Disclaimer: Scully, Mulder, Skinner, Lone Gunmen, and other characters that appear on the show are not mine. They are property of C.C., 1013 and whoever else claims them. I do feel territorial of Dani and Jed. I don't know how they ended up in this story, but that's life. I think I got kinda corny in this. Sorry. I don't deal well with things that don't have scientific explainations. Anyway Alternate Universe Alert!!! Blinding Flash of Light (1/4) by Nicole Mason The night was clear as they headed toward northern New Mexico. He and his passenger were quiet, one was sleeping and the other was content with the silence. His hand reached across the small space separating them to run his fingers down her cheek. He reluctantly pulled his hand away. 'I love her so much,' whispered in his mind. She hadn't really been sleeping when she felt his touch. She stayed quiet though, savoring the small caress. "What was that?" For a moment he panicked. Had he said it out loud? Play dumb. "What?" "There was a flash of light." "What light?" He looked in the direction she pointed, his earlier panic forgotten. Were they being followed? Another flash of blue-white fire burst to life right in front of them. He could hear her short strangled gasp as he lost control. He blinked repeatedly trying to restore his night vision. Too late, he saw the trees looming before them. * * * * * "Mulder?" The thud followed by the muffled 'ouch' led her toward her partner. "So you are here," she said to the figure that was rubbing the back of his head. "What were you doing?" "Besides trying to give myself a concussion, I dropped one of the slides," he explained and put said object into the wheel case. "Oh, boy. A slide show. Do I have to worry about losing my lunch?" He frowned at Scully's lack of enthusiasm. "You're the one that likes to cut into dead, decomposing bodies for fun," he reminded her. "This is Captain Zachary Towers." Up flashed the image of an Air Force Captain in dress uniform. The rough- hewn features were devoid of any sign of emotion. "He resigned from the Air Force about 18 months ago. After he lost one of his planes. He was not held accountable for the loss even though he couldn't explain exactly what had occurred." Mulder paused and waited for Scully to respond. "That usually doesn't happen." Planes were expensive. Loosing one without a good explanation and not receiving some form of disciplinary action was not normal. "How'd he lose the plane?" "The only thing I could find out so far, was that the engines failed during maneuvers. Everything else was classified." "O.K. so why am I staring at a picture of a normal man, instead of a wrecked aircraft?" Though I wouldn't mind staring a bit longer, she thought. Nice eyes. "Because Agents Zach Towers and his partner, Jennifer Ade were on their way from Carlsbad to a town in northern New Mexico to retrieve a suspect when their plane went down two days ago." There was more she knew, but Mulder had fallen silent. "So...? What?" He stayed quiet and she couldn't resist. "Are we supposed to investigate the guy's recent bad luck with aircraft?" He snapped out of his internal musings and smiled. "No. We're supposed to check out the reports of large flashes of blue-white light, only seconds apart yet miles away from each other, that accompanied the crash and the subsequent disappearance of two DEA Agents." He triggered the next photo. It was an white oblong blur along the starry background. "And no, it wasn't lightning." "Definitely not lightning," she agreed. Yes the photo was fuzzy, but not that fuzzy. Mulder clicked to the next slide. Tower's partner, she figured. It was a police academy graduation pose with her family. The woman was towered over by three men, father and two brothers by the looks of it. All were in different law enforcement uniforms. "Agent Ade's family is heading the search party for the two. They've found the plane, but no sign of Ade or Towers. And..." As if the non-lightning wasn't enough, Scully thought as she saw Mulder's smile. "And?" she waited for the punch line. "And she had a Missing Time episode as a child." "How do you find these things out?" she murmured and mentally reviewed her list of things to do before they left for New Mexico. She laughed at the smile slowly forming on her partner's full lips. "I have my ways." The suggestive undertone sent a shiver through her that she attributed to the draft always present in the basement office. * * * * * It was pitch black now. She couldn't see anything. The only comfort she could find with that fact was their pursuers wouldn't be able to see either. Fear and hunger knotted her stomach painfully. She tried to remember how long it had been since they ate. Oh, well, she couldn't do anything about right now. Their pack was out there somewhere, but she couldn't leave to find any food, just yet. She placed her hand over her partner's heart. He was breathing steadily, but it was shallow, so shallow. She carefully groped for his hand and held it. She gnawed at her bottom lip. She would have to wake him for a few minutes. He probably had a concussion, as well as the long scratches in his leg. Then she would have to find that pack. Hopefully he had a change of clothes in it. His present ones were stiff from his encounter with the small creek. * * * * * Scully stepped gingerly out of the cab of the small pickup. She'd been grateful at the airport, when they had been shown a vehicle that wasn't a Taurus. Even when Mulder had said, "We're in New Mexico. Again. But at least this time, I haven't been shot by my partner." with a wry twist on his lips. Now she wished it was a Taurus. The last hour had been a lesson in bad shocks and worse cushioning. For a supposed four wheel drive, the truck had lacked the luxury seen in the commercials. The plane was a little to the left of center in the small clearing. Several small tents were already in evidence as well as a fully equipped rescue truck. She recognized the man walking toward them from the picture Mulder had shown her yesterday. Joseph Ade looked a little older than the photo, but still appeared to be able to handle the bad guys. "Agents Mulder and Scully, sir," Mulder told the bear-like man in front of him. He held back the wince at the overly forceful hand shake. He realized it wasn't a test when Scully discretely flexed her fingers after her introduction. "You two every to any SAR?" he asked as he walked toward the large overhang set up by the plane. "SAR?" The man's face hardened at thequestion. "Search and Rescue. Tracking?" he supplied. "Not search party tracking. No," Scully said, dropped her pack at her feet and shivered. There wasn't snow, yet, but the temperature and clouds were suggesting it. "Then what are you doing here?" he growled and turned to snarl at them. "If you don't know what you're doing, you'll only slow us down. Jenny and Towers don't have a lot of time left." Scully's heart twisted at the look of anguish etched into the man's face. "Sir, we're here to look into what caused the crash. We won't interfere with the search for your daughter." She tried to reassure the man without telling him Mulder's alien theory. He nodded and turned away from them abruptly. The radio at his waist was squawking. "Pops. we found one of Jenny's signs. It looks like one of them may be hurt." Both Mulder and Scully could here the worry in the disembodied voice. "How far, Jeff?" The man's knuckles were white around the black rectangle. "Three miles, south-southwest of the crash. Have John bring his men down this way to focus the search." There was a pause before the voice continued, "Pops, it looks like the sign was left sometime yesterday morning." "Understood, Jeff. Give me the coordinates and I'll have John rendezvous with you." The big man's tension did not ease as he relayed the message to John's party. There hadn't been any other sign in more than 24 hours. But they had been alive 24 hours ago. "What was the sign?" Ade's head shot up at Mulder's question. "Longtime ago, I taught my kids how to survive off this land. But I also tried to teach them how to ask for help when they needed it. Jenny was stubborn. She never would ask. Any sign found at all would mean she needed help." The man's eyes were tortured as he looked at nothing. After a few moments, he snapped out of the small trance. "You're looking into the crash?" he asked. Mulder nodded, but before he could speak, Ade was talking again. "FAA's already been here. So has the military." Scully blinked at that. "They only found signs that Towers was flying too low and snagged some trees. He kept his head enough though to pull back from a head-on collision with one and limped it here. Helluva landing, too. There's barely enough room to set a chopper down, let alone land a twin engine." A battered pickup drove into hearing range. A few minutes later a tired woman could be seen behind the wheel. As she got out of the cab, Ade walked over to her. "You can't do anything here, Sara." Scully winced at the roar. This guy did not know how to speak in a normal tone. "Well I can't do anything in Albuquerque either, Joe. At least now you won't have to call me when you find them." She patted the big man's cheek and started unloading gear. Scully watched the interactions of the two for a moment. Ade hadn't been too upset by the woman's appearance. It wasn't his wife. She wasn't sure how she knew that, maybe it was the body language. She looked around for Mulder as she shook herself out of her musings. He was staring at the wheels of the plane. "This thing didn't land Scully. It was placed here." He crouched down to get a closer look. She was going to disagree. She looked at the ground to point out the plane's path. There was none to speak of. Ten feet of brake path would not have been enough to slow down a plane going fast enough to be airborne. "You're right, Mulder." She paused in confusion. "Well that explains why the military was here." "Scully I think you just jinxed us." She whipped her head around to follow Mulder's gaze. Three soldiers had just driven up in a jeep. One stayed behind the wheel, as the other two headed toward them. Scully groaned at their determined looks. "Behave, Mulder." "Hey, it's me, Scully." She shook her head in despair. That's why she was worried. "Yeah, just don't get us shot. O.K.?" His grin widened as he stood up, rubbing his hands together. "What are you two civilians doing here?" A lieutenant, presumably, demanded. "FBI," Mulder said and reached for his ID. His hand slowed down as the other soldier fingered his rifle. "Agent Mulder. And this is Agent Scully." The lieutenant frowned at the valid ID. "We weren't informed about your presence, Agents. May I ask why you're here?" "We're investigating reports of several witnesses that claim they saw blue-white flashes of light about the same time the plane went down." Scully mentally groaned at Mulder's attitude. Here we go again. "Lightning? Or UFO's? This is the area for it, right?" Both soldiers were now sneering. "Yes, it is." Mulder then proceeded to describe in detail several abduction stories that had all occurred within 100 miles. Scully tuned him out and studied the ground again. The frosts so far had hardened the ground enough that deep impressions hadn't been made in the soil There was blood on both sides of the cockpit's windshield. They probably both had concussions. And by the mangled looks of the pilot's door, there may be a few other injuries. Two injured people and yet the only sign so far had been 3 miles from where the plane was. * * * * * He still wasn't completely coherent when she tried to wake him, and body temperature was low to the touch. She had struggled to get the dry shirt on him. His pants had not been wet, thankfully. She had probed at the scratches and they didn't seem that deep. She'd have to wait until morning to actually see them. They had water now, thanks to the earlier voyage outside of their hideout. After several hours, there had been no further signs of pursuit. She had ventured out of the cave into a world of shadows. She had found the pack at the bottom of the hill, inches from the creek. The reflectors on the side of the pack had helped her locate it. Was that how they had been so easily followed? It didn't matter anymore. She could get him into some dry clothes and the two survival blankets would help hold off the cold. Plus there had been several Powerbars. Gross, but edible. Her patient mumbled. She lowered her ear to his mouth trying to understand the low murmurings. 'I won't let them get you.' She didn't know who he was talking about. Had he seen who was chasing them? The minutes after the flash of light were fuzzy. She remembered biting her lip to keep from screaming, then yelling her partner's name. An eternity later, he had been running, pulling her behind him. She was clear from that point on. He'd tripped when he swung back to check on her. He'd lost his balance and gone over the side. Not far, but far enough to land heavily. She'd scrambled down the side to him. Blood and ice water had covered her hand as she checked his head. She had heard movement above them and she searched around frantically. A deeper darkness could be seen from the level they were at. She'd practically dragged him to it after checking for current residences. It wasn't very big or deep. But it would protect them from the elements and hide them from their pursuers. So far, it had done its job. Tears gathered, but she refused to let them fall. In no time at all he would be back to his old sarcastic self. She really wanted to hear him spouting off something about aliens, or werewolves, or vampires. Hell, mutant sewer slugs would be a welcome topic. Maybe if he were awake, she'd even find the courage to admit her love for him. * * * * * Mulder and Scully sat outside their tents and watched as the sky darkened. Joe Ade smiled tensely as Sara handed him a cup of coffee. Several other people from the search parties had wandered into the base camp. Jeff and John Ade were still about four miles away setting up their own sites. The three soldiers had been joined by three more and sat at their own campfire away from the others. "Are you going to ask Ade about the Missing Time?" Scully asked softly, staring into the flames. "Yeah." Silence fell again for a few moments. He reflected on how close they were sitting to each other, but realized the need as a gust of wind made the temperature drop about twenty degrees. "Mr. Ade, may I ask you a few questions?" Mulder checked to make sure no one, like the soldiers, could overhear them. Ade shrugged, but didn't say anything. Physically, the man was about three feet away. Mentally, he was out there with his daughter. "There was mention in the file about your daughter disappearing before." The older man nodded. Mulder was about to ask another question when Ade spoke. "Yes. She was about nine at the time." Mulder swallowed. That would have been about the same time Sam disappeared. "Her mother had just died. Jenny was confused and scared. She ran away. It was only for a day. It was the longest day in my life until now." "Where did she go?" Ade shook his head. "She didn't remember. We were living near Silverton, Colorado at the time. Her mother and she would always take long walks into the mountains. I figured she went to one of their places to grieve. I was so relieved when she came back that I didn't press for more information. The only thing she ever said about it was that 'Mom's happy, Pops. She'll miss us. But she'll watch over us until we can join her.' I had forgotten about that." The big man fell silent. Mulder didn't want to further intrude on the man's grief, so he remained silent as well. A little while later, he had Ade show him how to get to the witness's homes. He groaned mentally as he saw it would be easier to walk the eight or ten miles than to take the rented truck. Following roads would take twice as long, maybe longer. Everyone else crawled into tents and sleeping bags a few hours later. Mulder was on a different time zone and still couldn't sleep. He sat up by the dwindling campfire, shivering. He would be able to think just as well in the sleeping bag and tent, but then he wouldn't be able to see the stars. He stared at them for quite awhile, wondering if Sam was up there. Exhaustion finally drove him to find the warmth and lumpiness of his temporary bed. * * * * * =========================================================================== From: mason@umr.edu (Niki) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Blinding Flash of Light (2/4) NC-17 Date: 11 Nov 1995 21:52:11 GMT Disclaimer: Scully, Mulder, Skinner, Lone Gunmen, and other characters that appear on the show are not mine. They are property of C.C., 1013 and whoever else claims them. I do feel territorial of Dani and Jed. I don't know how they ended up in this story, but that's life. I think I got kinda corny in this. Sorry. I don't deal well with things that don't have scientific explainations. Anyway Alternate Universe Alert!!! NC 17 part at the end of this section. Blinding Flash of Light (2/4) by Nicole Mason * * * * * "The ranch is about three more miles, Mulder. I don't want to spend all day in the cold. Let's go," Scully ordered to a gasping partner. The altitude was effecting both of them, leaving them winded. "It's downhill," she cajoled. "Yeah, but it'll be uphill on the way back," he grumbled. It was too late to change his mind about driving to the sites. They finally arrived at the main house of the ranch, and were told to look for Joshua Gallagher in the barn. Inside was a lean individual that looked up in annoyance at their arrival. "Yes, I'm the one that phoned in the report. Josh Gallagher." "Could you tell us exactly what you saw?" Mulder was trying very hard to control his excitement. "It was about 7:00 pm. I was headed over here to check on my sick stallion. There wasn't a cloud out, yet I saw a flash of light. It *wasn't* lightning. I've lived out here all my life. I know what lightning looks like. Anyway, this flash of light was just a little bit above the treeline. I thought it was a jet until the second flash. It was way too low to be a jet, but too fast to be a smaller craft." "How long did the flash last? What was the shape? Were you aware of time passing?" Gallagher shot Scully a look, asking about Mulder's seriousness. At her impassive face, he answered. "It was a flash. I had barely noticed the light before it was gone. I suppose it was spherical in shape. It didn't last long enough for me to do more than see it. And as I said, only a few seconds passed until the next flash. I didn't think anything of it until I heard about the plane that went down the next morning. That's when I called in with the location." "Has this happened before?" "You mean flashes of light that accompany plane crashes?" He smiled at Mulder's unappreciation of the comment. "No it doesn't happen often. Maybe never before. A plane went down about five years ago, but that was during the day." "What about missing cattle?" "Now are you asking about aliens, Agent Mulder?" The man's tone sounded like he was speaking to a child. And since he appeared to be only a few years older than Mulder, it wasn't taken in stride. He really hated when people acted that way. "Yes. I am," Mulder stopped himself before he snarled. "No. The only cattle I've ever had turn up missing was due to a coyote. And there hasn't been that many over the years." Gallagher continued to care for the horses as he spoke with them. After several more minutes of questioning, they left for the other witness's place. A teenager working with his telescope had taken the picture that had found its way into the FBI basement. A mile and a half later, they were at the next stop. The 17 year old had been more than happy to stay at home to talk with them instead of going to school. "Well sir, I had the camera aimed at a constellation. Just before the timer went off, I lost my balance and hit the stand. I developed the film the next day at school and was confused about the shape of the lighted object until I heard about the plane crash from my dad. We gave a copy of the picture to a friend of his. He said he'd get it to the right people. I guess he did." The teenager shrugged as he finished the story. "But what did *you* see?" He shook his head at the urgency he heard in Mulder's voice. "Well, I saw a flash in that direction, that's why I lost my balance. I was trying to see what it was. It was weird when I saw the picture, 'cause it was the same thing. But the camera had been aimed at a different direction." Mulder was quiet for a moment and then asked, "Could you take us to the spot in the picture?" "Sure." The young man's eyes lit up at the prospect of no school for the entire day. "It's not that far." * * * * * It was getting colder. No snow yet, but the brief foray to the opening didn't look promising. There was no longer any light from the stars. He still wasn't responding completely when she tried to wake him. But then that was typical of her partner. The man never was totally awake until after a shower and at least two cups of coffee. She wasn't worried about water now, but food was still beyond scarce. She shivered again. She made her way over to her partner. They were protected from the wind, but hypothermia was still a possibility. She crawled between the survival blankets and wrapped her arm around his chest. He would never know, so she rested her head on his shoulder. She stayed awake for a long time just feeling him breathe. Eventually the beating of his heart under her ear lulled her to sleep. * * * * * "Tony are you sure this is the spot?" Scully looked around at the small clearing in confusion. It was absolutely quiet and undisturbed. He nodded and pointed to the jagged ledge in the background. "You can see that in the picture, behind the plane." Mulder stared carefully at the 8x11 he held in his hand. "Yes, vaguely. This is the spot, Scully." He looked around for charring, swirling patterns in the grass, broken tree limbs higher up. There wasn't anything but a quiet glade. Tony stood off to the side now and watched as the two FBI agents circled the small clearing. Lustful thoughts of the female agent entered his head. He couldn't see anything of her figure in the bulky coat she was wearing, but he could imagine it. He flushed guiltily as Mulder caught his eye. A hard glint had entered the man's gaze, a look Tony recognized as saying "She's mine." He cautiously walked over to Mulder when he motioned for Tony. He looked at the ground to where Mulder was pointing. "Been here recently?" Tony shook his head at the question. Mulder then called, "Scully!" "What is it?" she asked and squatted down to look at the object half hidden in the underbrush. "Part of a tire, I'd say." A eight inch chunk of poly(styrene-co- butadiene) laid silently in the leaves. Leaves were imbedded in the rubber where it had melted and then cooled. "Shall we?" he asked courteously and pulled a plastic bag from one of the pockets of the small backpack. "Let's," she agreed in the same courtly tone and added a smile. * * * * * The trek back to the camp was uneventful. Clouds hung heavy on the horizon, casting long shadows. They arrived just as the soldiers were leaving. The plane was still there and probably would be for a couple of days. The lieutenant walked over to them and asked, "Find your aliens, Mulder?" The words and the tone were sarcastic, but an underlining intensity in his eyes suggested he was serious. "No," he tried to sound realistically disappointed. By now the lieutenant had been briefed on who Mulder and Scully were. He caught Scully's eye and they laughed silently together. "No aliens yet, but the day's still young." The lieutenant smirked and walked over to his jeep. Looking decidedly smug, the soldiers drove off. "Well, we don't have to worry about them any more." "Don't jinx us, Mulder." He grinned at the comment and headed towards Joe. Just by looking at the man, he could tell they hadn't been found yet. He asked anyway, "Any more signs?" Joe shook his head. "My oldest, John is concentrating north and west of the last sign. Jeff and his team are combing the south and east. I don't understand it. There are no tracks. Jenny's good, but she would have realized we'd be looking for her." "Could she be hiding?" Mulder looked closely at Scully. What was she asking? "No. They haven't seen signs of anything except animals, and the one they found yesterday." Joe hung his head wearily and walked away. Mulder motioned toward the plane. Scully carefully inspected the wheels. One was missing a large chunk of rubber. They couldn't see how much was missing because the plane rested on part of it. "A sample is only going to show it's the same type of rubber," she warned. "It's better than nothing." She silently agreed and watched as he removed part of the tire and put it in a different plastic bag. "You want to head out tonight, or wait until morning?" Mulder watched the small stream of people as he thought about Scully's question. Apparently the Ades had a lot of friends willing to help with the search. He and Scully really couldn't do anything to help, so he was leaning toward leaving. The only problem was if they did leave now, he wouldn't be able to talk with the two people right away. If they were found. It was now four days. The odds weren't in their favor. "Let's get this looked at. The university can do it, right?" She shrugged and walked away. Mulder watched her for a moment, not quite sure what he'd said wrong. * * * * * He wasn't as cold as he knew he should be. Slowly the reason why registered. His partner was using him as her pillow. He smiled softly and smoothed his hand down her hair. He couldn't see the color, but he could feel the cool fire. His head hurt, his leg hurt, and his stomach felt like it was about to eat through his lungs. He wouldn't change his position right now for the world. It was so rare that he allowed himself to touch her. The only times he slipped were when she was asleep. Several stakeouts and football games came to mind. He wrapped his arms around her and thought about the last couple of hours. So much of it was blurry. Yet so much was clear. He did remember the crash. He remembered grabbing a pack, her hand, and then running. He also knew that he had fallen, which explained the headache and sore leg. He felt her stirring in his arms, yet he didn't loosen them. He wasn't ready to let her go. He wasn't sure if they were going to get out of this alive. O.K., that was a slight exaggeration. There was probably a search party looking for them, but he didn't know how far they were from the crash, and if it started to snow.... She was mumbling his name. He knew he was the one that started it, yet hearing her call him by his last name sometimes felt like she was putting a distance between them. Time for a change. She blinked at the low rumbling above her head. He was awake. "How are you feeling?" "Like I've fallen down the side of a mountain." Her smile was full of relief at the smartass comment. He was definitely feeling better, then. "Well, you did, you idiot." His grin now turned sheepish. She realized that she hadn't moved from her resting place. She tried to sit up and was hindered by the strong arms still around her. "Let me up." It didn't sound like an order, nor did it resemble a request. His arms remained where they were. Slowly he shook his head. She looked at him a bit confused. The confusion faded as his hand tunneled under her hair to the nape of her neck. Slowly his thumb massaged the sensitive skin. He pulled her up his chest a little until their faces were even. "I love you," he said with all of the emotion the phrase deserved. He could see she was stunned by the statement. Maybe he had hidden behind the facade of a friend too well. "I love you," he said again and pulled her down to meet his lips. He tried to watch her reaction as contact was established. He relaxed and closed his eyes at the sigh that had escaped her. Softly, so softly he molded their lips together. There was no way he was going to rush this. Not when she was relaxing into his chest and framing his face with her hands. She opened her mouth over his. She had dreamed about this. The type of dreams that were so vivid you were a little embarrassed the next day when you saw the object of your dreams. But this was better than her dreams. His taste was dark and smoky. She had thought it would be, but she hadn't quite captured the exact essence of it. Now she would have memories instead of dreams. He was going too slow. His tongue was gently circling her lips, lightly probing just inside of them. She opened her mouth wider to give him better access. She moaned softly in disappointment when he didn't take it. Well there was one way to solve that problem. His hand tightened in her hair and at her waist as her tongue moved deeply into his mouth. She played with the edges of his teeth and explored at will. He wasn't going to stop her from it. No, he was going to encourage her. His hand moved up and down her back, moving the shirt with it. He felt her leg move over his thigh to rest between his legs. He sucked in a breath as her hip pressed against his growing erection. He felt her smile against his mouth and joined her in the sheer joy of the moment. She sighed in relief as he took control of the kiss. Good, she had other things she wanted to concentrate on now. She moved one of her hands down his chest, flexing her fingers into the hard muscles. His hand had worked its way up under her shirt. She felt the calluses of his gun hand abrade the silk of her camisole. Such frilly underwear, she knew, but it had always made her feel good to wear such things under her work clothes. He twisted them, so that he was the one lying half on top of her. She had a moments thought for his sore leg. He didn't complain or even wince, besides if he was in pain because of it, they would have to stop. And she didn't want to stop. She felt his palm moving up the outside of her ribcage. Gently he cupped her breast in his palm and started to massage the aching globe. He felt her pull away from his mouth and arch further into his palm. He always marveled how a woman could be soft and firm at the same time. But the proof was in his hand. He ran his thumb over the hardening peak and felt a similar reaction in his groin. He sat up and quickly helped her do the same. Before she could ask a question, he quickly pulled her shirt and the sexy emerald silk over her head, trying to avoid the cold of the air around them. He sealed their mouths again and settled his chest over hers. Slowly he moved his whole body against her, luxuriating in the soft resilience of her skin. He trailed his lips along her cheek to her ear. He smiled at the small shivers he conjured from her and moved down her neck. He needed to taste her. She arched her back and gasped as she felt his hot, wet mouth tug at her aching breast. She tunneled her hands under his shirt and then ran them up and down his back. She wanted him to take it off, but she wasn't willing to give up the feeling of his mouth on her. His mouth was moving insistently over her flesh. She dug her nails into his waist trying to hold on. She wanted to pull him to her. But he was moving further down her torso. Her breasts were aching at the loss of his attention, but the rest of her was now screaming in anticipation. He was undoing the buttons of her jeans. While he was distracted with the stubborn material, she attacked his shirt. He pushed the jeans passed her hips as she arched up to help. At the same time, she moved the shirt down his arms. His entire weight rested on her for a second as he removed the shirt from around his wrists. The denim of his jeans was coarse against the softness of her inner thighs. He moaned as she shifted her legs along side his making room for him between them. His fingers flexed in the roundness of her hip and pulled her into his heat for a moment. She almost growled as she moved against his hardness trapped behind the clothing barrier. He moved his hand around her hip to her waist. He lowered his head again to worship her breasts and slowly trailed his fingers lower. His heart rate doubled at the heat and moisture he encountered. He couldn't help it. He started moving against her thigh, just to feel a little of the friction his body was crying for. "We can't." He could barely understand her, her breathing was so ragged. She gulped in a couple of lungfuls of air as his hand froze. He knew she wanted him. The proof was drenching his fingers. Slowly he flexed them. His smile was almost savage as she moaned and arched into the sensation. "Why not?" The words were low and said against her neck. Why not? her mind echoed. She loved him and had wanted this for a long time. Why not? She wanted to feel his flesh inside of her. She wanted to feel him exploding inside of her. That's why not. "No protection," she managed to say. Her hands were clenched in his hair and held him close as his teeth caught a nipple. It was painful for just a split second, then his tongue eased the small hurt. "You're not on anything?" She shook her head wildly. "There hasn't been a reason." She had to touch him. He was straining against her thigh inside of his jeans. She reached to lower the zipper. There were other ways. "Yes," he urged as her hands hesitated. His fingers were dancing over her damp flesh, teasing her as they flicked and tugged, tangled and plunged. Her hips surged upward seeking more of it. "But..." She gripped his belt loops trying to anchor herself. "My wallet," he managed. Then he groaned as her fingers attacked the zipper and relieved some of the pressure on his throbbing erection. He plunged his tongue into her mouth in time with the movement of his fingers. She was almost mindless now. She needed his weight on top of her. She moaned into his avid mouth as his heat filled her hands. Satin and steel. She could feel his heart beat as it echoed through his erection. Her thumbs massaged in strong counterpoint to his fingers that were stretching her. He pulled back after a few moments. She gasped in disappointment. He sat up and pushed the jeans out of his way. He winced slightly as the material pulled at the raw flesh of his sore leg. Fumbling, he reached for the pack and got the small foil object out of his wallet and ripped it open. They were both breathing heavily. She couldn't see what he was doing, but she could feel. With her hands covering his, they applied the latex. Her back was chilled now, but knew it would onlly be so for a few more seconds. He shifted and placed a hand on the inside of her thigh. She laid back and reached up to tangle her fingers in his hair. She moaned into his mouth as he guided himself to her center. "Are you ready?" he asked, his voice hoarse, as he paused at the hot, wet entrance. She forced her eyes open. She could imagine what his eyes looked like right now. Intense. Burning. Her dreams had played these images enough. She would have to wait until next time to shee how accurate she'd been. She arched upward to answere his quiestion. Slowly she felt his hard, hot flesh parting her, sinking deep into her welcoming core. Her eyes closed and her head dug into the pallet. It was good, so good just having him inside of her. Finally. But after a few moments it wasn't enough. She couldn't stop as her hips began moving. Internal muscles first contracting, and then the external muscles started rotating in a small circle. His hand burrowed under her to pull her closer. His lips found a spot under her ear as he started moving. At first the rhythm was slow. He 'd pull back almost all the way and hover just inside of her. Then just as slowly he forged his way back into the heated depths. They were both savoring the newness and the rightness of it. She wasn't sure who, but one of them started moving in a more demanding way. He still almost left her, but started to return sooner and with more force. Her heels dug into the thin blanket and then the rock beneath them as she tried to find some traction. His lips moved over her face and he raised up on his elbows. They were both panting heavily. Small whimpers were catching in her throat as he moved more and more forcefully. The smooth gliding rhythm was no more. The control he had over his movements was being ripped away. He groaned as her fingers flexed into his buttocks, pulling him to her. He tunneled one hand between their sweat soaked bodies. He searched out the erect kernel of flesh and added the extra stimulus of his fingers. Her entire body jerked and tightened beneath him. His mouth on hers caught the scream that was only partially trapped in her throat. He felt the spasms shaking her beneath him. He couldn't hold back any more, the internal massage along his engorged length shattered his control. With a growl, he quickened his pace and seconds later found his own release. She distractedly noticed the rapidly cooling sweat gathered in the small of his back. She didn't want him to leave her, but he had to. She shivered a little at the drastic change in temperature. Then she smiled softly as his arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. She felt his lips brush her forehead. Like they had said it a thousand times before, she said "I love you" with a yawn. He replied "I love you, too," and added another soft kiss to her temple. Whatever else happened, they now had this. * * * * * =========================================================================== From: mason@umr.edu (Niki) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Blinding Flash of Light (3/4) Date: 11 Nov 1995 22:02:33 GMT Disclaimer: Scully, Mulder, Skinner, Lone Gunmen, and other characters that appear on the show are not mine. They are property of C.C., 1013 and whoever else claims them. I do feel territorial of Dani and Jed. I don't know how they ended up in this story, but that's life. I think I got kinda corny in this. Sorry. I don't deal well with things that don't have scientific explainations. Anyway Alternate Universe Alert!!! Blinding Flash of Light (3/4) by Nicole Mason Mulder guided the truck carefully down the now worn path to the road. They only had about twenty more minutes until sunset. He wanted to be on what passed as a highway by then. Scully was quiet next to him, absently staring out the window. Briefly they had discussed the case. But until Towers and Ade could be found, all they had was a Sighting. They arrived in Santa Fe two hours later. It was too late to contact anyone at the university, except maybe a few overworked grad students. They checked into a motel, and were amazed at what now seemed like luxuries after only one day in the wilderness. Scully fell right to sleep after a warm meal and a hot shower. Mulder stayed up for a little while, but sleep claimed him almost as easily. The next day, they took the tire samples to be analyzed. Around lunch time, they were called with the results for the initial analysis. Mulder didn't completely understand the jargon being used to describe the samples. The task of translating the data had been passed on to a grad student, as is the way for such things. "It is the same co-polymer blend. The second sample looks like someone tried to thermally degrade it. It has a lower molecular weight." At the blank looks he was receiving he tried different wording. "It's made up of the same stuff. But, this one, when it melted, the crosslinker, sulfur, was lost. After that, the sample was heated enough to break some of the bonds of the polymer backbone, and evaporate the small portions off. It must have been an extremely hot fire that did this. The degredation is uniform. Where did you find it?" He asked and turned the melted sample around in his hands. "You can't tell us if this is the same tire?" Mulder wanted a simple answer. "No, I can't. The fire that melted this deformed it enough so that an exact match can't be made. As I said, the only thing I can conclusively say is that it was the same type of polymer." "Well thank you, anyway," Scully said diplomatically. Even though she'd been expecting the answer, she was still a little disappointed. Now they had to wait for Ade and Towers to be found. There was a message waiting for them when they got back from lunch. "Sara called," Scully said as she read the slip of paper. "Who?" "The woman at the camp." He nodded in recognition, "They think they found them." "Really?" "Yeah, so when are we headed back?" He looked at his watch. "Now is as good as time as any." They gathered their stuff. Mulder was opening their connecting door when the room phone rang. "Mulder," he said impatiently. "We got the info you wanted." Mulder relaxed as Langley's voice came through the wires. "Go on." "Towers claimed that he lost control, because he felt the plane move through an inferno." "Really?" "That's what we got. He ejected from the plane after and I quote, 'the wall of flame appeared and the controls started to melt in my hands.'" "Maybe the Air Force should talk with the M&M people. Where did this happen?" He asked as he scribbled notes down. Scully was staring over his shoulder. He moved a little so she could see more. "Southern Colorado. About 70 miles from where the plane went down this time." "Thanks. I owe ya," he said and smiled at Scully. "I'll add it to the list," came through before the connection was ended. Mulder hung up the phone and waited for Scully to precede him out the door. His hand settled in the small of her back as he pulled it closed behind him. He missed the small shiver, but caught the look in her eyes before she walked down the hallway. He took a deep breath and followed. The sun was setting by the time they turned onto the off-road portion of the trip. Mulder had to slow down for both reasons and was not happy. He kept the displeasure to himself though, because had Scully had dozed off. Her head was turned toward him, he let the sound of her breathing calm him. He lifted his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear and then softly ran his fingers down her cheek. Reluctantly, he let his hand fall away and returned it to the steering wheel. 'I love her so much,' echoed inside his head. "What was that?" Her sleepy voice sent a jolt along his nerve endings. "What?" "There was a flash of light." Mulder looked around frantically. "Where?" He followed the direction she pointed at. Another flash of light occurred right in front of them. "Shit," he said as the truck swerved off the path. He slowed down more. He felt like someone had just flashed their brights at him. A fraction too late, he saw the trees looming before them. The truck bounced roughly over one of the small ones and slammed the drivers side into one of the larger ones. He blacked out as he was thrown to the side. The seat belt hadn't been able to prevent his head from connecting with the driver's side window. * * * * * Scully was shaking him, calling his name. He still couldn't see clearly, he noted as he tried to focus. He lifted his hand to his aching head. At least this time, the injuries were due to a car crash instead of a fight he lost. "I'm O.K.," he mumbled and tried to open the door. The trees outside prevented it and he motioned for Scully to get out. He followed her out of the cab and tried to clear his aching head. He looked around. The sounds he was hearing were not friendly. The first clue was he couldn't see who or what was making the sounds. The second clue was he couldn't understand what they were saying. Whispers were overlapped until everything was a blur in his ears. He couldn't control the fear that invaded his entire system. "Come on, Scully," he said and reached for one of the packs in the truck. He felt the weight of his gun in its holster at his side. He grabbed Scully's hand with his free one and started running in the direction of the campsite. The whispers were still with them, but his sight was starting to clear. He still couldn't see what was after them. He looked back at Scully and saw that she was looking over her shoulder as well. At least it wasn't just in his head. If he was imagining being pursued, he wasn't alone. He fought the urge to run, but fear prevented it. It felt like they had been running for hours, and he wanted to see what was chasing them. He looked back again. A hole jumped out and attacked his foot. He let go of Scully as he felt gravity take over. He tried to catch himself and only succeeded in shifting the majority of his weight over the edge. He heard her call his name just as a jagged limb ripped through his jeans and into his flesh. As the pain from that injury registered, his head exploded in a cold shock wave. Scully scrambled down the side of the hill. The whispering she heard was causing an unreasoning fear. She couldn't see anything chasing them. She only heard it. But Mulder was injured now. She had to get them out of sight. She saw what looked like a cave and headed towards it. * * * * * She was cold on one side and there was a crink in her neck. Groggily she opened her eyes to find out why. Well for one, Mulder had hogged the blanket. She tugged at the covering and tucked it around her. Moving closer to the furnace that was her partner, she angled his arm to make a better pillow. She thought about putting her clothes back on, but decided not to when she realized that would mean moving out of his arms. She felt the one tighten around her and went back to sleep. When she woke up again she knew it was daytime. Mulder was nowhere to be seen in the small shelter and her clothes were under the blanket with her. Gratefully she pulled on the warm garments and emerged from the cocoon of survival blankets. She poked her head out the opening. A light blanket of snow covered the ground, so she could easily see what direction he'd taken. Taking a half of one of the powerbars, she went after him. She approached cautiously. He was sitting on a rock deep in thought. He turned as she stepped on a twig. Her heart soared at the slow smile. He held out a hand and tugged her in front of him. She rested against the rock and leaned her head back against his chest as he wrapped his arms around her. "It doesn't seem real, does it?" "Don't even say that. It was real," he emphasized his point be nuzzling her ear. "No. Not us. I meant the past twelve hours. Do you think they're still after us?" "Who?" "The - things- that were chasing us when you fell," she twisted to look at him. The confusion was apparent in his eyes as well as his voice. "Scully, what are you talking about?" "We were being chased after you ran into the trees. You must have heard it first. You grabbed one of the packs and started running, pulling me after you." She looked at him with a fair amount of concern in her eyes. "Don't you remember?" "I know we were running when I fell. But that's it. Until I woke up with you using me as your pillow." "And what a mighty nice one it was, too." She burrowed back into the portion of muscle she was talking about. A few seconds later, she asked, "Were you ever a boyscout, Mulder?" "For a very short period of time. Why?" "Well you follow the creed." He angled his head to look at her. "Aren't you glad?" Scully wanted to kick herself. Of course, she was glad he'd had some protection. She just wasn't happy about the reason why. She didn't trust her voice, so she just nodded. "It'd been in there for a while, Scully," he said softly and pulled her tighter to him. He relaxed as he felt the tension drain from her. He rubbed his chin along her hairline and heard the soft scraping of his beard against her skin. "Did you get whisker burn?" She blushed at the devilment in his voice. Now his comments were likely to be twice as bad. He laughed at her lack of response. He'd have to cool it, or they wouldn't be able to keep this to themselves. But, then again, some people in the Bureau had started the rumor years ago. "I wonder if Towers and Ade had been chased. If that was the reason why there wasn't any signs of them. Did they cover their tracks?" "Only one way to find out. Let's get back to the camp." "I hate to say this, but will anyone be waiting for us? I mean it was yesterday morning when they found them." Mulder realized they hadn't told anyone they would be coming back to the campsite. "You're probably right. But if we get back to the truck, we can get our phones and get out of here." They gathered what little gear they had. The sky was clear as they made their way up the steep incline. Scully paused for a second to look down at where they had been. Seeing all of the rocks and tress in daylight had her marveling at Mulder's good fortune. A headache and a serrated leg were nothing compared to what could've happened. Jest for a second she felt guilty about the night's activities. But only for a second, and only because he'd been injured at the time. They started walking in the direction she remembered coming from. After two hours they still hadn't seen any sign of the truck. They sat down to get their bearings. It wasn't the wrong way. It had been obvious where Mulder had gone over the side, even with the light snow covering. But, now, nothing was familiar. Imagining everything in shadows didn't help, either. It had been dark and they had been running blind. She hung her head. Why did this always happen to them? Why hadn't she stayed with teaching? With doing autopsies all day? With physucks? (deliberate misspelling) 'Cause she would've been bored out of her skull, that's why. "Let's go that way. Maybe we'll be able to see the truck from that height." Mulder shrugged at her suggestion and followed. He winced as the cold fabric of his jeans rubbed against the raw flesh of his injured leg. It was really going to hurt, once he thawed. They climbed the small incline and looked around. They couldn't see anything but more trees. There was no sign of the truck or a road. Mulder dropped the pack. "Where the hell are we?" Scully looked around, totally confused. "I don't know. We should've been back at the truck by now. Or at least to one of the roads." She looked around and remembered every time she had complained about him getting them lost. As she looked up at him, she knew he was thinking the exact same thing. "Don't say it," she warned. "And stop thinking it." The situation was not funny. They were somewhere in northern New Mexico with no food, no phones, and no clue as to where they were. And all she felt like doing was dancing with joy. A smile broke free from her control. Mulder tried to frown, the tables were finally turned, but he couldn't keep a straight face in the midst of her obvious enjoyment. Laughter broke forth as she tip-toed and kissed his chin. This was a side of Dana Scully he never knew existed. The playful sprite before him was bending down. He leaned over to see what she was doing and got a faceful of light powder. Totally disregarding their predicament, he launched a counterattack. It ended up being more like a flour fight because the powder wasn't wet enough to stick. He ended it by lightly tackling her. "Mulder," she tried, but could barely breath, let alone speak because she was laughing so hard. "You are not going to distract me," he stated firmly and held her wrists by her head. "What do you mean? I wasn't trying to distract you," she tried to say with her best catholic school tone. "We're lost. And it's your fault." There wasn't any rancor in his voice. His breath caught at the smile. "I guess so," she agreed. "You're not going to argue?" There was no way he was going to believe that. "No, I'm not going to argue. I'm just going to say this once: We were kidnapped by aliens, have no recollection of time spent there, and were then placed out in the middle of nowhere. A classic example of a Missing Time Episode." He stared at her in utter disbelief. "Isn't it possible, you just don't remember where we're parked?" There was so much skepticism in his voice, Scully convulsed with laughter. When she could breath again, he was sitting next to her with a bemused air about him. She sat up and pushed her hair out of her face. "We've been spending *way* too much time together, Mulder, if you'd rather believe we're lost due to ordinary means rather than extraordinary means." He just smiled. She could almost hear him say, 'And we'll be spending even more together.' She stood up and looked around. "Well the view hasn't changed." "Which way do we go, Scully? Which way do we go?" "The buzzards do a much better job of that, Mulder." Quite logically, she said, "That way." Mulder squinted in the direction she was pointing. "Any particular reason why?" he asked. She nodded as set out at a quick pace. "Are you going to tell me?" She shook her head and walked a little faster. "Scully." She smiled at the frustration in his voice. She relented. "Food, Mulder," she explained. "Can't you smell it?" He took a deep breath and let it out in a rush. Soon his long legs overtook her. She had to quicken her pace even more just to keep up. * * * * * =========================================================================== From: mason@umr.edu (Niki) Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Blinding Flash of Light (4/4) Date: 11 Nov 1995 22:11:22 GMT Disclaimer: Scully, Mulder, Skinner, Lone Gunmen, and other characters that appear on the show are not mine. They are property of C.C., 1013 and whoever else claims them. I do feel territorial of Dani and Jed. I don't know how they ended up in this story, but that's life. I think I got kinda corny in this. Sorry. I don't deal well with things that don't have scientific explainations. Anyway Alternate Universe Alert!!! Blinding Flash of Light (4/4) by Nicole Mason Not long after, they came upon the source of the food smell. The sky was starting to become overcast so they hurried their steps into the clearing with a house and a large garage in it. They both hid their reaction as they were welcomed to the people's home. "Don't move. Hands to the side. Slowly." "Must be from a city, originally," Mulder mumbled and slowly held his hands out away from him. Scully silently agreed. Not everyone would greet someone with the sound of a safety being switched off. She stared straight ahead at the short, pregnant woman. Well, not short, they were probably near the same height. The light wind was whipping her long, dark red hair around her. A few of the strands were caressing the nozzle of the assault rifle she held. "Move." Slowly they walked forward. The voice was something out of her nightmares. Cold, detached, completely devoid of anything but sound. "Jed, they're probably the two that are missing," the woman called in a reasonable tone, but kept the weapon at ready. "So, you're psychic now." A shiver went down Scully's spine. The voice still had no inflections. "We're with the FBI. And we're lost." Apparently, the woman found that humorous. Mulder scowled at the amount of mirth his statement generated. "Agents Scully and Mulder," Scully supplied, keeping her eyes on the woman and her hands relaxed as she held them chest high. "Don't try it, Agent." The woman's voice dropped twenty degrees. "He'll stop you before you even start." The curiosity and friendly wariness were gone and in its place was cold suspicion. "I don't suppose you have your badges with you?" Scully shook her head. Her's was in the cab of the truck with her gun and phone. No telling where Mulder's was. Probably in a pile of leave down the side of a mountain, along with his gun. "Your numbers." Mulder moved to look at the man speaking behind him, but the cold metal behind his ear stopped him. Scully tensed as well when the woman on the porch shifted the rifle slightly. "Your badge numbers." Mulder and Scully repeated the series of numbers and letters that identified them in most filing systems at the Bureau. "Dani." "Got it," she said with a smile and went into the house. The three remained outside. Scully tried to shift a little to see the man behind them. She could only move enough to see a large shadow. He wasn't as tall as Mulder, but he probably topped her partner by at least thirty pounds. A few minutes later the woman returned with the weapon. "They're legit." Slowly Mulder relaxed as the gun was lowered and the shadow stepped away from them. The man moved to stand before them and actually extended his hand in welcome. "You can never be too careful," he said by way of apology. "And I thought I was paranoid. Fox Mulder. This is my partner, Agent Dana Scully." "Mulder. Scully. I'm Jed Saetes and this is Dani Rutherford." The woman shook both agents hands. "You two are probably starving. Come on," she ordered and went into the house. "Jed, get ahold of Ade. He was bitching about going home." Scully stared in surprise as the man followed orders. There was a dark grace about him that was intriguing. She felt Mulder's stare and smiled at him. Dani laughed at the exchange. "I think so, too," she said and looked down the hall to where Jed had gone. "There's coffee and stir- fry. Plus feel free to use the showers. No, that wasn't a hint. And we have an extensive first aid kit for you leg." Mulder looked down at his appendage. The jeans were ripped, but you couldn't really see he was injured. He shrugged and decided to ease the knot in his stomach. The powerbar had been too disgusting to choke down even half of one. They were both busy shoveling the food into their mouths when Jed came back into the room. "Your truck's been taken to Taos, already. And your A.D. wants you to call. Joe's invited us to a wedding," Jed said the last part as he turned to look at Dani. There was still a tense air about him, but it was a lot less than earlier. "Wedding?" "Yeah, Towers finally broke down." Dani smiled and sat down at the table with the two agents. Jed moved to stand behind her. Mulder watched the pair carefully. The gun was no longer in view, but he figured Jed was still wearing it. He swallowed at the look he was receiving from the other man. "Walt wants you to call. Now. There's a secure phone in the office." Mulder almost choked on a green bean. "Skinner?" Jed nodded. Mulder was the one that was suspicious now. "How do you know Skinner?" "Don't worry, Mulder. He just wants to make sure you're not in a hospital somewhere." Mulder stood up and followed Jed to the office. "Scully?" "You're the division head, Mulder," she said and took another bite. She couldn't believe how hungry she was. A few moments later, she asked, "He said they moved the truck already? That was quick." Dani looked at Scully for a moment. "Not really." Suddenly Scully was very tense. "It's been three days since they found it." "Three days?" She set the fork down and looked around. "Where are we?" Dani's face remained impassive. "In relation to your truck or a town?" "Either." Scully's voice was hoarse. She jumped when she felt Dani's hand on hers. "About twenty miles from your truck. By roads, a little over four hours from Santa Fe." "Twenty miles?" Scully eyes shot to the hallway. She cold hear the same confusion in Mulder's voice that was in hers. "No. It would have taken a full day to get that for on foot. The accident was last night." Dani's forehead wrinkled in confusion as well. "The report that two more people were missing came out three days ago. Your names and general description were included. And Feds have been out at the site looking for you two since then." "Three days." Well chalk another situation up to one of Mulder's Extreme Possibilities. Wait. She was the one that made the suggestion this time. She definitely wasn't hungry anymore. "May I use your shower?" She could now feel the grubbiness of being in the same clothes for days. "Sure. And my clothes should fit you." Dani laughed at Scully's wide-eyed look directed at her stomach. "Old clothes," she amended. Mulder came back into the living room/kitchen area with an excited gleam. "You were right, Scully." "No, Mulder. There's an explanation for this." She just couldn't thing of one right now. "I'm going to take a shower. When I'm done, I want to look at your leg." She glared at him when he opened his mouth to say something. She could tell it was going to be suggestive just by the look in his eyes. He nodded and sat down to finish his meal. He'd asked Jed again how he knew Skinner and how they had check them out so quickly. But Jed wouldn't say anything. The office had been full of computers and various electronic equipment. The scrambler for the phone was indeed turned on as well. Skinner had been vocal in his disbelief. Mulder had tried to explain about the crash, but with Jed standing there he hadn't wanted to say too much.Then Skinner had asked why it had taken them three days to go twenty miles before they even tried to contact anyone. Mulder was shocked by that bit of information, but it would explain the face hair and the hunger. Skinner wouldn't appreciate his wounded look, so he'd simply replied, "We got lost." The exasperated sigh told him Skinner wasn't happy. "It'll all be in the report," he had finished. Now he was sitting across from a man that apparently couldn't talk, was on friendly terms with an AD in the FBI, and wasn't comfortable with strangers. Mulder breathed a small sigh of relief as Dani came back into the room. "Stop it, Jed," she said and hit the man's shoulder. He looked up in confusion. "What?" "Ignore him," she told Mulder and sat down at the table. "He has problems getting along with people," she finished with a glare at Jed. "Only with people that show up unexpectedly on my turf. I think it's time to move." At her raised eyebrow, he continued. "Too much damn traffic lately. Starting with you." She stuck her tongue out at him in response. Mulder continued to eat and even got another helping. By the time Scully was out of the shower, he'd finished two platefuls and was complementing the cook. Jed nodded his head in thanks and remained silent. Mulder watched Scully walk over towards him freshly scrubbed and looking healthy. The borrowed clothing was only a little bit loose on her. He reflected a moment on the sexiness of flannel. She sat down next to him. "Your leg," she ordered. Mulder winced as the thawed flesh throbbed at her words. "Let me get cleaned up. Then you can look at it," he wheedled. She relented with a nod. He wanted to touch her, but restrained himself. Jed was watching too closely. And Jed knew Skinner. Scully saw him waver and smiled in understanding. So did Dani. "Jed, get some clothes for Mulder, would you?" She laughed as Jed silently stood up and went into the other room. "He'll get better," she assured them. Jed returned and placed a pile of sweats on the table. "These should be long enough." Mulder mumbled a thanks and left to take his shower. Scully looked at her two hosts and smiled tightly. Dana and Dani exchanged small talk until Mulder came back. Jed had only made an occasional comment. Scully was definitely feeling tense and welcomed the excuse when Mulder was finished. She grabbed the first aid kit Dani had brought out and hurried over to the couch. She looked up briefly as Jed hurried to the office to answer the phone that wasn't ringing in the kitchen. "O.K., Mulder." "It's not bad. In fact it's scabbed over," he protested, but pulled the leg of the sweat pants up. Scully quietly looked at the long scratches that were indeed scabbed over. She took a deep breath. These were several days old. She cleaned them and applied ointment anyway. It was an excuse to touch him. "Any more?" she asked. Mulder leaned towards her as he nodded. "Where?" she said and uncapped the ointment again. "My back," he said near her ear. Her head jerked up and she looked over to where Dani was sitting. She ripped one of the bandages off his leg. "Ouch!" he cried, and did his best to look mortally wounded. It was hard with Scully glaring at him, but he did it. His expression turned a little guilty as he heard Dani laugh. He relaxed somewhat as he saw she was looking at the doorway behind him. Jed was looking extremely uncomfortable. "Skinner says they would understand." He then turned toward Scully and Mulder. The black eyes were hard and cold as he said, "And we won't end up in the report." That must have been Skinner on the phone, again. "Understand what?" Mulder asked without moving. Scully was still sitting on her heels with her hand on his leg. "Dani?" "Yes, dear." She walked over and sat down in the chair. "Jed's still a little uncomfortable about the possibility..." Mulder turned his memory on and said, "What possibility?" Scully twisted to sit on the floor, but didn't move away. "Well," she began and looked at Jed. "It seems there's a ..force... that...helps people." Jed continued to scowl, but sat down on the arm of the chair by Dani. "How?" "I don't know," she said. "What does this force do?" "You're not going to believe it," Jed interjected. "If I had a nickel for every time I heard that-" "You'd retire to Arricebo," Scully finished. "What?" "Well, almost three years ago, Jed and I, encountered this...flash...of light." Scully and Mulder tensed. "Where?" "The flash?" Mulder nodded. "We were near the Mexican border." "What happened?" Scully gripped her ankles as she pulled her legs into her chest. "We were working for-" "For?" Mulder asked as she paused. "It doesn't matter," she said quickly and continued. "We were partners and working on a case. During a....stakeout...we encountered this flash of light. We had finished our shift and were on our way back. We were stranded in the middle of the desert without any provisions, no food, maybe a pint of water, and nothing else. We were lucky it wasn't summer. " "And you lost several days?" "No. We knew each second that past. But Jenny and Towers did lose two of their days," Jed offered. "Partners that are now getting married." Dani nodded at Mulder's statement. "Are you saying that the flashes are some kind of Cosmic Love Boat?" Dani laughed and Jed smiled. "No, I wouldn't say that. I knew I loved Jed before we were lost. He later confessed that he knew he loved me before then as well." "What about Ade and Towers?" Scully wanted to turn the discussion a little away from where it was heading, but curiosity was defeating her. Jed answered, "I've known Towers for years. After he left the Air Force, I was the one that encouraged him to come to New Mexico and join the DEA. I was also the one that told him to tell his partner how he felt." Mulder was a little taken aback. That was more than the man had said since they met over an hour ago. "I'm not sure I follow," Scully said. "It's strange, I know, but you two have been in tense situations," Dani didn't wait for an affirmation. "You know what it's like to almost die or have your partner almost killed." She paused and Jed placed his hand on her shoulder. "You know how that type of stress brings a lot of emotions to the surface." She did wait for a response this time. She continued slowly as they tensed a little more, "When we were stranded, all of those emotions escaped. I couldn't explain the extent of the fear I felt. I still can't. It was only a remote possibility that we would die, but it was still there. And that possibility fed my fear." Jed spoke again, "I also know that if it weren't for that episode, I never would have admitted my feelings for Dani. Not even to myself, while we were partners." "You still worked together?" Scully asked. "Yes. We kept it quiet. People may have suspected, but there was never any proof. It wasn't until we decided on a baby that anyone knew for sure." "You're no longer working together?" Mulder was curious about what type of agency the two had worked for. He had an idea, but only that. "Obviously not active field ones," Jed said and patted Dani's stomach. "No. I do all the paperwork now. But later," she said in an ominous tone. Scully and Mulder were both thinking the same thing. They still could be everything to each other. "In a blinding flash of light, it was before all who would see the truth." The tone of his voice suggested sarcasm, but Jed looked completely impassive as he spoke, except for the tightness of his jaw. Scully wanted to change the subject. "What did Skinner say?" Jed flashed his teeth in relief. She couldn't call it a smile, but it did soften his features. "Which time?" "O.K. How about what did you tell Skinner?" If Skinner already knew, there would be no point hiding their new relationship. "Only that I had an explanation for your disappearance that most people wouldn't accept. Walt laughed and said Mulder probably had several explanations I wouldn't believe." "Well I hadn't thought we were gone long enough to come up with more in-depth explanations." He caught himself playing with Scully's hair as she rested her head by his knee. He tried to casually remove his fingers from the fiery strands, but both Jed and Dani were watching him. "Your flashes are three for three so far," he said with a shrug. "Mulder," Scully's voice was strangled. Dani spoke, "Don't worry. Who is going to believe in a story about how literally a flash of light made people acknowledge their feelings for each other?" She patted Jed's knee. "I wouldn't believe it, if I hadn't experienced it myself." "What about the time distortions? It hasn't been a full day since the crash for us," Mulder stated. "I honestly don't know. I can't tell you what it is, or how it works. I just know what the results are. I for one am grateful. I loved Jed, way before that assignment, but I couldn't risk losing my partner, my best friend." Scully was nodding her head slightly. "Maybe the time distortion was its way of keeping us alive at this time of year," Scully looked at her partner with the look she always gave him. "Oh, great. Now you believe in a All Powerful Matchmaker." Dani convulsed in laughter again at Mulder's wounded look. "Jed does the same thing," she said for an explanation. The person being talked about stared at her. In an affronted voice, he said, "I do not." Scully smiled broadly. A small silence descended. Dani broke it when she stood up and said, "We should get on the road if we want to get to Santa Fe before dark." "We'll still want to talk to Towers and Ade," Mulder said. "You'll have to ask them. But since you've experienced the same thing, it really isn't necessary." Jed's voice was hard again. "Yeah, but we weren't flying in a plane when we encountered it." "Whatever." He shrugged. "Dani, you're going?" She nodded eagerly. "I was going to wait until next week, but why not? Besides Jayne Ann Krentz's new one is out." "How do you know these things?" "I have my ways," she said with a wink. "O.K. I'll go warm up the Bronco," he said and left. "Be right back," Dani then said and disappeared down the hall. Jed was shaking his head when he came back covered in snow. "Forget it, Dani." "What?" came from a bedroom. "It's started snowing. Bad. I'm not driving down the mountain in this." She came out of the bedroom and headed toward the door. "Well, hell. The weather people were wrong again. You know, if they ever get it right, it's going to end up in a file in a basement somewhere." Mulder tensed at the obscure reverence to their office, but decided it was probably correct. "Decide amongst yourselves what's for dinner and who'll clean it up. I'm going to fix the other bedroom up. Maybe the snow will have stopped by morning." She turned on her heel and went back down the hall. "How many bedrooms do you have here?" Jed smiled at Scully's question. "Just two. Plus the office. We'll build another one starting in the spring. Dani always has people coming to visit." In the manner of a head waiter, he bent slightly at the waist and held his hands together. "And may I suggest the lasagna for dinner? It's one of our finest dishes. As long as I don't have to clean it up." "Sounds good," Mulder said and tugged Scully down next to him on the couch. "Scully'll do the clean up," he promised. "I don't think so. What's wrong with your hands?" "I wouldn't want them to get chapped from the dishwater. I have plans for them later." Jed laughed as he saw Scully go for her partner's throat. He hadn't heard what Mulder had said, but he could take a guess. The fiery color of Scully's cheeks gave him a clue. He just loved a woman with a temper. On that thought he started planning his next assault on Dani's. * * * * * ...The results of the analysis on the rubber samples retrieved are inconclusive. The sample was too deformed to match it with the plane's tire. Chemical analysis only showed that it was the same type of polymer. It has been suggested that the tire sample found had been subjected to a campfire or similar heat source which caused the deformation of the sample as well as partial decomposition. ...Interviews with Jennifer Ade and Zachary Towers lead to no further information on the flashes of light they encountered. They recalled being pursued, but could not identify the person or persons behind it. They also state having no recollection of the first 48 hours they were reported missing. Agent Mulder suggests possible alien abduction, but draws no conclusions due to lack of physical evidence. Mild cases of hypothermia is being postulated for the distortions of the time in question. As to our own encounter with two apparent similar flashes, I'm just glad it happened. Scully stared at the computer terminal for a second. She started to press the back space. Nope. Couldn't put that into the report. "Scully, are you finished?" "No. But I'll do it later tonight," she said and leaned back into the hands that were now rubbing the kinks out her shoulders. "That's fine. You can come over and then we can discuss the new information I have on Roswell." "Mulder, I have to feed my dog sometime." "O.K. Your place." His voice dropped in volume. At her ear, he said, "And I'll bring the chocolate sauce." "Make it butterscotch and you're on." * * * * end* * * *