December 1924

If the days leading up to the discovery of the temple were slow, the days after it were fast. Some days, they only came out of the now wider area when Akl would call to them, his voice booming. Like children called home by their father, they trudged up the stairs they had found, grumbling at needing to leave their new toy.

Dana was happy every day, writing in her journal, asking them questions to fill in what they had discovered that day as she had been elsewhere. Her excitement and happiness brought about their own, everyone laughing and celebrating each evening.

The temple was large, but not overly so, nothing like Hathor, but it was more than enough for all of them, especially Dana. She spent so much time walking around and staring at the columns and drawings on them. Fox sketched it in his journal and hers, taking as long as he wanted to get it right.

A letter was written to the museum, Sobek riding back to their hotel near Luxor to send it and pick up any letters that had arrived for them in their absence.

Fox watched Dana as Sobek left, wondering if she was thinking the same thing as him and calculating the amount of days they would be alone with their discovery before being descended upon by Jean Badeaux and others who had most likely laughed behind their backs.

"Three weeks. Maybe a month," she said and his inner question was answered. He nodded and she looked at him, her eyes unreadable. "I want them to come, mostly to prove that I was right. Well, you were, I suppose."

"No, you were. I never would have known where to look, or how to proceed without your help and guidance."

"But they didn't know it was me."

"No, but they will." He smiled at her and she looked down as she nodded, reaching for his hand, squeezing and letting go.

"I also want them to come because I would love a real bed and a bath, not just a wash up or an occasional swim that takes half a day to get to, even if Ain is a better cook than Akl, and meeting her was worth the wagon ride." She smiled and he nodded again.

Over the months in the desert, they had taken turns accompanying Akl to his home to check on his family and gather more water, others staying behind to guard the site. Akl's home was half a day's ride from their camp.

Once they had arrived, Ain, Akl's wife, had a hot meal ready and set in front of them, fussing about and speaking rapidly to her husband, her large pregnant belly bumping into things as he made crocodile hand motions at them, and they tried not to laugh.

They would stay the night, Dana given Atum's room and the others bunking on sofas. The oasis was large and they all had a swim, Ain watching over Dana; though none of them would have attempted to spy on her as she swam in her underclothes.

It had been a most welcome reprieve from the many days in the hot desert, especially after the baby was born in June and a visit meant a chance to cuddle a fat and happy baby girl.

"Still," Dana said with a sigh. "It was all worth it. The heat, the long days, the tears… all of it."

"And after this, you have your trouser business to begin," he teased and she laughed softly, looking down at her sun-faded, poofy, crooked stitched trousers.

"I really think the fanciest women in London and Paris will be wearing them soon."

"Will you stick with your original pattern or try something new?"

"Same, of course. Why improve on something so perfect?"

"Indeed," he said with a laugh.

They continued working in the temple, excavating as much as they could while they waited for the people from the museum to arrive.

Dana began to spend time alone, in her tent or in the temple. The men noticed, Pierre writing down his concerns, Fox not as fluent with sign language as Dana after spending nearly a year together.

"I know," Fox assured him. "I see it too." Pierre shook his head, pointing to his heart. "Yes… I think so too."

For Fox had been feeling pain in his heart as well. Pain for the fact that after they left there, after they went back to Cairo, he would need to go home. As much as the others had stayed away, and as he had wanted to get away, he needed to go home. He missed his mother, despite her overbearing ways. His father… he wanted a chance to get to know him better, something the time in the desert had shown him.

And Dana. How was he to leave her? He loved her. He had known it somewhat since their first meeting when she had not left him stuttering and uncomfortable like other women. When she did not push or beseech him as other women had, finagling a dance or a chance to sit beside him.

She simply was. Was herself, was happy, was unconcerned about anything that other women would balk at be it fashion, accommodations, or being in sand every day and not able to bathe properly and routinely.

She was the one he wanted to love forever.

But her heart belonged to another.

He needed to prepare himself for their eventual parting, as much as the thought broke his heart.

She and John left with Akl, for what would most likely be the last time, to thank Ain and to say goodbye. As they drove away, she turned and looked at Fox. She waved and attempted a smile, but her eyes were once again unreadable to him. He waved back and hoped his smile was more convincing than her own.

That night, he wandered around, looking at the place that had been his home for nearly a year. He knew it by heart and it would be forever seared into his memory. He would not miss the heat or being sweaty every day, but he would miss the quiet, the stars, the wind at night.

He would miss the camaraderie of the men, the laughter and good stories. Charles may one day come home and they could reconnect. John and Pierre, he was not sure, but the way he felt for Dana, he hoped Pierre would go home and find Marie, that there was a happy ending in there somewhere, as someone deserved to have it.

He would miss Akl and his smile, the way he made Dana laugh, her knowledge of his language improving greatly, now keeping up with the fast pace of his speech.

Sobek and Atum had become favorites of Fox's. They were funny and helpful boys who had run errands, fetched mail, and helped with the dig. They were good boys who would grow into good men. Akl had every right to feel pride in them.

He would miss all of it, but he felt the parting of their ways beginning.

And he hated it.

Fox was in the tent, washing up from the day when John walked in, back from Akl's.

"Hi," he said, walking to his bed and lying down with a sigh. "God, the swim and food at Akl's are nice, but the couches… either they are uncomfortable or I'm used to this bed now. I'm always more tired when I come back than when I leave. I need a nap or to just go to bed for the day. I'm tired." Fox smiled, knowing how he felt.

He changed his clothes, feeling better than when he had walked into the tent, sweaty and dirty.

"Oh," John said sleepily. "Dana was asking for you?"

"Is she alright?"

"Mmm, yeah."

"Thanks."

"Hmmm," John hummed, turning over as he yawned and Fox left the tent, walking the short distance to Dana's.

"Dana?" he asked, tapping his fingers against the canvas of her tent.

"Come in." He heard her reply and he pushed the flap back as he walked inside. It was warm in the tent, only one oil lamp burning faintly. "John said you were asking for me? Is everything alright?"

"Yes," she answered and he turned at the sound, not having seen her.

"Oh, good. I…" He stopped and stared at her in her dressing gown and her hair down. "I.. I'm sorry, I didn't realize…" He started to leave, but she stopped him, standing near the door.

"Please don't leave."

"You're not properly dressed," he said, averting his eyes to avoid staring at more of her skin than he had never seen.

Her dressing gown was silk, the most beautiful shade of blue, nearly the color of her eyes. Cerulean. That was the name of the particular shade of blue, with white lace around the edges. It was a color created for her and her alone.

"Dana…"

"Fox… please. I've been thinking ever since that letter was sent. Thinking about the future. About the past…" She smiled softly and he felt something was not right, that he was missing something, but he did not know what.

"You know why I wanted to find the temple, why it was important to me, but I didn't think about the after. I was set on the discovery, I failed to see the repercussions of the ending. We will all soon be going our separate ways soon, this little family we've created will be broken up."

"I know."

"It pains me to lose everyone. But the thought of losing you, hurts me most of all." He looked at her in surprise, his thoughts from last night coming back to him. Her heart was not his to acquire. He may love her, but she…

She touched his arm, his mind miles away. Her eyes were soft as she smiled at him.

"Fox… do you-"

"Dana, it doesn't feel right to have this conversation when you're dressed in this manner."

He looked down at the ground, averting his eyes again, feeling dizzy with the words she was saying. Things he had wished, but knew would never come to pass. He needed to leave. To think. To give her time to dress so they could have a proper conversation.

And then, as his eyes were downcast, he saw her robe falling softer than a whisper, landing in a puddle of cerulean silk at her feet.

"Is this manner of dress better?" she whispered. In his confusion, he lifted his eyes and saw she was nude.

Completely nude.

He turned his head quickly, his eyes closed so as to remove any chance of accidentally seeing her naked body again, though the image of it would be forever in his mind.

Then he realized what he had been missing, what was physically missing, and he opened his eyes, looking at her with a frown.

"Where is your locket?" he asked, looking from her neck to her eyes, which were shining with tears, happy or sad, he did not know.

"I'm completely nude and that's what you see?" she asked with a chuckle, but his eyes never left hers, wanting, needing to hear her answer. She sighed and smiled, with a shake of her head. "That locket was my past. It was my pain and my suffering, the worst and saddest time of my life. But that pain is gone and I had to leave my offering. My thanks."

"You… left it at the temple?"

"It was my old heart," she whispered, biting her lower lip. "My old heart belongs here. That love I felt needs to stay here, my pain carried for too long with no reprieve. My new heart… belongs with you."

"Dana…" he breathed, closing his eyes at the sound of the exact words he had wished to hear. Her hand caressed his cheek, his eyes opening to see her beautiful smile, before his lips were on hers, his arms around her waist. Her soft, naked, warm waist.

Her hair smelled sweet as his fingers tangled in it, the kiss becoming more intense. Never had he kissed someone the way he was now, passion and desire coursing through him. Her fingers were undoing his buttons and he wanted to laugh, to stop her, but also ached to feel his flesh against hers. To love her wholly and completely. To give her all he had and accept her new heart as his own.

His clothes dropped beside her robe as they made their way to her bed. She stopped moving, gently kissing the scar on his shoulder, his neck, chin, and back to his lips. Guiding her to the bed, he followed her as she laid down, her arms reaching for him. He lay atop her, the feel of her under him, the softness of her skin, intoxicated him. He kissed her, her hands running up and down his back, giving him goosebumps.

"I've never done this before," she confessed, her fingers trailing down his sides, causing him to jump. Even in the faint light from the lamp, he could see the blush of desire on her cheeks.

"Me neither," he whispered, kissing her again, a hand cupping a breast as she arched into him, her cries of pleasure swallowed by his mouth.

Her fingers dug into his flesh as he slid into her, both of them holding their breath, and looking into each other's eyes. Her breath resuming, her legs wrapped around his waist and he exhaled, the feeling of becoming one with her, more exquisite than he could have imagined.

"Fox," she whimpered, rocking into him, her back arching. "Please..."

"Dana, I love you," he whispered, pulling back to look into her eyes. Needing her to hear it, to know for certain.

"I love you, Fox. So very much."

They loved one another as millions had before them. A dance as old as time, but new to them who had never loved before. Her cries of pleasure were quiet, his lips accepting her offerings, as hers accepted his, wholly and completely, just as he had ached to do.

The oil lamp burned low as he lay with his head at her breast, her fingers scratching gently through his hair, her heart rate slowing.

"Hmm," she hummed. "I need to put the light out. We don't want a fire."

"In a minute," he whispered, kissing her soft skin and holding her tight, not allowing her to leave. She chuckled and he smiled, kissing her again, as his eyes began to close.

For a week, they spent every night together in her tent.

He woke up early one morning, leaving her sleeping, and lit the lamp. Putting on his trousers, he sat on the rug in front of her, and reached for his journal. He had pages of sketches of her, but this one would be by far his favorite: Dana Scully In Repose.

He sketched the line of her back as she lay on her stomach, her head resting on her arm, her eyelashes, the perfect arch of her eyebrow and curve of her lips. He smiled when she began to stir and opened her eyes. His journal was set aside as he kissed the mole above her lip, just as he had wanted to do since first meeting her, and joined her again in bed.

When Jean Badeaux and two other men from the museum arrived, Fox returned to his tent with the men. The judgmental eyes constantly watching Dana, did not need any other reason to form an unneeded opinion of her.

Touring the temple, complaining all the while about the heat, though it was cooler than it had been of late, Fox felt his anger and annoyance towards them rising.

"Well, Mr. Mulder, it seems I owe you an apology," Mr. Badeaux said with a rather sarcastic tone, his apology not at all genuine. "I did not believe you and yet, here we stand in the temple erected to a goddess that you insisted was here. I would tip my cap to you if the ruddy sun wasn't so damned hot." The other men chuckled and everyone else forced a smile.

"I thank you kindly, sir," Fox said politely. "However, I am not the one who knew where to look, how to get here, or even about Dha'ari before I arrived in Egypt. The person you should be bestowing your thanks upon is Miss Scully, the researcher from your museum."

"Preposterous! A woman?" He guffawed and the other men laughed harder.

"Yes, a woman. This woman standing beside me. Dana Scully," Fox stated, his hand resting lightly on Dana's back.

"It's true," said Charles, John and Pierre nodding in agreement.

"She's known the possible location of it for years," Fox continued and he felt her stand taller.

"If that is the truth, why would you not say something sooner?" One of the other men asked and Fox, knowing the answer before she spoke it, tried to keep the smirk off his face. He watched her smile sweetly, though her eyes flashed fire.

"If you'll pardon me sir, I am of the wrong sex to have an opinion or a mind of my own, according to some. Perhaps, when that type of thinking changes, you shall find more women who know a great deal about many topics. Possibly even more than you know yourself." Fox saw John, out of the corner of his eye, covering his mouth to hide his smile.

Fox did not know who cried harder at their departure, Akl or Dana. He hugged her for a long time, his hands then holding her face and wiping her cheeks, speaking softly to her. She cried harder and nodded, before he pressed his forehead to hers and stepped back, looking at Fox with a nod.

"You… take care… of Miss," he said slowly.

"I will. Ana sawf." Akl looked at him and nodded once, before squeezing him in a tight hug.

Charles, John, and Pierre said goodbye and they all mounted their horses. The tents would stay for the next people who would be excavating further, the five of them who would soon be separating, would be content to camp under the stars and beside the fire.

As they rode away, Sobek and Atum rode up beside them, shouting their goodbyes, racing their horses around, and then pulling back with a loud whooping shout. Dana cried as she shouted back to them and Fox blinked back tears of his own.

January 1925

Fox stood beside Dana on the deck of the Lady of the Nile, watching the sun setting as it began its trek back to Cairo.

They'd had a feast with Charles, John, and Pierre, the night before they left, all of them drinking a bit too much, laughing and postponing the inevitable. There were tears the next morning when they had left, the three men staying behind to continue on with their next adventure. Fox had seen Dana signing to Pierre and he believed he had seen her sign the word wife and then Marie had been spelled out, Pierre nodding seriously. He had kissed her on both cheeks again, then pulled her to him for a tight hug.

Charles and John had hugged her goodbye and Fox as well, Charles promising to look him up if he was ever back in London. Waving to them until they were out of sight, Dana had turned into his chest and sobbed, holding him tightly.

Fox sighed. It was going to be an adjustment to be without those who had been so important and close for a year of their lives.

Turning his attention from the setting sun, he looked at Dana and smiled. Feeling his eyes upon her, she turned her head, scrunching her chin and raising an eyebrow. He leaned forward and kissed her chin as she laughed.

"Did you really just kiss my chin?"

"I did," he answered and she laughed again. "The way you scrunch your chin is adorable. I always want to kiss it when you look at me that way."

"Just like my mole?"

"Precisely," he said, kissing said mole and then her soft lips. "Have I told you today that I love you?"

"Not on this side of the ship," she teased and he opened his eyes in feigned horror.

"I must remedy that immediately. I… love you, my love."

"And I love you."

Pulling her to him, he sighed and thought about something that had been plaguing him. Once they arrived back at Cairo, they did not have a definitive plan. Not for location or as it pertained to their relationship.

Though he had no issue with them being unmarried and sharing a bed, he knew her mother and father would prefer if they were married. And his mother, well… was that not what she had been after for years? Her fussy dinners and fancy balls, young eligible women always in attendance? Would she not be surprised and pleased if he brought home a wife? He had gone into the desert looking for what he had not known, and was now leaving it with a woman he loved more than anything.

"So, that's that," he said quietly and she pulled back, looking at him questioningly.

"What's what?"

"We need to get married, and then we will go to England and live there, happily ever after. It's decided."

"Oh, is it now?" she asked with a happy smile. "And what if I wanted to go on another expedition? Live in a tent? Or in a hut by a river?"

"No. That simply won't do. Your heart belongs with mine, and I cannot abide living in a tent again. You have no idea how it would smell at times." She laughed and shook her head.

"You seem to forget; you would be sharing a tent with me, my love."

He pretended to think it over, raising his eyebrows, humming, stroking his chin, while she smiled, her eyes sparkling.

"No, it won't do. I need a proper bed and you mentioned proximity to a bath not so long ago."

"That is true," she said, wrapping her arms around his waist and releasing a deep breath. "And isn't there an entire town in England named Bath?"

"There is indeed."

"Then my vote's for England, as I do enjoy a good bath. And I suppose it's a good idea to keep our hearts together," she said, a smile in her voice.

"Indeed," he agreed with a laugh as he kissed the top of her head and then rested his cheek atop it, looking back out at the setting sun. "Indeed."