Title - Anyone Else
Author - Marianne Dubitsky (Agent Dubie)
E-Mail address - dubie910@hotmail.com (You have the info, please use
it!)
Rating - PG
Category - Story, MSR, al little Angst thrown in for good measure
Spoilers - FTF all the way baby!
Keywords - MSR (As if I write anything else!)
Summary - Mulder goes country to tell Scully how he feels.
Notes - Major song fic. Collin Ray's "Anyone Else"
Disclaimer - Mulder and Scully are the exclusive property of Chris
Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox TV (the dirty bastards). I just
borrowed them, calm down my story ain't good anyway! The song "Anyone
Else" is owned by Collin Raye and all the people involved with it and
Sony music. See, i give credit where credit is due. It's a bomb ass
song anyway!

So here y'all go...
(wait let me get my cowboy hat)
ok, go! Yeeeehaaaw! (lol)

***********************
Anyone Else
  by Marianne Dubitsky
***********************

       "God I hate country," Mulder muttered to himself as he drove
back to the motel. The only radio stations that would come in on the
dark and lonely road were country stations. He was hot, irritated and
stuck in butt-freaking-nowhere, Texas. His excursion to find a one Mr.
Carl Dean had been a total waste of time. The man knew nothing
substantial about their latest case. Just another crack-pot for the
pile.
     Mulder loosened his tie a little more and unbuttoned the top two
buttons. The sticky night air blew threw the open windows, giving
temporary relief from the August heat. The air conditioning in their
rent-a-car had given up early on the way back to the motel. His first
thought was that Scully has cursed him for ditching her at the motel to
do paperwork while he gallivanted off to conduct a few interviews.
    The truth was that there wasn't shit in Texas. They had come
looking for remnants of the fields of corn they had encountered a year
ago. Thus far they had come up empty and the syndicate had completely
covered it's tracks as usual. No corn, no bees and no big ass space
ships. Just miles and miles of nothing in both directions.
     The night drive reminded him very much of the events of last year.
He sighed at the thought of almost losing her. He tried to pull his
mind away, but his thoughts kept coming back to her. How she willingly
followed him to every corner of the world. How she trusted him, even
with her doubts. How she risked her life for his crusade. Anyone else
would have quit long ago. No one else would have stayed with him for
six years. Especially with everything he put her through.
     Diana couldn't do it. That's why she left. He drove her crazy with
his quest. She didn't share his passion. She didn't want to be his
other half. She didn't love him the way he loved her.
     Was that what it was all about, he wondered. Was it all for love?
Why did Scully stick with him? Was it because she loved him or was it
because he loved her so much, he wouldn't let her go? After all, she
tried to leave. She tried to quit, but he wouldn't let her. He stopped
her. Maybe it was him and not her. But then again, she wasn't
necessarily going to leave him. She was quitting so she wouldn't have
to leave. Was it because she didn't want to have to start over or
didn't want to give up what she had.
     And what does she have, he asked himself. A self centered partner
obsessed with an unreachable feat, to know the truth. A man how risks
her life for her, then feels bad about it until right before the next
time. A friend who loves her, but won't let himself get hurt again, so
he keeps it all in. A person who owes her everything and she owes him
nothing.
     Anyone else would have left. So why does she stay?

    "Welcome back to 96.7 Cow Country on this hot August night," the
radio guy said as the station came back from commercials. "Here's a
little treat for all those Collin Raye fans out there. Remember he'll
be at the Starplex Amphitheater in Dallas on Friday, so try to catch
that show if you can. Right now it's Collin Raye with his latest,
'Anyone Else'."
    Mulder's attention was caught as the deejay announced the title of
the song, but the words forced him to turn up the volume. Soon he knew
exactly what this song applied to.


"Baby I bought wine and roses on my way home
Yeah I know we can't afford it but life doesn't last too long
This world has gone half-crazy
And knocked us both to our knees
I'm fumbling for the words to try to tell ya
I love you for hangin' onto me

When anyone else would've been long gone
Packed it up and headed back home
And not a soul would blame you after what I put you through
Yeah anyone else would've gone insane
Called the game on a count of rain
Anyone else, anyone else
Anyone but you"


    As the song continued in the same fashion, the answer became clear
for Mulder. He was making her stay. Actually, that really wasn't it
either. She was staying because of him. Even with every bit of pain he
had caused her, she had never left his side. Of course, there had been
disagreements, fights, and heart ache, but that's a requirement for any
relationship, right? Oh god, he thought, I just called it a
relationship. But he realized that it was much more than a working
relationship or a friendship. It was a marriage. Well, a marriage
without the physical aspects. It was a gentle, caring, loving
relationship filled with denial and regret. The bottom line was that he
was madly in love with her and she had to love him just a little to
still be with him. But he needed to hear it from her.
    The song ended and the deejay excitedly broke into the playlist,
"Guess what folks. Collin Raye is performing an exclusive small club
gig Thursday night and I've just been handed twenty tickets, so screw
giving them out tomorrow. The first ten callers will receive two
tickets to the show. 555-0967. Heck, I'll even throw in the new Collin
Raye CD with the tickets. So get on those phones, cuz this is a once in
a lifetime opportunity."
     Mulder grabbed his cellphone from the seat and the phone was
ringing before the deejay had even finished his rant. A woman's voice
answered on the other side, "96.7 KCOW, congratulations, you're caller
number nine…" Mulder smiled as the woman asked him for his name and
number.

**********************************************************************

     "Mulder, for the last time, would you please tell me why we're
going to this shady night club in Dallas. You said yourself the trip
was useless," Scully pressed as Mulder pulled the car into a parking
space near the night club. There were lots of people as the door,
trying in vain to get into the club. Mulder nonchalantly led Scully
towards the front of the line, where the bouncer was waiting. He pulled
something out of his pocket, showed the man, who nodded and let them
through the door.
     Mulder took Scully by the hand and led her towards an open table.
The club was set up with twenty tables set up on the perimeter of a
stage and a dance floor. Most of the tables were occupied with Texans
in cowboy hats and at the others sat suit clad executive types, sipping
on beers and margaritas. Mulder picked a table not far from the stage
and pulled out Scully's chair for her.
     She shot him a strange look and waited for him to sit down until
she interrogated him again, "Mulder, really, what are we doing here?"
     He ignored her question and asked, "Would you something to drink?"

     "Mulder, we're supposed to be working," Scully responded.
     "Sit back, relax. You're too tense. How about a glass of wine?
I'll be right back," Mulder insisted, not allowing Scully to refuse the
offer.
     Mulder came back with a glass of white wine and a beer for
himself. He hardly ever drank, but he wanted to disguise the fact that
he was nervous as hell. He decided a beer would do the trick.
     A few musicians came onstage and started tuning their instruments,
in preparation for the show. Scully decided not to press the issue,
because it was clear that she would get nothing out of Mulder, who just
sat back in his chair and smiled.
     A cowboy clad man came from backstage and test the mic. He smiled
at the audience and said, "Hey y'all and welcome to Pinky's. We have a
special treat for y'all that got in tonight. He'll be playing at the
Starplex tomorrow night, so get tickets if you want to see the big
show. But since I've known this guy since we were just pups in
Arkansas, he decided to grant me a favor an come play here. So please
give a warm welcome to the one and only Collin Raye!"
     The place erupted into cheers as Collin Raye walked onstage and
started his set. Scully starred at Mulder with confusion. He was just
smiling and tapping his foot to the music. She scooted her chair closer
and asked, "Collin Raye?"
     He leaned towards her so she could hear him and replied, "Yeah."
     "But you hate country music," she protested.
     "Yeah I know. I do," he responded.
     She sat back in her chair, trying to figure her partner out, who
appeared to be having a great time. She gave up and pressed, "So why
are we here?"
     Mulder refused to answer her, but just smiled at the question. The
first song came to an end and the singer addressed the crowd, "I hope
everybody's having a good time hear tonight. This next one is for a guy
here who wants to thank his special lady for sticking with him cuz
anyone else would have left long ago. So thank you Dana for giving a
regular guy like us a chance." With that, the band started playing the
couple's theme song of sorts.
     Scully only became more confused as Mulder rose from his chair and
held out his hand for her to take. She did and he led her to the dance
floor where a line dance had formed in the corner and a few couples
snuggled together on the other side. He pulled her in close as they
started to dance. Scully had heard the song before, but let herself be
taken in by the scene as she really listened to the words for the first
time.

"When anyone else would've been long gone
Packed it up and headed back home
And not a soul would blame you after what I put you through
Yeah anyone else would've gone insane
Called the game on a count of rain
Anyone else, anyone else
Anyone but you"

     As she listened to the words, she realized that this song was
indeed for her and she pulled back from Mulder a little to look into
his eyes. "But why?" she asked.
     "Because I wanted to find the right way to thank you for
everything," he replied.
     "Mulder, you could have just told me," she stated, laughing.
     "I know, but I had to find the perfect way to tell you I love
you," he whispered gently into her ear.
     Her breath caught in her throat as she struggled to find the right
response. She pulled back, making sure she heard him right, but nothing
could come out of her mouth. His eyes sparkled softly in the dim light
and he smiled as he saw her expression change from one of shock to one
of understanding.
     He pulled her in closer as he shocked her once again with their
first actual kiss. All of his doubts and apprehensions about his true
feelings were washed away as a warmth he had never felt before took
over his heart.
     They broke away, knowing that that was not to be their only kiss,
and he rested his chin on the top of her head. She let herself get
wrapped up in the moment, realizing that right then, everything was
perfect in her world. She was in the arms of the man she loved and she
now knew for sure that he loved her too.
     By the look in her eyes, he was sure she loved him too and he
laughed happily when she asked, "But Mulder, really, why are we her?."
     "Because this is our first date," he replied as he leaned down to
kiss her once more.

***********
The End!!!!
***********

 So yeah, there you go, another one for y'all to rag on cuz it blows.
Ok, well visit me at:
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dunes/5754

and here's the full lyrics to "Anyone Else"

Baby I bought wine and roses on my way home
Yeah I know we can't afford it but life doesn't last too long
This world has gone half-crazy
And knocked us both to our knees
I'm fumbling for the words to try to tell ya
I love you for hangin' onto me

When anyone else would've been long gone
Packed it up and headed back home
And not a soul would blame you after what I put you through
Yeah anyone else would've gone insane
Called the game on a count of rain
Anyone else, anyone else
Anyone but you

Mayday baby, all the rivets popped loose, it's a total tailspin
Too much grindstone, too little time with you
Girl, you know it's wearing thin
Baby let's trade in these teardrops
For warm kisses on skin
You got a drawer full of IOU's
And it's high time you called those things in

When anyone else would've been long gone
Packed it up and headed back home
And not a soul would blame you after what I put you through
Yeah anyone else would've gone insane
Called the game on a count of rain
Anyone else, anyone else
Anyone but you

You've passed up so many chances
To walk right out that door
Instead of dodging a champagne cork
And watchin' the wet clothes fall to the floor

When anyone else would've been long gone
Packed it up and headed back home
And you can hide behind a Cheshire cat grin but you know it's true
Yeah anyone else would've gone insane
Called the game on a count of rain
Anyone else, anyone else
Anyone but you

Anyone else
Girl, anyone but you