Title: AT FIRST SIGHT By: Rebecca Ford Rating: G Classification: SR Spoilers: Pilot Keywords: Mulder and Scully's very first encounter, a sort of alternate *beginning* for the two agents. Pre-pilot. Summary: As young Agent Dana Scully nervously awaits her meeting with Chief Blevins regarding her work at the FBI, she notices someone who catches her eye. Did this just happen to be a coincidence, or was it something more? Disclaimer: All characters used in this story are the sole property of Chris Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions, 20th Century Fox Television Productions and are by no means my creation... although I wish they were!! I'm just using them because they're brilliant, plain and simple!! No infringement intended. Enjoy! AT FIRST SIGHT By: Rebecca Ford As Dana Scully nervously sipped her coffee, she glanced around the crowded diner. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, not having a care in the world. Her on the other hand, felt the total opposite. She had only been with the FBI just over two years, and she felt her work there was more than satisfactory. But she had gotten a call early that morning, requesting her presence in the office of Chief Blevins. She had searched her brain all morning for what they could be wanting to talk to her about. So here she was, trying to get her mind off the meeting, and trying to calm her nerves. But it wasn't doing any good. She quickly glanced at her watch. She didn't have to be there for a half an hour. For once, she wished time would hurry up. Suddenly something caught her eye. Actually, it was more like *someone*. Sitting three tables in front of her was one of the most attractive men she had ever seen in her life. She felt her cheeks go warm, and she hid her face, embarrassed. He was intently working on some paperwork, and occasionally he put down his pen and glanced thoughtfully out the window. He had no idea he was being watched. She had never seen anyone like him before. To her surprise, her heart started beating faster, and her palms began to get sweaty as she continued to watch him. There was just something about him that she couldn't take her eyes off. Maybe it was his dark, mysterious physique, or the tiny pout in his bottom lip. He was dressed simply, wearing a simple clean white shirt and tie. But he looked great. Very professional. He had this gleam of determination in his eyes that made her consider he may be very intelligent too, because he seemed so intent on whatever he was doing. She was so caught up in watching this man, she didn't realize what time it was. She looked at her watch again. Now she had fifteen minutes until she had to be back at the Headquarters. Suddenly the man rose, gathered up his papers and put them in his briefcase. Before Dana could realize what was going on, he disappeared out the door. She slumped back in her chair, disappointed. No man had ever made her feel that way before at first sight. She kept looking at the door, hoping he would come back in again, perhaps forgetting something. But he never did. With a heavy heart, she left the diner and made her way back to the building. * * * * * * * Agent Scully took a deep breath as she walked through the doors of the FBI Headquarters. She walked up a flight of stairs and around to a desk where a woman was sitting. "Agent Dana Scully," she told her in her most professional manner. The woman nodded and Scully continued down a hallway through a bunch of offices. Finally she reached the door to Chief Blevin's office. She took another shaky breath and knocked quietly. "Come in," came the voice of the chief. She walked in and saw the chief sitting at his desk. "Agent Scully," he addressed her, "Thank you for coming on such short notice. Please..." he motioned for her to sit down. She sat down and glanced around the room. Next to Chief Blevin was another man, and in the corner was another man, who came across to her as very strange. He was leaning up against a file cabinet almost hidden in the shadows, smoking a cigarette. Scully quickly looked away and turned her attention back to the chief. "We see you've been with us just over two years," he said. "Yes sir," she answered. "You went to medical school but you chose not to practice. How'd you come to work for the FBI?" Blevins asked her. "Well, sir, I was recruited out of medical school. Um, my parents still think it was an act of rebellion, but, uh...I saw the FBI as a place where I could distinguish myself," she answered calmly. "Are you familiar with an agent named Fox Mulder?" The other man at the desk asked her. "Yes, I am," she replied. "How so?" he asked. Scully took a deep breath. "By reputation," she told them. "He's an Oxford educated Psychologist, who wrote a monograph on serial killers and the occult, that helped to catch Monty Props in 1988. Generally thought of as the best analyst in the violent crimes section. He had a nickname at the academy....'Spooky Mulder'." She smiled at the man in the corner, but when he didn't respond, she quickly looked away again. He was beginning to make her a little more than uncomfortable. "What I'll also tell you is that Agent Mulder has developed a consuming devotion to an unassigned project outside the bureau mainstream. Are you familiar with the so-called 'X-Files'?" The chief asked her. Scully answered, "I believe they have to do with unexplained phenomena." "More or less. The reason you're here, Agent Scully, is we want you to assist Mulder on these X-Files. You will write field reports on your activities, along with your observations on the validity of the work," Blevins told her. Scully's heart started to beat faster. "Am I to understand that you want me to debunk the X-Files project, sir?" she asked, looking directly at the chief. "Agent Scully," he told her. "We trust you'll make the proper scientific analysis. You'll want to contact Agent Mulder shortly. We look forward to seeing your reports." And then it was over. Scully didn't remember walking out of the office. She seemed to be in a daze until she stepped out of the elevator and into the basement. Soon she came to an office secluded in the back. She knocked on the door. A male voice responded. "Sorry, nobody down here but the FBI's most unwanted." Not sure what to make of that, she cautiously opened the door and almost fell over. Sitting at his desk going over some slides was the *exact same* man she had seen in the diner, only minutes before. Trying not to look too flabbergasted, she slowly walked up to him, her head spinning. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest and she hoped he couldn't hear it. So much was happening so fast, and she tried desperately to make sense of the whole situation. Then it all came together. The man she saw in the diner *was* Fox Mulder, the man she was going to be working with. How come she had never seen him around before? Probably because he was stuck all the way down in the cold basement. It would have sure made this a whole lot easier if she had seen him before! She still couldn't believe this was this actually happening. "Agent Mulder," she said evenly, surprised she was staying this calm. "I'm Dana Scully, I've been assigned to work with you." She held out her hand and he shook it. Right there, as she held his hand for that split second, she knew in her heart that this was the start of something very special. THE END ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* That's all folks! I hope you liked it! Please send all your comments to me at sweetchick_2000@hotmail.com