Summary

What if Fox Mulder met Dana Scully way before the basement office. Way, way before.

Author's note:

Okay. It isn't exactly MSR. But I do believe it fits in this series.

I should probably rearrange them at some point. If I did, this story would be first.

This is what happens when I wake up at 3 am with an idea. I am a firm believer that Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were destined to be together. It was written in the stars. They were made for each other.

This is my creative license into that belief.

Enjoy!

November 1963

Annapolis, Maryland

Maggie Scully made her way through the checkout line. She finally had some time to finish her Christmas shopping by herself without a husband or two young children in tow.

She wanted to make sure she had it all done before the crowds got any worse and she got any bigger. Six months pregnant, her third one, and she was already feeling the effects of pregnancy. She was tired all the time and battled nausea for the first month. However, Bill Jr. and Melissa didn't seem to take any of that into account considering Bill was five and Missy, only barely one.

She escaped early that morning, letting her husband know he had parent duty. Much to his surprise, as she poured him a freshly brewed cup of coffee. "What are we going to do without you?" He said leaning against the kitchen counter with coffee in hand. Maggie thought he was still incredibly handsome and if she wasn't so distracted with her task to finish Christmas shopping she might very well have jumped his bones then and there.

Pregnancy hormones, she thought.

"Oh I am sure you will find something, you've commanded naval ships full of hundreds of sailors, I am confident you can handle a toddler and a five year old."

"I have a feeling, this is going to be much harder." Bill smiled.

Maggie giggled and kissed her husband goodbye for the day.

After she had shopped for some time, her feet started to ache. She decided to stop at a coffee shop. Maggie figured she would make the most of her time away from home, giggling to herself at the thought of Bill alone with their two young children.

The small coffee shop was packed, looking around she noticed there were no open seats so she reluctantly decided to leave the packed eatery.

Just then, a small child, Maggie estimated him around the age of two, ran toward her trying to make a beeline to the exit. Maggie instinctively stood in the way of the toddler, blocking access to his impending escape. Moments later a flustered young woman, about the same age as Maggie, rushed over to collect the toddler.

"I am so sorry, thank you for stopping him." The young woman reached down to gather the child, "Fox, you can't leave mommy like that."

"It's okay, I have a one year old at home, she would do the same thing." Maggie said, making light of the situation.

The woman returned a grateful smile and now with Fox on her hip, she extended her hand to introduce herself, "I'm Teena, this is, well you already met him, Fox."

The cute toddler waved and then put his hand to his mouth blowing Maggie a spit bubble kiss. Maggie smiled at Fox's response and joked, "I see he's quite the lady's man."

Teena laughed, and Maggie thought she was beautiful with a hint of sadness hidden behind her eyes.

Teena motioned to the back of the small coffee shop, "Care to join me?" she pointed to a small area with two cigar chairs that had toys and several books laid along the floor around them. Teena continued, "I could use some company and adult conversation."

Maggie nodded, she knew the feeling all too well, "Sure, I would love that, Oh, and I'm Margaret, but you can call me Maggie, and this," rubbing her belly, "is either Dana or Jack, depending on three months from now." Teena smiled as they both walked over to the tiny seating space in the back.

Teena plopped the now squirmy Fox on the floor between the two chairs. Maggie took inventory of the young woman, she was well dressed and her hair was in perfect place, her nails were done and her make-up flawless. Maggie felt somewhat inadequate in the young woman's presence, but Teena didn't seem to notice or mind the difference in their attire.

Fox stood up and walked over to Maggie, grabbing her hand and giving her one of the cardboard books he had splayed about the floor.

"He's really taken to you." Teena said as she took the opposite seat, crossing her heel clad well toned legs in front of her. Maggie, holding on to Fox's tiny hand, sat across from her.

"He probably knows I have littles just like him at home." She reached down and placed Fox on her lap, adjusting him to one side of her already protruding pregnant belly. She opened the book and began to point to the images in the wordless picture book saying each one to the toddler, "Dog, Cat, Bunny.."

Fox would clap and smile, giggling at some of the recognizable animals. She turned to Teena now, who was shuffling some of the magazines to the inside of the arm chair.

"So Teena, are you from the area?"

"Oh no, we are visiting family for the holiday." We live in Massachusetts, on the Vineyard. You?"

"My husband is stationed at the naval base, so yes." They were interrupted by a server who took their drink order.

"Oh, and a small apple juice with a lid for Fox." Maggie heard Teena tell the server as he walked away with their order.

"Do you have any other children?" Fox, still pointing to the colorful farm animals in the book, yanked it out of Maggie's hand, frustrated at her lack of attention with flipping the cardboard pages in a timely manner.

"No, just Fox, I worry I won't be able to handle more than one."

"Oh you would be surprised what we can handle. I have two at home myself and I don't think I remember what it was like with just one."

Teena smiled and let out a soft laugh. She was so reserved, but there was a vulnerability to her that Maggie felt drawn too.

"So six months? Do you think it's a boy or a girl?" Teena asked.

"At this point, we already have one of each, of course I want a healthy baby, but I wouldn't mind another girl." Both the women watched Fox close the book and toss it on the floor.

Teena spoke to her son who was contently sitting on Maggie's lap. "Fox, Ms. Maggie has a baby in her belly and her name is Dana." She turned to Margaret with a Grin, "We can hope can't we?" Both women laughed at Teena's willed declaration.

The curious toddler watched Maggie's belly move with her laughter, and Fox patted her belly with unusual gentleness for a toddler. He looked at his mom and repeated her words,

"Baby… Daaana ."

His speech was way more advanced than Bill Jr's ever was at that age, and Maggie thought he was rather smart for a two year old.

The curious toddler laid his head down on her lap, placing his ear flushed to her t-shirt covered belly. He pointed to her belly with one chubby finger and recited the name again, this time almost perfectly,

"Dana."

He smiled up at Maggie and at that very moment the tiny life in her belly kicked, startling Fox, but he didn't move; instead he kept his ear to her belly and flattened his hand to her stomach. He closed his eyes and turned his tiny head toward the baby in Maggie's womb and kissed where she had made her presence known.

"Oh Fox!l" Teena began to scold the child for his actions. But Maggie quickly reassured her and said, "Oh it's okay, he's made a new friend."

"And apparently, Dana," winking at the toddler on her lap, "was excited to meet him."

The two women continued to talk and share stories of motherhood, all the while Fox stayed on Maggie's lap, eventually falling asleep. She didn't have the heart to wake him and she stayed longer than she probably should have.

"I should probably go." Maggie said, finding a break in their conversation. She gently stirred the sleeping toddler to wake and Teena stood in response, picking up Fox from Maggie's lap.

"Thank you for joining us, I think Fox probably enjoyed it just as much as I did, if not more."

Teena smiled warmly at her toddler and wiped a tiny amount of drool from his cheek.

"Thank you for inviting me, I truly enjoyed it."

Maggie turned to Fox, "It was good to meet you Fox, and I know Dana was also happy to meet you."

The toddler reached for Maggie while he was still in his mother's arms and it made Maggie smile. She extended her hands toward him, "Okay sweetheart one last hug, then I have to go."

She gathered the child in her arms and hugged him gently as he wrapped his tiny arms around her neck. He placed a sloppy kiss on her cheek and then motioned to the floor. When Maggie placed him down, he raised his arms to her belly, opening and closing his hands at the same time.

"Fox, you can't have the baby yet, she's not here." Teena told her son. He didn't understand and his face looked sad at his moms declaration. Both women smiled at each other, said their goodbyes and hugged.

When Maggie turned around to leave she heard Fox start to cry. Teena picked her young son up and hugged him tightly, offering him soft whispers in an effort to console him, "Shhh, don't cry Fox, one day maybe you will see Maggie again."

As Maggie opened the door to exit, she heard the toddler cry out loudly in his moms arms.

" Daaana , Dana!"

Maggie smiled as she walked out of the coffee shop and into the crowded sidewalk. Maybe her baby was a girl, she thought.

Dana Katherine Scully. She liked the sound of that and couldn't wait to tell Bill about her time with Fox and Teena.