TITLE:  Dr. Fox Mulder	
AUTHOR:  Rosemary
RATING:  PG
CATEGORY:  V, MSR
DISTRIBUTION:  Please ask first.
FEEDBACK:  romantic@juno.com
SPOILERS:  Post-Existence
SUMMARY:  A short story taking place a year and a half after
"Existence," showing Mulder in a new line of work - and making quite
an impression.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This was just a little idea floating around in my head
yesterday, so I thought I'd type it out for fun. :)
DISCLAIMER: Absolutely nothing having to do with "The X-Files" belongs
to me, and I have no wish to steal from Chris Carter, the greatest
television writer/producer of all-time, or from Ten-Thirteen or FOX. 
I'm just borrowing stuff.  Thanks. :)


--Dr. Fox Mulder--
   by Rosemary

*****
Dr. Fox Mulder cleared his throat before continuing his compelling
(well, at least *he* thought it was compelling) lecture about Sigmund
Freud.  He was acutely aware of the three young women sitting in the
front row of the class, whose eyes were glued to him, although he
suspected they weren't really listening to a word he said.  Mulder
felt strangely like Indiana Jones.  The girls were staring dreamily at
him, making him somewhat uncomfortable, especially considering the
subject matter he was dealing with.

Ever since the class had begun a week earlier, he'd noticed the
giggles when he turned around to face the white board, the gasps when
he donned his wire frame glasses to look more closely at an exciting
paragraph in his copy of "Intro to Psychology," and the whispers of
"Fox" when he made his way through the hallways of the University of
Virginia towards his office.  Not that he wasn't used to such behavior
after teaching several classes here over the past year.  But sometimes
it was still hard to believe how dramatically his life had changed. 
No longer was he "Spooky Mulder," the nick-name he'd acquired during
his time at the F.B.I.  Now he was the psychology professor of choice.
 "Foxy Mulder."  His classes were always full.  His office hours were
booked with young college students (primarily female) who claimed they
needed extra help in class.
	
The change in the way people perceived Mulder was most definitely a
welcome one.  After losing his job at the F.B.I., he'd gone through a
sort of private mourning time, a time of depression, where he thought
he had lost everything that meant anything to him.  Becoming a
professor had given him a chance to help others and to be useful, to
use his knowledge, and he loved it.

Mulder glanced at the clock at the back of the lecture hall and
realized he'd already gone five minutes over.  Interestingly, his
class hadn't seemed to notice.
	
"It looks like we'll have to continue this next week.  Thank you." 
Mulder picked his textbook up from the lecturn and moved over to his
desk.

The class flooded through the door, and the three girls in the front
row walked toward him.  One, a pretty dark-haired girl nudged her
equally pretty blonde friend ahead.  The blonde blushed momentarily,
but quickly composed herself and stepped toward Mulder confidently.

"Dr. Mulder?"

Mulder looked up.

"Yes?"

"Hi, I'm Tiffany Walters."

"Hi, Tiffany."  Mulder gave her a friendly smile and acknowledged her
two friends as well.

Tiffany seemed to gain even more confidence and moved closer to
Mulder, leaning over his desk.  "I was wondering-- if you would be
able to tutor me privately.  I'm really concerned about the final and
I want to make sure I do everything I can to get the most out of this
class."  She batted her eyelashes and gave him a half-smile.

Mulder smiled again, laughing silently at this girl's game.  There
would have been a time in his life when having a cute, young blonde
come on to him like this would've tempted him, but not now.  Not
anymore.  His mind suddenly drifted toward thoughts of a fiesty,
breathtakingly gorgeous red headed woman who made this student look
like a 10-year-old in comparison.

Tiffany took his smile as an encouragement and ran a hand through her
fine, golden hair, causing it to tumble lightly onto her shoulders. 
Her friends fidgeted behind her.

Mulder shook away the daydreams of his beloved and met Tiffany's gaze.
 "I see.  That's very smart of you, to want to get such a head start. 
But, you know, the final isn't for another couple of months, and I've
designed the class so that you'll get all the review you need if you
attend diligently."

"Oh, I'll be at every class.  It's just that I learn so much better
one-on-one."  Tiffany said the words slowly.  Almost seductively. 
Mulder raised his eyebrows, amazed at the forwardness of this girl. 
He almost laughed out loud when he suddenly imagined Scully behaving
like this.  She had always been the subtle one.  Throughout their
eight years of partnership he had given her plenty of opportunites to
accept his sometimes rather blatant advances, but she'd discouraged
him countless times.  Little had he known in those times that she had
been aching for him, yearning for his touch, wanting him completely. 
His chest tightened for a second as he thought of how many times, how
many precious and tender moments they'd lost, just because they were
afraid.
	
Tiffany tilted her head to the side, causing her hair to fall to one
side over her shoulder. Mulder began to wonder if she had practiced
all of this ahead of time.

"It would just be a couple of hours on Saturday mornings.  Or
evenings, if you prefer," she said.  She ran a hand lightly down her
neck.  "I really love your glasses, by the way."
She looked at him carefully, trying desperately to read his
expression.  The look in her eye told Mulder that she thought she had
him.  An expression of triumph was plastered all over her face.  Out
of the corner of his eye he saw movement and looked away from her,
toward the door; and for all he cared, Tiffany could've been a tile on
the floor.  There, framed by the doorway, stood Mulder's everything.

Tiffany had glanced back at her friends and smirked, but when she
looked back at her professor, she was taken aback..  His eyes had lit
up, and his entire countenance seemed to be radiating pure joy.  She
frowned and looked toward the door to see what could possibly pull his
attention away from her so easily.

The thing in question was definitely a woman.  She wasn't a freshman
college student, that was for sure.  Her auburn hair was beautiful. 
She wore a knee-length black skirt with a small slit up the right
side.  The material clung to her shapely hips.  She had a woman's
curves, not the straight, narrow look of a young girl.  She was sexy. 
Her legs were clad in black hose.  Her light blue, short-sleeved shirt
was simple, but looked perfectly elegant on her, and the V-neck
displayed a hint of cleavage.  A small gold cross hung from a thin
chain and rested on the creamy skin of her chest.  Dr. Mulder had
completely forgotten about Tiffany and her friends.  He was transfixed
by the woman in the doorway.

Tiffany looked the woman up and down, critically, trying to find
something wrong with her.  She shook her head when she realized the
woman was carrying a little boy on her hip.  The way her body curved
to hold the toddler made her look even sexier.

"Come in," Mulder said, breaking the silence and gazing into the
woman's eyes from across the room.
	
"I can wait.  You're busy," the woman gestured toward Tiffany and her
friends.
	
"No, no, we're finished."  He waved his hand toward Tiffany in
dismissal, not even glancing her way.
	
The woman walked forward, hefting the boy up as she did so.  The boy
saw Mulder and smiled broadly.
	
"Da Da!" he yelled as he threw his arms out in excitement.  Mulder
laughed and was at the woman's side in an instant, lifting the boy
from her arms and pulling him into his embrace.
	
"Muah!"  Mulder kissed the boy's cheek and cuddled him.  The boy
wrapped his arms around Mulder's neck and kissed him back.  Mulder
looked at the woman and they shared a smile.  Tiffany looked on in
bewilderment.  She was intruding on a private moment, and she knew it.
	
The woman seemed to sense the girl's discomfort.  "Mulder, are these
some of your students?"

Mulder tore his gaze away from her to look at the three girls.  

"Oh yes, I'm sorry.  This is Tiffany, and--  I'm sorry, I didn't catch
your names."
	
Tiffany tried to hide her disappointment and embarrassment.  "Jamie
and Shannen."
	
"Nice to meet you girls," the woman said politely.  Mulder looked back
at her and slipped his arm around her waist.  Tiffany couldn't help
but notice the way he pulled her possessively closer.  And she felt
extremely annoyed that the woman saw them as "girls."

"This is my wife Dana, and our son William."

Tiffany nodded toward them, trying desperately to hide the flush that
was creeping up her neck.

"Well, we'd better be going.  Thanks for your help, Dr. Mulder."

Dana smiled at this and looked at Mulder.  He looked down at her and
moved his hand from her waist to run his long fingers along her arm
softly.  Tiffany and her friends grabbed their bags and moved hastily
toward the door.  Her friends went on ahead of her down the hall, but
Tiffany turned back to look at Dr. Mulder and his family.

Now that he was alone with his wife and son, he had pulled Dana
completely into his arms and was stroking the back of her head and
looking at her.  They were talking, completely at ease with each
other.  The little boy was resting his head on Mulder's shoulder. 
Mulder's body seemed magnetized to his wife's.  Every time he touched
her it was as though he was kissing her.  Every touch was a caress. 
Every word was a promise.  Tiffany watched the display of tenderness
in complete awe, as though she were a little girl watching a romantic
scene in a movie.

Dr. Mulder smiled down at his wife.  He touched her neck lightly with
his fingertips and then bent down closer to her.  She said something
and he smiled even wider, then moved closer until his lips met hers
hungrily.  His fingers ran through her hair, and he cupped her head
with his hand as his lips opened against hers again and again.  Their
bodies swayed ever-so-slightly back and forth as they kissed.  He
pulled away from her briefly to look into her eyes, then covered her
lips with his again, closing his eyes in the ecstasy of her beautiful
mouth.

****	
Tiffany couldn't believe she was watching this.  She was completely
intruding on a private moment, but she couldn't take her eyes off of
the two people who had practically melded into one.  She had known in
the back of her mind that Dr. Mulder was married.  She had heard all
the rumors and stories about his time in the F.B.I. with a female
partner.  But she never wanted to believe that he really had settled
down.  That he was madly in love with his wife.  That his wife was
beautiful and stunning and perfect for him.  Tiffany sighed and began
to turn away, but she couldn't stop herself from looking again.  They
were still kissing.  Dana's hands ran up his arms and came to rest
around his neck.  She pressed her supple body against him and he
pushed his own body against her in response.  His free arm ran along
her back, her neck, her arm.  He kissed her vigorously, slipping his
tongue into her mouth to meet hers in a soft, loving dance.  Tiffany's
eyes widened as the kiss grew deeper.  But the kiss soon came to a
reluctant end as Dr. Mulder gently pulled away and moved to his desk
to close his briefcase, still holding William in one arm.  Dana leaned
against his desk and watched him silently.  Her eyes were glazed with
passion.  He leaned over to close a desk drawer and she stared at his
rear, raising her eyebrows in silent approval and a slight smile.  He
stood again and looked at her.  He must have read the look on her face
because he moved toward her and nuzzled her neck, inhaling her scent
before picking up his briefcase.  Dana took it from him and then
clasped his hand in hers and they walked toward the door.
	
Tiffany slipped away quickly down the hall.  Her last view was of Dr.
Mulder walking down the hallway toward the parking lot, carrying his
adorable little son in one arm, his other arm wrapped around his
beautiful wife.  Tiffany became painfully aware that there would be no
seducing this man, no attracting this man.  She knew this from the
moment she saw him look at his wife from across the room.  He was
crazy about his little boy.  He was head over heels for Dana.  He was
a forever kind of guy.  Nothing would ever come between the union he
had with his wife.  Tiffany sighed as she headed back to her dorm,
wondering how in the world she would ever be able to find a love like
the one Dr. Mulder had with his wife.  Dr. Fox Mulder had ruined her. 
She was only 19-years-old, and she already knew that the most perfect
love really could exist, and that she didn't have it.  It was going to
be a long semester.  Her head hung low as she trudged slowly through
another hallway.  Suddenly, she remembered Dr. Mulder wearing his
glasses, his hair touseled a bit from a long day of teaching... and
she grinned.  Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad semester after all.  She
was only 19.  She could just enjoy the view for now and find a love of
her own later.  A fine semester indeed.

--The End