From: qtpie103@juno.com Date: Sun, 21 Nov 1999 17:29:57 -0500 Subject: Fanfic Source: direct Seeing Double By: "Bean" qtPIE103@juno.com Rating: PG Classification: An X-file/ a little bit of romance Mulder and Scully and all X-files related characters do not belong to me, I am assuming that Chris Carter is a pretty easygoing guy and won't sue me for copyright infringement. All other characters, places and ideas belong to me so if I discover that they are stolen/copied in any way I will send you a deadly computer virus. Summary: Mulder meets and investigates an intriguing young woman with an amazing ability Spoilers: None Archive: Anywhere I guess, just let me know. Thanks: To Bruce Harwood, Dean Haglund, and Tom Braidwood. For those of you out there who don't know who they are, they're the Lone Gunman. (Byers, Langly, and Frohike respectively) You guys rock! A Word from Bean: I'm still new at this whole Fanfic thing. Constructive criticism appreciated, but be gentle! Be sure to write me and tell me what you think. (Note: please label e-mail subjects: *Fanfic*) Thank you. :-) 10:38 p.m. Mulder's bar Mulder had just finished his 30th shot and put down the glass. Work had been exceptionally trying today, and he just wanted to relax. He glanced around the bar, all the regulars were there, most half passed out, one was being dragged out the door by the bouncer. He sighed and wondered how many hours he spent wasting here getting, well, wasted. Not wanting to think too hard, he asked the bartender for another shot. He looked up, and saw some new women come in. He thought they were in their early twenties but he couldn't be too sure, his vision was starting to blur. One of the two headed for the back, flirting with most of the guys, the other sat down next to him. He glanced up for a minute, and saw that it was a *very* attractive woman, she looked barely twenty, but then again, he wasn't that good judge of a woman's age. She was wearing a black mini-skirt and a tight fitting royal blue top, which set off her blue eyes. He figured he looked a little trashy so he was surprised when she began talking to him. "Hey," she said, crossing her slender legs. "Hi," he mumbled back. "You're Fox Mulder, right?" she said, studying his profile. He looked up and stared at her, "How did you know that?" he asked confusedly. She smiled, "I have my ways." "Do you want me to buy you a drink?" he asked. "Sure,"she said, "Thanks." He ordered a beer, and she sat sipping contently. He ordered another shot, and downed it, all the while staring at her, trying to remember the last time he did this, sat at a bar with an attractive woman. "You already know my name," he said, trying to start a conversation, "But what's yours?" "Tanya," she replied, sipping her drink. "Tanya," he repeated. They chatted for a while, and Mulder was trying to remember the last time he was with a woman, a real one, not some porn chick. (You must remember he's drunk, guys.) He excused himself, and stood up to go to the men's room, but drunkenly stumbled. She got up, and grabbed him before he hit the floor. She helped him up, and still holding his arm, led him to the bathroom. He enjoyed the feel of her touch, and hoped he could feel more of it later. After he peed, they continued to drink and talk and he was beginning to like this Tanya girl a lot. Finally, around shot number fifty-two. He decided, or rather the tender decided, it was time to go home. Tanya helped him to the curb, and stood with him while he hailed a cab. Mulder was trying to think of a way to tactfully ask her back to his place, when her flirty, cheerful expression vanished. She blinked several times, and he stared at her trying to figure out what was going on. The cab pulled up and he reached for the door handle, she grabbed his arm and begged him not to. Thoughts of getting her in the sack vanished, and his drunken lust was replaced with drunken anger. "Back off," he said, shaking his arm from her grip. "Fox,"she said in a pleading tone, "That driver is drunker then you, if you get in that cab I swear you won't make a block." He stared at her, trying to grasp what she was saying. Meanwhile, another drunken patron stumbled from the bar and took Mulder's cab. The taxi sped off, and Mulder watched it go. It had gone barely a block when it swerved and smashed into a telephone pole, obviously killing both the passenger and driver. "What the..." he mumbled, turning to Tanya. She, however was in no mood to explain, "Told you!" she said, turning from him, and storming off, much like a little girl who is throwing a tantrum. "Wait up!" he called after her. Seeing that she wouldn't, he groaned and chased after her. "I want to know how you knew that," he said, panting and lagging behind her. "I saw it," she said over her shoulder, "I saw you getting into the car, it being smashed to bits, I saw your funeral Fox! It was closed casket, some red head was crying her eyes out, three bums were in mournful silence, I saw them bury you!" "Wait, please," he said, and thankfully, she stopped and turned to him. "How...did.....you..." he said trying to piece together a decent question. "I don't know how I know those things," she said, "I just do." "Do you want to explain this to me over coffee or something?" he asked, hailing another cab. "Yeah, sure, whatever," she said shrugging. The cab pulled up. He reached for the handle once again, "Is this one ok?" he asked apprehensively. She nodded, and in they climbed. They rode in silence, each pondering the same question......... 12:45 a.m. Mulder's Apartment They sat on Mulder's couch holding cups of coffee. He thought that Tanya might be an X-file, but he was beginning to forget that. His mind began drifting back to what he wanted to do earlier that evening. Tanya, oblivious to Mulder's urges, thought he was waiting to sober up before he questioned her. He kept almost asking her a question, then changing his mind. He took a sip of his coffee, and then leaned over to put it on the coffee table, however he knocked it over and it spilled. "Ooops," he said, and they reached to pick it up at the same time, their hands touching, eyes meeting. The chemistry was obvious. He opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind yet again, she gazed at him, and he leaned over and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around him, and they continued to, well make out. This probably would have gotten a little too hot, if the phone didn't interrupt them. Groaning, he reached for it and said, "Mulder." "Mulder it's me." said Scully. "Scully," he said surprised, he was usually the one making the late night calls not her. "I know, it's late," she said apologetically, "But I had the weirdest dream and I thought...." she trailed off when she heard Tanya whine in the background. "Mulder," she said, her tone changing completely. "Is there someone over there?" "Uhh, yes actually," he said, trying to think of a story to tell her, "I..uhh..met someone in the bar and it's a....well she's an X-file." It wasn't *really* lying she was an X-file, just he sorta forgot that and was concentrating on the fact that she was a *woman* in *his* apartment. "Oh." she said, "Do you want me to come over and help you question her?" "Uhh, if you want." "I'll be there in a minute," she said, hanging up. He hung up the phone and turned meekly towards Tanya, "Who was that and why are they coming over," she asked annoyed. "My partner, Agent Scully." "Great," she said sarcastically, fixing her hair. "Fine, maybe your partner will be interested in a threesome." Mulder raised an eyebrow, Tanya apparently wanted the same thing he did. "Where's your bathroom?" she asked standing up. He pointed and she went in. Then there came a knocking on his door. He got up and let Scully in. She looked at him, raising her eyebrow at his mussed hair and disheveled clothes. She didn't say anything, however, and made her way to his couch. Noticing the cups, and the spill, she looked back at Mulder. "I was...uh, just getting to that," he said, heading to the kitchen to get a towel. Nothing got past Scully, she saw that the spill was cold, and the cups, warm. Therefore, she concluded, it had happened and he didn't care, *He was too busy 'investigating',* she thought sullenly. Mulder returned with the towel, and started dabbing at the spill, just then, Tanya came back into the room, and stood stock still, staring at Scully. "*That's* your partner?" she asked, staring at her. Scully turned and studied Tanya, "Yes, I am, Special Agent Dana Scully," she said extending her hand. Tanya ignored the gesture, and Mulder looked up. "Whoa," he said. It was too, too weird. They could have been twins. They both had the same red hair, cut the same way, the same bright blue eyes, the same porcelain skin. They were the same height, and the same weight. The only difference was that Scully dressed conservatively, while Tanya looked like, well a one-night stand. "I guess you like red heads," Tanya muttered, sitting back down. Scully remained standing, and Mulder was still on the floor, taking his time about cleaning up the spill. "Can we hurry this up?" Tanya asked, annoyed. "Yeah, Mulder," Scully said, equally annoyed, 'Hurry up." He straightened up and tossed the towel on the table. "Ok," he said sitting in his desk chair. "Tell us about this....talent." Tanya glanced at Scully, and then gazed at Mulder. "Well, you see, I can see the future." Scully coughed, possibly covering up a laugh. Tanya glared at her before continuing, "Not all the time, just when something bad is going to happen, I see it, and I can try to change it. That's really it." Scully, the ever skeptic, didn't buy it, "So why do you think you have this ability, when did it start happening, why are you bothering us about it?" Tanya gave her a *look* before continuing. "I don't know exactly when it started, possibly when I was eleven. That's when I remember first seeing bad situations and trying to stop them. I don't know why, I think it had to do with these guys in suits who picked me up one day.... They took me to a hospital type place. Then I remember waking up in the middle of DC, my head killing me. Then I saw a woman yell at her boy, then I saw forward to him getting hit by a car, and I saw it happen. I didn't get it at first, I thought I imagined it or something, but it happened too often to ignore." "As for bothering you," she said turning to Scully, "I just want it to stop, and I heard that you guys worked with people like me, with weird problems." Mulder was pondering her story, "Why did you go with them when you were eleven?" She shrugged, "I had run away from home, my dad was a drunk, my mom was dead, I hated it. I was naive, and they promised me happiness or something, so I went with them." Mulder nodded, "Why do you want it to stop?" Tanya sighed, "It's so horrible," she began, speaking slowly. "I mean, I saw my best friend's death, I saw her get raped, and beaten and shot and bleed to death. I told her not to go, to go on her date with the guy, I told her why, she said I was crazy, and she went, and the next day I saw it in the paper..." she stopped and fought back tears, "I just want it to stop, there are so many horrible things happening in the world, things you can't stop, I hate knowing it all...." "It's ok," Mulder said, going over to Tanya's side, "We'll get it to stop," he rubbed her back while Scully stared at him in disbelief. "Mulder!" she exclaimed, and he looked up at her, "You don't actually *believe* the load of shit she just told us do you?" Tanya stopped crying and glared at Scully, "I mean it makes absolutely no sense, none at all. Little green men seem closer to the truth then guys in suits in hospitals picking up eleven year olds." "Scully," Mulder said, speaking with authority, "I believe her, she showed me what she can do, and I'd thank you very much to get off her case." Scully stared at him openmouthed. "Looks like someone is getting too close with our X-file," she muttered under her breath. "Look, if you can't help me, I'll just go," she said standing up, and grabbing her purse. "No, don't go, I know someone, three someone's actually, who are really into this kind of stuff." "Great," she said smiling at him, "i have to go now," she said, checking her watch, "But let's check them out tomorrow, what time?" "Meet us here, at, two?" "Alright. Bye Fox," she said, heading to the door, "Bye..... What's was your name again?" "Scully," she said, very annoyed. "Yeah, that's it, bye Scully." With that, she left. Scully was annoyed, tired and in no mood to talk to Mulder about this X-file. "Good night Mulder," she said, leaving him alone, wondering what he did wrong. The Lone Gunman's Apartment 2:08 p.m. Mulder, Scully, and Tanya stood in front of the door, waiting to be let in. Scully wasn't really talking to Mulder, and was completely ignoring Tanya. Finally, Langly let them in. "What the..." he said, trailing off, looking at Scully and Tanya. They went inside, and Frohike stood up, "Oh my God," he said, staring at the two women, "Have I died and gone to heaven?" Tanya smiled flirtily at him, and Scully rolled her eyes. "What happened, Mulder," asked Byers, noticing the similarities, "Trouble cloning?" "It looks like it worked to me." said Frohike. Mulder explained the situation, Tanya interjecting points he left out. By the end of his story, all three of the Lone Gunman were head-over-heels in love with Tanya. She flirted with them, and they devoured the attention. Finally, Mulder broke into Tanya's flirtfest. "So can you guys help her or not?" "I don't know," said Byers, sitting down in front of a computer, "Let me check out a few things." Tanya moved next to him, and leaned forward watching what he was doing. "What are you checking out?" she asked, he turned to answer her, and got a great view of cleavage valley. He paused, and Tanya looked at him, noticing what he was staring at, she straightened up. Before he could answer her, Scully exploded, "I can't believe you guys believe this... this slut!" They all stared at her openmouthed. "This is so stupid," she continued, "Mulder, I'm leaving. I'll walk." She turned and walked towards the door, Tanya blinked and Mulder noticed that that was the same thing she did the last time she 'saw forward'. "Scully," she said, "Don't go, please don't" "Oh, what is it? Are you going to make up some crazy story about a car crash? I have better things to do." She left, ignoring Tanya's pleas. "Fox," she said, turning towards him, "We have to stop her, there's a gang shooting, she'll walk right in the middle of it!" Mulder stared at her, "Please say you're making that up." She shook her head, "I'm sorry." Wordlessly he ran out the door and down the stairs. After looking around the room at the frozen Gunmen, she followed him. They stood in the middle of the road, "Where?" he asked looking around, she pointed down the road. He saw Scully walking along, and then he saw some guys with blue bandannas running out of a rundown building, then some guys with red bandannas poured out of a van that was parked across the street. "No!" Mulder yelled, Scully was in between the two groups, she was just grasping what was going on. Tanya sprinted to her, just as the red guys began shooting at the blues. One bullet was headed right for Scully, Tanya dived in front of her, taking the bullet. Tanya then fell and hit the pavement. The gangs shot some more, and then the groups dispersed. Mulder ran to the two women, and Scully crouched by Tanya's side, putting pressure on the wound, trying to stop the bleeding. Tanya coughed up some blood, and looked at Mulder. He crouched next to her. She pulled him close and whispered in his ear, "I knew there was no one who could help me, but you and Dana can help others.....cough......She needs to live....take care of her....." She then fell limp, and Scully looked at Mulder, who was about to cry. "Mulder I'm so sorry," she felt like she might cry too, "I know you loved her." He looked at Scully, and shook his head. "How can I love someone else Scully, when you have already stolen my heart?" They gazed at each other, emotions they had kept bottled up for six years pouring out, they leaned over the dead body, and kissed. Well, almost dead body. She was taking her last breath, and she saw them kiss, and before she died, she 'saw forward' for one last time. Tanya's Vision It was fall and the red and gold leaves were piled high around the trees in the park. Two small children, a boy of five and a girl of three, were running through the leaves. Scully sat nearby, Mulder by her side. They watched the children smiling, and kissed each other. The yellow sun glinted off a diamond ring on her right hand, Mulder put his hand on her unusually large stomach and they smiled, "What will we call our first baby?" he asked her, "Tanya," she replied. "What if it's a boy?" he asked. "It's going to be a girl," she said. And they kissed again. There you go, I hope you people at Gossamer enjoyed it. I understand if you reject it, it's not my best, but I must say, not to be egotistical or anything, but it's better then some of the stuff you publish, but that's my own opinion. ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.