Title: Coach
Author: Gillian Leigh
Summary: AU. A newly divorced Mulder finds himself falling in love with the unlikeliest of people; his children's B-ball coach. But there's one thing that can keep them from happiness; the fact that she might live to see another year. Have no fear...MSR will evolve...
Author's Notes: Um, in this one, Mulder's got a whopping six years on Scully. Just like to keep you all on your toes! :o)

~(X)~

Fox Mulder walked across the dry baseball field, his shoes creating clouds of dust with each step. He had one hand in his pants pocket, and the other held onto his suit jacket, which was slung over his shoulder. It had been a bad ending to an even worse work week, and the last thing he wanted to do was deal with his ex-wife. But that's what happens when she paints you in a bad light in divorce court and you only get to see your kids on weekends, he thought. Saturdays and Sundays were his only opportunity to make sure that Diana wasn't brainwashing them. He reached the sidelines, where he was accosted by his eight year-old son, Jake.

"Dad!" he shouted as he ran toward him. Mulder gratefully dropped his black suit jacket in the dirt and knelt down to hug his son.

"Hey Jakey," he said, rumpling his son's unruly brown hair. He released the young boy, and stood up again, picking up his jacket. He saw that their five year-old daughter, Gwen, was being comforted by a young woman, presumably the coach. She had on a baseball cap and he could see a red ponytail sticking out the back of it. He tried to ignore the Look of Death that Diana was giving him.

"It's okay Gwen, you did a great job, and as long as you keep practicing I'm sure that we'll do better next time, okay? Now, no more crying. There's no crying in baseball," she said, looking into the little girl's hazel eyes.

"A League of Their Own," Mulder said. The coach straightened up, and dusted off her knees. She looked at him peculiarly, and he said, "Fox Mulder. Nice to meet you." She extended her hand after wiping it on her jeans.

"Dana Carver."

"Why weren't you at the game today, Fox?" Diana asked, condescendingly.

"Oh you know the reason, Di, I'm preoccupied with my work, right? I don't make time for my kids?" Dana was growing uncomfortable.

"Excuse me," she said, stepping away. She moved to their left and pretended to be attending to the bag of tee balls and gloves, but really she was guilty of eavesdropping.

"What are you doing, Fox, bringing up our personal matters in front of that woman?" Her face burned at the thought of being called 'that woman' by Diana Mulder, who she viewed as a condescending bitch with no compassion for her children.

"I believe that her name is Dana, and I'm sure that you've dragged the matter of our divorce into this more than once. I'm quite sure that you have been more than willing to tell anyone who'll listen that I'm a horrible father, and that I was a terrible husband. Goodbye, Diana," Mulder said, and with that he and the kids walked off toward his car, while Diana stomped off in the other direction.

They were soon in the car on the way to Mulder's apartment in Alexandria. It had one bedroom, a tiny living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. It wasn't Buckingham Palace, but it was all he could manage while his ex-wife screwed him out of all his assets.

"Dad," Jake began. "Did you meet Coach D?"

"Yes, Jake, you were *right there*," he said, rolling his eyes. '

"Do you think she's pretty?" Jake queried.

"Yes," Mulder said. "She's very pretty."

"Do you think she's prettier than Mommy?" Mulder smiled to himself, and keeping what he *really* thought to himself, he looked at her in the rearview mirror and said,

"She's very pretty, Gwen."

"Can she be our Mommy? I don't like our Mommy," the little girl protested, crossing her arms. Instead of saying, 'You're not the only one," he replied,

"Now Gwen, that's not nice. Your Mom loves you, she just has a different way of showing it."

"Where's Eve?" Jake asked.

"At my place. I had to pick her up from Annie's house." Eve was the eldest of the three Mulder children at fifteen.

"Is she gonna stay home with us, or go out with her friends like always?" Jake asked.

"She agreed to stay with us this weekend. We're gonna have movie night tonight, and what do you guys think about bowling and dinner at whatever restaurant you want for tomorrow?" There was an excited garble of agreement from the backseat.

Brother and sister argued over which restaurant to choose the entire way up in the elevator. Once they'd reached apartment 42, Mulder unlocked the door, and let the two children in before calling,

"Eve?"

"Yeah, Dad?"

"We're all home. You ready to go to Blockbuster?" His tall, lanky daughter appeared in the doorway running a brush through her hair. He shook his head at what she had on. She wore jeans that were strategically torn and patched, and a sleeveless shirt with a long sleeved black fishnet top underneath it, and lime green converse sneakers.

"What happened to the conservative thing you had going?"

"I dunno. I like this better, and it pisses Mom off, which is just an added bonus. I just hope it doesn't go mainstream, 'cause we all know I'd be labeled a poser." He just smiled at her.

"I like this look. It makes you stand out. Go with it," he said, putting his arm around her shoulder. She smiled at him, and he said,

"Alright, everyone, let's go to Blockbuster." He opened the door, to find his son's coach on the other side, poised to knock. She startled as the door opened, as did Mulder.

"Oh, hi. Sorry to just show up," she began, still wearing her dusty jeans and fitted black tee-shirt.

"That's alright," Mulder began, but he was nearly knocked over as his ecstatic five year-old daughter pushed him out of the way, and leapt on Dana, nearly knocking her over.

"Coach D!!" the little girl shouted. "Is Daddy taking you on a date?" Dana flushed at the prospect.

"Umm, no Gwen, I just dropped by to return some stuff you and Jake left at practice." She bent down and picked up a mesh bag which held two baseball gloves, and caps. She looked up at Mulder. "They -um- left them at the field." He took the bag from her, and set it down just inside the doorway.

"Thanks. They're scatterbrained like I am," he replied, grinning at her. She nodded.

"Yeah, I know how that is."

"You've got kids of your own?"

"No, actually, I was thinking of my younger brother, Charlie," she responded with a grin. "Well, I can tell you were on your way somewhere, and I've got to be going, so I'll see you guys at the next practice, I guess." There was a chorus of goodbyes from the interior of the apartment, as she turned away and headed down the hall.