textfiles/sf/XFILES/a4

When he turned around again - he saw two things in the light of the full moon:
Scully sitting on the beach with her back to him, and his own clothes - neatly
folded - sitting right at the wave line.  He hurriedly left the water, put
them on, and went over to Scully.  Even when he was yards away, he could hear
her sobbing.  He didn't have to ask about what.  He hesitated, then knelt down
to comfort her.  Immediately - waves of emotion poured over her - as they had
been on the beach, it was impossible not to see - she felt at once violated,
embarrased, attracted, repulsed, stimulated.  He had seen her - oh GOD she
was so embarrased - how could she ever work with him again - after THAT?  She
started to say "keep away" but stopped herself - needing emotional support
BADLY and risking it no matter what.  Her sobs got louder as he hugged her,
and gently rocked her in his arms.  "Scully - if anything ever DID happen
between us ---- I wouldn't want it like - that.  I would want it to be both of
our decisions - an act of love."  Now her tears were tears of genuine
affection, but friendship - not passion.  In her exhausted mind, he became a
substitute for her father - comforting his little girl - his beloved Starbuck.
Sleep came easily within minutes in his arms.

Mulder was too excited to go to sleep.  His sleeping partner cradled in his
arms - he was wrapped up in the goodness of her embrace, her warmth, kept him
from being cold in the ocean breeze that came off the Pacific.  He was almost
unaware of the bites all over him, and the salty sticky clothes drying on him.
He was more than a little attracted to his partner - tonight.  He knew that in
the morning - this would be the same stubborn, skeptical Scully.  For tonight,
though, she was as he would like her - vulnerable - needing - utterly
feminine.  He realized why it was he wasn't in love with this beautiful woman
who was so conveniently his partner.  The same qualities that he admired in
her professionally would get in the way of a relationship.  What he wanted in
a woman and in a partner were different.  That was not Scully's fault.  He had
seen her tonight - in the moonlight.  Even though he had been in torment, that
was a sight that had given him more than a little pleasure. But ---- he knew
what a woman looked like.  His feelings for Scully went beyond a surface
attraction like that.  He decided he could be attracted to her physically, but
never make the mistake of trying to make that into a relationship with her.
His feelings changed as the hours passed.  He became proud of the fact he had
helped her through her humiliation by what he said.  He felt like - a big
brother again.  How many times had he held his little sister Samantha after
she had skinned her knee ---.  As he, too drifted off to sleep (finally) he
almost thought he was holding Samantha.

Neri and Jason were having an argument - that was lasting all night.  They had
picked a strategic place to watch all the fun with the ants.  Neri had known
that all it would take to attract the biting ants was a little fruit smeared
in their sleeping bags.  The sweet juices from the fruit were the ant's
natural food.  But it had gotten out of hand.  She already felt bad about the
spiders, then then the roaches.  They had gone hungry.  She, too had known
hunger, when she had to wait days for the yellow fruit to be ready.  It was
bad to make someone hungry.  She did not know the ants would hurt them so
badly, and had watched in horror the one named Mulder have swelling all over
his body.  Not good - she wanted to scare, not hurt.  And what had happened on
the beach was WRONG.  To make them undress in front of each other.  Neri was
also jealous - Jason had watched the one named Scully - watched as she
undressed, watched as she left the water ----  "I looked away from the one
named Mulder" she said to Jason "why you stare at the one named Scully?"  "I'm
a guy" Jason said "I know its wrong, but guys like to see girls"  "You NEVER
see NERI like that!!!" she yell whispered - mindful that Mulder might hear.
She felt like leaving him, but knew she was more mature than that, and her own
survival might depend on knowing what the two on the beach did next.

Jason and Neri had spent the night on the island - they were both classified
by HELEN as station personnel, and entitled to shore leave.  Diane - Jason's
mother -  was mindful of the developing relatioship between Jason and Neri.
Neri was older than Jason, and more mature.  She hoped that Neri wouldn't end
up hurting him - Neri was his first crush.  Diane was more than a little
reluctant for them to spend the night together, but counted on Neri's maturity
and Jason's inexperience to keep things innocent.  That inexperience was
almost costing him his girlfriend tonight.  "Neri - I am SORRY!" he said. "I
like YOU, not her."  Neri looked deep into his mind, and his eyes, and knew
his words were as sincere as they seemed.  Still, she liked him, and wanted to
be more than a little competition.  She kissed him warmly and lingered for a
long time.  His thoughts of the beautiful Scully faded ----.

Mick and Vanessa - watching from a different location - had a similar
discussion, but Vanessa had stared as much at Mulder as Mick had at Scully.
So neither of them had much to say about it to the other.  Their budding
romance took a turn for the worse - because they both were willing to look ---
but they would get over it in time.  Besides - they had to keep up appearances
for Jason and Neri.  Mick and Jason had agreed not to interrupt the other
until morning - just in case!

Mulder and Scully awoke to a blistering sun - already giving them a tinge of
sunburn and crystalizing the salt in their drying clothes.  They were a bit
embarrased to wake up in each others arms!  "Mulder - let's go to that fresh
water pond and wash the salt out of our clothes!"  "As long as at least ONE of
us keeps our clothes on!"  Mulder said - in an attempt to bring humor to their
embarrasing situation the night before.  "MUL - der!!!" she said mildly amused
/ annoyed.

They were soaking wet again, but at least not salty and sandy.  That was a big
improvement.  Mulder felt strangely weak, the doctor in Scully soon realized
that his allergic reaction was getting worse.  She sat him under a palm tree
on the beach - getting an occasional cool breeze from a nearby thunderstorm
(that she hoped would eventually cool him off).  She knew allergic reactions
can get worse very quickly, and refused his pleas to go searching the island
for evidence of alien survivers.  She finally succeeded in persuading him to
leave the island and get medical treatment - the evidence would wait.

The came to their boat, and pushed it off into the waves.  After getting it
turned around, they climbed in and tried to start the engine.  It sputtered
and tried to start, but then died.  After 4 or 5 more attempts, it was clear
the engine was dead.  They discovered that the fuel line had been cut - the
fuel long since drained away!

"Mulder, we can try to row to ORCA - they have regular research and patrol
vessels - one of them is sure to spot us sooner or later!"  "Scully - it is 15
or 20 miles across the ocean.  You can't even SEE this island from ORCA, and
we can't even see them!  This is the PACIFIC OCEAN - if we miss it there are
thousands of square miles of ocean out there between us and the next land!"
We got NO water, NO food, we don't even have a sail.  At least here, we have
fresh water - some sort of food is bound to grow here, and we can take shelter
in that cave.  Some sort of search party will be sent for us - they KNOW what
direction we went.  Scully reluctantly agreed - Mulder was right.  He just
couldn't see his own pale skin and worsening condition.  She hoped his
enthusiasm for staying didn't have anything to do with his desire to find a
"close encounter".

Their dilemma was solved almost immediately - a boat rounded the point!  They
started frantically waving, but Mulder had to sit down.  They were spotted
easily, and the boat sent a launch to the beach for them.

An older, very serious, very determined looking man with white, short hair got
off the boat, followed by a young woman with short dark hair.  "I am Dr.
Hellegren, from UBRI.  May I ask what you are doing on this island?"  His
slightly German accent seemed to make his question all the more intimidating.
Normally Mulder would not have been intimidated, but in his weakened condition
---  "We are not meaning to trespass here, we are stranded." Scully said to
him.  "We would like nothing better than to leave - my partner needs medical
attention."  "Of course"  Dr. Hellegren said - "After you have given me the
information I need.  I repeat - what are you doing on this island?"  Scully
could see immediately that they were going to HAVE to give the man information
or Mulder would not get help.  His condition was worsening by the minute.  She
decided to give in.  "I am special agent Dana Scully, this is special agent
Fox Mulder, of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.  We are on
special assignment here for the Australian government."  "I see - what is the
nature of your assignment?"  "Scully - don't tell him anything!" Scully could
see the beginning signs of delerium - she no longer cared about secrecy - just
about Mulder.  "This island is the source of some signals that are jamming
equipment at the ORCA institute, we are investigating."  "We, too, have been
drawn here by the signals you described.  Perhaps we can be of help to each
other.  Come with me back to UBRI, we will talk more."