Home Is Where The Heart Is (6/8)
by Amanda Hawthorn

Feedback: amanda_shepherd@live.co.uk         
Rating: R
Spoilers: Home Again (10 x 4)
Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully do not belong to me unfortunately.

Author's Notes: Thank you as always for your reviews, PM's,
favourite author/story/follows. I really do appreciate every one of
your comments. I am a full time carer for my sick husband so I
don't get a lot of time to get online to respond to everyone, but
please know I read every comment. 

Thank you to my friends Purdy's Pal, JediSkysinger and DaisyDay
for being my rocks


Chapter 6

Scully lead Mulder through the hall and towards the stairs, pausing
momentarily to look into the study. The photo album with all of the
pictures of their son was still on the desk where they had left it, and
she fought with every fibre of her being to not rush in and retrieve
the precious item. Beside her, Mulder tightened his hold on her
hand and stopped her from moving further up the stairs as he slowly
turned her around.

"It will still be there in the morning," he told her softly, his gravelled
tones bringing her eyes up to his.

Scully could see the love and fear radiating from his eyes, knowing
that he could see much the same emotions mirrored in hers. Part of
her wanted to rush into the study and hold onto that photo album
and never let it go, but she knew that those precious images would
always be ingrained inside her forever. What mattered was the here
and now...and the man beside her was very much her now.

Shaking her head she stepped a little closer towards him, invading
his space as she lifted her free hand to lay it against his cheek.
Everything passed between them in that one simple gesture, paving
their future of what was to come.

Wordlessly she dropped her palm from his face and stepped away
to tug on his hand, pulling him with her as she began her ascent up
the stairs, taking him with her.

Mulder followed blindly, unsure of what she actually wanted from
him tonight, but he knew that he would give her anything that she
asked him for. He loved...adored...cherished...and any other
endearment he could think of in his addled mind...he was hers.

When they got to one of the bedrooms close to the stairs, Scully
opened the closed door and stepped over the threshold to lead him
inside as she pushed the door shut to enclose them inside. In was
only then that she released his hand to move across to the window
so she could pull the drapes across before turning on the light.
When she turned she was surprised to see him still standing in the
same spot, his eyes following her every movement, and she found
him all the more endearing in that moment.

She could feel the swell of nervous tension that radiated from both
of them and made a mental note of how ridiculous it all was. They
had been together intimately for many years now, but tonight it
felt...*different* somehow.

Taking a step closer towards him, she followed her instincts and
gravitated into his body, welcoming the warmth as his arms
enclosed around her. She laid her cheek flush against his chest,
listening to the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her ear. She
didn't know what was going to happen tonight...but she knew she
was where she needed to be right now.

Mulder's pulled her in closer to him, allowing his body heat to seep
into her. She had been running on nothing but sheer willpower alone
since her mother had died. He'd been worried about her more in
the past few weeks than he had in all of their years together... and
whatever she needed from him he would gladly give it to her
willingly with all that he had.

Slowly she moved against him, turning her face so that she could
place a kiss into the exposed skin of his throat. She allowed her lips
to linger there, pressed against his pulsepoint as she took comfort
from the steady rhythm of his heart for a moment before she slowly
pulled away to glance up into his eyes.

"Will you stay?" She asked softly, suddenly feeling less sure of
herself. "I..."

"Yes..." he whispered, his voice pushing away her worries as he
framed her face with his hands. "For as long as you need me..."

His words sent a surge of tears to flood her eyes but she didn't try
to blink them away this time. He was here, they were together and
that was all she needed.

"Forever?" She asked with a shaky smile, expecting him to smile
and joke just like he always did, but when he gazed upon her with
so much love, she found herself beginning to unravel.

"Always," he told her honestly, as he slowly dipped his head to
place a kiss onto her forehead...her eyes...her cheek...until he finally
came to a stop and hovered over her lips...their breaths
intermingling as he inched even closer until he sealed them together
in a soft, sweet kiss.

When they pulled away, slightly breathless, Mulder laid his
forehead against hers and smiled down into her eyes.

"We should get some sleep," he murmured as he danced his
fingertips up and down her arms. "It's been a long day."

"Yeah," she told him on a sigh, her eyes closing briefly as she
allowed his love to wash over her. "I am...tired."

Mulder placed one last kiss onto her forehead and stepped away to
look at the double bed that would be theirs for the night. Reaching
up for his tie he started to loosen the material until it came away
from his shirt and draped it over the back of the single chair that sat
beside the bed.

He fully intended to sleep in his clothes to give Scully all the time
she needed, so when he toed off his shoes and sat down onto the
bed, he was surprised to see her watching his every movement.

"Are you okay Scully?" He asked worriedly when she stepped
towards him to lay her hand on his shoulder.

"I just remembered I don't have anything to sleep him."

Despite the seriousness in her voice, Mulder couldn't help but smile.
Lifting his hand to place it over hers on his shoulder, he turned his
head to place a kiss onto the inside of her wrist.

"Don't worry, Scully. I'll sleep on top of the covers," he chided. "I
won't look..."

Scully smiled despite his attempt at humour to ease his fears. She
couldn't believe how two people who had seen each other's naked
bodies on so many occasions, could actually feel so, *nervous.*
They had been lovers and partners for over two decades. They had
a child together...so why were her legs shaking? Taking a breath
she opened her mouth to tell him not to be so ridiculous when she
instead followed her instincts and placed her fingertip over his lips,
the gesture halting anything he was going to say.

"I want to feel *us* again..." she told him honestly, the emotion in
her voice causing her whole body to tremble. "I don't...want to
be...without *you* anymore."

Mulder held her gaze as he pursed his lips to kiss her fingertip,
watching intently when her eyes slowly closed. Moving his hand
over her fingers covering his lips, he turned his head to press a
warm kiss into the centre of her palm, all the while watching for any
signs from her that she didn't want him this close to her.

Scully opened her eyes and smiled down at him, already feeling
those fluttering worries slowly disappear when his kisses became
bolder... and he pressed his lips over her wrist and further up the
inside of her arm. His tenderness seemed to awaken her body as
every touch of his lips sent sparks throughout her senses, causing
her to come alive beneath his touch. She could feel those dark
edges of sadness slowly melting away as he pressed his lips to her
skin. She was losing herself and her sorrow in the wake of his
love...and she never wanted it to end.

She kept her eyes focused on him as he continued his gentle
onslaught. Scully could already feel herself buckling beneath his
touch and his lips hadn't gone any further than her arm. She drank
him in, relishing every touch, every kiss and every single caress.
Was it wrong for them to be doing this now? Was this appropriate
behaviour while they were in her mother's house and on the night of
her funeral? Clamping her eyes closed she fought against the
imaginary voice of her brother in her head...she would *not* allow
Bill to ruin this for them now, especially when she knew her mother
would surely be rejoicing at their impending reunion.

"Scully?"

At the sound of his voice, Scully opened her eyes and found herself
caught in his concerned gaze. Up until this moment she hadn't
realised that he had pulled his lips away from her skin, obviously
worried by her warring emotions...

Stepping closer into the V of his open legs she placed both of her
hands onto his shoulders before wrapping her arms around him to
hold his head securely against her stomach. In a flash of memory
she was reminded of the last time when they had stood exactly like
this, only on that occasion her stomach was swollen and Mulder
had taken every opportunity to follow their child's movements with
the palm of his hands. Now, fifteen years later those beautiful hands
of his were roaming her stomach before sliding up and around her
waist to wrap around her back as he held on tight.

They stayed that way for a few more moments before Scully began
to move, lifting her hands to lace her fingers through his hair. She
had missed him...and this closeness they shared. To them, standing
like this, so close together was just as intimate as making love...but
tonight she ached for closeness...for the connection that she had
only ever felt with him. So, with a gentle movement she eased him
slowly backwards, manoeuvring herself with him until they lay
tangled on the mattress, both content to just lay together and thread
their fingers together.

Turning his head to look at the woman laid beside him, Mulder
pressed a feather light kiss onto her forehead, allowing his lips to
linger over her skin before travelling a little lower towards her eyes,
then her nose...until finally he hovered over her lips. He flittered his
gaze between her eyes and her mouth, silently seeking the approval
from her that this really was okay...but when she suddenly moved
to seal her lips to his, every other thought evaporated to leave only
her.

Their kisses remained sweet, loving...as they slowly reaquainted
themselves with touches and sighs...both of them welcoming the
familiarity that their bodies instantly recognised. Opening her mouth
beneath his she deepened the kiss, pulling him down with her as she
eased his fears with every single touch.

When their lips finally parted, Mulder shifted slightly so that he
could prop himself up on one elbow to look down into her flushed
face. In all the years they had known each other she had held his
heart. He didn't think it was possible to be so consumed by one
person until he'd met her...she had come into his life and turned his
world upside down. She had shown him how to love...and be
loved...it had always been her.

Lifting his hand to her hair he brushed some errant strands away
from her eyes and smiled down at her.

"We don't have to do this," he whispered softly as he trailed a
fingertip over her cheek. "We can just lay together."

His words caused her heart to beat just a little bit faster and she
didn't think she could have loved him more than she did right now.
Reaching up to caress his cheek she lifted her head to press her lips
against his, drawing him back down to her with very little
persuasion. She peppered his lips with tiny kisses, each one making
up for every month they had been apart.

Pulling away from him slightly she lifted her hands, framing his face
in between her palms as she urged him to follow her back down
onto the bed.

"I want to be with you," she whispered, her breath mingling with his.
"We've wasted so much time..."

"Scu-"

"Shh..." she told him as she pulled him to her, stealing her name
from his lips as she kissed him.

As they kissed, Mulder's hands began to move, slowly roaming
across her silk shirt as he lingered over her breast. Scully could feel
his hesitance even now, as if he was worried that he would break
her if he went too fast, so she decided to help him along...

Her fingers moved up to his shirt as she slipped the top few buttons
free of their fastenings so that she could snake a hand over the
exposed skin she found there. She kept their lips joined, pulling him
deeper into the kiss, all the while urging him on with her hands until
he began to move along with her to make this night about them and
their love for one another...

000

Sunlight cracked through the drapes where they weren't quite
closed; the bright rays shining onto the sleeping couple who were
wrapped around each other in the bed. They had both fallen asleep
in the early hours after their night of love had reconnected not just
their bodies but their hearts and emotions as well. All of the time
spent away from each other had simply fallen away with every
meeting of their lips and bodies...they were *them* again...Fox
Mulder and Dana Scully...lovers...partners...friends...

A loud clatter from the kitchen caused Mulder to jolt awake and he
opened his eyes only to close them again when the line of sunshine
caught his face. His body ached in so many wonderful ways but he
welcomed the ache...a reminder of the night of love he had shared
with the beautiful woman beside him.

Turning onto his side he snuggled closer into her body, unable to
resist the gravitational pull of her. Here she was, her eyes closed in
sleep yet she still held every ounce of him within her; she always
had. Inching closer towards her he breathed in her scent as he
nuzzed her bare shoulder, placing soft kisses over her skin. He felt
like a teenager again; in love for the first time...which was ridiculous
because he had never fallen *out* of love with her...they had
just...*lost* their way.

"Mmm...morning..." Scully's sighed sleepily as she stretched against
him before she turned onto her side so that they were face to face.

"Morning," he smiled, unable to keep the silly smile from spreading
across his face as he moved in towards her to press a soft kiss onto
her nose. "Did you sleep?"

Scully lifted her hand to his face and ran her thumb across his
bottom lip before leaning in closer to capture his mouth in a soft
kiss. She lingered against him for a few seconds before pulling back
to rest her head on his outstretched arm as she snuggled into his
chest and wrapped herself around him.

"I did," she smiled as she placed a kiss onto his bare chest before
she settled against him. "I didn't think I would, even after we..."

Mulder enclosed his arms around her, his fingertips tracing circular
patterns across her back. He too had had the best night sleep in
many months and he knew it was all due to the peace and
completion he had recaptured with her last night. He knew she was
still grieving and they would both be feeling the loss of her mother
for many months to come, but he liked to think that Maggie Scully
was up there smiling down at them and congratulating herself on her
part in them coming back together again.

"I missed you," he told her simply as he tugged her a little tighter
against him. "I never *could* sleep without you."

Scully closed her eyes and relished his closeness and the warmth of
his body as she relaxed against him. He had been her rock in so
many ways and he had managed to lessen her sadness with his love
as he'd allowed her to lose herself in him.

"I could never sleep without you, either."

Noises coming from downstairs were an all too insistent reminder
that they couldn't stay in their post coital haze and hide themselves
away. Back when they shared a house *and* a bed they used to
stay wrapped around each other until very late morning, both of
them content as long as they were together...but they couldn't do
that now, not today. There was still too much to discuss and
arrangements to be made, but they had taken that first leap forward
and found one another again.

"So..." Mulder sighed as he buried his lips into her hair. "We should
get up."

"Mmm..." came her mumbled reply, but she showed no signs of
moving away from him. She was content to be here with him, taking
refuge in his arms not wanting to move.

"Come on," Mulder slowly started to untangle their bodies but
broke into a soft chuckle when she held on tight to prevent him
from moving away from her. *"Scully..."*

Sighing heavily she released her hold on him and watched his every
movement as he moved away from her to sit on the edge of the
mattress. Looking around the room his eyes settled on the pile of
clothes that they had discarded last night. Shifting towards the edge
of the bed he almost groaned aloud when his aching muscles
protested, and he fought with every fibre of his being to stave the
memories of the night before from entering his thoughts...because if
they found their way into his mind he knew he wouldn't ever leave
this bed while she was still in it.

Scully watched him, her eyes tracing every inch of his bare back.
Somehow their night together had felt a lot like it had on their very
first time, and she could feel the swirls of love and passion already
reawakening parts of her that she thought she would never feel
again. Even though he was still with her and only a few inches
away, she *missed* him...Pushing herself up, she didn't care that
the covers spilled around her to reveal her naked body as she
crawled on all fours towards him to embrace him from behind. She
wasn't ready to let him go, even though he would always be by her
side...so using her weight as an advantage she tugged him
backwards onto the mattress...needing him and his love once
more...


Continued in Chapter 7