Happiness: Appearances Can Be Deceiving Author: shawntaw Category: MSR, Au Rating: PG Disclaimer: I didn't create these amazing characters, so no one's paying me. Also, I made up Carver, Kentucky. If such a place really exists, I don't know about it.:) I don't own 'Brady Bunch' or FOX network. I don't own the movie 'Sleepless In Seattle' or any of the characters/actors in it. Any characters that aren't Scully, Mulder, Diana or aren't mentioned in the disclaimer are my creation. I take a little loving jab at us - as X-Files fans - but if you blink, you'll miss it.*L* Summary: The title says it all. What is Diana up to? Feedback makes me very happy at shawntaw@hotmail.com :) TO DANI WHO HAS MADE A WEBSITE OF MY STORIES: www.geocities.com/corran_14776/shawntaw.html Thank you.:) ********************************************************************** ***** "Diana?" Mulder called to her, confused and a little suspicious, as he entered the Carver Police Station. Diana's expression changed from professional to astonished. "Fox? What are YOU doing here?" "I was about to ask you the same question," he said, coming to halt in front of her. "As you may or may not know, I've been working on a drug smuggling case under A.D. Smythe. I had an anonymous tip about a connection to a missing persons in Carver." She reached in her jacket pocket and withdrew a folded paper. She handed it to him and he unfolded it. "I have nothing to lose. They screwed me over and now they're gonna get theirs. Watch your back, these smugglers are killers." Attached to the typed note was an article from the 'Carver Review' concerning the same missing persons Mulder was here to investigate. "I figured I'd come down here over the weekend and check it out," Diana said as Mulder handed the papers back thoughtfully. "When'd you get that? And how?" "I found it Thursday morning on my desk in a plain manilla envelope. Why? And why are YOU here, Fox?" He had a weird feeling about this. Mulder couldn't put his finger on why, but he just did. He decided not to share his e-mail. Besides, Diana would get too much enjoyment out of the insulting way the writer of the e-mail referred to Scully as "the redhead." "I read about the exact same case in the paper. Except I'm here about the paranormal aspect." She raised her eyebrow at him, interested. "Paranormal?" He felt his wariness toward Diana recede a little. After all, she'd made no unprofessional overtures toward him. He nodded, hands on his hips, looking past her in full thinking mode. *Are our sources one and the same? What is the informant's TRUE motive?* "Yeah. New occupants claim that they see shadows of the former residents when the neighbor comes over. They think maybe the neighbor murdered them and buried them somewhere nearby." "And THAT was enough to get you to fly to Kentucky for the weekend? The X-files must be slow these days," Diana teased. "I also had contact from an anonymous source," he provided vaguely. "Oh," she said. Another intrigued eyebrow. "Agents?" A policeman was trying to get their attention. They turned to look at him. "The Chief will see you now." "Weird coincidence both of us showing up here at the same time, huh?" Mulder said to Diana as they walked toward the indicated office. Diana nodded, "Unless our informants are one and the same." He nodded. "But why?" she added as he opened the door for her. "That's what I'm wondering," Mulder said as he followed her into the office. ********************************************************************** ****** After a briefing from Chief Gallen, the two weary agents checked into the local motel. Actually, Diana checked them in while Mulder hauled their bags from the back of the police car that had given them a ride to the establishment. *Tomorrow I rent a car.* Mulder ran a hand through his hair and yawned. The chief had been very helpful, handing over everything they had collected on the case although he'd been sure they'd had no connections to drug smuggling. And he'd cocked a disbelieving eyebrow at Mulder's story, even looking to Diana for confirmation that the other agent wasn't pulling his leg. So, the chief gave Mulder information about the new residents of the home and a printout of the small, almost inconsequential record of the neighbor. They went to their rooms, which Diana had conveniently made sure were adjoining. This did not escape Mulder's notice. But he innocently assumed she was simply still holding out hope for a relationship being rekindled between the two of them. Little did he know the big picture. ********************************************************************** ***** Diana threw her bag on the bed and hung her spare suit in the closet. The two agents had retired to their separate rooms, but Diana had gotten Mulder to reluctantly agree to going out for a quick pizza. She knew he was only doing it out of politeness and she also knew that he would have NEVER agreed to sharing a pizza in her room or his. She was being careful to play upon his old-fashioned upbringing. It would have been unforgiveably crass not to accept her gesture of goodwill when she suggested the pizza. She knew he'd say yes. Ok, now she was flying by the seat of her pants. She knew that sometime this weekend, Scully would call him. She needed to get their cellphones mixed up so that she answered. They both had bureau- issued phones. He'd never notice until it was too late. If she was EXTREMELY lucky, she could arrange for his cellphone to be off. Then, Scully would have to hunt him down. Diana had overheard the two of them discussing the case when she was riding the elevator with the lunch crowd. They debated about it like there was no one else riding the elevator with them. It wouldn't take much of a leap with Mulder's history for Scully to come to the conclusion she'd been ditched so that he could come to Carver without her. Diana huffed. He done the same thing to her countless times and she knew he hadn't changed. She'd listened to the rumors in the bullpen. Apparently when Mulder and Scully were first partnered, he constantly ran off without her. So, if Scully made these connections, would she come to Carver after him? In that case, Scully would see him here with her and Diana's job would be done for her. Or, would Scully track him down through the police department and end up calling the motel? In that case, Diana needed to be sure SHE was the one that answered his phone. At the least, she needed to make sure that Scully was made aware that she was there with Mulder. That would be the ultimate betrayal, Diana knew. Not only would Mulder have ditched her, but he would have ditched her for Diana, at least in Scully's mind. Of course, it would be better if she could really seduce Mulder back into her arms. That would break his little partner's heart but good. Hopefully, these plans would plant enough doubt to screw them up for a while. And, ultimately, derail the X-files long enough for Diana to get in good with Spender again. Diana sighed. It wasn't the best of plans, but it was all she had. ********************************************************************** ***** Scully listened to Mulder's message in frustration. *Ditched again. But, why?* She threw her keys beside the phone and tore off her coat. *What was so important about a 'ghost sighting' in Carver, Kentucky that he would ditch me and go off on his own? It didn't sound dangerous at all.* Scully sighed and moved toward her bedroom to get ready for bed. That was what upset her so much. He was always trying to protect her from danger like she was some sort of damsel in distress instead of a trained F.B.I. agent with a gun. The only thing that made such behavior bearable was that she knew he did it out of old-fashioned chivalry and not some show of male machismo. He respected her as an equal and treated her as such, but he also had this male urge to keep 'his female' out of harm's way. Very flattering, but very frustrating. Sometimes she wanted to knock him over the head with a two by four and then kiss it all better. He confused her. She got undressed for bed, too tired to even soak in her nightly hot bubble bath. *Fine. If that's the way he wants to play it, fine. I'm not calling him. I will NOT check on him. I will NOT bail his butt out of whatever mess he's managed to get himself into.* She fluffed her pillow determinedly. *I won't* Scully clicked off her bedside lamp and lay in the dark, failing at her attempts to sleep and thinking of Mulder. *I hope he plays nice with the local authorities...I hope they don't make those 'Spooky' jokes where he can hear him; he hates that...I hope he remembers to eat...I hope his nightmares aren't too bad...I bet he's wearing his ugliest ties...OH CRAP! I bet he forgets to save his receipts. The expense report is going to be a nightmare...* She flipped onto her stomach, clenching her eyes shut. *I will NOT check on Mulder...I will NOT check on Mulder...He's a grown man, for goodness' sake!* Scully finally fell into an uneasy sleep. ********************************************************************** **** She lasted until Saturday night. Scully paced between her couch and dining table with a sense of growing anger, her barely touched plate of food growing cold on the coffee table in front of the couch and the movie she'd chosen to watch playing ignored on the television screen. "I won't do it!" she said aloud to the empty room, "I won't!" She picked up a couch pillow, strangled it soundly and cursing under her breath, threw it back on the couch in utter frustration. Scully then sighed in resignation and marched to her telephone. ********************************************************************** **** Mulder squinted out the passenger window of the rental car, fighting off his headache as they headed back to the motel. There was no X-file here, only a whacked-out lady who'd watched a little too much of those shows on FOX network and let her imagination get away from her. And the previous couple residing in her home had almost certainly not been drug-smugglers. Mulder huffed. *Heck, they'd practically been the "Brady Bunch." Well, the "Brady Bunch" with a love a credit cards.* Scully had been right. The missing couple were surely on the run from creditors. And, biggest of all, no mysterious contact had come out of the woodwork to offer up any vital information in the "Big Conspiracy" - as Mulder thought of it - or had approached Diana with information about her case either. The weekend was a bust. And, besides that, Diana was flirting with him. He rubbed his temples as he remembered how blatantly she'd come on to him last night, finagling her way into his room to "work on the files," and so obviously slinking out of her shoes and jacket and perching on the bed next to him. He could hear Scully's voice in his head. *You are way too trusting, Mulder.* *Could Diana have set this whole thing up to have another shot at me? Did even thinking that make me completely and utterly vain and stuck on myself?* Mulder laughed softly. "What's so funny, Fox?" Diana said from the driver's seat with a soft seductive smile in his direction. He turned to look at her. *Did she really think that got to him anymore? Lord, she really had no idea how in love he was with Scully, did she?* "I was just thinking what a waste this weekend has been," he said, thinking how true that was in more ways than one. ********************************************************************** ***** Scully dialed his cellphone. She had decided to play along with his lie and see if he came through with the truth. It started ringing. She heard a click as someone answered it. "Hello?" said a feminine voice. Scully felt all the air sucked from her lungs. *Calm. Calm.* Mulder's words came back to her. *I would never do that to you, Scully. It would never even occur to me.* "Hello. I'm sorry; I must have dialed the wrong number." "Agent Scully? Is that you?" "Yes," and then Scully recognized the voice, "Agent Fowley," she stated as if answering a question. "Yes," Diana said in a friendly voice, "who were you trying to call?" "Agent Mulder," Scully said with a sense of doom. "Oh, he's right here. We must've gotten our phones switched when we went over the case last night; hold on." Scully swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. They were together? On a case? He lied to her, ditched her, and went to Carver with DIANA to work on a case?! She hung up quickly, her heart beating frantically in her chest. She needed time to think this through. ********************************************************************** *** Diana smiled to herself as she hung up the phone and watched Mulder walk back to the car from the convenience store. *The timing couldn't have been any better.* She buckled herself in. "You pay for the gas?" she asked casually as he folded his long legs back into the passenger seat. "Yep. And here's your water," he said, handing her the bottle and opening his small bag of sunflower seeds. "Thanks," she smiled, "Fox, let's go to a restaurant for dinner tonight. Its our last night here and it'll be fun." He looked at her. She couldn't read his expression. She found that happening a lot lately; she used to be able to read him like a book - years ago. "For old time's sake," she added, casually and cheerfully, looking away to start up the car. "Sure," he said finally, with a sigh. *One more night and I'm back home with Scully. I'll throw myself at her feet and tell her the whole story. One more night of 'playing nice' with Diana. But if she pulls that flirting crap one more time, I'm calling her on it.* "Sure," he said again, "for old time's sake." ********************************************************************** *** Scully was sitting on her couch with a half-gallon container of Fudge Chocolate Chip ice cream - with nuts. She had considered dipping herself a bowl, but decided she didn't want to wash the dish when she was done. Scully shoved her spoon into the container on her lap again and took a nice big bite. She curled her fuzzy-slippered feet underneath her and pulled the throw blanket tighter around her waist. Tears fell from her cheeks to drip-drop onto the frozen surface of the ice cream. "Oh, I love this part," she said aloud and sniffled. On the screen, Tom Hanks took Meg Ryan's hand and the music swelled. She sighed as the two and the small boy headed for the Empire State Building's elevators. "'Sleepless In Seattle,' a classic," Scully said, reaching for a tissue. She got up and paced restlessly as she had before distracting herself with the junk food and movie. It hadn't helped matters. Why hadn't Mulder called her back? Did Diana honestly think she could get away with not telling Mulder she'd called? Did she honestly think that Scully would think that Mulder didn't want to talk to her? She came to a screeching halt in front of the mirror beside the coat rack and realized what she was doing. Weeping at a chick flick. Gorging on ice cream. Mooning about Mulder and his ex. Feeling insecure. Mulder's voice accused her, *"It was very...female of you, Scully. Irrational jealousy. Very cliche'. And I thought you were a feminist."* "Oh for goodness' sake! Its Diana, you idiot!," she snarled disgustedly to her reflection. She marched into her bedroom to pack a bag. Time to kick some butt. ********************************************************************** ***** Ahhh, help! This is writing itself and is getting away from me...I can't stop typing! :) Another Note: Providence rocked! I know it was typically confusing mytharc, but the characters were once again acting like themselves!! Yeah!! Thank you for fixing it, CC; now keep it up!:)