A/N: Thanks to my wonderful Beta,Trixfan.I owe you everything,Trixfan!

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Disclaimer: All characters are the propriety of Chris Carter, 1013 productions and 20th Century Fox. This story is not for profit.

Summary: Mulder meets a woman who claim to be his long lost the woman the real Samantha Mulder or just another clone?

Deception

Part 1

by Alyssya

Sunday morning saw Special Agent Dana Scully at the grocery store. She needed to pick up a few items when a young woman accidentally toppled Scully's shopping basket from her hand. The stranger, taller than Scully, looked surprisingly like her partner with hazel eyes and brown hair. She immediately bent to help Scully collect the items which fell off the top of her basket.

'I'm so sorry,' the woman apologized, smiling with embarrassment. 'I didn't see you.'

Dana smiled back politely, 'It's not a problem. It happens.'

Bending down to retrieve her shopping, Scully's badge fell out of her jacket. They reached for the black leather wallet at the same time. The other woman couldn't have been much younger than at it before handing it back, her eye's widened and she asked, 'Oh, you work for the FBI?'

'Yes, I'm a Special Agent Dana Scully,' Scully offered her hand out of politeness. The young woman had already seen her name forcing Dana to confirm her identity.

'Nice to meet you,' she replied shaking hands.'My name is Elissa Smith.'

Scully's phone rang, breaking the moment. Excusing herself, she turned slightly away. 'Scully,' her tone meant business.

'It's me,' Mulder announced.

'Don't tell me, we have a case, Mulder,' Scully responded sarcastically, 'it's Sunday and I'm shopping for fresh fruit and vegetables. You know, the kind road side dinners don't serve.'

Hearing his name, Elissa turned her head. Surprise covered her face. Continuing to listen in on Scully's call, she thought, No, it can't be, he's dead.

'OK, I'll pick up a bag of seeds for you. I should be back at my apartment in half an hour. We'll talk them,' Scully ended the call. Hanging up the phone, she turned her attention back to Elissa. 'I'm sorry,' she stated, 'Mulder, my partner needs to see me.'

'Oh,' Elissa smiled, 'sounds intriguing!'

'Usually it's not,' Scully returned the grin.

'Anything sound's intriguing to me. I've only just move into the area,' Elissa frowned, 'that's why I ran into you. I'm still getting to know the area.'

'It's difficult,' Scully responded.

'I know you have to go, but I'd like to keep in touch. You're the only person I know,' Elissa pleaded, the look in her eye reminding Scully of Mulder.

Knowing how hard it could be in a new neighborhood, Scully gave in and accepted the woman's phone number and address. Glancing at it, she stated, 'you live on the same block as me, in the apartment building next door.'

'Really,' Elissa commented.

'Yes, maybe we'll see each other around,' Scully commented, 'I have to go. It was nice to meet you Elissa.'

ONE WEEK LATER

FBI BASEMENT OFFICE, 8.00 AM

Mulder heard Scully laughing as he entered their basement office. Scully didn't laugh too often. Usually her mirth accompanied one of his crazy theories. As he opened the office door, Mulder noticed Scully standing beside his desk. A young woman with hazel eyes and long brown hair stood beside her.

'Good Morning,' Mulder said, placing his coat on the back of his chair.

'Morning, Mulder,' Scully greeted.

The woman turned to face Mulder. Her eyes grew wide. She attempted a smile as their eyes locked, but it seemed insincere.

'Earth to Mulder,' Scully said sarcastically.

'Uh, sorry, what did you say?' Mulder said turning his attention to Scully.

'I said that this is my new friend, Elissa,' Scully's eyebrow rose, sensing Mulder's strange reaction to the woman, 'she's come to visit.'

'Nice too meet you, Elissa. I'm Mulder,' he said, shaking hands.

'Fox Mulder?' Elissa asked.

'Yes,' Mulder confirmed.

'Are your parents Bill and Teena Mulder?' Elissa looked excited.

'Why you ask?' Mulder returned suspiciously.

'Did you search me, Fox?' Elissa looked heart broken at his reaction.

'Hey, what's going on here?' Scully interrupted.

'I…I don't know,' Mulder's eye's met Scully. In that instant they shared a conversation. He asked Scully to give his instincts time to work this out. He couldn't say why, but Fox Mulder felt a pull towards this woman.

'Did you forget me, Fox? Did you forget you had a sister who'd been abducted?' Elissa asked, tears pooling in her eyes, 'after they took me, I didn't understand the dreams I had every night. My family told me I'd had a terrible accident and lost my memory. I had to believe them. When I saw you, it all came back. Everything came back and it all made sense.'

'Samantha?' Mulder asked confused. The story this woman told had so many similarities to the Samantha who'd appeared in his life two years ago. Yet she didn't look at a like the woman who'd pretended to be his sister.

'Yes,' the tears finally found an outlet and streamed down her face, 'it's me, Fox.'

'I'm sorry…' he wanted to believe, but Mulder had been here before and it would take more that this to convince him.

'The night it happened, we played stratego and fought about watching the Magician on television. Mom said I could stay up and watch the movie. You won the argument and the game as always,' Elissa said in an attempt to make him believe. 'I called out to you when they came into my room but you didn't come, you didn't come.'

'Samantha!' Mulder said before hugging her. It all rang true, her story matched his memories of that night.

'Mulder,' Scully warned, realizing how much her partner wanted to believe.

Once again a look past between the two agents before Mulder stated, 'this is my sister. This is Samantha.'

Scully rolled her eyes which silently told him I don't believe her.

Mulder released Elissa. Turning to face Scully, his eyes returned his answer. Yes, they told his partner, it is. You're wrong, Scully.

'Mulder,' unable to convince him, Scully spoke her doubts, 'how can you be sure that this woman is the real Samantha and not another clone?'

'STOP IT!' Mulder warned in a deadly tone.

Scully took her coat and walked out the office.

'Don't go Samantha,' Mulder said and walked to the elevator to stop Scully.

'Why are you going,Scully?' he asked, confused.

'Because I can't stay here and a watch you destroy yourself again, when you find out this woman isn't what you believe she is. I've done this with you before, Mulder,' Scully stated her level tone deadly. 'I just can't look at you and see you believe that woman so completely when she befriended me to get to you.'

'She knows too much, too many details, Scully,' Mulder attempted, 'besides, something tell me to trust her.'

'I'm sorry, Mulder, I don't, I can't,' Scully declared.

'Then don't, but give my instincts the benefit of the doubt until you can prove it, ' Mulder pleaded, 'if I've found my sister I could have everything I wanted.'

'What if all you've found is another clone,' Scully returned, 'one who's better informed?' Turning her back on Mulder, Scully walked to the elevator and pushed the button. 'I'm going to the cafeteria to get coffee, I'll be back in half an hour.'

Mulder put his head in hands and walked back to his office.

SAMANTHA MULDER APARTAMENT

'Hello,' Elissa answered the phone in her apartment later that evening. She'd been expecting this call.

'Did you meet him?' a male voice asked.

'Yes,' Elissa answered, 'and he believed it.'

'Good,' came the reply, 'very good.'

'His partner walked away,' Elissa reported, 'they fought but Mulder said she'd come around. I don't believe they have any idea about our plan.'

A cigarette lighter flamed, followed by a puff. 'Good, I'll call you tomorrow at the same hour. I hope you have more to report then.'

Elissa hung up. Taking a photo from her pocket, she whispered to the image of Mulder, 'I'm sorry, Fox. You're a handsome guy but I must destroy you.' Then Elissa threw his photo in the fire and watched it burn.