Subject: "The Sound of the Shell" by Kelli Rocherolle Date: 23 Nov 1996 16:10:46 -0500 From: Kelli Rocherolle Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative The Sound of the Shell by Kelli Rocherolle kelli@edgenet.net 11/96 A little mind candy... okay, a LOT of mind candy :-) Just FYI, the first two drinks are actual selections I've seen. The third, of course, is not... *The following story is based on characters copyrighted by Ten *Thirteen Productions, created by The Man, Chris Carter, and *who are the property of the Fox network and are used without *permission. No infringement intended. **************************** The Sound of the Shell Scully stopped dead as she entered the hotel's bistro and caught site of her partner standing at the bar. He was wearing the loudest, most obnoxious Hawaiian shirt she had ever had the dismay of laying eyes on. She really shouldn't have been surprised-- neither of them had ever been to the Hawaiian islands before, and Mulder was determined to make the best of it. She closed her eyes, shaking her head at him. Mulder met his partner's woeful gaze with a smile as she approached. "Hey Scully, look what I picked up for you at the hotel's tourist trap..." He displayed a shirt that was identical to his own, only a few sizes smaller. The corner of her mouth turned up at him. "Mulder..." "What you don't like it? You know you could use a little wardrobe advice, Scully" he said, indicating her plain khaki shorts and navy blue T-shirt. She tilted her head to the side and flashed him a look, which only added to his amusement. "Can I buy you a drink?" he asked, motioning to the bartender. "Mulder we're on duty." He looked at his watch. "By my watch quitting time was half an hour ago." Scully smirked at him. "We have a quitting time?" "Come on, Scully; we're not going to get any work done tonight anyway, and first thing tomorrow we set sail for Niihau." "Nia-what?" "Niihau." Scully knew exactly where they were going, but she couldn't resist giving him just a little bit of a hard time. The bartender approached and Mulder's gaze passed over the specials on the chalkboard behind him. When he looked back at her, a playful brightness had filled his eyes. "How about 'Sex on the Beach', Scully?" She raised her eyebrows at him. Once more he glanced at the board and back to her. "Or maybe you'd prefer a 'Slow Comfortable Screw Against the Wall'?" Scully flashed him a reproachful glance and stepped closer, her eyes narrowing as she perused the selections. "Oh that's too bad..." He watched her questioningly as she turned to look at him, her eyes wide and teasing. "They don't have the 'Not in This Lifetime'," she said, suppressing a smile and turning around to take a seat at a nearby table. The bartender was grinning at him as he turned back around. Mulder eyed him: I don't wanna hear it, pal. "Just give me two cokes will you please?" Scully watched as Mulder approached with their sodas. He set one in front of her before taking a seat on the other side of the table. "So what's this about, Mulder? You've been very tight- lipped about this whole thing. You sure this 'case' wasn't just an excuse for you to take a vacation?" The mischief in his eyes radiated back at her. "Mulder... you did tell Skinner where we were going, didn't you?" "I'm offended you'd think so little of me, Scully." She stared at him. "Well let's just say I left out a few things..." Why was she surprised? Scully shook her head, eyeing him over her glass. No doubt she would be dragged in to whatever punishment Mulder would have waiting for them when they got back... Not that she would trade working with him for anything in the world. Resting his elbows on the table, Mulder leaned closer and lowered his voice conspiratorially. "But you have to admit, this *is* a bonus..." His smile was contagious. These days, it was rare that he was in such a good mood, and Scully was happy to see it. "Yes, this is nice," she begrudgingly conceded, "but are you going to fill me in now or what?" "We're going to do a little cultural exploration, Scully. You've heard of 'Santaria'?" "Please tell me you said 'sangria'." "Well according to local legend, there's a small tribe on a remote island here in the south pacific that performs similar death rites and rituals, only--" "Niihau-- you told me about that. But Mulder, that island is privately owned and the owners discourage visitors... especially of the federal kind." Mulder's expression reflected his surprise. "You didn't think I'd come all the way down here without doing a little research of my own, did you?" Mulder watched her pretty face across the table, minimal makeup and casual attire, and he tried to remember the last time he'd seen her in anything but a business suit. He couldn't, and it struck him that they probably had never looked more like a couple out on a date than they did at that moment. "You know, Scully, this is like a virtual date," he joked, a mouthful of pretzels muffling the words. Scully reached across the table and picked up his soda. She held it under her nose for inspection, as if to detect any alcohol content. Mulder smiled at her as she placed the glass back in front of him. "What's gotten into you tonight?" "What do you mean?" They were interrupted by an approaching waiter. "Good evening, welcome to Kalani's. Are you interested in the Newly Wed Special?" Mulder motioned to the waiter as he looked at Scully: see, I told you so. Scully eyeballed him and spoke to the waiter. "We'd just like to see a couple of menus please." "Yes, ma'am." He headed off towards the bar. Scully studied her partner. "What is this mood your in? You're positively giddy." "I'm in a tropical paradise with my pretty partner about to set sail on an exotic adventure. What's not to be excited about?" Scully blinked back at him. Did he just say what she thought he just said? "Oh-- " he pulled a crumpled brochure out of his jeans back pocket. "I got the departure times for the boat. 'The Overlook'-- and our captain's a guy named Jack Torrance." He handed it across to her. "We leave at ten." ************************** Mulder didn't look well, and Scully was trying her best not to enjoy it too much; he deserved it after dragging her along on this little forsaken adventure. "You okay, Mulder?" He sat back on the padded bench and ran his hands over his face. "Yeah." They were below deck on the Overlook, a fair sized vessel only slightly larger than the one they'd sunk in Heuvelmans Lake. A sense of claustrophobia was slowly creeping up on Mulder's nausea. "I'm okay," he said, but his pallor indicated otherwise. The storm roaring around the ship only exacerbated the feeling... and it seemed to be picking up. "Why don't you try to sleep?" He didn't respond. Scully got up to get him a cup of water. "I told you you should've taken the Dramamine." Mulder took the cup from her and sipped at the cool liquid. "Scully I'm really not in the mood to hear 'I told you so'..." The boat lurched violently and Scully was thrown forward. Mulder reached out and steadied her by taking hold of her forearms. "You okay?" Scully nodded. She was trying to keep Mulder from panicking, but the truth was, she was starting to worry herself. The storm was getting worse, and she feared their vessel would be capsized in the torrent. "Here..." she pulled a life vest from one of the stow-away cabinets and started to put it on him. "Scully... this isn't doing anything for my confidence..." "It's just a precaution; this storm is getting pretty bad." "Do you think--" A raucous screech filled the cabin, the walls around them shook violently before they felt the ship come to an abrupt full-stop. For a split second, there seemed to be complete silence. When they'd picked themselves up off the floor, Mulder searched his partner's face for some indication of what she was thinking. "Scully...?" The silence was followed by a sudden whooshing noise, the sound of wind racing through a tunnel. Scully swallowed the dread in her throat. She knew that sound: they'd hit something, and now they were taking on water. A creaking sound ran along the baseboards, and as Scully's eyes dropped to her feet she saw that her suspicions were confirmed: there was an inch of water on the floor, and it was rapidly rising. She looked at the door... at the sea water sifting in steadily from underneath. "Mulder we have to get out of here." She grabbed a life vest for herself and secured it around her midsection, then headed for the door with Mulder at her heels. There was already a few feet of rushing water in the tiny hallway and it made getting to the steps nearly impossible; it was like trying to wade through honey. In a matter of seconds, the water was at her elbows, and it was creeping up her arm. The panic was rising in her with the water around them as they continued to be submerged, and Scully began to fear they weren't going to be able to make it up on deck in time. Suddenly, Mulder's hands came from behind and settled securely around her waist, giving her that extra push up the stairwell. She exited the narrow opening just in time, with Mulder right after her. The situation on the deck was not much better; wind had ripped the sail and rigging from a mast and they were snapping in the wind like a whip; ropes hung from the boom and writhed along the deck like live wires. There was no sign of their captain. Mulder yelled at her through the driving rain. "WHERE'S TORRANCE?" She shook her head at him. "I DON'T KNOW!" Motioning to the rear of the vessel, Scully started to make her way to the back of the ship. Torrance wasn't there. Could he have been below when they hit? Or had he been thrown overboard? She turned to face Mulder as he came up beside her. "SO WHAT DO WE DO NOW?" Scully stared back at him, considering the options. There was only one: they needed to try and secure themselves to a stable surface and hold on for the ride. Scully looked to the side to see if she could find a suitable piece of rope, but instead, she saw the boom careening toward them. It was the last thing she saw before everything went dark. ***************************************** [Scully...] His voice was far away, drifting up from a well; her head was splitting, and she did want to come out of the protection her unconscious state had offered her. "Scully wake up." Mulder rolled her over onto her back and smoothed the damp hair off her face. "Scully?" He took hold of the front of her life vest and dragged her further onto the shore, out of the water and onto the white sand. He knelt beside her. She wasn't waking up, and he was starting to worry. Resting his hand on her cheek, he tried once again to rouse her. "Scully..." This time, her eyes fluttered open and the relief washed over him. He offered a smile. "Hi." Squinting against the blinding glare of the sun, Scully attempted to focus her sight on the source of the voice greeting her. The figure sat forward, shielding her face from the sun, but then all she could see was the dark outline of the body looming above her. "Scully it's me, are you all right?" "Mulder?" He helped her to a sitting position, steadying her with a hand to her back. Scully's head protested with a sharp stab of pain through the temple. Wincing, she reached up to tentatively touch the area. "What happened?" She looked back at Mulder. He had a matching wound on his temple, only on the opposite side. "You don't remember?" Scully stared at him, then at her lap as it slowly started coming back to her. "Oh my God..." she tried to get to her feet but didn't quite make it. Mulder took hold of her arm and stood with her. "The boat..." He pointed to a large jetty of rocks a ways in the distance. The boat they had been on was impaled on a jagged edge, the bottom submerged in the water and the nose pointing skyward like a whale cresting on the surface. The torn sails blew in the soft breeze. "There's no sign of Torrance." "How long have we been out?" "I'm not sure. I came to a few minutes ago just down the beach. What time was it when we hit that storm?" "I don't know..." She looked up and down the sandy shore. "I guess it doesn't really matter." Mulder followed her gaze out to the ship. "Okay, first thing we need to do is get on that boat and see if the radio's working, then we need to try and salvage what we can from it before another storm comes along and finishes the job." "We also need to build a small shelter or something." Scully looked quickly at him, and he responded with a shrug. "We don't know how long we're going to be here." He was right, but facing the reality of those words scared the hell out of her. She nodded, and they started off for the shipwreck. ********************************** There was more salvageable material on the boat then they'd anticipated: a flare gun and first aid kit; some canned food and bottled water; blankets, a boom box, a tool chest... But the most important thing had been splintered in the crash: the radio was barely recognizable. After they'd made their last trip back from the boat, they sat under the shade of palm trees and went through their bounty. Scully came across the cans of food. There were quite a few, but certainly not enough to live on for any sustained period of time. She looked over at her partner. "What are we going to eat, Mulder?" He was standing a little ways away holding a large conch shell to his ear. "Mulder did you hear me?" " 'The Sound of the Shell, Scully." "What?" " 'The Sound of the Shell' ". Didn't you ever read 'Lord of the Flies'?" "That's not funny, Mulder." She turned around slowly, surveying their immediate surroundings. "What are we going to eat?" she repeated. Mulder indicated the ocean with a sweeping gesture of his hand, a small smile accompanying the motion. "Seafood, Scully." She didn't look convinced. "We can survive on fish, can't we?" "If we have to. But we should do a more thorough search of the immediate area to see what's available-- if only for a little variety." "What about coconuts?" Her mouth watered at the mere thought... but she'd already considered that. "We don't have anything to open one with." "What are you talking about?" "Have you ever tried to open a coconut, Mulder?" her stomach rumbled and she was growing impatient with him. "I don't know... maybe when I was a kid. We can just crack it against something." "It's not as easy as that." "Sure it is-- come on." Scully followed as he got up and walked to the nearest palm tree. Mulder picked up a coconut and knocked it gently against her uninjured temple, smiling playfully at her. "Come on, Scully, cheer up, we'll find a way to open it." She scowled at him. "Plenty of rocks around here, right?" Folding her arms in front of her, Scully watched as he got up and headed down toward the beach. She came up behind him as he stopped in front of a large, flat boulder just at the edge of the water. He held the coconut above his head and hurled it against the rock. It hit the surface, bouncing off the top and plopping into the water with a deep splooshing noise. They both started at the spot where the coconut had disappeared. From behind him, Scully stifled a laugh. "Let me guess-- you never made it to Eagle Scout?" Mulder shot her a look over his shoulder: very funny. "Wait..." she said, turning around and walking back towards their site. She returned a few minutes later with a hammer. "Why don't you give this a try..." Now it was Mulder's turn to scowl. He mumbled a thanks and went to find another coconut. "Mulder why don't you wait for that," she called to him, "I think we should probably take another look around for Torrance; he could be hurt." Mulder's eyes passed over their surroundings. "All right, you take that end of the beach. I'll do this side." Scully nodded and they headed off in opposite directions. ****************************** Just when she'd about given up and was ready to head back, Scully found Torrance-- on the far end of the island, face up and spread eagle on the beach. She walked up to the body to check for any life signs, but she knew before she reached him that he was dead. As she came up to him, she saw that she was right: Torrance's face was already burned from the intense sun, the lips around his open mouth were blistered and cracked; the empty ocular cavity gaped back at her where a gull had plucked out its contents. Scully straightened and swallowed. Somehow, the sight of death was just something you never got totally used to. She turned around and headed back to their site. ******************************** Mulder stood from the rock he'd been sitting on as Scully approached. "Did you find Torrance?" Scully nodded, but when she didn't elaborate further, Mulder got her meaning. She indicated the gear around them. "Well, we better start on this..." "What about the body?" "We can do that later..." she avoided his eyes. "It's not going to make a difference." Mulder watched her uncertainly, seeing that she was shaken. It could have easily been one of them whose corpse was rotting on the other side of the island. He joined her as she started going through the piles of equipment. Sometime later, Scully straightened from the pack she'd been going through, relieved that her headache had quieted into a dull throb. She looked over at Mulder as he worked on the radio. "What's the verdict?" "It's shot. But I'm thinking..." he stood and got the boom box, bringing it back over to the radio for examination, "between the two, maybe we can finagle something..." Scully turned back to her pack and started sorting through some clothes they'd found. All of them were men's, except for a white nightgown that she suspected had been reserved for the occasional special passenger, and she was glad they'd been able to salvage their suitcases... however soaked they might have been. At least-- "Wonderful... " Mulder said from behind her. Scully looked at him over her shoulder. He was standing several feet away holding the boom box in his hands. "What is it?" "Only my worst nightmare, Scully..." She got up and walked toward him, her face clouded with concern. "What?" Mulder flashed an audio cassette tape at her. "Stranded on a deserted island with the 'Reality Bites' soundtrack." Scully stared at him... then hung her head, stifling a laugh. She turned to a nearby stack of planks. "Once you've finished lamenting your misfortune, can you help me with these boards?" They had started on a small shelter earlier, but were still a long ways from completion. "Yeah..." Mulder set the boom box down and walked toward her. "We better get something constructed before nightfall." "Do you think there are any indigenous predators on the island?" He shrugged. "I don't know, Scully. We don't even know how big the island is. We'll have to check it out tomorrow." They worked for almost half an hour, and when they were finished, they'd created a small tent-like structure that was just big enough for two to sleep in. That night, as Scully watched Mulder sleeping next to her, she never felt so far away and alone in her life. And she was never more grateful for Mulder's presence. Curled on her side facing the warm body next to her, she tried to inconspicuously edge a little closer; she needed to feel that human contact. With her forehead pressed lightly against his shoulder, she closed her eyes and felt the sleep settling over her. Far off in the distance, unfamiliar animal noises mixed with the sounds of the surf. Though it didn't afford much breathing room, she didn't mind the close quarters of their shelter tonight; it would suffice for the time being. After all, it would most likely only be a matter of days before they were found. **************************************** Two weeks passed. They had explored much of the island and found that it was relatively small-- they guessed approximately 10 square miles, and there were plenty of resources for building a bigger shelter... but not much in the way of food. Aside from a fresh water source, there was scarcely anything edible on the island. Birds, a few small mammals, but they weren't very adept at catching anything, and they were weary of sampling the local vegetation for fear it might be toxic. So they subsisted primarily on fish and whatever other seafood they could gather... "You're doing it wrong." Scully frowned at him. "Tell me something I don't know..." "Come on Scully, if you want crab tonight, you gotta brush up on those fishing skills." The idea of having crab for dinner was becoming more and more undesirable as she struggled with the string. Mulder was teaching her how to fish for crab, and despite her familiarity with the sea, this was one area where she was failing miserably. Mulder had the advantage over her, for while he'd spent his childhood poking around the sea's shore, Scully had spent more time floating on its surface. And she'd never been much of a fisherman. They had cracked mussel shells open and tied them to the string... that part was easy enough. But trying to tie a rock to the string as an anchor was nearly impossible. Scully was determined to get it; she tried to wind the string around the stone as Mulder had instructed, but it slid from her grasp and rolled off the rock she was perched on, dropping into the clear water. She let out a slow breath. Mulder stood and stepped across to her rock, seeing she was reaching her frustration threshold. He crouched down behind her. "Here, like I showed you..." Scully watched his hands as they worked in front of her, wrapping the string around a new rock in a series of small knots. He had nice hands. She remembered her father's hands, square and angled with short fingers; the hands of a sailor. Mulder's hands were different: long slender fingers and soft skin-- lover's hands. She swallowed. His voice was deep and warm at her ear. "There..." "Thanks. I still can't figure out how you do that." Back on his own rock, Mulder lowered his line into the water. "It's a man's job, Scully." He grinned and turned to face the Death Stare he knew would be waiting for him; his smile widened at the sight of it. When they weren't catching food, working on the shelter was their lot in life. At the end of a month, they had successfully constructed a three room structure-- a main room in the center with two smaller rooms off either side. The two side rooms were completely enclosed and served as bedrooms. The main room was left open to face the sea. They had elevated the entire structure several inches from the ground to help prevent any potential unwanted house guest from crawling in. The shelter was in constant need of repair, but they didn't mind too much; aside from the few books and playing cards they'd found on board, there wasn't much else to do. On a regular basis they made trips to the shipwreck to retrieve whatever they could-- they'd pretty much stripped the thing, but there was still plenty of wood and other materials on board that they could use. On this particular occasion they had gone to see if they could find some more netting, but Scully had another agenda. Below deck in the engine room, she balanced her flashlight on some nearby crates and examined the tanks in front of her. She had suspected there might be a fresh water reserve stored somewhere on the ship, and as she studied the large tank in front of her, the anticipation tightened her stomach. They had found a suitable fresh water source on the island, but having a reserve was always a good idea. "Hey." Scully looked over her shoulder to see Mulder descending the stairs. "What are you doing down here?" He went to her and peered over her shoulder. "Well I'd really only given this place the once over, but then I remember seeing these tanks-- could you hand me that wrench?" She took the tool from him and started loosening the top of the tank. "I'm hoping it's a water reserve; most captains carry some sort of supply for emergencies..." Behind her, Mulder nodded. He hoped she was right... and he hoped they'd find out quickly; it felt a million degrees in that dark little room. As if on cue, a grinding noise signaled her success and she started removing the top. Once she'd sufficiently loosened it, she unscrewed the rest by hand. Mulder took hold of the pipe hanging above their heads and leaned closer for a better look. Scully couldn't detect a scent in the clear liquid, so she stuck her finger in and brought it to her lips. "Is that such a good idea, Scully?" She stuck her hand in the tank again and turned slightly to slide her finger lightly over his lips. Mulder ran his tongue over his bottom lip as she turned back around. She was right-- it was water, but it was the last thing in the world he was thinking about. His face had taken on a look of new fascination. "See? There's got to be enough here to last at least a month. Longer if we really needed to make it stretch." Mulder stared at her with a bewildered expression, strangely moved by that simple, intimate gesture; a gesture she had given as if it were the most natural thing in the world to do. But the mere action of her finger sliding across his lips stirred feelings in him that were anything but pure. And suddenly he felt like he was three beers into a buzz and had no idea where the hell the sensation was coming from. His gaze passed over her as she secured the cap back in place, occasionally turning slightly and giving him the view of the front of her thin cotton tank top, damp with her sweat, the slightest glimpse of the delicate garment underneath peaking out occasionally as she worked at tightening the cap. He watched a single bead of sweat slip down her neck and over her back, where it disappeared under her shirt. And he couldn't deny it: she was completely turning him on. "Okay, all set." Scully turned to face him. "We need to figure some way to get this out of here as soon as possible before-- " She stopped short. Mulder was staring at her intensely, his eyes were boring right through her. Scully stared at him, his arms loosely above his head as he held the pipe above them, his face close to hers, and she suddenly felt like she wasn't quite standing on stable ground. She licked her lips. "...before another storm comes." They stared at each other for a long moment. Mulder's mouth curled into a smile. "I think if we got a storm fierce enough to finish off this ship, we better be more concerned about our shelter." As was always the case, Mulder diffused a tense situation between them with humor. She smiled back at him. "Good point. You ready to go?" His hands dropped to the side and he indicated for her to go first. "Yeah." She started up the stairs. Mulder watched her go, and in that second he realized: being stranded on that island was going to be more than difficult. With the professional boundaries that had separated them falling away with each passing day, it was going to be downright dangerous. Later that day, as the sun was hanging high in the sky, Mulder watched Scully off in the distance taking an afternoon swim. He thought about what had happened earlier on the ship. It certainly wasn't the first time he'd experienced that heat between them, but it he had never felt it so strongly. They were going to have to be very, very careful... careful not to make the mistake of thinking that because they were stranded on the island it meant the unspoken rules and boundaries between them didn't exist. They were still partners, and they could be rescued any day. Making the mistake of falling victim to a fleeting moment of desire would only complicate things for them if they got back. When they got back. ******************************** The six month mark. They'd settled into a kind of routine, filled their days with things to make the time pass more quickly, to keep their minds off of being stranded. It wasn't always easy to do. When Mulder returned from the source with fresh water, he expected Scully would be there, but she wasn't. She had gone to do some fishing, but that was hours ago and she should have been home by now. He set the buckets down in the main room and went back out onto the beach. It was almost nightfall, and the sky was a violet canvas streaked with brilliant red on the horizon. Mulder walked a little ways down the beach and found her, the baggy white shirt she was wearing standing out in the ever darkening sky. She was sitting up in a sloping palm tree, sleeves rolled up and hair in a loose ponytail. Mulder didn't think she looked like she wanted company, but he climbed up anyway. "Hey. What are you doing?" She shrugged but didn't look at him. The reflection of the setting sun glistened in her eyes and made him wonder if he hadn't seen tears there. "You okay, Scully?" he asked gently. "Yeah." "What are you thinking about?" It would only seem silly to him, and she didn't really feel like elaborating, but when she turned and saw the concern in his eyes, she opened up to him. "Nothing, really... I was just thinking about home." Mulder nodded in understanding. The thickness in her voice made it clear to him that those had indeed been tears he saw in her eyes. He rested a hand lightly on the back of her neck. "How much longer are we going to be on this island, Mulder? Are we going to grow old and die here?" She swallowed as she considered that possibility. "What if you go first?" Her head fell forward, resting against the arms she had draped across her knees. She was having a hard time holding back the tears now. "I don't want to be alone here..." The words were finally choked off in despair. "Woah wait a minute Scully... come on you're jumping a little ahead of things aren't you? You can't let yourself think about that; we'll worry about that if and when the day comes. Until then, we'll just do the best we can, however long we're here for. One day at a time." He smiled as she lifted her face to look at him. "But I'm not planning on going anywhere for a long time, so until then, you're stuck with me." Scully stared at him for a long moment. She was asking the impossible of him, but she needed to hear it anyway. "Promise me you won't leave me here alone." The hand on her neck tightened in silent assurance. "I promise." He reached for her hand and held it between his two. "Come here." Scully watched as he jumped out of the tree and held his hands up to help her down. Her feet hit the soft sand with a dull thud. "What's up?" He picked up a handful of rocks. "See that boulder out there?" "Yeah..." she responded uncertainly. "Think you can hit it?" He turned toward the water and threw the stone. They watched as it landed just to the right of its target. Scully knew what he was doing-- trying to get her mind off things-- and she loved him for it. She smiled slyly at him. "Give me that," she said, prying a stone from his hand. Scully took her shot and watched as it landed not far from where Mulder's had disappeared. The second time, he missed again, but Scully hit it dead on. "Best of three, Scully?" "Mulder it's getting dark." "Then we better hurry." The corner of her mouth turned up again as she watched him take another shot. And suddenly she wasn't thinking about being homesick anymore. They spent a long time there on the shore playing Mulder's game, long after the moon had lit the sky for them to play in. It was a night she never forgot. ********************************* The months came and went with the tide around them. "Sit still Scully." "I'm sorry Mulder but you make me nervous waving those scissors around my face." Scully's hair had started to grow down her back, just past her shoulders and it was far too warm in that tropical heat. Mulder's hair was thick and shaggier than ever, and they couldn't put it off any longer-- they needed hair cuts. "Well I wouldn't be waving them around if I had a steady target." Scully was sitting on one of the chairs they'd pulled from the boat while Mulder worked on her hair. He rested a hand on top of her head and ran the comb through the portion he was about to cut. "I don't know about this, Scully..." he said uncertainly. "Just cut a straight line, Mulder, that's all I ask; it's not like I'm entering a beauty contest or anything tomorrow." "I just wanna make it look nice for you, Scully." "A straight line, Mulder," she reiterated. "A straight line." It was easier said than done, but he was a quick study and determined... he worked at it steadily, and when her hair was chin level she gave the okay. "You're turn." She slid off the chair and Mulder took her place. "You sure you can do this, Scully? It's a lot harder than a straight line." "Don't worry, Mulder, I'll give you the Kojak special," she joked, gracing him with that all too unfamiliar smile. He grinned at her. " 'Who loves ya, baby?' " "Somehow it doesn't work without the lollipop." Rinsing the scissors and comb in the bucket she had nearby, Scully started to run the comb back through his hair, brushing it out of his eyes. When it was pretty much saturated she started cutting, tackling the back first before going to work on the sides. She moved to stand before him to work on the front. Mulder stared at her face as she snipped the hair on top of his head. That thing was happening again; that buzzing in his head that sent his heart racing and made it difficult for him to breathe. He swallowed. Her mouth was open slightly, her face so close he could hear her sweet breath clearly as she drew in air. Before he could stop it, his eyes fell down her throat, past her collarbone to the opening at the top of her shirt. And suddenly he was held hostage by images, images of doing things to her that he knew were never destined to be... "Mulder did you hear me?" His attention snapped back into focus. He stared at her, startled, and for a moment he was sure she'd seen in his eyes what he'd been thinking. "What?" "All done." "Oh. Thanks." Scully bent down and started rinsing the scissors. When she looked back up, Mulder was heading toward the beach. "Where are you going?" "I'm goin' for a swim," he mumbled. "I thought we were going to go fishing," she called as he continued down to the water. He didn't respond. Scully frowned at his disappearing figure, and she wondered what had brought on his cranky disposition. ************************************ The twelve month mark loomed before them. And during that year, eventually, the inevitable happened: they started to get on each other's nerves. Big time. Mulder had to admit, most of the culpability rested with him. Over the past year, with each passing day, she became less his partner and more simply, distinctly *female*... and every single thing about her reminded him of that fact: the simple cotton tank tops that were always damp with the sweet smell of her skin and sweat, the coppery hair that the sun had streaked a true strawberry-blonde, the light flush of color along her cheeks that made her eyes a vibrant blue. Her presence was a constant torture. Mulder gave her a lot of credit-- she put up with him, tolerated him where others would've faced sure death by swimming as far as they could off that island just to get away from him and his rotten mood. Scully did her best to make their time there as livable and as pleasant as possible, and every time he saw her working at something to make their lives a little easier, his heart went out to her. But it didn't stop him from being a bastard. "I thought I told you to leave the cooking to me, Scully." She had sat him at the table and insisted he try some concoction she had prepared; but she was not much of a cook to begin with, and considering the limited ingredients they had to work with, he was skeptical. "Just taste it first then I'll tell you what it is." "Look I really don't wanna play games here," he said irritably. "What is it?" Scully stared at him. Why did he have to make it so hard? Her hurt expression stabbed at his heart; his tone softened. "Well you can't blame me... cooking's not exactly your forte," he said with a small smile. She smiled back and pushed the plate closer. "Just try it." Taking the fork in his hands, Mulder braced himself. "You can do it, Mulder, I have faith in you..." she teased. His eyes followed her as she turned and went back to prepare a plate for herself. Why was it that she even bothered? Especially when he'd given her every reason not to. Pushing back from the table, Mulder got up and walked over to her. Scully jumped when she felt his arms come around her, nestling his face into her neck and embracing her from behind. After a second, without saying a word, he let go of her and went back to the table. Scully turned and watched him with a befuddled expression as he sat back down and started to eat. He never touched her any more. Never. It seemed the longer they spent on that island, the less he did, and she missed the caring touches he used to so generously bestow on her. Especially now, when that precious human touch was all too absent from their lives. So what brought this on? "Was it that good?" she joked uncertainly. Mulder answered her, but his tone might have suggested he'd never left the table. "Yeah it's pretty good," he responded casually. Scully continued to stare at his back. Sometimes, she just couldn't figure him out. ********************************** Leave a little mystery it gets to me running down the length of my thigh, Sharona Never gonna stop give it up I always get it up for the touch of the younger kind-- The music snapped off abruptly. Scully looked up from her book. "What are you doing?" Mulder pulled the tape out and threw it over his shoulder onto a pile of netting. "I'm sick of this tape." He turned to the radio function and started flipping through one static band after another. It was a pointless task he'd already tried on several occasions. "Enjoy it while our battery supply lasts." Mulder gripped the radio so tightly Scully was sure he was going to break it in half. "What's with you?" "Nothing," he grumbled. "Obviously something *is* wrong, Mulder. What's the problem?" "Maybe you are," he snapped. A dark cloud passed behind her eyes. "What-- what are you looking at me like that for? Is Dana Scully upset with me again?" He couldn't look at her again, couldn't face seeing the disappointment in her eyes. He lowered his voice, but the tone was no less harsh. "Spare me your self-righteous disappointment, Scully. I'm not perfect." She was silent, but he could feel her gaze heavy on his face. "Why don't you just stop scrutinizing me and keep to yourself." Scully couldn't tell which feeling was more overwhelming, the hurt or the anger. "I'm not scrutinizing you," she seethed. "I was concerned about you." "Well don't be. Don't you have something else you could be doing? You know I don't even have two seconds to myself here." Scully stood up and approached, chin thrust out and blue eyes blazing back at him through sun-kissed skin. The hair she had piled on top of her head in a loose ponytail allowed wisps to fall around her face and gave her a wild appearance. She placed a hand on his chest and backed him up until he stepped off the raised structure and onto the warm sand. "What are you doing, Scully?" "You want some time alone-- fine. Get lost." "You can't-- "I'm sorry you're stuck here with me, Mulder, but it's not like I planned it." She turned and stormed off, depositing her weight squarely onto their makeshift sofa with her back to him. The tears of anger burned in her eyes and blurred the words on the novel she'd already read three times before. When she turned around again, Mulder was gone. ********************************* Mulder walked briskly through the forest of trees, no idea where he was going or what he was going to do once he got there. He was furious at Scully for throwing him out, but even angrier at himself for the way he'd been treating her. He was feeling restless and frustrated... partly because he felt like a caged animal on that island, and partly because his partner was driving him absolutely insane. It seemed like everything she did, every move she made annoyed him. Why? You know why, his mind responded, because watching her move meant seeing the curve of her hips as she walked in front of him, or the lithe lines of her back work as she swam, the sweet smell of her body every time she was close... and like the kid on the playground who picks on the girl he has a crush on, Mulder found himself pushing her, doing his best to provoke her whenever possible. He was not beyond recognizing his own passive aggressive behavior, but he was helpless to do anything about it. Scully wasn't doing anything intentionally, but nonetheless, she was making him crazed. And now he'd blown it. She was pissed-- royally pissed, and she had every right to be. He thought about the hurt he'd seen on her face, that he'd inflicted and his heart sank. He stopped and sat on the belly of a nearby fallen tree, leaning forward to rest his hands in his face. "I'm sorry, Scully," he said out loud. But then, she deserved to hear that for herself, and after he'd sat there for quite some time thinking about what he'd done, and what he was going to do to make it right, he decided to head back. When he looked up into the forest in front of him, the strangest thing caught his eye: smoke. It was coming from a large area several yards in front of him; he hadn't noticed it before. Then he realized it wasn't smoke; it was steam... ******************************** Scully jumped and turned to look around as a warm hand came to rest on her neck. Mulder offered an apologetic smile. "Hi." She turned back around and returned her attention to the book. "Hi." His hand came from behind her, holding a small rock. "What's that?" She took the stone from him and examined it. When he didn't respond, she turned to face him and saw that he'd taken a few steps back. "Go on," he said, patting his chest, "give it your best shot." "Mulder..." she tried really, really hard but she just couldn't help it; her lip curled up slightly. "Go on. I deserve it. Just try and not hit my face 'cause my nose is big enough the way it is..." "Don't tempt me..." "Go ahead." He put his hands on his hips and closed his eyes. Scully got up and walked up to him, matching his position and waiting until he opened his eyes and looked at her. "I should you know..." Mulder smiled widely at her restraint; he knew she must have wanted to kill him. He shook his head at her as his smile faded. "I'm sorry, Scully." Her sigh was heavy with exasperation. "Mulder--" "I don't feel stuck with you." "Right. I'm sure when you fantasized about being stranded on a deserted island with a woman I wasn't exactly what you had in mind." "Why would you say that?" Scully regretted the words the moment she'd uttered them. "Nothing...never mind." She went back to the table where earlier that day she had been replacing a wick in one of the lanterns. The conversation was more interesting to him than she could ever know. He walked over and placed a hand over hers to stop her from the work she was pretending to do. "No tell me-- why not?" "I'm not exactly your type, Mulder." He stared at her. Didn't she know she was real and flawed and beautiful just the same? "What, you mean smart and pretty? Yeah you're right, I usually go for the repugnant and stupid." "You know what I mean." Mulder smiled and decided to let her off the hook. "I know what you mean." He was just grateful she had decided to forgive him. Again. He was going to make sure it was the last time. ************************************* Everything was set, now all Mulder had to do was wake Scully and let her see for herself. She was going to love this, and she certainly deserved it. Creeping to the entrance to her room, he pulled back the curtain... and froze. She was lying on her side, one arm curled around her pillow and mouth slightly open. She was wearing that damned tank t-shirt and underwear... and nothing else. His eyes drifted up her leg from the ankle to her hip, up her bare arm to the soft curve of her shoulder. A slow arousal was spreading through him, leaving his head light with the sensation. His breath grew loud in his ears. He quickly looked away. "Um... Scully..." he said softly. She didn't move, so he tried again. "Scully?" Blinking slowly, she stared at the far wall for second before turning to look at him. "Mulder?" She propped herself up on an elbow. "What is it what's going on?" Her voice was thick and groggy. "Come here, I wanna show you something." He disappeared behind the curtain. Scully threw on her shorts and a long-sleeved shirt before heading out into the main room. She stopped short at what she saw. There was a pitiful little shrub in the corner of the room, decorated with flowers and berries, with a dried star fish impaled on the top. It was the most pathetic thing she'd ever seen. Mulder was standing in the center of the room, beaming proudly back at her. She smiled widely. "What's this?" "Merry Christmas, Scully." She hadn't forgotten what the date was, but she certainly didn't expect his impromptu celebration. But he knew how much the Holidays had meant to her, and that now, more than any other day since they'd been on that island, she was probably feeling particularly homesick. Mulder approached, resting his hands on her shoulders and leading her to a crate to sit on. "What are you doing, Mulder?" "Close your eyes, I'm going to give you your present." Scully eyed him suspiciously for a moment, then complied. She could hear rusting as Mulder moved some distance away from her and then returned. He came to rest just behind her. "Well...?" "Just a minute..." Scully felt his arms fall over her head in a circle. What was he doing? "Okay, you can look." When she opened her eyes, Scully saw that he was suspending wind chimes in front of her-- one hand holding the top, the other grasping the strings to keep them from sounding and giving away his surprise. He released them, and the pieces of colored glass tinkled softly as they knocked against each other. "Mulder..." "It's sea glass. Pieces of broken bottles that the sand and sea have eroded. Samantha and I used to have massive collections of these things when we were kids. Blue and red were always the highest prized 'cause they were the most rare." Scully couldn't take her eyes off of it; it was beautiful. Oddly shaped pieces of blue, green, clear and amber glass hanging from a circular cord of reeds. It obviously had taken quite some time to construct... he must have been working on it for months. Scully smiled to herself. All those times he'd acted like such a jerk... through all of that, he'd been working on this for her. She looked up at him as he moved in front of her. "Thanks." Her eyes held his, expressing more gratitude than that simple word ever could. "Oh-- wait here a minute..." Mulder watched as she got up and disappeared into her room. When she returned a few seconds later, her hands were behind her back. "What?" Scully brought her hands in front of her, displaying a beat up, patch-riddled basketball. Mulder walked over and took it from her. "Where'd you get this?" "I found it flattened under some netting in the boat a few weeks ago. I used the pump and some make-shift patches to restore it." "But I don't have a hoop..." Scully smiled. "You do now." "What are you talking about?" Indicating for him to follow, Scully walked out of the shelter. "Where are we goin', Scully?" She stopped several yards from the shelter and pointed to a nearby tree. A make-shift hoop had been hooked over a branch up along the trunk. Scully took a great deal of joy in his stunned expression. "I put it up last night. It wasn't too difficult to construct with that old netting and..." her eyes widened, her voice trailing off as Mulder approached and slipped an arm across her shoulders. He smiled his appreciation at her. Scully smiled back. "You're welcome." Pushing the ball into her hands, Mulder backed up a few paces. "You up for a pick up game, Scully?" "Mulder..." "Come on, you're not going to make me play with myself are you?" he said with a wicked smile. Scully smirked at his innuendo. "All right, but I warn you, I'm not very good at this." "You? You mean you never made the basketball team, a bean pole like you?" he teased. "Very funny, let's just play all right?" Bending forward slightly, he gave a quick nod and prepared for her attack. She came at him full force, trying to duck beside him with the ball tucked under her arm. "Hey--" he tried to block her "Hey you're traveling!" She dodged from side to side, all the while Mulder grasping at her shirt. "Scully!" She was too damned quick; she continued to move just out of his clutches. Then, finally-- success, he reached out and snagged her wrist. Scully broke free and started backing up as Mulder stalked her. "Give me the ball, Scully. You traveled, that's an automatic disqualifier. I get the ball." Shaking her head slowly at him, Mulder didn't couldn't ever remember seeing such mischief in her eyes. And suddenly it wasn't Scully standing before him, he was seeing Dana, the little girl making trouble for her brothers. With a quick lunge he tried to grab it from her, but she bolted; she took off down the beach with Mulder in hot pursuit. He had a hard time catching up to her; she ran like a deer.. but her speed was limited to a short burst, and as she started to lose stamina Mulder caught up with her. Scully bent forward as he descended on her, curling her body over the ball to prevent him from getting it. Her voice was tight with the laughter she was holding back. "How am I supposed to dribble on the sand!?" she protested. Mulder smiled against her temple, still trying to pry the ball from her arms. "I don't wanna hear your lame excuse-- give me the ball, Scully." It was getting harder for her to contain the laughter. "Don't make me hurt you..." "Oooo, I'm scared..." Mulder put his hand on the back of her neck, moving to stand in front of her as he held her head down between her knees. A series of giggles drifted up from the mop of red hair he had pinned down, and Mulder grinned at the sound of it; he had never seen her like this before and he was delighting in the sound of her laughter. It was priceless. After a few seconds, he released his captive. Scully straightened to look at him with a smile, face flushed and out of breath. Mulder had never seen anything more beautiful. It was more of a gift than the basketball could ever be. She handed him the ball. "Merry Christmas, Mulder." ************************************* The jog always did him good. Every morning, it was the first thing he did. Scully liked to sleep late, so he coveted that quiet, private time when the island seemed to belong only to him. Not to mention, it was a great physical release of tension. As he rounded the cove and approached the shelter, he slowed and bent forward, resting his hands on his knees and drawing deep gusts of oxygen into his lungs. Time to think about waking Scully up so they could decide what they were going to do with their day. Another beautiful day in paradise bored out of his mind. Then he remembered... he could shoot some hoops, thanks to his ingenious friend. He smiled and ran a hand over his face. First up, time for a shave... it had been a few days. Pulling a clean T-shirt off the clothes line, Mulder walked over to the bucket of fresh water and crouched in front of the piece of broken mirror they'd propped up against a rock. He sponged off with the cool water, then lathered his face with the substance they found did a fair job of serving as soap. When he finished shaving and started to pull on the clean shirt, he heard a rustling noise from inside the shelter... Scully was having the worst time trying to hang her chimes. She was just a few inches shy of being able to reach the ceiling and the rickety box she had been standing on had not afforded much help. So she'd constructed a make shift extension for her hook, tying it around a long solid branch to give her the extra few inches she needed. But when she'd hooked it securely into the thatch roof, she couldn't pull her branch back out. Way to go Dana... Suddenly, Mulder's arms were around hers, helping her yank at the branch. "Be careful, Mulder... I'm trying not to pull the whole roof in." "Hold on to this." She turned around and faced him as he placed the branch in her hands. He was standing very close, and while he was occupied with the task, Scully's eyes dropped to his chest. His T-shirt smelled like the sunshine and ocean air it had been dried in; it was barely perceptible but at the same time almost intoxicating-- Scully stopped the thought before it could come to the surface... she'd been on that island far too long. "There. I think that'll do it." He held his hand out and indicated for her to hand him the chimes. Scully watched as he secured it to the hook just above the entrance. "Thanks." The light moment between them was replaced with an awkward one as their eyes held. Mulder suddenly looked like he remembered something. "Oh...there's something I've been meaning to show you." She raised her eyebrows at him. "What?" "Not now-- tonight. It's better if you see it at night." Scully watched him as he flashed a smile and left the shelter. She was dying of curiosity. ********************************* It was beautiful. The spring was approximately 12 feet in circumference, almost a perfect circle in the middle of the forest floor. Steam floated up from the surface and hissed in the air around them. "I found it that day you kicked me out of the shelter... I thought it was smoke at first, but it's some kind of natural spring-- a hot spring. And the water's salty-- not like the source we get our water from." Scully stepped closer. Even in the dark of night, you could see right through the clear water to the sandy bottom... it appeared a luminous blue. "There must be some sort of phosphorescent substance in the sand or water..." Mulder had already waded out into the center. "Come on in, Scully." She looked back over her shoulder at the path that had led them there, not really wanting to trudge all the way back to the shelter to get her bathing suit. "I don't have my suit..." She looked back at Mulder as he emerged from under the water. "What's wrong?" She was wearing her black tank top and shorts... Mulder had seen more of her when she wore her bathing suit, and besides, modesty was something both of them had learned to be less attached to in the conditions they were living under. "No, nothing..." She slipped off her shorts and waded into the water. It was shallow, only a few feet deep, so she had to kneel to submerge herself in the water. It lapped gently at her shoulders. Mulder moved over to her, crawling along the clear bottom. "This place is amazing. Why didn't you tell me about it sooner?" "Actually I had kind of forgotten about it." He settled back against a flat protruding rock and spread his arms wide, indicating the expanse of water. "What do think, Scully? Our very own hot tub..." The steam rising from the water caused droplets of moisture to cling to her hair and mist her face. She smiled at him. "It's great, Mulder." And it was. It was wonderful. It was beautiful and relaxing and from now on she was actually going to be able to have a *warm* bath. The mere thought elated her. Under normal circumstances, it wouldn't have been nearly as exciting, but on that island, Mulder's surprise was tantamount to having the winning lottery ticket. She smiled. Recalling the numerous times he'd teased her while they swam in deep water by dunking her, Scully lunged playfully at him. Her hands came to rest securely on either side of his neck as if she were going to push him down. "I seem to recall you taking a great deal of enjoyment in dunking me... well in this water we're on equal footing..." Scully had only been joking around, but there she was mere inches from his face... and he looked positively stunned. The poor guy was frozen in place. And then she was embarrassed at having put them in this compromising position; she was straddling his lap in the water, and as she received his gaze, it was her turn to be surprised. Where had that come from? When did it happen? When had that intense desire she was seeing come into his eyes? It made her stomach twist into knots. Mulder stared at her. His brain pleaded with his mouth to say something. No words would come, and all he could do was continue to stare at her in agonizing silence. Finally, his hand came up to touch her face. "Mulder..." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "We could be here a long time, Scully." "That's not a reason to do this..." "It's not a reason *not* to either." They stared at each other, considering the implications on their friendship, their partnership. But then, they didn't really have a partnership any more, did they? At least not as long as they were on that island... and who knew how long that would be? Mulder's eyes were pleading with her, and the longing she saw there had the strangest effect on her; Scully could feel herself being drawn to him. Slowly, she let her head fall towards him, lightly touching his lips with her own. Mulder thought he would explode on the spot. It was almost too much to take, all those months she had been torturing him with her presence, teasing him with her femininity, and now here she was, kneeling over him in the water, her lips touching his. He let his hands gravitated toward her, gently coming to rest on her waist, daring not to push it any further. Whatever she wanted, whatever she was willing to give, he would gladly accept. And if this kiss was where it ended, then fine... he might keel over with the sheer pain of it, but at least he'd die a happy man. She deepened the kiss, and he opened his mouth to her, enjoyed the sensation her tongue caused in his mouth, the dizzy feeling it gave him, but his hands remained at her waist. He remembered the song about being driven delirious by kisses, but he'd never quite understood until there he was spiraling further and further away from himself as she was kissing him, wet and warm and soft kisses, the pleasure his mouth was experiencing sending the heat of arousal through the rest of his body. They were nowhere, and everywhere; they were floating up with the steam around them, being dissolved into stars and burning in the night sky. Underneath her, Scully could feel him pressing against the thin cotton fabric that separated them. Her body ached with an equal desire, and she wanted him to touch her. Gently nudging his hand, it seemed to gain its own momentum, gliding through the water and up under her shirt. His hands passed over her rib cage to soft flesh, and the sound of pleasure she made at his touch made it hard for him to breathe. He had suffered through over a year of erotic dreams about her, of waking up in the throes of pleasure, just at the brink of losing it to find he was alone and cold in his sweat-soaked sheets. And now, to be touching her, to actually feel her flesh soft and warm beneath his fingers... It had been such a long time since she'd been touched in that way; his hands were hungry as they passed over her skin, resurrecting some part of her that she'd almost forgotten existed. She found him through the water and guided him to her, past what was left of her clothes. The heat of the water around them was no match for the heat of her body; his breath rushed out in a long, tremulous whisper as he found her. She was tight around him, and he knew it wasn't going to take him long as they fell into a slow rhythm. And through that unhurried motion of their bodies he was kissing her he loved to kiss her always kissing her he didn't want the feeling to stop-- Oh God he didn't want it to stop... but he was wound tight like a wire ready to snap and he couldn't make it last-- her body tensed against his, with his in explosive release. His face fell forward into her neck. It was like being drugged; his mind was in a fog of hazy satisfaction. They hesitantly found each other's gaze, and after a moment Mulder slipped his hands lightly around her neck and pulled her to him, kissing her softly. He could've stayed there all night with her, but the tepid water was causing them both to prune up... Silently, they made their way back through the moonlit path down to the beach and their shelter. Scully felt his hand on her back, her shoulder, her arm the entire way down; it was like he didn't want to stop touching her-- to break that contact between them, and when they got back down to the shelter Mulder backed her into her room and they made love again. They spent the night in love's embrace, unable to get enough of each other, of the pleasure that exploring the newest part of their relationship brought them. And in the morning there were no questions, no regrets. Mulder knew that when he first started to feel differently towards her, he had pushed it away because he was afraid it was merely a physical longing, the loneliness of being on that island and enduring the agony of the company of the woman that was there with him. But when he'd been holding her, when he was inside her and they were making love, he knew he was wrong: it had nothing to do with loneliness. He'd been abstinent for a lot longer than the relatively short period of time they'd been on that island. And if it didn't have to do with the physical, that left only one other thing it could be. Then he knew, he could see clearly why she'd put up with him-- not just while they were on that island but a long time before: she loved him. Scully stretched and rolled onto her back. Just outside her door, pieces of broken sea glass quietly clanked together and pleased her with thoughts of the man who had made that chime for her. She got up to see what he was doing. As Scully pulled the curtain aside, Mulder smiled at the sleepy face peering out at him. "What are you doing?" Mulder finished securing the chimes and rested his hands on his hips. "They'll work better here; you'll get a little bit of a breeze." He paused awkwardly, then with a nervous smile gave her a quick kiss. "'Morning. I got breakfast already." Smiling as he pulled her into his arms, Scully was once again struck by the gentle scent of his T-shirt: sun and sand and ocean air... and Mulder. It was the most wonderful smell in the world. ************************************** As if the rest of their stay on the island hadn't seemed surreal enough, since they'd been together for the first time last night, a strange sense of elation had taken possession of him and made Mulder feel absurdly happy. How could the simple act of being loved by Dana Scully catapult him to such euphoria? And in that state, he didn't care if they were ever found, he would gladly spend the rest of his life there with her and love every minute of it. When she'd finished her morning walk, Scully walked up the beach and had just about reached the shelter when she caught site of Mulder far in the distance. He was standing amidst the tall grass on the edge of one of the bluffs. Scully smiled as he waved to her and went to meet him. On her way up, she paused and looked over at the shipwreck, still there in the distance and haunting them with its presence. They'd weathered a few more storms in the time they'd been there, but the boat refused to be finished off; ultimately, the storm had settled it on those rocks, and that's where it stayed. She started up the path, but when she reached the spot she'd seen Mulder at, he wasn't there. "Mulder?" she called out to him. She took a few steps forward and nearly tripped over him. "Mulder!" He was stretched out on his back, hands tucked behind his head. "Scare you?" "That's not funny," she tried, but his smile was contagious. Mulder watched as she came to him, her hair falling forward as she lowered herself onto him. Her face was shadowed by the sun behind her, and Mulder thought for a moment she looked like an angel descending on him, coming to carry him up to heaven. He pulled her to him and rolled her over onto her back. He was kissing her, his hands leaving a trail of fire in their wake as they passed over her skin. The reeds whispered around them with the breeze that passed by. Scully opened her eyes slightly, gazing sleepily into the bright sunshine warming her face. Her body burned with the heat of his body above her, inside her. They made love in the tall grass, only the sun there to bear witness to the act. Scully sat up next to him and smiled. The sight took his breath away, and Mulder reached out to her, running his hand through her hair as the wind blew wisps around her face. "Dana..." He stopped suddenly, seeing that Scully was staring at something in the distance. The color appeared to instantly drain from her face. Sitting up so he could see what had caught her attention, Mulder turned to look over his shoulder. His heart dropped to his stomach... a ship. They stared at it for a long second. Suddenly, everything seemed to have stopped-- the breeze, the sound of the surf... only the silence of shock pounded in their ears. Then, simultaneously they bolted up and started running back down the path towards the shelter. They hit the beach and sprinted for the shelter. Mulder's strides were longer and he arrived just before her, bounding up inside and throwing open the chest of tools. He pulled out the flare gun. "The flares where are they!?" Scully arrived from behind him and leaned over his shoulder. "They should be right with it-- there!" She pointed through some tools to the two shells. Mulder grabbed them and they ran back out to the beach. "Should I wait until they're closer?" Scully looked from Mulder back out to the water. At this distance it was impossible to tell if the ship was coming or going or passing along the horizon. She opened her mouth but the words hung there in the open air... she just didn't know. Approaching, yes-- it was definitely approaching... or was it? Mulder didn't know what to do and he could tell by the look on Scully's face she didn't either. Finally deciding there was nothing to lose, he took aim into the air and fired. They watched as the flame shot high into the air and hung above them. Mulder looked back down at his partner. "Do you think they saw it?" "They didn't have to..." "What are you talking about?" When she didn't answer, he followed her gaze out over the ocean. Apparently, someone had spotted them before they sent up the flare... a small boat was being rowed to shore. ********************************** They landed on the mainland. It had been a bumpy ride coming in on the helicopter and Mulder wondered why they'd bothered tying up one of the choppers when they could've just taken the boat all the way to shore. But then again, the way the crew had been staring at his partner it was probably better that they got off the ship as soon as possible. As the chopper settled on the tarmac, Mulder and Scully were ushered from its belly and lead towards a nearby building. Just outside there was a crowd of military personnel there to greet them... and there was a familiar face among the troupes. Skinner stopped a few feet in front of them. "You two all right?" "What took you?" Mulder quipped. Skinner looked at the two agents, each still wrapped in blankets and windblown from the helicopter. Aside from the apparent chill they had, they looked more than all right. Scully looked beautiful, her hair was lighter than he'd ever seen it and her skin was glowing with color from the sea and sun. "Agent Scully we've arranged a flight back for you to DC. You leave in an hour, these men will see you back. Let them know if you need anything." Before she could utter a single word in protest, Skinner nodded and two men took hold of her arms and started to escort her inside. She cast a final glance at Mulder as they started to lead her off, opening her mouth to speak to him... but then not knowing what on earth she could say. Mulder kept his eyes on her until she disappeared into the building, even as Skinner was warning him about the trouble he was in. "We've arranged your flight for tomorrow, Mulder. I want you to get some rest, but there are some questions your going to have to answer to--not just to me. I was hoping you and I could talk about that on the way home. Mulder?" He was staring blankly over his shoulder. "Agent Mulder did you hear me?" Finally, Mulder's eyes returned to Skinner's face. "Yes, sir." It was going to be a long flight. ********************************** The flight from LA was finally coming to an end. What had actually taken under twenty-four hours seemed to her to span the course of several days. Scully thought she'd never get home. And all the way, she kept thinking about her other home-- their home, and her heart felt hollow at the thought of never seeing it again. Her head was spinning with the commotion of it all. One minute she'd been in peaceful paradise and the next she was being whisked away on almost every mode of transportation she could think of, with questions being fired at her from a million different directions. And through it all, the entire way as they sat huddled under their blankets, she kept catching Mulder's eye, as they asked the same silent question over and over: what now? *********************************** One week off. Skinner had insisted, reminding them they needed time to get their personal affairs in order before returning to work. Neither of them were thrilled about the mandatory leave; the last thing they needed was more time with nothing to do... but think. Scully's mom had maintained things fairly well for her, so she didn't have much to do except for sit around and wonder what it would be like to see Mulder again. She knew she would not lay eyes on him until the week was up; he needed the time to think just as much as she did. Things were different on that island. What had they been thinking? What if she'd gotten pregnant? What if they'd had to raise a child there? It was irresponsible and unforgivable. The regrets she didn't have while they were on the island filled her heart now. If only they'd waited-- one more day. One more day and they wouldn't be in this mess, they'd be back at work tomorrow and everything would be just fine, would be back to the way it always had been. They had played in a world where the rules had changed, but now they were back home, firmly re-planted in reality, and Scully wondered if she was foolish for thinking things here at home could ever be the way they were on that island... She picked up the phone-- to hell with her pride. The phone rang once, twice... oh God what was she going to say? Hi how are you? Nice weather we're having? Something equally as lame? Or the truth: that she just wanted to hear his voice? She put the phone back in its cradle. Mulder kept as busy as possible during the week. It wasn't hard to do, after all, he'd become an expert at killing time. But there was one thing he had always failed miserably at-- before, during and after their stay on the island-- keeping his mind off his partner. Where did they stand? They hadn't had a single minute to themselves to talk on the way to the mainland, and since then... since then what? Why didn't he call? Why didn't she? He couldn't speak for Scully, but he had needed the time to think. There was no way they were going to be able to continue their professional relationship, whatever happened between them personally, and he did not want to give up a trusted and valued partner. And more than anything else, he didn't want to lose his friend. They needed to talk. He picked up the phone, holding it front of him and staring at it as if doing so she would suddenly materialize right there in the circle of the receiver so he could see how she was, what she was doing. But when he tried to picture what their conversation might be like, all he could imagine was a ridiculous exchange of pleasantries and tension so thick along the line that he would barely be able to get the words through. He put the phone back on the hook. ******************************** As she stood outside his office door, Scully felt as if she were standing there for the first time again. Her hair was very much the same, only lighter, she was wearing a similar suit... and she still didn't know what to expect when she walked through that door. But this time, things were very, very different. She knocked and opened the door. Mulder wasn't there. An odd sense of relief settle over her-- a stay of execution. Scully was startled by her own analogy. Did she really think the outlook was that grim? No, but the truth was, she didn't know what to expect; you never did with Mulder. As she entered the office, it was obvious to her that he had already been there; the drop cloths had been pulled from the files and furniture and were in a pile in the corner of the room. Scully walked around behind the desk and took a seat. Her eyes passed over the office. How strange it was to be back, after all this time. The place hadn't changed a bit... was still littered with stacks of files and papers, still colder than most of the rest of the building. Still smelled like Mulder. Scully jumped as the door swung open. Mulder laid eyes on her for the first time in a week, and at the sight of her smile the speech he had prepared dissolved instantly from his memory. Who was he kidding? For a moment, he was paralyzed by her eyes; the thoughts raced through his head. "Hi." Scully started to get up, but when Mulder turned towards a nearby file cabinet she stopped and sat back in the chair. A cold knot of anxiety planted itself firmly in her stomach and doused her smile. She watched as he slipped off his coat and threw it over the cabinet. He had hardly glanced at her. "Hi." Scully waited for him to say more, but he didn't; he crouched down and opened the bottom drawer. After a few moments of silence she cleared her throat. "So what have you been up to?" "Not much." He pulled a small brown paper bag from the cabinet and stood. The question had been posed casually, but something in her tone suggested there was more to it. "Why?" "You didn't call..." Neither did you... He shrugged. "Been busy," he lied. Scully lowered her eyes. This was a disaster. Over the course of the years they'd been working together, Mulder had never felt so estranged from his partner. And now, the decision he'd spent the last two weeks deliberating over seemed suddenly like a huge mistake; he had made that decision with his head, but he was going to go with his heart. In the past, he had done so and been hurt in the process--many times. But never with Scully. He had mislaid his faith countless times in his life; more than anyone else, she deserved to have him take that chance in her. The question was: did she feel the same way? Was she willing to go forward with this, whatever the consequences? But then, that smile she'd given him when he first walked in had told him everything he needed to know. Oh God, what now? Scully watched as he approached with the bag. Was he just going to start in with some case? Start filling her in on inane details on some obscure file? Was he going to just pretend like it had never happened? It was the ultimate insult, and she could feel the heat of anger rising in her cheeks. He placed the bag in front of her on the desk and walked around behind her. Scully looked over her shoulder at him; what was he doing? She watched as he reached in front of her and opened the bag. Slowly, carefully he pulled out the glass chimes he'd made for her; somehow he'd managed to smuggle them back. They hadn't really had the chance to take anything with them when they'd been hijacked off the island... or so she thought. Scully looked back up at him and saw that he was smiling. She smiled back, because she knew that no matter what, regardless of the inevitable adjustments they were going to have to make both with work and in their personal lives, as long as they were together, they were going to be all right. End ************************************************************************** Kelli Rocherolle/kelli@edgenet.net/ap879@osfn.org http://www3.edgenet.net/~kelli Not tonight Honey, I have a modem.