From: Lisa Stiles <bugmouthga@yahoo.com>
Date: Sat, 11 Sep 2010 01:34:10 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Story submission
Source: direct

TITLE: Renewal
AUTHOR: Bugmouthga
E-MAIL: bugmouthga@yahoo.com
DISTRIBUTION: Archive Freely- please let me know

RATING: R
CATEGORIES: Story
KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully romance, post-series
SPOILERS: The X-Files: I Want to Believe (The X-Files movie 
2)

SUMMARY: Mulder and Scully go on vacation, trying to stave 
off the darkness for a little while.


Disclaimer: X-Files characters belong to FOX Corporation and 
1013.

Author's Notes: I know IWTB wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but 
I thoroughly enjoyed it and hope that you will enjoy my little 
follow-up of them going on that vacation, as well. Please email 
me and let me know what you thought.






"Renewal"
(A short story- post XF2- by Bugmouthga)

	Scully sniffed the salty air of the sea and smiled. The 
smell of the ocean, the feel of the breeze in her hair, the 
misty air caressing her face with invisible fingers... these 
sensations brought forth memories from her childhood. She 
could remember summer days on a sailboat with Ahab, 
fishing or sometimes just day dreaming and looking at the 
clouds. Sometimes, when she was especially well behaved, 
the old man would allow her to steer the rudder- always a 
special treat. Of course, in the here and now, where her 
heart belonged, she was in a row boat, not a sailboat, had no 
intention of going fishing, and the shirtless hunk exerting 
himself with the rowing was certainly not her old man.

	Watching the only other occupant of the small boat 
continue to huff and puff as he rowed further out into the 
forever churning waters of blue, Scully couldn't help but to 
marvel at the sinewy muscles flex beneath the smooth, tan 
skin. His movement momentarily mesmerized her. This man 
used to be a swimmer, and although the past five years had 
given him less opportunity for a regular exercise routine, his 
tall, lanky frame was just as beautiful to her now as it had 

always been. It was true, she was enjoying herself just 
watching his body move like the well-oiled machine it was.

	She wasn't sure if it was the atmosphere, or just her 
giddy mood, but another memory made itself clear from the 
murky depths of her child's mind, and, still smiling, she 
closed her eyes and held her arms out, fingers outstretched, 

feeling the wind catch in her hand. She chuckled quietly at 
the silliness of her movement, and also at the joy such a 
simple action evoked.

	"What are you doing, Scully?" Mulder asked, 
wearing a bemused expression on his face, beads of sweat 
and salty-sea kisses clinging to his brow. He had always 
thought her to be beautiful, but this went beyond beauty- 
she looked... serene; a look he did not see upon her lovely 
face often enough.

	"I'm... holding hands with the wind," she 
murmured, opening one eye to see him smiling at her. "I... 
it's silly; just a kid thing."

	"No, it's wonderful, Scully," he assured her. "You 
look... happy, and beautiful. How do you do it? I want to 
hold hands with the wind, too."

	Scully shrugged, feeling a little bit self-conscious, 
although she knew she needn't be. She and Mulder had 
gotten well passed the stage of being embarrassed in front of 
each other anymore. Not after living together, in near 
seclusion for over half a decade. Still, this was something 
right out of the six-year-old Dana Scully repertoire, so it 
made her almost feel like one. 

	Taking the oars from him, halting him in his pace, 
she reached out and took his arms, her hands slowly 
caressing the expanse of skin until she reached his hands. 
She entwined her fingers with him briefly, before silently 
urging him to spread his fingers as he had seen her do 
before. Then she lifted his arms into the sea breeze. 

	"Can you feel it?" she asked, almost shyly. "It's kind 
of like..."

	"Yeah, a resistance," he said, completely in tune with 
her. "Feels like a hand in mine. I get it- holding hands with 
the wind. That's pretty cool, Scully."

	She averted her gaze. "Uh-huh."

	"No, really," he promised, "it's... almost ethereal... 
like an X-Fi-"

	"Don't say it," she warned, her tone light and happy, 
but she meant business. She didn't want to talk about X-
Files, or the possibility of their future involvement with any 
more- not right now. Today, here, they lived in the moment, 
this moment. She only wanted it to be about the sea, and 
happy childhood memories, and being with the man she 
loved. Nothing else. Not today- they were firmly keeping the 
darkness at bay... at least for now.

	"Sorry," he apologized with the utmost sincerity. He 
caressed her face once, before picking up the oars and 
resuming the rowing. 

	She smiled, acknowledging and accepting his 
apology, then went back to the important task of marveling 

at the beautiful man exerting himself on the other side of the 
boat. She hadn't noticed before, but he did seem a little 
green around the gills, even as he concentrated on rowing 
against the tide.

	"Now, there is another side to this island, right?" he 
asked, and she realized his effort was making him slightly 
breathless. 

The sounds he made reminded her a little of his 
afterglow noises, but in light of his efforts today just getting 
them to their destination, it was more cause for her concern. 
She made no mention of it- yet. Instead, she answered, 
"Well, that's what the guy at the boat rental counter said, 
Mulder."

	"Maybe he was just telling you what you wanted to 
hear," he muttered.

	"And why would he do that?"
	
	"Because," Mulder went on, a look of slight jealousy 
crossing over his features, "he was too distracted by a hot 
woman in a bikini."

	Instead of taking the bait, Scully decided to rise 
above it, and put Mulder in his own corner, by going into 
doctor mode. "You know, if you're tired or feeling sick at all, 
I can take over with the rowing."

	"Please," he brushed her off, "don't insult my manly 
pride. I could row all day!"

	Scully said nothing, merely looked at him.

	He blew out a breath. "Nah, I'm okay, really," he 
assured her, knowing damn well that his big, bad caveman 
act was never going to go over on this woman. He could 
never hide a thing from her, not that he really wanted to 
anymore. "Seriously, I'm still good to go, and I'm only 
feeling slightly queasy."

	"You took the Dramamine I gave you?"

	"Yes, Mommy," he said, making a face at her, and 
was rewarded with a lap full of cold, ocean water. "Jesus, 
Scully!" he yelped. "Watch your aim! I'm planning on using 
that later today." And he winked at her.

	She gave him a knowing smile, but did not respond 
to his innuendo. "But if you really are tired, Mulder, I can-"

	"Scully, do you want to make love in this boat?"

	"I- what?"

	"Because I know that watching me row is turning 
you on," he stated matter of factly.

	"Mulder!" she shot in surprise, although there was 
no denying it. She was just shocked at how obvious she must 
have been.

	"So, it just goes to reason that watching you row 
would get me in the mood, too. And we both know you have 
better self-control than I do. So, if I watch you row, Scully, 
then you damn well better be prepared to rock the boat in 

an entirely different way if you catch my drift." He gave her 
a pointed look. 

	Trying not to smile, she gestured to him. "So... row, 
then."

	He nodded. "And you may just sit back and relax. 
You know, sit way back, and don't forget to puff out that 
chest."


	"What is this? A Playboy photo shoot?" she 
snickered, reclining slightly, although not nearly enough for 
his tastes. Nor did she puff out her chest.

	"No, it's much better," he promised. "I'm just... 
enjoying the beautiful view. Very... inspirational, you 
know." His smile went from playful to lusty in a fraction of 
a second.

	Scully rolled her eyes. He was getting ahead of 
himself again. Her first intention, the moment they stepped 
onto dry land was to do one thing and one thing only: eat 
lunch. She was starved, having only had a half of bagel with 
light cream cheese as an early breakfast that morning.

	"Please, Mulder," she told him, trying to settle him 
down, "I'm wearing a bathing suit. You've seen me with a 
lot less on."

	"I've never seen you in a bikini before," he admitted. 
"So, it's a whole new way to admire your hot bod." He 
waggled his eyebrows at her, doing his best dirty-old-man 
impression.

	This only elicited laughter from her- not the reaction 
he'd been hoping for. "Oh, for crying out loud, Mulder, just 
row!"

	"Aye-aye, Captain," he leered at her, trying to row 
more vigorously. After a moment longer, he asked, "Where 
the hell is the other side of this island, anyway? Does it even 
have one?"

	She reached for the oars. "Come on, my turn now."

	He pulled them away from her. "No, you don't, 
Scully. This was my idea, remember? I wanted to spoil you, 
so just sit there and relax."

	"But if you're tired..."

	"So, I'm tired, and you're hot. We are what we are, 
Scully."

	A ladylike snort erupted from her. "Mulder!"

	"Scully..."

	"Fine, whatever, Mulder," she said with a haughty 
expression that he knew well and loved. "I just hope you 
don't get too tired. I mean, we're on the ocean in a small 
rowboat and there are sharks out here, ready and 
waiting..."

	Mulder laughed out loud. "Damn, Scully, you're 
trying to scare me, aren't you? Sharks? Bah! I've seen all 
four Jaws movies. I know what to do!"

	Her eyes danced. "Are you sure about that, Mulder? 
You're going to put our safety in the hands of the advice 
that four old movies- three of them really awful, by the way- 
gave you?"

	"I don't know," he protested, "Jaws 3 had its 
moments."

	"Oh, Mulder," she sighed.

	"Don't worry, Scully," he assured her, "the only 
thing that's going to be nibbling on you is me." Another 
lecherous expression clung to his handsome face.

	"Wow, but you are smooth," she teased him.

	"Damn straight, Scully," he concurred. "I'm 

planning on rocking your world as soon as we land this 
bird."

	"And after lunch," she reminded him. "I'm hungry."

	"I got something you could eat-" he started to say.

	"Mulder! Food first. Love second."

	"Sculleee," he whined at her, knowing full well how 
annoying it sounded.

	"Mulder..."

	Before their argument could continue, the small 
rowboat hit land, jarring them both in the process.

	"Ugh," Mulder said, rubbing his sore shoulder. "Nice 
going, Captain."

	"Hey, you're the navigator," she reminded him.

	Mulder stood up and stretched, then stepped out of 
the boat, grateful to be able to walk around and work out 
the kinks and cramps clinging to his cooped-up-for-too-long 
form. "I bet you saw the island a long time ago, and just 
didn't say anything, huh."

	"I was too busy looking at you," she informed him, 
throwing him a bone with her flirtatious stare.

	He grinned at her, then took her hand and helped 
her out of the boat. "Good answer."

	Scully retrieved the picnic basket and decidedly 
damp blanket from the rowboat's bottom, and set up the 
food on the secluded beach. Meanwhile, Mulder pulled their 
boat up further, keeping it a safe distance from the 
unpredictable and luring tide.

	They sat down upon the blanket together and 
enjoyed the cool breeze wafting through their hair as they 
dined on cold chicken sandwiches, fruit and cheese. A nice 
white wine was still chilled and accented the meal nicely. 
Glad to be able to just take their time, Mulder and Scully 
fed each other decadent chocolate covered strawberries and 
truffles for dessert.

	One taste of the truffles, and Mulder began wolfing 
them down like nobody's business. "Damn, these are tasty."

	She smirked at him. "Did you snort them out of the 
ground yourself?"

	"Are you implying that I'm making a pig of myself 
with the truffles, Dr. Scully?" he asked through a mouthful 
of food.

	"No, I wasn't implying."

	Mulder graciously swallowed the food in his mouth 
before sticking his tongue out at her. "Brat!"

	Scully raised her trademark eyebrow at him. 
"Brat?" she repeated in all innocence.

	Grinning like, well, a fox, Mulder said again, "Brat! 
You may be the best damn doctor at Our Lady of Sorrows- 
or anywhere- but you're still a world-class brat!" He smiled 
in triumph.

	She returned the grin, feeling equally triumphant. 
"Well, no one could ever accuse me of going half-way at 
something."

	As suddenly as a gale wind could sneak up on an 
unsuspecting sailboat on a calm sea, Mulder's face grew 

serious, almost sad. "You mean that, right?"

	"Of course," she replied, unsure what to make of his 
sudden change in demeanor. But it looked like stormy skies 
looming overhead. "Mulder...?"

	His hazel eyes looked dark when he murmured, 
"Well, you had me kind of scared for a little while... while I 
was- while we were on the case." This was something that 
had been building up inside of him for a couple of weeks 
now and it had festered beneath the festivities of their 
vacation, but was still strong enough to push its way to the 
surface of their good time.

	Scully instantly realized what he was speaking of. It 
had been something that was still hurting inside of her as 
well, an infection that still hadn't quite cleared, needed to be 
cleansed out of her system. But vacations were meant to be a 
time of renewal. Perhaps it was best to get this out in the 
open now and talk it through. They were long past denying 
anything; they were two, grown-up people who lived and 
loved together. They were mature as human beings 
individually and as a couple, and they both realized the 
importance of communication and honesty. The only thing 
they held in higher regard was trust.


	Tears glistened in her soft, blue eyes. "Mulder, I- I'm 
so sorry that I scared you, and that I've hurt you. I didn't 
want to- I just..."

	"Shh, Scully," he whispered soothingly, harboring no 
anger in his demeanor. He smiled reassuringly at her.

 	In spite of the fact that her hair was much longer 
now and was usually kept in place by a pretty but sensible 
pony tail, a few strands would come loose now and then to 
curl around the curve of her lovely face. Mulder spied one 
such loose tendril even now, and he affectionately reached 
for it, tucking it gently behind her ear.

 As always, the gesture reminded him of the old days, 
back when the occasional hair-tuck was one of only a few 
ways he'd been allowed to touch her or offer her any 
comfort. Since then, they had become intimate on all levels- 
both emotionally and physically- but sometimes it could be 
the simplest touch of all that said the most.

"Scully," he told her, stroking her porcelain-fine 
skin, "I didn't bring this up to elicit an apology from you- or 
to make you feel guilty. I just... well, we haven't really 
discussed this much in length, since it all happened, and I 
thought we should maybe... clear the air, or something."

"Of course," she readily agreed, reaching up to touch 
the hand that was so tenderly caressing her face. "And 
Mulder, please just let me say that I'm sorry-"

"No, no apologies, Scully," he interrupted. "All I 
want is, really, just... a promise, maybe?"

"A promise of what?" she whispered, her voice 
nearly swept away by the island breeze. She shivered 
involuntarily.

Mulder rubbed his hands up and down her bare 
arms, trying to warm her goose-pimpled flesh. "That you'll 
never leave me- for real. That if I ever act like a complete 
ass again- and I'm sure that I will- you'll tell me. If I'm too 
stubborn to listen or understand you, then by all means, 
punish me. But... just don't... leave."

Silken rain fell not from the sky, but the cloudy, blue 
eyes of Dr. Scully. She could have gone on and on about how 
badly she felt over walking out on him during that difficult 
foray back into the world of the FBI. She could have tried to 

explain her reasons to him for having done so, trying to 
convince him of her fears during that turbulent time. She 
could have said or done any of those things. But she knew 
she didn't have to. He already knew. So all that came out of 
her mouth was, "I promise, Mulder."

He smiled then, blowing out a breath of relief into 
her face. She could smell the chocolate on his breath, as well 
as a hint of the sunflower seeds he'd had earlier that 
morning. "Thank you," he said.

Scully returned the smile. She was about to speak, 
but before she knew what was happening, Mulder had her 
on her back, and he hovered over her enticingly.

"Jesus, Mulder!" she gasped in surprise. "A little 
warning would have been nice!"

"Where's the fun in that?" he challenged her, 
leaning down and playfully biting her neck.

"Ow! I swear, Mulder, even foreplay is a dangerous 
thing with you!"

"Not too dangerous, though," he vowed, leaning 
down again, this time to kiss her, his tone and actions much 
more tender now.

Dana Scully quickly took to the change of pace. This 
was more her style. She caressed the long, lean body on top 
of her with her well-manicured fingernails. "Love you," she 
murmured sweetly.

"Love you, Scully, always," he replied, his voice as 
thick as honey. He stopped kissing her for a moment, just 
gazing curiously into her beautiful, aroused face. "Scully?" 
he asked tentatively.

"It's all right, Mulder," she assured him, tugging his 
hard form down upon her until she was pleasantly squished 
beneath his weight, "We can skip the nipple thing. I'm 
already good to go." She thrusted once against him, urging 
him onward.

He laughed appreciatively at her humorous zeal and 
readiness. "But, I like doing the nipple thingie on you," he 
pretended to pout.

"Mulder..." 


"No, I... I was just... thinking about something 
actually..."

"What?" she asked, none too patiently, trying to tug 
down his swimming trunks.

He gently stopped her. "Something important."

"Is it about sex?" she asked hopefully.

"Um, well... no," he admitted sheepishly.

"Dammit, Mulder! Don't be a tease! You started this, 
you know!" She looked completely aroused and totally 
pissed off.


Normally that would have done Mulder in, but he 
held his own lust in check. "Scully, please," he murmured 
softly, giving her those damn, sad, puppy dog eyes that 
always did her in.

"Shit," Scully muttered under her breath. "Okay 
then, Mulder. Let's take time out of our love life and just 
shoot the breeze."

"Jesus, you're cranky when you're horny," he 
griped, rolling off of her with a sour expression on his face. 
"Well, if you're going to be that way about it..." He folded 
his arms across his chest, lying next to her on the blanket, 
looking as stiff as a board washed up on the beach. "Go 
ahead, Doc, just have your way with me. I'll just wait till 
your done to tell you what's in my heart."

As frustrated as she felt, Scully instead gave into her 
other urge and she laughed. She lay on her back beside him 
and they stared up at the same fluffy, white cloud together. 
"All right, Mulder, I'm all ears. Please, darling, tell me 
what's in your heart?"

He sighed dramatically and she smirked at his 
display, which he chose to ignore. "Scully... you're still- 
well, do you still think about the future?"

"Yeah, I'm thinking about the earth-shattering 
orgasm I'm expecting my partner to give me within the next 

half hour or so, as we speak, actually," she replied 
flippantly.

"Come on, Scully, I'm trying to bond here and- wait! 
Earth shattering? Really?"

"I expect nothing less from the best," she affirmed, 
her half-lidded, blue eyes simpering most fetchingly at him.

"Well, I... do aim to please," he began, before 
realizing she had distracted him. Usually their situations 
were reversed and he was taken completely by surprise, 
suddenly understanding Scully's frustration with him 

sometimes much better. "Scully, please, you're killing me 
here." 

"I'm sorry," she said, finally getting past her lust 
long enough to see how serious he actually was about having 
this talk.

"No, don't be sorry," he told her, rolling back onto 
her petite form again and running his fingers over her titian 
locks. "I honestly do not want to spoil the mood here, but... 
well, it's just..."

"I think about the future all the time, Mulder," 
Scully admitted, talking over his stammer. "I... worry about 
it a lot, actually. I fear for our family and friends. I fear 
for... William. And for us."

"Me, too," he said, stroking her cheek, and nuzzling 
against her neck. "But I know that worrying just won't be 
enough."

"I know that, too," she said quietly, her libido 
beginning to wane in the face of their ongoing dilemma. She 
averted her gaze from his, and glanced over his shoulder. 
Blue skies over the island, but their own sunny mood had 
already clouded.

"You did promise you'll never leave me," he 

reminded her suddenly.

Scully heard an unspoken question in that simple 
statement. A heartfelt plea. She understood him 
immediately and was just as quick with an answer. "No 
matter what happens in the future, Mulder, on either a 
personal or global scale, whether we stand and fight or 
whether we crash and burn, I will always be at your side. 
Always."

Mulder swallowed the lump in his throat, blinked 
back a few tears. "But what if... we really do crash and 
burn, Scully?"

Slowly expelling a breath of hot air against her 
partner's neck, Scully smiled gently at him. This was a 
conversation they had been through many times before, and 
one she had no doubt they would have many more times 

through out their lifetime.

This point, this fear, was Mulder's true Achilles' 
Heel. Unlike most, he did not fear death. He had, technically 
speaking, already been dead once. He did have a healthy 
fear of the unknown- or, in their case, of the known, namely 
the future. Mulder was the kind of man who carried the 
weight of the world on his shoulders. Scully imagined this 
trait had grown from within him since he'd been a twelve-
year-old boy and had- to his own way of thinking- failed to 
protect his younger sister from a fate he could have no 
control over. A part of him, no matter how much life he 
experienced, no matter all he had learned since, would 
always remain that twelve-year-old kid, forced to grow up 
too soon, all alone, into a world of secrets and lies and 
horror.


Scully further realized that Mulder saw her not only 
as a life-partner and a friend, or colleague, but as his 
salvation. To him, she was his one, shining ray of hope in an 

otherwise gray and dismal world. Sometimes this realization 
scared her nearly to death. In fact, most times it did. She 
possessed no special powers, did not feel like the guardian 
angel everyone had presumed her to be. This image of 
salvation she always seemed to convey to Mulder and others 
felt much more like a burden than a blessing. After all, she 
was merely a human being; a mortal woman. Fortunately 
for all concerned, she was a woman of strength and 
integrity. And she loved Mulder, truly, fully. Her devotion 
to the man went beyond all sense or reason. It was 
unconditional. The only absolute she would admit to- even if 
only to herself- was that she felt God had created she and 
Mulder for each other. They belonged together. They 
certainly couldn't be suited for anyone else. That was the 
only absolute she could count on.

Reaching up to stroke Mulder's cheek, grazing her 
thumb lovingly over the five o'clock shadow, over his mole, 
Scully smiled at the man hovering over her and anxiously 
looking down into her face. "Mulder, I'm not sure about 
much of anything anymore, except this: You and I are 
always going to be together, here on this earth, and for 
whatever comes afterwards."

She could see the shift from apprehensive to hopeful 
in his hazel orbs. The fog had lifted. "But how can you be 
sure?" he pressed, settling more of his weight upon her 
small frame, confident she could easily handle it.

"I don't know how I'm sure," she tried to explain. "I 
just know that I am."

He frowned thoughtfully for a moment, mulling over 
her statement.

"I'm sorry I can't be more specific, or give you more 
of an in depth answer," she apologized, uncomfortable in his 
silence.

Returning his full attention to her lovely face, 
Mulder then smiled at her. "I was just thinking about what 
you said. I understand that you can't explain it, but that's 
only because I know it's true as well. I feel exactly the same 
way, and would still be unable to articulate a comprehensive 
answer. Yet, I know we both know the truth. We will always 
be together..."

"Forever," she agreed, her heart showing in her face, 
tears brimming the true-blue seas of her eyes. Mulder's 
tender response had brought out only more tenderness in 
her. She gazed up at him, swept away in a moment as 
heartwarming and romantic as a Frank Capra movie... only 
to be sucker punched by the laughter in his eyes. She raised 
her own eyebrow in confusion. "Mulder?"


"Aw, Scully," he said mischievously, pinching her 
cheek. "You're my lovey-dovey girl. Let's go carve our 
initials in a tree..." He kissed the tip of her nose.

She bit him on the chin. He yelped, while she 
chuckled, "You ASS!"

"Ow! Vicious, Scully, so vicious!" He rubbed at the 
bite, made a show of checking for blood- or teeth marks.

"You did say you wanted me to punish you when you 
were bad," she reminded him with an angelic expression.

"Gonna leave a scar," he muttered to himself before 
adding, "But I didn't know you were going to punish me 
that harshly."

 "Well, I had to get my point across, didn't I?"

	"Painfully so," he agreed, letting her pull his face 
close to hers. She kissed the red mark on his chin.

	"Better?" she asked.

	"Maybe," he said, then moaned in further approval 
when she began to suck on the tender area.

	As quick as a flash of lightning, the mood was back.

	"Oh... Jesus, Scully..."

	She stopped in her ministrations. "Good?"

	"Yes, ma'am. May I have another?"

	"I'll do you one better," she said, flipping him over 
onto his back. Before he had the chance to marvel over her 
physical strength- always amazing considering her 

diminutive frame- she was on top of him and kissing him 
passionately.

	Mulder loved it- really loved it- when Scully took 
charge in their sex life. "Love you..." he murmured into her 
ear. Deftly, he removed the scrunchy from her hair and 
loosened her ponytail, so he could run his fingers through 
her long, silky, red strands.

	"Love you back," she whispered in between the 
velvet kisses she showered upon his lips and face.

	Completely assured of their privacy- for the first 
time in a long time- on this secluded beach, Mulder made 
quick removal of her bikini, just as she yanked down his 
trunks. And soon they lay together on the spread out 
blanket, with the sun shining down upon them approvingly 
and the sea churning romantically just beyond. It was there, 
in the midst of their primal, ancient dance, a dance done so 
well because they knew each other so intimately in every 
way, that Scully's belief of their mutual destiny was 
confirmed. They truly had been created for no one but each 
other; meant to be.

	A coconut walked by...


The End
08/02/08