From: rjsabatier@shaw.ca   
      
   Author:  Jacquie and Sassy   
      
   Summary: Post fic for  "Tunguska"/"Terma" from Season 4   
      
   Pairing: Mulder and Scully   
      
   Rating: NC 17   
      
   Feedback:  By all means. Only request is if you have a negative review,   
   please try to be constructive in your criticism (eg: Suggestions on how I   
   can improve the next story, what you didn't like about the story) instead of   
   flaming.  Thank you.   
      
      
      
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   xxx   
      
   Mulder knocked softly on Scully's door. He took a deep breath. He hoped she   
   didn't want to kill him for coming to her apartment at 3:00 in the morning,   
   but he needed to talk to her. To tell her.He didn't get to finish this   
   thought as a sleepy-eyed Scully opened the door.   
      
   "Mulder?"   
      
   "Did I wake you?"  Mulder said with a smile.   
      
   "Nah."  Scully didn't have the heart to tell him that he had woken her. Not   
   after everything he had just been through. She smoothed down her hair and   
   let him in.   
      
   "I couldn't sleep," Mulder told her as he sat down on her couch.   
      
      
      
   "Can I get you something?"   
      
   "A friendly ear." He grabbed her hand and pulled her down next to him.   
      
   "Everything okay?"   
      
   "Had a lot of time to think when I was locked in that cell." Mulder   
   shuddered at the memory.   
      
      
      
   "About what?" Scully's hand reached for his, but she hesitated at the last   
   moment.   
      
      
      
   "You, me, the X-files, but mostly you." Mulder looked over at her. "I   
   thought I was going to die and never get the chance to tell you what you   
   mean to me."  Scully took his hand then. Mulder looked up at her and slowly   
   let out the breath he had been holding. "When they assigned you to me, I   
   didn't think you'd stay. Do you know what it means to me that you stayed?"   
      
      
      
   "Tell me," Scully said gently.   
      
      
   "Everyone else.no one stayed. Everyone thinks I'm crazy. Not you. I admire   
   how you don't let me get ahead of myself and let my emotions take over. You   
   ground me." Mulder reached up and caressed her face. Scully's eyes closed   
   but only for a moment.  "Scully.Dana..I need you in my life. When Duane   
   Barry.." Mulder had to stop and close his eyes.   
      
   "Sssh.Mulder, I'm fine."   
      
   "I know, but you almost died. And it was because of me. Because of my   
   quest."   
      
      
      
   "It's my quest too."   
      
   "Because of Melissa?"   
      
   Scully nodded, tears in her eyes.   
      
      
      
   "If you'd never met me, she'd be alive," Mulder couldn't tell Scully about   
   the guilt he'd carried over the loss of Melissa. Scully wrapped her arms   
   around him, pulling him closer. "I know you blame me, Scully. I see it in   
   your eyes. I feel it," he whispered against her hair.   
      
   "I don't blame you," Scully looked Mulder in the eyes. "I blame them."   
      
   "But.." Mulder was cut off by Scully's finger on his lips.   
      
   "I don't blame you," she whispered.   
      
      
      
   Mulder gave her a quick smile. "That's why I lov." He saw Scully's eyes go   
   wide and then fill with tears. He bit the bullet. "That's why I love you."   
      
   "Mulder." Scully whispered.   
      
      
   He looked down into her blue-green eyes. "Yes.."   
      
   "I stay because I want to be with you. Because I love you too," she   
   whispered.   
      
      
      
   He let his forehead rest against hers. "You kept me alive." Scully gently   
   rested his head against her shoulder. "I didn't think I would get back to   
   you," he whispered. "The thought of hurting you again..It kept me alive. I   
   refused to give up."   
      
   "What I love about you," Scully told him with a soft smile.   
      
   "You tired?"   
      
   Scully had been falling asleep on the couch. That's what prompted Mulder to   
   ask this.   
      
   "Sorry.."  She tried to stifle a yawn.   
      
      
      
   "It's okay. I woke you up anyway."   
      
   "You know you don't have to go," Scully started to say. Her eyes widened at   
   the sound of her voice. She tried to cover it up by standing.   
      
      
      
   Mulder grabbed her hand. "Can I sleep with you?"   
      
   "Sure."  Scully swallowed a lump in her throat. "Even got an extra   
   toothbrush."   
      
   "Can't have smelly breath, can we?," Mulder teased as he followed her.   
      
      
      
   Scully stuck out her tongue at him.   
      
   Mulder grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him. His mouth was against   
   her ear. "I know what you can do with that tongue."   
      
   Scully giggled. Mulder released her and followed her to the bathroom. Scully   
   made a face at herself in the mirror as she noticed her hair was slightly   
   sticking up.   
      
      
      
   "It's cute," Mulder assured her from the doorway where he was leaning.   
      
   "Guess it'll get more mussed up," she said as she gave up.   
      
   Mulder smiled as he watched her in the mirror. However it was replaced by   
   something even she couldn't read. He touched her side.   
      
   "What?" Scully gently urged, turning around.   
      
   Mulder cradled her face in his hands. He lowered his mouth to hers. She   
   melted against him. When he pulled away, his eyes were closed. "It's late.   
   Let's get you to bed."   
      
   "You need to sleep took Mulder," Scully said gently.   
      
   Mulder smiled. "You know me. I never sleep. But I'll hold you."   
      
   "Humor me, Mulder. Try to sleep."   
      
   "Only because you asked so nicely."  Mulder watched her take off her robe   
   and slip back under the covers. He pulled off his shirt and toed off his   
   shoes before reaching for his jeans to unbutton them. Thinking better of it,   
   he left them buttoned and slipped under the covers behind her.   
      
      
      
   "You can take off your jeans if you want," Scully's sleepy voice told him.   
      
   "I'm comfortable," he pulled her back against him. He wrapped his arms   
   around her, taking in her lavender scent. "You smell good."   
      
   Scully turned so she was against his chest. "I thought I lost you," she   
   whispered.   
      
   "I'm never leaving you."  Mulder kissed her forehead.   
      
   "Better not. I might have to kick your ass," she said, grinning up at him.   
      
   "Just try it."   
      
   "I could try it," she grinned, kissing his chest.   
      
      
      
   "I'm waiting, "Mulder challenged.   
      
   "Too tired right now. Tomorrow," Scully muttered.   
      
   "I'll hold you to that." Mulder kissed her head. "Sweet dreams."   
      
   Mulder didn't sleep that night. Hard as he tried, sleep just wouldn't come.   
   He watched as Scully smiled in her sleep, immediately wishing he was in her   
   head...in her dream. He watched as the sun filtered through the windows and   
   she continued to sleep peacefully.   
      
   Then she was murmuring his name. "Mulder."   
      
   "I'm right here," he whispered against her ear.   
      
   "No...don't take him.please," she was begging someone in her dream. Her eyes   
   suddenly snapped open as she looked around her. When she saw Mulder was   
   there, she buried his face against his chest.   
      
      
   "I'm okay. I'm here. I've got you." He held her.   
      
      
      
   "Morning."   
      
   "You okay?"   
      
   "I am now," Scully said softly, still holding him tightly.   
      
      
      
   Mulder tipped her chin and kissed her lips gently. "Good morning."   
      
   Scully's eyes filled with tears. She hugged him again. "I dreamt you didn't   
   get out of Tunguska..That the virus killed you." She started shaking again.   
      
   Mulder kissed her again, longer and deeper this time. His hands ran down her   
   sides as he pulled her against him. "I'm alive."   
      
   "Skinner.Skinner came down and told me."   
      
   Mulder could see she was still being gripped by her nightmare so he lightly   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)