"Hey Beautiful." Fox Mulder said as he sat down on his first day of calculus class at Oxford University. The girl that he'd set his hopes on was on the petite side, but not extremely so. Her long dark hair was down her back and her nose buried in a book.

"Shut up, Handsome!" she said in her British accent, rather testily

"Fox Mulder, pleased to know you."

"Well, Mr. Mulder, I'm really not interested in talking at the moment."

"That's a bit rude, don't you think? I introduce myself and you give me the cold shoulder."

The girl looked up from her book and stared into this Fox Mulder's eyes. She became lost in their deepness and could tell that he was intelligent, but didn't know the first thing about women. If he did, he wouldn't have started off using the "Hey Beautiful" line.

"Dessa Edwards."

"There, was that so hard?"

"You're a rather persistent person aren't you?"

"I'd like to think so Miss Edwards." He said, getting out his text and notebook.

The teacher came in and immediately started the class. Fox became lost very fast, not being able to recall even the most basic details from his senior math class. Dessa on the other hand was thriving. Math had always been her best subject next to history, which she was planning to major in.

For the next ninety minutes Dessa snuck glances at the beautiful man who was sitting next to her. She felt a pang of guilt for being so cold to him, but he did rub her the wrong way. He was handsome but slightly arrogant and that, in Dessa's mind, could be a very dangerous combination.

After class was over, Dessa gathered her texts in her arms and threw the book that she was reading before class on top. Carefully she shifted the books to her right side and grabbed her purse with her left hand. Fox however jammed his books into his backpack.

"Do you need help with that?" he asked, genuinely wanting to help

"I'll manage Mr. Mulder, but thank you none the less."

"Just call me Fox."

She looked him over one last night, trying to assess him but once again she found herself wrapped up in his eyes.

"Fine then, Fox, until Thursday."

With that Dessa Edwards turned on her heels and walked out of Professor Downson's lecture hall. Fox, instead of going back to his dorm on campus, went to the library. He wanted to better know Dessa; he was very intrigued by her in some way. It really didn't make sense since she was chilly towards him, but Fox couldn't really help it. Right before she left, he looked to find the title of the book that she had been so involved in reading before the lecture.

After searching the library for a good ten minutes, Fox found the book that he was seeking; "The Thorn Birds." Not knowing what it was about and not really caring, he checked it out. When he did so he got a fairly odd look from the librarian but shrugged it off. He was set on finding away to talk to Dessa, and if this book was the means of doing so, then so be it.

Dessa on the contrary went home to her apartment. It was only a ten-minute bike ride and since it was nice out, she rode in. After setting her books in the basket on the back and placing her purse next to them, she started off to her home.

Knowing that her housemate wasn't home, Dessa took the time to read her book that she had become addicted to. It was her housemate's, Elsie, who'd given her the novel after she herself was done with it. The plot and the exotic settings had drawn her in at first, but it now was the characters' and their lives that kept her attention.

She didn't give Fox Mulder another thought until that next Thursday when she had class with him. She was too busy with classes, homework, papers, and friends to give him much of a second thought. He was an annoyance, although Dessa did find him attractive. To her it just wasn't worth it, even if he was the most gorgeous guy that she'd seen in a very long time.

Fox spent the spare time that he did have between Monday night and Thursday morning reading and trying to figure out the epic tale.  He found it to be very girlie in some senses but he also appreciated the themes and ideas that came through. Later he'd admit to Dessa how interesting he found the message that was the foundation of the book. Until then, he was just glad that he was meeting Dessa Edwards on her turf.

"Class…" Professor Downson began "I realize that this is rather unorthodox, but since this class is half British and half foreign, an idea stuck me. At the end of each week of this course, I would like to have a team of two present an equation to the class and cover the steps and any necessary theories." She paused for a moment to take a sip of water from the cup that she kept in her stand that she taught from. "Now, I would like the teams to be comprised of one British student and one foreign. Please choose your partner after class. Once you've done that, give your names to me. On Monday I'll give you the problem and the date on which you are to present. With that out of the way, please open your texts to page 21."

"So, Miss Edwards, will you be my partner?" Fox asked in a whisper

"Are you serious?!"

"As always. Now aren't I as diplomatic as Rainer Morling Hartheim?"

Dessa dropped her pen and it rolled on to the floor. Quickly she picked it up and stared this man who was starting to get the best of her, she could feel it already.

"And who would that make me?"

"I don't know. You're as pretty as Meggie, you have Mary Carson's wit, Fee's temperament, Justine's drive, and Anne's compassion."

"You actually read it for me?" she asked, genuinely impressed

"Yeah, I did."

"Well, what the bloody hell, I'll be your partner."

Fox couldn't' help but smile to himself. Maybe things would work out. She obviously appreciated the effort he'd put into trying to impress her, in finding common ground to meet on.

"I'd be honored, Miss Edwards."

"It's Dessa," she said with a wink "Just Dessa."