From: "Spooky Jr." Date: Sun, 15 Jul 2001 17:20:39 -0000 Subject: Story resubmission: Stepping Out Source: direct Title: Stepping Out Of Yourself Author: Spooky Jr. (spooky_jr@hotmail.com) Rating: PG Category: SRC, Alternate Reality Spoilers: None Keywords: Mulder/Scully Romance, Alternate Reality Summary: Not provided at author's request. Disclaimer: Never will Chris Carter ever think about writing such an episode. I do not own them, but I am borrowing them for free. Same goes with the songs. They belong to Sinatra, Monroe, Elvis and whomever that wrote them. I'm a broke uni student, living on scholarship money. Don't sue. Author's note: I know nothing of oldies. I'm guessing here and there. This is not with the X-Files timeline, so I put Mulder & Scully's age a little closer. *** September 1974 Young Dana Scully sat apprehensively in the elegantly furnished living room. Her feet dangled a few feet off the ground from the armchair she sat on. She looked at the clock, folded her arms again and looked out the window. It was a gloomy day, and the only light came from a small lamp in a corner. The clouds moved around wildly as the wind blew harshly. Shadows were creeping around the room, and she watched the play of light. Footsteps came into the living room. "Dana, she wants to see you," said her mother. She nodded, sliding off the chair. Behind her mother, she saw her sister in the hallway, leaned against the wall, eyes focused on a spot. Her brothers were unusually silent. Her mother's face was tear stained. Ahab was probably in the kitchen. Dana climbed up the staircase, turned left and knocked on the first door. "Come in," she heard a voice. Dana opened the door. The bedroom looked the same, cheerful as always. A small record player stood in the corner, and next to it were shelves of records. Framed photos were on the wall, ranging from Ella Fitzgerald to Shirley Bassey. A chair was placed next to the bed, where a figure lay. Dana pushed the chair aside, sitting on the bed. "Dana..." said her grandmother. "Yes?" her grandmother looked pale. She had lost a lot of weight. But her voice, though now weak, still radiated sunshine. She didn't say anything, she looked at Dana, and she understood. Dana smiled slightly... she took her grandmother's hand in hers, and proceeded to whisper a song, any song, that they used to sing. "Dream when you're feeling blue. Dream, that's the thing to do. Just watch the smoke rings rise in the air. You'll find your ship of memories there. So, dream when the day is through. Dream and they might come true. Things never are as bad as they seem, So dream, dream, dream. Things never are as bad as they seem, So dream, dream, dream." Her grandmother whispered along to some of the words. Slowly, her eyes began to close. *** 6 years later Dana lugged the last box up the stairs and into her bedroom. It was larger than her old one, and this time she didn't have to share it with Missy. Bill had gone off to join the Navy like Ahab, Missy was in her senior year, and she a sophomore, and Charlie starting out junior high. And Ahab said this time they'd be staying for quite a while. Dana was glad that she'd be able to stay put for a while. She began to unpack the boxes. Missy came in and threw a bunch of folded sheets and pillows on her bed. Dana looked at the furniture arranged in her room. She took a long look at the old shelf, in the corner. She walked to it and pushed it to another wall, where she could see it, rather than having it hidden in the dark corner. She opened a particular box and arranged the records neatly on the shelf. She opened another box, and there the record player lay. She lifted it out and put it on the small table next to the shelf. *** Monday morning Dana slid down the stair bannister and into the kitchen. Ahab was already awake, and, her mother was cooking breakfast. Dana opened a cupboard and took out a box of crackers. "Oh no, parrot food again?" Missy said as she sauntered into the room, obviously dressed to impress for her first day in their new school. Ahab glanced at the skirt Missy wore, but made no comment. Dana spread some jam over the crackers and sad down next to Ahab. He kissed her forehead. "Hey Starbuck. How do you like it here?" "It's alright," she replied, taking another cracker and pouring herself some juice. Ahab rose from his seat, gave Dana another kiss, then hugged his wife and Missy, and patted Charlie on the back as he left the kitchen. Dana took another cracker and went up to her room. She glanced over at the shelf... and then her eyes fell upon the table. A record lay next to it. She touched the record cover lightly. She looked up at the clock, checked herself in the mirror, once more, grabbed her bag and left her room. *** At school. Dana sat next to Missy at the principal's office, waiting for her timetable to be given to her. Missy was peering out into the hallway, obviously checking out the guys. Dana rolled her eyes. Finally a woman called their names and handed them their timetable sheets. Dana saw that she had gotten into the advanced classes that she wanted. Missy groaned. She still had to do Chemistry. Dana could have been in the same year as Missy, but Missy, what with an ego and all, sulked for a week when Dana considered moving to 6th grade instead of 5th when they were kids. Dana was bright, and she knew it, and she used it to her advantage, taking classes not many would dream of doing. This amazed Bill, and Ahab shook his head, wondering where she got her brains from. Maggie only worried that she wouldn't have friends around her. Dana managed to find her first class easily. She looked at the ground floor layout of the school and figured out the rest from there. She smiled inwardly, thinking of how Missy would stop a guy to help her find her class rather than use simple logic. She chose a seat near the back and took out her notebook, waiting for class to start. She watched as people filled the classroom, mostly seniors. A tall, brown haired guy slid into the seat next to her. He smiled at her, but she looked away. Mr Johnson finally entered the class, and the students silenced. He read off names from the list. Dana found out that the guy who smiled at her was called Fox Mulder. When Dana's name was called out, Mr Johnson glanced at her for a second, then continued the roll call. "Okay then, we're going to start with a..." *** Lunchtime... Dana emerged from class, pleased with its results. In fact, she was pleased with all her classes. When the teachers gave class work, she was the first to hand it up with all the answers correct (and she didn't even consult her books), and the Advanced Physics teacher sprung a surprise quiz, and she was sure she got full marks for it. She entered the cafeteria and lined up for some food. Once she had paid for her sandwich and juice, she chose a corner to sit in. She wanted to watch the people in this school. She understood the perils of social life in high school, and she stayed away from it. Missy called her weird, but Dana liked it. At least she didn't have to plan what she had to wear the next day seven days in advance. Dana remembered earning a slap from Missy when she made that comment several years ago. She saw Fox Mulder sitting with two of his friends, laughing and smiling. Dana wondered when Missy was going to notice his existence, considering she had acknowledged the existence of almost all the guys in senior year and then some, sans Fox Mulder, but not for long, Dana thought. *** She was glad when school was finally over. She was hoping to explore the area where she lived, hoping to find a secluded spot somewhere, a place where she could be alone. Dana dumped all her bag in her bedroom, changed into more comfortable clothes and was out the door 10 minutes later. Missy was just driven up the street by some guy she had been able to charm into sending her home. Dana avoided Missy and the guy, walking fast to... wherever. She came to the edge of a forest. She looked at her watch. It took her fifteen minutes to get there. She walked further into the trees, wondering where she might end up. It was all trees, she noticed, when she heard the sound of a babbling brook. She followed the sound until she reached a small stream, which was only ankle deep. The peered into the water, but there were no fish. It was too shallow for fish to swim around anyway. There were several rocks around the area, some by the stream, some a little further away and there was a flat rock by a nearby tree. She sat down on a rock by the stream, watching the sunshine play on the moving water, making it sparkle and shimmer like diamonds. Dana kept staring until she saw a reflection form on the water. Not hers, but someone else's. She smiled at the reflection, and it smiled back. *** Dana went back home in better spirits. Her mother said dinner would be ready in a couple of hours. Missy was on the phone as usual. Charlie was out in the garden. She shut herself in her room and finished her own homework, and that didn't take much time at all. She glanced at the shelf in the corner as she put away her books. She made her way to it and lifted the small record player from its place on the table and lay it on the floor. She took out one of the records. "Come fly with me lets fly lets fly away If you can use some exotic booze There's a bar in far Bombay Come fly me with lest fly lets fly away Come fly with me lets float down to Peru In llama land there's a one-man band And he'll toot, his flute for you Come fly with me lets take off in the blue Once I get you up there Where the air is rare We'll just lie, starry-eyed Once I get you up there I'll be holding you so dear You may hear angels cheer Cause we're together Weather-wise it's such a lovely day Just say the words and we'll beat the birds Down to Acapulco Bay It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say Come fly with me lets fly lets fly away Once I get you up there Where the air is rare We'll just lie, starry-eyed Once I get you up there I'll be holding you so dear You may hear angels cheer Cause we're together Weather-wise it's such a lovely day You just say the words and we'll beat the birds Down to Acapulco Bay It's perfect for a flying honeymoon, they say Come fly with me lets fly Pack up lets fly away" Missy groaned, "Oh, could you hold on for a second, Melvin?" She opened her bedroom door and walked down the hall to Dana's bedroom. She didn't bother trying the door. It was locked as usual. Instead, she pounded on it. "Cool it, Dana!" But the volume stayed the same. Missy rolled her eyes, pounded on the door again and again. Eventually she gave up and went back to her room. Dana sat on the floor with the record cover in her hands, reading it for what was the millionth time. She looked up at her bedside table, where a framed photo of her grandmother sat. She stared at it for a long time, until she heard Missy pounding on the door again, this time yelling that dinner was ready. *** "Bill, I'm worried about Dana," said Maggie that night, and almost ever other night. "Maggie, I tried talking to her, she won't open up. She plays those records every day. I'm worried too. But she seems to be doing fine in school..." "She's not. Her grades are exceptional. But what about friends? I've never gotten so much as a phone call asking for her, she's always home as soon as school is over and she wanders off by herself..." "Maggie, if we force her, she won't come around. We can't do anything." Maggie sighed. If Bill didn't know what to do about Dana, who else would? *** Dana entered her Advanced Physics classroom the next week, choosing the same seat again. She looked out into the little bit of the hallway that she could see from her seat. Missy was talking, no, flirting with Fox Mulder. Dana squinted. Was it her, or was that red skirt Missy was wearing a few inches shorter than it formerly was? Dana rolled her eyes, and then again as Missy gave a flirtatious wave to Fox Mulder as he entered the class. "Hi," he said, sliding into the seat next to her. She nodded, acknowledging his presence. "Was that your sister I was talking to just now?" he asked. Dana nodded again. All she wanted was for class to start. Almost a second later, Mr Johnson strode in, and the class settled down. She sighed inwardly with relief. *** Fox Mulder wondered about the girl next to him. She had red hair just like Melissa Scully, the girl he had been talking to outside before class. Melissa said that the girl was her, "Brainy, silent little sister. Not worth talking to. Never can get a word out of her." Fox thought Dana must take the term 'speak only when necessary' too far. He noticed Dana avoided eye contact with people, including teachers, even when answering questions. He shared the same Advanced Chemistry, Advanced Biology and Calculus class as she, other than Advanced Physics, though he only got to sit next to her in AP class. Fox called "Yes," when Mr Johnson called his name, and when he called Dana's, she merely raised her hand, looking down at her books. Mr Johnson smiled, but shook his head. Fox knew why. Most teachers worried about students who never talked much, and the only reason Mr Johnson smiled was because he knew Dana was a contradiction: she was very bright, but never spoke. *** Saturday morning Dana woke up that morning to the sound of Missy pounding at the bathroom door, asking Charlie to hurry up. Dana rolled over and peered at the bright sunshine peeking through the chink in the curtains. It was a sunny Saturday, the way Saturdays usually are. She thought about what she wanted to do that day, stretched, pushed the covers off her. She'd wait for the noise outside to be over before she ventured out on her own. When Missy's and Charlie's shouting subsided, Dana opened a crack of her door and peered at the bathroom door opposite. She saw Missy passing her door, straightening her blue skirt. She was obviously going to hang out somewhere, considering that she was dressed up quite nicely for a Saturday morning. Dana went into the bathroom and took her shower. By the time she was dressed and ready to go down to breakfast, Charlie had left to meet his new friends and Missy was frantically trying to match her blue skirt with a pair of earrings. Missy had many blue earrings of different shades, and Dana wondered why she was having a hard time matching a blue skirt with earrings. She went to the kitchen, where Maggie was having a cup of coffee, reading the paper. Ahab had gone out to sea again. Maggie smiled at Dana, "Good morning." Dana mumbled, "Morning mom." Dana knew Maggie and Ahab worried about her, which is why Dana usually replied to Maggie and Ahab rather than nodding the way she usually does. She spread peanut butter over her crackers and munched on them as she poured herself some milk. When Dana was done with breakfast, she said, "I'm going out." "Have fun," Maggie said, giving Dana a kiss. Dana went upstairs to get her bag. Missy was still at the earring fiasco. Dana went into her room, opened the jewellery box where Missy kept her earrings, shuffled around them a bit and produced a pair of blue earrings. Dana went back downstairs to Missy, who was holding another different pair of blue earrings up to Maggie, who, despite approving of every single one, still couldn't convince Missy that every pair matched the skirt. Dana walked to Missy and held her hand out. Missy looked at the earrings and brightened. "Thanks!" Missy called before Dana shut the door behind her. Maggie rolled her eyes and went back to the paper. *** Dana walked the fifteen minutes to the stream. She smelled the fresh air and listened to the sound of the wind rustling against the leaves. No one was around, and Dana suspected not many know about the stream, since it was quite deep into the forest. She took out some of the records she put into her back. One of the songs floated into her mind as she stared at the cover. "Chicago, Chicago That toddlin' town Chicago, Chicago I'll show you around, I love it Bet your bottom dollar You'll lose the blues In Chicago, Chicago The town that Billy Sunday Could not shut down On State Street, that great street I just wanna say They do thing's They don't do on Broadway, say They have the time The time or their life I saw a man He danced with his wife In Chicago, my home town" She closed her eyes and slowly spun around. She let the rays of sunshine peering through the tree branches fall, warm on her face. "Chicago, Chicago That toddlin' town Chicago, Chicago I'll show you around, I love it Bet your bottom dollar You'll lose the blues In Chicago, Chicago The town that Billy Sunday Could not shut down On State Street, that great street I just wanna say They do thing's They don't do on Broadway, say They have the time The time or their life I saw a man He danced with his wife In Chicago Chicago, my home home town" She opened her eyes and slowly danced around, imagining all sorts of wonderful things with the music filling her ears, and the distant sound of the stream. Her grandmother always loved to dance around when playing these records, and when they were done, her grandmother would sit down and tell her all about the things she imagined while dancing. But the loss of her grandmother also brought about her silence, and her retreat into the world of old records. Dana was painfully shy, she couldn't assert herself and never spoke a word unless necessary. One would wonder what Dana would be like if her grandmother were still alive. *** Fox sat in the ice-cream parlour with Melvin and Ringo, watching schoolmates come in to eat and listen to the radio. Melvin was waiting for Melissa Scully. Fox wondered what Dana might be doing on a Saturday as Melissa walked in, causing a few male heads to turn, including those working at the counter. Melvin stood up and pulled a chair for Melissa. "Hi," she said to Ringo and Fox as she sat down, flashing a set of pearly whites. "Hi," Fox and Ringo said together. Melvin bought Melissa a drink and proceeded to talk to her. Ringo looked at Fox, giving an expression of pure boredom. Ringo spotted a group of other friends and nudged Fox. He and Fox stood up and excused themselves, leaving Melvin and Melissa alone. Fox wasn't listening to the conversation the guys were having. He usually had plenty to say about basketball, but today he just didn't feel like arguing about who was better. A girl who looked she was in junior high came up to her. Fox recognised her immediately. "Hi Jackie," he said. "Hi Fox. I got a letter from Samantha yesterday. She sent your letter together with mine," Jackie said, giving Fox a folded sheet of paper. Samantha was in boarding school on the other side of the country. Samantha had obtained a sports scholarship for athletics. She wrote about once a month to her friends and family. "Thanks," Fox said, taking the letter from her and smiled. Jackie returned the smile and went back to where she was sitting with her friends. Fox unfolded the letter. As usual, she was complaining about how much homework she got on top of training, how she only gets to go out on Saturdays, not watch much television, etc. Fox grinned. That's Samantha all right. The door to the parlour tinkled open, and Fox looked up. Dana had walked in, a backpack slung over her back. She walked to the counter and pointed at something in the menu, not looking sideways at anyone. She paid for her ice-cream cone and walked quickly out of the parlour. Fox got up to follow her. He almost had to run to catch up with her. "Dana!" She stopped, but didn't turn around. Fox caught up to her. "Hi, how are you?" he asked. Dana just nodded, looking straight ahead as she nibbled on her ice cream. "Just came down here?" A nod. "Wanna go for a walk?" She shook her head in the negative. Before Fox had time to reply, she had run off, her ponytail swishing behind her. It was as if she was mortally afraid of people, Fox thought. He re-entered the parlour. Ringo had a smirk on his face. Fox gave him the 'cut it out' look. As he glanced over at Melvin and Melissa, he saw Melissa looked quite furious, and Fox suspected it wasn't over Melvin. *** Saturday evening Dana sat on her bed, reading a book, while the radio by her bed played softly. She heard Missy come into the house and stomp up the stairs. Missy threw Dana's door open. Dana continued to stare at the pages of the book. "What the hell was that all about, huh Dana?!" Dana didn't speak. "You just walk in there and spoil everything, you know that? I was trying to make a good impression on Melvin and then you come in, and you didn't even have the decency to say hi to him or me. And then Fox went to talk to you and you ran away! Why the heck did you do that for? I'd like to have friends, I'd like to be happy, unlike you and your..." Missy couldn't finish, as Maggie came running up the stairs to stop Missy screaming at Dana. Dana still stared at the open page. Maggie pulled Missy away, calming her down and trying to talk some sense into her. When Maggie shut the door behind her, Dana let one tear fall. She looked up at the photo by the table, but her eyes were too blurred with tears to see properly. She wiped her eyes with her shirtsleeve, but the tears kept coming. *** Dana went down for dinner, silent as usual. Missy was still fuming over the incident. Maggie had said that it was trivial, and Charlie was teasing Missy. Maggie told Charlie to stop teasing Missy as they sat down to dinner. Missy glared at Dana. Dana looked up at Missy for a second before looking down at her plate again. No one could tell that Dana had been crying. *** Fox hung up the phone. After much assuring that he wasn't after Melissa Scully, Melvin had reluctantly given the Scullys' phone number and address. He picked up the receiver again and dialled. "Hello?" "Hi..." Fox started. "Oh, hi! Who's this? Lucky you caught me just in time! I was about to take a shower." "Oh, um, it's Fox. Is..." "Oh hi Fox! Is there something? Hold on..." Melissa said. He heard Melissa pounding on a door, "Hey! Keep it down will you!!!" She came back to the phone, "Sorry. Sisters, you know. God, she is such a prick sometimes. Anyway, what were you saying?" "Oh, nothing. Melvin was over at my place and he said Ringo and I should get to know you better since you're new and all," Fox lied. "Thanks. I appreciate it." "Okay. Listen, I have to go now. I guess I'll see you at school then. Bye." Fox hung up. His suspicions were confirmed. Melissa was angry at Dana for some reason or another. And if he guessed right, it had something to do with Dana coming into the parlour at lunchtime. *** Sunday morning. Fox sat on his seat, playing with his fingers and not listening to the sermon as usual. He risked a glance at his watch, then released a soft sigh. He looked up across and saw Dana and her family a few seats in front of him. He saw that Mr Scully wasn't with them. Melissa was sitting next to her mother, twirling a strand of hair absentmindedly. Dana stared straight ahead. It looked as if she was really listening. Fox leaned back and breathed out slowly. Sunday mornings were always slow. *** Fox jumped up as soon as the sermon was over, hoping to catch Dana on her way out. Unfortunately, people started to crowd the aisle, heading for the narrow double doors. Fox watched as Dana and her family huddled together and pass through the door. Usually people hung around church after sermon to socialise. He hoped the Scully family would do the same, too. After all, they were new in town. Finally, he was out in the fresh air, where the church lawn was scattered with people talking in groups. He could see Mrs Scully talking to a few other women, including his mother. Melissa was smoothing down her skirt as she spoke to Ron, his neighbour who just graduated from college. Dana wandered around, glancing at people. He watched as a red-haired boy ran up to her and pulled her hand. She reached into her pocket and took out some candy and gave it to the boy. He followed her as she walked aimlessly towards a tree, where there weren't so many people around. "Hi Dana," he said. Dana just nodded, suddenly very interested in the grass. "Don't you ever talk? Or are you just dumb?" Fox ventured something a little harsher than he would have thought. Dana looked up, straight into his hazel brown eyes, "Why talk when there is nothing worthwhile to say? And look who's talking about dumb." She turned to walk away. Fox grabbed her arm, "Hey let go! Ow!" she said. He loosened her grip on her, but not enough to for her to l et go. "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, okay? It's just that you never talk, not like your sister..." "Then why don't you go talk to her then?" Dana snapped. "No, no, I didn't mean it that way, I'm sorry. I just want to be friends," Fox said. Dana glared at him, "Fine, just let go of me." He let her go. She ran back to the lawn and said something to her mother. She glanced back at Fox and then ran off, obviously to her house. Fox shrugged. A little progress is better than no progress, he thought. *** Monday, at school Fox peered at the notice board. Everyone was pushing to get up front to read it. He ignored it, and headed straight for Ringo's locker. "What's up?" he asked. Ringo reached into his locker for his books, only glancing at Fox for a second, "Talent show. Prize money. Couple of hundred dollars, I think." Fox whistled. What he could do with that kind of money. He looked over at the notice board again. Almost everyone was putting their names down. He could hear Melissa's loud voice, "I can play the piano. I know! I'll play a Sinfonia by Bach!" A redhead breezed past him, but it wasn't Melissa. Dana had walked straight past the hubbub of the main hallway. Heck, s he even ignored the notice board. It was as if the world didn't need to revolve, or even evolve, around her for her to notice anything. "I'll see you later," Fox said to Ringo, running to catch up with Dana. "Sure," said Ringo, an amused expression on his face. "Hey! Dana!" Fox called. He stopped short when Dana actually turned around to look at him. He expected her to give him what he now called the patented Scully look. Instead, she gave him a small smile and nodded. He caught up with her and they walked to class. "Listen, I'm sorry..." "No, I'm sorry. You were just trying to be nice, I guess. So come on, lets get it over and done with." "I'm sorry, what?" "I mean, what do you want to know about Melissa?" Dana asked. "What? Dana, I'm not even interested in Melissa! I think she's got enough admirers on her hand, don't you?" Fox said, grinning. Dana grinned back, a bit shyly, "First person not interested in Melissa. I give you two days and one black skirt." "Give me a little credit here!" Fox said as they walked to class. Dana smiled inwardly as she sat down next to Fox in class. Charlie had talked to her the night before. Missy and Charlie may not get along, but he and Dana did. And Charlie always liked to talk to Dana if he could help her. And Charlie had said that Fox didn't even care about Missy because after Dana ran off on Sunday Fox had gone off on his own, without so much as looking at Missy. Dana wondered why. She had a very strange dream, as if she had entered another dimension. She and Fox were something like law enforcement officers, CIA, FBI, she wasn't sure. But she knew they were partners. For what, she wasn't sure. It was all hazy in that department of the dream also. Okay, so Dana had a little crush on him. Just a little. Small. Tiny. That will probably go away in a few weeks. "Dana?" "Hmm? Oh, sorry, Fox. Just thinking," she said, colouring slightly. "About what?" he inquired. "Oh, you know. Like the test we're having today," she said. "What test?" Fox looked at her, panicking. "The one we're having right now, Mr Mulder," said Mr Johnson as he strolled into class. Fox groaned. Sure, he's smart, but he would have liked to be able to prepare first. He groaned again as the papers were passed out. *** "That's not funny!" Fox said. Dana wiped her eyes, "Oh yes it is. Your face when he said he was grading them then and there!" she started laughing again. They were lining up at the cafeteria. "Come on, at least you did okay," Dana said. "Well, yeah, I guess. Eighty-five isn't that bad," Fox conceded. "Oh shut up," said Ringo, who had come up behind them. "What did Mr Johnson do to you now?" Fox asked. Ringo shrugged, "How was I supposed to know there was a test?!" "Because he said so?" Dana ventured. "When?" "Last Thursday." "When I was trying to wake you up when class finished," said Fox. "Oh," said Ringo. "Where's Melvin?" asked Fox as they sat down at a table. "Where do you think?" came another voice behind them. "Hey. Dana, meet John Byers," Fox said. "Hi, I heard you're the new genius," said John, sitting with them. Dana shrugged. "So where is Melvin?" Dana asked. Ringo shot her a knowing look. Dana rolled her eyes. "So Fox, I was just thinking..." started Ringo. "Oh no you don't," said John. "What?" "I know what you want," said John accusingly. "You mean you guys won't do it?" "Do what?" Fox interjected. "Ringo says we should do a Three Stooges thing for the show. Split the cash," John explained. Dana's shoulders shook from trying not to laugh, shaking the table. Fox sat there, dumbfounded. "No freaking way," said Fox, his eyes wide. "Aw, come on..." *** Saturday morning Dana rose early, intending to use the bathroom before the commotion started up. She heard Missy talking on the phone late into the night. Actually, that was the only thing she heard before she drifted off to sleep. She showered and dressed, and when she entered the kitchen she was met with a surprise. "Ahab!" she cried, running to her father. Bill caught his youngest daughter and twirled her around in a hug. "When did you come back?" Dana asked. "Last night... I tried to call home, but," Bill gave a knowing look. Dana nodded. They had almost an hour before the rest of the house woke up. Every time Bill came home Dana had more to talk to him than most, but somehow the outline of her days were basically more on the events, rather than how she felt. But Bill treasured the time with his Starbuck. "So what are you doing today, Starbuck?" Bill asked. "Oh, well, I was going to go out with a friend," Dana said quietly over her toast. "Who is it?" "His name is Fox. Him and his friends asked me to hang out with them at the park." "Well, have fun, Starbuck. I'm going to take a shower," Bill said, giving Dana another kiss. Dana finished her breakfast and grabbed a small backpack. She opened the front door and hit something solid. "Hey!" Fox said. Dana looked up, "Sorry, didn't see you. So, ready?" Fox nodded. *** The Park 9.30am John folded his arms, "No, no and no. Which part of 'no' don't you understand?" "Come on, guys, it'd be fun!" Ringo said. Melvin snorted. "Waitaminute, what am I supposed to do?" Fox asked. "Well, you're the innocent bystander who gets caught in the middle all the ruckus," Ringo explained. Dana snorted. "And what's the plank for?" Fox asked. Ringo picked up the plank, "You know how one of us swings it, the other dodges it from behind and the innocent guy gets hit?" "WHAT?!" "Flat-nose Fox. Now that would be an interesting nickname," Dana smiled. Fox glared at her. After about two hours of arguing, and John, Melvin and Fox reluctantly going along to Ringo's idea, they parted ways. "Want to have lunch?" Fox asked. "Sure," Dana said. They headed to town in search of food. "So are you going to do anything for that show?" Fox asked. Dana shook her head, "About half of them get kicked out during the audition. Why bother? Anyway I think one Scully in this thing is enough." "Wait, did you read that notice or not?" "No." "Because that's not how it works. Apparently everyone performs, they narrow it down, and then there's the finals," Fox explained. "Oh." "What's Missy doing?" "Playing the piano," Dana answered. "Oh, she'll get through then, if she's good," said Fox. "Well, she'll be up against a whole lot of other people who are also playing the piano." "Hmm, you're right." They found a small café that was relatively empty and they sat down at a table inside. A waitress came and took their orders. They sat in silence, watching the activity going on outside. "Dana?" "Hmm?" "I just wanted to know, why didn't you talk much when you came here? Now you're okay," Fox said. "Oh, you know, new place and everything, I was a bit scared, that's all," Dana said, pushing the topic away. Fox could tell she was lying. *** Tuesday, School Auditorium Fox stood backstage, and peeked through the curtains. "This is not funny," he muttered. "You think I like it?" John retorted, putting on a 20s-style hat. Melvin was showing of to Melissa. She was wearing an elegant green dress and holding a bunch of sheet music. "Melvin likes it," Ringo said. "Shut up," said Fox and John. "Where's Dana? I didn't see her in the audience," John said. Fox shrugged. He just wanted it to be over and done with. "Hey guys, if we make it to the finals, what say we throw a party?" Ringo suggested. John glared at him, "Pigs fly if we make it. And I'm not doing this twice." The drama teacher came up to them, "You're next." Fox groaned, adjusted his hat, and strode out with Ringo, John and Melvin. He crossed his fingers, hoping Flat-Nosed Fox isn't going to be his new nickname. *** Five minutes later... John rubbed his head, and winced when his finger hit the agony point. "You were supposed to duck!" Ringo said. "Can it, Ringo," John said. Fox was knelt in front of Melvin, putting a bandage on his forehead. "Ow!" "Sorry," Fox said. Needless to say, it didn't go off without a hitch. John forgot to duck, Ringo accidentally took an extra step back, resulting with the other end of the plank hitting Melvin's forehead, and the plank see-sawed on Ringo's shoulder and hit John on his head. Fox had run off the stage in panic. Better Chicken-Fox than Flat-Nosed Fox. "But the audience did laugh," Fox said encouragingly. "We're never gonna win," Ringo groaned. "We're not supposed to. I'm through with it. This is the, what? Tenth stupid idea you put us through?" Melvin said. The four of them left backstage and went to the auditorium, filling up some of the empty spaces. Fox scanned the audience, wondering where Dana is. "She's probably in the library, doing extra credit," John whispered, while Melvin and Ringo continued to bicker. "Shhh, Melissa's up," Melvin said. Melissa played her song, stood up, and took a look bow. The dress was a v-neck one, and she earned a few wolf whistles amidst the applause. Melvin had stood up and cheered as loud as he could. Ringo, John and Fox covered their ears. The rest of the performances seemed to go as a blur. It looked as if the whole school had tried out. Fox had gone into a state of sleep-wake, until... Principal Skinner walked onto the stage to announce the next act. "Ahem, next up is Dana Scully," he said, then walked off. Fox jerked. Did he hear right? There was a lot of whispering going around. John and Ringo were giving each other bewildered looks. "Did I hear what I just heard?" Ringo said. "Shhhh," John replied as Dana walked on the stage. Fox's eyes widened. Dana was wearing a long velvet green dress, her long, wavy hair framing her face. He had never seen Dana without her hair up in a ponytail. It framed her face, making her blue eyes light up in contrast to the red. He always thought Dana was an interesting person, heck, he even felt he had a small crush on her. Very small. Tiny. That will go away after a while. But this just threw him off. And Dana started to sing. Sing?! His bewildered mind screamed. John and Ringo's mouths were practically on the floor in shock. Dana looked confident, but her eyes showed that she was a bit spaced out. She didn't seem to be looking at the audience, though. She seemed to be staring... somewhere. She held her head high and when the music started, she began to sing. "Wise men say Only fools rush in, But I can't help falling in love with you. Shall I stay Would it be a sin, If I can't help falling in love with you. Like a river flows Surely to the sea Darling so it goes Some things are meant to be Take my hand Take my whole life too, For I can't help falling in love with you. Wise men say Only fools rush in, But I can't help falling in love with you." And the auditorium burst into applause. Loud applause. Dana had a very good voice. Even Principal Skinner was smiling. "Probably because it's an Elvis song," a student sitting behind Fox commented. Dana ran off the stage without even taking a bow. *** After school... Fox waited outside the school entrance for Dana. When he spotted her, some people were surrounding her and trying to talk to her. Dana had tied up her hair back into the ponytail and she had turned back into the shy, withdrawn person that she is. When she got closer to Fox, he was about to take her hand and pull her away, when Dana reached out and took his. This surprised him, and instead of him pulling Dana, Dana was pulling him. She walked in large striding steps, desperate to get away. Even though Fox had long legs, he was finding it hard to keep up with Dana as she walked as quickly as she could. When she finally slowed down as they turned a corner, she turned to look at him. Her expression churned his stomach. She was terrified. The crowd that surrounded her must have frightened her. "Come on," he said, pulling her this time. He held her hand tightly as they walked. His home was the closest, so he decided to go there. When they reached his house, he went straight to the backyard. The fences were high and there was a tree house at the edge of the garden. He motioned for Dana to climb up first. "It's safe," he reassured her. She nodded and climbed up. Fox joined her a few seconds later. He sat next to her. Then she let the tears fall. She wrapped her arms around Fox's waist and sobbed into his shirt. Is she that afraid of people? Fox was thinking as Dana cried. He rested his hands on her back, rubbing them up and down, trying to soothe her. She slowly stopped sobbing, and she pulled away from him. He took her hands in his and held them, making sure that she had some form of human contact while the emotions inside hurtled through. "Dana?" he ventured to speak. "I'm s... so... sorry," she said, hiccuping between the words. "What?" "Your shirt, it's all wet," Dana said, trying to wipe them away. "It's okay," Fox said. "I... I... why do people have to bother me?" she said. "Well, you know, you were really good out there, and everyone just wants to know who this beautiful girl with the lovely voice is," Fox said. "Why?" "Dana, there's something you're not telling me. Something happened, that's why you don't like big crowds or a lot of people around you." She remained silent. "Or let a lot of people get close to you," Fox said. This time Dana looked up at him. "Fox, it's not easy for me to get close to people. I just fear losing them. And I don't like big crowds because, well, it just makes me feel uncomfortable," Dana explained. Fox left the sentence hanging in the air. He knew when to get people to break their silence. "I miss Nana," Dana said softly. "Who?" "My grandmother. She died when I was a kid. I was really close to her. I miss her," Dana said. Fox pulled her into his arms, twining his fingers through her hair. They let the silence hang around them like a warm blanket. *** 6.30pm, Scully Residence "Just where have you been?" Melissa asked as soon as Dana walked through the door. Dana looked Melissa straight in the face, "None of your business." "It is SO my business! When the hell did you sign up for that show? And how the HELL did you make it to the final?" Melissa started yelling. "MISSY! Watch your language!" Bill Sr. yelled as he came out of the dining room. He glared at Missy, and she gave one last withering look at Dana before stomping off to the kitchen, followed by the raucous laughter of Charles Scully. Dana stood there, frozen by the moment. She rolled her eyes and bounded up the stairs. *** Tuesday, 1pm, School Auditorium Fox settled down in his seat, with John, Ringo and Melvin seated next to each other. Melvin had made up a poster, saying 'Go Melissa' and Ringo was giving him a hard time about it. He shifted impatiently in his seat. He just wanted this over and done with. Dana had come to him an hour ago, a flurry of nerves. He had to pull her into an empty classroom and calm her down. It didn't matter if she won or not, all he wanted was this to be over so that Dana wouldn't have to feel the was she was feeling, a confusing mass of emotions. Principal Skinner came up to the stage, making a short speech and holding out the prize money in his hand, of which the audience went, "Oooohhh." He then proceeded to introduce each act. When it came to Melissa's turn, there was loud applauds and whistles. It looked as if she had gotten a fan club. Melissa basked in the glory as she played a complicated tune accompanied by the school band. He was anxious, wringing his fingers in anticipation. Finally, Principal Skinner announced Dana's turn. She stepped onto the stage. And she never ceased to amaze Fox. Dressed in a silk blue dress, which slits on the left side coming up to her thighs, she looked more, well, woman than girl? He heard John whistle softly in amazement, while some in the audience started whispering. Melvin groaned, muttering that she might blow Melissa's chance of winning. Fox knew this wasn't about winning. It was about stepping out of yourself. Dana started to sing slowly, unaccompanied by the school band. Fox never took his eyes off her, trying to channel some sort of reassurance to her. "The French were bred to die for love they delight in fighting duels but I prefer a man who lives and gives expensive jewels" The band joined in, giving a raunchy, cabaret feel about. Dana gave one dazzling smile to Fox before she took one step forwards. Instead of gluing herself to one spot on the stage, she moved about to the music. "A kiss on the hand may be quite continental but diamonds are a girl's best friend A kiss may be grand but it won't pay the rental on your humble flat, or help you at the automat Men grow cold as girls grow old and we all lose our charms in the end But square-cut or pear-shaped these rocks don't lose their shape Diamonds are a girl's best friend ...Tiffany's...Cartier... Talk to me, Harry, Winston, tell me all about it! There may come a time when a lass needs a lawyer but diamonds are a girl's best friend There may come a time when a hard-boiled employer thinks you're awful nice but get that ice or else no dice He's your guy when stocks are high but beware when they start to descend It's then that those louses go back to their spouses Diamonds are a girl's best friend I've heard of affairs that are strictly platonic but diamonds are a girl's best friend and I think affairs that you must keep liaisonic are better bets if little pets get big baggettes Time rolls on and youth is gone and you can't straighten up when you bend but stiff back or stiff knees you stand straight at Tiffany's Diamonds...diamonds... I don't mean rhinestones... but Diamonds...are a girl's best friend" Instead of running off like she did the first time, she stood there, smiling and waving to the applauding audience. Principal Skinner then went on to announce the other two acts, and then he proceeded to announce the winner. "Third place, Dana Scully," he said. Fox applauded, along with the rest. Dana walked out, took the ribbon, shook Principal Skinner's hand and walked off. "Second place, Michael Dunne." A very delighted Michael ran onto the stage, tripping over and falling at Principal Skinner's feet. Everyone laughed and applauded as he stood up, gave a comical grin and accepted his ribbon. "See? See? We could have been him, the comedic act that won!" Ringo hissed. John smacked Ringo right on the nose. Fox didn't wait for the winner to be announced. He left his seat and headed backstage. *** He found Dana's backpack on a chair. He scanned the area. There were quite a lot of people moving around and they jostled him as he stood in one place. Finally he spotted her. She bounded up to him, full of energy. He took her in his arms and twirled her. "Third place!" she gasped, holding up the blue ribbon, before hugging him again. He let go of her, and brushed a stray lock of hair away from her face. "Hey, Starbuck," came a voice. Melissa came up to them. She nodded at Fox. "Congratulations," Dana said, indicating the First Place Trophy. "Thanks. Here, I want you to have some of it," Melissa said, giving a hundred dollars to Dana. Dana shook her head, "No thanks, Missy. You deserved it." Melissa sighed in exasperation, "Dana, this is probably the only nice thing I'll ever do for you. Now take it before I change my mind." Dana tentatively took the note out of Melissa's hand, "Thanks." "No problem," Melissa replied. She turned around, took a few steps, and turned back again, "By the way, you were really good. I didn't know you could sing like that." Melissa walked into the crowd before Dana could thank her again. "Wow, what are you going to do with the money?" Fox asked, wrapping his arms around her. "Save it," she said promptly. He looked at her, feigning disappointment. "Okay, maybe I'll spend a bit of it," she smiled. The silence hung for a while, before they connected with a kiss. It was innocent, yet wanting, but it just felt right. In every universe it felt right. *** "Oy! Quit shoving!" Frohike shrieked. "That wasn't me!" "Or me!" Byers said. "This is an amazing machine," Langly said. "Who would have thought alternate realities exist?" Byers asked. "At least Mulder's happy in this one," Frohike conceded. *Bang* "What'd you do, Frohike! The picture's gone!" Langly yelled. "I didn't do anything!" Frohike protested. "Can you fix it?" Langly asked as Byers opened a compartment. Smoke billowed out of it. "I doubt it. We don't even know how this thing works in the first place. We just soldered some wires together, kicked it, and we got that picture," Byers said, a note of disappointment in his voice. The other two sighed. "Think we should tell Mulder and Scully?" Langly asked. *** Agent Dana Scully yawned. Early morning sunlight peeked through the curtains, casting a soft, rosy light into the bedroom. She turned, and came face to face with another figure, already wide awake. "Morning, Sunshine," he said. "Mmm, morning," she replied. She gave him a quick kiss before climbing out of bed. He groaned, "Why can't you sleep in?" "Because it's time to get up. Come on, Mulder, let's go get some breakfast." "Yes, ma'am." End Like, no like? Comments to spooky_jr@hotmail.com Copyright Spooky Jr. Stories 2001 http://jeanbond.topcities.com/ -The chica who met David Duchovny- Now visit my site to see how I met The Man himself!