Title: With You Always
Author: Kirsten Wahlquist
E-Mail: dkscully@softhome.net
Distribution Statement: Go ahead, just let me know where it's going and
keep my name and addy on it.
Spoiler Warning: Titanic
Rating: NC-17, for brief sex, language
Content Warnings: MSR
Classification: TR
Summary: During an investigation, Mulder and Scully give in to their
desires. Just as things seem to be going great, Mulder disappears.
Disclaimer: Arrrggghhhhh! Chris Carter, stop chasing me around with that
gun! I know they're yours! You, too, 1013 and Fox! Arrggghh!!

Authors Note: This story is for Genevieve (See? I did as you asked!), who
asked for a Mulder In Jeopardy story and gave me the basic plot outline.

With You Always
By Kirsten Wahlquist

FBI Headquarters
February 12
10:13 A.M.

"What did you say, Mulder?" Scully asked, looking up from the newest case
they had been handed.

"I said, I think this case is going to bring us closer to the truth than
we've ever come before," Mulder repeated, annoyed.

"You can tell that from a half-finished file and ten minutes?" Scully was
being her usual, skeptical self.

Mulder looked sheepishly at her. "Yeah," he answered weakly, then regained
his composure. "I mean, look at the overwhelming number of sightings over
the past week. It's phenomenal!"

Scully regarded him closely for a moment before speaking. "Mulder,
sometimes I think you take some pretty big leaps of faith."

"But-" He stopped short, and looked accusingly at Scully. "Give it a
chance," he said finally. "We can head out to Seattle, and if there really
isn't anything there, we can come home."

Scully sighed and shut the folder. "All right. We'll go. If there's
nothing there, we come home." Mulder had a pleased look on his face as he
left to make travel arrangements.
***
Mulder's Motel Room, Seattle
February 13
8:07 P.M.

The rain pounded the area, turning the pavements a much darker shade and
making the grass a little greener. The residents passed it off as just
another rainy day, but any traveler from a dry place might think that the
world was going to be flooded out.

Mulder slowly opened the door to his motel room. It wasn't real fancy,
but, then again, they never got anything real expensive. Cheap pieces of
art hung from the walls, trying to make the place seem a bit more cheery.
Tiredly, he threw his suitcase on the bed and flopped down next to it. His
stomach growled at him, reminding him just how long it had been since he
last ate.

Mulder stood and sluggishly went next door to Scully's room. He pounded on
the door, and waited for her to answer. When she opened the door, he saw
that she had changed out of her business attire into a more comfortable
pair of jeans and t-shirt. Mulder smiled at her warmly, admiring how good
she looked in casual clothes.

"I was just wondering if you wanted to go out and get something to eat," he
offered.

Scully returned the smile. "Sure. I was getting a little hungry myself.
Just a second." She turned back to her room to get a coat and her purse.
When she returned, Mulder escorted her to the car.

"Where to?" he queried.

Scully thought for a moment. "I don't know. Nothing too fancy."

Mulder laughed. "You want McDonalds?"

"I don't care. Just bear in mind, if we do go there, how much fat is in
one of those burgers." She rolled her eyes at the thought of it.

"McDonalds it is." He pulled out of the parking space, turned onto the
road, and headed in the direction of the nearest McDonalds.
***
Mulder watched Scully eat, forgetting about his own food. She noticed him
staring at her. "Something wrong, Mulder?"

"No, no." <Oh, just that I love you a whole hell of a lot and am too
chicken to say it to your face.> He forced himself to look back at his own
food and start eating.

It took awhile before the realization dawned on him that the next day was
Valentine's Day. <I'll have to find something nice for Scully,> he
decided. Then he pondered it a little more. <Maybe... maybe I can finally
tell her how I feel, not necessarily through words. Red roses? Dinner?>
Mulder tried to keep himself from staring at the one he loved as he spoke.

Coincidentally, Scully was having much the same ideas running through her
mind. <What am I going to do for Valentine's Day for him?> She mused over
the subject for a moment before coming to somewhat of a conclusion. <I'll
get him something really sweet, and, if he really likes it, maybe I'll
finally tell him how I feel about him.> She was pleased with this idea,
and pushed it from her mind as she ate hungrily.
***
Mulder's Motel Room
February 13
11:21 P.M.

Mulder leaned back against the headboard and closed his eyes. He couldn't
wait to see the expression on Scully's face when she got the flowers. He
imagined her happiness when he told her how he really felt, and that they'd
kiss and--no. He knew it probably wouldn't happen, and mulled over this
fact for quite some time.

Glancing out the window, one car stood out from all the rest. It was hard
to tell in the dark, but it looked an awful lot like the car he'd seen many
times that day. Mulder shook his head. No, there were probably hundreds
of cars that looked like that around here. He wrote it all off as a
figment of his imagination.

As Mulder climbed under the covers, he thought again of the next day, and
what it could bring. As he dozed off, his last thoughts were of Scully
being in that bed with him.
***
Scully's Motel Room
February 14
7:34 A.M.

Scully awoke groggily the next morning. She rolled over slowly and glanced
at the clock. Sighing, she dragged herself out of bed and went to take a
shower.

As she stood under the massaging flow of water, Scully recalled that it was
Valentine's Day. She still hadn't decided what to do for Mulder. <A nice
card?> No, it was too impersonal. She thought hard, forgetting about
everything else for the moment. <Flowers?> It was a bit on the unoriginal
side, but a fair solution if she really got in a pinch. Wracking her
brain, she finally came up with an okay solution. A movie, something
romantic, but not too cheesy. Read: Titanic. Scully smiled to herself,
proud that she had come up with such a sweet idea.

She quickly finished up her shower, dressed, and dried her hair. Just as
she was leaving the bathroom, she heard a knock at her door. "Just a
second," she called, slipping on a pair of shoes.

She pulled open the door to see Mulder standing there, a kind smile on his
face. "Come in, Mulder." <No, I mean, *really* come in.> She quickly
shoved the twisted thought from her mind.

Mulder drew a bouquet of red roses from behind his back as he entered the
room. "Happy Valentine's Day, Scully," he greeted, handing her the
bouquet. She was obviously delighted.

A grin spread across her face as she accepted the roses. "Thank you,
Mulder," she replied kindly. She paused a second before continuing. "I
couldn't really think of something to get you," she told him honestly. "So
I was going to ask if you wanted to go see a movie tonight."

Mulder smiled at her, obviously pleased with the idea. "I'd like that.
Anything special you had in mind?"

Scully shrugged innocently. "I don't know. Titanic? I hear it's really
good."

Still beaming, Mulder responded, "Sounds good to me." <A romantic movie.
Always a good sign.>

After a moment, he returned to the case. "I got a hold of a lead.
Apparently, one woman claims to have actually been abducted."

Scully raised an eyebrow, returning to her skeptical self. "Do you know
where she lives?"

"Yeah, I got an address here. It's someplace in..." he looked a bit
harder at the paper, trying to pronounce the name. "...Sequim." It
eventually came out sounding more like "Seh-kwim."

Scully gave him one of her patented, you're-not-inspiring-my-confidence
looks. "Mulder, how can you be expected to find this place when you can't
even pronounce the name?"

Grinning, Mulder replied, "Are you implying that you don't know where
Tegucigalpa is?"

Scully shook her head, obviously trying to hide the smile tugging at her
lips. "So you *do* know how to get there?"

"Well, kind of. It's a little ways away."

Scully paused before asking the inevitable question. "*How* far away?"

"Um...three or four hours."

Scully sighed, and sat down on the bed. "You want to go today or
tomorrow?"

Mulder didn't even take the time to think before he shook his head.
"Tomorrow." He grinned widely at her. "It's Valentine's Day. You think
I'm going to ruin that?"

She smiled weakly at him. <Sometimes, Mulder, I think you do have an
extremely romantic side, and I really love it.> Out loud, she simply said,
"So what are you going to do today?"

"I was thinking we could head over to the University of Washington and find
out what we can about sightings around here." He shrugged, as if the case
didn't really matter much.

Scully nodded her assent, set the beautiful flowers on the nightstand, and
got up to leave. Noting the steady downpour outside, she pulled on her
coat before heading out the door.

Mulder was waiting for her at the car. She yanked open the car door, and
slipped inside. As Scully was putting on her seatbelt, Mulder looked over
at her.

"Are you okay, Scully? You look a bit distracted." His brow was furrowed
in worry.

Snapping out of a daze, she glanced back at him. "I'm fine, Mulder."
Mulder gave her an if-you-say-so look, and started the engine.
***
Planet Hollywood
5:57 P.M.

Mulder gazed across the table at Scully. He was glad he had come up with
something other than just plain flowers for Scully. When they'd noticed
the sign as they drove through Seattle, Mulder had immediately pulled into
the parking lot. Scully inquired as to what he was doing, and he informed
her that it was dinner, his treat. Mulder knew the bill would probably
amount to a fortune, but decided that it was worth it. Scully seemed to be
enjoying herself thoroughly.

As the waiter brought their food, Mulder glanced up at the screen playing
movie shorts, clips of movie stars at the restaurant, and the like.
Quickly, he returned his attention to the food at hand. The aroma of
Mulder's hamburger was enticing. When he had ordered it, Scully had
laughed and asked why when he could get one several times cheaper at a fast
food place. He had shrugged it off, and the subject was dropped.

When the waiter departed, Scully paused a moment before she began to eat.
She gazed steadily into Mulder's eyes. Forcing herself to look away,
Scully stabbed a fork into her side salad. Mulder smiled inwardly. <That
look,> he pondered, <has *got* to mean something. I've never seen it
before.> Unknowingly, that mental smile appeared on his face as he watched
Scully eat.
***
Movie Theater
8:30 P.M.

Mulder watched intensely as the great steamer, the R.M.S. Titanic, sailed
gracefully across the ocean. It was amazing to him that such a grand ship
should have to sink on it's maiden voyage. He shoved thoughts of the ghost
ship from his mind and focused on the film, where Jack was standing at the
bow, claiming to be the 'king of the world.' Glancing at Scully, he noted
that she was grinning. It was uplifting--so far.
***
Jack and Rose met at the bow of Titanic, Rose having decided to return to
her true love despite her mother's anger. She stepped up onto the railing
of the ship.

"Do you trust me?" That phrase hit home; Mulder had faced that question
many-a-time.

"I trust you." Rose took her hands from the railing, and held them out.

"Open your eyes." Rose's eyes fluttered open, and she grinned at the
colorful expanse before her.

"Jack, I'm flying!" she cried.

At that moment, Scully's hand slid over his. Mulder took it, his eyes
never leaving the screen. Outside, he was casual about it. Inside, he was
rejoicing.
***
The movie ended, and the credits began to roll. The song in the background
was gorgeous. Mulder admired the music, and Scully was content to listen.

Around the, people with tear-stained faces were getting up. They chatted
casually, mostly about the movie. The exits jammed up quickly.

As "My Heart Will Go On" ended, Mulder stood and rubbed his eyes. He and
Scully made their way to the doors, then headed towards the car.

As they climbed in, Scully smiled nervously at Mulder. "I had a great
time," she thanked him.

Mulder returned the smile. "Hey, it was your idea. I should be the one
thanking you." They stared at each other silently for a moment before
Scully leaned toward him.

Thoughts flew through Mulder's head. <Oh my god, oh my god...> He leaned
in to her, and his mouth found hers. Their lips locked, and magically,
Scully's tongue slipped into his mouth. The kiss was nervous at first, but
grew into a passionate, love-filled game of tonsil hockey.
***
Scully's Motel Room
February 15
12:25 A.M.

As Scully unlocked the door and stepped inside, Mulder followed, still
beaming. Scully closed the door behind him. The blinds were closed, and
Mulder pulled her into a giant hug.

Mulder held Scully in a tight embrace. Slowly, his hands moved southward.
They came to rest on her ass. Her eyes grew wide for a moment, then
softened quickly. She was smiling innocently, although her thoughts proved
otherwise. Her hands drifted to Mulder's ass.

They remained like this for a moment before Scully spoke timidly.
"Mulder..." She paused, a bit unsure about what Mulder would think of her
next statement. "I want you inside me."

For a second, Mulder appeared shocked. <Oh, no. I've blown it,> Scully
thought dejectedly. Then he smiled down at her, obviously pleased.

He maneuvered her gently toward the bed, and they fell onto it, Scully on
top, kissing Mulder voraciously. His hands fell to her waist, where they
deftly removed her pants. Scully did the same, and "accidentally" brushed
his penis while doing so. She felt it, fully erect and stiff.

As Mulder reached up to take off her shirt, he casually ran a hand over her
breast. He pulled the shirt over her head quickly, revealing her bra
underneath. Mulder was wearing a buttoned shirt, and Scully undid each of
them in turn, running small kisses down the length of his shoulder.

Mulder quickly pulled away Scully's underwear and bra, revealing her fully
to him. She gently removed his underwear, and for the first time saw his
penis. It was gigantic.

Mulder began to kiss her neck, then moved slowly down her body to her
breast. He curled his tongue around her nipple, and sucked it delicately.
He kept going, instead using his tongue to pleasure her. It quickly found
her clit, and he ran his tongue along it teasingly. Scully moaned to him,
and he continued. The licks became harder and more intense. Scully's head
writhed from side to side restlessly. Feeling the urge to do so. Mulder
wriggled his tongue a bit inside. The feeling it created made Scully make
small, pleasured noises. She arched her back, moaning his name.

Mulder's hands wrapped around her, clutching her ass. They rolled over,
and Mulder on top. Their lips met in a lustful kiss. Shifting his hands,
he massaged her ass gently.

Scully made small grunting noises as her own hands found his cock. She
traced her finger over it teasingly, as a jolt ripped through Mulder.
Every muscle in his body contracted, and he let out a small squeak.

"Now, Mulder," she whispered, pleading. His lips curled into a half-smile
as she spread her legs wider. Mulder gently lowered himself into her, and
Scully emitted a low groan of pleasure. There was nothing in her life that
had matched the way she felt that first moment he was inside her. So far.

He thrust himself into her again, this time harder. Scully uttered a low,
primal growl as she got closer and closer to coming. The thrusts became
increasingly harder and faster as time wore on. She shifted her hips,
allowing Mulder to go deeper inside.

This pushed her over the edge. With a guttural cry, her back arched as the
sensation ripped through her. Her head lolled back in satisfaction, and
Mulder planted small kisses down her neck, shoulder, and chest. He thrust
hard and fast, and Scully was moaning and tossing with pleasure.

Mulder took his hands from her ass and ran them through her hair. He
lowered his head and kissed her fully, his tongue batting at hers.

Exhaustedly, Mulder slumped and buried his head in Scully's chest. He
extricated himself from her, and rolled over to lay next to her.

Scully clutched him tightly, thoroughly enjoying being in close contact
with his now-sweaty body. He ran his fingers through her hair, kissing her
softly on the forehead. <Oh my god,> he thought. <I've finally fucked
Scully.> A sensual smile crossed his face as he held the now-sleeping
Scully tenaciously.
***
7:45 A.M.

Mulder awoke to the sweet aroma of Scully. He felt the warmth of her naked
body next to him, and all the thoughts of the previous night came flooding
back to him. Her breath was warm on his chest.

He ran his hand delicately through her auburn hair. After a moment, she
slowly awoke. When Scully looked up to see Mulder, she smiled lovingly at
him.

They lay like that for some time before Mulder spoke. "We should go get
ready to leave," he suggested. Scully nodded pensively, and Mulder dragged
himself out of bed.

While he put on his strewn clothes, Scully went to take a shower. She
almost hesitated, feeling somehow closer to him when she had his scent.
Shaking off the feeling, she turned on the water and stepped into the
stream.
***
Washington State Ferry
10:13 A.M.

Mulder parked the car on the teeming ferry, and stepped out. Scully
followed suit, and they headed up the stairs to the passenger deck.

Earlier, they had agreed that they were going to keep their relationship
separate from their duty. They'd decided that it was best if they kept
their sexual feelings checked during the day, so as not to interfere with
their work.

The horn blew loudly, and the ferry backed slowly out of the terminal.
Scully hurried out to the deck. The wind was frightfully cold, and whipped
her hair around her. Thankfully, the rain had let up, and even the sun was
starting to peek from behind the clouds.

Mulder leaned on the railing next to her, gazing across the wind-blown
waters of Puget Sound. Whitecaps rose and fell with the waves, and fishing
boats chugged across Elliot Bay.

>From somewhere to their left came shouts of excitement. People crowded
there, all watching something in awe. Scully strode over to see what all
the fuss was about. Amazingly, she found a spot on the rail and searched
for what was so special.

About a hundred yards from the boat, a pod of killer whales were
frolicking, creating gigantic splashes and entertaining the passengers.
Scully smiled. Having a dad in the Navy, she had heard a lot of stories of
whales, and how beautiful it was to actually see them in the wild. She was
now experiencing it firsthand, and understood exactly why everyone enjoyed
it.

Mulder stood behind her, grinning like a five-year-old at the sight. An
enormous bull leapt high into the air, his nose seemingly touching the
ever-growing sun. The resulting splash thrilled everyone, and cheers of
delight erupted from the crowd.

Closer to the boat, a mother and calf surfaced, inspecting the intruder.
The calf leapt clear of the water, it's glossy skin glinting in the
sunlight. Children nearby screamed with delight at the spectacle.

As the ferry turned into the bay to reach it's destination, the orcas
parted with them. Kids watched their tall dorsals as long as they could,
hoping for another show. Moments later, they were no longer visible.

Mulder and Scully trudged back to the car, each pondering over the recent
turn of events. They climbed in silently, and waited for the gate to open.
It took a couple tries to get the ferry docked correctly without bouncing
off the pier, but eventually the gate was opened, and the cars filed off.
***
Just outside Sequim
2:26 P.M.

Mulder drove past miles and miles of unused land. Evergreen trees grew on
both sides of the road, making it seem almost like a decorative prison. At
last, they broke into an open area.

"Hey, Scully, look." He pointed to a sign on the side of the road. Scully
followed his gaze, noting the immense, carved sign. "John Wayne Marina.
It's his old house." Mulder pulled into the parking lot and chose a
parking space.

Glancing around, he saw the mud created when the tide went out. On the
shore, three teenagers were pulling up a Zodiac and scrambling for the
shelter of the marina. <Wind's too much for them,> he mused, observing the
high waves crested with whitecaps.

Mulder and Scully strode into the marina, and looked around for any
information on it. They climbed up the steps to a small observation tower.
From there, they could see the whole bay, and the spit that lay beyond.

Mulder scanned the pamphlets laid out, most describing regulations for
boats, emergency procedures, et cetera.

Scully was surprised to see that a Navy ship had docked there. It seemed
to large to fit in the marina, but there it was. Crew members milled
around, some conferring with families, others carrying out their duties.
The three teenagers they'd seen pulling up their raft were sitting in it
opposite the massive boat, obviously waiting for something.

The two agents headed back down the stairs, and wandered aimlessly amid the
miscellaneous boats. They heard the Navy vessel staring up it's engines.

"You want to go watch it leave?" Mulder asked.

Scully hesitated; sometimes being around things having to do with the Navy
reminded her of her father. After a second, she nodded silently. They
went out to the breakwater, and stood at the edge as the ship chugged out
into the choppy waters. Behind it, the Zodiac flew along, flying off jumps
created by the wake. The teenagers were whooping it up, yelling and
screaming as they were launched into the air. The officers laughed and
pointed at them.

Mulder shook his head mock-sternly. "Kids these days, huh?" Scully let a
tight-lipped smile creep across her face.

They got back into the car, and continued on to the reported abductee's
home.
***
Jennifer Yawahtah's home
3:18 P.M.

Mulder climbed briskly up the steps and knocked on the door. Scully stood
next to him, staring coldly at the door. It opened, and a young,
red-headed woman poked her head out. "May I help you?" she asked timidly.

"I'm Agent Fox Mulder, this is my partner Dana Scully, we're from the FBI"

A look of shock crossed the woman's face momentarily, then she wiped it
away. "Come in." Mulder and Scully stepped inside, and looked around at
the living room. Pictures of family members hung lopsidedly from the
walls, and the furniture was in disrepair. "What can I do for you?"

Mulder returned his attention to the woman. She seemed fixated on him, and
completely ignored Scully. "Ms. Yawahtah, we've gotten word that you've
recently had a close encounter with extraterrestrial beings."

The woman's eyes narrowed, and she regarded him closely. "Yes, I have.
I--" She stopped short, almost afraid to tell her story. Mulder urged her
on, and she continued. "A couple of months ago," she began slowly, "I was
abducted by aliens."

Scully made her usual, I-highly-doubt-it face, but Mulder was interested.
"Can you tell me anything about it? Do you remember anything?"

The woman paused, thinking. "I had just moved to the area, and was staying
in a motel while I searched for a house. I remember seeing a bright light,
with a reddish tint to it. The next thing I knew, I was awakened in
Harborview Medical Center, several weeks later." Mulder nodded, taking her
story in.

"Would you agree to going through a hypnosis session?" Mulder asked her
hopefully.

She hesitated, then spoke tensely. "I guess so."

Ms. Yawahtah and Mulder went over the details of the session, and decided
to have it done the next day. In the meantime, Scully used the woman's
phone to make reservations for the night at a local motel--the same one the
woman had disappeared from. When Scully returned, Mulder and the woman
were just finishing up.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Mulder said, acknowledging Scully's presence.

"Good night," the woman returned.

Mulder and Scully went to the car, got in, and headed for their motel room.
***
Mulder's Motel Room
11:21 P.M.

Mulder studied the photographs taken of the UFO activity. All were taken
by normal people who happened to be sitting in their backyard with a
camera. He regarded one shot in particular, because it seemed odd to him
in some way. Not odd as in strange phenomena, but more like something was
familiar.

As he studied the photo more closely, he realized that the reason it seemed
so familiar was that it had been taken right behind the motel. Mulder
leapt from his chair, and hurried out back. He crept through the
undergrowth quietly, the flashlight beam playing on the trees.

A sudden crackling startled him. Mulder shined his flashlight around
cautiously. <It's probably just an animal,> he thought. He went back to
his search for any sort of mark having to do with a UFO encounter.

Mulder was so engrossed in his work, that he didn't hear the rustling noise
until it was too late. He whirled around just in time to see a heavy metal
object make contact with his head. Mulder fell to the ground with a groan
and a thud. Above him, someone smirked with pleasure.
***
Motel
February 16
7:29 A.M.

Scully pounded on Mulder's door for the second time. Just to double check,
she turned to make sure the car was still there, and it was.

"God, Mulder," she said aloud. "I hope you didn't ditch me again."

Scully checked the door, and found it to be unlocked. She slowly opened it
and slipped inside. Photos were strewn over the bed, and one was on the
table. She slowly crossed the room to get a look at the one on the table.
She recognized it from somewhere. Thinking back, she recalled exactly
where it was from--their motel.

She followed Mulder's path exactly. Crashing through the bushes, she
searched for her missing partner.

"Mulder!" she called repeatedly. Her foot suddenly struck something.
Something plastic. Scully looked down to see a long-since-dead flashlight
laying on the ground. When she examined it more closely, she realized it
was the one Mulder had brought. "Shit," she exclaimed under her breath.
"Not again."
***
Time and Place Undetermined

Mulder stirred and groaned painfully. His whole body screamed at him. His
eyes flitted open, looking at his darkened surroundings. It was too dim to
see anything, but he felt the cold hardness of cement beneath him. Cloth
bound his hands securely behind him, and held his feet together. A gag was
placed in his mouth. He struggled for a moment against the restraints.

Rolling over, Mulder saw a small pool of light a few feet away. His eyes
followed it up to a small hole in the wall, where a few stars shone dimly
in the night sky.

The sound of footsteps echoed through the darkened air. Wincing, Mulder
pinpointed the source of the sound and concentrated on it.

A crack of light appeared, then grew as the door creaked open. Mulder
looked up to see the silhouetted from of a woman.

"You're awake," she said coldly.

Mulder glared as he scrutinized her. She seemed familiar somehow.
Furrowing his brow, he focused on her face. Then it hit him-Jennifer
Yawahtah.

"You," he breathed. It was hard to talk through the gag, but he made an
effort.

She smirked at him. "Yeah, me."

"Why?" Mulder gasped, his head pounding.

Yawahtah shrugged, grinning evilly. "Just because," she answered vaguely.
Mulder rolled his eyes. The woman crossed the now-lit room to Mulder's
crumpled form. She rolled him onto his back with her foot, and looked him
square in the eye. "I always win, Fox," she asserted.

Mulder squinted his eyes shut; the light was making them hurt. Yawahtah
sighed and shook her head. Mulder heard her stalk out of the room, slam
the door, then all was silent.
***
Sequim Police Station
February 17
7:52 P.M.

Scully let out a long held breath. They'd found a boot tread at the crime
scene, and it wasn't Mulder's. After running a check, they had found that
there was nothing outstanding about it, and many of the area's residents
had the same size and mark on their shoes.

"What about questioning other people at the motel? Did you try that?"
Scully asked hopefully.

The sheriff nodded solemnly. "That was one of the first things I did.
Nada."

Shaking her head, Scully looked over the photos they had found in Mulder's
room. They were obscure, and Scully couldn't make heads or tails of them.
It was impossible to tell where they were taken, and, most of the time,
what they were taken of.

"All right," Sheriff Caller sighed, "let's go back to the beginning."
Scully nodded silently. "When was the last time you saw Mulder?"
***
Time and Place Undetermined

Mulder awoke groggily, and it took a moment for him to remember what
happened. The cold air chilled him to the bone, and he shivered
uncontrollably. He struggled fiercely at the bonds, but they held strong.

A ray of daylight spilled into the room, and he could see his surroundings
for the first time. The floor was cement, the room bare. The ceiling was
dirty, and the paint was cracking off it.

Mulder squeezed his eyes shut as a feeling of nausea passed through him.
The world seemed to spin around him, taunting him. The whole room seemed
to teeter. It dawned on him that he was on a boat.

Now that he knew where he was, Mulder knew that getting sick was
inevitable. His stomach tossed restlessly, and Mulder curled into a ball
in an attempt to make the nausea subside. Clenching his teeth and
squeezing his eyes shut, he dealt with the pain.

<Think, Mulder,> he told himself. <Think of something more pleasant.> He
tried, and one image in particular came to mind-Valentine's Day evening,
and the passion he had shared with Scully. The though of it brought tears
to his eyes. He dearly missed Scully, and would do anything to be with her
right then. Granted, he'd do anything to be anywhere but where he was
right then.

"Scully," he moaned, unaware that he was saying it aloud. He squeezed his
eyes tightly shut as another wave of nausea swept throughout him.
<Please,> he silently begged. He concentrated on Scully, and tried to hold
out through the pain.
***
Mulder screamed in agony as the cold metal came down upon his bare back.
He was whipped again and again. His captor had taken off his shirt and was
beating him endlessly with something. Mulder couldn't tell what it was;
the pain was too great to see much of anything. He bore it as long as he
could, but it was soon too much for him. He cried out in pain and grief as
he was struck again...

...Scully sat bolt upright in her bed. Glancing at the clock, she saw that
it was 4:56 AM. She was breathing hard, beads of sweat popping on her
forehead. Scully realized she was shaking uncontrollably. It took a
moment for her to calm down and convince herself it was only a dream.

The worst part was that she couldn't convince herself it was a dream. It
could be really happening. Scully shook her head, trying to remind herself
it was her imagination going into overdrive.

Laying back down, Scully stared at the ceiling, the horrible images flying
through her head tirelessly. Her lower lip quivered, and tears brimmed in
her eyes. She swallowed hard, and tried to keep them in check.

In the end, she lost. Tears streamed down her cheeks, soaking her pillow.
She gave up the fight, and allowed them to flow freely. Biting her lip,
she was wracked with sobs. Scully rolled over onto her stomach and laid
her head on her arms.

"Mulder," she sobbed, calling out to her lost partner and lover. She held
her breath for a moment, then prayed silently for his return.
***
Time and Exact Place Unknown

Mulder groaned in pain as he opened his eyes. Yawahtah loomed over him, a
lopsided grin plastered on her attractive face.

"Good morning," she greeted innocently. Mulder mumbled something
incomprehensible in return.

Grabbing him by the arm, Yawahtah pulled him agonizingly to his feet. His
head spun, and the world turned on end. The woman was incredibly strong,
and managed to drag him to a nearby pipe. She dropped him to the ground,
and he landed with a heavy thud.

From behind her back, Yawahtah pulled forth a wad of twine. She quickly
untied Mulder's hands, knowing full well that he was too weak to fight.
Just before he had awoken, she had given him a mild sedative. She
hurriedly positioned his hands, and held them by the pipe, which was a
couple feet off the ground. She quickly wrapped the twine tightly around
his hands and tied them securely to the pipe.

She stood, smug satisfaction plastered all over her face. "Now you can
actually sit up," she gloated. All Mulder could do was look up at her and
try to keep his composure.

The woman traced her finger along Mulder's jawline, giggling. "That
partner of yours is lucky," she gushed. "She gets to spend each day with a
very nice-looking man." Another giggle. "But now it's my turn."

Mulder shrank back against the wall, trying to squirm away from Yawahtah.
It evoked another giggle, and she reached out to grab his jaw. "What's the
matter?" she asked innocently. "Doesn't Fox want to play?" An evil grin
spread across her face as her hand wandered down to brush Mulder's penis.
He was immediately erect, and quite ashamed of it. The woman grinned
evilly at him.

***
Scully's Motel Room
February 18
9:26 P.M.

Scully threw herself exhaustedly onto the bed. She hadn't gone back to
sleep since she woke up that morning with that horrible nightmare. The
image replayed itself in her mind, over and over again. She couldn't help
but wince when she thought about what Mulder's captor might be doing to
him.

Sitting up, she rested her head in her hands. She couldn't believe that
this was happening. After several days of exhaustive searching, they had
produced nothing of value.

Scully was startled as the phone rang. She picked it up quickly, hoping
for some word on Mulder. "Scully," she answered.

A snicker on the other end of the line. "Hello?" Scully repeated.

"Agent Scully," began the feminine voice on the other side. Whoever it was
on the other end was obviously trying to mask their voice. "I think you
lost something?"

Scully was puzzled for a moment. "I..." Scully trailed off, the
realization dawning upon her. "Where's Mulder?" she demanded.

"Oh, he's fine," the person sighed. Scully wasn't convinced.

"I want to talk to him," she pushed.

There was a snort on the other end. "I guess, but only for a moment."
There was the sound of footsteps echoing, then a door. Someone was
shuffling around.

"Scully?" Mulder asked quietly, evidently on some form of drug.

Scully breathed a silent sigh of relief. "Mulder, are you okay?"

"I-" The voice was cut off, and the captor once again spoke.

"See? He's alive." With that, she hung up.

Scully sat for a moment, unable to move. She quickly dialed to get the
number of the last call.

When she received the information, she simply tossed it aside. It was
Mulder's cell phone number. Shaking her head, Scully dialed the police
station to let them in on the latest development.

***
Time and Place Unknown

Mulder looked around the now-darkened room. His wrists throbbed and all
the blood had drained from them, leaving them cold and in pain. His
headache had subsided somewhat, and he was becoming accustomed to the
rolling of the waves.

Earlier, he had heard Yawahtah muttering something about a storm. Great.
Just what he wanted-to get seasick again.

He shook his head in an attempt to clear away the fogginess that lingered.
<Come on, Scully,> he urged. He hoped that, from the photos left in his
room, she might see what he had seen-that the picture was taken behind the
motel, and by none other than Jennifer Yawahtah.

Yawahtah chose that moment to enter Mulder's dark prison. She held a large
flashlight, and was shining it into Mulder's eyes. Bending over, she set
down the flashlight and took Mulder by the arm. Panicking, Mulder tried to
wrench it away. Yawahtah smirked and pulled forth a small syringe filled
with a foul-looking substance.

Mulder was wide-eyed, and tried to squirm away. He was tired, though, and
she prevailed. Jabbing the needle into his arm, a smile tugged at her
lips. Mulder winced as he felt the sharp prick.

"Wha..." Mulder tried to ask, breathing hard. "What... was... that?" he
finally got the question out. The woman looked him in the eye.

"You'll see," she answered cryptically.

Colors began to swim before Mulder's eyes, and he felt as if he were in a
dream. He was hardly aware of Yawahtah's hands running down his body.

Grinning smugly, she ran her hands down his legs, and everywhere else she
could feel. Mulder just sat, dazed. The woman stood, satisfaction filling
her face.

***
Scully's Motel Room
February 19
3:57 PM

Scully sat dejectedly on her bed. She glanced up and frowned at the mass
of photos laying on the table. Standing, she strode over to them and sat
down.

She dug through the pile until she found the picture taken behind the
motel. <Motel, motel,> she repeated in her mind. She tried to think of
any previous references to the motel.

Sighing, Scully put her head down. <Damn...> Then it hit her. <The
woman...> She leapt up and grabbed her jacket.

Scully dashed out to the car and leapt in. She quickly slammed the door
shut, fastened her seatbelt, started the engine, and peeled out of the
parking lot.

As Scully sped down the quiet road, she ran through a mental checklist of
procedures. Check at Yawahtah's house, then, if she wasn't there, get a
search warrant.

Pulling up in the driveway, Scully hurried out of the car and up the steps.
She banged fiercely on the door, momentarily forgetting to be
business-like. She straightened up, and waited for a response. There was
none. Bingo.

***
Sequim Police Station
February 20
10:13 AM

"She has no criminal record," Sheriff Caller informed Scully.

"Any cars or that sort of thing licensed to her?"

Sheriff Caller typed quickly into his computer. He leaned back in
satisfaction at the results. "She has a white Toyota Corolla licensed to
her, as well as an old fishing boat."

"An old fishing boat?"

"From what I understand, her husband was a fisherman. He died of a
self-inflicted gunshot wound when Yawahtah disappeared during her
'abduction.' "

"Where is the boat now?" Scully queried.

The sheriff scrolled down the page, and nodded. "It's being kept at the
John Wayne Marina." With the click of a button, he printed out the screen
and took the paper. "Let's go," he ordered, pulling on his jacket. Scully
nodded and followed him out.

***
John Wayne Marina
11:02 AM

Scully clambered out of the car, and out onto the first of the docks.
"What was the name of that boat?" she called over her shoulder.

The sheriff looked down at the paper as he hurried after her. "Um... the
Pequod." Scully nodded absently and looked over each boat for any sign of
the Pequod. Funny how a name from one of her favorite stories could now
represent something so vile.

After half an hour of searching, they had turned up no sign of the boat.
Scully sighed mournfully. "So they're gone. How are we going to find them
way out there?"

Sheriff Caller thought over this a moment, then glanced back at Scully. We
could put out a radio call asking people to keep on the lookout. Other
than that, I guess we've just got to hope for the best."

Scully bit her lip and looked around nervously. "There's nothing else we
can do?" she questioned hopefully. The sheriff looked her sullenly and
shook his head. Scully sucked in a deep breath and held it for awhile.

"All right, then. Let's go," she agreed.

***
Scully's Motel Room
February 21
5:48 PM

Scully leaned back in her chair and tried to think straight. So far, no
one had seen the missing boat or it's assumed occupants. There had to be
someone out there who had passed by it, someone who had taken notice of it.

The phone rang beside her, and her scrambled to pick it up. "Scully."

"Missing someone?" the person on the other end sneered.

Scully's face hardened as she recognized Yawahtah's voice. "We will find
you Ms. Yawahtah, I assure you."

"Oh, so you've discovered who I am. But, the question remains... *where*
am, I?" Scully remained silent.

"I'll give you a little break," Yawahtah decided aloud. Scully perked up
and was immediately attentive. "Meet me out at Middle Island tonight at
7:30, and I'll clue you in." There was a pause. "No one else, or he dies.
You can't tell anyone, either."

"Where's Middle Island?" Scully demanded.

"That, Miss Scully, is your job to find out." With that, Yawahtah hung up.

***
Time and Place Unknown

Mulder watched in horror as his abductor flipped his cell phone shut. She
was grinning maniacally.

"You wouldn't," he breathed as she started toward him.

"Oh, I would, and I will." Mulder watched as she produced a small gun. He
hadn't seen it before, or at least hadn't noticed it. That was to be
expected since he had been under the influence of drugs. She yanked out a
cloth and hurriedly tied it around Mulder's mouth, gagging him.

"You'll see your little partner soon," she crooned. Mulder shook his head
in disgust. "Now, I have to go meet her." She turned on her heel and
gleefully hopped out.

***
Middle Island
7:29 PM

Scully stood on the small bit of land in the middle of the bay. It hadn't
taken her long to learn where it was. Apparently, it was one of those
islands that was so small that it appeared and disappeared with the tide.
As the tide was going out then, the island was growing.

The rain poured down on Scully, soaking her to the bone. A fierce storm
had been predicted for that evening, and the wind was blowing like crazy.

Around her, a couple crabs scurried to their holes. From what she had
heard, this place was great for crab hunting.

She had pulled up the small Zodiac she had rented onto the sand, and was
waiting impatiently. She stared ahead as she saw something small skimming
across the water toward her.

As the boat was pulled onto the shore, the woman whirled around, drawing
her gun. "Put down your gun and put your hands up," the woman growled
menacingly. Scully, following FBI protocol, complied. Yawahtah moved
slowly toward her, and picked up Scully's gun. She motioned for Scully to
start walking to the boat.

"Go," the woman ordered. Scully moved silently toward the boat, feeling
the gun trained on the back of her head. She was shoved roughly into the
small boat, and fell on her face. A small trickle of blood began to ooze
from a cut on her cheek. The woman grabbed her violently by the leg, and
hastily tied her ankles together. She caught Scully's wrists and bound
them together behind her back. Shoving her to the front of the Zodiac,
Yawahtah started the motor and sped off into the darkness.

The waves bounced and jarred Scully, and she felt as if her shoulder was
about to fall off. She was wet and cold, and water continued to slosh over
the side of the raft. Shivering, Scully shifted position in an attempt to
make herself more comfortable.

She remained like that for only a few minutes before an enormous wave hit
the boat, causing it to rise into the air and come down with a mighty
crash. Scully's head slammed into the bottom of the boat, and she was
instantly dazed. The world spun and twisted around her as she slipped into
unconsciousness.

***
Scully awoke with a pounding headache, and felt herself being lifted out of
the boat. A gag was placed in her mouth, and it tugged painfully at the
corners of her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open, and Yawahtah knew she was
awake. "Walk," she ordered gruffly. Scully found that her ankles had been
untied. The woman pressed the gun into Scully's back, and Scully climbed
onto the much larger fishing boat.

She trudged onward, stumbling in the darkness. Yawahtah guided her
silently.

Eventually, they wound up in a small, darkened room. The woman flipped on
a light, and Scully saw Mulder unconscious in the corner.

"Muwwerrr!" she called, trying to speak through the gag. He stirred
slightly, and picked his head up tiredly. Spotting his partner, he became
wide awake, struggling to get free. Yawahtah shoved Scully to the far
corner, and pushed her to the floor forcefully. She hit the cold cement
with a thud, scraping her knees.

Pulling forth a ball of twine, Yawahtah proceeded to tie Scully to the pipe
as well, but in a place far from Mulder. Between them, another pipe ran
perpendicular to the one they were tied to, preventing her from sliding
over to him.

"Scuwwwyy!" Mulder yelled, struggling against his restraints. Their captor
finished tying Scully's hands and feet, then stood up. Her face showed
that she wasn't quite satisfied, and seemed to think about it for a moment.
Then, her foot suddenly lashed out, catching Scully in the ribs. Scully
gasped, the pain flooding through her torso. She squeezed her eyes shut
and grimaced, trying to keep from crying out. She heard Mulder yell, and
he began his struggle anew.

Yawahtah left Scully for the moment, and strode over to Mulder. She smiled
contentedly, and looked at him like he was gold.

"You," she scolded, "are one *tenacious* man." Mulder tried to kick at her
with his bound feet, but she hopped out of the way. Shaking her head like
a mother whose son had just gotten his new clothes torn, she turned and
left the room.

Scully gazed at Mulder, fear in her eyes. Mulder was still trying to break
free, but to no avail. He soon stopped struggling and sagged against the
wall. Scully shifted positions, and there was a sharp intake of breath as
the pain once again shot through her rib cage.

Mulder hauled himself up to the point where his head was level with his
hands. He ripped the gag from his mouth. It was tied very tightly, and he
bloodied the corners of his mouth in the process. Scully tried to pull
herself up to do the same, but slumped back as her ribs protested
painfully. Taking a deep, agonizing breath, she yanked herself up and
yanked the gag from her mouth, also cutting the corners of her mouth. She
fell back to the floor, biting back the cry of pain.

"Scully," Mulder hissed. She looked up at him, wincing. "We've got to
figure out how to get out of here." That was obvious.

"I know," she replied, "but how?" Mulder shook his head, and Scully
lolled her head back and closed her eyes. Mulder's mouth curled into a
frown. Scully was in obvious pain. He hoped she hadn't broken any ribs.

"Did you tell anyone you were coming here?"

"No, Yawahtah said not to or she'd kill you."

Mulder nodded knowingly. "Yeah, she was standing right there," he motioned
with his head, "when she called you." He paused a second. "You should
have anyway," he said quietly.

Scully looked at him, her eyes pleading. "I would never do anything that
would put you in danger like that," she replied, matching his tone.

Breaking his gaze, Mulder tried to twist his hands into a position from
which he could untie his bonds. Scully was in immense pain. She figured
that Yawahtah had done more damage than was apparent at first. Her head
was spinning from the agony, and she felt like she was going to pass out.
Mulder stopped struggling for a moment, and stared at Scully.

"Are you all right?" Mulder asked, concerned. Scully didn't answer,
instead, her head laid back and her eyes closed. "Scully? Scully?!" She
didn't answer, and he quickly returned to working at the twine. If he
could break free, he could get to her and help her.

Mulder pulled fiercely at his restraints, and blood trickled down his arms
where his skin was rubbed raw. He kept working at it, begging silently for
some miracle.
***
Jennifer Yawahtah looked directly ahead as the boat sped farther and
farther away from the mainland. She had a smug look smeared on her face,
her left lip corner curled into a half-smile. They were all hers now. She
had Mulder, and the aliens who had taken her away could take Scully
instead. It was her ticket to freedom.

The rain pelted the windows, driven by the howling wind. The water was
nearly covered in a blanket of whitecaps. The wind had kicked up and was
howling with the ferocity of a mad lion. The rain came down in sheets,
ready to drown the sea itself out.

<There's times when I wish Dan had kept this thing in better shape,> she
thought, nervous. Her husband had left it in poor condition. It had no
radar, a very old and battered radio, and the hull was pretty weak.

Jennifer's eye caught something ahead, but then it was gone. She passed it
off as a hallucination, for she hadn't had any sleep in a long time.

The boat suddenly lurched to one side, but it's momentum kept it going.
Jennifer brought it down to a halt, and hurried out to the deck. <Shit,>
she thought when she saw the damage. The hull had given in on one side,
and water was flowing into it. Briefly, she thought about going to get the
FBI agents, but she pushed it from her mind. <I'd never get them untied in
time anyway,> she mused.

Scurrying to the back of the boat, she pushed the Zodiac into the restless
waters. She untied it from the boat, started the engine, and disappeared
into the settling fog.
***
Scully had felt the violent shaking and woken up. Mulder was panicking at
something. As her eyes focused better, she saw water starting to seep into
the room from under the door.

Mulder saw that she was awake and called out to her. "Scully! Get
yourself untied!" he ordered. Scully needed no further urging as she
pushed the pain in her ribs away to do the job.

The water was swelling, and was now covering the floor about an inch deep.
Suddenly, Scully felt something in the twine loosen. Her hands were
bleeding from the effort, but she ignored it as she tried to slacken it
more.

Mulder was doing the same thing, but with no results. He watched in panic
as the water rose to his waist. It was freezing cold, and he already
couldn't feel his toes.

"Scully!" he called. She turned to face him, still working at her bonds.
"Hurry!" She gave him one of her infamous I-already-knew-*that* looks,
then returned her attention to the task at hand, so to speak.

Horror welled in both of them as the water rose to their chests. The boat
was tilted now, the back slightly higher than the front. The door was fast
disappearing, being that it was closer to the front.

Scully suddenly cried out. Mulder's head whipped around to see that she
had broken loose. She had untied the twine from her ankles, and was
hurrying toward him.

"Yes," Mulder breathed as Scully finished untying his hands and feet. They
waded toward the door, which was now completely underwater. Scully took a
deep, agonizing breath, and dove down. Mulder followed suit.

They came up into a larger room, probably the bridge. Scully's face was
blanketed in horror. "We can't call for help, Mulder! The radio's
underwater!"

"We'll just have to get out of here, and we'll hope that Yawahtah radioed
before she left." Scully nodded in agreement, and they swam toward the
remaining exit. Mulder dove under the waves, with Scully in close pursuit.

They surfaced outside the boat, and swam a little ways away to avoid the
suction. Together, they watched as the boat slowly fell beneath the waves.
Debris from the boat floated nearby, and Mulder pulled Scully toward a
plank that rested a few feet away.

They maneuvered themselves so that Scully was between Mulder and the board.
That way, they could both keep afloat while still sharing body heat.
Scully wrapped her arms around Mulder, and held him tightly.

The wind was beginning to die down, and the rain was slackening. Scully
smiled weakly. Perfect timing.

"Mulder," she said as softly as she could and still be heard, "I missed
you."

"I missed you, too," he told her, running one hand through her hair. She
was very scared; she seemed sure she was going to die right there. Mulder
held her comfortingly, propping his elbows on the board.

"M-M-Mulder," Scully stammered after awhile. "I c-can't f-feel my
b-b-body." Mulder planted a small, reassuring kiss on her forehead.

"It'll b-be fine," he told her, still unsure of himself.

"I'm t-tired," complained Scully.

"Don't fall asleep," Mulder ordered. Scully looked up at him, a pained
expression on her face. Burying her head in his neck, she held him
tighter, as if he might slip away if she let go.

In the silence that followed, Mulder began to wonder if anyone was going to
come looking for them. He started to panic again, and looked down at
Scully.

"Scully," he hissed. No response. "Scully," he repeated, louder this
time. Still nothing. Alarmed, he reached for her neck to check for a
pulse. Immense relief flooded through him when he felt a faint heartbeat.

Mulder sighed, hoping with all his might that she could hang on. It was
then that he realized his eyelids were sagging. He felt tired.

The world around him was a daze, everything seemed like it was just a big
dream. He thought he heard an engine off in the distance, but he was too
tired to make out anything. He closed his eyes, figuring a quick nap
wouldn't hurt him. His judgment had already been impaired by the frigid
water. <That's it, Mulder, a nice, relaxing nap...>
***
Harborview Medical Center
February 22
5:05 PM

Mulder's eyes fluttered open, the bright light blinding him. All he could
see was white. He turned his head slowly to the side, and saw a couple
chairs and a door. Where was he?

Mulder felt the slight pinch of the IV tube in his arm. A hospital. They
had been rescued.

The door opened, and a short, brunette nurse entered. Her lip curled into
a smile. "So you're awake?"

Mulder took a deep breath. "What happened?"

"From what I understand, a passing boat saw you and your friend lying there
in the water and pulled you out. You were both unconscious."

Mulder was immediately wide awake. "Scully, where is she? Is she all
right?"

The nurse nodded quietly. "She'll be fine. She was a little worse off
than you. A couple broken ribs, and she lost more of her body heat."

"Is she awake yet?"

Shaking her head, the nurse frowned. "She hasn't woken up yet," she
informed him. Mulder laid back on the pillow and stared at the ceiling.
"I just need to take a blood sample, okay?" Mulder nodded his consent, and
waited for the prick of the needle. He winced as it entered his skin, but
it was over quickly. He fell asleep soundly, knowing that his partner and
lover was safe.
***
Scully awoke slowly, her eyes adjusting to the light. She squinted at the
ceiling, then turned her head to see the same nurse that had attended to
Mulder enter the room. She smiled sweetly and looked at Scully.

Her own health was far from her mind at that moment. "How is Mulder?" she
asked.

"He's fine, woke up just a little while ago." Scully breathed a sigh of
relief and closed her eyes.

"What happened?" she finally asked. The nurse repeated her story, and
Scully prayed a prayer of thanks for their good fortune.

"I need to take some blood, all right?" Scully, her eyes closed, nodded
silently. She felt the needle pierce her skin, but paid it no heed.

Scully let out a long held breath and winced as her ribs ached. She was
safe. Better yet, Mulder was safe. When they left, all would be as it
should. And she would have Mulder, her friend and lover, with her again.
With her always.

THE END

Now that wasn't *that* bad, was it? Comments, please! Sequel, or no? Let
me know! dkscully@softhome.net

As for chasing a Navy boat in a Zodiac, well, that's one of the best damn
things I've ever done!<g>

Kirsten Wahlquist