The events in this story take place after The X-Files 2: I want to believe, and before and after the sweet extra scene that Chris Carter so gently included after the credits. So there are spoilers.
PS. This wonderful show has been a constant in my life since it started, back in 1993, but this is my first X-Files fan fic. I've watched all the episodes of all the seasons a hundred times, though. And although I'm quite familiar with it, English isn't my first language so I apologise for any grammar mistake you might find.
I hope you like this short story, thanks for reading it and please take a look at the note I left at the bottom of the page! :-)
With you
By Deyse M.
Snow was starting to fall when a car was parked in front of the countryside house. The ever green of the pine tree tops were slowly turning into white as the snowflakes came to rest upon them, and a white blanket covered the area around the secluded property. Temperature was dropping quickly and the latest forecast announced a storm for the evening. Scully got off the vehicle carrying her briefcase and climbed up the porch steps in a hurry. She was wearing heavy winter clothes but it was far too cold outside and she couldn't wait to be in front of a warm fireplace.
The doctor pushed the door open and surveyed the living room. She saw a bowl with half-eaten popcorn over the coffee table and also noticed that part of today's newspaper was missing. Scully dropped the keys and her briefcase over the sofa and headed to the small office that was right past the living room.
Its walls and door were covered with photographs, posters and newspaper articles of the most variety of intriguing and strange subjects. But amazingly as it seemed, the small room was empty. The one who spent most part of his time sitting on the revolving chair and at a desk filled with all sorts of papers was nowhere to be seen. Scully raised her eyebrows and bit her lower lip, trying to figure out what had happened there during her twelve-hour shift at a catholic hospital.
But before she left the room and headed upstairs, the doctor spotted a silver box over the desk. It wasn't too big but it was beautifully wrapped with a matching silver satin ribbon, and a small card was hanging on its top. Now frowning and rather intrigued, Scully let go of the door knob and approached the desk with slow steps, still wondering what kind of mystery could involve the small object. She flipped the white card and saw that it was her name written on it.
"C'mon, open it up, doc!" a sudden male voice came from behind her and spoke into her ear. Rolling her eyes, Scully turned around to face a mischievous-looking Mulder. The seven-year-old naughty boy's smile upon his face somewhat amused her. Scully knew his boyish manners and the way he loved teasing and surprising her all too well when they were co-workers at the FBI, but it became more clear to her after they started living together. She was afraid that confinement could make him bitter and difficult to deal with due to his independent and unquiet spirit. She even wondered if living with him could be a challenge for both of them as they were accustomed with each other living in separate homes.
But what Scully never thought was that he would become such a loving companion, who could even hear her thoughts and finish her sentences, even when their opinions collided. Mulder knew what was going on in her heart and truth to be told, there was only one person in the world who could share the same space with him, and this one was Scully. And it was simply due to the fact that she was all that he had in the world, and all of the most precious. His soulmate. With Dana, his world was complete.
"Mulder... is it some kind of joke?" she wanted to know, crossing her arms in front of her chest and demanding an explanation.
He unsuccessfully tried to disguise his mischievous smile. "No, joke, Scully. It's your anniversary present, and your name is in there! C'mon, open it up!"
"Anniversary? And since when do you celebrate anniversaries? And I don't recall anything happening on today's date..."
"Who said anniversaries have to be celebrated on an specific date?" he replied, defiantly as he would always be. Scully let out a tired sigh and agreed on playing his little game. She knew it would amuse him, and that's why she gladly did it this time. She turned her back on him and focused on unwrapping the satin ribbons that involved the box. She was surprised at its content.
"Bikinis?" she said, raising the two-piece black swimming suit with her hands and turning to face him again. "I don't know if you noticed but it isn't exactly sunny and hot out there..."
"It's not for you to wear right now, Scully..." he said, but made a short pause to scan her body from top down with interested eyes, "... hum... on second thoughts, you could wear them tonight when we get to our bedroom... things could get pretty hot upstairs, you know..."
She tried to ignore that comment, even though his dirty remarks amused her sometimes. "Mulder, what's going on here?"
He took her by the hand and guided her outside the room. "Come with me..."
They climbed up the stairs and headed to their bedroom, and when he opened up the door she was surprised for the second time. Over their bed, there were two small suitcases.
"What is it?"
"We're off for a few days, Scully. It's all scheduled. Christian is having a fine recovery and his life is not at risk anymore. And you told me you'll have some free days soon..." he quickly explained, and before she could say something, Mulder lay both hands gently over her shoulders. The initial mischief was now gone from his face, and replaced by a sincere and loving smile. "Light. Let's allow it to enter our home, so that darkness backs off. Just you and me. It'll always be you and me."
She was ready to say that leaving right now was unexpected and that she had to take care of urgent matters at the hospital. But the look in his eyes and the certainty of a tomorrow by his side were everything of the most urgent in her life. Dana let out a sigh, and tilted her head to gaze up at him with a matching slight smile. "I guess you and me together is what chases the darkness away..."
The ex-FBI agent tenderly cupped her cheek, the power of his dark green eyes penetrating her very soul and reading what was in her heart. Stating that he loved her deeply would never be able to express what he felt for that woman and how much he needed her by his side. Mulder crossed the small distance between them and slowly their eyes closed. Scully felt his warm breath tickling her skin, a second before their lips finally met in a soulful kiss. He wrapped one of his arms around her waist, bringing her even closer to him while his fingers entangled through her red hair, caressing them gently. Her hands travelled from his chest up to his shoulders as she surrendered to that loving caress.
Only when air became an issue, they broke their kiss and rested foreheads together. "So I take it you agree to wear your anniversary present?" Mulder's smile was back upon his handsome face and he enjoyed to see that she too was smiling - he could live only to make her smile like that.
She brought her face very close to his and pretended to be in command. "You can put those bikinis inside my suitcase because I'm not wearing them tonight!" she said, and gently disentangled from his warm embrace and headed to the adjoined bathroom to take a warm and long shower as she intended to.
Still with a mischievous smile, Mulder watched her until she closed the door. "On second thoughts... you don't have to wear anything tonight..."
X
A few days later...
The warm sunrays shone across the bluest of the skies and the equally deep blue ocean. The waves came to crash gently upon a small island lost in the middle of nowhere, kissing its white sands along with the gentle breeze that was blowing from the sea. To get there, Mulder had to row a small boat for nearly an hour while Scully just rested comfortably and enjoyed the journey to the small piece of heaven lost amongst a blue immensity. She was wearing the two-piece black swimming suit that Mulder had bought her a couple of days before and an unbuttoned white blouse and he, only his red trunks. Both needed very little right now. The most important was being with each other, and being with each other is how they would remain for the rest of their life.
Right after they arrived at their destination, he tied the boat to a small dock and Scully took the time to lie over a towel and enjoy the sunbathing time. It was so good to be away from all that cold and the incessant snow! That breathtaking scenario renewed their spirits and filled her heart with a sensation of peace. She had no doubt that she and Mulder were far away from the darkness.
All of a sudden, however, a tall shadow blocked the sunrays and the doctor felt drops of cold ocean water dripping over her warm skin. She opened her eyes and stared at him slightly bothered. "Mulder, what are you doing?"
With a mischievous smile, he sat down on the towel and leaned over to face her, dripping even more. "Scully, what's the fun coming in here to lie down and do nothing?"
"To lie down and do nothing!" she replied, matter-of-factly.
"There's a beach right in front of us! I can't believe it you're staying here letting the sun burn your skin!" He brought his face closer to hers. "You're missing a swim in the ocean!" He was aware of her annoyance as he was making her towel wet.
"It seems you're determined to bring the ocean up here over my towel!"
A sly grin crossed his face as he inched closer and pressed his lips against hers, and the contact with his cold and wet skin caused her to smile and he saw it an opportunity to deepen their kiss. Fingers entangled in the back of her head, Mulder parted her lips at the same time he passed an arm around her waist, pulling her body closer to him. Long moments later, that kiss turned into smaller but not less loving ones, and she giggled with amusement. "You're making a mess of my sunbathe!"
The ex-FBI agent ignored her comment and went on kissing her jaw and neck. "Bet I've improved it!"
"Well... bet I'm a better swimmer than you!" Dana suddenly pulled away and rushed to the beach, followed by a highly amused Mulder.
X
A veil of stars covered the night sky, their ancient spark enchanting humans upon Earth - humans who gazed at them and marvelled, unaware of the fact that they were gazing at a distant past. A fireplace had been lit up a couple of hours before, and along with the full moon, it illuminated the island with its intense sparkling.
"...maybe the reason why it fascinates us so much is because unconsciously we know it comes from a better time and place, untouched by evil and by our own greed."
Mulder's words, along with the crashing of the waves upon the soft sand, were the only sounds that could be heard in that secluded place. There was food and a small tent pitched right close to the fire - they had been delivered earlier by some natives but the shelter wasn't being used at the moment. He and Scully were now lying on a white towel, spread upon the sand and away enough so that the water didn't reach them. She had changed into a loose sleeveless dress, which went down bellow her knees, while Mulder was wearing bermudas and a white T-shirt. Although it had been a hot sunny day, temperature usually went down a little as the night fell. All in all, it still was a warm night and the couple spent some pleasant time gazing at the stars and chatting unworried about the world out there.
"But then we marvel at an illusion, as this same light no longer exists; it's just a memory of something lost in the dust of time..." Dana replied, comfortably lying next to him, resting her head over his arm, very close to his shoulder. She too was facing the night sky after a day filled with laughter and happy memories.
Together, they had swam in the blue ocean, walked hand in hand along the shore of a deserted island and shared some romance time in each other's arms. In short, Mulder had found a way to bring light into their life and nothing could please him more other than the broad smile upon his beloved Dana's face or hearing her laughter. She had been through so much and it wasn't rare for him to see the hints of a sad past in her blue eyes. But since their latest mission, helping the FBI to find an abducted agent, Mulder had made himself a promise, and he would live to fulfil it.
"Well, that would explain why humans always want what they can't have - or what they don't have." He said, and propped his weight on his elbow as now he changed the vision of the starry sky for her beautiful face.
"I'd say this is part of our nature." She replied, eyeing him with a slight smile, happy to be in his strong arms.
"Then I'd say I'm going against my nature." He tenderly caressed her cheek, committing to memory her every meek feature, enjoying to see the spark of joy in her eyes.
"Going against your nature? Why do you say so, Mulder?" she asked, resting both hands over her stomach as he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
The ex-FBI agent moved his hand to her waist as he spoke again. "Because I have all I want and all I need right here with me. And that's all that matters."
She searched in his eyes and saw nothing but the truth and deep love. These had always been there - since from the beginning when they were just friends. There had been immense love and honesty in the way Mulder looked at her.
The slight smile upon her face was slowly replaced by a moved expression and she raised her hand to touch his face. "Do you have any idea of what it means to me?"
"I do. I can see it in your eyes. And in your soul..." he bent his head to brush his lips with hers in a soft but brief kiss. "I made myself a promise after our beloved FBI found us..."
"What promise?" she wanted to know, the memory of her latest mission helping the FBI far from pleasing her. They had had a terrible argument and almost ended their relationship; not to mention that Mulder had almost been killed.
"That I'd live to put a smile upon your face and make you happy. That I'd live for you, Scully."
Those words brought tears of emotion to her eyes. "Mulder..."
"Years ago, I told you that I couldn't risk losing you. And for a moment I ignored it. I was selfish. Not stubborn as you said, but downright selfish."
"But it's all in the past, and we're here now..."
"Yes, and that's where I'll always be: here, by your side. Solving murder mysteries, revealing conspiracies or chasing monsters... that's all I know, but none of this makes any sense if you're not with me. Life wouldn't have any meaning at all..."
Tears finally made their way down her rosy cheeks and she let out a small sob. "I love you so much..." her whispered words caused him to smile - a loving smile as they filled his hear with tenderness.
Slowly, he bent his head again and kissed her forehead. Mulder went on kissing her cheeks, wiping her tears away with his lips, savouring the feeling of having the woman he loved so much right there in his arms; aware that her heart, body and soul only belonged to him. He made a trail of kisses down her jaw up until her neck, breathing in her sweet perfume. Scully entangled her fingers through his dark hair as he proceeded in delivering soft kisses along her skin until he found her lips again. The kiss that followed was long and filled not only with passion but deep, unconditional love.
In each other's arms, they completely forgot about everything else around them, lost in delicate caresses. Mulder's touch was gentle and soft, he let his hands explore Scully's body, followed by gentle kisses tracing a path along her jaw, neck and once again, ending up in her open mouth – her sweet perfume intoxicated him and he felt as if she belonged to him. And in fact, she did.
Dana held him tightly, running her hands over his back, feeling his strong muscles through the fabric of his T-shirt, feeling his body pressed against hers and the constant caresses only her beloved Mulder could give her. God, how she loved him! At moments like those, when they were so close together, she was under the impression that they were only one person, that she was meant to be with him since the day she was born. And in fact, she was.
The two melted in each other's embrace, grasping each other firmly, two bodies and souls passionately and evenly burning with desire and the deepest and purest love. The moon and the stars were the only witnesses of the immense love they shared on that secluded part of the Earth, and that moment would be in their memories for the rest of their lives. Although they didn't see it, as now they were too busy to pay attention to anything else, a shooting star crossed the sky, as if confirming that happy days filled with light were about to come.
X
The end.
XX
PS. Hello again!
I'm writing this extra message because sadly many people didn't have the chance to see the scene that goes after the credits. Then I decided to post a little description of the scene itself, since I wrote this short story based on it.
So here is what really happens at the end of the X-Files2 movie, after the credits are over:
As the credits are over, the background image starts changing from ice to a very blue ocean. You have the view of the ocean as if you were inside a helicopter. The sky is very blue too, and it's really sunny. It seems a scenario from a Caribbean island, but they do not specify where that place is. You can also see the helicopter shadow projected on the water. Some instants later, you see a small boat at a distance and as the camera approaches you see there are two people inside that boat. Mulder is rowing. He is wearing only red shorts.
Scully is sitting across from him, she's wearing black bikinis and an unbuttoned white shirt, and she's relaxed and seems to be having a very good time; she looks as if she's enjoying the boat trip a lot. As the camera approaches and is now right above them, Scully looks up and waves at the camera (or at the audience). Mulder also waves as the camera now starts to zoom out to show they are heading to a very green and deserted island.
The end.
I hope I have managed to describe it in a way that you can visualise everything, and that soon everybody is able to see the scene!
Wish you all the best,
Deyse
