Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, the X-Files, and associated characters are property of David Duchovny, Gillian Anderson, Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting Corporation. They are used without permission and no copyright infringement is meant. Any elements not recognized as being taken from the show copyright Christina Shuy. Comments and other things sent to cshuy@netcom.com are much appreciated. Rating: G, Series Summary: Title says it all. Spoilers: Pilot. (Note: This takes place prior to my story "Old Friends" though reading that story isn't necessary) This story is the beginning of a series... one that is Scully-less as a whole. Primarily because it takes form as phone conversations between Mulder and Victoria Jensen post-episode. Author's note: Victoria Jensen is an old friend of Mulder's from Oxford... she's known him fora long time. She was friends with him first, since before Phoebe hurt him (10 years earlier as of "Fire" in first season). What you see here is the thought I h ad on the line in "Old Friends" where Victoria points out that she and Mulder talk often on the phone. Conversations between Old Friends: Pilot by Christina Shuy cshuy@netcom.com The phone rang. The lone occupant of the room picked it up. As it was, she was still wide awake. "Victoria Jensen..." "VC, it's me." "Daring me to live up to that nickname, are we, *Fox*?" "Point, Victoria...." Her friend's voice sighed. "So anyway, Mulder, what's on your mind?" "I got a new partner recently..." "A new partner? I take it this was not your idea. You've never liked working with others... it even took you a while to warm up to me." "Yeah... I think she was sent to spy on me, though." "Paranoid again, as always, Mulder?" "It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you." "Mulder, stop quoting the Lone Gunmen, and tell me about her. Or get to the point, whichever comes first." "Well... I took her to Oregon on her first case... The plane went haywire before it landed. In the middle of all of that, I told her: Looks like we came to the right place. Then, after the car radio started acting funny, I pulled over and painted an X on the road with orange spraypaint..." "Managed to frighten her, did you, Mulder?" "No... actually, didn't phase her at all. She was just very curious. I told her it was nothing." "And then the car proceeded to stop near that later that evening." "Yeah... and I was really happy... Is that weird?" Victoria laughed, remember what she'd seen. "Really happy? Mulder, that was an understatement. You were ecstatic. Any moreso and I would say you were practically orgasmic. And don't ask me how I know... you *know* how I know. Sounds like you, Mulder, though I really wish you wouldn't, sometimes." "Wouldn't what?" "Mess with everyone's minds. Or at least attempt to." "Phoebe didn't like that either." "Mulder... how many times have I told you: I am NOT Phoebe Green!" "Yeah...I know. And I'm glad.' "You better be, or else I would... no, actually, I think you'd enjoy that. What with your video collection and all." "Victoria, I apologized, didn't I?" It was almost a whine. "Yes, but the question is, did you mean it?" "What's it to you if I didn't?" Playfully teasing now. "Don't make me fly over and hurt you." "Oooh...are you coming onto me, Victoria?" "Mulder, if I were coming onto you, you'd know it. As it stands, I'm not... and you are being extremely silly." "What if I am?" "So... what is her name?" "Who?" "Your *partner*, Mulder? Even though I probably already know..." "And how many times have I told you not to do that?" "Mulder... I can't help that, remember?" "Yeah, right..." "Mulder... her name, please. Or do I have to guess?" "Dana Katherine Scully. She's got reddish hair, a rather pretty smile, and an amazingly sharp mind." "She sounds like a nice enough person. I hope I get to meet her eventually." "You probably will..." "And what exactly was your reaction when she ran frightened into your hotel room in her underwear and bathrobe with marks she thought were alien in nature but eventually turned out to be only mosquito bites?" "VC...." "Mulder, you're broadcasting that scene... again ... not only that, I saw it before... when it happened. It was rather interesting being presented with that in the middle of the day when I was trying to concentrate on another case. And then, of course, what ran through *your* mind at that point... Sometimes I wonder if that video collection of yours is even remotely healthy..." "Hey!" "Mulder, pornography is considered addictive... and with the extent of your collection, I hate to say this, Mulderdear, but you are an addict." "I am not!" "You're going to have to face it eventually... or are we going to do with this the same as what we do with most of your other bad habits." "You mean blame it on Phoebe?" "Well, we could do that..." "What else would you suggest?" "Mulder, you're the psychologist... you tell me what you would do if you were trying to analyise you..." "I try to avoid that as much as possible." "I thought so." "And what is that supposed to mean, VC?" "Nothing, Fox... nothing at all." "Uh, Victoria, I hate to do this, but I am gonna go, okay? I haven't gotten much sleep lately, and I think I should get some rest." "Mulder, I'm five hours ahead of you... It's getting late here as well, remember?' "Whatever you say, Victoria... you used to be such an night owl." "Did not, Mulder." "Could have fooled me." There was a hint of teasing. "I'm gonna go." "Okay... Keep an eye on your partner... and trust her a bit more, okay? She's a good person." "I'm not even going to ask you how you know that." "Good. Because I can't exactly explain... you knew that already." "G'Night, VC." There was a smile in Mulder's voice. "'Night, Fox." Victoria dropped the phone back onto its cradle and then walked into her bedroom. -The End- "The Truth is Out There. Trust No One."- from "The X-Files" "I was told once that the best way to regenerate body heat is to crawl naked into a sleeping bag with someone else who's already naked."-Mulder "Maybe if it rains sleeping bags, you'll get lucky." Scully(tXF-"Detour") Pursuing a BS degree(Electrical Engineering)-Fall Quarter Hiatus (no money) "In the moment that you think you can't, you'll discover that you can." - Celine Dion - "Power of the Dream" "Let's get Dangerous!" - Darkwing Duck. Looking for work and a place to live... somewhere in the SanFran Bay Area.