Title: Kate Author: Susan E-mail: touchstone98@tx.rr.com Classification: story, although it's actually *three* stories about three relationships Keywords: MSR, Mulder/other (from the past) Rating: PG Archive: No archive without permission. Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully don't belong to me. Kate and Robert do. It's that simple. Author's notes: Yup, you read those keywords correctly. This story has elements of a Mulder/other relationship, but it's a relationship from long ago. Mulder is most definitely with Scully in this story, and he always will be as far as I'm concerned.:) More author's notes at the end. Summary: Some memories are worth remembering...and cherishing. *********************************************************** Kate by Susan ~~~~ He had a piece of spaghetti hanging out of his mouth the night she saw him again. At first she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but there he was, not twenty feet away from her eating a plate of pasta and talking with another woman. She was pretty, but not overly so, with red hair, and though the two of them were wearing clothes that looked like they might be having some sort of business dinner, their demeanor suggested that there was something more between them than just business. "You okay, Kate?" asked Robert, softly placing his hand on hers. "Hmm? I'm sorry, honey. Did you say something?" she replied, snapping herself out of her reverie. "I asked if you were okay," he said, his thumb caressing the back of her hand. She looked over at his table again, her eyes surveying the man he'd become, and replied, "I'm not sure." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Hey Kate, what'd you get on the Science quiz?" asked Fox, trying to peer over her shoulder as he leaned over the desk. "94. How 'bout you?" she asked, secretly hoping that he'd tell her that his grade was lower than hers. "95. Looks like I'm top dog this time," he answered back, pleased that he'd done better than her, but impressed by her score as well. "Yeah, Fox, you're a dog alright," she teased, turning her head around just enough for him to see the dimple in her left cheek. He liked it when she joked around with him like that, liked it when she gave him a hard time. Liked the fact that she didn't treat him like a boy who had lost his sister. Reaching out with his right hand, he twisted a few strands of her long hair between his fingers and gently pulled. Then he quickly let go and said, "I'll get you back for that later." She leaned back and whispered, "I'm counting on it." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "So, what do you want to do tonight, Scully? Head back to the office or the apartment?" he asked, a playful grin on his face as he set his napkin down on the table. She leaned forward, slid her hand across the table, her fingertips grazing his. "What do you think?" she replied in a sultry voice. "I think I'd like the check right now," he said. "Waiter," he called out to the man pouring some ice water in a customer's glass two tables over. "Excuse me, could we get our check please?" The thin young man walked to their table. "No dessert tonight?" he asked. "No, we're good, thanks. We'd just like our check please." "Certainly, sir," he said, setting the bill down. "I'll take this whenever you're ready," he added as he walked away from the table. "You don't want any dessert, Mulder? That's a first," she teased, her eyes shining. He leaned in, placed his hand on her knee under the table. "They don't serve the kind of dessert I want," he said in a low voice as he brushed his thumb along the side of her knee. She leaned in too and whispered, "But I do." He'd barely finished signing his name to the credit card receipt before they were out the door and halfway to the parking lot. ~~~~ "What's going on, Kate?" asked Robert, slowly coming to a stop at the light. "You barely said two words during dinner, and you haven't even commented on my driving once since we left the restaurant," he said, hoping his last comment would at least get a smile out of her. "Tell me what's goin' on in that pretty little head of yours." She looked over at the man sitting beside her, the man she married just six months ago, the man she'd promised to love and cherish for the rest of her life, and said, "I'm fine, honey, just tired." But both of them knew it was more than just being tired. The light changing to green, Robert pressed his foot on the accelerator and didn't say a word the rest of the way home. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "You know, most guys would offer to carry my books home, Fox," remarked Kate, slinging her backpack over her shoulder as she began to walk. "Well, maybe I don't want to be like 'most guys'," he retorted, walking along side her. "Oh, and why is that?" she asked, knowing her question was a loaded one. "Because it's boring," he said simply. "You think it's boring to be considerate towards someone?" "That's not what I said, Kate." "Yes, it is." "It's not boring to do something nice for someone else, but it *is* boring to be like everyone else and do the same things that they do," he stated. "So what you're saying then is that you don't want to conform to other people's expectations and follow the party line?" "Exactly." She suddenly stopped walking then, turned to him, and surprised him with a kiss on the cheek. "Have I told you lately how much I like you, Fox Mulder?" Though it was a quick kiss, her lips felt incredible against his skin, and if they weren't standing out on the sidewalk where everyone could see them, he'd kiss her right back. And it definitely wouldn't be on the cheek. Running his fingers through her long brown hair instead, he moved his hand over to the strap on her shoulder and gently pulled her backpack off, then replied, "You just did." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "Scully, you're incredible," he said breathlessly, sliding out from between her hips and flopping backwards onto the bed. "And you're insatiable," she said, pulling the sheet back up over her bare body. "I am when the dessert's this good," he playfully remarked, remembering their earlier conversation at the restaurant. She laughed, then rolled over onto her side, ran her fingertips over the tiny hairs on his warm chest. "Maybe we need to go to that restaurant again tomorrow night," he suggested. "Maybe we do," she said, her fingers still lazily dancing across his chest. "Although I'm not sure I want to see that woman there again." "What woman?" "The pretty one with the long brown hair who couldn't seem to keep her eyes off you," she answered, dropping a kiss on his chin. "I didn't see anyone looking at me," he argued. "Sure, you didn't." "I didn't, Scully. I was too busy looking at you," he said, grinning as he pulled her body closer to his. "Good answer," she teased, rubbing her foot along his shin and nuzzling her head in the crook of his arm. Then she lifted her head, gave him another kiss. "Goodnight, Mulder." Letting out a contented sigh, he closed his eyes and softly replied, "'Night, Scully." ~~~~ "So, are you going to tell me what's on your mind, or do I have to guess?" asked Robert, climbing into bed beside her. "I saw someone at the restaurant tonight, a guy I hadn't seen since high school," she replied, rolling over onto her side. "Oh? Anyone I need to worry about?" he asked, spooning up behind her and nibbling on her ear. Was Fox someone he needed to worry about? Yes, he was her first boyfriend and the only other guy she'd ever loved, but all that happened when she was in high school. She was a grown woman now with a job and a new husband. And she was happy. "No," she said simply, pulling Robert's arm even tighter around her waist. He threaded his fingers through hers. "Well, that's good because I didn't want to have to beat anyone up." The thought of Robert and Fox fighting over her brought a smile to her face. Fox had always been so graceful and athletic when she knew him, and Robert, well... Despite the fact that she loved him more than life itself, he was neither graceful nor very athletic. He was however, the man she ultimately chose to spend the rest of her life with. And she loved him with an intensity that was both exhilarating and frightening. "My hero," teased Kate, squeezing his hand. Kissing the delicate skin around her ear, he whispered, "And I always will be." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "This spaghetti's great, Mrs. Broughton," commented Fox, twirling some noodles around his fork, then hungrily shoving them into his mouth. "Thank you, Fox," said Mrs. Broughton. "I know how much you like it so I made more than I usually do." Kate looked across the table at the boy with the bright hazel eyes and bright red spaghetti sauce on his chin and smiled. Yes, he was cute and smart and fun to be around, but there was so much more to him than just that. And so much more that he kept hidden away inside. When she first moved to Chilmark, she'd heard the other kids talking about him, about how his sister was missing and how his family broke up because of it, and about how he'd been seeing a shrink for the last few years to help him cope. But she didn't care about any of that. He was a nice boy who made her laugh and made her think about things she'd never thought about before. Yes, she liked Fox Mulder very much, and though her friends thought he was all wrong for her, she thought he was perfect the way he was. And no one could convince her otherwise. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Mulder was startled awake by an image. No, it was a dream, and in it he was back in Chilmark, and he was walking home from school holding a girl's hand. She had long brown hair and was almost as tall as he was, and they were talking about basketball. No, they were arguing about which position was the hardest to play, but neither of them was angry. In fact, they were both smiling. And it was then that he remembered. And it was then that he knew exactly who the woman was that Scully had seen at the restaurant earlier. ~~~~~~ Kate rolled over in bed and looked at the clock. She'd been dozing off and on for the past hour, but a deeper sleep didn't appear to be coming to her anytime soon. Robert, on the other hand, was sprawled out on his side of the bed, his bare chest steadily rising and falling with each breath. Carefully easing her body off the bed so she wouldn't disturb him, she grabbed her robe and went out into the living room. Walking over to the fireplace, she turned on the light over the mantel and looked at the photos spread out on top of it. There were a couple wedding pictures, of course, one of each of their families, some photos of their college graduations, and one of her personal favorites: a black and white photograph of her holding the trophy her high school basketball team won when they defeated the Spring Lake Wildcats in double overtime during the regional championship game. Even now, all these years later she remembers everything about that night. How incredibly happy she felt, how proud she was of her team, how glad she was that Fox was there to watch her play. After all, he had helped her get to that point more than anyone. He'd played countless hours of one on one with her, helped her to hone her dribbling skills, showed her some defensive techniques to use when she was playing the forward position, and practiced shooting hundreds of free throws with her. Afterwards, they'd gone out for ice cream to celebrate, and he'd kissed her right inside the ice cream shop in front of everybody, and it was cool and sticky and sweet and wonderful. And on the best night of her life, it was the best kiss she'd ever had. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Kate took a shot from about twenty feet out, and just as she knew it would, it went into the hoop, making a crisp swishing sound as it dropped through the net. "Yes!" she cheered, nodding her head and pumping her fist. Fox scooped up the basketball, then dribbled over to her. "You do realize you just humiliated me," he teased. "Of course, I do...which is why it was so much fun," she replied, giving him a friendly smile, then suddenly swiping the ball from his hands and taking off with it down the cement court. It didn't take him long to catch up with her, and he grabbed her waist from behind, causing her to lose control of the ball. "Hey, you fouled me," she complained, trying to twist her way out of his arms. "I know," he said, tightening his arms around her. She was sweaty from their game of one on one, her freckled cheeks flushed, and her wet hair sticking to her forehead, and yet at that moment she never looked prettier to him. And he never wanted to kiss her more. And so he did, hungrily pressing his lips to hers in one fell swoop, almost knocking her over in the process. "Fox, what are you doing?" she asked breathlessly as she grabbed hold of his shoulders for balance. "I'm kissing my girl," he said matter of factly, kissing her again, but more softly this time. Her eyes widened, pulse quickened. "I'm your girl?" "Of course, you are," he said, taking a step back, but not letting go of her. "Aren't you?" Pushing the damp hair off his sweaty forehead, she looked up into his eyes, his beautiful hazel eyes and replied, "Always." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX He hadn't seen her or spoken to Kate in over twenty years, but suddenly all the memories came rushing back. And with them, a flood of emotions. Sliding out of bed as quietly as he could, Mulder went out into the living room and sat down on the couch. What were the odds that after all this time, he and the first girl he ever loved would end up eating in the same restaurant? And why did Scully notice Kate in the restaurant, but he didn't? Did she somehow sense his connection with Kate without even knowing who she was? Maybe. It wouldn't surprise him if she did, considering the fact that her intuition had picked up on lots of things his hadn't during the years they'd worked together. Still, it was a little unnerving knowing that the woman he loved now had a connection with the woman he loved over twenty years ago. Leaning back against the cushion, he closed his eyes, remembering what Kate was like as a high school senior, then trying to picture what she looked like at the restaurant. "You okay, Mulder?" His eyes opened upon hearing the sound of her voice, but he wasn't startled by her sudden appearance in the living room the way he sometimes was when she came out to check on him. In fact, he was comforted by it. Always his Scully, she was. Always aware of how he was feeling. Always concerned about his well-being. Always knew what he needed. "I'm fine, Scully." She pulled her robe closed, sat down beside him. "Then how come you're out here on the couch instead of in bed with me?" "I was thinking about what you told me before." She curled her legs up underneath her, put her hand on his shoulder. "What's that?" "The woman in the restaurant that you saw tonight... I think I know who it was. I didn't remember before, but I do now," he admitted, chewing on his bottom lip. "Well, who is she? Someone you used to work with?" He leaned forward, rested his arms on his legs and clasped his hands, then looked over at her and said, "Someone I used to love." ~~~~~~ "Hey, you," said Robert, his soft voice disrupting her thoughts. "What are you doing out here?" he asked, coming up behind her and slipping his arm around her waist. "Thinking," she answered, leaning back into his embrace. "About what, babe?" he asked, gently stroking her hair. She closed her eyes, let his soothing touch relax her. "I wasn't honest with you before," she said quietly. His hand moved from her hair to her shoulder and down, his fingers skimming across the short hairs on her arm. "Is it about that guy, the one you saw at the restaurant?" She wasn't surprised that he knew exactly what she was thinking about. She'd always been an open book to him, but even more so since they'd gotten married. Still, the fact that he knew her so well was unnerving at times. "Yes," she admitted, wanting to tell him everything, yet wanting to keep that part of her life stored away where no one could touch it. Or ruin it. "You were in love with him, weren't you?" asked Robert, turning her around in his arms and tilting her chin up with his finger so she couldn't look away. But looking up at her husband now, his beautiful blue eyes intently watching her, waiting for an answer, she knew she couldn't keep anything from him. Just as she knew he wouldn't let her. Putting her arms around him, she pressed her cheek to his chest and replied, "Yes, I was." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX They sat side by side on the creek bank, their bare legs dangling off the edge, their toes cautiously dipping into the cold water. He placed his hand over hers, looked down into the dark water swirling around his feet. "There's something I have to tell you, Kate...and you're not going to like it." He felt her body tense up, felt her fingers tighten around his. "And there's something I need to tell you too." Neither of them said anything then, both of them too afraid to hear what the other had to say. "I got accepted at Oxford," he said, finally breaking the silence between them. "And I got accepted at Cornell," she blurted out, making a circle in the water with her foot. "Oh," he said, not knowing what else to say. She took her hand out from underneath his, turned and looked at him. "I know how much you wanted this, Fox, and I'm happy for you," she said softly. "Are you?" She studied his face and thought for a moment. "Yes, I am." He reached up, pressed his palm to her cheek. "I'm happy for you too, you know." "I know," she replied, letting out a sigh. "But you and I both know that if we leave here, that'll be it for us. Once we both go off to college, there'll be no turning back...on anything. Are you sure you're ready for that?" "No," he said sadly. "Neither am I." The two of them became quiet again, the only sound between them, the gentle swirl of the water around their ankles. "What if I asked you to come to Cornell with me?" "You know I can't do that, Kate." "I know." "Just as I can't ask you to do something that isn't right for you," he said, taking her hand in his again. She looked down at their joined hands and smiled. "Since when did you get to be so practical and smart?" Smiling back, he gave her shoulder an affectionate nudge. "Since I started hanging around you." XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "So, why didn't you tell me about this high school sweetheart of yours before?" asked Scully, her curiosity piqued about the girl who had captured Mulder's heart at such a young age. He brushed his palm over her hair, kissed her forehead. "I was a different person back then." "You mean you weren't the arrogant, albeit brilliant person you are now?" she joked. He smiled. "No, I was just arrogant," he said dryly. "And innocent...and Kate was..." He looked towards the window, a wistful expression on his face. "Kate was the best thing about high school," he said, his voice cracking. Scully touched his arm, rested her chin against his shoulder. "Tell me about her." He thought about how kind and smart Kate was, how beautiful her eyes were and how much fun she was to be with. He thought about how she listened to what he had to say no matter how strange it was and how she believed in him despite the fact that no one else seemed to. And then he smiled. "She was a lot like you, Scully." ~~~~~~~~ Robert stood up from the couch, held out his hand. "I still can't believe you were in love with a guy named Fox. I mean, what were his parents thinking naming him that?" "I don't know, but he didn't seem to mind it too much," she said, taking hold of his hand and standing up. She smiled. "Except when *I* teased him about it." "Now why doesn't that surprise me?" he remarked, a smile crossing his face as he kissed her knuckles. They walked back to the bedroom in silence then, their hands clasped, both of them thinking about the long conversation they just had. She was glad she was honest with Robert about Fox, and just as she knew he would, he'd listened to her story attentively. And patiently. He climbed into bed and so did she, and just as she did every night, she nestled herself in his arms, resting her hand on his stomach and draping her leg over his thighs. "Robert?" "Hmmm...what is it, babe?" he asked, his voice drowsy as he let his body sink deeper into the mattress. "You know I love you, right?" she asked, already knowing his answer, but needing to hear the words. "Of course, I know," he mumbled, his eyes closing, his breaths slowing. Of course, he loved her just as she loved him, and though she was tempted to try to find out where Fox lived and what his life was like now, she knew with certainty that she wouldn't try to contact him. Instead she would simply cherish her memories of him, and hope that he was as happy with his life as she was. She leaned over her husband, kissed him on the cheek, then closed her eyes, letting the strong steady beating of his heart lull her to sleep. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Neither one of them said much that last night. They had milkshakes and French fries at McDonald's, then took a walk at the park by Kate's house, their hands tightly clasped together, their hearts nervously pounding. "So, what time does your flight leave tomorrow?" she asked, looking down at the sidewalk instead of at him. "9:10 am, but I need to be at the airport at least an hour before that," he answered, his eyes staring straight ahead. "Oh," she said simply. What else could she say? She couldn't ask him to pass up a chance to study at Oxford, and she couldn't give up her own dreams either, and so in just a few short hours, they would each go their separate ways. He would be on a plane heading overseas, and she'd be packing for New York. And they'd probably never see each other again. Of course, neither one of them wanted to admit that fact, even though they both knew that the possibility was there. And so they didn't, instead choosing to say as little as possible. "I'm going to miss you so much, Kate," he said, suddenly pulling her into his arms and squeezing her as tightly as he could. "And I'm going to miss you, Fox," she replied, burying her face in his shirt and biting her lip to keep from crying. And for awhile, they simply stood like that, both of them holding onto each other for as long as they could. Several minutes later when they finally broke apart, he cupped his hands around her face, and he kissed her one last time. And with that kiss he told her everything in his heart. And he said what he knew would be their last goodbye. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX "So Mulder, what do you want to do about this?" A part of him wanted to go to the office right now, start running background checks, start making phone calls, but was that really what Kate wanted? She'd obviously seen him tonight, yet she made no effort to come over to him. Maybe she was as overwhelmed as he was by all the memories that had resurfaced, or maybe she was happy with her life the way it was now and didn't want things to change. Either way, she had chosen to only watch him from a distance, not talk to him, and he had to respect that. "When you saw Kate tonight, was she with another man?" he asked, surprised by the sudden twinge of jealousy he felt in his chest. "I did see a man come in and sit down with her, but I couldn't tell if he was her husband or not," she replied, lacing her fingers through his. He gave her hand a quick squeeze, then let go of it and stood up. He walked over to the window, looked up at the stars. "Did she look happy?" Scully got up from the couch, walked over beside him, slid her arms around his waist. "I don't know, Mulder, I couldn't really tell...but you're happy, aren't you?" He looked down at the woman beside him, the woman who trusted and supported him, who knew everything about him and loved him anyway. The woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. "Yes, I am," he answered, tenderly kissing the spot right above her eyebrow. "Then that's all you need to know," she said matter of factly. Always his Scully, she was. Always the logical and sensible one. Always showing him a different way of looking at things. Always making him think. "Yeah, I guess it is," he said, giving her another kiss. "It's been a long night. You should get some rest." Glancing up at the stars again, he thought about how incredibly lucky he was to have someone like Scully in his life, and he hoped that Kate had been just as lucky with her life. Maybe someday he would actually try to contact her and see how she was doing, but it wouldn't be tonight. Tonight he would fall asleep next to his wife and wake up with her in the morning. "You ready, Mulder?" asked Scully, slipping her hand into his again. He squeezed her fingers and smiled, then quietly led her back to their bedroom. Nothing else needed to be said. ~end~ *Wow, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty good about the whole 'true love' thing right now. It was truly a pleasure for me to explore three different relationships between four very different people, and I hope that you got as much enjoyment out of reading their stories as I did writing them.:) Drop me a line and let me know how *you* feel about the love thing... touchstone98@tx.rr.com possibilities http://possibilities.bravehost.com/ Originally posted May 2004.