From milomom@cyberspace.org Fri Dec 13 00:52:21 1996 All characters contained herein are the property of Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and Twentieth Century Fox telveision. No copyright infringement is intended. (In other words, they're not mine and I'm not making any money off of them.) Oh, anti-shipper warning. It's something my sappy romantic soul came up with after too long awake. No spoilers, just some mind candy written around one of my all-time favorite songs. Any really good stuff is due to the efforts of my beta reader, Melissa Rabey, the best thing to hit Delaware since tax-free shopping. ;> Bad stuff is all mine. -------------------------------- Pretty Woman by Sharlene Rating: PG Category: V, R Summary: Our two favorite FBI agents meet years before they're in the FBI. -------------------------------- Fox Mulder was depressed and cold. Depressed because it had finally sunk in that he had devoted years of his life to a woman who didn't care for him, and cold because he was standing on a London street corner in January. Phoebe had kicked him out just in time for the winter break, so he had come to London with another psychology major to give himself time to think about what he was going to do now. When the fourth member of Dave's band had come down with a bad cold, Fox had been roped into his place. So here he stood, strumming a guitar, trying to keep from scowling. It had been a long day and it wasn't over yet. Still, Dave was a good friend and he owed him something for all he had done. He wondered whether he should chat up one of the women in the crowd around them. He looked into the eyes of one who was appraising him as thoroughly as if he was a cut of beef on the butcher's block and hastily looked away. Somehow the thought of random sex was not appealing to him. Maybe because of how disgusted it had made him to find out about Phoebe's habits. He just knew he wasn't up to another woman using him for her own purposes and then leaving him by the wayside to pick up the pieces. XXXXXXXXXX Miss Dana Katherine Scully, college student, was mad as hell. She debated with herself whether to join their parents at the hotel they were staying at, but her protective instincts overcame her tiredness. She knew Missy hadn't bothered with self-defense classes, and she could get into trouble if she wandered into the wrong place. Dana chastised herself for being ungrateful, even in her mind, and paused to look around. She was at the end of a street full of stores, and there were islands of people at various spots. She thought she heard music, but she wasn't sure. She decided to take her time going down the street and look into the windows as she went. Missy had to be around here somewhere. XXXXXXXXXX Fox took a deep drink from his thermos of iced tea and almost choked. He couldn't believe how beautiful the red-headed woman walking along the street looked. His mind turned several circles and then an idea popped into his head. He turned to Dave with a mischevious grin and said, "Do you take requests?" XXXXXXXXXX Dana stopped to adjust a stocking, swearing silently to herself that she was going to switch to seamless pantyhose. She checked herself in the closest store window and started walking again, sure she had been circumspect enough to not have shown anything that shouldn't be. She heard the music again and wondered idly where it was coming from. She recognized the opening strains of "Pretty Woman", but the voice was definitely not Roy Orbison's. Not as bad as it could be, though. Pretty woman, walking down the street, Pretty woman, the kind I'd like to meet, Pretty woman, I don't believe you, you're not the truth No one could look as good as you..... Mercy! Fox felt his heart beat faster as he watched her get closer. He had almost had a heart attack when she had been fiddling with her stockings. The crowd parted to give him an unobstructed view of the beautiful lady, and he noticed the predatory looking brunette had left the crowd and was walking towards the redhead. He almost fumbled his guitar when she smiled. Dana couldn't help smiling when she saw Melissa walking towards her. Annoying as her sister could sometimes be, she had been worried. "And just where have you been?" "I was just listening to this group and eyeing this total babe. Unfortunately, he seems to like redheads." Dana's head snapped up and she found herself staring into the most gorgeous set of eyes she had ever seen. She couldn't decide if they were a deep forest green or a rich velvet brown, and her breath started catching in her throat. Pretty woman, won't you pardon me? Pretty woman, I couldn't help but see, Pretty woman, That you look lovely as can be Are you lonely just like me? His voice drifted off and he looked a million miles away. She felt herself nodding slightly, realizing she had been feeling empty lately. There was her family and there was school, and that was it. She spent her days drifting into whatever came next, what was expected. She stood entranced as he started singing again. Pretty woman, stop a while Pretty woman, talk a while Pretty woman give your smile to me Pretty woman, yeah, yeah, yeah Pretty woman, look my way Pretty woman, say you'll stay with me. 'Cause I need you I'll treat you right Come with me baby, be mine tonight Dana felt herself turn bright scarlet to the roots of her hair. "Come on, Missy, let's go back to the hotel." "Dana! You're being serenaded and all you can think of is leaving?? Are you sure you're my sister?" Dana frowned and started walking forward, keeping an eye out for a cab or a bus stop. Pretty woman, don't walk on by Pretty woman, don't make me cry Pretty woman, Don't walk away, hey.. Dana froze. What am I doing? I'm doing what I should, what daddy's good little girl should, what the nuns would have expected of the sweet little Catholic girl she had always been. Fox watched her walk away and felt the words in his mouth turn to ashes. Okay. If that's the way it must be, okay. I guess I'll go on home it's late there'll be tomorrow night, but wait Dana turned determinedly and walked towards him quickly. She grinned wickedly, looking like an angel enjoying its fall. "See you later, Melissa." Her eyes didn't waver from his for a second. Fox felt a goofy grin spreading across his face. She was coming to talk to him! What do I see? Is she walking back to me? Yes, she's walking back to me! Oh, oh, pretty woman. "Hi, I'm Dana." "I'm Fox." The End (Unless someone wants to write a sequel or twist my arm to get me to do it.)