Date: Sat, 21 Mar 1998

Matchmaker
by:Willa Dedalus

Disclaimer: Chris Carter is the creator who inspired me to write
stories about his fictional characters on TV. He deserves all the credit when I go crazy! Oops,too late!

Spoilers: One Breath. Set there after. Ascension and Beyond the Sea
mentioned.

Category: MSR

This story is a stand alone and has no connection to anything I have
written previously.

Dedicated to mi amiga Sarah Kate Benton in lovely Rochester, New York.
I love her more than Mulder. As you can see that is a lot of love and
she deserves it all.

This story was written for her because she wanted more stories where M+S aren't together but eventually realize they need each other. She gave me
such warm applause about "Libido" I decided to try that kind of partnership again. For more happy reading try my stories, "Childhood Chums," "Cubed
Poetry", "The Spot", "Libido", "Rendezvous with Shakespeare," and "Bent on Winning".

Summary : Melissa Scully sets her newly recovered sister up on a blind
date.

"Where's the writer? I wanna speak to the writer." Mulder in PMP

X marks the spot ->paperhearts4ever@yahoo.com

Thanks to Samantha H. Who has her fingers crossed so that I will
receive feedback. Ain't she a doll? tehe Well, it has worked. Thanks to Jeffrey, and Cindy. comments, remarks, critiques, flames whatever send them on.

"Mulder, I had the strength of your beliefs," Scully said.
His eyes glanced over her and his heart seemed to start beating again.
"I was holding this for you," he whispered handing her the cross he
had kept with him always through the last three months.
Scully smiled as best she could, all the emotions she felt were
blending together. He looked at all the women in the room then Scully and smiled. Then quietly he retreated to the door and left before he could be stopped. Dana looked at her mother, then glanced at the shutting door. She
wished she could yell for him to come back.
"How did Mulder get my necklace mom?" Dana asked hesitantly.
"He called me and we talked for a while. Then he showed it to me,
telling me how he found it," Maggie stopped for a second. When she continued her voice was shaky, her eyes focused on her.
"He tried to give it to me. I looked up at him, and saw something
beautiful through this nightmare. His devotion. That was when I told him to keep it," Maggie looked over at her younger daughter.
"Mulder doesn't give up without a fight mom, how did you get him to
keep it?" Dana asked moving her head on the pillow to look at her from a comfortable position.
"I put it in his hand, and covered it with mine," Maggie wiped her
eyes and continued.
"Then I said, 'When you find her, you give it to her.' "
"Thanks Mom. Mulder probably really needed that," Dana said fingering
the necklace.
"You were right Mom, he did find me," she murmurrd.
"Dana, the scientist? I didn't think you believed in such
non-physical connections," her sister Melissa said returning to her bed side.
"Well, Mulder has been a great teacher," Dana said with a heavy sigh.
Then a nurse came in and told them both they needed to leave from her
to rest.
The first thing Melissa said after leaving the room was, "Mom, what
else do you know about Mulder?"
"What do you mean Melissa?" Maggie Scully asked her older daughter.
"How long have you known him?" Melissa inquired she was forming a plan.
"Well, the first time I met him was when Dana, when she disappeared,"
Maggie said choking in a short breath. Then she became suspicious of the
question, "Why?" She asked.
"I am just curious Mom, the way you talk about him, it sounds like you
are long time friends. That's all," Melissa said ushering her mother over to a chair in the lounge.
"I don't think I could have gotten through this whole mess without him
Missy," Maggie said sitting down.
"Why?" Melissa asked if her plan was to work she wanted to know as
much as possible about this man and her sister's relationship with him.
"Fox, is a wonderful man. He is kind, and very in tune to how people
feel. During those months we would talk on the phone a lot. I may have needed him, but I am sure he needed me just as much, if not more." Maggie continued. "I have the backing of my family, and my faith, and so many other precious gifts. For him he only had her, and his work. And he worked with her. There was nothing else. No family, no backing."
"He can be is infuriating though. He wallows in guilt and blames
himself," Melissa said with annoyance. She was remembering the time only last night at his apartment, that her mother was not aware of.
"My dear, that is part of his sensitivity. Stereotypically men are not
suppose to be sensitive. Since Fox is very sensitive of coarse he takes everything on to himself, and in the process can be very defensive," Maggie explained.
"What do you mean no family?" Melissa asked learning back in her chair.
"Why are you so curios about Fox? Leave him along honey. Dana's back
okay?" Maggie said touching her daughter's shoulder.
"That's the point mom. Dana's back, we'll probably be seeing more of
him," Melissa said with a grin. "And I won't mind, he is a very handsome man."
"Melissa Scully control yourself. He is a very private person. Leave
them alone," Maggie said with a modest grin. Over the last 3 months she had become not only fond of Fox but protective. She secretly harbored the idea of having him as a son-in-law one day.
"Why is everybody always protecting him? I am not trying to threaten
the man, I am just curious," Melissa said in defense.
"I am sorry honey, I know I am being defensive. Obviously you haven't
heard Dana talk about him have you?" Maggie said with a small chuckle.
Melissa's interest peeked, "How does Dana talk about him?"
"Every time I have talked to her in the last 2 years, I only hear one
word, 'Mulder.' 'Mulder and I were here,' or 'Mulder and I did this.' "
"So you think she is in love with him?" Melissa asked with a wicked
smile. Maggie gave her daughter a look that said 'careful,' then answered her question. "Yes, very much so. The first time I really sensed a major attachment, more than just a mentioning of his name was just after your father died." Melissa looked her mother in disbelief.
Maggie's face was drawn, and she was trying to remain calm. Within in
minutes she had fought back the urge to cry and was composed again. Dana had learned from the best of them how to stay composed.
"How did Mulder know dad died?" Melissa asked a little confused.
"No, you see Missy, Dana called me crying," Maggie stopped and wiped
the corners of her eyes. Then she took in a deep breath and continued.
"Your father had just died less then a 24 hours ago. I assumed that
was why she was crying."
"She wasn't crying about Dad?" Melissa asked her mother.
"Mulder had been shot. He was near death. She had convinced me that
she needed to work to get her mind off death. Then she was forced to face it down again. The two men she loved the most she was losing," Maggie said brushing hair out of her face.
"She was crying because she thought Mulder was going to die?" Melissa
asked her tone sounding a bit strained. "That is so out of character for Dana."
"No, it would be out of character if you didn't know that she was in
love."
"Mom, if they love each other, why aren't they together?" Melissa
asked with a raised eyebrow.
"They don't know it yet. Besides they work together, and probably
don't want to risk changing their relationship if the other doesn't have the same feelings. I think he is to afraid to admit he needs her. The only other person he care as deeply about disappeared. I take it as he is trying to protect her." Maggie replied to her daughter. Dana hadn't work with
him more than a week, and she had told me about his tragic past."
"I think it is time for a little matchmaking," grinned Melissa at her
mother.
"Under any other circumstances I would disagree. However," Maggie
admitted with a smile.

"Missy, No!" Dana said picking up her cup of hot tea.
"Dana, you need to get out. All you do is work," Melissa argued.
However, Melissa knew if she was Dana all she would want to do was be
around Mulder as well. That was if she was Dana though.
"Missy, I am not going on a blind date!" Dana said slamming down her
cup of tea. The hot contents burning her hand.
"Damn!" She muttered going into the kitchen to cleanup. Melissa
followed her.
"Need any help?" She offered. "No, thanks." Dana called back, the all
too familiar reply in Melissa's ears.
"Dana, you need to relax. A date is the perfect opportunity," Melissa
tried again.
"You call going out with someone you have never met and trying not to
embarrass yourself so you act superficial relaxing?" Dana asked smuggling returning to the living room.
"What you don't trust my taste in men for you?" Melissa asked her
sister with an angelic smile.
"Definitely not," Dana said to her half smiling.
"Okay, I will describe the man if that will make you happy," Melissa
stated.
"Fine, go on," her sister sighed in defeat rejoining her on the sofa.
"Well, he is about 6 feet tall, 170 pounds, brown hair, and hazel
eyes," Melissa said to her sister then looked over at her reaction.
All Dana could think was that sounded just like Mulder. No, her
sister wouldn't set her up with him, would she? Either way Dana was interested to find out.
"Well, I'll bite go on," she replied mischievously.
"He is very attentive, and caring. He is also very smart. What do you
think Dana?" Melissa asked scooting closer to her sister.
Dana wasn't sure what to say, if it was Mulder she would be very
annoyed. Well, not at him, at her sister. She didn't want her mixing around in her life. However, that didn't mean the idea of getting together with Mulder wasn't an ever present fantasy in her daydreams.
"What does he do?" Dana asked her sister matter of factually.
"He teaches," came Melissa's answer without a waver in her voice.
"Oh," Dana said rather disappointed. Usually her sister was not a
very good liar and couldn't keep a poker face if she had something to hide. Anyway, Dana thought what would make you think Melissa even noticed Mulder? She sighed. Heck she might as well try at least going out once. Then she could tell Melissa she had at least made and effort and failed.
"So, can I make the arrangements?" Melissa asked patting her hands
with assurance.
"Sure, spill the beans. Where and what time?" Dana inquired.
"Genesse Club, 6:55 p.m. next Friday." Melissa said.
"Okay, Missy but only one date," Dana stopped. "Unless he is the
perfect match," she whispered. However, Melissa had caught her last remark and answered back.
"Well, Danee don't worry. I have a feeling this is the perfect man
for you," Melissa said biting back a full blown laugh. If Dana only knew the things she knew. The only hard part now would be to get Mulder there without him knowing anything either.

Mulder was sitting in his apartment in the oddest mood. He was so
uncontrollably happy. His eyes bounced off his walls when he looked at them. Mulder was completely spaced out, his thoughts moving from one realization after another.
"Scully's going to be okay. She will live. She will go on. I will go on. Hope has a place."
He felt like getting up and just jumping around, laughing out loud,
crying for joy. His sparsely furnished apartment was a mess, but there was plenty of room to move around.
Grinning from ear to ear, Mulder picked up his basketball and started
to maneuver around his furniture.
Then he started to commentate on his own game with himself. His voice
picked up more volume with every action. He felt as though he had been given a second chance. Mulder's gun was no longer hidden in his closet. There was no need now, she was going to live. So was he.

Melissa Scully approached his apartment feeling as though she should
retreat and try again later. This confrontation would probably be harder than the last time they met in his apartment. As her sister well knew, she was a horrible liar, and Mulder was a profiler. The Scully deterrence hit her hard and she reached her hand up to knock when she heard talking from the other side of the walls. "He goes through the middle down the lane, shoots and scores. The crowd goes wild." Melissa smirked quietly, listening to him for another moment.

For the first time in eons he wasn't trying to escape a moment, he
was trying to make it last. The memory of walking in and seeing her turn her head and say, "Not Fox Mom, Mulder," rang in his head. Suddenly there was a knock at his door. The basket ball fell from his hands, bouncing away. He bit his lip and sheepishly went to the door. When he put his eye to the eye hole he was more than a little shocked to see Melissa Scully at the door. He opened it with a smug grin. This time he welcomed Scully's sister because, Scully was alive!
"Mulder, hello," Melissa said casually. She hoped her face didn't
flush red. He was standing in nothing more than boxer shorts and a strapless T-shirt.
"Ello Melissa. What can I do for you on this wonderful day?" He said
with a lop sided grin.
'Focus Missy. Remember why you're here.' She chastened herself.
"Well, Mulder, this is going to sound a little odd but I was wondering
if I could ask you a favor?"
"Oh I'm intrigued go on," he smiled pointing toward the couch where
they could sit and talk.
"I have this friend who is very interested in your work," Melissa
started.
Mulder just stared at her.
"Well, she was wondering if you would like to go out for a drink so
time," she continued with caution.
"She? Are you trying to set me up on a date? Am I that in need of
charity?" Mulder rallied her.
"Not at all Mulder. It is just that she just came back to D.C.
recently, and I am trying to help her start her life over again," Melissa said. She hoped he couldn't read through her thinly disguised description of her sister.
"Did your friend find me through her crystal ball?" Mulder smiled
leaning back on his black leather couch. "I really don't know that many people outside of my working sphere."
"Actually Mulder, she doesn't hold with my beliefs. As I said before
she is interested in yours though," she thought.
"Only interested? Well, I wouldn't want her to get her hopes up," he
smiled.
"Will you met her for dinner then?" Melissa asked with a sly grin.
"I thought you said drinks earlier?" Mulder accused her.
"Well, you could have drinks with dinner," Melissa pointed out.
Mulder sighed the air blowing out his lips making a propeller sound.
"Why didn't Scully ask me about this?" Mulder asked her.
"A Scully is asking you about this. Besides Mulder, she is my oldest
friend."
"No, you are Melissa Scully. My Scully is know as just that Scully."
She almost below all of her composure when he said, "My Scully."
"Whatever. So, then a friendly dinner?" Melissa asked getting up.
He bit back his lip. "How long where you standing outside my door
before you knocked?"
"Long enough to use the sounds as blackmail." She replied whickedly.
"Who are you going to blackmail smarty pants?" Mulder asked her, a
true look of entrapment on his face. He knew he had nailed her.
Melissa didn't hesitate. She had always known Mulder would be harder
to convince.
"Well, I won't tell Dana, your going on a date. 7 p.m. sharp next
Friday at the Genesee Club. Bye Mulder." With that remark Melissa exited on cue rising from the couch and heading for the door.
Melissa held her breath till the end of the hall, before praising
herself for a job well done.
"Damn, she's good. Typical Scully form," he laughed standing up and
starting to bounce the basketball around again. Melissa's voice was still ringing in his head.
"She's interested in your work. She just returned to D.C. to start her
life over again."
He lost control of the ball again when a breakthrough thought occurred
to him.
"Is she setting me up with Scully?"

"So, Scully, what are you up to tonight?" Mulder asked casually. She
had been acting rather strange lately. That was supposed to be his department.
"Damn it!" Scully's mind screamed. "He is going to ask if I want to
go out or something, and I can't. What am I suppose to say? 'Sorry Mulder, I have a blind date.' How lame, if he asks that I am going to kill Melissa."
"Scully?" Mulder asked again. If he didn't suspect something
suspicious about her behavior he would have been very concerned by now. "Oh, sorry. I am not up to much tonight.
How about you?" Scully asked nervously moving papers back and forth on
her desk.
"I am supposed to met a," he stopped before he said 'woman.' "A person tonight. Then I have the whole evening free."
"Lucky you," Scully said looking at her watch for the fifth time in
the last minute.
"Did you loss time on your watch Scully, or are you inexplicably
paranoid you will lose a precious minute of time with me?" Mulder asked mockingly. The giggles broke free. For the first time in nearly 2 years, she giggled in front of him.
"What?" Mulder asked a little perplexed.
She had to leave this room quickly or so was going to jump into his
lap and kiss him.
"I have to, go, Mulder. Bye. See ya Monday!" Scully said quickly as
she left the room.
Mulder watched her leaving and yelled after her, "You'll be back!"
Sure enough, Scully was back within thirty seconds. In her state of
mind she had not only forgotten her coat, but her purse.
Scully composed herself for long enough to say, "Mulder are you
laughing at me?" The grin he didn't know he was wearing spread. He walked over towards her blocking her escape route. "I'm not laughing at you, I'm laughing with you."
"Mulder," her voice sounded heavy.
"You're sexy."
Scully bit in her lip with all her might. Her eyes looked as they
were about to pop out from all this excitement. The Fruedian slip alloweed Mulder to get a clear picture of what she was really thinking about.
"I meant your silly. Bye," said a now embarrassed hysterical Scully as
she left the room.
Mulder leaned against the wall. He was weak in the knees. "She wants
me," he laughed to himself.

After Mulder had left the office early, a rare occurrence for him, he
realized he needed to find something to wear tonight. His intuition told him he shouldn't arrive in a pair of khakis and polo shirt. He wore a suit everyday to work too, so he didn't want to be that boring. However, how would this woman he was meeting know he wore suits everyday? Still, he decided to take the risk. He rented a tux. The last time he had worn
a tux was when Phoebe Green had been over in the 'colonies.' That was
not a time he wished to remember, so he had not chosen a standard tux as he had worn that night. This tux a very dark shade of green, so dark it almost looked black. He adjusted his tie again, he wanted his bow to be perfect. For some strange reason he felt like a teenager going to prom. Then he had the perfect idea. He would show up with a corsage.
"Ello earth to Mr. Romantic, get your mind back to reality." Mulder choose to ignore that voice in his head returned to his previous train of thought.
A shutter ran down his body at the mention of Phoebe. The thought of
her made him want to burst out laughing. No, actually the thought of Scully's reactions to Phoebe wanted to make him laugh out loud. For the millionth time this evening his mind was on Scully. He wondered what she was doing right now.

"How do I look?" Dana asked her sister standing in front of the
bathroom mirror. However, the mirror only allowed her a view of everything above her chest, another fun benefit of being short.
"Phenomenal, Dana. Where did you get that dress?" Melissa asked
admiring it again.
Her sister was wearing a long lace dress in a oriental floral design,
over a deep blue satin slip, with spaghetti straps.
"I was under the impression you were not interested in the whole
dating scene," Melissa said with disbelief.
"Oh this old thing," Dana said with a smile. "I figured why not?"
"Wow my sister has transformed over night! I want to know your secret
ways of shopping," Melissa said sitting down on the edge of the bathtub.
"One word Melissa, Catalog."
"Your kidding right?"
"Missy, I don't have time to take a polygraph test right know okay?"
Melissa only smiled. She watched as Dana fussed with her hair.
"Here," Melissa said. She wrapped the hair up into a perfect french
twist.
"Thanks," Dana said with astonishment. "How did you learn to do that?"
"One word, Catalog." Melissa couldn't believe how well things were
going. She also wondered if either of them were on to her. "Oh well, if it is love, they will be to consumed with each other to bother killing me," her mind reminded her. Dana hugged her sister with glee. Then she playfully smacked her.

Mulder arrived at the Genesse Club at exactly 7:00 p.m. He was
exceptionally proud of himself, he was right on time. On his drive over Mulder had even stopped at a floral shop.
"Scully would have been proud of me, I'm on time," he found himself
thinking. When he approached the waiting host, he realized he didn't know the name of the person he was suppose to met.
"Hello, I am Fox Mulder," he started to explain.
The man put his hand up for him to stop. He then exclaimed. "Right
this way Sir, your party is waiting."
For the first time Mulder considered the possibility that maybe he
wasn't meeting Scully after all. He knew Melissa was up to something, he was only hoping his heart was right.
His alta matum about life sprung forward into his brain, "I want to
believe," he whispered into the crowed backdrop of the restaurant.
"Is there anything that poster can not solve?" Mulder laughed as he
followed the host. At least this host wasn't a giant blood sucking worm.
Looking around at the interior of the restaurant he was glad, he was
dressed up. The last thing he wanted was for a used, never dry cleaned suit jacket to be forced onto his chest.
The host was leading him on what seemed like a maze. "Your table is
right up there Sir," he said pointing.

Dana Scully sat at her table, trying not to fiddle with her hair.
When she was nervous she always wanted to mess with that part of her body.
However, she didn't want to risk Missy perfect style falling out now. She had chosen not to wear a watch tonight. For some reason the idea of not wearing a watch, was necessary. To be free from all of society,
and just enjoy the company of the man placed in front of her. She
couldn't help wondering where Mulder was right now, and what he was doing. Dana was so absorbed in her thoughts when she moved her elbows together so she could rest her chin on him, she hit her small purse off the table. She reached down to get it, turning her head sideways. Her lips
formed the word she had been longing would come true tonight. "Mulder."

Fox Mulder's gaze zoomed forward like the lens of a camera. He
watched a woman with her back to him reach down and pick up a small purse. She was more beautiful than he had ever imagined anybody could be. Then her face turned towards him. He was lucky he possessed a photographic memory, or he would never have believed what his heart had been wishing for all week was staring back at him. His mind screamed, as his lips firmly grasped the sounds together to say her name. "Scully."

She stood up from her chair. Her napkin fell off her lap sliding
down her dress seductively. He walked ahead of the host, who had the sense to walk away just then.
"I knew it would be you," they both said standing on opposite sides of
each other. Mulder couldn't believe how beautiful she looked. Scully was thinking the same thing about him.
He raised a hand with libido to touch a stand of her hair cupping her
face. She moved her hand to his tux to touch his bow tie. The package in Mulder's hand suddenly popped back into his consciousness. He lifted the blue bell out of the package, and placed it behind her ear. Scully's lips twitched with passion, Mulder always knew what she would get the most
enjoyment out of. The flower perfectly blended in with her dress. She reached her arm around his neck and kissed his lips. "Wanna get out of here?" Mulder asked her placing his hands lightly each of her hips. "Yeah. We can kill Melissa tomorrow," Scully replied to her perfect match
but not before kissing him again.

"Where's the writer? I wanna speak to the writer." Mulder in PMP

Willa Dedalus = paperhearts4ever@yahoo.com

"The human heart has hidden treasures. In secret kept,
in silence sealed; the thoughts, the hopes, the dreams, the
pleasures, whose charms were broken if revealed."
--Charlotte Bronte