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Summary: Scully goes on a date... along with everyone else...
Variationsby Sheryl Martin
Arching back in her seat, Dana Scully yawned as she rubbed her eyes wearily. It had been one of the longest and worst days of her life - it was the end of the month and it was time for the paperwork. All the receipts; all the problems you could imagine that came with trying to figure out the proper forms and documents to prove to the government that you really did spend the money on something worthwhile and weren't out to defraud them. And of course Mulder had managed to barely get his torn slips of paper to her in time; which meant she not only had to take care of her own neatly arranged stack; she had to do his as well.
She didn't always do his. The first few months they had been together as partners they had done theirs separate - until the scathing requests had come back from Finances asking why they were both claiming for different things though they had been working on the same case. For some reason Fox Mulder thought it was fine to claim for fast-food items and yet not for ruined footwear; while she claimed for everything. Everything that was fair, of course. So she had decided to keep everyone happy and do theirs both at the same time - although she knew that Mulder was secretly pleased at getting out of it. He did occasionally thank her with a fresh danish or coffee at the worst of it; appearing out of nowhere with a sheepish grin and a tray. The phone rang, and she grabbed it up - grateful for any distraction.
"Agent Scully?" The deep voice asked. She frowned, trying to place it.
"Yes?"
"It's Bruce... ah, Bruce Kent. You remember, we were in the same class at Quantico?" Now she had a picture. Tall, sandy-coloured hair... not bad looking, actually.
"Oh, Bruce... sure, now I remember. Where are you now?"
"I was down south for a bit... but I just got transferred back to Washington to do some research." He paused. "I... I was wondering if you felt like getting together for a trip down memory lane."
She smiled. "Sounds good to me."
The relief in his voice was apparent. "Great! I know where you are, so how about I drop by in about an hour and you can show me a good place for dinner."
"No problem - see you in a bit." Hanging up the phone, she now clearly remembered Kent - bright, intelligent... if she hadn't been so determined to stay unattached through the first few months at the Academy, she would have taken him up on the invitations he used to offer on a daily basis. And then Jack Willis had appeared, and even though she had no intentions of dating anyone; Willis had captured her attention totally - even with the unspoken agreement that she wouldn't see him socially until she had graduated. Which she had done.
But Kent was nice, and funny, and also worked in the Bureau. This was a good thing; given her last attempt at dating. There was just something strange about not being able to freely talk about what you did for a living; that invisible barrier between you and the rest of the world. She supposed it was the same for policemen, firefighters; anyone who lived in a much more dangerous world than the rest of the public.
But a date... her eyes flickered over to the far desk, where Mulder sat; immersed in a magazine.
"Who's on the phone, Scully?" He said casually, even though she knew that he had overheard the entire conversation.
"Some fellow I went to Quantico with. Wants to take me out to dinner."
"Oh." His eyes never left the page. "Like a date."
"Like a date, Mulder." Getting up, she picked up her purse. "Be back in a few minutes."
"Sure, Scully." He didn't look up until she had left the room; then let a frown quickly cross his face.
*********
Jackie St. George sighed as she sipped the mug of hot tea; grateful that for once she actually had an official day off.
"Thank God for those Canadian holidays." She quipped as Marty appeared from the kitchen; carrying a package of cookies. "Good reason for a three-day weekend." A wink flew. "And I guess I'll have to spend it with you."
"Oh, well." Marty smiled. The phone rang, and he grabbed it before she could move. "Dana... sure, she's here." Passing the phone, he grinned. "Could always invite her over for the weekend..." He ducked the incoming cookie.
"Hey, woman..." Jackie chuckled. "What's up now?"
Dana leaned back in her chair again, stretching her arms up towards the ceiling. "Sorry, but I've got to back out of dinner tonight."
"What's up? Not that I was planning to cook or anything - you're only worth Chinese food to us..."
"I've got a date."
The silence was deafening. "With Fox Mulder?" St. George's voice squeaked.
"No." Dana took a deep breath. "A fellow called Bruce. Bruce Kent. I knew him back at the Academy. He just came into town and wants to renew old acquaintances."
"Oh."
"Oh, what?"
'Oh, nothing." Jackie said. "Just drop me a call tomorrow and let me know how it turned out, okay?"
"That I can do."
"And be careful out there..." She snickered.
"Talk to you later, St. George." Scully hung up the phone, shaking her head.
Marty frowned. "She's got a date with some guy and you're being too calm." He looked at her inquisitively. "Please don't tell me you're going to kill him."
"Bad time of year to hide the body." She laughed. "Besides, I think this might be a good thing."
"I'm afraid now."
"Good. I like to keep you on your toes."
*********
"Mulder, I've got to return these files to the library. If Bruce shows up, just tell him I'll be back soon." Picking up the stack, she stared at him. "And behave yourself."
"Me?" He looked up at her with the innocent look she had come to dread. "Scully, what are you suggesting?"
"Nothing, Mulder... nothing."
Of course, not five minutes after she had left the room a gentle knock came at the door. Followed by a head gingerly poking around the corner.
"Ah... I was looking for Agent Scully."
Mulder motioned him in with a wave of his hand. "She'll be back in a minute." Leaning back in his chair, he scratched the back of his ear with a pen. "So you must be Bruce."
"Yes." They shook hands and retreated to their respective corners. "Bruce Kent. I was in the Academy with Dana."
"Dana." Fox repeated, rolling his tongue over the unfamiliar word. "Yes, she told me you would be coming by. She'll be back in a few minutes." Still sitting, he scratched his head again. "So... what brings you back to Washington?"
"Oh, I had some unfinished research that I had to deliver back personally..." He shrugged, shifting the well-cut jacket on his broad shoulders. "And I thought that since Dana was here..."
"How come you never called her before?"
"Didn't really think of it, actually... I mean, I wanted to after we heard she had turned up in the hospital; but there wasn't ever the right time. And everyone knows that she's busy working with you..." He let the sentence trail off.
"Oh, really?" Mulder smiled. "And what do 'they' say about us?"
"That you're doing great work." Kent smiled. "Even though your procedures are a bit... unorthodox, you still get the work done. Highest rate of solving cases in the district. Can't argue with success." He shrugged again. "No complaints with that."
"Right." Mulder replied. "No complaints." They stared at each other for a few tense seconds until Scully suddenly reappeared. She pulled up short at seeing the two men.
"Bruce!" She smiled, sending a chill down Mulder's spine. "Sorry - I had to take some files back..."
"No problem." He waved her off. "Fox and I were just talking over your incredible success rate since you moved down here."
"Ah... yes..." She didn't dare look at Mulder. "Let me just get my coat and we'll be off, then."
"Bye, you two." Mulder leaned back in his chair, rubbing the end of a pencil behind one ear. "Be careful out there." He avoided the death stare shot his way by the departing woman.
**********
"Hello?"
"Hello... is Marty there?" The soft female voice droned.
"Sure... who's calling?"
"It's Karen." She purred. "Oh, is this Jackie?"
St. George ground her teeth together unconsciously. "Yes... and you are???"
"Oh, Marty and I used to date years ago." She tweeted into the phone. "I just flew into town on an overnight layover and thought he might want to chat for a bit."
"Oh, yah." Jackie waved Marty over, tossing him the phone. "It's Karen..."
His face went ashen as he picked up the receiver. "Hello... yah... right..."
Busying herself with her pistol; St. George methodically unloaded the revolver and began to clean and oil the weapon in plain view.
"Yah... okay... no... I know the place... okay... right..." He put the phone down. "Ah..."
"I trust you." She smiled.
"I know." He sighed. "Believe me, this isn't going to be fun. She just wants to talk about her recent divorce, and since I was one of her best friends..."
Jackie sighed. "Well, I understand that if she's upset over a divorce and is looking for a shoulder to cry on..."
"I can always just call her back with an excuse." He offered.
"I'm fine with this."
"No, you're not." He walked over to the table. She looked up at him innocently.
"You go and have a nice dinner - I've got some reports to file anyway, and when you get back we'll get some movies and a huge bowl of popcorn."
"You're being too understanding..." Marty sighed. "This woman managed to mangle my life before I went into the Air Force."
"Phoebe Green all over again, hmm?"
"With attitude."
"Ouch." St. George waved him out of the apartment with one hand. "Go... have a nice dinner... I trust you." She smiled again. "Where are you going to be, in case I actually need to reach you?"
"Hernandez's Pizza."
"Oh, a real fancy place." She chuckled.
Marty shrugged. "Hey, she's paying. And it's cheap enough that if she stiffs me with the bill, it won't hurt." He paused at the door, uncertain. "I love you."
"Of course you do." She put the bullets into the chamber. "'Else I'd have to hurt you."
The door closed shut.
"But I'll hurt her." Flipping the chamber shut, she reached for the phone. "Mulder? I'm coming over to get you in five minutes... Ah, just call it a stakeout..."
********
"So what exactly are we doing?" Fox Mulder climbed into the car, closing the door as they sped away from the corner.
"Marty has a dinner date." St. George said quietly.
"Something wrong?" Mulder asked.
"An old girlfriend. And he's not happy about it, but he wants to go and see what she wants."
"And you don't trust him?" Mulder smiled. "Green-eyed monster..."
"No..." Jackie said quickly. "I trust him totally... but I don't trust her." She said. "And there's nothing wrong in you and I going to pick up a pizza, right?"
"Well, I like anchovies..."
********
The waiter smiled at the couple standing in front of him; casually asking for a table. Until Mulder flashed his badge.
"See, we want to keep an eye on them." He whispered; gesturing at the far table where Marty and Karen were already seated. "And we can't be too obvious."
"Mulder..." St. George hissed. "Don't push it." She walked behind him as they headed for the far table. "You're damn well enjoying this..."
"I sure am." He nodded at the waitress. "Two beers to start." Turning his back on the subject of their surveillance, he grinned. "What are you going to do, kill him?"
"No - kill her." From the look in her eyes, Mulder knew this was a distinct possibility. Swivelling in his chair, he watched discreetly as the dark-haired woman smiled and reached out to casually lay her hand atop Marty's.
Yanking it back like he had been snake bit; the hapless man nodded frantically as they continued to talk. Mulder didn't have to turn back to see the fury in his friend's eyes. Suddenly a familiar movement to the left caught his eye.
Scully.
With Kent.
Here.
"Damn..." Whipping his head around, he slouched down in his seat. St. George frowned.
"What's the problem?"
"Scully's here. With her date." He spat out the last few words.
"Oh." Jackie smiled. "And you don't want her to see you out with me?"
"No, I don't want her to think that I'm following her around."
"But you're not." She pointed out. "You're here with me watching a woman commit suicide by touching my man."
"She won't see that. She'll just see me watching her." Mulder protested. Putting a hand on her chin, St. George nodded.
"But would you be?"
"Be what?"
"Following her? If I hadn't gotten to you first?"
"This is a pointless conversation, St. George. We're here on your account, not mine."
"And should I go tell Dana that?"
"Do that, and I'll tell Marty."
"Truce." She sighed. "You just keep blocking in front of me and I'll block you from Dana."
A few minutes passed, with nothing being said or done other than the sounds of two beers being hastily drunk. And refills requested.
She looks really good... Mulder commented silently. Even in the same suit she had worn to work; Dana Scully somehow managed to seem like she had just come from the Presidential Ball and was on her way to Buckingham Palace. This Kent guy was not good enough for her; the way he kept butting into her talking. He wasn't close enough to hear what was being said, but the expression on her face said it all - shut up and let me finish a sentence.
A growl broke Mulder's concentration. Turning his head, he watched as Karen again put her hand on Marty's arm; her eyes sparkling as he once again retreated as far as he could from her without making a scene. Getting to his feet, he excused himself from the table.
"That's it." St. George announced. "I've had it."
"What are you going to do?" Mulder frowned. "Don't make a mess..." But she was gone, heading over to the distant table. Wincing, he could only sit and watch; one eye on Scully and Kent.
Sitting down in the vacant seat, St. George smiled sweetly at the other woman, her words a faint mumble to the FBI agent. Displaying her left hand and the ring there; then began an elaborate dance of the knife so conveniently left on the table. Twirling it casually between her fingers, .St. George spoke in a low whisper, a soft smile on her face all the time. He winced again as Karen's face grew paler and paler; guessing what was being said. Finally getting back up from the table before Marty's return, Jackie nodded to the terrified woman one last time and made her way back to Mulder's table.
"'Nuff said." She announced, taking a deep swig of her beer. He shook his head as Marty appeared at the table; unaware of what had happened.
"What did you say to her?" Mulder watched as the woman smiled faintly; keeping her hands far away and in plain view.
Jackie shrugged. "Just outlined the probable consequences of her actions." She looked over at the opposite table. "Ah... is this guy suicidal?"
Mulder turned his head quickly; fast enough to cause whiplash in lesser men. Kent had managed to slip his hand under the table and was now casually resting it on Scully's knee.
Just as casually, Scully reached down and removed the offending limb; adding a tight and obviously painful twist to the thumb as she pulled her hand back up onto the table and reached for her glass of wine. Getting to her feet, she excused herself and headed for the ladies room.
"Man, this guy is a creep... right, Mulder?" St. George turned back to her friend.
"Mulder?" She looked over to where the agent was advancing on Kent. "Of course... I'm so surprised..."
"Mulder!" Kent tried to sound pleased. "Do you come here often?"
Leaning down, Mulder locked eyes with the fellow agent. "I'm not in the mood for small talk, so get this straight. Don't you dare put your hand anywhere on Dana Scully without her permission or I'll snap it off and send it to Janet Reno."
Kent's eyes widened. "Agent Mulder, are you threatening me?"
"I'm just warning you."
"I don't see any signs on Agent Scully saying that she's your personal property." He retorted angrily. St. George got up from the table, unconsciously tensing for a fistfight.
"All I'm saying is that if she says no, it means no. And I'm willing to back that up." Mulder snarled. Kent swallowed, seeing the anger just beneath the surface.
"Okay, Mulder. She's your territory."
"No, she's her own. And don't forget it." Standing back up, Mulder walked quickly back to his table; sitting back down as Scully reappeared from the ladies room. Taking her seat across from Kent, she frowned at first, then continued to sip her wine.
"You're such a class act, Mulder." Jackie snickered. "And here you were afraid of me losing my temper..." She cursed under her breath. "Dammit... they're leaving..."
Mulder spun to see Marty and Karen heading for the front door of the restaurant; dinner obviously cut short. St. George tossed some money on the table and motioned the waiter over. "Where's the back way out?"
The waiter pointed the way, his stoic face hiding intense amusement at the evening's displays.
"What's wrong?" Mulder grabbed his jacket from the back of the chair, following her out.
"I'm supposed to be at my apartment doing some paperwork. Not following him around."
"And you say you're not a jealous Dragon."
"Shut up, Spooky. Or I'll tell Dana how possessive you are."
"I'll drive."
*********
Jackie looked up from her computer as Marty quietly closed the front door. "Oh... how was dinner?"
"Fine." He smiled. "She just wanted to complain about how lousy her ex was... and how little she's getting off him in alimony."
"Oh... that's good." She stared at the screen. "Just been catching up on some stuff... want to go get some movies?"
"Nope." He stopped just behind her, reaching down to twirl the small chain around her neck on a finger. "I read somewhere that the only way to catch a dragon is to tie something around the neck - that's how St. George originally subdued his Dragon."
"Love the legend." Jackie didn't move her eyes from the monitor.
"And since I subdued you..." He looked at her, chuckling at the flash of fury in her eyes. "I do appreciate you telling her off at the restaurant."
Jackie sighed. "Did she tell you?"
"Nope." Marty grinned. "You have a very distinctive way of putting your knife and fork down on the plate - you left the knife the same way at my seat. She was too scared to say anything other than good night and she'll send us a Christmas card."
The Canadian shrugged. "She's a fast learner..." Reaching around to shut off the computer, she smiled. "Good for her."
"Good for me." Marty laughed. "But I'm still hungry..."
"We can order in..." She stopped, seeing him shake his head with a sly wink. "Okay... but about that subduing..."
*********
Tossing his coat quickly over the desk, Mulder busied himself with searching for the remote control; flipping through the channels until he found a baseball game. The phone rang as he sat back on the couch.
"Mulder..."
"What the hell are you doing?"
"I'm checking out Cal Ripken's RBI..."
"You know what I mean." Scully yelled into the phone. "You were at the restaurant! You threatened Kent!"
"I might have made a comment or two..." He conceded, hearing that tone in her voice that always made him tell the truth. "But I was there with St. George."
"And what was she there for?"
"Ah, it's a long story - she was on a kind of stakeout and needed a partner..."
"What sort of case was this?"
"Ah..." Mulder swallowed. "See, there was this ex-girlfriend that called Marty and invited him out, so she was just being curious."
"That explains her. Now explain what you did." Her voice was low and threatening.
"I..." He sighed. "I know I shouldn't have gotten involved, all right? But I saw him make that pass at you, and I just..."
"I'm a big girl, Mulder. I just brushed him off at the front door." He heard a soft chuckle. "And no, he did not get a good night kiss."
"Oh. Okay." He smiled.
"Next time, just ask me to forward his resume and personnel file to you before I go out." Scully laughed. "Because if he goes to Skinner..."
"He wouldn't dare."
"No, he probably won't. But just be a little less... Mulder; please?"
"Sure." He nodded. "You're not mad at me, are you?"
"Not now. Twenty minutes ago I was about ready to have you spayed."
"Ouch. And now?"
"I'm planning that for tomorrow."
"I said I was sorry..." He repeated.
"And you're going to stay out of my personal life from now on, right?"
"Yes..."
"I can't hear you..."
"Yes, I'll keep out of your personal life. Those date things at least." Mulder sighed.
"Thank you." Scully chuckled. "And you can bring in the fresh coffee and danishes in the morning for penance."
"Hmm... what would I have to do to bring you breakfast in bed?"
"Good night, Mulder." She paused. "And thanks for the concern. I do appreciate it."
"'Night, Scully." He said softly. Putting the phone back down, he looked at the baseball game and grinned as the runner slid into home plate. "You're outta there, buddy..."
*************
"You've become a world-class hopeless romantic.""Not hopeless... hopeful. A world-class hopeful romantic."Joan Wilder -- Romancing The Stone