DELIVERANCE FROM EVIL
By Tess and Char Chaffin
Category:  MSR, post-col
Rating:  R to NC-17
Disclaimer:  These characters belong to CC and company -
We're just using their clones to show how we think the
mytharc will play out -
Spoilers:  Up through Season 7 "All Things", and FTF

Author Notes:  At the end of the story!

Feedback:  We would adore it:  char@chaffin.com, and
Tnv099@aol.com

SUMMARY:
Mulder and Scully discover the horrifying truth about the
alien colonization - and the ensuing battle will test their
strength and their committment to each other -

PART TWO

~ Chapter Eleven ~

"Hey - it's me."  The voice on the other end of the line whooped in
excitement.

"Jesus, man!  Where've you been?  We've been worried out of our
friggin' minds!  You wouldn't believe the rumors..."

"Oh, I'd believe it... listen.  I need your help, but I don't want
to get into very much over the phone.  I am going to email you
something - and when you get it I need you to do exactly what the
email says, and when you've done it email me back and let me know. 
I'm sorry to have to be so mysterious - but I've got good reason."

"It's okay - I understand.  Everything's still secure over here - we
swept about ten minutes ago.  Email away..."

After the click in his ear signaled the end of the call, Byers
turned to Frohike, and spoke reassuringly.  "He's okay - and I'd bet
Agent Scully and Skinner are with him.  He needs our help..."

Mulder disconnected his cell phone, and smiled in relief.  Turning
to his laptop he tapped out the remainder of the list he'd been
furiously typing as he'd spoken to Byers, then hit 'send'.  As an
afterthought he emailed the guys again and asked them to dig out the
Triple Fat Goose parka and bibs he'd worn to Antarctica; Langly had
borrowed them months ago and had forgotten to return them.  No sense
in buying another set of arctic gear when he already had a perfectly
good set; they'd need to save as much of their money as possible.

Money... another problem.  Mulder sat back in the under-padded hotel
chair and rubbed at his face, pondering their best angle on the money
situation.  Scully had left everything behind in his apartment when
they'd fled. Her ID and badge, all her credit cards... useless now
because there wasn't a safe way to go back there.  No doubt the
building had been under surveillance all this time.  These people did
not make mistakes.  Skinner would be able to access his funds, as
would Bill and Tara.  And Teena Mulder's estate still sat safe and
gaining interest, in three different banks.  Even if Scully couldn't
touch her account, they'd be good for money, at least enough to get
them everything they needed for the trip and to take with them to use
until paper money ceased to be of value.  

Mulder didn't doubt that time would come, and quicker than they'd
like to see.  He shut down the computer and prepared to find Scully
and Skinner and see how far they'd come on their own lists.

*************

Scully sat on the floor in Skinner's room as they made notes of all
the supplies they would need to take with them.  First and foremost
on Scully's mind were medical supplies.  "Most of the things we'll
need we can get at a local pharmacy, but the drugs are going to be a
problem," she said.

"Can't you write a prescription?" Skinner asked.

She shook her head.  "No prescription pad for one thing," she told
him, patting the pockets of her borrowed clothes.  "Besides, it would
be too suspicious to write that many prescriptions.  No pharmacist
would fill them all."

Skinner peered at her over the top of his glasses.  "We can go to
several different pharmacies," he suggested.

She shook her head again.  "No.  I don't want to take any chances
that their computers are linked.  I don't want my name throwing up
any red flags - not when we're so close to getting out of here."

Skinner nodded and frowned.  "I'm open to suggestions."

"Well..." Scully tapped her pen on top of her notepad.  "I have an
idea but I don't know how legal it is."  She looked up at her boss
with troubled eyes.  He gazed back down at her for several long
minutes weighing her words thoughtfully.

"You're not suggesting that we go out and buy them on a street
corner, are you?" he asked doubtfully.  

Scully grinned.  "No, Sir."

"In that case - extraordinary times call for extraordinary
measures," he intoned solemnly.  "What's your plan?"

She was busy scribbling down the names and dosages of the drugs she
thought they would need.  "The Lone Gunmen," she said, looking up
from her list.  "Mulder is going to contact them to ask them to bring
some of the other things that we'll need and to try to convince them
to come with us.  I'll ask him to give them this list.  If anyone can
get what I want, those three can."

Skinner peered over her shoulder to see what she was writing. 
Scully twisted around to look up at him.  "What have you got there?"
he asked, nodding toward the list.

"Well, I can think of a dozen more things I'd like to ask for, but
this will have to do," she said, reading off the names of several
antibiotics and medicines for pain, as well as medications to control
high blood pressure, a prescription for migraine relief and a few
others.  "Who knows what we're going to find when we get to wherever
it is that we're going, Sir?" she explained.

Skinner nodded and flopped down into a chair, bracing his elbows on
the arms of the chair and studying her over the tips of his steepled
fingers.  "Listen... we're going to be spending a lot of time
together in some pretty cramped quarters," he said.  Scully frowned
and nodded. Skinner regarded her seriously, and continued, "I'm not
really your boss anymore.  In all honesty, you and Mulder are the
leaders of this group now."

She shook her head and opened her mouth to argue.  Skinner held up
his hand.  "The point I'm trying to make is that I don't think we can
go through the rest of our lives calling each other 'Sir' and 'Agent
Scully'."

Scully smiled shyly.  "No, I guess we can't."

"The name is Walter," he said softly.  "Or Walt, if you prefer."

Scully looked up.  "It's going to take some time to get used to
this... Walter."

"That it will, Dana."

She heaved an exaggerated sigh and picked up the telephone.  "I'd
better get this list to Mulder before he calls the guys," she said,
dialing the phone.  The phone rang three times before Mulder answered
it in their room.

"Mulder?" she asked.  "Do you have a minute?"  She listened for a
moment and then nodded at Skinner.  "Good," she said into the phone. 
"Would you come down here then?"

She set the receiver back into its cradle.  "He'll be right down,"
she told Skinner.  A minute later there was a knock at the door and
Skinner opened it, stepping aside to allow Mulder to enter the room. 
Mulder immediately walked over to where Scully was sitting on the
floor, still making notes on her pad.  He set his hand on the top of
her head and she looked up smiling.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Have you called the Gunmen yet?" she wondered.  He nodded.

"Yes, but I can call them again in a little while.  Why?"

"Just this."  Scully tore a piece of paper out of her notebook and
handed it to him.  "Walter and I have been working on a list of
medical supplies," she told him.  "This is a list of things I don't
think we'll be able to get on our own.  I'd like you to ask the guys
about them - see if they can get them for us."

Mulder raised arched brows at her casual use of their bosses' first
name.  "Walter?" he said slowly.

"Dana and I have come to an... understanding," Skinner said with an
evil smile on his face.  Mulder scowled at the older man and Scully
stood up, placing her hand on his chest.

"That's right, Mulder," she said.  "Walter pointed out that he's
technically not our boss any longer.  He suggested that since we are
going to be sharing... intimate quarters - " She threw a teasing
glance over her shoulder at Skinner, "it's silly for us to be so
formal."  She smiled sweetly at Mulder.  "I told him that he could
call you Fox."
Mulder choked and Scully clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a
giggle.

"You don't mind do you Fox?" Skinner asked with a devilish smile.  
Getting into the silliness of the moment, Mulder slung an arm around
Scully's shoulders and his answering smile was just as evil.

"No problem, Skinman."  Scully could not contain the laugh that
burbled up at the astonished look on Skinner's face.  

"On second thought," Skinner said, "I think I'll stick with Mulder."

Mulder grinned.  "Sounds good, Walt."  Skinner heaved a long-
suffering sigh.

"Don't you have a phone call to make?" he asked pointedly.

"Right."  Mulder looked down at Scully, pleased to see a tiny smile
still playing on her lips.  "Anything else that you want me to ask
them to get for you?  I've been emailing them - I can send another
one right now."

"Weeelll," she said slowly.  "Maybe one of those portable
defibrillators - like the ones that they carry on airplanes now?" she
asked hopefully.

"I'll see what we can do," he promised.  "How is the supply list
coming?" he asked.  Skinner lifted the notebook from the table.

"We're pretty much finished," he said.  "We've done our best to
whittle it down to the basics - clothes, bottled water and non-
perishable food items.  We also decided on some camping gear - a camp
stove, pots, pans, metal plates, utensils."  He flipped the page and
ran his finger down another list.  "Medical supplies, towels, cloth
diapers for Meggie, and personal care items like toothpaste, soap,
shampoo and deodorant."  He looked up from the list with a crooked
grin.  "We're going to spend a lot of time together in a confined
space over the next couple of weeks... might as well smell good!"  

He handed the notebook to Mulder.  "We still need to pick up car
seats for the kids."  He sighed and scratched his head.  "We'll have
to wait until we're settled someplace to get whatever else we need."

Scully took the notebook from Mulder's hands and tore several pages
from it.  She handed one list to Skinner, another to Mulder and kept
the rest.  "Let's get started."

************

Scully and Tara trudged wearily through the shopping mall. While
they shopped Mulder had gone to the pharmacy to pick up the
miscellaneous medical supplies and other personal care items that
were on the list while Bill and Skinner had been sent out to buy the
camping equipment and car seats.  They were also having the Excursion
outfitted with a roof rack to accommodate their supplies.  

Tara blew a strand of blonde hair out of her eyes and the smile she
directed at Scully was thin from weariness.  "Under different
circumstances, this would be fun," she said in an equally tired
voice.  She and Scully had taken on the Herculean task of buying
clothes for everyone.  They were doing their best to keep their
purchases to a minimum, knowing that space in the Excursion would be
at a premium.  Still, buying enough clothes to outfit seven people
for a harsh winter, even if they were only buying the basics, was a
daunting task.  They had quickly realized that they were not going to
be able to lug all of their purchases around the mall and had made
arrangements to have their packages delivered to the mall management
office for safekeeping.  

Scully glanced at her watch and groaned.  "We have less than ninety
minutes before they come back to pick us up," she told her sister-in-
law.  "Let's get this over with."

Seventy minutes later they only had a few items left on their list
and were making their way through the mall toward a sporting goods
store where they hoped to find a parka and boots for Scully, when she
suddenly stopped in front of a toy store.

Tara looked at her questioningly.  "Let's go in," Scully said
impulsively.  Tara followed her sister-in-law into the store.

"What are you doing, Dana?" she asked.

Scully looked up from a display of stuffed animals.  "I want to get
something for the kids," she said.  Tara looked at the list in her
hand and then back at Scully.

"But Dana... we don't have much room," she reminded her helplessly. 
Scully grabbed her hand.

"Look - they won't understand any of this and they're going to be
scared and confused."  She licked her lips as she tried to explain. 
"God, Tara... they're children.  They should at least have a couple
of toys."

Tara smiled and her eyes were bright with tears.  "Thank you, Dana,"
she whispered.  "I've been thinking the same thing, but I was afraid
to ask."

Scully shook her head.  "Listen, Tara.  If you have an idea or a
suggestion don't be afraid to speak up.  We need all the good ideas
we can get our hands on!"

The two women quickly brought a stuffed rabbit for Meggie and a
coloring book and crayons for Matthew as well as a few other small
toys and storybooks.  Time was running short and they hurried to the
sporting good store to make the last of their purchases.  They went
to the management office to collect all of their bags and settled
down on a bench near the mall entrance to wait for their ride.

Tara leaned her head wearily against the back of the bench and
watched the doors for any sign of Bill.  Scully was skimming over the
list one last time making sure that they had bought everything they
needed.  She looked up at a small sound from Tara.  "What's so
funny?" she asked seeing a tiny smile playing around the corners of
her sister-in-law's lips.

"I was just thinking," Tara said slowly.  She rolled her head
against the back of the bench to look at Scully.  "How much would you
have paid to see the expression on Mulder's face when he put a six
month supply of tampons down on the counter at the drugstore?"

Ten minutes later, they were still grinning as they helped the men
load their purchases into the Excursion.

**************

"I wish you guys would change your minds, and just come with us now.
I don't like the idea of you hanging around in DC."  Mulder loaded
the rest of the gear in the back of Langly's beat-up old Volvo.  He'd
taken a cab from the drug store, figuring he'd borrow the Volvo long
enough to take the supplies back to Bethesda and then turn it over to
Byers who would take it back to DC.

Now Mulder turned to face his three friends as they helped him pack
up the last of the items on the list.  Byers hefted the defibrillator
into the back hatch; Mulder was dying to know where they'd found it
but figured he'd be better off not knowing.  Frohike glanced at the
printed list in his hands and nodded, then his eyes met Mulder's and
he grinned in response and replied in his gruff voice.

"Come on, Mulder... you'd deny us our fun?  We wanna see what goes
down.  We'll come, really we will - but not yet.  Not until we see
what we can do to muck up the works around here."  Byers turned from
the hatch and added his two cents' worth.

"It's better if we stay for a while, Mulder... I'm still trying to
get hold of Suzanne.  I wouldn't be able to assure my own safety
until I know for sure that she's okay... preferably with me but in
the off-chance it's not possible, at least safe somewhere."  Mulder
nodded.  He understood, but it was still tough to just let them stay
not knowing for sure if they'd survive.  He clasped Langly on the
shoulder with one hand and gripped Frohike's stubby fingers with the
other.

"Don't leave it too long, okay?  Use your heads.  And the guns, but
only if you need them."  He nodded toward the small arsenal he'd
piled in an empty box, then eyed Langly with a stern glare.  Langly
had been enchanted by the new additions to their personal stash; none
of them had ever gotten around to buying guns and it had always
bugged Langly that they'd been lacking in the firearms department. 
The blonde haired man shrugged and grinned.

"I'll behave!  Jesus, why does everyone always assume I'm the
irresponsible one?"  Langly was miffed.  Mulder laughed and one hand
reached out to tug on a hank of Langly's hair.

"Could be those Goldi-locks and the Buddy Holly glasses... or maybe
the way you can't resist playing with things.  Just take it easy and
don't get happy with the target practice... that's all I ask.  And
don't shoot your eye out."  Mulder climbed in the car and buckled in,
while Byers jumped in the passenger seat.  Frohike shook Mulder's
hand again and gave him some last-minute instructions while Langly
cuffed him lightly on the shoulder.

"Take care, Mulder - and take care of the delectable Agent Scully. 
Tell her I'm sorry we couldn't all come up there to say goodbye but
somebody has to stay here and make sure our stuff doesn't get stolen.
And Langly here is such a chicken-shit he'd probably hide under the
bed if those bastards came knocking."  Mulder shook his head and
gunned the engine, partially drowning out Langly's injured squawk at
his buddy's callous remark.  He eased out into the street, leaving
them bickering on the sidewalk.  With one last holler to them to take
their argument inside where it was safer, Mulder drove off, Byers
adjusting his seat belt and stretching his long legs in the passenger
seat.

They had been driving in companionable silence for about ten minutes
before Byers spoke up.  "Mulder... can we fight this?  Realistically -
how much of a chance do we have?"  Mulder glanced sideways at him as
he turned onto the Interstate.

"We can live for a while, if we go where the bees can't follow.  One
thing I can tell you: a handful of uninfected rebels with a few guns
and a lot of prayers will not stop colonization.  We need a way to
stop the virus and that means finding a vaccine.  That's why we
needed the lab equipment you guys dug up for us.  Scully wants to
experiment once we get settled up north.  I wish you'd all
reconsider, and just come with us."  Byers shook his head and the
smile he threw on Mulder was meant to reassure.

"We'll be fine.  I promise as soon as we can, we'll come north. 
You'll keep in touch somehow and we'll come to you when we can. 
It'll be okay, Mulder... we'll be okay."  Mulder smiled back but the
gesture felt empty - and it scared him to think he might never see
his friends again.  But he refused to let on to Byers that he was
anything but confident and sure about their future.

And Byers refused as well, to show his fear.


***********


~ Chapter Twelve ~

"So anyway, I was probably ten years old, which would have made
Charlie seven," Scully said.  "Mom and Dad were out at a party at the
Officers' Club. Bill and Missy were supposed to be home watching us,
but Bill had a hot date and Missy had slipped out to go down the
street to her friend, Becky's house, to watch 'Donnie and Marie' and
do each other's hair."  She made a face and took a sip from the
bottle of beer she was holding.  She was sitting on the floor between
Mulder's legs; her head and back propped up on his chest.  The
children were asleep in the bedroom and the adults were gathered in
the living area of Bill and Tara's small hotel suite, sipping beer
and talking.  Skinner was sprawled out in one of the chairs, sleepily
listening to Scully's story while Bill and Tara were snuggled up on
the sofa.

"Who was the hot date with?" Tara asked, arching a brow at her
husband.  Bill shrugged.  

"She's making all of this up," he said loftily.

Scully leaned forward.  "Her name was Cindy Beckman," she said. 
"She was very tall and had long, dark hair and big breasts," she
confided throwing a look over her shoulder.  "You would have liked
her," she told Mulder.  He smiled wolfishly and waggled his brows at
her.  

Scully sat back, squirming to get comfortable against his hard
chest.  "Where was I?" she asked, propping the bottle on Mulder's
leg. "Oh, right.  So Charlie and I are alone in the house and we're
bored.  Charlie pulls out a football and we start throwing it back
and forth."

"Mom always said don't play ball in the house," Tara intoned
quietly.  Scully laughed and pointed her beer bottle at her sister-in-
law.

"Right!  Well I threw the ball at Charlie but he wasn't paying
attention and it sailed past him, crashing into a bookcase.  One of
Bill's baseball trophies fell off the shelf and it broke into three
pieces.  We both stood there for a second or two and then suddenly
Charlie just freaked out.  He was running around in circles, crying,
'Bill's gonna kill us; he's gonna kill us.'  I grabbed him by the
shoulders and I shook him hard and sent him into the kitchen to get
the glue while I picked the pieces up from the floor.  Charlie
brought the glue back and we very carefully glued the whole thing
back together. Then every morning we would wake up and come
downstairs to make sure the glue was still holding.  After about two
weeks, we forgot all about it.  A month later, Bill was dribbling his
basketball in the living room while he was talking on the phone with
Cindy.  The ball got away from him and hit the same bookcase and down
came the trophy.  Mom took one look at the broken trophy and left the
room.  A minute later she was back with the bottle of glue.  She
handed the bottle to me and said, "Here, Dana.  Why don't you and
Charlie help your brother glue that back together.'"  Scully laughed
again.  "I have no idea how she figured it out, but she knew."

Bill scowled at her.  "I loved that trophy," he muttered into his
beer.

Skinner straightened up in his chair.  "To the Scullys," he said,
lifting his bottle into the air.  Scully smiled and blinked back a
tear as everyone lifted his or her drink in salute.  They drank;
Mulder put down his empty bottle and the hug he bestowed upon Scully
was warm and comforting and exactly what she needed the most.  She
leaned her head back against him and her smile was teary, but filled
with good memories... only good ones.

It was late in the evening when they finally gave in for the need to
sleep; everyone had been having such a good time it was hard to stop.
Their first true bonding together as a new family and no one had
wanted to give it up; it was vital and precious to them. After Tara's
third yawn and Bill's snoring doze on the sofa, however... it was
decided to call it a night.  

Scully watched fondly as her brother and sister-in-law helped each
other walk a straight line to the door of the second bedroom in their
suite.  Bill had roused himself just enough to grumble a disparaging
remark over his shoulder about sound-proofing in the walls, before
Tara shushed him with yet another, "Shut up, Bill!"  Skinner had
barked out a laugh and had gathered up all the beer bottles and
thrown them away, before tossing a smile and a goodnight at Mulder
and Scully and letting himself out of the suite to head over to his
own room.  

Scully stood and stretched, the thin cotton of her tank top riding
up and affording Mulder a glimpse of soft white skin and little
bellybutton.  He leered at her comically and she huffed out a sleepy
laugh, then held out her hand and helped him to his feet.

"Don't make fun of my navel, Mulder... at least it doesn't collect
lint!"  She looked down at it; being a little "outy" of a navel there
wasn't any room for lint storage.  Mulder pretended to be injured at
her admonishment.

"I would never poke fun at your navel, Scully - I happen to think
it's cute."  To prove his point he touched it gently with the tip of
a finger; that one touch giving Scully a lovely shiver which she
didn't bother to suppress.  Mulder stared down into her sleepy eyes
and his murmur was low and a little shaky against her ear.

"Bed-time, for both of us.  We have a very long day tomorrow."  She
nodded and leaned into his chest for a quick snuggle before they left
Bill's suite and headed next door to their own.  She disengaged the
lock and entered; Mulder pushed the door to their room closed behind
them.  Scully turned into his welcoming arms, felt his hands move
over her back and she nestled closer, wishing she could freeze this
moment in time.  They were leaving tomorrow.  The Excursion was
packed; they only had a few things left to carry down with them when
they checked out.  In the morning they would leave the East Coast and
all that was familiar behind and she didn't know if they would ever
be back.

"Hey," Mulder whispered against her hair.  Scully looked up.

"I have an idea," he told her as he pulled her toward the bathroom. 
She watched him tug back the shower curtain and turn on the taps,
testing the water temperature on his hand.  When it was adjusted to
his satisfaction, he rummaged through the basket of complimentary
soaps provided by the hotel and dumped the contents of a small bottle
of shower gel into the tub.  She looked at Mulder and then back at
the small hotel bathtub.  She wasn't sure if he wanted them to take a
bath together, but she knew that there was no way they would both
fit.  She tilted her head back as he leaned down to her.

"I don't know when you're going to have a chance to enjoy a bath
again," he said, a note of apology entering his voice.  "I'm afraid
that it's going to be showers for a very long time."  Scully's eyes
slid shut as he kissed the tip of her nose.  "Go ahead," he murmured.
"I'm going to watch some television."

She waited until he had pulled the door closed behind him to slip
out of her clothes.  She eased into the tub; a happy sigh escaping
her as the hot water immediately helped to relax her aching muscles. 
Scully stretched out an arm and grabbed a towel from the vanity,
folding it up and stuffing it behind her head.  She could feel the
tension drain out of her tired body and into the hot water as her
thoughts turned to Mulder.  She had never known that she was capable
of loving another person so much.  Love had crept upon her one day
when she wasn't paying attention and then she had spent years trying
to deny it.  Now though, she was free to express her love for him and
lavish her attentions on him.  

Scully idly picked up a small bar of soap.  She didn't know how she
would have survived the last few days without Mulder's loving
presence, she thought as she slid the sliver of soap over her arms. 
Each night he had held her in his arms, hushing her tears against his
strong chest until she slept, wrapped in his protective embrace.  His
soothing whispers of love and comfort had buoyed her and his gentle
kisses reminded her that there was still a life to be lived.

She rolled her head against the towel.  What would it be like, she
wondered, to forget about everything else and simply concentrate on
Mulder and the way he made her feel?  Her hands drifted restlessly in
a line down her throat, her fingers skimming across the tops of her
breasts.  She cupped one hand around herself and imagined that it was
Mulder's hand testing the small weight of her breast - his fingers
tracing teasingly around the nipple.  Behind the closed lids of her
eyes, she could see him leaning over the tub, the heat of the water
and desire bringing a flush to his cheeks.  She touched her fingers
to her lips, feeling Mulder's mouth moving over them - his hands
lovingly kneading her breasts.  Her hands - his hands - slid over the
smooth skin of her stomach, fingers dipping into her belly button
briefly before continuing their journey down her body.  She gasped as
her fingers trailed along the soft skin of her inner thigh -
teasingly, tantalizingly close.  A tiny moan escaped her as her
fingers finally slid between her legs and she shifted restlessly in
the water as she imagined his lips trailing the same path down her
body as he whispered words of love and praise against her tender
flesh.  

Every muscle in her body tightened under her phantom lover's teasing
and skillful touch.  Wanting to see his face, she opened her eyes and
gasped with disappointment.  Alone.  Her fingers slowed, then stopped
and she buried her face in her hands.  Alone.  Why - when everything
she wanted was in the next room?  Scully stood up abruptly and pulled
the plug from the drain letting the water swirl around her feet as
she climbed out.  She ran a towel over her wet body, quivering as the
roughness of the terrycloth chafed her over-stimulated flesh.  She
wiped her hand over the fogged mirror and studied her reflection. 
Her eyes were wide and dark; her cheeks pink and her hair curling
softly around her face in the humid air.  She wondered what Mulder
saw when he looked at her tired little face... then she expelled an
impatient breath.  Jesus - what was wrong with her?

In the next room was a man who loved her without reservation -
without artifice.  And she stood in the bathroom staring anxiously
into a steamed-up mirror looking for imperfections.  Scully shook her
head in self-disgust.  She had wasted enough time...

**************

In the dim light of the bedroom Mulder lounged near the foot of the
bed and idly flipped through television stations.  With no cable this
hotel's viewing choices were limited to three news stations and a
public broadcast station, and one free channel that mostly played
really lousy Muzac versions of such classics as "Tie a Yellow
Ribbon".  For a fairly classy hotel the TV sucked, Mulder thought
with a resigned sigh.  He shut it off and tossed the remote down on
the nightstand, then stretched out with his arms behind his head. 
Thinking vague thoughts about the journey tomorrow, he knew the first
thing they needed to do was fine-tune their basic route north.  They
would travel through an enormous portion of Canada; Mulder hoped
their exposure to the effects of the virus would be slim.  He didn't
want Bill and Tara or the kids to see that kind of carnage.  Nor did
he want to see Scully suffer any more of it and think about the way
it had destroyed her beloved family.  

Scully... God, he loved her so much!  Mulder stared up at the
ceiling with unfocused eyes, thinking about the way she'd felt in his
arms when they'd stood in the doorway of their room.  So soft and
small... so much of a woman contained in that delicate frame of hers.
Beauty abounding and the courage of a hundred men... how could
someone that tender and fragile in appearance have the sort of
fortitude necessary to do as her brother had asked, and end his
suffering?  Mulder was humbled by it... by her.

He could hear faint splashing behind the closed door of the bath.
Usually they left the door open when one or the other of them took a
shower, but tonight Mulder had pulled the door closed behind him,
wanting the steam of the hot water to stay with her and help to ease
her sore muscles.  He'd wanted her to have an extra measure of
seclusion and privacy knowing that both would be in short supply as
they traveled north.  All of them would be living in each other's
pockets; there would be little time for modesty, much less anything
else.

Including intimacy.

Mulder sighed and let his mind drift, allowing himself the luxury of
imagining Scully surrounded by soft fluffy bubbles and steamy hot
water.  Her hair would curl into irresistible little ringlets in that
humid atmosphere; he'd seen it happen in DC on the weekends when it
was summer-damp outside.  Enchanting... enticing too, the slope of
her rounded shoulders rising above all that silky foam.  He could see
it all in his mind, and he let it wash over him and welcomed the
tightening of his body as he played the images behind his now-closed
eyes.  

Her sweet breasts would be buoyant in the water, their rosy tips
visible above the bubbles floating on the surface of her bath.  The
elegant line of her throat would be displayed to innocent advantage
as she leaned her head back against the rim of the tub; Mulder could
imagine trailing his lips up and down that arch of perfect skin. She
would smile against his lips when he raised his head from her throat
to kiss her... one hand would press into his bare shoulder and trail
down his chest on a curious trek toward the heavy throb of his
groin... Mulder let his hand wander that path her hand would take,
over and around each of his sensitive nipples and heading in one
determined trail until his fingers could reach the buttons of his fly
and flick them open.  Those tender fingers of hers would tickle
through the springy hair covering his already rapidly-growing
erection; he let his - now her - hand delve into the opening he'd
made in his jeans; let her phantom hand find him, and wrap around the
hard flesh.  He stifled a groan against the arm he'd flung against
his face, picturing the naked desire in her eyes as she watched her
fingers stroke and pull at him - the way she'd helplessly lick at her
lips as her face moved into him, closer and closer, until he could
feel her soft uneven puffs of breath on his overheated skin,
anticipate the exact moment that lush mouth of hers would open up and
take him inside -

"Mmmm, Scully..."

******************

Wrapping a towel securely around her body, Scully opened the
bathroom door and was immediately stunned motionless.  Her heart
thudded wildly in her chest and the sight that met her eyes
transfixed her.  The light from the bathroom filtered over the bed
illuminating Mulder as he reclined on top of the rumpled blankets. 
His head was turned away from her and he seemed unaware of her
presence in the room.  One arm was thrown over his eyes; he was bare-
chested and his jeans were open.  Scully leaned against the door
frame watching as his free hand moved slowly over his body - down his
chest and over his stomach - taking the same path along his body as
she had taken over her own only moments before.  She bit back a moan
when he reached into his jeans.  His hand closed lightly around his
penis and his fingers moved languidly over his hardened flesh.  He
groaned under his breath and his hips rocked in time with the slow
pumping of his hand.  Her name escaped his lips on a fractured sigh
and she must have made a sound because he lifted the arm shielding
his eyes and lazily turned his head toward her.  Scully swallowed
hard and her eyes met his for a moment before they drifted down his
body, hungrily watching his stroking fingers.  

Without embarrassment Mulder lifted his other hand and held it out,
beckoning to her.  She moved across the room, stopping when she was
about a foot away from him.  He sat up and caught the tips of her
fingers with his own, pulling her forward until she was standing
directly in front of him.  He tilted his head back and Scully knew he
was waiting for her to make the first move.  

She hesitantly placed her hands on his shoulders and felt his
stroking hands on the back of her thighs, his fingers flirting with
the edge of the towel wrapped around her body.  Licking her lips, she
leaned down and cupped his face between her hands, lowering her mouth
onto his.  Her kiss was tentative at first but with the familiar
taste of Mulder on her lips, she quickly grew bold.  Her tongue
teased the corner of his mouth, begging for entrance and his lips
parted beneath hers on a sigh.

His hands reached between them and he tugged on the towel, baring
her to his touch.  Scully gasped against his mouth as his hands
slipped up to cup her breasts, his thumbs teasing her nipples - just
as she had imagined him doing in her solitary bath - but better... so
much better.  She broke away from their kiss and leaned her forehead
against his.  Mulder's hands drifted down to settle on her hips and
he urged her to kneel on the floor in front of him.  This time he
framed her face between his warm palms and rubbed his mouth over hers
and she was quickly lost again in their kiss.

*****************

She tasted like heaven... more delicious than ever because this kiss
was sweetened with the knowledge that there would be no more waiting -
no more interruptions.  Mulder licked at her full lower lip and
stifled another groan against it when her tongue mimicked the action
and then dipped inside for a longer sip of him.  Slipping along his
teeth and burrowing inquisitively into the inside of his cheeks;
stroking the roof of his mouth and then twisting sensuously with his
tongue... she was maddeningly thorough in her investigation of the
inner recesses of his mouth.  Mulder let her explore, feeling as if
they had all the time in the world to taste, and feel... and love.

*******************

Scully broke from the intense kiss and his faint moan of protest was
lost in the shudder he released as she trailed curious fingers along
his denim-clad legs; he inhaled sharply when the back of her hand
brushed against his stomach.  She stroked hesitant fingers across the
straining tip of his erection.  So hard... so full.  God...

"Show me," she pleaded as she wrapped her hand in a loose fist
around the base of his penis.  She smiled softly when she felt a
quiver move through his body and his hand covered hers, guiding her
into a slow, lazy rhythm.  She bent her head, watching her hand move
softly, delicately over his flesh.  He felt amazing; steely and hot
and silky and thick; the musk of his body such a powerful aphrodisiac
that she felt almost light-headed from the effect on her senses. 
Mulder brushed his fingers across her cheek and she lifted her head,
allowing herself to drown in it, opening her mouth under his lips. 
Scully lifted both hands to his chest and pushed him back, taking
control.  She reveled in the sound of his distressed groan at the
loss of contact with her hand, and shushed him gently.

"Lean back a little," she whispered, nodding approvingly when he
braced himself on his elbows. "That's good," she said.  Her hands
trailed down his chest and she pressed her lips to his in a brief,
hard kiss.  Against the roughness of his cheek she repeated it. "So
good..." She rolled her mouth down over his stubbled chin and licked
a path along the line of his throat, nibbling on the tendon on the
side of his neck, feeling his pulse pounding against her lips.

"I love you," she whispered, rasping the flat of her tongue over his
nipple, and Mulder shuddered beneath her touch.  Her mouth traveled
in a series of nibbling kisses down his torso and her hands traced
patterns over his chest and ribs before settling onto his hips.

"Let's get rid of these," she suggested, curling her fingers into
the open waistband of his jeans.  Mulder lifted his hips and she
peeled them down and off his legs.  She slid up his body and he fell
back onto the mattress.  Scully nuzzled her cheek against his belly
and stroked her thumbs over his hips.  She could feel him twitching
against her breasts and she raised her head, propping her chin on his
stomach.

****************

He was being driven slowly out of his mind... and adoring every
second of it.  No other woman had ever lavished such unselfish
attention upon him.  In his years of experience with the opposite sex
he had always found that his bed partners had been mainly focused
upon their own goals of satisfaction and their brief and distracted
caresses had left him wanting and bereft.  He'd never failed to bring
them to orgasm but any pride that he might have taken in his prowess
as a sensual man had usually flown out the window as soon as it was
over.

Not so with this woman... not with Scully.  How could it be anything
less than perfect?  With each touch of her soft hands, each kiss and
lick and bite and breathless moan she told him without words how she
desired him - loved him.  It humbled him anew, the depth of love
Scully gave to him without reservation... he had to give it back,
needed to show her in the same deep measure.  He was suddenly urgent
in his need to show her.  He looked at her and the hot gleam in her
eyes actually made his mouth water.

*****************

"Come up here, Scully," he said hoarsely.  She shook her head,
smiling with shaky resolve.  She wasn't ready to release him, to let
him take over.  She needed this right now; needed the control, the
aggression...

"Not yet, Mulder," she whispered.  Scully slid down his body, her
hair trailing over his stomach and across his hips.  She inhaled
deeply, drawing his musky scent into her lungs.  Her tongue darted
out in a long, exploratory lap and she raised her eyes to his when
she felt him sit up.  Her hands slipped into the curve of his lean
hips and she held him fast as she stared into his dilated eyes.

"I want to know everything about you that I don't already know," she
told him and he groaned deeply as her hot, moist breath washed over
him.  Scully lowered her head again and Mulder leaned forward,
tunneled his hand under her hair, and then cupped her cheek as she
took him into her mouth.  He chanted her name on a rough thread of
sound, praising her; begging her as she caressed him with tugging
lips and swirling tongue, her fingers scratching lightly over his
hair-roughened thighs.  When she lifted her head again she saw that
his face was flushed and beads of sweat were standing out on his
forehead as she rose up on her knees to kiss him again. Their mouths
met and mated in a kiss both gentle and insistent as her hand moved
gently over him, fingers sliding on the wetness she'd left on his
skin.  

Mulder wrapped his arms around her and her world tilted as he lifted
her onto the bed and stretched out alongside of her.  "I want a turn
too," he told her as his swept his hand down her body from shoulder
to thigh.  Scully shivered under his touch and she cupped the back of
his neck in her hand.

*****************

The look of her against the white sheets of their bed was unlike any
fantasy he'd ever produced in the video of his mind; Mulder was in
awe of the perfection he found beneath him.  He traced a bruise on
her rounded hip and an appendectomy scar glistening white and puckered
there on her skin; she trembled as he let his mouth follow the path
of his fingers.  Badges of honor, every bruise and imperfection -
they only made her more perfect in his eyes.  He murmured a teasing,
"Lips before hands, Scully?" into her cute little navel and waited
for her breathless comeback, uttered into the scarce air between them.

"Hips, Mulder... hips."  He smiled into her navel and his retort was
roughly tender.

"Well, I've got them covered as well, baby..." Then he gave up
trying to talk and love her at the same time and concentrated on just
the loving.  There would be plenty of time for talk... lots of
minutes and hours to tell her all the secrets of his soul.  Right now
he had his own slice of heaven between his hands, and he didn't want
to waste a minute of dwelling there.

Over the delicate blades of her ribs, up the left side and curling
his tongue around the tight little nipple, Mulder tasted her with an
endless hunger.  Across the collarbones and down the right side, on a
trek to nirvana - affording her other nipple the same attention, as
Scully shivered and moaned beneath his mouth and tongue.  His hands
were never idle; caressing and stroking every inch of her as his
mouth roamed in a random pattern over her skin, around and down, down
toward the place where she would taste the sweetest.  

And he needed more than anything, to taste her there; to know her in
the same way she'd just learned of him... but he wanted to be sure
she was ready for this sort of intimacy.  Though she'd taken the
first step toward oral gratification, it just seemed different for a
woman, somehow - that she would release that last sacred part of
herself to someone else.  It was silly - he knew it. But he was just
insecure enough to need that last assurance from her.  He lifted his
head and caught her glistening eyes; moved up her body, enough to
meet her, face to face.  His voice came out in a broken rasp.

"Scully - are you... okay... with this?"  Her smile was sweetly
loving and her words went a long way toward giving him that
reassurance he needed.

*************

"I've wanted this for so long," she told him in a tremulous whisper.
"But I'm a little scared."

Mulder smoothed the hair from her forehead.  "Of what?" he asked
tenderly.  She slid her hand down his back and curved her fingers
over a bare cheek.  

"I want this to be perfect," she admitted.  He smiled in relief and
kissed the tip of her nose.

"It will be," he assured her.  "It's just you and me - and anything
we do together will be perfect," he promised.  Scully smiled shakily.

"I know," she whispered.  She sighed happily when his mouth settled
over hers.  Her hands clenched in his hair as he moaned and slipped
his tongue into her mouth.  His lips molded lightly to hers, rubbing
over her mouth teasingly and she gripped his hair tighter as she
sealed her mouth over his, deepening the kiss, her lips moving
hungrily against his.  He moaned again and broke away.

"Slow down," he whispered as his mouth played over hers, pressing
feathery kisses at each corner and tracing his tongue over the
outline of her mouth.  His mouth slid over hers, always moving,
always teasing. 

"More," she moaned against his lips.

"Patience," he chided as he buried his mouth against her throat. 
Scully gasped and arched her neck as his tongue curled into the
hollow at the base of her throat.  He opened his mouth wider and
pressed against her frantically beating pulse.

Lifting his head, he ran his hand from her throat down to her
breasts.  Cupping one soft mound in his hand, he lowered his mouth
and encircled the aching tip between his lips, taking another long
drink of her.  Scully cried out brokenly as he drew strongly on her
nipple then smoothed the softest of kisses to the hardened flesh. 
She lifted her head and bit down on his shoulder; Mulder jumping a
little at the feel of her sharp little teeth sinking into his skin. 
She pulled his face down to hers, her teeth nibbling his lush lower
lip, then rolled onto her side, rubbing her knuckles over the
quivering muscles of his stomach.  Mulder traced his fingers over the
silken curve of her hip; wrapping them around the back of her knee,
he lifted her leg over his thigh.  He slipped one hand between her
legs, his fingers delving into her moist heat.

"Oh," she gasped and her breath came in tiny pants.  Mulder tunneled
his other hand into her tangled hair and his lips grazed over the
tiny dimple on one side of her mouth.

"You look so beautiful like this... so beautiful."  His voice was
hushed and reverent as his eyes roamed over her face, memorizing the
flushed cheeks, sparkling eyes and swollen lips of his lover.

****************

On her side against the pillows with her hair all wild and curling
around his fingers, Scully was a vision of desire and sensuous
womanly beauty.  And she was his... Mulder felt like the most
fortunate man in the world.  And her smile told him more than any
single word, as she lay in his arms and opened herself to him.  He
ran a hand down her side and his body slid alongside hers, keeping
her leg propped against his shoulder; in this position she was fully
revealed to him and the soft, wet pink perfection he saw there was
his undoing.  He couldn't wait... he couldn't stop.  He had to have
the tiny button of nerves he spied hidden in her soft auburn curls.  

Mulder leaned into her and breathed deeply of the wondrous scent of
her - the pure clean scent of an aroused woman.  That it was Scully;
at last it was she who lay there exposed to him and radiating this
much scented heat... almost too much to assimilate.  He buried his
mouth into the silk he found there and registered her breathless cry
mere seconds before all his cognizant senses shut down and his world
became one vital focus, of loving her.

She tasted like everything good and true; of all he'd ever needed in
his life and had up to this moment been denied.  He ran a careful
tongue around the swollen folds and let it flick against her tight
little clit; with each movement of the tip she shuddered and her hips
rocked into his face.  He could feel her fingers clenching and
unclenching in his hair; it should have hurt but her fingers were
gentle even in the throes of her desire.  Mulder smiled and hummed
his pleasure into her skin and she moaned and thrust herself more
fully against him.

He could have gone on this way forever; adoring the taste and the
feel of her as he rubbed his tongue over her flesh and probed deeply
into the narrow cling of her... but he wanted it all, this first
time.  Wanted the first flush of her climax to pull at his throbbing
flesh and not just at his mouth, although that would surely be as
amazing.  That could wait a bit; it was more necessary for their
first release to be as together as possible.  With regret, Mulder
pressed one last deep kiss into her and slipped up her body until he
again had her positioned with her leg flung over his hip and aligned
face to face and center to aching center.  He looked into her heavy-
lidded eyes, and gasped at the look of her on his pillow.

Jesus... she took his breath away.  He cupped her face and silently
worshipped.

**************

Scully turned her face into the hand that was cupping her cheek and
pressed an open-mouthed kiss into its center.  Still breathless with
the enormity of what he'd made her feel just a few seconds ago, she
skimmed the point of her tongue over the palm of his hand and wrapped
her lips around his forefinger, drawing it deep into her warm, wet
mouth.  Her eyes were hooded with desire as she slid his finger from
her mouth, biting down on the tip and then laving it with her tongue.
Keeping her leg twined firmly around his hips, she wrapped one small,
strong hand around his neck and rolled onto her back, pulling him
over her body, locking her ankles around his back.  Her entire body
was thrumming with need - she could not wait another second.

She didn't need to wait; between them his flesh was hard and burning
with heat and need - it was time.

Her smile was feline as she arched sinuously beneath him, her hand
reaching between their bodies, guiding him to her wet, aching flesh. 
"Now," she whispered.  "Please."  Mulder groaned, and nodding, he
sank several inches into her body.  She uttered a low cry and arched
her hips, causing him to slip even deeper within her.  Mulder slid
his arms under her, his hands cupping the back of her head as he
drove all the way within.  

"Oh, God..." he groaned against her temple.  Scully unlocked her
ankles and slid her legs down his thighs, curling the soles of her
feet around the backs of his calves.  She clenched her inner muscles
tightly about him, when he would have withdrawn.

"No," she whispered brokenly.  "Don't move... not yet."  Her tongue
darted out to moisten her lips and Mulder swooped down, crushing her
lips with his own.  His mouth moved hungrily over hers and he pulled
his hips back slowly, so slowly until he almost slipped out of her,
then he pushed forward until he was fully embedded in her clinging
warmth.  He began stroking her smoothly, in and out; she wrapped her
arms around his neck, pulling him down to her.  Her lips clung to his
and she stared into his eyes as her hips met every thrust of his
body.  

The feeling was incredible; how could she have survived all these
years without experiencing this?  Mulder, inside her - inside where
she had needed him to be.  Inside her heart, her very soul... feeding
her bites of heaven and sustaining her when she needed that
sustenance the most.  The waiting they had both inflicted upon
themselves... what a waste.  Never again, she vowed.  Not a second
more would they throw away.

************

He was in Heaven; had died and gone to Heaven.  He used to think
that trite phrase was stupid in the extreme, but not anymore. 
Nothing had ever felt this good... nothing.  Her body fit his
perfectly; her skin slid against his in the most delicious feeling of
friction, as they rose and fell together.  Together... at last,
together.  

Why the hell had they waited so long?  All this time, they could
have had this...

Then again - perhaps they wouldn't have appreciated it half as much
had they begun a relationship years ago when they were both too
selfish to partake and share of themselves.  No this was right...
this was good.  In the same place at the same time and cherishing
every movement, every small moan and gasping cry... this was perfect.
He breathed it into her mouth as he pulled her hips up more tightly
against him and felt himself taken even deeper.

"Perfect..." She echoed those words right back to him.  She was
moving fiercely against him, a small explosion of breath forced from
her lungs with every thrust he took.  He never thought about the
difference in their size, that he might hurt or overwhelm her.  He
never worried about crushing her petite frame underneath his driving
body; Scully gave as good as she got.  Tight and wet and hot...
deeper and deeper until it was impossible to find the ending of him
and the beginning of her... so right... he wanted it to last forever.

He knew it couldn't last much longer... it was too good.  In his
experience the good things of life didn't last very long...

***************

She shivered when Mulder swore softly by her ear as he fought back
his climax and she planted her feet onto the mattress as she bucked
up into his driving hips.  His name broke over her lips on a sob when
he slid his hand between their bodies, dipping his fingers into her
slippery folds.  He touched just the right spot and her legs trembled
as her orgasm bore down on her; she buried her mouth against his
throat, muffling her cry as her body convulsed.  

Mulder braced himself on his elbows and dropped his head onto her
shoulder. His breathing was ragged as he pounded his body into hers. 
So close... he wasn't ready for it to end but he was on the edge; had
been on the edge almost before they'd begun.  He bowed his back over
her, pumping his hips against hers - feeling it come up fast and
unstoppable. Groaning, he pulsed against her welcoming flesh,
emptying himself within her.  One last shudder and he was sinking
bonelessly down into her cushioning embrace.  

Home... at last, home.

Scully wrapped her arms and legs around his quivering body as he
sank down atop her, crushing her into the crumpled sheets.  Her hands
stroked through his sweaty hair as she whispered words of love
against his temple.  Her lips sought his in a tender kiss as their
racing hearts slowed.  Her lover, finally.  Those words had never
sounded sweeter than when she whispered them into his ear and heard
his answering sigh of contentment.  He leaned back a little and
looked down into her eyes with love shining from his own.

"Are you all right?" he asked as he scraped damp tendrils of hair
from her cheeks.  Scully smiled and nodded, fighting back reactionary
tears.

"I feel so good," she told him.  His smile was so adorable; Scully
couldn't resist one last kiss.  Mulder's lips curled against hers as
he slipped from her body, sighing with resignation.  He'd wanted
nothing more than to remain inside her forever... or all night,
whichever would come first.  

Scully rolled onto her side, drawing one of his arms around her and
resting her cheek on the inside curve of his other arm.  Mulder's
hand curled possessively around her breast and he buried his face
against the silken skin of her back.  Scully felt, more than heard,
his whispered 'I love you' against her skin.  Snuggling her hips
against him, she tumbled into sleep.

*****************

In the watery early-morning light the room was silent and cool -
they'd forgotten to turn off the air conditioner.  Mulder turned and
flopped onto his back, still in that netherworld of waking yet
dreaming.  Next to him Scully still slept deeply, her fingers twined
through his and a shapely leg pinning him down.  Slowly his eyes
opened; he yawned and stretched, careful not to disturb her.  Mulder
turned his head and watched his Scully sleeping.  He'd done this
before but this morning it felt different to watch... he felt
different.  And it went so far beyond sexual satisfaction...

Because for once in his entire sorry life Mulder felt loved -
completely, thoroughly loved.  If he died five minutes from now he'd
die a happy man, with his only regret being the wish that they'd had
forever to love like this.  He'd lost everyone he'd ever cared about,
yet in one amazing night Dana Scully had restored to him all he'd
lost.  Every tear he'd shed for his mother and father, his sister...
all redeemed and given back to him.  Every disrespectful utterance
against him and his reputation... restored.  All his immediate
worries, current fears and anxieties for the future... all had been
drained from him mere hours ago.  And yes, these problems would come
back a hundredfold... but for now Mulder was saturated with Scully
and life was very, very good.

Kissing her face gently, he slid carefully from the bed, taking care
not to wake her.  It was still very early and they did not need to be
up for at least another hour.  Padding naked to the desk, Mulder
flipped open his laptop and booted up, preparing to check his email
one last time before they hit the road.  He brought up his mail
server; he had three messages.  The first one was from Frohike,
wishing them a safe and speedy trip and promising to follow as soon
as they felt they could no longer be of service in DC.  Mulder smiled
as he deleted the message; they would all miss the guys.

The second message was from his investment broker - his monthly
financial report.  Mulder scanned the two-page report, noting it had
returned a healthy little dividend.  He sighed, knowing he had to try
getting the rest of it out this morning before they left town.  He'd
removed a goodly portion yesterday but since he hadn't wanted to
appear too suspicious he'd gone easy on the withdrawal.  

The third email made him sit up at attention.  He sucked in a sharp
breath as he read:

'Agent Mulder: Do not enter Canada by way of Niagara Falls.  Do not
enter Canada at any border except North Dakota.  When you arrive
there, you, Agent Scully and Assistant Director Skinner must not be
seen.  People are looking for you.  You must find any possible way to
become invisible to the border patrol. Agent Scully's brother and his
family must appear to be the average American family driving into
Canada on vacation.

'Do not consume meat, Agent Mulder.  Stay clear of any and all meat
products, either fresh or canned/frozen.  Do not consume corn
products - any variation of those products.  I cannot go into detail
at this time - just heed my warnings.

'It is not important for you to understand how I know what you are
about to accomplish today - let's just accept that I know.  You will
transact necessary business at your financial institution. When
you finish your business you will enter the men's room on the first
floor and go to the third stall.  Taped behind the tank is a safe-
deposit key.  The key will open safe number thirty-four, and inside
that safe you find there are two packets of identification.  Mr.
Scully and his family should use them when approaching the two
borders you must cross.

'I know you are an intelligent man, Mr. Mulder - which means I know
approximately where you may try to settle.  You will succeed if you
go there - you will be safe.  You and Agent Scully must remain safe
at all costs.  You are the future.

'Remember:  you will always have a friend at the FBI, even though
the world as we know it may dissipate before our eyes.

'Never stop seeking your truth.'

Mulder re-read the email three times, then sat back in his chair and
expelled the breath he'd been holding.  A friend... the same friend
who planted old microfiche at Georgetown Library, perhaps?  Who made
it blatantly easy for them to discover the truth about the alien
colonization in the first place?  

A friend who wanted them alive and safe and moving across the US
border in a no doubt obscure area of North Dakota, intelligent and
intuitive enough to understand they had to move to Alaska to survive
and even second-guessing which of them would be making the trip. 
Maybe a friend worth listening to, worth keeping - maybe not.  Mulder
sighed and rubbed his eyes; he didn't know what to think.  

Two warm hands curved around his neck, causing him to jump a little.
In his deep contemplation he hadn't even heard Scully walk into the
room.  She leaned over his shoulder and pressed a string of light
kisses across his cheek then caught his mouth in a deeper caress. 
Mulder slid a hand into her hair and held her head close as he
enjoyed the leisurely kiss, refusing to think of anything beyond the
sweetness of early-morning kisses from the woman he loved.

Scully released his mouth and came around his chair, insinuating
herself between the desk and him, straddling his lap and gazing down
into his eyes with mischievous baby blues; then she put her mouth
close to his ear and her whisper tickled his lobe.

"Am I to presume that I'm playing second fiddle to your laptop,
Agent Mulder?  What's it got that I don't, hmmm?  More memory?  More
powerful gigabytes?  A keyboard that won't quit?"  Her silly banter
made Mulder smile and he wound his arms around her bare waist and
nuzzled that smile between her soft breasts.

"My keyboard can't hold a candle to you, Scully... its shift keys
are way too small."  He pressed an open-mouthed kiss on each of her
little pink nipples, licking at the tender points gently and loving
the way her sighs filled all the needful places in his heart.  He
held her very close and kissed her good morning everywhere he could
reach, then determinably set her away, turning her around on his lap
until she faced the laptop screen.  Tapping a finger on the screen,
he instructed, "Read that - and tell me what you think."

Scully did exactly as he'd done; she read it several times before
saying a word.  Turning back around, she regarded Mulder with worried
eyes.  "Mulder, this person knows a lot about us and our plans.  He
knows Bill and Tara and the kids are with us.  He probably also knows
we've contacted the Gunmen and have stocked up on supplies, for God's
sake!  Do you think he's watching us?"  Scully was very uneasy. 
Mulder rubbed his hands up and down her back as he thought about what
this sort of knowledge might mean for them.

"I don't know, baby.  This could be another situation like X or Deep
Throat - we have talked about the possibility before.  Whatever it
is, there's nothing we can do.  We're leaving today.  We have to go
to the bank one more time and clear out as much from my savings as we
can without arousing too much suspicion."  

"Are you going to do as the email instructs?  Check out the safe and
use these ID packets?"  Scully looked at him curiously, still
snuggled in Mulder's lap.  He nodded slowly, stroking her back.

"Yes, I might as well.  If I'm being watched then so be it.  I'm not
letting anything stop us from leaving today - but I'm not throwing
away any possible help, either."  Mulder stood up with Scully still
straddling him; she gasped and flung her arms around his neck and
hung on as he carried her back into the bedroom.  Sinking down upon
the bed, he steadied her atop him and kept himself pressed between
her thighs, wiggling his brows suggestively at her when she pretended
to frown disapprovingly down at him as she balanced her hands against
his chest.

"So, Mulder - whatcha got on... your mind?"  He chuckled and his
hands cupped around her saucy little bottom, feeling her open
softness and her silky curls caressing his rapidly growing erection. 
He made one tiny adjustment and lifted her up, then brought her down
over him and felt himself slip deep.  He groaned softly in tandem
with her gasp of rekindled desire; he sat up a little and wound his
arms around her waist and buried his face against her breasts as she
held onto his shoulders and began to rock upon him.   Gently...
slowly... rocking easy and taking him to a hot, dark place where he
never wanted to leave.  

Soft, the movements they made against each other; it was early in
the morning and they had another hour to be alone and in love -
making love - before their day would truly begin.  Before they would
buckle themselves into a large vehicle loaded with supplies and begin
a trip into the unknown.  

They had an hour, and they took full advantage of it, using every
precious minute of their time together - cementing their commitment,
and celebrating their joined life.  They kissed endlessly and held on
to each other - and when they climaxed they both cried out softly and
shuddered; gripping tightly and letting the moment spool out until
there was nothing left but cooling flesh and wildly beating hearts - 

And all the love in the world.

*********************

~ Chapter Thirteen ~


Later they would look back on the first days of their journey and
think how easy they'd had it, though at the time it was, in their
opinion - rough.

Five adults and two young children all confined to a fairly large
vehicle cabin, yet not seeming large at all when hours upon boring
hours of sitting still were slogging by.  Meggie was fussy and cried
easily; teething problems, mostly.  Everyone took turns holding her,
distracting her or comforting her.  Oddly enough she was most content
with Skinner... who'd been as flummoxed as her mommy and daddy when
it seemed that no one but the big tough Ex-Marine could make the
dainty little girl happy.  The first time Skinner held her awkwardly
on his lap, Meggie had twisted around in his grip, tears of self-pity
still rolling down her chubby little cheeks - and her hand came into
abrupt and determined contact with his glasses.  Miraculously her
tears had stopped and her gleeful chortles echoed around the interior
of the Ford as she tore them from his surprised face and waved them
about for all to see, a new plaything/trophy to be admired.  Mulder
had to bite down hard on the inside of his cheek to keep from
laughing out loud.

From then on Meggie would demand to be the center of Skinner's
attention - and after a few shaky lap-holding sessions and a horror-
filled episode with a soiled diaper, Skinner welcomed the little girl
with open arms.  It kept him busy when he wasn't slated to drive, as
all the adults were taking a turn at the wheel - and it left him with
a good excuse to not have the pressure of holding a conversation with
whomever happened to be sharing the seat next to him.  It wasn't that
Skinner didn't care for the social aspects of traveling - far from
it.  These people were rapidly becoming vital to him; they were his
new and final 'family'.  But sometimes it was nice to relate on
nothing more strenuous a level than an eighteen-month old child. 
Skinner was falling in love with Meggie Scully, and the feeling was
mutual.

Scully thought it was sweet and tended to get all misty-eyed over
the newly formed connection between her niece and her ex-AD.  That
first long day, she and Tara regularly got sniffly over the sight of
Meggie snuggled on Skinner's lap, tiny fingers playing with his much-
larger ones while he hummed to her in a rich baritone.  Sometimes
Matty could be found in the curve of his arm as well, a tiny bit
jealous of the attention his baby sister was getting even though the
sheer size of Skinner still intimidated him.  Not so with Mulder,
however... whom Matty promptly adopted the moment he realized that
Mulder could roll his tongue.

Mulder had been at his wits' end by the end of the first day,
sitting in the front passenger seat while Bill drove.  Tara and
Scully were asleep in the back and Skinner was in the far back seat
bonding with Meggie as usual. How in hell he was going to keep this
enchanting yet wildly energetic child busy?  Matty sat on Mulder's
lap and bounced up and down all over his poor knees; the kid was tall
for his age and built like his daddy.  Mulder had run out of goofy
things to say, snatches of equally-goofy songs, and recitations of
remembered rhymes and such - and when Matty rubbed his little bottom
on Mulder's kneecaps for about the fifth time, Mulder decided
something had to be done to distract the excited child.

"Hey, Matty - watch this!"  The little boy eagerly turned around on
Mulder's lap, rubbing his left knee again.  Mulder gritted his teeth
into a semblance of a smile and frantically tried to think of
something he could do that he hadn't already done, in the name of kid-
entertainment.  Then he remembered one of his odder abilities, and
opened his mouth and rolled his tongue.  Matty was fascinated and
impressed, especially when several attempts to mimic Mulder revealed
he could not roll his tongue at all.  

The next half hour was spent with Matty cuddled in Mulder's arms,
giggling every time Mulder rolled his tongue and performed any number
of silly acts with it, from trying to talk through the little circle
of flesh, to attempting to touch his nose with it rolled up.  After a
while Mulder found himself laughing so hard he couldn't make his
tongue cooperate any longer, but that was fine - because by then
Matty had fallen asleep with his little cheek pressed onto Mulder's
neck.  Over the child's unruly curls Bill's eyes met Mulder's, and he
smiled.

"You'd make a good father, Mulder... and somehow that doesn't
surprise me nearly as much as I thought it would.  You want kids
someday?"  As soon as the words left Bill's mouth his face fell, no
doubt remembering that his sister couldn't have children, and also
realizing that Scully's children were the only ones Mulder could ever
want.  He opened his mouth to apologize, but Mulder waved it away
with a tired smile.

"Hey, don't even worry about it.  S'okay, really.  Yeah, I'd like
children someday.  So would Scully, very much.  And we haven't
exactly talked about it lately, what with alien colonization waltzing
through the known world." His grin was infectious and Bill responded
with a relieved one of his own as Mulder continued. "But I am
thinking that somewhere around here, where we're headed, there may be
children needing a mommy and a daddy.  Maybe several sets of both.  I
figure Scully and I will have our chance to be parents, one way or
another."  

He smiled again and laid his cheek against Matty's soft hair and the
child sighed in his sleep and snuggled closer.  Mulder tightened his
arms around Matty and settled himself a bit more comfortably in the
seat.  He glanced into the rear view mirror he got an eyeful of two
very sweet sights... the dual teary-eyed smiles of Tara and Scully,
who'd caught most of the conversation and were suitably blubbery over
it - and Skinner in the far back seat asleep with his head leaning
back on the head rest and Meggie's little face nestled in his neck. 
Mulder turned in his seat and air-kissed both Scully and Tara, who
sighed and cried harder - then he faced front again and stared idly
out the window, thinking about nothing more strenuous than the
strange satisfaction of being fully accepted by Bill Scully.

He found that he liked it.

**************

Seventy five miles north of Indianapolis they stopped for the night.
It had been Skinner's hope to travel further but the kids were
impossible to manage any longer and Tara was at her wit's end trying
to find a way to keep them calm and happy.  Mulder had wanted to
drive through the night but as inexperienced as he was with children
he could still see that Matty and Meggie were overtired and under-
exercised.  

It was very late and they were miles away from an exit with motels,
so it was decided to just sleep in the car; they'd found a well-lit
rest stop with full bathroom facilities.  With both front bucket
seats fully reclined and the far back seat also reclining, it worked
out better than expected.  Mulder and Scully volunteered to sleep in
the front seats and Skinner offered to take both children with him in
the middle seat, affording Bill and Tara much-needed room to stretch
out in the reclining rear seat.  

They took the kids for a long walk, keeping on the access road in
front of the bathroom where it was bright as day.  Mulder and Skinner
ran Matty ragged with a Nerf football while Scully and Tara walked a
giggling Meggie between them and Bill stood guard watching for bees. 
As late at night as it was the chances of bee activity was thankfully
slim.

In a quiet, reassuring voice Mulder had explained to Bill and Tara
about the problems they would have with eating meat and foods
containing corn and corn by-products.  Tara had been understandably
confused and Bill had looked worried as Mulder told them of the email
he'd received from their unknown 'friend'.

"The contact that arranged your IDs - he warned me about the dangers
of eating any sort of meat, and anything processed with corn.  I'm
afraid meat is out - all meat.  Probably because almost all meat is
grain-fed... or corn-fed. We'll have to be very, very careful."  Bill
frowned at Mulder and Scully.  

"I don't understand.  Corn?  I thought the threat came just from
infection from the bees."  Tara nodded in agreement, and Scully
hastened to explain.

"The bees are the main source of infection.  But the corn crops were
intended to be a way to mass-spread the virus - Mulder and I could
never quite figure out how.  We are still not a hundred percent sure,
but what we decided generated the warning we got from Mulder's
contact.  If the corn has been processed for use, either as food for
livestock or into various foodstuffs demanding corn - or corn oil -
then we must assume eating these products will infect us. And we
can't be sure that standard food processing using heat will kill the
virus living in these foodstuffs.  Therefore we avoid meat and
anything corn-related."  Bill sighed and nodded, then squeezed Tara's
hand.

"Well, luckily I can live without meat; looks like we don't have
much of a choice.  I think we'll be fine and I doubt we'll starve." 
Tara nodded and some of the worry eased from her face as she leaned
into her husband's embrace and let him cuddle her.  Mulder nodded and
swung Matty into his arms, tossing the sturdy little boy into the air
and delighting in the shrieks of childish glee as he was alternately
tossed and tickled.  It helped them all to forget their troubles for
a little bit, and pretend they were on nothing more complicated than
just another camping trip.

Later, they ate apples, cheese and crackers for dinner.  They drank
a lot of water, used the rest rooms and prepared to settle in for
the night. Locking the doors behind them... adjusting seats and
pulling out blankets, finding articles of clothing to use
as makeshift pillows - it didn't take them long to get the kids to
sleep, one child nestled in each of Skinner's strong arms.  Within
minutes both yawning children had conked out and Skinner wasn't far
behind them, growling out a rusty goodnight and rocking the cab a bit
as he adjusted himself and the children on the wide seat.

In the front, Mulder reclined in the drivers' seat and glanced over
at Scully as she struggled to bunch up one of his sweaters into an
acceptable pillow.  In the combined moonlight and security lights her
tired face was just visible enough for him to see the yawn she
stifled with the back of her hand as she finally got the sweater
wedged comfortably under her head.  She caught him staring at her and
reached out a hand to run lightly over his face.

"Whatcha thinking about, Mulder?"  He smiled against her fingers and
his voice was a mere whisper of low sound in the quiet cab.

"How gorgeous you are."  She snorted softly and tweaked his nose
playfully.

"Oh, yeah, Mulder - I'm a raving beauty queen.  Not a lick of makeup
to be found on my face, red-rimmed eyes, I'd bet - wrinkled and baggy
clothes with kid-finger-shaped grub stains all over them... my
deodorant quit sometime around Cincinnati and what hair on my head
that isn't sticking straight up is a tangled, matted mess.  I'm so
lovely to behold it's sickening."  Her deprecating remarks brought a
tender smile to Mulder's lips as he gazed at the love of his life and
wished like hell they were alone so he could show her just how
delectable she really was.  He settled for placing his hand in a warm
cup over the buttoned fly of her jeans, and letting the feeling flow
through him from his heart to his fingertips.  Scully squirmed a bit
under his touch and her eyes glittered in the moonlight as she turned
to face him, careful not to disturb his hand.  Her voice puffed out
in a little sigh.

"Mmm, that feels so good.  I miss your hands, Mulder.  I think about
them - and I think about your mouth.  I miss your mouth, too..." Her
voice trailed off at his harsh intake of breath as Mulder soaked in
her tender words.

"God, Scully..." His whisper was almost non-existent in the silent
cab but the words vibrated between them.  "I want you so badly I'm
going crazy over here.  I'm not gonna be able to get any sleep at all
tonight with you so near and me unable to do anything about it..." 
His fingers stroked restlessly over her denim-covered center, toying
with the metal buttons; managing to get one unfastened before her
hands pressed into him and stilled his hands, her voice squeaking out
in a hushed echo of shock.

"Mulder, we can't!  Not here, Jesus... I want to, so much... but we
can't!"  Mulder grinned at the panicked tone, thinking he'd like
nothing better than to quietly drive her out of her mind - deciding
to do just that.  Scully was so tired - overtired, in fact.  She
needed some sort of release - and there had to be a silent way to do
it.  And at that moment his needs were ignored completely as he set
about a bit of noiseless seduction.  He leaned into Scully's seat
space and kissed her mouth hungrily, keeping his hand pressed down
into her and beginning to work the rest of her buttons. 

Scully moaned soundlessly into his mouth, giving up all hope of
stopping him.  Her tongue swirled around his in a fury of need as
Mulder upped the urgency of the kiss and his fingers unbuttoned the
rest of her, then slid inside and dipped underneath the lacy edge of
elastic.  Finding her damp heat with unerring fingers... curling an
index digit within the soft flesh and swallowing the gasp she sent
down along his tonsils.  Mulder kept his mouth locked to hers as he
gently probed and stroked, building the embers slowly and carefully
as she shivered against him and hung onto his shoulders.  One final
hard press of his finger against her swollen clit and Scully
shuddered and bit his lip hard as she climaxed; Mulder held her and
kissed every shiver and every moan, until she was limp in his arms
and her breathing returned to normal.  She lay her head against the
seat and stared up into his face with damp eyes.  Her shaky voice was
a thread of sound between them.

"Oh, God, Mulder... I can't find the words..."  He kissed her soft
lips and smiled at her tenderly when he pulled back to look into her
beautiful face.

"Shhh... it's okay, Scully.  I know how you feel.  I'm glad you
liked it... glad I could make you feel good, baby.  Do you think you
can sleep now?"  She nodded and yawned, leaning back fully in her
seat.

"Mmm, yes... I'll sleep wonderfully.  But what about you?  Mulder...
I can't leave you in this condition..." Her hand slid over him
gently, probing along his aching ridged flesh underneath the fly of
his jeans.  Mulder pressed her hand hard into his erection and
stifled a groan at the exquisite feeling.  He shook his head
regretfully when she would have unbuttoned him.

"No, baby - can't.  Too messy.  You know we can't... and I'll be all
right, I promise.  Rain check, 'kay?  You'll owe me.  Just keep your
hand there - feels good.  Just hold me tonight - just like that." 
And she nodded and reached over to kiss him goodnight and she turned
toward him in her seat and kept a hand over him, fingers gripping him
along his hard length.  Warmed by her hand and the soft breaths she
released into the small curve of air between them as she dozed off,
Mulder finally followed suit - and slept.

************

They spent another mind-numbing and ass-numbing day in the truck. 
The first day had taught them that asking the children to cope with
more than ten hours a day on the road was more than could rationally
be expected of them.  They were six hours into the second day of the
trip and were traveling down a section of highway that wound past a
suburb of Chicago when Skinner flipped on the turn signal, pulling
into the exit lane.  Scully had been dozing in the passenger seat and
she lifted her head to look questioningly at her ex-boss.

"Do we need gas?" she asked, stifling a yawn behind her hand and
glancing at the gas gauge.  Skinner shook his head.

"No. I saw a sign for a shopping mall about three miles from this
exit," he told her.  "We need to get out of the truck for a little
while and stretch our legs.  But I don't want to be outdoors for any
length of time," he said significantly.  "Besides, I'm already sick
of fruit and cheese and granola bars," he chuffed.  "Does anyone else
want a pizza?" he asked, looking up into the rearview mirror.

"Pizza," Bill moaned.  "Yes.  Let's definitely stop for pizza."  

Mulder's eyes rounded with interest at the mention of pizza, but he
looked worriedly at the map spread out over his lap.  Scully turned
in her seat and called for his attention.

"We'll still make it to the Canadian border on Thursday," she told
him.  "But I think it would do us all some good to get out of the
truck for a little while."  Mulder nodded and folded the map. 
Leaning close to Meggie, he touched the tip of his finger to her tiny
nose.

"Whaddya think Meggie - do you want some pizza?" he asked playfully.

"Peetz!" the baby shouted, clapping her hands.  Mulder looked up at
the others and smiled.

"I guess we're stopping for pizza," he told them.

They spent two hours in the mall eating pizza and stretching their
legs.  They used the bathrooms and let the kids run around a bit. 
With their bellies full, both children were drooping and had to be
carried back to the truck.  The children slept heavily for almost two
hours and they pressed on, driving another four hours before they
stopped for the night.  No one was anxious to repeat the night spent
sleeping in the truck and they stopped at a motel.  The place was
clean looking but small and they were only able to get two rooms for
the night.  Skinner shared a room with Mulder and Scully.  Some part
of Scully knew she should be uncomfortable sharing a room with her ex-
boss but she was too tired to care.  Stepping out of the bathroom
modestly clad in a T-shirt and a pair of shorts, she climbed into
bed.  In the dark she pressed a chaste kiss to Mulder's lips before
curling up and promptly falling asleep.

********

"What's taking so long?" Skinner asked early the next evening,
tapping the steering wheel impatiently.  Tara laughed.

"Everything takes twice as long as it should where Matthew is
involved.  Haven't you learned that yet?"  She looked out of the
window.  "Here they come now."

Scully glanced idly out of the window watching Mulder and Matthew
walking across the grass.  They had made an emergency stop at a small
picnic area along Rte. 94 approximately forty miles outside of Fargo
when Matty announced that he 'had to gooooo!'.  Mulder was holding
Matty's hand and was trying to herd him back to the truck as the
little boy danced around him.  Scully smiled fondly as Mulder bent at
the waist to bring his eyes level with the child's.  He said
something to Matty and Scully saw his teeth flash in a wide grin.

She frowned when Mulder's head jerked up.  Suddenly, he pushed
Matthew onto the grass and threw himself on top of the boy.  And
that's when Scully and the others saw it.  Bees - at least twenty-
five of them - swarming around Mulder and Matty.

"Matthew!" Tara screamed as she reached for the door handle.  Scully
grabbed her and pulled her back.  

"Tara, don't!" she cried.  Tara's head whipped around.

"That's Matty," she shrieked, pointing toward the window.  "And
Mulder!  Jesus, Dana, maybe you can sit there and do nothing, but I
have to get to my baby!"

Scully flinched at Tara's harsh words but continued to hold fast to
the other woman's arm.  

"Tara, we can't."  She inclined her head toward the back of the
truck.  "Meggie," she reminded her.  Tara's eyes closed in defeat and
Scully loosened her grip, turning to Skinner who was staring out the
window in horror, his big hands gripping the steering wheel.

"Walter, let's try to get as close to them as possible," she said in
a low, urgent voice.  Skinner nodded and started the engine, driving
the big vehicle over the curb and up onto the grass, pulling as close
to Mulder and Matty as he could.  Scully's mind raced as she tried to
figure out the best way to pull Mulder and Matthew into the truck
without allowing the bees in as well.

"Bill," she called.  Her brother rose from the back seat where he
had been holding a squalling Meggie.  He buckled the baby into her
car seat.

"Tara," Scully turned toward her sister-in-law.  "Get behind the
wheel," she said.  "As soon as we pull them into the truck, you get
us the hell out of here!"

Tara nodded jerkily and crawled into the driver's seat that Skinner
had just vacated.  She wrapped white-knuckled fingers around the
steering wheel.  The two men crouched near the passenger door with
Scully.

"What's the plan?" Bill asked.  Scully shook her head.

"I don't know."  She firmly tamped down on the panic that threatened
to overwhelm her.  "Whatever we do, we need to do it fast."  She
looked around the truck.  "Bill, grab two of the blankets from the
back," she instructed.  Scully looked up at the two men.  "What if we
drape one blanket over the open door?  Mulder can climb up under the
blanket and hopefully, the bees won't be fast enough to follow him."

Skinner and Bill looked at each other and shrugged.  

"I can't think of a better idea," Skinner admitted and Bill handed
the blankets up to them, scrambling back into place.  Scully grabbed
the end of one blanket and set the other one by her feet.

"Walter and I will hold the blanket in place," she said.  "Bill,
when Mulder starts to climb up, you pull them in."  Bill nodded and
wiped his sweating palms along the sides of his jeans.  Skinner took
the other end of the blanket and nodded to Scully.  She reached
behind the blanket and threw the door open.

"Mulder!" she called, kicking the second blanket out of the truck. 
"Hurry!"

Mulder cautiously eased his body off Matthew's and grabbed for the
blanket lying on the grass near him, throwing it over the frightened
child.  Bundling him into its protective folds, he pushed the little
boy under the blanket covering the open door.  As soon as he felt
Matty being pulled safely into the truck, he scrambled in behind
him.  

Tara was pulling away, tires squealing even as Scully was pulling
the door shut.  Skinner checked the interior of the truck to be sure
that none of the bees had slipped under the blanket, while Scully and
Bill frantically checked Mulder and Matty for stings.

"Were you stung?  Matty?  Tell Daddy, did a bee sting you?"  Bill
asked as he pulled the boy's clothes aside, looking for any sign that
he had been stung.  Scully was frantically doing the same to Mulder
and her eyes met his fearfully.

"Oh God," she breathed.  "Mulder..."  Her fingers swept gently over
his right arm.

"Don't touch them, Scully!" he cried as he jerked his arm out of her
grasp.  Everyone looked at Mulder in alarm as he reached for one of
several stingers still embedded in his flesh.

"Stop!"  Scully grabbed his wrist in her hand.  Mulder looked up at
her fierce tone.  "Stop," she said again, softer this time.  "Don't
pull at the stinger," she told him.  "It holds the venom and you'll
re-sting yourself." She snatched up a paper cup and used the plastic
lid to gently scrape the stinger out of Mulder's skin.  Cracking open
the window, she flung it out of the truck.

She turned back and reached for him again.  "How do you feel,
Mulder?" she asked.  "Any chest pains or trouble breathing?"  She
tried to remember the symptoms she had experienced after her own
encounter with an infected bee.

"Maybe it wasn't an infected swarm?" Tara asked, glancing into the
rearview mirror with frightened eyes.  Mulder looked up at Scully and
shook his head.

"Guess we're going to find out whether or not I'm immune, huh?" he
said wryly.  Scully grimaced.  Again her mind raced as she tried to
figure out what their next step should be.  "Mulder, I need you to
tell me how you're feeling," she said.

"I have a little bit of a headache," he admitted.  "And I feel hot
and achy like I have the flu."  Scully looked up.  

"Tara, I saw a sign for a motel a little while ago," she said.  "It
should be about three or four more miles up the road.  Tara pressed
down on the accelerator.  Skinner and Bill turned to Scully.

"What are you planning to do?" Bill asked.  Scully pulled Mulder's
cell phone out of his pocket and handed it to her brother.

"Mulder and I are going to get out at the next motel and get a room.
We'll wait and see if the symptoms get worse," she said with a break
in her voice.  "I want the rest of you to drive a few more miles and
find someplace to stay for the night.  Keep in touch with us.  We
should know by morning."

Bill protested.  "Do you plan to spend the night alone with him?" he
asked incredulously.  "What if Mulder is infected?  You're putting
your own life at risk!"

Mulder lifted feverish eyes to hers.  "Scully," he said, "You
can't... I won't let you."  Scully looked at him and then back up to
her brother.

"Would you leave Tara alone?" she demanded fiercely.  She swung her
gaze back to Mulder's.  "Would you leave me?"  She lifted her head
and her pleading eyes met Tara's in the rearview mirror.  "Hurry,"
she urged.

Tara nodded grimly.  Ten minutes later the tires crunched over the
graveled parking lot of the motel as Tara pulled the car up to the
office.  The parking lot was nearly deserted and Scully leapt out of
the truck to pay for a room.  Hurrying back to the car, she directed
Tara to drive to the far end of the lot and stop in front of the last
room.  She climbed into the back of the truck and grabbed several
bottles of water and a large plastic box that contained most of the
medical supplies they had purchased in Bethesda.  Skinner helped
Mulder out of the truck as Scully opened the door to their room.  She
propped her shoulder under Mulder's arm.

"We'll keep in touch," she promised her ex-boss.  "Call and let us
know where you'll be staying."

Skinner nodded and backed out of the room, pulling the door closed
behind him, a worried frown on his face.  Scully eased Mulder down
onto one of the beds and pulled his T-shirt over his head.  She
flicked open the button on his jeans and slid the zipper down,
helping him to breathe a little easier.  She grabbed an ice bucket
from the desk and disappeared into the bathroom.  She returned a
moment later and sat down on the edge of the mattress, placing the
bucket filled with warm, soapy water on the nightstand.  She dipped a
washcloth into the water and gently washed Mulder's arm.  The skin
around the bites was red and swollen.

Mulder sucked in a painful breath as the coarse washcloth abraded
his injured arm.  "I'm sorry," Scully crooned as she dropped the
washcloth into the bucket.  She took the bucket into the bathroom and
dumped the now tepid water down the sink.  "I'll be right back," she
told him as she opened the front door and slipped outside.  The sun
was setting and the night was growing cool as she hurried to fill the
bucket with ice.

Returning to the room, she set the bucket of ice onto the floor and
disappeared into the bathroom again.  She carried a plastic cup into
the bedroom and dug through the medical kit, pulling out a small box
of baking soda.  Mulder watched wearily as she tore open the box and
dumped some of the fine, white powder into the plastic cup.  She
twisted the top off one of the bottles of water and poured a small
amount of water into the cup, using her finger to mix it into a thick
paste.  She set the cup aside and rifled through the medical kit once
again.  She pulled out a bottle of aspirin and fumbled with the
childproof cap.  Finally yanking the cap from the bottle, she
grumbled in frustration as she plunged her thumb through the foil
safety seal and pulled a small wad of cotton free.  She shook two
tablets into her hand and then reached for a small box of Benadryl. 
She punched one of the over-the-counter antihistamine tablets out of
the foil packet and scooped up the bottle of water.  Scully handed
Mulder the three pills and helped him sit up, holding the bottle to
his mouth.

"The aspirin is for your headache," she told him.  "The
antihistamine helps in the event of an allergic reaction to the
stings," she said, knowing that she had nothing in her medical kit to
save him if the virus took hold.  Easing him back against the
pillows, she picked up the plastic cup she had set aside earlier and
smeared the paste over the bee stings.

"What are you doing?" Mulder wheezed.

"This won't help if you're infected," she told him honestly, "but I
remember my mother used this whenever we were stung by an insect.  It
helps take the sting and the itchiness out."

"Good thing you pack baking soda in your medical kits, Doctor," he
rasped.  "Weird, but good."  Scully concentrated on spreading the
thick paste liberally over the affected area and shrugged.

"It's just one of those things my mother always packed along with
the Bactine."

Mulder's head rolled restlessly against the pillows and Scully laid
her hand across his forehead.  "You have a fever," she said
worriedly.  Once more digging through the box, she pulled out a
digital thermometer and placed the plastic tip into his ear.  Seconds
later, she pulled the thermometer away from him and turned it so that
she could read the digital display.

"102 degrees," she announced.  Less than an hour had passed since he
had been stung.  She put her hands on his cheeks and used her thumbs
to life his eyelids.  "No sign of the oil."  Her wobbly smile was
meant to be reassuring.  She stood and Mulder grasped her hand in his
own, pulling her back down onto the mattress.

"Scully," he said as he forced his eyes open to meet hers.  "If I'm
infected... you know what you have to do," he told her solemnly.  She
recoiled and tried to pull her hand away. 

"No!" Her face was tortured.  Mulder pulled her back, pressing her
head down onto his chest.  His fingers sifted through her hair and
his heart ached.  He was afraid that it was too much, too soon after
Charlie to ask this of her, but if he was infected... 

"It may be the only choice we have, Scully," he told her softly. 
"We don't have a vaccine this time."  She lifted her head from his
chest.

"No!" she said again.  "You aren't displaying any of the symptoms
that I did when I was infected and you aren't showing any of the
symptoms that we've seen with the other victims.  I think you might
be immune to this now, but Mulder - you have to believe.  You have to
try!  Please promise me."

Mulder stroked his thumb over her cheek.  "I don't want to leave
you," he told her.  "I won't give up easily.  I promise.  But you
have to promise me - that if we're wrong, you'll do what has to be
done.  Scully... if I'm infected... we can't allow it to live."

Scully nodded and avoided his eyes.  "Okay, but I don't want to talk
about this any more," she said in an attempt to placate him.  Mulder
held onto her and forced her to meet his eyes.  Scully sighed,
knowing he wouldn't rest until he had extracted a promise from her.
"I promise, Mulder," she vowed, her eyes tearing up.

He blew out a breath and smiled gently.  Scully dashed the wetness
from her eyes impatiently and laid her hand back over his forehead. 
"Tell me how you feel," she demanded softly.  Mulder rubbed his
forehead against her cool palm.

"Tired.  Achy.  Like I have the flu," he said.  "I'm hot," he said
fretfully.  Scully stood and took the ice bucket into the bathroom. 
She dumped out most of the ice and filled the bucket with cool water.
She grabbed another washcloth and returned to the bedroom.  Setting
the bucket onto the nightstand, she dipped both washcloths into the
water.  Wringing out one cloth, she folded it lengthwise and laid it
across Mulder's aching brow.

"Better?" she asked.  He nodded and closed his eyes.  Scully
squeezed out the second cloth and began to run it over his chest and
down his arms.  She laid it across his stomach and tugged his jeans
off, draping them across the foot of the bed.  She dipped the cloth
back into the water and ran the cool cloth over his belly, lifting
his head from the pillow and wiping the back of his hot neck.

She repeated the process over and over again for the next hour or
two, dumping the water out of the bucket when it became tepid and
refilling it with cool.  She bathed his feverish body and forced
aspirin down his throat throughout the night as he tossed and turned
in a fitful sleep.  In the middle of the night Mulder abruptly sat up.

"I feel sick," he said hoarsely and Scully helped him out of bed. 
He leaned on her heavily as she guided him into the bathroom.  He
collapsed onto the floor and she sank down onto her knees next to
him, holding him as he vomited into the toilet.  Scully's stomach
clenched in a painful knot as she saw him expel long strands of a
black, oily substance from his nostrils, heaving it from his stomach.
She whispered soothing nonsense to him as his body shuddered and
convulsed, fighting to expel the alien invader.  After what felt like
hours, he sank weakly against the rim of the toilet.  Scully pulled
him back and he slumped against the bathtub in exhaustion.  Scully
handed him a wad of toilet paper and he mopped his mouth and blew his
nose, tossing the paper into the bowl.

Scully slammed down the lid of the toilet and hesitated as she
reached out to flush it.  Terrified to introduce the virus into the
municipal sewer system and equally terrified not to get rid of it,
she raced out of the bathroom, returning moments later with the box
of baking soda, a bottle of rubbing alcohol, a pack of matches and a
fire extinguisher.  Setting everything down on the floor, she turned
her attention back to Mulder for a moment.  Soaking a towel in hot
water, she tenderly wiped his face.  Pulling him to his feet, she
mixed a small amount of the baking soda in a glass of water and
handed it to him.  "Rinse your mouth out with this," she told him. 
When he was finished, she twisted the cap off of the tiny bottle of
mouthwash provided by the motel and gave it to him.

"Now use this," she instructed.  He tilted his head and poured half
of the contents of the bottle into his mouth, swishing the liquid
around furiously.  He spat into the sink and she nudged the bottle
back up to his lips.  "Use all of it," she told him. 

Mulder eyed the items she had brought into the bathroom and looked
at her with reddened eyes.  "What are you going to do?" he asked. 
Scully glanced toward the toilet.

"Burn it?" she said, a question in her voice.  Mulder considered
their options and nodded.  

"I can't think of a better idea," he agreed.  Scully grabbed his arm
and steered him back into the bedroom.

"I want to help," he protested.  Scully shook her head.

"And, I want you as far away from here as possible," she countered. 
Mulder opened his mouth to argue further.

"Listen," she said.  "I may have to move really fast and the further
you are from the bathroom, the closer you are to the front door," she
told him reasonably.  Mulder stepped out of the bathroom but
stubbornly stood near the door, watching her.

Scully sighed and turned back to her work.  Using her foot, she
flipped up the lid of the toilet and gingerly leaned over the bowl to
look in.  The long strands of oil were lying still on top of the
water.  She didn't know if they were dead or not and she didn't care
to analyze them too closely.  Cracking the seal on the bottle of
alcohol, she poured a small amount into the bowl.  Picking up the
fire extinguisher, she disengaged the safety switch and set it back
down, keeping it close at hand.  Grabbing the book of matches, she
pulled one off and struck it, touching it to the rest of the matches
in the pack and threw the burning matches into the toilet.  The
alcohol ignited instantly and flames shot up quickly.  Scully reared
back and grabbed the fire extinguisher.  She could feel Mulder
breathing down her back and she slid an exasperated glance over her
shoulder at him.  Turning back, she saw that the flames had subsided
as the alcohol quickly burned off.  

As the flames flickered out, she looked into the bowl.  Charred bits
of ash floated on top of the otherwise clear water.  She quickly
flushed the toilet and turned back to Mulder who was leaning weakly
against the doorframe.

"You should be in bed," she admonished him as she led him into the
bedroom.  She looked at the rumpled bed, the sheets damp with
Mulder's sweat and the water she had been bathing him with, and she
pulled back the covers on the other bed, urging him to slip between
the dry sheets.  Mulder rested his head on the cool pillows and
looked up at her.

"Lie down with me," he pleaded and Scully peeled off her jeans,
climbing into the bed with him and laying her head on his chest.  She
rubbed her cheek against his skin and ran her hand down his side,
forcing her body to relax.  A moment later, she popped back up.

"Don't leave," he whispered petulantly.  She twisted on the bed and
reached for the thermometer on the nightstand, placing the plastic
tip into his ear. Mulder groaned.  "Not again.  Scully, you've taken
my temperature a million times tonight."

Scully looked at the digital readout and slumped gratefully.  "Your
fever is down," she told him.  "99 degrees."  Her eyes were bright
with unshed tears.  Mulder grinned tiredly.

"Sleepy," he told her.  Scully leaned back against the pillows and
pulled him into her arms.  He nuzzled his face against her breasts
and she stroked her hands down his back.

"I know you're tired," she murmured against his ear.  "Go to sleep,
Mulder."  She rested her cheek against his hair and turned her face
toward the window, watching for morning and praying that his
condition would continue to improve.  She held him a bit too tightly
for his comfort, she knew - but she'd been so terrified.  If she'd
lost him she would have gone completely mad...  

********

Scully hung up the phone and turned around when she heard Mulder
stirring in the bed behind her.  He stretched his arms over his head
and peered at her blearily.

"That was Tara," she told him.  "They found a place to stay about
fifteen miles up the road.  The kids are still asleep."

"How is Matty?" Mulder asked hoarsely.  Scully smiled and sat down
on the edge of the bed.

"Fine.  He wanted to know why were weren't staying at the hotel with
them." She rubbed her eyes and glanced at her watch.  "They still
have to get the children up and dressed.  Tara said they should be
back here in about an hour."  She laid her hand across his forehead. 
"How do you feel?" she asked.

Mulder stretched again, analyzing each body part as he tightened and
released his muscles.  "Pretty good," he told her.  " A little achy
and I'm still tired but all in all, much better."

Scully held up the thermometer expectantly and he rolled his head to
the side, exposing his ear to her.  A moment later she looked up with
a happy smile.  

"Normal," she announced.  Mulder sat up and swung his feet onto the
floor.

"Do I have time for a shower?" he asked.  Scully nodded. 

"Sure."

Mulder stood up and swayed, grabbing onto the headboard for support.
Scully wrapped an arm around his waist.  "Maybe you should hold off
on that shower until you're a little steadier on your feet," she
warned.

Mulder looked down into her earnest face.  "Or, you could take one
with me and hold me up," he suggested.  Scully blushed.

"Mulder, you could have died last night.  I don't think you're in
any condition to --"

Mulder interrupted.  "I'm not suggesting hot shower sex," he told
her.  "Come on, Scully.  I really want that shower.  I reek of alien
vomit."  Scully made a disgusted face at the hideous description of
his prior condition and he fought down a grin and looked at her
hopefully.

She sighed, relenting at under his pleading gaze.  A lack of sleep
combined with the overwhelming fear that Mulder would succumb to the
virus had left her exhausted.  The idea of a hot shower was a welcome
one.  "All right," she said.  She took a step away from him, her
hands lingering briefly on his waist until she was sure he was steady
on his feet.  She let go of him and unbuttoned the short-sleeved
denim shirt she was wearing.  Under Mulder's watchful gaze, she
reached behind her back to unfasten her bra, peeling the straps down
her arms, then quickly skimmed her panties down her hips, tossing her
clothing in a heap on the bed.  Naked, she took Mulder by the hand
and led him into the bathroom.  

Scully pushed back the shower curtain and leaned over the tub to
turn on the shower.  She glanced over her shoulder, raising her brow
as she took in his boxer-clad form.  Mulder braced a hand on the
countertop surrounding the sink and hurriedly pulled the boxers off. 
Scully stepped into the tub and turned on the shower, ducking her
head under the spray.  She held out her hands and helped him step
carefully over the lip of the tub and pulled him under the hot spray
of water with her.

Mulder groaned as the hot water pounded on his aching muscles.  His
groans turned to sighs of pleasure as Scully rolled a miniscule bar
of soap through her fingers, running her slippery hands over him,
washing away the sweat and grime of the fever from his skin.  She
picked up a small bottle of shampoo and poured a tiny amount into her
hand, stretching up to work the lather into his hair.  Mulder's head
dropped forward and she could hear a tiny humming noise coming from
the back of his throat as his body swayed slightly under her
massaging fingers.  She pushed him under the shower to rinse off
while she quickly washed herself.

Reluctant to leave the warmth of the shower, Scully bent down to
turn the tap, sending even more hot water into the spray.  She leaned
against his back, pressing a kiss between his shoulder blades as she
wound her arms around his middle.  Mulder's hands slid over hers as
they let the hot, pounding water relax them.  Scully smoothed one
hand over his stomach and she trembled with the knowledge that once
again they had cheated death.  Mulder felt the tremor ripple through
her body and he twisted in her arms, pulling her into his embrace. 
He pressed her head against his chest and ran his hands down her
back, cupping her cheeks in his big hands.  Scully clutched him
tightly, listening to the steady thud of his heart beneath her ear,
so thankful to hear it and feel it.  She looked up, blinking against
the spray of the shower and drew his mouth down to hers in a tender
kiss.

Her tongue skimmed over his parted lips before stealing inside his
mouth for a quick taste.  Mulder banded his arms around the backs of
her thighs, pulling her high and hard against him as his mouth nipped
at hers.

"I changed my mind," he gasped against her ear.  "I do want hot
shower sex."  The doctor in Scully was telling her to say no, that it
was too soon, that he had been too sick but the woman in her was
shouting yes.  She wanted to draw Mulder into her body where she
could keep him safe and whole.  She bit her lip and leaned around his
body to turn off the shower.  Yanking back the curtain, she stepped
out of the tub, snatching two towels from the rack and holding one
out to him.  Mulder climbed out of the tub.  Taking the towel from
her outstretched hand, he moved toward her, crowding her against the
sink, trying to lift her onto the countertop, dripping water all over
the floor.  Scully grasped the counter behind her with both hands,
gasping as he cupped her wet breast in his hand.

"Not in here," she whispered.  Using her towel, she quickly ran it
over his body, then led him back into the bedroom.  She stopped next
to one of the beds, pushing on his shoulders, and Mulder sat down,
spreading his legs wide and pulling her between them.  He leaned
forward to nab one rosy nipple between his teeth and Scully shuddered
as his hot mouth closed over the sensitive tip.  She wound her
fingers in his hair and arched her body closer to his.

Mulder let her nipple slip out of his mouth and he pressed his lips
against the soft swell of her belly.  Scully placed both hands on his
chest and pushed him back onto the bed.  He grabbed her hips between
his hands and tried to pull her beneath him but she resisted. 
Crawling over him, surrounding him with all four limbs, she lowered
her face to his.  Her hair spilled around them in a coppery curtain
as she caught his lower lip between her teeth.  Reaching down, she
slid her fingers over his quivering flesh, guiding him to her center,
whispering to him softly.  "Let me..."

*********

Twenty minutes later, they heard the Excursion crunching over the
graveled parking lot.  "Ready?" Scully asked, her hand on the
doorknob.  Mulder placed on hand over hers, preventing her from
opening the door and wrapped the other hand around the back of her
neck.  

"Don't know when I'm gonna have the chance to do this again so..." 
He lowered his head, brushing his mouth softly over hers.  His lips
trailed over her cheek and he scraped his teeth gently across the
soft skin on the underside of her jaw.  "I love you," he breathed.

Scully sighed and burrowed deeper into his embrace, enjoying these
last few moments of privacy.  "I love you too," she murmured.  She
felt his lips curve against her skin and she reluctantly pulled away
from his arms.  "Let's go," she said.  He nodded and she pulled the
door open.

They climbed into the truck and flopped into their seats.  Meggie
banged her tiny fists on the cushioned restraint of her car seat,
babbling happily as she caught sight of Mulder and Scully.  Matthew
leaned forward against his seat belt.

"Aunt Dana.  Why come you and Uncle Mulder didn't sleep with us last
night?" he asked.  Scully laughed.

"Because Uncle Mulder wasn't feeling well last night, Matty," she
explained.  Matthew nodded wisely.

"Cause he gotted stung by the bees?" he wondered.  Scully nodded and
ruffled his hair with her hand.

"That's right.  The bee stings made him very sick," she told the
little boy.  A tiny frown wrinkled Matthew's nose and he peered
closely at Mulder who was sitting on the other side of Scully.

"But you made him all better, right Aunt Dana?" Matty looked up at
her with curious blue eyes.  Mulder leaned across Scully so that his
face was close to Matty's.

"That's right, Buddy.  Your Aunt Dana made me all better," he told
the child.  Matty smiled and placed a smacking kiss on the tip of
Mulder's nose.

"Dat's good!" he announced.  Reassured that all was well, he turned
to more pressing matters.  "Mommy, I'm huuunnngry!"  The adults
groaned and Bill put the truck in gear, pulling out of the parking
lot.

On the road again.

********************

~ Chapter Fourteen ~


Factoring in rush hour traffic, they were less than five hours from
the Canadian border.  The children were surprisingly quiet, seeming
to pick up on the sober moods of the adults.  Scully was driving and
Mulder had pulled out the identification packets provided by their
mysterious benefactor and reviewed the plan with Skinner, Bill and
Tara.  When they were less than thirty minutes from the border
crossing, Scully steered the truck off the road and into a deserted
picnic area.  She pulled up alongside the public restrooms and
everyone piled out to use the facilities.  After yesterday's scare,
however, they moved quickly to once again reach the relative safety
of the truck.  

They sorted through the supplies in the back of the vehicle and
moved as much as possible onto the roof rack.  Bill flipped down the
back seat of the Excursion and held the rear door open.  Scully
climbed in first and curling into a ball, squeezed herself under the
middle seat.  Mulder scrambled in behind her and settled on the floor
between the middle and rear seats.  Finally Skinner crawled in and
folded his large frame up in the back of the truck, effectively
spooning behind Mulder, all three of them hardly daring to breathe. 
Bill and Tara stacked boxes on the folded-down rear seat and draped
two blankets over the boxes, shrouding the hidden passengers in a
makeshift tent.  They piled the rest of the camping gear, blankets
and supplies on top and climbed back into the cab.

"Are you all right, back there?" Bill called.  Scully uttered a
muffled 'yes' while Mulder and Skinner groaned in discomfort.

"Mommy, I wanna hide too," Matty whined from the middle seat.  He
was squirming against his seatbelt trying to see Scully as she hid
under his seat.  Tara glanced worriedly at her husband.  Despite all
the plans they had made, they hadn't considered the fact that one of
the children would give away their secret.

"No Matty," she said.  "Only the grownups are going to hide right
now.  And you can't tell anyone that they are hiding, okay?" she
turned solemn green eyes toward her son.

"Ooookayy," he said in a long-suffering voice.  Tara smiled
approvingly.

"That's my good boy," she smiled.  When they were less than half a
mile from the border station, Tara reached down and rifled through
the diaper bag at her feet.  "Matty," she called.  "Look what I
found!"  She pulled out a Star Wars coloring book and an eight-pack
of crayons and handed them back to her son.  Matty's eyes lit up and
he was laboriously coloring in a picture of the Millennium Falcon
when Bill pulled to a stop near the guard shack.  "Smooth," he said
as he looked at his wife admiringly.  A glance in the rearview mirror
showed that Matthew's attention was focused on his coloring.  He was
seemingly unaware that they had stopped.  Tara nodded and slipped a
cassette of children's music into the tape player and she twisted in
her seat and began to sing with Meggie as Bill inched closer to the
guard shack.

"Good morning," Bill greeted the guard as he rolled down his window.
Tara leaned forward, her smile open and friendly as she glanced at
the guard who was holding out his hand for their identification.  The
guard took Bill's driver's license and the vehicle registration and
consulted the clipboard held in other hand.

"Kimberly and Brian Quinn?" he asked.  Bill nodded and kept a
friendly look on his face as he surreptitiously watched a second
guard who was slowly walking around the vehicle.

Scully held her breath as she strained to hear the conversation
between her brother and the border guard.  She felt Mulder's hand
tighten on her hip and she fought an insane urge to pull her gun from
the waistband of her jeans.  She could hear Skinner's controlled
breathing from behind Mulder and she turned her face into the thin
carpet on the floor of the truck as she willed the guard to let them
pass.

"Where are you headed, Mr. and Mrs. Quinn?" the first guard asked. 
Bill glanced over at Tara and then back at the kids before returning
his gaze to the guard.  

"We're taking the kids up into Saskatchewan," he said, reciting the
pre-arranged details.  "Thought we'd do a little camping before it
gets too cold."  The guard nodded and continued to study the
identification.  Bill could feel a line of sweat trickle down his
back.  "Listen," he said in a conversational voice.  "I want to head
north on Interstate 1, is that right?" he asked.  The guard looked up
from his clipboard.

"North on I-1 and then head West on 1.  That'll take you into
Saskatchewan," he told them.  Meggie clapped her hands.  

"Sing Mama!" she shrieked happily.  The guard grinned and handed the
driver's license and registration back through the window.

"You have a nice trip," he said.  "Welcome to Canada."  Bill handed
the identification cards over to Tara and she slipped them into her
bag.  

"Thank you," she called in a sunny voice and waved as Bill pulled
the truck past the guard shack.  Bill rolled up his window and Tara
made a display of singing with Meggie as they drove out of sight.

Bill heaved a heavy sigh when they put at least half a mile between
them and the border crossing.  "Give us a few miles," he called to
the hidden passengers,  "and then we'll find someplace to pull over."

The miles rolled by quickly and Bill pulled over into a copse of
trees.  He and Tara scrambled out of the truck and were lifting the
back door when they heard Mulder muttering.

"That had better be your hand, Scully," he said in a dire voice. 
Tara's eyes widened and Bill snorted as he shifted boxes and gave
Skinner a hand in climbing out of the back of the truck.  Scully
squirmed out of her hiding place and she popped up over the seat to
find Mulder sprawled on the floor.  His hair was disheveled and his
face was damp with perspiration.

"You look like a man who's been done but good, Mulder... and my
hands were in front of me the whole time," she told him innocently. 
Mulder huffed out a tired laugh and looked toward Skinner, noting the
pinkened tips of his ears.

"I think you owe me dinner and some sort of verbal commitment...
Sir," he drawled, laughing when the big man stalked off, flushed and
spluttering incoherently.  Scully fell back against the seat and
giggled herself silly while Bill and Tara leaned into each other and
snickered.  Mulder wiped the sweat from his face and commented into
the general vicinity, "Too bad I don't smoke anymore..."

The three adult Scullys howled.


********

"Mulder."

"Hmmm..."  Mulder was pouring over a map of Saskatchewan, running
the mileage numbers and trying to decide if they could make it to
Regina before it got too late; Bill's voice broke into his
calculating and he turned in the passenger seat and regarded Scully's
big brother, driving with both hands gripping the wheel.  Bill
looked... uncomfortable, would be the correct word.  He cleared his
throat twice, then his eyes left the road and he glanced over at
Mulder.

"I, um... I just... oh, hell!"  Bill blew out a frustrated breath.
"I didn't thank you for saving Matty... for protecting him.  You
could have died, Mulder.  Jesus, you didn't even hesitate.  And when
I saw those goddamn bees, I froze - all I could see was Charlie." 
Bill swallowed convulsively and plunged on, as Mulder turned fully in
his seat and regarded him solemnly.  

"I owe you my son's life.  And mine too, and Tara's and Meggie's. 
Just wanted you to know... I'm glad you're here.  Glad you've got the
courage and the balls to do what has to be done to survive."  Bill
fell silent and frowned fiercely at the road ahead, as if he'd said
too much.  His words surprised the hell out of Mulder, who'd figured
that his presence was mostly tolerated by Bill even though they'd
more or less made a shaky sort of peace between them.  Mulder
carefully folded the map and set it aside, then spoke quietly.

"Bill, there was never any question where Matty was concerned.  I
did what anyone would do.  What you would do if you were placed in
that position.  I love the little guy - I'm his Uncle Mulder,
remember?  And somewhere in that split-second before those bees
attacked I thought about being immune, and of course since Matty
wasn't..." His voice trailed off and he shrugged, trying to make
light of it.  But Bill wasn't having any of it and his skepticism
shone in his voice.

"Oh bullshit, Mulder.  The last thing on your mind would have been
immunities.  Don't even try passing this off as everyday tasking - I
don't buy it.  You protected my son from certain death - a horrible
death.  With no thought for your own safety - and for that I will
always be grateful. I've seen you fight for us, all of us - I've seen
the love you have for Dana.  And I used to waste a shitload of energy
hating your guts - I think I told you that once before."  Without
taking his eyes from the road Bill held up his right hand, and
extended it toward Mulder, who slowly grasped it with his right hand.
The two men clasped hands tightly, silently - until Mulder knew if he
didn't say something to break the emotion-laden moment he'd probably
start blubbering, and Bill Scully would never let him live it down.

He dropped Bill's hand and batted his eyelashes outrageously at the
elder Scully, murmuring wickedly, "Keep it up and I'll be asking you
to walk down the aisle with me instead of having you walk your sister
down to join me..."  The import of the words took exactly ten seconds
to soak into Bill's consciousness, but when it did he cracked a rare
smile, and this time he shook Mulder's hand with delight.

"You're proposing to Dana?  When?  Jesus... that's great news!" 
Mulder shushed him quietly when his normally low voice threatened to
rise in accordance with his enthusiasm.  Scully, Tara and the
children were asleep in the furthest back seat but both women had
super-hearing when they wanted it.  Mulder grinned at his possibly
future brother-in-law as he confided his plans.

"In about an hour or so, when we stop for food.  Looking at the map,
I figure we'll be in Whitehorse in another three or four days.  I
remember it's a decent-sized city.  It should be easy to find
somebody to marry us.  Of course, I'm assuming a hell of a lot - and
maybe somebody as wonderful as Scully deserves a hell of a lot better
than me."  Mulder's voice held a tinge of self-derision as he spoke. 
He WAS assuming a hell of a lot.  But after their recent close call
he didn't want to wait until they reached their destination.  He
wanted to marry Dana Scully; the sooner the better.  He saw no real
reason to wait.  Some of his anxiety must have shown on his face,
because Bill was quick to reassure him.

"Mulder, my sister loves you.  I have never seen her so protective
toward any other man.  She has regularly told me to go to hell when
I've given her a rash of shit over her involvement and partnership
with you - and when it's all said and done I have to trust her
judgment of you because I've now seen it with my own eyes.  You'll
make her happy - you already do.  Just don't make me wear a tux,
okay?"  Bill's voice was long-suffering at the last remark, and
Mulder chuckled in relief, then jumped about a foot when the sleepy
yet gruff voice in the seat behind him added his two cents' worth.

"I second that, Mulder.  No tux.  As your former AD - and best man -
I forbid the wearing of monkey suits."  

Mulder's reply was joking and light-hearted - and grateful... good
feelings to have, after what they'd been through in the past few days
- very good feelings.  "I'll remember that... Sir."  

An exaggerated sigh from the back seat, and a growled retort, made
him grin.  "That's 'Sir Walter' to you, Smart Ass..."


About a third of the way to Regina they stopped at a small roadside
diner next to an equally-small gas station.  Outside the look of the
place left much to be desired, but the interior was clean and bright
and reassuringly normal.  A smiling waitress led them to a large
table and offered a booster seat for Matty and a high chair for
Meggie. She settled them into their seats and left them with menus,
promising to return with their water.  Matty bounced up and down on
his booster seat and chanted gleefully, "Hambugger!  Hambugger!" 
Mulder shook his head and tousled the child's hair with a gentle hand.

"Sorry, Slugger - no hamburger.  Maybe toasted cheese - is that okay
with you?"  Matty thought for a moment, before nodding.

"Fench Fies, too?"  Mulder smiled, relieved the boy would not fight
them on the lack of meat.  He appeased Matty with a tentative
affirmation; he'd ask the waitress what kind of cooking grease they
used, before ordering fries.  Tara sighed as she closed the menu,
already knowing what she'd have to order.

"Salad for me, Bill - for you as well."  Bill shook his head,
staring down at the menu in his hands.

"I can't eat just salad - my stomach will be torn up for days. 
There has to be something else on the menu that doesn't contain meat
or corn-related shit."  Scully flipped through the little menu and
her eye caught on lunch item - and her grin was evil as she looked at
her big brother.

"Hey, Bill... you could always have a bowl of vegetarian chili - you
know, a healthy side of beans with your salad..."  Bill groaned and
made a foul face at his sister at the mention of beans, which he
secretly adored but that also tended to do a number on his digestive
system.  His retort was issued in a mock-growl.

"Oh, great - I'll be farting my way north to Alaska..."  Matty
giggled and shrieked in delight.

"Daddy farts!  Daddy farts!"  Tara emitted a strangled laugh and
clapped a hand over Matty's mouth, while Skinner and Mulder roared
with mirth.  Scully eyed her brother with amused resignation.

"Oh yes... the male Scully gastro-intestinal proclivity... I
remember it well, God help us all.  Maybe we should shop for gas
masks before we get back on the road."  Bill fought to keep the
injured look on his face, but he couldn't hold it, and he chuckled at
his own expense.

"That one talent was bonding fodder for Dad, Charlie and me... we
used to hold contests in the basement.  We'd eat Mom's Cajun-style
chili, always loaded with four different kinds of beans - and then
head down to the basement and engage in some serious ass-singing. 
Dad usually won."  The matter-of-fact explanation had them all
laughing anew - and Mulder could tell it had afforded Scully some
poignant memories of the two men in her life that she'd lost. He
reached out a hand and slipped it under her soft hair, rubbing at her
neck; she flashed him a grateful, loving glance before commenting in
a deadpan monotone.

"Well, that explains why the rumpus room always smelled like rotten
eggs..."

They were still laughing when the waitress came to take their orders
- and if she thought it odd that four healthy adults ordered small,
simple salads and a little boy seemed content with toasted cheese...
she never said a word.  When the big, dark-haired man with the
military posture ordered a huge bowl of vegetarian chili, and the
entire table including the little boy all erupted into gales of
laughter... she merely smiled and took their orders and walked away,
shaking her head at the crazy Americans.

An hour later Scully looked at her watch and remarked, "We should
really get on the road.  It'll get dark earlier, now that we're this
far north."  Tara nodded and began to gather up the children; Skinner
offering to take Meggie who had fallen asleep in the high chair. 
Mulder stood, catching the glint in Bill's eyes as he stepped around
his chair, closer to Scully.  He could feel the tension start to
build; his stomach was churning with butterflies.  He was about to
ask the woman he loved to marry him, in front of her family and their
dearest friend.  If she refused him, he didn't know what he'd do.  If
she said 'yes'... he'd be forever grateful and spend eternity making
her happy, and safe.  He placed a warm, mostly steady hand on her
shoulder and stayed her movement when she would have risen as well.

"Wait, Scully.  There's one more thing we need to discuss before we
leave.  It's very important."  She looked up at him and quirked one
eyebrow, waiting for him to speak.  And Mulder found his voice had
gone bye-bye... and his throat was as dried up as a desert.  He
couldn't speak - couldn't function.  Alarmed, Scully watched his
Adam's apple bob and swallow - and she must have thought he was ill
again because she tried to rise once more, and again Mulder's hand
tightened on her shoulder.  When she looked into his eyes Mulder knew
exactly what she was thinking... and judging by the way her eyes
widened and she started to tremble... Mulder figured he must have
spilled the gastro-intestinal producers... more commonly known as
'the beans'.  

He never knew if he had spoken out loud or if they were so in tune
with each other that she'd somehow read his thoughts... but Scully
knew.  Her eyes teared up as he dropped gracefully to his knees on
the floor of the dinky little roadside cafe - and his simple words
were heartfelt and shaky and overflowing with the bounty of his love
for her.

"Scully..."  

She stared into his eyes, and her voice came out on a one-word
whisper.

"Yes?"  

He smiled at her, at the remembrance of saying just these words
before, in their past - a long time ago.  Back then he'd been a
teasing idiot... this time it was never more vital and less teasing. 
He reached for her hand and held it in both of his.

"Marry me..."  He watched one tear slip down her cheek and curve
into her chin, then another - and another.  She swallowed and smiled
and her entire face glowed.  She parted her rosy lips to speak.

"Yes."

*******************


~ Chapter Fifteen ~

Happiness was a wonderful thing, Mulder decided, as he drove the big
Ford along Route 1 West toward Regina.  Beside him in the passenger
seat Scully lay facing him, a soft smile on her face as she watched
him drive.  The look in her sweet blue eyes warmed him, melted him -
and made it damned hard to concentrate on driving when all he wanted
to do was pull her down into the nearest rear seat and take large
delicious bites of her.  He forced his breathing to even out and
dragged his eyes back to the road, vaguely noting they were only
about twenty miles from the Regina city limits.  

Once in Regina, they would find a hotel and stop for the night even
though it was rather early.  They had some serious wedding plans to
make - Mulder wanted to give Scully as much of a dream wedding as was
possible.  Maybe there wouldn't be a legion of family and friends
there and a band playing disco while they shoved white cake into each
others' faces and made a mad dash for a limo while wedding guests
bombarded them with rice... but the most important ingredients would
be there.  The family would be there.  They had a best man and a
matron of honor... not to mention someone to give the bride away.  As
far as Mulder was concerned, they had it all.

"What are you thinking about?"  The soft voice eased into his
consciousness and Mulder turned his head to smile at the woman he
adored.  Her hair was splayed out against the seat's head rest and
she looked breathtaking - the sight of her enough to make his poor
heart pound itself silly.  And she was gazing at him so tenderly as
she asked him to reveal his thoughts -  

"I was thinking about the oddities of life."  He stifled a laugh as
both of Scully's eyebrows shot up, and added quickly, "Not that any
of us are odd!  But that life is odd.  A few days ago we were all
facing the 'end of the world as we know it', to quote the song...
today I'm happier than I have