Date: April 12, 1996


Category: Mulder/Scully Romance
Time span: Third season (no spoilers)
Rating: PG
Summary: Routine survival training turns into more than either agent
bargained for.
The lyrics from "Meant To Be" are copyright of Sammy
Kershaw and his label, Mercury Nashville.

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

Linked
by Barbara Nice-Miller



Unknown Location
Washington, DC
2:21 am


	As the young man opened the door to the office, his nose was
assaulted by the pungent odor of cigarette smoke.

	Crinkling his nose slightly, his eyes scanned the dark room,
searching for the cigarette's owner.  The room was illuminated only by the
moonlight streaming in the window, framing the dark figure seated at the
desk in front of it.

	"Close the door."

	The young man obeyed, then turned once again to the figure at the
desk.  The seated man tossed a thick manila envelope down on the desk's
surface.

	"Everything you need to know about your assignment is in there. 
You have an eight hour head start on them."  He paused to take a drag on
his cigarette.

	Nodding his head once, the young man reached for the envelope,
freezing in mid-reach at the man's next words.

	"Failure is not an option."



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

X-Files Office
Washington, DC
10:13 am


	Fox Mulder threw open the door to the X-Files office and breezed
in, a file folder in his hand and a smile on his face.

	Dana Scully looked up, startled, from her laptop at the whirlwind
that was her partner, a scowl on her face.

	"Nice of you to join me this morning Mulder.  Did you think being
an hour late wou--"

	Smiling, he cut off her tirade.  "Good morning to you too,
Scully."

	<He's too happy for a Monday morning.  What's up?> Scully
wondered.

	"Bet you're wondering why I'm so chipper on a Monday morning."

	<God, that's unnerving.>

	He opened his mouth to continue, but Scully held up her hand. 
"Wait, let me guess.  You have proof Elvis is alive.'

	"No, but the Lone Gunmen have this theory--"

	Laughing, she cut him off.  "Forget I said anything.  So why *are*
you so happy?"

	He held up the file folder.  "New assignment.  Pack your bags
Scully, we're headed to Colorado."

	If he was this excited, it had to be a possible UFO sighting.  But
she never remembered Mulder saying Colorado was a UFO hot-spot before.

	"What is it?  Possible UFO sighting?"

	"Nope.  Survival training.  Skinner cornered me in the bullpen on
the way in this morning, which is why I'm late.  It's time for our
requalification."

	"Survival training?  You're excited about *survival training*? 
Since when?  You hate the wilderness Mulder.  Your idea of roughing it is
having to use the oven instead of the microwave. What gives?"

	Mulder gave her a look of complete innocence.  "You wound me
Scully.  How could you think I have ulterior motives?  Come on.  It'll be
a nice walk in the forest."

	"Mulder, the last time you said that we ended up in quarantine for
a month."

	He just stood there and smiled.

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

FBI Field Office
Denver, Colorado
9:05 am


	The flight to Denver late last night had been uneventful.  Scully
knew Mulder was up to something.  He had accepted this way too easily. 
There was no way he'd run off and play boy scout for seven days and leave
the X-Files if he didn't have something up his sleeve.  But try as she
might the whole way on the plane, she could not coerce any information out
of him.

	So here they were at the Denver field office, being briefed by the
survival training instructor, Agent Dan Throne.

	"Well, I've seen your files.  You both have done survival training
before, but not here in Colorado, so here's the drill: you'll be choppered
into Trails End wearing blindfolds so that you can't see the surrounding
terrain.  You'll have a topographical map with the four checkpoints
marked, a compass and your survival gear.  You'll have a total of seven
days to get to all the checkpoints.  If you don't arrive at the last
checkpoint by the seventh night, we'll activate the homing beacon one of
you will be wearing around your neck and chopper you out."  Here he paused
to grin at the two agents.  "Now this isn't a race...but the record is
four days for completing the course.  Just in case you're wondering."

	Scully crossed her arms in front of her chest and smiled at Agent
Throne.  "So what are the odds?"

	Agent Throne laughed.  "For two agents from Washington, DC who are
trying to break the record of Denver's own Agents Filip and Maras?  Three
to one."

	Scully glanced over at Mulder.  "Guess we'll just have to give
them a run for their money, eh Mulder?

	But Mulder just stood there and gave her that infuriating grin.


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

Trails End
Colorado
11:21 am  (same day)


	The chopper made a final circle over the landing field before
coming gently to rest on the ground.  Agents Mulder, Scully and Throne
disembarked, Mulder and Scully having removed their blindfolds when the
chopper set down.

	Dressed in flannel shirts, jeans and hiking boots, the pair looked
more like Forest Rangers than Federal Agents.  Mulder looked up and down
appreciatively at Scully's petite figure as she reached into the chopper
to grab her gear.

	"You know Scully, the Grizzly Adams look looks good on you."

	"Ha, ha.  And so help me Mulder, if I see just one glowing green
bug you'll be doing *all* the paperwork for the next year."

	Mulder smiled and raised his hands in mock surrender before
reaching past her for his own gear.

	"Ok, you two!  You're all set!"  shouted Agent Throne over the
roar of the chopper blades as they started back up.  "Remember, if you get
into any trouble, just activate your homing beacon and we'll come get you!
 Good luck and we'll see you in a few days!"  With that he waved good-bye,
jumped back in the helicopter and was gone.

	Although it was mid-April and the smell of spring was in the air,
it was still cool out, so Scully pulled on her jacket while Mulder dug the
map and compass out of his backpack.  Both studied the map, compass and
position of the sun before deciding on which direction to head that would
take them to the first checkpoint.

	As the partners walked into the forest, they were unaware that
high in the branches of a tree a pair of eyes watched their every move.  A
pair of *human* eyes.

	Dressed entirely in camouflage from head to toe, the young man
dropped soundlessly to the ground and began to track his prey.

	<Well, that black-lung s.o.b. sure had his info. right.  This
should be a piece of cake.>


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

Trails End
3:24 pm


	They had been walking for hours now.  It was tough going, but the
pair was in excellent shape and they had covered a lot of ground.  For the
most part they walked in companionable silence, listening to the sounds of
the forest around them.  The sun would be setting soon and night came
swift in the forest; they needed to find a place to camp for the night.

	"Hold up, Scully," Mulder called to his partner, who was leading
the way.  "Let's check the map for a good place to camp."

	Scully stopped, turned and came back to stand next to Mulder, her
hands on her hips. Glancing down at the map Mulder held in his hands, she
commented, "Provided we're heading in the right direction, we should only
be another half mile from that small river.  How 'bout there?"

	Mulder turned his head toward her with the intention of telling
her he agreed, when his breath caught in his throat.  The sun, which had
been behind a cloud, picked that moment to break through the trees and
shine down on Scully.  The beams glinted off her fiery hair, turning the
strands into the most beautiful shades of red and gold.  Her face was
flushed, cheeks red from the combination of the cool mountain air and
their hike.  Her lips were parted slightly as she
drew in some deep breaths.  Mulder was mesmerized by the sight.  And when
she turned her head away from the map to look directly at him because he
had not answered her, he was lost in the depths of her sparkling blue
eyes.

	"Mulder?  You OK?" she inquired as she reached out to touch his
arm.

	At her touch Mulder blinked and came back to himself, glancing
quickly away, suddenly embarrassed.

	"Yeah, fine.  That sounds good, let's go," he said brusquely.  And
with that he walked away, leaving Scully bewildered and himself suddenly
having very un-partnerlike thoughts about his partner.

	And in the distance their "shadow" followed and remained
unobserved.

	Half and hour later they had reached the banks of the river,
picked out a spot for their camp and were in the process of setting
everything up.  Scully was laying out the pieces of their two-man tent and
Mulder was constructing the firepit.  He made numerous trips to the
riverbank gathering the rocks to form the ring and an equal number of
trips into the forest for firewood.  By the time he had the fire started
he was hungry, sweaty and dirty.  Grabbing the retractable fishing
rod and hooks from his backpack, he turned to Scully.

	"Gonna go bag us some trout for dinner, Scully."

	"Just don't fall in OK?  I don't want to have to go fishing for
*you*," she joked.

	He chuckled then turned and walked the short distance to the
river's edge.  Scully finally got the tent put together, coming to the
conclusion that someone must have made a mistake in calling it a
two-person tent.  How they were both going to fit in there was beyond her.

	Deciding to take advantage of the remaining daylight to hunt for
edible greenery, she set off to find Mulder and tell him where she was
going.  Expecting to find him fishing, she was caught off-guard by the
sight that greeted her eyes.

	Mulder was naked to his waist; washing his face, arms and chest. 
He did not hear her approach and went on washing the dirt and sweat from
his body.  Scully watched, captivated by the play of muscles along his
back as he bent down to scoop more water into his hands.  She had seen his
chest before, Lord knows she had patched him up enough, but this time it
was different.  This time she wasn't looking at him as Dana Scully, the
doctor...but as Dana Scully, the woman.

	Frightened at the direction her thoughts were heading, Scully took
a step backwards, wanting to leave before Mulder saw her.  But Fate
intervened and Scully's foot sent a rock skittering down the bank and into
the water.  Mulder whirled at the noise, his FBI instincts taking over,
relaxing only when he saw it was Scully.

	"Scully?" he called quietly.

	<Busted.>

	"Uh, yeah.  I was just..." she stammered, trying to avert her gaze
from his dripping chest, to no avail.  He looked magnificent; standing
there in the fading sunlight with droplets of water clinging to his soft
chest hair.  His hair was damp, too, with that ever-present lock hanging
over his forehead.  She wanted to reach out and run her fingers through
it.

	When she didn't continue, Mulder closed the distance between them
with a few long strides, coming to a stop in front of her.

	"Scully?" he repeated,  "Do you want something?"

	<Want?  Oh, yes...>

	"Ah, no.  I mean, yes.  I mean I just wanted to tell you I'm going
to find us some edible plants," she rambled.

	"Oh, OK.   I'm just going to dry off and then I'll get those
fish," he replied, running a hand though his damp hair, completely unaware
of the effect he was having on her.

	Scully backed quickly away, heading for the trees, leaving Mulder
staring after her.


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

Trails End
6:30 pm


	Scully leaned back against the tree, heaving a sigh of pleasure
and patting her stomach. Their meal of fresh trout and greens along with
ice cold water had been wonderful.

	"Wow, Mulder.  I'm impressed.  I had no idea you could cook
anything that didn't come pre-packaged and frozen."

	He grinned.  "Nice to know I haven't lost my touch for shocking
people."

	"Oh, you never cease to amaze me."

	Mulder stopped poking the fire to come and drop down beside her. 
Scully was about to say something when Mulder reached out and gently
brushed his thumb across her lips.  Scully's eyes went wide at his action,
too stunned to speak.

	"Crumb," he said softly, explaining.

	"Oh," was all she could manage.

	The combination of their strenuous hike, the high altitude, their
meal, the warmth of the fire and the nearness of Mulder's body was playing
havoc with Scully's senses.  She was suddenly very drowsy and wanted
nothing more that to lean against Mulder and go to sleep.

	As for Mulder, he couldn't take his eyes off her.  The firelight
danced across her features, highlighting her hair.  He was reminded of
earlier in the day when the sunlight had done the same thing.  But all
thoughts ceased as she slowly leaned toward him.

	<Oh, God.  Does she want this, too?>

	Mulder reached out to touch Scully's shoulder...

	"Hoo-hoo!  Hoo-hoo!"

	The owl's cries startled them both, causing them to jump away from
each other and effectively breaking the mood.  Mulder jumped to his feet,
nervously running a hand through his hair, scared at the prospect of what
had almost happened.  Well, part of him was scared, the other was
thrilled.  And he wasn't sure which part he should listen to.  He wanted
to be by himself for a minute and get his thoughts under control.

	"I'm gonna run down to the river and wash up," he told Scully.

	"Alright.  I'm going to get ready for bed, I'm exhausted," she
replied, glad for the opportunity to be alone for a few minutes.

	After Mulder grabbed a flashlight and started walking towards the
water, Scully stood up, brushed off her jeans and headed for the tent. 
Once inside she quickly changed into the sweatshirt and sweatpants she
brought to sleep in.  That done, she allowed her thoughts to drift to
Mulder.  She was attracted to him, that she could not deny.  Had been from
Day One, actually.

	{No one down here but the FBI's Most Unwanted.}

	Unwanted?  Hardly.  Not after she had taken one look at him.  The
years had passed and they had grown closer together, only to drift apart
then come back again.  And through everything she still wanted him.  But
his relentless, single-minded pursuit of the Truth had left her deciding
there was no room in his life for a woman.  He was too driven, too
intense, to focus his attention and energy on anything else but his
search.  But she would always be there for him. Helping him, supporting
him, wanting him.  Unrequited love is what they called it.

	But then there were times like today that gave her a glimmer of
hope.  The way he was staring at her this afternoon, the way he had
touched her face, the way he had reached for her...

	She sighed.  <Maybe, just maybe...>

	And at the water's edge Mulder was warring with his own thoughts
and emotions.  He sat on a large rock listening to the rush of the water
and the sounds of the forest, but his mind was filled with thoughts of
Scully.  He was attracted to her without a doubt.  Had been from the
beginning, actually.

	{I wouldn't put myself on the line for anyone but you, Mulder.}

	Those words had shaken him more than he could ever admit.  He was
so used to being alone, with no one to trust.  Then she came into his life
and all the walls he had built up began to crumble.  He needed her so much
it scared him.  When she disappeared he wanted to, too.  He was on a
self-destruct course for three months before she came back to him.  And
when she did he realized that it was because of him and his damn pursuit
of the Truth that she had been taken in the first place.  He would never
*ever* allow that to happen again.  Which is why he could never tell her
his true feelings; for if they became involved and They found out about
it, she would be in more danger than ever.

	But then there were times like today that threatened to crumble
his resolve.  The way she was staring at him while he washed, the way her
eyes grew wide at his touch, the way she leaned toward him...
	
	He sighed.  <Maybe, just maybe... And the consequences be damned.>

	Mulder stood up and tossed a stone in the river, listening to the
splash.

	<Better get back before Scully thinks the Creature from the Black
Lagoon got me.> he thought with a smile.

	Back at the campsite, Mulder extinguished the fire then made his
way over to the tent, pausing at the closed flaps to jokingly call out,
"Everyone decent in there?"

	Scully answered with a laugh and told him to come in.  She was
sitting on top of her sleeping bag, absently toying with the small homing
beacon which hung from her neck.  She had brought her flashlight in with
her and had it pointing at the top of the tent, using the reflection to
illuminate the interior.

	"Welcome to Hotel Fed," she joked. "Nothing but the best
accommodations for Washington's finest agents."

"I don't know Scully, I can think of a lot worse places we've
stayed in," he said with a grin.

	"Point taken."

	Mulder slipped his hiking boots off, placed them outside and
zipped closed the flaps.  It suddenly felt very claustrophobic inside to
Scully.  And when Mulder began to remove his shirt, she swore the
temperature rose twenty degrees.  He pulled the shirt over his head, put
on a sweatshirt, then reached for the zipper of his jeans.

	Averting her eyes quickly, Scully struggled to find something to
say to keep her mind off of the fact that her partner was undressing next
to her.

	"Mulder?  I owe you an apology."

	He was perplexed.  "For what?"

	"I really thought you had other reasons for coming up here.  I
couldn't believe you'd run off and play boy scout without putting up a
fight.  I expected you to blow this off once we got up here and go running
off--"

	She stopped in mid-sentence when she realized Mulder had gone
completely still.  She glanced over at him, her brain registering the fact
he was now wearing only hunter green silk boxer shorts on his legs, but it
was his face that captured her attention.  With only the flashlight for
illumination she couldn't be sure, but it looked like Mulder
was...blushing?

	He reached for his discarded shirt and unbuttoned the breast
pocket.  He removed a black plastic object about the size and shape of a
cellular phone and two white pieces of paper. Holding everything up
briefly for her inspection, he cleared his throat before speaking.

	"I have a confession to make, Scully.  I was going to tell you in
the morning anyway..." he trailed off.

	Scully pointed to the black object.

	"What is that?"

	"...."

	"Speak up Mulder, you're mumbling."

	"It's a GPS."

	"What?!  You brought a Global Positioning System with?  That's
cheating!"

	Scully knew as well as Mulder did that a GPS worked off a
satellite link, giving the user his exact location anywhere on Earth
within a nine square foot radius.  No need for a map with a GPS.

	<No wonder we made such excellent time today!  He knew where every
rock and ravine was before we got there, so he knew where not to go.  Also
explains why he wanted me in the lead so I couldn't see him using it.>

	"And how in the world did you get your hands on one, anyway?" she
continued.

	For she knew GPS's were designed for and used exclusively by the
military for recon missions.

	"I traded Frohike for it."

	"Traded?  For what?" she asked suspiciously.  Somehow she knew she
wouldn't like the answer.

	He took a deep breath.  "Your e-mail address."

	"My what?!  Mulder, I had no idea you wanted to beat those Denver
agents so badly you'd resort to cheating," she said disapprovingly.

	At this he grew agitated.

	"Give me a break, Scully.  I could care less about beating those
two."

	"Then why--"

	He held up the two slips of paper again and handed them to her, a
huge grin on his face.

	"Denver Nuggets versus Chicago Bulls.  Court-side seats.  You and
me Scully."

	Scully looked down at the two tickets she held in her hand, her
eyes stopping on the date printed on them.  The game was in three days.

	"Wait just a minute.  We just found out we were coming up here
yesterday morning.  I've been with you since then.  How could you have
possibly gotten both the GPS and the tickets, unless..."  she paused as
the truth dawned on her.

	"You've know we were coming out here long before yesterday,
haven't you?" she accused.

	At least Mulder had the good grace to look sheepish.

	"I found out last Friday.  That's when Skinner actually cornered
me in the bullpen.  I didn't say anything to you because if I couldn't
pull this off I *was* going to raise hell and get us out of this.  We
needed a break, Scully.  I thought this would be fun.  And with the GPS
we'll practically be able to fly though the forest and be able to make the
game in three days."

	Scully was a bit stunned.

	"You mean you went through all of this to take me to a basketball
game?" she asked softly.

	He nodded.  "We've been working so hard...I thought we'd earned a
little vacation."

	"Thank you Mulder. This has got to be one of the nicest things
you've ever done for me."

	"You're welcome Scully."

	She attempted to say something else when her face broke out in a
huge yawn.  She quickly put her hand over her mouth.

	Mulder laughed.  "Come on sleepy-head, time for bed."

	They both crawled into their sleeping bags and Scully turned off
the flashlight, plunging the tent into total darkness.

	"Good night Mulder."

	" 'Night Scully."


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

Trails End
12:28 am


	Wearing his night-vision goggles, the young man approached the
agent's campsite.  In his left hand he carried a razor-sharp hunting
knife, the blade gleaming in the moonlight.  In his right, a small silver
cylinder.  It was time for him to make his move.

	He had tracked Mulder and Scully all day, using high-powered
binoculars so that he could stay far enough away not to been seen.  He had
observed and recorded everything the pair did.  That was the easy part. 
This was the hard part.  He had been laying in wait for hours now,
watching their every move, waiting for them to go to bed.

	Before leaving for Colorado, he had read and re-read the files on
Agents Mulder and Scully that his boss had given him, committing every
detail to memory.  He knew Mulder was a light sleeper and prone to
nightmares.  That fact made his job even harder.  Agent Mulder could not
wake up.  Although on the slim chance he did, there was no fear he'd be
shot.  He knew that the agents were required to leave their weapons at the
Denver field office.  This was survival
training, not target practice.  It wouldn't do for the agents to just
shoot a deer or something for dinner.  Not much survival training in that.

	He reached the tent, then paused, listening intently.  He could
hear two, deep, even breathing patterns.  Perfect.  He pushed the tip of
the knife into the left flap and drew it downward with a soft "Whoosh",
creating a five inch vertical slit.  Pausing again, he listened, but
detected no change in their breathing.  He removed his goggles, clipping
them to his belt, then unclipped his gas mask and slipped it over his
head.  Releasing the pin from the silver cylinder, he dropped it inside
the tent.

	The gas filled the small enclosure in seconds, rendering the
agents inside unconscious immediately.  They never knew what hit them.

	The young man unzipped the flaps and crawled inside.

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

Trails End
7:14 am


	Someone was shining a bright light in Scully's face.  Or so she
thought.  For some reason her head felt as though someone was tap dancing
on it and the intense beam of light was not helping.  She attempted to
place her left arm over her eyes to block out the light, but found she
could only raise it a few inches.  Panicked and disorientated, she tried
to call out for Mulder. But her mouth felt as though there was cotton
stuffed in it, it was so dry.  Bolting upright, she opened her eyes wide,
trying to remember where she was.

	It came back in a rush.  Colorado.  Survival training.  The tent.

	She quickly ascertained the source of the light was a long
vertical slit in one of the tent flaps.

	<Slit?  How did that get there?>

	Scully glanced to her left, taking in Mulder's sleeping form and
the reason she couldn't move her left arm.

	She was handcuffed to Mulder.

	"What the hell?... Mulder!  Get up Mulder!" she cried, shaking his
right shoulder with her right hand.

	He moaned, tossing his head from side to side.  "Ohh, my head..."
he complained, slowly opening his eyes and taking in Scully's confused,
worried expression.

	He, too, bolted upright, trying to figure out why his head was
pounding and why Scully looked so concerned.  He was about to ask what was
wrong when he felt something cold and hard on his right wrist.  Glancing
down, he couldn't believe his eyes.

	He was handcuffed to Scully.  His right hand to her left.

	"What the hell?..."

	"My sentiments exactly Mulder.  What in the *world* is going on?"

	He was about to make a snappy, sexually orientated remark
pertaining to the handcuffs, but thought better of it under the
circumstances.  Instead, he took a moment to look around the tent before
answering.

	Sunlight was streaming in from a slit in one of the tent flaps. 
That, combined with the fact he felt like he had a hangover and neither
one of them had heard a thing, and he came to the correct assumption that
they had been gassed.

	"Someone gassed us so that they could handcuff us together.  But
why?" he wondered.

	Scully was studying the handcuffs intently.  "And these are not
ordinary handcuffs, either. Look, there's no lock."

	Mulder looked down and sure enough, there was no lock.  "Curiouser
and curiouser..." he mused.

	"Come on Mulder, we've gotta have a look around."

	As Scully bent over to start crawling to the front of the tent,
Mulder stopped short, pulling on the handcuffs to stop her.

	"Scully wait.  Weren't you wearing the homing beacon when you went
to bed last night?"

	Her hand flew to her neck...finding nothing hanging there.

	Scully's eyes went wide and Mulder was suddenly filled with rage. 
Someone had come in here and not only handcuffed them together, but had
also touched Scully.

	For the first time since coming up here, both agents fervently
wished they had their weapons.  Moving in tandem, they crawled out of
their sleeping bags and over to the tent flaps. Mulder reached for the
zipper then stopped, pausing to look directly at Scully.  Their gazes held
for a moment, drawing strength from one another, steeling themselves for
whatever may lie outside.

	After unzipping the tent closure, the pair cautiously poked their
heads out for just a moment.  Mulder quickly scanned the left side of the
campsite and Scully the right before bringing their heads back inside.

	"Clear left."

	"Clear right."

	Mulder blew out a long breath.  "Right.  Let's go."

	The forest was eerily quiet in the early morning light as the
partners made their way from the tent.  Remaining on their hands and
knees, so as to not give anyone large targets, they surveyed the area more
carefully.  Mulder detected no movement in the surrounding woods and there
were so many overlapping footprints from the two of them, Scully could
discern no others.

	"Come on Scully, let's get back inside."

	Once back in the tent, Mulder reached for his pants and began to
quickly put them on. But with Scully attached to him, it was a little
difficult.  Her arms were shorter than his and he pulled her off-balance
in his haste to dress himself.

	Scully suddenly found herself tilted sideways and practically
laying in Mulder's lap.  Her heart lurched and lodged itself somewhere in
the vicinity of her throat, making it hard to breathe.

	<This is *no time* to have a hormone attack, Dana.> she
reprimanded herself.

	She pushed herself off Mulder as he mumbled an apology, praying
her face wasn't as red as she thought it was.  Mulder was able to finish
putting his pants on without further incident.

	That done, they began to discuss their situation.

	"OK, let's think.  Who knew we were coming up here?" questioned
Scully.

	Mulder began to tick off the people on his fingers, "Skinner, the
Gunmen, Agent Throne. But why would they do this?   What's the point?"

	"And how did they know exactly where we'd be camping?  We could've
started off in the wrong direction completely and been miles from
here....wait a minute," a light went off in Scully's head.

	Mulder had just come to the same conclusion. "We're being
tracked."


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

	The young man was once again high in the branches of a tree using
his binoculars to keep tabs on the pair.  He wanted to laugh out loud at
the way they had cautiously exited the tent, as though they were expecting
to be shot at.  The expressions on their faces was priceless. He only
wished he could've seen what happened when they first woke up.  His boss
would've loved to hear that.

	He shifted slightly, trying to get more comfortable as he settled
down to wait and watch for the agents next move.  He was a tracker and
recon man and damn good at it.   He thrived on the adrenaline rush and
couldn't wait for his next assignment, whatever it may be.  He didn't
care.

	He chuckled.  <God, I love my job.>


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


	"We have to get out of here, *now*.  I don't think we have any
fear of being shot or anything.  If whoever did this wanted to kill us,
they'd have done it last night.  Leave everything here except the map,
compass and GPS.  We'll be able to make it to the first checkpoint in
about four hours with nothing to carry.  Once we get there we'll use the
radio to call in and tell Throne what our situation is."

	"Sounds good, but what if Throne is in on this?" asked Scully.

	Mulder sighed.  "Let's see what kind of radio setup is at the
checkpoint.  Maybe we can get ahold of someone else."

	"OK, let's get going."

	Both reached outside for their shoes, bringing them back inside
with them.  Each had to take turns putting them on because of the
handcuffs.  When Mulder put on his left shoe, Scully's arm had to rest
between his legs, rubbing against his right thigh.  Even though this was
not the time or place, Mulder's thoughts could not help but drift to the
sensations she was arousing in him.

	Shaking his head ever so slightly to clear his mind, he thought,
<Get a grip Mulder.  Not now.>

And of course when Scully put on her right shoe, the situation was
reversed, with Mulder's arm now resting between *her* legs.  Even though
there was nothing remotely sexual about his touch against her thigh, it
still sent her thoughts reeling.  Not wanting to start blushing again, she
hurriedly finished her task and placed their arms back between their
bodies.

	Looking up at Mulder, she found him staring intently at her, with
an expression on his face she couldn't decipher.  He broke the gaze after
just a moment and gave her a small smile.

	"All set, Scully?"

	"As ready as I'll ever be."

	They crawled out of the tent then stood up and moved swiftly
around to the left tent wall, where their backpacks were.  Or where they
used to be.  They were gone.

	Mulder threw up his left hand in anger. "Damnit!"

	Scully sighed in frustration.  "Well, there goes the map and
compass.  Not to mention our food and water."

	"We still have the GPS.  Let's grab it and get out of here."

	Going back around to the front of the tent, they crouched down as
Mulder reached in to grab his shirt, where he had again put the GPS last
night.  But as soon as he lifted the shirt and felt how light it was, he
knew what he'd find.  Sure enough, the breast pocket was empty, save for
the Denver Nuggets tickets.  Scully heard him curse then saw him throw
down the shirt in disgust and put his left hand over his eyes, squeezing
tightly.  This was not looking good.

	Tugging him out of the tent to face her, Scully spoke.  "Mulder,
you have an eidetic memory.  You were the one holding the map.  Surely you
know which direction the checkpoint is."

	Mulder looked chagrined and glanced away from her.  "I honestly
wasn't paying that much attention to the map, Scully.  I was using the GPS
and it only shows the immediate surrounding terrain, not a full overview."
 He looked back at her before continuing.  "I don't believe that I can get
us to the checkpoint."

	She looked directly into his eyes and placed her right hand on his
shoulder before softly saying, "*I* believe that you can."

	That was all he needed to hear.  Covering her hand with his own,
he gave it a brief squeeze then sprang into action.  Jumping to his feet,
he pulled Scully up with him.  He pointed into the woods.

	"That way,"  he said with conviction.

	Scully smiled, then they both turned and ran into the forest.


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

	Mulder and Scully's sudden flight into the trees startled the
young man.  He hadn't expected them to move so quickly.  Allowing them a
short head start, he then nimbly descended from his perch in the branches.
 Grabbing his gear from the base of the tree, he started off after the
pair, walking quickly past the other two backpacks that had rested next to
his own.

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


Trails End
9:07 am

	They were moving at a steady pace, if a bit awkwardly from being
attached together.  All their senses were on alert, constantly scanning
the surrounding terrain for whoever may be tracking them.  But so far they
had detected nothing.

	The sun was shining brightly in the crisp morning air, but the
forest remained quiet, as if it knew something was wrong.  The only sound
the partners heard was their own breathing as they jogged through the
woods.

	"Mulder," Scully breathed, "Hold up for a minute, I need a break."

	Mulder didn't want to stop, but they had been going for two hours
straight and he remembered that his partner didn't go for a few mile jog
every morning like he did.

	"OK, but not too long."

	They slowed to a walk and Scully pointed to a large fallen log. 
Leading Mulder over to it, she sat down on the moss covered surface with
an exhausted sigh and closed her eyes.

	Because of the handcuffs, they had to sit with their bodies
touching, and Mulder thought it sweet torture to be sitting so close to
Scully and not be able to touch her like he wanted to.

	He turned his head and studied Scully for a moment while she still
had her eyes closed. He tried to picture what having a relationship with
her would be like, if he didn't have to worry about Them interfering. 
And as wonderful and exciting as he thought it could be, he still had two
fears.  First being the possibility that she had no romantic feelings
toward him.  And he certainly couldn't blame her.  After all, they called
him "Spooky" for a reason.  And then, even if they did become involved,
what if it didn't work?  He couldn't lose her, her friendship, her
support, her trust and understanding.  He was sure she'd transfer out of
the X-Files; it would just be too awkward to keep working together.  It
would tear him in two if she left; his best and only friend.

	Scully opened her eyes just then and caught Mulder staring at her
with an intense, thoughtful expression on his face.  He did not glance
away as she thought he would and she found herself drowning in the warm,
hazel depths of his eyes.  His right side was pressed up against her left
side and she could feel his body heat through his shirt and jeans.  They
were both quite warm from their flight through the forest, but Scully's
body was cooling rapidly in the mountain air and she shivered.  But the
mountain air was only one reason why.  The other was
the man sitting beside her.

	After another moment, Mulder spoke softly.  "We'd....better get
going."

	Scully nodded, then rose to her feet too quickly.  The fact that
she had not had anything to eat or drink since early yesterday evening
combined with the high altitude and her quick movement left her feeling
light-headed.  She put her hand to her head as her knees started to buckle
and she began to fall.

	Mulder had his free hand around her shoulders in an instant,
pulling Scully against him to steady her.

	"Scully?  Scully, you OK?" he asked, concerned.

	She rested her forehead against his chest briefly and took a few
deep breaths before answering.

	"Yeah...yeah, I'm OK.  Sorry about that."

	"No need to apologize," he said, releasing his grip on her
shoulders to gently tuck a wayward strand of hair behind her ear.  "Just
as long as you're OK."

	"I am now," she replied sincerely, her words having a double
meaning.

	Both meanings were not lost on Mulder and he smiled.  "Come on,
let's go."

	They turned together and resumed their jog towards the checkpoint.


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


Trails End
11:51 am


	Tired, sweaty, hungry and thirsty, the agents continued to
maneuver their way through the underbrush.  Mulder raised his left arm up
to his face to look at his watch.  After checking the time, he wiped the
sweat from his face and dropped his arm back down.

	"We should've been there by now," he said dejectedly.

	Scully had a feeling that this was taking a little longer than
expected, but she didn't want Mulder getting frustrated and upset so she
hadn't said anything.

	"Come on Mulder.  Don't give up on me now.  Stop for a minute and
concentrate," she said, tugging on the cuffs to bring Mulder to a halt. 
"OK, close your eyes and think."


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


	In the distance, using his binoculars again, the young man stopped
when they did.  He made more notes in his book concerning the agents.  He
didn't think his boss would be all that pleased with the results of the
experiment so far.

	Putting his notebook back in his bag, he pulled out Mulder's GPS. 
Great instrument, this thing was.  Looking down at the display, he saw
that the pair was right on track to the checkpoint. If they kept up their
current pace, they should reach their destination in half an hour.  He
sure hoped something happened before then.

	Shifting his stance to turn back around and use the binoculars
once more, he never saw the dry branch beneath his feet.


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


	"I really think we're headed in the right direction, Scully,"
Mulder was saying.  "I must have just underestimated the time we--"

	Without warning, a loud "CRACK!" shattered the silence and
reverberated throughout the forest.  Thinking gunshot, Mulder instantly
yanked on Scully's arm and took off at a dead run, pulling Scully along
behind him.  Eyes searching frantically for something large enough to
protect them both, Mulder spied a fallen tree to his left.  Switching
directions, he pointed to the log to tell
Scully where he was headed.

	When they were almost on top of the log, Mulder leaped up and
hurdled it, clearing it easily with his long legs.  Scully was not so
lucky.  Mulder's legs were longer than hers; her left foot cleared the log
but her right caught it, sending her crashing downward, her forward
momentum bringing Mulder down with her.  She heard him cry out in pain as
he landed on the ground behind the log.  But he swiftly flipped Scully
onto her back and lay atop her, shielding her with his own body.

	They both lay utterly still, listening for another gunshot or
sounds of pursuit, their breathing ragged and hearts thudding wildly in
their chests.  Something was crashing through the forest from the
direction they had just come from, they could hear branches breaking and
the sound of footfalls.

	Pulling Scully and himself closer to the log, Mulder risked a look
over the top.  If someone was rushing them, he wanted to know what
direction they were coming from and be prepared to do whatever he could to
protect Scully.  Every muscle in his body was coiled and ready to strike.

	But he was not prepared for what he saw.

	There, stampeding towards them was not a crazed gunman, but one
excited deer.  An eight-point buck to be precise.  Mulder could only gape
at the sight.  It saw Mulder when Mulder saw *it*, and quickly bounded off
in a different direction, stepping on another branch with a resounding
"CRACK!"

	From Scully's position on the ground, all she could see was
Mulder's eyes grow wide at whatever he saw and then heard another "CRACK!"

	Fearing Mulder was going to get his head shot off, she
instinctively grabbed his shirt collar with her free hand and yanked him
back down on top of her, his arms landing on either side of her head and
his face hovering just inches above her own.


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


	The young man could not believe his incredible luck.  When he
stepped on that branch his heart nearly stopped.  He cursed himself
soundly for his stupidity.

	But not only had the noise startled the pair he was watching, but
a buck that was grazing nearby.  Both took off like a shot and the young
man went into a panic.  He couldn't lose his prey, not now.  If they got
out of his sight...well, the didn't even want to think of what his boss
would do to him.

	So he took a chance.

	With all the noise from two humans and an animal crashing through
the forest, another pair of feet shouldn't be noticed.  So he took off at
a dead run behind the buck.  Seeing Mulder suddenly veer off to his left
and point to a fallen tree, he knew he had only seconds to find a vantage
point.  Taking his eyes off the fleeing agents for a moment, he latched on
to the nearest, tallest tree and shimmied up the bark like a squirrel.

	He missed Scully's fall in his haste to find a sturdy branch, and
when he finally looked down he saw Mulder laying on top of his partner.

	<Bingo!>

	What had started out as a disaster just moments before had now
turned into the highlight of his assignment.


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


	Mulder's lips were just a hair's breadth away from Scully's, his
breath soft and warm on her face.

	"It was a deer," he whispered, putting her fears to rest.

	"A deer?" she repeated, incredulous.  "We were running from a
*deer*?"

	He nodded then began to chuckle, his chest vibrating against
Scully's stomach.  His chuckle was addictive and soon they were both
laughing, the tension draining from their bodies. They calmed down after a
minute and were suddenly aware of the close proximity of their bodies. 
And actually, how close they had been all day.

	The way his hand constantly brushed against hers.

	The way her shoulder constantly came in contact with his.

	The way their bodies pressed against each other on the log.

	Time suddenly came crashing to a halt.

	Everything around them seemed to fade away, leaving only them in
the center of the universe.

	Mulder wanted to kiss her so badly his entire body began to
tremble.  His mind worked furiously trying to conjure up all of the
arguments against this that he had thought of yesterday. But he couldn't
remember a single one.  All he was aware of was the beautiful woman lying
beneath him.

	Scully's self-control was about to snap.  The desire reflected in
Mulder's eyes was so obvious, yet she could tell he was raging an internal
battle with his feelings.  She needed to feel his lips on her own and the
consequences of their actions be damned.

	<He might break your heart.> her little inner voice piped up.

	Then again, he might be her one true love.  She was tired of not
knowing.  She was about to make the first move when he dipped his head
ever so closer to her own.

	That was all it took.

	The first touch of their lips was not a gentle one.  It was a
passionate, urgent melding of pent up desire exploding after three long
years.  Mulder's mouth slanted across Scully's, his tongue sweeping across
her lips, demanding entrance.  Scully complied, parting her lips and
allowing Mulder's tongue to do battle with her own.  Mulder's whole body
shuddered and Scully moaned in pleasure at their tongues first touch.  
Scully's moan drove Mulder wild, knowing that it was *he* that was
bringing her such pleasure.  He deepened the kiss and pressed his body
down harder on hers, trying to get inside her skin.

	Scully couldn't get Mulder close enough.  He had been out of reach
for so long...
	She could feel against her thigh just how close Mulder wanted to
get to *her* and she smiled briefly against his mouth.

	So many emotions were coursing through Mulder's body as he kissed
Scully.  Fear at what they were doing, at the line they had just crossed
and could never step back over.  But at the same time, unbounding joy at
what they were doing.  It was if he was finally whole; he had found his
missing half.

	Mulder suddenly broke the kiss and used his free hand to turn
Scully's face to the side. Pushing her hair out of the way, he planted
hot, wet kisses along the smooth column of her neck and on the sensitive
spot behind her ear.

	Scully gasped, her free hand flying up to clutch Mulder's shirt at
his waist.  She was overcome with an overwhelming need to feel his skin
under her palm.  She slid her hand under his shirt and up the side of his
ribcage.

	"Oh, God...Dana," he groaned against her neck.  Pulling on her
sweatshirt to expose her shoulder and collarbone, he continued his
exploration of her body with his mouth.

	Turning her head abruptly, she found his lips once more.  They
continued to kiss passionately, their desire for one another continuing to
drive their actions.  Mulder lifted his body up slightly and brought his
left hand down to Scully's waistband.  He slid his hand up inside her
sweatshirt and along the flat plane of her stomach.  He heard Scully
whimper and felt her tongue thrust farther into his mouth.  Her skin felt
so good against his hand, soft and hot.  He need to
feel more, much more.  Ever so slowly, he slid his hand upwards to the
underside of her right breast.  With a start, he realized that she was
wearing no bra, until he remembered that she had been sleeping in these
clothes.  His thumb caressed the underside as Scully's own hand continued
its exploration of Mulder's body.

	When Mulder's hand slipped under her shirt, Scully brought her own
hand down to the small of his back, rubbing sensuously.  And when his thumb
touched her breast, she moved her hand lower, sliding it under his
waistband.  His jeans were a snug fit and she wished he was wearing
sweatpants like her.  But she was still able to get her hand between his
boxers and his skin.  She caressed his buttocks, reveling in the feel of
them, muscular and hot.  As Mulder
continued to rub his thumb around her breast, she moved her hand to his
hip then around to his stomach, hearing his moan of pleasure at her
actions.

	He was teasing her mercilessly; running his hand over her stomach,
between her breasts and along the undersides of them, but never fondling
them directly.  It was driving her mad.  She wanted more, she wanted
*him*.  There was a fire building deep inside her, and she knew only
Mulder could give her relief from the burning.

	She shifted beneath him restlessly, moving her legs, trying to
draw him even closer. Mulder suddenly cried out in pain when her leg came
in contact with his right shin.  Her eyes flew open and she quickly
withdrew her hand from his stomach.

	"Dr. Scully," he gritted out, "I think I'm in need of your
services."

	She immediately snapped back to the present and was once again the
professional doctor.  All business.

	Mulder removed his hand from beneath her shirt and she gently
rolled him off her and onto his back beside her.  It took her only a
moment to see the dark stain surrounding the tear in his jeans on his
right shin.

	"How do you do it Mulder?" Scully wondered as she examined his
wound.  "How do you manage to hurt yourself no matter what we do?"

	He grimaced as she probed the exposed area.  "Oh, come on Scully. 
Don't you want to play doctor with me?" he questioned with an devilish
grin and a raised eyebrow.

	Ignoring him for the moment, Scully concentrated on trying to
patch him up, as usual. She carefully ripped a larger slit in his jeans to
get a better look at his cut.  Pulling back the material, she found a four
inch gash on his leg.  It was quite deep and still bleeding.  Looking
around, she tried to figure out what he could've landed on that would do
this.  She spied what used to be a small sturdy sapling, but it had been
chewed in half by something, leaving a pointed spike sticking up from the
ground.  And of course, Mulder had landed on it.  Why did this not
surprise her?

	Turning back to Mulder, she told him sit up and take off his
shirt.

	Giving her that same grin once again he teased, "Change your mind,
Scully?"

	"Down, boy.  I'll give you a *thorough* exam later," she teased
right back.  "Right now I want you to tear off one of your sleeves so I
can use it as a bandage."

	Mulder slipped his shirt off his free arm and over his head, then
managed to tear off a sleeve after a few minutes.  He then handed it over
to Scully.  The sweatshirt material was bulky and would be a little
difficult to tie, but it was all they had.  The last thing she needed was
to have Mulder collapse from blood loss in the middle of who-knows-where.

	Scully ripped the jean material even more to be able to slip the
makeshift bandage inside. She cleaned off as much blood as she could then
wrapped Mulder's gash with the sleeve, tying it as best she could.  That
done, she looked up at Mulder.

	"How do you feel?  Are you in a lot of pain?"

	"I'll feel much better when we reach the checkpoint.  Help me up
and let's get going.  I'm getting really tired of the forest."

	They got Mulder standing and were able to maneuver their
handcuffed arms so that Mulder's arm was around Scully's shoulders in case
he needed help.

	Smacking him playfully on his butt, Scully said, "OK, hop-a-long. 
Let's move out."


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

	The young man watched as the agents slowly made their way deeper
into the forest, Mulder leaning against Scully for support.

	He was a little stunned by what he had witnessed.  Mulder and
Scully had been partners for over three years.  They had had a strictly
professional relationship until now.  You would have thought that they
would've become involved long before this, not wait for three years. 
After following them for two days he honestly hadn't expected anything to
happen.

	But hey, who was he to judge?  His boss obviously felt
differently.  After all, what he had just seen was the whole purpose for
this mission.  His boss must've had a sixth sense about those two.

	Climbing down from the tree, he resumed his tracking.  The pair
would reach the checkpoint soon and his assignment would be over.


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


Trails End
Checkpoint A
12:30 pm

	Slowly but surely, the pair made their way through the woods,
Mulder favoring his injured leg slightly and occasionally leaning on
Scully for support.

	After their "close encounter" with each other, they were both more
relaxed but still perplexed about their handcuff situation.

	"Mulder, do you think the Gunmen are behind this?  I mean, we've
been sitting ducks out here and nothing's happened.  And neither one of us
has spotted anyone tracking us.  This is just the kind of practical joke
I'd expect Frohike to pull."

	Mulder sighed.  "You've got me on this one, Scully.  I just don't
see the point in all this." He paused to look directly at her.  "But I
will tell you this.  Once we get back home nothing's going to stop me from
getting to the bottom of this."

	"You and me both, Mulder.  You and me--"

	She stopped talking and walking so abruptly that Mulder nearly
fell.  She pointed with her right hand to a spot in front of them.

	"Mulder, look!" she continued excitedly.  "The checkpoint!"

Mulder turned his head away from her to look where she was pointing. 
And sure enough, sitting between two trees just up ahead was the small
wooden building that served as Checkpoint A. Mulder's face broke out in a
huge grin and he pulled Scully into a hug.  She stood on tiptoe and gave
him a soft, lingering kiss.

	"I told you I believed in you," she whispered.

	He chuckled softly, "I'll never doubt you again."

	They closed the distance as swiftly as they could and were soon
standing in front of the small building.  The sturdy door was secured with
a combination lock.  Scully quickly spun the dial, recalling the
combination Agent Throne had given them, and opened the door.  The air was
musty and the interior was illuminated by a single window in the back
wall.

	The agents walked inside and looked around.  Along the left wall
was a large cot, on the right was a wooden table with two chairs and an
old-fashioned wood burning stove.  The radio setup was on another table
just to the left of the door.

	Leaving the door open to get some fresh air, Mulder made a
bee-line for the radio, dragging Scully behind him.  They both took a
minute to look over the setup.  They weren't happy with what they saw. 
The building was used strictly as a checkpoint for survival training for
the FBI and they obviously didn't want any hikers playing with the radio. 
It was set and locked on a channel to the Denver field office.  They could
not contact anyone else.

	"Looks like we'll have to take our chances with Throne.  We don't
have a choice." said Scully.

	"Yeah, I know.  But listen closely for his reaction when we tell
him what's happened.  We might be able to tell if he's a part of this."

	Mulder flipped all of the appropriate switches and the radio
hummed to life.  He gave it a minute to warm up before making contact with
the Denver office.  Agent Throne sounded truly shocked when Mulder
explained their situation, causing the agents to rethink his involvement
in this.

	"And don't forget the bolt cutters for these cuffs," Mulder
finished.

	"10-4 Agent Mulder.  We'll dispatch the chopper immediately with
everything you need. It should arrive at your location in about 45
minutes."

	Scully took the mic from Mulder.  "Oh, Agent Throne, we'll also
need a medical kit. Agent Mulder has a severe cut on his leg."

	"10-4 Agent Scully.  Throne out."

	Scully put the mic back on the table then led Mulder over to the
cot.

	"You're getting a little pale.  Lay down and let me take a look at
your leg."

	Mulder laid down with an exhausted sigh and Scully pulled apart
the jean material, exposing the makeshift bandage.  It was nearly soaked
through.  She was glad the chopper would be here soon so she could
properly patch him up.  She finished her exam then sat on the edge of the
cot next to Mulder, absently picking at the blanket as an awkward silence
settled over them.  There was so much they needed to talk about but
neither knew where to begin.

	Mulder swung his legs over the edge of the cot, coming to a
sitting position with his right shoulder pressed up against Scully's. 
Scully had stopped playing with the blanket and was using her right hand
to rub her left wrist, where the skin was red and sore from the cuffs. 
She still wouldn't meet Mulder's gaze.  Mulder placed his left hand over
her right, stilling her movements.

He raised their cuffed hands up to his face and placed a soft, gentle kiss
on her sore wrist. Scully's eyes followed Mulder's movements until she was
again drowning in the warmth of his hazel eyes.

	He spoke softly, his gaze never wavering.  "Having second thoughts
about what we did?"

	"Never," was her emphatic reply.  "But this does complicate the
situation, you know. We're in violation of Bureau policy, not to
mention--"

	He cut her off by placing his finger on her mouth briefly.  "Trust
me, I know.  I've been having the same arguments with myself for years. 
But I'm tired of being alone.  I want to share my life with someone.  I
want to share it with *you*.  And if that means breaking some rules,
well...when has that ever stopped me?"  He paused and grasped her free
hand with his, interlacing their fingers.  "We can make this work if we
really want to."

	Scully's head was spinning.  <Years?  Did he say *years*?>  Oh,
God.  All the time they had wasted.  Well, she wasn't about to waste a
minute more.  She wanted to share her life with him, too.

	"I really want to."

	"Good.  Because I've been wanting to do this for the past ten
minutes."

	Before Scully could open her mouth to question him, Mulder had
them laying on the cot side by side and was kissing her for all he was
worth.

	Closing her eyes, Scully let herself be swept away by the flood of
emotions Mulder was releasing in her.  This felt so good, so right.  They
had been fools to deny themselves this all these years.

	Smiling to herself, she decided to do a little turnabout on her
partner.  She pushed on his shoulder, turning him onto his back and
breaking the kiss.  Before he could say anything, she was on top of *him*
this time, straddling his thighs.  She brought both her hands down and
pushed up on his sweatshirt, revealing his lean but well-muscled chest. 
She ran her right hand over every inch of it, finally able to feel the
soft chest hair that had taunted her the night before.
Bending over, Scully started at his collarbone and worked her way down,
leaving a trail of hot kisses.  When she paused and flicked her tongue
over one of his flat nipples, Mulder threw his head back and moaned in
pleasure.  Reaching up, he tangled his fingers in her auburn hair, pulling
down slightly until her head was resting on his stomach.

	From her position, she could feel his arousal against her chest. 
Shifting slightly, she boldly reached between their bodies and caressed
him through his jeans.

	"Oh, God!....Dana," burst from his lips at her touch, which was
like fire even through the material.  He squeezed his eyes shut and
tightened his grip in her hair, never wanting her to stop.  She continued
her ministrations, stroking him, caressing him.  And loving the response
she was getting.  When she undid his single jeans button, unzipped them
and cupped him through his boxers, Mulder nearly flew out of his skin.  He
felt like he was going to fly apart at any minute.  But first he wanted to give 
her the same pleasure.

	Flipping her off him in one fluid motion, Mulder now straddled
Scully's thighs, careful to keep his full weight off her, the pain in his
leg completely forgotten.  Scully started to protest. She wasn't through
with him yet.  But Mulder silenced her with a quick, hard, deep kiss
before straightening up again.

	He looked down at the beautiful, petite redhead beneath him.  What
a fireball.  She never ceased to amaze him.  He always knew there was an
underlying passion in his partner, and now he knew how to release it.

	Mimicking her actions, Mulder brought both his hands down and drew
her sweatshirt up to her neck, exposing her chest.  Scully gasped as she
was suddenly revealed.  She was suddenly very self-conscious of her body. 
She was far from a supermodel and was afraid that Mulder wouldn't like
what he saw.  Timidly raising her gaze from the center of his chest, she
looked him in the eye.  The hunger she saw reflected there both surprised
and touched her.

	Moisture sprang to her eyes at his next words, his voice low and
husky with desire.

	"You are so beautiful."

	Reaching out, he brushed the back of his hand across her right
breast, causing the peak to harden and Scully to close her eyes and
release a small moan.  He cupped her breast tenderly, marveling at the
feel as he softly caressed her, rubbing his thumb across her already
hardened nipple.  With her eyes closed, Scully felt rather than saw Mulder
lean toward her.  She thought he was going to kiss her until she felt his
warm breath on her chest.  And when his mouth, hot and wet, closed over 
her nipple, a cry burst from her lips as she arched her back upwards.

	"Fox!"

	Hearing his name on her lips, how wonderful it sounded coming from
her...only her, sent Mulder into a frenzy.  Tearing his mouth from her
breast, he slid his left hand under her back and raised her up as his
mouth descended upon hers.  He plundered her mouth with his tongue and
Scully wrapped her right arm around his neck, pulling him even closer. 
The kiss soon went from urgent and demanding to slow and erotic.  Never
breaking the kiss, Mulder lay Scully back against the blanket then lay beside 
her, his right leg covering both of hers and his hand on her stomach.

	Long moments later they pulled apart, slightly out of breath. 
Mulder moved Scully closer so that her head was resting on his chest right
beneath his chin.  He began slowly stroking her hair as a wave of love for
the woman next to him engulfed him and nearly took his breath away. He
knew they had a rough road ahead of them, but as long as she was by his
side, he felt invincible.  He was so happy he thought his heart would
burst and a single tear of joy ran down his face to land in Scully's hair.

	Scully felt a drop of wetness fall on the top of her head and she
shifted in Mulder's embrace to look up at him.

	"What's wrong?" she asked softly.

	His voice was rough with emotion when he spoke.  "I love you,
Dana."

	She felt tears welling up in her own eyes as she finally heard the
words she had waited three long years to hear, and a verse from a song she
had recently heard came to mind.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Call it fate, destiny
Call it luck you ended up with me
But some things are meant to be
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

	"And I love you, too"

	They lay there, wrapped in each other's arms; linked physically by
the bands on their wrists but more importantly, heart and soul. 

Together....as always.


*******************************
	
	The young man was a tracker, not a voyeur, and had turned away
from the window when Mulder pulled Scully down on the bed with him.  He
had his own helicopter to meet and a report to file.

	<Mission accomplished.>

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


Unknown Location
Washington, DC
Next day
6:28 am


	The young man stood once again in the semi-dark, smoke filled
office facing his boss from the other side of the desk as he read the
report.

	He cleared his throat nervously before speaking.  "The mission was
a success, sir.  I hope you will find the information useful."

	Removing the cigarette from his mouth, he gave his young tracker
an evil grin.

	"*Extremely* useful."


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

THE END