Author's note: thank you all for the continued appreciation and for sticking with this story. I wanted to finish it (since it's nearly summer time and I'm writing a winter fic, still haha) because I have so many more ideas for stories that I really want to get started on. Thank you for reading! : )

Trouble, he will find you no matter where you go, oh oh
No matter if you're fast, no matter if you're slow, oh oh
The eye of the storm or the cry in the mourn, oh oh
You're fine for a while but you start to lose control

He's there in the dark, he's there in my heart
He waits in the wings, he's gotta play a part
Trouble is a friend, yeah trouble is a friend of mine, oh oh!

-"Trouble is a Friend", Lenka

The pair exchanged looks. Forget about fear, Mulder was slightly pissed off, mostly because this thing had impeccable timing, and also he was absolutely beat from hauling ass in the snow just a bit ago. He figured it would only be a matter of time though, before they were found at the cabin by whatever it was out there.

He pressed one finger to his lips, signaling his partner not to make a sound.

They remained silent for several minutes. He was starting to think maybe they didn't actually hear something at all. It was quite possible… there had been record amounts of snow and ice from the storm, and the ice was thick on the tree branches, causing them to snap and fall to the ground periodically. But this sounded very close, and there were no trees by the house.

"Did you check all the windows while I was gone?" he asked Scully, his voice barely a whisper.

She nodded in response.

The pair sat in silence on the couch for probably an hour, Scully's fingers laced lazily through Mulder's, her head resting softly on his broad shoulder. They looked relaxed, comfortable. But they were on alert.

Eventually, they both dozed off.

The sound of gunshots woke Mulder up. He shot up out of his seat, looking back down at a groggy Scully, who was also awakened by the sound.

"What the hell?" he whispered, grabbing his gun from the side table, and handing Scully hers as well.

"I don't know," she returned, looking less groggy and more focused now. "What time is it?"

Mulder checked his watch. "Three in the morning. Hey, let's move."

Following Mulder's lead, they crept tactically to the front door. He motioned for Scully to crouch, just on the other side of the doorway. He peered out the front door. All he could see was snow and trees.

Scully, covering Mulder's back and looking out the other direction happened to see lights, possibly from flashlights through the curtain of the opposing window.

"Mulder!" she hissed, motioning in her direction. "Lights!"

The pair moved for the windows across the way. Mulder pulled aside the curtain, revealing about a dozen people swarming in the vicinity with flashlights - presumably police officers.

"I think the cops are here," he whispered.

"Finally!"

Their conversation was interrupted by a sudden pounding on the front door, followed by a gruff voice shouting, "POLICE! OPEN UP!"

Mulder flung the door open.

"FBI here!" he said, flashing his badge he fished out of his back pocket.

"Agents Mulder and Scully?" the young but balding officer asked.

"Yep. We heard shots fired, what's going on?"

"We've been tracking two suspects out here, been closing in on them for a few hours now."

Scully chimed in. "We've been stranded out here, waiting out the weather, and we started hearing activity or movement of some kind several hours ago."

"Yeah, and I went out to clear the area and was being followed and hauled ass back here, " Mulder added, leaning into the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest. "It's been a weird night."

The officer briefly excused himself to take a call. Mulder and Scully exchanged a look.

"Mulder…" Scully trailed. "They were right out here all night…"

Mulder sighed deeply, partially out of relief that whoever it was didn't kill one or both of them. "I know. And to think I was in the woods with them and never knew…"

"Jesus, Mulder."

"I know," he paused, rubbing his face with his hands. "This could have been bad."

Yet another close call they had. Skinner was not going to be pleased. Thankfully no one was injured, but not only were they being closed in on by suspects they were supposed to be trailing, the local police department got the collar (or at least, the shot). In their defense, they were stranded because of inclement weather and the local and state departments on the case had better equipment to travel in the snow.

"Agents?"

The officer that had excused himself to take the phone call had returned.

"So what's the story with these guys out here?" Scully asked.

"Well we got a tip off a local geologist staying about two miles south of here about two guys he'd seen in the woods while he was working down by the stream. He said something about them just didn't seem right."

"So how did you end up finding them?" Mulder asked.

The deputy shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He looked about as tired as Mulder and Scully felt.

"We employed the local police department here along with the state police and a National Guard unit, and we were able to canvas a larger area with the equipment we had."

"So it was definitely a case of cannibalism then," Scully mused.

The deputy nodded. "Sure was, ma'am. We just didn't know there were two of them."

The deputy was joined now by what Mulder and Scully assumed to be his superior.

"Hey agents, we've got this from here. You guys look beat."

Mulder grinned. "You have no idea."

"Well we can hitch you a ride back to town if you want to wait, it may be an hour or so before I can get someone to take ya back?"

Scully couldn't stifle her groan. "What's option number two?"

The officer smiled, understanding how the agents felt. "You can go back to sleep here at the cabin and we can send someone by in the morning to come get you. You got the wood burner going for heat, right? Plenty of wood?"

"Yessir," Mulder said. "We'll just hunker down here, someone come get us in the morning when you can."

"I'll be sending a team out to work the grid again in the morning, we'll pick ya up then."

With that, Mulder and Scully went back in the cabin, closing the door behind them. Within seconds, Mulder drew her to him, gathering her in his arms.

"Mmm," Scully responded softly. "I can get used to this."

Mulder grinned into her hair. "We were interrupted earlier."

Scully looked at him incredulously. He was not really trying to pick up where they left off right now. There were officers swarming around the area and besides, she felt (and probably looked) like she was eighty.

He started before she could protest. "Of course you'll have to take a raincheck on it…" He trailed off, nuzzling her neck and running his hands over her soft, warm torso.

Scully moaned in response. She was so tired but Christ… the things that man did to her.

"Besides," he whispered. "I have all sorts of plans for you for when we get back to Washington."

She shivered deliciously in response. "Like what?"

"Like making love to you in your bed, like christening every piece of furniture in both our apartments… and taking you out, seeing you dressed up, spending 'us' time."

Tears sprung in her eyes. Of course Mulder was a meticulous lover. But he illustrated how he loved, respected, and genuinely wanted to be with Scully. Of course she didn't expect any less. But it had been so long since someone had treated Scully so well, it was overwhelming.

"C'mon Scully," he said, tugging her by the hand to the bedroom. "Let's go to bed."

Scully smiled inwardly.

It was finally their time.

Fin.