[Story] The Parallel Constant - Part 1/7
Since I've been away so long, let me make it up to you with a fic. :-P I wrote this about 10 months ago, I think, as a birthday present for my mom. It's an X-files fic. Enjoy. Next part will be up tomorrow or the day after that.
I don't know if it's crap, as I didn't have a beta.
Title: The Parallel Constant
Chapter: Prelude and Chapter 1
Rating: Teen
Featured: Case fic: A man disappeared in thin air, and Mulder and Scully investigate his disappearance. Mulder eventually finds the missing man, but at what cost? They can't go back, and Mulder finally realizes how much Scully means to him.
Prelude
He never had been the type of man who recommended himself to women, although God knows he had had a few. No, his 'partners' always were strong women, who came onto him. He'd always thought that that kind of forthcoming women deserved the adjective strong, but he turned out to be wrong. One woman changed his mind for good, and he couldn't help but let her change his heart and his soul too, oblivious to her knowledge.
But that's how it has always been the last five years. He tried to show her his affection, but she would never take him seriously. Whether it was out of self-protection on her side or not, he let it be, for his sake as well as hers. Some tiny part of him was glad that she didn't take him seriously.
This woman was a new category of women, one he'd never encountered before. If he had known before that such a woman even existed, he would've searched as frantically for them, as he would've searched for aliens.
And now, such a woman is before him, but she's slipping away from him. He had never feared losing her before, as the X-Files consumed most of her time, leaving little space for socializing, but this was different. This was serious. This was a nightmare.
Chapter 1
8.30am, 20 April, 1998
J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, D.C.
Mulder was waiting impatiently for Scully to walk into their basement office, as he just received a brand new X-file this morning. Not via the bureau, but in his daily newspaper. He had yet to figure out who sent it to him, but as usual, theories were present in abundance. He'd hurried to his office to cross-reference with other X-files before Scully would arrive. Lately, he had been noticing that it took a bit more of well-thought theories and some substantial proof to interest her in an X-file than it used to.
So there he was, at six o'clock, at his desk, finding some nice facts that he could relay to Scully. It was five past eight when he finally heard footsteps in the otherwise deserted basement. He almost jumped out of his chair to rush to the door, when Mulder suddenly heard another pair of footsteps and soft laughter. What was going on?
The door opened a bit, only a small gap with one hand still on the handle, revealing Scully and a man he'd never seen before. The unknown man was about his own height, but that's where most of the resemblance stopped. This man's build was much frailer than that
from himself, much to Mulders liking. He could take on this guy if he wanted to.
They seemed to be exchanging goodbyes, so Mulder stood up and walked towards them. He had to know what this was about.
"'Morning Scully, how… Oh, hi there."
Mulder thought he could see a small blush spreading over Scully's face. Her companion seemed surprised.
"Hi Mulder. I didn't expect you here yet… Uhm, this is Dave. Dave, this is Fox Mulder, my partner," she said while nervously switching looks
between Mulder and Dave.
"Hi, it's nice to finally meet Dana's partner," Dave said as they shook hands, "I work a few floors up and by coincidence ran into Dana."
Dana? He calls her Dana? "Ah, well, I commend you. Most people don't dare to enter the office of 'Spooky' Mulder." Scully shot him a look, that look that he loved so much. She had no idea that that look actually has the opposite effect than she hoped and aimed for. It was one of the little things he loved about her, though he never expressed it.
Anxious to end this conversation, Scully put an end to it. "Thank you for walking with me and catching up, Dave. It's been too long."
"It certainly has been too long. Maybe we could grab a bite some time. I've got lots more to tell you. It's been so long!"
"Sure. I'll see you around. Bye, Dave."
"Bye, Dana," Dave said and squeezed her hand lightly. He gave a short nod to Mulder and turned around towards the elevator.
Scully cast her eyes down while stepping into the office, while that small blush that was already present crept up her face a bit more. Why did Mulder have such an effect on her? Why was she blushing? It was ridiculous, she was doing nothing wrong. Then why did she feel like she was? As if she was making a capital mistake?
Trying to avoid his gaze as long as possible, she began to skim through one of the X-files cabinets. If she'd had her own bureau, it would've been much easier, and much more unnoticeable for Mulder to see she was struggling about something, no matter how foolish it was.
"Hey Dana, something peaked your interest?" Mulder asked with that dubious tone he sported sometimes.
"You know what Mulder," Scully swiftly turned towards him and took a few steps towards him, "it's none of your business. Despite what you think, I do have a life outside of the X-files, and I can talk to anyone I like without being judged by you."
"Whoa, Scully! I was talking about the X-files that you were rummaging through so vividly. But, now that you mention it, who's he? New love interest?" He waggled his eyebrows with that big fat grin of his, which combination never failed to soften her mood towards him, though this time only a little bit.
"Ugh, Mulder, sometimes you're impossible, you know that?"
"That's why you love me." Again, that big playful grin of his made an appearance. He really was impossible sometimes. "Anyway, we've got more important things to do than discussing your potential boyfriends; I've received some interesting information this morning. You ready for this?"
Deciding to let that remark pass for the moment, Scully replied: "Sure, what do you've got?"
"A missing person case," he handed the file to her, "A 45 year old man, Donald Green, hasn't been seen in 14 days by either friends or family. There are no indications that he would just run of, or even commit suicide. His family says he's always been a dependable man, seemingly ok with his situation in life. He has worked for a local university for 10 years now, until one day, he just disappeared."
"Where's the X in this case, Mulder? I thought you said this was an X-file? This is just a missing-persons case. What has peaked your interest in this?"
Mulder cleared his throat before continuing. "Like I said, one day he just vanished into thin air. Not in the proverbial way, but for real. We've
got eye-witnesses. I've already booked us a flight to Grand Junction, Colorado, today at 5pm."
Typical Mulder. "And in the meantime?"
"Nothing, for a change. Perfect time to go back to Dave, or your knitting."
"All right. Then I'll see you this evening," Scully said and packed up her things. Payback time. "Oh and Mulder? Dave isn't 'new', we go way back."
Scully could just see his jaw falling down a bit, before he recovered himself. He really didn't see it, understand it, did he? No wonder that the man hasn't ever been able to sustain a long relationship. He's so obsessed with his search for everything out of this world, that he forgets to come down to earth every once in a while, to feel and see the present and all around him.
"Morning, Mulder."
Scully walked out of the office, leaving behind a confused and somewhat shattered Mulder.
I don't know if it's crap, as I didn't have a beta.
Title: The Parallel Constant
Chapter: Prelude and Chapter 1
Rating: Teen
Featured: Case fic: A man disappeared in thin air, and Mulder and Scully investigate his disappearance. Mulder eventually finds the missing man, but at what cost? They can't go back, and Mulder finally realizes how much Scully means to him.
Prelude
He never had been the type of man who recommended himself to women, although God knows he had had a few. No, his 'partners' always were strong women, who came onto him. He'd always thought that that kind of forthcoming women deserved the adjective strong, but he turned out to be wrong. One woman changed his mind for good, and he couldn't help but let her change his heart and his soul too, oblivious to her knowledge.
But that's how it has always been the last five years. He tried to show her his affection, but she would never take him seriously. Whether it was out of self-protection on her side or not, he let it be, for his sake as well as hers. Some tiny part of him was glad that she didn't take him seriously.
This woman was a new category of women, one he'd never encountered before. If he had known before that such a woman even existed, he would've searched as frantically for them, as he would've searched for aliens.
And now, such a woman is before him, but she's slipping away from him. He had never feared losing her before, as the X-Files consumed most of her time, leaving little space for socializing, but this was different. This was serious. This was a nightmare.
Chapter 1
8.30am, 20 April, 1998
J. Edgar Hoover Building
Washington, D.C.
Mulder was waiting impatiently for Scully to walk into their basement office, as he just received a brand new X-file this morning. Not via the bureau, but in his daily newspaper. He had yet to figure out who sent it to him, but as usual, theories were present in abundance. He'd hurried to his office to cross-reference with other X-files before Scully would arrive. Lately, he had been noticing that it took a bit more of well-thought theories and some substantial proof to interest her in an X-file than it used to.
So there he was, at six o'clock, at his desk, finding some nice facts that he could relay to Scully. It was five past eight when he finally heard footsteps in the otherwise deserted basement. He almost jumped out of his chair to rush to the door, when Mulder suddenly heard another pair of footsteps and soft laughter. What was going on?
The door opened a bit, only a small gap with one hand still on the handle, revealing Scully and a man he'd never seen before. The unknown man was about his own height, but that's where most of the resemblance stopped. This man's build was much frailer than that
from himself, much to Mulders liking. He could take on this guy if he wanted to.
They seemed to be exchanging goodbyes, so Mulder stood up and walked towards them. He had to know what this was about.
"'Morning Scully, how… Oh, hi there."
Mulder thought he could see a small blush spreading over Scully's face. Her companion seemed surprised.
"Hi Mulder. I didn't expect you here yet… Uhm, this is Dave. Dave, this is Fox Mulder, my partner," she said while nervously switching looks
between Mulder and Dave.
"Hi, it's nice to finally meet Dana's partner," Dave said as they shook hands, "I work a few floors up and by coincidence ran into Dana."
Dana? He calls her Dana? "Ah, well, I commend you. Most people don't dare to enter the office of 'Spooky' Mulder." Scully shot him a look, that look that he loved so much. She had no idea that that look actually has the opposite effect than she hoped and aimed for. It was one of the little things he loved about her, though he never expressed it.
Anxious to end this conversation, Scully put an end to it. "Thank you for walking with me and catching up, Dave. It's been too long."
"It certainly has been too long. Maybe we could grab a bite some time. I've got lots more to tell you. It's been so long!"
"Sure. I'll see you around. Bye, Dave."
"Bye, Dana," Dave said and squeezed her hand lightly. He gave a short nod to Mulder and turned around towards the elevator.
Scully cast her eyes down while stepping into the office, while that small blush that was already present crept up her face a bit more. Why did Mulder have such an effect on her? Why was she blushing? It was ridiculous, she was doing nothing wrong. Then why did she feel like she was? As if she was making a capital mistake?
Trying to avoid his gaze as long as possible, she began to skim through one of the X-files cabinets. If she'd had her own bureau, it would've been much easier, and much more unnoticeable for Mulder to see she was struggling about something, no matter how foolish it was.
"Hey Dana, something peaked your interest?" Mulder asked with that dubious tone he sported sometimes.
"You know what Mulder," Scully swiftly turned towards him and took a few steps towards him, "it's none of your business. Despite what you think, I do have a life outside of the X-files, and I can talk to anyone I like without being judged by you."
"Whoa, Scully! I was talking about the X-files that you were rummaging through so vividly. But, now that you mention it, who's he? New love interest?" He waggled his eyebrows with that big fat grin of his, which combination never failed to soften her mood towards him, though this time only a little bit.
"Ugh, Mulder, sometimes you're impossible, you know that?"
"That's why you love me." Again, that big playful grin of his made an appearance. He really was impossible sometimes. "Anyway, we've got more important things to do than discussing your potential boyfriends; I've received some interesting information this morning. You ready for this?"
Deciding to let that remark pass for the moment, Scully replied: "Sure, what do you've got?"
"A missing person case," he handed the file to her, "A 45 year old man, Donald Green, hasn't been seen in 14 days by either friends or family. There are no indications that he would just run of, or even commit suicide. His family says he's always been a dependable man, seemingly ok with his situation in life. He has worked for a local university for 10 years now, until one day, he just disappeared."
"Where's the X in this case, Mulder? I thought you said this was an X-file? This is just a missing-persons case. What has peaked your interest in this?"
Mulder cleared his throat before continuing. "Like I said, one day he just vanished into thin air. Not in the proverbial way, but for real. We've
got eye-witnesses. I've already booked us a flight to Grand Junction, Colorado, today at 5pm."
Typical Mulder. "And in the meantime?"
"Nothing, for a change. Perfect time to go back to Dave, or your knitting."
"All right. Then I'll see you this evening," Scully said and packed up her things. Payback time. "Oh and Mulder? Dave isn't 'new', we go way back."
Scully could just see his jaw falling down a bit, before he recovered himself. He really didn't see it, understand it, did he? No wonder that the man hasn't ever been able to sustain a long relationship. He's so obsessed with his search for everything out of this world, that he forgets to come down to earth every once in a while, to feel and see the present and all around him.
"Morning, Mulder."
Scully walked out of the office, leaving behind a confused and somewhat shattered Mulder.