Title: Life's Constants - Part 2

Title: Life's Constants – Chapter 2

Author: M & S Shipper

Rating: R

SEE PART 1 FOR FURTHER INFO

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The rush of terror that gripped Scully was all consuming. The scream had left her lips in a matter of seconds, well before she realised the one gripping her around the waist was Mulder.

"Mulder!! You scared me to death." she said still regaining her breath.

The laugh he was about to let out was replaced with silence over the shock of her emotional reaction. He had only meant to scare her a little, but the bloodcurdling scream she let out told him she was terrified.

"Gees, I'm sorry Scully. I only meant to give you a little fright. If I'd known how scared you were I would never. . . . "

"I was not scared," she stated emphatically, cutting him off. "You startled me that's all."

He couldn't help snickering at this, even though he'd pay for it later. He knew his partner to well. She never wanted him to see when she was frightened but her vehement response told him otherwise.

"Come on Mulder, let's go back, I'm cold and we don't have the right kind of gear or supplies to be trudging around in damp caves all afternoon."

There was silence for a moment, but he finally agreed. The both turned and headed back the way they'd come. Mulder came to an abrupt stop, causing Scully to smack into the back of him.

"Mulder!" She said quite agitated. "What are you doing now?"

"I put my jacket on the floor around here somewhere, and it's gone." To further prove his point he got down on his hands and knees, and started groping around in the darkness. "It's not here."

"Come off it, you've made your point. I was scared, ok! Are you happy? Now pick up your jacket and lets get out of here, before one of us really does get injured. And let me assure you, it won't be me."

Scully began to stride off toward the light, before Mulder could even get to his feet. The jacket was not there, he was not playing some kind of joke, as she suspected. When the notion that the jacket was actually gone finally struck him, he was quite afraid himself. What if they had already been transported into another time?

He raced off after Scully who was already leaving the caves.

"John! Professor Masterson! John!" She was yelling through cupped hands into the distance.

"He's gone?" Mulder asked. She nodded in the affirmative. He said he would wait, he thought to himself. Something wasn't right here. Mulder took a good look around. Everything appeared to be the same as when they went in. The day was fine, cool but fine, the countryside looked untouched.

He breathed out his anxiety. Yes, his overactive imagination was obviously playing tricks on him again. Looking down at his watch he saw it was 5 o' clock. Damn. It would be getting dark soon. They would have to move fast if they were to make it back. That was probably why John left he reasoned with himself. Had they really been in the cave that long, he thought to himself, it only felt like a few minutes.

Scully was oblivious to anything unusual, she strode on ahead toward to cottage. The cottage! Mulder finally comprehended what he was seeing. It was still there. Breathing out a sigh of relief he picked up the pace and caught up with his partner. As they rounded the side of the house the driveway came into view. Where the hell was his car?

As Scully started up the steps to the front door she turned slowly.

"I was starting to panic when you said you couldn't find your jacket, you know," she said, almost as though she was admitting a sin. "But now I see, I was just getting caught up in your little fantasies again."

"Um. . . Scully." He said, already guessing what had happened, but she was already off and through the door.

"Who the hell are you?" Bellowed a voice from within the house.

"I'm Dana Scully. And who are you sir? Are you a friend of Mary and John's?"

"Mary and John? Who are Mary and John?" He said without a single flicker of recognition crossing his features.

"You're in their house." Scully said stubbornly, wishing she had her weapon on her.

"No I ain't. This is my house and you are trespassing on my land." He shouted, just as stubbornly, as Mulder entered the room.

"Come on Scully, I think we're somewhere we shouldn't be." He said leading her backwards.

"Damn right you are." He said aggressively.

Scully was just about to reply when a woman came into the room demanding to know what was going on. She had to look at the woman twice or she would have sworn it was Mary Masterson. That would not have been so shocking except for the fact this woman was at leat 30 years younger and at least 8 months pregnant, maybe more.

A young boy also entered the room, curious as to what all the commotion was about. He got one look at Scully and started laughing.

"Who's the lady in the funny clothes?" he said still snickering.

Scully's mouth, which had been open since she stepped inside the house finally closed in indignation.

"What's wrong with my clothes?"

"Why, you're dressed like a man, except your skirt is so short and look at her . . . ." He started to say before his mother cut him off.

"That's enough out of you Samuel." She said sending the boy upstairs.

Scully looked kind of strange to Mulder, pale. She had opened her mouth to say something but no words were coming out. Finally she found her voice, it was calm but by no means steady.

"Madam, can I ask you a question." She said addressing only the woman, the man was still glaring at her.

"This is going to sound strange but, what year is this?"

The woman looked to her husband as if to say that this woman was a raving lunatic, but she turned around again and answered her question.

"The year has not changed for a long time, it's 1931."

That was all it took, the rock steady, sceptical, driven agent that is Dana Scully, dropped to the floor in a dead faint. Mulder was too far away and stunned to catch her, but was at her side in a second. She had struck her head on the way down, and it was swelling up right away.

"Scully, can you hear me? I think she's knocked herself out. Do you have some ice? No of course you don't." He said, answering his own question. "Do you have a bed she could rest in somewhere?"

"Sure, my husband will take you upstairs, I'll get a damp cloth for her forehead."

As the woman rushed out of the room, Mulder gently lifted his partner into his arms, nestling her head under his chin. The man looked at him for a second, taking in the love and protectiveness Mulder was exuding over Scully.

"She's your woman then?" He asked, finally losing the ferocity in his voice.

Mulder could only nod, it was the truth after all, maybe not in the sense this man meant it, but he had considered them connected for a long while now. The man led Mulder upstairs to a room with a small double bed.

"You can stay here for tonight, or until she's feeling better, ok?"

"Thank you." Mulder said. At that moment the lady came in with a small basin and a cloth. She laid it across the swelling on Scully's forehead then quietly left, leaving them alone.

Scully remained unconscious well into the night. Mulder gave up waiting and climbed into bed with her at about 2am. She awoke just after three, with a pounding headache, shocked to find she was snuggled into Mulders chest, his arm holding her securely against him.

She tried to move out from under him, but it was no use, she would definitely wake him. It was certainly not a horrible thing to endure anyway. He smelt wonderful, kind of musky and masculine, and the warmth he was providing warded off any chill she may be feeling. When the pounding in her head receded, she began to drift off again.

Quite content the couple slept into the late hours of the morning

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Mulder was having the most delicious dream. He was in a paddock filled with wild flowers on a warm summers day. Scully was there, laying against him in the grass. She was nuzzling into his side whispering how much she loved him over and over.

A pinching sensation brought him back to reality. He almost jumped off the bed when he saw that Samuel was only an inch or so away from his face, staring at him.

"You slept for a long time mister." he stated, before looking over at Scully. "Is she dead? Mamma said she wasn't but I thought she looked it."

This noise was all it took for Scully to wake up, and because she was just as shocked to have a little boy staring at her, she also jumped a mile. Samuel screamed and ran from the room.

"What was that all about?" She said groggily, her head instantly starting to throb again.

"He thought you were dead."

"Oh, I look that bad?" She asked, now grimacing with the pain.

"Easy, lay back down again, you took a pretty bad hit to the head, I think you might have a concussion." Mulder said, cradling her head as he laid her back down. Once she was laid back against the pillows he was only a few inches away from her face. He lingered just a little longer than he had to, their close proximity, and being alone in bed together, effecting them both.

The moment was broken though by a small knock at the door. Mulders head snapped back as though he'd been caught stealing something. The door opened slowly and the woman walked in with a tray of food in her arms.

"Good Morning, or is it almost afternoon." she said with a chuckle "We weren't properly introduced yesterday. My name is Katherine."

"I'm Dana and this is Fox." Scully was quick to say, chuckling at the glare Mulder gave her for using his given name.

"You two must be hungry, I've got plenty here, take your time, and come downstairs when you're ready." She was off before the pair could even reply a thankyou.

"Wow that looks great." Scully said as Mulder brought the tray over. They ate in silence, both were lost in their own thoughts of their situation.

"Mulder," Scully said, finally breaking the silence. "Do you think we'll be able to get home all right?"

"I'm not sure how this works." He said honestly. "John has experienced this before and didn't seem to have much trouble getting back, he did say large periods of time were missing though before he got back."

"If we're gone for too long Skinner will come after us." Mulder would not meet her gaze now. He was definitely hiding something. "Mulder? What aren't you telling me?"

"Umm. . . . . well . . . .he kinda doesn't know where we are. I may have accidentally said we were taking a vacation and not handling a case." The end of his sentence came out in a hurry.

"You lied to him!!" she shouted "You lied to me!!"

Her head was throbbing for more than one reason now. She was livid. How could he do this to her? They're partners and partners don't do this to one another.

"I know Scully, and I'm sorry I hated lying to you, but I wanted to check this out, and you would never have come if I told you the truth."

"Well you got that right, I would have said it was another of your wild goose chases, although we'll never know now, I was never given the chance to decide for myself, was I?!"

"But I was right, the caves are portals to different times."

"That's not the point. You lied to me! How can I ever trust you again?" she yelled. Mulder was sure the whole house could hear what they were saying.

Throwing back the covers Scully stormed out of the bed, swaying slightly from the pain in her head. It was worth it though, she had to get away from him. Only when she was halfway across the room did she realise she was only wearing her top and panties. She gasped, frozen for a moment, before grabbing her skirt and pulling it on. Taking a second to regain her composure, she continued out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

The end of chapter 2.

Part three soon – please r & r.