Title: Lies Once Told, Love Once Given: Part II
Author: Gillian Leigh
Summary: A teenage girl's world falls apart, and her mother's begins to fall back together.
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing them for the duration... using them as puppets to act out my insane plots... Please don't sue!!!
Author's Notes: I apologize for the initial Scully/Other, but trust me, there WILL be MSR. (You know I can't write a fic with no MSR!!) Oh, and since I'm begging for forgiveness already, let me apologize for the upcoming mention of Mulder/Other. And the Scully/Other comes to an end after this chapter!!!
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An angry, brokenhearted and betrayed Liv locked herself in her bedroom that afternoon and refused to speak to her mother. She hadn't even given her a chance to explain. Sitting on her window seat, she wrapped her arms around her bent legs and rested her chin on her knees. Her mind was a mess of emotions as she thought about the contents of that box. Her mother's written words continued to come back to her. As much as she knew it was wrong to rifle through her mother's belongings, she couldn't help dwelling on the idea that if she hadn't read the name on her birth certificate and some of those letters, she never would've known the truth. Closing her eyes she tried to imagine this man who was her real father. She tried to imagine what he might look like. Was he the reason her hair was dark auburn, nearly brown instead of red like her mother's? Did his facial features solve the mystery of her nose? Despite everything, she couldn't help but wonder why her mother had never spoken of him before. A tremble went through her as she contemplated a depressing possibility; what if he was dead?
Dana was left to her memories. She sat cross-legged on her bed, re-reading one of the letters she had written almost sixteen years ago. Her tears fell freely as she read her own words.
"Dear Mulder,
Even as I write this letter, I don't know if I will have the courage to send it. I hope things are well with Jessica and that the two of you are as happy as you both deserve. There are so many things to tell you Mulder; so many things you need to know but I'm afraid to say. I don't want to ruin what you have now, Mulder, but I need to tell you this-- I'm pregnant, and the baby is yours. I'm due in February. Please don't feel obligated in any way... I'm writing to you to let you know the truth, not to convince you to come back or to ruin your marriage. I'm so sorry, Mulder. I can take care of myself and the baby, so I just wrote because I would feel horrible if I kept this from you..."
Sniffling, Dana wiped her eyes and remembered agonizing whether or not to send that letter. She had finally decided against sending it and the dozens more she would write during the almost the full first two thirds of her pregnancy. When she met Dave, she stopped writing the letters for a while.
Fifteen Years Earlier
List in hand, Dana Scully rose up on her toes the best she could and pulled a box of pasta off the shelf. Much to her dismay, three additional boxes toppled to the floor. She sighed, put her box in the shopping cart, and glanced down at her five-months-pregnant belly. This wasn't going to be easy. She bent her knees and kept one hand on the cart, praying that she didn't fall over.
"Here. I'll get it," a voice said. She looked up and her cheeks immediately reddened at the sight of the attractive brown-haired brown-eyed man before her who bent down and picked up the three boxes of pasta. He handed them to her.
"Thank you," she mumbled, feeling the color in her cheeks. "It's not so easy to move the way I used to..." He smiled at her and extended his hand as she slid the boxes back on the shelf.
"Dave Hollister."
"Dana Scully," she said, shaking his hand. She noted that he wasn't wearing a wedding band, and then she remembered... Being pregnant was a big turn-off to most any eligible man. He was slightly shorter than Mulder, probably about 5'10" or 5'11", and very attractive. "Well," she said, pulling her hand from his. "Thank you again." He nodded.
"Not a problem." With that, they went their separate ways, and Dana headed to the register, wondering if he had noticed her lack of wedding band. As she pushed her cart into the checkout lane, the baby kicked her, and she ran her hand over her protruding abdomen and said,
"I know baby; I know. You're hungry... I am too."
Once everything had been bagged and paid for, Dana attempted to balance a bag on each hip and hold her car keys and purse. Just when she was ready to turn and ask the cashier for help, a familiar voice said,
"I can help you with that." Dave Hollister stood before her. She arched a wary eyebrow and let him take a bag. She couldn't tell if his interest was out of pity or not, but she wasn't about to let her guard down.
"Thank you," she said, and then said, "Umm, why don't you follow me to my car?" He nodded.
"Sure." They exited the grocery store, and Dave kept an even pace with Dana as she led him to her Chrysler Concorde. She pushed the button on her remote and popped the trunk. Dave set his bag in the trunk and as he took Dana's from her and placed it in, he said,
"You know, married women who don't wear their wedding rings are very deceiving." Pushing the strap of her purse up on her shoulder, she crossed her arms and watched him warily.
"I'm not married, nor will I be any time soon. I'm not seeing anyone," she said quietly, fighting off the tears that came with the very thought.
"Well, then would you consider taking me up on an offer for dinner sometime?" Dave asked, smiling at her. She was totally certain he was just messing with her at that point in time. Her face grew stern and the walls rose higher. She could feel the Ice Queen surfacing.
"Is this some kind of sick joke?" she snapped. Dave's happy expression faded, and he faltered.
"No, no of course--"
"Who put you up to this, Dave? Are you getting some kind of sick thrill out of this? Out of exploiting a pregnant woman?" she asked, her eyes ablaze with fury. In a moment, her walls came crashing down as she let the hurt get to her, and her eyes filled with tears. "I'm not here to be someone's charity case." She turned away from him and stepped up to her driver's side door and fumbled with her key. She turned around when she felt Dave's hand on her shoulder and heard his voice.
"Dana, no one put me up to this," he said quietly. "I'm sorry if you thought that. When I saw you, I thought that you were beautiful, and I wanted to get to know you. I was afraid to approach you, because I noticed that you were with child, and I thought you were married. When I saw that you didn't have a wedding band or an engagement ring, I wanted to give it a shot. The dropped pasta just provided an opportunity to talk to you. I swear to you, Dana, no one put me up to this. Just give me a chance, please..." His eyes were pleading with her, and she wiped at her tears with the back of her hand, and then smiled.
"My number's in the book," she said, opening her door.
Dave smiled back, and then said, "So is mine." Easing her body into the driver's seat, Dana smiled, and said,
"Okay then. Thank you for helping me."
"Any time," he responded, and turned to walk away. After closing her door, Dana found herself smiling. Maybe she wouldn't always be alone.
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A/N: {Ducks to avoid flying objects} Please, for the love of God, don't kill me for the S/O in this chapter! Remember, I promised MSR, and I intend to fulfill my promise!