From: msnsc21@yahoo.com   
      
   ok to send to newsgroup; I'll send to Gossamer and Ephemeral. Thanks!   
      
   Headers and disclaimers at beginning of story...   
   Land of the Living II   
   by ML   
      
   ~x~   
      
   Chapter Seven   
      
   "Scully!"  The look on Mulder's face is pure wonderment.  "Are   
   you suggesting contacting The Other Side?"  He can't help   
   himself.  He feels like he's fallen through the rabbit-hole.   
      
   "I can hardly believe it myself, but yes," Scully says, trying   
   to stay matter-of-fact.  It's just like any other experiment,   
   she tells herself.   
      
   "Pinch me," he says.  "Did you put something in the tea?   
   `Cause I just got very turned on..."   
      
   "You'd better be taking this seriously, Mulder," Scully warns.   
      
   "I am, Scully, I am.  But that still doesn't explain why the   
   sudden about-face from you.  You were pretty skeptical of Harold   
   Pillar."   
      
   "I suspected his motives.  I still do.  I think that allowing an   
   outsider into this can only taint the results."   
      
   "That's spoken like the scientist I know and love," Mulder says   
   lightly.  "How do you propose we go about it?"  He wonders how far   
   Scully is willing to go with this.  He's still not sure he can   
   believe what he's hearing.   
      
   "We should probably try and do it at your mother's house," she   
   says.  "That much Harold had right, as near as I can tell from   
   the research I've done.  Attempting contact at a place where her   
   living presence was strong."   
      
   "You're full of surprises, Scully," Mulder says.  "I'm speechless."   
      
   "It's just research," Scully says testily.  One hurdle down, one   
   more big one to leap.  She pauses, then gathers her courage and   
   says it.  "If I'm the conduit, the way she can contact you, then   
   I need to do this as much as you do."   
      
   "You'd do this for me?"  Mulder asks incredulously.   
      
   "For you, for Samantha...and for us," she says resolutely, though   
   inside she's filled with doubt.  Can she do this?  Now more than   
   ever she needs the strength of Mulder's beliefs.  "But only if   
   that's what you want."   
      
   He nods, unable to speak.  Of all the many things Scully has given   
   him over the years, this is the most stunning gift of all.   
      
   "When do you want to try?"  Mulder asks.   
      
   "Let's go to your mother's house in the morning.  We can sleep on   
   the idea.  I've sort of sprung it on you, I know."  She stands up.   
      
   Mulder stands up too, and takes a step toward her.  He reaches for   
   her, cups her face in his hands and looks at her seriously.  "Thank   
   you," he says softly, and presses his lips against hers.   
      
   She stands very still, then slowly brings her hands up to rest on   
   his forearms.  She returns the pressure of his lips gently, not   
   pushing for more, but not pulling away.   
      
   Slowly their arms slide around one another without ending their   
   kiss.  Mulder's mouth starts to roam over hers, touching the corners,   
   pulling on her lower lip.  She follows his lead and they begin to   
   taste more deeply of each other, bodies pressed close, closer.  It   
   would be so easy to keep on going, Scully thinks dazedly.   
      
   This time it's Mulder who breaks it off.  He clings to Scully but   
   presses his forehead against her soft hair, stroking her back as she   
   trembles against him.  "We still have some other unfinished   
   business,"   
   he says softly in her ear.   
      
   "I haven't forgotten," is her shaky reply.  "I still want you.   
   That's   
   never going to change."   
      
   "I feel a big but coming on," he pulls back slightly and smiles at   
   her, and her lips twitch.   
      
   "We have to take care of something more important first," she reminds   
   him gently.  "Until we do, I'm going to be a bit gun-shy."   
      
   "Is that what you call it?"  He smiles into her eyes.  Then he holds   
   her close, placing kiss after kiss on her hair, her cheek, and one   
   last lingering one on her lips.  "That's an IOU."   
      
   "I'll see you and raise you," Scully says, kissing him back.   
      
   "Oh, you already have," he retorts, and is gratified to see her   
   blush.  He's still the champion of innuendo.   
      
   x-x-x   
      
   "Scully?"   
      
   No answer.   
      
   "Scully?  You awake?"   
      
   A sigh from the other bed.  "Yes."   
      
   "Why?"  He asks.   
      
   "Why are you?"  She counters.   
      
   He flops onto his side, facing Scully's bed.  He can just make out   
   her profile in the light leaking through the drapes.  "I'm just   
   lyin' here thinkin'."   
      
   "You should stop thinking and get some sleep.  Do you need the TV   
   on?  It won't bother me."   
      
   Mulder smiles to himself in the dark.  `You haven't said why   
   you're not sleeping."   
      
   The bedclothes rustle as she turns toward him.  "You're keeping   
   me awake."   
      
   "Touche, Scully."  He's sure she's smiling over there in the   
   dark.  "So we're keeping each other awake."   
      
   "You said you were thinking."   
      
   "I am.  I'm thinking about you."   
      
   Absolute stillness.  He can't even hear her breathing.   
      
   Finally she says, "Go to sleep, Mulder."   
      
   "I can't," he says.   
      
   Another sigh from Scully.  "I can't, either."   
      
   "It's like Christmas morning, isn't it?"  he says.  "You   
   anticipate, you hope, but there's also the fear that the event   
   won't live up to your expectations."   
      
   There's a long silence, then Scully says very quietly,  "I don't   
   want you to be disappointed, Mulder, but I don't have any control   
   over that."   
      
   "I know that, Scully," he says.  "I -- I don't want you to worry   
   about that."   
      
   "I'm trying not to.  But I don't want you to think I'm trying   
   to talk you into something."   
      
   "Have you ever been able to do that?" he asks.  "I'm just glad   
   you came.  Whatever happens tomorrow, I'm still glad."   
      
   "I'm turning on the light," Scully warns.   
      
   "No, don't," he says quickly.  "Just...keep talking."   
      
   "What about?"   
      
   "I dunno.  Anything.  What you did this week.  What you said to   
   Skinner to get him to let you come here."   
      
   "If you must know, I lied to him."   
      
   "You *lied* to Skinner?  I'm surprised he hasn't already called   
   me, looking for you."   
      
   "I didn't lie to his face," she explained.  "I told Kimberly I   
   had a family emergency."   
      
   "Scully!  What if he calls your mom?"   
      
   "He won't.  And besides, it wasn't really a lie."   
      
   "How do you figure?"   
      
   No answer from Scully.   
      
   "Thank you, Scully," Mulder says finally.   
      
   Still no answer from Scully.  Maybe she's fallen asleep, but he   
   doesn't think so.  He pulls the covers around him and shuts his   
   eyes.   
      
   ~x~   
      
   Chapter Eight   
      
   The condition of the house looks much worse in the light of day.   
      
   "My God, Mulder, what have you been doing here?"  Every stick   
   of furniture has been upended, the bottom linings cut away.   
   All the pillow covers have been removed and the pillows tossed   
   in the corner.  Pictures have been taken from the wall, and   
   their paper backing torn away.   
      
   "Looking for something," he says.   
      
   "What exactly have you been looking for?"   
      
   "I'm not sure, I'll know when I find it."   
      
   "First things first," she gestures around the living room.   
   "Let's get things set to rights in here at least."   
      
   With Scully's help, he's able to get the room back in some   
   semblance of order.   
      
   "Where do you want to do this?" she asks.   
      
   Mulder raises his eyebrows at her.  "Oooh Scully, do what?"   
      
   She looks away from him, but he can tell she's blushing a   
   little.  "You know exactly what I mean.  Are you serious   
   about this?"   
      
   "Sorry, Scully,"  he says contritely.  "Yes, I am very   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)