From: erinmblair@gmail.com   
      
   TITLE:  Salvation by the Shore   
   AUTHOR: Erin M. Blair   
   E-MAIL: eblair@sonic.net  / erinmblair@gmail.com   
   FEEDBACK: Yes, please.   
   DISTRIBUTION: OK to Gossamer, Ephemeral,   
   Fandomonium, Simply Devoted, and others.   
   RATING: NC-17.   
   CATEGORIES: SRA -- Story, Romance, Angst.   
   KEYWORDS: Mulder/Scully Romance.   
   SPOILERS: Drive.   
   DISCLAIMER: Mulder and Scully belongs to Chris   
   Carter. The rating "NC17" belongs to MPAA and is   
   used without prejudice.   
   SUMMARY: After an exhausting impromptu case, Mulder   
   takes Scully to a romantic getaway in San Diego.   
   NOTES: I would like to thank both Lisa and Debbie   
   for beta reading this story. This story was written for   
   Fandomonium's Virtual Season Six Smut Challenge.   
      
   + + + + + + + + + + + + + +   
      
   As Scully stood there watching the paramedics load the man   
   into the ambulance, she noticed Mulder walking along the   
   edge of the beach. She saw him taking off his tie and stop   
   for the moment. She knew that Mulder was saddened by how   
   their impromptu case had turned out. They wanted to be   
   heroes. They wanted to try to show AD Kersh that they were   
   good investigators - that there was so much more to them   
   rather then have their skills wasted on manure duty. She   
   walked up to him, her hand reaching out to touch the small   
   of his back. "Mulder? Are you all right?"   
      
   "Just standing around after relieving myself," Mulder   
   murmured quietly. "Driving thousand of miles nonstop would   
   do that to you, Scully." He briefly paused as he turned   
   around to face his partner. "About Crump?"   
      
   "We loaded Crump in the ambulance and they'll be taking him   
   to the hospital. I told them about what I'd discovered and   
   they're going to use extreme caution. They're going to run   
   some tests after the body arrives at the coroner' office,"   
   Scully said.   
      
   Mulder nodded wordlessly.   
      
   "I'm sorry."   
      
   "Scully, you have nothing to apologize for."   
      
   "I need to apologize to you, Mulder. At first, I thought we   
   shouldn't come out here, that we needed first and foremost   
   to be good agents in whatever case we're given because we   
   don't have the X-Files anymore." She paused. "I was   
   confused because I didn't know where we stood after what   
   happened."   
      
   Mulder sighed. "I think I know what you're trying to tell   
   me."   
      
   "Do you really?"   
      
   "I think I do. You view Diana as a threat."   
      
   "Mulder, I don't view her as a threat."   
      
   "Are you sure, Scully? I could see the disappointment in   
   your eyes when I chose her over you at the nuclear   
   reactor," Mulder said, as he placed both hands on his hips.   
   He looked into her crystalline blue eyes and he knew that   
   he saw her soul. He had been with her for six long years   
   now and he always knew what she was thinking before she   
   even voiced it. "No, you didn't have to tell me. I already   
   knew. When you came over with your findings, I saw the hurt   
   in your eyes."   
      
   Scully looked over the gentle waves ebbing and flowing from   
   the shore. She heard his voice in low pitch against the   
   backdrop of the waves and nodded. "Mulder, I was hurt." She   
   paused. "When I came to your apartment that day to tell   
   about my resignation, I wondered why you tried to get me to   
   stay."   
      
   "You complete me, Scully. You kept me honest. You're the   
   reason behind everything that we've done for the past six   
   years. You're my constant - my everlasting love. As I told   
   you then, I owe you everything and you owe me nothing.   
   Diana Fowley doesn't hold the key to my heart - you do."   
      
   "I'm the key to your heart, Mulder," Scully said as a smile   
   played on her lips as she tried that revelation out for   
   size in her head.   
      
   Mulder nodded. He raised his arms from his hips and then he   
   slid them around her waist, his eyes never leaving her   
   face. A smile appeared on his face for the first time that   
   day. "It's always been you, Scully. I'm sorry for the pain   
   that I've caused you."   
      
   "We still haven't really discussed what happened in that   
   hallway, Mulder."   
      
   "I know," he whispered. "If the bee hadn't stung you, I   
   would have still kissed you. And I would always want to   
   kiss you."   
      
   "I didn't regret anything that day except for getting   
   stung," she said. "It still worked out in retrospect, even   
   if we didn't get the X-Files back. I wasn't transferred to   
   the Salt Lake City field office. I think they finally   
   realized that it would be better for us to be together,   
   rather than separated."   
      
   "You know something, Scully? We have some time before we   
   get back to DC. I wouldn't mind staying in San Diego for a   
   few days," he said.   
      
   "I wouldn't mind at all, Mulder." She paused. "Do you   
   something in mind?"   
      
   "You'll see, Scully, but first I need your keys..."   
      
   Scully nodded. She handed her keys to her rental car since   
   Mulder drove down all the way to Loleta in a stolen car.   
   She placed her arm on his shoulder gently and gave him a   
   smile. "I'm actually looking forward to this."   
      
   ***   
      
   Mulder took Scully to a secluded beach near the beach   
   cottages and he quickly made reservations for a two-night   
   stay. They breathed in the fresh sea breeze. She looked at   
   him, smiling with fond memories of her time as a child by   
   the shore. She loved him for making this trip out to be a   
   positive and finally voiced her pleasure. "This is so   
   beautiful. Being near the sea reminds me of my childhood. I   
   always loved being near the crisp, clean air of the ocean."   
      
   "I know, Scully." He gave her a gentle smile and then he   
   put his hand on his favorite spot on her back. "I thought   
   we needed some time away from everything. I want to get rid   
   of that awkward feeling between us. This is what we   
   needed."   
      
   He took her and showed her to their beach cottage. This was   
   exactly what he had imagined for them on their romantic   
   getaway. He saw her looking around at where they were going   
   to spend the remainder of their time together and the place   
   had all the conveniences of home: only one bed, a   
   kitchenette, small table with two chairs, a bathroom, and a   
   loveseat. "What do you think?"   
      
   "I think this cottage will be great for our purposes," she   
   said, as a thoughtful glint appeared in her eyes.   
      
   "And what purposes do we have?"   
      
   "I thought you'd know, Mulder."   
      
   Mulder sighed. "I do know. I just want to make sure that's   
   what we both wanted, that we're both finally on the same   
   page."   
      
   "Mulder, did you think that I would back out? I wanted that   
   kiss as much as you did," she insisted gently. "I would   
   have made love to you right then if the bee hadn't stung   
   me. I never regretted anything. I want you."   
      
   "You would have made love to me? In the hallway? That would   
   have been very naughty, Scully."   
      
   "I would have made love to you in the hallway, Mulder,   
   right then and there," she said, giving him some light   
   kisses and then her hands delicately traveled close to his   
   chest. "You would have folded like a flower." She paused.   
   "Of course, I would have made love to you. You're the one   
   that I want to be with. It's always been you."   
      
   Mulder's eyes welled with emotion. This was what he wanted   
   to hear from her for so long - the knowledge that she loves   
   him in her own individualistic way. He always felt the deep   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)