Togetherness - Part 1 (PG) The warehouse was dark, but fortunately their eyes adjusted quickly. Both had their guns drawn and they hesitated just inside the door. They heard a sound from above them and Mulder motioned for Scully to go to the right and headed up the stairs. No one was up there, but someone was now downstairs. Scully? He couldn't call out, that would endanger both of them. He'd found nothing up here, they needed to reconnect. He quietly returned to the first floor. Now where the hell was she? He couldn't hear anything. He kept the gun steady in front of him. Was that her? He followed the soft sound and finally spotted her on the floor. "Scully." It was barely a sigh. He was over her, a pulse! He was able to take a breath. But his fingers were wet, sticky. Blood. He leaned in to see where the blood was coming from. A mistake, he was too late to dodge the blow coming at him. He landed with his body half over hers; instinctively trying to protect her as it all went dark. ***** Day 1 Mulder groaned as he emerged back into consciousness. Damn his head hurt. He raised a hand to his head, no blood. What had happened? Scully! She'd been on the floor in front of him. He forced himself to rise, stifling another groan. He carefully made his way to the other side of the room where Scully lay on a bench. She was breathing and the bleeding had stopped, crusting in her hair. He sank onto the bench beside her, no longer able to stand. They were both in bad shape. Where the hell were they anyway? Mulder managed to look around the room. It was a large room, probably eighteen feet square, ceiling at least twelve feet high. Two small narrow windows near the top of one wall. It was daylight; hopefully it was the same day. Not much furniture, two fairly wide benches bolted on either side of the room and two wooden chairs. There was a toilet and sink in one corner. Now that did not look promising. Cinder block walls, concrete floor and metal door. Scully, please wake up, we're not in Kansas anymore. Okay, what did they have on them? No gun, big surprise, no I.D., no watches. He had his handkerchief, his notepad and pen, some coins. Well, he also had his suit, shoes and coat. Scully seemed to be the same, pantsuit, shoes and coat. In the pockets some tissues, a lipstick and a comb. Great. Well, look around the room once more. Not a whole lot else he could do right now. He carefully walked to the sink and splashed water on his face. He was dragging one of the chairs over to his bench when he heard her groan. He was at her side in two steps, forgetting his own pain. "Scully, can you hear me?" "Mulder?" The sound emerged as a whisper, and even then she winced. "No, Scully. Don't try to sit up." He put his hand gently on her shoulder. She quickly decided that was the best advice he'd ever given her. She raised a shaky hand to her head. It didn't help that her hand came away tacky with blood. "How many fingers am I holding up?" "Three. Where are we?" "I'm not sure. I'll be right back." He dampened his handkerchief and very lightly washed the blood off her face and took a better look at her wound. "Ow!" "Sorry." He handed her the cloth. "You don't know where we are?" She focused on his face again, the only comforting thing in sight. "I was out for awhile too. And I lost the debate, apparently your head isn't harder than mine. I didn't bleed." She gave him a weak smile, he was trying. After a few minutes she attempted again to sit up, with his help. She wanted to tell him she was okay, but she was too busy fighting the nausea. When she had more control she squeezed the arm he had around her, supporting her. "Why don't you lay back down, Scully. We've got nothing else to do right now." He folded his overcoat and placed it under her head. She needed medical attention, damn it. He had to think of something. Once she was settled, he again grabbed the chair he'd been dragging. He was now able to lift it, so he did and placed it on his bench. Even standing on it he was still unable to reach the bottom of the windows near the ceiling. It was, however, beginning to grow dark outside. He had lifted the chair down when they heard the metal flap at the bottom of the door open inward. A tray of food was pushed into the room. "Hey wait! She needs a doctor! She needs treatment for her head wound. Let us out of here!" The flap swung closed as Mulder slammed first his fists and then his body against the door. Now that felt really good. He slowly bent and picked up the tray. He carried it to Scully's bench. "Think you can eat?" "Maybe in a little bit. What it is?" She focused on his eyes, still not able to look around too well. "Grilled chicken sandwiches, small tossed salads and drinks. Not your standard prison fare." Mulder was pulling food from the paper bag. "Lots of condiments, too." "Maybe we better hang on to those." He nodded before remembering what a bad idea that was. Once again he helped her to sit up, settling her in the corner formed by one of the cinder block columns that jutted out around the room. "Here, try and drink this." He handed her a soda, and she found it did help. She was able to take a few bites, and after resting, a few more. "Mulder, I'm going to be okay. You don't have to hover." "Maybe not, but I don't have a whole lot else to occupy me." The flap opened again and another tray was shoved into the room. This one was full of first aid supplies and a small bottle of aspirin. Still not a word, they couldn't even hear anyone approaching or leaving the door. It was closed again before Mulder could get there. "Well, at least we can use this stuff." Using the cotton he carefully disinfected the gash on Scully's head and applied the medicine she recommended. She probably needed stitches, but since that was academic, he closed the wound to the best of his abilities with butterfly bandages. They were not allowed scissors, so he wasn't able to cut her hair. She was secretly grateful, the bandage might not hold as well, but the thoughts of a Mulder haircut only added to her pain. That finished he cleaned up from their meal, keeping everything that was still sealed or could be closed, and stored it at one end of his bench. The rest he piled on one of the trays and left it near the door. "Remember, you have KP duty tomorrow." He groused at her. "Sir, yes sir." She responded with a half-hearted salute. Her color was a little better since eating. How the hell long were they going to be held here? Might as well start at the beginning. Mulder returned to the door and began an inch by inch examination of the room. The hinges of the door were on the outside. The flap would not open; it was probably bolted from the outside. No breaks in the wall, but it seemed to have been freshly painted and clean. Same with the floor, clean and freshly painted as well. The benches were new, polyurethaned, no splinters. The sink and toilet were also new. Had this place been set up for them? "Mulder?" "Yeah." He was immediately back at her side. "Uh, about the facilities. . ." She was looking at the toilet with great displeasure. "That's all we have Scully. I, uh, let me help you over there and then I'll. . ." "You'll what, Mulder? It's not like I brought my picnic attachment." "Your what?" What had she said? "Nothing, Mulder, just a minor case of penis envy. Ignore me." Oh, yeah. This was not going to work. How the hell could either of them use the toilet with the other just inches away? Even his parents had never done that and they were married. She was trying to rise from the bench, so he put his arm around her. "Our choices seem to be extremely limited for now. If you could just give me what privacy you can. . ." Jesus, he hadn't thought this through. How long were the two of them going to be in a room this size? He helped her steady herself using the sink for support and retreated back to the door. This was ridiculous. "Mulder?" He started to turn, but stopped himself. "Yeah?" "I'm gonna need your help to get back. . ." He did turn as her voice faded and made it there to catch her before she hit the floor. "I'm sorry." "You shouldn't have tried to walk alone." His voice sounded rougher than he meant it to, but his fear was overtaking his embarrassment. He settled her on the bench and as he turned, the lights went out. They were thrown into pitch darkness and both cried out. "Scully? Are you okay?" "Yes. I was just startled. I guess we sleep now." "Great." He stumbled over to his side of the room, groping for the bench and finally stretched out on it. Like he was going to be able to sleep. It was really dark, his apartment was never this dark, of course, the TV would be on and the streetlights. How was he suppose to just lay here for eight hours? It took a little while for the sound to register. He just couldn't place it. Just as she spoke he realized it was her teeth chattering. "Mul. . .Mulder?" "What's wrong?" He was sitting up; ready to do whatever was necessary. "I'm fr. . .freezing." It was colder than it had been, but she was probably also in shock. He really hadn't paid any attention. They must be underground. That's why the windows were so high, that would certainly cool off a cinderblock room. He found his way back to her side of the room. "Sit up for a second, and give me your coat." He slid in behind her, settling his back into the corner, pulling her into the V of his legs with her back against his chest. He wrapped his coat around them and then her coat over her. "Is that better?" "Lots. Can you sleep like this?" "If I slept I probably could. Just relax." She cuddled in next to him and he realized very shortly that she had indeed fallen asleep against his chest. It took longer for him to relax, especially with her pressed up against him. Finally he did drift off and they both slept until the lights came on the next morning, followed immediately by the sound of a tray being shoved into the room. "Hey! We need blankets if we're going to be kept like this. When are you letting us out of here?" Mulder again raced for the door after disengaging himself from Scully. No response, he slapped the door with his open hand. He carried the tray over to Scully and they both pounced upon the hot coffee. They said nothing to each other, both being accustomed to solitude in the mornings. They divvied up the rest of the food and ate in silence. That led them to the inevitable privacy issue again. Mulder reached to help her to her feet but she avoided him. "I have to see if I can do this. I haven't had anyone take me to the potty in a very long time." He grinned, decided the best thing to say was nothing, and retreated to the door. When her ablutions were completed she made her way back to the bench and he took over the facilities. When he joined her again she looked up at him, and patted the bench beside her. "Thank you for last night." "No problem, Scully. I was warmer too." "I wasn't just cold, Mulder. I was scared." She looked away, not wanting to meet his eyes. "Me too. Scully, I can't find a way out of here. I don't even know where we are. I haven't been able to get up to the windows to see if that would tell us anything. I'm sorry I got you into this." "As I recall, Mulder, this was my tip. I'm the one who got you into this. If we hadn't received word through my email that one of the Kurt Crawford's had possibly been spotted, I would never have dragged you here." She touched his chin to bring his eyes up to look into hers. "But if it weren't for me, we wouldn't have to be looking for the Kurt Crawfords." She took a deep breath; they had been over this territory before. "Well yes, but while you're at it, you forgot to take blame for apartheid in South Africa, the tornado in South Dakota and of course the new Volkswagen Bug." He grinned at her. "I'm doing it again?" "Only constantly. Mulder, I did bring us here. I'm the one who received the tip and encouraged you to come with me. I would have come alone, but I'm awfully glad I didn't." He gave a slight shudder at that. What if she had come alone? What if, right now, he was searching for her with no more clues than the outside world had about them? This might not be the best place in the world to be, but at least they were together. What couldn't they accomplish together? The flap opened and for the first time, they saw a hand. It was reaching in to get the tray of trash. It was a man's hand, nothing distinctive, no rings or marks. It was visible for only seconds before disappearing with the trash and shoving a bundle into the room. Gone again. Mulder actually got his fingers on the flap before it closed, but rather than have them broken, let go before it slammed shut. He turned and met Scully's eyes. Well, he was getting quicker and if someone was going to reach into the room. . . He brought the bundle over to her bench. A blanket, towels, wash cloths, toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap and shampoo. How come two towels and only one blanket? Mulder decided not to voice that question. "Great room service in this place. I'm beginning to feel like I'm in Hotel California. You can check in but you don't check out." "Mulder, I think that's the roach motel." "An even better analogy. You want to wash up first?" "Thanks. Uh, Mulder, we're getting into the privacy thing again. Can we use the blanket as a screen? Do you see any way to. . .?" He studied the items available in the room. They could drape the blanket over the backs of the two chairs, but that would only come up about waist high. Uh, waist high on her, less than that for him. How could you stack office furniture as a team if there was no damn office furniture? Maybe if they took turns hiding under the blanket while the other bathed, and so on. . . Yeah, he was really going to suggest that. Hell, they were just going to have to trust each other, at least for the foreseeable future. If these care packages kept arriving, maybe eventually a phone or a key would be enclosed. "I'll set up the chairs for you for now, but I won't bother you or anything. I mean . . ." "I trust you, Mulder." Now why did that cause such a rush of blood to his face? He'd meant it, he wouldn't look, but of course nothing could keep him from visualizing. Shit, he was going to go mad. It was as simple as that. Was that the plan? Drive him out of his mind by throwing him into a situation where he was with Scully night and day with no escape? They would kill each other. At least, she'd kill him. ***** "Mulder, could you drag one of the chairs over to the sink for me?" "Sure, why?" He was already on his feet. Finally something to actually do. "I have to get this blood out of my hair. I can't stand it anymore." "Maybe I better do that. You don't want to get your bandage wet." "Mulder, I am perfectly capable of washing my own hair, you can. . . " She paused. "Yeah, its really gonna rip into my day, Scully, but I think I can work you in." She conceded, though she really didn't want him playing with her hair. Not that she could explain why that would be more personal than helping her to the toilet had been. She just really didn't want him touching her more than he had to. She leaned forward, allowing her hair to fall into the sink, and almost immediately grabbed the sink to keep from falling. "Whoa, Scully." He had his arms around her again. It was bad enough at night, leading to some of the best dreams she ever remembered. But during the day she wanted to keep her distance. Damn it, she needed to keep her distance. She'd go crazy if he kept touching her. It wasn't like it meant anything to him. "Sit down and lean back. I can use one of the cups and wash it this way." Was his voice getting deeper? A new surge of puberty? Or just having her everywhere he turned? Maybe he shouldn't have insisted, this felt too much like. . . forget it, Mulder. Concentrate on what you're doing. He gently washed her hair, massaging her scalp, forcing his mind away from her every time it tried to return. When he had finished, he fingercombed the worst of the tangles out and replaced the bandage. "Scully, has your hair always been this curly?" He didn't want to hurt her by pulling her hair more than was necessary, but this was like trying to capture a butterfly. "I can do this, Mulder." She couldn't take his hands on her anymore. It was so businesslike, and she was enjoying even that. God she was pathetic. "I'm not kidding, Scully. It's curling like it's alive or something." "Mulder, leave it alone. I can't straighten it here. Let go." "You straighten your hair?" New information to file and think about when she wasn't watching. She snorted in annoyance. Didn't he know anything about her? ***** Day 3 He was pacing again. Where was her gun? Maybe if she tripped him he'd get the message. She knew he was trying, but he'd never been confined like this before. He was used to being active, running, swimming. Who cared, she was going to kill him. She took a deep breath. "Mulder." He stopped and looked up. He realized immediately what was wrong. "Sorry Scully, I forgot." He started to retreat towards his bench. "No Mulder. We both have to get some exercise. Just not pacing, okay? Why don't I teach you some yoga? I know it's not your thing, but you could try it. Then maybe when I feel better you can teach me some of that Tai Chi." Why hadn't he thought of that? Because he felt like a rat in a trap, that's why. Yoga, hell if it took some time he was for it. This was like sensory deprivation. "Thanks, Scully. Hey, if I twist myself into a pretzel, can you get me unhooked?" "I'll try, Mulder. I'll try." So would he, hell, he might even begin to enjoy it. It could be relaxing if you did it right. Mulder meditating was not exactly something she could visualize. ***** Day 6 Mulder again had the chair on his bench. He just could not reach the window seal. If he jumped he could upset the chair, but maybe if she held it still. . . The last thing he wanted to do was ask her. His nerves were stretched so tight he'd scream if she said anything snippy. Not a girly scream either, a true howl. He didn't realize she'd come up behind him. "Why don't I get on your shoulders, then I could see out?" "What if you get dizzy?" Oh yeah, he wanted her legs around his neck. "I won't." Another short sentence from her. Yeah, it was all his fault they were stuck here. Be sure and show me how much you blame me, Mulder thought. "Get up on the chair and I'll climb up." Be damned if you'll climb my body, Mulder shook his head at the thought. "What? You think I can't do it?" "Of course you can. That's not what I. . . Look just get on my shoulders now and I'll get on the chair." "You can't climb up there with me on your shoulders. You'll drop me." "I will not!" "Fine, we'll do it your way, as usual." He started to respond and thought better of it. Ripping into each other wouldn't help, even if it were her fault. She climbed onto his shoulders and he rose, then stepped onto the chair. Her inner thighs gripping his head were not helping his balance, but he'd die before he dropped her now. She could easily see out the window, but there was absolutely nothing to see. Not a bush, not a tree, not a road or a fence. Just dirt, dry dirt blowing slightly. "Shit." "What? What's out there?" "Not a damn thing. Nothing, nada, zip! There isn't even a shadow of anything out of sight. Damn it!" She moved to try once again to see anything and became aware of the soft scratchiness of his new beard through her slacks. Oh god, no she would not become aroused while on his shoulders. No! She took one leg off of his shoulder startling him and proceeded to slide down his body, then jump from the chair onto the floor. He wanted to strangle her, among other things. Instead he concentrated on trying to forget the feel of her breasts on his chest, and her thighs at his. . . He was going to kill her. She had to know exactly what she was doing to him - she was obviously torturing him and then never giving him the privacy to relieve himself. He jumped down from the chair and jerked it off the bench, returning it to its position near the sink. He then retreated to the far end of the room and for the thousandth time examined the marks he was making on the wall. One for each day, made after the evening meal. Six of them so far, almost a week and they knew no more about where they were or why they were here than they had when they'd woken up here. The only outside contact were the hands that reached through the slot. There were three men, they rotated duty. None ever spoke. None had markings on their hands other than freckles. The freckled one seemed younger somehow, but how much could you really tell from one hand. He slapped his hand against the wall startling Scully. She kept quiet, there was nothing she could do or say to change anything. If they ever got out of here she was going to get as far away from that man as she could. When had she quit thinking when, and changed to if they got out? This was beyond nightmare, it never ended. ***** Togetherness - Part 2 (NC-17) Day 18 He was near the door as usual, having his daily wrestling match with his libido. Why didn't it get any easier? She was nude every morning before donning either her pantsuit or his shirt. He should be able to stop fantasizing about his partner. It had been different when they were apart and he could "handle" his fantasies alone. "Shit." He heard her soft exclamation from across the room. It was going to be one of those days. He'd been here as long as she had, you'd think she was on the rag. . . Oh god. He came so close to turning around it scared him. Her period? She didn't have any supplies; he knew exactly what they had between them in the way of "toiletries". Could he demand this through the damn slot? His mind ran again through the items they had on hand, and his hatred of their captors rose another several notches. His eyes automatically went to the marks on the wall. In real life he had been vaguely aware of her cycle but had made a conscious effort not to commit it to memory. How personal could you get? He realized she was dressed and finally turned. She was so distracted she jumped when he sat beside her. "You okay?" "Yeah. Fine." Short, clipped and angry but not really with him. He pulled off his t-shirt. "Here." "What? I'm not cold." She took the shirt, confused. "You could rip it up, you know, use it." "Oh god." She hid her flaming face in her hands. "I can't take much more of this." "Come on, Scully. It's a natural process. I should have. . . we should have anticipated this." She said nothing. They were both adults, and it was natural, but her embarrassment was bone deep. In all her fantasies of being alone, on a deserted island, hell even being married to Mulder, this had never entered into anything she'd imagined. How naive. "I, uh, I'll wash up." He left her side; there wasn't anything to say. He'd failed her completely. He couldn't get them out. He couldn't even supply her basic needs. Mulder flinched as he heard the shirt rip. He tried to stay out of her way, between his guilt and her mood it was better that way. Avoiding looking at her wasn't working though. He caught her grimace, now what? Mulder squared his shoulders and approached her. "Scully, are you having cramps?" "Mulder, please." "Come here." "What?" She was in no mood for this. "I said come here." He took her hand and led her to her bench, pulling her into what had become their normal sleep position. "What do you think you're doing?" "Be still." He placed his hand on her stomach. She stiffened. "Relax or this won't help." "I asked what you were doing." "We don't have a hot water bottle. Just relax." "This is too. . . Mulder, I can't. . ." She had thought her mortification was at its peak. "Yes. You can." He sounded so matter of fact, and the warmth of his hand did feel good. Oh hell, it couldn't get any worse. She might as well let this happen. He could feel some of the tenseness leave her shoulders. They sat in silence that gradually became more comfortable. She finally took a deep breath. "Did you learn this from Phoebe?" That startled him, she thought about Phoebe? "No, Phoebe and I didn't share things like this. I mean, she had no trouble sharing her body, with me and everyone else as it turns out, but never personal things. No, I remember my mother sometimes. . ." "Thanks, Mulder." They lapsed back into silence for a while, then he heard her chuckle. "What?" "Nothing, just something I remembered from when I was little." "Share." "It's embarrassing, but. . . oh hell, when I was little and just learning the facts of life, I was introduced to the word menstruation. In my mind I decided that menstruation was something that happened to girls every month and masturbation was something that happened to boys every month." Mulder joined her laughter, "So that's why people have always told me I'm above average. Oufff." The air left his lungs as the back of her head connected with his chest. "Watch it, Scully. You're in a vulnerable position, I can switch to tickling with one move." "You wouldn't dare!" "Oh yes I would, and undo all the good I've done. You better apologize. . ." She turned to face him, "Oh lord and master, please forgive your humble servant for her insubordinate ways." Then batted her eyes at him. Mulder lost it, completely and totally. When he recovered and they both wiped their eyes from laughing nearly hysterically, he nodded. "Apology accepted. And let's be more careful in the future." "Aye aye, sir." She sank back against his chest. "Mulder, I really needed that. I've never had as good a friend as you." He realized he was caressing her hair and stopped immediately. "Same here." ***** Day 27 When the lights went off that night and they had resumed their positions to keep warm, Mulder, in an attempt not to concentrate on the aroma of her hair, asked, "Are you sleepy?" "No." "Tell me about Bill." "What?" "Your brother. Has he always been like. . ." Oops, maybe this wasn't a good idea, insulting her family was probably a stupid thing to do. "Like he is around you? No. I mean, he's always been a big brother, no one could pick on me but him, but not like now. He didn't get to tell Dad goodbye, that hurts him a lot, but I think Melissa's death nearly killed him. They were really close as kids, the two oldest, you know. To have her die like that, so senselessly. . ." "It's okay that he blames me." She was quiet for a long time. He waited. "He probably does a little. He really blames me, but because he loves me he can't - no he doesn't want to show it. It's easier blaming you. You're the outsider with the weird ideas and reputation. You can do things he can't even imagine. I think you scare him. I know you did when you cured my cancer." "Me?" "Yes. You found the chip. You had the guts to face him and Mom, and argue to put it in me. I think part of him would rather have lost me than to have it work and prove you right." His arms tightened around her, but he said nothing. "It wasn't always like that. . . " She launched into a story of Bill as a kid and Mulder listened appreciatively. Something new to think about, a new way to try to visualize her as a child. The next night it was Melissa. He began piecing together her early years, before he had come along to totally unravel her life. During the days they continued with the routine they had established, keeping their distance, being quiet and as alone as possible. But both began to look forward to the dark - to the sharing. ***** Day 30 "Mulder, what was it like with your father?" He tensed, he'd much rather her talk, her memories were happy ones. "Come on, Mulder. It's your turn." "Scully, you don't want to hear about him." And he sure as hell didn't want to relive it, even for her. "Was it really that bad?" He remained silent. "Mulder, did he hit you?" His shudder was her answer. How could anyone want to hurt this manchild? He was so precious to her, no matter how irritated she got at him. "Yes." He said it so low she almost missed it. "It wasn't so bad after Samantha was born." Oh god, he'd only been four then. "After she was gone. . . " "Did he hit her?" She asked softly. "Oh no. Never. He'd never hurt her. I wouldn't have let him." The tear that escaped her eye startled her. She hoped he wouldn't notice. He'd hate thinking she pitied him. She didn't. But she ached for that boy and everything he'd gone through. She wanted to comfort him, but knew he'd pull away. He'd made it very clear what the boundaries were here. Her rational mind appreciated it, but sometimes. . . well, the dreams made it almost worth it. He woke to find she had turned in her sleep, her warm breath against his chest. He tried to control his automatic response to having this woman in his arms. Why did he even try to delude himself into thinking. . . his mind froze as her hand brushed his cock. Stifling a groan he pushed her aside, rougher than he had meant to, but he had to get as far away from her as he could. "Mulder? What? What did I do?" He had his back to her, so she took his arm. He shook free and she lost her footing, falling back and landing on her butt. "Scully! I. . .god, could you leave me alone for a minute?" Even his voice sounded strange. A nightmare? No, he didn't push her away then, this was something else. Was he shaking? "Damn it, Mulder! I will not leave you alone. Tell me what. . ." she had regained her feet and gotten in front of him. Even in the predawn light she could see his problem. "Mulder?" He turned his back to her again, but it was too late. "Oh Mulder. Stop it, it's okay." She advanced on him again and before he realized her intention, she had her hand on him, caressing him through the fabric. To his utter humiliation he came right then and there, completely unable to control himself a moment longer. If he'd had the strength right then, he'd have thrown her against the wall. His eyes were closed, his hands fisted, when he realized she had unbuttoned his slacks and was lowering them down his legs. What, was she going to do his laundry now? When her warm mouth began the job of cleaning him, he staggered and almost fell. "Get up!" He yanked her to her feet, his hands too tight on her shoulders. "It's okay, Mulder, you can imagine I'm anyone you want me to be." "What?" He kicked his slacks away and scooped her up in his arms, almost slamming her into her bench, then pinning her beneath him with his nude body. "I swore I would never let this happen. I would never let you know how I feel about you." He managed to growl out at her. Her breathing was ragged and their eyes locked. Finally she managed to speak, barely above a whisper. "I'll release you from your vow, if you'll release me from mine." "What?" "I swore years ago not to let the fact that I was in love with you interfere with our work." His eyes widened. She hadn't said that, she couldn't have. She waited for his reaction, something, anything, until she realized that he was in shock, and that was his reaction. She raised herself up and took his lower lip into her mouth to suck, something she'd dreamed of doing for years. He could taste his musk on her lips. His eyes closed as he gathered her closer against him. His lips took hers, drinking her life's essence into him until she pulled away gasping. "Mulder." He rolled, placing her on top of him. "Don't say that if you don't. . . " "Think I can make you last longer this time?" Her eyes were twinkling. He growled and pretended to sink his teeth into her breast. He pulled his shirt off over her head and she laughed until his tongue laved her nipple and it turned into a gasp. "Let's see." He had his hands on her hips, grinding her down onto him. God, he was even bigger than he had been. Did she remember how to do this? And could she accommodate him? My god. That was her last coherent thought as Mulder took over her body. Moving her wherever he willed her to be. They had never done this before, how the hell did he know everywhere to touch her? Was he psychic? Nobody was that good. She realized she was convulsing in his arms with the most amazing orgasm she'd ever experienced and that was just from his fingers, which were again traveling up her body. She groped blindly for his cock, nearly whimpering as he moved tantalizingly above her. "What do you want, Scully?" He breathed in her ear. "You Mulder, please." "Are you sure?" He nipped at her ear. "We don't have. . . " "Mulder. . . " It was a moan. He finally took pity on her and let her guide him toward her core. He entered her slowly, giving her time to adjust to him, until she couldn't bear the wait and arched, forcing him deeper into her body. He caught his breath, she wasn't going to hurry him, he'd waited five years for this. He withdrew almost completely and she grabbed his ass, forcing him back even deeper. This game of tag continued, Mulder almost beside himself with delight that this woman, his Scully, wanted him so badly. She wanted him, a prospect he'd never had the nerve to truly contemplate. Suddenly he realized she had him by the balls, literally. His illusion of control disappeared and his thrusts became erratic. He unraveled, filling her with his seed, part of him aware she was again convulsing in his arms. He thought he'd seen all of Dana Scully's moods, but he'd never seen her like this, with lips swollen and bruised, eye lids mostly closed, body limp. Totally sated with sex, sex with him, the most incredible sex he'd ever had, bar none. So that was the difference love made. "You should never have waited so long to make your move, Mulder." Her voice was low, purring. "Is that your considered medical opinion, Dr. Scully?" Her eyes smiled, "I thought you were the one playing doctor, Mulder." He nuzzled her neck, tucking her in close to him and covering them with the blanket to ward off the chill as their bodies cooled. They slept the deep sleep of the totally contented. The tray being shoved into the room woke them later in the morning. Mulder padded over to retrieve it and for the first time she was able to appreciate his nudity openly. "Don't look at me like that, Scully. I'm carrying hot coffee." She dropped her eyes. "Not there either, you hussy." "Part of you seems to like it." "You're not suppose to notice." "Not notice that?" He actually blushed. "Mulder?" "Scully, we're in strange territory here. I mean, I've spent five years forcing myself not to look at you, and now. . . " "I know. I've done the same thing. I'd never thought of locking you in with me for weeks on end." "If anyone had asked, I'd have said we'd be at each other's throats by now, if we hadn't killed each other." "We nearly did." She smiled, all the tension was gone from her body. She hadn't been this relaxed in years, literally. All the irritation she'd felt since they had come to in this room seemed so trivial and silly now. They still had to get out somehow, let the world know they were alive, but they were back to being a team. Even closer than the nightly talks had brought them. ***** Day 32 "Scully, we need to be careful." "Afraid you're going to roll off?" "I'm serious, Scully. I don't want to get you pregnant." That surprised her. "Come on, Mulder. We both know that's not going to happen." She'd put this to rest in her mind, or she'd thought she had. "Scully, the chip that cured your cancer, it could have. . . " "Don't Mulder. It's not going to happen. I've given up on it. Don't." "Given. . . ? It wouldn't be a disaster to you?" "Here? Yes. Out there, no." She didn't want to talk about this. Her sterility caused her the kind of pain memories of his father caused him. "You mean if we were free you'd. . . you'd. . . " He couldn't even ask. "Want a little boy with dark hair and hazel eyes?" He was silent, absorbing this. "Not this nose." "Of course that nose. It's perfect, what, you think I'd change anything?" "I'd thought more in terms of a little red-headed girl." That knocked the breath out of her. When had it ever crossed his mind to have a child with her? "Scully, are you okay?" "I. . . I can't talk about this. It's not going to happen, so just forget it." "Okay, now I'm going to make you mad, but I'm not willing to take chances with your health in here. We should at least use rhythm, since that's our only choice anyway." Another conversation she'd never thought she'd have with Fox Mulder. She loved him, more than ever, and she knew him better than anyone, as he did her, but there had to be a break. There just had to be. How long, how the hell long could they be held? ***** Day 46 She closed her eyes against the rush of emotion. She wasn't trying to get pregnant. Hell, she didn't even want to be pregnant, not here. But the definitive evidence that she wasn't had brought her unexpectedly close to tears. After several deep breaths, she finished getting ready and joined Mulder. "Well, you don't have to worry. No little uber-Scullys this month." He breathed a sign of relief. As far as he was concerned they had been playing with fire this time. He realized she'd looked away and he took her arm. He was stunned to see her struggling against tears. "Scully?" "I'm okay." "You are not. Scully, this is a good thing. You can't. . . " "I know that. I'm as surprised as you are by this reaction. It's just when you brought it up I. . . oh hell, change the subject." He just sat there trying to untangle his feelings. Part of him wanted to shout for joy and now he realized part of him was sorry as well. By far though, the biggest part of him was in shock that Scully was disappointed not to be carrying his child. "Come here." He pulled her into his lap. "Thank you." "What? Thank you?" "For wanting to have my baby. No one's ever felt like that before." She buried her face in his neck and gave in to her emotions. He held her, rocking her, loving her more than he had ever thought possible. He had to get her out of here, so they could live a real life, together. ***** Day 61 "Scully, wake up. Do you hear that?" He was straining to discern the noise. It had been so long since he'd heard anything from outside of this room. "What is it? I can't. . . " "Helicopters! Scully, it's helicopters!" "For us or against us?" That drew him up short. Against them? To move them? Separate them? No, not that, never. A strong light flashed past the windows. It had to be a rescue. It had to be. Now they could hear boots running in the hall. He was on his feet now, pulling Scully into the far corner. "Stay back!" A strange voice called through the door. Mulder pulled her tight against him, his back to the door. The explosion wasn't large, then men poured into the room. Mulder turned to face them, keeping Scully behind his back. "Mulder!" "Skinner?" He was bigger than Mulder remembered, but that was probably the flak jacket. Mulder could have kissed him, he was so happy to see him. "Is Agent Scully. . . ?" "Right here." Mulder moved aside so that he could see her. Skinner closed his eyes in relief. Their source could not confirm that she was still alive, and it had been her blood they had found at the site. He'd had one especially horrible vision of Mulder locked in a cell with Scully's corpse. Skinner shook himself and was back to business. "Let's get them out of here, now." They were rushed to a waiting helicopter, Skinner joining them and they took off. Both Mulder and Scully tried to absorb as much of their surroundings as possible in the dark. They were flown to what was obviously a military base. The noise in the copter had precluded most conversation. Once down Skinner led them to a large building and finally into a room with just the three of them. The quiet was deafening after the first noise they had heard in months. "We need to debrief you, are you up to it now, or do you need a little time?" Mulder glanced over at Scully. "I think we both need a little time." "I understand. We have rooms for you. Scully, if you'll. . . " "No." They'd said it together. Skinner stopped, confused. "Look, I want to trust you, but you are not taking Scully off somewhere." "There will be a guard outside her door." "There'll be a guard inside her room as well, me." Mulder wasn't about to give in on that. He wasn't going to be separated from her yet, not until he felt safer than he did here. Skinner started to protest and stopped. Stockholm syndrome? Maybe, in any case they'd been through enough. If they felt safer together, he could hardly blame them. He nodded to their military escort and personally escorted them to the room that had been set aside for Agent Scully. "Get some rest, we've got a lot of catching up to do. Your guard will know where to find me if you need anything." "We haven't even said thank you, Sir." Scully approached him for the first time. "We do appreciate all you've done, I can't even imagine what all that could be." "We'll talk about it later. It's very good to have you back." He squeezed her arm and let himself out. Scully sank onto the bed and Mulder joined her. "You've been awfully quiet." "Just trying to get used to all the people." She gave Mulder a small smile. "It's kind of overwhelming." "Yeah, it doesn't take many to make a crowd." "I can't believe you got away with this." "This?" Mulder asked innocently. Her smile widened and she looked around the room. "You know, I'm not sure I remember how to do it on a bed." "Well, I believe if I concentrate really hard I can figure it out." "Really, really hard?" Her eyebrow rose. "Agent Scully, I need to remind you that we have a guard right outside the door. You'll need to keep it down." "Hey, I'm not the loud one, Agent Mulder." "Just what are you implying?" "Come here and I'll show you." She was already tugging his shirt from his waistband. He held her close to him, "I never thought when we got out of there, we'd celebrate this way." "Wanted to be far away from me?" He smiled and tightened his grip. "I think this gradual approach is best." "Um." She agreed. ***** Togetherness-Denouement (PG) He woke first as usual. "Would you mind if I went for a run?" "Of course not, Mulder. We're not joined at the hip. Well, not right now anyway." He wagged his finger at her, "You're insatiable." "Look who's talking. Go on, run. I'm going to call Mom if they can give me a safe phone." "Good idea, tell her hi for me." His run was short; he'd need to get back in shape. Her call was emotional, fortunately Skinner had given her mother some warning. When Skinner convened their meeting, they gave him all the information they had. That took less than ten minutes. Skinner's side of things took considerably longer. They were in New Mexico, hence the desert Scully had seen out of their window. They had been found through an informant, and they were now both fairly famous. "Famous? What for?" Had been Mulder's amused reaction. "Well, we're not sure where it started, but everyone jumped on the bandwagon. MUFON, NICAP, the Gunmen - everything anyone knew about your conspiracy work went out over the web. People who had never heard of UFO's got email about you. The White House was getting hundreds of emails a day demanding that you be "set-free". Believe me when I tell you the pressure was on. If the people that took you did so to shut you up or get you out of the way, it backfired big time. Undercover work is a thing of the past for you guys. "We had to put on extra agents to take depositions from witnesses in your past cases who decided there was safety in numbers and came forward with more information, physical evidence, the whole works. I was surprised how many agents were sympathetic to your work. I'd say you've been vindicated." "You are kidding." Skinner turned to look at her. "Oh god, you're not!" Scully turned to Mulder. "Oh my god." "Mulder, you'll be pleased to know you're far from the only kook out there. I have received applications from people wanting to join "your division" from all over the world. Congratulations." Mulder just sat silent, waiting for the punch line. He could understand, maybe, the Gunmen looking for him, but the others? "They keep referring to Scully as the enigmatic Dr. Scully, is there some significance to that?" Skinner asked. At that Mulder started to smile. He looked over at Scully and she couldn't stop her smile either. Mulder couldn't hold back the chuckle, which gave Scully permission to laugh as well. In no time they had lost it, tears rolling down her face as he rocked with laughter. Skinner looked positively scandalized at first, but then could feel the grin growing on his face. No, he had to keep it together. If anyone walked by and heard them he'd never be able to explain. "Mulder. Mulder, listen to me. There's something else you need to know." "Sure, sure, what?" Mulder wiped his streaming eyes. He didn't dare look at Scully, or he'd be off again. And Skinner did have one sure way to get this attention. "Mulder, it's about your apartment." "My fish are dead?" "Yeah. Sorry about that. You're also homeless, Mulder." "I'm what?" Yeah that did get his attention. Scully was sobering as well. "Your landlord packed up your things and put them in storage." "My couch, my clothes?" "Well, your furniture. When I heard about it, Maggie and I got over there and supervised. Your stuff is all safe, we had it stored in Maggie's name at the rental. Except for the clothes, they're all at Maggie's." "Homeless?" "Mulder," Scully took his hand, "It'll be okay." She turned back to Skinner; "My mother has his clothes?" "Maggie has been great through all of this." Maggie, Mulder thought, when did he start calling her that? Well, it wasn't his place to ask. "She had such faith in you. She knew if you were together that you would look after each other and be okay. She was so strong. She just knew we'd find you. You're very lucky, Agent Scully." "I know sir." Scully nodded, wondering at his tone when speaking of her mother. She glanced at Mulder and he gave her a wicked grin. No, it couldn't be that. Skinner tried to shake thoughts of Maggie out of his head. After their medical exams he was going to pull rank and get them home. Maggie desperately needed to see her daughter; it had been terrible for her. She hadn't even had Mulder to lean on; on the other hand he and Maggie wouldn't be as close if Mulder had been there. These two had more to catch up on than they could even imagine. So much of their work was public knowledge now, between the freedom of information act and the actual eye witness accounts in many instances, they really were famous. Cancerman had been more and more discomfited every time Skinner had seen him. That had been his only consolation during their disappearance. He'd give them a little time, let them get reacclaimated but then they had some major work to do. Coordinating and building the X-Files, investigating all the new information that, for a change, was pouring in. They didn't understand, they couldn't grasp it yet, but their lives had changed. He was excited, for the first time in years he was really excited. He'd leave them alone, for a little while, then he wanted to watch the fireworks. He managed to hide his smile.