ELYSIAN FIELDS
Part 1

From: Amy Schatz <risamy@epix.net
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: ELYSIAN FIELDS - 1/7
Date: Mon, 25 Mar 96 11:00:38 PDT
Disclaimer: Think one up yourselves. :D Personally, I'm sick of writing them, and no one reads them anyway. :D
Thanks: I have so many people to thank this time. Thank you to Char (and her colorful words:), Melissa, Molly, and Anik for their help, advice, and suggestions. Credit: There are lines from a few songs in here. Now, here comes a surprise...none of them are mine. :D
Story Note: This story contains no X-File (except maybe how M&S can keep their *true* feelings hidden:), no explosions, no gunfights or anything like that. It is simply pure M&S romance mush. Lots and lots of angst is included free of charge. There is a slight spoiler for SYZYGY, and something that occurred in PAPER CLIP is mentioned here.
Mail: Please write to me! I'd love to hear what you think. You can reach me at: risamy@epix.net That's all! Here we go...

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"Have you ever heard of Elysian Fields, Scully? It's another name for heaven, and that's what's it's like being with you." --Fox Mulder, Elysian Fields

ELYSIAN FIELDS by Amy Schatz

Unionville, Virginia
October 20, 2000
1:10 pm

He stood before the door as his stomach mutinied, and tried to take a deep breath. He looked around the hallway in which he stood. It was much like her old apartment building, except this one was outside Washington in Virginia. Finally, he took another deep breath and knocked softly on the door. As he waited for her to open it, he wondered again why she had called him here after so long. On one hand, it scared him terribly to think of seeing her again after all the time that had passed. But on the other, his whole soul smiled at the chance. He still loved her and any possibility of seeing her was like a healing balm to his spirit. He remembered how happy he had been when he had found out that she actually loved him. Back then, it had almost been too much to comprehend, and even now, after all that had happened between them, it still awed him to think that she had once loved him.

<<< Blue Earth, Iowa
June 9, 1996
Yellow Arrow Motel

"Scully, I want to look at that." Scully sighed.

"Mulder, it's fine. I can take care of it."

Mulder closed the door to his room and walked up to her. She was standing in the middle of his room, looking for the tissues.

"Scully, please sit down."

She whirled around to look at him, and was about to say something when her eyes closed and she swayed on her feet. Mulder was next to her in an instant, and had his arm wrapped around her shoulders, steadying her.

"Take it easy, Scully," he said softly. She leaned into him.

"Could you make the room stop spinning, please?" she asked, in a soft, sweet voice. Mulder smiled and guided her to the bed. Once she was sitting, he got up and went into the bathroom. Moments later, he came out with a wet washcloth and the first aid kit that they always seemed to use on every case. He sat down next to her again, took his suit jacket off, and then turned to study the nasty cut on her forehead. He dabbed it gently with the washcloth, attempting to clean it, and she winced.

"Sorry," he mumbled, brushing a lock of hair away from the cut. As he did, his fingers touched her skin and he felt a bolt of electricity spark between them.

"Mulder, are you going to look at it all day?" Her voice snapped him back to reality, and he realized he had been staring.

"Ah, no. I was just making sure it was clean," he said as he put the washcloth down, and reached for a Band-Aid. After putting some antiseptic on the bandage, he gently placed it over the cut. After he did, their eyes met, and they locked for a little longer than was appropriate for people who kept saying they were `just partners'.

"Thank you, Mulder," she said softly. He smiled.

"You're welcome. I like to take care of you." Her eyes widened.

"Excuse me?" He nodded. "You heard me. I care about you, Scully. And today, when I saw that guy hit you with that pipe..." He shuddered at the memory. "...It was like he had hit me, too. I felt it. And I was terrified that I might lose you." She smiled at him, and touched his cheek tenderly.

"You're never going to lose me, Mulder." His eyes filled with tears.
"I did once." Scully's heart filled with sorrow and affection for this man and she moved closer to him, putting her arms around his neck, and pulling him close.

"But I came back. I came back..." He sighed, and wrapped his arms around her waist, wanting to bring her closer. As close as he could.

"I know, but it still scares me. I love you, Scully, and I want to protect you." She was silent for a moment, but then she realized what he had said.

"What did you say?"

"I want to protect you."

She shook her head, and pulled away from him slightly, so she could see his face.

"No, before that."

Mulder was silent, as he scrolled back through his perfect memory. Suddenly, he gasped as he realized what he had let slip. He sighed. He couldn't lie, because she had heard it. So now, he would have to tell her, and then she would laugh at him, probably slap him, and then request a transfer.

"I guess I said I love you," he admitted, watching her face closely for her reaction. He never would have guessed what her reaction would be. She looked at him silently for a few seconds, and then suddenly, she was kissing him. Kissing him more passionately than he ever could have imagined or dreamed. Mulder was surprised for a few seconds, but he recovered quickly, and wrapped his arms around her again, pulling her close.

The kiss deepened, and Mulder pushed her back onto the bed, already pushing her suit jacket off of her shoulders. She responded in kind by reaching up to unbutton his shirt, and then slipped her hands inside. When he felt her hands on his side, and stretching around to his back, he moaned. She smiled against his mouth, and encircled her arms around his waist. He was working on the buttons of her blouse, and she let him, enjoying the addled fuzz that his nearness was causing. He pushed her blouse away, and eventually, took it off. When that was done, she pushed his shirt down, and away, and they pulled each other close, wanting to feel skin against skin. Mulder kissed her again, as his hands roamed downwards, attempting to undo her pants button, but she stopped him.

"Wait," she said, her hands taking hold of his. His eyes flew to meet hers, and she saw the insecurity there.

"Scully, if you don't want to, it's okay. I'll understand." She shook her head.

"No, that's not it. I wanted to tell you something." He looked at her questioningly. She reached up to touch his cheek. "Mulder-" He put his finger to her lips.

"Don't call me that. Not now. Not like this." She nodded.

"Fox, I think I've loved you from that first day that I walked into your office. I wanted you to know that I love you, and I always will. I'll never stop. I couldn't. You're a part of me, and you have been for a while now. I just wanted to tell you." He looked down at her...so beautiful, so intelligent, so brave...and she actually loved him. It made his heart ache with a wonderful surge of emotion. He pulled her close, burying his face in her hair.

"Oh, Scully...I love you so much. You're the only thing that matters to me." She smiled and kissed him again.

<<< Unionville, Virginia
October 20, 2000
Scully's apartment
1:13 pm

As the door opened, Mulder came out of his memories, and time seemed to shift into slow motion. Suddenly, she was revealed to him, and he breathed in sharply. She was still the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. Her hair was different than when he had last seen her three years ago. It looked like it did early in their partnership - with short bangs, and a red color that leapt out to burn him. In their later years together, she had grown her bangs longer, and swept them to the side, and the red had been streaked with blonde. Her skin was still perfect and he could still see that small dusting of freckles across her nose. Her eyes were the bright, sky blue that he remembered, and that haunted him in his dreams. She was wearing dark dress pants, a matching jacket that hung open, and a red shell underneath. She was the Dana Scully he remembered and still loved.

Scully looked at Mulder and had to stop herself from crying. He stood there, tall and lanky, wearing a light grey suit, white dress shirt, and a dark winter coat. His hair was a bit longer than it used to be, and he had it brushed back, except for that stubborn lock that never obeyed. His hazel eyes looked sad and happy at the same time, and she could see the dark circles under his eyes. He was the Fox Mulder that she remembered.

"Hello, Mulder," she said in a low, breathy voice, smiling slightly. He couldn't speak for a few moments because of all the thoughts running through his mind.

"Hello, Scully," he finally said. She smiled and stepped aside, gesturing for him to enter.

"Thank you for coming," she said, pushing aside her desire to run to him and pull him close. Now was not the time for that. She had a more important issue to discuss. Mulder smiled faintly, his eyes wary. When she had left him, she had made it perfectly clear that they would never see each other again. So why would she call him now?

"I'm sure you're wondering why I called you." Mulder nodded, his eyes sad. When he spoke, he looked away, fearing that her gaze would pull down the barriers that were holding his tears back.

"Your call *was* a surprise. Before, you said...you said you hated me, and that you never wanted to see me again. What changed your mind?" he asked, his voice shaky. Scully looked at him, her arms aching to hold him.

"A lot of things have changed, Mulder. And you need to know about them."

As she watched him absorb that news, she thought back to the happy times they had had together. The days when she and he were closer than ever. Days when nothing could come between them.

<<< Washington, D.C.
September 11, 1996
Scully's apartment

She smiled and closed her eyes, letting the hot steam curl around her. As she lay in the bathtub, she hummed softly with the music that was playing in her living room. She was so relaxed that she never heard the key turning, never heard her front door open or close, never heard the soft footfalls coming down her hallway. Mulder appeared in the doorway of her bathroom, watching her. He smiled as he saw her let out a long sigh. He hadn't seen her so peaceful in quite a while. As he watched her, he thought he had never seen her look so beautiful, with her hair pinned up, and most of her body covered in bubbles. He leaned against the door frame, a lazy smile on his lips.

"You never draw my bath..." She didn't even flinch. The sound of his voice could never scare her.

"I thought you had work to do," she said, smiling, her eyes still closed.

"I did, and I did it." This caused her to open her eyes.

"You actually finished the paperwork? I don't believe it." His face took on a shocked expression, and his right hand moved to cover his heart.

"Ooh, Scully, you wound me!" he said as he crossed to the tub and knelt beside it. Reaching out, he gently touched her cheek as their eyes locked, and there was no longer any need for words. Scully sat up in the tub and wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling lazily.

"Let's face it, Mulder. You are not exactly known for getting paperwork in on time." But Mulder was finding it hard to concentrate on paperwork at that moment. He could feel the suds dripping from her arms to his shoulders, soaking through his shirt. Her skin was hot, and he felt like it was burning him. She leaned even closer and he could feel her breath against his cheek.

"You know, you have far too many clothes on, Mulder." He smiled.

"Give me a minute, and I'll take care of that." He attempted to stand, but she tightened her hold on him.

"No, I have a better idea..." she said seductively. With a swift, powerful motion, she pulled him into the tub with her.

"Scully!" he sputtered, his arms flailing, sending water and bubbles onto the floor. She smiled and silenced him with a kiss. When it was over, she pulled back to find him grinning at her. "If you wanted me to kiss you, Scully, all you had to do was ask." She wrapped her arms around his middle in a highly possessive manner, liking the feel of his wet shirt against her skin.

"But wasn't this more fun?"

"Are you going to pay to get this shirt and these pants cleaned?" She shook her head, barely keeping her laughter hidden. Mulder looked at her in the sternest way he could, and shook his index finger at her. "You're just lucky I took off my jacket before I came in here." She looked at him, trying to keep her expression impassive.

"Oh, really?" He nodded, his face the picture of discipline. Scully finally surrendered to a fit of giggles.

"What's so funny" he asked, his jaw twitching. Scully happened to find it particularly alluring when he did that. Letting one arm slip away from his waist, to run through his hair, she kissed him again. It was long but not overly seductive. It was merely meant to show how she felt.

"You look so cute when you try to be strict," she mumbled after the kiss, her face in the crook of his neck. Mulder chuckled.
"I'm glad you think so," he said, not really sure of what he said, because all of his attention was focused on the fact that he was in the bathtub with a very naked Scully. She kissed his cheek tenderly.

"Oh, I do. Always have and always will." He smiled and pushed some wet strands of hair away from her forehead.

"Always have?"

"Yes," she said, slowly undoing the buttons of his shirt. "Whenever you'd stand before me, asking how I *still* couldn't believe, all I could think was how much I wanted to grab you and kiss you till you couldn't breathe." A sly grin crossed his face.

"Well, nothing's stopping you now." Scully smiled.

"Nothing except for your excess of clothing." she said as she slid her hands inside his shirt, and around to his back, to run her hands up and down his spine. Mulder shivered at her touch.

"You're not going to let a little obstacle like that bother you, are you, Agent Scully?"

"Certainly not, Agent Mulder. Certainly not..."

<<< Unionville, Virginia
October 20, 2000
Scully's apartment
1:16 pm

Scully led him into the living room and asked him to sit down. He did so, and she sat across from him in a straight-backed chair. As she looked at him, she wondered if he still loved her. He looked so lost and forlorn, and she knew why, of course. She only hoped that someday he would be able to understand her actions and forgive her.

"Mulder, do you know why I left?"

At this question, Mulder's already sorrowful face twisted into a mask of pain. He looked at her for a second, and she saw tears shining in his eyes.

"Scully, do we have to talk about this? I really can't go over it again. It hurts too much." This remark made Scully heart ache. How could she have caused him such pain?

"I need to tell you. I need you to understand," she said softly. "I left because I let my pride and jealousy take control of me." Mulder looked up, absently wiping a tear away.

"What?"

"Mulder, back in that motel in Blue Earth, when you told me you loved me, that was one of the best days of my life.' His face crinkled into that lost look that melted anyone's heart.

"*One* of the best?" Scully smiled and looked down.

"Yes. There has been one other since then."

Mulder nodded, and assumed that she was referring to the day she met the man that she was with now. He never considered that she might be alone. A silence descended then, but only until Scully had gathered enough courage to ask what she needed to know. She couldn't tell Mulder what she had to, without knowing.

"Mulder, there's something I need to know."

"About what?"

She took a deep breath. "Pamela Reese."

Mulder's eyes widened in horror at the mention of that one name, and he was plunged into a sea of memories.

<<< End part 1... ===========================================================================