Title: Island Exposure (1/1)
Author: L. M. Shard
E-mail address: lsshard@cox.net
Date completed: 2-20-02
Rating: R
Category: S, R, some A
Spoilers: Seasons 8 and 9
Keywords: Doggett/Scully romance
Feedback: Yes!!!  Please!
Archive: probably anywhere, just ask first.
Disclaimer: Unfortunately these fabulous characters are not 
my own (with the exception of Cook).  Chris Carter, 1013, and 
Fox own them.
Special thanks to: Megan, Diandra, and Ginger.
Summary: Scully and Doggett fight for survival as a case goes 
awry.



ISLAND EXPOSURE
By: L. M. Shard



Agents Dana Scully and John Doggett were hot on a case.  
They had followed their suspect, an alleged drug smuggler 
named Cameron Cook, around for weeks, waiting for him to 
make his deal.  Finally the day it was all going to go down 
arrived.  From taped phone conversations the agents learned 
that Cook was apparently going to fly his private jet to a secret 
meeting place where he would get a hold of the drugs.  Scully 
and Doggett knew which plane was his and climbed aboard 
late that night, hiding under several blankets that had been 
thrown in the back, blankets that surly were planning to be 
used to cover the drugs on the return flight.  As anticipated, 
Cook arrived in the plane about an hour later and took off, 
oblivious to his two unexpected passengers.

About a half an hour into the flight, Scully let out an 
uncontrollable sneeze, one she had been fighting to keep in for 
some time.  Unfortunately, the scratchy, dusty wool blankets 
had won the battle as Scully's body tried to rid itself of the 
irritant.  Immediately all three people were on their feet facing 
each other, but Cook had his gun drawn a couple seconds 
before Scully and Doggett.  His gun was pointed straight at 
Scully and from the looks of it he was going to fire it.  In a 
microsecond Doggett jumped him and they struggled for the 
gun, rolling around on the airplane's floor so quickly, Scully 
couldn't get a clear shot.  Suddenly Cook's gun when off, 
hitting the hydraulics, depressurizing the cabin, and causing 
the plane to veer out of control.  The sudden loss of altitude 
and pressurization allowed Cook to free himself from 
Doggett's grasp and in that instant of confusion, Cook grabbed 
a nearby parachute, ripped the door open, and sprang from the 
plane.  He disappeared into the black of night, leaving Doggett 
and Scully on the doomed aircraft.  

Scully ran over to the control panel in an attempt to figure out 
how to stabilize the plane.  "Do you know how to fly one of 
these things?"  She said, panic entering her voice.

"Doesn't matter.  The hydraulics are shot; there's no way we 
can regain control.  We've got to jump."

Immediately both agents searched the plane for parachutes, 
and with great despair were only able to find one.

"Put this on," Doggett ordered, already shoving the straps of 
the chute around Scully's arms and securing the buckle.

"No, John!"  She yelled.  "There's only one chute!"  She would 
not let him give up his life for hers.  She struggled to remove 
it.

Doggett grabbed her face in his hands and stared into her 
frightened blue eyes.  "You're gonna to take this parachute and 
jump!  William needs you!  There's no one back home that 
needs me."  When it came right down to it, Doggett had 
always known he would make the ultimate sacrifice if it meant 
saving Scully's life.

Holding down her desperation and panic, Scully replied in a 
voice as even and as firm as she could make it.  "I need you," 
she said, still looking into his eyes and clutching his arm.  
"We'll go together on this chute; just hold on to me."

Doggett was moved, but shook his head.  He also knew that 
she had to jump as soon as possible.  In the blackness of the 
night there was no telling if there were mountains approaching 
that would lead them to an even earlier demise.  With great 
urgency he said, "The chute might not be able to hold both our 
weight for a safe landin'.  You could die if I hold on."

"We either jump together or we don't jump at all," she said 
sternly, resolve in her voice.  "I will not leave you here!"  As a 
show of finality to her words she wrapped herself tightly 
around him and leaned toward the open door.  Knowing they 
did not have the luxury of arguing anymore and resolving to 
let go of her the moment he thought the parachute couldn't 
handle both their weight, he put his arms around Scully and 
together they jumped off the airplane into the ebony sky.

They were free falling into the complete unknown and Scully 
was terrified.  Jumping from a plane was something she was 
never interested in doing, and doing so at night with one chute 
was even more terrifying than she ever imagined.  She 
clutched onto Doggett tightly, praying as they fell.  

There were just so many unknowns and those were the things 
that worried Doggett.  Was there land below them or water?  
How far from the earth were they?  With only a full moon to 
guide them, they frantically searched the blackness for any 
sign of what awaited them below, but they could see nothing.  
A tangible feeling of danger gripped their hearts.

"We've got to pull the string," Doggett yelled above the wind.  
He found it quickly and pulled it, and their free fall came 
abruptly to a considerable slow-down.  At that same instant 
there was a loud explosion in the distance as the plane hit a 
mountain, giving off a huge fireball of heat and light.  Scully 
shuddered in his arms and he tightened his grip around her, 
thankful that they had exited the plane in time and that the 
parachute seemed to be able to safely hold them both, at least 
for the time being.

"It's gonna be okay, Dana," he said soothingly.  She nodded 
into his shoulder, her terror lessening a couple of degrees.  "I 
think we're gonna be landin' in water," he said after having 
glimpsed the sparkle of the ocean below them when the 
explosion had briefly lit up the night.  She nodded again.

"I don't see any lights or any land around.  Do you?"  She 
asked worried.  It looked like their dangerous adventure was 
just beginning.

He strained to see through the night, but also could not make 
out anything helpful.  Perhaps when they landed, things would 
be easier to see.  He looked in her eyes, the moon reflecting its 
surreal glow onto them.  "No," he whispered, "but we're gonna 
be fine," he promised, praying that it would be so.

She looked at him, trying hard to hide her panic.  There was a 
feeling of dread that was spreading through her like a disease 
and she realized that she had a lot to say to this man in who's 
arms she was being held.  "John, I want you to know how 
much I appreciate all you have done for me, how much I 
cherish—"

"Dana," he interrupted. "Don't.  We're gonna make it.  You 
tell me this when we're safe on land, okay?"  He could feel her 
fear and he did not want her to play into it.  As much as he 
wanted to hear what she had to say, he did not want her 
scaring herself even more by thinking they weren't going to 
make it.

She nodded and gave him an impromptu kiss on the cheek as 
her head found its place on his shoulder again.  She was glad 
she was not alone.

Doggett's cheek tingled where the feather-touch of her lips had 
been, and he knew that he would do everything and anything 
in his power to bring this woman to safety.

Suddenly they hit the water with a big splash.  It was icy and 
shocked their systems, their skin instantly prickling in the 
cold.  Doggett helped Scully unfasten the parachute, then they 
each took off their shoes and jackets and let them sink to the 
bottom of the ocean, as these items would hinder their 
swimming.  Treading water for a couple minutes they tried to 
get their bearings.

"John, are those palm trees?"  Scully asked hopefully, as she 
pointed into the night.

Doggett saw several trees silhouetted against the full moon.  
"Sure are!"  He said happily.  "Let's start swimmin'!"

They swam for what seemed like hours, yet the land didn't 
seem to get much closer.  Exhaustion and cold was seeping 
into their bones and Scully didn't know how much longer she 
could keep this up.

"John, I need to take a break," she said panting loudly and 
treading water in place.

Doggett was very tired as well, but knew that they needed to 
continue.  They wouldn't be able to survive in the icy waters 
that much longer, especially if they slowed down their 
movement.  

He looked at Scully.  Her lips were trembling and her face was 
as pale as the moon that guided them.  "We gotta keep goin', 
Dana.  You can do it; you're the strongest woman I've ever 
met."  He flashed her a grin.

"Okay," she mumbled and started swimming, her limbs 
protesting every stroke.

About five minutes later, something bumped Doggett's foot 
and a sensation of extreme fear raced through his body.   He 
had the eerie feeling that a shark had just touched him, but he 
kept it to himself.  Scully was struggling as it was; the last 
thing she needed was another fear to hinder her and take form 
in her mind.  Besides, he wasn't a hundred percent sure.

"We're gettin' closer; let's pick up the pace a bit," he said, 
urging her on.

They did and finally land was almost within reach.  Scully felt 
something bump her leg.  "I just felt something touch my leg," 
she said, fear lacing her voice.  She didn't want to think about 
what creatures were swimming with them.

"That was me," Doggett lied, trying to shield her from the 
truth he feared.

She sighed in relief.  "I've got to rest," she said, stopping.

"No," Doggett said almost too urgently.

"Why?"  She asked, a bad feeling overcoming her.

"The water's too cold.  We've got to keep movin' to retain the 
heat we're creatin'," he said.  Well that was partly true.  He 
could not tell her of the shark he suspected had been circling 
them for some time.  "We're so close."

They swam on, overcoming their exhaustion and pushing 
away their mounting fears.  Finally they touched bottom and 
dragged themselves on hands and knees to shore.  Breathing 
heavily, they lay face down in the sand, unable to move 
another muscle.  Suddenly, Scully started to cry, hot tears 
burning down her icy cheeks, as all the pressure, fear, and 
fatigue took its toll.  She hated that she was losing control like 
this, but she was just too worn-out to stop.

Doggett crawled over to her and draped an arm around her.   
She leaned into him, allowing herself his comfort and seeking 
warmth.  "We're safe now," he said soothingly.

"That was a shark out there, wasn't it?"  She asked after she 
had caught her breath and her tears had slowed.

"Yeah," Doggett replied.  She shuddered in his arms and he 
held her more tightly.  She was grateful for his earlier white 
lie.

"So cold," she murmured, suddenly not able to think of 
anything else.

Doggett looked around and saw no sign of civilization, just 
plenty of palm trees and sand.  "Let's get off the wet sand," he 
said, "and I'll hold you and try and get some warmth back into 
you."

They crawled to an area of dry sand and lay down, side-by-
side.  Although they held each other tightly, neither one of 
them felt any warmer; their bodies were completely chilled to 
the bone.  "You any warmer?"  He asked, looking into her pale 
face.  Her lips were blue and her teeth chattered 
uncontrollably.

"No," she whispered.  Doctor mode kicked in.  "Body heat," 
she said fumbling with the buttons of her blouse.  "Need to get 
these wet clothes off and press our skin together."

"Okay," he agreed and took off his shirt.

"Help me," she almost whimpered as she still struggled with 
the buttons.  Her fingers were so cold they lacked almost any 
sensation.

Under any other circumstances he would have been thrilled by 
such an invitation, but now as they fought for warmth and 
survival, it was more of an awkward moment as he undid her 
buttons.  Her blouse removed, she proceeded to undo her bra 
and threw it in the sand next to her.  Doggett averted his eyes 
and was shocked at her next request.

"Please…lay on me.  So…cold," she said, barely able to get 
the words out.  Her body was shutting down and she could feel 
it.

"But I'll crush you," he said.

"No.  Please, John…" she almost begged.

He did as asked, carefully placing his large body over her 
petite one.  The contact was odd; never had he had a naked 
woman under him that felt like an ice cube.  He covered her as 
well as he could, trying hard not to hurt her.  

He knew she was close to hypothermia and he struggled to 
think of something else to do.  An idea came to him.  "Let's 
think of some warm places and describe 'em."

She nodded weakly below him.  He breathed close to her ear, 
hoping that even his breath would warm her.  "Have you ever 
been to Tahiti?"  He asked.

She shook her head "no".  

"I was there for my honeymoon.  It's one of the most beautiful 
places I've ever been to.  The water is so crystal blue with 
green strips throughout.  And it's warm, so warm.  The sun is 
hot and it beats down on the fine sand that covers the beaches.  
People walk around in pareos, bikinis, and shorts.  The 
atmosphere is laid back and easy.  Just picture yourself lyin' 
on the beach, slathered in sun lotion with the sun beatin' down 
on you, healin' you, warmin' your entire bein'."

"Umm, it sounds wonderful," she said, thinking of the warmth 
and wishing she were there right now.  He had mentioned his 
honeymoon and Scully wanted to ask about his wife, but did 
not want to cause him any pain.

But she did not have to ask.  She was surprised when he freely 
offered her some information as he continued.  "Barbara and I 
had so much fun on that trip.  We were there for two weeks 
and we did somethin' different almost every day.  It was an 
adventure explorin' the islands—we were on Moorea as well 
as Tahiti.  We were just beginnin' our lives together and it felt 
so right, so good.  We were so much in love.  I thought it 
would last forever.  And it probably would've if it weren't for 
Luke's murder."  He paused as fresh pain plagued his heart.

"John…" Scully whispered, looking into his eyes.  She saw 
the pain in them and wanted him to know that he didn't need 
to go there now.  She gently placed her hand on his cheek in a 
gesture of comfort.  He leaned into it, taking that comfort.  He 
was almost surprised himself for wanting to talk about this 
now, but it was something he had needed to share, and with 
the mention of Tahiti, it just kind of came up.

He put his full weight back down on her and continued in a 
half-whisper.  "We had a good life, Barbara and I.  Luke 
completed it, and when he died, we died with him."  He 
paused, holding back tears, then continued, "Barbara couldn't 
take our loss of him and took herself out of the misery, out of 
this world."  He paused again, then croaked, "I miss 'em both 
so much."

"John…" she said again with great compassion and pressed 
him tightly to her.  "I'm so sorry."  She had no words to ease 
his pain and her heart ached for him.  She just held him and 
stroked his wet hair with her frozen fingers.

It had been somewhat a mystery as to why he chose this time 
to tell Scully about his wife and son, but it was also somewhat 
of a relief.  Then he remembered why he had started this 
conversation in the first place.  "So now it's your turn.  Tell me 
about a warm place."

Scully thought for a moment and said, "Hawaii.  That's my 
favorite warm place.  I've been to several of the islands and I'd 
have to say the Big Island is my favorite.  Of course, it's 
always warm there and the landscape is so diverse.  There are 
deserts of lava rocks for miles on end, then there's a mountain 
with snow, there are fields and pastures with cows and horses, 
and, of course, many beaches.  It truly has everything on one 
island and the people are so friendly."

"I've never been, but would love to go," Doggett said.

"I'll have to take you there someday," Scully said without 
thinking.  What had she just implied!  She was glad Doggett 
couldn't see the flush that had crept onto her pallid cheeks.

He smiled and whispered next to her ear, "I'd like that."

Scully's heart pounded in excitement, but she couldn't think of 
anything appropriate to say so they held each other in silence.

They lay like that together for a long time, their breathing 
evening out and their heart rates falling back to a normal pace.  
Soon warmth was coursing through their bodies again, at least 
the parts that were in direct contact with each other.

Doggett gently shifted his position on her and in doing so his 
chest grazed her nipples.  They were no longer hard nubs like 
when he had first placed himself upon her and he was 
ashamed of himself for feeling tingles of arousal.

"Are you gettin' warmer?"  He whispered next to her ear.

"Yes," she whispered back.  "You?"

"Yeah," he said.  Much warmer.

Now that she felt warm again, she was beginning to enjoy the 
weight of Doggett's body on her own.  She was surprised at 
how good it felt and she absently stroked his back with her 
hands.  His skin was so smooth and soft and the feeling was 
getting to her.

Doggett felt her soft strokes and relished in the sensation.  He 
knew she was probably doing this to keep him warm, but 
allowed himself to think, at least for a fleeting moment, that it 
was for another reason.  He had desired Scully from the first 
moment he had laid eyes on her.  She was all fire and strength 
and he loved that in a woman.  He never imagined he'd be 
lying on top of her under such circumstances; hell, he never 
imagined he'd get the chance to lie on top of her at all.  At 
times she seemed off limits, yet at others she seemed to 
welcome him in.  She could be a hard one to read and her 
relationship with Mulder was just so ambiguous to him; he 
wished he knew just where he fit in with her.  Although he 
desired much more, he feared they would never be more than 
partners and friends.

"Let's trade places.  I want your back to get warm too," she 
suggested.

He was glad to do it, since he feared his weight was becoming 
too much of a burden on her tiny frame.  With places traded, 
she rested her head on his broad chest and he put his arms 
around her, trying to cover as much of her exposed back as 
possible.  It was like this, with the steady beat of his heart in 
her ear and the soft yet firm pressure of her weight upon him, 
that they fell asleep. 

They woke up in the same position to the first warming rays of 
the sun.  Scully was loath to move from the comfort of 
Doggett's chest, but did so anyway, gazing a bit awkwardly 
into his eyes.  They seemed bluer than she had ever noticed 
and they were definitely smiling at her.  She returned the smile 
with her lips and pushed herself off of him, her muscles 
aching.  For a split second she had forgotten that she was 
naked from the waist up, but was quickly reminded of that fact 
when Doggett lowered his eyes in respect.  She lowered her 
eyes as well and quickly moved off of the man who was 
throwing her emotions for a loop.

"You sleep okay?"  He asked as she reached for her now-dry 
bra and blouse.

"Yeah, and you?"

He couldn't resist looking at the perfect creamy skin of her 
back as she dressed.  "Yeah, I slept good."  Amazingly better 
than he had in a long while.  He was already missing the light 
pressure of her body on his.  He pulled on his shirt, hoping to 
retain some of her warmth that still was spread over his skin 
like a soft caress.

"Umm, God am I sore!"  She said as every muscle screamed in 
protest as she carefully put her arms through her blouse.

Doggett's first reaction was to slid next to her and massage her 
arms and back, but then he realized that although they had 
shared very personal space last night, sore muscles were not a 
life-threatening situation and it was not proper to invade her 
personal space with a massage as much as he wanted to.  After 
all, Scully was his partner, not his lover.

Instead he said, "You just gotta move 'em and stretch 'em a bit; 
that'll get the lactic acid out and they'll feel better.  I'm kinda 
sore myself."

"Yeah," she mumbled, slightly disappointed that he hadn't 
suggested something like a massage.  She would not have 
hesitated at such an offer.

"Let's see if we can find any sign of life," he said getting up 
and offering her his hand.  She accepted it and he pulled her to 
a stand.  Together they checked out their surroundings and 
after about an hour of exploration, they were resigned to the 
fact that they were indeed the only humans on this island.  
There was nothing but miles and miles of beach and palm 
trees.  From the looks of it, it appeared that no one had ever 
set foot on this piece of land.  They gathered some coconuts 
and bananas and walked back to shore where they ate their 
tropical breakfast in silence.

Both Doggett and Scully were in deep thought as to what their 
fate would be.  How long would it be until they were rescued?  
Would they be rescued?  Would Cook end up on this island 
too and pose a threat to them?

"Monica knew of our plan to catch a ride with Cook," Doggett 
said reassuringly.  "I'm sure the plane crash would've been 
discovered by radar by now and she'll be sendin' a search party 
out for us."

"Yeah, you're right," Scully agreed, trying hard to believe that 
they would be found.  She had to get home to William.  Not 
seeing him again…she couldn't even go there.

"What about Cook?  Do you think he made it and might show 
up here?"  She asked, really not interested in dealing with yet 
another danger.

"I doubt it, but if he does, he won't be a threat to us.  I'll make 
sure of that," Doggett said protectively.

Scully spotted something white in the small shore breakers.  
She stood up and walked over to it.  "Look what washed 
ashore!"  She yelled back to Doggett who was watching her 
curiously.

He jumped up and jogged over to her.  There, in the shallow 
crystal blue water was the parachute.  They dragged it out and 
laid it flat in the sun.

"I'll make us a tent with this when it's dried out.  That way if 
we end up havin' to spend another night here, we'll at least 
have some protection from the cold."

"Good idea," she said, then added, "I think I'm going to take a 
swim and get all this sand out of my hair."

He wanted to join her, but assumed she wanted her privacy.  
"I'll go gather some wood so we can have a fire tonight," he 
offered.

"Great.  I've had enough cold to last me a lifetime!"  She said 
and headed off to a spot further along the shoreline.

Doggett went to work collecting wood, every now and then 
glancing in Scully's direction to make sure she was okay.  The 
memory of the shark was not forgotten.  He finished his task 
and sat on the sun-warmed sand, watching her swim.  Her 
body floated gracefully in the shallow waves of the sparkling 
water and he found himself yearning to touch her.  The feel of 
her bare skin on his all through the night had been an 
unexpected pleasure, and he was thankful that he had been too 
cold to react to her closeness, or else he surly would have 
embarrassed himself.  He admonished himself for thinking 
about her in romantic ways, knowing that she was not 
interested in him like that.  But then two things she had said to 
him last night made him wonder.  She had said that she needed 
him, but was that just to convince him to jump with her with 
one parachute, or did she really mean it?  Scully was not one 
to say she needed anyone, let alone him.  And then that thing 
about taking him to Hawaii with her.  Was that just polite 
conversation or did she really desire to go there with him?  He 
shook his head in confusion.  He was probably just 
superimposing his own thoughts and feelings onto her.  After 
all, she was with Mulder, wasn't she?

After a refreshing bath and convinced that she had gotten most 
of the sand out of her hair, Scully returned to shore.  She could 
see Doggett sitting in the distance, but she couldn't tell if he 
was looking in her direction.  Considering she was buck 
naked, she hoped not.  There were no obstacles to provide 
privacy along the shoreline, so she quickly put on her 
underwear, slacks, and blouse again.  They became wet from 
the water on her body, but in the heat of the sun she knew they 
would dry quickly and did not worry about it.

"Feel better?"  He asked with a smile as she approached him.

"Much!"  She said returning his smile, and sat down next to 
him on the already-dried parachute.  She realized that although 
their situation looked pretty bleak, she was not afraid.  Having 
Doggett here with her put her at ease.  His presence was so 
soothing and she felt safe, even in the face of the unknown.

"I'm glad you're here," she said thankfully.

He knew what she meant.  "Although I wouldn't wish this on 
either of us, I'm glad you're here too," he responded, covering 
her hand with his.  The contact was comforting, yet exciting as 
well.  They regarded each other silently for a few minutes, 
studying each other's faces and ending up gazing into each 
other's eyes.

All sorts of emotions were surfacing within Scully and she did 
not know how to respond to them and lowered her gaze.  
Doggett had seen some of those emotions in her eyes and was 
left wondering what exactly he meant to her.  Perhaps, if he 
were lucky, she might tell him or show him.

"My turn to go take a bath," he said, breaking the silence that 
had suddenly turned awkward.  He gently squeezed her hand 
before he let it go and walked to the water.  

Scully watched him for a moment, then overcome by fatigue, 
lay down on the parachute, closing her eyes.  The sun's heat 
felt good on her body and she craved it.  After last night, she 
just couldn't get enough warmth.  As the healing rays of the 
sun radiated on her form she thought of the man who was 
stranded on this island with her.  Her feelings for him were 
becoming stronger and stronger and she couldn't deny them to 
herself any longer.  Whenever she was in his presence, 
whether at work or outside of the office, she experienced this 
feeling of excitement within her.  Often she had found him 
staring at her when she was working and his gazes looked like 
ones of longing and something else, something that left her 
wondering.  But she had been too shy to hold those gazes, too 
afraid of what exploring them might mean.  When her mind 
turned to him, she would quickly push him out, fearing her 
own growing feelings.  

Although she and Mulder weren't a couple in the traditional 
sense, they did share parenting duties when Mulder was 
around and somehow she didn't feel completely free to love 
someone else.  Even though their love for each other was 
eternal, they did not truly have a romantic love for one another 
like she had had for him in their early years as partners.  
Except for one lonely night where she had invited Mulder to 
her bed and William had been conceived by some miracle, 
their relationship was lovingly platonic.  She did not regret 
their one-time union; they had both needed each other then, 
but now, she was happy with the status quo, especially with 
her feelings for Doggett becoming more and more obvious to 
her.

She felt secure with Doggett and felt that he had assigned 
himself her protector from the start.  Why, she didn't 
understand, but as the months passed, she was seeing more 
and more of something in his eyes.  What exactly that was, she 
could not put a finger on, or perhaps just did not want to 
admit.  That he was willing to die for her last night in the 
airplane, spoke volumes to her.  She trusted this man 
completely and trust was something incredibly important to 
her and rarely given to anyone outside her immediate family 
and Mulder.

By the time Doggett was finished with his swim, Scully was 
asleep.  He gently laid himself next to her on the parachute 
and gazed at her sleeping face.  She was stunningly beautiful 
and Doggett was pleased to have this rare opportunity to study 
her features unobserved and at leisure.  Her lips were slightly 
parted and rosy-red in color.  Her cheeks were flushed with 
the sun's heat and her eyelids were fringed with dark lashes 
that curled slightly, framing the sparkling blues that he knew 
to be beneath.  God, did he love this woman!  If only she 
could only love him back!

She rolled to her side and slowly opened her eyes to find 
Doggett staring at her.  "Hi," she whispered as a small smile 
played on her lips.  How comforting it felt to see him upon 
awakening.

"Hi, Sleeping Beauty," he said back.

She smiled, stretched, and sat up.  She noticed that he only had 
on his black slacks and that his white dress shirt was laying in 
a pile a few feet away, leaving his chest completely exposed to 
her.  She couldn't help but glance at it, taking in its form, 
perfectly sculpted muscles, and smooth, tanned skin.  How she 
desired to run her hands along that masculine, hard expanse 
and feel the muscles ripple under her touch, but she resisted.

Her perusal of his physique did not go unnoticed and he 
grinned as he suggested, "Shall we make the tent?"

"Yeah," she agreed.  Now what was he smiling about?

About two hours later they had set up the tent between two 
palm trees and had found enough food for both lunch and 
dinner.  Then with small logs they spelled out the word "help" 
on the sand, making the letters big enough to be seen from the 
sky.

Just before sunset they took a long walk on the beach, talking 
and laughing, totally at ease with each other.  It almost felt 
like a vacation: the place was so beautiful and the company so 
good.  When the sun did finally set, it was spectacular.  Pinks, 
greys, blues, and purples colored the heavens like a 
professional watercolor.  But in the distance heavy, dark 
clouds loomed ominously.

"Looks like rain," Doggett said disappointed.  At least they 
had a tent.

They were just about to head back to camp when something 
on the shoreline caught their eyes.  Doggett turned his head 
away in repulsion as he saw what remained of Cameron Cook.  
Apparently a shark had feasted on his body, for all that was 
left was part of his torso, one upper arm and his half-eaten 
head, dangling from a thread.  In a twist of hard, cold irony, 
his parachute was still strapped to what was left of his body, 
unopened.

"My God, John, you know what that means," Scully said, 
referring to the unopened chute.  Apparently he had been the 
unfortunate one in grabbing the malfunctioning parachute.

Doggett nodded his head, solemnly.  "That could've been us," 
he whispered.  The reality of his statement sunk in and Scully 
looked at him in horror.  He gathered her into his arms and 
pressed her tightly against his chest.  They stood like that, in 
the comfort of each other's embrace in shock and thankfulness 
that God had spared them.

The threatening, dark clouds were almost right above them 
and they decided to get a move on.  But first Doggett dragged 
the partial corpse out of the ocean and far enough back on the 
beach that high tide wouldn't take him back out again.  

Back at camp they set out empty coconut shells to collect 
rainwater.  It would be nice to have something other than 
coconut milk to drink.  By the time they were finished, several 
fat drops were already falling, making small thumps in the 
sand.  Doggett and Scully gathered the food they had collected 
and crawled inside the tent.

"And I was so looking forward to a fire tonight," Scully said 
with great disappointment.  She was already chilled and the 
thought of spending another night freezing was so 
unappealing.  She also couldn't get the image of the half-eaten 
Cook out of her mind.  Not that she hadn't seen bodies in 
similar forms of mutilation before, but the fact that that easily 
could have been Doggett and her had the man grabbed the 
other chute was something that kept torturing her mind.  She 
trembled.

"Me too," Doggett said and put an arm around her.  He knew 
she was already cold and guessed where her thoughts were 
taking her. His were in the same place.

They huddled in the middle of the tent, eating bananas and 
coconuts, listening to the steady rain.  Hours passed and 
instead of letting up, the rain came down even harder, 
pounding on the tent relentlessly.  Luckily the nylon fabric of 
the parachute made for perfect rainproof use and there were no 
leaks.  By this time, Scully was visibly shaking from the cold 
and Doggett took off his shirt, offering it to her for added 
warmth.

"Put this on," he said gently.

She shook her head.  "No, you'll freeze.  Let's do the body heat 
thing again."  She suggested, no longer caring about modesty.  
It was almost pitch black anyway, since the thick clouds 
covered any light the moon had to offer.

"Okay," he said putting his shirt back on, but leaving it 
unbuttoned.  She unbuttoned her blouse as well, lay next to 
him, and pressed her body to his.  They laced their arms and 
legs around each other and within minutes both were much 
warmer.

"Thanks, John.  I know this is awkward…"

"I'm okay with it, Dana.  I think you know by now, I'd do 
anything for you."

She did and actually hearing those words, tears welled in her 
eyes.  She was thankful for the dark so he could not see them.  
She nodded her head against his chest.

"Do you think we're really going to get out of here?"  She 
asked.  Now that an entire day had passed, she was starting to 
worry.

"Yes," he said.  "You miss William, don't you?"

"So much!"  She almost let her tears spill at the thought of her 
baby.  When would she see him again?

"I'm sure he's in good hands.  Mulder's a fine dad, I bet."

"As far as I know, Mulder is not home now.  He left a couple 
weeks ago and didn't know when he'd be back."  She sighed.

Doggett couldn't understand how any man could leave her and 
his baby for such an extended time period with no definite 
return date.  If he were in Mulder's shoes, nothing could keep 
him from Scully.  Nothing.  "I'm sorry, Dana," he whispered 
and subconsciously tightened his embrace around her.

"It's okay.  I'm used to it.  Besides, Mulder and I don't have a 
traditional relationship."  She surprised herself by saying this.  
She was not one to talk about private matters very often.

Before he could stop himself, he blurted out the question that 
had been on his mind for many months now, "What kind of 
relationship do you two have?"  At her silence, he quickly 
added, "I'm sorry; that's none of my business."

"Actually, it's not," was what her first reaction to his question 
was, but she did not verbalize that thought and instead, rather 
reluctantly said, "Mulder and I are not a couple.  We love each 
other, but we are more platonic friends than anything else."  
When it came right down to it, she saw no reason not to tell 
him anymore.  After all, he had shared some very personal 
information about his wife and son with her last night. 

"Platonic?"  The word reverberated in Doggett's head.  He was 
completely flabbergasted and found it incredibly hard to 
believe.

"Well, we were together just once, hence William, but we're 
not lovers anymore.  Funny, because there was a time, years 
actually, that that is what I wanted Mulder and me to be: 
lovers, husband and wife, the whole deal.  But things changed 
that."  Her voice trailed off as she thought back.  God, why 
was she telling him all this?  It was so unlike her!  The dark 
and this closeness were like a truth serum to her.  And maybe 
the cold, hard fact that their lives had been spared by a simple 
twist of fate made her want to use that second chance that they 
had been blessed with.  Life suddenly seemed even more 
precious now, and time something that should not be 
squandered.

"Like what?"  He was totally surprised by what she was 
revealing to him.  Never in a million years would he have 
thought that they were anything less than romantic lovers.

"It's hard to say.  I guess I just loved him for so long, that by 
the time we did consummate that love, it had turned to a 
platonic love instead of a romantic love."  She paused.  "And 
then…and then you came into my life."  She stopped, fearing 
she had said too much; she was not used to taking risks with 
her heart.

Doggett could not believe what she had just said!  Did that 
mean she was falling for him?  There was only one way to 
find out, and he was not going to miss this opportunity.  With 
a wildly pounding heart, he gently tilted her face up to his and 
lowered his lips onto hers in a slow, tender kiss.  Not feeling 
any objection, he continued the kiss, finding her lips parted 
and inviting.  He slipped his tongue into her mouth and she let 
out a small moan as their tongues touched.  They danced in 
harmony as the kiss deepened and she pulled him even closer.  
They took their time and let the exquisite sensations wash over 
them, savoring each other's tropical taste, and breathing in 
each other's salty, heady scent.  The kiss was intoxicating and 
neither wanted to end it; instead, they continued their slow, 
leisurely dance, exploring each other with mounting passion 
and desire.  

Reluctantly, Doggett pulled back, not wanting things to go too 
fast too quickly.  He greatly respected this woman in his arms 
and he wanted to take things at a slower pace.  He loved her 
and the last thing he ever wanted to do was urge her to do 
something she might regret later.  Besides, his head was 
spinning with all the information she revealed and he needed 
some time to process this unexpected yet treasured turn of 
events.

She let out a little whimper at the loss of his mouth and was 
surprised that he had pulled away for a mere moment, but then 
she understood and laid her head back on his chest.  He tucked 
her under his chin and stroked her silky hair.  Hearts beating 
wildly, but content, they fell asleep, the wet cold outside no 
longer a problem.

They awoke in each other's arms to the sound of small swells 
breaking on the shore and seagulls squawking.  The sun's 
healing rays shone into part of the tent, warming their bare 
feet.  Scully stirred in his secure embrace and tilted her face to 
meet his.  In a rather shy voice she simply said, "Hi."

"Hi," he replied back, his eyes full of love.

She smiled at him, a smile so radiant it warmed his soul.  All it 
took was one kiss from this gorgeous woman and he was in 
heaven.  Suddenly the direness of the situation seemed 
insignificant; what was going on between the two of them was 
much more important.

She stroked his face lovingly, which had grown quite a bit of 
stubble since their arrival, then sat up allowing his gaze to fall 
on her bra-clad breasts.  She did not turn from him, like she 
normally would have, but rather slowly buttoned a couple 
buttons in the middle of her blouse and tied the ends in a knot 
at her waist, covering his view gradually.  With her blouse 
worn that way, her firm stomach was exposed and Doggett 
highly approved.  He yearned to grab her by her bared waist 
and pull her on top of him for an encore of last night's kiss, but 
he resisted, letting her take the lead.  She had already exposed 
so much of herself to him in such a short time, he was afraid 
she would turn back within herself if he was too aggressive.

Scully smiled.  She felt so good and knew that this one kiss 
from this wonderful man beside her would change everything 
-- for the better.  An excitement rose in her and she said, "I'll 
be right back."  Then she bent down to him and planted a soft 
kiss on his lips, and was gone in a flash.  

Doggett barely had time to register all that had happened 
between them, when she returned bearing fruit.  "I was getting 
a bit tired of bananas, so I thought we could have some papaya 
for a change," she said proudly displaying two perfect 
specimens.

"Papaya!  Where'd you find these?"  He asked pleased.

"I saw them last night just as the rain was starting to come 
down, so I didn't have time to pick them then."

"This is great!"  He said, breaking one in half and handing a 
half to her.  They both dove in, enjoying the distinct, sweet 
flavor, as juices ran down their chins and over their fingers.  
They licked them off as best as they could, but without 
napkins the sticky residue remained.

Scully giggled.  "We look worse than William does after a 
meal!  Let's take a swim," she suggested, already climbing out 
of the tent.

By the time Doggett caught up to her, she had already stripped 
to her matching white panties and bra and turned toward him.  
He froze in his tracks as her beauty overwhelmed him.  Her 
body was sheer perfection and all he wanted to do was touch 
it.

"Aren't you coming?"  She asked with an inviting smile and 
ran into the crystal blue water.

He tore off his clothes, leaving on his boxers, and joined her in 
the warm water.

"Ahh, this feels heavenly," he said floating on his back and 
staring at the too blue sky.

"Sure does," she agreed and then in a playful mood she 
splashed him.

"Oh ho ho!  You just declared war, woman!"  He said and 
bolted toward her splashing as much water as he could with 
each step.

She let out a little scream and tried to high tail it out of his 
reach, but he was too fast for her and he easily caught her in 
his arms and lifted her up.  "Put me down!"  She yelled, 
giggling and kicking her feet madly.  He couldn't help but 
notice that the water had made her white underwear rather 
transparent and two hard nipples and a perfect triangle peeked 
out from beneath.  His breath caught in his throat and his groin 
stirred at the delicious sight.

"Whatever you say, Ma'am," he said with a big grin and let her 
fall into the water.

She went down with a big splash and came up fighting.  "I 
can't believe you did that!"  She said and lunged toward him, 
toppling them both over and under.  When they came up they 
were both laughing hysterically.

"Hey, you asked for it!"  He said grinning ear to ear and pulled 
her into a hug.  Feeling her wet body so silky against his sent 
an instant reaction to his core.

"So that means you'll always give me what I ask for?"  She 
responded teasingly.  She felt the heat that was brewing 
between them and let her hands glide over his well-developed 
arms as she had longed to do for quite some time.

"That all depends if you really want it," he said, his voice now 
having a husky, gravelly quality to it.  Suddenly the tone went 
from playful to intense, and the look in his eyes turned feral.

He pressed her closer to him and swooped down in a hungry, 
fiery kiss.  This kiss was nothing like the tender, loving one of 
last night.  It was possessive and demanding and overflowing 
with all the pent-up lust and love that they felt for each other.  

She used every ounce of willpower within her and pushed him 
away mischievously, wanting to prolong the sweet torture and 
ran toward the shore saying, "Aren't you coming?" as she 
looked at him with inviting eyes and a seductive smile.

"I'm damn close!"  He thought to himself, but said out loud, "I 
can't just yet," knowing that if he did, he'd be tenting big time 
in his boxers.

She waded slowly back into the water, deliberately swaying 
her hips back and forth and placed herself directly in front of 
him.  Looking him square in the eyes she said, "Because of 
this?" and boldly grabbed his firm cock in her hand.

He was surprised as hell at her brazen move, but the act 
aroused him so incredibly, he grabbed the back of her head 
and pulled her toward his awaiting and hungry mouth, in a 
crushing, fierce kiss.  All fire exploded within him and he 
claimed her with great urgency.  They kissed relentlessly with 
no holes barred as their bodies hungrily ground against each 
other, hands frantically roaming every available inch.  Doggett 
grew even harder against her and she moaned into his mouth 
at the feel of his arousal pressing so demandingly into her 
belly.  Her legs felt like mush as she was overcome with need 
and her body trembled against his.  She wanted him so badly 
and the thought of not feeling him within her at that moment 
was too much to bear.  She pushed his boxers down and 
grabbed his bare cock in her hands.  He hoisted her up and she 
clenched her legs around his waist.  Just as he was about to 
move her panties to the side and plunge into her, a loud noise 
startled them out of their single-minded lustful goal.

They looked up to the sky in unison and saw a helicopter fast 
approaching.  The cavalry had arrived.  They groaned.

"Now?  This is the time they decide to rescue us?"  Scully 
panted, hardly happy at their timing.

"I know.  I could've handled another hour or two on this 
island," he said, just as disappointed.  "We better get dressed.  
They'll be landin' in a couple minutes and I don't know about 
you, but I don't wanna get caught with my pants down."

"Yeah," she breathed, her forehead pressed against his.  "We'll 
finish this later," she said, looking into his eyes with a longing, 
seductive grin.

He grinned back and lowered her to her feet.  She struggled 
for stability on her wobbly legs, for her emotions were still 
coursing in impassioned turmoil throughout her body.  The 
last thing she wanted to do at this moment was leave his 
embrace.  She ached for him.  Reluctantly, she turned around 
toward the shore, but he pulled her back into his arms and 
planted one last lingering, heated kiss on her red, swollen lips.  
"I love you," he breathed, looking deeply into her darkened 
blue orbs.

Scully's face lit up into a brilliant smile.  Never had he seen 
her so happy before!  And she responded, speaking what she 
had known to be in her heart for some time, "I love you too, 
John."

With happy hearts they rushed to the shore as the helicopter 
was about to land.  Monica Reyes watched the pair that had 
been intensely huddled together in the water, now frantically 
pulling on their clothes.  Although she was thrilled and 
relieved to see them apparently unharmed, she had a sinking 
feeling in her heart that Doggett was now out of her reach 
forever, at least in that way.  The moment the chopper landed, 
she sprung out and ran over to the two marooned agents.

"John!  Dana!"  She yelled over the chopper's almost 
deafening noise.  With happy smiles they embraced her.  "Are 
you two okay?"  Upon closer look at the pair, she could see 
that her question was unnecessary.  They were panting 
heavily, their faces were flushed, and their lips were swollen.  
Their clothes were wet and the way they clung to the lower 
half of Doggett's body, she could tell that there was definitely 
more than just swimming going on with them in the water.

"We're fine," Doggett said, sneaking a private glance toward 
Scully.  "About time you found us!"  He grinned.

Reyes smiled back at her friend.  "I'm just so glad you're okay.  
I was so worried!"  It was time to go.  "Do you have anything 
you want to bring with you?"

Doggett and Scully took a last glance around the sun-drenched 
beach, gazing at the makeshift tent and the discarded fruit 
shells and peels.  This was a place they would never forget, a 
special place where their love was free to come out of hiding 
and blossom.

Doggett shook his head "no" and thought to himself, "I have 
everything I need right here," as he took his love's hand in his.  
The three agents boarded the helicopter and left the island for 
home.  Doggett and Scully sat close together, still clutching 
each other's hand, knowing that more adventure, love, and 
romance awaited them.



THE END

I hope you enjoyed it!  Please send feedback to 
lsshard@cox.net.