Chapter 4: La Tour Eiffel
The next morning Mulder and Scully woke up together. It was odd, because neither could remember the last time they'd had that experience.
Mulder turned over when he realized he was facing away from Scully. As he rolled over, he felt her shift beside him. On his left side, he saw that she was awake, looking at him. She smiled.
"Good morning, Sunshine," he said to her.
"Mm," she said sleepily. "Morning."
That was all. Feeling a bit uneasy, Mulder got up.
Scully followed his movement with her eyes, watching him go into the bathroom until she couldn't see him anymore. She sighed, wondering how she'd gotten the better of herself last night. She had slipped, and now things were different. Sure, they hadn't done anything, but she had insisted on staying in bed with him. What did that say?? She could only imagine what was going through Mulder's mind. Was he confused? That was a given, but did he like it? She wondered for the thousandth time if he was interested in her in that way. She had always told herself that Mulder loved his work first. Was that true anymore though? The night he'd given her that ring...the fact that he'd even given it at all. He had said so many things that had always gone unsaid. Was it the verge of admitting love for one another? Even if it wasn't sexual, they did love each other. And if it was sexual...
Mulder interrupted her thoughts. Damn he showers quickly...Scully forced herself out of bed. What was she supposed to say? Nice sleeping with you last night, what are our plans for today? Did they pretend everything was normal? Maybe it was normal. Afterall, they had very odd senses of what was normal anyway.
"I was thinking that we'd go to Blizzard Beach this morning, then later we could go to Epcot."
The silence had been broken by Mulder. So he hadn't showered afterall, she noticed. He had on swim trunks and a t-shirt.
"Epcot will be fun," she heard herself answering. "Half and half is a good idea. I mean, you can only go on the slides so many times." Darnit. Her opportunity to explain herself was slipping. She knew that last night was on both of their minds, but now neither would bring it up. It was always like this.
"I'll go put on my suit," she said, grabbing up some clothes.
Mulder stood there for a minute, then went to get his things ready for the day. As he gathered together the passes and money, he thought about Scully. He hadn't wanted to say anything to her, figuring it was best not to talk about it. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable, and he figured that if she wanted to talk, she would bring it up. He wished that she had. He wanted to know what was on her mind.
Scully came out, ready, and put on sunscreen. She advised Mulder to do the same. He would have roasted if it weren't for her. They took turns doing each others' backs.
Scully rubbed the lotion onto his back, extremely aware of what she was doing. She ignored the sexuality of the action, not letting her hands rest in a single place for too long.
Mulder did not think along the same lines. He touched her lightly, rubbing her shoulders as though massaging them. Scully noticed, but said nothing.
They ate breakfast, making only small talk, and then went to the water park. Blizzard Beach...a very cool concept (no pun intended)
Once inside, their demeaners lightened. A bit of their playfulness and relaxation returned, but Scully was still troubled. Mulder pushed the night before into the back of his mind as they enjoyed the slides.
Mulder was like a child once again, running and shouting about the slides. Scully enjoyed them, but she would have liked to stay in the water.
"Scully, this is great! I haven't been to a water park in waaay too long." Mulder said as they put back their yellow tubes from the last slide.
"Maybe its because you spend all of your time in a basement office without a view."
"It has a window," Mulder said seriously. Then he burst out laughing. It sounded rediculous even to him. "Alright then, let's make a pact. Every year we will go to an amusement and/or water park to escape the drudgery of everyday FBI life."
"And the aliens?" Scully teased, "And the syndicate? And Skinner?"
"Especially to escape Skinner!" Mulder laughed. "What do you say?"
Scully pretended to be seriously contemplating this. "I say we do Euro-Disney next year!" She laughed as she pictured the two of them in Europe. It would be nice to tour the country with him...She realized that Mulder was speaking to her.
"--G-Woman's salary, thought we can have a taste of what we're missing out on when we go to Epcot," he was saying.
"That's right, its almost eleven. You think another hour here, then lunch and then Epcot?" She asked, checking her watch.
"Yeah, that sounds good. What do you want to do?" Mulder asked her.
"I like the lazy-river type of ride," Scully said. "The onces where you just float in the water. None of this out and in business."
Mulder grinned.
"What?" She asked, puzzled.
"The river is right behind you." He laughed. "Let's go!" He took off toward the access point.
They had to wait for two yellow tubes to come their way before they could get in, and once in the water, they began floating calmly down the "river." It was only a matter of time though, before they began drifting apart.
"Uh-oh," came Mulder's voice. "I'm losing you." There were too many people. He had lost her. He saw an empty tube behind him, but no Scully. He was beginning to worry, not knowing where she was. He spun around and then was knocked out of his tube! It had flipped over on him!
Mulder stood up in the water, hearing Scully's laughter beside him.
"You scared the hell out of me! I thought I'd lost you for good," he said, staring at her.
"I'm sorry," she giggled, "but you won't ever get rid of me."
"I wouldn't ever want to," he answered, meaning it. "What happened to just 'floating around,' huh?"
Scully laughed, and then dove under the water, taking off like a fish after her inner tube. Both of their tubes had put a fair distance between her and Mulder.
Mulder watched her swimming under the water's surface for a minute. Not knowing what to do, he went after her.
One of the lifeguards yelled at them to get into their tubes or to get out of the river. They chose the latter, and headed to the wave pool.
"This can be the last one before lunch," Mulder said. "Besides, you don't have to worry about drowning in here, as well as you swim!"
Scully blushed at the compliment, and waded into the pool. It was like the ocean, but without the annoying salt taste. Scully dove through some of the waves, and then just let herself bob up and down with them. It was enjoyable for awhile, but she got bored and hungry. On her suggestion, the two got lunch.
Mulder was dried and dressed in five minutes, and he found himself waiting outside of the women's changing room for Scully. Other men were around too, impatiently waiting for their wives, kids, and friends.
"She is taking FOREVER," one of the men complained aloud. Mulder smiled at his comment, not minding the wait for Scully.
The man saw him smile and turned to him. "Wives, huh?" He said.
Mulder was surprised, and faltered for a minute. "I'm not married..." He said, honestly. It killed the conversation, but Scully emerged at that moment. The guy probably thought that she was his girlfriend or fiancee or something. If only... Mulder thought. He remembered the previous night. What had that been about? He wondered what she'd be doing that night.
"Ready to go to Epcot?" Scully asked. "You look a little spacey."
"I'm fine...yeah, I'm ready," he said, and they found a bus back to Disney.
The first ride they went on was the Spaceship Earth. It was a must-see.
From there, they spent times at the Innoventions area. There was a lot to look at; all sorts of technology. Scully wanted to use the phone with giant buttons that they had found.
"Yeah, but who are you going to call on it?" Mulder asked her.
"What about Skinner?" She teased.
"Nah, wouldn't want to spoil a great vacation," Mulder said. "What about your mom?"
"Oh! That's a great idea. She's probably wondering where I am." She began pushing the gigantic buttons, and she waited while it rang.
"Hello?" Came Maggies voice.
"Hi Mom! It's Dana!" Scully said, almost shouting with excitement.
"Dana! Where are you? I called you a few days ago and you never called me back."
Scully cringed. "Sorry...I'm still in Florida. I'm in Epcot right now," she explained.
"You're in Disney World?" Her mother asked, increduously.
"Mulder and I were down here on a case and it dipped into our vacations. We decided to just stay here and go to Disney."
"You're on vacation with Fox?" Maggie asked, amused.
"Mom!" She protested, embarrassed. She turned red, knowing that Mulder could probably tell what they were talking about. "You want to talk to Mulder?"
She passed the phone off to her partner.
"Hello, Mrs. Scully," he began, "Erm, Maggie..."
Scully caught a bunch of "Uh-huhs" but otherwise had no idea what they were talking about.
"No...I haven't. Well, not yet at least." He smiled. "I intend to...yeah, I'll put her back on."
Scully said good-bye to her mom, and they continued to Honey I Shrunk the Audience. Scully wondered what her mom had said to Mulder, but was afraid to ask.
The Test Track was by far the greatest ride there. The line was huge, but there were car-related "tests" going on around them. They heard the shattering of glass and the sound of drills every few minutes. They wound up in the back of the car, with another group of people they didn't know in the front.
The car went through break tests and turns, and Scully was pushed into Mulder's side a few times. He had his arm close to her, but she didn't want to hang on to him. She still needed to explain last night...somehow.
The ride ended.
"Okay, so was that better or worse than my driving?" Mulder asked her.
"Mmm....Better," Scully sneered. "We need to get to the countries before it gets too late. I really want to see them."
They began in Mexico, working their way around through Norway, China, Germany, and Italy, stopping at the last for dinner. It was getting dark, and the lamps came on. Across the lagoon they could see the glow of the Epcot ball.
The waiter took Mulder's order, jotting it down. "And for your wife?"
Scully looked confused, but realized that he was confused and ordered.
As the waiter walked away Mulder giggled.
"What?" She asked. "He was obviously confused, I'm sure a lot of couples come here."
"Well, we would look good together," he said. She couldn't tell if he was serious or joking. "Though it would get very confusing if your name was Mulder too..."
Scully looked down, and Mulder noted that she seemed troubled. He remembered what it could be.
"Speaking of which, what got into you last night?"
Scully jerked to attention. "I-I don't really know," she began. "I can't even explain it, I just, I didn't want to go to my own bed." She knew how stupid this must sound to Mulder. She wasn't making sense. "I wanted to be near you. I'm sorry."
Mulder wished that there wasn't a table between them. He wanted to hold her and tell her that everything was fine. She had never looked more beautiful than at that moment. She was wearing khaki pants, a light blue shirt, and her hair was half-back. Her eyes sparkled in the light, giving her face the perfect touch. She seemed so concerned though. Did she think that he minded being beside her last night?
"Scully, don't be sorry. I really didn't mind at all." He meant to reassure, but 'didn't mind' didn't convey his true feelings. He had loved every minute of it.
"You didn't?" She asked, unsure.
"No."
The look of relief on Scully's face swept through her. She actually thought she'd upset him somehow.
They ate a peaceful dinner, and at Scully's suggestion, they saved dessert for France.
The pair perused the shops, and Mulder noticed a definite change in the air between them. She had been worried about her actions all day. She was much more relaxed now.
When they arrived in "France," Scully found the bakery, and they got in line.
"You had better order for me," Mulder said. "I have no idea what to get."
"Alright," Scully said. When she got to the counter, she requested two creme puffs.
The creme puffs boasted about a foot of creme on top of the tiny baked "puff." They looked delicious, but humungous.
"How exactly do I go about eating this thing?" Mulder asked.
They had gone outside and were seated on the ledge of a fountain, the Eiffel Tower behind them.
"You just, well, I don't know!" Scully said, laughing as she attempted to eat the creme puff.
Mulder watched her and laughed. "Scully, you have creme on your nose!"
She giggled, and feeling flirtatious said, "Well, why don't you lick it off?"
Mulder leaned over to her, and did just that, half kissing her nose in the process. He sat back and savored her shock.
"I can't believe you actually did that!"
Mulder just grinned, feigning innocence. "You suggested it," he said, trying to bite his creme puff. "I give up."
He stuck his index finger into the creme, and raised it to his lips. Then he thought better of it and headed for Scully's nose.
"I could almost swear that its tastes better when its being licked off of you," he said, playfully.
"Mulder, don't you dare!" She shrieked. "MULDER!"
Seeing no alternative to fending him off, Scully grabbed his hand. She took his finger and tenderly licked the creme off of it.
Mulder stared at her, loving this new course of action. He watched as Scully dipped her finger into her own creme puff, then offered it to him.
He slowly circled her finger, savoring the finger more than the creme. When he pulled back, Scully was smiling warmly at him.
"Mulder, you have a little bit right there," she said, a mischievious glint in her eyes.
"Where?" He asked her.
"Right there..." She said, as she leaned into him. She licked creme off of the corner of his mouth, drawing her tongue across his upper lip. She began to pull away, slowly, but felt his lips searching for hers. She leaned back in and kissed him.
When they broke apart, she smiled up at him. That had been worth all of the creme puffs in the world.
Mulder looked down at her and saw her smiling. She had instigated the entire thing, but he still felt as if he were the one pursuing her.
"Do you want to go back to the hotel now?" He asked, wondering if things would go any further.
"No...we have to see the Illuminations show. Its starting in fifteen minutes," Scully said, noting the disappointment in his face. "We can watch the lights together, and then we go back to the hotel." She grinned again, also wondering what would happen.
"If the show is over the lake, we should go get some good seats," Mulder suggested, getting up. He grabbed her hand, and they walked toward the lake together.
When they got there they saw that many people had had the same idea. The shore-line along the lagoon was crowded; people had been gathering for at least half an hour. All that was left was to stand.
Mulder and Scully made their way to the front, looking for a ledge or something to sit down on.
"We should have stayed by the fountain. At least we'd be sitting and we still would have seen most of it," Scully said, wantingto get off her aching feet.
"You could sit down here," Mulder said to her.
"On the ground?" She asked.
Mulder sat down to prove his point, and pulled her down on top of him. She wound up in his lap, adjusting so that she was between his legs. He put his arms around her, and they sat there comfortably.
Together on the ground they watched the lights show, and they realized when it was over that all of "Europe" had closed shop. Along with the thousands of other spectators and tourists they made their way back to the gate.
Scully was in a dream state. She could not believe that they had finally done it. She wondered what would happen when they got back to the hotel, a little giddy and a little afraid. She didn't want things to go too fast. She had feared that it was just a kiss, but they walked out hand in hand.
Back at the room, Scully slid into her pajamas, and sat down on her own bed. She did not want to be the forward one that night.
Mulder came back quickly in his boxers, and noted that she was on her own bed. How did he invite her to go to bed with him again? He didn't want to seduce her on the spot, but it would be nice to feel her body against his as they slept.
Scully looked up at him, and shifted on the bed, standing up. "I didn't really know what we were doing tonight," she began.
Mulder smiled softly. "About the, um, sleeping arrangements?"
Scully looked relieved that he knew what she meant. "Yeah."
"Well," Mulder said, "Last night you stayed in my bed because you wanted to be near me. How do you feel about that subject tonight?" He couldn't help smiling. She did the same, not answering. "Personally," he said, "I want to be close to you." As he said this, he stepped over to her and remained a hair's distance from her.
Scully looked up into his eyes, and threw her arms around his neck. "I want to be close to you too," she said, embracing him.
Mulder's arms circled around her, and he stroked her hair, holding her close. Then, in one gesture he lifted her off the ground and put her in his bed.
As she was laid on Mulder's bed, her arms remained around his neck, forcing his head to come down with hers. She pulled him closer to her and kissed him, as he sat on the bed, his torso on top of her.
When their kiss ended, Mulder kissed her again, gently on the forehead. Then he got up and went around to his side of the bed.
Scully turned to face his side, welcoming him into her arms. She reached back, turning the light out, and then turned to hold Mulder.
"Today was nice," he said to her, "I never thought I'd learn to love France so much."
She smiled and kissed his chest. "This evening was pretty perfect," she agreed.
Silence settled around them, and when she realized she was getting sleepy, she whispered to Mulder, "Good night."
He didn't respond to her, as he was already happily asleep.
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Well what do you think? Is it getting good yet?? Hehe. I have one more chapter to go...their last day together in Disney. Sorry its taking so long to post these last two...Lots of tests and thesis papers...ACK!