Title: Coincidences
Author: Angel LeeAnn
Rating: PG-13
Category: MSR / Angst
Keyword(s): Alternate Universe
Spoiler(s):
Summary: A chance encounter between Agent Mulder and
Doctor Scully.
Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN THEM! Our dear old pal, Chris
Carter, is the glorious creator.
*~TIMELINE~*: First off, Scully never joined the FBI.
However, the events up to the end of the THIRD season
have occurred in Mulder's life – just a little altered
since of course Scully isn't his partner.
NOTE: This is something I wrote awhile back and had posted at Gossamer. CHAPTER ONE
Bump in the Night
3 June (Thursday)
Streets of Georgetown
12:35AM
The roll of thunder was a premonition that the skies
were eventually going to break apart and drench the
city. However, he ignored the warning and continued
his jog around the deserted park. It was chilly for
June due to the drizzle that had begun over an hour
ago. He zipped his jacket up further, never missing a
step.
He was rounding a corner of the pond that was nestled
securely in the center of the park, when he stumbled
over an enormous rock. He went sailing to the cement,
his hands reaching out to break his inevitable fall.
To his shock, his feet, now twisted underneath "the
rock", was being crushed by something soft…and moving.
He glanced over his shoulder and barked out a hearty
laugh at the woman he had apparently tripped over.
She stole a peek at him, her look of irritation
melting into a smile. She managed to roll off his
feet. He crawled to a stance, bending down to offer
the woman a lending hand. "I'm so sorry, ma'am. I
didn't see you there."
She shrugged, pointing down to her tennis shoes. One
of them was unlaced. "It's ok, I just bent down to
tie my shoe. I guess you couldn't see me in the
dark." She brushed strands of her hair behind her
ear, releasing a belly laugh. "Besides, it isn't
every day a handsome man falls head over heels over
me."
He chuckled, dipping his head bashfully. He kicked at
a pebble, sending it off skittering somewhere into the
darkness. "Well, whether you view me attractive or
not, I'm still sorry. My mother taught me better than
to run over women with my giant feet."
She giggled, but not one of those 'valley
girl/cheerleader' giggles. Her giggle was deeper and
richer; instead of grating on his nerves it was
soothing. "And your mother is a very wise woman, but
you could have done worse with your first impression."
"Yeah, I could have knocked you out." He snapped his
fingers in mock regret. "Damn, now the good ideas
start flowing."
She rolled her eyes playfully. "Yeah. What a
bummer." She shifted her weight to her left foot…then
her right. The comfortable silence began to grow
awkward.
"Hey, it was great ramming into you. If there is any
damage you can bill me." He reached into his sweat
pant's pocket to withdraw a business card. "Here, you
can have your lawyer give me a call."
She grinned, taking the card. "Hey, you're an FBI
agent?" She slipped the card into her jacket pocket.
"Now what a scandal it would be if I released to the
press that you mauled me."
He shrugged. "I've had worse charges brought against
me." He puckered his lips in thought then announced,
"Well, again, I'm sorry. Enjoy the rest of your
evening." He waited a momentary second before darting
off.
She watched him go. His tall figure disappearing into
the night. She sighed and headed off to the café she
frequently visited at the corner of Pine and West
Sixth. She entered the tiny coffee shop and was
instantly assaulted with the bitter smell of lattes,
cappuccinos, and expressos. She loved coffee, but she
had never quite gotten used to the powerful aroma.
She ordered a French Vanilla then slid into a far
corner booth where the lights were dimmer. She was
the only customer, but that was to be expected so late
at night. She wouldn't have minded the solitude if
the cashier had stopped eyeing her like a piece of
juicy meat.
The bell over the door rung and she peered over her
mug to see a familiar man: the handsome man who had
tripped over her. She caught his eye after he had
gotten his drink and waved him over.
He approached with stunned awe, his lips curved into a
gorgeous smile. "Hey, Stranger, long time no see."
He hesitated until she motioned for him to sit
opposite of her. He slid into the booth. "I'd have
figured you were on your way home since it being so
late."
She gave a light laugh. "I'm thirty years old…I
haven't had a curfew in twelve years." Between sips
of French Vanilla, she questioned, "What? You think
just because I'm a woman I can't handle the
big-bad-world?"
"No, no, no," he leaned forward, wrapping his large
hands around his steaming cup. "I have no doubt that
you could handle yourself. I was only making an
innocent statement."
She snorted. "Be honest with me. You see a five foot
three petite woman alone…your first instinct is to
assume I'm a damsel."
"Actually, I see a…uh…redhead," 'redhead' was
pronounced as though he were questioning the word,
"who handles a dangerous situation with a flare of
confidence. If I'd bumped into any other woman this
late at night, I would be in handcuffs right now. And
not for pleasurable purposes."
She rolled her eyes heaven word. "Gee, Fox, I don't
need to know your sexual preferences."
He shook his head in disgust. "Mulder. Call me
Mulder. I detest my first name."
"Want to know a secret? I would have called you Agent
Mulder, but I was unsure how to say your name. I was
thinking it could be 'Mole-der' or 'Mule-der' or
'Mu-lder'. I didn't want to appear stupid."
He chuckled. "Well, I don't care what you call me as
long as it isn't 'Fox'. I mean, what kind of person
names their kid that anyway?"
"I'll admit it is rare, but I like it."
He ducked his head, chuckling softly. She found that
she particularly liked the sound. "So, you know my
name. It's only fair if you give me yours."
"Dana Scully. You are allowed to call me Dana." She
flashed him a brilliant smile. "I'm a doctor – the
kind you never want to see."
Mulder cringed. "You slice and dice, uh?"
"Occasionally, but I'm also an ER doctor. I only do
autopsies if there is a shortage of doctors, but a
surplus of corpses." She sat back, running her hand
over her wrinkling T-shirt. "So, what do you do in
the FBI? Are you a paper pusher?"
Mulder snorted. "All agents have more paper work than
the government will ever know what to do with.
Actually, I'm a Special Agent in Charge of my own
division. I've got one subordinate – my partner – who
happens to be my ex-wife."
"Wow. That must be fun."
"It is. I let her fill out the expense reports in
exchange for keeping my snide remarks to myself. It
works out." He pulled out a bag from his jacket
pocket. "How about your martial status?" He popped a
couple of salty seeds into his mouth.
"Well, I've never been married. I was engaged once to
this guy, Ethan, but it never would have worked out.
He wanted a barefoot and pregnant homemaker. That's
just not me." She pushed her empty mug to the side.
"Don't get me wrong, I would love to have children. I
just don't want to be strapped down to the vacuum."
"That's understandable. I would leap off a bridge
before I would ever stop working. I wouldn't put away
my cases for anything."
"I doubt that one. Surely when your mom comes to
visit you at least *attempt* to be a good host.
Everyone has a little weak spot for their mothers."
"Yeah, I did. My mother passed away earlier this year
from a stroke." He shrugged it off, scraping at an
imaginary smudge mark. "It's no big deal, though.
Death is just a part of life. Surely you being a
doctor know that better than anyone."
"It's still hard losing a loved one. I lost my
father a few years ago to a heart attack. I was still
grief-stricken even though I understood it
completely." She paused to catch her breath before
asking, "What about your father?"
His expression hardened as his teeth clenched. His
eyes turned cold and distant. "He was murdered in his
bathroom two years ago."
"Oh, God, I'm so sorry. I know that won't do anything
to bring him back, but I am sorry. Do you have
any siblings?"
His sour laugh caught her off guard. "Oh, yeah, I
have a sibling…somewhere." He stood up, preparing to
leave. "If you're done, I'll walk you home. It's
past one in the morning and even though I know you
could handle yourself, I would feel better if you
didn't have to walk alone."
"Oh, I don't know. You could be some cracked up
weirdo with a history of spousal abuse. Yet, since
your wife left you, you've been getting your jollies
out of attacking other women."
His eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly
recovered. "That's actually rare. The abuser may
indeed hunt for new prey, but he would get his victim
to trust him enough to enter a relationship before
swinging away. Abusers usually know that their
actions are wrong – that's why they find a naïve woman
to fall in love with them. It's all about
manipulation, power, and control. Besides, I'm
divorced, but my wife is still around to beat."
"Ok. You can walk me home, smoothie, but remind me
never to 'enter a relationship' with you."
"Oh, trust me, you'll remember that on your own." He
allowed her to proceed ahead of him, his hand going to
rest on the small of her back, guiding her.
She flinched at first at the physical contact, but relaxed
as the warmth spread over her. "Oh, you've got
self-esteem problems I see." Once outside, he dropped
his hand, moving to stand beside her as they strolled
down the sidewalk.
"No. I'm full of confidence. I waltz right into my
bathroom, peer into the mirror, and spill my guts out.
You can't say that's not having self-esteem?"
Dana lowered her head as she shook it. "God, you
think you're a funny boy don't you?"
"Hey, I've got you laughing don't I?"
"Yes." She titled her head back to stare up at the
twinkling tears. "The storm clouds have passed us.
Thank God." She pointed heaven ward. "Hey, look,
there's the North Star."
Mulder reluctantly gazed up into the night sky. "You
ever wonder if there is more to it than what we see?
Or does it end right there? I know space continues
on. I just couldn't say how far. Who knows? Maybe
there is an end. Maybe those dim stars way in the
back are the last ones."
Dana averted her attention from the stars to the
mystifying man next to her. She studied his profile
carefully. He had handsome features with his strong
jaw line, pouting lips, and distinguished nose. Yet,
there was a world of sadness etched into the lines of
his face.
Both their attentions not on the path, Mulder walked
straight into a pole; breaking the spell. He stumbled
backwards as Dana burst out laughing. "Damn pole, get
out of my way!" he joked as he stepped around it.
Dana was still giggling as she slowed to a halt in
front of a looming apartment building. "Well," she
glanced over at the front door, "thanks for walking me
home."
Mulder bowed. "It was my pleasure, my lady."
"Which of these apartments are yours?"
"I live in Arlington."
"Arlington? That's a half-hour drive away. Why drive
all the way over here to jog?"
He looked sheepish as he murmured: "I didn't drive. I
run from Arlington to Georgetown and back at least
three times a week."
Her eyebrows shot up in amazement. "Wow. You must be
the most in-shape person I've ever met." She dug her
keys out of her pocket. "Why don't you come up and
call a cab? It's really late and you must be tired."
"I have the secret to staying up."
"And what's that?"
"Insomnia, doctor, I have insomnia. I actually feel
more awake during the night than during the day."
"That could just mean you're a vampire," she teased,
turning and ambling up the four steps to the front
door.
"Do you believe in vampires, Doctor Scully?" He
trotted up behind her.
"No. There isn't any concrete proof to indicate
anything of the sort." Once inside, she inquired,
"Surely you don't believe in vampires, Agent Mulder?"
"Vampires, ghosts, UFOs, supernatural phenomenon of
all sorts have been documented through out history.
Even the ancient civilizations have written about
mysterious men coming from the sky. Greeks and Mayans
alike have told such stories. And they didn't even
know each other existed. So, it is not as though the
stories could have gotten around and been
collaborated."
She stared at him in bewilderment. "You really
believe in all of that stuff?"
He shrugged. "Yes. I do."
"Oh." She trudged up the four flights of stairs in
silence. It wasn't until they reached her apartment
did she say anything else. "There's a phone in the
foyer you can use."
He picked up the device and began dialing, but before
he could punch it all in, the line went dead. "The
storm came back," he commented as a loud crack erupted
followed by a flash of light. "Do you have a cell
phone?"
"Yes, but I took it in for repairs." She headed
further into the apartment. "Why don't I make us
something to drink. You can try again later. Sit
down and make yourself comfortable."
Mulder plopped onto the green sofa. He scanned the
room and found it to be feminine, but not overly so.
It had soft colors and textures, but there was no
flower print in sight. Pictures aligned the mantel of
the fireplace and the bureau against the far wall.
Dana returned with two mugs. Mulder smiled
gratefully. "If that's strawberry tea it could be
love." He took the offered cup, taking a tentative
sip. "Must be fate…it's cherry tea."
Dana giggled. "Well, of course. Remember I'm never
to date you. You're an abuser looking for another
victim. I'm not allowed to fall in love with you."
She sat back against the cushion. "Friendship,
though, is safe."
"So," by the tone of his voice she knew he was
switching gears. "You live here all your life?"
"No way. My father, William, was a Captain in the
Navy. I grew up all over the country because every
other year or so he was being transferred. I didn't
mind living on navel bases, but during my high school
years I hated the constant moving." She cradled her
mug, the heat warming her hands. "What about you?"
His expression turned distant. "I grew up on Martha's
Vineyard." He gulped down half the tea before smiling
at her. "So, you're a Navy brat?"
"I guess you could say that. However, I think my
sister and brothers are the real brats," she said
affectionately. "Bill is the oldest so he's always
thought that gave him the right to boss the rest of us
around. Missy is eleven months older than I am.
She's the rebel of the family. Charlie is my younger
brother and of course all older siblings find their
little siblings a nuisance." She chuckled. "Listen
to me just ramble on and on. You mentioned you had a
sibling."
Mulder lowered his head. "She's not around."
"You mean she skipped town?"
"If only that were the case." Tears welled up and he
held them determinedly. Crying in front of this woman
would just be dying of humiliation. "I mean…she's
missing. She disappeared twenty-three years ago."
"Oh wow. That must be terrible. I can't even
imagine."
"I believe she's still out there. One of these days
I'll find her. And even if she is dead, then at least
I'll have that closure."
A sharp chirp caused them both to jump. Mulder
glanced around confused, but when the noise occurred
again, he reached into his jacket and pulled out his
cell phone. "Mulder."
[They found another body. I thought you might want to
look at the crime scene while it's still fresh.]
"Where at? What time are they placing the murder?"
[Mayor's Woods. Death maybe about two hours ago.]
"Who found the body? It's a bit odd for someone to be
taking a stroll in the woods at two in the morning."
Dana was still reeling with the fact that Mulder had
had a phone with him this whole time. He could have
called for a cab, but had opted to play the stranded
houseguest: not that she minded.
[A homeless man who goes by the name of Tilly. Look,
I'm already on my way. Are you going to meet me
there?]
Mulder glanced over at Dana feeling as though he were
being torn into two different directions. He needed
to be at the crime scene, but he feared that the
moment he walked out Dana's door he would never see
her again.
[Fox?]
"Mulder, Diana, call me Mulder. How many times must
I…"
[God, Fox, save it for someone else. I called you
that when we married and it is just habit. Are you
coming or not?]
"Yes, of course."
He snapped his phone shut, getting up from the couch.
"I enjoyed your company, but duty calls."
"You had the phone the whole time," she admonished.
His sheepish smile was charming. "Yes. Can you
blame a guy for wanting to spend more time with a
wonderful woman? It was just my luck that the phone
lines went down. It gave me the perfect excuse."
Dana blushed at his compliment. "It was nice meeting
you, Agent Mulder."
"Likewise, Doctor Scully." He hesitated in the hopes
she would offer to see him again, but without
encouragement he let himself out.
END CHAPTER ONE