Chapter 1: Coffee

Title: See Her Again

Summary: Ethan runs into Scully 20 years later.

Rating: K

Author Notes: This is my first pic so bear with me. Also, this is an AU story where M&S have kids. I started writing this story in reference to one of my favorite fics called "The Way Things Were by Susie Tawdry on Gossamer Project for my old shippers (Ya'll should check it out if you like good old AU MSR, Angst and a bit of smut). You don't have to read it to follow this story though, but it stems from the idea that M&S began there relationship and earlier and Ethan thoughts on it kind of.

Disclaimer: No one belongs to me.

The coffee shop was unusually slow for a Saturday morning in Washington D.C. Maybe it was the cold weather, but the usual bustling café sat very still in the early hours. I have about an hour break before my next meeting, so I've come in to catch on a few editing notes and wake myself up.

I was sitting in the very back corner nursing a cup of piping hot coffee when I first noticed her. She walked in and ordered a small coffee: two creams and one sugar. I see some things never change. As she waits for her coffee, she glances at her phone, then back up and around the coffee shop for a place to sit. Luckily she doesn't notice me crouched behind my laptop. She grabs her coffee and sits at table near the entrance.

She is just a beautiful as the day she left me… 20+ years ago… when she left for that asshole, Fox Mulder and his trivial pursuit.

I've been secretly watching her for about 10 minutes now. Her hair is longer and sits in a neat high ponytail that hangs just below her shoulders. She has on a pair of fitted blue jeans that shape her ass very nicely and a black turtleneck. She is thinner, and other than a few age lines around those crystal blue eyes, like I said, she is beautiful.

I take a sip of my coffee and realize it has gotten cold during my... observation her. She looks a little unsettled… likes she waiting on someone. I can't help but wonder what she has been up to these past 20 years. Is she still with the FBI? The X-Files? Is she married? Does she have any children? I don't see a ring on her finger, so my guess is that it is safe to say that she isn't. When we were together, she told me that she wasn't ready and did not know if she wanted to have children.

My curiosity about the enigmatic Dana Scully is eating at me, and I decide to go over and speak. Just as I stand make my way toward her, the bell above the door rattles and in a walks a tall brunette who looks to be in her 20's. Dana stands and hugs her. The brunette has about 5-6 inches on Dana and has to bend down slightly to hug her. They smile at each other, sit down and begin conversing.

I retreat back to my seat and wonder who the young girl is. I can only hear bits and pieces of the conversation, things like,

".. been so long… look great... your flight?... where's…" The young girls gestures toward the door, and says, "..dropped off… parking.."

I now focus on the young girl who had captured Dana's attention. She is slim like Dana, but much taller. Her hair is long and curly almost reaching the middle of her back. Her darker complexion matches her dark brown, maybe hazel, eyes. Something about her… something about her reminds me of Dana.

Again, the bell dings, and a teenage boy walks in. He has a striking resemblance to the young woman with Dana except he is taller, maybe 5'11-6'0. He is lanky and has a baby face with unruly brown hair when he pulls off his hat. His complexion is a lighter than than the young woman's, but they have the exact same eyes. He hugs Dana and she kisses him on the cheek, and he says, "Hi, mom."

My ears are ringing now. Mom? This is her son? Her children? I stand up and order another cup of coffee so I can hear their conversation better. My back is to them, so she can't see me.

"Will, where is your dad?" Dana asked with a bit of apprehension in her voice.

"He's outside on the phone with Uncle Walter, he should be in soon." He says and then directs his attention to what I assume is his older sister. "Sam, lets go order. I'm starving."

"You just had TWO muffins at the airport not thirty minutes ago, Will." Sam responds with an eyeroll and hands him a pack of sunflower seeds from her pocket.

"It really amazes me how I carried both of you for 9 months, went through hours and hours of labor, and you BOTH come out looking and acting like just like your jerk father." Dana mumbles with a bit of bitterness.

"Mom..." Sam warns and gives her mother a sympathetic shoulder squeeze. Dana places her small hand over her daughter's and apologizes. She sits back down at the table, and her children make their way toward the counter.

So she is…was.. married? And has two children.. maybe more? Suddenly I feel a pang of jealously and wonder who is lucky or not-so-lucky bastard is that has gotten MY Dana. My Dana? What wrong with me? I haven't seen or spoken with MY Dana in almost 20 years. Still, she will always be the one that got away.

Now is my chance, I quickly fumble with my coffee cup leave the counter and approach her. She is fumbling with her hands and looking out of the window. She looks even smaller than I remember. She notices someone standing above her and she looks up at me. Of course, of all times, I am at loss for words, and stare stupidly at her.

She looks at me with a bit of confusion at first, then recognition. "Ethan?" …and It's music to my ears.

I clear my all of sudden dry throat, "Dana, I thought that was you." I saw with a smile. "It's been so long, How have you been? You look great!"

"Ethan, it's been… what twenty years? I've been pretty good to sum up that time frame. What about you? What are doing in D.C.?" She quickly averts her eyes to the door and at her watch.

I fill her in on the minor details of my life and am reminded that I have a meeting to get too.

"Dana, I have to run. I have to be at a meeting in exactly…6 minutes. It was so good to see though. I'll be here in D.C. for about 8 weeks. We should truly catch up. He is my card." I hand her my card and reach in for a hug. Surprisingly she accepts it, and I almost forgot how good her body feels against mine.

Just then, that damn bell dings, and I feel Dana tense up and untangle herself from my embrace. A tall dark man walks in. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was scowling at me. He sunglasses hide his eyes, and his face is unshaven. Dana walks over to him, and they stand facing each other awkwardly. I can only assume that this is her children's father. I don't see a ring on his finger. Ethan, 1 point.

She lightly touches his arm, and says, "Mulder, this is Ethan."