Millnocket, Maine
January 22, 1999
8:37 PM

Never before had the small town of Millnocket, Maine, felt the
effects of such a brutal winter. Temperatures had fallen below the zero
mark for 11 consecutive nights, bringing record amounts of snow and
effectively driving residents into the shelter of their homes, leaving
local businesses empty and the roads deserted. Almost deserted. Amid
the snow banks and patches of ice a blue Ford Taurus sped quietly
along the stretch of isolated road.

* * * * * * *

Dana Scully stared vacantly at the road signs whizzing past her window.
Although they had been driving only a short while, it had seemed
like an eternity. Mulder had insisted on taking a flight out of Maine
tonight, hoping to beat the blizzard that had been threatening this
part of Northern Maine for several days. They had come to Millnocket
to investigate a lead on an abduction case Mulder had been looking
into, and now she was regretting the trip. Not only had the lead been
trivial, but the weather conditions had been less than ideal. While
she too wanted to be back in the comfort and safety of her own
apartment, she questioned the sanity of making this trek to the airport
tonight. Mulder's tendency to speed down icy pavement wasn't helping
matters.

" How much further until we take the exit?" Mulder's voice startled her
out of her reverie.

"Only a couple more miles," Scully answered, squinting at the map. We
just passed exit six...our exit should be coming up in a minute"

Mulder redirected his attention back onto the road. Scully looked over
to gaze at his features illuminated by the light glowing up from the
headlights shining on the road . She took opportunities like these to
just look at him, at peace, with his face unmarred by the effects
of strife and pain. They had been on an emotional roller coaster ride
recently, but the lighter weight of this case had helped.
Mulder had been back to his jocular, smart-assed self recently, and
it had helped both of their outlooks considerably.She looked over at
him again to find him staring intently at himself in the visor mirror.

"Scully, do you think I have big nostrils? "

Scully just looked at him, astonished. <Where the hell did that come
from> she thought. She was just gearing up with an equally asinine
comment when the car swerved violently, the tires squealing loudly.

"Shit!" Mulder swore, straining to keep the vehicle in control.
Scully braced onto the dashboard as tires and ice met, sending the
car careening into a ditch on the side of the road. The last thing
Scully saw was the white tail of a deer leaping into the bushes.

Then everything went black.

* * * * * * *

Mulder regained conciousness slowly, struggling at first to place
his whereabouts. He then remembered their close encounter with the
deer.

<Scully!> His thoughts went immediately to his partner, who
was seemingly unconcious next to him. Leaning over to her side of the
car, he gingerly turned her head towards him. He was alarmed to find
a deep laceration on her forehead, the blood from which was matting
the auburn hair framing her face. Mulder picked up her limp wrist,
making sure her vital signs were strong. He was relieved to find
that all appeared normal, and that she had no outwardly serious injury.

"Scully.." He said softly. "Can you hear me?"

She gave a strained groan as a response and slowly opened her eyes.
Mulder gave her a concerned smile.

" Are you ok?" he asked, brushing his fingers against her cheek.
"That's quite a nasty cut you got yourself there"

"What about you?" she questioned with equal concern.
For the first time since the accident Mulder gave thought to his
own condition. He was now increasingly more aware of the pain
radiating from his left leg. Looking down at his feet he could see
why.

The portion of the car between the door and the the console was wrapped
around his ankle.

Scully followed his eyes and gasped.

"Oh my God, Mulder" She breathed. She immediately began searching for
a way to get him out of the grasp of the twisted metal. Bending down
to get a better look, she swore inwardly as the pain in her forehead
was multiplied because of her movement.

Mulder saw her expression and touched her hand.
" Are you alright?" Mulder again expressed his concern for Scully's
condition.

Scully nodded. She was constantly amazed and touched by the fact that
he was always so quick to put her feelings above his own. As much as
they could differ on so many subjects, she was certain that this was
a relationship that was so much more than friends, more than lovers.
She was her Yin to his Yang, his night to her day, her Ben to his
Jerry. So different, but bound to each other by an unbreakable cord.
She wondered more and more often if their relationship should take
the next step and finally transcend the platonic. It was a prospect
that both frightened and exhilarated her. She knew this slow build
up of the sexual tension between them couldn't go on forever. She also
knew it had to be addressed soon.

But not now.

* * * * * * *

"Can you move your foot at all?" Scully asked, trying to see if she
could extract his foot without inflicting further injury.
"A little" Mulder grimaced, "But it hurts like hell"

"Well, you haven't felt anything yet, partner" Scully gave him an
apologetic smile. She grasped his left shin with both hands.
Mulder, realizing what she was intending to do, gripped onto her
shoulder. He had a distinct feeling this was going to be *very*
unpleasant.

If anyone had been within a ten mile radius of their location,
they would have been treated to one of the most creative strings
of expletives that man had ever formed together. Scully gave him one
of her patented looks of toleration.

His foot was now free.

* * * * * * *

Millnocket, Maine
January 22, 1999
8:52 PM

" Are you ready?" Scully asked, now holding a napkin firmly over the
gash in her forehead. She had been somewhat successful in stopping
the bleeding. The pain had only increased, however. She was looking
foward to getting to a motel so she could tend to their injuries
more adequately.

If they were able to find a motel.

She looked down at Mulder's ankle. He had taken off his shoe so that
they could get a better look at his foot. Due to the immense amounts
of rapid swelling, it seemed unlikely that he would be able to get it
back on. While normally this would only be a minor inconvenience, it
was made all the more unfortunate because it was obvious they would
have to hike to shelter. This could be ten yards or ten miles. They
couldn't be sure.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Scully?" he asked, with no small
amount of skepticism "It could be two hours before we find a place
to sleep."

" I don't think we have much of a choice. We both need to attend
to our injuries, and the temperature is continuing to drop even
more." Scully stated firmly. "Come on, Mulder...It will be a nice trip
through the forest."

Mulder gave her an affectionate smile. "Ok, you've talked me into it.
But Scully?"

"Yes, Mulder?"

"You're gonna have to carry me."

"Whatever."

* * * * * * *

Millnocket, Maine
January 22, 1999
20 minutes later.

Mulder groaned audibly as another shooting pain radiated up his leg.
As much as he tried to put less pressure on it, the uneven terrain
and deep snow made it impossible to favor his ankle. He looked down
at his petite partner, who was trying her hardest to make it easier
for him by wrapping her arms around his waist. He found himself
feeling more than a little bit guilty. Here Scully had a gaping head
wound, and she was trying to lug his 170 pound frame through a
blizzard. God, he loved her.

<Loved> He realized with a start that he had never let himself even
think the word in her presence before. Sure, he knew he loved her..
Throughout all the trials and tribulations they had shared they had
become closer than he had ever allowed himself to get to anyone.
But at this moment, it seemed different. More real. The thought of
a relationship between them made him feel at peace. It could very
well be the missing piece of the puzzle which is his happiness
and his soul.

The snow continued to shower down upon them, making the trek all
the more miserable. Because they had not anticipated making a hike
through a snowstorm, they were extremely underdressed. Mulder slung
his overnight bag over to his other shoulder. He and Scully had
debated on whether to grab them
from the trunk of the car when they had set
out. They had decided it was
worth the extra effort. They would need the contents later.

" How are you doing, Scully?" Mulder leaned down to shout above the
roar of the wind, biting with intensity against their faces.

"I'm fi...fine..." She chattered. "I feel like I got a bad case of
road burn, though."

Mulder managed a smile at the familiarity of her words, and tightened
his arm around her. He gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Do you need to take a break?" Scully asked. They had now been out
in the elements for more than a half an hour. The pain in her head
was intense, and she knew his leg must be incredibly sore. She had
made a short examination of it, and although she didn't think it
was broken, there was definitely some ligament damage.

"Do you?" He reciprocated.

"Just for a minute or two, I think it best that we keep moving."

They hobbled through an embankment towards a nearby tree. Mulder
gingerly lowered himself to the ground, pulling Scully down with him.
He wrapped his long arms around her, using their bags as a backrest.
He pulled her close to him, cradling her tiny body.
She curled up with her head resting on his chest. She wanted to
conserve all the heat she could. Plus, she had to admit, it felt
nice being so close to him. It reminded her of a night in Florida
the year before. She and Mulder had been isolated just like this.
He was cold and bleeding after being attacked by <mothmen?> and she
had held him.

And then he had asked her to sing.

God, how she had wanted to finish that next verse.

But she didn't. Damn.

She pulled her light windbreaker close to her body. She didn't think
she had ever been this cold before. <How must Mulder feel?> She
glanced down at his injured foot, covered only by a thin dress sock.

"Mulder, we have to get moving. The sooner we to shelter somewhere,
the sooner we can get that leg out of the elements. You are in major
risk of frostbite. We both are."

"At least the pain has subsided," he responded. "I think the
ice has numbed it."

"There are pros and cons to that statement, Mulder," Scully said in a
matter-of -fact voice. Thinking quickly, she unzipped the front of
her thin jacket. Using a pen she had in her pocket, she poked a whole
in the soft inner lining. She then ripped a sizable part of the
fabric out.

"What the hell are you doing, Scully?" Mulder asked, confused.

Not answering him, Scully bent down and wrapped the material around
his foot. She fastidiously tied the lining so it now resembled a
protective bandage.

"There!" Scully announced, satisfied with her handiwork.

Mulder looked at her with a combination of amusement and affection.
Leave it to Scully to forsake her own comfort for his. He slowly
rose to his feet, never letting go of his partner. They stood
facing each other, their upper bodies still pressed against each
one another. Mulder gazed down into Scully's eyes, the blue in
stark contrast with the blanched ice around them. He brushed a
wet strand of hair away from her cheek.

"Thank you." He said softly.

"For what?"

"Everything."

Scully just smiled her response as they joined hands and continued
their journey.

* * * * * * *

Millnocket, Maine
Friday, January 22, 1999
10:26 PM

Mulder and Scully broke into a lop-sided jog as they approached the
Neon flickering "Vacancy" sign in front of a rundown Mulder-Motel.
Scully barged into the tacky lobby, <DING!!> causing the attendant
to jump about ten feet. Both Mulder and Scully dropped their luggage
and shook off the snow that covered them. In the dim yellow
light that hung from above the front desk, Mulder could see Scully's
jagged wound on her forehead and visibly winced. Scully, on the other
hand, was too busy staring in disbelief at the Hawaiian theme of a
tiny Millnocket motel lounge to notice his reaction. He realized the
attendant was eyeballing him.
"Scully" he murmured. "Scully," louder.

Scully turned to Mulder, arching an eyebrow and regretting it as pain
shot through her head.
"Yeah...," she croaked. Mulder summoned her to check in.
"Oh, right. Two rooms for one ni---", Scully looked out at the
blizzard "until the roads are safe." The tall, handsome attendant
was typing, then waiting. Typing, then waiting, as the dinosaur of
a computer worked. Scully took out the flight schedule, wondering
how long it would take to get out of the town now that she and Mulder
were snowed in without a car. The attendant took advantage of her
distraction, looking her body up and down in pure male appreciation.
Mulder's face became flushed with rage, and when the two men made
eye contact the attendant reddened and looked at his shoes, the
computer, anywhere but at the pretty red-headed woman and her
obviously protective male friend.

Clearing his throat, "Sorry, 'mam. Only one room available until
the storm clears and people can start heading out." Both Mulder and
Scully jerked up, looking at the man. "I'd like to say you could head
down a while longer and find another motel, but the closest one is at
least 5 miles....If they have any vacancies, that is. And by the looks
of the storm I'd say your best bet would be to stay with us,
here at Aloha Motel."

"Look..." Scully looked at the attendant's bright pink name tag,
"Derek.....We just...I'm--Fine. That's fine. We'll take the room,
we'll take it." Scully snatched the keys out of Derek's hands.
"We'll take it." she repeated under her breath, and stormed off with
her duffle bag. Mulder silently dared the man's eyes to wander
close to his partner's retreating form.

* * * * * * *

Aloha Motel, Room 114
Friday, January 22, 1999
10:43 PM

Scully didn't think there was any way she could possibly be more
appreciative of a warm shelter ever again. She shoved the key into
the lock and the door swung open. She and Mulder stared in without
entering. It was an extremely tiny room, with one double bed and
an annoyingly tacky Hawaiian motif. They entered in sync,
both tossing their suitcases onto the floor.
"I need a shower." Scully stated.

"Yeah, me too. Save me some hot water, will ya?" He requested.

Scully entered the small bathroom and hopped into the shower.
As soon as she got wet, she realized 3 things. No soap or shampoo,
no washcloth or towel, and she didn't bring any clothes in with her.

"Muuulder."

* * * * * * *

Mulder watched Scully disappear into the tiny "bathroom", which
in actuality was a couple of faucets and a drain on top of a toilet.
He'd have a hard time fitting in there. Scully wouldn't.
She could fit in with room to spare. He then heard the water turn on,
and was quite aware that the only thing separating him from a very
naked, very wet Dana Scully, was an unlocked door 10 feet away.
He shook his head and hobbled to the bed, flopping down. He
cringed as the rock hard mattress didn't give way to his weight,
and held his back in pain. Maybe that shower wasn't really
necessary...<I'll just close my eyes for a second. I won't fall
asleep>

"Muuulder." Mulder lifted one eye only, hoping the voice was his
imagination and he could go back to his sleep-like state.

No such luck.

* * * * * * *

Scully made a mental list of all the things she needed for her shower,
feeling incredibly foolish that she was so spacey as to forget in
the first place. When Mulder didn't answer her right away, she
turned off the water and used her diaphragm to yell. "Mulderrrrr!
Mulder, come here!!". . . She sighed, just stepping out of the shower
to summon him, as she saw the door handle turn. She jumped back
in and twisted her ankle with the slippery impact. "Shit!"

"Scully?? Are you okay?" Mulder said as he peered in and fully
woke up from his dreary state.

"Yeah...yeah I'm fine." She was leaning against the cold, tiled
wall rubbing her ankle. "I just forgot some stuff for my shower."

While Mulder was ashamed at the direction his thoughts were taking,
he also had never been more turned on in his entire life. He could
only see Scully's silhouette through the peach curtain, but it
still left little to the imagination. He gulped, and hoped to God
his voice wouldn't crack. "Yeah, what can I get for you?"

"A.. . . few. . . things, actually. I need a towel, a washcloth, soap,
shampoo, conditioner, a razor, my clothes and lotion. They are
all in my bag." She scrunched up her face in apology after reciting
her list to Mulder, even though he couldn't see her. After a
second, "Mulder? Did you get that?"

"You don't have ANY of those? Sheesh, Scully." Mulder
walked--er--limped out of the bathroom. He tried to steer his
mind away from the cold, wet Scully counting on him to bring her
clothes and a towel, and towards at the task at hand. He opened
her duffle slowly, as if a rare and precious treasure chest that
contained all the secrets of the world. All her clothes were neatly
folded and assorted, with her cosmetics in ziplock freezer
bags and makeup cases. So organized, was his Scully.

"Mulder, hurry! I'm freezing in here!!!"

"Getting everything together! Hold on." He took out the plastic
bags, realizing she actually did have all the things she listed to
him. He didn't bring anything of the sort, assuming the motel
would provide them. Mulder would have to work on his resourcefulness.
He grabbed a fresh smelling towel and matching washcloth, and hobbled
to the bathroom again, knocking.

"Yeah, yeah! Come in!!" He could tell she was shivering, and quickly
handed her the requested supplies. She snaked out a dripping-wet arm
to take the stuff from him, pressing her body against the curtain
unintentionally. Mulder gulped and gave her each item without
speaking. He *really* didn't trust his voice at the moment. "Thanks,
Mulder. Are my clothes on the counter?" Mulder had forgotten about
her clothes! He wondered if his subconscious had forgotten on
purpose, and silently turned off his "Dr. Mulder" mode of thinking,
knowing it would raise questions he didn't want to answer yet.

"Oh, be right back!!" Mulder returned to her bag, wondering what she
wanted to wear. He dug around and found some very plain, very
unintentionally sexy, navy silk pajamas. He strongly felt that he
was invading her privacy, even though she requested him to gather
her things. He picked out some underwear, and headed into the
bathroom. A steamy blast of air greeted him, and he stifled a gasp
of arousal at the scenario. "Clothes are on the toilet seat. No
counter to speak of in this box they call a bathroom." He left
without waiting for her to acknowledge his comment.

* * * * * * *

Mulder knew that there was NO way he would get back to sleep anytime
soon, and busied himself with unpacking and organizing his clothes.
He never, ever did this on any normal occasion. But the tiny Hawaiian
motel room lacked a television, and Mulder was lost without one.
About ten minutes into his quest, Scully emerged from the bathroom.
His breath caught in his throat at the sight of her. Her hair was
wet and sticking to her neck, and her pajamas were too big for her.
She seemed to notice his scrutiny, and he couldn't stifle a huge
grin. "Any hot water left?" he asked.

"A little. I have a feeling the hot water heater in this place
isn't the best quality. Take a quickie." She ran a hand through
her wet hair, and Mulder wondered if she knew what she was doing
to him. He doubted it.

* * * * * * *

After Mulder's uncomfortable cold shower, he slipped on a t-shirt
and boxers, avoiding his wound. He headed out of the bathroom,
banging his elbow on a wall for the eighth time since he got into
the shower. He had a feeling he would end up receiving more abuse
from the Aloha Motel bathroom than the dangerous car accident and
the infamous one and a half hour hike in a blizzard. When he emerged,
Scully was sitting
Indian-style in the middle of the bed, staring out into space.

Scully looked over at Mulder, expecting to see an exhausted, beat-up
form. What she saw, however, made her breath catch in her
throat. His hair was wild and damp, and he was sporting striped,
cotton boxers and a tight-fitting white undershirt.
So unordinary in its ordinariness. She looked up into his eyes,
seeing the hunger that reflected her own. Or was that her
imagination? Could he be as attracted to her as she was to him?
Sometimes she fancied he was. The times in their office when she
caught him staring, or the slight touches and blunt innuendoes
he tossed at her. Clearing her throat, she looked away from him,
to a random spot on the wall beside her.

"What are the sleeping arrangements, Scully? Only a wicker chair,
and a small bed. Dirty floors." Scully blushed slightly,
then felt childish for doing so.

"We can share the bed, Mulder. We're both adults. Tired, weary,
*exhausted* adults, who need a good night's sleep, might I add.
We're not going to find that on a chair or the floor."
She scooted over, and Mulder climbed in beside her, yawning.
Her freshly shaved legs came into contact with his damp ones,
and they both swallowed a gasp of both shock and arousal.
They tried to move apart, but it was doing more harm than good,
causing them to push closer in the effort.

It was going to be a long night.

* * * * * * *

Aloha Motel, Room 114
Millnocket, Maine
Saturday, January 23, 1999
3:20 AM

Scully really regretted her comment to Mulder about a good night's
sleep. <It must have jinxed me,> she told herself. She was unwilling
to admit that the man sleeping *closely* beside her could be
causing her insomnia. Still, she remained unmoving, with her
eyes closed. She thought about all they had overcome in less than
twelve hours.

Little did Scully know, Mulder couldn't sleep either. He layed back,
listening to her breathe. He felt her small back press up against his
waist on the too small bed. Without trying, Mulder imagined they
were married, and this was their nightly routine.
The kids were down the hall sleeping, and their dog was barking
outside. Such that he could revel in this pleasure, sleeping
beside her, without feeling guilty. Without wondering if she felt the
same way about him. Mulder then sighed, turning over on his side.
He couldn't tell if she had drifted off or not, but he took a chance,
becoming bored with the pink ceiling he was staring at.

"Scully."

"Mmm." She replied, not wanting to admit to him she couldn't sleep.

"Are you awake?"

"Mmm hmm. Just thinking."

"About what, in particular?"

"How much we've been through." She said, turning to face him, their
noses almost bumping with the close proximity.

He grunted an acknowledgement and raised himself up on his
right elbow, facing her better. "I think about that a lot. We've
changed so much, Scully, since we started working together.
We've seen and experienced things that no one should ever have to.
This quest we're on. . . the truth we're searching for. . . Do
you think that it's worth all we've lost? Do you--"

"Mulder, I was actually talking about tonight, not what we've gone
through as partners over the years. So, I don't--"

"No, hear me out Scully. What if you never joined the FBI? What if
you became a rich doctor, with a small family and a three story house?
Would you be happier? What I'm trying to say is. . . Scully, do you
ever wish. . . that you could go back and do it all differently?"

Scully opened her mouth to speak, mentally organizing her answers
to Mulder's questions. She then froze, shutting her mouth. Had she
heard correctly? Was the intensely personal question the same one
that Eddie Van-Blundht had asked her? The one from that fateful,
embarrassing night on her couch? She then looked up, silently
regarding him.

"Scully?" She released a breath she wasn't aware she was holding.
"What's wrong?" Scully shook her head, as if to rid herself of the
memory. All she could do was stare, unseeing, into the depths of
his hazel eyes. She wondered what direction the question would take
them. Perhaps on the same it had taken two years ago.

* * * * * * *

<FONT COLOR="#000000" SIZE=3>Scully continued to stare into his eyes, his gaze now enveloping
her own. She thought about how to respond to his question. He surely
didn't know what was discussed between herself and Van Blundht that
night in her apartment. That was an impossibilty. Yet the words sent
a thrill of remembrance through her body. Back to a night where a
non-platonic relationshp with Mulder seemed like a possibilty. Although
it wasn't Mulder who she had come very close to kissing, it had made
her mentally confront the fact that she had latent feelings for her
partner.

And they were exposing themselves again, right now.

<How am I going to answer him?> She quickly reviewed her options..She
could respond in typical Scully fashion. <No, Mulder...This is my job
now. <I>I'm fine</I> right where I am> She could also respond
in typical Mulder fashion. <Why would I have wanted to do it
differently, Mulder? I might make more money as a doctor, but
I would have missed the experience of being abducted by aliens.
Diamonds may be a girl's best friend, but an implant is forever.>

Or she could respond like a human being.

"Do you?"

Scully knew Mulder had no way of knowing that this was the response
she had given "Mulder" on that night on her couch

She was more than happy, however, that is seemed to have the
same effect.

They were now so close she could feel his hot breath on her face, the
sensation sending a jolt of electricity through her. Their eyes
remained locked, engaged in the optical communication that they had
mastered over six years of partnership.

Mulder's mind was racing. He felt a combination of desire, exaltation
and fear.
HIs thoughts jumbled together as he tried to make sense of his
emotions.
Then Scully reached up and caressed his cheek with her palm.

All of a sudden he had his answer.

Their lips met with an intensity that neither of them could have imagined,
six years of passion culminating into a kiss neither were prepared for.
All speculation on whether they should of done this immediately came to
a stop.

This was right.

Mulder shifted on the too-firm matress, deepening the kiss even
further. Scully gasped softly as she felt his tongue trace along her
lower lip, asking for entrance. She reciprocated the gesture. After
what seemed like hours, they parted briefly. They just lay there a
few moments, letting the significance of their actions sink in. Mulder
felt Scully's warm outtake of breath on his ear as she broke the
tension filled silence.

"I know you probably don't need to be told this, Mulder, but you are
one incredible kisser.."

"But I'm no Eddie Van Blundht, Am I?"

Scully hit him across the chest with a pillow. Mulder laughed.

Then they finished what they had started.

It was a *long* night.

* * * * * * *
THE END

Feedback is more than welcome. It's strongly encouraged!!!
Mail to both: UberScully@aol.com, UberSpooky@aol.com
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