Title: THE ANIMAL AWAKENS: FIRE AND RAIN" Part Five Author: Reddi @ Red1401@btinternet.com Spoilers: Not really. But maybe thru to 7 if you count slight references. Rating: ?? ***ssssslash-tastic baby*** Disclaimer: I don't own 'em. Also included are ickle song lyric quotes - in this case, the titles. I don't own them either. In fact, when you really think about it, I own very little, except maybe my weird and wacky imagination. Summery: Samantha is found. Scully is lost. A gentle knock roused Scully from a favourite chapter of Austen's "Pride and Prejudice". She checked the spy-hole in the door and smiled as she removed the chain. She stepped back from the door, ran a hand through her hair and straightened her clothes. She debated whether to blow out the candles that had illuminated her apartment, should she turn the light on instead? Probably. There was another knock. Scully opened the door quickly, not wanting to keep her visitor waiting any longer. Samantha was just about to walk back to her own apartment when Scully called out. "Sorry, I was... I mean I didn't hear... Come in." Samantha smiled at her and stepped passed her in the doorway. She held up a wrapped bottle for Scully's inspection. "I heard you had a rough day." Samantha followed Scully through to her living room. Scully gestured for her to take a seat while she uncorked the sparkling Chardonnay. She reappeared a short time later with two crystal flute glasses. "Cheers" They toasted one another. "So, I guess I should ask,.. What's the celebration?" Samantha eyes Dana. She looked tired. "Fox told me what happened today. I just came to see if you were ok with it." "What's not to be ok about? Two weeks leave. Yup. Looking forward to it. I mean, it's not like I have the time to fit in my busy social schedule as it is so this couple of weeks sure will help my calendar..." Scully was stopped from continuing her little tirade by a elegantly boned hand that had come to rest on her elbow. "Dana, what's wrong?" Scully blew out a breath from between clenched teeth and wondered how this woman seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. A little voice told her. It was a voice she didn't want to believe, but it nagged at her. When she met Samantha's eyes and saw the hurt expression in them she knew she had been wrong. "I, uhm,.. I don't have many friends Samantha and I'd like to think," She paused. "I'd like to think that what ever else we may be, we are friends." Scully sat there and waited for a reaction. She was petrified. Until,... Scully was rewarded with a huge smile. She took a moment to study the younger woman's face. How young she looked when she smiled. How much pain, how many secrets, those dark eyes concealed. Samantha's eyes took on a faraway look. "The reason I'm here Dana, I've been to dinner with Fox. We talked. I told him." "You told him?" A raised eyebrow. "Yes. I told him that the man who he has hated for so long is the same man that I have worshipped for the same time. I told him that I never stopped thinking about him when we were separated, that I loved my brother always. I told him that I knew he was altered and that the experiment had been a family event so to speak." "You told him about that?" Scully was impressed. That had taken bravery on Samantha's part, talking about that couldn't be easy but at least now Mulder understood more. Understood his sister's devotion to the man he called El Diablo. Scully afforded herself a moment to study the plains of Samantha's face. She was beautiful. So much like Mulder, and yet so different. A quiet strength pulsed through her body, drawing Scully in further and further. She watched as a breath was drawn, and lips slightly parted, a slight sound escaping from Samantha's throat. Scully raised her eyes and met with sea green that Scully couldn't help but fall right into. The candlelight raised shadows across her face, the fire evident in her eyes. Dimly Scully realised that there was something wrong with this picture. She couldn't quite place ... Oh, yeah, that was it. Samantha was crying. It was instinct that guided Scully hand to brush away the tear, instinct, but it was something else that made her hand stay a moment longer than it should have. Scully pulled away as though burned. Samantha caught a hand between her own. "Dana... I told him *everything*." Scully's head was spinning, her mind reeling, what had she told him? how could she face him? did he know? could she know? Oh god oh god oh god... Samantha was wracked with silent sobbing and all of Scully's rationale went flying out of the window. She leant over and pulled the taller woman into an strong hug, her hand absently drawing circles on Samantha's back. Scully found herself whispering things like "Shh, it'll be all right. I've got you. They can't hurt you anymore. You're safe here. That can't get to you now." And the one that surprised her the most: "I won't let them." Scully woke up a little confused. Why was she on the couch? Why was it so dark? Oh god,.. she wasn't alone. She could hear the sound of someone stealthily moving down her hallway, their hand on the doorknob, the door opening. Scully had no time, her gun was in the bedroom and there was nothing suitable to hand, better then to hide in the shadows. She controlled her breathing and waited... The door opened. And Samantha walked in. Scully breathed deeply. In her confusion she had forgotten about the evening's events. They must have fallen asleep. She was now eternally grateful that she hadn't pulled her gun. "Oh I'm so sorry Dana I didn't mean to wake you." "No it's ok. How are you feeling?" Samantha came back over to sit on the couch. "Better. Thank you. You know, for listening." Scully smiled. "Anytime you need." It was out before she could stop it, but somehow it didn't embarrass her. Samantha smiled contentedly. "Well, I guess I should be going." "What time is it?" Scully asked. "A little after two." Samantha stood up, and Scully raised also. She didn't want this evening to end. "Well, if you don't want to, you know, be alone right now you're more than welcome to stay, and besides I'd feel more comfortable about that that you wandering around the building at this time." Scully knew that it was a thinly veiled excuse, she hoped Samantha didn't. "Well it is late to be moving around. If you don't mind..?" "Settled then. Come on." Without a thought Scully had taken Samantha's hand and led her into her bedroom. Scully had never been more glad of the dark than that moment. Her faced blushed 4 different shades of red. "I just,.. uhm,.. I thought... well no sense in wasting a perfectly good bed and it's bad for you to sleep on couches. Although your brother seems to manage it... If this isn't..." Samantha held a finger against the Agent's lips to silence her. "Thankyou" The words were whispered. Samantha removed her sweater and jeans and crawled beneath the sheets. Scully walked around to the other side of the bed and did the same. They lay as close as two people could without actually touching and Scully thought about the last time someone had shared this bed. There had been no one else. Scully resisted the urge to wrap her arms around her best friends sister. "Dana?" "Mmm." "I just wanted to say, thank you for being her tonight. It means more than you know." Scully resisted no longer as she pulled Samantha into a warm hug. It began as a friendly appreciative hug, but soon the sensation of almost bare flesh on almost bare flesh was too much for Scully. Her skin actually ached with longing. Desire she had never felt. Sins of the flesh. She vaguely remembered hearing a small cry, unsure of whether it came from herself or Samantha. She listened to Samantha's breathing. Rapid. She could feel her own heart pounding in her chest. Dana Scully had never felt so alive as she did at that moment, her arms wrapped around a beautiful, strong, fragile person who she had grown to care for in inexplicable ways. Samantha raised her head to Scully's. Half lidded eyes staring back at her, she realised this was almost a reflection of herself. This was arousal. That hungry, faraway, glazed over look. Scully wanted so much to close the gap between them, she let her fingers slide a spiral ring of hair away from Samantha's eyes. Samantha inclined her head into the touch, tilting her head slightly and closing a little more of the distance. She leant forward... Scully could hear the rush of blood through her veins. She thought she was going to burst from the pressure. Her stomach was doing flips all of its own. She saw the half-lidded gaze become full lidded and soft lips touched her own. Samantha stayed there for a moment, simply resting the weight of her lips on Dana's. It was the most sensuous thing Scully has ever experienced. Before Scully had a chance to respond the caress was gone, instantly missed. Samantha regarded her firey-haired friend for a second. She was beautiful. "Goodnight" she whispered. After all, turn about was fair play. End of 5