In the Light of the Frozen Moon (2/?)
by Decoyly

Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully aren't mine, they belong to CC and Co.
Absolutely no copyright infringement is intended! Just some 
pre-movie excitement! :)

Feedback:  decoyly@gmail.com

Rating: PG

Classification: MSR

Summary: Started out in response to DD's comment that Mulder 
takes off his shirt in the new movie (see part one), but since I 
can't sleep waiting for the new movie anyway, I decided to 
continue the story. Therefore from here on out, it is it's own 
WIP with it's own storyline. :D Hope you enjoy it!

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Mulder wasted no time explaining his unconscious partner to the 
rest of the agents as he barged through the lodge door and carried 
Scully towards the stairs. Behind him others talked.

"What happened?" a stunned agent asked, looking up from the file
in his hand.

"Fell through the ice."
 
"Looks like you weren't so lucky yourself."

Mulder ignored the conversation, shoving the door to his room 
open, thankfulthat for once they were staying in someplace nice. The 
FBI had sequestered the entire Inn for such a high profile search, 
and they clearly didn't expect this case to be over anytime soon. 

Mulder pulled back the thick down comforter, shooting a relieved 
glance to the gas fireplace in the corner. He'd have to thank 
whoever had started it ahead of time. Scully groaned softly as he 
laid her onthe bed and began tugging off both their clothes. 

"It's okay Scully, hold on." 

Stripping to his boxers, Mulder quickly slid under the covers, 
wrapping his arms around his partner, warming her with his own 
body. They were miles from any hospital and right now the only 
emergency help he had to offer was himself. He hoped it would 
be enough.

There was suddenly a wonderful heat in front of her and Scully 
instinctively moved closer. Strong arms wrapped around her, tucking 
the covers carefully into place, and Scully realized that the heat 
was a person.

"Mulder?" her voice sounded weak and distant even to herself. 

"I'm right here Scully, don't worry." He tucked her under his chin, 
pulling her closer, trying his best to warm her core. She had no
idea how long she had been out, how long it had taken them to get 
here, but she didn't have to be a doctor to know she wouldn't have 
lasted much longer without Mulder's help.

"What happened?"

"You fell through the ice."

"No I mean with the light," Scully said, her voice slurring 
slightly. She couldn't believe how tired she was! Maybe 
she could just take a quick nap...

Mulder was in the middle of explaining that after the sudden flash, 
the light had disappeared completely, when he realized Scully 
was starting to nod off again. 

"Hey," he shook her lightly to get her to focus. "Scully?" She 
opened her eyes slowly and to keep her awake he asked, 
"When did you notice the light?" 

She thought for a second then answered, "Right before Agent Michaels 
fell through." 

Leave it to Scully to remember the guy's name even while fighting 
hypothermic shock.  The thought made him smile. It would take a lot 
more to beat that woman's mind than a little cold water.

"But it was hot."

"What was?"

"That light..." Scully closed her eyes and shifted closer, 
unconsciously sliding her cold feet between his warm legs.  Just 
when he thought she was going to add more, there was a knock 
at the door.

"Agent Mulder?" 

He recognized Ivy, the young woman ran the front desk and called her 
in. The pretty brunette appeared with more blankets, some wet 
clothes, a hot water bottle, and a steaming mug. She glanced at the 
two FBI Agents huddled in bed, hesitated only a moment, and 
quickly headed for them.

"I heard what happened." She set the extra blankets down and handed 
over the washcloths. "Put this on her neck." 

Mulder did as he was told, noticing that Scully had drifted off 
already. He swore silently and slid the warm washcloth beneath 
his partner's hair to rest against her neck. 

"Is she conscious?"

"She was."

Ivy frowned, laying the back of her hand across Scully's forehead. 
"You've done a good job keeping her warm. She's probably just 
exhausted. You'd be surprised how much energy cold water can 
zap out of you." 

She smiled at Mulder as she set the hot water bottle down on the 
comforter, carefully edging it up against Scully's back.

"I don't want it to be too hot yet," she explained. "Just in case." 
She nodded towards the coffee cup.  "When she wakes up give 
her small sips. But not too much and not too fast. She needs to 
warm up slowly."

Mulder glanced down at his sleeping partner, worried. She was still 
breathing and he could feel her heart beating against his, but was 
she really going to be okay?  

"You could probably use some of that tea yourself," Ivy said, 
frowning at him. "And you might want to drink some before--"

"Oh thank goodness you're both okay!" 

Mulder and Ivy turned to find Ivy's great aunt, Claire, hustling 
quickly into the room, adjusting her floor-length robe and 
carrying another blanket and steaming coffee mug. Although the 
woman was in her 70s she was as strong as an ox and just as 
persistent. She and her niece ran the inn all by themselves and 
had graciously opened up their home to the FBI. Aunt Claire, as 
she had insisted they call her, had taken it upon herself to 
personally see that they were all taken care of. 

"This one's for you dear," she told Mulder handing over the mug. 
"Drink up. I won't have you kids catching pneumonia on my watch."

Thankful for their help, and forewarned by agents who had arrived 
last week not to cross "Aunt Claire", Mulder quickly took a drink
and handed the mug back. He felt the heat of the green tea all the 
way to his stomach. 

"How is she?" Aunt Claire asked, already laying another blanket over 
Scully. Ivy went to check the fireplace.

"I think she--"

"Mulder?" Scully stirred at the sound of his voice.

"You're going to be just fine dear," Aunt Claire said, squeezing 
Scully's shoulder. "Thanks to your partner here." She grinned at 
them both then turned to Ivy. "Have you checked on the others?"

"Not yet."

"Let's go then." Aunt Claire shot a quick glance at the mirror, 
adjusting the curlers in her white hair and steered her 
niece towards the door. "If you need anything," she said, 
"And I mean anything don't hesitate to ask!"

"Thank you," Mulder said.

Ivy shot him an apologetic look as she was dragged out the door, and 
Mulder turned back to his partner. She was still cold in his arms, 
but at least her color was coming back. She was warming up.

"Who was that?" Scully asked, opening her eyes to look at him.

"Ivy and 'Aunt Claire'." Mulder grinned and Scully returned his 
amusement with a small smile of her own. He brushed back a lock of 
her hair to see her face. "How you doin'?" 

"A lot better than I was." Thanks to her partner. A sudden shiver 
shook her and she instinctively moved closer to him. Mulder 
tightened his arms around her.

She immediately felt bad for making him worry. "Seriously Mulder, 
I'm fine." 

Scully started to pull away, but Mulder tugged her back. "You're 
cold."

"Stop worrying."

"I can't."

They stared at each other a long moment until Scully finally 
relented, relaxing to let him hold her.  As much as neither of 
them wanted to admit it, he needed her there just as much as 
she needed him. 

"I can't believe I just walked right into it," she mumbled after a 
moment and Mulder merely said, "Could have happened to anyone."

She was still freezing, could still see the black water closing in, 
swirling around her every time she shut her eyes. And what was 
that light? Before she could even chance a guess, Mulder spoke.

"Scully?" The tone of his voice caught her full attention. Something was 
wrong. She shifted to look at his face, to read his eyes, silently asking, 
'Yes?' 

"I know I said this was the right thing to do." He brushed her hair 
back again, letting his hand linger on her cheek as he added 
quietly, "But what if I was wrong?" 

Oh no. She could see it in his face. The guilt, the doubt and second-
guessing. She had to stop him now before his constant need to blame 
himself for everything that went wrong ate him alive. 

"Mulder don't do this."

"It's just--" he let out a soft sigh, wrapping his arms around her 
again when she suddenly shivered. "You almost died back there 
Scully."

"How many times have we both cheated death?" she was teasing but 
somewhere in the back of her mind a little voice answered, And how 
many more lives you do really have?

"That's just it," Mulder answered, tucking her under his chin as he 
added, "Do we really want to do this again Scully?"

She was shocked he was even considering not doing this. All these 
years of hiding out, operating in secrecy, slowly trying to rebuild 
everything they had and now, just when everything looked like it 
was finally coming together, Mulder was the one questioning 
whether it was worth it or not? 

The very fact that he would give up everything he had been working 
so hard for for so long just for her brought tears to Scully's eyes.

Quickly blinking them away, she pulled away from her partner's 
warmth once again to look him in the eye. She needed him to
know she meant every word of what she was about to say.

"Mulder you can't give up. You haven't even after all these years, 
and you were right. These people need your help." She paused a 
second then caught his hand, giving it a squeeze as she added, 
"Nothing's changed."

"But so much has..." 

"You're still you and I'm still me, and we're not about to let 
this thing beat us," Scully said firmly. 

"Both too stubborn huh?" Mulder said with a smile, and Scully 
slowly began to relax.

"Absolutely."

He stared at her a moment then said simply, "Okay."

"Okay."

She settled back into his arms, thankful for his warmth, 
thankful that he wasn't sinking into horrible guilt-mode. She 
couldn't stand what it did to him.

"And I was wrong Scully," he said suddenly, breaking her thoughts.

She waited silently for him to elaborate.

"These people don't need my help, they need *our* help...I can't do 
this without you."

Again the emotional weight of his words brought a lump to her 
throat. "Mulder I meant what I said before. Nothing's changed. Like 
it or not, you're stuck with me."

Mulder chuckled softly, absently stroking her back. "I could say 
the same to you."

Scully smiled.

"It's just..." Mulder said, hesitating a second before finally 
admitting, "I just forgot how hard it was."

"What do you mean?" He was still as brilliant as ever. As 
stubborn. As relentless in his search for the truth...

"Putting you in danger," he said, surprising her even further by 
adding, "Having to remind myself time and again that you can 
take care of yourself, that it's impossible for me to be there all 
the time to protect you."

"Mulder..." She'd felt the same way for so long, but neither of 
them had ever admitted it openly. Somehow saying it out loud 
made it that much more real. "I feel the same way about you."

This apparently surprised her partner, because he let out a
surprised laugh and kissed her forehead. 

"Well then," he said, grinning.  "I guess you're right. Nothing has 
changed."

Feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders, Scully scooted closer 
to her partner, resting her head on his chest. 

"Think we should call Skinner?" Mulder asked and she could 
hear the smirk in his voice.

"You going to try to convince him to reopen The X-files again?" 

Mulder laughed. "Worked before, didn't it?"

Scully couldn't help but let out a sad laugh. Some things really 
never did change. "I'm sure he'll be glad to hear from us."

Mulder grinned, locking his arms around her. "I'll call him in the
morning."

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Okay I admit it. I'm addicted to writing again. Oh how glad I am
that The X-files are BACK!!! :D Thanks for reading!