From: shirlock Date: Fri, 9 Apr 99 08:57:10 +0800 Subject: New Fanfict: Perception vs. Reality Title: Perceptions vs. reality Author: Shirlock Rating: General Category: Vignette Spoilers: Ever so brief ; Don't bust a neuron recalling. Summary: Mulder's introspection and perceptions of Dana Scully when he finds her at Starbuck's with a man. This is part II of a three-part vignette about Perceptions. The first one is entitled "Private Perceptions" but you don't need to read that to understand this. Disclaimer: All characters belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and Fox. We write stuff like this because we are so damned in love with his characters. So, sue us! Mulder was jogging at a pace that didn't cramp his muscles nor strain his lungs. It was at a perfect sixty-stride per minute run. The quickened throbbing in his temples coupled with the stream of perspiration running down his back was a good sign. The weather was beautiful, Spring having arrived and relocated to the springs in his step as he finally drew up in the outskirts of Georgetown. Some twenty minutes or1200-plus strides later, he wasn't surprised to find himself on M Street, a block from Starbuck's cafe. He slowed down as the irrepressible image of Dana Scully projected itself onto his mind's screen. Georgetown, Starbucks, Scully sipping a short decaf mocha; Since when had life been not about him but all about her? The rubber on his jogging shoes burned when they screeched to a grating halt. The image of Scully in his mind vanished but his partner sipping coffee in the corner of Starbucks materialised instead. But she wasn't alone. A man with sandy blonde hair sat from across her. His profile was handsomely chiselled, the sharp angle of his nose poised above the stubborn half-circle of his chin. His lips were thin, but moving rapidly. They revealed straight white teeth beneath. The man seemed to know Dana very well because he was touching the back of her hand willing her to look at him. Then his movements revealed laughter, the type that made you laugh with your head thrown back with a jiggly belly. Then as if on cue, Dana Scully mimicked him. Mulder glanced at his watch. 8:35am. Scully was never an early-riser on Saturdays. Or wasn't she? If they had a case, she was always up before him, but why had he thought she was not an early bird Saturdays? What did he base that assumption on? Certainly not by personal experience. And what about this? Here she was, bright and early with a man, sipping coffee and laughing over heavens-knows-what and, and...(his heart sank) sharing a danish. Mulder moved to the edge of the large window and watched. He promised himself. Another round of coffee and they continued to talk. =8COld boyfriend' was Mulder's first guess. =8CNew boyfriend' was his next. The shop was quite empty except for another couple cuddling in the opposite corner, hemming themselves into a nice snuggle from the rest of the world. They shared a muffin and a cup. They were young and besotted with one another, their hair tousled and their faces radiant. They were at that age where loving sentiments were worn on the outside, having spent the night in wild abandon likely the cause of their early morning rumpled look. In contrast, he looked back at the other couple. Mulder eyeballed his partner and found she had quietened down but she still had that grin lingering around her lips. The grin that usually took the quick-witted Fox Mulder one remark to turn into a toothy smile. He watched the young man gesticulate wildly and she pulled at his flailing arms trying to stop his tale. Mulder watched, fascinated and mesmerized by this young man's ability to make her laugh, again. And again. Of course he had thought pretty well, afterall, you don't go about six years without talking about some personal issues. But he realised he knew Scully during the seasons of their partnership but the Dana Scully of the past? There, he conceded he hadn't even grazed the surface of who she was. Six years and he hadn't felt like he needed to know beyond the professional fa=E7ade; now it suddenly seemed insufficient. He called her his friend and partner, his one in five billion, as he recalled. But as he stood there watching, he was clueless because the person in there gazing lovingly at the young man was a complete stranger. His defenses kicked in. Would she want to, beyond all he's already revealed to her? Maybe he was being selfish and arrogant but he wanted to know who else made up her days, what else intrigued her, how she folded her t-shirts, and how she peels potatoes? They weren't laughing anymore, but another emotion had overcome their tired, spent faces. Scully sagged her shoulders and dropped her head, looking more tired than he had ever seen her. Maybe she didn't have a good night's rest. Maybe her night wasn't spent *resting*. The man with her didn't look like a casual acquaintance, and he had an air of possessiveness about him as he walked over to embrace Scully. When he stood up, he almost brushed the lamp above them. He must've been at least 6'2. Impervious to all and sundry, he embraced her and pulled her tightly against his chest, crushing her to him as he rubbed her back with comforting strokes. Mulder imagined her softly sobbing into his chest needing comfort and drawing strength. Mulder got so angry his hands balled into fist while he continued to cradle her head in his arms. He straightened up to look at her and that was when Mulder caught the graphics printed on his back- "FBI- Federal Bureau of Incompetants." No...of Investigation. He groaned inwardly. One of their own. His heart plummeted to the balls of his feet. Was it his reinvolvement with Diana that blinded him? When did she get a chance to meet another agent? Lab technician? Definitely agent-looking material. The sun was leaving its angry mark on his neck. It was already 9:05 am. They'd been there for at least half an hour and didn't look like they were done talking. Scully must really love this man. She didn't even once look away to check if someone was watching them. She took out a tissue from her jeans' pocket and blew her nose, while he continued to grasp and rub her shoulder. Her gentle nodding was replete with meaning. She was trying to forgive him. It was a nod that Mulder knew. <:Lover's spat? Stood her up? Ditched her for someone else? Whatever's wrong between them is water under the bridge now.> Mulder could see the words of forgiveness and of pardon in their body language. Before he knew it, they were getting up. Mulder scrambled to Barnes and Nobles who had just opened their front doors five minutes ago. He stood behind a tall Best Seller placard and watched for them to emerge from Starbucks. To his surprise, they didn't part company, but instead she snaked her arm behind him as he draped his arm around her shoulder blades. They walked towards Wisconsin Avenue where Mulder espied her silver Ford parked by the canal. They drove off in the general direction of her apartment. Mulder finally exhaled, closing his eyes briefly, feeling like his heart had raced for ten miles without ever taking a step. It wasn't the thought that Scully would leave him that would perforate his life, leaving pockets of disillusionment and futile hopes in its aftermath. It was the thought that she would get married and still worked with him. Isn't that wholly unworkable? Had he only trusted her implicitely because she was single? It made sense didn't it, that when two people got married, the trust would be stronger between husband and wife? He didn't want that to happen. He didn't want a stronger bond to supersede theirs. Mulder took a cab back to his car parked near the Lincoln Memorial and drove straight to Scully's. He needed to talk to her like his future depended on it. It did. Georgetown Scully's apartment "Mulder. What are you doing here?" Mulder sighed, interpreting her words as "go away, it's my day off" But her actions contridicted his interpretation. The door swung open and she waved her arm to beckon him in. Mulder looked for the young man or any hints of his presence and found it in abundance as if he were right at home. Two sized-14 shoes were by the door, as was his large Janson haversack on her credenza. Two computer laptops were facing each other on the dining room table. A leather attache was under the glass coffee table and two volumious books with handwritten notes were scrawled on its coversheet. He made out "Bioscience, foramen of Magendie, and something akin to Lederberg technique" in an unfamiliar handwriting. It was certainly not Dana's handwriting. So, he's a doctor. No surprises there. "Actually, I'm rather glad you're here, Mulder." She said moving to face him."There's someone I've wanted you to meet for a long time." Mulder echoed her words of damnation. There was no malice, but Mulder wondered if she never knew how he might feel at this precise moment? Could she not have an inkling that by this introduction she'd be leaving him for good? Perhaps not physically, but she'd be severing a bond of trust, even as he suddenly remembered Diana's reappearance might've done the same to her. In a flash, he felt deeply contrite. The sound of someone closing wardrobe doors made Mulder look up. The same familiar face emerged from the guest room, a hint of surprise skimmed across his handsome features before he stuck out an open hand. Scully beamed at both men, her proud gaze resting on the taller man. She slipped an arm around his back and beamed at Mulder. "Mulder," she smiled, "meet the newly appointed Biochemist at the University of Pennsylvania. My brother, Dr. Charles Scully." End. Author's note: We love Mulder for his muddle-addledness and we love Scully for her Enigmatism. All in all, we love them because they're painfully insecure, socially inept, incredibly intelligent and unwittingly sexy individuals. This is the formula to all unmarrieds on TV. For those who care to comment, feedback to shirlock@pacific.net.sg