Finders – Keepers

Sara B. 09/06

Mulder watched as Marsden talked with Scully.  His voice was too low, his body language too comfortable and he was standing entirely too close.  Detective Aaron Marsden had worked with them this case.  He was tall and thin but not spindly; there was muscle under those well tailored suits.  He had dark, unruly hair and more than once he’d seen Scully stop herself from brushing it back for him.  He also had a big nose, not that it detracted from his overall looks but, hell, it was even bigger than Mulder’s own proboscis.  Marsden reminded Mulder of someone he just couldn’t figure out who.

Scully flashed Marsden one of her too infrequent smiles and that was all Mulder needed.  He took a step in their direction but a strong hand gripped his arm halting further progression; it was Skinner.  “Leave them alone, Mulder.  It doesn’t look like Agent Scully minds the detective’s attention.  In fact, it looks like she’s enjoying it.  Who knows?  Something might develop.”

Mulder’s head whipped around to stare at his superior.  He couldn’t believe Skinner would think that Scully would want that; that she’d let that happen.  He was about to protest when the lilting chime of Scully’s laughter wafted through the air.  Mulder turned back to look at her and did not like what he saw.  He’d been so intently watching Marsden he hadn’t seen Scully’s reactions to the man.  Her attention was completely riveted on him and she listened intently to whatever the young detective was saying.  Mulder’d only ever seen her that immersed in her conversations with, well, him.  This was bad; he needed to get her attention.  “Scully,” he called out and waved her over.  He watched as she placed her arm on Marsden’s upper arm as she said something to him before walking over. 

“Did you need something, Mulder?”  She asked him but her eyes kept drifting toward the detective.

“I just thought, since the case is over and we’ve done all we can for today, we’d get going.  I’ll drop you off to get your car.”  Mulder was working hard trying to keep his tone even and unaffected sounding.

“Aaron asked me out for dinner then he’s going to take me to get my car.  You just head home, Mulder.  Don’t worry about me.”  She hadn’t even finished speaking before she started walking back.

Skinner had been standing next to Mulder through the exchange.  He saw the Agent’s look of disappointment mixed with worry, tinged with regret and, if he wasn’t mistaken, a good bit of jealousy.  His eyes shifted to the retreating backs of Scully and Marsden, the man’s hand drifted toward that spot on Scully’s back that Mulder had long ago taken possession of.  It dawned on him it had been a while since he’d seen Mulder do that.  He supposed it was indicative of their relationship of late.  He looked back to Mulder and the pain in the man’s eyes was almost contagious.  Maybe he deserved it?  Maybe, if Mulder was lucky, it would make him aware of what was going on before it was irrevocable.  Mulder always made sure everyone knew that Dana Scully belonged to him; the only problem was he didn’t seem to know it himself.  He never acted on it unless something or someone threatened his tenure.  Just possibly this was the wake-up call Mulder needed and hopefully he wouldn’t let her slip away, because it seems that quite possibly Scully is forgetting who she belongs to.

“Come on, Mulder.  Let’s get going and we can stop for dinner on the way.  I’ll follow in my car.”

~

They took a booth in the back of the diner.  It was early for dinner so the place wasn’t crowded.  The waitress brought their drinks and took their order’s.  Mulder’s played with the creamers sitting in the bowl, making various arrangements and then knocking them down only to start again.  He’s like a pouting child, Skinner thought. 

“You do know it was bound to happen, right, Mulder?”

“What are you talking about?”  Mulder really didn’t seem to know what Skinner was referring to.

“Scully, Dana, she’s a beautiful, intelligent, enchanting woman.  She must attract men all the time.  It was bound to happen that she’d find someone who interested her too.  Maybe this Marsden is the one to make her happy.”

“He isn’t,” Mulder grumbled. 

“Wouldn’t you welcome someone who would do that for her?  Don’t you want her to be happy?”  Skinner knew he was pushing Mulder’s buttons but it was time he either let her go or get off the damned fence and face what everyone else knew; that he was in love with Dana Scully.

“Of course I want Scully to be happy!”  Mulder was indignant Skinner could even think otherwise.  “I don’t want her hurt.  I want,” he stopped trying to gather his thoughts.

“You want her for yourself perhaps?”  Skinner offered and Mulder glared at him.  “Get off it, Mulder.  I’m talking to you as your friend, not your boss.  I don’t give a rat’s ass as long as it doesn’t interfere with the work.  You two are professionals and I know you’d never let that happen.  In truth, your not acting on your feelings for each other is impacting your work more than it would if you did give into them.”  The waitress put down their meals.  “What I can’t stand is how you yo-yo her back and forth.”

Mulder nearly dropped his fork.  “Sir?”

“Mulder, every time she takes a step off the trail you’ve laid out for her, you are all over her.  Believe me; I’ve seen you pull the Alpha male routine when you see some guy acting interested in Dana Scully.  Then when things are back to normal, you pull back and leave her hanging. 

“This last year has been hell for her.  Maybe you’ve forgotten what she’s been through?  She’d just gotten over almost dying when she had to face finding out what they did with her stolen ova.  Can anyone imagine what that was like?  Don’t you think that not a day goes by that she doesn’t wonder if there are others out there?  Other children who are part of her but not hers?  What kind of hell that must be, I never want to know. 

“She finds this child only in time to watch her die and bury her.  But they even stole that away from her, didn’t they?  She wasn’t even allowed a graceful goodbye.

“Just when you think the Wheel of Misfortune has delivered the worst it can, a new torture is placed in her path.  Dana Scully ended up on that bridge and she wakes up with no memory of how she got there.  Did someone take her there?  Was she kidnapped or, and this is the worst, did the chip that may or may not be keeping her alive, have something to do with it?  She lives what others don’t even face in nightmares.”

Skinner stopped his speech to take a look at the man across the table.  Mulder’s look of insolence was gone and regret had taken its place.

“Do you think she really would find someone?”    

“The way you’ve sniffed around a certain old flame, I sometimes wonder if you remember just how close we’ve come to losing Scully on more than one occasion.  I’m telling you right now, I think she’s on the brink and this time if she leaves she’ll do it willingly.  Before it was never her choice but this time it will be.”   Mulder sat back and threw his head back against the seatback.  Skinner gauged the right moment then said, “Mulder, did you happen to notice that Marsden looks an awful lot like you?”

~

It was the end of the case and Marsden finally took the opportunity to talk with Special Agent Dana Scully.  He couldn’t believe how beautiful she’d turned out.  The woman she’d become was a far cry from the little Tomboy that used to follow Bill and the gang around when they were kids. 

“Agent Scully, may I have a word with you?”

His recognition must have shown in his eyes because she responded, “Aaron, why don’t you call me Danes anymore?”  Her smile lit up the place.

“So you do remember?  I wasn’t sure if you would, it’s been a lot of years.”

“That it has and we’ve both changed a lot.  But how could I forget the person who gave me my first boy-girl kiss, even if he was only practicing for my sister?”  They both broke out laughing from the memory.  “I was going to say something earlier but I didn’t want to interfere with the investigation.”

“Some Casanova I was, she never did give me a chance.  How is Missy?”  Aaron saw the look of pain cross her features, “Dana, what is it?”

“Missy was murdered several years back.”

“Oh, Danes, I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright.”

“Dana, how would you like to have dinner with me and we can catch up?  I’ll call my Marie and she can meet us.”

“That would be great, besides, I’d like to meet the woman who married the man who set my standard for kissing.”
Her partner, Mulder, called and waved her over.  Aaron didn’t hear the exchange but the look Mulder aimed at him was filled with venom as Dana walked back toward him.

Marie was already at Vernon’s when they got there and, once they were introduced, the two women became fast friends.  Aaron sat and watched their interaction and was taken back to when he saw the young Melissa and Dana Scully talking.  ‘I guess, I never got over redheads,’ he thought.

They spent the evening sharing tales of youthful indiscretions, adventures and explorations.

“We always made Dana act as scout and sent her in first.  I don’t think she ever said no.”

“I was so naïve; I didn’t realize they just figured if something bad happened I was the most expendable.  Come to think about it, sometimes it still feels that way with my work.”  She then told them about some of their adventures on the X-Files and more than once they accused her of telling tall tales.  Both Aaron and Marie got nervous when Dana swore they were the absolute truth.

Dinner was fun and they made plans to get together soon.  Aaron drove to drop Dana off to pick up her car and she invited him to see the X-Files office.  Aaron took a raincheck and was on his way.

~

Dana Scully was feeling really good.  She’d had a nice time with Aaron and his wife.  Marie reminded her of Missy in both her looks and her beliefs, it was uncanny. 

She decided to take some items from the case to the office so they could finish the paperwork in the morning.  Scully rounded the corner and saw the office door was open and light was streaming through.  Mulder was here.  It was not a surprise that Mulder was still at work at nine at night; she thought she would have been more surprised if she hadn’t found him.

“Mulder,” she greeted him as she walked in the door.  Then she looked at his face and was disturbed.  “Something wrong?”

“How was your date with Detective Marsden?”  Mulder’s tone was condescending and put her on guard.

“It was hardly what I’d call a date.  I haven’t been out for a while but dinner with a childhood friend and his wife never made it into any dating journal I’ve ever heard of.”

“Childhood friend?  Why didn’t you say anything?”  Mulder’s demeanor improved considerably she noticed.  ‘This is interesting,’ she thought.

“He and Bill were best friends on three or four bases where our Dads were stationed.  I recognized him immediately but I didn’t think he knew who I was.  Then when he spoke with me after the case ended, I found out he knew me.” 

Scully took off her coat and sat down.  “Aaron was so in love with Missy and she never gave him the time of day.  I, on the other hand, had a huge crush on him.

“It was really funny tonight, Aaron’s wife, Marie, is so like Missy it was unnerving but almost like talking with my sister again.  I had a nice time.”

While talking, Scully noticed that Mulder relaxed and he seemed to lighten up.  Normally she would just let it go, but things were changing between them and she decided to confront the issue.

“So, Mulder, why were you so abrasive when I first got here?”

“I wasn’t,” he began then stopped himself.  “Scully, I was jealous,” he blurted out.

“Jealous, you were jealous?”  Mulder watched as Scully’s face changed from incredulity to amazement then finally delight.  “You were jealous, that has to be the most flattering thing you’ve ever said to me.”

“Flattering, my being jealous is flattering?”

“Mulder, until this moment, I didn’t think you cared enough to feel anything like that.”  Scully decided to reward his candor with some of her own.  “For you to feel jealous means that you just might care for me the way I care for you.”

Mulder’s face lit up, he stood and extended his hand to her.  When she took it, he pulled her gently. “What would you say if I suggested we take this conversation to your place, Scully?”

“I’d say this,” she leaned up and placed a sensually soft kiss on his lips.  “Have I made my position clear, Agent Mulder?”

“Perfectly, Agent Scully.  Gotta love unspoken communication.”
 

End.