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Article: 21576 of alt.tv.x-files.creative
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From: Sheryl_Martin@tvo.org (Sheryl Martin)
Reply-To: Sheryl_Martin@tvo.org
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Distribution: world
Subject: Variations (1/1)
Date: 19 Jul 1996 21:13:10 GMT
Message-ID: <1561264126.22117964@tvo.org>
Organization: TVOntario's Online System
Lines: 580
Status: RO

All Characters copyright of TenThirteen Productions and Chris Carter. No
infringement intended on any part... go ahead, take me to court...
I'm using the insanity defence... heh, heh, heh...
The character of Jackie St. George belongs to me though...

Comments, complaints and just plain talk to sheryl_martin@tvo.org 

Summary: Scully goes on a date... along with everyone else...

Variations
by 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