Disclaimer: No infringement intended, all I get out of this is the satisfaction that my story is told.

A/N: Big thanks to Chris, my beta for adding those little touches that make it all flow more smoothly and to Kevin … well, for just being you.

P.S. I didn't get a chance to proofread /edit this on the site because something goofy was going on. So I just submitted it and hoped for the best.

It doesn't how many times you proofread, spell check, or preview … typos seem to just show up… maybe that is an X-file in itself.

Chapter 12

Mulder ran his fingers through Scully's hair and cupped the back of her head in his hand. He could feel the heat they shared spreading throughout his limbs, arousing his senses. He'd kissed Scully to put an end to her pointless arguing about Diana, but he couldn't deny his feelings for his partner anymore. He wanted her. The electricity that shot through his veins when his lips touched hers was more powerful than anything he had ever experienced. The energy was pulling at him like a magnet, drawing him to her. But despite the urges that were building inside, it was important for him to send the message that she was beautiful, and deserved to be treated better than…well... than that idiot Cramer had treated her.

He opened his eyes as his tongue probed her mouth and their lips hungrily nibbled each other. Mulder pulled back, and then placed gentle kisses on her cheeks. He bent to get closer to her and continued to brush his lips over her cheek and down the side of her neck. He could feel her hot breath on the side of his face and watched as her eyelids fluttered open. He felt her back arch as he slid his hands down the sides of her torso, stopping to stroke her breast through the thin material of her blouse. As she kneaded his nipple with the fingertips of her right hand, her left hand slowly crept to his waistline and was fiddling with the button on his jeans. Although his arousal was demanding to be released from its confines, and his desire boiled in his blood, he was determined to slow things down.

His breath caught in his throat as Scully brushed her hand across his zipper and firmly rubbed the swollen mass hidden in his jeans. He could barely contain the temptation to lay her back on the bed and give in to his urges. It's not time for this, he told himself through clenched teeth as his body shivered with his desire. I don't want a quickie with her, I want it to last. As he felt the button of his jeans release and the zipper slowly make its way open, Mulder pulled Scully closer to his chest, in an attempt to stop her advances.

"Shhh, Scully... whoa," he mumbled breathlessly as he lifted his lips from her neck. He tilted her head back in left hand and moved his right down to his crotch, catching her at the waistband of his boxer shorts just before she took the plunge.

"Mulder, make love to me," Scully whispered as she gazed into his eyes.

He held the gaze for a moment, trapped in her hypnotic stare. "I want to… and I will," he replied his voice husky and low. "But not right now, and not like this."

He watched the disappointment replace the glassed over expression on her face. He smiled at her and kissed her lips again. "If we keep this up, I won't last more than a few seconds. You deserve much better than that." She said nothing in reply, and instead tucked her head against his chest with a sigh.

He wrapped his arms around her and repositioned his leg to stop the delicious friction that was testing the limits of his control. They stood motionless for a moment. Then Mulder's stomach growled. Loudly.

The noise startled both of them. Scully started to laugh first, followed by Mulder.

"Somebody's hungry," Scully giggled. She pulled out of the embrace and looked at Mulder's face, which was now red with embarrassment. "Didn't you eat today?"

Mulder released his hold on her and backed out of the embrace. "No, I wasn't hungry earlier because I felt sick," he replied as he zipped his jeans and refastened the button, casually shifting his anatomy into a more comfortable position. "But I am now. When I checked in, Joe told me they would leave something in the kitchen for us." He stretched for a second and looked at Scully who hadn't moved from the end of the bed. "Are you hungry?"

Her eyes met his with sensual heat. "I'm hungry," she replied, her voice low and husky.

"For food?" he asked arching his eyebrows. She was staring at him with that sultry look again and he took a deep breath to push those feelings away. He watched her lips turn slightly upward and she nodded with a grin.

"Food… for now, Mulder," she replied in a sultry voice.

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They finally made their way to the main level about thirty minutes later. Scully wandered into the living room while Mulder talked to Zack in the kitchen. The grandfather clock in the corner of the room read 8:30, but the darkness of the night made it seem much later. She stepped around an old fashioned rocking chair to get closer to the window and stared out at the night. A light snow delicately covered the street.

The room was dark and warm. The only light came from the fireplace as flames crackled lazily against the logs. Light jazz from the house sound system played softly in the background. She felt at peace with herself for the first time in days. She was glad Mulder had forced her to talk about what happened with Cramer. Scully appreciated that Mulder had enough respect for her to cut through the sexual tension before things got too far out of hand, but her body still longed for him, and the thought of his touch sent tingles up her spine.

She shivered warmly as she thought about the way he had kissed her, the way his lips felt against hers. He was powerful and protective all at the same time. Her memory of the delicate movements of his tongue coupled with the gentle pressure he had put on the back of her neck stirred her desire for him, still lingering from their earlier encounter. She had dreamt it would be this way with him, but real life rarely equaled fantasy.

Scully turned from the window and stared into the fire, letting the flames draw her into a trance. She crossed her arms at her chest, and moved her hand to her neck, teasing the side of it with her fingertips. She imagined what the next stage would be with him … as he made love to her. Slowly undressing her and laying her back on the bed while covering her face and neck with his warm lips. She could feel him take her breast in his mouth, sucking gently on her nipple, while kneading the other firmly with his finger tips. She felt the warmth between her legs grow, and her panties became wet as she envisioned Mulder stroking her bud with his thumb… and then with his tongue as he reached deep inside her with insistent fingers. Caught up in a moment of pure ecstasy, she let out a low moan … and then she felt a wisp of cloth dance over her neck.

She snapped her head around and looked over her shoulder, expecting to see Mulder standing behind her. She found herself alone in the room. The rocking chair behind her swayed gently on its rails, and the corner she was standing in was suddenly cold. Scully pulled her arms tight across her chest and stepped past the chair, walking into the middle of the room. Her eyes danced around the room, viewing her surroundings with investigative objectivity. When she found nothing to explain the sensation, she shrugged her shoulders and began to walk toward the dining room.

At the far end of the room, near the doorway, she saw the shadow of someone. Has that person been standing there this entire time? she thought to herself as she walked towards the piano. The sudden disappearance of the image stopped Scully in her tracks.

Scully stood in the middle of the room with a bewildered expression on her face. My mind is playing tricks on me, she thought as she scanned the room for a clue to what she had seen. Maybe it was a shadow of something else. She turned back toward the fire as Mulder came up behind her.

"Scully, dinner's ready," he said. The sound of his voice startled her and she jumped slightly.

"Geezus," she exclaimed.

He chuckled when he saw her. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

She rubbed her upper arms and looked around the room again. "I thought I saw something." She walked back to the window and stood for a moment. "It was cold in this spot a moment ago."

"Maybe the windows are drafty," Mulder replied, and walked over to stand next to her. The air was warm and felt normal to him. He noticed the confused look on her face. "Maybe it was Betty," he whispered with an innocent grin.

Scully looked at him with arched eyebrows and sighed in irritation. "Mulder, stop."

"Scully, you've told me twice now that you've experienced cold spots in a warm room and seen things that have disappeared. Those are all signs of paranormal activity." Mulder grinned lopsidedly.

Scully shook her head and walked toward the kitchen again with Mulder following. Here he goes again, she thought ruefully, wishing she hadn't brought it up. "Mulder, I'm on vacation. I don't want to talk about X-files right now."

As she passed the piano, Scully walked through another pocket of cold air and she felt something touch her face, like fabric from a veil brushing over it. She stopped again and stood motionless, trying to comprehend the sensation. She was vaguely aware of Mulder's babble behind her, but she wasn't listening.

"Scully you aren't on vacation, you're on sick leave… and I'm not talking about an X-file, because unless something reached out and actually touched you, talked to you or tried to do the 'naked pretzel' with you, there wouldn't be an X-file to work with," Mulder replied defensively, and then ran into her from behind. "Why did you stop?"

"I … felt something brush my face," she muttered and turned slowly looking at the piano, then back toward the window, remembering the earlier sensation. "And something …..over by the window…. I was lost in my thoughts and I felt something on the back of my neck. I thought it was you, but I was alone in the room." She whispered and scanned the room again looking for a sign of anything. When she saw nothing she looked at him quizzically.

Mulder looked at her for a moment and gave her a mischievous grin. "Scully, you're turning me on again…a hot woman that wants me and a haunted house? Please God, I'm in heaven."

"Mulder, I'm serious," she retorted.

"Scully, I'm serious, too," Mulder chuckled. "I'm telling you, it's Betty. And … you are hot and are turning me on."

"Forget it," she replied, deadpan. "I don't even know why I bother. You're delusional...I think it's a side effect of food deprivation." She shook her head, and grasping his hand in hers, headed for the dining room.

When she entered the room, she was struck by the romantic atmosphere and stopped abruptly. Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the sights. The table was set with warm linens and lit with tapered candles. In the center was a single rose in a simple bud vase. The room was heated by a small fire licking lazily in the fireplace, and light jazz played softly in the background. She released her grip on Mulder's hand and circled the table in awe. He stood quietly in the corner and watched her, amazed by how beautiful she looked when backlit by the fire. She stopped at the end of the table and looked up at her partner.

"Did you do this?" she asked quizzically.

"I had may have mentioned that we needed a quiet dinner for two," he replied sheepishly. He walked to the end of the table and opened the bottle of sparkling grape juice that was chilling in a bucket of ice. Scully eyed him warily.

"Zack reminded me that muscle relaxors and alcohol don't mix," he replied as he poured two glasses. He handed Scully a glass and held it up to make a toast.

"To twists of fate, the catalyst for admitting our true feelings for each other," he toasted. They clicked glasses and toasted to their new love.

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After sharing a three course meal topped off with chocolate mousse, Scully and Mulder retired to the living room to enjoy the fire with a coffee toddy. Scully nestled into Mulder's shoulder and relaxed against his chest. As soft music played in the background, Mulder draped his arm around her and traced lazy circles on her shoulder. The popping and crackling of the orange flames against the logs drew both agents into a sleepy trance.

The clinking sound of Mulder's coffee cup hitting Scully's brought Mulder back to reality. He drained the remaining liquid in one swallow and set it on the end table to his right. He gently pulled Scully's from her hand and reached to set it on the end table as well. As he stretched over on the couch he noticed a shadow in the doorway by the landing.

What the … he thought quickly, leaning back on the couch to get a better view. That must be Zack, because I couldn't be lucky enough to see Betty. Mulder watched the shadow quietly for a few moments until it appeared to walk into the room across the hallway. I have half a mind to follow it, he mused as he sat upright on the couch. His movement woke Scully, who had drifted off to sleep at his side.

"Hey sleepy," he whispered to her as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

"How long was I asleep?"

"Just a few minutes. Long enough for Betty to make another appearance," Mulder replied, deadpan.

Scully scowled at him and rolled her eyes. "Mulder, let it go." What is with it with him? Why can't he just let it be? she wondered quietly.

Mulder smiled and bit his lip. "Why does that bother you so much, Scully? After all we've seen, you can't believe in this one little thing?"

"Because sometimes I think you say it just to annoy me, to play mind games with me," Scully remarked looking at him out of the corner of her eye.

"I do not play mind games," Mulder replied with his hand over his chest. "At least not with you, maybe if I'm interrogating someone or …"

"Oh, that's a lie, Mulder," Scully blurted out. She sat up on the edge of the couch and turned to look at him. "What about when you give me piece-meal information about cases … make me guess about what's going on? That doesn't fall into the mind games category?"

Mulder started to laugh. She has you there, he chuckled to himself. "No! Not at all! Those are mental exercises in alternative thinking." He donned an innocent expression and looked back at her. God she is so beautiful, I love it when she runs her tongue over her lip, he thought, staring at her. He reached out and stroked the side of her face, then pulled her in for a kiss.

Scully took advantage of this opportunity to straddle Mulder on the couch. She swung her leg across his, pinning him in his seat and slowly lowered herself on her knees to bring their faces together. Mulder was mildly surprised at her aggressiveness and pulled her head closer to his for another deep kiss. Scully felt her nipples harden as arousal shot through her. She straightened in her pose as Mulder removed his wrist brace and snaked both hands beneath her shirt. As he inched them closer to her breasts, Scully arched her back slightly, pushing her breasts closer to him. Her body was free of the chest wrap and he reached his goal quickly, cupping each in a hand and rubbing her nipples with his thumbs. The sensation rocked her senses, and she tilted her head back, moaning softly. Scully could feel the heat in her legs. Her panties became moist as she lowered herself onto Mulder's body and rubbed herself against him.

Mulder watched Scully's eyes widen and her pupils dilate. Her lips parted slightly as she rocked her body against his. Her nipples were hard against his thumbs and her breasts were full. He licked his lips in anticipation of sucking on her nipples, and pulled his hands out from beneath her shirt. He fumbled with the buttons on her blouse as she moved her hips against his pelvis, creating friction against him. He could feel her moist heat against his leg, and he closed his eyes for a second, trying to regain his concentration. Finally, the shirt fell open, She leaned forward, eager for his touch, and he placed gentle kisses along her full curves until he reached the nipple.

Mulder took the right nipple in his mouth and flicked his tongue across it, teasing it until it was hard and full. He massaged her left breast with his hand, rubbing her nipple with his thumb. As he heard Scully's gasps in his ear, he increased the pressure gently. Scully ran her fingers through his hair and quickened her thrusts against him.

"Mulder, I'm so close," she whispered breathlessly, and reached down to release the button of his jeans.

Mulder leaned back from her breasts, locked eyes with her, and searched for the emotion and the desire burning within. He couldn't deny his urges any longer as his arousal again was demanding release. He put one arm around her protectively and adjusted his position slightly, giving himself some needed leverage against the back of the couch. He looked up at Scully and in an unspoken count of three pushed himself out of his sitting position and rolled over to lay her back onto the cushions.

The electricity in the room was amplified, and the only sound the couple heard was the sound of their ragged breathing. The excitement of being one for the first time coupled with the chance of getting caught fueled their frenzy. Scully easily unzipped his trousers and pushed his jeans and boxers down to expose him. She stroked him firmly as he struggled with her pants, his concentration divided by her touch and the need to be free of their clothing. When the garments finally fell away from their bodies, he entered her fully in a single stroke, and then forced himself to stop… to slow down… to take his time and do this right.

He listened as her breath caught in her throat and watched her face as she tilted her head back, absorbing the sensations reverberating from between her thighs. Her body trembled as he moved slowly inside of her, and her eyelids fluttered open. Mulder could feel himself quickly reaching his apex and bit his lip to get a hold on it. It was difficult, as the space was tight, burning hot, and smooth as silk against him. He watched her expressions intently and was acutely aware of the change in her breathing as she gasped quickly and whispered his name. He felt her hand on the small of his back pulling him closer to her, and he pushed her legs to her chest to enter her more deeply. As he did, he felt the space open and begin to rhythmically pulse around him. Her cries of triumph were ringing softly in his ear as he drove himself against her and cried out in release.

"Oh, Scully," he mumbled, as he lowered his body to hers and felt the life drain out of him. He pushed into her again, clenching his teeth as the euphoria washed over him. He caught her lips with his mouth as she shuddered against him and probed her mouth with his tongue, long and deep.

They were so entranced by the moment that they were oblivious to the sounds around them. Despite their extensive training, they missed the click of the sliding glass door as it opened from the outside. The laughter and screams of pleasure from the back of the room froze them in position, as two guests coming in from the hot tub frolicked loudly through the living room.

"Kevin!" a female voice screamed out while laughing. "Stop it! Aghhhh!" The sound of a towel snapping on bare skin echoed through the room and the female screamed out again, her voice riddled with laughter. "Stop! I'm going to get you for that!"

"Bring it out, babe! I'm ready!" the male yelled to her as he snapped the towel on her butt again. He laughed at her reaction and then chased her across the room.

"Shit," Mulder mumbled as he reached down to quickly pull his boxers up from his knees. They didn't come up as smoothly as they had gone down. While he was fumbling with them, he covered Scully protectively as she tugged her shirt around her chest. The front of the couch was facing the doorway, which left Mulder and Scully exposed for the full frontal view. As Mulder struggled with his boxers, he lowered himself carefully atop Scully to cover her. Scully ducked her head to the side and giggled into Mulder's shirt, not believing they had actually been caught. The feeling was exhilarating.

"Aghh, Kevin!" the female exclaimed as she ran through the living room to the doorway leading to the landing. She turned her head toward the fireplace and caught the side view of Mulder's bare butt just as he pulled the boxers over it. She stood dead in her tracks and covered her face in embarrassment as she realized they had interrupted a couple in the "heat of the moment".

"Oh my god, I… ahhh," the female mumbled still laughing and stumbling over her words as her boyfriend ran up behind her. "Oh my god, I am so sorry … we were just in the hot tub." She waved her hands nervously while trying to cover her swimsuit with a towel, and turned her head so she wasn't staring at them directly. Her boyfriend got a glimpse of Scully hiding on the couch and tried make a quick transition.

"Ooo, yeah… You guys should go … out there….like now. It's really…nice, the snowing falling, and the jets…" Kevin stammered as he made eye contact with Mulder. Kevin acknowledged the humiliated expression on Mulder's face, and tried to act like it was no big deal that they had just busted these two boinking on the couch. He swung the towel over his should and waved his hands around casually, adding. "It would be a nice ah … night-cap for you."

"Yeah, just go right now …like… just how you are," the female nodded nervously, still laughing in an embarrassed way. "Janna and Josh are out there, but they should be coming in soon…. And they won't care, cuz they're cool like that… so just go."

Kevin grabbed his girlfriend's hand and backed out of the living room toward the bottom of the stairs. "Yeah, go …. enjoy. Trust me, it's worth it. …we're just going to go…to our room …. give you some privacy. Come on Kath."

"Yeah," the female commented as he pulled her away. "See you guys at breakfast." They turned and scampered up the stairs, laughing about the view as they went.

Mulder rested his head on the arm cushion of the couch and laughed. His pulse was racing, and there was sweat forming on his brow. "Geezus, why do I feel like I just got busted by my girlfriend's father?" he asked, lifting his head and looking down at Scully. His body still covered hers, and his bare thigh below the hem of his boxers rested between her legs. He eyed her questioningly as she moved subtly but rhythmically beneath him. He felt her still hot and wet center sliding over his skin.

Scully took a deep breath and trembled as a wave of pleasure rushed over her. The 'bust' had aroused her again. She looked up at Mulder, her eyes glassed over, and a satisfied expression covered her face. He recognized the look, which was similar to the one they had shared moments earlier.

"You didn't …. again?" he asked, a smile creeping across his lips.

"Yes," she gasped. "I couldn't help it. You were rubbing against me and getting caught was so …." She smiled and exhaled through her mouth, trying to relax.

Mulder smiled and lifted himself off her. "I don't suppose it would take much to talk you into the Jacuzzi for a 'night-cap'?" He sat back on the couch and ran his fingertip down the inside of her thigh, watching her eyes roll up in her head. "Janna and Josh are cool like that," he added with a sly grin on his face.

Scully held his stare in silence and then whispered softly to him, "Lead the way."

TBC

A/N: The frolicking couple coming in from the hot tub … yeah, it's Kev and I. Just a little comic relief at the end of a very intense chapter