A/N: Chapter 11, everybody! It's longer than the others, but I thought you wouldn't mind! Enjoy it! And once again – thanks so much for reviewing. It's great you take the time to write me a few lines.

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10. 20 AM EST-Time, Saturday

Garden

Katherine unpacked every gift with delight and it seemed that she found every present better than the one before. She loved unpacking them and nearly every gift was unpacked by now.

Annabelle, Patrick and even little Matthew were playing with the gift-wrapping paper, while the adults gathered around Katherine and talked about the presents she had gotten. Megan was taking photos.

Charles, who was standing next to his mother and sister, laughed about the latest present – a pair of fins – and leaned over to Mulder. "Hey, Fox!" He shouted to get Mulder's attention.

Mulder was sitting on one of the white wicker chairs with Scully's feet on his knees and was also laughing loudly at the sight of the fins. But he turned towards the Navy-Officer as he heard him call his name. "Yeah?"

"What are you getting granny?"

Mulder was about to answer as it suddenly occurred to him that he didn't know. After his gift, the flowers, were out of the picture, he had really not the slightest idea what Scully's gift actually was. "Well, to tell the truth, I have no idea. Dana bought it. I think, it'll be something your granny really apreciates." At least, I hope so! Mulder thought.

Charles grinned. "Oh yeah … if Dana bought it, I'm certain of that!"

Katherine Scully reached for her last present and of course, it was Scully's and Mulder's. Katherine gave each of them a happy smile and carefully pulled at the wrapping paper. And a large book about …….. the arts of kamasutra came into sight.

Mulder's eyes popped open instantly.

"Oh, Dana … Fox, that's fantastic! Thank you, both of you. Thank you very, very much. This is exactly the book I was looking for since years. Thanks!"

Mulder smiled slightly pained and turned towards Scully, who was grinning at him in amusement. "Kamasutra, Scully?"

She nodded and defended her decision. "If that's the book she wanted to have?" And again, she grinned.

"Oh, I'd like to kiss you all. Thank you for all the presents!" Katherine said and looked over to all of her gifts. "And now, help me to get all this stuff inside and start decorating the house for tonight's party!"

Everyone was getting up and started to clean the breakfast table and collect pieces of wrapping paper.

Annabelle and Patrick had made capes and crowns out of the shiny gift-wrapping paper and were running through the garden with them.

Scully and Mulder also made their way towards the main house, as Maggie Scully suddenly appeared next to her daughter and tried to find the right words. She was about to begin, when Katherine Scully called for Dana and Fox. "Fox, Dana … don't you want to take the kids into town? It would be really helpful if the kids were gone for a few hours so we can decorate. What do you think?"

Scully watched Mulder from the side. She would say yes, if he was in. "Mulder?"

Mulder shrugged his shoulders. He didn't want it to look like he would sneak out of decorating. "Well, I don't know."

"Oh, come on!" Katherine Scully tried once again.

And then Mulder nodded. "Okay, I'm in … but only, if that's okay with everybody!"

"Of course, boy!" Relpied Katherine.

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Mulder put some breakfast plates on the kitchen table and was about to start getting back to get some more stuff from outside, as Katherine Scully stepped into the kitchen.

"Stop, stop, boy!"

Mulder smiled about what names Kathrine Scully gave him. "Yes?"

"I just wanted to say thanks for the book." She said and blinked at him. "I just don't understand why Dana and you didn't keep it for yourselves!?"

And there she was again – playing Amor. Mulder shook his head with a laugh. "But, as I said, we don't need it."

"So … maybe I can asssume that you two … you know … have tried it and …"

Mulder's smiling stopped and he frowned at the pensioner in front of him. But Scully's appearance in the doorframe saved him from another weird interrogation. Thank god!

With her words directed towards Mulder she asked: "Are you coming?" She adjusted her sunglasses while looking from her granny to her partner.

Mulder nodded and said his goodbyes to Scully's granny, glad he had escape again.

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11.02 AM EST-Time, Saturday

Rural road, Georgia

It was awfully hot. Everybody was looking forward to go swimming but they were still in the car and Scully was driving. Mulder was on the passengers seat and the kids were in the back.

Mulder was quiet and simply watched the landscape fly by, when suddenly Scully stopped the car in, what seemed, the middle of nowhere.

"The beach is half a mile through this little coastal forrest." Scully said and got out.

Both of the older kids tried to free themselves from their children's seats, as Mulder got out of the car and headed for the trunk.

Scully looked up, as Mulder came to a halt beside her and handed him a basket, a blanket, toys, sunscreen, water wings and a little baby bag that belonged to Matthew.

"We want to carry something, too!" Annabelle stated and tugged on the blanket Mulder was barely holding, so it fell to the ground.

Mulder, happy to get rid of some of the things, handed the toys to Charles' kids, that immediately headed for a little path that lead into the woods. Then he went around the back of the car for maybe he could help Scully with little Matthew.

Matthew, still asleep, had his head against Scully's chest, as she turned towards Mulder. She looked up and met his unbelievably soft eyes – she had to swallow. Hard.

"Are you two coming?" He asked softly.

"I'm … just locking the car. Could you go and find Annabelle and Patrick in the woods? You simply have to follow the visible path and you'll get to the beach. If you're not there in half an hour, I'm starting to look for you, okay?" She said with a smile and shieled her face from the sun.

Mulder nodded and reached for Matthew's tiny foot, dangling loosely. And then he started towards the woods in search of Annabelle and Patrick.

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Dana was kneeling in the sand next to Annabelle and Patrick and slowly started to worry. Her eyes travelled from her watch to the sleeping Matthew and back to her watch. They were building a castle made of sand. A really big castle. But Mulder was nowhere to be seen. And Dana thought that her description of follow the visible path and you'll get to the beach was very easy. But apparently not. "Annabelle?" The seven-year old girl looked up immediately, and waited for her aunt to go on. "I'm going to look for Mulder. Do you think, you can manage to take care of your brother and cousin, sweetie?"

Annabelle nodded as Scully stood up and brushed the sand off her knees. God, it's hot, Scully thought and looked up at the sun. Hopefully, he's okay! She had just turned around towards the woods, as she saw Mulder's silhouette in the distance. The feeling of relief washed over her and she slowly started walking towards him, being really curious about his explanation.

Packed with all the things he didn't ditch on Annabelle and Patrick, Mulder dragged himself through the hot sand and spotted Scully in the distance. His face was red like a tomato and he felt like he had spent two weeks in the desert.

"Where have you been?" Asked Scully as she had finally reached him.

"I … I … couldn't find Annabelle and Patrick." He panted and hoped that everything was okay with the kids. "We … have to go look for them, now …"

Scully took all the things he was carrying and stroked his arm. "Don't be mad at them … but they are here with me for a long time."

Relieved but also a little mad, he saw the two kids building a sand castle in the distance. "But …" They slowly approached the kids. Annabelle and Patrick smiled at him friendly and happy, and Mulder forgot his worries. He was exhausted and simply dropped down into the sand next to the kids. He closed his eyes for a moment, when he suddenly felt something icecold pressed against his forehead. His eyes popped open and he looked into Scully's face, who was cooling his head with a large bottle of cold water. "Oh boy, you really know, what a man needs!" He said and took a huge sip of the icecold water.

"Of course, I do!" She answered with a broad smile and dropped down next to him.

Mulder took the last sip of water and placed the empty bottle next to him in the sand. "So, who wants to go swimming?" He asked.

Annabelle and Patrick jumped up and screamed: "MEEEEEE!"

"Okay, so who's the first in the water?" He asked again and stood up for a little race.

But without the normal Ready, steady … go Patrick started running at top speed towards the shoreline.

"Hey, wait … that's unfair!" Yelled his older sister and started after him.

Mulder sighed and turned around to face Scully, who was sitting next to Matthew, before he ran towards the ocean while getting rid of his clothes.

Scully had to laugh at the sight that Mulder's T-Shirt just wouldn't come off at this speed. It was a priceless sight. And the kids loved him. She leaned back and let the sun warm her face. This was definitely a perfect day.

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Matthew was finally awake and that gave Scully the opportunity to take a look at what Mulder and her nephew and niece were doing down by the ocean. With little Matthew in her arms, she crossed the distance towards the shoreline and looked forward to the moment when her naked feet would touch the cold ocean water. Scully looked up at the sun standing on its highest point. Noon. But her stomach could have told her that as well, for it was growling for the last ten minutes. She approached the sea and heard the rustle of waves. Right in front of her, Patrick, Annabelle and the third, large child were playing and rushing about in the glistening water.

"Auntie Dana!" Yelled Annabelle with her high pitched voice, as Mulder grabbed her from behind, lifted her up and threw her away like she was weighing nothing. "Help me!" With a loud SPLASH Annabelle's giggling body hit the water and dove in.

Scully smiled at the sight and finally touched the water with her toes. It was fantastic and exactly how she had imagined the feeling.

Matthew was moving in her arms all the time, trying to get to the other kids. He pointed his little fingers towards them and tried to say something, but it always came out as something like "uh". He started squeaking happily and couldn't get enough of the sight that unfolded before his eyes.

Scully put him to the ground, still holding him, so his tiny feet could also touch the water and that only caused more squeaks of pleasure. Dana practiced walking with him, just a little walking in one direction and back, but her views would always trail back to Mulder and her brother's kids. It was a wonderful sight – like a picture. Like a dad playing with his kids. He'd make a good dad, Dana thought and caught herself examining Mulder's muscular body with her eyes. Immediately, her cheeks blushed as he spoke directly to her. HHHHHHHHhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhssss opefully he hasn't seen my looks!

"Hey Scully, don't you want to join us?" She looked absolutely stunning with the child in her arms and her pale legs, washed round by the blue water. The wind played with her hair and today's sun would give her skin a nice golden tan.

She shook her head with a smile. "Don't you guys want to come out? It's noon. Lunch time. Aren't you hungry?"

"Food!" Patrick screamed and rushed out of the water and towards their blanket, as if the cavalry was behind him. His sister Annabelle followed him right away.

Mulder had been left behind and made a dissapointed face. "But we were having so much fun!" His voice was the voice of a six year old that had been called home for lunch. But the dissapointed expression vanished and was replaced by a broad grin, as he got out of the water.

Scully had to swallow and reign herself in. She knew how good looking his body was just by his appearance in his suits. Nearly every man was handsome when wearing a suit. But now, only in swim shorts his broad chest and muscels blew her away. Wow, was all she could think of and hoped she wasn't blushing again. "But … it's … lunch time!" She stammered slightly, as he was only a few feet away from her. Stay calm!

Mulder was about to surprise her. He slowly approached her with a sneaky grin and by the way she looked at him, Mulder could tell she had no clue of what would happen to her in only a few seconds. And then there was the moment: Only a few inches in front of her, he took her and little Matthew into a tight embrace and soaked her clothes with his wet body.

"Ew, oh …" She yelled with a suppressed laugh and tried to free herself from Mulder's embrace, but had no chance. Even if she had really wanted. "Mulder, you're so childish!" She bleated, but couldn't avoid a little giggling.

Mulder looked down on her fiery hair and placed his head just over hers. "If you have decided to not go into the water, I decided to bring the water to you, then." And then he let her go, took a step back and examined his masterpiece. Her T-Shirt was completely soaked and some parts of her trousers, as well. He smiled contently.

"Come on. Annabelle and Patrick are two little gluttons. We should get back, or we'll have nothing to eat left." She said with a smile.

Mulder took Matthew out of Scully's arms and accompanied her towards their blanket. "Uhm, by the way .. your backside looks so dry … and … it's so hot … I, uhm, maybe know a procedure that … could help you …"

Scully's eyes grew wide as she understood what he wanted to tell her with his weird talking about "a procedure". "Mulder …", she warned him but had to start sprinting as he leaped forward and chased her back towards the blanket.

A/N: Thanks so much for still reading the story! That's it for chapter 11 – but chapter 12 will be up soon, I promise. Hope, everyone enjoyed spending a little time in Lincoln Landing! See you in the next chapter.