'd you talk to him without a telephone?" "That's one of the reasons we're so close to one another. But I think I'll let Mulder tell you about that, I'm sure he'd love to." Mulder walked in then, with a piece of pizza and a soda for Samantha, which she was delighted with. "Mom and Dad never let me eat stuff like this unless it's my birthday," she explained to Scully. Scully gave a quick, concerned glance to Mulder. He certainly hadn't had time to grieve his mother's passing, and now he had to tell his sister that both her parents were dead. Why were happy occasions always touched with so much sadness? "Sam--" Mulder began. "What's wrong?" she interrupted. "Sam, you know you've been gone a long time, I'm a lot older now and, well, Mom and Dad, they got older too. Dad died just a few years ago and Mom just recently." Samantha's face went white and her mouth opened and closed a few times. She grabbed Mulder around the neck and sobbed into it. Mulder tried to comfort her as tears fell from his own eyes. Scully tried to soothe the brother and sister as best she could, stroking Samantha's hair and putting an arm around Mulder's shoulder while trying to comfort him in her mind too. *** The next day, Scully called her mother. "Mom?" "Yes dear? I called you yesterday when everything was going on but the woman at your apartment said you couldn't be reached. Are you okay?" "Yes Mom, Mulder and I are in South America right now with his sister, but we'll be home soon. It's a long story, but she's been very sick and we wanted to stay here until this whole thing calms down a bit more. We'll come and visit you when we get home. Don't worry, everything's okay, most of the news reports you hear might be a little off, but Mulder and I will tell you what's going on when we get back. I'll see you then, okay?" "Okay Dana. I'll see you then. I expect a full report, though. I love you. Give Fox my love too, okay?" "I will. Love you too, Mom." Samantha was awake by then and whining about getting up. "Fox, you aren't the boss of me just 'cause you're older. I want to get up *now*. You aren't Dad! Let me get up." "Tell you what Sammy, I'll talk to Nurse Owens and see what she says about it." The nurse looked over Samantha and gave her a clean bill of health. "Well dear, if you can get up, I don't see any reason why you shouldn't." Samantha smiled brightly. "See Fox, I told you I was all okay." She hopped out of bed good as new and, argument forgotten, hugged Mulder and then Scully. Mulder smiled down at them. "My two girls," he laughed, swinging Sam up onto his shoulders and grabbing Scully's hand. "Let's see what we can find to do around here." Mulder asked around and found out that there was a children's playground for the kids of the people who lived at the base. They followed the instructions and found what might have been the ultimate place for a child to be. Samantha giggled and ran in, still holding onto Scully and Mulder's hands. They were pulled after her and detangled themselves so she could go up and slide down the slide. Mulder caught her at the bottom, even though she didn't really need it. After a while, the two partners sat on the grass by the playground, not really watching Samantha. Scully replied, snuggling even closer to him. Chreem and Dahline arrived perhaps five minutes later and Scully called Samantha over. "These are two of our friends, Chreem and Dahline. Fox and I are going to go up to Washington D.C., that city I told you about, and we're going to fix things for when you come with us. Would it be okay with you if they took care of you for a couple of days?" Samantha nodded and smiled. "Hi, I'm Samantha." Dahline kneeled down to Samantha's level and smiled back, "My name's Dahline, funny name, huh?" Samantha nodded and laughed a little. "You're a beautiful little girl. You'd like to stay with my ground basic and I?" "Ground basic?" "Oh, that's right, you wouldn't know. We are to one another what your brother and Scully are. You can stay in your own room or in ours, whichever you like..." "Yeah, that'd be fun. Can I Fox?" "Of course you can sweetie. I think you'll love these two, okay?" "'Kay Fox. I'm going to go play again, see you later. Bye Dana, bye Shreem and Daleen." *** Chapter Ten -- "There's a Rainbow Round My Shoulder" *** There's a rainbow round my shoulder And a sky of blue above How the sun shines bringt The world's alright 'Cause I'm in love -- The Brian Setzer Orchestra "There's a Rainbow Round My Shoulder" *** The four adults laughed as Samantha ran back over to the jungle gym and talked to another girl she had met earlier. She didn't have a translating device yet, but most people on the base spoke at least English and Spanish because they needed it to speak to people on the planet. Perhaps the girl was too young to realize what the death of her parents meant or perhaps the years spent away from them, even though she couldn't remember them, had had an effect on her, but Mulder was glad all the same that she seemed to be happy. Sam was, after Scully, the most important person in his life, and he had spent most of his thirty- eight years looking for her, ever since the fateful night she was taken. The next morning, Mulder was a little worried about leaving Sam, but Dahline promised hourly updates and they could always be back right away. They left for Scully's mom's house around nine, and she welcomed them in warmly. "Hey you two, come on in. I want to hear all about this. You're all over the news as saving the world. Where's your sister, Fox?" "Well, Samantha stayed down in South America at the base, but as for the rest, I think we'd better go inside and sit down. This may take a while," Scully explained. They told Margaret all about their adventures, and all in all she didn't seem too surprised. "I knew you two had a link like that, I just knew it. Your father and I were the same way, Dana. What we felt for one another wasn't diminished by the miles we were apart when he was at sea at all. Let's get some lunch though, I'm getting hungry. I did hear something about house hunting though, didn't I? We'll have to talk about that too, although you're welcome to stay here until you find a place, of course." "I think we'll ask the Lone Gunmen -- they're friends of Mulder's -- for some help. It will probably be quickest. Do you think we could go up there after lunch Mulder?" "Good idea, I hadn't thought of them. They're likely to be in a panic. Maggie, er, Mom, we'll bring Sammy up to see you soon." They did go to see the Gunmen that afternoon, and Mulder was correct in assuming that they would be panicked. "We thought you were dead. All over the news they were saying you were heroes, but you never called and they never gave details. There wasn't even anywhere we could hack for info. What happened?" They gave a condensed version of the story, and gave them a sample of Samantha's blood to test before revealing that the real purpose of their visit was a house. "I'd wait a bit," said Byers. "It's still pretty much havoc around here, so I'd stick to your apartments for a couple of months and them we'll start looking around for you. I'd say six months minimum before you could move in." "We can expedite Samantha's adoption papers though," continued Langly. "There are a lot of kids with no parents now, and so many kids are in need of adoption. We can stick your papers at the top of the stack, so to say. You two won't have any trouble anyway though, since you're engaged and it's Mulder's sister, besides which there are so many kids who need a place to stay that they can't spend so long on every detail of each and every adoption case." They brought Sam up with them the next week, and Herniol and Renadfla were able to return to the base. Mulder and Scully were a little worried that they might be angry at having been left up in D.C. so long, but it turned out they were honored to have been able to help. Once Samantha was tucked into the guest bedroom, Mulder and Scully settled down on the couch to watch a little television. Mulder found a basketball game, but Scully wasn't watching that at all. She was watching Mulder, trying to go undetected as his concentration was on the game, even though she knew it was futile. She let her eyes travel down the long, lean body of the man she loved. It had been so long... "Mulder," she murmured quietly. "Let's go to bed please." "Okay," he whispered back. "Lock the bedroom door?" She nodded eagerly, then had to hold back a squeal as Mulder swept her up into his arms and carried her into the bedroom. She peeled off her clothes piece by piece and turned around melting into Mulder's arms. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him for all she was worth. "It's been so long," she voiced her earlier thought. "It has," he murmured against her lips. Mulder pushed her back against the bad so she fell onto it, he standing over her. She nodded, already getting the edge of his idea, the little mystery only making her more aroused. Mulder pulled from behind his back three of Scully's silk scarves. "Lay back." She did, and he pulled each wrist up to the bedpost, tying it securely. She grinned and tugged at her bonds, making sure they were tight. Then, Mulder put the third scarf around her eyes so she couldn't see either. he asked. She shook her head. He tied her legs to the ends of the bed and began with her feet, dragging his fingertips slowly up her legs one at a time. He traced delicate patterns on her skin, and she moaned every time he hit a sensitive spot like the back of her knee. He tickled his way up her stomach, stopping to cup her left breast gently in his palm. He reached her face and kissed her slowly, thrusting his tongue into her mouth, then pulling away. Mulder reached down and cupped her curly mound, slipping one finger into her quickly. She gasped in surprise, trying to keep as quiet as possible. Scully felt as he gently scooted down the bed and placed an open-mouthed kiss on her clit. He dragged his tongue up her folds and pumped the finger in and out of her slowly. She couldn't help but let out a long, low moan. She was right on the edge when Mulder pulled away. She was disappointed, but didn't complain because he immediately replaced his fingers and tongue with something much better. He pushed into her with one long slow stroke, and she almost came right then. He pulled up, almost all the way out of her, and then sunk back in again. Three more strokes, and Scully almost screamed as she came, remembering Samantha just in time. Mulder pushed into Scully once more, then shot into her with amazing force. Afterwards, the two spooned up together under the covers, remembering the feeling they had had at their ground basic home, the feeling that everything was right with the world, that everything was perfect. That seemed so long ago now, the thought of knowing nothing, not even one another, at least not truly. Now, they had what they had always searched for -- they had the Truth, Mulder has his sister, and Scully had that deep dark wish she hadn't talked about since she was a giggling tenth grader talking to an older sister who was much more experienced than she thought she would ever be -- Love. *** All was peaceful, to a certain degree, for a couple of weeks. Sam was just getting settled in, and though he didn't relish the thought of returning to school in just a few weeks, she was resigned to the idea. It was harder for the adults who had awakened from years' slumber adults to adjust than it was for her. Perhaps it is because children seem to discover new and exciting things each day, and so it was not surprising for her world to change so suddenly. She spent her days with Scully's mom, who she lovingly called Grandma Maggie, and Mulder and Scully had spoken with the Gunmen again about a house, which they thought they might get a bit sooner than it had been previously presumed. Mulder and Scully hadn't had any cases when they had to go on the road since Sam came to live with them; it was mostly paper pushing at the Bureau, and would be for a while while everything got sorted out. The wedding was planned for sometime the next spring, but no one really thought about it too much since the date was still over six months away. They didn't want to stir things up so soon after such an event as had just occurred. The night before Samantha's school was scheduled to begin, the three were sitting on Scully's sofa eating popcorn and watching a video when Scully glanced over at the clock. "Sam," she whispered, trying not to disturb a dozing Mulder, "Sam, it's time to go to bed. You have to get up early for school tomorrow." "No," she whispered back. "Just a few more minutes Dana, please." "Come on Samantha, we can finish the video tomorrow night. You want to be well rested for school tomorrow." "No," said Samantha a little louder. "I want to watch the rest." "Sam, shh, you'll wake up Fox." "No," Samantha almost yelled, jumping up. "Stop telling me what to do!" Mulder woke up at this, quickly trying to assess the situation. Sam continued to scream. "You don't even know me. Stop acting like you do. You're not my mother!" Scully reeled as if she'd been slapped in the face, and Mulder reached over to place a comforting hand on her cheek. He could tell that Scully was close to tears, and so scooted over on the couch to where she was sitting and pulled her into his embrace. "Samantha, you will not speak like that to Dana ever again. Go to your room and get ready for bed. We will discuss this in a moment." Samantha pouted and turned on her heel, stomping into her bedroom. he asked Scully. Scully nodded, getting up and sighing, turning towards the bathroom. Mulder strode over to Samantha's bedroom, knocking on the door and then going inside. "Samantha, why did you just do that?" he asked quietly. "I already told you. She doesn't have any right to boss me around. She's not my mother, you know. And you're not my father. You can't tell me what to do either." "Sam, I'm going to tell you something and I need for you to listen to me. Can you do that for me?" She nodded sullenly and he continued. "Sam, Mom and Dad are gone. I know it hurts a lot, but we have to go on the only way that we know how. I know that Dana can never replace Mom, and I will always be your brother, but we need to love each other like a family. We need to stick together and work things out, not yell. It will be hard, and everyone will fight sometimes, but you can always know that Dana and I will love you as if you really were our daughter. This is the only way I know how to make this work. We have to raise you right, not just let you stay a child forever. Can you understand that?" "I guess. Mom always said that she wanted me to make my own way, but that she would be there to help, and that she was always trying to help, even when it didn't seem like it. Is that what you mean?" "Yes, I know sometimes things are frustrating and they seem hard, but it will all turn out in the end, you have to trust that." "Okay Fox, I'll try. I love you, and I'm sorry I yelled." "I know," he replied, stroking her hair lightly. "Can I talk to Dana for a minute?" Samantha asked quietly. Mulder nodded. "I'll go get her right now." Mulder went into the bathroom and peeled off his clothes quickly, stepping into the shower next to Scully. "I heard what you told her," Scully said to him. "I know," he replied. "I felt you there. I'm glad you're feeling better. She wants to talk to you." Scully nodded absently, then gave Mulder a hug, squeezing tightly. "Thank you, Mulder, thank you so much for everything." She stepped out of the tub and then dried herself off, creating a nightgown and robe around herself. Scully walked into Sam's bedroom and sat down on the edge of her bed. "Hi," she said. "Hi," Samantha said back to her, staring down at the bedspread. "Dana -- I'm sorry that I yelled at you. I guess that it wasn't really fair. I do know that you love me and everything." Scully reached down and tilted her chin up, noting that her eyes were filled with unshed tears. Scully's heart went out the girl, who had just lost so much. She couldn't imagine what it would have been like to be in her place, in a world so strange and alien to what she had already know, with both parents suddenly gone, and a strange person trying to fill that void. "I know you're sorry Sam. And I'm sorry too, I'm sorry that I *can't* be your mom and give you everything she could have. I know that I'll never be able to measure up to her, but I want to at least try. "I love you so much, Samantha. In just these few short weeks since we met, I've felt like you were my daughter. You are very special to me and I hope that one day I can be that special to you. I want to see your papers when you bring them home from school, and I want to worry when you're on your first date. I want to laugh with you about the guys you like at school and the first time you kiss a boy. I want to cheer for you when you do well and cry when you fall. I want to be see your wedding and your children. Sam -- I want to be there for you whenever I can and I want you to know that I wish with all my heart that I could be when I can't." Samantha reached up to Scully's face and touched the tear she found there. "You're crying," she said. "I didn't know grownups cried." *** School went smoothly for the first few weeks until they got a call from the school nurse saying that Sam was sick. During that five weeks, the three had grown closer than even they might have imagined. Thrown together by the most chance of events, they thanked Fate or God (or Santa Claus) that they had this. Scully went to pick her up, because Mulder was behind in his paperwork and she was mostly caught up. They drove back to her apartment -- they still hadn't found a house -- and Scully put Sam to bed, then went into the kitchen to make some soup. She could remember her mother making it for her when she was sick as a child. She carried it in to Samantha on a tray, sitting down carefully on the bed. "Here you go, this should help you feel better." "Thanks," replied Samantha. "You know, my mom always used to make me chicken noodle soup when I was sick. She still does sometimes, if she finds out about it. And Ahab -- that's what I called my dad -- would always read to me, whenever he was home." "What did he read you?" "Oh, lots of things, but our favorite was Moby Dick. That's where we got our nicknames for each other. He was Ahab, I was Starbuck." "Will you read me that book?" asked Samantha. Scully smiled sadly. "You know, I don't even know where my old copy of it is. I can go look for it if you like, though." "Why do you look so sad about it?" "I miss my dad a lot sometimes, and that makes me sad. Like when you think about your parents. It isn't all the time, but it still hurts." Samantha nodded knowingly. "I know what you mean. I guess I don't miss my parents all the time anymore, but I still do sometimes. Dana?" "Yes, sweetie?" "Dana, will you stay with me until I fall asleep?" Scully nodded, still smiling a little. She felt so much a mother to this child who she had known for such a short time. How had it happened that she had come to love Samantha so quickly? Dana Scully was not one to give that feeling easily, and much slower to admit it. Even with Mulder, although she had always felt the connection, it had taken years for her to even let herself think the thought. She supposed some of it came from Mulder but knew at the same time that much of the feeling was her own. She felt truly complete now, the whole person that she had never quite been before this. At times in her life she had felt fulfilled, but now she knew she had not been. Had she not met Samantha, or even had she not met Mulder, Scully was certain that she could have been happy, but she would never have felt this way, and not that she knew these two, she knew she could never go back to the way things were, even if she had wanted to. Scully felt Mulder nudge at her mind. She smiled at him. *** That's it...hope you enjoyed it! Eva James ejxf@hotmail.com http://evajames.tripod.com *** http://members.tripod.com/~evajames/ *** "Please provide the date of your death." -from an IRS letter