***DISCLAIMER***: All "X-Files" elements and references
in this story belong to Fox Broadcasting, Chris Carter,
and 1013 Productions, and I am making no money from it.

Archiving: Link only, please!

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Fires
by shannono
shannono@iname.com


Vignette, Angst, Mulder/Scully UST

Rated PG

Spoilers for "Detour"

Summary: What Mulder dreamed during the night in the woods. Companion
piece to "Danger, Without and Within."

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Fires
by shannono


Fox Mulder settled, uncomfortably, a little further down into the soft
pillow of Dana Scully's body. His body was in pain -- as were his ears,
after Scully's little serenade -- but it was comforting to have her
protecting him. After all they'd been through, just knowing she was
near was enough, but she didn't know that. Not yet. But soon ... 

He half-smiled as he fell asleep ... and dreamed he was here, deep in
the Florida woods, but standing at the edge of a clearing full of camping
supplies. A tent, backpacks, food -- and, of course, that sleeping bag he
had wanted to appear so badly just a few minutes earlier.

He looked across the clearing as she walked into sight, so cute in her
jeans, hiking boots, and flannel shirt, with a load of branches in her
arms. Catching sight of Mulder, she said, "Hey, aren't you going to help
with the fire?"

Transfixed, Mulder could only nod as she placed the wood in the center
of the clearing, arranging it into a neat pile. He slowly walked forward,
realizing as he did that he carried a few logs as well. He stopped near
her and bent to place the wood on the ground, his eyes never leaving her.

Without looking up, she reached out and said, "Hand me that biggest log,
will you?" Still moving slowly, he reached for the log and placed it into
her outstretched hand. She added it to her pile, then stood smoothly and
reached into her nearby backpack for a box of matches. "Glad we
remembered to stop at the store for these," she said, smiling as she
glanced up at him.

That one brief look hit Mulder like a whip, nearly buckling his knees.
He sank slowly into a squat, balancing himself with one hand, and watched
as she turned back to the fire. Lighting a match, she held it out toward
the branches, which ignited quickly and began to burn.

"There," she said, "that's better." She stood again and replaced the
matches in her backpack, then turned to look at Mulder. As their eyes
met, the smile on her face slid away at the fire in his. Before she could
speak, he reached for her arm and pulled her toward him.

"Mulder? ..."

"Dana ..."

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