Blind Date

Sara B. 01/06

Dana Scully walked into the restaurant riddled with trepidation.  This was a blind date and that was bad enough, but this wasn’t even her blind date. 

She had been charged with the duty of meeting this stranger and telling him that he’d been dumped even before he met Meredith.  Well, that wasn’t exactly how she was going to put it but that is what it was.

Meredith said he was going to leave his name with the Maitre D’ so Dana approached him and asked for Fox Mulder.  He pointed to a tall dark haired man seated at one of the tables in the bar area.  Mr. Mulder was watching the door; looking for the beautiful, tall, buxom brunette that he expected; Meredith.  What he about to get was a freckled, short, ‘modestly’ chested redhead; Dana. 

“Excuse me,” his eyes never wavered from the door.  She tried again a little louder, “excuse me, are you Fox Mulder?”

At the sound of his name he turned to the slight woman standing next to him.  “Um, yes, but you cannot be Meredith Reynolds.”  He gave her the once over.  Dana chuckled softly.

“No truer words were ever spoken.  May I sit down?”  Mulder nodded and she took the chair opposite his.  “My name is Dana Scully, I’m a friend of Meredith’s and she asked me to meet you for her.”

“She isn’t coming I take it?”  Mulder said; more statement than question.

“Uh, no she isn’t.”  Dana responded and he could sense her uneasiness.

“I’ve been dumped before but this is a first.  I didn’t even get to meet her and annoy her with all my disgusting habits.”  Dana couldn’t help herself she started to laugh.  Mulder found it contagious and joined her.  “So tell me, what could I have done to turn her off so early in the game?”

“It had nothing to do with you.  Your mothers arranged this date, right?  Something about them being Sorority Sisters.”  Mulder just nodded his encouragement for her to continue.  He sensed there was a really good story coming. 

“You see, Meredith has been dating Charles for about a year and her parents don’t know.”  Her voice took on a sing-song quality people use for dramatic purposes.  “Charles is but a lowly Navy Lieutenant and the son of a retired Navy Captain.”

“And it wouldn’t be proper for the daughter of Senator Chase Reynolds and head of the Congressional ‘Doves’ to be involved with a Military Man?”  Mulder finished for her; Dana just nodded.  “So you have been sent to, what, let me down easy?  So you are the sacrifice, the beautiful sacrifice?” 

Dana was amazed at how easily he flirted, it just rolled out of him and it unnerved her.  But she was glad Fox Mulder was taking this better than she’d dared hoped.  It was obvious he found it all amusing.  “Mr. Mulder . . .”

“Just Mulder, I’m sure you can understand my aversion to my first name.  May I call you Dana?”

“That would be nice.  You see I was sent to tell you the whole story.  So you have Meredith and Charles and you have Meredith’s mother making dates for her with all the right sort of men you understand.”  The last was added in a high toned clipped British accent.

“So, I guess I’m the right sort of man, huh?”  He teased

“Mrs. Reynolds thinks so.  Meredith was getting ready for your date when Charles put his foot down and told her she either commits or he walks.  He didn’t care if her mother didn’t think he was good enough for her.  If she loved him she would marry him tonight in Maryland.  That’s where they are going as we speak.”

“Is he good enough for her?”

“Heaven’s no!  He’s a slob; he’s aiming for a career in the Navy serving his country.  She’s a neat freak. Corporate Lawyer at McKinney, Doth and Cummings and destined for Attorney stardom.  It’s never going to work.”

“You seem to know him pretty well.”

“I should, I lived with him for years.” 

Now Mulder was confused.  This woman had lived with her friend’s soon to be husband.  She certainly didn’t display any animosity toward them.  In fact, she seemed to be friendly to both of them.

Dana saw the man trying to understand.  “Did I mention that his name is Charles Scully?”

“His sister?”  She nodded to answer his question.

“Mare and I were roommates as undergrads.  She went into law and I went into medicine, I work at Georgetown.”

“So it’s Dr. Dana? Well, I guess your job is done so can I buy you dinner?”  Mulder asked expectantly.

“No on both counts, my job isn’t done and no you can’t buy me dinner because Meredith is buying us both dinners.”  Dana held out a small wad of bills.  “We are going to eat well and tip big tonight Mulder, really big.”

Just then their table was called and Mulder escorted her with his right hand placed at her lower back.  She surprised herself by liking the courtly gesture.

The twosome ate, talked and joked like they’d known each other for years not hours.  They were talking quietly over coffee when the waiter approached.  “Excuse the interruption, but we are about to close and . . .”

Both Dana and Mulder looked at their watches not quite believing how late it had gotten.  “I’m sorry, where’s the bill?”  Dana asked and the young man produced it.  She took it and placed the amount on the small tray then added a hefty tip hoping it made up for them commandeering the man’s table most of the evening. 

The duo parted ways in the parking lot, but not before exchanging phone numbers.

~X~

Six months had passed and Mulder sat across from Mary or Marilyn or was it Marjorie?  Melody, that’s what her name was.  She was prattling away good-naturedly but he had no idea what she was talking about.  His mind was on the only other time he’d been to this restaurant. 

Instead of his usual lanky brunette, like Melody, there had been a small redhead.  Instead of the usual inane, mind numbing conversation, there had been a stimulating exchange of ideas. 

He heard Melody say something about going to ‘the little girl’s room.’  Geez, he sure knew how to pick them.  Melody would be another one for his list of, ‘seemed like a good idea at the time’, dates.

Mulder was looking around the room and suddenly he spotted her, Dana Scully.  The Maitre D’ was leading her to a table where a young couple sat.  The man stood and they embraced and then she and the woman hugged.  The man had nearly the same coloring as Dana and Mulder could see a resemblance.  Could that be Charles and Meredith?  He focused in on the woman, she was simply stunning. Long flowing dark hair, dark eyes and, from what he could see from her seated position, it looked like she had a body to thank the Gods for. 

As beautiful as she was it was Dana his eyes kept wandering toward.  She sat with her side to him.  Mulder frowned when another, slightly older, man joined them.  It looked like Dana was introducing him to the couple. 

Mulder felt a jolt go through his body – jealousy, he felt jealousy.  Not that he had any cause; he never pursued anything more than that one dinner with Dana.  It was unreasonable and completely off base, but it was undeniable.  Jealousy, plain but not simple.

Melody returned and he paid the check.  As they were leaving he detoured toward Dana’s table.

“Dana,” Mulder said, hoping he sounded surprised to see her.

“Mulder?”  She stood and made a slight movement toward him but caught herself.  “Hello, are you just leaving?”  She indicated that they could arrange to add some chairs.  Mulder noted the strain in her voice.

“Yes, we’re on our way out,” he answered.  “Melody, this is Dr. Dana Scully, Dana, Melody Brown.”

“Bram, Melody Bram.”  Melody extended a reluctant hand toward Dana and gave Mulder a stern look.  He didn’t even notice; Mulder’s eyes never strayed from Dana Scully.

Dana in turn introduced the other people at the table. 

“Fox Mulder, Melody Brown,” she hadn’t taken note of the name correction either.  “This is Danny Spencer, we’re waiting for his partner.”  Mulder’s smile broadened when he found out she wasn’t with Spencer.  Dana’s hand moved toward the other man.  “This is my brother Charles and his wife Meredith.  See what you missed out on, Mulder?”  He nodded but his eyes still had not moved from Dana’s face. 

“Come on, Fox, we need to get going.”  Melody tugged on his arm.

“It was good to see you again, Mulder.”

“Yeah, it was, Dana.”  Finally he turned to the other tablemates.  “Nice meeting you all.  We have to run.”  He took Dana’s hand and held it for a moment too long for it to be casual.

Dana watched him leave then turned back to the table.  “That boy ain’t gettin’ any tonight.”  Charles joked. 

“Dana, there was some serious action going on between you two.  Why didn’t you ever get together?”  Meredith asked.

“We had that one dinner, thank you very much, Mare.  We exchanged numbers before we separated.  He didn’t call.  I did, but the number was invalid.  I took that as a sign.”

“Well, something was happening just now.  He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

“Yeah, well. . .”  Just then Danny’s partner, Phil, arrived and saved her from further comments.

~X~

Mulder was being wheeled into the emergency room with a gunshot wound to the upper right chest.  He woke during the ambulance ride and asked about his fellow agents.  The paramedic told him that three had been wounded besides him.  None of them was life threatening.  Then he asked where they were taking him and was told Georgetown.  The paramedic heard Mulder whisper, “Scully.”

Dana was preparing to leave for the evening when Brenda Jerkins caught her.  Brenda was the paramedic that Mulder spoke to.

“He’s an FBI agent and he said your name.  Dana, do you know a Fox Mulder?”

“Oh, God!  Where is he?”

The first thing that Mulder was aware of was that he was holding someone’s hand; grasping it like a lifeline.

Mulder’s eyes blinked open and it took a moment for them to adjust.  He followed the hand up the arm to see the slumbering face of Dana Scully sitting in the chair next to his bed.  The door opened and Dana jerked up but somehow her hand never moved from his grasp.  She looked around as Mulder’s Dr. walked to his bed.

“Good, you’re awake.  I wasn’t sure how Dr. Scully was going to hold her bladder too much longer.”  Mulder’s eyes moved to Dana and saw her shaking her head.  “I’m Dr. Michael Evans and you are a very lucky Special Agent, Fox Mulder.”  Mulder felt a tug and realized Dana was releasing their hands.

“You had to mention bladder, didn’t you, Mike.”  She got up and left.

The two men watched her leave and smiled.  “She’s something.”  He turned back to Mulder, “I’m married, what’s your excuse?”  He laughed at Mulder’s startled face.  “Why aren’t you dating her?”

“How do you know we aren’t?” 

“Because I know Dana and that girl hasn’t been on a date since the end of the Bush administration, and that was only rumored.  Clinton’s been in for over a year.”

“Why was she here?”  Mulder asked.

“You asked for her on the ambulance ride in.  She’s been with you since recovery, seven and a half hours, if you’re interested.  You wouldn’t let her hand go.”  Mike opened Mulder’s chart.  “You’re doing very well.  You were the worst of the four injured agents brought in.  You had a through and through, nothing major hit but you are in for some serious rehab since the bullet did some damage to the muscle.”

Dana re-entered the room followed by AD Skinner and Mulder’s partner, Diana Fowley.  “You have some visitors, Mulder.”  She turned to Mike.  “I’m going to run to the doctor’s lounge and get a quick shower and some fresh scrubs.  Cover for me?”

“Sure, Dana.”  Mike responded as they started out the door. 

“Dana!”  Mulder nearly yelled, startling everyone.  Dana turned back and raised her eyes to look at him.  “See you later?”

He saw the question in her eyes but then she just said, “Sure, I’ll come back at lunch.”  Mulder smiled brightly but she didn’t miss the venomous look she got from the woman.

Mulder was exhausted by the time Skinner and Diana left and he put his head down and closed his eyes.  Skinner told him that the three men they’d been after when they were ambushed were arrested and the two women were back with their families.

Diana remained silent through the whole exchange.  He suspected she was going to be seriously reprimanded for her conduct.  She’d gotten spooked and cried out which alerted the men to their positions.  It was a rookie mistake and not something anyone expected from a ten year veteran.  She’d be lucky to get desk duty; most likely she’d be suspended for a week or two since she caused four agents to be hurt.

Dana Scully checked in and saw that he was sleeping.  She checked his vitals.  “I thought Dr. Mike was my physician?”  Dana was startled.

“He is; I just thought that since I was here I’d check.”  She read for a moment.  You’re doing remarkably well.  All your levels are right on.”   Mulder noticed she seemed a little on edge.

“Dana, what is it?  I get this feeling that being around me is the last place you want to be.”

She let out a breath then sat down in the chair next to him.  “That night,” her eyes were fixed firmly on the floor.  “The night we met, when I told you about Meredith and Charles, I thought.”  Again she huffed out a breath.  “Oh hell, I thought we had a good time, I know I did but I thought you did too.”

Mulder reached for her hand but she moved slightly so she was just out of reach.  “I did, I had a great time,” He told her.

“Then, why?”  She asked.  “Why didn’t you call and why did you give me a fake phone number?”

“Fake phone number?  I don’t know what,” then it dawned on him.  “Oh, shit.  I didn’t give you a fake number.  It was my cell and I lost it in the field and got a new one.  I completely forgot.  The reason I didn’t call was that the next day I got sent out on a case.  I was gone for two weeks.  When I didn’t hear from you I just assumed. . .”

“Are you telling me that for the last year I have been cursing myself, wondering what the hell is wrong with me and it was all because of screwed up phone issues?”  He could hear the laughter back in her voice.

“And I’ve been suffering through some pretty awful dates trying to forget the beautiful redhead who kicks intellectual butt.”

“Suffered?  I rather doubt it.  Remember I saw Melody and if she’s any indication I don’t see much suffering going on.”

“She may have been beautiful but she wasn’t my redhead and she sure couldn’t hold an interesting conversation; none of them could.  Or at least I couldn’t seem to be interested. You, my dear Dana Scully, give really good talk.”  They both burst out laughing.

~X~

A month later they were at Captain and Mrs. Scully’s home celebrating Meredith and Charles’ first wedding anniversary.  The food was plentiful and the champagne was flowing. 

Fox Mulder stood up.  “I’d like to say a toast to the happy couple.  I think we should also thank Meredith’s mother, Senator Reynolds.  She forced Meredith to go on a blind date with me.  A date she ditched me for to elope with Charles when he decided his girlfriend should not be dating other men.  So Meredith sent the lovely Dana to let me down easy.  But after meeting Dana. . .” 

Dana stood up and placed a finger to his mouth.  “I think what Mulder is trying so say is, here’s to blind dates.”  Everyone chuckled as they sipped their champagne. 

Mulder bent down to Dana.  “To blind dates, beautiful, kick ass redheads and meddling mothers,” he whispered before they kissed.

End