Title: Moments Aleatoires A temps(Random Moments in Time) Rating: The whole story - NC-17, Part I - R Authors: Shanda Weeks and Cassie (Samantha) E-mail: ShanaGail26@hotmail.com & Samantha0223@hotmail.com Category: MSR, V, MAJOR Skinner/Maggie A Keywords: Pre-XF ish Spoilers: "Anasazi" ref, blink and you'll miss it. ~ * ~ Dedication: For Rachel Anton, whose beautiful fiction "Eleventh Hour" was our inspiration. This is our tribute to you. ~ * ~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ April 15, 2000 7:27pm outskirts of Washington, DC Mulder adjusted his Kevlar vest and glanced over at Scully. She was dressed the same as him, FBI t shirt, Kevlar vest, and headset to communicate. His eyes wondered across the parking lot of the warehouse they stood in front of. The Violent Crimes unit that had been tracking the killer inside that building were all there. They had finally located the man and were ready to take him out. Mulder looked at Scully again. Something about this felt bad to him, and he couldn't figure it out. But some part of him wanted nothing more than to insist that Scully stay very far away from this one. He glanced at her and she gave him a small smile. He knew she could tell what he was thinking. And he could read in her eyes her response. She would not be left behind on this one. He nodded slightly and his eyes dropped to his weapon, which he checked again. Then the order to move in came over the headset and they started cautiously toward the warehouse. Just before they went through the door, Mulder reached out and gently brushed Scully's shoulder with his hand. She glanced at him and he could see her reassurance in her clear blue eyes. He sighed and moved into position, waiting for the final call. His mind played over the details again. It was a simple bust. One crazy son of a bitch that was murdering young men. It should be easy and quick. Go in and bring him out.....dead or alive. A slight shiver ran through Mulder again and he forced his mind back to the task at hand as the final go ahead was shouted across the radio and all hell broke loose. Mulder kicked in the side door and Scully moved through it and to the left. Mulder followed her, sweeping his gun right and above her head. He never saw the flash of silver or the burst of fire from the barrel of the gun. The sound of the shot reached his ears at the same time as the soft 'whoosh' from beside him. He turned, his body feeling almost like it was in slow motion. Before he got all the way around he felt the warm splatter on the side of his face. His eyes connected with Scully and he watched in horror as she collapsed to the floor, a large bloody puddle already forming under her head. Then everything started to move again. "Scully! God.....NO!" He wasn't sure if it was his voice, but he thought it was. He lurched forward, his gun swinging around toward the shooter. When his eyes landed on the man he realized instantly that this was not who they were after. His finger had already tightened on the trigger and before the thought could completely register in his mind the gun was going off and the man was falling to the floor, dead. Mulder was too upset to think about the fact that had just come to him. He dropped his gun and turned back to Scully. He had only taken two steps when the second man stepped into the light. He didn't have time to react as the man leveled his pistol and fired. Mulder's eyes saw the flash of light and his ears heard the loud retort of the gun, but neither one of these things registered with his brain before the bullet ripped into his skull. He fell limply beside Scully, his blood running out to mix with hers on the cold concrete floor. *************** *************** 8:57pm Georgetown Memorial Hospital She hurried up to the emergency room counter and impatiently cleared her throat. The receptionist looked annoyed, but turned to her anyway. "Can I help you?' "Yes!" Margaret Scully almost yelled. She stopped and drew a deep breath and started over. "I am looking for a Dana Scully." The woman moved slowly over to her books and flipped through them. She looked like she was only half way paying attention. Then her eyes widened and she glanced up at Mrs. Scully quickly. "Oh, wow. I didn't realize......she was one of the FBI agents brought in a while ago." Maggie nodded impatiently, the woman's words not quite penetrating her mind. "She's in surgery now. You can go up to the third floor waiting room and wait for the doctor." "Thank you, " Maggie called over her shoulder as she hurried away. She was half way to the elevator when it dawned on her. She stopped dead and then turned slowly back to the woman, her heart already knowing the truth. "Excuse me? Who was the other agent?" The woman glanced down and then back up. "Fox Mulder." Maggie felt her knees go weak and she willed herself to stand up. She felt torn. She'd been so angry at Fox for not calling her himself. And now, to find out that he was hurt too. That was why he didn't call. And he was probably hurt trying to help Dana. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes and forced them away. She wouldn't cry until she knew what had happened. But a small part of her mind was screaming that she was losing two of her beloved children. She leaned on the elevator wall as it climbed three floors. The ride seemed to take forever. And then she was finally there. She walked slowly down the hall, each step becoming harder to take. She remembered all to well the night she had raced here for Melissa. She tried desperately to push those thoughts aside, and had almost succeeded when she entered the waiting room and saw him. Assistant Director Walter Skinner stood at the far side of the room. He was pacing restlessly up and down, his face pale and his body tense. The expression on his face was pure agony. And.....Maggie's stomach clutched in fear.......his clothes were covered in blood. She closed her eyes and drew another steadying breath, her mind automatically reaching out for the strength of her late husband. 'If you can hear me, William, I need you now.' "Mr. Skinner?" she asked softly. He turned to her then and his eyes immediately filled with tears. "Mrs. Scully," he started, his voice cracking slightly. "What happened?" Her voice was anxious. "I......" he trailed off, his eyes dropping to the floor. "You should wait for the doctor." Maggie felt fear rise up in her heart. It was bad. "Mr. Skinner, Dana considers you her friend. I believe that Fox does too. I am her mother. And the closest thing he has to one. As their friend.......as their boss......you owe me the truth." Skinner sighed. She was right. He did owe that to her. He had after all been there. It was him that had sent in the team without thoroughly checking it out. He sank wearily down into a chair and put his hands over his face. "I'm sorry," he started softly. Then he looked up and met her eyes. "I shouldn't have ordered the go." Maggie studied him intently for a moment. This man was suffering greatly. She knew instinctively that they would need each other for this. She reached out and gently touched his arm. He nodded in understanding and continued. "We raided a warehouse. There was only supposed to be one man......" he paused and cleared his throat. "They were shot. Both of them are in pretty bad shape." "I don't understand," Maggie said, her voice confused. "Don't you have vests?" Skinner shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, ma'am. They were wearing vests." Maggie's eyes widened slightly as the full meaning of that sank in. "Oh my god! So....." Skinner nodded miserably. "They were both shot in the head. Mulder killed the first shooter, the man that shot Dana. He's dead." "And Mulder?" "There was a second man. Mulder never had a chance," Skinner said quietly. Maggie sat stiffly, trying to keep her emotions from taking over. She knew that breaking down now wouldn't help Fox and Dana. And right now they needed her to be strong. She kept a silent prayer for the two people she cared so much about. If only their lives had been different. If they had only had the chance to be just Dana and Fox. They would have had so much together. She was still lost in these thoughts and prayers when the doctor came out. She took in his somber look and mentally prepared herself for the worst. "Mrs. Scully?" the doctor asked carefully. "Yes, that's me," Maggie answered. "Mrs. Scully, I'm sorry to have to bring you bad news. Dana is in pretty bad shape. For now she is alive, but she is in a coma and to be totally honest, she doesn't stand a very good chance of recovery." Maggie felt her body sway slightly and then the strong arms of the AD were around her waist. She flashed him a look of appreciation and turned back to the doctor. "The bullet entered her left temple and traveled across her brain in the front part. The bullet was a hollow point, but it reacted strangely." He paused slightly. "It went across the left side without much damage. However, when it hit the right side it exploded, taking a large portion of brain and skull when it exited. Like I said, right now she is alive and that in itself is a good sign. But her chances are slim at best." "I understand," Maggie said, her voice sounding hollow. The doctor smiled a sympathetic smile and turned to walk away. "Doctor?" He turned back. "Yes?" "The other agent, Fox Mulder? Can you tell me how he is doing?" "He is still in surgery. The bullet entered his skull just above his left eye. Right now it is lodged in the back of his brain and we are trying to remove it. Until the surgery is over we won't really know any more. If he survives the surgery he has a slightly better chance of surviving." Maggie nodded numbly and watched him walk away. Skinner stood silently beside her, his own mind working furiously. If they could read each other's minds they would have been surprised to find they were both thinking the same thing. 'God, if only they could have meet before their lives were so complicated. They would have had so much more, together and in their personal lives. If only they could've had that chance.' ~~ Baltimore, Maryland May 30, 1982 8:34am Scully awoke to the incessant sound of someone banging on her bedroom door. "Hey, Kit Kat!? C'mon, get up already!" Scully rolled over and dragged herself out of bed. Padding over to the door, she unlocked it, pulled it open, and found herself looking up at her overly exuberant roommate. "Mornin' Kit Kat." She said brightly. "Sky, if I have to tell you one more time not to call me 'Kit Kat', I'm going to rip your head off and shove it down your neck." "Oohhh... someone's in a bad mood this morning. Rough night, Day?" Scully nodded slightly and pushed her way into the hallway and down to the kitchen. "Coffee..." She mumbled. She poured herself a cup, decided to forgo the cream, and downed two aspirin with her first sip. "Does our little Dana Katherine have a hangover?" Sky asked playfully, hopping up onto the kitchen counter. "You know, you had just as much to drink last night as I did, so how come *you're* not hung over?" "Ah, that's a Taylor family secret. I actually ate last night, and of course, it helps to weigh more than a hundred pounds soaking wet with eighty strapped to your back." "Ha. Ha. Please tell me we don't have anywhere to go tonight." Scully said hopefully. "Um, actually - there's a party tonight over at AKG." Sky said, giving Scully a pleading look. "Please, please, please don't make me go alone." "I *hate* the Alpha's. They're all so high and mighty. They act like they're God's gift because they play football." "C'mon, Day... I'll clean the apartment for a month, all by myself." "Do you even know where the vacuum is?" Sky paused for a moment. "Weeeeeell, no - but you can show me. Come on, Dana. It won't be any fun without you." "Alright, alright." Scully relented. "But you'd better not ditch me.... I hate being ditched." ~~ ~~ 9:37am "Yeah, I know.... uh huh... I won't... It's just a party, Phoebe." Mulder paced back and forth in his living room, counting the minutes on his never-ending Trans-Atlantic phone call. "Okay... I love you." Mulder frowned into the phone. Phoebe's usual answer of 'Yes, I know you do.' was starting to get on his nerves. He hung up and sighed. Sitting down, he gently rubbed his temples. "How's the old ball and chain doing?" \ "Knock it off, Chris." Mulder grumbled, not in the mood for more Phoebe jokes. "So, did you get her permission to go tonight?" "I don't need her *permission* to do anything. We're going and I'm determined to have a good time." Mulder stated. "There's going to be a whole lotta ladies there tonight." Chris said slyly. "I don't give a shit about the ladies. I just want to get the hell out of the house for a while. I've been back in the states for two weeks and I haven't done a fucking thing except sit around and wait for the goddamn phone to ring." Mulder snapped. "So, we're going?" Chris asked, pleased at his friend's decision. "We're going." Mulder affirmed. ~~ ~~ Alpha Kappa Gamma Fraternity House Just off the University of Maryland Campus 10:13pm Mulder leaned up against the wall, wishing he were invisible. This was the party from hell. A bunch of rich jocks playing drinking games. Usually, he would have played along... but tonight, for some unknown reason, he'd felt the need to stay sober. Chris was across the room, a tall, leggy blonde draped all over him. Chris caught his eye and motioned for him to come over. Mulder weeded his way through the crowd and over to him. "Mulder," He said, smiling happily, "this is Skyla Taylor, and her roommate, Dana Scully." He gestured on the latter name to a girl leaning against the bar next to the blonde. Mulder looked over at her and did an involuntary double-take. She was ethereal. Small, but beautifully shaped, she couldn't have been more than 5'2''. Her fiery red hair fell in soft curls about halfway down her back, framing her angelic face. And her eyes, God, her eyes... they were a shimmering crystal blue. A man could easily get lost in those eyes. Somewhere in the part of his brain that was still focused on the rest of the world, he realized Chris was still speaking. "Ladies, this is my roommate, Fox Mulder - but don't call him Fox if you expect an answer." "You don't like the name Fox?" Sky asked, "It certainly suits you." She purred. It took all of Mulder's restraint not to roll his eyes. It wasn't the first time he'd heard that. "I just prefer Mulder." "Well, I just prefer Sky. It's nice to meet you." She smiled and reverted her attention back to the angel next to her. "Day, I think Chris and I are going to blow this place - you need a ride home?" ~ Scully was aware that the people around her were having a conversation, but she hadn't been able to take her eyes off Chris's friend since he'd come over. He had incredibly soft looking chestnut hair, trim and neat in the back, but longer in the front - so that a few wayward strands brushed his eyebrows. He was tall and just muscular enough to be sexy, without being garish. There was an adorable little mole on his right cheek, and his eyes... God, his eyes... they were a soft warm hazel that melted into a bright gold-flecked green when he looked at her. She pried her eyes away from this man, Mulder - not Fox, when she realized Sky was speaking to her. " - you need a ride home?" "I can take her." Mulder said quickly, he didn't want to let this beautiful creature out of his sight yet. "Dana?" Sky asked, giving her friend a concerned glance. "I - I'd like that." Scully said, surprising herself as well as Sky. Dana Scully wasn't the type to feel so comfortable with a complete stranger so soon. Shy shrugged and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek. "See you at home. Night, Kit Kat." She left before Scully could give her a dirty look. "Kit Kat?" Mulder asked, his eyebrows raised. "Like the candy bar?" "Um, yeah... they're kinda my weakness, and my middle name is Katherine.. so..." She gave him a shy smile. Mulder looked down and gave her a dazzling smile. "Well, Dana, it's nice to meet you." Scully furrowed her brow and looked up and him, puzzled. He gazed back at her with equal confusion. "I - that..." She began, not able to form her thoughts into a sentence. "I know... it didn't feel right, did it?" Mulder asked. Scully shook her head and thought for a moment. "Well, if I'm going to call you Mulder, how 'bout you call me Scully?" She concluded, raising her eyebrows at him. "I like that." He said softly, unconsciously stepping closer to her. He was looking right into her eyes, and he watched - mesmerized as they darkened to a deep, stormy blue. He suddenly felt an irresistible urge to kiss her. He brought one hand up and gently cupped her cheek. Scully took a shaky breath and rested her hand against him on her face. She watched as he slowly leaned in, glancing into her eyes for permission. She squeezed his hand in response and he ever so gently touched his lips to hers. The jolt of electricity surged through them both and they broke the kiss simultaneously, their faces still touching. "Scully..." Mulder breathed, running his hands through her hair. "I know, I know..." She whispered, reaching between them and tracing her thumbs over his lips. He shuddered at her touch and dropped his arms to circle her waist, lifting her up against him and a warm, tight embrace. "You wanna get outta here?" He asked quietly. She stiffened in his arms and pulled back, apprehensive. "Mulder..." She murmured. "Don't worry," He assured her, brushing her hair out of her eyes, "I'm not suggesting anything other than taking a walk. I have this sudden urge to know everything about you." She smiled up at him. "I know just the place." ~~ ~~ Twenty minutes later the strolled along an inlet of the Chesapeake, looking at the lights from the boats out on the water. Across the pedestrian bridge stood the Baltimore Aquarium. "So, you start school in the fall?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, Sophomore year." Mulder blinked at her, "Sophomore? Really? How old are you?" He could have sworn she was barely eighteen. "Eighteen." Scully replied. "I know what you're thinking - I took almost all AP classes my Senior year, so the University counted those toward my credits, making me technically a Sophomore." "Brains and beauty." He murmured to himself. "Dare I ask, what's your major?" Her smiled faltered for a moment, and he looked at her curiously. "What... what is it?" She sighed. "Well, I took a lot of science classes in high school... and that," She said, pointing to the Aquarium, "is one of my favorite places in the world, and I've been a lot of places.? My father is a Naval Captain, so... I've thought about marine biology, maybe teaching. My parents want me to go to medical school. I took an aptitude test last year that recommended I either go into medicine or law enforcement." She chucked at herself. "To make a short story long - my major is most decidedly undeclared. What about you?" "Psychology." He said simply. "Psych, huh? How long have you been going here?" She asked, stopping and sitting down on a bench on the bridge. Mulder plopped down next to her, suddenly very interested in his hands. "I actually don't go to school here... I'm uh, going to be a Senior in the fall at um, Oxford." "Oxford." She repeated. "In England." Mulder didn't miss the flash of disappointment in her eyes. "What are you doing here?" "You met Chris - we grew up together out on Martha's Vineyard, and we spend our summers here - catching up on old times, so to speak. He's a good friend." "Sounds like me and Sky. We met when I was eight. She's really the only friend who bothered to keep in touch with me all the times my family moved." "Where all have you lived?" He asked, leaning closer and winding a lock of hair around his finger. "Well... let's see... San Francisco, Japan, Vancouver, Corpus Christi, Norfolk, San Diego, and of course, here." She gave him a sad smile. "It was hard to hold onto friends." "I can imagine." He leaned even closer and brushed his lips across her cheek, nuzzling her face with his nose. "So, Scully, are you seeing anyone?" He whispered in her ear. "N-no." She managed. It was hard to concentrate with him so close. "My boyfriend and I broke up on graduation day. Couple weeks ago. What about you, do you have a girlfriend?" She asked, hoping he'd say no. He leaned back slightly and looked into her azure eyes. He thought of Phoebe, and then the perfect little angel sitting so close to him. He shook his head. "Not anymore." ~~ ~~ 5 Weeks Later... "Mmmm... Mulder..." Scully breathed. They were sitting on her couch, arms and legs entwined, her hands in his hair and his mouth on her neck. For nearly a month and a half they'd been inseparable, going everywhere and doing everything together. The Aquarium every weekend, fireworks out on the Bay for the Fourth... They were in love. Neither one had said it, but they both knew it. Scully whimpered slightly as Mulder found a sweet spot on her neck below her left ear and sucked gently. His hands softly ran up and down her body, taking his cues from the breathy noises she was making. He let his fingers stray up the brush the top button of the soft lilac sweater she was wearing. She stiffened slightly and Mulder pulled back to look into her eyes. They'd gotten this far before, and she'd always wanted him to stop. He always had. Tonight he thought he saw a new desire in her eyes, but he wasn't about to go any further than she would let him. "Mulder..." She whispered. "There's something I need to tell you before we take this any further." He nodded at her, and sensing her tension, took her hands in his. She gave him a smile full of trust and began her story. "When I was sixteen my sister, Melissa, took me to a party at one of her friend's houses. There was a guy there and we started talking. I - I didn't know anyone there and Melissa ditched me, so he offered to give me a ride home...." She broke off and he brushed away a tear she didn't know know she'd shed. After a moment, she continued and he listened with detached horror as she described the innocent ride home, the rejected advance, and the moment she'd realized that he was going to take what she wouldn't give. Mulder spoke for the first time since she'd begun. "Did he - did he rape you?" He asked, nearly choking on the words. "No, I got a hand free and kind of clawed at him and when he flinched I kneed him in the balls." She said, blushing. Mulder felt a rush of pride and gave his little warrior a soft smile. "You know I'd never do anything like that, don't you?" "Of course. I just thought you should know. I mean, I didn't want to to think that I didn't want to - with you... because I do. I just get scared sometimes." She squeezed his hand and looked up at him. "There's one more thing..." "You can tell me anything, Scully." She nodded and took a deep breath. "Mulder... I'm a virgin." Scully dropped her eyes and a bright red blush swept across her face. Mulder couldn't seem to find his voice for a minute. Instead he raised a shaky hand and gently tucked her hair behind her ear, his fingers trailing down to her chin. He applied just enough pressure to make her look up at him. When she met his gaze he smiled at her. "I guessed that," he admitted softly. This caused her to blush again. "I think it's sexy," he added in a low voice, leaning forward to softly brush his lips against hers. "Really?" In response, Mulder slid his hand to the back of her head and pulled her lips to his, kissing her passionately. Finally, when he could wait to breath no longer, he reluctantly tore his mouth from hers. They were both struggling to catch their breath. "Does that answer your question?" "Definitely," she mumbled breathlessly. Her hands reached hesitantly for the buttons on her sweater and she slowly started to unbutton them. She was working on the second one when Mulder's hands stopped her, gently cradling her hands in his and drawing them to his lips. "Scully, I need you to know something," he whispered, looking into her eyes. She nodded slightly and he continued. "I need you to know.....you're in charge here. I won't ever take anything you don't want to give me. And I won't ever ask you to go any farther than you are ready for. I-I'm not going anywhere, Scully" He paused and looked at her shyly for a moment. "I love you. Nothing that does or doesn't happen will ever change that." Scully couldn't believe what she'd just heard. Mulder said he loved her! She reached her hand up and traced her thumb across his lips. She could feel the tears threatening to fall and she drew a deep breath before speaking. "I love you, too, Mulder. I feel like I've always loved you," she whispered. Mulder drew her into his arms and hugged her tightly against him. They sat silently for a few minutes, holding onto one another and enjoying the feel of their new found closeness. Scully burrowed her head into Mulder's neck and began to place soft, wet kisses on his skin, just below his ear. Her fingers curled up into the short hair at the back of his head and tugged slightly, giving her better access to his neck and ear. Mulder sucked in a sharp breath when he felt her draw her teeth across his earlobe. "God, Scully," he moaned softly. Scully grinned against his skin and then threw her leg across his lap and quickly situated herself astride him. Mulder's eyes widened slightly at her move, but he didn't have time to react further because her mouth came down to claim his in a hot, passion filled kiss. Mulder again reached for the buttons on her sweater. This time as his fingers worked the small pearl buttons she didn't stop him. When he was finished he slowly pushed the sweater back and off her shoulders. He leaned his head back so that he could look at her face. His eyes locked with hers as his fingers began to draw intricate patterns across the skin of her chest and stomach. He carefully skipped over her breasts, still encased in the soft white cotton bra. Finally, he carefully traced his fingers between her breasts and hooked one on the front clasp of the bra. Then he raised one eyebrow slightly, silently asking her permission to remove it. Scully could feel her heart racing as she looked at Mulder. She had finally crossed a line she had never crossed before. No one had ever seen her in this way. And she had never before allowed anyone to touch her the way Mulder was. At his silent request she nodded slightly and then caught her bottom lip with her teeth as he flicked his wrist and her bra fell away from her, exposing her chest to him. At first he kept his eyes on hers, trying to reassure her. Then he slowly allowed his gaze to drop to the newly exposed flesh before him. He reached out and gently cupped her breast in his hand, squeezing softly and running his thumb over her nipple. She let out a soft gasp and her head dropped back. "Do you like that, Scully?" he asked breathlessly. Scully raised her head again and smiled at him. Then she leaned down and nipped lightly at his bottom lip before drawing it into her mouth. Mulder smiled into the kiss and continued to gently knead her breasts with his hands. When they finally pulled their lips apart, Mulder slid his mouth down, placing tender butterfly kisses across her face and down her neck. He moved slowly, taking the time to nip and lick at her skin every now and then as he moved around her throat and down to her collarbone. Scully sighed and ran her hands down to the hem of his t-shirt, tugging once to let him know what she wanted. He lifted his head away from her long enough to lose his shirt and then his lips were again tracing wandering patterns across her upper chest and shoulder. She ran her hands possessively across his bare chest, enjoying the feel of the tight muscles and the way they tensed when she touched them. Her hand strayed up to his left shoulder. As she started to move across it she had a sudden mental flash of Mulder, bleeding from a bullet wound in the shoulder and her, dropping her pistol and kneeling over him. Her body stiffened and she pulled away from his embrace, her eyes wildly searching out his. "What is it?" he asked quietly, easily reading the fear in her eyes. "I-I'm not sure," she said softly. She shook her head and tried to rid herself of the image. It wasn't real, just her overactive imagination. She didn't even own a gun. She met his eyes and offered him a weak smile. "It's okay. I- It wasn't anything." Mulder looked at her closely for a minute. She still looked a little shaken up, but he didn't have a clue what had happened. He reached out and gently stroked his fingers across her face. "I think I should go now, Scully," he said softly. Scully sighed. She didn't really want him to leave, but maybe he was right. Maybe it would be best if they didn't do anything else right now. She wasn't sure she would be able to stop him if they continued like they had been. And although she knew she would eventually give herself to Mulder in that way, she wasn't at all sure that she was ready for that right now. She smiled and nodded at him. Mulder leaned over and kissed her lips, slowly and gently. Then he stood up and grabbed his shirt, moving toward the door. Her voice stopped him before he could turn the knob. "Mulder?" "Yeah?" He responded, turning back to look at her. "I...could...." she trailed off and closed her eyes briefly. "My family is getting together for the weekend at my parents house this weekend. I told them I might bring someone......" "If that's an invitation, Scully, I'd love to go with you," Mulder said. Scully looked up at him and saw the soft smile that lit his whole face, even reaching his eyes. She returned his smile. She was glad he had agreed to go, even if that hadn't been what she was originally going to ask. While she was thinking Mulder had turned back to the door and was about to leave. "Mulder!" she called out quickly before she lost her nerve. "I-I don't really want to be alone right now. Do you think you could stay?" Mulder looked at her, her stormy blue eyes appeared troubled. He knew that something was wrong. Something had happened that had caused this and he desperately wanted to know what it was. He really hoped that it hadn't been him. He didn't want to be the cause of that troubled expression. "Scully?" he asked quietly, wanting to understand her motives. "I just want to be held tonight, Mulder. I think I need that. Will you stay?" "I would like that, Scully," he answered in a soft voice, moving back to the couch to sit beside her. She immediately curled up in his arms and snuggled as close as she could. "I love you," he whispered into her hair. "I love you, too, Mulder," she answered sleepily, her hand finding his and squeezing gently. *********** *********** 2:28am Mulder reached out and gently touched Scully's shoulder. She flashed him a reassuring look and then turned back to the building in front of them. Mulder wasn't sure why they were here, but it felt right and somehow his body seemed to know what to do, so he just followed along. With a practiced move that he didn't recognize, Mulder kicked the small door open and followed Scully inside. He turned to his right, where she stood about the same time he heard the loud gunshot echo through the building. His eyes widened in horror as he watched Scully jerk, a small breath escaping her. Then warm, gooey matter splattered across his face and Scully collapsed to the ground beside him. "Scully!" The loud sound of his voice in the silent room woke Mulder up. He sat bold upright in bed, his breathing coming in short, sharp gasps and his heart racing. For the space of a heartbeat he didn't know where he was. Then he remembered. He was at Scully's. His hand reached out across the bed and contacted warm skin. She was there. She was alive. He drew a deep, calming breath and lowered his head into his hands. God. What the hell kind of dream had that been? It had felt so real. The only other nightmare that Mulder had ever had that seemed that real were the ones about Samantha. And he had never told anyone about those. It was too personal. But this...he didn't even know how to explain this. He shook his head and quietly slipped from her bed, making his way into the darkened kitchen for a glass of water. He stood in front of the sink for a long time, replaying the dream in his mind, trying to explain where it had come from. They weren't in danger, there was nothing wrong between them. Hell, they were perfect. And he had never seen that building before. He was still lost in his thoughts when he heard Scully's terrified scream coming from the other room. He dropped his glass and sprinted back toward her. "Scully?!" he called, racing into the room to find her sitting in bed, tears streaking down her face. "What is it, baby?" he crooned softly, pulling her into his arms and rocking gently back and forth. Scully couldn't seem to think straight. Her brain was still a little foggy from the dream and she found herself mumbling incoherently into his chest. "I-I saw my body. I watched you die. He shot you," she was still crying hysterically, her hands clutching fiercely at his back. "Shh, sweetheart. It's okay, I'm here. I'm okay," Mulder mumbled quietly, soothingly stroking her hair. Finally her tears subsided and she raised up to meet his worried gaze. "You weren't here. I thought you were gone. I..I was so afraid," she said quietly. "It's okay. I went to get a drink. I would never leave you, Scully. Never." Scully nodded weakly and buried herself back into his arms, snuggling as close as she could. Mulder tightened his embrace and nuzzled his face into her hair, inhaling her scent. Something she had said bothered him and he quietly tried to find a way to bring it up without upsetting her. Maybe he should wait until tomorrow. She was still trembling in his arms. Mulder carefully climbed back into bed, never letting go of the small trembling angel in his arms. He tucked her body carefully up against him and wrapped himself as far around her as he could. He held her that way the rest of the night. Scully eventually went back to sleep, and thankfully her dreams were peaceful. Mulder stayed awake watching her the whole time, his brow furrowed in concern. He could feel in his gut that something was wrong. Something was very wrong and they were only just beginning to see it. Instinctively his arms tightened around her, trying desperately to protect her from an evil he could feel, but could not yet see. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO BE CONTINUED... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Moments Aléatoires À temps (Random Moments in Time) (2/3) by Cassie and Shanda ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Friday, July 16, 1982 William and Margaret Scully Residence Washington, D.C. "Daddy!" Scully exclaimed, happily launching herself into her father's arms. "Hello, Starbuck." He said, hugging his daughter tightly. After a moment, he pulled back from the embrace and glanced at the young man standing next to her. "Who's this?" He asked, arching what Mulder had come to call a 'ScullyBrow.' "Daddy, this is my, uh, friend - Fox Mulder." "Captain." Mulder said, reaching out his hand. He knew better than to salute as a civilian. William grasped his hand and they shook firmly. "Your daughter talks about you all the time." William smiled and ushered them inside. "Maggie, Charlie, Dana's here!" He called. Out of nowhere, a carrot-topped, teenage kid raced down the stairs and tackled Scully to the ground, tickling her mercilessly. "Charlie!" She gasped through her laughter. "Charlie, let me up!" Scully shimmied out from under her brother, flipped them both over and straddled his hips, effectively pinning his arms behind his back. "Gotcha!" She announced triumphantly. She smiled up at Mulder who grinned and pointed behind her. Scully turned, but not quick enough to fend off the pair of strong arms that lifted her off of Charlie. "Bill!" She screamed as he tossed her over his shoulder. Charlie got up and jumped around them both, giggling like a little kid. Bill set Scully gently down onto her feet. "Mulder," she said breathlessly, "there are my brothers. Charlie and Bill. Guys, this is Fox Mulder." "People just call you Mulder?" Charlie asked curiously. "If your first name was Fox would you wanna go by it?" "Touche." Charlie grinned. "Is Missy here?" Scully asked. "No, not yet. She called a few minutes ago to say she was on her way. But, Tara's out back." He said, referring to his girlfriend. "She's been looking forward to seeing you again." "Okay, I'm going to go say hi." Leaning up she gently kissed the corner of Mulder's mouth and left the room. The brothers exchanged glances and Bill took a step toward Mulder. "So, what exactly are your intentions toward my baby sister?" He asked, his tone cold and clipped. Mulder blinked at him, taken aback by this sudden verbal assault. "I - what do you mean?" "She's young and she's innocent. I want it to stay that way. I don't want to see her hurt." Bill growled. Mulder stepped up. "I love your sister, more than anything. I would never, *ever* hurt her. Or let anyone else hurt her." "You'd better hope so." Bill said, and abruptly left. Charlie glanced up at Mulder apologetically. "Sorry about that. Bill's very protective of Danie. He can get... intense." "Yeah, I got that." Mulder said, giving the youngest Scully a grimly amused smile. The front door opened, and a young woman strode in. "Hey, little brother." She smiled, coming over and ruffling Charlie's hair. "Missy, I'd like you to meet a friend of Danie's, this is - " "Fox Mulder." Melissa finished. "I was hoping Dana would bring you. She talks about you a lot. *A lot*." She smiled, reaching up and fingered the crystal pendant choker around her neck. She cocked her head to the side and looked at Mulder quizzically. "Do you believe in past lives, Mr. Mulder?" "It's just Mulder, and yeah, actually I do." He said as a thought flashed through his mind. "Why do you ask?" He inquired, clearing away the strange thought. "No reason. Just a feeling." She said. "Is she on that Psychic kick again?" Scully asked, coming back into the room and hugging her sister. "Hi, Missy." "Hi, Dana." She replied, kissing the top of her little sister's head. "Missy?" An older woman, her hands dusted with flour, came into the room. "Dana! Oh, I'm sorry sweetie. I've been elbow deep in chicken! Charlie, go help your father with the grill." Charlie kissed his mother on the cheek and headed outside, Melissa following suit. "You must be Fox." She said, giving him a warm smile. Somehow the use of his first name didn't bother him with Scully's mother. Scully seemed to sense it as well, he noticed. "Mrs. Scully." He said, returning her smile. "Oh, please. Call me Maggie." ~~ ~~ 2:23AM Mulder jerked awake in the guest bedroom and glanced around. What had woken him? He closed his eyes, listening carefully. From across the hall he could hear the muffled sobs coming from Scully's room. He scrambled out of bed, into her room and knelt beside the bed. "Scully... baby, wake up, honey." He whispered, stroking her cheek gently. Her eyes fluttered open and focused on him. "Hey." He said softly. "Mulder." She breathed, scooting aside and reaching for him. He slipped into bed next to her and wrapped her tightly in his arms. "I was taken away, by this... man. I called and called for you... but you never came." She whimpered. Mulder stiffened slightly as she unknowingly recited the nightmare that had woken him earlier that week. "It's okay, baby... I'm here now. It was just a dream." "Was it?" She asked, looking up at him. "These dreams - they seem so real, Mulder." "It's okay." He repeated, leaning down to place a soft kiss on her lips. He meant it as a comfort kiss, but she moaned into his mouth and he gave in, sliding his tongue into her mouth and running it along hers. They drank each other in, their arms and legs entwining hotly. Scully ran her hands under the t shirt he was wearing and trailed her nails down his chest. Mulder shuddered and pulled her body close against his. His fingers ran up and down her sides over her shirt, unsure of how far she wanted to take this. "Mulder," Scully breathed quietly, her lips placing small kisses across his jaw and down his neck. "Mmmhmm," he answered, his own lips occupied with her earlobe. "Touch me, Mulder," she whispered. Mulder pulled back and looked at her. She nodded shyly and raised herself up to kiss his lips again. Mulder deepened her kiss and ran his hand up under her shirt, gently cupping her breast and teasing her nipple with his thumb. Scully groaned quietly and arched her back toward him. He trailed a path of kisses down her neck and along her collar before moving back enough to pull it up over her head. Then his lips found her soft skin again and he started placing light, teasing kisses across her shoulders and down her chest. His lips closed around her nipple as his hand found her other breast, kneading gently. Scully moaned and threaded her hands into the short hair at the back of his head. One of his hands trailed down, stopping at the top of her shorts and toying with the drawstring. She had never allowed him to go any farther than this, so he was content to do what he was and nothing else. She surprised him though when her hand covered his at her waist and gave a gentle push down. He raised his head, his eyes seeking hers. Scully smiled when he meet her gaze and nodded slightly. Mulder raised up and captured her mouth with his again, pushing his tongue into her mouth and sucking gently on her bottom lip. "God, Scully," he murmured breathlessly as he pulled back, his lips and teeth nipping at her skin under her chin and down again. He kissed his way to her breast again and slipped his hand under the shorts at the same time. Scully jerked when his fingers brushed across her center. God, she wanted him. She had never felt this before. The sensations running through her body were unbelievable. Mulder couldn't believe that she was letting him do this. She was so hot. He tugged lightly on her shorts and she lifted her hips off the bed, allowing him to slide them and her panties down her legs. His fingers once again found her and he brushed them softly up and down her folds before slipping one finger into her. Scully gasped as she felt his finger slide inside her body. "Oh, Mulder," she moaned, arching her hips up toward his hand. Mulder shuddered and began to slowly stroke his finger in and out of her, his thumb finding the small bundle of nerves at the top and gently circling it. He quickly set up a slow gentle rhythm with his finger and thumb working together. Scully began to rock her hips in time with his hand. He raised up on his elbow and began to place soft butterfly kisses all around her face and neck. Scully locked her hands around his neck and drew him down to her mouth. The way he was making her feel was unbelievable. She had been a little nervous when she first pushed his hand down there, but that was quickly replaced by the wonderful feelings he produced in her. She knew she was about to come. She'd been able to bring herself to orgasm before, but no one else had ever touched her there...and she'd never been touched like *that*. Then she couldn't think because the explosion of pleasure erupted in her center and spread throughout her entire body. She tensed and threw her head back, softly calling out to Mulder. Mulder watched her as the orgasm took her. Her stormy blue eyes locked with his and then slammed shut as she threw her head back. Her face was twisted into a grimace of pleasure and she cried out. He didn't think he'd ever seen anything as beautiful as Scully lost in the throes of passion. His lips claimed hers again as he slowed his fingers and gently withdrew them from her. His arms wrapped around her and he held her as the tremors left her body. Scully opened her eyes slowly to find Mulder watching her with an expression of awe. She knew at that moment that she wanted him, all of him, inside her. She reached out and pulled his body almost completely onto hers. Her hand found its way into his boxers and she gently grasped him. He was completely hard and aroused from what they had done before. She sighed and started to push his shorts down with one hand while the other stayed on him, gently running up and down his length. "Scully, wait..." Mulder gasped, pulling her hand away from him. "No, it's okay. I want to, I'm ready." She assured. "I know, but not like this okay? Not borne from a nightmare." He reached down and stroked his fingers over her face. "Scully, when I make love to you, when I'm finally inside you... I want it to be perfect." Smiling, she nodded and pulled him down next to her, resting her head on his chest. Trailing her fingers over his flesh she whispered softly. "Has anyone ever told you what a gentleman you are, Fox Mulder?" "No one that mattered, 'til now." He said, holding her closer. "I love you." "I love you... now sleep, baby. Sleep..." ~~ ~~ 6AM "Dana," a voice called, knocking on the door. "C'mon, Danie. Rise and Shine!" The door opened and Bill entered, the smile fading from his face as soon as he saw Mulder, still lying in bed with Scully. Slamming the door he advanced toward the bed. Mulder got up quickly, preparing to explain how innocent the situation was, when Bill's fist connected sharply with Mulder's left cheek. "You mother-fucker! What the hell are you doing in my sister's bed?" "Bill, stop it!" Scully screamed, racing over to Mulder who was leaning against the nightstand rubbing his face. "You think you can just come into my family's home and seduce my baby sister!?" "Children!" All three looked up to see Maggie standing in the doorway. Quickly, she closed the door and lowered her voice. "I want an explanation. Right now." "I came in to wake her up and found Mr. Mulder her in bed, trying to seduce her!" "We were sleeping!" Scully protested, "Bill came in and started throwing punches!" She said, motioning to Mulder's already swelling face. "William, your father is outside getting the boat ready. Go help him." Maggie said calmly. "Mom-" "Go!" Bill reluctantly left the room, leaving Mulder with a few choice words. "You are one sorry son-of-a-bitch." He whispered contemptuously. "Mom, I swear, we were just sleeping. I had a really bad nightmare last night and I asked Mulder to stay with me. I always sleep better when he's with me..." She trailed off, realizing what she'd just revealed as Maggie's eyebrows shot up. "Fox, go down to the kitchen and put some ice on that before the swelling gets worse." "Mrs. Scully, I just want you to know that I would never take advantage of your daughter. I love her." \ "I know, and I told you to call me Maggie. Now, go ice down your battle scars. I want to talk to my daughter." Mulder kissed Scully on the cheek and left them alone. "Mom, I - " "Do you love him, honey?" "Yes," She replied without hesitation. "I love him very much." She blushed and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Good. That's all I wanted to know. Just promise me you'll be careful." Scully reached up and gently fingered the gold cross her mother had given her three birthdays ago. "Mom, we haven't done anything yet - " "Just promise me, Dana. Humor your mother, okay?" "I promise." Maggie smiled and hugged her daughter tightly. "Now I have to go make sure Bill doesn't kill anyone.....or *tell* anyone." Scully nodded and watched her mother leave. Then she sighed heavily and grabbed her clothes. She really wanted to talk to Bill, too. She wanted him to like Mulder and she knew she had a lot of explaining to do before Bill would accept that what he saw had really been innocent. Then a small smile played across her lips. Well, fairly innocent anyway. *********** Mulder leaned against the counter in the kitchen, eyes closed. God, that had been really bad. He hadn't meant for anyone to find him in Scully's bed. He'd had every intention of moving before the rest of the family woke up. A dry, humorless chuckle escaped his lips. Oh, well, at least it had been her brother and not her father. Although he wasn't sure Bill wasn't outside telling their father right now. That wouldn't be good. He really didn't feel like getting his ass kicked today. He heard soft footsteps enter the kitchen and he turned to see Maggie standing there watching him. "How's your face?" she asked quietly. "I'm fine, really," Mulder answered. He shifted uncomfortably, wanting to say something, anything that would make it alright. "Sit down, Fox," Maggie said motioning to a chair at the table. Mulder sat down and Maggie sat across from him. For a long moment she just looked at him. "I spoke to Dana and she explained what happened to me. I believe her. And I believe her when she says you two haven't done anything." Mulder felt his ears burning slightly. "I swear, I'd never take advantage of her," he said quietly. Maggie nodded and reached out to squeeze his hand. "Do you love her, Fox? Really?" "Yes. With everything that I am," he answered without hesitation. Maggie smiled then. "I believe you. The only other thing I'd like to say is this....the two of you, be careful and be smart." Mulder stared at Maggie as she got up and walked outside. He was sure his jaw was on the floor. That couldn't possibly be right. She wasn't upset that he'd slept with Scully. And she'd pretty much told him it was okay as long as they were careful. He ran a hand through his hair and was about to stand up when two small arms wrapped around his shoulders. "You okay?" Scully asked, leaning over him and hugging him tightly. "Yeah. How about you?" he asked carefully, turning to look at her. She flashed him a soft smile and leaned over to kiss him. "I'm fine, Mulder," she answered. As the words left her mouth Mulder felt as though he'd heard that before and for some reason he felt like it hadn't been the truth. Scully noticed his expression and pulled back to look at him. "Mulder?" "Scully, I - I think we need to talk about some stuff," Mulder said quietly. He'd spent most of the night after she'd gone to sleep thinking about the odd nightmares he'd been having. Obviously she was having them too. When he glanced back up at her he saw the uncertainty in her eyes and immediately reached up and smoothed her hair out of her face. "About the nightmares, Scully," he reassured. "Oh," she paused and glanced at her feet. When her eyes met his again they were deeply troubled. "There's more to them than nightmares aren't there?" "I'm not sure, baby. But I think...." his words trailed off when Bill and Maggie came back in. Maggie pointed Bill to a chair and he reluctantly sat down. Then she looked between the three young people in front of her. "Okay, Dana, I brought Bill in so that you can explain to him what he saw this morning." Scully stared to speak, but Maggie held her hand up. "First of all I made sure that no one told your father and that no one will tell him. I already told you both that I believe you, but it's up to you to make your brother believe you." Scully flashed her mom a grateful smile and turned to Bill. "Billy, please listen to me. I swear that what you saw this morning was not what it looked like." "Then what the hell was it?" Bill demanded, his eyes boring a hole into Mulder. "I had a nightmare, Bill. A very bad one. Mulder heard me cry out and came in to see if I was okay. I asked him to stay because I didn't want to be alone. All he did was hold me so that I could go back to sleep." Bill studied his sister for a moment then his eyes went back to Mulder. "Well, I have no reason to *not* believe my sister. However, I will say this, and I will only say it once so you'd better listen close. She is my baby sister and I won't stand for anyone to hurt her or take advantage of her. If I ever find out that you've done anything to hurt her I will make sure you are extremely sorry. Am I making myself clear?" Mulder looked at Scully and her eyes told him all he needed to know. He turned back to Bill, who had not missed the silent exchange between them. "Bill, I'm sorry about what you thought you saw. But I already told you, I would never hurt her. And I would never let anyone else hurt her. I don't really care if you believe me or not because it's the truth." Bill nodded briefly and then stood up and turned to Maggie. "Can I go finish helping Dad now?" "Yes, Bill. But remember what I said," Maggie answered. Bill grunted and turned on his heel, leaving the three alone again. ************** four hours later..... Scully laughed happily and leaned back against Mulder. They'd been out on the boat for a while and she thought that maybe Bill was going to be cool about what had happened earlier. Mulder stood quietly behind her with his arms wrapped around her waist. She leaned her head back and looked up at him. "What'cha thinking about?" she asked quietly, taking in his thoughtful expression. He didn't answer, his eyes appearing to be miles away. Concerned Scully turned in his embrace and whispered to him again. "Mulder? You okay?" "Huh? Oh..yeah, I'm okay, Scully," he answered. Scully furrowed her brow and looked at him again. "Mulder, what...." her voice trailed off as she felt a shiver run through his body. "Scully, I think we need to have that talk now," he said quietly, his eyes still caught on some distant point. Scully moved away a few steps and sat down, looking up at him. "Mulder, please sit down and talk to me." "The nightmare you had last night....can you tell me about it?" "I told you, Mulder. I-I was taken away. This man took me. I don't know who he was....but I remember being in the trunk of the car. I remember trying to call out to you, praying that you'd get there in time. But you weren't there..." her face took on a troubled expression. "That's all I remember aside from some bright lights." Mulder nodded thoughtfully. "And the first time I stayed with you? What did you dream that night?" "I don't know," she said softly, looking up at him. "Okay. Let me tell you the dreams I've been having," Mulder started. "A few days ago I woke up screaming because I thought you were gone. That dream you had last night was the same one I had. I heard your voice, calling out to me over the phone I think, to help you. That you needed me. I tried...god, I tried so hard. But you were gone. A man took you and then you were gone. When I got there it was only him and some very bright lights." Scully sat very still through Mulder's speech. She was shocked. How were they having the same dreams? It wasn't possible was it? She involuntarily shivered and moved closer to him, placing her hand on his arm. "And it's not just the dreams, Scully," he said quietly. "Sometimes the oddest thoughts or visions pop into my mind. And they seem so real, but they can't possibly be real." He shook his head. "The first night I stayed with you, I woke up terrified that you'd been shot. I *saw* you get killed. I know I did. It was so real. And then you woke up, and you told me about the man that shot you." Scully nodded. She did remember that dream. She just didn't want to think about it. "I know, Mulder. I was very frightened about what I saw. It was..." "Disturbing," Mulder finished for her. Scully nodded. "What you said about thoughts and stuff just popping into your head? Well, you remember what happened that night?" Mulder raised his eyebrow at her. "Yeah, I do." "I ran my hand over your shoulder and I had this flash of - of you with a bullet in your shoulder. And me with a gun." "Jesus, Scully, what the hell is going on?" "I don't know, Mulder," she answered. "But it feels too real to just be dreams. And both of us having the same ones?" "The same ones what?" Melissa asked, walking up behind them. "Um...nothing, Missy," Scully answered quickly. Melissa studied the two carefully. She could tell that they were hiding something and that they were both upset, but decided not to push it. She'd talk to her sister later about it. "Oh, okay. Well, I'm going to find mom if you need anything," she said, looking pointedly at her sister. "Scully, I have no idea what's happening here. I'm not sure I want to know either. But, I want you to tell me anything that feels...off. Okay?" "Yeah. But only if you can do the same." "I promise. And whatever this is, we'll get through it. Together. That's a promise too." Mulder smiled at her and leaned over, brushing his lips across hers in a soft gentle kiss. Scully snaked her arms around his neck and ran her tongue across his bottom lip. Mulder sighed and happily deepened their kiss, pulling her close to him and buried his hands in her hair. When they broke apart, Mulder leaned his forehead against hers, trying to steady his breathing. "I love you, Scully," he whispered softly. "I love you, too," she answered, gently running her fingers across his lips. She sighed softly and smiled at him. "I think we should look into what's been happening to us. But, we should do it after we get back. Let's just try to enjoy what's left of our weekend, okay?" "That sounds like an excellent idea, Scully," Mulder agreed, leaning in to kiss her again. ~~ ~~ ~*~ Authors' Note ~*~ Remember, this is 1982. Back then, the world didn't know what AIDS was. Please, bear that in mind as you read this section. Once again, the Fortress *does not* advocate unsafe sex. ~~ ~~ One Week Later Mulder sat comfortably on his sleeping bag, staring at Scully. The firelight was caught in her hair, making it flame brighter that usual. "This was a good idea." He murmured, smiling as she snuggled closer to him. "I made an appointment." Scully said softly. "You did?" "Yeah... I told Missy a little of what was going on and she gave me the name of a hypnotherapist. Some guy named Dr. Werber. He's supposed to be really good." "Scully, I know you don't really believe that kind of thing can help... you didn't have to do that." "I know, but I want to find out what's going on. At this point, I'm willing to try anything." She adjusted herself to straddle his lap. "But for now, tonight, I don't want to think about anything but us." Mulder's eyes widened slightly at her change of position, but his arms went around her almost immediately, pulling her tight against his body. "And what would you like to think about us, Scully?" he whispered softly. Scully trailed her fingers slowly down the side of his face, her eyes following them closely. "I want you to make love to me, Mulder," she finally whispered. Then she leaned in and clamped her mouth over his before he had a chance to respond. Mulder quickly began to kiss her back, one hand running up her back to tangle in her hair, bringing her head closer to him. He ran his tongue across her bottom lip and she opened her mouth to him, her tongue slipping around his and exploring his mouth as he was hers. They finally had to break the kiss to breath. "Scully," Mulder gasped against her lips. "Are you sure?" She smiled and caught his bottom lip between her teeth, biting gently and then pulling back. "Yes," she said quietly. "I love you and I want to make love to you. Here. Tonight." Mulder felt himself harden even more than he already was at her words. "God, Scully," he breathed before pulling her to him for another kiss. When they broke apart this time he tenderly nuzzled at her jaw. "If you want to stop...at any time..." Scully smiled at him and nodded her head. She knew that. She had always known that. But she knew that she wasn't going to ask him to stop. She wanted this like she'd never wanted anything else in her entire life. She leaned down and started placing soft kisses on his cheeks, dodging his mouth as he tried to kiss her again. She was giggling softly. Finally he reached up and caught her head, holding it still andslanting his mouth over hers. She sighed into his kiss and deepened it quickly. Scully ran her hands under his t-shirt and up his back. She dragged her fingernails lightly across his shoulders and down his chest. Then she grasped the bottom of the shirt and tugged it upwards. Mulder broke their kiss long enough to pull his shirt off and then he claimed her lips again, thrusting his tongue deeply into her mouth. Scully couldn't help the soft moan that escaped her when she felt one of his hands slip beneath her shirt and slide around to her stomach. He drew small, meaningless patterns with his fingertips as his hand inched up toward her breast. She suddenly leaned away from him, but before he could voice the question his mind was forming she had reached down and jerked her own shirt over her head, dropping it behind her. Mulder shot her a soft, sexy grin and quickly unclasped her bra, pushing the straps down her arms. Mulder's hands found her breasts, cupping them gently and running his thumbs over the nipples. She drew in a sharp breath and rocked her hips against him. "God, Scully," Mulder breathed harshly against her skin. His lips trailed down her neck and over her collar bone. He gently nipped and licked his way along until he reached the top of her breasts. She whimpered helplessly and arched her back, trying to draw his mouth down to where she wanted it. Mulder smiled against her skin and quickly obliged her, his lips closing hotly over her nipple and sucking it gently into his mouth. Scully arched her back again, allowing her weight to rest on Mulder's arm that was around her waist. Her breath was coming in short gasps as she laced her fingers into his hair. She moaned loudly as his mouth trailed a path between her breasts, giving each the same treatment. Finally, when she couldn't stand it anymore she pushed herself away and stood up. Mulder smiled up at her and raised up on his knees, wrapping his arms around her waist and burying his face in her stomach. His lips left soft little kisses all over her abdomen as he went. Then he slowly brought one hand around to the front of her jeans and his eyes raised up to meet hers. She nodded slightly and he quickly unfastened them and slipped his hands inside. She shivered a little when she felt his hands pushing her jeans and panties down her legs. His lips followed them down her left leg and then he helped her step out of them before kissing back up her right leg. Mulder stood up slowly to face her, making sure his body rubbed against hers the whole time. He was shaking with the effort to control his urge to have her now. When he was standing in front of her Scully slid her arms around his neck and pulled his head down to her for a soft, gentle kiss. He pulled her as close to him as he could, feeling like he never wanted to let her go again. Scully's hands ran gently down Mulder's chest and stopped at the button on his jeans. Her lips were moving softly over his neck and down across his shoulder. His breath caught in his throat when he felt her small hands unfastening his jeans and tugging them over his hips. When they pooled at his ankles he quickly kicked them off and then pulled back slightly. "Scully, I love you so much," Mulder whispered softly. "You know that don't you?" "I love you, too, Mulder. I think I always have," she answered softly, running her fingers lightly over the bulge in his boxers. Mulder groaned and thrust his hips into her hand. She grinned up at him when she felt his reaction and did it again. "Jesus, Scully," Mulder moaned hoarsely. Then his hands landed on her shoulders and urged her down to the ground. She lay back and Mulder covered her body with his. His lips touched hers gently, just briefly, beginning a slow series of soft sweet kisses each a little deeper and lasting a little longer than the one before. They kissed that way for a while, Mulder's hands running up and down her body while she writhed beneath him. Then he trailed his lips across her face and down her neck, moving up to capture her earlobe between his teeth and tug gently. His mouth continued its exploration of her neck and shoulders, following the path his fingertips were laying out. He moved down and placed a kiss on her nipple before running his tongue around it. This elicited a deep groan from her throat. At the sound Mulder sucked her nipple into his mouth and thrust his hips against hers. They both moaned at the contact with only Mulder's boxers between them. Just when Scully thought she couldn't stand the way he was making her feel his mouth left her breast and started a slow path down her stomach. When his breath blew across her damp curls Scully tensed slightly. Mulder caught her move and his eyes sought out hers. She watched him for a minuet, taking comfort in the love and acceptance and...desire shining in the dark pools of green that his eyes had become. Then she bit her lip and closed her eyes, her hips arching slightly. Mulder smiled and lowered his head to place chaste kisses on top of her curls and down the inside of one thigh. He then moved back up the inside of the other thigh and placed a gentle kiss right on her. Scully jerked when she felt his lips on her. The sensations that were running through her body were completely unreal to her as she felt his tongue tentatively snake out and caress her. She whimpered and her fingers laced into his hair. Mulder took that as encouragement and deepened the kisses he was giving her. Scully couldn't believe the way she was feeling. The waves of pleasure were swirling all through her and she couldn't keep herself still. Her hips were rocking gently against his face in time with his tongue on her sensitive flesh. She cried out when she felt him slip two fingers into her and gently start to pump them in and out. His tongue danced around her clit, never quite touching it. Scully bucked hard against him. She could feel the first tremors of her orgasm approaching her and she bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. The sensations that started in her clit and spread outward were becoming too much for her to bear and she heard her own voice as though very far away, begging him. And then he suddenly sucked her clit into his mouth and scraped his teeth lightly across it, still pushing his fingers into her. White hot lightening flashed throughout her body and she arched her back up. Mulder stayed with her, only raising his eyes to watch her as her body tensed and convulsed around him. Her breath escaped her in a series of helpless whimpers and sighs. Mulder stayed with her until her body began to relax and she fell exhausted to the ground. "You're so beautiful, Scully." Mulder whispered, climbing slowly back up her body. She slowly opened her eyes and smiled at him. Mulder brushed her hair back from her forehead and bent in to kiss her gently on the mouth. Scully slid her hands down his back and under the boxers he wore. She could feel him against her and couldn't wait to get rid of the last barrier that separated them. She shoved at them impatiently and Mulder chuckled against her lips, moving his own hands down to help her. Together they managed to rid him of the garment and then she pulled him down onto her and wrapped her arms tightly around him. Mulder's lips again found hers and he kissed her deeply, trying to convey all of his feelings to her. Scully cradled him between her spread legs and rocked her hips against him. "Baby, there's something we haven't really discussed yet... I brought condoms with me-" "No.. no." She said, cutting him off. "I um.. went on the Pill about a month ago." She said, blushing slightly. "I don't want anything between us." She whispered. "Skin to skin..." He said quietly, nuzzling her face with his nose. "Skin to skin." She murmured, and reaching between them, she gently took him in her hand and guided him slowly to her entrance. Mulder paused when he felt the tip of his cock against her soft wet flesh. "Scully?" he questioned softly. "You're sure about this?" Scully smiled at him. "Yes, Mulder. Please, I want you so badly it hurts." Mulder grimaced slightly at her choice of words. Oh yeah, it was gonna hurt and he didn't even want to think about that. He nodded and bent down, capturing her lips with his as he started to push slowly into her. He moved forward an inch and then stopped, allowing her body time to adjust to him. He kept his eyes locked on hers, watching the emotions dancing in their blue depths. He pushed forward a little more and saw her bit her lip, hard. He stopped and soothed her lips with his for a moment. Then he raised his head to look at her again. Her eyes were open and he could tell that it was hurting her, but he could also see her desire shining in her eyes. Scully watched Mulder watching her. She could see his body trembling with the effort to go slowly for her. She had known that it was gonna hurt, but she hadn't really known what to expect. God, it really hurt! She tried not to flinch when he pushed a little farther into her, but she could tell that he had caught her movement. She decided that there was only one way to do this. She raised herself up on her elbow and ran her tongue across his ear, then she whispered softly into it, "Do it quickly, Mulder, please." Mulder searched her eyes briefly. He understood what she was doing. Do it quickly and maybe it wouldn't be too bad. He took a deep breath and laced his fingers with hers. Then he pushed his hips forward until he was completely inside her. Scully's eyes snapped shut when he did and her fingers tightened on his to an almost painful grip, but she didn't make a sound. Mulder's eyes slipped shut too and he bent to kiss her softly, breathing against her lips, "I'm sorry, Scully. God, I'm so sorry." Then, at her insistent urging he allowed himself to settle fully into her. When he was finally fully inside, their eyes shot open and locked. At that moment, the world turned upside down and their life, a life they had yet to live, flashed before them." "Agent Mulder, I'm Dana Scully. I've been assigned to work with you." "Do you think I'm spooky?" "Now, I don't trust them. I *want* to trust you." "I thought that you'd be pleased, that I had opened myself to extreme possibilities." "You listen to me, you lay one finger on Scully and so help me, God." "Before, I could only trust myself. Now, I can only trust you." "It's almost as if somebody was using it to catalogue him." "I don't know if my being here will help bring you back... but I'm here." "I found something I thought I'd lost: faith to keep looking." "You shot me." "Yes, I did." "Oh my God, Scully.. what have they done?" "I believe that what we're looking for is in the X-Files. I'm more certain than ever that the truth is in there." "I've heard the truth, Mulder. Now what I want are the answers." "What they can't cover, they apologize for. Apology has become policy." "You're stronger than this. Mulder, fight him." "Scully, you are the *only* one I trust." "I've seen to many things not to believe." "What if, early in our four years together, someone had told you that we'd been friends together - always. Would it have changed the way we look at one another?" "Even if I knew for certain. I wouldn't change a day." "Not everything is about you, Mulder. This is my life." "I have cancer." "No matter how much you love this little girl, she was a miracle who was never meant to be." "Scully... Marry me." "Scully, you have to believe me. No one else on this whole damn planet does, or ever will. You're my one in five billion." "Scully... I love you." "I know her, Scully. You don't." "You knew her Mulder, you don't anymore." "What more could you possibly hope to do or to find?" "My sister." "Scully, I was like you once, I didn't know who to trust and I chose another path. Another life, another fate where I found my sister. The end of my world was unrecognizable and upside down. But there was one thing that remained the same. You were my friend, and you told me the truth. Even when the world was falling apart you were my constant. My touchstone." "And you are mine." Mulder blinked and looked down at Scully. She was staring at him in unsuppressed awe. "Mulder..." She breathed. "I know." He whispered. "I know." They lay quietly, staring at each other for a long time. Neither one of them could find the words to say to one another. Finally Mulder reached out and traced her face with his fingertips. "I love you, Scully." "I've always loved you, Mulder," she answered, tears shining in her eyes. Mulder smiled at her, feeling tears welling in his own eyes. She reached out and ran her thumb across his bottom lip before leaning up and placing a soft kiss there. When she pulled away she had a mischievous grin on her face. "Make love to me, Mulder," she whispered. Mulder shifted his weight up to his elbows and looked at her for a long minuet. "You okay, Scully?" he asked quietly. She nodded her head at him. She was okay. At least as okay as she figured she'd get at this point. She wasn't in as much pain as she had been, but it still hurt. She knew that it probably wasn't going to go away completely, but she thought that it felt better than it had a moment ago. Mulder nodded once and lowered his head to kiss her again as he began to move slowly inside her. He pulled almost all the way out before pushing back into her. His fingers were laced into her hair at the side of her head and he was kissing her softly with each thrust of his hips. He was trying to keep it slow for her sake, but he wasn't sure how much longer he was gonna be able to hold out. Scully could sense his need. She knew he was holding back, trying to take it slow for her. And she really appreciated it, but she wanted him to have the same kind of release she'd had earlier. She moved her hips against him a little faster. Mulder groaned harshly and thrust into her a little harder and a little faster. He raised himself up a little so that he could see her face and started to move faster still. He was so close and he wanted to see her when it happened. He knew that she probably wouldn't have an orgasm this time. Hell, he could see that she was still in pain, although she didn't seem to be hurting as much as she was. Scully met his thrusts with her own, somehow knowing that he was close. She watched in fascination as his face twisted up into a grimace that almost looked like pain. Then he gave a few sharp, uneven thrusts and his whole body began to shake. She caught her breath as she felt his warm seed fill her and his eyes go glassy and unfocused. "scullyscullyscully...." Mulder moaned harshly as his climax overtook him. He tried to hold her eyes until the end, but after a minuet he couldn't fight it anymore and they slipped shut. Finally he collapsed onto her body, completely drained. He wasn't sure how long he lay there, trying to catch his breath, but when he came back to himself he could feel Scully's small hands gently caressing his back. He pushed himself up and rolled over, pulling her body with him and snuggling her close to him. She shivered slightly and he reached around until he found the sleeping bag they'd started on and pulled it up around their bodies. His hands were running softly up and down her body as they cuddled. "I'm sorry," he finally whispered into her hair. Scully turned to him and searched his eyes with a confused expression. "For what?" "For hurting you. I didn't want to hurt you," he said softly, his eyes filled with tears. "Mulder," Scully whispered softly. "It wasn't *you* that hurt me." At his disbelieving snort she grinned. "Okay, maybe it had something to do with you, but you know what I mean. I knew it would hurt. I wanted it. I wanted you...because I love you." Mulder's arms tightened around her. God, what had he done to deserve her? "I love you too, Scully," he whispered softly. They again lay in silence, each one adjusting to the new step they had taken in their relationship. Finally Mulder spoke again, his voice hesitant and trembling slightly. "Scully, did you see all that stuff?" "You mean all those things that happened to us that never happened?" Her voice was just as soft and hesitant as his and Mulder could hear the fear that laced her words. "Yeah, that's what I meant." He paused for a moment. "So, if you saw it too then I'm not losing my mind, right?" Scully chuckled at him. He always knew how to make her feel better. "Not unless we're both losing our minds, Mulder," she answered, her voice sounding a little better. Mulder hugged her tightly to him. "So, what do we do and how do we figure this out?" "Well," Scully began hesitantly. "I already made an appointment with Dr. Werber, maybe you should too. And, well, I don't know how you'll feel about this, but Missy is into stuff like this and I was thinking of maybe talking to her about it," she finished quietly. "I think that's a good idea, Scully," Mulder answered immediately. "Your sister might be able to give us an unbiased opinion as to what to make of all this. And I'll go see Dr. Werber too." Scully nodded and lay quietly for a long time. Mulder thought she might have drifted off to sleep, but then her voice broke the silence. "Mulder, I don't know what to make of all this or what it might mean. But I know that I love you. I want you to remember that. No matter what else happens with this I need you to remember that I love you with all my heart and soul." Mulder felt the hot sting of tears in his eyes and he pulled her to him and buried his face in her hair to hide it from her. "I know, Scully," he whispered, his voice breaking slightly. "I love you, too. I will always love you." Scully smiled and placed a soft kiss on his cheek. "Night, Mulder," she yawned. Mulder chuckled and hugged her again. He held her for a long time, listening to her breath. After she was sleeping soundly he allowed himself to relax a little and think about what had happened. They had made love. A small smile appeared on his lips as he thought of it. And so much more had been reveled to them. He wasn't sure what to make of it either, but he knew that no matter what, it only proved that he would love her until the day he died. With those thoughts dancing around in his head he drifted off to sleep. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ TO BE CONCLUDED... ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Moments Aléatoires À temps (Random Moments in Time) (3/3) by Cassie and Shanda Disclaimers and all in parts one and two ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Dana Scully's Apartment The next morning... "It was our future, Scully." Mulder said quietly. "Mulder, what happened? If we've already lived a life together - why are we here now? It - it doesn't make any sense." She said, crying softly. "We died, Scully - remember? That dream we had, it wasn't a dream. After all of it - everything we went through together - we died senselessly in a simple bust." He pulled her closer and kissed her gently. "It wasn't our time, and there were too many things left undone. One thing in particular I think." "What's that?" She whispered. "How clear are your memories?" "Crystal." She said. "I remember *everything*." "Well, then. Do you every remember us... together? Did we ever once admit our true feelings to each other? Because I remember loving you. I remember loving you so much that it hurt, and the only time I had the courage to tell you, I was drugged to hell and you didn't believe me!" He said, kissing the tip of her nose. "Morphine." She murmured. "But, I guess you're right. We denied ourselves for so long - and then it was too late." She considered for a moment. "So, we can just avoid it all. We can be together-" "Scully, no." Mulder said, cutting her off. "You know that won't work. We can't live our lives with knowledge of the future. There is *no* way we'd be able to do everything the same and you know it. God only knows what we could screw up." "But, Mulder..." "Scully, you said it yourself. You wouldn't change a day." He cupped her face gently and looked into her eyes. "Baby, everything happens for a reason. Someway, somehow, we were brought together now to save each other in our future." She closed her eyes, knowing he was right. "So, what do we do?" "I think you keep your appointment with that hypnotist, and I'll make one of my own." He said uneasily and she raised her eyebrows at him. "We're going to need to be given a post- hypnotic suggestion to... forget each other." "Forget each other?" "Until the moment we need to remember." "Right before the shooting." She said quietly. "Mulder - do you realize that this means we're going to have to wait nearly twenty years before we can be together like this again? Before we remember us... this...?" She whispered, running her hands down his chest. "I know. But, Scully... I would wait forever for you. And I would much rather wait to have these memories than watch you die a pointless death. I *saw* you die, Scully. I can't do that again." She choked out a half sob half laugh and ran her fingers through his hair. "You know, sometimes you make too much sense for your own good." "Quite a switch for me to be the rational one, huh?" He said, coaxing out a beautiful ScullySmile. He pressed his forehead against hers and his tone grew serious. "I love you." She looked up at him, her eyes dark and swirling with emotion. "Show me." She whispered, pulling her t-shirt up over her head, exposing her bare chest to him. She brought his hand up to gently cup her breast. His eyes slipped shut and he moaned quietly. "Show me." "God, Scully," he breathed softly an instant before his lips closed over hers. He slid his free arm around her waist, pulling her closer against him as he deepened the kiss, running his tongue teasingly across her bottom lip. His fingers gently kneaded and caressed her breast, lightly running across the nipple until it stood taut. Then he moved his hand from her breast and slipped it around her shoulders. His other arm slid down her back and he quickly swept her into his arms. Never breaking the contact with her lips, he moved carefully toward her bedroom. Mulder laid her carefully on the bed and then pulled back to look at her. Scully watched him, seeing the conflicting emotions playing in his expressive hazel eyes. She reached her hand out to him and he hesitantly took it, lowering himself onto the bed next to her. "Scully," he whispered, his voice thick with unshed tears and passion. "I love you so much. I don't ever want to lose you." His voice broke and the tears swimming in his eyes began to run silently down his face. "I love you, too, Mulder," Scully answered, her heart showing in her eyes. She raised her fingers and gently traced Mulder's face with them. He shuddered slightly and leaned down to capture her lips again with his. When the need to breathe overcame him, Mulder pulled away from her lips. His fingers began to run lightly over her skin. He started in her hair, gently massaging and soothing her scalp. Then his fingers traced slow, gentle patterns down her face and around to her ears and neck. He tenderly caressed her, his fingers moving so lightly that she could barely feel them against her. Scully shuddered. He hadn't really touched her since they came to the bed, but she was breathing in short, harsh gasps and could feel flashes of electricity on every part of skin he touched. She kept her eyes locked with his as he touched her. The emotions she could see smoldering in the deep green and gold pools were making her almost as hot as his touch was. Mulder carefully traced his fingers down across her shoulders and to the top of her breasts. He skirted around the nipple, allowing his fingertips to caress every other part of her chest and then down her stomach. He moved slowly back up her sides with his hands and out down her arms, one at a time. As he moved back toward her chest his hands once again grazed across her breasts. This time he swirled his fingers around the nipples before fully cupping both breasts and massaging them tenderly. Scully was moving restlessly beneath him already. She couldn't believe the way he was touching her. She could feel the reverence in his touch and the love that he was showing. She sighed and reached out to him, drawing his mouth to hers for a slow, deep kiss. This kiss quickly became heated. He nipped at her lower lip, his tongue seeking permission to enter her mouth. She immediately parted her lips and thrust her own tongue into his mouth. She needed him to be close to her, his body a part of hers. She could feel the small explosions of pleasure that were going off in her stomach as she felt his hands slowly sliding across her skin, moving up to cup her breast again, kneading it softly. She moaned and ran one hand into the hair at the back of his head and the other up under the hem of his t-shirt. Mulder groaned at the feel of her soft hands on his bare back. He pulled his lips away from hers long enough to pull his shirt up over his head and then he was kissing her again, unable to get enough of her lips. His mouth reluctantly left hers and began to move slowly over her face and down her neck to her shoulder. He moved slowly across her skin, showing the same tender care with his lips and tongue that he had shown with his fingers. He swirled his tongue out over her skin and smiled to himself at the small whimpering noise she made when he at last ran his tongue over her hardened nipple. Scully arched her back, trying to get more contact with Mulder's mouth. Her eyes were trying to shut, but she forced them open. She wanted to see this, something inside her told her that she needed to try and remember this because it would be so long. The thought brought unbidden tears to her eyes and she tried to force them away. She ran her fingernails lightly down his back and he groaned harshly at the sensation. Mulder let one hand stray down to the top of her jeans and made quick work of the button and zipper, pulling them carefully past her hips and then moving his body back onto hers. Scully wiggled seductively underneath him as she struggled the jeans the rest of the way off. He felt the movement of her hot flesh against his and felt his control slipping away from him. He needed her so badly. Scully almost cried with relief when she felt Mulder's fingers slip beneath the waistband of her panties. He didn't touch her right away, allowing just his fingertips to trail down her folds and back up, using the same soft, teasing touches he had used before. Scully shivered and pushed herself into his hand. Then he gently pushed his finger into her, feeling the wetness that had accumulated there. He couldn't help the small moan that escaped his throat when he touched her. Scully moved restlessly against his hand. She almost couldn't think straight from the sensations that were flooding her mind and body. She absently reached out for Mulder, her hand cupping over the large bulge in his jeans. He sighed and pushed himself into her. Scully fumbled for a second with his button, but soon had it undone and was trying to push the jeans and boxers down his legs. Mulder pulled away from her long enough to discard his jeans and boxers and remove her panties, then he moved quickly back over her. His lips again claimed hers as his hands moved over her body. He once again his fingers slipped into her and she arched up toward him. Mulder raised his head to look at her, wanting to memorize everything he could about this moment and at the same time realizing it would all be forgotten anyway. He watched her eyes, glazed and turned a deep sapphire color with her desire, as he moved his fingers in and out of her. Scully's breath caught in her throat and she let a deep moan work its way loose as she watched Mulder. She was struggling hard to keep her eyes open and focused on his. The intense pleasure that was beginning to wash across her body was making it difficult. She let her mouth fall open in a silent cry as the orgasm finally won and her eyes slipped shut. Her body tensed and shook with the force of her release and she clutched desperately at Mulder's shoulders. "Oh, god...Mulder," she moaned breathlessly. Mulder watched her face in awe. It was the most beautiful and erotic thing he'd ever seen, Dana Scully lost in the throes of passion...for him. He stilled his fingers slowly and held her tight against his body as she recovered. He let his fingers tangle into her hair and he gently stroked her face with his other hand. He pressed soft angel kisses all over her face, her eyelids, nose, jaw, hairline, and lips. Scully sighed and slowly opened her eyes to find Mulder watching her still. The expression on his face brought tears to her eyes, it was so full of love and desire and longing. She smiled and gently smoothed her fingers across his bottom lip. She watched in amazement as his eyes filled with tears. Seeing Mulder's emotions so clearly caused the tears she was fighting to start to fall. She raised up and pressed her lips softly to his, kissing him tenderly but feeling the intense emotion that lay beneath the surface. "You're so beautiful, Scully," Mulder whispered huskily. Scully felt the warmth of the blush sweep across her chest and up to her face, but couldn't turn her eyes away from Mulder's smile. Instead she reached out for him, tugging him closer to her. Mulder moved over her, bringing his lips to hers again and kissing her deeply. He carefully pushed his hips forward, sliding completely into her before stopping to stare into her eyes again. Scully shivered when she felt him enter her. This time it wasn't painful at all. She couldn't believe how good it felt to have Mulder buried deep inside her. She smiled and opened her eyes that she hadn't realized she'd closed when she felt Mulder press his forehead to hers. He was staring at her with so much love she was almost surprised. Mulder laced his fingers into her hair and slowly started to move his hips. He kept his pace slow and gentle for a long time, his weight braced on his elbows, his eyes locked with hers. They moved easily against one another, both of them caught in the pull of emotion that flowed between them. Scully felt the sensation building deep within her. At first it was small sparks, a brief popping of nerves every now and then. But then it began to build in intensity and she rocked her hips up against his harder, her breath leaving her mouth in a harsh moan. She focused her eyes directly into his as the feelings in her groin began to multiply and shoot outward, finally engulfing her entire body as she fell over the edge of her passion. Her body tensed and her muscles began to contract with her pleasure. "Uh...oh, god..Mul..." she gasped as her body arched into his, her internal muscles clamping down around him as he moved within her. Finally unable to take any more she closed her eyes and threw her head back, her voice calling out incoherently to Mulder. Mulder couldn't take his eyes off of her as her orgasm swept over her. Even as his pace began to unconsciously quicken. He tightened his arms around her shoulders and pulled her body as close to him as he could, his hips pumping quickly into her. Then he could feel the familiar sensations start in his balls and move quickly up and down his cock in pulses. His breath caught and his mouth opened, but no sound came out. His neck arched back and the muscles in his lower body stiffened as the pleasure washed him out and he tumbled over after her. His body finally fell limply against hers and with the last bit of strength he had he rolled them over until she was on top. Then he pulled her tight against his body and buried his face in her hair. Scully could hear the frantic pace of his heart under her face and smiled against him. She turned and placed a soft kiss over his heart and then raised her head to meet his gaze. She could feel the tears streaming down her face and was not surprised to find that he was crying too. She cupped his jaw in her hand and pressed her lips to his in a desperate kiss. "I love you, Mulder," she sobbed softly. "I don't want to lose you." Mulder felt like his heart was being ripped out. "God, Scully," he choked. "I don't want to let you go. I love you so much." His voice broke and he couldn't go on. Instead he pulled her head back down against his chest and wrapped his arms tighter around her. They lay that way for a long time, their silence saying more than words ever could. Finally Scully's breathing evened out and Mulder knew she had drifted off to sleep. He carefully moved her off of him and covered her up. Then he slipped under the covers and pulled her into his arms. He held her that way all night, unable to let go and unwilling to acknowledge the inevitable. He knew that the hypnosis was the right decision, but he still didn't want to do it. He couldn't imagine giving her up willingly. And yet he knew that was what he had to do. He sighed sadly and placed a soft, reverent kiss on her forehead. "I love you, Scully," he whispered to the silent room. ~~ ~~ Monday Morning Dr. Werber's Office "You ready?" "If I said no, could we go home?" "Scully..." "I know, I know." She mumbled. She stepped toward him and he embraced her tightly. "How's this going to work?" "We have staggered appointments. You're with Werber and I'm with his partner. You'll leave here about twenty minutes before I do and we'll have no memory of meeting. Did you talk to Melissa?" She pulled back a little and looked up at him, nodding. "She agreed with you. This is for the best, and she talked to my family." "What'd she tell them?" "Never to mention you again. No matter what. Not even ten years from now when we... meet. I think she gave my mother a vague idea of what happened - enough to make her force my brothers to agree - but Missy's the only one who knows everything." Mulder took a deep breath and looked her in the eye. "Did you tell Melissa what's going to happen to her?" Scully shook her head slowly. "I wanted to. I wanted to so badly, but you're right. I couldn't risk it." She gave him a soft smile and traced her fingers over his lips. "Everything happens for a reason." He nodded and pulled her to him. Leaning down he captured her lips and kissed her slowly and carefully, trying to imprint his love in her subconscious. "I love you." He said through his tears. "I love you." She sobbed. "You have to go now..." He murmured, reluctantly letting go of her. She nodded and moved slowly toward the door. She opened it and looked back at him. "I love you." She said and disappeared into the room. "Always." He whispered to the empty hallway. ***************** April 15, 2000 7:27pm outskirts Washington, DC Mulder adjusted his Kevlar vest and glanced over at Scully. She was dressed the same as him, FBI t shirt, Kevlar vest, and headset to communicate. His eyes wondered across the parking lot of the warehouse they stood in front of. The Violent Crimes unit that had been tracking the killer inside that building were all there. They had finally located the man and were ready to take him out. Mulder looked at Scully again. Something about this felt bad to him, and he couldn't figure it out. But some part of him wanted nothing more than to insist that Scully stay very far away from this one. He glanced at her and she gave him a small smile. He knew she could tell what he was thinking. And he could read in her eyes her response. She would not be left behind on this one. He nodded slightly and his eyes dropped to his weapon, which he checked again. Then the order to move in came over the headset and they started cautiously toward the warehouse. Just before they went through the door, Mulder reached out and gently brushed Scully's shoulder with his hand. She glanced at him and he could see her reassurance in her clear blue eyes. He sighed and nodded his head, trying desperately to explain the unnerving feeling that he had. He moved into position, waiting for the final call. His mind played over the details again. It was a simple bust. One crazy son of a bitch that was murdering young men. It should be easy and quick. Go in and bring him out.....dead or alive. A slight shiver ran through Mulder again and he forced his mind back to the task at hand as the final go ahead was shouted across the radio and all hell broke loose. Mulder kicked in the side door and Scully moved through it and to the left. Mulder followed her, his pistol starting to sweep right. Then, a flash went off in his mind and before he could comprehend what he was doing, his pistol swiveled toward Scully and he was pulling the trigger. In almost the same instant, Scully spun on her heel to face him, her own weapon trained and firing over his shoulder. Time seemed to slow down and they watched in stunned silence as two men collapsed to the floor from the shadows. Then everything was moving again. Mulder's eyes tracked quickly toward Scully, only then registering the change in her position as she stood facing him. Scully met his gaze, her eyes reflecting her awe at what had just happened. When their gazes locked a myriad of memories flooded across them both. Neither one could move, both lost in the shock that had overcome them. Before they could recover enough to say anything to each other, AD Skinner and several members of the task force came into the room. "Agents, what happened here?" Skinner barked, taking in the scene before him. Mulder and Scully stood about three feet apart facing each other. They both held their weapons limply in their hands, staring in stunned silence at one another. He also noticed that there were *two* dead men in the room, one on each side. "Wha-? Um, yeah, we..." Scully stumbled slightly, trying to recover her composure enough to speak. She blinked and tore her eyes from Mulder's to meet those of her boss. "We entered the room and....." she paused and her eyes flickered briefly back to Mulder's in confusion. How would she explain how she had known? Mulder, easily reading her confusion and sharing it on some level, finally found his voice. "I saw someone behind Scully and he looked like he had a gun, so I shot him." His gaze traveled to the man behind him and then back to Skinner. "I turned to see what Agent Mulder was doing and saw a flash of light off of a gun and spotted the second suspect. He was about to fire his weapon," Scully finished quietly. She felt uneasy. That was not what had happened. She had reacted without thinking, her body moving without her mind understanding why. Some part of her had insisted that she had to turn around and shoot over Mulder's shoulder to save his life. And then, when she'd met his eyes... Skinner eyed the two carefully. The other agents were moving about, marking the scene and he could hear the wail of sirens signaling the approaching ambulance. He could tell that they weren't being totally honest with him, but he was also sure that had they not killed the two men they would be dead now. He furrowed his brow in thought as he noticed that neither one of them was paying him any attention. They were staring at each other with an expression that was completely unreadable. "Well, you know the drill," Skinner said, breaking into their thoughts. "Turn in your weapons before you leave the scene." He turned to walk away and then turned back. "I have all I need from you right now, agents. Go home. You can come into my office tomorrow and give me the rest of the details." Mulder and Scully both nodded absently and turned together to walk away. They didn't say anything to one another as they turned in their guns and walked across the parking lot to their car. They silently got into the car and Mulder turned toward Georgetown. *********** *********** Dana Scully's apartment 8:32pm Scully was shaking as she unlocked her door and they stepped into the apartment. She had no idea what to say. But she'd had plenty of time to think about what had happened. She could remember it all now. And the meaning behind everything that had happened was one that was completely foreign to her mind. But how could she deny her own memories and actions? She sighed softly and sat down on the couch. Mulder had followed her silently into the room and he sat carefully beside her. His mind was racing, the memories that had flooded his mind when he meet her gaze spinning and colliding against one another. He wasn't sure where to begin, how to tell her everything that he was thinking and feeling. Or how she was feeling about it all. He glanced at her and drew a deep breath. One of them had to start this conversation. "Scully?" he whispered quietly. She looked at him, her eyes still swirling with confusion, and smiled a small unsure smile. "I guess we have a lot to talk about, don't we?" Mulder twisted to face her with a disbelieving look and Scully couldn't help the quiet laugh that escaped her. Mulder just stared at her for a moment, then his lips began to twitch and he started to chuckle softly. "Yeah, Scully, I suppose you could say that," he answered, his voice dry and filled with humor at her understatement. Again they looked at one another for a long time, each trying to come to terms with everything that had happened tonight. "Mulder -" "Scully-" They both spoke at the same time. Scully grinned up at him and nodded her head, asking him to go ahead and say what he wanted to say. Mulder wasn't sure what he'd been about to say. He dropped his gaze to the couch between them and shifted uncomfortably for a second. Then he drew a deep breath and raised his eyes back to hers. "Scully, I honestly don't know what to say about all the things that happened tonight. But before I try to explain what I'm thinking there's something I need you to know." He paused and closed his eyes briefly. He slowly opened his eyes and spoke so softly that Scully had to lean forward to hear him. "I love you, Scully. Even before tonight, before all the things that I remember so clearly now, I was so in love with you that it hurt." Scully felt tears welling up in her eyes. She had known that Mulder loved her. He'd told her once, after she fished him out of the Bermuda Triangle. But she hadn't realized that he'd been *in love* with her. She'd always assumed it was a friendly sort of thing. There had been times... but he'd never actually followed through on them, so she hadn't taken him seriously. She had loved him for years and had always tried so hard to hide it. And now, after everything she remembered tonight. And apparently so did he. "Oh, Mulder," she whispered softly. "I know. I've always known." Then she bit her lip hesitantly and offered him a gentle smile. "I love you, too. I always hoped that you somehow knew, but I was never sure how to tell you. I've loved you for so long a nd now....well, maybe now I know why." Mulder couldn't believe what he'd just heard. She did love him. Maybe he wasn't crazy. He knew that something had happened and his memories were very clear now, but he couldn't be sure what it was she remembered. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly against his chest. "Jesus, Scully, that was...." "Way too close," she finished. Mulder pulled back and looked down at her. Her eyes were staring up at him, filled with fear. He knew what she meant. It was pretty amazing that they had both remembered at the same time and it had been before anything had happened. He slowly leaned down to her and brushed his lips across hers in a gentle kiss. Then he raised up and looked at her again. Scully smiled sweetly at him, her hands softly massaging his shoulders. "Scully, I need to know something. I need to know what you remember." Scully looked at him for a long minute and he could see the faint blush that was trying to creep up her neck. "I remember meeting you a long time ago." She paused and bit her lip nervously. "What do *you* remember?" Mulder smiled at her. "I remember something like that," he answered, his voice husky. "I remember that I loved you then as much as I love you now." "And I loved you too. I still love you, Mulder. Since you first told me about Samantha...and now I realize that I already loved you and that was what made it so easy, and so hard." She dropped her eyes from his and studied the couch between them for a moment. "Hey, Scully, I need to know...just to be sure that we remember the same stuff...what exactly do you remember?" Mulder watched in amusement as Scully's face flushed a bright red. "Well, I remember," she said carefully, a mischievous grin forming on her face. "I remember that the first person I had sex with didn't believe that I was a virgin." She paused to take in his surprised look before adding softly, "I remember why that is now." Mulder wasn't quite sure what to say. That had been what he'd wanted to know, but he hadn't known how to ask her if she remembered *that*. And he certianly hadn't been prepared to hear Scully teasing him about *that*. And he wouldn't have been surprised in the least to find that it was a scheme concocted by their enemies to drive them apart. He sighed and grinned at her. "Well, I guess we both have the same memories anyway." He knitted his brow thoughtfully. "No wonder Bill hates my guts," he chuckled softly. Scully laughed at that one. It was true. Bill did hate Mulder and she'd never understood why he wouldn't even give him a chance. Now she thought she understood. "Yeah, that probably has something to do with it, Mulder," she agreed. Then she sobered and looked him in the eye again. "We should go to my mom and ask her, just in case." Mulder nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. We should see if she remembers any of this. That way we can be sure they are really our memories." He paused and bit his lip. "Although, I don't know why anyone would do something that would save our lives like that. I mean, it was..." "Spooky," she grinned. Mulder laughed softly and shook his head. "Scully, I love you. It feels so good to say that to you," he said. Scully smiled and reached out to touch his face. "I love you, too, Mulder," she answered softly. They cuddled up on the couch, wrapped in each other's arms and talked quietly. They spent the rest of the night there, laughing softly and exchanging memories. Both of them content to hold the other and simply talk, to finally know everything they had always wanted to know. Finally, in the early morning hours, they fell asleep, still twined together on the couch. ************ ************ Following afternoon Maggie Scully's residence Maggie opened her door and smiled in surprise when she saw the two people standing there. "Dana, Fox, come in," she said, ushering them into the house. Scully followed her mother inside and then stopped uncertainly. She didn't really know how to ask what they needed without sounding strange. Mulder, sensing her tension, placed his hand gently on her shoulder. She sighed and took a deep breath. "Mom, Mulder and I need to ask you some things," she started quietly. Maggie looked at the pair with concern. She realized suddenly that it was the middle of the day on a week day and the two seemed unusually nervous about something. "What is it, Dana?" she prodded. She turned and started toward the kitchen with Mulder and Scully behind her. When they were all seated at the table Scully drew a deep breath and tried to get her thoughts in order. "This may sound odd," she said carefully. "But, Mom, we need you to answer as truthfully as you can, no matter what, okay?" "Okay, Dana," Maggie said hesitantly. She studied them closely as they looked at one another, seeming to have an entire conversation in that one look. "Mom, Mulder and I have...remembered some things about our past. And we need to know if anyone else remembers them," Scully said quickly. Maggie's eyes lit up when she heard Dana's words, but she wasn't sure if she should say anything yet, so she settled on the obvious. "What did you remember?" Mulder reached out and squeezed Scully's hand. She took a deep breath and looked her mom in the eye. "Do you ever remember me bringing Mulder home with me from collage?" Mulder and Scully both watched in amazement as Maggie's face lit up into a wide smile. "You remember!" she cried happily. "So, that really happened, then?" Mulder asked quietly. "Yes, it did. Although, I must say, we didn't understand when Missy came to us with that request of hers," Maggie said quietly. "She told me some things, but I was never sure what to make of it." Mulder and Scully exchanged another glance. "So, all that stuff is true then." Scully said, more to herself than anyone else. "Here, I have something to show you," Maggie said, interrupting their thoughts. She hurried into the other room and was back in a few minutes with two photographs. "I took these that weekend. But Melissa said 'not a word' unless you brought it up with me first so I hid them after the film was developed." She handed Scully the pictures in her hand. Scully drew in her breath at what she saw. Both pictures were of Mulder and Scully on her dad's boat. They were facing the sea in both of them, Mulder behind her with his arms wrapped possessively around her waist. They hadn't noticed the camera on them and seemed to be lost in their own world. Scully blinked at the pictures before slowly handing them to Mulder. He stared at them for a long time before he finally looked back up at Scully. When her eyes met his she could read everything in his soul. They sat and talked quietly with Maggie for a few more minutes about what had happened to them. Then they made their excuses and left, both anxious to get back home where they could talk. When they got in the car, Mulder reached over and laced his fingers with Scully's, pulling her hand over onto his thigh and holding it gently. Scully glanced at him briefly, smiled, and then looked away again. ************** ************** Dana Scully's apartment 2 hours later... Mulder leaned against the counter and watched Scully. They had talked quietly on the trip home and then all through dinner. Now as he watched Scully clean up the last of the dishes he wondered if she was feeling any of the nervousness he'd been feeling. It was strange somehow, to feel nervous. After all, Maggie had confirmed that their memories were real. That meant that *everything* they'd remembered was true. He sighed and shook his head at his own rambling. Scully turned her head to look at Mulder. She had been aware of his eyes following her as she moved. She knew what he was thinking. She couldn't help but think about it too. Mulder had taken her virginity. And they had worked together for seven years as friends, notremembering that they had been lovers first. She knew that these new memories didn't change the way she felt. She had been in love with Mulder for most of those seven years. So, finding out that she had loved him before didn't really surprise her. The only thing she couldn't figure out was how to get past the initial shock that both of them seemed to be feeling. "Scully?" Mulder questioned softly, breaking into her thoughts. "Yeah?" "I know the past couple days have been strange," he started. "You could say that," she giggled at him. Mulder just stared at her for a minute before drawing a breath to continue. "Well, what I was gonna say...I mean, if you'd like some time to, I don't know...sort this out - I guess. I could go home for a while," he said, his voice thick with unspoken emotion. Scully could hear in his voice his hope that she told him to stay. She smiled to herself. "I really don't want you to go, Mulder," she said quietly. She dropped her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts and then looked back up at him. "Last night, I meant what I said, Mulder. I love you. I have for so long. Long before last night, before I knew any of the things I know today. And all the things I remember now, all those memories that I gave up all those years ago...I'm just happy to have them back." Mulder could see the truth of her words shining in her eyes. He gave her a small smile and shook his head. "I never did understand why you loved me," he said quietly. "But I was so thankful - I still am. I love you so much. And you're right, I'm glad that I have those memories back...but, Scully...I want more than my memories of the past. Now that I *know* - about then and about now - I want what we had. I want it back...all of it," he finished, his voice quiet and shaking with emotion. Scully felt the tears stinging behind her eyes. He would never know just how much it meant to her to hear him say those words. "I want that, too, Mulder. I want it so much," she answered in almost a whisper, her voice wavering slightly. Mulder reached out and pulled her against him, claiming her lips with his and wrapping his arms around her waist to hold her tight. He ran his tongue teasingly along her bottom lip and she immediately parted her lips, allowing him entry into her mouth. He swept his tongue along the roof of her mouth, then withdrawing it and nipping lightly at her lips with his teeth. They broke the kiss at the same time, both of them gasping for air. Mulder raised his head up enough to see into her eyes. "I want to make love to you, Scully," he whispered urgently. "God, yes, Mulder," she answered, her arms snaking around his neck and tugging his mouth back down to hers. Their kisses were coming fast and hard, full of pent up passion and love, nearly twenty years worth. They would pull apart slightly every now and then to breath, but stayed close enough to still touch. Scully wasn't aware that they had been moving during all this, but the back of her thighs hit the edge of her bed and she stopped short. Mulder's hands had tangled themselves in her hair and he was still kissing her lips. She moved her hands around and started to unbutton his shirt. Her brain was otherwise occupied and her fingers were clumsy, causing her to accidentally pop a few of the buttons off of it. Mulder was too busy trying to get Scully's shirt open that he didn't even notice what she had done to his. But he noticed when her soft hands started running up and down his bare chest, her fingernails scraping lightly across him. He shuddered and moaned softly against her lips. Then his mouth left hers, painting a slow, deliberate path across her neck and up to her earlobe. He sucked it gently into his mouth, letting his teeth graze it softly. Scully gasped and swayed against him when she felt his lips on her ear. At the same time her shirt fell open and his hand closed around her breast. Even through the material of her bra she could feel the gentle warmth of his hands as he carefully massaged her. He teased her nipple gently with his fingertips until they were both straining and hard. Then he moved his hand around her back and unfastened her bra, removing it and her shirt at the same time. "Oh, Mulder," she whimpered softly as his hands returned to her now bare breasts. He cupped them tenderly and ran his thumbs over her nipples. His mouth started back down her neck and moved carefully across her shoulder. She shivered in anticipation as he moved closer to her breast and groaned helplessly when he blew a soft breath across them. Then he leaned down and captured one nipple in his mouth, pulling gently at it as his hand mimicked the motion on the other breast. His tongue darted out and teased the nipple as he sucked gently on it. Scully arched her back into his mouth, one hand moving into his hair to hold his head against her. Her other hand trailed down and started tugging on the button of his slacks. It only took her a minute to unfasten them and shove them down his legs until they were pooled at his ankles. Mulder only seemed to notice it then and quickly kicked them off his feet and across the room. He raised his head back up and captured her lips again as her hand cupped him through his boxers. "Scully," he moaned, thrusting his hips toward her warmth. One of his hands moved to the zipper on her pants and pulled it quickly down. She moved far enough away from his to kick out of her pants and remove her hose and panties. Then she paused and looked at him. Mulder could hardly stand it. Scully stood before him completely naked and flushed with arousal. He allowed his eyes to sweep over her body, taking in every curve. "I remember this..." He whispered. Then he reached out and she came willingly back into his arms, her lips meeting his in a hot, open mouthed, passionate kiss. Mulder lifted her up and lay her back on the bed, moving his body over hers while kissing her roughly. Scully ran her hands down his sides, pushing impatiently at his boxers. He raised up enough for her to push them past his hips, and then watched in amusement as she pushed them the rest of the way off with her feet. His lips found hers again as he slipped his fingers into the hair between her thighs. He was met with hot flesh and moisture. Scully moved her hands up to his shoulders and gave a gentle shove. Mulder had been so occupied that he didn't feel it until he was on his back and Scully was sitting across him. He sucked his breath in and looked up at her. She smiled wickedly at him and reached down to gently stroke his erection. Mulder thrust up toward her, moaning quietly at the contact. Scully meet his eyes and raised up on her knees. She carefully guided him to her entrance and pushed down enough to press just the tip inside her. Then she ran her hands up his chest to his arms, pulling his hands up to her. She laced her fingers with his and locked their eyes again. Then she slowly slid the rest of the way down onto him. She couldn't believe the intensity of the emotion that was racing through her. And even better than that was getting to see the look that passed through Mulder's eyes. Mulder watched her face in awe as she sank onto him. The feeling of having her surrounding him was almost unbearable. He was amazed at what he saw in her eyes. He felt as though his heart might burst. Dana Scully loved him. And she wanted him. He was the luckiest son of a bitch alive at this moment. He sighed as she settled fully onto him and then stopped, their eyes exchanging all the words they couldn't speak. Finally she began to rock slowly up and down on him, her eyes never leaving his. Mulder met her thrust with his own, matching her rhythm perfectly. His hands squeezed hers as they moved together, their eyes locked and holding their souls together even as their bodies became one. They kept their slow, easy pace for as long as they could, both of them savoring the feeling of finally being together in this way again. It somehow feeling like the first time and somehow more familiar than the first time. Finally, both of them were getting close and they couldn't hold onto the slow pace any longer. Scully leaned forward and began to move quickly up and down on him, grinding her hips against his with every thrust. Mulder matched her with his own movements, bringing his knees up behind her to help him get some leverage. He raised his head up from the pillow and caught her lips in a deep kiss as they moved faster. Scully suddenly ripped her mouth from Mulder's, sitting almost all the way up and arching her back. Her mouth fell open and her breath caught as her body tensed up with the power of her orgasm. Mulder could feel the vibrations of her orgasm where he was buried deep inside her. He couldn't hold on any more when he felt her muscles clamp down tightly against him and he let out a hoarse cry as he pumped furiously up into her, emptying himself into her body. They slowly stilled their movements and Scully fell bonelessly against his chest. Mulder wrapped his arms possessively around her and held her as tight as he dared. She snuggled her head into his chest and listened the rapid beat of his heart and his ragged breathing as she tried to bring her own breathing under control. When she could move again Scully slid slowly off of Mulder and curled up next to him with her head on his chest. He stroked her arms and back softly, nuzzling her hair with his nose, anything to keep touching her. She finally raised her head and looked at him. "I love you, Mulder," she said, smiling at him. "I *have* always loved you." Mulder blinked back his tears and placed a soft tender kiss on her lips. "And I have always loved you...ever since I saw you standing against that counter at that party," he answered quietly. Scully blushed slightly and squeezed him before laying her head back down. They lay quietly for a long time and Mulder thought that Scully was asleep when she spoke again. "Mulder, what we did...I still agree with our decision. And I still wouldn't change a day. I think that this is how it was supposed to happen," she said quietly. Mulder paused in his caressing and thought for a moment. "Yeah, Scully, I know. As much as it hurts that we missed so much together I think we did the only thing we could have done. And it doesn't change how I feel about you - how I will always feel about you." Scully sighed quietly and placed a kiss on his chest right above his heart. Mulder hugged her body next to him and inhaled deeply her scent. They drifted off to sleep together, still wrapped around each other and both of them smiling softly. ~~ ~~ Epilogue: I've been watching you for years, my beautiful girl. Through everything I've been right by your side, looking after you. And, I think you know that. I came to you, five years ago - in your time, to me it feels like yesterday. I came to you, and I told you that it wasn't your time. It still isn't. There's so much more you need to do with your life. New happiness to find, new challenges to face. Cherish the second chance you've been given, child. They don't come along often. You have a soulmate. Not one couple in a century has that chance. That love, that powerful devotion is what gave me the ability to do what I did. When Melissa came to us, all those years ago, and told us that we were never to speak of that young man you'd brought home... well, we weren't quite sure what to think. We all agreed, grudgingly. Call it a father's intuition, but somehow - I knew we hadn't heard the last from him. And I was right. But now... You're in safe arms now, baby. Happy, warm, and protected. It's all a father could ever ask for his daughter. I'll see you soon. Goodnight, Starbuck. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE END OF THE WHOLE STORY All Done. Bye-bye. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~