============================
"Crash" (12/12)
By Kerry Gallo (xasj82c@prodigy.com)
and Sarah Roby (LdyDucatnp@aol.com)
============================

**Disclaimer on Chapter One**


				    	-= Chapter 12 =-	
                               		     (Epilogue and Continuation)


	The next morning came too soon for them both.  The rescue squad Joe Whitaker
had called arrived by snowmobile shortly after eight from the nearby town
they had been attempting to hike to.  The paramedics checked Mulder and
Scully both, miraculously only finding the remains of frostbite, mild
hypothermia, and just plain exhaustion.  They had eaten and rested well the
night before but each could tell the other was thinking the same thing : Now
what do we do?
	They certainly couldn't go back to work and forget everything that had
happened over the last couple of days, keep denying those feelings and play
the perfect, by-the-book FBI agents day in and day out.  They also couldn't
show their true feelings to everyone else, and risk permanent separation as
partners - neither would ever be able to fully trust another partner to watch
each other's backs.  Besides, both of them were now on an equal mission to
find the Truth - and the answers behind them that lay buried somewhere deep
in the X-Files.  They weren't sure they were ready to take such a large risk.
	Neither had any time to discuss much with the other since they were driven
on the snowmobiles to the small mountain town, ran through the hospital
system there and released on the condition that they both get some rest.
They had become pseudo-celebrities because of their ordeal, and, as such,
were offered lodging at the local ski resort until the roads were safer and
they were both somewhat recuperated.  Both agreed on separate rooms.


	Late that first night, Mulder gave up even the pretense of sleep.  Even
though he was exhausted, his mind wouldn't let him rest.  All he could do was
lie awake, frustrated, and wonder what the two of them could do.  
	After about two hours of this pondering, however, he couldn't stand it
anymore.  He had to talk to Dana before he went insane.  He threw the covers
aside, stood up, turned on the bedside lamp, and grabbed the complimentary
white terry-cloth robe from the bathroom.  Mulder put the robe on, tied it,
and grabbed his room key.


	Dana rolled over again, burying her head in the pillow, moaning in
frustration.  Would her mind *ever* shut up?  She started seriously
considering calling the front desk for a sleep aid when a soft knock sounded
on her door.  Who in the world...?, she thought for a brief second before the
obvious answer hit her.  Mulder.  
	"Dana?", he asked softly.  "You awake?"  
	She fought an impulse to just remain quiet, but then scolded herself for her
childishness.  Ignoring the problem wouldn't make it any better.  She moved
the covers aside, grabbed her discarded white robe off of the floor beside
the bed, and slipped it on.  She turned on the light beside her bed, and
shuffled over  to the door.  
	Scully unlocked the deadbolt, and pulled off the chain.  When she opened the
door, no one was there.  She craned her neck to look down the hallway, still
not seeing any sign of Mulder.  She sighed, and started to close the door
when a sudden thought ran through her mind.  She tightened the robe around
her, and reached for her room key on the desk.


	'Stupid, stupid, stupid, idiot...', Mulder berated himself mentally as he
let the door shut, and leaned against it.  He hoped he didn't wake her up, he
didn't think he did anyway.  They'd talk about it tomorrow, he rationalized.
Now, if I could just get some sleep....
	He jumped as a knock came on his door.  Who...?  
	Mulder turned and opened the door enough to look out, and tried to keep the
confused look off his face.
	"It would have been nice if you had at least given me some time to get to
the door, Mulder..."  Dana said with a small smile playing on her lips.  God,
she looked great - even for this late at night.
	"Can I come in?", she asked expectantly.  He smiled dumbly and nodded.
	"Sorry...."  Mulder opened the door all the way and ushered her in, closing
the door softly behind her.  He watched for a moment as Dana fiddled with the
ties on her robe, her back to him, until she turned around to face him.
	"I..." they began simultaneously, then laughed nervously.
	"You first...." echoed both, then, "No, go ahead...."
	After a second, Dana jumped in.
	"Allow me?" she said, smiling softly.  He smiled gratefully, and nodded.
	"Please."
	"I... I'm not really sure where to start, actually..." she said.  "I just
know I won't be able to sleep or even concentrate anytime soon unless we talk
about this.... about... what happened..."  She took a deep breath, let it
out, and looked deeply into his eyes.  "About *us*."
	The silence grew for a minute as they each tried to gauge what the other was
thinking, what they wanted to say and do, or how to act.  
	"Oh, Mulder," she breathed, gazing down at the floor, "what are we going to
do?"
	Mulder slowly reached out his hand to her, taking her by the elbow, and
leading her over to the bed, indicating that she should sit down.  Instead of
joining her there, he knelt down in front of her, and placed his hands over
hers lightly.  She slowly looked up to meet his gaze, the fear and doubt she
tried to hide coming to the surface unrestrained.
	"Dana, I'm not going to pretend to have the answers, or know the "right"
thing to do," he whispered.  "But, I can't deny what I feel, or what I've
felt for you for so long now.  I don't know what we should or shouldn't do,
or feel,.... but...", he paused and gently tightened his hold on her hands.
"I'm *sure* of what I feel - and I know those feelings won't ever change."
His voice became even softer, even as his eyes became more focused and
intense upon hers.
	"And I don't *ever* want them to."
	Dana let out the breath she didn't know she'd been holding in a small burst
of relief, and a gentle smile played on her lips.  Mulder apparently took her
smile and sudden release of breath to mean the wrong thing, and looked down
quickly, beginning to remove his hand from atop hers.  But, as fast as he
was, she was faster.  Dana grasped his hands in her own until he returned his
gaze to her.
	"I don't want them to either, Mulder.  It's just... it's just that now I am
sure that how *we* feel now is not a result of what we just went through.
*This*,"  she accentuated, then raised their clasped hands from her lap, into
his range of vision.  "*This* isn't going to change, or disappear, or become
as elusive as the Truth we're both searching to find."  She blinked
repeatedly, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion.  "*This* is here to stay,
Fox...... and so am I," she said, grasping his hands tighter between hers.
	It was Mulder's turn to let out the breath *he'd* been holding.  He, too,
was so overcome with so many emotions running rampant through him that he
didn't even cringe when she used his first name.  He couldn't speak right
away, he could only grin delightedly  back at her, bringing their hands back
into her lap, and intertwining his fingers with hers.
	"Well, that's good", he began.  "You're the only one who'll ever be able to
put up with me anyway..."  Dana groaned and rolled her eyes, a smile starting
to play on her lips again.  
	"So, where do we go from here?" he asked gently.  Dana swallowed, and looked
down at their hands.
	"Well, as much as I don't want to say this.... I think we need to take a
couple steps back before we can take any forward."  Seeing the confused look
pass over his face, she continued.  "What I mean is, until we can find a way
to work together and *be* together, I don't see how we can take that final
leap right *now*.... as much as we both might want to."  She looked deep into
his eyes, hoping to see that he understood her point, and that it really
wasn't at all what she wanted... but what they had no choice in.
	He did understand, and he nodded, albeit a bit reluctantly, even as his face
took on a mischievous look.
	"So, it's back to Washington.... back to chasing shadows and little green
men with good ole' Spooky eh?"
	She smiled and stood, taking him with her, leaving their hands clasped
together.
	"I'm afraid so... partner", she said as she slowly separated her hands from
his and, following her lead, he walked her slowly to the door.
	Neither said a word as she walked out of his room and down the hall to her
own.  	None were necessary.  


	The next morning found both agents eager to return to Washington, and back
to the X-Files.  The resort had finally been able to get them a flight out of
the closest metro- politan airport to the small town.  Mulder met Scully in
the lobby of the resort, and both, for once, had no bags to carry.
	"You ready?", Mulder asked Scully as she approached him.
	"Ready to leave.... just not very ready to fly." she said with a small
smile.  He returned it with a look of genuine agreement as he took her room
key from her hand, and stepped over to the front desk to return them.  The
clerk took the keys from him, and a look of recognition passed over his young
face as he checked them out through the hotel computer sitting in front of
him.
	"You're Mr. Mulder, right?"  
	Mulder looked somewhat perplexed as he answered,  "Yes I am... why?"
	"You have a message, sir," the clerk said as he turned and searched through
the rows of pigeon-holes behind the desk, finally coming up with a thin,
business-size, white envelope.  The young man handed it to Mulder, saying
that someone from the hospital brought it in late the night before.  Mulder
thanked him, and walked back over to Scully.
	"What is that, Mulder?"
	"I don't know... someone from the hospital brought it in..", he said as he
opened the envelope.  He carefully pulled a small, half-charred piece of
stiff paper and a small note out from the envelope, and read the message
inscribed on the small scrap of paper.  The handwriting on the note didn't
look familiar to him.

		       Thought you might want this back.  Found it in pocket 
				of your suit coat.  Take care.

	Mulder read the note, and then turned over the burnt, stiff paper.  A
familiar face smiled innocently back at him, and what he could see of himself
- a thin arm - wrapped around her shoulders.  It was impossible..... how?....
he'd burned this......*Dana*.
	He looked quickly up at her, just as she was realizing what it was also.
She met his grateful smile with a sincere one of her own.
	"I... I couldn't just let it burn...." she started.
	"Thank you, Dana," he said softly, his hand coming up to caress her cheek.
	"We'll find her, Mulder.  And the Truth.  I promise."

	
					      THE END
				          (And The Beginning)	

**********
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