From: bellydancergirl7@aol.com   
      
   Title: Profezia   
   Author: sitarra   
   Email: bellydancergirl7@aol.com   
   Distribution: all okay   
   Classification: SAR   
   Keywords: MSR, AU   
   Rating: PG-13   
   Spoilers: maybe, not really sure   
   Summary: `He never knew what a sucker he was for big blue eyes, until   
   he met Dana and the most adorable little girl he'd ever seen, that   
   is.'   
   Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Files, the X-Files characters. But I   
   really wish I did.   
   A/N: I still have a weakness for AU stories. In this one, Mulder is   
   the star pitcher for the New York Yankees. Scully is a doctor at   
   Mount Sinai Hospital, with a 4-year-old daughter named Cassie.   
   Progress: In progress   
   Special thanks: to Gloria in German class for coming up with how they   
   meet. Never could have done it without you.   
      
   0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0   
   April 2005   
      
   "Mommy, can I have a puppy?" the four-year-old asked her mother   
   sweetly as they walked leisurely through Central Park.   
      
   "Cassie, we've been over this. No one would be home to take care of   
   it and puppies need a lot of care," Dana told her daughter. She   
   tapped Cassie on the nose. "Just like you do."   
      
   "Can I ever have a puppy?"   
      
   "One day, we'll see."   
      
   "Promise?" Promises meant everything to Cassie. She never let people   
   back out of them. But Dana never broke her promises. Besides, she   
   could deny her baby girl almost nothing.   
      
   "I promise."   
      
   0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0   
      
   Mulder threw the ball across the grass, watching as his puppy,   
   Snickers, ran as fast as an eight-week-old puppy could. He smiled   
   when she struggled just slightly to bring the ball back. A little   
   girl caught his attention out of the corner of his eye when he   
   grabbed the ball back from Snickers. She had wavy light brown hair   
   that came down past her shoulders. He guessed she was four, maybe   
   five. And she was eyeing Snickers with such awe.   
      
   Mulder remembered those days well. He would always bother his parents   
   about getting a puppy. Now he could buy as many of them as he wanted.   
      
   "Hi, there," he called out to her, slowly moving her way. Snickers   
   promptly followed him. "My name's Mulder. What's your name?"   
      
   "Cassie," she told him, her voice beaming with confidence.   
      
   "It's nice to meet you, Cassie. Do you have a puppy at home?"   
      
   "No, but I want one. Mommy says I can have one when I'm older," she   
   told him, her eyes never leaving Snickers.   
      
   "You want to play with my puppy until your mom gets here?" he   
   suggested, glancing around for any sign of a distraught mother,   
   possibly crying or screaming.   
      
   "Can I?" Cassie asked excitedly. Mulder nodded.   
      
   "Her name's Snickers and she's really friendly." Cassie tentatively   
   reached her hand out to pet the puppy. "She won't hurt you."   
      
   He pet the puppy to show Cassie he wasn't lying. Snickers licked his   
   hand when he started petting her, making Cassie laugh. "You want to   
   try?" When Cassie nodded, he guided her hand to the puppy's soft   
   head. Snickers immediately started licking her hand.   
      
   "It tickles," Cassie laughed.   
      
   Mulder shared her laughs. He always did have a soft spot for kids,   
   little girls especially. They always managed to wrap him around their   
   little fingers.   
      
   "Cassie, what's your mom's name?"   
      
   "Dana Scully. She's a doctor and she has prettyful red hair," Cassie   
   shared. She picked up the ball Mulder had dropped. "Can I throw the   
   ball to her?"   
      
   He spotted a redhead looking around frantically on the sidewalk.   
   *Damn, she's beautiful. Please let that be her.*   
      
   "Sure, if you promise to stay here while I leave for just a second. I   
   think I found your mom."   
      
   "I promise." And then he was totally forgotten as she played with the   
   puppy. The smile stayed on his face as he quickly moved up the slop   
   to the sidewalk. The woman had her back turned to him but he knew she   
   was Cassie's mom.   
      
   He cleared his throat, startling the woman. "Let me guess, you have a   
   daughter named Cassie with a certain penchant for puppies?"   
      
   The woman turned around and he was taken back. She had piercing blue   
   eyes that he wanted to loose himself in. it was obvious who her   
   daughter got her looks from.   
      
   "You know where she is?"   
      
   "Relax. She's down there playing fetch with my puppy," he explained.   
   She noticeably relaxed.   
      
   "That explains why she stopped and I lost her," the woman reasoned,   
   reminding herself that she wasn't a bad mother.   
      
   "She saw the puppy and couldn't resist. Stop thinking you're a bad   
   mother, Dana."   
      
   Dana looked puzzled. "Do you read minds or something? And how do you   
   know my name?"   
      
   "No and Cassie. She told me her mom is a doctor and has prettyful   
   hair," he shared with her. "And I must say, I agree."   
      
   Dana tried not to but she blushed anyway. "Thank you. Now I think   
   I'll just take Cassie and go."   
      
   "Let her play for a while longer; it's okay."   
      
   "No, really. I don't want to hold you back from your plans."   
      
   He waved her off. "It's no trouble. I don't have to be anywhere for   
   another," he glanced down at his watch, "two days."   
      
   "Really?" Dana sounded unsure. Mulder nodded and assured her again.   
   He led her down to her daughter, praising any god that she decided to   
   stay.   
      
   Cassie spotted her in an instant. "Mommy, look! I'm playing with   
   Snickers."   
      
   "I see that. Cassie, could you come over here for a minute?" Dana   
   settled on the edge of a slope next to Mulder, watching her   
   daughter's head hang like it did when she knew she was in trouble.   
      
   "Cassie," Dana started when her daughter stood in front of her, "you   
   can't just run off in the park without mommy. It's dangerous. We were   
   both lucky you found Mr. …"   
      
   "Mulder," Cassie and Mulder filled in for her.   
      
   "Mr. Mulder this time, but next time, we might not be so lucky. Do   
   you understand?"   
      
   "Yes," Cassie nodded. "I'm sorry, mommy. I promise I won't do it   
   again."   
      
   "I know." Cassie hugged her mom before Dana turned her back to the   
   puppy. "Now go finish playing."   
      
   Cassie hurried back to the puppy, who had found leaves to play with   
   instead. Her mother and her new friend sat in silence, just watching.   
      
   "She's a beautiful girl," Mulder said, speaking his mind.   
      
   Dana softened at that. "Thank you. Cassie is my world. I don't know   
   what I'd do without her."   
      
   "How old is she?"   
      
   "Four. She'll be five in a few months."   
      
   "She's very polite for her age. Is that her mother's doing?" he   
   teased.   
      
   Dana laughed. "Oddly enough, no. I do encourage it in her but she's   
   like that on her own."   
      
   "Doesn't get it from her father, then?" he asked innocently.   
      
   "No, the only thing she got from her father is her light hair color,"   
   Dana quickly answered, wishing he'd get the hint and drop the subject.   
      
   Mulder glanced around. "Speaking of father, no one's gonna come   
   running from the trees looking for you, is he? I'm not gonna have to   
   defend myself, am I?"   
      
   Her eyes met his. "No, no one's going to come looking for you. You're   
   safe."   
      
   He noticed how she closed herself off at the mention of Cassie's   
   father. "Touchy subject?" he guessed.   
      
   "No," she said, shaking her head. "I've just learned to make peace   
   with it."   
      
   "Tell me the story sometime?" he asked, his wishful tone obvious.   
      
   She arched an eyebrow at him. "Pretty cocky, aren't you?"   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)