Title: "The Mating Game"
Author: jeri
E-mail: ggal1116@yahoo.com
Rating: PG
Category: S, UST
Keywords: M/S UST
Spoilers: anything up to 'Amor Fati' is fair game
Summary: A day on the Boardwalk leads to an epiphany.
Disclaimer: (1) Fox Mulder, Dana Scully and Charles Scully don't belong to me. They belong to Chris Carter and his team. (2) "The Mating Game" is copyrighted 1998 by H. Betti Industries, Inc.

Notes: Okay, so in May of 1999 I was on a trip w/ my school's music dept to Ocean City, MD. While cruising the Boardwalk one day, my friend and I came across on of those "Mating Game" computers. Having an extra 2 bucks, we decided to have some fun and see what it said about M&S. The results in this story are the actual results we got. I swear to the Almighty CC Himself, that is *exactly* what the computer said about them. Enjoy! (11.26.99)

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November 26, 1999
Ocean City, MD
The Boardwalk

Scully shivered as the wind blew off the ocean and across her numb cheeks. The man beside her noticed her shivering and pulled her closer against him, wrapping his arm tighter around her shoulders. She looked up and smiled. "Thanks."
"No problem. My pleasure."
She snorted. "Right. You're cold, too, aren't you?"
The man shrugged. "It's a chilly day. Who wouldn't be cold?"
Scully ceased the conversation, content to simply walk with her boy. Her boy. She smiled inwardly. How long had he been 'her boy'? It had to be, what, thirtysome years now?
"Hey, buddy, how old are you now?"
Charles Scully sighed. "Thirty-three. My birthday was last month."
Scully nodded. "That's right. I bought you a card, but I couldn't remember where to send it. I'll give it to you when we get back to my place."
Charles and his kids had made it to the Baltimore/DC area for Thanksgiving this year, much to the joy of Maggie and Dana. Since his divorce several years ago, neither had seen much of him; he'd being moving all around the country doing freelance writing for any newspaper that would have him. This year he got to see his son and daughters, and he decided to head home so they could visit with their aunt and grandmother. Charles was also interested in meeting Mr. Fox Mulder, though he never told his sister that little motive.
"Say, look Dana. There's an open arcade. Wanna go get warm?"
"Great idea." She turned toward the appropriate building, pleased to see few people actually in there. Those that were inside were in the back, playing skeeball and various video games.
"Check out that batting cage! Got any quarters?"
Scully grinned as she fished around in her pockets. "Can two people get in there? You know, for batting practice?"
Charles raised an eyebrow, a skill he learned from his older sister. "You asking me for a batting lesson? You, the queen of baseball?"
"Not at all, buddy. I, uh, led my partner to believe that I've never played baseball, and he gave me a batting lesson. A 'hands on' lesson, if you will."
Charles smirked. "And you'd like to use this place for winter training?"
"Maybe," Scully said, walking back toward the front of the building.
Charles hurried to catch her. He noticed something by the window, something very interesting...
"Hey Dana? Ever do one of those computer-dating-fortune-thingies?"
Scully followed his gaze. "Uh, not really. Why? Are you suggesting that I...?"
Charles nodded. "I wonder what that--" he pointed "--would say about you and Mulder."
Scully rolled her eyes. "It's all random. Nothing it says is based on fact."
"Still...let's check it out." Charles sauntered over to the machine, reaching for his wallet at the same time. "Okay. The 'gentleman's' first name. Sorry, sis. F-O-X. Dana, when's his birthday?"
Sighing, she stepped to his side. "October thirteenth."
"Thank you. Now the lady. Dana...February 23. Okay, it's coming."
Scully rolled her eyes again. "Buddy, this is *so* stupid. These things don't mean *anything*!"
A few moments later, the results had been printed out. "Dana, read this and tell me how accurate it is."
She just looked at her younger brother.
"Humor me?"
Sighing, Scully took the paper and began to read:

THE MATING GAME: Prepared Especially For
FOX AND DANA

FOX October 13
YOU NEED LUXURY IN YOUR LIFE. IF THERE IS SOMETHING EXTRAVAGANT YOU WANT YOU BUY IT. IN FACT, YOU WOUL DRATHER PAY FOR LUXURIES THAN NECESSITIES. YOUR FRIENDS FIND YOU MOST GENEROUS, BUT YOU DO NOT LET THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU. YOU EXPECT THE WORLD TO BE IN COMPLETE HARMONY. YOU ARE LOOKING FOR TRUTH AND BEAUTY IN THE WORLD. YOU TRY TO MAKE LIFE A BIT BETTER AND YOU SHOW OTHERS HOW TO DO THE SAME. YOU ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO EXPRESS THEIR OPINIONS; YOU REALLY CARE ABOUT WHAT THEY THINK. YOU SEARCH FOR PERFECTION IN ALL AREAS OF LIFE, BUT CANNOT FIND IT IN JUST ONE WOMAN, SO YOU GO FROM ONE TO ANOTHER. YOU WANT A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN, BUT SOMETIMES CANNOT SEE BEYOND THIS BEAUTY. OF COURSE, YOUR MATE IS ALWAYS PICTURE PERFECT. YOU ARE ROMANTIC THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE RELATIONSHIP. YOU SEE SITUATIONS CLEARLY AND FEEL YOU HAVE NO TIME FOR A NONROMANTIC PARTNER. WHEN YOU DO FIND A MATE, YOU MAKE A TOTAL COMMITMENT. SHE'LL BE A COMPANION AND FRIEND; NOT JUST A BEDROOM FLING. YOU BELIEVE IN EQUALITY. YOU ARE DIPLOMATIC WITH HIGH PRINCIPLES. YOU ACT ON THE BASIS OF REASON AND INFORMATION. YOU FEEL IT IS YOUR JOB TO CREATE A BETTER WORLD. WHEN PEOPLE TRY TO INFLUENCE YOU, IT IS A WASTE OF TIME. YOU ALWAYS DO JUST WHAT YOU WANT.

DANA February 23
YOU ARE A GENTLE AND COMPASSIONATE, BUT MOODY. YOU FIND YOURSELF CLINGING TO AND UNDERSTANDING THINGS THAT OTHERS DON'T UNDERSTAND. YOU ARE NOT AS PASSIVE AS EVERYONE THINKS. YOU HAVE TROUBLE MAKING DECISIONS. YOU FIND THERE ARE NO LIMITATIONS, NO BOUNDARIES IN YOUR LIFE. THE ONLY THING THAT LIMITS YOU IS YOU. YOU ARE INTUITIVE, DYNAMIC AND COMPETITIVE. YOU ARE SOMETIMES CHILDISH AND IRRESPONSIBLE. YOU ALWAYS SHOW GREAT CONCERN FOR THINGS THAT INTEREST YOU. MEN TEND TO FEEL VERY PROTECTIVE OF YOU, MAKING HIM FEEL MORE MASCULINE. YOUR MIND OFTEN WANDERS WHEN PEOPLE TALK TO YOU. YOU ARE A ROMANTIC, MYSTERIOUS, SLIENT AND ELUSIVE PERSON. YOU WANT A MAN WHO WILL BECOME PART OF YOUR LIFE AND DESERVE YOUR LOYALTY. YOUR FEELINGS ARE CHANGEABLE. YOU SOMETIMES GET INTO SITUATIONS THAT YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO GET OUT OF. YOU NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF YOUR FRIENDS TO HELP YOU OUT. PEOPLE SHOULD NEVER UNDERESTIMATE YOU. YOU DON'T SHOW MUCH AMBITION, PASSION OR GREED. YOU'RE A SENSITIVE AND DEVOTED LOVER, INTUITIVELY KNOWING HOW TO PLEASE YOUR PARTNER. YOU MOVE TO THE BEAT OF A DIFFERENT DRUM.

AS I SEE IT, FOX and DANA
YOU ARE BOTH DREAMERS AND ROMANTICS. NEITHER ONE OF YOU LIVE IN THE REAL WORLD. HE'S CHARMING, DEFINITELY A WOMAN'S MAN. HE'S LOOKING FOR A WOMAN WHO IS BEAUTIFUL INSIDE AND OUT. HE WANTS A PERFECT PARTNER, SHE MIGHT BE THE ONE. SHE'S LOOKING FOR A STRONG MAN WHO WILL TAKE ALL THE RESPONSIBILITY AND STILL BE TOTALLY DEVOTED TO HER. HE WANTS TO KNOW THAT HE CAN TRUST HER BEFORE HE COMMITS HIMSELF TO THE RELATIONSHIP. HE WANTS A ROMANTIC, HARMONIOUS RELATIONSHIP. SHE WILL BE DEVOTED TO HIM. SHE INTUITIVELY KNOWS HOW TO PLEASE HIM. DON'T PUT HER UNDER ANY PRESSURE SHE JUST CAN'T HANDLE IT; THAT'S WHAT HE'S THERE FOR. SHE HAS A REAL FLAIR FOR ROMANCE. HE'S IMAGINATIVE. HIS COLOR IS INDIGO BLUE, HER IS SEA GREEN.

Scully blinked, shocked at what she had just read. "Jesus...I can't believe it."
Charles had been reading over her shoulder, and was surprised to recognize a few of the traits said about her to be accurate. "Well, Dana, I don't know that much about him, but from what I know about you, it seems pretty on target. If his is as right as yours seems to be, then I'm guessing that bottom part is good, too."
Scully took in a shaking breath, afraid to hope that her brother was right...or that he was wrong.
Before she could respond, her cell phone rang. "Scully."
"Scully, it's me. Your mom asked me to call and ask when you two are coming back."
"Um, I we were just about to get going. Are you at mom's house?"
"Yeah. I was going to head home, but she convinced me to stay for the leftover dinner. You're gonna stay, too, right?"
Scully licked her lips. "Uh, yeah. I've got something that you gotta read."

THE END......?

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Jeri Quinne, President, XPAB (X-Philes Against Bees)