TITLE: The Girl From His Dreams AUTHOR: Faith (aka Faithest) SPOILERS: None CLASSIFICATION: MSR RATING: Building up to NC-17 ARCHIVE: Yes, please, just let me know so I can see for myself!! FEEDBACK: Love it! faith924@hotmail.com SUMMARY: Mulder has a dream about a girl, and brings Scully along as together they search for what he believes to be, his destiny. NOTES: This is my first fanfic submission, so I'm real nervous. Thanks to ShipMe, who was my beta on this, a million years ago... Mulder walked slowly along the coast, feeling the sand between his bare toes and the water rush up around his ankles. The world was quiet except for the steady pounding of the waves and the occasional call of a seagull. Yet, amidst all this peace, Mulder was not at ease. Something, he sensed, was missing. Suddenly a young girl ran in front of him, giggling. Up untilthat moment Mulder hadn’t seen any other human being. “Hey!” Mulder called out after the girl. He ran down the beach after her, occasionally catching a glimpse of her, but mostly following the sound of her laughter being carried on the wind. Finally catching up to her, he grabbed her by the arm to turn her around. Dropping to one knee, he studied her face. Her dark, wind blown hair fell to the middle of her back. Her nose was slightly to big for her face with freckles all along the ridge. As Mulder looked into her eyes, he could see himself reflected in their blue depths. “Teach me to play?” she questioned, shoving a basketball towards him. He blinked, wondering where she had gotten it from. He looked around and realized he had somehow arrived on a basketball court. He turned to the little girl to ask what had happened, but she was already off and running again. He followed her around the corner of a building, and found himself standing in the middle of a classroom. “Will you help me with my homework?” the girl called out to him. “Who are you?” Mulder asked, just as his world began to swim again. As the classroom setting disolved around him, he could hear her giggle. The next thing he knew, he was lying on his back gazing up at the stars. “Is that Orion?” a voice came from the body that was stretched out next to him. A tiny finger was raised towards a grouping of stars. “Yes.” Mulder’s voice whispered. Back on the beach, Mulder stared at the waters edge where the girl was standing. She was no longer laughing, and Mulder realized he missed the sound. He was about to call out to her, when the wind began to gust. Sand was blowing wildly, and he could no longer see anything. Shielding his face, he pushed his way towards where the girl had been standing. Then, just as suddenly as it had started, the wind stopped, and the girl was gone. Feeling as if he had suddenly gained and lost his entire world, Mulder stared blankly at the waves. And then he heard it. It sounded far off, but it was coming from all around him. The girl’s tiny voice calling. “Daddy.” -- “Scully,” Mulder insisted, “I need to find this beach.” He accepted the cup of coffee she was holding out to him. He needed the caffeine since he hadn’t been able to get back to sleep since his disturbing yet prophetic dream last evening. “Mulder,” Scully began, “I know that the dream was disturbing, but it was, none-the-less, a dream. Chances are, it was simply a beach that you dreamed up, pieced together from different oceans you have been to in your life. Even if it was a real beach, I don’t see how you hope to find it or recognize it.” “I will do both.” Mulder insisted. “There is an answer there that I need to find.” he continued, while clicking on random web pages on the internet. “Please, help me Scully.” Mulder looked up from his work and locked eyes with his partner. He knew what he was asking was odd, even for him, but he was determined that answers were hidden here. Scully took a deep breath in, before querying. “What time of day was it, Mulder?” “What?” he asked. He had been expecting her to fight him more. “During your dream, was it morning or evening?” Mulder closed his eyes, to try and remember. “It had the distinct feeling of early morning.” he answered. “The world had that peaceful feeling before we all wake up.” “Where was the sun?” “Over the ocean.” Mulder answered not even having to think about it. The glare from its light had been reflected in the water making it hard to concentrate on the young girls figure. “Well, then you can rule out California.” Scully stated, pointing a finger at his computer screen. “If it is a real beach, it would have to be on the East coast.” Mulder smiled at her. Despite all her doubts, she was always able to help him with her logical mind. There was no one else in the world he would rather have for his partner. By four o’clock that afternoon, Mulder was convinced that the beach he had seen was the Cape May Coast of the Jersey Shore. “Mulder, I hate to say this, but even though you know where you want to go, how are you going to convince Skinner to let you? I mean, this isn’t even remotely FBI related.” “I’m going to put in for my vacation time he’s been haggling me about taking.” Scully blinked at him. In all the years she had known Mulder, he never spoke of willingly taking vacation time. “Well, that’ll at least give me some time to get work done back here.” Since it wasn’t an official case, Scully knew she didn’t have to go with him. Part of her, she admitted, was hoping he would ask her along. For every other big discovery in thier lives they had been side by side, and she would be lonely if she wasn’t there with him. “That’s true. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of work at home to get done. Or,” Mulder hesitated, “you could toss that all to the wind and come with me.” Scully breathed an exaggerated sigh, “Well, I don’t know if you could handle this world without me, Mulder, so I might as well tag along. Simply to watch your back, of course.” “Of course.” Mulder smiled. Hey, whatever reasons Scully needed to use to convince herself to go were fine with him. He was just happy to have her ever welcome company. “I’ll call Skinner, tell him that we are each putting in for a week off. Should we ask for it to be affective as of tomorrow? I see no harm in it since we aren’t in the middle of a case.” “That’s fine with me, Mulder. However,” glancing at her watch, “I’m headed home now. Call me later to tell me the game plan.” “Will do, Scully-Wully.” Mulder winked at her. She turned around, mouth open, ready to lash out. Before she could, Mulder shrugged and added, “Hey, I’m excited to be on vacation with you. Cut me some slack.” Scully exited the room with just enough time to hear Mulder add under his breath “Scully-Wully.” She smiled as she walked through the basement hallways. -- “Hey, Scully, it’s me.” “I was wondering when you were going to call me, Mulder! So, what’s the plan?” Scully was setting up towels next to the bubble bath she had just drawn for herself. As Mulder talked she examined her naked body in a nearby mirror. Not bad for her age, she thought to herself. “...So which is it Scully, train, plane, or automobile? They’re all fine with me.” “Well, if you approve of them all, I vote for automobile. New Jersey is just about 4 hours away, and a car is a heck of a lot cheaper then the other two options.” “Car it is then. I’ll be by in an hour to pick you up.” *click* “Wait! Mulder?!...Dammit.” She looked longingly at the waiting tub. Sighing deeply she pulled the plug and watched as her steamy bath water swirled down the drain. Easing back into her terry cloth robe, she knew she had to pack for the trip. Scully was at a loss of what clothes to bring. Since they weren’t actually going to be working she didn’t need to wear suits or dress shoes, but she almost never wore jeans and sneakers. She finally decided to bring a mixture of everything she had, stuffing almost her entire wardrobe into one large suitcase. She squeezed her pyjamas and undergarments into the side compartments of her bag. She didn’t care if they got wrinkled since she was the only one that would be seeing them. Lost in her world of packing, Scully had completely lost track of time and was shocked to hear Mulder knocking on the door. Not wanting to make him wait, she rushed into the other room to let him in, even though she was only dressed in her robe. Mulder waited patiently in the hallway, a hastily packed bag in one hand and a basketball in the other. He hoped since this was technically a vacation he could find at least a couple of moments to play. When Scully threw open the door, every thought he had been thinking flew out of his head, and he could only think of how seductive she looked dressed only in a robe. He tried to squeeze out a casual “Hey, Scully.” but his voice began to crack at the end. Luckily it didn’t seem like she noticed. “Hey, Mulder. Make yourself comfortable I’m just going to go finish packing and throw some clothes on.” She quickly scurried out of the room leaving him to make himself comfortable. As soon as she had shut her bedroom door behind her she heaved a big sigh. Had she just imagined it, or did Mulder’s voice waver when he saw her? “So where are we going to be staying?” Scully asked as she emerged from her room. Mulder was stretched out on her couch with his feet propped up on the coffee table. One sharp glance from Scully got him to quickly sit up and remove his feet from her table. “The Carroll Villa Country Inn.” He answered. “I guess Cape May is a historic town with lots of Victorian Bed and Breakfasts. In the entire town they have about two motels, and they were all sold out, so I figured a country inn sounded good. That ok with you?” “Mmm hmm.” Scully answered. She couldn’t imagine Mulder in a Bed and Breakfast. A little to romantic for his tastes, she smiled. “If we leave in about two hours,” Mulder continued “we will be able to catch the first ferry from Lewes, Deleware over to Cape May.” Mulder continued talking, but Scully tuned him out. It had been a long time since she had been on vacation, and an even longer time since she had relaxed on a beach. She knew they were going to be searching for answers to Mulder’s dream, but she hoped that he would give her at least some time to relax. “I need a bathing suit!” Scully suddenly exclaimed. Mulder stopped talking to imagine Scully in a bathing suit. He decided he liked the idea. “I’m going to go check if I have an old one somewhere.” Scully retreated into her room, once again leaving Mulder alone. Twenty minutes later a very flustered Scully emerged with the only bathing suit she could find. “I haven’t worn this since college!” She held up a skimpy two piece suit. “Does it still fit?” Mulder asked, trying hard to control his voice. He was shocked to discover that Scully had ever worn a bikini. “I don’t know.” Scully lied. In truth, she had tried it on in her bedroom and was actually pretty pleased with the way it looked. “Oh, well, I’ll bring it along just in case I can’t find one to buy down there.” Scully stuffed into the side pocket of her bag along with her panties. Late that evening they were checking in at the Carroll Villa Country Inn. The ride there had been uneventful, yet enjoyable for both. Normally when they drove together they were on a case, and their minds were filled with plausible profiles and solutions. On this day, however, they had the freedom to have empty minds. They spoke of their childhoods, mostly. Scully told him of the “adventures” her and her siblings used to go on. Mulder shyly regaled a few tales of his wild college life. Both of them were thrilled to have had time to sit and talk to each other, it seemed to open up a whole new dimension for them. “Both rooms are straight down the hall to the left. If you need anything, just pick up the phone in your rooms and dial zero to reach the front desk.” “Thank you.” Mulder answered politely, as he picked up both his and Scully’s bags. He had noticed earlier that Scully’s bag was extraodinarily heavy. At first he was going to tease her for it, but then he realized she was probably just as nervous about being on vacation with him, as he was with her. The drive up to New Jersey had been so wonderful, he thought. He watched her fumble with the door lock and smiled to himself. He knew this woman better than anything else in the world. -- “To the beach?” Scully heard Mulder query into his phone. “Mulder," her groggy voice began. "I'm barely awake yet, and I was going to unpack, and...” “Nevermind all that Scully! We’re on vacation, it’s ok to wear wrinkled clothing!! Now you climb that body into that little bikini thing, and I’ll meet you outside your door in 10 minutes.” Scully sighed as she let the receiver dangle from her hand. “Sure thing, Mulder. No problem.” she muttered to herself. She didn’t mind getting ready, it was just that he could be so overpowering sometimes. She sat on the edge of the bed to think about that. On the drive up he had told her stories of his college escapades with women, and some of the crazy things they had done together. Scully had been laughing so hard she cried, yet she couldn’t imagine having the courage to do any of it. She shocked herself by realizing that part of her longed for Mulder to seduce her, the ways he had other women in his stories. But she was too smart for that, she knew. And besides that, Mulder respected her. Knowing that it was a fruitless subject, Scully climbed off the bed and pulled on her two-piece suit. She examined her body in the mirror, proud that it was still well-toned. After she felt satisfied with the reflection, she grabbed her sun tan oil and a towel, and left the room in pursuit of Mulder. Mulder was just finding his towel when he heard a knock at the door. He flung it open, and there stood the vibrant Scully, dressed...well...barely dressed. Mulder’s mind when completely blank as he mustered up all of his strength to keep himself from staring at Scully’s beautiful body. “Wow.” was all he could say. “I bet you say that to all the girls.” Scully winked at him. “Ready?” “Yup.” he answered, as he tried to control himself. They strolled down to the coast line until they found a nice streach of beach to lay out on. Scully laid down her towel and instantly began lathering herself up with her suntan oil. Mulder remained standing, looking around for any sign of the girl. “Will you get my back, Mulder?” “Hmm?” was Mulder’s reply. He was only half listening. “My back...oh, nevermind.” A frustrated Scully, struggled to put oil on her own back. “I’m going to take a walk, Scully.” Mulder said, returning to the moment. “OK.” She replied. She watched as his well sculpted body journeyed down the beach and faded into a mixture of sun, clouds, ocean, and people. THREE DAYS LATER Scully flipped over to her stomach so her back would tan. They had been down at the shore for three days now, and she had barely seen Mulder. He got up at sunrise and didn’t get back until late. She presumed he was searching for the girl in his dreams, but she couldn’t be positive. Despite the fact that she was enjoying time alone and could now apply sun tan oil to her entire body without help, she found herself missing Mulder. It’s odd, she thought to herself, that every day of my life is filled with this man. And yet, when he is not around, I pine for him. She stared out into the ocean, and watched it beat out it’s song along the sand. Her life felt like an enigma, and she was losing control. -- Mulder laid on his stomach staring out the window of his hotel room. He could see Scully there, roasting her body in hopes of a golden tan. He had watched her awkwardly lather up her back again today, and wished he had the nerve to go help her. It wasn’t fair to her that she should have to put up with his madness, he thought. They had been here three days now, and Mulder had no sign. No girl. No laughter. He felt like a fool. How could he have imagined that this one dream could have had so much importance? He exhaled deeply as he watched Scully sit up and look around. He could only hope that she was hoping to see him. Apparently not finding what she was looking for, she laid back down, face-up this time. Mulder couldn’t help but admire her body. For the first time since they got there, he decided to join her. -- “Do you know what I was thinking?” Mulder called out as he approached her. “Hmm?” she answered without opening her eyes. She refused to display to him how happy she was that he was with her now. “I was thinking about how...uh...how hot it is out here.” “Yes, Mulder. It’s the beach, and it’s Summer time. That usually means it’s hot.” “Oh...yeah...yeah. You’re right. I guess....well, are you hot, Scully?” Scully opened her mouth to answer, and then a realization dawned on her. Before she could do anything, Mulder had scooped her up and was carrying her towards the waiting waves. “Mulder!” she squealed. She kicked and scratched at him, but to no avail. Moments later they were at the waters edge. “Don’t do it Mulder!!” Scully squealed as he lifted her high. “Beg me.” Mulder teased. “Please, please, Mulder, don’t!” Scully’s pleas were broken up by her laughter. “Tell me I’m a God.” “You are, you are.” Scully laughed. “You are a God Mulder!” “Tell me you believe in aliens.” Scully was afraid she was going to cause herself to fall into the water she was laughing so hard. “I do, Mulder! I believe in aliens, little green men walkiiiiiiiii” Scully’s plea lead right into her scream as Mulder tossed her into the cold ocean. She came running out of the ocean chasing after Mulder. “Why, Mulder? I said I believed!” She was trying to look serious, but it wasn’t working. She had a glow eminating through her skin. Mulder wished desperately he could capture this moment in time. “They’re grey.” he dead panned, and began walking back toward their towels. Scully stood, dripping in place. She felt so many emotions tangled up inside of her that she wasn’t used to feeling. She felt playful, happy, giddy, and joyous. Yet as she peered deeper, that couldn’t be romance, could it? -- “I thought we would go to Wildwood tonight.” Mulder said between bites of his pizza. They had ordered delivery, and were both sitting on Mulder’s bed devouring the last of a half- peporoni/half mushroom pizza. “Where?” “Wildwood. It’s the next town up the coast. It’s supposed to have a really great boardwalk. I thought it would be fun.” Scully smiled. “When I was little my dad used to take us to the boardwalk in Ocean City, Maryland. I loved it. We did it every year, it was the highlight of my Summer.” Mulder smiled at her. This woman was just filled with wonderful surprises. -- “Mulder are you aware of the statistical probabilities of you winning this game? Despite the fact that it is a game of skill, the odds aren’t even in the favor of experts.” Mulder held a finger to her lips, and continued playing. He had already spent twenty dollars on this game, and he wasn’t about to walk away without winning her something. The game was the kind where you hit a mallet against a levy and you have to try to get the frog to “hop” into the lilypad. Mulder could get the frog to hop alright, he would hop right over the entire pond. “Another 5 frogs please?” Mulder asked holding a bill out to the attendant. Scully rolled her eyes, but she secretly admitted to being touched that Mulder would want to win her a stuffed animal. The only boys that had ever done that were her brothers, and they usually wound up “borrowing” them for their war games later. She had many decapitated teddy bears. “Woo Hoo!!” Mulder did a little victory dance. “I’d like the alien please.” Mulder turned and gave his new prize to Scully. “So you’ll always have something to remind you of me.” he said, handing her a stuffed alien, who resembled more of a human with a big head and big eyes then an alien. “He’s green.” Scully smiled. “Hey, doesn’t matter.” Mulder winked. “You and I both know the truth.” He interlaced his fingers with hers as they continued to stroll down the boardwalk. They passed lots of arcades and shops, each one Mulder had to go into and look around. He laughed at all the dirty t-shirts and bumper stickers, and was sure to point particularly funny ones out to Scully. As they continued on, they passed one of the game stands where you have to shoot out the red heart. “Wait stop.” Scully said. “Oh, please!” Mulder replied. “And you were telling me about statistical odds. Do you know how hard this is Scully...” Mulder continued his tyrade as Scully gave the attendenter her money in exchange for her chance to win. Mulder did not stop talking. Holding the gun up, Scully could still remember her father teaching her the trick to this game. If you shoot the star’s points in a certain order, the star will inevitably fall out. Every year Scully used to go home with a 3 foot tall stuffed animal because of knowing that. She aimed for the first point and shot. 30 seconds later, the red star lay on the ground, and the white paper hung above it without a reminent of the star. Mulder was speechless. “I’ll have the tiger, please.” Scully told the attendent. “So you always have something near you to think of me.” Scully handed the 2 and a half foot tiger over to Mulder. She had spent many summers carrying those animals down the boardwalk, it was Mulder’s turn. Mulder, Scully, a tiny alien, and a big tiger continued their journey down the boardwalk. As they were leaning over the railings to look down at the ocean, fireworks began to crackle overhead. They glanced at each other, and their gaze held. Beneath the illuminated sky, their heads began to move closer to one another. Their walls were down, and their lips had begun to ache for the other. Just as Scully’s eyes fluttered shut, preparing for the kiss Mulder jumped back. He had heard it. He had heard the little girl giggle. With a hasty explanation to Scully he took off running down the boardwalk, leaving Scully alone with an alien and a tiger. -- Mulder sat in the dark, feeling alone and dejected. After he had run away from Scully, he had fruitlessly searched the boardwalk for hours. Then, he realized that Scully had driven back to the hotel without him, and he was stuck finding a taxi cab. Despite his exhausted state, he had not been able to sleep when he returned home. He was furious with himself for ruining a near-perfect moment between him and Scully. How many years had he dreamt of that moment? Now, he had ruined the best opportunity he ever had. He pouted, feeling sorry for himself. He walked to the opposite side of the room, and pulled up the room darkening shades. His eyes scanned the beach for the familiar figure of his partner, but he didn’t see her. He smiled, for the first time that morning, as he thought of her figure. Many times over the past few days he had glanced out at his sun-bathing partner. She had looked spectacular, her well- toned body basking in the sunlight. Then, yesterday, he had gotten that bikini wet. He had been positive he would crumble at the first sight of her. Even now, the thought of it brought him to instant arousal. He continued to stare out the window, but only half of his mind was searching for the illustrious Scully. Scully was curled up cozily in her bed. One arm was draped over the tiny figure of a stuffed alien. She had been awake for hours, but didn’t want to move. She just wanted to think about yesterday over and over again. She didn’t entirely understand what made Mulder run last night, but she imagined that he didn’t know either. This desperate search for the girl, was just like his quest for the truth. It was a noble conquest, a question that he truly wanted the answer to, but it was also a way for him to hide from himself. He could lose himself in his sojourn, rather then face other fears. Scully had really wanted that kiss, too. She had been craving it from the second he had picked her up to throw her in the water. The combination of loosing control with Mulder’s hands all over her almost naked body had been too much. She was shocked at the desire that had raged through her own body. She knew she was more susceptible to it since her defenses were done, but it was still a surprise. She jumped out of bed, deciding to take a cold shower and then head down to the beach. She couldn’t wait forever for him to come knocking on her door, could she? By the time Scully got out of the shower the sky was gray. Clouds were rolling in, and as she peered out it she could see lightning flash in the distance. “Great, just great.” She said to nobody. She glanced down at her body, already donning the bikini she had planned to go sunbathing in. “Hello?” Mulder called out from the other side of her door. He knocked impatiently. She flung the door open, and began to search through her suitcase for clothes to wear over her bikini. Mulder tried unsuccessfully to ignore the view she was giving him as she bent over her pile of folded clothes. “Planning on swimming in the rain, Scully?” She shot him a look before picking out a sweatshirt. “What’s up Mulder?” her voice was muffled as she pulled the shirt on. “I’m sorry about last night, Scully.” Scully stopped moving, her head still buried in the folds of her sweatshirt. He never apologized that bluntly. “No problem.” “That’s not true, Scully.” She ignored him as she pulled on a pair of jeans. It was awkward enough feeling as though she was getting dressed in front of Mulder, having him press her this way confused her even more. He reached out and caught her wrist. “Tell me the truth.” His eyes searched her face. He yearned to know everything she had ever felt and thought, no matter how much it hurt. Scully’s blue eyes were filled with emotion. Mulder had never seen her so strong and so vulnerable all at once before. “Why do you want to know that you hurt me, Mulder? You’ve never wanted to know before.” Mulder felt as though Scully had punched him, but he knew he deserved it. She always followed him on every whim he had, every hopeless cause. She was always by his side, even when he was running away. “I’m sorry.” “I know that, Mulder. I always know that.” Scully smiled sweetly at him. She sat down on the bed, tucking one leg underneath her. “Our partnership is filled with unspoken truths. I know you are filled with silent emotions just like you know I have a silent belief.” Mulder couldn’t help but smile with that confession. He just couldn’t help but wonder what would happen if they spoke aloud everything that always went unsaid. “Did you find anything last night?” Scully gently changed the subject. “No.” Mulder sighed. “I’m beginning to wonder if I am delusional, Scully. I mean I’m chasing around an imaginary 9 year old, how sick is that?” “Even if you created her, Mulder, there must be a reason. Maybe you’re trying to tell yourself something.” Mulder sat back as he listened to the rain pour down outside the window. It pounded down with a constancy he wished he could hold onto. “It feels like,” Mulder paused. His eyes bore holes into Scully as he searched for the perfect words. Their eyes were locked as he dug deep inside himself for an answer. “It feels like…like I’m chasing my own destiny.” Mulder stood up, feeling suddenly ancy after that revelation. “Whaddya say we ditch this joint, and try our luck in AC for the last two nights of our vacation?” “Atlantic City, Mulder? You better not be ‘chasing destiny’ with my money!!” “C’mon, Scully, live a little. Pack up your suitcase, and be ready in an hour or the first go-round at the slots is on you.” He winked playfully at her and left the room. Scully remained seated on the bed after she heard the door to her room close. Staring at the mound of clothes across from her she replayed the conversation they had just had in her head. She had her own theories about this girl that Mulder was chasing, but she wouldn’t dare tell him. Destiny was his to discover. By 5:00 that evening they had checked into The Tropicana, each of them requesting a king bedded room. When Scully agreed to pay an extra 75 dollars per evening for a room with a jacuzzi bath tub Mulder raised his eyebrows at her. She didn’t say a word, just handed the reservation agent her credit card. “Can I treat you to dinner and a show, Scully?” Scully continued walking in the direction of her room, but she felt her heart begin to beat faster. She couldn’t remember Mulder asking her to so formally to dinner before. “You’re not inviting me to that Hooters we passed on the way up, are you?” Mulder bit his bottom lip and grinned at her. “Let’s keep it a surprise.” He teased. “I’ll knock on your door in an hour.” “Make it an hour and a half.” She ammended, before shutting the door behind her. At seven o’ clock Mulder tapped on Scully’s door. He adjusted his tie as an attempt to hold onto his calm exterior. As Scully opened the door, a spontaneous “Wow.” Squeaked out of Mulder’s throat. Any coolness he had previously considered part of his personality flew out the window at the sight of this red head dressed in black velvet. His eyes slowly paraded down her body, transfixed with her beauty. The sides of her red hair were pulled back with a clip, but two tendrils had escaped, tickling the sides of her face. Her beautiful face, that held on it her familiar strong yet soft expression. Her nervous eyes, watching as he helplessly studied her body. Mulder’s eyes continued past her ever-present gold cross down to her chest. Hugged tightly with the velvet, her breasts were pushed up as if they were begging to be touched. Mulder quickly shook his head, desperate to rid it of thoughts of ravaging Scully. “You look beautiful.” Scully smiled. “You don’t look bad yourself there, Mulder.” She winked at him as she grabbed her bag. “Shall we?” “We shall,” he answered linking her arm with his. -- “A hypnotist, Mulder? Oh, c’mon!” Scully couldn’t stop laughing. These two agents of the FBI, investigators of the paranormal, detectives of the unknown, Mr. & Mrs. Spooky, were going to see a hypnotist in a lounge show. “Just take a look at how much fun you’re having already, and we’re not even there yet.” Scully admitted it was true. Between his antics during dinner and this new piece of information, Scully’s sides were aching she was laughing so hard. “Please?” Mulder offered her his puppy dog eyes as he held open the door to the theater. “I’ll go with you, but don’t think for a second you’re getting me up on stage.” Mulder remained silent, his only response an ear to ear grin. “I can’t believe I let you talk me into this!” She exclaimed. She knew her partner was persuasive, but she was still shocked to be sitting here. A cocktail waitress in an extraordinarily short skirt approached them to see if they would like to order any drinks. Mulder gave her an appreciative smile, to which Scully responded by kicking him in the shin. Mulder winced and made a dramatic show of rubbing his leg. “Ill have a pina coloda, please.” “I’ll have the same.” Mulder added, still massaging his quickly forming bruise. “I didn’t know you liked pina colodas, Mulder.” Scully off- handedly commented. “If you like pina colodas, and getting caught in the rain…” Scully made a face as Mulder began to sing. “You know, Scully,” he added between verses. “This could be love, since…You like pina colodas.” Scully once again met his teasing with a kick to the shin. “Never mind,” Mulder amended. “I don’t think my legs could handle this kind of love.” Their waitress was just bringing them their drinks when the show began. The lights dimmed till everything was pitch black. Then slowly, a solitary light began to glow. As it grew brighter the orchestra began to play. The lights got more extreme and the band got louder and faster until everything suddenly stopped. In complete silence, one spotlight stared at the center stage. Then suddenly in a poof of smoke and a crash of cymbals the Amazing Howie appeared. Scully sent a sidelong glance in Mulder’s direction and saw him watching the stage the same way a child would. She found it amazing that after everything they had seen together he could still be enthralled by a simple stage show. Scully contented herself with drinking her pina coloda and enjoying the childlike way Mulder watched the show. Mulder sent a glance in Scully’s direction as she sipped her drink. She had already finished several glasses of wine during dinner and was dangerously close to finishing off this one. The thought of his professional and well-behaved partner tipsy made Mulder smile. Her wonders never seem to cease. Turning his attention back on stage, Mulder watched as the Amazing Howie “randomly” chose people from the audience. Many years ago he had been to a theatrical hypnotist. He had known at the time it was a hoax, but couldn’t help enjoy it anyway. Scully was apparently enjoying herself as well, as she laughed at the magician’s antics. Mulder was certain he had never seen her look more beautiful then she did tonight. “Why don’t you go up there?” She asked, leaning closer to him. “We already know that you’re susceptible to hypnosis.” While he couldn’t see it through the darkness, Mulder could feel her smile. “I wouldn’t dare go without my partner.” Mulder quickly retorted. Scully shrugged her shoulders as if it made no difference to her. Mulder could tell her curiosity had been perked. She wanted to know whether or not the man had any hypnotic power, but besides that, she wanted to know what he would do if he were up there. What would he look like performing for the crowd? Mulder waved the waitress over to him and ordered two more drinks. He heard Scully erupt with laughter as a hefty gentleman on stage danced for the crowd. Apparently he was under the impression that he both looked and danced like Ricky Martin. Listening to her laugh, he felt a shift occur within himself. Suddenly he was no longer out with his partner, but on a date with his best friend. The rest of the show went by uneventfully. Neither of them braved getting up on stage, but enjoyed entertaining the idea of the other one up there. Mulder actually thought Scully might go up after her third drink, but then her scientific senses got the better of her. “That was hysterical!” Scully laughed as they filed out of the theatre. Mulder smiled down at her. “I’m glad you liked it.” Scully was shocked at how much she had enjoyed it. She had been able to set aside all of her normal judgements, and just have a good time. Of course, all of the alcohol helped, too. As if to exemplify her thought, her feet tripped over nothing at all. “You ok there?” Mulder asked as he caught her and set her back on her feet. “Yeah, I guess I just had a bit too much to drink.” She blushed. Scully was not used to the effects of alcohol on her system. As they reached her hotel room door, they both faced each other awkwardly. The silence sat heavily in the air, until Scully broke it, “Do you want to come in?” she asked, gesturing towards her half open door. She felt embarrassed even before the question came out of her mouth. “Yes.” Mulder answered, his voice low and husky as he stepped forward to open the door the rest of the way. Scully gingerly sat at the edge of the bed, unsure of what to expect. She knew the alcohol had clouded her sensibilities, and hoped she was acting herself. “I’m just going to use the ladies room,” Scully excused herself. She quickly cleaned the candles away from the jacuzzi, just in case Mulder decided he needed to relieve himself as well. She would be so embarrassed if he knew just a few hours earlier she had been laying in there, bathing in the warm water & candlelight, imagining all the different paths her future could take. She glanced in the mirror before returning to the other room. She was thrilled she had thought to bring this dress. She felt so feminine without any undergarments on. She had justified it to herself, that due to the spaghetti straps on the dress, she couldn’t wear a bra. The panties, well, she couldn’t find an excuse there. She pushed back one strand of unruly hair, and then made her way back into the other room. Mulder sat, waiting for her, perched up against the pillows on the king-sized bed. She flashed him a brilliant smile as she lied on her belly on the opposite side. The awkward feeling between them was gone, and they were once again, nothing more then best friends. “Do you want anything to drink, Scully?” Mulder asked, eyeing the bar on the other side of the room. “No thanks,” Scully giggled, “I think I’ve had enough for tonight. I am a little hungry though.” “Room service it is.” Mulder rolled towards the phone and casually ordered them salads, steaks, and strawberries with whipped cream. “Mulder!” Scully squawked as soon as he hung up the phone. “I am a ~little~ hungry! That is an entire day’s worth of food!” “Don’t worry, I’ll eat it.” He smiled at her. She tried not to ponder the aphrodisiac quality of strawberries and cream. Why he had chosen that particular food, she may never know. She did know that one of the most romantic memories of her life centered around that very fruit. They chattered mindlessly until the food arrived. The bellhop made a huge display of getting everything prepared for them. Scully felt awkward to be served like that, but Mulder seemed perfectly at ease. She couldn’t help but wonder how many times he had done this with other women. Mulder leaned against the pillows, casually dipping the strawberries in the cream before taking bites out of the fruit. “Try one, Scully.” He congealed between bites. Scully hesitantly reached out and grabbed the smallest strawberry there. She caught just a little whipped cream on the end of it, and made sure she was not looking at Mulder as she ate it. “You need more cream then that, Scully. You aren’t getting the full effect.” He then continued to find the largest fruit there, and cover it with the sweet cream. She gingerly took it from him, trying not to appear nervous as she bit into it. “Isn’t that better?” he asked, obviously enjoying watching her. Scully nodded her head, her mouth too full to say a word. Mulder slowly reached out to touch her, and Scully could feel her heart rate quicken. Then she burst into laughter as he wiped a smidgen of cream off the end of her nose. By 2:00 that morning they were both absolutely exhausted, but neither of them wanted to leave each other’s sight. Mulder’s tie and jacket had long since been discarded, along with Scully’s high heels. Mulder couldn’t help but admire the way the black velvet of her dress hugged her curves. He noticed that one of the spaghetti straps had managed to shift its way down her shoulder, and he ached to devour the exposed flesh. “Scully?” “Hmm...” She answered, rolling over to look at him. As she rolled the hem of the dress creeped further up her leg, revealing more of her thigh then then she intended to. She didn’t notice, but Mulder did. “You’re beautiful.” Scully’s head popped up. Mulder had never paid her that kind of compliment before. She bristled, positive that there must be a joke coming. “You’re tired Mulder, go to bed.” “You are.” He reached out and put his hand on her velvet-clad hip. “I know I never say it. I never pay you half of the compliments you deserve.” Mulder glanced down, feeling guilty for not paying enough attention to this woman. “You’re not bad looking yourself ya’know.” Scully’s face turned bright red as she made that admission. Even with the alcohol in her system, she was extremely embarrassed. Mulder stared deeply into her eyes for several long seconds. They both held their breath, knowing what was about to happen, giving the other one a chance to back out. Their eyes locked in a silent promise. Mulder leaned forward, his eyes never leaving Scully’s, and placed his lips over hers. Scully’s senses reeled as Mulder’s lips came in contact with hers. She felt goosebumps run down the length of her body, and then a wave of heat crept back up. It felt as though her emotions were taking control, possessing her to do all the things she had always dreamed of. Mulder slowly slid his tongue along her bottom lip. He wanted to take this slowly, to explore Scully inch by sensual inch. Despite the fact that she wiggled against him with all of the passion of seven years pent up sexual frustration, Mulder held firmly to his resolve. He wanted to make love to Scully all night long, and not fall asleep until the sunlight was streaming through the windows. Mulder gently pulled away from her passionate kisses. He saw the fear and disappointment burning in her eyes, and quickly set her at ease. “I want to see you,” he softly explained as he led her off the bed. Mulder pulled her into a standing positing and searched her eyes for her trust in him. She knew he was aroused, she could feel the evidence of it pressing into her belly. His fingers played gently around her collarbone, as he waited for her approval. Swallowing all the doubts she had in herself, Dana Scully silently nodded her head yes. The smile that spread across Mulder’s face was so brilliant, Scully knew she would do anything for him if it meant seeing that smile again. Mulder rubbed his hands up and down her velvet covered back. He toyed around the zipper, but didn’t unzip it yet. He was greatly enjoying Scully’s innocent response to his ministrations. If Scully thought he unzipped the dress slowly, she was tortured by the length of time it took for him to remove it. Despite the fact that they had seen each other naked before, he had never had the opportunity to really enjoy it. He was making up for lost time. Scully knew the torturous wait to be rid of the dress was worth it as soon as she saw his reaction to her lack of panties. The dress fell the rest of the way to her feet, leaving her dressed only in her silk thigh-high stockings. Mulder’s eyes filled with surprise, then love, and then finally desire for this gorgeous woman standing before him. She bent to remove her stockings, but he stopped her with a touch of his hand. When she saw the pure lust on his face, she smiled sweetly, content to leave them on. Mulder went to lean her back on the bed, but it was her turn to stop him. “I’d like to see you now.” The tone in her voice surprised both of them. She sounded like one of the women Mulder spent so much money talking to on the phone. Mulder reached up to begin unfastening the buttons, but she stopped him once again. She wanted to have the pleasure. As soon as his shirt was removed, Scully began working at his belt buckle. He smiled as he realized this woman had the same determination in the bedroom as she did in every other area of her life. He was down to his boxers when he reached down and touched her hand, a silent gesture to stop undressing him. He wasn’t sure if he stood before her in all of his naked glory he could keep himself from rushing things. He wanted to give Scully all the romance she deserved. Scully looked up at him from where she was squatting down on the floor, and with a defiant glare, she yanked his boxers down to his ankles. They both froze momentarily shocked at what she had done. Scully couldn’t help but stare at the well-endowed man before him. Mulder opened his mouth to talk, but then Scully shocked him even more. She began placing kisses all up and down the length of his shaft. He stared down at her, his mouth still open. Then, her eyes locked with his, she took as much of him into her mouth as she could. Mulder couldn’t help it; he moaned. It was a long, low growl with an attempt at saying her name at the end. His breath came in short bursts as she explored his full length with her mouth and hands. Suddenly Mulder sprang into action, positive if he didn’t stop her soon he wouldn’t be able to. In one fluid motion he scooped Scully up and laid her down on the bed. He brought his mouth down onto hers, and plunged his tongue into her mouth. At first, the passion of the kiss was entwined with a playful fight for dominance of the other’s mouth. Scully willingly forfeit as soon as Mulder’s teeth gently nibbled at her lower lip. His hands began a path of exploration, starting in her fiery hair. He moved down her neck, her shoulders, her chest, until he finally began to trace lazy circles around her breast. Scully squirmed in aroused anticipation as his fingers slowly moved closer and closer to the rosy peak. They didn’t touch it, though. Right before Scully was positive he was about to give her a tiny pinch, he lifted his head up and brought his mouth down to gently suckle on her nipple. The feeling of his tongue flicking against that tiny nub sent Scully reeling. She had been relatively quiet all up until that moment. She began to whimper as she tossed her head back and forth on the pillow. The sound of Scully whimpering made Mulder’s already engorged member, throb. Strong, smart, independent Scully had turned to absolute putty under his hands. She knew she would never let anyone else have this power over her. Her promised himself not to let her down. He slowly slid down her body, dropping little kisses everywhere, until he was finally at eye level with her womanhood. He was thrilled to see she was dripping in her arousal. He held his head centimeters away, and blew warm breath onto her. He did this to warn her of what was coming. The last thing he wanted to do was offend her by putting his mouth on her in the most personal of ways. Hearing not a protest, but another string of whimpers and moans, Mulder set himself to the task at hand. He offered long, soft strokes with his tongue, waiting patiently until she needed more then that. Her hips begged to buck wildly, but he held her firmly. He began to alternate the long strokes with quick hot flicks against her sensitive bud. When her writhing and moaning reached an intolerable level, Mulder seeked to give her the sweetest release. He slid two fingers inside of her while continuing to lap her with his tongue. His rhythm remained constant, despite her building climax. His fingers gently probed with a steady pace, and his tongue continued to rotate between the two delicious ministrations. It wasn’t until Mulder felt her inner walls began to tighten against his fingers, that he changed the pattern. His fingers pounded away deftly as he sucked in the area that his tongue had been lovingly focused on. He listened in pure rapture at her cries as she fell over the pinnacle of bliss. When he saw her body fall limp, after the waves of pleasure had ended, he quickly crawled up the bed to hold her. She glanced at him from beneath heavy lids and rosy cheeks. Then she smiled. Mulder couldn’t help himself, “Scully, you are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on. But your beauty is only one of the thousands of reasons that I am so hopelessly in love with you.” Scully’s smile grew bigger. “I love you, too, Mulder.” Then she mounted him. Mulder wanted to protest, anxious to have the opportunity to make love to Scully, but she silently insisted. This time, she was going to make love to him. And she did. Mulder could barely believe the pleasure that coursed through him with every slight move of her hips. She saw her power over him, and obviously enjoyed it. She was anxious to turn him into the same quivering ball of arousal that she had been just minutes before. She set an agonizingly slow pace, while Mulder moaned beneath her. They both knew he could take over at anytime by grabbing her hips and thrusting up into her, but that was not what their relationship was like. No, Mulder would groan and writhe beneath her, trusting her to set the pace. Her fingers played with his chest hair, as she slowly rocked back and forth. Then she saw it. His eyes were rapidly dilating with desire. He reached up and grabbed onto the pillow behind his head, forcing himself not to make her go faster. She slowed down for one torturously long minute, before giving in and yielding to desire. Mulder’s climax came just seconds after Scully’s, and they both clung to each other tightly. “Mulder?” Scully asked as she gently eased off of him. “Yes?” His voice was husky from his recent orgasm. “I can’t tell you how many times I have dreamed of doing that.” “Me too.” Mulder replied, hugging her close. “Me too.” -- When Scully awoke the next morning, she was alone. She desperately tried to rationalize his disappearance in her mind as she eased herself out of bed. “Maybe he saw the girl, or maybe Skinner called…” She argued his case aloud with herself. Her mood was going downhill by the second as she swung open the bathroom door. And then she saw it. All of the candles that she had so carefully hidden last night were lit and placed around the jacuzzi. She picked up a note that had been scrawled on a piece of the hotel’s stationary. A relieved smile graced Scully’s face as she recognized Mulder’s familiar penmanship. S- I went for a run along the beach. You looked so peaceful in your sleep; I didn’t want to wake you. I’m hoping that when I get back you would join me in the tub. Love, -M Scully reread the note twice, just for the delightful feeling she got when she read the word “love.” She reached over and turned the bath water on, looking forward to spending a lazy day in her new lover’s arms. Mulder could feel the sweat dripping off his face as his feet pounded into the sand. He couldn’t believe what had happened last night. Had he really made love to his partner? Made love to his best friend? Would she be angry? Would she hate him? Would she be as thrilled as he was? He knew he had taken the coward’s way out. When he had woken up with her body draped seductively across his, he saw no other choice. He had to get up and leave. That way they would each have time to adjust to this new development in their relationship. He was running out of time to keep delaying the inevitable. The Tropicana Hotel could be seen and he knew it was only a matter of minutes before he stood in front of Scully’s door. His stomach flipped at the very thought. He decided to concentrate only on the sound of his feet pounding against the sand. It was his life beat guiding him, and they turned him towards the hotel. Mulder sucked in a deep breath as he rapped lightly on the door. “Mulder?” Scully’s voice called. “Yeah, it’s me.” “The door is open!” Mulder was relieved to hear Scully sound like, well, Scully. She didn’t sound like she was up tight about what had happened the previous evening. He pushed open the door to the darkened room. A flickering glow danced out of the open bathroom door, and Mulder grinned from ear to ear. Nope, not up tight at all. He quickly slipped out of his sweaty clothes and headed towards the beckoning warmth. As soon as he swung open the door, his breath caught in his lungs. Scully was lying in the tub, her arms resting on either side of the marble ledge. Her ruby hair was pulled up on top of her head, to protect it from getting wet. One defiant strand had escaped and wisped against her cheek. Her eyes were shut and Mulder thought she looked to be the perfect picture of sensuality. She opened one eye and grinned in Mulder’s direction. “I thought you wanted to *join * me in a bath.” He needed no further invitation. He stepped out of his boxers, only feeling a tiny twinge of shyness under Scully’s scrutinizing eyes. “Aaiii…” Mulder couldn’t help the animal like cry that immerged from his throat as his skin first made contact with the scolding water. Scully shot him one of her patented “oh, please” looks, and he quickly toughened up. He settled himself in across from her, breathing deeply, accustoming himself to the heat. Scully closed her eyes again and tilted her head back. Mulder found it even harder to breath, looking at this seductive side of Scully. “How was your run?” she asked, still laying against the back of the tub. “It was nice.” He responded casually. “I’ve always liked running at the beach in the morning. It’s so peaceful.” Scully offered him a smile in response. He lifted her leg that was closest to him and began rubbing it up and down. She sighed and snuggled herself deeper into the water. She was obviously enjoying his tender ministrations, on her calf, her thigh, her knee, back to her calf… The she suddenly leapt backwards when his fingers crazed the bottom of her foot. Scully shot him a warning glance, and Mulder didn’t have to be told twice: Scully was ticklish. With this delightful revelation in mind, he lunged across the tub; determined to discover every single place this woman was sensitive. “Mulder, no!” She shouted. For a brief second, he thought she was serious, but then he noticed the playful glint in her eyes. It was too late though, she had already recovered from his first attack and was preparing to launch one of her own. “I’m not ticklish, Scully.” Mulder calmly rationalized. She knew he was trying to talk him down, the same way he would talk to a hostage holder with a gun. “Like hell you’re not, Mulder!” And then she attacked. Water flew everywhere as they wrestled and tickled each other. “Mulder…the…candles!” She gasped between squeals. “What about them?” he growled as he unsuccessfully attempted to hold her foot with his lets and tickle it with his fingers. “They’re…they’re…. gonna break…” She fell into full-blown giggles and squeals. Mulder was basking in the sound of her voice filled with such merriment. “Then we better be more careful.” Mulder resolved the situation by scooping the struggling Scully up into his arms and carrying her into the bedroom. He wanted to watch her squirm some more. -- “I saw the girl again today.” Scully’s head snapped up from her lunch and she stared at Mulder with questions filling her eyes. “When?” “When I went downstairs to get us food. When you were passed out on the bed.” Mulder gave Scully a little wink. She blushed at his reference to their earlier coupling. “Did you talk to her, Mulder?” “No.” “Did you try?” Scully was shocked at his calm demeanor. Normally, he would be jumping around, itching to find out more about this mystery girl. “No.” Mulder paused, and when he saw that more explanation was needed, he continued. “She was standing in a crowd of people in one of the casinos. I know if I went towards he she would run again, and I’d lose her *again *. Besides, I was on my way to see another very important girl.” “Mulder—“ I know what you’re going to say, Scully, so don’t bother. I won’t let us having sex get in the way of all of my other dreams. I just think you might be right on this one. Maybe she is just a hallucination from too much stress or something. I don’t feel like analyzing it, or even thinking about it. I can’t explain it…” Mulder trailed off, shifting in his seat after his uncomfortable confessions. Scully reached out to hold his hand, like she had so many times before. “If I ever see her again, Scully, I will chase after her with everything I’ve got. But please, understand, today I just didn’t want to.” Seeing his honest distress, Scully searched for words that would put him at ease. “That’s ok, Mulder. Hey, we’re on vacation, remember.” “Yeah…” Mulder chuckled. “Yeah.” EIGHT YEARS LATER Mulder walked down the coast, the warm breeze ruffling his hair. Even though it was early morning, he knew what he was looking for would be here. As he scanned the beach for any sign of it, he breathed in the fresh scent of sea air. The world felt completely at peace. Then he saw it. At first it looked like an indistinguishable series of mounds, but as he moved closer her realized it was an entire kingdom. He stared at it, pride and joy filling him to the brim. And then, then he heard it. Turning around quickly, he smiled in the direction of the familiar giggle. “Daddy! Daddy! Do you like the kingdom Mommy & I built?” “It’s beautiful, Dee.” His daughter ran up to hug his leg, and then she quickly ran off to do cartwheels in the surf. “Careful!” He called out after her. Then he turned to acknowledge the woman that was standing beside him. She was smiling, as she always did, when he showed concern for their daughter. “You were up early this morning, Mom.” He slipped his hand into hers as they walked in the direction of the giggling girl. “Destiny was calling.” She nodded her head in the direction of the girl who was hunting for seashells. Mulder smiled, knowing how demanding their daughter could be. Like Mother, like daughter. “Mommy! Daddy! Come take a look at this!” The young girl held something above her head as she danced and jumped around in the sand. She had inherited her father’s sense of exuberance over every new piece of knowledge, and her mother’s need for scientific analysis of everything. Even a shell or a rock needed to be studied, in her mind. Scully smiled at Mulder before calling out to her daughter, “We’re coming, Destiny!”