Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 09:58:55 -0400
Subject: 'Together Alone' Part 3
Source: direct

Together Alone
By A. K. Naten

Part 3 of 4


After the doctors released Scully, Mulder took her home to her
apartment.  When they arrived, Scully entered apprehensively, obviously
remembering the incident that took place just a few days prior.  She
came in and looked around carefully, observing that everything was
cleaned up and put back in place.  She knew who had taken care of this,
and she turned to Mulder with a half-smile.
"You cleaned up?"  She asked, and he answered her with a sheepish grin.
"Yeah.....I hope you don't mind, but I didn't think you'd want to come
home to a trashed place." she smiled wider and stepped toward him,
planting a quick kiss on his lips.
"No, I don't mind....thank you, Mulder." she told him sincerely.  She
turned and took her things into her bedroom, then puttered around
putting stuff away.  Mulder wandered around the rest of the apartment,
not knowing if he should make himself comfortable, or if he should get
ready to leave.  He plopped down on her sofa and watched some TV while
she puttered around.  After a bit, she went into her kitchen, where she
began sorting and opening her surprisingly large stack of mail. 
Suddenly, Mulder heard Scully muttering, "Yeah, right!" and he came out
to see what was going on.
" 'Yeah, right' what, Scully?" he asked, coming to her side to see her
reading an invitation with her mouth agape.
"Oh, nothing." she said dismally.  Mulder looked at her impatiently,
and she waved an invitation at him.
"One of my old college room mates is getting married and says, 'she'd
*love* to see me again'.  Yeah, sure, I'll go and tell everybody, 'Hi,
I'm Dana, and I work as a punching bag'." she snorted, framing her
bruised face with her hands.  Mulder made a face at her and took the
invitation from her.
"It's not for another month yet, you'll be back in your 'prime' again."
he said positively.  "You should go." he said dismissively, flipping
the invitation onto the counter and walking away.  Scully looked
thoughtfully at the invitation.
"Yeah, right." she replied with a sigh.

After Scully had finished with her mail, she putzed around a little,
meandering here and there, pretending to clean up, checking things out,
telling herself that she really was home, and she was safe.  Mulder
could see that she was jittery, and he wasn't sure how to calm her
down.  He came up behind her as she was fussing with some of her
clothes in her bedroom.  He put his hands on her shoulders gently, but
she flinched anyway.  He tried to sooth her by rubbing her shoulders
lightly, loving the feel of her in his hands.  She stilled and allowed
him to massage her, it did feel good, but it unnerved her at the same
time.   His heart began to race as his body became painfully aware of
her closeness.  He could smell her shampoo and her clean skin mixed in
with her usual fragrance that said 'Scully' to his senses.  She could
feel the light exhaling of his breath against her neck, and his hot
fingertips lightly grazing the skin on her neck.  She wasn't ready for
this.  Just then, he stopped, giving her shoulders a little squeeze.
"Hey...why don't you get a nice hot shower or a bath, and I'll go get
us something to eat?" he kissed her neck lightly.  She turned to face
him, smiling nervously.
"Okay, that sounds nice."  Mulder smiled back at her, and, reminding
himself to keep his libido in check,  turned and walked out of the
bedroom.  As he reached the doorway, he turned around slowly to steal a
look at her.  She had turned away from him, obviously thinking that he
was gone, and was sitting on her bed unbuttoning her sweater.  Mulder
watched her for a minute, admiring her ability to unbutton the garment
with one hand in a cast.  She slipped it off her shoulders and slid it
off her arms.  As she did so, she suddenly felt his eyes on her, and
she immediately knew what he was seeing.  She froze for a minute, not
wanting to turn and face him.  Finally, after what seemed like several
minutes, she turned and looked at him.  He was still standing in the
doorway, his arms hanging at his sides, his mouth open, and his face
horror-stricken.  He stared at the shock before him  - what had once
been a smooth, sleek torso of beautiful ivory skin was now a purple,
black, and yellow assortment of badly mottled bruises; agonizing
reminders of Jennings' attack.  She self-consciously held her hands in
front of her abdomen now, realizing Mulder's obvious bewilderment.  She
twisted her hands nervously.
"It.....it looks worse than it feels." she stammered quietly.  Mulder's
gaze drifted from her abdomen up to her eyes, as his eyes began welling
with tears.  He walked toward her and dropped to his knees in front of
her, reaching up and lightly touching the contusions on her abdomen. 
As he did so, a single tear trickled down his cheek.  It broke his
heart and infuriated him at the same time to see her beautiful body
battered like this.  He closed his eyes and lowered his head, burying
his face in her lap and wrapping his arms around her.  She clutched at
his head with her hands, running her fingers in his hair and letting
her own tears flow.  They sat there like that for a few minutes, Mulder
trying to rein in his anger and frustration.  He knew he could not
direct his anger at anyone any longer; Jennings was dead.  But he still
felt defeated, and it hurt him deeply to see her in this shape.  He
finally looked up at her and saw the unspoken understanding in her
eyes.  He didn't need to say anything, so he did not.  He just brushed
her cheek with his hand and left the room quickly.  She knew it was
killing him to see her in this shape, and she also knew that he was
probably still blaming himself for it.  She couldn't stop him from
doing that; it was his nature to accept responsibility for everything. 
She just hoped that her body would heal quickly so that they both could
forget about the incident and move on.

Mulder listened as she ran a tub full of water.  He hoped he didn't
hurt her feelings by letting himself gawk at her injuries.  He wasn't
repulsed by *her*, he was repulsed by the bruises; the huge,
purplish-black masses that marred her beautiful frame.  'Goddamn
bastard!' he hissed to himself.  'May God damn your soul for eternity,
Jennings!' he slammed the magazine he had been reading onto the table
as he heard the water shut off, and some splashing sounds.  His anger
abated as he thought of Scully slipping out of her clothes and easing
into the tub.  He wondered what the rest of her body looked like.  The
filthy part of his mind had visions of milky-white loveliness; the
realistic part saw only more bruises.  Still, it was a tantalizing
thought.  'Food,' his mind snapped him back to reality.  'I'm supposed
to be getting food.'  He started to flip through the phone book looking
for some restaurant numbers, but he decided to try to have a little fun
first - see if he could lighten their somber moods a little.

Mulder snuck down the hall toward Scully's bathroom.  She had the radio
playing, and he couldn't hear anything else.  He pushed the door open
ever so quietly, and peeked in.  She was lying in the tub, her arms
stretched along the sides, her head resting back, and a washcloth
draped over her face.  A wide, mischievous grin spread along his lips
as he pushed the door a little more and poked his whole head inside. 
He watched her like a wolf, slipping inside the bathroom the rest of
the way, but staying at the door.  She began to stir, and he thought it
best not to scare her too bad, so he spoke up at last.
"Uh, Scully - "   Scully's head shot up at the sound of his voice, the
washcloth flying from her face, and her arms landing in the water with
a loud splash.
"Mulder!" she cried indignantly, trying her best to be modest with the
little scrap of washcloth.  Mulder couldn't help it, and he chuckled
out loud at her predictable reaction.
"What?" he held his hands out and shrugged, a huge smirk playing across
his face.  Scully shot daggers at him with her eyes.  He continued to
chuckle.
"I just wanted to know if you preferred Chinese, Tai,
or....McDonald's?" he asked in mock innocence.  She jutted her jaw out,
balled the washcloth up and threw it at him as best she could.  He
jumped out of the way and laughed out loud.
"Get *out * Mulder!" she scolded impatiently, a smirk threatening to
take over her lips.
"Okay, okay! I'm going!" he held his hands up, but then he stooped to
pick up the washcloth that she had hurled at him.  He picked it up and
held it to his nose, inhaling the mixture of soap and Scully.  He
approached the tub slowly, and Scully squirmed uncomfortably in the
foamy water; he loved it.  He reached the side of the tub and offered
the cloth to her, his eyes trying desperately to devour her
foam-concealed figure.  She twisted her lips in a smirk and snatched
the cloth from him.  She knew exactly what he was up to.
"Thank you." she said indignantly.  He had a devilish glint in his
eyes.
"You're quite welcome." he wagged his eyebrows at her.  She looked back
at him, raising her eyebrows at him expectantly, silently telling him
to 'get lost'.
"You need me to scrub your back or anything?  You shouldn't get that
cast wet, y'know."  Scully twisted her mouth again and thought about
yelling at him for a brief moment, but then she changed her mind.  'Two
can play this little game,' she thought to herself.  She held out the
cloth to him.
"As a matter of fact, yes.....you could help me with my back."  She
challenged him with her stare, and he gladly accepted.  He took the
cloth and the soap and worked them into a good lather, all the while
thinking thoughts that were making him increasingly uncomfortable in
his jeans.  He knelt down beside the tub.
"Lean forward" he commanded quietly.  Scully obeyed, and he began
washing her back with slow, gentle circles.  He made his free hand
soapy and gently rubbed her shoulder too.  The feel of his strong, warm
hands on her tender back made her dizzy and she began to wonder if
perhaps this little joke was a bad idea.  He pushed the cloth up her
back and pulled her hair away from her neck with his free hand,
brushing his fingers across her tender flesh, and making goosebumps
appear all over her skin.  He washed her neck and shoulders slowly,
carefully, making sure he didn't press too hard on the bruised skin. 
She tilted her head to one side, allowing him better access, and he
drank in every curve and angle.  Before he knew it, he had dropped the
washcloth, and he was just running his soapy fingers over her
shoulders, throat, and jawline.  He was getting incredibly turned-on,
and he knew he should stop before he lost it.  They hadn't seriously
kissed or touched each other since the hospital, and Mulder was just
about at the breaking point of his patience.  Dana knew it too, but she
was too enthralled by his erotic touch to make him stop.  She had her
eyes closed and was breathing more deeply.  After a few minutes of
caressing, he brought his hands back to her shoulders and calmed them,
making only tiny massaging motions.  He had brought his face very close
to her, and she could feel his warm breath on the skin of her shoulder,
making her shudder.  She straightened her head again and turned it
slowly to look at him out of the corner of her eye.  He cleared his
throat and gave her a little squeeze.
"Better go get that food." he said in a low whisper.  She turned to
look at him more.  His eyes were dark and smoky with arousal, and he
looked at her with obvious hunger.  Her eyes flickered at him like blue
flames.  She licked her lips and simply nodded, unable to say anything
else.  He leaned in and quickly kissed her shoulder, then disappeared
out of the room.  She slumped back down into the water and blew out a
deep breath, looking up at the ceiling and wondering why in the hell
they had just teased each other like that.  'God, what in the hell am I
doing?' she asked herself.  "You're playing a dangerous game, Dana
dear," she said aloud as she slumped further down into the soapy
bubbles.
Mulder took plenty of time getting the food; he needed to cool off
after the bathroom stimulation.  He kept playing the scene over and
over again in his mind.  She harbored some uncertainty, he could sense
it, and he began to doubt her desire to move forward with their
newfound 'relationship'.  'Just have to take things slowly...I can
wait...I can wait...'  he told himself over and over.   Finally he
returned with some piping hot Chinese food.  Dana was lounging on the
couch in baggy sweats and a cotton shirt.  Her hair was pulled back in
a ponytail and her freshly-scrubbed, make-up-free face made her look
like she was about 20 years old...save for the few remaining cuts and
bruises.  She smiled gently at  him as he made his oh-so-familiar
entrance into her apartment with food in hand.  They ate fairly
quietly, speaking only briefly about work and other job-related issues.
 It was getting late, and Dana decided that she should call her mother
to let her know that she was home and doing fine.  Mulder cleaned up as
she spoke with her on the phone.  He wondered what he should do about
the night.  He *really* wanted to stay here with her - not for amorous
reasons, he just wanted to stay *with* her and be by her side.  She
ended her call with her mother and came out to the kitchen just as he
was finishing.  
"Mom says 'hi'."  He wiped his hands with a cloth and smiled at her. 
She smiled back, and they just looked at each other for a moment, the
uncertainty of the evening on both their minds.  They were trying to
read each other's thoughts; she could see that he wanted to stay, but
he couldn't tell if she wanted him to.  She wanted him to stay; she
should just ask him, dammit.
"Umm.....were you going to go home tonight, or......" she raised her
eyebrows and shrugged her shoulders and motioned with her hands
slightly, questioning him.
"Do you want me to go home?"  He wanted to hear her say it.  She
dropped her gaze to his chest and hesitated for a long minute.
"No."  she shook her head slowly and looked back up at his face, and he
was smiling.
"Good ..... I want to stay."  He put his arms around her waist and
leaned down to deliver a soft, delicate kiss to her lips.  He touched
her glistening mouth with his fingers, and she looked at him with
ambivalence.  He understood, so he just hugged her tightly, trying his
best to silently reassure her.

They decided to watch a movie for the evening, and Mulder settled
himself on the couch while Scully went to the bathroom.  She came back
to see him fully stretched out on the sofa, leaving no room for her.
"Make yourself comfortable, Mulder." she teased him.  He grinned and
patted his hand on his chest.
"Come here," he stretched his arm out toward her.  "Lay down here with
me."  
She smiled a rare toothy grin at his playfully affectionate gesture and
climbed gingerly onto the couch, sliding her body carefully on top of
his, grimacing a little, and finally resting her head on his chest.  He
held his breath as her small, warm body crept up his, praying that the
monster between his legs didn't rear its ugly head.  Placing a
protective arm around her, he kissed the top of her head and absorbed
the feeling of her heated form lying snugly against his.  She rested
her arm at his side and absentmindedly stroked it with her thumb.  He
smiled at the shivers it sent up his spine, and he brought his other
hand around her to play with the stray strands of copper hair that
spilled onto his chest.  They laid there like that for a long time,
watching TV and not saying anything; just cuddling with each other
peacefully and thoroughly enjoying the new and extraordinarily more
intimate bond that was blossoming between them.  Mulder loved the feel
of her, like the favorite stuffed toy that you could never put down
when you were a kid.  She was becoming his security blanket.  He needed
to touch her, to feel her body, to smell her hair.  He couldn't get
enough of her.  All these years, he had her silent permission to sit or
stand close to her only, yet he longed to touch and feel her like this.
  He had touched her physically before too, but never like this.  He
*never* thought he'd have this opportunity, and he felt like pinching
himself to make certain that it was really happening.  It was damn hard
for him to suppress the urge to move his hips against her; she felt
*so* good against him.  She was reveling in his comfortable masculine
sensation as well, and was amazed at how well their bodies fit together
- too well perhaps, since she could swear that she felt something a
little hard beneath her stomach.  She was flattered by his apparent
arousal, but she also didn't want this to go any further.  She just
laid very still and concentrated on his warm, comforting chest, the
intoxicating, gentle thump-thumping of his heart, and the inhaling and
expelling of air through his lungs.
They soon dropped off into a peaceful slumber, their arms and legs
tangled protectively around each other.

Mulder began having a vivid nightmare sometime later.  He saw Scully
lying naked on a floor, her eyes wide and her face frozen in terror,
and someone, or some*thing* was atop her, raping her over and over. 
Then she let loose a scream of sheer bloody terror.  He awoke with a
gasp and jerked upward on the couch, sweat pouring down his temples,
causing Scully to jerk awake also. 
"What? Mulder, what is it?"  He panted and darted his eyes around
frantically until he realized where he was, and that it was only a bad
dream.  She was here, she was alright, and she was lying on top of him.
He hugged her tightly for a moment and then flopped back down on the
couch, rubbing his face.
"S'nothing....just a dream."  Dana sat upright and grimaced.  Her arm
was aching, and falling asleep on the couch on top of Mulder certainly
didn't help her already sore body.  Mulder saw her obvious discomfort
and sat up as well.
"Maybe you should take some more pain pills." Mulder offered.
"Mmm, yeah....I suppose."  She mumbled half-heartedly as she began to
get up, but he stopped her.
"No, I'll get them for you. You stay here."  She gave him a half-smile
and did as he said.  He returned with the medicine and a hot cup of
tea, and she took them and gratefully drank.  He watched her carefully
as her lips pressed on the cup and she sipped the steaming liquid,
sitting back against the sofa and closing her eyes as the brew soothed
her insides.  He observed her small body and wondered how it was that
something so small could feel so good lying atop him.  He suddenly
wanted to feel her against him again, very much.  He had an
overwhelming urge to grab her and crush her body to his, to keep her
locked in his arms and never let her go.... to kiss her deeply like he
did in the hospital.  She sat her cup in her lap and looked up at him,
only to see him staring intently at her.
"What?" she asked, seeing the dark look on his face.
"I.....I was just.... thinking how nice it was to lie here with you."
he said, almost embarrassed.  She smiled gently at him and reached over
to grasp his hand.  He brought her hand up to his lips, kissing it and
staring into her eyes.  She smiled nervously at him and leaned forward
to place the cup on the table.  Feeling some stiffness in her shoulder,
she grimaced a little and squeezed her shoulder.
"Sore?" he asked.
"Mmmm, yeah, a little bit." she acknowledged.
"Here....let me rub it for you."  he offered as he scooted closer to
her.  She looked at him for a minute, remembering the bathroom incident
earlier, and feeling uneasy about letting him to touch her again.  But,
she turned her back to him anyway, allowing him to gently place his
hands on her sore shoulder and rub softly.  She closed her eyes as he
mesmerized her with his touch, swirling his thumbs all around her skin
and lightly sweeping his fingers across her back.  She had to fight the
little moan of pleasure that kept creeping up her throat, and her head
unconsciously kept cocking from side to side.  All her little sighs and
movements made Mulder's throat constrict painfully as he watched her. 
He prayed that she couldn't feel the trembling of his fingers as they
touched her skin and flirted with her hair.  He became entranced by the
warm lingering scent that wafted from her hair every time she moved her
head.  He had to get closer to her; he had to feel her against him
again.  He ceased his movements and dropped his mouth down to place a
kiss on her shoulder, causing her to still.  Hoping and praying that he
hadn't ruined the moment, he moved up to her neck and kissed her there
also.  She turned her head back toward him slowly, looking at him out
of the corner of her eye, and he daringly placed a kiss on her cheek as
well.  She turned the rest of her body, placing her back against the
couch, and she pinned him with one of her trademark dark looks that
made his heart stop.  It was a look she'd given him countless times
before, usually after he'd come close to crossing one of their
imaginary 'lines'.  It said, 'what do you think you're doing?' or maybe
'I know you're flirting with me' or *maybe* 'you're playing with fire,
buddy-boy.'  Whatever it said, it made his stomach twist into knots. 
Was she waiting for him?  Was the glare coquettish, or was she telling
him to back off?  Mulder only knew that he was being helplessly drawn
in by her, and he gave in as he leaned toward her to kiss her lips.  He
descended on her carefully, softly touching his lips to hers.  He was
surprised when she didn't move, and he broke the kiss and looked
intently at her.  Some uncertainty lingered behind her sea-blue soul
doors, and she looked away for a moment, sitting her cup on the table. 
'Well, that's it,' he thought to himself, 'I've gone too far again.'
Instead, she turned back to him and lifted her hand to caress his
cheek.  He covered her hand with his and kissed it, allowing her to
make the next move.  She smiled slightly and gently pulled his face
back to hers for a kiss.  Their lips met again, this time a little more
insistent as their tongues met and duelled gently with each other. 
Mulder pulled her closer to him until she scooted into his lap, and he
tried valiantly not to crush her too badly as he held her close and
kissed her deeper and deeper.  Scully felt her insides melting as
Mulder's hot lips burned hers and his arms snaked around her back and
neck.  She twined her fingers into his hair and pressed her body up
against his, her stomach churning as she felt the bulging heat
emanating from his groin.  Mulder moved his hands down to her hips and
pulled them against his slowly, grinding her against him gently as she
let out a slight gasp.  Her breathy response made him shudder inwardly
and he groaned a quiet 'oh God' into her mouth.  He devoured her now,
hungrily kissing her lips, her chin, her jaw, and moving down her sleek
neck to the buttons on her thin cotton shirt.  He had barely touched
the buttons with his hand when she suddenly flinched and pushed him
back away from her.  He looked at her, stunned for a moment, wondering
what he did wrong.  Scully stared at him like a bewildered animal, her
lips glistening and her chest heaving.  She opened her mouth to say
something, but she only stammered nervously.
"I......I'm sorry....Mulder...." she whispered and shook her head
slightly as tears welled in her eyes.  He started to lean toward her,
wanting to tell her that he understood, but she bolted up off the
couch, tearfully mumbling "I'm so sorry" as she scurried back to her
room.
"Scully.....wait!...." he lept up and shouted to her, but she was gone.

The slam of her door reverberated through his entire body.  'Way to go
shithead,' he told himself.  'The poor woman has just been through a
horrific near-rape, she says she wants to take it slow, and you come on
to her like a freight train....smart, *real * smart, asshole!'  God, he
was such an idiot!  How could he be so stupid and insensitive!  Mulder
held his head in his hands, wondering what on earth he should do now. 
He should just leave, just go and let Scully alone.  No, he couldn't do
that-- that's what she'd *expect* him to do--run away and ditch her
when a problem arose.  He had to talk to her; he had to apologize to
her for coming on so strong.  God, maybe she isn't ready for this;
maybe this really *is* a mistake for us to try this.  He sat and
thought for a while longer, then, figuring he'd given her enough time
alone, got up and headed for her bedroom.  He rapped lightly and called
her name.  No reply.  He nervously placed his hand on the doorknob and
turned it gently, popping the door open slightly.  He peered into the
dark room and called out again.
"Scully?  You okay?"
"Yes."  Came a quiet, but flat reply.  Mulder stood at the door for a
minute, not knowing whether or not he should venture in to talk to her.
 She gave no indication if she wanted him to go or stay.  Taking a deep
breath, he opened the door further and stepped inside.  She was laying
on her bed, slightly curled up, with her back to the door.  She said
nothing as Mulder walked up and sat on the edge of her bed, facing her
back.  He wanted touch her, God, how he wanted to touch her.  Her whole
room smelled like her.  Soft whispers of her Scully essence; light,
airy, fresh fragrances of clean laundry, or fresh sheets, or soap, or
something.  He gathered his thoughts and his nerve, and began with a
whisper.
"Scully.....I'm.....I'm sorry.....I shouldn't have done that.  I.....I
wasn't thinking." he said apologetically.  She rolled over to look at
him, then.
"No." she said, shaking her head slightly.  "Don't apologize."  She
stared at him intently, fixing him with a stare that he couldn't quite
make out because of the darkened room.  He stared back at her for a
minute, longing to tell her how much he wanted to touch her, how much
he just wanted her.  But he didn't.
"I should go." he whispered, and he got up off the bed.  She sat up
quickly.
"No!" she said in a rush.  
"I mean.....I don't want you to go."  Again, the stare eminated from
her eyes.
"Can you stay......please?"  How could he resist those eyes, that face?
"Sure, Scully.....I'll stay."  He whispered back to her.
"But you really should get some rest and go to bed now."  She nodded in
agreement, and looked up at him again, her face still unreadable.  He
smiled slightly and turned to leave the bedroom.  God!  He was so
confused.  A million analytical thoughts raced through his mind and he
smacked himself on the head, telling them to leave him alone.  'I can't
read anything into this,' he told himself.  'She just needs some
time.....I just have to give her time.'

Scully meanwhile discarded her pants and crawled into her bed
carefully, wondering how much of an idiot Mulder thought she was by
this time, and cursing herself for acting so irrational.  Why was she
pushing him away?  Did she want him or not?  She couldn't focus her
thoughts as the pain medicine began to work its delirium on her mind. 
Mulder came back into the room and sat down  on her bed.  They looked
at each other in silence for a few minutes until her eyes began to
slide shut.  Mulder leaned down and stroked her cheek lovingly.
"Goodnight, Dana." he whispered and started to get up to leave.  Scully
grabbed his hand suddenly.
"Wait....Mulder.....do you think you could....y'know.....lie here, in
bed, with me tonight?" she looked at him innocently, pleading with her
eyes.  How could he turn down those eyes? Of course he would stay with
her; he longed to crawl into a bed with her, although for different reas
ons.  He knew what she wanted tonight though:  comfort, and he would
give it to her, no questions asked.
"Of course... I'll do whatever you want.  Just let me go turn off the
lights and stuff."  He bent down and kissed her forehead, then went out
the door.
'Oh God!....she wants me to sleep *IN BED * with her!' he screamed to
himself. This was going to be tough. He looked down at his groin and
shook his head. He felt himself tense up at the thought of climbing
into that bed and curling his body around hers, wrapping his arms
around her, wrapping his legs around her, feeling her body against
his....'Oh shit!' he grimaced in agony as he felt himself swell at the
thoughts racing through his mind. 'Can't think that way, can't think
that way!!' he chided himself. 'Stop thinking like a GUY!! She needs me
to *comfort* her now, not jump her bones!' he told himself. ...This was
going to be a long night indeed.

Dana laid in her bed, listening to him walking around, pacing.  'Maybe
this was a bad idea,' she thought to herself. She didnt want him to
think that she was teasing him; she just wanted to be near him, be with
him. If she were in better shape physically, she would have *other*
plans, but not now.  No, they needed to take this slowly anyway.  They
could just lie together and sleep, couldn't they?  That wouldnt be so
hard....would it?  Dana's stomach began to churn with anxiety.  Mulder
reappeared in the bedroom, approaching the bed carefully, eyeing Dana
to see if she was still awake. She briefly considered faking sleep, but
then decided against it.  She turned her head and looked up at him,
giving him a reassuring smile and pulling the sheets down in
invitation.  He saw that she had taken her pants off, and again he felt
more blood rush to his nether-regions.  He swallowed hard and nervously
dropped his pants and took off his shirt as well, leaving only his
boxers.  Scully studied him in the darkened room, admiring his gently
muscular form. ..Oh, this *was* a bad idea indeed... She could have
sworn she saw a slight bulge tenting his boxers, but then again, it
could be the pain medication.  Mulder quickly slid under the sheets and
covered them both up.   She smiled shyly at him and stretched one leg
over to him until they touched.  He smiled nervously and scooted over
toward her until they were separated by mere inches.  She sleepily
reached her arm around him, stroking his side and back lazily.  It
suddenly felt 20 degrees warmer in the room, as Mulder struggled to
maintain his cool.  He hesitantly reached his arm over to her side too
as she scooted closer to him and snuggled up against him, her leg
sliding up so that it rested on top of his.  He pushed his knee
in-between her legs, sliding it along her silkiness, but making sure to
stop mid-thigh.  He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, trying
desperately to keep his arousal at bay.  He hugged her tightly, praying
that she would just lie still and fall asleep quickly.  He stroked her
sides and back gently, feeling her ribcage and her backbone too easily,
he thought.  She felt so frail, and yet he wished that he could tear
her  t-shirt off and feel just her skin against his palms.
"That feels good, Mulder." she hummed sleepily. 
"Goodnight, Dana." he whispered, kissing her head and praying that he
would soon succumb to sleep and escape this uncomfortable situation. 
"G'night." she mumbled, giving his torso a squeeze.
She soon gave off a slow, soft, breathing rhythm, indicating that she
had fallen asleep.  Mulder closed his eyes, listening to her gentle
rhythm and smelling her strawberry hair.  As she slipped deeper and
deeper into sleep, the dedicated insomniac soon realized what his cure
was as he felt himself succumb to the blackness of his own unconscious
mind.

********************

The days seemed to pass rather quickly as they continued to play
"house" together and experiment carefully with their newfound intimacy.
 Mulder was with Scully at her apartment almost constantly, and she was
beginning to truly treasure his company, to her dismay.  She hadnt been
sure what to expect of all this, but he really made her feel safe and
provided her with some much-needed, but never acknowledged, security. 
They didn't move beyond little kisses and gentle touching, mostly
because it was obvious to Mulder that she wasn't ready to move on to
anything heavier yet, so he waited patiently and followed her leads. 
He was in a dilemma about their bedtime ritual, however.  He loved
sleeping next to her, but he couldn't take much more of the arousal
that inflamed him every night.  He kept having incredibly erotic dreams
about her, about the two of them together, about the things he wanted
to do to her, and it was driving him mad.  He began avoiding touching
her in bed, and even when they would cuddle on the sofa he had to fight
the urge to touch her intimately, not wanting to arouse himself
pointlessly.  He wondered if she had any idea of the number of times
he'd gotten out of bed hours before day break, just so that she
wouldn't catch sight of his huge erection. 

They knew that the "house-playing" couldn't last, and they'd eventually
have to go back to being Special Agents once again.  After nearly 2
weeks, they finally  went back to work in their favorite basement
office, against Mulder's better judgement, but ultimately at Scully's
insistence.  She was beginning to go stir-crazy being at home and she
needed to get back to work.  Mulder had at least convinced her to work
only partial days for awhile, much to her displeasure, but he knew that
she fatigued easily and wasn't quite 100% yet.  Both of them made a
pact to be acutely aware of their body language while at work.  They
knew they had to be highly discreet about their newfound relationship,
and they made it a point not to even stand close to each other when
anyone was around.  It was difficult not to touch or smile at each
other in their 'knowing' way, but they somehow managed to pull it off. 
Mulder also did his best not to hover over her and make her feel
'protected' -- he knew she'd hate that.  But, he was forever casting a
watchful eye in her direction, no matter where she went.  Occasionally,
he worried that they were drifting apart instead of becoming closer. 
At times she seemed to be very happy and content; at others she seemed
distant and almost frustrated.  He wondered if he had done something to
upset her, or if he *wasn't* doing something.  He was certain of only
one thing:  women were the most confusing creatures on the planet, and
Scully was no exception.

At Scully's suggestion, they decided not to spend every evening with
each other, for obvious reasons, but they tried to get together at
least twice a week.  When they weren't together in an evening, they
called each other and talked for several hours, usually right before
they went to bed.  They talked intimately about things that were
normally taboo, revealing more and more of themselves to each other
little by little.  They were surprised how easy it had become to talk
with each other, and it kept them emotionally connected.  Mulder was
quickly learning that the private Scully was quite unlike the
professional Scully.  She was not tough and determined on the inside;
she was sensitive and vulnerable.....and sexual.  She had needs and
desires just like he did, only she didn't say these things aloud to
him; he could just sense it.  It drove him crazy.  Her soft, sexy voice
purring to him on the phone made him dizzy, and he had to use all his
powers to stay in control.  He wanted to push himself into her so badly
he could taste it, and cold showers were no longer helping him.  Still,
he was  grateful for the evenings that they did spend together, which
consisted mostly of quiet dinners and lots of couch cuddling.  They
usually laid in each other's arms speaking lowly, touching and
caressing.  There were a few nights when things got more intense,
however.  Gentle touches became more insistent fondling, innocent
kisses became passionate tongue duels.  The sexual tension was both
exhilirating and unnerving, but it never went any further than that. 
She didn't want to go any farther; he could sense it, and he continued
to let it go.  Mulder hated to leave her at the end of their evenings
together, and she truthfully didn't want him to go.  She longed for him
to stay the whole night and make love with her in her bed. 
But......she couldn't.....not yet.  There was something inside her that
wouldn't allow her to take the final step.  What was it?  Why couldn't
she just let go?  It drove her mad, and she worried that he thought she
was leading him on.  Every time Mulder would leave, she would collapse
onto her couch and cry for hours in frustration.  She loved him, she
was certain of that....and he loved her, she was fairly certain of
that, even though he'd never said it, she could see it in his eyes, in
his actions.  So what was she afraid of?  He made her feel wonderful,
right?  She loved his touch and the feel of his body against hers.  He
made her become aware of her own body again, and she saw herself once
again as a *woman*, not as Dr. Dana Scully, M.D., FBI Special Agent Ice
Queen, but as a living, breathing, sexual female.  His presence
reawakened the  long-forgotten female parts of her body that had been
dormant from such long disuse.  She was suddenly newly appreciative of
her femininity; her breasts, her legs, her hips, and all the internal
body parts that made her a woman, that made her capable of bearing and
nourishing children... well, normally anyway.  It felt so good to feel
like a *real* woman again, to be loved by a man.....to be *wanted* by a
man.  And that was, perhaps, what frightened her -- this newfound
identity.  She had thought she knew who she was; she thought she knew
exactly where she was going in life.  But now......now she was falling
in love with a man......she *needed * this man.... and it was changing
everything.....and she was scared to death.  How on earth could she
explain this to Mulder?

Mulder thought she was probably just nervous about venturing any
further, and everyday he told himself that he would wait and let her
give *him* the signal.  Hell, he was ready the first time he'd kissed
her, but he knew that he needed to take his time and let her call the
shots.  Nonetheless, he still felt a twinge of anxiety after their
evenings together.  She touched him and kissed him, but she always
pulled back when things got too heated.  He couldn't prevent the worry
from entering his consciousness every once in awhile.  Maybe she didn't
really *want* him..... maybe she didn't ever *want* to have sex with
him, maybe she wasn't turned-on by him.... maybe.... maybe she was just
scared.  Yeah, he was pretty sure that she was just scared, and, if he
was really honest with himself, so was he.  He tried *really* hard to
put the thoughts out of his mind and focus on work, but it was becoming
increasingly difficult, and he was growing increasingly frustrated.

He fought with himself constantly.  Should he confront her and find out
what the problem is?  Should he allow the slow pace to continue and let
her be in control?  Or should he just forget about the whole thing and
let her go?  He had no idea what to do.

She could sense his frustration, and she hated herself for being the
cause of it.  Why couldn't she just give in to it, her want, her
desire, his desire?  Why couldn't she tell him how she felt?  She was
going to screw it all up; everything.  Their relationship, their
friendship, their partnership....everything.   It would all be her
fault; hers and her stupid fear of intimacy.  She would not lose him;
she would not allow herself to screw up their one chance at happiness. 
Her hospital conversation with her mother ran through her head over and
over and over: '... the biggest 'risk' you must take is the 'risk' of
letting someone get close to you...' '....Is *love* such a horrible
thing to you?....' 'Fox feels just like *you* do....'  '....Just take
it one step at a time.....'.  Well, it was time for that next step, she
finally concluded.

*********************

A couple more weeks had passed when Scully hatched a plan for a
possible romantic getaway, where they could hopefully clarify their new
relationship and put their burning passions to the test.  She was
ready; ready to conquer her fear of intimacy and take that huge step. 
To say that she was scared was an understatement; she'd never "planned"
any kind of romantic seduction in any way, so this was new territory
for her.  But, it was the perfect opportunity:  she would ask Mulder to
go to her friend's wedding, and they would stay at a nice hotel for the
weekend.  They would be away from work, and in a completely different
city where no one would know them.  The idea of spending a long
romantic weekend with Mulder down in sunny Florida gave Scully chills. 
She just hoped that he would think the same; he had been acting a bit
cool lately, and she hoped that it wasn't too late.  She waited until
the end of the day and decided to ask him right before she left for the
evening.  She watched him sitting at his desk reading.  He was so sexy
with those glasses on.  She got chills every time she looked at his
lean body, and her stomach lurched.  He must have felt her staring at
him, because he looked up at her and smiled.
"Something on your mind, Scully?" he asked.  Scully grinned a little,
embarrassed to have been caught.
"Umm," she hesitated.  "I was going to take a little non-work-related
jaunt next weekend, and, uhh....," she hesitated nervously.
"I thought perhaps you might like to go with me?"  She asked, trying to
sound  lighthearted.  He raised his eyebrows and blinked.
"A 'jaunt', with you?" he teased her and she pursed her lips.
"You wouldn't happen to be asking me to accompany you to your friend's
wedding, would you Scully?" he smirked at her, enjoying watching her
squirm.  She smiled and nodded, acknowledging his correct guess.
"Yes, Mulder, I'm asking you to go with me." she replied
condescendingly.  He smiled affectionately at her, something he hadn't
done in a long time.
"And *where* would this 'jaunt' take us, Agent Scully?" he asked
mischievously.
"Ahhhhh, someplace warm and tropical," she arched her eyebrow and
teased him back.  "Someplace far, far away from the clutches of the
prying eyes of the F.B.I. and the Consortium from Hell." she teased
again.  Mulder smiled appreciatively.
"Unfortunately, I'm not sure there is ANY place that is out of their
reach, but, it will be fun pretending."  he replied, and Scully made an
acknowledging gesture with her face.
"So, where is this shin-dig, for real?" Mulder asked seriously.
"Way down in sunny Florida, near Cape Canaveral." Scully pulled some
papers out of her purse.
"Cape Canaveral, huh?  Sounds good to me, you know how I love rockets
and astronaut stuff." Mulder's eyes glinted with secret glee.  Scully
looked impatiently at him.
"Mulder, we're not going down there to hang out at the launching pad of
the Space Shuttle.  Melinda and her fiance both work at the Cape, but
they live in Melbourne, which is where we'll be staying too."
He smiled and walked over to where she was sitting at her desk, placing
his hands on her shoulders and leaning down to look at her, his
suddenly serious eyes boring straight into her heart.  They looked at
each other for a moment, and he spoke softly to her.
"Are you sure you want us to spend a weekend .... together?"  She
smiled nervously, pausing for a few moments, her eyes darting around
then returning to his.
"Yes, Mulder.....I'm sure."  She did her best to give him a determined
look.  He looked back at her with some uncertainty.
"I can wait, you know."  he said, trying his best to look as though he
had the patience of Job.  She laughed a nervous breath.
"No you can't......and I think we've waited long enough, don't you?"
she whispered to him, looking deeply into his eyes and feeling more
certain than ever that this was what she wanted.  He stared softly at
her, his throat constricting uncomfortably as he read the look of
certainty in her eyes.  She was saying that she was ready; she was
emitting the signal that he had been waiting so patiently for.  He
couldn't contain the huge smile that broke across his face as he kissed
her quickly on the lips, glancing back toward the door, just in case. 
She returned his affectionate gesture with her own blinding grin.  It
nearly took his breath away to see such brilliance from her at last.  
"Do you have any idea how much I love to see that smile?"  he said
thoughtfully to her.  She gave him a sheepish look, slightly
embarrassed.  
"I can't believe.....all these years..... and I've only seen that smile
a few times.  I hope I get to see it a *lot* more." he said in a more
serious tone, stroking her cheek.  Fighting back tears, she reached up
to kiss him softly, the lump in her throat not allowing her to speak. 
Mulder cleared  his throat and did his best to shift into
'business-as-usual' mode, plopping back down into his chair.
"So, where are we staying?  Someplace nicer than our usual F.B.I.
motel-hell suites, I hope?" Mulder queried.  Scully shrugged.
"I don't know.  Melinda gave me some places to call, but I have no idea
what they're like.  I also have to call and book a flight for us, and I
have to think of a gift for them, and something to wear...." she began
spouting the thoughts off quickly, making Mulder's head spin.  He held
his hands up.
"Whoa, whoa! Slow down, you're giving me a headache!  Why don't you
give me the list of hotels, and let me find one for us.  *You* can make
the flight reservations and hunt for a gift, BUT, may I suggest edible
underwear and fur-lined handcuffs?"  Scully gave him her best disgusted
look.
"Uh, I think you're mistaking bachelor party gifts with holy matrimony
gifts, Mulder, but, hey....it's the thought that counts." Scully rolled
her eyes, then rose from her seat and started for the door.
"Oh, by the way, the wedding is Saturday *evening*, and it's *formal*,
so, you'll have to take a nice suit....and a *nice* tie." she smiled
triumphantly as Mulder made an insulted look.  Scully grinned, waved,
and disappeared out the door.  Mulder fidgeted with the hotel list as
he smiled inwardly.  She was coming back to him at last.  His steadfast
patience had paid off.  He let out a  sigh of relief, and began
formulating some very *special* plans for Dana Scully.  

*********************
The weekend of their trip arrived slowly, the anticipation nearly
killing both of them.  They boarded the plane bound for the Florida
coast, eager for a break from work, and anxious about their private
weekend alone....together.  Scully slept on Mulder's shoulder while he
held her hand, stroking it and fantasizing about the coming nights.  He
looked down on her sleeping form.  Mulder wondered if she was as
nervous about the weekend as he was.  If she was, she gave no
indication; then again, she had *never* given any indication of what
she was feeling.  He loved her so much, and he really wanted to tell
her.  She hadn't told him that she loved him either, and he wondered if
perhaps she was waiting to hear it from him first.  But he was
petrified to take that step.  He figured that she was feeling
apprehensive about the escalating physical nature of their new
relationship, and he wondered if she felt that she wasn't good enough
for him or something, or won't be able to fulfill his wants and needs. 
He knew that women got stupid ideas like that in their heads sometimes,
and she *did* make constant comments about her bruised and beaten body.
 Actually, she had healed quickly, and her fears about her face still
being bruised for this wedding turned out to be groundless; she was
nearly completely healed, with only a few faint scars evident. Maybe
the strong-willed, enigmatic Dr. Scully was  just a little insecure? 
She was as beautiful as ever to him, but....he hadn't told her
that.....and, he hadn't told her that he loved her.  Could that be part
of the reason why she was holding back?  Maybe she needed to hear him
say that he wanted her, that he thought she was beautiful, and probably
most of all, that he loved her.  He looked down at her again and felt
the urge to shake her awake and tell these things right now, but, he
realized that it wasn't exactly the best time for it.  He felt like
smacking himself for being so stupid.  She may be worrying about
fulfilling his needs, when in fact, it will probably be the opposite. 
She'll probably fulfill him *so * much, that he'll need her and want
her too much too soon.  God... if she only knew.  He didn't want to
scare her with intense feelings and needs.  Mulder was keenly aware of
all his new and powerful feelings.  He had to make damn sure that he
didn't frighten her off with their intensity.  He was driving himself
crazy, and they hadnt even arrived yet.  He sighed exasperatedly and
laid back in the seat, trying to relax as best he could.  They would be
landing soon, and he would soon get to surprise her with his "hotel"
choice.  He smiled as he began to doze off.

Sometime later, they were in a rental car, zipping along the Florida
coast, Mulder with a permanent grin on his face.  Scully sensed that he
had something up his sleeve, especially when she asked him what hotel
they were staying at, and his reply had been, "we aren't".  She
remained quiet as they drove along erratically, obviously searching for
an address.  A few moments later they pulled into a long driveway,
camoflauged with trees and loads of Spanish moss.  Mulder checked the
address on the mailbox.
"Yep, this is it."  he grinned triumphantly at Scully, who looked at
him like he had 2 heads.  They continued along the drive until the
trees diminshed and opened up to a beautiful little white cottage
situated right on the beachfront.  It was secluded and serene, with
only the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach.  They got out of
the car and Scully looked around in wonderment.  Mulder smiled as he
approached her.
"You like?" he held his arms out in gesture.
"It's....perfect," she grinned from ear to ear.
"But....how did you..." Mulder held up his hand to quiet her.
"Ask me no secrets, Scully.....I wanted to find a special place for a
special weekend together." he leaned forward and kissed her gently, and
she smiled lovingly at him.
"Agreed, but......we aren't at work, so, let's just be Dana and Fox
this weekend....okay?" she asked as she placed her hands on his
shoulders.  He made a face at his detested name, but decided it was
okay.
"Agreed."  He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her more deeply,
promising passion with his lips.  Scully shivered inwardly at his
intimate touch and smiled shyly at him.  
"C'mon, let's check this place out before it gets too dark." he
squeezed her arms and pulled her toward the front door.

They wandered around the cottage, checking out every room, closet, and
cupboard.  Scully was amazed at the contents of the place; it was quite
deceiving from the outside.  It just looked like a little old cottage,
but the interior was modern, spacious, and beautifully decorated in
beach/ocean motif.  There was only one bedroom, and it had everything:
a huge king-sized bed, a large bathroom with a glass walk-in shower,
and access to a small balcony that overlooked the ocean.  The kitchen
was a bit small, but very modern and accommodating.  The living area
had a wide sectional sofa, a huge television, and a porch that also
looked out onto the ocean.  The best part, though, was the hot tub on
the side of the porch.  Scully saw Mulder's eyes light up when they
walked out to inspect it.  She was sure that the tub played a major
part in his choosing this place.

After they got settled in, they went out for something to eat, finding
a little restaurant at a neighborhood marina.  They were served their
food and chatted with each other quietly, discussing the wedding and
Scully's history with her friend Melinda.  Mulder watched her eat small
bites of food while she chatted.  Her mouth was intoxicating to him. 
She noticed him watching and became amused by it, so she turned it up
higher, taking slow bites, seductively tugging the pieces of scallop
off her fork with her teeth while watching his eyes glisten.  He caught
her act and chuckled, embarrassed to have been sucked in, yet delighted
by her very un-Scully-like actions.  Yes indeed...Scully was truly
*different * on the inside.   She smiled triumphantly as he continued
to watch her, and she purposely chewed her food slowly.  Still
infatuated with her mouth, he reached over and stabbed another scallop
with her fork, basting it in the buttery juice, then lifting it to her
mouth, his eyes locking with hers.  She opened her mouth and he fed her
carefully, some juice dribbling down her chin as she closed.  She
smiled as she chewed and began to lift her hand to wipe at the juice,
but his own hand interrupted her as he wiped at the juice with his
finger, then brought the finger to his mouth to suck it off.  She
almost stopped chewing as he did it, feeling a nervous wave of anxiety
that made her face flush.  The look in his eyes was enough to set the
whole room on fire, and she drank her water quickly in an attempt to
calm her jittery stomach.  He stabbed another piece and lifted it to
her mouth again.  She looked at him as one corner of her mouth crinkled
slightly, and she opened, taking in the scallop seductively.  She
closed her mouth and flicked her pink tongue out to lick her lips,
making his groin tingle with arousal.  This was a huge turn-on for him,
and he was surprised she was going along with it, which turned him on
even more.  He lifted another bite to her mouth, dribbling more juice. 
Again he wiped the juice with his finger, but this time he offered his
finger to her.  She quirked the corner of her mouth again as she opened
her lips and took his finger in gently, licking and sucking the juice
from it.  He shifted in his seat slightly as Major Wood began to stand
at full attention.  He pulled his finger out and closed his eyes,
grimacing slightly and smiling.  She let out a small laugh quietly.
"You started it." she teased softly as she arched one eyebrow.
"I couldn't help myself." he said apologetically, laughing through his
smile.  They finished their meals in silence, knowing smiles plastered
on their faces, watching each other intently.  This was going to be an
interesting weekend indeed.

After the disturbing dinner, they returned to the cottage and decided
to go out for a walk on the beach.  They crossed the dunes and reached
the shoreline, discarding their shoes and dabbling in the water.  It
felt wonderful on their feet, and Scully sat down and squished watery
sand through her toes, reveling in the free feeling of the ocean breeze
billowing through her hair.  Mulder sat down behind her and they began
discussing the stars and constellations that were visible in the clear
night sky.  Dana wriggled her feet as the waves continued to lap at
them.  She drew a deep breath and sighed, leaning her head back against
Mulder's shoulder.
"I love the ocean, it was always my favorite place to vacation." she
murmured.
"Yeah, there's nothing quite as relaxing as the sound of water, that
is, assuming you don't have to go to the bathroom." Mulder cracked. 
Scully chuckled.
"Did you know that the ancient Greek scholars thought that the ocean
was a river that surrounded the earth, dividing it in half -- the
beautiful world from the dark underworld?" Mulder asked.
"Mmm-hmm," Scully nodded.  Mulder was silent for a moment.
"Y'know.....sometimes I think of myself as Hades, Ruler of the
Underworld."  Scully sat up and turned to face him.
"Why would you think that?" she looked puzzled and wondered what he was
getting at.  He smiled and touched her cheek.
"I think of myself as Hades, and you as the beautiful Persephone," he
began.  Scully looked at him, confused.  He continued.
"I feel like I've drug you down into hell with me, made you to eat the
pomegranite, and now you are trapped and persecuted in the underworld
that is the 'X-Files'."  He smiled wryly, but she knew he was being
serious.  She looked at him incredulously.
"Mulder, I -- *Fox*, you are NOT like Hades, and I am NOT like
Persephone.  You didn't *force* me to work with you in the X-Files, and
no one has *forced* me to stay as long as I have."
"It *wasn't* your decision to be assigned to work with me." he
interjected.
"That's true, however, it *was* my decision to stay--you know damn well
that I could have left if I had wanted to."  She looked at him
intently.  He said nothing.
"Why have you stayed, Dana?" he looked at her imploringly.
"Because I wanted to.  Because I believe in what you do,
and.....because I have faith in you, Fox."  She took his hands in hers
and gave them a reassuring squeeze.  
"I've told you that you're the only one I trust, Fox....I still feel
that way." she looked at him with absolute sincerity, and he believed
her.  She cupped his face with a small hand.  Mulder looked at her with
deadly seriousness,
"I just don't like you getting hurt."  He said in a hushed, nearly
quivering voice.
"Oh Mulder...." She touched her fingers to his lips.
"Let's not get into this now... I don't want to talk about *work*,
okay?" she implored him with her eyes.
"Okay....I'm sorry." he said sincerely.
She gave him a rare, toothy smile and leaned forward, kissing him
deeply.  Her smile blinded him for a moment, and his heart skipped a
beat as her mouth descended on his.  Her lips were supple and inviting,
and he wanted to devour her.  His hands raked through her hair and he
swiftly pulled her body to him so that she was sitting on his lap,
straddling him.  His tongue darted in and out of her mouth, tangling
madly with her tongue.  She gasped lightly as she felt him harden
underneath her, and she bit lightly on his bottom lip, digging her
nails into his back.  Moaning softly in her mouth, he dropped his hands
to her hips, pressing her into his lap harder, gyrating her against his
bulging manhood.  Waves of arousal shocked through her like lightning,
causing her to gasp again and drop her head back.  Mulder brought his
hands up to stroke the soft skin of her neck, and he placed wet kisses
along her jaw and behind her earlobe.  She felt hot, liquid passion
course through her veins as she became undone, and she clutched at his
shoulders as he worked his way down her throat.  He undid the top few
buttons of her shirt and placed more kisses on her chest.  She smelled
heavenly.  He wanted to stay here and drown in her sweet, supple skin
forever.  The feel of his hot breath on her was driving her mad, and
chills raced up and down her body, making her nipples impossibly
hard... she actually thought she might faint.  He buried his face
between her breasts as she raked her hands through his hair and pulled
his head against herself.  Jerking his head up, he kissed her quite
forcefully, pulling on her ass again and applying delightful pressure
against his aroused self.  They never heard the older couple
approaching them.

"Ahem!" the older gentleman exclaimed indignantly as they walked past
the youngsters groping each other by the water.  Both Mulder and Scully
nearly jumped out of their skins as they heard the noise.  Their heads
snapped up and saw the older couple walking by, shaking their heads in
disgust.  Scully hid her face in Mulder's chest and started giggling,
feeling very much like a teenager again.  
"Uhhhh, sorryyy!" Mulder called out to them, but the couple ignored
them and continued walking. 
"I guess this isn't an R-rated beach." he said with a chuckle.
"Oh Goddd, I'm so embarrassed!" Scully said with a laugh.  He waved his
hand in their direction.
"Ahhhh, they're just jealous, that's all!" he said with a devilish
smile.  They looked at each other for a minute, deciding what they
wanted to do with the situation.  Scully was mortified at what they
almost did on the beach, in full public view.  She tried her best to
hide her anxiety, her uncertainty.  He could see her apprehension, and
he tried not to look disappointed as he placed a quick kiss on her
lips.  'After all, we couldn't really do anything here on the beach,
could we?' Mulder asked himself. 
"C'mon.  Let's go back; it's getting late."  She pursed her lips
nervously, cursing herself for backing out once again.  Still, she
nodded in agreement, and they got up and went back to the cottage.

Back at the cottage, they lounged on the couch and watched television. 
They cuddled, but were careful not to get hot and heavy.  It was really
late now, and they were both tired from the flight and the drive, so
they gave in to their bodies and fell asleep on the couch.  Sometime
later, Mulder awoke.  He looked at her sleeping form and kissed her
head lovingly.
"I do love you, Dana." he whispered softly to her.  .... Now if only he
could tell her to her face. 

Together Alone
By A. K. Naten

Part 4 of 4


Saturday morning came and went, and they spent some time on the beach,
then decided to drive around and do some "tourist" stuff for the
afternoon.  It was strange doing things as a "couple", but they both
enjoyed it.  Mulder loved seeing Scully smile and acting carefree.  It
was such a change from her usual seriousness.  Scully loved the way
Mulder behaved like a little kid, frolicking and splashing her on the
beach.  She also liked the way he constantly touched her, in little
ways, or put his arm around her, or held her hand.  She began to feel
like this really could work between them.

Evening drew near, and they reluctantly returned to their cottage to
get ready for the wedding.  Mulder got dressed and eyed himself in the
living room mirror.  He wanted to go to this thing and meet Scully's
friends as Fox Mulder, Dana's significant other, not Agent Mulder,
Agent Scully's 'spooky' partner.   He pranced impatiently around the
living area, anxious to see what Scully would wear.  It was definitely
something blue, but that's all he got a glimpse of.  His jaw dropped to
the floor when she came out of the bedroom at last.  She had on a deep
royal blue dress with a low-scooped neck, narrow shoulder straps, a
tantalizing slit up the side of one leg, and a back that plunged down
to nearly expose her underwear... assuming she was wearing some.  The
only thing that was covered in the back was her butt, and the whole
dress shimmered when she moved.  She had pinned her hair up so that a
few stray tendrils dangled at her temples and the back of her neck, and
her eyes were made up so that they pierced right through Mulder's
heart.  She looked at his gaping mouth and shyly smiled, dispelling
some of her nervousness.
"Uhh, you look......*incredible*,"  he managed to stammer through his
stupor as he walked toward her.  She smiled bigger with relief.  The
dress hugged every curve of her body, and it made her exposed skin look
impossibly creamy and delicious, and her lips... they seemed to beckon
Mulder closer and closer... 
"Could you help me with this wrap?" she motioned to the knit fabric in
her hand.  He managed to drag his eyes away from her lips to help her
put the fabric on her shoulders, then gave her a kiss on the cheek when
he finished.  She smiled lovingly at him.
"Jesus, I feel under dressed!" he muttered, looking at her again.
"Nonsense!  You look perfect." she said as she played with his lapels. 
She fingered his sensible tie and grinned at him.
"Just *perfect*!"  He grinned back at her and placed a lingering kiss
on those lips.  
"We'd better leave right now, or we might not make it to the wedding!"
he wagged his eyebrows at her mischievously, and she responded with a
small chuckle and a shake of her head.
"Let's go."  He smiled back at her, and they left.

The wedding was a huge, ravishing affair with all the expected excesses
that wealthy Southern families would offer.  Mulder hated it.  He
didn't know that this would be such a first-class affair, and he did
*not* want to be at a boring, extravagant party with people he didn't
know.  He just wanted to be back at the cottage with Scully.  He sat
fairly glum-faced through the whole thing, with Scully giving him an
occasional glare.  The only good part for him was that he got to sit
close to Scully and think nasty thoughts about her in that dress.  He
knew he was pissing her off by fidgeting and sighing, but he *really*
hated weddings.  She scolded him on the drive to the reception.

"I'm just saying that you could have at least *appeared* to be vaguely
*interested* in the ceremony, instead of sitting there with that *look*
on your face."  He knew she was annoyed with him, and he was sort-of
sorry that he had behaved rudely.
"Ok, you're right, and *I'm wrong*, okay?  It's not that I was *bored*,
I was just a tad sickened by the vulgar display of wealth, that's all. 
I can't *WAIT* to see this reception.  We'll probably have caviar and
imported escargot as appetizers!" he said sarcastically.
"Well exactly *what* type of wedding *wouldn't* make you sick, Fox? 
I'd be willing to bet that *any* type of wedding would cause you to sit
with *that look* on your face, assuming, of course, that you'd even
show up." she challenged.
"What do you mean by *that*!?"  He was a bit annoyed at her inference.
"I mean that you're not exactly the "matrimony" type of guy, therefore,
any and all weddings probably turn you completely *off*.  You'd
probably just prefer to live  with someone in 'common law' eternity,
rather than get *married*.....am I right?"  She bore her eyes into him.
 He wasn't sure if he was getting angry because she was close to being
right, or because she had the nerve to call him on it.
"What do you mean, I'm not the "matrimony" type of guy?!"
"I *mean* that most guys do NOT care for weddings, and I'm *quite*
certain that YOU don't either.  Most guys turn a shade of green when
you merely mention the word 'W-E-D-D-I-N-G', and I would be willing to
bet *a lot* of money that you would not only turn green, but vomit
too!"  He was suddenly angry, and he knew why this time.  He swerved
off the road and slammed on the brakes, bringing the car to a
screeching halt.  She looked at him dumbfounded but angry.
"What the hell are you doing?!" she demanded.
He looked at her with his jaw tight, his tongue fighting his teeth for
release.
"You think I'm afraid of commitment.....don't you?! That's what this
conversation is really about, isn't it?!  You think I have no idea what
I want?!"  He was tapping his fingers against the steering wheel
impatiently, daring her to confess.  She jutted her jaw out and sat
motionless, trying to refrain from becoming angry by staring out the
windshield.  She had started out being only slightly annoyed, but his
sudden belligerency made her really angry.  He was daring her to broach
a very taboo subject, and she really didn't want to get into an
argument on the way to the reception.  On the other hand, she *did*
want to know how "committed" he really was to her and their possible
relationship.  She figured they'd have to talk about it eventually, but
not right here, right now.....so much for that.
"Is that what you *think* I'm trying to get at?"  she looked at him and
asked softly.  He glared back at her.
"I don't *know* what you're trying to "get at", but I'd like you to cut
the crap and just say what you mean." He refused to even blink.  Dana
pursed her lips and stared down at the floor.
"Okay." she paused for a minute, then turned and looked directly at
him.
"What kind of commitment are *we* talking about .... here." she
motioned between them with her hand.  Mulder paused and looked out the
windshield, sighing.  She continued.
"I don't want to have a relationship that just consists of us
*sleeping* together on a week-to-week or month-to-month basis.  I need
to know that it means more than that ..... I *want* more than that." 
Her voice cracked as she looked at him earnestly, her eyes welling with
tears.  He looked at her tenderly.
"Is that what's been bothering you?  Is that why you've been holding
back?" he asked her quietly.  She couldn't formulate words to spit back
at him; she didn't want him to know that her reason was because she was
just plain scared.  He continued to stare at her, and his face
developed a look of hurt as she failed to answer him.
"Dana.....do you really think I just want to hop into the sack with you
for a quick fling?" he asked incredulously.  She closed her eyes and
shook her head, then looked back at him.
"No.....I don't think that." she admitted with a whisper.
"Then what?  What is it that you need, Dana?  Commitment?  The "M"
word?" he questioned her intensely with his eyes.  Anger flared in her
for a second, and she bit off the sharp retort that formulated in her
mind.
"No!  That's not what I'm saying!" she spat back at him, flustered,
trying desperately to think of a way to gain the upper hand on the
conversation again.
"Then what?"  he asked calmly and quietly.  Taking his cue, she started
quietly.
"I don't know." she sighed exasperatedly.  How could she possibly
explain her trepidation to him without looking like a complete
manic-depressive?  She began slowly, speaking in a hushed voice.
"Don't you ever think about the future at all?  I mean,... you and
I...." she hesitated and huffed impatiently, searching for the right
words.
"All we do is go back in time, sifting through confusing details,
trying to recreate events and mysteries of the past." she stared at him
and continued, hoping that he would understand.
"I would like to concentrate on the *future*, for a change; I would
like to think about the bright light at the end of the tunnel.....for
once.   I would like to know that there is more to my life than chasing
government hit-men and avoiding alien bounty hunters.  I would like my
life to have a bigger and better purpose.  I need...... more."  She sat
and stared at him as he looked back at her with a slightly surprised
expression.  He dropped his eyes and thought to himself for awhile.  
"So, that is why you've been waiting." he said in half-question,
half-statement of fact, pinning her again with his eyes, demanding an
answer.  She looked away from him and half-shrugged.
"Partly......maybe."  She wasn't sure how to tell him that, while she
did want to know how committed he was, she was deathly afraid to
proceed with the whole thing.  Yet, as they sat here, she felt herself
becoming more certain of her want, and need, to forge ahead with this
relationship.  Was she finally reaching a point in her life where she
felt she could handle emotional attachment?  Had the loneliness and
distance she kept from everything and everyone finally gotten to her?

He sat and pondered her answer.  She was waiting to hear if he was
committed to her?  She thought he was going to bed her and then leave
her?  What kind of jerk did she think he was?  How could she think
that?  Was she really looking for a permanent commitment?  He couldn't
believe he was hearing this.  Never in a million years would he have
thought that Dana Scully would want to settle down and get married. 
And, possibly with *him*???  He wanted to jump for joy, but he knew he
had to keep his cool for now.  He drew a deep breath and turned back to
her.
"Dana.....I feel like I 'committed' to you a long time ago.... I mean,
I knew ages ago that you and I were meant for each other."  He reached
out and held her hands.
"I have thought about this for *so long*.....I kept telling myself that
it was inappropriate and impossible, and that it was highly unlikely
that you'd ever let me touch you or kiss you, let alone make love to
you."  Chills ran down her spine and she tried to swallow the lump that
rose in her throat. 
"Now....here we are, on the threshold of entering into this wonderful
'next step' of our lives...and you think I don't want to go there with
you?  Or, you think I'll take you there and then *leave* you?"  She
just stared at him, trying to digest his words and his apparent hurt. 
He sighed and looked out the window and then back to her again.
"I won't lie to you, Dana - I'm not ready to get married and move to
the country and start playing 'happy family' yet."  He shook his head
and motioned vigorously with his hand.  She quickly shook her head in
agreement.
"Me either." she offered.
"But.....I *am* committed to you.....and to whatever our future may
hold."  He looked at her with pure honesty and compassion in his eyes. 

"Fox....I just....." she stammered and searched for words. 
"I'm just ..... nervous....about this.  This is *very scary* for me,
y'know?"  He shook his head in agreement.  "And I need to know that
you're going to be with me every step of the way.  I don't want to be
together alone anymore.  I need all of you....not just bits and
pieces....*all* of you."  She demanded commitment with her eyes.
"Dana....when you were lying in that hospital, after the incident
with....Jennings....I knew that I couldn't lie to myself about my
feelings any more.   I've come to the realization that it's time to let
go of the past and face the future......with *you* by my
side.....instead of yesterday's ghosts.  I'm done chasing my ghosts,
Dana....I'm done." He gestured with his hands up in front of him.
"And you don't need to be scared.....I'm right here....and we *will* be
together."  He kissed her hands, looking at her with pure, naked
honesty.  She reached up and touched his face, her eyes nearly spilling
over with tears of joy.  He leaned over and kissed her deeply.  They
looked at each other and smiled, glad to have 'the discussion' over
with.  Scully cleared her throat.
"Well, we'd better get going, or we'll commit a major wedding faux pas
by missing the 'entrance' of the newlyweds."  Mulder nodded in
agreement and steered the car back out onto the road.

***************************

The reception was enormous and extravagant, with more lavish accolades,
and exquisite cuisine.  Mulder sat at their table and pondered what
kind of sickening price tag the whole shin-dig carried.  Scully could
read his mind, of course, and gave him a warning glance.  He smiled
impishly and promised to behave himself.  They ate their meal and
chatted idly with the other table guests.  Mulder had been touching her
possessively all evening, sending shivers up and down her spine each
time.  He couldn't help himself; she looked so incredibly gorgeous,
that he wanted to drag her into a bathroom and ravage her over and
over.  He felt like they'd overcome a huge hurdle with their 'talk' in
the car, and he had felt her anxiety diminish significantly afterward. 
She seemed quite a bit more relaxed now as they sat at the table, his
fingers playing with her leg while they sat talking.  He smiled as she
unconsciously twined her fingers with his, resting them on her thigh as
she politely chatted with someone.  Growing increasingly bored with the
idle chit-chat, Mulder noticed that people had begun dancing to the
classy jazz music that the live band was playing.  He leaned over to
Scully's ear and whispered lowly to her.
"Let's ditch this dull scene and dance, babe."  She shivered at his hot
breath in her ear, and smiled at his term of endearment.  They excused
themselves from the table and made their way to the dance floor. 
Mulder placed his hand around her waist as they made their way to the
floor, observing how nearly everyone turned their heads to watch as
they walked by.   He gloated.  He was with the most beautiful woman in
the world, and she was all his.  They reached the floor and began
dancing to the energetic music.  He twirled her round and round, and
they giggled and laughed.  Scully was surprised by his smooth dancing;
he was a perfect partner, as usual.  After a few minutes, the music
changed to a slow song, and the lights dimmed, conveniently.  He pulled
her close to him and ran his heated fingertips down her bare back,
making her shiver inwardly.  She held one of her hands against his
chest and encircled the other around his neck, resting her forehead on
him.  She could feel his breath in her hair as he wrapped an arm around
her waist and pressed her body against his.  The sensation of his warm,
lean body, mixed with his musky scent and his cologne tantalized her
senses and made her dizzy.  She thought her heart might burst from the
love she felt for this man.  They danced slowly to the soft music,
pressing their hips together, almost intimately, moving in perfect
unison with one another.  He drug his hand up her bare back again,
lightly touching her neck and the soft strands of dangling hair.  He
relished touching her satiny skin so intimately, feeling her heated
body pressing against his, inhaling her essence.  She looked up at his
face, naked with desire, and he saw the blue flames dancing in her
eyes, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her well-guarded passion. 
"Did I tell you how absolutely *beautiful* you look tonight?" he
whispered seductively to her.  She smiled coquettishly and nodded her
head.  She turned serious again, ruffling the hair on the back of his
head with her fingers. She pulled his face down in slow motion and
kissed him softly.  Feeling a slow-burning fire ignite within his
chest, he returned the kiss hungrily, her lips fueling the flames that
began to spread throughout his body.  He brought his hands up to cradle
her jaw, his eyes darkening as the kiss intensified.  He reached down
and pressed on her bottom with one hand, lifting her slightly so that
he could gently grind their hips together.  She let out a soft, breathy
gasp that made him nearly lose it, and he felt himself begin to swell. 
She knew they shouldn't be doing this here, of all places, but the feel
and smell of him was intoxicating to her.  She pressed against him
again, nearly melting as he released a quiet groan in her ear.  She
felt a hot flush start at her toes and skyrocket up to her face as she
felt his hardness against her.  They broke suddenly as the lights were
turned back up.  Scully's face was flushed, and she grinned
self-consciously as he chuckled softly.
"Umm.....I think I'm ready to blow this joint.....you?"  He looked at
her hopefully.
"Yah, I think that's a good idea."  She smiled nervously, knowing what
they were going home to do.

Scully chatted politely but briefly with her newly-espoused friend,
then bade her farewell.  They held hands as they walked out to their
car, stealing little anxious glances at each other.  Mulder's insides
twisted tightly as he fantasized about the coming night and the
possibilities it held.  He got more of a hard-on just visualizing
himself peeling her out of that dress, and scolded himself to keep it
together for a little while longer.  Scully's tension grew worse as
Mulder opened the car door for her and brushed his groin against her
backside sensually as she got in the car.  'God, I hope we make it
home!' she thought worriedly.  As they pulled away and began the drive
home, Mulder reached over and took her hand in his, giving her a
reassuring squeeze and smile.  They didn't say very much the rest of
the ride... they were too busy sweating bullets and fantasizing about
the next few hours.

The finally reached the cottage again and went inside.  Scully bolted
straight for the bedroom, mumbling something about needing the
bathroom, and Mulder meandered inside slowly, processing ideas on how
to proceed  in his head.   He figured that Scully must have taken off
to get changed, to his disappointment, since he had been entertaining
fantasies about ripping the skin-tight blue sheath from her body.  
Mulder tossed his keys on the kitchen counter and took off his jacket
and tie, walking past the slightly ajar bedroom door.  Succumbing to
voyeurism, he went up to the door and peered inside.  Scully was
standing in the darkened bedroom in front of her dresser, peeling off
her wrap in slow motion and staring into the mirror as though
transfixed by her own image.  Mulder's heart leapt into his throat as
he watched the wrap slip off her shoulders, baring their creamy surface
to his hungry eyes.  The moonlight filtered into the dark room  through
the glass doors, silhouetting her petite form.  She never heard him
enter the bedroom, and she gave a small gasp as he suddenly appeared
behind her in the mirror, placing his arms around her and molding his
body against hers.  He drug his hands up and down her shoulders and
arms slowly, watching her carefully in the mirror, gauging her reaction
to his caresses, watching as her eyes deepened to the color of
sapphires.  He kissed the back of her neck as he brought his hands to
her waist, sending chills down her spine and causing her to make little
breathless noises.  She leaned her head back against him as her eyes
fluttered shut, feeling her body responding to his hands as they played
her, and his lips as they set her body aflame.  She opened her eyes to
see him bring one hand around to cup a breast and another to her
stomach where it shifted lower, pressing against her heated center of
excitement as he gently pushed his hips against her backside.  She made
a little moan in the back of her throat, causing him to stop his
neck-nuzzling for a moment and look up at her in the mirror.  The sight
of her flushed face, half-lidded smoldering eyes, and heaving chest was
too much for him to bear.  He had to have her, *now*.  He jerked her
around to face him as he captured her mouth with his, kissing her hard
enough to bruise.  She seemed shocked at first, but soon returned the
kiss with equal ferocity as their tongues dueled hotly and their hands
groped and squeezed various body parts.  He broke from her lips and
looked down at her, his eyes dark with desire, his heart pounding and
his body throbbing with need.  Her lips were glistening and swollen
from his onslaught, her chest heaved with ragged breaths, and her eyes
were dilated in a passionate glaze.  They looked deeply into each
other, acknowledging that the time was right, and that they were more
than ready. 

How long had he wanted this moment?  How long had he dreamed of
pressing his naked flesh intimately against hers, feeling her supple
skin moving against his, whispering passionate words to her, hearing
her cry out in ecstasy?  He felt an indescribable urge building inside
himself as he looked at the voluptuous, scarlet-haired vixen standing
in front of him, and he devoured her with his dark, hungry eyes.

She reached up and pushed her hands into his hair, pulling his face
down toward hers.  She wanted him to possess her, to take her and
ravish her with his mouth, hands, and manhood.   She wanted to feel
them touching, skin to skin, with no boundaries, and she wanted to hear
him cry her name, over and over again.  Their lips met more gently this
time, with soft licking and suckling.  She bit gently on his lower lip,
causing him to moan softly into her mouth.  He brought his hands up to
her hair, trying unsuccessfully to undo the pins.  He wanted it down so
he could drag his fingers through it and feel it.  She smiled and
helped him, pulling the pins out and letting the coppery mass spill
down onto her shoulders.  He grinned in approval and pushed his hands
and face into her locks, inhaling that unique Scully smell.  He pulled
his head back and looked down at the straps of her dress, bringing his
fingers to them and pushing them down off her shoulders.  Looking her
in the eye as he did so, he waited for her unspoken approval to
proceed.  She raised one corner of her mouth, then turned around slowly
to allow him to unzip the garment.  He kissed her all the way from neck
to clasp as he slid the zipper down and pushed the dress down her body.
 She stepped out of it and turned to face him again, wearing only her
little undergarments, which, to Mulder's shock, consisted of a slinky
navy blue teddy.  Mulder's mouth dropped open and he let out a silent,
"Ooooo," much to Scully's pleasure.  She grinned widely and reached for
his belt.
"You like?" she whispered huskily.  All he could manage was an
acknowledging nod and a suck of air as her hands swiftly undid his belt
and unzipped his slacks.  He slid his hands up and down her back and
sides as she undid his shirt, peeling it off his shoulders and arms. 
He dropped it and she leaned forward to kiss his chest, licking and
teasing his nipples with her tongue.  He gritted his teeth and sucked
air in with a hiss and a groan each time her tongue flicked across his
hardened nipples.  She stopped her torture and pushed his pants down
swiftly, leaving only his silk boxers with a bulging protrusion in the
center.  He crushed her to him, searing her lips with his, pushing his
tongue in and out, running his hands over her butt, squeezing and
grinding her hips into his throbbing organ.  She wrapped one leg around
him, feeling his hardness pressing into her own sensitized crotch. 
Letting out a gasp and throwing her head back, she allowed him to
suckle her ivory neck.
"Oh God," he breathed in a whisper.  He was going to explode if they
kept up this pace.  His normally prim and proper partner was grinding
against his bulging manhood wearing nothing but a slinky teddy.  No--
she was no longer his prim and proper partner; she was *Dana*, the
woman he was deeply in love with, the woman he couldn't live without,
the woman he was about to make love to, at long last.  He looked down
at her flushed face and wild eyes, kissing her deeply, his animal
instincts shifting into overdrive.  He fought desperately to keep his
urges in check, but felt his control quickly slipping away.  He slipped
a hand down to slide across her crotch, causing his fingers to come
into contact with the silky material, now drenching wet with her
excitement.  He groaned in her mouth as he completely lost it, the
animal finally winning the battle in him.  Grabbing the snaps in the
crotch of her teddy, he ripped them open, invading her slick flesh with
his fingers as he pushed them inside her, evoking a cry from her.  He
forced her back against the wall as he continued to probe her with one
hand while kissing her lips and face roughly, snorting and scratching
her skin with his five-o'clock shadow.  He had to have her now, he had
to get inside *now*!  She let him devour her, her head spinning and her
heart pounding too wildly for her to fully concentrate on what she
should be doing; she was only dimly aware that she was gasping and
moaning out loud.  He was out of control, eating her alive and ravaging
her as she had wanted him to for so long, his forcefulness and beastly
ferocity exciting her like never before.  Slipping his fingers out of
her, he shoved his boxers down and grabbed her thighs with lightning
speed, jerking her up and planting his feet widely as he thrust up into
her, grunting and banging her head against the wall with his
forcefulness.  She cried out and he hissed through clenched teeth as
his enormous member became sheathed in her burning furnace, her legs
wrapping around him as she dug her fingernails into his sweat-drenched
back.  He pulled his hips back and drove into her again.  It had been
too long for her, he was huge, and she felt her eyes stinging with 
pleasurable torture.  He started thrusting his hips against her
mindlessly, hard and fast, hard and fast, breathing loudly against her
neck, his carnal need all-consuming.  She felt so hot, so tight, *so
good* - he wasn't thinking clearly enough to remember that this was
their first time; he only knew that his legs were killing him and he
needed to take this to the bed.

Mustering up what strength and agility he could, he grabbed her
tightly, shuffling his feet carefully and, keeping them joined, backed
up to the edge of the bed and collapsed onto his butt when his legs hit
the side.  They both groaned aloud from the impact, and he laid back on
the bed, grimacing in pleasure-pain.  They were still for a moment as
they tried to catch their breath and recollect their scattered
thoughts, and he opened his eyes to look up at her, checking to see if
she was still with him.  She was panting, one corner of her open mouth
quirked in a tiny grin, her hair hanging wildly in front of her face,
her eyes ablaze.  Her wanton look inflamed his desire all over again,
as he sat up and crushed her to him, searing her lips with a blistering
kiss.  She pushed him back down gently and began rocking slowly back
and forth against him, stimulating herself against the base of his
rock-hard shaft while kissing and licking his lips.   She moaned
breathlessly out loud as the electric sparks coursed through her, and
he grasped her hips and thrust himself up against her hard, again and
again, creating  shockwaves that reverberated throughout her body.  He
arched his back up off the bed, groaning loudly and pulling her hips
down onto him so that he could impale her fully.  She rode him
patiently, leaning down to kiss him as he alternated tangling his
fingers in her hair and fondling her silk-clad breasts.  Her actions
were quickly driving him to the edge of his sanity, her lips trailing
all over his face and her hair tickling him as he emitted long groans. 
She clenched and unclenched her muscles around his rigid member while
she calmly kept a moderate tempo atop him.  He briefly wondered how in
the hell she was staying so in control while he was about to burst
apart at the seams at any minute.  He felt himself slipping back into
'animal' mode as a maddening sexual frenzy began to overtake him. 
Bolting upright and making a guttural sound in his thoat, he pulled her
against him roughly, smashing her breasts against him and making her
gasp in surprise.  He kissed her hard enough to bruise her lips while
he stilled her movements with one hand.
"Turn around." he rasped in a low, breathless voice.  She looked at him
a little puzzled, an unreadable dark look in his eyes.  She quirked her
mouth again and obediently turned around, trusting him completely.  He
lifted the now sweat-soaked teddy up over her head, throwing the
offending garment sharply across the room, causing her to flinch a
little.  His display of strength and harshness continued to surprise
her.
"Lay down." he commanded gruffly, as he placed his hands on her damp
back and pushed her face-down onto the bed.   Again, she obeyed, his
sudden curt commands making her head spin with nervous excitement.  He
laid down on top of her, pinning her and pushing her hair off her neck
so he could kiss and bite her lightly while pushing his throbbing organ
between her crack.  Feasting on her like a ravenous animal, he licked
and kissed his way down her back and buttocks, making every hair on her
body stand on end, the excitement of this new, rough play causing her
to the teeter on the brink of erotic fear.  She could feel his hot
breath in her crack as he kissed and kneaded her butt.  It  was firm
and perfectly round, and he had to fight back the urge to bite it.  He
felt himself growing more brutish as he pawed at her, her musky scent
filling his head, intoxicating him with the desire to drive into her
and plant his seed, to mark her as his mate.  He felt like a Neandertal
man, primitive, hungry, needing to rutt like a wild animal and fulfill
his fundamental biological instinct to copulate and breed.  He had a
raging fire boiling inside him, and Dana Scully was the only woman who
could quell it.  Kneeling on his knees, he grabbed her hips roughly and
jerked her toward him, guiding himself into her swiftly and slamming
into her brutally with a grunt.  She moaned out loud as he repeated his
grunts and his motions, withdrawing and pounding harder, harder, 
grasping her waist and her hips, shoving her against himself ...
grunting, straining.  He needed to get inside farther, deeper,
harder....his mind screamed at him.  Her moaning whimpers suddenly
snapped him out of his beastly trance, as he realized that he might be
hurting her.  He felt himself wither slightly as fear crept into his
mind.  Oh God, what in the hell was he doing?  This is exactly what he
did NOT want to do... he was 'fucking' her, he wasn't 'making love' to
her.  He knew she didnt like to play rough, she had *told* him that. 
This wasn't how he had planned their first time; he had wanted to make
love to her slowly and carefully, taking in every inch of her body.  He
nearly stopped his pumping as he looked at her tiny limp form beneath
him, back slicked with sweat, hair strewn wildly and concealing her
face, red marks on her hips and waist where he had grabbed her so hard.
 God, how could he be so merciless with her?  He almost felt sick.  He
leaned over her tentatively and whispered in her ear.
"Dana?....are you alright?"  She was breathing raggedly, ruffling the
hair that covered her face.  He reached up and brushed her hair back
hesitantly--he needed to see her eyes; they would tell him all he
needed to know.  She didnt have them open though, instead she had them
squeezed shut tightly, her brow knit in a mixture of pleasure and pain,
and her mouth open, panting breathlessly.  Just as he was about to
apologize, she flashed her eyes at him, the ice-blue blaze
indiscernible to him.
"Don't........stop..." she breathed raggedly.  His eyes widened in
disbelief.  She *liked* it?  She *liked* him being rough?  ...Oh god...
 So much for withering -- he felt himself swell immediately with a
surge of newfound and unexpected excitement, and he quickly resumed his
motions.  She mewled aloud, writhing against him, her body set afire by
his renewed ministrations.  He jerked her hips against him harder as he
increased the rhythm, feeling his climax growing closer.  He pulled her
body up against him so that he held her against his chest with one hand
while reaching down with the other hand, feeling where he penetrated
her, and rubbing her clitoris, making her cry out and arch back against
him.  She twisted and turned her head, locking lips with him in an
awkward, but deep kiss.  He broke the kiss and pushed her back down,
frantically thrusting harder and harder and  picking up the tempo as
his body began to shudder, nearing his goal.   She twisted her head
back, trying to look at him, wanting them to watch each other when they
climaxed.  Understanding and agreeing with her desire, he pulled out of
her quickly and flipped her over onto her back.  She let out a grunt as
he tugged her hips up to him, filling her again without missing a beat.
 He grabbed her legs and pushed them up to his shoulders, wanting to
drive into her as deeply as possible, to fuse their bodies together and
push himself so far into her that he would disappear inside her womb. 
He pumped furiously as he felt her walls contracting around him. 
"Uhhh, God...." he mumbled incoherently as the tremors began inside
him.  She raked her nails down his chest and let out a strangled cry,
feeling the atomic explosion engulfing her entire body as he catapulted
her into a cataclysmic orgasm.  His own floodgates burst apart as he
felt her frenzied convulsions and saw the wild, delirious look in her
eyes as she came. 
"DanaDanaDanaaa......!" he groaned loudly, certain that he was
splitting in two.  He arched his back, clenching his teeth as he
erupted violently, pulsing and discharging his load into her warm,
welcoming cavern.  

He collapsed on top of her and buried his face in her hair, his chest
heaving with exhaustion.  She was quite still under him, and he could
feel her heart thudding against his ribcage.  He still feared that he
hurt her, or that she was upset at his harshness.  They laid there for
several minutes, breathing heavily and not wanting to move, and not
being able to anyway.  'Jesus, are we gonna be sore tomorrow,' she
thought ruefully to herself.  Her thighs were still quaking, and she
wondered if she would ever walk normally again.  His sweaty stomach
pressed up and down on hers as they panted, and she could feel beads of
sweat dripping from the hair on his chest, and rolling down between her
breasts.  He moved his arms and began to pull away from her, but she
tightened her legs in protest, bringing her arms around his hips.
"No....stay," she whispered in his ear.  He grinned in her hair and
turned his face to kiss her softly, his cheek scratching against hers
slightly.  He loved this woman so much, he felt his heart might
explode.  They lay together in silence for a moment, allowing their
breathlessness to subside.   He finally brought his face up to hers and
kissed her softly, looking intently at her with some worry etched in
his boyish features.
"Dana......" he ventured quietly.
"Hmmm?"  She kept her eyes closed.
"I'm....I'm sorry.....I didn't mean to be so.....rough.  I....I didn't
hurt you....did I?" his eyes begged her for forgiveness.  She opened
her eyes and grinned at him.
"Not too bad....nothing that a few days in traction can't fix anyway." 
He smiled at her and kissed her lightly, relieved that she wasn't hurt
or angry.  Brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead, she smiled
tenderly at him.  He smiled briefly and turned serious again.
"Dana....." he murmured quietly, his darkened eyes penetrating straight
into her heart.
"I love you.....so much."  He whispered it softly and tenderly, his
voice cracking with emotion.  Her heart skipped a beat and tears sprang
to her eyes.  Finally, he had said it.  The little 'wait and see' game
she was playing with herself was over.  She had been so patient with
herself, waiting to hear those words spoken to her first before she
said them.  She wasnt sure why, but she was fearful that she would have
scared him off if she had blurted them out before him.  She had begun
wondering if he would ever say them to her at all.  Now her fears could
be put to rest.  He loved her.  She cradled his cheek with her hand and
whispered back to him.
"Oh, Fox......I love you."  He smiled and covered her mouth with his,
kissing her passionately and murmuring 'I love you' into her mouth
several times.  She couldnt believe that this was real.  Tears
unwittingly slipped down her cheeks, wetting his as well.  He looked up
at her, a tad worried.
"What's wrong?" he brushed her hair back with his thumbs, and she
smiled and shook her head, wishing the tears would stop, but knowing
that they wouldn't.
"Nothing, nothing.....this is just... so......" She shook her head and
couldn't finish the thought, because she didn't know how to describe
the incredible emotions surging through her heart and soul.  He
understood her completely, and he smiled and nodded his agreement.
"I know," he kissed her softly, "I know."
They hugged each other tightly and shifted to their sides, giggling and
struggling to stay joined.  They silently laid beside each other for
some time, allowing their racing hearts to idle while they looked at
each other and let the comprehension of what just took place slowly
sink in.  He drew lazy circles on her side and stomach with his
fingertips, luxuriating in the feel of her silky skin under his hands. 
 She gently fingered his chest hair, massaging his chest gently with
her palms.  After awhile, he propped himself up on his elbow and stared
at her.  She looked up at him, a slight frown on his brows.  
"What's wrong?" she asked, trailing her fingers up and down his chest.
"Nothing......I was just thinking....." 
"Uh-oh," she interjected teasingly.  He smiled at her jest.
"No, I just......I don't know what you're doing with me......I don't
deserve you." he spoke in a hushed tone, his voice cracking slightly. 
She looked up at him, a bit confused.
"What are you talking about?" she scolded him with her eyes, as he laid
back down with a slightly gloomy look in his eyes.   
"Don't start the self-destruction crap now."  She was trying not to
chide him, but she wasn't going to let him ruin this wonderful moment. 
He looked at her like a little child.
"I'm *with* you because I *love* you, Fox....I have for a *long* time. 
And as for whether or not we 'deserve' one another, I think we're just
*perfect* for each other, period.  There's no one else for
me......there's only you.  No matter how hard you might try, I will
*not* let you convince yourself otherwise."  She pulled him down to her
until their noses touched, and she smiled slightly at him.
"You got that, mister?"
"Yes, Ma'am.....I got it."   He smiled wide and shook his head
sheepishly, and she returned his grin with a happy kiss.  He wrapped
his arms around her and kissed her deeply, running his hands up and
down her back and butt.  She snickered as she felt his arousal growing
again, nudging her thigh.   He laughed in her mouth as she reached down
and wrapped her hand around his swollen member.
"So soon?" she asked him playfully. 
"You have no idea what you do to me....I just can't get enough of you,
babe." he whispered breathlessly.  She smiled and stroked him gently,
eliciting a soft moan from his lips.
"Hmmm......good." she whispered back as she snaked her other hand down
his body, trailing wet kisses down his torso to his thighs.  His eyes
widened then fluttered shut as she licked the tip of him and took him
wholly into her hot, moist mouth.  He groaned aloud as she began a slow
pace of sliding him in and out, swirling her tounge around his
sensitive tip.  He wove his fingers into her hair, fighting the urge to
thrust himself into her further, and cried out as she nipped his tender
skin with her teeth.
"Oh, Jesus, Dana....you're gonna kill me!" he growled breathlessly. 
She laughed and leaned up to kiss him passionately.  He took the
opportunity to grab her and flip her onto her back as she squealed in
surprise.  He knelt between her legs, dragging his fingers down her
body, taking in every inch of her gorgeous nakedness, as he should have
the first time.  He  raked over her hotly with his hungry eyes....  she
looked so incredible to him.  Her stomach was flat and smooth as satin,
her thighs sleek and slightly muscular.  The supple curves of her
slender waist blended perfectly into her shapely hips.  She watched his
face for a reaction, ever self-conscious of herself.  His mouth dropped
open, but nothing came out as his eyes devoured her nude form.  He
finally smiled and whispered.
"So beautiful."   She smiled slightly, feeling suddenly shy.  He knelt
forward again, lightly touching her stomach and slowly dragging his
eyes up her body to her face, feasting on each part as he went.  
"Absolutely..... *beautiful*!" he whispered hoarsely as he leaned in 
to kiss her softly.  Her body relaxed at his appreciative and tender
words, and she wrapped her arms around his neck to pull him in for a
deeper kiss.  He broke and knelt back again, fixating on her perfect
creamy breasts,  licking his lips and sliding his fingers around them,
cupping them and feeling their suppleness.  Scully gasped and arched
her back as he dropped his mouth to lap at one of the hardened nipples.
 He sucked and nipped at each tight, silky bud until Scully was moaning
softly and digging her fingernails into his shoulders.  He sat back up
again, pulling her with him as he offered his body to her now. 
Appreciating the offer, she took the opportunity to devour his
nakedness as well.  His long, lean arms and legs were fibrous and
athletic, and his stomach was tight with soft ripples.  She knelt in
front of him, reaching out to touch his abdomen and his thighs, wanting
to explore him.  His hair stood on end as her small, warm hands
wandered over his body, touching, feeling, and exploring him.  She
gently reached down and took his aching penis in her hands, squeezing
and stroking very lightly.  He dropped his head back and clenched his
teeth, squeezing his eyes shut.  He thrust his hips forward slightly as
she continued to grip him.  She marveled at his immense, silk-clad
shaft; the feel of him pulsating under her fingers made her groin surge
with moisture, and he arched his back and thrust more, his whole body
coiling with tension.  He was gonna lose it any minute now, and there
was no way he wanted this to be over yet.  He snapped his head back and
took her by the wrists, pulling her hands off his organ, and pushing
her onto her back.  She frowned for a second, but it soon disappeared
as he covered her body with his, smashing his chest against her breasts
and kissing her feverishly.  The feel of his hot, bare flesh on hers
was like a jolt of electricity, and both felt their blood begin to boil
in their veins.  She writhed under him as she felt his rock-hard shaft
press insistently at her groin.  It burned her skin with its heat, and
she felt herself moaning and gushing with wetness.  She kissed him back
with equal force as he gave little thrusts, grunting and breathing
heavily into her mouth.  Her mind swirled in a storm of arousal as he
slid his body down hers, kissing a wet path down to her navel and
delving his tongue into it.  Nudging his knee between her thighs, he
kissed all over her stomach, then moved to her hip bone and down to the
inside of her thigh.  A sudden panic shot through her mind - she never
had a man do to her what she thought he was about to do, and she
suddenly felt her heart begin to pound wildly, a lump of anxiety rising
in her throat as she gripped his head with both hands.  He gently
pushed her knees apart farther and bent down to plant a kiss on each
inner thigh.  The musky scent of her female essence filled his
nostrils, and his penis twitched in reaction.  He hungrily kissed his
way up to the dark auburn curls, when she suddenly sat up and placed a
hand on his mouth, drawing her legs closed.  He looked up at her,
surprised, but he soon understood what was going on by the panicked
look in her eyes.  She had never done this before, or rather, no one
had ever done this for *her*, he thought.  He leaned up and kissed her
reassuringly, whispering in between kisses.
"Please, baby....." he purred.  She parted her mouth slightly to speak,
but nothing came out.  More kisses.
"I want to taste you....." he gently pushed her back down, still
kissing her and urging her to relax.  Her mind swirled in a dizzying
fog as his voice seduced her.
"I want to make you feel good," he purred again, kissing her
more.=0D"Let me make you feel good." he whispered against her lips,
looking into her eyes, which were still wary, but told him that she was
willing to proceed.  He wanted to show her how much he loved her; he
wanted to drive her mad with pleasure and give to her what all her
other asshole lovers obviously never cared to.  He kissed his way back
down to her nest of curls, kissing her mound and pushing his nose into
the soft, kinky hair.  Her thighs yielded under his hands as they
pushed them apart again.  She shuddered as his hot breath gusted over
her, and gasped aloud as his tongue slipped in between her
honey-drenched folds.  =0D"Oh, God," she whispered breathlessly as she
clutched his head with her hands.=0DHe lapped delicately at her,
savoring each little piece of her with his lips and tongue.  She began
to writhe and mewl quietly, clenching her fists in his hair.  Her cries
made his whole body even more taut with excitement, and he felt himself
swell impossibly harder.  She was warm, wet, and so delicious.  And it
was all because of him; *he* was making her feel this way, and it
fueled his hunger even higher.  He slipped his hands under her thighs
and ass, pushing her knees up and angling her pelvis toward him. 
Hungrily latching onto her sensitive button of nerve endings, he sucked
and swirled his tongue around the slippery nub.  She arched her back
and thrust her hips into his face, crying out with pleasure.  He
grabbed her ass tighter and laved her entire valley with his tongue as
more nectar trickled out of her, dampening his nose as he thrust his
tongue in deeply to taste her.  She drove her hips into his face over
and over as she quickly began to lose control, and he alternated
plunging his tongue inside her and sucking on her vulnerable nub.  Her
thighs began to quiver, and she felt herself begin to spasm
uncontrollably.  =0D"Uhhh.....Jesus.....Fox!"  She whimpered, waves of
excruciating ecstasy crashing over her body as he continued to suckle
her, coaxing a shattering orgasm from her.  She arched her back and
neck further off the bed, groaning loudly as she came hard and fast,
convulsing repeatedly.  He felt warm liquid spill out of her in a rush,
and he greedily lapped it up, swallowing her sweet milkiness and
humming with delight.  Licking her clean, he kissed her curly thatch as
he felt her body come back down to earth again.  He kissed her thighs
and stomach as he patiently waited for her to return to her senses and
resume normal breathing again.  She blew out a breath and put her hand
on her forehead, grinning shyly.  He brought his face to hers and whispe
red lowly to her.=0D"There now.....that wasn't so bad, was it?"  He
smiled devilishly, and she giggled, wrapping her arms around his neck
and pulling his body against hers, kissing him lovingly.  He tasted of
her, a new and strangely erotic sensation for her.  His body was still
taut with excitement, and she could feel his still-burning hard-on
pressing into her groin.  She was surprised to feel a tingly sensation
sparking in her core again as he kissed her hungrily, restlessly
shifting his hips so that his tip nudged against her most sensitive
area.  They broke their kiss and looked deeply into each other's
passion-hazed eyes.   He shifted his hips again, causing the tip of his
shaft to press insistently at her mound.  They both hummed aloud as she
broke into wide smile.=0D"We're gonna be sore tomorrow!" she said with
a giggle.  Mulder chuckled too.=0D"Yah, but it will be well worth it." 
  He pulled his hips back slightly so that he could lightly rub the
head of his penis in her folds and at her entrance.  She hummed loudly
as he did so, little sparks of electricity igniting a fresh fire
between her legs.  She clutched his ass, pulling his hips to her, and
guiding him into her tight, hot cavern.  He clenched his teeth and
squeezed his eyes as he felt her envelope him, plunging him into new
state of ecstasy.  Unable to hold back any longer, he thrust into her
hard, feeling like he almost certainly hit her cervix, and she gasped
out loud and dug her nails into his ass, hard.  He was afraid he hurt
her, and he opened his eyes to look at her.  Her face was flushed, her
head was thrown to the side with her mouth agape and her eyes closed,
her flaming hair spilled out all around her.  She looked positively
wanton.  He kept his hips pressed tight against her, grinding and
pushing gently, as he placed feathery kisses on her jaw.  He stopped
for a moment as she turned her head and looked at him with
tear-dampened eyes.  He thought he had never seen anything as beautiful
as the woman lying beneath him.  =0D"Don't move." he purred quietly to
her as she began shifting her hips under him.=0D"I need to move." she
whispered back breathlessly, her eyes smoldering with
heat.=0D"Don't.....move." he whispered again, teasing her and licking
her lips delicately.   They kissed softly, relishing the feeling of
their physical union.  He filled her completely, and her whole body
throbbed  along with his swollen member deep inside her.  She draped
her hands around his neck and kissed him more insistently, unable to be
still any longer, causing him to groan.  He jerked his hips against her
as they kissed hungrily, tongues darting in and out.  She gasped, her
eyes flashing icy blue fire at him, turning her from wanton into
tempest.  She grabbed his ass firmly, wrapping her legs around his
waist, arching and taking him in as deep as possible.  He groaned again
and drew his hips back, slamming into her in response, starting a
rough, quick rhythm that he knew would not last for long.  He grunted
as he pumped wildly, overcome with primal mating instincts once again. 
She rose to meet his every stroke, feeling like her pelvis would crack
from the force of their thrusts.=0D"Oh God,"  She whimpered as her body
began to quiver again, her release imminent.  A feral growl started
deep in the back of his throat as he continued to pound into her like a
jackhammer.  
"Dana....Danaaa!" he groaned incoherently.
They locked eyes with each other, watching the maddening pleasure
playing across each other's faces.  She felt like a volcano was
erupting within her, the explosions rocking her entire body and
shattering her control.  She cried out and dug her nails into his
sweat-slicked back as he sent her over the edge, her body convulsing
out of control once more.  He grabbed her arms and threw them over her
head, holding onto them.  The deep growl in his throat let loose as he
felt her contract around him, sending him plummeting over the edge as
well.
"Unnnhh.....Goddd.....Dana!"   He arched his back and growled loudly,
tremors overpowering him as he exploded inside, pulsating over and
over, emptying himself deep within her. 

They lay slumped together on the bed, heaving and trying to catch their
breath, their bodies and minds totally spent.  Mulder wondered if there
was such a thing as mind-altering sex, because if there was, he had
just had it with Dana Scully.  He thought he already knew what 'great
sex' was; obviously he had been wrong.  He was right about one thing,
though: she was immensely passionate and sensual, maybe even more than
he thought she would be.  He marveled at the way they were able to move
together like the wind and the sea; ebbing and flowing in perfect
unison, somehow sensing  what each one wanted and needed, and bringing
each other crashing to the shore at the same time.  His heart was
filled to capacity with his love for this woman.  This woman who stood
by him, who went through hell and back for him; this woman who hurt
him, who healed him, who changed his entire life and enhanced the way
he thought and felt about *everything*.  He silently thanked God for
allowing their paths to cross all those years ago, and allowing their
lives to become so inescapably intertwined ever since.  

They laid in each other's arms for a long time, gently caressing and
kissing, whispering 'I love you's' to each other until she fell asleep.
 He watched her intently as she slid into a peaceful slumber, a slight
smile resting on her lips. 

They had finally done it.  They'd crossed that final bridge together,
making them lovers at long last.  It would now be even *more* difficult
to work beside her without touching her, Mulder thought to himself.  It
would definitely makes things *different*, but they knew that, and they
had discussed that.  They'd just have to find a way to deal with it,
that's all.  He didn't really want to leave the X-Files if he didn't
*have* to, and he certainly didn't want her to leave either,
so.....they'd just have to wait and see how things worked out.  If he
really *had* to give it up for her, he would....he knew he would; he
almost did before when she was abducted.  He just hoped that he
wouldn't be faced with a decision like that too soon.  Then again, if
they ever wanted to get married, they would almost certainly have to do
something else.  'Married?  Where did *that* come from??' he shook his
head and asked himself.  Did he really want to *marry* her??  Obviously
his subconscious mind thinks so, since it spoke up so forthrightly. 
Marriage, marriage, marriage - the words flew around inside his head,
making him dizzy.  The thought of matrimony was downright terrifying to
him, but, as thoughts of Scully's hand with a magnificent diamond on it
filled his mind, some of the terror seemed to subside.  He looked down
at his left hand, imagining a glittering gold band on his finger, and
hearing the words, 'this is my *wife*, Dana,' in his mind, rather than
'this is my *partner*, Scully'.  He smiled as he remembered back to
their intense lovemaking just a short while ago.  How incredibly
alluring she had looked lying on the bed under him.  He never, not in
his wildest imagination, would have thought it possible for her to
look, feel, or taste as incredibly as she had, nor did he think she
would be as passionate as she was.  He was right about her hidden
sensuality; she was *not* an 'Ice Queen' - she was far from it.  No one
had ever loved her the right way, or they would have discovered that
about her.  He watched her sleeping through half-lidded eyes, the
moonlight shining on her body, illuminating her perfect porcelain skin
like an angel.  She looked so peaceful, so totally serene, so totally
opposite her usual demeanor.  It must have been so difficult for her to
open herself up to him like this; to allow him to invade her most
private places, physically as well as emotionally.  He knew that her
trust was not earned easily; but most of all, he knew that she loved
him completely.  Perhaps they *were * 'perfect' for each other... did
he dare to hope such a thing?  Giving in to the sleepy fog of happiness
that began to envelope him, he kissed her lightly and snuggled against
her, following her into a deep sleep.

She awakened with a start, panicking for a second as she realized
someone's hands were touching her.  Then, as the haze in her mind
dissipated, she remembered.  ...Mulder...  They had made love.  And
more than once, she thought as a satisfying smile overtook her face. 
They had made incredible, beautiful, passionate love; better than she'd
ever experienced with anyone.  ...as if that was a surprise to her. 
She'd dreamed about it being perfect, and it was even better, she
thought.  Mulder was a sensitive yet intense lover, wanting to please
her as much as himself; giving to her what she craved, fulfilling her
body's innermost wants and needs with unbridled passion.  She looked at
his sleeping face.  He looked boyishly innocent, his hair askew and his
lips slightly parted.  He had been so incredibly patient with her; she
loved him for that alone.  Was it possible that one of her deepest
secret wishes had finally come true?  She couldn't believe how
completely satisfied she felt at that moment, as though some of the
aching in her had finally subsided, and some of the empty voids had
been filled at long last by the strange, elusive thing called....Love. 


She turned and kissed his lips softly, and he unconsciously brought his
arm around her to pull her tightly against him.  She smiled as a single
tear dribbled down her cheek and hugged him tightly in return, wanting
never to leave the safe haven of his embrace.   At long last ... they
were together completely.


End

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