Title: Enchanted Shores

Author: Truthwebothknow1 dragonrider1@ntlworld.com

Rating: PG. One or two naughty words and lascivious thoughts. In the romantic sense.

Category: MSR, FLUFF, MILD MT A, X

Spoilers: None really, various stories from the Virtual season. IMTP

Feedback: Yes, love it but after two exclusive weeks on the VS Circuit.

Disclaimer: CC and FOX owns the whole kit and caboodle. I’m just having fun with them for my own amusement and no profit. I send them home clean to Chris. LOL

Enchanted Shores

Blue anchor Bay Shore. Early morning.

White horses lapped the shore as the stiff early breeze hurried it along, licking foamily over rocks and at exposed timbers of the old quay. Bringing with it a delightful spray of salt breeze and ozone. Scully inhaled it all in as she watched Mulder pick up rocks and tried to hit the red and white buoy, bobbing just a few yards out in the shallows. Even though it was cold, she felt a sudden warmth flood her soul.

She smiled at the ever-present kid that hovered just below the surface of the man she loved. He liked to take her away from the bustle of D.C. as much as he could and Valentines Day was no exception. They had both needed to get right away this year with all the bad things that had plagued their lives; the revelations in his mother’s journals, their own brushes with death, Charlie’s dark complicity within the consortium and the untimely death of her only other sibling she felt she still loved, Bill.

So this was what Mulder had been planning for more than a month, his secretive behaviour worrying at times, but when she found out that his treat this year was a weekend in an old colonial lighthouse in Maine, she almost jumped for joy. Just the two of them away from crowds, endless sea and sky, great food, a real log fire and just each other’s company. He called this The Enchanted coast and it certainly was. Just natural beauty that made her feel fresh and alive and whole again. Miles from anywhere and filled with all the peace and solitude they could handle. Together. A celebration of what they had become to each other.

She adored the sea of course, but as he had been raised in small towns in various old money places all up and down the New England coast she knew it pounded calming surf through his heart too.

The soft crunch of feet through wet sand broke her out of her reverie as her partner approached her, grinning like a little boy bringing her a natural sea treasure.

The man with the child in his eyes.

“Look Scully, a horseshoe crab. Must be a really early spring this year.” He hefted up the cumbersome creature so she could have a better look.

She smiled at him broadly, wiping her wind blown hair from her eyes and running slim fingers over the smooth rounded shell of the crab.

“Mulder I love your impromptu show and tell but he really looks like he might pee on you or snap off your finger. ”

Mulder laughed, “Nah, he’s reaaaal laid back, kinda smooth like Skin man’s head…sorta looks like one of those German soldier helmets from “Hogan’s heroes”, don’t it?”

“Umm Nazi helmet with attitude…” She giggled as the predicted crab pee suddenly cascaded all down his best Levis.”

“Aw shit Scullee!” Mulder yelped jumping back in alarm and falling on his ass with a soft thud in the sand.

” That could be his encore. Best let the angry little fellow go back to the sea.” She did try to curb her giggles but he looked so funny hopping up and down with wet sand encrusted denims and the errant crab scuttling to get out of his grip, it was near impossible.

To his horror she produced her digital camera from her coat pocket and snapped his misfortune while he struggled to stand on the uneven sand, the odd little crab’s legs flailing about with him.

“Hey not fair,.. What the f…Ow!!” he yelled as it suddenly latched onto his little finger with extreme gusto. “Damn thing”, he cried dropping the crab like a hot potato and stuffing his abused finger in his mouth and sucking hard. Eyes looking watery and childlike.

“Oh Mulder, you dropped the poor thing, look there he goes, back to the sea.” Mulder scowled still nursing his finger as they both watched the newly liberated crustacean scurry down the sand in readiness for the next waves to take him away from his abuser.

“Poor thing my ass, look what it did to my finger.” He stuck it under her nose so she couldn’t miss it, or the pout that had taken form on his bottom lip.” Look”.

“It’s a good job we are not on an actual case. Just love to see you fill in a medical insurance form that says, ” Finger snacked on and lacerated by an angry Limulus polyphemus.”

” Ha, ha. Clever clogs, Bob Ballard. They’re not supposed to bite!!” he whined, cringing as she poked at it.”

“Well this one certainly did. Be glad it’s too cold for sporting your Speedos. A nasty nip elsewhere might have ruined our romantic weekend plans. ”

“Hmmph!….ouch!”

“Sorry, now hold still.”

Scully attempted to pull her face into doctor mode as she carefully inspected the now swelling pinkie. It did look painful. She stifled another giggle as she chanced another look up at his face. Yes the pout was still there. So irresistible and sexy. At least it was only his finger and pride that was hurt. She had plans for him later with certain un-abused extremities. Her tongue flicked over salty lips with some unbidden erotic images. At the same time she heard Mulder take a deep breath but that could have been due to her ministration of his finger.

“There, there, G-man, be brave. I have some ointment I can put on this once were back at the lighthouse. You did piss it off you know. Teach you to put your fingers where they shouldn’t go.”

His face broke into a smile at that, humor and innuendo warring within his hazel depths. Scully snorted. “Don’t even go there.”

“What? What did I do? ”

“It’s not what you did, its what is going on in that unscrupulous mind of yours. ” He was about to make a suitably solicitous retort when the sun suddenly blazed through Scully’s hair and lit her eyes a riot of blue fire that almost stopped his heart. She looked like a sea siren and he felt a magical lure to disappear into her and never come out again.

His feral grin melted into one of awe and he suddenly leaned over, took her head in both his large hands and pressed his lips to hers. First her lips, which she opened to accommodate his questing full mouth and then peppered tiny kisses all down her neck along the curve of her jaw. She tasted like heaven and salt and he loved every inch of her. For a second his eyes levelled with hers as she opened them again, making his catch fire almost with the love they seared into his own.

They stayed like that for a long time, letting the rising sun warm them and breathing in the tangy air, arms entwined around each other like two last limpets clinging to the shore. The bells and mournful horns of fishing boats farther out at sea still touched by a fog shroud resonated through them both. They were a world away from their normal lives but Mulder had found his safe harbour, it was always Scully; his best friend his, lover and his whole life. He would never again put to sea without her.

As if approving of their union, a crescendo of small waves came in to lap at their naked feet, two successive ones suddenly fuelled by the changing tide breaking against the sandy promontory with force enough to soak them up to their knees.

“Oh god, Mulder… that water’s cold.” He laughed, pulling her further up the beach, his big arms around her shoulders and shielding her face from the worsening wind. The air tasted gritty and he got the distinct impression it was brewing for a storm.

“Put your head on my chest Scully, I’ll keep you warm.”

“I love you so much Mulder, do you know that?” He gave her an Eskimo kiss, and grinned at her nodding. She tucked her head against his warmth just he leaned in to claim her deliciously salty mouth again.

A lone gull cried out above them somewhere and the wind whipped up like a sudden wraith appearing,, blowing a swirl of sand right over them.

Startled, Scully broke the kiss but Mulder kept his arms encircling her, smiling, unwilling to break the spell and let go. Scully held onto him tightly, laying her head against his pounding heart, which seemed to be in sync with waves and in that moment, wished she could dive into his fathomless depths and stay there for all time, away from the constant nemesis of harm, death, sorrow and frustration that had moulded and shaped their existence for longer than she could fathom.

Mulder always knew there was something magical about this coastline, steeped in mystery and lore. Of Ghostly sightings, strange lights and unnatural shipwrecks. A few years ago he might have been tempted to explore its hidden phenomena but this weekend was about them, not any X file and more importantly, it was about pampering Scully. Loving, quality time, with no phones, no TV, no work to interrupt their valentine celebration. Just soft light, sea air, candles and a lot of time just spent exploring each other, finding new facets of their love, experiencing the joy of life for a change, and giving them both back that faith that they could as a couple enjoy the normal things other lovers took for granted.

This last year they had almost forgotten how to laugh and the overwhelming weight of tears and personal loss had almost crushed their spirit. The X files were a world away and Scully’s smile and loving caress was the only magic he needed to experience this romantic long weekend.

“Time to get out of these wet clothes Mulder.. And though I hate to say it, you smell….” Mulder gave her bemused look as she sniffed at him and wrinkled her nose up. “…Fishy.”

Mulder scooped her up all of a sudden, making her shriek and giggle, her voice all but stolen away by the wind. “I’ll give you fishy my little Scully sea nymph,” Mulder laughed in his best Charles Laughton voice. ” Lets get back, get naked and have some seafood and wine while I tell you fishy tales of Poseidon and you can quote the naughtier tales of Ahab.”

“You nut, there are no naughty tales, just the Moby Dick innuendos stored in your lascivious Muldermind.”

“Yeah?”

And he took off with her, big feet pounding up and over the sand dune with ease while she clung on and giggled for all she was worth. Her laughter gave him a strength he didn’t know he had and he felt almost like he was walking on air.

“Yeah!”

“Riight!”

He squeezed her ass as he ran faster, eager to get out of the rain that was pelting their faces. He loved how her laughter was all juddery as he pounded up the sand that led to the little lighthouse garden gate.

“Okay you win, Mulder, but only if you draw me a bubble bath and you know, arrange some candles and wine. ”

” I’ll do better than that,” he waggled his eyebrows in a parody of Groucho Marx. “I’ll even scrub your back and show you my sea serpent.”

“Can’t wait.” She swiped at his ass as he put her down finally and then raced, still laughing up to the white washed clapboarded lighthouse.

XXXXX

The mid February storm raged on into the morning, the beach deserted now, all but for the cry of gulls huddled in the dunes to escape the worst of the wind among the sparse patches of sea grass.

A small metallic box lay damp, and speckled with sand in the footprints of two lovers. Two violet eyes shifted like the wink of a butterfly, curious, wanting to touch this little shiny object. Questions, a thousand questions sifted through an ever-questing intelligence. Eyes darting, sniffing at the ozone heavy air, curiosity won over apprehension and 6 tiny pointed green fingers moved tentatively, tracing the sandy footprints still warm from their makers feet and closed over it’s prize, slowly, slowly…until it snatched it away as the wind snatches a thought.

Blue Anchor Lighthouse. Sunrise.

Two bodies glowed in the full moon’s gossamer blanket; an unearthly, almost ethereal atmosphere fell over the lighthouse and surrounding beachhead. No one saw the strange mists, the color of the shifting sea, glittering with gimlet diamonds gifted by the moon that rose and waned around the promontory and up across the windows of the lighthouse.

The tides caressed the beaches as Mulder hands caressed his lover and partner of 12 years with as much reverence as the first time. Sighing breaths drawing in and out with the waves that crashed on the beach a few yards from their window, while small inquisitive eyes looked on at the two figures nestled in the old bed, tiny fingers and breath making silver condensation trails on the trembling glass. Like the physical prescience behind those eyes by morning all traces of silver would fade away.

Scully slept curled against Mulder’s heart and dreamed on in his protective embrace, despite the window being open just enough to let in the healthy sea air, warmed by the vision of her partner sprawled over the sofa in just his skin and a those tatty thin yellow pyjamas he loved and she never had the heart to throw out. He just looked so …at home in them like a second skin and they left nothing to the imagination.

The day before when rain had sent them laughing towards shelter from the storm, they hadn’t been in the door more than five minutes after getting back from the beach before divesting themselves of their wet sandy clothing and tumbling to the floor in a wave of touches and kissing and sensations that left them both gasping from helpless giggles. Giggles gave way to real passion as they gave in to everything they had desired and wanted, what they had come here to this deserted haven to enjoy. They fell into an easy sleep staring at patterns in the flames of the open fire.

Later they had eaten lobster and salad, feeding each other and enjoying the good food and wine, sheltered from the worsening storm. Mulder told tales of his and Samantha’s adventures on New England beaches, memories of careless days and sand all through his mother’s house. A simpler happier time. Scully worried a little that he would get all melancholy but she tried to steer him on to happier subjects. Stories about her father, his life on an open sea and the way her mother handled four feisty and very different children while Ahab was away. And they laughed into the night at each other’s anecdotes and jokes.

After Mulder had drawn her a hot bath and lit what looked like a hundred candles all around the beautiful period bathroom, the heat and the scented aroma mingling to make the room look like a fairytale setting. Naked and gorgeous looking, he’d brought with him a bottle of claret, two crystal glasses and a small box of hand made chocolates. Then he surprised her by climbing in with her and pulling her up against his strong soapy chest. She had sighed and leaned back. This was heaven. Who needed anything else but this.

“Well did you like that special agent Dana Scully?” Mulder purred against her ear with his lips just feather brushing, ticking the sensitive skin there.

“Oh yeah Mulder, brings a whole new meaning to the term, “Free Willy,” she giggled as they’d both got tipsy from the wine and the tranquillity of their surroundings.

“Better believe it. I only perform my repertoire of tricks for you.”

“I’m a very lucky g-woman. Could I have some more wine please kind sir? ”

“Don’t you mean sex slave? Scully, and yes, you can certainly have some more wine. I brought a whole case. ” He nuzzled her hair and stroked it with one hand, haphazardly pouring wine into the glass dangling from her fingers with the other, getting more over her fingers and in the bathwater than he actually did in the glass.

She gave him her fingers to lick clean and smiled at him as he obliged with a leer. He’d looked younger in the last few hours than she had seen him in a long time. He looked…achingly beautiful; her whole life was here in this room. For a few seconds they just studied each other’s faces, caught in the amber of the moment in mutual appreciation and love.

This was what it was all about. The universe dissolved down to just the two of them. The way it should be. “Thank you for this Mulder. Words can’t express how much it means to me to be here with you like this. Makes me remember just for a while how much life there is out here, and how we can just do normal for a while.”

His hand found hers in the water and squeezed her fingers gently.

“I love you Scully. This is nothing less than you deserve for putting up with me all these years. A small expression of my love for you. I did good huh?” The child was back in his eyes, ever seeking approval. Approval that she wanted him to have in spades.

“You did good Mulder, ” she stroked the six o’clock shadow with pad of her thumb, “you did real good. You always do…. even when you fall on your ass in the sand. You even wrestled that poor crab for me,” She laughed, lightening the moment.

“Always looking to impress you agent Scully. ”

” Everything you do impresses me Mulder. Didn’t you realize that by now.”

“Really? Even when I expound weird untenable theories?” He had the sweetest smile on his face, one he got when he thought people were teasing him, a look she had seen too often out on cases when some of the other agents or cops were making fun. It made her a little sad and she tried not to let him see it on her face. After all this time could he not cast off the doubt of her love and devotion?

“Especially then.” And she’d tilted her head back a touch so she could kiss him.”

Lets take this to the bedroom agent Scully; I want to try out that four-poster.” He’d waggled his eyebrows at her and as fast as it had shifted like a cloud across his eyes, the rueful resignation she’d seen there a moment ago had disappeared behind the twinkle now in his eye. “It looks seriously sensuous and besides, we’re going to wrinkle like prunes if we don’t get out of this tub soon. After you.”

He’d pulled her out of the water and immediately transmuted that into a kiss as he melded her against his bath fresh skin.

“Speaking of impressing me Mulder, I want to look at that photo I took of you.”

“Oh, the one of me making an ass of myself with the terror of Davie Jones locker. The one you’re going to have blown up and put on the bureau notice board?”

“Well I wouldn’t go that far Mulder, as tempting as it may be. But I’m sure my mother would get a good laugh out of it. Besides, I bet that poor creature was more afraid of you, ya big bully.” She giggled smacking at his bare ass as he held her.

“You…”

With that Mulder had grabbed her legs and had thrown her wet body over his shoulder while she screamed for mercy between hiccupping and laughing. He’d deposited her still laughing on the bed. Some joyful fumbling around the sheets for a few moments wore them both out and they gave in to the sleepiness of just having shared a warm bath filled with aromatherapy oils. Her photographic handiwork had been forgotten as they’d curled up together like two perfectly interlocking jigsaw pieces.

Next Morning.

“Mulder, did you see my camera anywhere? ” Scully asked next morning as she fixed them OJ and muffins for breakfast. Mulder was padding around in his PJ bottoms, looking more edible than the food. Scully stared on appreciatively. Funny how being by the sea made you think of nautical euphemisms for everything, even when it came to her partner’s finest features.

Must stop that, Scully thought to herself as she picked up their discarded sandy clothes from the day before, rifling in the pockets of her coat for the compact metallic gadget. It had been a present from her mother after she and Mulder moved into the duplex together.

Coming up empty she frowned just as Mulder caught the look of consternation on her face. He came over and draped his arms over her smaller form like a boa constrictor.

“Huh?”

“My camera, its not here. Damn, ”

Mulder smirked, coming at last out of his sleepy bubble. “Divine retribution for filming me in all my misfortune. My finger still smarts like a muth…”

“Mulder!”

“Sorry. Still does hurt too. See, kiss it better.” She did and then looked him in the eye, her gaze growing steely.”

“Mulder, did you hide it?”

“Moi? You wound me Scully, I’m soo crushed.” He clutched at his chest in mock offence. “Not me, Indian guides honor.”

“Umm…..if you didn’t then where could it be?”

“The Beach!” they both said in unison. And Scully’s heart sank.

“Oh Mulder, there was a storm last night.”

“It was in its silver case wasn’t it?”

“Yeah but…….”

He grabbed hold of her hand and they went for the door. “Come on.”

“Mulder, hey, wait up, it’s not that warm out there. Don’t you want to change.”

“Ahhh….” And he looked down at his flimsy PJ bottoms.

Scully threw him a sweater and they opened the door. They never got further than the step. They both stopped dead in their tracks, Mulder half in and out of his sweater. Both of them stared open mouthed.

“Oh my god!! Mulder?” he blinked and opened his mouth to say something but for a second or so felt his mouth paralysed in shock.

“What the…..”

Suddenly finding their senses they crept through the dawn air down to the lawn, white swirls of breath coming out as fast pants as they tried to assimilate what they were seeing.

“Scully what’s that? Is that your camera?”

“Yeah, Yeah it is.”

Scully bent down to retrieve her camera, looking none the worse for its night left out in the elements. But the most startling thing was that whoever had been good enough to return it had left them another gift. Sometime during the night someone had been busy on their lawn.

There in the middle of the grass was a perfect outline of a heart made entirely from shells…..and in the middle was an outline of them…as they had stood in relief on the beach like a silhouette against the rising sun.

“Scully,….its….”

“Us. ” She finished for him. ” Its beautiful. Exquisite.”

“Yeah.”

And then they both scrambled to look at the display on the camera, almost dropping it again in their haste to check the pictures stored on the smart card.

The digital viewer on the back flickered to life and she saw firstly the humorus shot of Mulder from the day before. As they clicked next they both held their breath. A face like nothing they had ever seen winked into place and smiled at them. It was so beautiful like an elfin child, white translucent skin with a hint of blue and green. Six tiny little fingers held up in entreaty or greeting…..until it faded from view like a passing thought seconds later.

“What the hell was that?” Scully turned to look at her partner whose face bore all the excitement of getting new X file case, his brain already racing along on the tide possibilities despite the shake of his head. He looked back at the camera and tried to get the picture back, but to no avail. It was wiped clean, the only one that had been on it to vanish. Mulder stared down at the beachhead seeking…whatever had done this but the beach was empty.

“I don’t know what that was Scully, that’s no child like I have ever seen the like of before. Looks like an extra from a ‘Midsummer night’s dream’. Perhaps we can put some candies out in case he comes back to thank him for bringing your camera back…and this little gift of romantic shell art.”

“What,.. You mean like the kids in ET who left a trail of M&Ms for the little grey guy?” Mulder closed his eyes on a smile and opened them again, giving her a lopsided grin.

“Yeah, something like that.”

Scully gave a nervous smile, still unsure of what had really happened here. Like the coastline itself it was strange wonderful and magical, and yet it made her nervous to think they had been observed in this way, by all intents and purposes, a child.

“Well I guess it’s a trip into town to pick up some goodies for our honest little friend.”

“And some for us.”

“Yeah.” Mulder took her hand in his warm one and held her close. “I dunno about you Scully, but I think we have been given a very special valentines gift.”

“Yeah. Its an X file Mulder, but a nice one.”

She took one last look out onto the beach. The waves rolled in, and the sun was just cresting up over the surf. The storm was over and they could explore later. Maybe eat out at one of the many seafood places Mulder had raved about.

Just under two days left here; what other magic could this place reveal to them? As if reading her mind Mulder leaned down to kiss her and she melted into his warmth.

“Come on my sweet valentine, we have a candy trail to organise. Call it a spooky hunch but I don’t think we have seen the last of our enigmatic little friend.”

“No, me neither.”

And she returned the kiss.

The End.