Submission: The Road More Travelled
 Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 

Summary: Scully runs into an old friend and catches a glimpse of
 what she might have missed.
 Rating: PG
 Category: V, a little A, a hint of MulderTorture, Scully/other
 (previously), UST
 Started and finished July 30, 1998
 Disclaimer: Well, I won't be surprised if Ethan were to suddenly
 appear at some time--just like Diana. But I hope it's like this, in
 passing. And so I won't infringe on the copyright of these or any
 characters. 10-13 and 20th Century FOX be praised! (Old English
 for 'FOX rules!')
 Archive: anywhere.
 I love mail!! Write me! 

The Road More Traveled
 by Vickie Moseley
vickiemoseley1978@yahoo.com 

I hate being late. It's not really an obsession, although Mulder
 thinks it is. He hates being late, too, but if it happens, it doesn't
 drive him crazy. I get crazy when I'm late. 

Like this morning. 

I knew Mulder would be waiting, but Skinner had called me last
 night and asked if I would look over an autopsy for VCS. Since I'd
 been doing so little in the office for the last two weeks, I didn't
 think I could refuse. Besides, I was sure I'd be done in time to pick
 up Mulder. 

I would have been if the stupid Key Bridge hadn't been under
 construction. I should have taken the 14th Street, I know, but
 what's done is done. 

I hit the doors going ninety, swept past the reception desk with a
 wave to the ladies there and made it to the bank of elevators in time
 to watch the doors close soundly in my face. I'd have to wait for
 the next one. And of course, all the cars were on the top floors. It
 was going to be a long wait. I was cursing elevators and my fate in
 general and had just about decided to take the stairs when I felt a
 tug at my sleeve. 

"Dana? Earth to Dana. Come in, Dana." 

I spun around and found myself face to face with Ethan. Ethan
 Minette. 

The former man of my dreams. 

He looked . . . fabulous. His hair had a couple of gray wisps at the
 temple, his face looked a little fuller and there was a shining kind of
 light in his eyes. He looked better than I could ever remember. 

I suddenly realized I was staring at him and jerked myself back to
 reality. I reached out and gave him a hug. 

"Ethan, what a surprise! How are you?" 

He smiled at me, that same smile that made me fall into bed with
 him. "I'm great, Day. Just terrific. And you?" 

I knew I looked a bit of a mess. I'm still sporting a bruise on my
 cheek and my wrist is still splinted. I hadn't taken much time with
 my hair this morning, because I had too much to do and not enough
 time to do it in. I looked like the Bride of Frankenstein. But I had
 to answer. 

"I'm great, too. So, what are you doing here?" 

He looked a little confused, he'd been staring at me, too, I noticed.
 Then he glanced at the fake marble and shining metal around us.
 "The hospital? Oh, uh, Cathy had a baby. You remember Cathy?
 She worked in my office." 

I remembered Cathy. Tall, thin, blonde. The woman was not going
 to win any rounds of Ben Stein's Money. Yeah, Cathy. 

"Yes, of course. So she had a baby! I didn't realize she was
 married." 

"She wasn't, when you knew her," he said and for some funny
 reason, he sounded almost guilty when he said it. "I guess I should
 have sent you a card or something. It's been a long time." 

Only a life time ago. I remembered distinctly our last meeting.
 Meeting. I wish. We'd just finished making love and somehow the
 pillow talk had turned to my new assignment. I told Ethan that I
 had to get up early, we couldn't do any 'marathon sessions' that
 night. I was leaving the next day for Oregon with my new partner
 and I didn't want to be late. 

That led to the fight of the century. Ethan hadn't wanted me to
 request assignment into the field, he had other plans. Vastly
 different from my own plans, I soon discovered. He had purchased
 an engagement ring and was all set to pop the question. I was
 floored. But there was a hitch. He wanted me to quit the Bureau. 

Quit the Bureau. Just when I was finally getting somewhere. No
 way. 

It's so hard to engage in a serious debate when both people are
 naked as jaybirds, but we managed. At one point, Ethan started
 pulling on clothes and ripped his Armani pants in the process. Like
 I cared at that point. 

It was the last time either of us spoke to the other. Ancient history.
 Water under the bridge. 

"So, what are you doing these days? Still with the Bureau?" 

"Yep. Still there. And you? Still with the Coal Association?" 

"Uh, no. I got a spot with Netscape. Internet, the new frontier.
 There've been a lot of moves in Congress to curtail freedom of the
 Net." 

Freedom of the Net. Only Ethan Minette could turn making some
 company billions of dollars a year into something patriotic. 

"But you're still on the Hill, right?" 

"Oh, of course. My office is just a block from the old one. Still go
 to Jimmy's everyday for lunch." 

I smiled. I hadn't been to Jimmy's in five years. Mulder thinks the
 place should be closed down by Public Health. And coming from
 Mulder that's severe. 

"So, Dana, what brings you to the hospital?" 

"Oh, nothing so joyous as seeing a new baby," I told him. "I have
 to pick up Mulder, ah, my partner." 

"Mulder? That the guy you got teamed with five years ago? Boy, I
 thought they liked to mix 'em up more than that at the Bureau." 

I think it was just me, but I detected a note of jealousy in Ethan's
 voice. It was a kick to think he still cared, even a little. 

"So, you kept in touch with Cathy even after the job change.
 That's nice." 

He turned a little red at that. "Umm, well, it would have been hard
 not to. We got married over four years ago." 

I was more than a little surprised at that. He hadn't spent much
 time mooning over me and that realization hurt a little. I tried really
 hard not to show it. "Oh." 

"I mean, I thought about calling you, but it's really bad taste to
 invite your old girlfriends to your wedding. And when I tried to
 call and tell you about it later, I found out you'd been kidnapped.
 What the hell happened, Day?" 

Oh brother, where to start? 

"Long story. Much longer than an elevator ride," I assured him.
 "So, a new baby. Congratulations. Bill and Tara had their first last
 Christmas. It certainly changes your life." 

"We already know. This is number two. We have a beautiful little
 girl back home with Grandma. Emily. She's two." 

My throat closed up and I hoped he couldn't hear my heart
 shattering into a million pieces. It's a common name, I kept telling
 myself. Lots of little girls are named Emily. Lots of them. 

"How sweet," I managed. 

"Yeah, we had a little boy this time. One of each. We named him
 Mark, after my dad." 

"That's great." I know I didn't sound very sincere, but I really did
 think it was wonderful. For him. 

"So, what's wrong with your partner? Nothing serious, I hope." 

Not this week. Not since he came out of the coma five days ago
 and we finally knew that there was no brain damage. Not since he
 woke up and asked me if I caught the license plates on the 'ghost
 truck' that ran over him. 

"We had an . . . incident on a case. I wasn't hurt that bad, but
 Mulder almost . . ." 

I hate it when I get choked up twice in one five minute chance
 encounter. 

"God, Day, I'm so sorry. But you said you were picking him up,
 right? He's going to be OK, right?" 

Ethan Andrew Minette, ever the caring, sensitive soul. Just
 terminally stuck in the dark ages. 

"Yes, he's going to be fine. He's off work for a month or so. But
 he'll make a full recovery." 

"Well, it helps to have a great doctor nearby," Ethan teased lightly.
 The elevator dinged and he looked up at the floor indicator. "This
 is maternity. Hey, we're in the book. Give me a call sometime.
 Maybe we could have dinner. You could bring your, ah, Mulder." 

I almost chuckled at that. My Mulder. But I managed a straight
 face. "That would be nice. I'll call. Promise." 

We both knew I was lying, but neither of us really cared. He smiled
 and got off the elevator car. I caught a glimpse of him as he walked
 down the hall and disappeared through a door, his eyes opened
 wide with joy and excitement. I was sort of surprised to find that I
 really was happy for him. 

My floor was up next. The doors opened and there was Mulder,
 sitting impatiently in a wheelchair with Larry, his favorite orderly,
 standing guard over him.. 

"I'm late, I'm sorry," I sputtered. 

He gave me a long look, then smiled. "That's OK. I was gonna
 make a run for it, but Attila said I had to ride. You know, I could
 call a cab one of these times, Scully. You don't always have to
 come get me." 

"And inflict you on a defenseless cabbie? Never!" 

"So what took you so long? Sherry called up and said that you
 whizzed past her desk. I expected you here ten minutes ago." 

Sherry. Such a young name for a woman who has to be 60, if she's
 a day. Sherry has a crush on Mulder. Maybe he reminds her of a
 son or a lost love. Whatever reason, she always keeps him apprised
 of the activities in the front lobby. 

"I ran into an old . . . friend. Ethan Minette." 

"That the guy you told me about when we were staking out Modell
 at the golf course a couple of years ago?" 

Nope, no brain damage here. Bet he could tell me what we had for
 dinner that night, too. 

"Yep. The same guy. You have everything you need?" 

"On the cart here. So, what's this Ethan character up to?" 

I grabbed the cart and Larry/Attila, drove the wheelchair. The
 elevator car opened up and we entered it again. 

"Scully? I asked a question," Mulder reminded me. 

"Fatherhood," I told him. He flinched, and I realized I'd been a
 little sharp with my voice. "His wife just had their second child. A
 boy." 

Mulder simply nodded. We were quiet for a moment, as I took the
 opportunity to read the elevator safety disclosure statement framed
 on the wall above the floor buttons. You can never be too careful
 about what elevators you take. 

I felt his hand take hold of mine and squeeze it. Mulder didn't say
 anything, and I just squeezed back. 

Larry helped him into the front seat, Mulder is still pretty unsteady
 on his feet. I'll have him home with me for the next couple of
 weeks, and then he'll want to get home to his couch. But then, the
 last time, he stayed with me until he was ready to go back to work.
 Is that the winds of change I feel? 

We were quiet as I pulled out of the lot. Mulder was chewing on
 his lip and I knew he was working something out in his head. I
 almost dreaded what might come out if he opened his mouth. 

"Scully. Sometimes I know you wish . . ." 

"Mulder. Quiet. I want to say something." 

He shut up immediately and looked at me. 

"I know that it's the expected path. Marriage, family, all that stuff.
 And I can't say that I haven't been tempted at times. And I'm not
 saying I would refuse any offers, from the right people." I made a
 point of looking him in the eye when I said that. "But I've always
 thought Robert Frost had it right. I've never regretted taking the
 'road not taken'." 

He smiled at me. The bright, brilliant, crooked smile that 10 days
 ago I thought I had lost forever. I would so sorely miss that smile
 if I couldn't see it everyday. 

And then he spoke. 

"Me neither, Scully. I don't regret it either." 

the end.
 Vickie 

"Politics is a character flaw." 

George Brown, politician and former mayor.