Title: Amun-Ra (1/3) Author: L. M. Shard E-Mail: lsshard@cox.net Website: www.geocities.com/fox_nhound Date started: 6-29-02 Date completed: 8-5-02 Rating: NC-17 Category: S, R, A, T Keywords: DSR Spoilers: Seasons 8 and 9 Feedback: I would love it! Archive: probably anywhere, just ask first. Disclaimer: These lovely characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013, and Fox. I am merely borrowing them for entertainment purposes only and am making no money from them. No copyright infringement intended. Special thanks to: Ginger and Megan for their excellent suggestions and to Tony for the kind feedback and encouragement. Author's Note: The events in "The Truth" did not occur in this story and Scully never gave William up for adoption. Summary: Doggett and Scully are called out to investigate a potential X-file in Egypt, sucking them into a perilous journey for survival. AMUN-RA (Part 1) By: L. M. Shard Agents Dana Scully and John Doggett arrived in Cairo, Egypt just after noon. Kersh had sent them as soon as he got wind of the discovery of some sort of alien craft in the middle of the Egyptian desert. He was met with some resistance by a handful of Egyptian officials and thus was even more interested in sending his agents over to investigate. It was a long trip on short notice, but nevertheless both Doggett and Scully were highly interested in seeing this alleged spacecraft. Doggett was skeptical, but Scully thought it would give more proof to the truth she and Mulder had been searching for all these years. They were in agreement about one aspect of the trip though: they were both excited to be going to such an exotic country, filled with significant historical sites and ruins. They hoped that if they could wrap this case up quickly, they would be able to at least have one day to play tourist and see some of the country's most famous sites, namely the Great Pyramids, the Nile, and some of the temples and tombs. A young driver named Amir picked them up at the airport in a rather small, beat-up looking car. He was quite talkative and assumed the role of tour guide during their drive, naming some of the passing sights and informing them that 16 million people lived in Cairo. This they could believe, seeing all the congestion. The way the Egyptians were driving was quite scary, not to mention crazy. If, for instance, there were three lanes, the locals would make five and just squeeze in anywhere there was a bit of space. The consequence of this accepted method of driving could be seen on all the cars, which invariably had many dents. No one bothered to use their signals or even regarded the street signs, but they did use their horns quite frequently, so much so that the air was continuously filled with the cacophony of impatient beeps. The agents were relieved when they arrived safely at their hotel, the Cairo Marriott. Doggett tipped the driver, who quickly took out their luggage, setting it on the sidewalk. Practically within seconds several men came up to them offering to carry their belongings into the hotel. Doggett kindly refused since they were only traveling with one suitcase apiece and he could easily handle them on his own. Before walking into the lobby of the Marriott, Scully and Doggett took a moment to let the beauty of what was before them sink in. The main building of the hotel was the Gezira Palace, built to commemorate the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869. It was large and beautiful with many gilded columns lined up in the front courtyard. A garden promenade was off on the side. "This sure beats the seedy motels we usually get to stay in," Doggett remarked. "I'll say," Scully agreed, feeling more like on vacation than on a case. "Let's check in," he said and they walked into the main lobby. The lobby was just as beautiful as the outside with dark marble floors and plush rugs. They checked in and took the elevator to their rooms on the eleventh floor. Surprisingly, the rooms were not very impressive, more like something one would find in an American roadside Holiday Inn and certainly not what they had expected after seeing the outside and lobby of the hotel. But they were adequate and considering they were both incredibly tired after their long flight they didn't much care. After all, this was a business trip, not a luxury vacation. Doggett put Scully's suitcase at the foot of her bed and said, "We're meetin' Ahmed at 3:00 in the lobby so we have about two and a half hours down time. You hungry?" "Yeah, but I'm more tired than hungry. How about we meet at 2:30 and grab a quick bite at the cafeteria restaurant I saw downstairs? I think all I want to do right now is get a shower and a nap," Scully said, the jet lag catching up with her. "Sounds good. I'll be doin' the same," he said and walked out of her room to his, which was right next door. After she took a refreshing shower, Scully set her travel alarm clock for 2:15 and fell asleep promptly. Before she knew it, her alarm was already ringing and she reluctantly got out of bed, amazed at how quickly the two hours she had slept passed. She felt groggy, knowing her internal clock was completely out of sync with the local time. Quickly she brushed her teeth and hair and walked over to her suitcase. Although the thought of wearing shorts and a tiny top was tempting in the incredibly hot climate, she knew that in this Arab country she'd be severely ogled, since the local women wore conservative clothes that covered their arms and legs and even wore colorful scarves covering most of their hair. She did not want to stand out too much, so she chose loose- fitting, tan-colored slacks, a white tank top, a matching tan jacket, and tan flat sandals. Just as she had buckled her second sandal, there was a knock on the adjoining-room door. She grabbed her bag, which contained the FBI file on the case, as well as some of her personal items and a bottle of water, and opened the door. Doggett stood before her in black jeans and a cream-colored polo shirt. It looked like he thought it was too hot for a business suit as well, not that Scully minded, since he looked quite handsome in casual clothes, a fact that she had been noticing more and more lately. Actually, the man looked damn good in anything he wore and she secretly wished she'd one day get to see him in nothing but his birthday suit. He gave her a big smile as he took in the sight of her. She looked radiantly beautiful as always. He had to make a conscious effort not to comment on her beauty, for the last thing he wanted to do was step out of line. It was almost two years now that he had known Dana Scully and he knew from the moment that he first met her that she was something special and he wanted her. But with Mulder around he did not know where he stood and did not want to get in the way of her relationship with Mulder, whatever it was. He did know that if they had never found Mulder alive, he would have told her his feelings by now. But Mulder was alive so he spent much energy on keeping his feelings for her to himself -- not an easy feat, since they seemed to grow stronger with each passing day. "Hope you're ready, 'cause I'm starvin'!" he said, still smiling. "Then let's eat!" she replied, returning his warm smile. There was something about John Doggett that always made her feel good when she was around him. She was glad that she was chosen over Monica Reyes to go on this case with him. Although no longer officially Doggett's partner, there were some cases that she still partnered with him on because of her scientific and medical background. This was one of those times. Reyes had taken a few days off to be in her brother's wedding and there was always the possibility that Scully's scientific skills would come into play to determine metals or alloys or even living tissue that might be found in the alleged spacecraft. Whatever the reason, she couldn't have been happier about being able to be with Doggett on this case. She actually missed working with him on a daily basis since she had started her teaching at Quantico, and had just recently admitted to herself that it was more that just working with him that she missed. She missed seeing him, hearing his low, raspy voice, just being with him, and that thought scared her, for her heart was trying to tell her something her brain was not entirely ready to accept yet. She had loved Fox Mulder for so many years, and now John Doggett had stepped into her life, with his straight-laced views, his honesty, his integrity, and his protectiveness toward her. He had treated her with consistent respect, no matter how far-fetched he thought her ideas or theories were. The more she got to know him, the more she was attracted to him and her attraction to him at this point was incredibly high, so high that she had been having erotic dreams about him several times a week for the past few months. She would wake up flushed and with an elevated pulse, occasionally even having orgasms in her sleep. They ate a hearty meal then promptly at 3:00 they arrived at the lobby. Ahmed was already there and approached them. He informed them that he'd be driving them to the outskirts of town, where they would then travel separately in two Jeeps deep into the desert. His English was passable, but when Scully asked him more specific questions, especially scientific ones about the discovery, he shook his head, not understanding. She decided she'd get her answers herself at the site. About an hour later, after passing miles and miles of seemingly endless sand dunes, they pulled up to a roped-off area literally in the middle of nowhere. There were about a dozen other people there, hunched over and brushing sand carefully off of something that gleamed in the unrelenting sun. There were also a couple armed military personnel and some official-looking government types. As Doggett and Scully approached the area, they got a feel of how enormous the object was. It looked like it was approximately the size of half a city block and it was not even entirely uncovered yet. The agents stood in awed silence as they tried to wrap their minds around what was before them. With great excitement, Scully pulled out a brush and fell to her hands and knees, brushing the remaining sand off of a particular spot. In an awestruck voice, Doggett said, "This is like nothin' I've ever seen before." "I've seen this before. These are just like the markings I saw on the spacecraft in the Ivory Coast," she said excitedly, looking over at Doggett, who was now kneeling beside her. He touched the otherworldly-looking object before him, a million things running through his mind. Could it be? Could it really be? Even with this thing in front of him, he still had a hard time believing it. She pulled out a small camera from her bag and snapped a couple pictures. When she looked up she saw one of the government officials staring at her quite disapprovingly and got the feeling that she and Doggett were not completely welcome here. But she brushed the feeling aside, her excitement of the craft before her overtaking all other emotions. "You're sure?" Doggett asked skeptically. "Yes. See this and this?" she asked, tracing over several of the shapes carved into the metal, "Those are the exact same symbols I saw on the other spacecraft, the one I made the rubbings from." She handed Doggett the other brush she had brought with her and said, "Help me get all the sand off of this area; I want to see how far the similarities go." He took the brush and started his work. The hours passed and by now sweat had stained their shirts and beads of perspiration lined their foreheads. They had drunk most of the water they had brought with them and didn't trust the water offered to them by the locals. They knew that if it wasn't purified water, they'd most likely get what was referred to as the "Pharaoh's Curse", more commonly known as the "runs". This was something they did not want to risk, so they only drank their own bottled water. Scully was thoroughly enjoying working side by side with Doggett like this. She found herself stealing many glances at him, watching his tanned biceps flex and relax. The perspiration on his arms made his skin glisten in the sun, defining his muscles even more. After several of these glances, she would chastise herself for even thinking such thoughts about her partner, and that she as thinking them now in the midst of what very well might be an other-worldly discovery, made her feel all the more guilty. She sighed and continued her laborious work. Doggett heard her sigh and looked over at her. Sometimes he wished he could hear the thoughts of this beautiful woman besides him. What ran through her head at moments like this? He knew she was excited about this discovery, but he could tell that something else was on her mind as well. Perhaps she was wishing Mulder were at her side right now instead of him. That thought saddened him, so he quickly pushed it out of his mind. He was here with her now and he still had the entire case and the long flight back home to be close to her. He would take what he could get. Just then she looked over at him and threw him one of her rare, but radiant smiles. His heart melted and he returned her smile. It was moments like these that he lived for these days. As their shadows grew longer, Scully's initial excitement turned increasingly into puzzlement. The more of the craft she and Doggett uncovered, the more she began to doubt its authenticity. Although several of the shapes and patterns were concurrent with the rubbings she had made of the other craft, there were also many shapes that were entirely new to her and seemed completely random. She also noticed places on the craft where the metal pieces were, for lack of a better word, welded together, something the craft from the Ivory Coast completely lacked. That one had been perfectly smooth like the spacecraft had been carved out of one piece of metal. She was beginning to wonder if this thing they were standing on was alien at all and she whispered her doubts to Doggett. "I wouldn't be surprised if this was bogus," he said quietly. "Several of those men over there have been eyein' us suspiciously ever since we arrived. I don't think we're exactly welcome." Scully was starting to feel the same way on both counts. Suddenly it looked like the locals were packing up for the day, although sunset seemed to be about two hours off. "Shall we head back too? I don't think we should still be drivin' after the sun sets," Doggett said, a certain uneasiness in his voice. Scully heard that uneasiness, but disregarded it. "We still have a bit of time. There's a few more areas I'd like to check out and I have the feeling that we won't be invited back here, so I want to make the most of this opportunity." "Okay," he said, knowing they probably wouldn't be allowed back again, yet he had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind. Ahmed came up to them and informed them he was leaving. "We won't be much longer," Scully said. "Thanks for guiding us out here. We've got a compass, so we'll be able to find our way back." "Okay," he said. "Good luck." He left and within five minutes the rest of the men had gone as well. Scully and Doggett were now completely alone. That nagging feeling Doggett had was getting worse by the minute. Why would these men, who didn't seem to want either of them to be here in the first place, leave them here entirely alone and unobserved? Something was off, but he just couldn't put his finger on it. "I think we better get goin', Dana," he said, trying hard to hide his concern. He did not want to worry her if his feelings were wrong. But Scully heard the worry in his voice and it complimented her own. She snapped a several more shots and said, "You're right, let's get out of here." They climbed into the Jeep and turned it in the direction they came from. "We should be right at the city outskirts as the sun is settin'," Doggett remarked, glad to be getting out of there. "Good. There's something off about this whole thing," Scully said, deep in thought. "Yeah. I feel it too." They sat in silence, trying to figure out what exactly it was. About five minutes into their drive back, the Jeep suddenly started to shake and rattle. "What's wrong?" Scully asked alarmed. "I don't know," Doggett said, frantically looking at the controls. Suddenly the Jeep sputtered to a full stop. Doggett turned the ignition again and again, but the vehicle remained lifeless. "We're outta gas!" he exclaimed in consternation. "What? I thought we had a full tank when we left!" Scully remarked, just as baffled. "We did! I double-checked it," he replied. "What the hell's goin' on here?" "I thought I saw some gas cans back here," Scully said, searching though the back of the Jeep, but coming up empty. Doggett got out of the vehicle, slamming the door behind him. He looked at its underside and was shocked to find the gasoline line cut. "Goddamnit!" he cursed. "Those fuckin' bastards!" By this time Scully was out of the car as well. "What is it?" "Someone cut the gas line. They set us up, Dana. This whole thing was a hoax!" "But why?" "I don't know yet, but I'm sure as hell gonna find out!" he said, his anger rising. "Damn!" he cursed and slammed his hand hard into the Jeep. He was about to ramble off some more-than-colorful language when he reminded himself that Scully was present. It took all his energy to calm himself down a few degrees. He did not want to worry her unnecessarily and didn't want his anger to get out of control in front of her. He was extremely mad at the bastards who did this to them, but he was even more mad at himself for not trusting and acting on his own instincts and, by disregarding them, he put Scully in danger, and for that he could not forgive himself. Protecting her had become part of his life, and it was the one thing he never wanted to fail at. Scully noticed that Doggett was trying very hard to control his anger and approached him. "John, it's going to be all right. It was only about a one hour drive, so we can walk back." "Yeah, you're right," he sighed, calming down, "but we're gonna hafta wait 'till mornin' or else we're gonna be walkin' in pitch blackness. "We can leave as soon as the sun comes up," Scully said and then noticed blood dripping off of a cut on his hand. "Let me see that," she said, gently taking his wounded hand in hers. "It's nothin'," he said, rather embarrassed that he had punched the Jeep like an out-of-control kid. "I've got something for it," she said, opening the Jeep door and rummaging through her bag. She emerged with her water bottle and a scarf. "Here," she said, taking his hand again. She was about to pour some water over his wound when Doggett stopped her. "No, Dana. Don't. We need every drop of water for drinkin'." He knew they were very low on water and that was the one thing they really needed to get out of the desert alive. She knew he was right. "All right. Let me just wrap it in this scarf to keep any further dirt out." With great care she wrapped his hand. Doggett watched her intently and a wave of emotion hit him as he observed her tender ministrations on him. They way the waning light played on her face, making her skin glow and the red in her hair reflect strands of gold, made his body burn with longing. She looked so soft and beautiful to him and he had a great desire to bend down and kiss her. She looked up at him, having finished her makeshift bandage, and caught him staring at her. His eyes locked onto hers and she was pulled into the intensity of his gaze. It almost hypnotized her and she suddenly felt a heat that started in her core and spread to her extremities like a wildfire. She felt her face flush and she slowly stuttered, "All…done," yet did not let go of his hand. He mumbled, "Thanks," drawing the word out so slowly as if his mouth were filled with thick molasses. He made no move to withdraw his hand and instead unconsciously leaned his body closer to hers. His close proximity was making her heart beat rapidly and her lower lip began to tremble, the fiery need within her giving an outward sign. More than anything she wanted to feel his lips on hers at that moment, but even as she leaned closer to him, she suddenly became timid and unsure of herself and looked down to their joined hands, breaking the spell. She felt very vulnerable and at the same time was mentally kicking herself for not allowing to happen what she so desperately desired. Doggett's heart sank as he saw her hesitation, but he was sure that just moments before he had seen raw desire in her eyes and that gave him hope. He would wait for her until the end of the world, if that was what it took, for his heart was already utterly lost to her. He put his free arm around her gently and turned her to the setting sun. "It's beautiful, isn't it?" he breathed. She looked at the horizon with the golden sun burning brightly, creating streaks of pink, purple, and orange. It was the most beautiful sunset she had ever experienced. "Yes," she replied, then chuckled to herself. Here they were, stuck in the middle of the desert without gas, food, and only a little water, and yet she was completely at peace. She was watching a spectacular sunset, in Egypt--a country she had long wanted to visit--in the arms of a man she was falling in love with and that was all that seemed to matter right now. Doggett heard her chuckle and asked, "What's so funny?" She smiled, still staring at the magnificent sight before her, and said, "I know it's weird, but even though we are in this potentially dire situation, I feel totally at peace." Doggett smiled as well. "It's not weird; I feel the same way." He knew the only reason he felt this way was because of the woman besides him. Having his arm around her and his hand in hers brought him an inner peace he had not experienced in many years. They stood there together, relishing each other's closeness, until the sun slipped below the horizon. Scully turned towards him, once again, and said, "I've been thinking. Of course I'll have to confirm this, hopefully with the photos I took, but I think you might be right when you said that this was all a hoax." Doggett looked at her, urging her to continue with his gentle gaze. "I have a nagging suspicion that this thing out here in the desert is not alien after all, but the Egyptian government wants people to believe it is." "Why the hell would they want that?" "Maybe because since the massacre at the Temple of Hatshepsut on November 17, 1997, and the terrorism from September 11, tourism has been way down. They rely heavily on the tourism industry and maybe they just built this "alien spacecraft" as a way to pick up tourism and bring foreign money into the country." "Well that would explain why they didn't want us as FBI agents to come here at all and why Kersh was so hot on us checkin' this out." "And that's why they left us here to die in the desert so we can't go back home and tell everyone that this is all just a big hoax." "I think you're right about everythin', 'cept one thing," Doggett said. "What's that?" "We're not gonna die. We're gonna walk back to the city in the mornin' and give Kersh a call then head back to DC with those photos you took as proof." Scully smiled. "They don't know who they're dealing with. I've survived an alien abduction and even worse in Antarctica, so we're sure going to survive an all-day hike through the desert!" "That's right!" Doggett agreed. He was glad that she was feeling so positive about what lay ahead of them, even if he wasn't. Although it seemed simple enough, he had a feeling that there would be some unexpected obstacles they were yet to encounter. But no matter what, he was going to keep this woman besides him safe. Doggett noticed her shiver and saw goose bumps forming on her bare arms. "You're cold." "Yeah," she said simply. Without even thinking about it, Doggett took his hands and rubbed them up and down her arms in an effort to create some heat. She responded by falling softly against his chest and he firmly wrapped his arms around her, gently rubbing her back. God did that feel good! The heat that they had both felt between them earlier, resurfaced quickly, and the bumps on Scully's skin turn from goose bumps to bumps of desire in reaction to his touch. He misread them though for he then said, "Let's sit in the Jeep. It should still be warm from the day's heat." A bit disappointed for losing the feel of his arms around her, she said, "Okay," and they climbed into the vehicle. The sky was almost black now and the light from outside minimal. Doggett turned on the Jeep's light above the rearview mirror. At least the battery worked. He was hungry and before he could banish the thought from his head, his stomach rumbled loudly as a reminder. "You wouldn't happen to have anythin' to eat in that bag of yours, would you?" he asked rather sheepishly. "Actually I do," she said smiling and produced two energy bars. He was rather surprised that she had anything at all, but since it was so little he thought they had better save it until tomorrow. Who knows what lay ahead for them and when they'd get their next meal? He had a feeling that they needed to be as conservative as possible. "Looks great, but I think we better save it for tomorrow," he said, looking around the cabin of the Jeep. "So we have two energy bars, and about two liters of water." "And a roll of breath mints," Scully added. "Want one?" "Don't mind if I do," he said with a grin, taking one from the roll. Scully popped one into her mouth as well. She looked at the man sitting besides her. She had learned a lot about him over the last two years, like his values, his work ethic, that she could trust him in every way, even about his son's murder, but she knew very little about his personal life and his family. She wondered if he'd share some of his background with her and said, "You know, John, I don't know that much about you on a personal level…and I'd like to." He was surprised at her apparently out-of-the-blue statement, but was pleased that she was interested in him. "What would you like to know?" That question and the several that followed brought about an insightful conversation that lasted for a couple hours. They talked and talked, totally losing track of time and feeling closer and closer to each other. Scully was in the midst of telling him about a considerably funny event in her and Melissa's childhood when a sudden loud shower-like noise startled her out of her memories and into Doggett's arms-- which was quite a feat since they sat in bucket seats and the manual stick shift lay between them. "What was that?!" she exclaimed, frightened by the sudden noise in the still night. "I'm not sure," he said and turned on the car's headlights. All they saw was a cloud of sand before them and the density of the sand was getting greater and greater by the second. The sound of it hitting the Jeep was becoming increasingly louder as well, and the whistle of high wind echoed in their ears, joining the sound of sand scratching all around them. "It's a sandstorm," Doggett stated. "I've read about these. They can be deadly, even bury you alive within minutes." Scully's fear was rising, but she tried hard not to show it. As a display of confidence, she removed herself from his arms and sat stiffly in her seat, but her death grip on the door's armrest was a dead give-away. Doggett noticed her fear and said soothingly, "Dana, I won't let it come to that. I'll keep goin' out and diggin' us free if I have to." She gave him a feeble smile. He took her left hand in his and she automatically turned her body to face him, curling her legs under her on the seat. The warmth of his hand on hers comforted her immediately and the warm, protective look in his eyes wiped away the last bit of fear she harbored. What was it about this man that made her feel so safe and secure no matter what situation they found themselves in? She suddenly wished that they were sitting in a bench seat so she could sit right next to him and feel his heat over even more of her body. "I feel safe with you," she said, not caring that she sounded like a feeble little girl. When it came to John Doggett, she found herself letting down her armor more and more lately. She realized that she was slowly allowing him in and it felt good. "I'm glad," he whispered and brushed the back of his fingers over her cheek. Her skin was like silk and touching it sent shivers of pleasure through his body. How often he had thought of what it would be like to kiss her. How often he had dreamt of making love to her, thinking the dream was real, just to wake up and be incredibly disappointed. He'd end up jacking off to her image in the shower the next morning, lest he see her at the office and his body betray his intense attraction toward her. When it came to Dana Scully, his physical reaction in her presence was more like that of a thirteen-year-old boy than a man in his early forties. Scully gazed into the blue of his eyes intently, noticing they seemed to get darker by the second. Her senses appeared to have become keener, for she could hear his steady breathing even over the cacophony of the storm around them. She could smell the mint on his breath and every nerve ending in her hand and cheek screamed in pleasure. If these small touches could generate so much desire, what would a kiss do to her? Her body trembled involuntarily at the mere thought. "You cold?" he asked, feeling her quiver. He removed his hand from her cheek. She almost screamed out at the loss, but instead answered his question, "No," she whispered, so far from cold she was about to melt. If he only knew. Maybe he did, for in the next instant he leaned slightly toward her, his gaze unwavering, and before she knew it she had leaned in to meet him and their lips were only centimeters apart. He breathed in her sweet warmth as he watched her lips quiver at his closeness. He cupped her face in his hands, causing her eyes to slowly close, and he bridged the gap between their mouths, slowly, tenderly brushing his lips on hers. The sensation was electrical and the heat he felt from this gentle touch was almost too much to bear. Gently he pressed his mouth more completely against hers and she immediately parted her lips, inviting him in. The tips of their tongues met and a small guttural noise escaped him. This prompted her to deepen the kiss and he felt her tongue slick over the roof of his mouth, sending a lightning bolt of pleasure directly down to his groin. He felt dizzy with intoxicating desire and explored her mouth with leisure, burning every contour, every taste, every meeting of their tongues to memory. When they parted, their eyes locked, speaking all their mouths could yet not. "John…" she breathed, her emotions coursing wildly through her body. She was visibly shaking again, so affected was she from his kiss. There was nothing she would not have done for him at that moment. Her heart was completely his and her body desired him so ferociously, it almost hurt. He saw her shaking form and he yearned to pull her to him, crush his mouth against hers, and make love to her all night long, but he sensed she was vulnerable and he felt it was too soon: this was not the time nor the place. Instead he said, "Let's get some sleep," and motioned to the back of the Jeep where they could stretch out. She understood and climbed over the seat into the back. He turned out the light and followed her. They found each other quickly in the pitch-black darkness and he pulled her against him. Her body still trembled uncontrollably. Never before had a kiss caused such a strong reaction within her and she made every effort to calm her body, but to no avail. In defeat she found his lips again, giving in to her desire in a crushing, passionate kiss. Doggett met her with the same passion and their tongues tangoed in fiery harmony. Upon parting they knew that if they continued, they would not be able to stop, so they remained encompassed in each other's arms and slowly, finally fell asleep. A wide beam of sunlight shone into the Jeep, waking Scully. She turned from her left side to her right, facing Doggett. She had expected him to still be asleep, but found herself staring directly into his inviting indigo eyes. "Good mornin'," he said with a grin. "Good morning," she replied, the memory of their kisses flooding back to her in a torrent. She suddenly felt shy and embarrassed about the way her body had reacted to those kisses and averted her eyes. Never had she felt more attracted to a man than she felt toward John Doggett, and it was leaving her completely vulnerable, something she rarely allowed to let happen. Although Doggett had the great desire to kiss her and experience the sensuous feelings her mouth upon his gave him again, he noticed her sudden shyness and did not want to frighten her away. He knew their relationship had just taken a turn for the serious and he did not want to do anything to stop its progression in that direction. Instead he asked, "Sleep well?" "Very," she replied, looking up at him again. All of a sudden her eye caught the sight of the window behind him. "Oh my God, we're buried!" she shouted, her eyes darting from one window to another. The entire back of the vehicle was covered in sand and now that she had noticed that she even heard the metal creak from the weight of it. She was about to look at the front of the Jeep to see where the light came from when Doggett said soothingly, "Not completely." He immediately moved from her side to the front and looked at the passenger side window. It was only partially covered with sand. "We'll be able to squeeze outta here no problem." Scully suddenly felt silly for having overreacted. "You're right. My eyes hadn't gotten that far yet." She felt like a fool. So much for that tough exterior she usually kept up. Doggett felt very lucky that they did have an escape route. With the kisses they had shared and having his arms and body wrapped around her all night, he had forgotten his promise to keep digging them out had it been necessary. And necessary it would have been had the slightest twist of fate occurred. He mentally kicked himself for his lack of alertness. He gave her a warm smile. "We should probably head out as soon as possible." "I agree." "Nature calls, so I'm gonna climb out now. Just holler when you're ready to get out," he said, already rolling down the window. Sand spilled into the front seat, covering a good portion of it. "I'll gather up our stuff," she said, glad she'd have a chance to run a comb through her hair and check her face, unobserved. "Great," he said and slipped his lean body through the window. She collected all their belongings and stuffed them in her bag. Then she sat herself in the driver's seat and adjusted the mirror so she could see her face. She combed her hair and pulled it into a ponytail, then smoothed on some lip balm, and popped a mint into her mouth. Without water or a toothbrush, that would have to do. "I'm ready," she called out to Doggett, who promptly appeared at the window. Climbing over to the window, she handed him the bag then grabbed his hands as he easily pulled her from the Jeep. He placed her on her feet directly in front of him, his hands now resting on her slim waist, and his gaze met hers. She was beautiful and his heart skipped a beat as he saw her blue orbs fill with great warmth. Once again he was overcome with the intense desire to kiss her, but he refrained, knowing that they had better get going if they wanted to arrive before nightfall. "Ready?" he asked gently. Was that disappointment he saw in her eyes at his "change of subject"? "Right after I'm finished with my call of nature," she said and slipped from his arms to the other side of the car. He turned his back toward her, giving her privacy. Within minutes she was at his side again, her jacket wrapped around her waist, compass in hand. He offered to carry her bag, which she relinquished, and they started their trek back to civilization. Both Scully and Doggett were rather silent during the first part of their journey. They wanted to conserve their energy, but more than that, they each needed some time to think over the changes their relationship was taking. Doggett was incredibly thrilled about how close they had become during this case. Now that he had finally found some closure to Luke's murder, he felt he was ready to move on and let love in his life again, something he had not allowed room for -- not even had interest in -- since his son's death and his subsequent divorce from Barbara. In the years that followed, he had had plenty of opportunity for sex, romance, even love, but he could not, would not let it in and abstained completely. Instead he poured himself into work and looking for Luke's killer. It was what drove him, what kept him from checking into the funny farm. But now he was free and, despite his avoidance of affairs of the heart, he had fallen for Dana Scully from the start, perhaps because he thought she was out of reach and "safe", but now with the kisses they had shared everything had changed. He wanted her; he wanted to be able to love her in mind and in body, and he wanted it in return from her. He still did not know where exactly he fit in this picture with Mulder in her life, but now he was willing to put his heart on the line and pursue her. Scully was also very thrilled about the new direction their relationship was heading in. She had finally admitted to herself that although she loved Mulder and always would, he could not give her what she needed, what she craved, in this point in her life: security, stability -- yes, even the white picket fence -- and most of all a focus on her and them as a family and not his eternal quest. She needed this, not just for herself, but for William as well. John Doggett could give her this, and if the looks that she had seen in his eyes, and his lingering gazes over the past two years were any indication, he wanted to. She wanted him in every way. She was ready for romance and love and family, something she had been denied as well for far too long. A good man like Doggett was not easy to find. They had hiked for a good three hours, seeing nothing but miles and miles of endless sand dunes in every direction. The sun had become stronger as the minutes ticked by and sweat was already pouring from their bodies. They knew the heat would only get worse and that there would be no relief until nightfall. Exhausted, they decided to take a much-needed break. Scully untied her jacket from her waist and she and Doggett sat on it side by side. Scully grabbed her bag from Doggett's shoulder and rummaged through it, retrieving one of the water bottles. She offered Doggett a drink. "Thanks," he said, eyeing the water like the most delicious morsel he'd ever seen. He took several gulps, although he easily could have drank the entire bottle, and handed it back to her. She also drank from it sparingly then set it down between them. "About ready for that energy bar?" she asked. Her stomach had been complaining for the last hour that it was empty. "Oh, yeah!" he said, taking it out of her hand and opening the wrapper. She opened her bar as well and they ate them slowly, trying to make them last. "Umm, this is delicious!" Doggett exclaimed, smacking his lips. "Really?" Scully asked, quite surprised he'd like the energy bar at all; after all, she considered him more a meat and potatoes kind of guy, not a yogurt-eating, tofu-enjoying health nut. Then, as if in reply to her thoughts, he confirmed her theory. "Oh, yeah. It's my favorite meal: a giant piece of New York steak -- medium-rare, of course -- a big helpin' of garlic mashed potatoes, and a pile of steamed veggies." He gave her a big grin and took another bite, rolling his eyes as if his taste buds were in sheer heaven. Scully grinned back, his playful mood a breath of fresh air in the stifling heat of the desert sun. "Oh, that does sound good, but mine's even better," she said, deciding to play along. "I'm having linguine with a light olive oil, garlic and basil sauce, sprinkled with sun-dried tomatoes and just a bit of freshly shredded Parmesan." She licked her lips in emphasis of her "meal's" scrumptiousness. Doggett watched intently as her tongue traveled from one corner of her mouth, over her upper lip, then her lower lip, and back to the original corner. Her lips were reddened and plump from the heat and looked incredibly inviting. Just the mere sight of them at this close range, aroused him. "Good we're both havin' garlic, that way it cancels out our breaths," he said, watching her intently. "Oh, yeah? And why would that be pertinent?" she asked, continuing the playful mood. "In case we were sittin' close together like this," he said, moving closer to her, "and I touched your face with my hand," he continued, doing so. His gaze followed his hand across her skin and she immediately felt the electricity from his touch. "And if I were then to touch your face," she continued the game, her fingers grazing over the stubble of his cheeks. Their eyes met and locked, the rest of the world falling away from their consciousness. "And then if I let my thumb graze over your lips," he said, allowing himself the luxury of just that. "And if I were to part my lips in response…" she whispered, her body automatically doing so. "And if I were to lean in…" he said, moving even closer so that their lips were just centimeters apart. They breathed each other in, smelling the sweat, salt, and heat—not from the sun, but from their arousal. "…And linger…" Scully closed her eyes in anticipation, her desire to feel the silky firmness of his lips moving upon hers, his tongue slinking its way past her parted lips and into the heat of her mouth to tangle with her flesh and cause her feelings of pleasure so intense she'd melt into his embrace. She could almost taste it and at this moment there was nothing else she wanted. Doggett wanted it badly too, but decided that an added bit of sexual tension would make for an even better kiss later on, and whispered, "then it would be a good thing that we both had garlic in our meals." She had not expected him to continue their "game" and was utterly disappointed when he slowly pulled back, just far enough to look into her eyes again. He saw her disappointment and it excited him further, knowing she wanted him. His groin had already tightened and he knew that if he did not change the subject this second, he'd be sporting all his emotions in his jeans for her full view. She held his gaze, noticing the sexy dark fleck in the blue of his iris, and desperately tried to recover from her building need. "I'll make a note of it," she murmured, using all her strength not to let her voice tremble like her insides were. What was it with this man that just the thought of kissing him gave her body such a strong emotional reaction? She wanted him with every ounce of her being, and as of yet, they had only shared two kisses. His lips spread into a wide grin and his eyes darkened in intensity and desire. "We better get goin'," he whispered, standing up. Extending his hand to her, he pulled her to her feet and their gazes locked again. He could feel her warm breath on his chin and the energy flowing through her hand to his. The looks they bestowed upon each other were so passionately charged, the sexual tension was almost tangible. He nearly gave into it, but instead bent down to retrieve her jacket from the sand and handed it to her. End of Part 1. Continued on Part 2.