Dreamcatcher 1
Ally

Cornerstone Park. Washington DC. May 1st 1999 11:03p.m. 14 days earlier.

"So, Agent Scully, you feeling accustomed to the feel of my bat yet?"

Scully twisted her body as best she could from within the confines of Mulder's strong arms and raised her eyebrow coolly, smothering the laughter that had been building up inside of her since they had started all this.

{Play by the rules, Dana, give him what he wants.}

"Oh." Her voice came out sounding perplexed, as if she had given his question serious thought...

"That's your bat I feel, huh?"

...and she was rewarded when color spread along Mulder's face like a wave. Sweeping away the embarrassment her retort had generated, he continued the game. Dipping his mouth once more to rest tantalizingly close to her ear. Sighing as he did so, he was surprised to see the merest shudder course through her body as his breath tickled her neck.

"No, Scully. What you're feeling there is my weapon. Loaded and ready to fire..."

Despite her best efforts, a bark of laughter forced itself from her mouth and her hold on the ash baseball bat loosened, which, had it not been for Mulder's grip, would have fallen to the ground.

"Mulder!" she admonished, flicking her eyes to the small boy who stood grinning at them not 15 feet away. "There are children present! Anyway, I thought we were playing ball."

Behind her Mulder nodded. "Hey, Poor Boy, I'm not paying you ten bucks an hour to stand there watching the sky. Do your job, kid, or I'll send Agent Scully after you. . .OW!"

He rubbed the spot where Scully's elbow had connected with him. "What was that for?"

"Shut up, Mulder! I'm not going to tell you again. I need to concentrate."

Mulder cocked his head on one side. "Want to try it on your own now?"

"Not really. I'm fairly comfortable where we are right now."

She settled her gaze back to the child in front of them.  "Plus I have someone to blame when we miss."

11:31p.m.

"Well, Scully, I'll say this for you: you have a hell of a right arm on you. Ever thought of doing this professionally?"

The comment earned him yet another light punch on his forearm, but given half- heartedly and only because he expected it of her.

"Mulder, you're a jerk sometimes." She smiled up at him and just for a second her eyes seemed to radiate a million different shades of blue, caught as they were by the spotlights that bordered the field. He felt like he could submerge himself in the goodness of her, holding his breath until he was forced to resurface for air, finally exploring the essence of Dana Scully, testing it, making it his.

"Only sometimes?" he teased.

Scully laughed, but shook her head slightly, indicating she had no wish to enter into that old argument with him, and reluctantly tore her gaze away from his.

They had finished with the baseball tutorial when the supply of balls had waned. Mulder had dug deep in to his pockets and sent Poor Boy on his way.

Scully had been sure that he was about to do the same with her, but instead, he had taken her hand and led her to the center of the field. She had protested weakly as he trotted off to retrieve a large sports bag, and as he had dug into its depths to finally reveal a large tasseled blanket - the kind usually found on family picnics - she had crossed her arms over her chest, eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Mulder...what are you doing?"

His only response had been to spread the blanket out on the dusty earth.

"Sit down, Scully. I have something for you."

She tried to shake her head, to protest that it was getting late, to voice the million excuses that suddenly crowded her head. But instead she acquiesced and dropped down beside him.

"Now close your eyes."

"What?" She laughed shakily but nonetheless did as he directed.

Seconds later she yelped as something freezing cold and solid dropped into her hand. Looking down she laughed out loud as her eyes lit upon a Chocolate Mega-cone in all its glory.

{Correction, Dana; all its full fat- calorie, artery-hardening glory.}

Mulder smiled. "I tried to get you one of those non-fat tofutti things you like so much, but the clerk looked like I was from outer space when I asked him, so this'll have to do. And look..."

He produced an identical cone from what Scully could now identify as a cooler, complete with crushed ice.

"You don't have to share this one."

As it turned out, she ended up half sharing anyway. Mulder finished his cone with all the eagerness of a half-starved puppy, and since his eyes never left her hand as she made her way more daintily through the mass of ice cream and chocolate, she eventually took pity on him and surrendered its remains to him, watching in wonderment as it disappeared in three short bites.

And now she just sat, comfortable in his presence, listening to him recount the tale of alien baseball stars and rogue policemen. She didn't believe it for a minute, but allowed the sound of his voice to lull her into complete relaxation as he had done so many times in the past.

He had a beautiful voice, full of melody, and soft for a man of his size, and she allowed its harmony to wash over her in waves.

A perfect end to what had started out as such a crappy day. He had made it end perfectly with a gesture that was surprising both in its spontaneity and its tenderness. Mulder was not known for either.

"Scully?"

"Mmmmmmmmmm?"

"Are you falling asleep on me?"

Scully shook her head slightly, unable to summon up the energy to do anything more taxing.

"Uh uh. I'm awake, Mulder."

He snorted and she felt the cool air hit her as he shifted position on the blanket, the warmth of him leaving her.

"C'mon. Time to get you home."

He extended a hand down to her as he got to his feet and she accepted it gratefully, using him to pull herself up so she was facing him. His hazel eyes had turned green in the strange light that surrounded them, and almost on a whim, she stood up on tiptoes and kissed him lightly on the cheek, feeling the stubble scratching her lips pleasantly.

"Thank you, Mulder."

He gathered up the blanket and stuffed it back in the bag, which he slung effortlessly over his shoulder, and caught Scully's hand in his, bringing it up in front of his face.

"Get something on those blisters, huh?"

Scully nodded and almost against her will, her fingers curled around his, letting her thumb trace small circles over and over on the back of his hand.

Mulder left it there, surprised but pleased by this sudden show of intimacy, and together they walked back across the wide expanse of green towards the exit. Back toward the real world.