This is a sequel to a story I posted in response to the challenge. It is conceivable to me that this story will make more sense if you read its precursor first. Obviously, it was called Going Down. This is concurrent with the original story, from Mulder's perspective. Here is my meager attempt. Warning *****NC-17***** at least I hope it is. If you like or dislike it, feel free to email me. Disclaimer: These characters are not mine. I wish they were. They belong to Chris Carter and 10/13 and other important people. Feel free to sue me, though I will warn anyone who wants to that my monthly paycheck is directly deposited into the Coke machine and I have to add a nickel to get a drink. This story takes place during Operation Paperclip at the beginning, as they head into the elevator. GOING DOWN II--Mulder's point of view QLTiersky@aol.com "I just knew," Scully murmured, as she crossed smoothly into the waiting elevator. Mulder flashed briefly on the Eves, and then just sighed and followed her docily inside. He absently pressed 1, then turned to find Scully staring at him with an unfathomable expression. "What is it?" he asked softly. "What's wrong?" Suddenly she smiled, lightening his heart a hundred-fold. "Nothing now. I'm just glad to have you back." Mulder bit back his standard sardonic reply and instead opened his arms to engulf her in a warm hug. He was a little surprised that Scully did not seem inclined to let go, but he was certainly not complaining. He enjoyed the feel of her arms wrapped around his waist, her body pressed up against his, his chin resting on her hair. Despite the constant ribbing he gave her for being so short, Mulder secretly thought that Scully was the perfect height to be held in his arms, protected from the rest of the world. He tried not to think those thoughts when she was so close. He didn't want his body to reveal where his mind was wandering, where it had been continually wandering, for the past several months. He knew that if she understood how much he wanted her she would be repulsed, frightened of his animal impulses. She was his friend and he was supposed to be above all that. Yet somehow, in the night, thoughts of her drifted through his mind, and he could not contain his desire. He sighed briefly, but she did not seem to notice. In fact, she did not seem to be all there. Still, he supposed he should not criticize considering how strange it must have been for her to have him suddenly arrive, undead, in his apartment in the middle of a rather tense scene. He wondered, too, what had made her believe that he was still alive. Maybe she had sensed him? Nah, Scully the scientist, the pragmatist would never believe in telepathy or in the Blessing Way. She shifted slightly in his arms, but did not pull away. Mulder briefly offered a prayer of gratitude to the elevator for making this descent so slowly that he had time to enjoy Scully's embrace as he had never done before. And Mulder finally gave in to the flashes of memories of a thousand lonely nights that holding Scully brought forth..... He always saw the two of them on the beach, though he could not fathom why. Perhaps it made her feel closer to her father. He didn't really understand what they were doing there. A case? A vacation? Who could say? The only important thing was that he was there and she was by his side. They were staring out to sea, as they once had so long ago, but this time she was not saying good-bye. In fact, she was not saying anything. Mulder studied her, wondering what she was thinking and feeling. He felt exuberant to be in her presence like this, yet scared, as if something big was coming and he did not yet know if it were going to be good or bad. He started to walk a little way down the beach and was surprised to find her hand on his arm preventing him from leaving. He looked down at her in surprise and she met his gaze with a look that was a combination of guilt and fear. "Scully," he whispered, trying not to scare her. "Scully, what's wrong?" She blinked and dropped her gaze. "Nothing, I, I'm fine Mulder," came her shaky response. He smiled gently. "Now even I am not quite that obtuse. Come on, Scully, tell me what's bothering you." "Nothing that I want to talk about," she responded, staring out at the sea again, unblinking. Mulder tipped his head to one side, studying her with care. Then, he put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him. Scully quickly dropped her gaze to the sand. "Look at me," he demanded. Scully did not move. "I said, look at me," he repeated firmly. Finally she slowly raised her eyes to meet his. "Now look," he began aggressively, "you are my best friend and my partner, and you are going to tell me what's wrong." A shadow passed over Scully's face as she heard this speech and she shook her head slowly. "I don't think that would be a good idea." "Don't you trust me?" he asked softly, almost sadly. Scully flinched. Low blow. "Of course I trust you..but...I don't trust myself," she finished, almost too softly for him to hear. Mulder frowned. "What are you talking about Scully? Scully?" She turned away from him and started to walk up the beach, he followed her. She glanced behind and picked up the pace. Mulder easily kept stride with his longer legs. Finally Scully burst into an all-out run, dashing up the shoreline. Mulder was surprised at how quickly she could move and really had to strain to keep up. He was almost upon her when she stumbled over a lost picnic blanket and fell to the sand. Mulder's momentum kept him from stopping in time and he promptly fell over Scully's prone body and landed next to her on the sand, his body partially covering hers. "Mmmmph," Scully said, shaking her head to get the sand off. Mulder could not keep from laughing as he looked at her. He leaned over and began brushing sand off her shoulders. She tensed slightly at his touch, and then relaxed and, reluctantly, began to laugh as well. "Now that I know you aren't going to run again, want to tell me what's been troubling you?" Mulder asked gently. Scully tried to look away but his hand was cupping her chin, while the other hand attempted to wipe the sand from her cheeks and forehead. She prayed he could not see her blushing. Studying her with confusion, Mulder wondered whether Scully could possible have gotten a sunburn that quickly. He looked her straight in the eyes...and felt his heart stop. All the answers to all the questions that he had been asking were there in her eyes. He saw love and desire, hope and need, guilt and fear. He realized suddenly that she was afraid that he might not love her, might not want her. How absurd that seemed to him. Although he had always tried to hide it, he assumed that his passion for Dana Scully was perfectly obvious. Slowly, he leaned forward. He watched her eyes widen with uncertainty and surprise, but she did not pull back. He gently lowered his mouth onto hers and was rewarded with a small gasp of pleasure. Scully's mouth opened to him hungrily, yielding access which he willingly took. They wrapped their arms around each other and held on as if afraid that something might try to pull them apart. Mulder started to lower Scully onto the sand, still kissing her, when her hand on his chest stopped him. He lifted his head slightly to look into her eyes and raised an eyebrow quizzically. She smiled at him gently, then motioned to the blanket she had tripped over, indicating that it might as well be put to good use. Mulder laughed out loud at the practicality of her suggestion and promptly went to work smoothing the blanket over the sand, using their shoes to weight down the four corners. "Happy now?" he asked dryly. "Happier than I ever thought I'd be," she responded softly, leaning forward to claim his kiss. They sunk onto the blanket languidly, both fighting the desperate need to shed their clothes and be one. Mulder slipped Scully's shirt over her head and tossed it aside, laughing as she started to protest. He quickly followed suit with his own shirt and pressed her body to his. Whatever complaints she might have had about the lack of hangers on the beach were quickly lost in one bruising kiss after another as the two stripped each other and pressed their flesh together, reveling in the feel of their nudity. Finally, Scully lay on the blanket, her eyes dark with need, as Mulder settled himself over her and gently penetrated her deepest layer. Both gasped at the long-awaited consummation of their love for each other. Once inside, Mulder paused to look into Scully's eyes and murmur, "I love you, Dana." Her eyes glistened with tears of joy as she wrapped her legs around Mulder's firm body and responded, "I love you, too, Fox." With that, Mulder began to slide in and out of Scully, as they moaned and gasped together. Unable to control himself for very long, Mulder quickly found his pace increasing as their sounds of pleasure were lost in the pounding of the surf. Finally, like the crest of a wave the two released themselves to the pleasure that they shared and shouted each other's names to the sea. *Bong* The sound of the elevator arriving on the first floor startled Mulder only briefly. He was relieved to see that his partner had not noticed his distraction. In fact, she still didn't seem to be very cognizant of what was going on. Her grip on him had not lessened and her eyes had a vacant look to them. He grinned briefly. "Scully? Hello, Scully?" he called, trying to get her attention. "What?" she mumbled, still not seeming to be all there. Mulder couldn't help but be amused to see his normally together partner acting so spacey. He smiled down at her gently. "We're on the first floor. Generally, this is the time when people get off the elevator." Scully blinked. "Oh, right, of course." Mulder wondered if that was a tinge of red he could see in her cheeks, but dismissed the thought. He was a bit puzzled as to what had her so rattled, however. He studied her carefully. "Are you sure you're OK?" he asked in concern. "You look kind of..." he broke off, unable to determine exactly how she looked, other than strange. "I'm fine," she assured him. "Yeah, right," he thought. "How stupid do I look?" He decided not to voice these thoughts and responded instead, "You really zoned out there for a minute. What were you thinking about?" "I was noticing your distinctive aroma," Scully retorted. "Don't they have showers in New Mexico?" Mulder grinned slightly, remembering the cautions he had been given there. "Funny you should ask that..." he answered, as he began to tell her of the Blessing Way ceremony. As he spoke, he couldn't help but wish to see his fantasies fulfilled. He looked into her eyes and thought, "Someday, Scully, someday..." end.