Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Scully hated hiking.

Hated.

She had never really been an outdoor person; instead she valued a hot shower and a warm, soft bed. They had gone camping with her family a few times when she was a child, and while she remembered setting up the tent together, finding firewood, and the marshmallows roasting in the warmth of the campfire, she also remembered her shoes getting wet in the rain, the crunching noises outside the tent at night, and the darkness, complete darkness.

And Scully didn't like darkness.

Not after what she had experienced in the past 6 years working for the FBI.

Because Scully was a scientist, she knew that there was nothing strange about being afraid of the dark. It was a built-in human trait, a relic from a time when humans lived as part of nature. What you can't see can attack. The lack of vision made your other senses alert, preparing you for fight-or-flight.

So, science explained why humans were afraid of the dark.

The darkness itself wasn't a problem for Scully.

The problem was that darkness often hid things that science couldn't explain. That included insects that killed people in the dark and creatures that hunted the strongest of the pack. No, Scully wouldn't go hiking voluntarily—she'd had enough of it. She would only do it if ordered or forced, and nothing would make her change her mind.

Not even Mulder, who was standing in front of her, his hand extended towards her, apparently holding a brochure for some nature attraction.

She stared at the brochure, then looked up at her partner, whose eyes were shining brightly as he looked at her. She knew that look all too well.

“Mulder”, she began in a warning tone. “What is this?”

"It's a brochure," he replied, even though it was obvious.

"And why are you giving it to me?" Scully asked, even though she already knew the answer. She could read it on his face, and the worst part wasn't the smile he was trying to hide. The worst part was that childlike, pure excitement that told her that her head was no longer turning. And that meant she didn't have a choice either.

Scully didn't have to go wherever Mulder wanted to drag her. She had every right to plead the absurdity of the trip and refuse to go, even if it meant disappointing her partner. Years ago, she could have done that, but the years had changed the circumstances. She'd spent too much time with him to trust him to go alone to the other side of the country, investigating God knows what.

Trust, maybe that was the wrong word. Scully trusted Mulder more than anyone else. Trust was the core of their relationship, the cornerstone she could lean on when everything else around her was crumbling. She could trust him with her life without hesitation, and nothing could change that.

The problem was that she couldn't trust Mulder's life to Mulder. His enthusiasm often led to an increase in recklessness, and Scully was no longer sure how many times she had indirectly or directly saved her partner's life when his own judgment had failed him. Over the years, Scully's trust in other people's ability to keep her partner alive had begun to erode, and since staying home usually meant she was worried sick and couldn't concentrate on anything, Mulder's trip now usually meant her trip too.

“Superior National Forest," Mulder announced as Scully snatched the brochure from his hand. "A vast forest in the Great Lakes region. They offer hikes at a discounted rate."

Scully eyed the brochure in disbelief. The landscapes in the pictures were beautiful, she had to admit, but hiking? Only Mulder could think that a hiking trip was a good idea at this time of year.

“Mulder,” she started again. “Are you out of your mind? It's almost December,” she waved the brochure in her hand. “It can be snowy this time of year. It gets dark early...”

"I know," Mulder said as he turned on his heel and sat down at his desk. "That's exactly why I want to go there now."

"Is this work-related or free time-related?" Scully asked, and Mulder smiled mildly.

”Do they differ?”

Scully bit her lip as Mulder looked down at his hands. She knew her partner was trying to appeal to her feelings by acting like a sad puppy, because he had used this tactic before. She sighed and sat down in the chair across from Mulder's desk. Maybe this time his idea wouldn't be so crazy that she would dare to let him go on his own.

“So,” she opened the brochure again. “What's happening in Minnesota?”

”So you assent?”

”I didn’t say that.”

“You will as soon as you hear what's coming,” he dug a case file out of the desk drawer and dropped it theatrically in front of his partner. “The Great Lakes, forest and winter. Does that mean anything to you?”

Scully stared at him for a moment, shook her head, and then dropped her gaze to the case file in front of her.

”Cold, dark and miserable?”

She glanced quickly at her partner, who was grinning in a way that made her feel butterflies in her stomach. Damned Mulder and his smile. She felt her cheeks heat up and quickly dropped her gaze back to the case file. She opened it and focused on the first picture she saw. At a quick glance, you might have mistaken it for a moose or deer, based on its antlers, but on closer inspection, she realized it wasn't just any animal. Its head was just a skull, and it walked on two legs.

“Do you want to go deer hunting?”

Maybe she couldn't let him go alone.

Mulder snorted and grabbed the picture in front of Scully.

“And I thought you were a scientist. Does this look like a regular deer to you?”

“No, but…” Scully started, but Mulder wouldn't let her continue.

“Have you never heard of Wendigo?”

Scully frowned and searched her memory. The name sounded somewhat familiar, but it didn't ring any bells. She shook her head.

“Wendigo…” Mulder continued, taking the case file from Scully and leafing through it. “…Is a mythical creature that appears in the stories of the indigenous peoples of North America and Canada. It wanders the northern forests in winter and use human flesh for food. It is said that a person who succumbs to cannibalism turns into a Wendigo and is condemned to walk the earth forever. The forests of the Great Lakes are considered its habitat.”

Scully stared at her partner. This didn't sound very promising.

“So,” she said slowly. “You want to go on a hike to find it?”

Mulder grinned again and dropped the paper he found in the case file in front of Scully.

“I know how this sounds. The Wendigo legend is ancient, and no solid evidence of its existence has ever been found. However, recently people have started disappearing in the area,” he said, making Scully raise her eyebrows. “A total of seven missing in a month. All of them have gone hiking alone in the Superior National Forest and have never returned. The local police have not found any of them.” He tapped the picture he had placed in front of Scully, and she focused her gaze. “The only traces the police have found are bloodstains near the supposed disappearance sites of the hikers. The strange thing about the case is that at each location there have been footprints that match the hooves of a moose or deer.”

Scully slowly lifted her gaze from the picture and pursed her lips.

”Mulder…”

“I know, I know,” he took the picture from the table and slipped it between the case files. “I already guessed what you were going to say. That the Wendigo is just a myth, and there must be some natural explanation for this,” he closed the file and stood up. “But something in those woods is making people disappear, and the local police need help. A weekend hike is a great way to get to know the area and maybe find some clues.”

Yeah, she couldn't let him go alone.

Scully folded her arms. “Wendigo or not, the area sounds dangerous. What makes you think it's a good idea to go wandering into the darkening woods when there's clearly someone there who wants to harm the hikers? Do they at least sleep in cabins?”

Something flashed on Mulder's face for a second, and Scully opened her mouth in a daze.

“Are you kidding me?! You're not saying they sleep in tents there?! Why would anyone even want to organize guided hikes in these circumstances?”

Mulder shrugged, and she shook her head in disbelief.

She couldn't let him go alone, not a chance.

"I don't even have a tent," she muttered, mostly to herself, but it didn't go unnoticed by her partner. His expression brightened, the corners of his mouth lifted, and he sat back down in his chair.

“I was sure you'd agree. Not having a tent is not a problem – the hike is on the weekend. We can consider it free time, so FBI rules don't apply...”

"Mulder, I'm not sleeping in the same tent with you," Scully huffed. She couldn't believe that her relaxing weekend was about to turn into anything but a relaxing outdoor activity. Into a dark, late-autumn forest where seven hikers had disappeared without a trace. Considering the circumstances, sharing a tent with Mulder suddenly started to sound like a much better idea than sleeping in a tent alone, but her pride wouldn't let her admit it to her partner. To her partner, who shrugged with a smile.

“It’s your choice. But carrying your own tent is pointless if you start getting scared at night and...”

”Mulder!" She snapped, throwing a sunflower seed at him from the table. "If the whole point of this whole trip is to get someone to cuddle with you in the tent, I can already tell you that you're going to be disappointed. The whole plan is uncomfortable enough as it is," she said, trying to ignore the sudden pounding of her heart, which clearly thought cuddling with Mulder in the tent was a much better idea than she let herself admit.

"It's okay, there might be some attractive ladies on the hike who don't have as big a problem sharing a tent with me," Mulder pondered, and Scully covered the uncomfortable feeling blowing through her with a chuckle.

"I'd like to see that," she rolled her eyes, even though in reality it was the last thing she wanted to see. She stood up and turned towards the door.

“Where are you going?” Her partner's confused voice came from behind her, and she turned to look at him, flashing him a charming smile.

"To make sure I really have that tent if I want to sleep in it the day after tomorrow," she announced, opened the door and marched out of the room.

She didn't have a good feeling about this at all.

Chapter Text

The arm of a man walking down the aisle of the plane hit Mulder on the shoulder, jolting him out of his thoughts.

“Sorry, man,” the man apologized quickly as he continued toward the restroom at the back of the plane, and Mulder raised his hand a little in a “it’s okay” gesture. He arranged the papers he had spread out on his lap and the flip-up table in front of him and leaned back in his seat, sighing quietly.

Wendigo, that infamous creature that stalked people in the darkness of the winter forest, was fascinating to say the least. Folktales held a special place in Mulder's heart, as their origins were almost always unclear. They could have sprung from the imagination of someone who had eaten inedible mushrooms, or they could just as easily have been true. The fact that these stories had been passed down from generation to generation, among many peoples over a wide area, was reason to suspect that there was something genuine behind the stories. Maybe not in the form the stories told, but there was usually some reason why the stories had survived from decade to decade.

And now people had started disappearing. The local police had told Mulder that a few people disappeared into the wilderness every year, that was not unusual. What was unusual was how many hikers had disappeared in November alone. November was by no means the most popular month for hiking, and that was why the number was unusual. Usually, only those who knew what they were doing ventured into the dark woods, at the turn of autumn and winter.

In the seat next to Mulder, Scully mumbled softly in her sleep, and he turned his gaze to her. Her face was relaxed, her red hair had fallen partially over her face, and Mulder had to grip the papers in his lap tighter to resist the sudden urge to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. He turned his attention back to his papers and eyed the picture of a cartoon Wendigo. A familiar sting seared his heart.

Scully was the most important thing he had. She might believe that finding the truth and finding his sister were the things that got him off his worn-out couch every morning, and once, years ago, that had been the case. Mulder had drowned his sorrows and dark thoughts in his obsession, and it had driven him forward. He had been alone, so alone, but the more he had focused his thoughts on his work, the easier it had been to ignore the pain that had been gnawing at him from within.

And then Scully had walked into his office.

Mulder couldn't say exactly when she'd become his reason to get up in the morning. Maybe it had happened right away, maybe later. She drove him crazy at times, her steadfast principle of approaching things through science regularly set them on a collision course, but even so, he couldn't imagine a world without her. The search for the truth was still important to him, and the thought of it was driving him forward, but if he had to choose between the truth and Scully, the choice was clear.

That's why working with Scully hurt sometimes. And when it hurt, it hurt so much that it burned his chest and made it hard to breathe. Guilt, it weighed on him like a stone. Every time his partner was put in danger because he wanted to investigate something suspicious, he wanted to rip his fingers off one by one. They were in this together, he knew that, but still, he felt responsible for putting his partner in danger.

Beside him, Scully stirred again, and suddenly Mulder felt a light weight settle against his shoulder. Slowly, careful not to wake her, he turned his head, only to find her sleeping against him. A new, squeezing feeling burned Mulder's heart again.

Here they were again, him dragging his partner into the dark wilderness, searching for something that was potentially very dangerous. Scully could have stayed home, but he knew she didn't want to leave him alone. He knew it because it would have been the same the other way around. They were partners, best friends, him and her. And that’s why, as always, Scully's safety would come first. He would make sure of that.

"Excuse me, sir," the stewardess' voice came from behind him, and he felt Scully move against his shoulder. The spell was broken, the moment was over, and he squeezed his eyes shut in disappointment for a second as the weight lifted from his shoulder. "We're starting to prepare for landing, you should put the table back up."

Mulder nodded, gathered his papers and shoved them back into the folder before lifting the desk up. From beside him, he heard Scully's sleepy voice.

”How long was I asleep?”

"I'm not sure, but you snored like a chainsaw," he turned to look at his partner, keeping his expression serious. Her eyes widened.

”No, I didn’t!”

He shrugged, trying to hide his smile, but Scully had already seen through him. As she always did.

”Ha, ha, very funny.”

The evening sun shining through the window colored her face a warm hue as she began to dig through her purse, and Mulder had to swallow before forcing himself to look at the flight attendants moving in the aisle. They were supposed to stay overnight in Minneapolis before the early morning drive to the starting point of the hike.

Maybe nothing bad would happen. Maybe they would get to spend a refreshing weekend in the fresh weather, and no one or nothing would try to attack them.

Maybe…

--------------------------

"So," Scully said, sipping her coffee and looking at a hiking map of the Superior National Forest. The morning sun dyed her hair golden, and Mulder had to keep his eyes on the road so he wouldn't get distracted and stare at her instead of driving. "The hike is apparently 20 miles long."

”Yep,” Mulder replied while sipping his own coffee. ”The day trips are about the same length every day.”

"And we still sleep in tents at night?" Her voice was uncertain, even though she already knew the answer, and it made Mulder grin.

”We still sleep in tents at night. Are you starting to regret buying your own tent?”

Scully snorted. "That's the only thing I don't regret about this trip."

Mulder chuckled and turned up the car radio. Céline Dion's "All By Myself" filled the car, and he began to hum along. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his partner's head slowly turn toward him.

"It's 7 am, Mulder," she groaned, but in response he changed from humming to singing. Scully looked at him with a pained expression, leaned back in her seat, and dropped the hiking map onto her face. A sudden, comforting sense of normalcy, filled Mulder, it ignited a bubbling feeling in his chest and made him sing louder. It wasn't pretty, not even close, but he didn’t care. The morning sun was lighting up the surroundings with its soft, late-autumn light, the rental car was humming steadily beneath them, the road was nearly empty, and he was with Scully.

He had always been a restless soul, restlessness had kept him moving and took his ability to sleep properly for as long as he could remember. Home had been an unknown concept to him since his sister disappeared, and because he had lived without it for so long, at some point he had forgotten what true home felt like. There had been time with Diana, yes, but restlessness had followed him like a ghost even then.

But Scully… Scully was his home. No matter where they were, no matter how serious the situation, seeing his partner brought a peace to his soul that he couldn't explain. Although he didn't remember clearly what home felt like, he believed it felt at least somewhat like the presence of his partner.

So he sang louder, harnessing the emotion bubbling in his chest into his song, and for once, he just let himself enjoy this moment. Scully groaned under her map, making Mulder smile. Snow had been forecast for the weekend, but so far the ground was almost bare, only in places it had gathered a light pale veil. However, the air was on the freezing side, and it made the surroundings sparkle in the morning sunlight.

Out of the corner of his eye, Mulder saw Scully's hand reach for the volume button, but he was faster, grabbed her hand, and pressed it to his chest, still singing from the bottom of his heart.

”DON’T WANNA BE ALL BY MYSELF ANYMOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORE!!”

Scully shook her head, sighing, but he noticed the corners of her mouth twitching, despite her obvious efforts to hide it. A warm feeling spread through his chest.

The words of the song held more true than he wanted to think at the moment. He didn't want to ruin this rare feeling that made him feel lighter than he had in years.

They didn't know what the weekend would bring, but everything was fine at the moment.

And Mulder wanted to cherish every second of it.

Chapter Text

The forest beside the parking lot was dark and huge, as Scully set her backpack down next to the car and paused to take in the view before her. It didn't seem particularly threatening or repulsive, but it reminded her of all the times nature hadn't been particularly welcoming to them. The day was sunny, but a cool wind blew coldly, making her shiver. She glanced at Mulder, who was standing next to her, and snorted.

”Next time you can ask me for ideas when you're planning a weekend trip.”

There were no others in the parking lot yet, but they were 45 minutes early.

“And what’s fun about that?”

Scully crossed her arms and opened her mouth to protest, but the sound of an approaching car made her close it and turn toward the sound. Mulder had told her that the hike wouldn’t be exactly crowded, and she believed him without a doubt. By Wednesday, a total of six people had signed up: the guide and them, plus one couple and one independent hiker. The sound of the approaching car grew louder, and finally a light-colored SUV with the forest's logos on the sides appeared from behind the trees.

"I suppose that’s our guide," Mulder muttered next to her. A man in his fifties got out of the car, waved at them, and then began digging through the trunk. Scully hid her surprise, for although she hadn't actively thought about the hiking guide before, she had expected him to be a bit younger. She straightened her back as the man began to approach them.

"Morning," he greeted, then paused to look at them appraisingly. Something in his gaze sent an uncomfortable feeling down Scully's spine, and she glanced at her partner to see if he had felt the same. Mulder's expression, however, was as calm as ever.

"Morning," he replied, extending his hand to the man. The man's gaze lingered on Scully for about a second too long before he returned Mulder's handshake.

”You're early,” he smiled and then dug a notebook out of his pocket. He eyed it for a moment, tapped his ballpoint pen and lifted his gaze. ”Are you the Millers or Fox Mulder and Dana Scully?”

”The others,” Mulder smiled, and the guide raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“Which means…”

”Mulder and Scully," Scully replied. The guide nodded in agreement.

”And you're not a couple?”

What an odd thing to ask, she thought to herself, frowning. Before she could answer, she heard her partner's voice next to her.

”No, we're not. Just… Friends.”

The guide watched them for a few seconds, his gaze drifting back to Scully, and then he nodded as he wrote something in his notebook. There was a car sound in the distance, and the man stuffed the notbook back into his pocket.

"Alright, I'm Marcus Olson, and I'll be your guide for this hike. I'll give you more detailed instructions before we leave, once the rest of the group has arrived," he announced before he started walking towards the red car that had arrived in the parking lot. Scully looked after him, but moved closer to her partner and muttered:

“I don’t like him.”

She felt Mulder's gaze on the back of her neck as he turned to look at her, but she didn't take her eyes off Olson, who was apparently greeting the Millers.

"What, why?" Mulder's voice was quiet but confused, and she glanced at him quickly. Although Mulder was the one who believed more unreservedly in anything unnatural and the one who had been trained as a profiler, his occasional naivety towards people sometimes surprised her.

But maybe it was because he was a man. He didn't have to be constantly on guard against other people unless they were suspects or met the criteria for a criminal.

Scully sighed and shook her head. ”Never mind.” Then she turned to look at the forest before them. ”That forest is apparently teeming with deers. Promise me you won't lose your mind every time you see a possible hoof print, because I'd rather focus on looking for possible clues than making sure you don't fall off a cliff because you thought you saw a mythical creature.”

Mulder smiled mischievously at her, and a familiar warmth threatened to spread to her cheeks. Fortunately, the cold air would soon get the blood circulating in her cheeks, and she wouldn't have to constantly watch out for her own reactions.

”Don’t worry, Scully,” he patted her shoulder and grinned. ”I’m always responsible, you know that.”

She didn't answer, just raised her eyebrows, and then turned to look at the third car that pulled into the parking lot.

-------------------

The pack was weighing on Scully's shoulders, and beads of sweat ran down her back as they climbed the steep path toward the lookout. The sun was caressing her face, but autumn had sapped its warmth, and the brightness was not the same as in summer. She glanced up, at the huffing and puffing people ahead of her, and then fixed her gaze on Mulder, whose backpack was swaying on his back with the pace of his footsteps. Then she heard a voice behind her.

"So, Dana," Olsen began, quickening his pace to get closer to her. "Is this your first hike?"

Not exactly, she thought, but she couldn't say it out loud. Mulder hadn't told Olsen they were working for the FBI, and she thought that was a smart move. People were missing in the woods, and while Mulder might want to believe that a mythical creature was involved, they couldn't rule out any possibilities at this point. And besides, by hiking, Olsen surely meant something other than hunting supernatural creatures in the dark woods.

”Yes, it is,” she answered, and adjusted her backpack on her back. It had been a couple of hours since their last break, and her back, unused to carrying heavy loads, needed a break. ”I've been camping a few times, but not really hiking.”

”I see,” Olsen nodded approvingly. ”And I assume this was your friend's idea?”

Scully looked at him for a moment, confused, weighing her options, before answering: ”Yes.”

Olsen smiled and smacked his lips. He had quickened his pace so that he had come alongside her, and on the narrow path their hands occasionally touched. Scully bored her gaze into Mulder's back, hoping he would notice, but he continued walking, unaware of his partner's gaze.

“I know what it's like,” Olsen smiled. “Not all women like the wilderness. Especially out of season, most of our customers are men. It's nice to see some beautiful ladies in the crowd sometimes,” his hand touched Scully's arm, and she moved it away, hardening her face at the same time. The bad feeling she had gotten in the parking lot was getting stronger, and the trip, in all its discomfort, was starting to feel like an even worse idea. In addition to having to keep her eyes open for a possible murderer lurking in the woods, she also had to be careful with their guide.

Great.

Although Olsen's presence felt uncomfortable, Scully decided to take advantage of the opportunity. She faked a smile and tried to appear relaxed.

"I assume you like nature?" she asked, looking around. "It's beautiful here, I have to admit."

"I've always loved nature," Olsen answered, and for a few seconds the greedy look in his eyes changed to a genuine, pure smile. "I couldn't imagine living in the hustle and bustle of a city or spending my days in a stuffy office at a computer. When I'm in the wilderness, I feel at home."

Scully nodded. ”Do you spend time here in your free time too?”

”Lately I haven't had much time to wander here on my own. Summer and early fall were exceptionally busy times. The hikes were full every week.”

”But you do come here by yourself?”

“Sometimes.”

”Aren't you... Scared?” Scully asked, waving her hand. ”Of all this. Being alone so far from civilization, out of reach of help?”

”Not usually,” Olsen smiled. ”It may seem strange to a city dweller, but nature calms me. After all, the forest is a natural environment for humans. Modern man has just lost touch with it, so it no longer feels like a comfortable place. As long as you keep your wits about you and act carefully, there is nothing to fear in the forest.”

Scully chuckled. "Maybe I've just watched too many horror movies. Everything the forest can hide…"

It took willpower to maintain a smile as Olsen placed a hand on her shoulder. She fixed her gaze on Mulder's back as Olsen leaned closer.

"They're called movies for a reason," he said quietly. She smelled the cigarettes on his breath, and she wanted to push him away. Just then, however, Mulder turned to look at them, and even from this distance she saw a flash in his eyes as his gaze settled on the hand gripping her shoulder. He slowed his steps so that in a few strides Scully and Olsen caught up with him, and she deliberately walked so close to him that her arm nudged Mulder to walk alongside her. Olsen's hand slipped from her shoulder when the narrow path could only accommodate two people abreast, and he took off striding toward the Millers walking in the lead.

”Hey,” Mulder's gaze was questioning, and Scully took a deep breath as secretly as possible. ”What did he say to you?”

”I tried to ask him how often he wanders around here alone,” she answered quietly, her gaze fixed on Olsen's back this time. ”Not often, he said, but sometimes.”

Mulder stayed silent for a moment, and even though Scully wasn't looking at him, she could feel his gaze burning against her skin. This wasn't new; he did it every time he tried to read her mind. Usually it was like this – he suspected she wasn't telling him everything.

”Do you suspect him?”

“Maybe.”

"But how about the hoof prints?" Mulder began, making his partner sigh.

"Mulder, this place is teeming with ungulates," she reminded him. "It's very possible that the smell of blood has attracted the animals."

"But ungulates are not predators," he insisted. "It's atypical for a quarry to want to approach a dead animal."

Scully bit her lip. She knew her partner was right, but her rational side still refused to believe that the disappearances of the hikers were caused by anything more than a series of coincidences, at most a serial killer lurking in the woods.

But before she could think of an answer, the steadily ascending path began to flatten out, and the scenery began to open up before them. Scully blinked as she stopped at a lookout point next to the other hikers and took a deep breath. The view was magnificent.

"Wow," she whispered. The climb had been worth it. A cool breeze caressed her hot cheeks, and she dropped the heavy backpack from her back before rolling her shoulders and letting her gaze rest on the landscape before her. Mulder was standing beside her, breathing in the crisp air with his eyes closed, and Scully had to resist the sudden, strong urge to grab his hand.

Maybe not everything was bad on this trip.

Chapter Text

A group of tired and hungry hikers reached their campsite just as the sun was sinking below the horizon, and the shadows of the trees were lengthening before merging into a total dusk. The autumn forest was silent except for the creak of the trees as their branches swayed in the wind. The wind had picked up during the day.

Scully dropped her heavy backpack to the ground and stretched her aching back. They had been walking for a total of 7 hours, and she could feel it. The ups and downs of the hilly terrain had challenged not only her back but her legs, and she was looking forward to nothing more than to lying down. Hunger was rumbling in her stomach, she felt dirty all over, and she longed for a hot shower and her soft sheets.

Even though they had walked all day, scanning the surroundings, nothing out of the ordinary had been seen. The forest had been ordinary – quiet but ordinary. No bloodstains, no antlers lurking in the shadows, no hoof prints, nothing. Just a path that had meandered between the trees and occasionally climbed up a hill only to descend back down into a hollow.

”Guys!” She heard Olsen's voice from a little distance away, and she turned her gaze in the direction of the voice. So far she could still see the guide, but it wouldn't be long before the surroundings would be too dark. ”I'm going to start lighting the campfire. I recommend setting up the tents now, while you can still see something.”

Scully glanced at her backpack beside her, where she had attached her new tent. Or Mulder had, after watching her for a moment as she tried to figure out how to attach it most sensibly. She glanced around, searching for her partner, who had already disappeared into the darkening surroundings, and for a moment she considered setting up her tent just where she was standing.

She crouched down next to her backpack and began to fiddle with its straps, but suddenly she felt as if someone was watching her. She looked up, straightened her back, and began to look around. The darkness had thickened, and she couldn't see very far, but she sharpened her gaze and scanned her surroundings. The forest was silent, however, and she could make out no movement other than the branches swaying in the wind.

This is ridiculous, she thought, shaking her head. The forest is full of animals that have probably been watching you all day.

The uncomfortable feeling wouldn't leave her alone, though, even as she forced herself to take deep breaths and concentrate on untying the tent. The darkness made it difficult to see the straps and untie them, and her hands began to ache in the cold wind. Nervousness and irritation began to twist inside her into a single, tightening knot, and she didn't notice that a figure had appeared beside her.

”Need help?”

Although she recognized the voice immediately, the scare was faster than her reason, and she could barely suppress the exclamation that almost escaped her throat.

”Jesus, Mulder!” She snapped, glad the darkness covered her partner's likely smirk. ”Can you stop sneaking around like that?!”

”What?” The smug smile in his voice was clear, and Scully pursed her lips in annoyance. ”I got my tent set up and came to see how you were doing.” He paused for a moment before continuing: ”Apparently not very fast.”

"I would be faster if you hadn't tied these straps so tightly," she muttered, but then she heard the click of a flashlight above her, and a round beam of light illuminated her backpack. The light was more than welcome, but at the same time it revealed that she had tried to untie the straps from the wrong end. However, she didn't tell her partner that, she didn't want to give him that pleasure.

”Does this help?”

”Yes, thank you.”

By the light of the flashlight, she quickly untied the straps and the tent bag fell in front of her. She looked up, and became momentarily blinded by the bright light that hit her eyes.

”Mulder!”

”Sorry.”

The spotlight moved next to her and after blinking for a moment she asked: ”Where is your tent?”

The flashlight turned to point behind her, and she followed it with her gaze.

”Over there. It's close enough to the campfire, but far enough away that a spark won't set it on fire. Behind that rock…” He waved his flashlight, but Scully didn't know the area well enough to tell which rock he meant. ”…There's a little stream. I thought I'd use it as a shower.”

Scully's mouth dropped open. "But… It's freezing!" She gasped, but her partner just shrugged.

”Haven't you heard of ice swimming before?”

”Yes, but…”

”They say you'll get hooked on it,” he grinned. ”Besides, I'd rather feel a momentary cold than be marinated in my dried sweat in a sleeping bag.”

He had a point, Scully had to admit. She bit her lip, turned her gaze back at the direction of Mulder's flashlight, and then sighed.

”Okay. How deep is the stream?”

”About knee height, maybe a little deeper. Depends on where you step.”

Then a shout split the air: "The campfire is ready! If you want to cook, come here after you've set up your tents."

Scully looked in the direction of the voice, and suddenly a new, different, unpleasant feeling ran down her spine. Washing meant she had to stand in the stream in her underwear. The stream wasn't very far from the campfire, so it was possible that the darkness wouldn't completely hide it.

And she guessed who wouldn't be bothered by the sight.

”It's dangerous to go into cold water alone,” she said quickly, and even in the darkness she noticed how Mulder's eyebrows raised. ”I mean…” This time she felt the heat spreading to her ears as well. ”It's better to have someone to keep watch when you go swimming in icy water.”

”Okay...?”

"So tell me when you're going," Scully continued, trying to sound casual. "As a favor, you can wait for me while I fight for my life in that puddle." She felt Mulder's gaze on her skin, but she tried to ignore it. "But only..." She stood up, grabbing her backpack with one hand, her tent bag with the other. "...if you promise to look the other way."

"It might be difficult..." Mulder started, but Scully snatched the flashlight out of his hand and aimed it at his face. He groaned and squeezed his eyes shut, covering them with his hands.

”Do we have a deal?”

"Okay, okay!" He raised his other hand in surrender. "No peeking!"

”Good,” Scully bit the inside of her cheek to suppress a smile. ”And now you could show me where your tent is.”

------------------

Scully was laying on her back in her sleeping bag, staring at the roof of the tent. Or rather, at nothing, for all she could see was darkness. The darkness made her senses alert, and her ears registered every rustle and vague sound. She was dead tired, and her muscles ached, but her brain was in overdrive, and she couldn't sleep.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to focus on the languid, warm feeling that bathing in the stream had brought. The water had been icy cold, and in the darkness it had seemed to choke her breath as she stepped in. Mulder had kept his word and stood guard a little further away, so far away that he couldn't make out her outline, yet close enough that he would have been there in a second if needed.

The sound of a branch snapping next to the tent made Scully's eyes open, and she felt her pulse quicken. No, she wasn’t going to let her imagination fly. Dry branches used to snap in the wind, it was perfectly natural. Nothing dangerous lurked outside her tent. Something rustled against the canvas, had it started to rain outside?

Involuntarily, however, her thoughts wandered to the strange feeling, the one she had felt when she had been untying the tent. It was as if someone had been watching her from the shadows, someone who was not part of their hiking group.

The branch snapped again, this time on the other side of her tent, and her heart rate increased even more. Suddenly she began to regret not agreeing to sleep in the same tent with Mulder.

And then she heard it. A thud, completely recognizable as a footstep. She froze, listening. The next thud, closer, took her breath away, cold shivers ran down her spine, and when the third thud came closer, she began to fumble blindly for her stuff. The flashlight and the gun were in the same place, hidden under her clothes.

The footsteps approached for a moment longer, then it became quiet. Until quietly, very quietly, she heard the sound of a zipper opening. Scully sat up slowly, silently, aimed her gun at the tent doorway, tensed her muscles to the limit, prepared to turn on the flashlight...

The tent door opened, she saw the head of an unknown figure, and she turned on the flashlight, exclaiming:

”FREEZE!!”

The figure froze, then looked up, and Scully realized in that same second that she was aiming the gun at her partner.

”Mulder?!”

”Don’t shoot!”

She quickly lowered her gun and slipped it back under her clothes.

”What the hell are you doing?!”

"I could ask you the same thing," Mulder groaned. Scully took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.

”Well, what do you think? We're in the middle of a pitch-dark forest, potentially in danger, and I start to hear footsteps outside my tent before someone tries to break in,” she huffed and folded her arms. ”Why didn't you say anything?”

"I thought I’d scare you," Mulder grimaced at her apologetically. "But maybe this wasn't much better idea."

Scully stared at her partner. His dark hair had spilled over his eyes, and even though she was angry at the same time, seeing him felt like a calming breeze in her nervous body.

”So what are you doing?” She asked again, this time more calmly. ”Did you hear something?”

”No,” he suddenly looked embarrassed, and he bit his lip. His gaze began to wander around the tent, and she waited, a questioning expression on her face. ”Nice tent. Do you think it can fit one more?”

Scully blinked, her mouth slightly open in confusion, and she dropped her arms from her chest onto her sleeping bag.

"Mulder," she began slowly, squinting slightly. "I told you that…"

"It's snowing into my tent," Mulder stated quickly, interrupting her. Scully frowned.

”What?”

”Remember when I said you should put the tent far enough away from the campfire so it doesn't catch fire?” He asked, still not looking at her. The tent fabric seemed to interest him more. ”A few years ago I didn't think about it that far when I was investigating a UFO sighting. I only remembered it when I was setting it up.”

There, in the light of the flashlight, hair over his eyes and his gaze wandering, he looked like a little boy who had to tell his parents he had kicked a football through a neighbor's window. Amusement began to bubble in her stomach, and a chuckle escaped her lips, even though she tried to stop it. Mulder glanced at her, offended.

”Sorry,” she bit the inside of her cheek to suppress the laughter that was trying to escape from inside her. ”I just… Why didn't you say it earlier?”

"I didn't think a few holes in the roof would be a problem until it started snowing," he shrugged, and Scully remembered the rustling of the tent fabric, which she had suspected was rain. "It turns out that snowflakes are suspiciously good at aiming straight through holes into the tent."

"Now I want to see it," she said, and started to crawl out of her sleeping bag. Mulder's expression turned uncertain.

”You don’t…”

"If you want to sleep here, you show me your tent," Scully announced as she pulled on her shoes. "Otherwise, I don't think you have innocent intentions."

--------------------

Ten minutes later, Scully was lying in her sleeping bag again, staring at the ceiling. The darkness was as deep as before, but this time the nervousness wasn't coursing through her veins, making her feel uneasy. She heard the rustling of the sleeping bag next to her, and an unexpected warmth spread through her, making her feel cozy and relaxed. She saw the holes in Mulder's tent in her mind, and laughter began to bubble inside her again. No wonder the snow had fallen in, when there had been three football-sized openings.

”Hey Scully,” she heard a quiet voice next to her and turned her head in its direction.

”Yes?”

”Do you think we'll encounter the Wendigo?”

Mulder's voice was sleepy, soft, and Scully was glad he couldn't see in the darkness how it made her smile.

”I’m not sure,” she replied, even though both of them knew what she really thought. ”And if we do, hopefully it has eaten to its fill.”

Mulder sighed quietly. "Don't you remember that the Wendigo is never full? It's the unsatisfied hunger that drives it forward, and it won’t...?"

However, Scully had felt enough nervousness for one evening, and she placed her hand on his head to silence him. His hair felt soft against her fingertips, and before she could stop herself, her thumb lightly brushed his temple.

”Sleep now, Mulder.”

He said nothing more, but before Scully could pull her hand away, he grabbed it gently, closed it in his own, and pressed it to his chest. Then he sighed deeply, and silence descended on the tent.

Scully blinked in the darkness, not daring to move. Mulder's hand was warm around hers, and she could feel his steady pulse against his chest. She could have pulled her hand away, the grip wasn't so tight, but here, in the pitch-dark tent, in the middle of the pitch-dark forest, she didn't want to do that.

She closed her eyes, and let herself fall into the soft embrace of sleep.