Please do not post to ATXC - I’ll do that myself... and Please Archive... grin... All Characters copyright of TenThirteen Productions and Chris Carter. No infringement intended on any part... go ahead, take me to court... I'm using the insanity defence... heh, heh, heh... Comments, complaints and just plain talk to sheryl_martin@goodmedia.com Summary: Flickfic - between the final snow scene and back in civilisation... Spoilers: The movie, natch... Rating: G... really... and a bit of a story, if you must know... Socks by Sheryl Martin Taking a deep breath, Dana Scully looked up at the unforgiving sky; the dark clouds in the distance signalling an approaching storm. Unfortunately, that was the least of her worries at the moment. She was cold. Deathly cold. Emphasis on the death part. Lying in the snow with the unconscious Mulder in her lap, she could feel the first tremors begin to rack her body; shaking her from the core outwards - the wet and sweaty clothing she was wearing not helping her situation any. Not to mention the soggy socks clutching at her feet; already giving her nightmares of frostbite and of amputation. It was time to move. Now. Staggering to her feet, she leaned over her partner; tapping his face gently at first, then with an increasing strength until she was almost slapping him. "Mulder..." The demanding tone rose. "Mulder..." Now she was yelling; both hands entwined in the thick vest covering him, her face mere inches from his. His eyes flickered once, then opened; wide and unfocused. "Whatta..." "Mulder..." She locked her eyes with him, willing him back to her. "How did you get here? Where is the plane?" He stared at her for a long second, his brow furrowed in confusion. Then his lips opened, the words whispering out. "Snowcat... beyond the ridge..." Whipping her head around, Scully looked at the craggy ridge not far from them. Staggering to her feet, she wavered for a second before finding the strength to pull Mulder up alongside her; her arm around his shoulders in an ironic reversal of the previous few minutes. "We've got to get out of here..." The strong voice sounded strange to her, her inner voice reminding her of the clinical signs of frostbite and of impending death by exposure. Mulder nodded, wearily dragging his booted feet as he stumbled along beside her; bent nearly double to allow for her arm to slip around him. His mind registered that they were moving, that they were safe, that he was cold and that Dana Scully was a damned attractive woman. A chuckle slipped free as they staggered around the edge of the ridge. Scully paused, looking over at him as she panted for air. "I'm not even going to ask..." Looking up, she saw the vehicle waiting patiently in front of them. "Just keep moving..." Pulling open the door, she gestured to Mulder. "Get inside - and tell me that you've got the keys for this..." Grabbing ahold of the handle, the tall man took a painful breath and pulled himself up into the small cab. Falling in facefirst over the seat, he stared at the thick black material for an eternity until he felt hands pushing at his hips. "Mulder, move over... we have to start this thing..." Mumbling an apology, he pulled his feet in and sat up; leaning against what could be roughly called the passenger window. Scully slid in beside him, closing the door. "Keys... keys..." She looked furtively at the controls and then at Mulder. Digging into the pockets of the parka she wore, the redhead quickly came up with the set of keys. Poking them into the ignition, she turned them. Nothing. "Mulder..." Her breath came out in frantic pants now; her last bits of strength draining away with each new hurdle. "How did you plan to get home?" Raising a hand, he smiled. "Aux... aux... the extra tank..." A finger waved at a switch set below the steering column. "Switch..." The hand fell back onto his lap as he shivered, his head falling back onto the seat as the words came out in white puffs of steam. "Cold..." Reaching down, Scully found the switch and flipped it; twisting the key again. The engine burst into life, the hot air rushing out of the vents and around them. That was it. She was finished. Letting her head flop onto Mulder's shoulder; she closed her eyes and let the darkness dance around the edges of her consciousness. An eternity later Scully awoke; feeling nauseous. Wrenching her eyes open, Scully lifted her head; scanning the landscape through the clouded windows. It could have been hours or minutes since she had passed out. The sun still blazed overhead, offering no solace or information. Sitting up, she looked down at Mulder. His lips slightly ajar; a low rumbling snore rolling up from his chest. Oh, god... She couldn't feel her feet. Reaching down she felt the wet soggy material wrapped around her feet; thick woollen socks that had never been intended for outdoor trekking in snow. Pulling them free, she tossed them back over the seat; rubbing the numb skin quickly. Looking around the small space, she spied a blanket lying in the back behind their seats. Pulling it forward, she wrapped it around her feet. Mentally she began a body check; trying to calm the panic threatening to overcome her. Pulse - rapid but steady. Vision okay, a bit blurry but getting better. A bit of nausea - but diminishing as time went on. Just the numbness in her feet at the moment - her hands were okay and all motor functions working as best as could be expected while dealing with a traumatic event. Oh, yes. She was naked. Well, under the clothes. Under his parka and his snow pants. Oh. This was not something to think about right now. Right now she had to get the two of them back to anything resembling civilisation or the question of what had happened between that moment in Mulder's hallway and waking up to his face and goo spewing out of her mouth would be unanswered and redundant. Mulder snored peacefully beside her; oblivious to her struggle. And where the hell was here anyway? In the snow, obviously... but Alaska, the Yukon... God, let it not be Russia... She looked around quickly, searching for a map or some sort of hint as to where they were. A slip of paper poked out from under Mulder's leg on the seat. Slipping her hand under his leg carefully, she pulled the scrap free; ignoring his flash of a smile. The coordinates were... She frowned, trying to revive old memories from geography class. They were in... Antarctica? Her jaw dropped open at the revelation. Mulder had come all this way to find her; to save her. A thick veil of moisture clouded her vision as she looked at the sleeping man beside her. Reaching out, she stroked his chin; noting the stubble as he murmured something illegible in his sleep. Reacting to her touch, a single eye partially opened; taking in her worried expression. "Next time I'll bring the camera..." He whispered through chapped lips. "And the syrup for the sno-cones..." "Sure, Mulder..." She choked out, not wanting to lose her last reserves of composure too quickly. "And I'll even wash out your socks for you..." Lifting his right hand almost painfully, Mulder slipped it inside a pocket; dragging it out with a thin chain wrapped around the trembling fingers. "Your mother would kill me if I lost this..." He whispered as she disentangled the cross and chain from his hand. Instinctively Scully undid the clasp; putting the chain around her neck as he watched in silent approval. Reaching over she took his hand, entwining their fingers as she squeezed gently. "Thank you..." "Next time, you're buying... something sweet..." He chuckled wearily, his eyes closing again of their own accord as he retreated back into sleep. She sat back, envying him his rest for a minute. Wanting to join him; images of the two of them entwined in a soft plush bed with a thick comforter covering their bodies flashing across her inner eye in an unchallenged moment of weakness. But they still had to get home. Looking at the controls, she gingerly put the engine into gear; feeling the Snowcat lurch ahead as she pressed down on the gas pedal with a blanketed foot. Turning the vehicle around in a wide circle, she saw the tracks leading back across the snow. There were other tracks, but only one that matched theirs. And that was the one she was going to follow. She didn't know who else was out here. She didn't want to know. Right now she didn't want to think about the awful taste in her mouth as she stared at his worried face; the jarring pain in her chest that drove her back down into the dark or the memories of his lips on hers and his pleas to breathe, breathe Scully and the climbing and the climbing and the climbing and the falling and the snow. Later. She could think about all that later. Jamming her foot down on the pedal, Scully grinned as the heat and sensation flowed back into her toes and fingers. He might have come here to save her, but at least she had a chance now to return the favour. Again. This time. And for some reason she knew it wasn't going to be the last. ******************