Part 13
Three hours later they are still walking. "Mulder, my feet really hurt. We're not going to find anything", says Scully as she lags behind.
"Just a little further Scully. We are almost there", says Mulder walking with the compass in his hand.
"Are you sure you really know how to use that", asks Scully stopping.
Mulder turns around. "You have no confidence in me Scully. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you. Its just I don't trust your ability to use a compass adequately", replies Scully walking up beside him.
Mulder scans the scene before him. There is a clearing with some boulders. All of a sudden he spots something brown move behind one of the boulders.
"Scully! I think I just saw something with brown fur walk by."
Scully looks slightly concerned. "It better not be that bear. So help me God if you're packing sunflower seeds again."
"I don't think its the bear", says Mulder getting really excited. He turns the camera on and slowly walks nearer to the clearing.
"Mulder, I don't think this is a very good idea. Maybe we would be safer doing this stakeout in a tree or something", says Scully following. Mulder is not really listening as adjusts the picture. He grabs Scully's arm and pulls her to his side.
"Look Scully. Its here."
Scully looks toward where Mulder is taping and her mouth drops open. She can't believe her eyes. The creature from Mulder's video is standing behind a tree staring at them.
"Oh My God", she says gaping. "Mulder, are you filming this?"
"You bet", says Mulder just as the camcorder stops. Mulder pulls it away from his face to look at it. "Damn it! The batteries ran out."
"You're kidding me. Mulder, this is the biggest scientific discovery in history and we can't tape it?", asks Scully. "I told you not to use the camcorder too much, now we can't tape anything!"
"I brought my regular camera too", says Mulder reaching into his pocket. He pulls out the camera and presses the on button. He turns back to the clearing and raises the camera to his eye. He scans across the clearing and then pulls it away from his face. "Where did it go? Its gone!"
"Oh Mulder", says Scully putting her hand on his shoulder. "You missed it. One of your biggest goals and its gone. Don't worry we'll see it again." Mulder nods as he puts away the camera.
The agents decide to go back to the campsite. They eat a late lunch and then sit down and debate their next move. "Do you have extra batteries", asks Scully.
"Yeah I've got enough for two more changes", says Mulder. "They are rechargeable so Kate can take them back for us."
The agents sit around and read books that they have brought for the occasion. Scully reads a medical digest and Mulder reads a book on the occult. Its getting late and the sky seems to be getting darker. They decide to eat an early dinner as the sky continues to get darker by the minute.
"Mulder, I think we are in for a storm", says Scully looking up. Just then a huge thunder clap sounds. Minutes later it starts to pour. The agents dash to their tents with their reading materials to wait it out. Two hours later it is still raining and the wind is picking up. Scully is curled up in her sleeping bag and thinking to herself what the real reason for her being here is. The wind is whipping the top of the tent in and out and she is afraid that its going to blow away with her in it. Just then the flap of her tent opens and a soaked Mulder sticks his head in with a flashlight.
"It's getting really bad Scully. I don't know if its a good idea for us to be separated right now. I'll grab your bag. Take your sleeping bag and get in my tent." Scully nods as Mulder gathers up her bag. She exits the tent and gets pelted with not rain, but hail. She crawls in the other tent and lays out her sleeping bag next to Mulder's. The tents are really small and there won't be hardly any room between them. Mulder enters soaked with her bag. Just then there is a huge thunderclap and a crash. Mulder sticks his head outside and then he crawls back into the tent and sits on his sleeping bag. "A huge limb just fell on your tent", he says looking her in the eye. "If you had been inside the tent.." He stops and looks down. Scully reaches over and runs her hand along his jaw and then takes his chin in her hand raising his eyes to meet hers.
"But I wasn't", she says softly..
Part 14
"It was fate that led you to me tonight. You always seem to know when I am in trouble. You're always there when I need you." She starts to remove her hand from Mulder's face, but he grabs her hand in his instead. He pulls it to his lips instead and gives the back of her hand a kiss.
"I'm not always there Scully. Otherwise Donnie Phaster would never have gotten to you. Or that Tooms guy, Phillip Padgett's killer or that kook with the lobotomy hang-up. And lets not forget CSM or Antarctica", says Mulder sadly holding her hand.
"Mulder, you can't be with me all of the time. I don't want you blaming yourself. You don't have to protect me, just support me", says Scully. "That what partners are for."
"I always find you, but what if next time I'm too late" replies Mulder. "We've been lucky for seven years. What if our good luck has run out?"
"Mulder, our luck is not going to run out. Its not just you doing the rescuing. I tend to remember finding you in the arctic once. Oh and lets not forget the Bermuda Triangle, that trailer from hell, when that oil refinery blew up and a few more times that I rescued your butt", says Scully.
Mulder smiles as he remembers. "You have been my guardian angel for seven years. You know I would probably have been dead by now if it weren't for you. Either that or the bureau would have had me committed if you hadn't been trying to convince them that I was sane."
"Hmm I hold a lot of power in that sense don't I?", asks Scully.
"What do you mean?", asks Mulder.
"Well if I wanted you to stay out of trouble I could just tell them that you aren't mentally sound for work, but then they may just decide its opened a window for them to get rid of the biggest thorn in their side", says Scully.
"You would get a new partner. Maybe someone who went by the book more. Maybe that would be a good thing", says Mulder.
"It may be good, but where would I get my entertainment Mulder", asks Scully.
"I'd leave a few of those videos that aren't mine in my desk or rather it would be your desk then", replies Mulder.
"I don't need those videos Mulder. You don't need fantasies when you know what you really want in life", says Scully her blue eyes sparkling.
"And what do you want in life Agent Dana Scully", asks Mulder looking at her.
"This, Agent Fox Mulder", says Scully as she puts her right hand behind Mulder's neck. She pulls his lips to hers and she finally does what she has wanted for seven years. Given him a kiss, a real kiss and not like that chaste New Years Kiss either.
Mulder is shocked, but this new side of Scully intrigues him. When her lips met his he thought he was having a daydream, but its not a dream its reality. He is finally kissing the most important person in his life. He deepens the kiss and Scully sighs with relief that he hasn't rejected her. He wraps his arms around her back and rising to his knees he pulls her to him. His mouth leaves hers and he nuzzles her neck.
Scully moans and runs her hands through his hair. She wishes she hadn't waited so long to make a move, but she had been afraid. Sheila Fontaine was right when she had said, 'trust me, the man knows how to kiss'. Mulder moves to kiss her mouth again and then he makes a move of his own. He slowly starts to lift up her t-shirt and run his hands over her bare back.
Scully pulls away from his kiss and looks in Mulder's eye. She sees his green eyes turn from being passion filled to hold a look of disappointment,
She is rejecting me he thinks to himself. I should have known better. Scully would never let herself go like that. She wants to stick to the straight and narrow.
"Mulder, we can't do this", says Scully looking at him.
Mulder runs his hand through his hair and nods. He was right, she is stopping herself from becoming involved.
"Not yet", says Scully. She reaches her hand into her backpack and pulls the teal teddy out of it and holds it in front of Mulder's face. "I want to properly wrap your long overdue present."
Mulder's eyes drop from Scully's passion filled eyes to the teddy and then back to Scully. His mouth drops open. Its the first time he can't find anything funny to say because he's not laughing.
Part 15
"Mulder? Mulder? Earth to Mulder", says Scully. Mulder looks like he has seen a ghost as he looks toward the flap of the tent. She reaches out and turns his face towards hers. "Mulder, whats wrong?"
"I think I heard something", says Mulder looking from Scully and back at the flap.
"You couldn't have. Mulder, theres a thunderstorm out there." She thinks to herself , 'Thats Mulder, ruin the moment with an X-File."
"No, I know I heard something", says Mulder moving to get up. "I'm going to check it out."
"Mulder, will you just stop for once?", she grabs his arm.
"Hold that thought Scully", says Mulder tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. He then crawls out of the tent into the rain. Scully looks at the teddy in her hand and sighs. She looks toward the flap of the tent and tosses the teddy aside. She crawls out of the tent and like always follows Mulder. Once outside the rain drenches her instantly. She looks for Mulder but can't see him.
"Mulder, where are you!", she yells into the rain.
"I'm right here", says Mulder coming up behind her. She jumps a foot.
"Jesus Mulder!", exclaims Scully. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"No, but I know I heard something." He leans into the tent and pulls out a flashlight. "Aha, look at this Scully. Evidence, scientific proof that there was something here." He aims the beam toward a trail of foot prints in the mud. "I'm going to follow them." He starts to walk along the trail.
"Mulder, wait until its light out. This is a major storm and its not going to be good to be out in it", says Scully as she catches hold of his arm and attempts to convince him to put off his search. "Besides how do we know these are real? Someone could have planted them here for us to find."
"There goes my little sceptic again", says Mulder. "Come on Scully you said you were going to be open to new things on this trip and up until a few minutes ago you were really surprising me." Mulder raises his eyebrows and motions to the tent. Scully thanks God for the darkness and she blushes a deep red. "Scully don't abandon me now." He gently pulls away from her and heads into the woods.
"At least let me grab some gear!", yells Scully. She sticks her head in the tent and grabs another flashlight and the two rain slickers that Kate had given them. She then turns and jogs to catch up to Mulder who has waited. He gives a grin as she passes him the slicker.
"I knew you would follow me anywhere", says Mulder walking away from her.
"Well aren't you just being the conceited one", says Scully following. The sad thing is that she knows he is right.
Three hours later they are still walking. "Mulder, my feet really hurt. We're not going to find anything", says Scully as she lags behind.
"Just a little further Scully. We are almost there", says Mulder walking with the compass in his hand.
"Are you sure you really know how to use that", asks Scully stopping.
Mulder turns around. "You have no confidence in me Scully. Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you. Its just I don't trust your ability to use a compass adequately", replies Scully walking up beside him.
Mulder scans the scene before him. There is a clearing with some boulders. All of a sudden he spots something brown move behind one of the boulders.
"Scully! I think I just saw something with brown fur walk by."
Scully looks slightly concerned. "It better not be that bear. So help me God if you're packing sunflower seeds again."
"I don't think its the bear", says Mulder getting really excited. He turns the camera on and slowly walks nearer to the clearing.
"Mulder, I don't think this is a very good idea. Maybe we would be safer doing this stakeout in a tree or something", says Scully following. Mulder is not really listening as adjusts the picture. He grabs Scully's arm and pulls her to his side.
"Look Scully. Its here."
Scully looks toward where Mulder is taping and her mouth drops open. She can't believe her eyes. The creature from Mulder's video is standing behind a tree staring at them.
"Oh My God", she says gaping. "Mulder, are you filming this?"
"You bet", says Mulder just as the camcorder stops. Mulder pulls it away from his face to look at it. "Damn it! The batteries ran out."
"You're kidding me. Mulder, this is the biggest scientific discovery in history and we can't tape it?", asks Scully. "I told you not to use the camcorder too much, now we can't tape anything!"
"I brought my regular camera too", says Mulder reaching into his pocket. He pulls out the camera and presses the on button. He turns back to the clearing and raises the camera to his eye. He scans across the clearing and then pulls it away from his face. "Where did it go? Its gone!"
"Oh Mulder", says Scully putting her hand on his shoulder. "You missed it. One of your biggest goals and its gone. Don't worry we'll see it again." Mulder nods as he puts away the camera.
The agents decide to go back to the campsite. They eat a late lunch and then sit down and debate their next move. "Do you have extra batteries", asks Scully.
"Yeah I've got enough for two more changes", says Mulder. "They are rechargeable so Kate can take them back for us."
The agents sit around and read books that they have brought for the occasion. Scully reads a medical digest and Mulder reads a book on the occult. Its getting late and the sky seems to be getting darker. They decide to eat an early dinner as the sky continues to get darker by the minute.
"Mulder, I think we are in for a storm", says Scully looking up. Just then a huge thunder clap sounds. Minutes later it starts to pour. The agents dash to their tents with their reading materials to wait it out. Two hours later it is still raining and the wind is picking up. Scully is curled up in her sleeping bag and thinking to herself what the real reason for her being here is. The wind is whipping the top of the tent in and out and she is afraid that its going to blow away with her in it. Just then the flap of her tent opens and a soaked Mulder sticks his head in with a flashlight.
"It's getting really bad Scully. I don't know if its a good idea for us to be separated right now. I'll grab your bag. Take your sleeping bag and get in my tent." Scully nods as Mulder gathers up her bag. She exits the tent and gets pelted with not rain, but hail. She crawls in the other tent and lays out her sleeping bag next to Mulder's. The tents are really small and there won't be hardly any room between them. Mulder enters soaked with her bag. Just then there is a huge thunderclap and a crash. Mulder sticks his head outside and then he crawls back into the tent and sits on his sleeping bag. "A huge limb just fell on your tent", he says looking her in the eye. "If you had been inside the tent.." He stops and looks down. Scully reaches over and runs her hand along his jaw and then takes his chin in her hand raising his eyes to meet hers.
"But I wasn't", she says softly..
Part 14
"It was fate that led you to me tonight. You always seem to know when I am in trouble. You're always there when I need you." She starts to remove her hand from Mulder's face, but he grabs her hand in his instead. He pulls it to his lips instead and gives the back of her hand a kiss.
"I'm not always there Scully. Otherwise Donnie Phaster would never have gotten to you. Or that Tooms guy, Phillip Padgett's killer or that kook with the lobotomy hang-up. And lets not forget CSM or Antarctica", says Mulder sadly holding her hand.
"Mulder, you can't be with me all of the time. I don't want you blaming yourself. You don't have to protect me, just support me", says Scully. "That what partners are for."
"I always find you, but what if next time I'm too late" replies Mulder. "We've been lucky for seven years. What if our good luck has run out?"
"Mulder, our luck is not going to run out. Its not just you doing the rescuing. I tend to remember finding you in the arctic once. Oh and lets not forget the Bermuda Triangle, that trailer from hell, when that oil refinery blew up and a few more times that I rescued your butt", says Scully.
Mulder smiles as he remembers. "You have been my guardian angel for seven years. You know I would probably have been dead by now if it weren't for you. Either that or the bureau would have had me committed if you hadn't been trying to convince them that I was sane."
"Hmm I hold a lot of power in that sense don't I?", asks Scully.
"What do you mean?", asks Mulder.
"Well if I wanted you to stay out of trouble I could just tell them that you aren't mentally sound for work, but then they may just decide its opened a window for them to get rid of the biggest thorn in their side", says Scully.
"You would get a new partner. Maybe someone who went by the book more. Maybe that would be a good thing", says Mulder.
"It may be good, but where would I get my entertainment Mulder", asks Scully.
"I'd leave a few of those videos that aren't mine in my desk or rather it would be your desk then", replies Mulder.
"I don't need those videos Mulder. You don't need fantasies when you know what you really want in life", says Scully her blue eyes sparkling.
"And what do you want in life Agent Dana Scully", asks Mulder looking at her.
"This, Agent Fox Mulder", says Scully as she puts her right hand behind Mulder's neck. She pulls his lips to hers and she finally does what she has wanted for seven years. Given him a kiss, a real kiss and not like that chaste New Years Kiss either.
Mulder is shocked, but this new side of Scully intrigues him. When her lips met his he thought he was having a daydream, but its not a dream its reality. He is finally kissing the most important person in his life. He deepens the kiss and Scully sighs with relief that he hasn't rejected her. He wraps his arms around her back and rising to his knees he pulls her to him. His mouth leaves hers and he nuzzles her neck.
Scully moans and runs her hands through his hair. She wishes she hadn't waited so long to make a move, but she had been afraid. Sheila Fontaine was right when she had said, 'trust me, the man knows how to kiss'. Mulder moves to kiss her mouth again and then he makes a move of his own. He slowly starts to lift up her t-shirt and run his hands over her bare back.
Scully pulls away from his kiss and looks in Mulder's eye. She sees his green eyes turn from being passion filled to hold a look of disappointment,
She is rejecting me he thinks to himself. I should have known better. Scully would never let herself go like that. She wants to stick to the straight and narrow.
"Mulder, we can't do this", says Scully looking at him.
Mulder runs his hand through his hair and nods. He was right, she is stopping herself from becoming involved.
"Not yet", says Scully. She reaches her hand into her backpack and pulls the teal teddy out of it and holds it in front of Mulder's face. "I want to properly wrap your long overdue present."
Mulder's eyes drop from Scully's passion filled eyes to the teddy and then back to Scully. His mouth drops open. Its the first time he can't find anything funny to say because he's not laughing.
Part 15
"Mulder? Mulder? Earth to Mulder", says Scully. Mulder looks like he has seen a ghost as he looks toward the flap of the tent. She reaches out and turns his face towards hers. "Mulder, whats wrong?"
"I think I heard something", says Mulder looking from Scully and back at the flap.
"You couldn't have. Mulder, theres a thunderstorm out there." She thinks to herself , 'Thats Mulder, ruin the moment with an X-File."
"No, I know I heard something", says Mulder moving to get up. "I'm going to check it out."
"Mulder, will you just stop for once?", she grabs his arm.
"Hold that thought Scully", says Mulder tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear. He then crawls out of the tent into the rain. Scully looks at the teddy in her hand and sighs. She looks toward the flap of the tent and tosses the teddy aside. She crawls out of the tent and like always follows Mulder. Once outside the rain drenches her instantly. She looks for Mulder but can't see him.
"Mulder, where are you!", she yells into the rain.
"I'm right here", says Mulder coming up behind her. She jumps a foot.
"Jesus Mulder!", exclaims Scully. "Did you find what you were looking for?"
"No, but I know I heard something." He leans into the tent and pulls out a flashlight. "Aha, look at this Scully. Evidence, scientific proof that there was something here." He aims the beam toward a trail of foot prints in the mud. "I'm going to follow them." He starts to walk along the trail.
"Mulder, wait until its light out. This is a major storm and its not going to be good to be out in it", says Scully as she catches hold of his arm and attempts to convince him to put off his search. "Besides how do we know these are real? Someone could have planted them here for us to find."
"There goes my little sceptic again", says Mulder. "Come on Scully you said you were going to be open to new things on this trip and up until a few minutes ago you were really surprising me." Mulder raises his eyebrows and motions to the tent. Scully thanks God for the darkness and she blushes a deep red. "Scully don't abandon me now." He gently pulls away from her and heads into the woods.
"At least let me grab some gear!", yells Scully. She sticks her head in the tent and grabs another flashlight and the two rain slickers that Kate had given them. She then turns and jogs to catch up to Mulder who has waited. He gives a grin as she passes him the slicker.
"I knew you would follow me anywhere", says Mulder walking away from her.
"Well aren't you just being the conceited one", says Scully following. The sad thing is that she knows he is right.