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atths--twice · 2 years

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Bowled Over

While on a frustrating case, Mulder needs to blow off some steam. Deciding on visiting a bowling alley, Scully soon reveals that she is quite adept at the sport.

A tweet caught my eye, wondering why Mulder had a single bowling pin in the pile of stuff in his bedroom. Well, we all know he's a bit of a hoarder, but still, where did it come from? It piqued my interest and I started to write this story. It soon got away from me as I imagined different ideas and endings.

I hope you all enjoy this possible explanation as to why he would have such an object saved amongst his things...

March, 1997

They had passed it at least four times as they drove through the small town, speaking to witnesses and following leads. The parking lot was always full, so it seemed to be the local hangout.

Coming back from a bust of a follow up interview, Mulder made a right turn and pulled into the parking lot, much to Scully’s surprise.

“What are we doing here?” she asked as she looked around.

“Well, Scully,” he said, cutting off the engine and sighing. “I think this has been a bit of a shit day and I could use a distraction from feeling that way.”

“And this seemed like the best place for that?” she asked, raising her eyebrows and scrunching her chin.

“Oh yeah,” he said, taking off his seatbelt and looking up at the large, slowly revolving, neon bowling pin. “I just need to hit something, you know? A batting cage would be best, but this will work too.”

She smiled at him and nodded as she also took off her seatbelt.

“Okay. Let’s go knock down some pins.”

The air smelled of stale beer and held the memories of cigarettes within its walls. Pins were heard being knocked down amid cheers or groans and Scully heard Mulder murmur his approval. His step quickened and she watched the bowlers as she followed behind him.

“Hey, what can I do for you?” the girl at the counter asked, cracking a large piece of pink bubblegum.

“You have any open lanes?” Mulder asked and she nodded, glancing over at Scully.

“Just you and your wife?” she asked and he looked at Scully with a grin.

“Yeah, just us,” he said and she hid an eye roll as she crossed her arms and turned her back, watching the bowlers again.

“Lane sixteen,” he said near her ear and she startled, not realizing he was so close.

“I need to get shoes,” she said, turning toward the counter.

“Got ‘em,” he replied, holding up two pairs of shoes and grinning at her. “Look how much smaller yours are. So teeny.”

“Or yours are just huge,” she scoffed, taking her shoes from him, trying not to think of all the other people who had worn them, when something occurred to her. “I don’t have socks.”

She looked at him and he smiled as he pulled a bright pair of pink socks from his jacket pocket. She blinked and he shrugged.

“They were selling them and I thought these would work best with your shoes. They match so well.”

She looked down at the ugly green, brown, white and blue shoes with the dark brown laces and she snorted out a laugh. Yeah, the pink socks would be perfect.

“Lane sixteen, you said?” she asked, taking the socks and pointing to the left. He nodded, letting her walk ahead of him.

Down the three steps, she took in a deep breath. The scent and sounds of the place reminded her of bowling with her family, birthday parties, and then on a date with Tim Blakely her junior year of high school. He had lost to her spectacularly, which he had pouted about, but a makeout session in his car when they left, her very first, had helped erase it from his mind.

“What are you smiling about?” Mulder asked and she looked at him as she set her shoes down on one of the plastic orange seats and started to slide off her blazer.

“Didn’t know I was,” she said, hanging her jacket on the back of a chair and shaking her head.

“Thinking about coming to the bowling alley as a kid?”

“Were you?” she asked, avoiding answering the question as she smiled and crossed her arms.

“Yeah. We used to go a lot. Samantha and I, anyway. Didn’t have much to do some days and the bowling alley was close by. We could walk to it easily.” He shrugged as he took off his suit jacket and hung it beside hers. Sitting down he started untying his dress shoes and taking them off. “We used to spend the day playing and see who could get the highest score.”

“Did she ever beat you?” Scully asked, sitting down.

Taking off her heels, she slid them under the chair and opened the small bag containing the garishly pink socks. Shaking her head, she slid them on over her nylons, thankful that at least it would not be her bare feet in the rented shoes.

“She came close once,” he said with a grin. “Would’ve thought she’d nearly beaten the best athlete in the world, the way she carried on.” He chuckled, looking down as he tied his shoe.

“She nearly beat her big brother. Same thing.” He looked up and she held his gaze as she smiled softly. Nodding, he sighed as he tied the other shoe and she put on her own, tying them and standing up.

They took their time choosing the ball they would use, Mulder deciding on a sleek black one and Scully a midnight blue. She set hers down on the ball rack and rolled her neck on her shoulders.

“Are we keeping score? Or do you want to just knock the pins down?” she asked as he set his ball beside hers.

“I paid for two games. The first can be a warm up and then you can get ready to lose.”

She looked at him and he winked with a grin, placing his hands over the air coming from the vent of the ball rack. Not wanting to give anything away, she kept a straight face and shrugged.

“Sounds like a plan,” she said and he narrowed his eyes at her.

“That’s all you gotta say?”

She shrugged and picked up her ball as she stepped past him.

“Ladies first, I assume?” she said, again not answering his question. “Or did you want to go?”

“Please,” he said, stepping back and allowing her the space she needed.

Lining up her shot, she looked out of the corner of her eye and smiled. Walking forward, she swung back and released the ball. It rolled straight down the lane, hit the middle pin with a loud crack, knocking it and the rest of the pins down in a perfect strike.

Resisting the urge to celebrate, she turned around and kept her expression neutral.

Mulder stood open mouthed, watching the pins being cleared away, as she walked past him with a smile.

“Your turn.”

“Oh… it’s on,” he said, picking up his ball and shaking his head.

She watched him as he waited for the pins to reset, his mouth moving as he held the ball near his face, but she could not hear the words he was saying. Crossing her arms, she smirked.

Pins reset, he shifted his weight back and forth, stepping up and then back before walking forward and releasing the ball with a big swing. It rolled at an angle and hit the third pin, knocking down seven of the ten pins.

“Oh, so close,” she said, trying to hold back a smile. He kept his back to her and she watched him breathe deeply, his head hanging down.

His ball came back and the pins reset before he turned around and met her eyes. Unable to hold back her smile, she grinned and chuckled softly.

“This is just the practice run,” he reminded her and she nodded, glancing back at the three remaining pins.

“Of course,” she said and he huffed out a breath as he picked up his ball.

Glancing at her, he stepped up to the line and then stepped back, readying his throw. Letting the ball go, it rolled down the lane and nipped the first pin, pulling it down and leaving the two others standing.

Unable to help herself, she snorted and then covered her mouth with her hand. His shoulders drooped and he sighed as he turned around, shaking his head.

“Your turn,” he said, sighing again. She patted his arm and then picked up her ball as he dropped into a chair.

“Don’t get too comfortable,” she teased, and it was his turn to snort.

“You think you can do that again? It was just luck.”

“We’ll see,” she said, raising her ball and lining up the shot.

Letting the ball go, it rolled and once again, hit the middle pin, knocking all the pins down with a loud crash.

“You gotta be shittin’ me!” he exclaimed, jumping to his feet as she looked at him over her shoulder. “I get it now. No more going easy on you.”

“Oh, is that what you were doing?” she asked, laughing and raising her eyebrows.

“Yeah, it was.”

“Bullshit,” she said. “Get your ball and prove it. We’re keeping score.”

“We said this was a warm up.”

“You said that,” she said, picking up the paper and a pencil.

“And you agreed.”

“Well, I changed my mind. Don’t want to go easy on you.” She gave him a look and he shook his head, pursing his lips.

“Okay… I see how it is.”

“You just wanted to release your frustration with the case and hit some bowling pins. Therefore a score shouldn’t really matter to you,” she said, sitting to write down their scores, knowing that of course it mattered to him, just as it would to her.

She glanced at him and he let out a slow breath, biting his bottom lip and letting it go. He nodded once and went to pick up his ball.

“Order some food. We might be here awhile.”

Two hours later, they had been joined by other patrons of the bowling alley. People had begun to gather when she made her fifth strike in a row during the practice game.

An older man and his wife, both in league shirts, asked to sit and watch, much to Mulder’s chagrin. Stan was his name and for every strike Scully got after that, he cheered, telling his wife, Lois, to watch her form and see how she did it.

A group of college students arrived at the lane beside them, half heartedly playing their own game as they instead watched Scully and Mulder. They cheered for her and offered him advice, which he had accepted begrudgingly.

Pitchers of beer were ordered along with nachos, hot dogs and hamburgers. Everyone shared the food and drink, getting louder as the game became more intense.

The first “warm up” game had long since finished and they were well into the third game, Stan having paid for two more, invested in seeing who would win.

Scully had already been the winner in each game, but Mulder was determined to come close at least once. His score had improved each time, but still, she easily left him in the dust.

Two frames left, she got another strike and the crowd cheered as Mulder shook his head. A cup of water was handed to her and she graciously accepted it as she watched Mulder take a deep breath and step forward to take his turn.

He swung back, let the ball go and it rolled straight down the middle, knocking every pin down. He punched the air and the crowd cheered again as he turned around and grinned at Scully.

“I still have a higher score,” she stated and he scoffed.

“We’ve got one more game to play. I’m just warming up.”

“Three games in and still warming up? Yikes…” She made a face and sucked air in through her teeth as she went to pick up her ball.

“Don’t count me out,” he said as she passed him and she smiled, knowing damn well that unless she let him win, which she was not about to do, she would beat him in the current game and the next.

The last game had a pause for a bathroom break and upon returning, they found that even the owner of the bowling alley had come over, his interest piqued. Bets were called out, money laid down with Scully favored heavily to win. Odds were agreed upon and the game began.

They each had a strike with their first turn, Mulder jubilant as he walked back, slapping high fives and grinning. Rolling her eyes, Scully stepped up and got another strike, smirking at Mulder as she picked up her cup of lukewarm beer and took a drink.

He got a spare, but only narrowly missed a strike. Grunting, he walked back and allowed her to take his place.

Four more strikes for Scully and the crowd began to say perfect game, quietly and then slightly louder. Sweat started to dot her brow, but she tuned them out, not wanting to be distracted.

Mulder bowled a strike and now it was her seventh turn. Swallowing hard, she picked up her ball and let out a deep breath. Taking her time, she threw the ball and it curved slightly to the left, everyone gasping as they watched. She froze, sure it was going to miss the intended target.

It clipped the third pin, knocking down every pin, but the first one. It wobbled as her mouth dropped open, sure the streak had ended. Then it fell and the crowd erupted in cheers.

She drew in a huge breath and laughed as she turned around, wiping at her brow mockingly, but also truly nervous.

A spare for Mulder and then Scully got another strike, the crowd once again restless with excitement, new bets placed.

Mulder bowled a strike on his ninth turn and Scully stood beside the ball rack air vent, drying her damp hands. This was the last frame and she was near to actually having a perfect game.

Three more strikes and she would do it.

“You’ve got this!” Stan called out and she looked back at him with a smile.

“Yeah! You got it!” others yelled and then they laughed before they became quiet.

“Hey,” Mulder said, standing beside her, his head close to hers, a hand on her back. “They’re right. You can do this.”

“No trash talk? You must be worried,” she teased and he laughed. Trailing his hand across her back, he nodded and stepped back, a lopsided smile on his face.

Picking up her ball, she held it close to her face and breathed out. Licking her lips, she concentrated and stepped forward, taking her shot.

Watching the ball roll down, it seemed to take forever before it hit with a thunderous crack and all the pins fell down.

“Yes!” she shouted and laughed as she heard the others cheering.

She waited for the ball to come back, smiling at Stan and Lois, who clapped excitedly. The ball popped up and she wiped her hands on her black skirt. Picking up the ball, she once again readied her shot.

Straight down the middle again, the pins fell on top of one another, none left standing.

“Yes! One more! Just one more!” Stan yelled and the crowd began to chant it as the ball made its way back to her.

“God,” she said under her breath, glancing at Mulder, who was beaming.

“One more, Scully.”

Silence fell once again as the ball appeared and she picked it up. Closing her eyes, her heart racing, she exhaled deeply.

Opening her eyes, she stared down the lane. Swallowing, she drew back and let the ball go, watching it as she held her breath.

“Come on. Come on,” she heard behind her.

The pins were struck, and they all fell except one, which teetered, but refused to go further.

Silence held until the crowd shouted their disapproval as the pinsetter began to clear away the pins.

Scully let out her breath and then drew in another one, her shoulders slumping in defeat.

So close. It had been so close.

Turning around, she walked back slowly, her chin scrunched as she shrugged with her hands palm up. Stan stood up and started clapping, the rest of the crowd following, as they whistled and cheered.

She smiled half heartedly and looked at Mulder. He grinned at her, walking over to grab her hand and raise it in the air, the cheering growing louder. She pulled her hand away, slightly embarrassed, and walked to the side to allow him his last turn.

A seven/three split and it was all over. The crowd clapped again, congratulating them both, telling them how fun it had been to watch them play. Winnings were given out and the people began to disperse, recalling the highlights of what they had just witnessed.

Stan and Lois approached and shook both of their hands, thanking them for an enjoyable and knowledgeable evening.

“You have a great technique, Miss Scully,” Stan said. “You should consider being on a league.”

“Oh,” she said, her cheeks pinking at the thought of doing something like that, wearing a league shirt and going to bowling practice. “I don’t know if I have time for that, what with work and all.” She looked at Mulder and he cleared his throat with a grin.

“You should think about it, Scully,” he said with an emphatic nod. “I agree with Stan. I think you could do well on a league. Maybe some other women from the bureau already have-”

“Thank you,” she said loudly, cutting him off. “That’s…” She shook her head and gave him a look, conveying how she felt. He grinned again and she closed her eyes briefly.

“Well, anyway,” Stan said with a chuckle. “We had fun and you played a hell of a game. You have some real natural talent. Think about the league.”

He nodded and Lois said goodbye as they gathered their things and walked away.

“Seriously, Scully,” Mulder said, picking up their score sheet and pointing to her score of 299, which Lois had written down. “I’m sure there is a work league you could join. The Bureau Babes. Or Alley Agents. Or ohh… The Justice League.” He grinned and pumped his eyebrows, clearly believing he was onto something.

“Bureau Babes? That is so sexist,” she said with an eye roll, sitting down to take off her bowling shoes. “And the Justice League would be far too on the nose. How embarrassing.”

“Matching shirts,” he went on, picking up both of their balls and carrying them back to the nearby rack. “Maybe even jackets!”

“Like The Pink Ladies?” she asked, setting her shoes aside and taking off her socks to slide her heels back on as she stood up. Rolling her eyes again, he grinned as he walked back, picked up her jacket and held it open.

“The Pink Ladies were so cool,” he said, as she slid it on, his voice soft.

“You have a thing for Sandy?” she asked as she turned around, adjusting her collar as he grinned.

“Find me a teenage boy who didn’t,” he said with a shrug and she snorted with a shake of her head. “But, I actually liked her better before her big makeover.”

“What? Not when she wore those tight leather pants?”

“Oh, don’t misunderstand, I definitely liked that,” he said, sitting down to take off his shoes and exchange them for his own. “But before she made a change, she was herself, even if it wasn’t exactly “cool,” you know? She was smart and confident in who she was and that should have been enough for everyone. Including herself, but…”

He trailed off and she smiled with a nod, knowing what he meant.

“She’d probably be amazing at bowling, just like you,” he said, standing up with a grin. “The others would count her out, but she would kick Danny’s ass and he would pout about it in the corner.”

“She absolutely would,” Scully agreed, nodding as he laughed.

Picking up his shoes and jacket, he motioned toward the front desk with his chin. She grabbed her own shoes and turned to walk out of the bowling area.

The girl at the counter was still cracking her gum as she took their shoes, thanking them for coming in that night. She walked away and as Mulder put on his jacket, the manager walked over carrying a bowling pin and grinning broadly.

“You played a hell of a game,” he said to Scully. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Thanks,” she said, feeling uncomfortable as she saw Mulder grin and put his hands in his pockets.

“We do this thing here, usually for league games, but I feel like you earned it.” He gestured to the bowling pin. “Perfect games get a small trophy, but near perfect ones get the pin, or pins, that they missed. Sort of a… well, a reminder of how well you did and how close you were.” He looked at the pin and then at her, his expression a bit sheepish. “Now that I think of it, it seems almost cruel.”

“No,” Scully said with a smile. “I understand what you mean.”

“Good,” he said with a relieved chuckle. “So I wanted you to have this, to keep as a reminder. If you want it.” He held it out to her and she took it with a nod of thanks. “Hell of a game… games actually. Thanks for coming in tonight.” He nodded and then walked away.

“Well,” Mulder said, smiling as he took the bowling pin from her and examined it. “Not exactly a small souvenir, but definitely a good one. I remember one of my friend’s dad’s had one of these in his office. Right by his liquor cabinet, in fact. I saw that thing quite often.” He grinned again and she raised her eyebrows at him.

“Stealing alcohol? Very T-Birds of you,” she said with a slow smile. “Did you have matching jackets?”

“Eh,” he chuckled, turning the bowling pin in his hands. “It wasn’t like that, no. And I was usually the lookout. Never really liked the stuff, but the others did, so…” He shrugged and she nodded.

Handing her back the bowling pin, they walked out of the building and to the car.

Two days later, the case was solved. He drove her home to her apartment from the airport. When she opened the back door, she took the bowling pin from her bag, and placed it on the front seat.

“What are you doing?” Mulder asked, frowning as he looked down at it.

“I don’t really want it,” she admitted, smiling at it and then him. “You can keep it.”

“But you earned it. You won.”

“I know. But…” She shrugged and sighed. “I won’t put it out and it will just be something taking up space and gathering dust. I think it will be better suited at your place.”

“What are you trying to say?” he teased. “You implying I have a problem with storage?” She licked her lips with a smile and shrugged slightly.

“You are a bit of a pack rat,” she teased and he chuckled.

“I am at that,” he agreed.

“You keep it. I’ll get another one some time, but it will be because I actually won.”

“I’m sure you will,” he said, smiling at her.

She nodded, the decision made. Stepping back, she shut the door and picked up her bag. He waved as he drove away and she smiled as she turned to walk into the building.

__________________

February, 2003

Somewhere in Montana

“Last frame. Take your time,” he said, and she let out a deep breath.

Pushing a piece of long dark brown hair out of her eyes, she picked up her bright green ball and drew in a breath.

“You got this,” he said and she looked back at him. He winked and grinned as he ran a hand across his bearded jaw, the black baseball cap he wore covering his own darker colored hair.

There were not many other patrons in the bowling alley, the snow falling outside keeping them at home where it was warm. Only a few lanes were being used, so they felt a sense of ambiguity as they played their game in the last lane, away from everyone else.

In all honesty, they probably should not be there, but being cooped up for a week in a small motel room, they had needed an escape. Driving onto the next town, Mulder had spotted the large, revolving bowling pins and looked at her with his eyebrows raised. She had nodded and they pulled into the parking lot.

Two games were all they had allowed themselves and the last one was nearly over. The first game had loosened them up, but she was still far superior to him, the strikes coming effortlessly. He cheered her on, not bothering to write down his own score and instead only keeping track of hers.

Now here she was at 270 points and one frame left to play. Three strikes and she would bowl a perfect game.

No pressure, she thought with an internal chuckle. Taking another deep breath, she readied her shot and then let the ball go.

A strike.

“Yes!” Mulder said, and she turned to find him grinning. “Two more.”

“Don’t write it down yet,” she said, seeing the pencil in his hand.

“And jinx you? Never.” He shook his head and she smiled as she heard the ball coming back to her.

Another strike and she let out a deep breath, wiping her suddenly sweaty hands on her jeans. She glanced at Mulder and he nodded, with a smile, but said nothing. She stared at her ball and swallowed hard.

This was it.

She picked up the ball and lined up the shot. One more strike and she would have done it.

Relax, she thought. It’s just… one more time.

She drew her arm back and let the ball go, torn between closing her eyes and not watching and the desire to witness the moment she succeeded.

“Come on,” she whispered and then the ball hit the first pin and they all scattered to the ground, every single one of them.

“Yes!” Mulder shouted and before she could think, he was next to her, lifting her up and laughing. Her arms went around his neck as she laughed and he spun them around.

“You did it,” he said softly and she laughed again. Glancing around, she saw that some people were looking at them.

“Put me down, we’re drawing attention,” she whispered.

He did as she asked and instead held her close, turning her so her back was to them.

“Not watching anymore. We’re good,” he said into her hair and she relaxed against him, her arms around his waist. “A perfect game, Scully. That trophy’s gonna look good in the backseat.”

She laughed and nodded, looking at the pins that had been reset and waited for him to finish the game.

“It’s your turn,” she said. “And then we need to get going.”

“Okay.” He kissed the top of her head and let her go. “You constantly amaze me.” He grinned and kissed her before turning around to reach for his ball.

She sat in the garish orange chair and waited as he took his turn. Picking up the pencil to write down her score, she saw that he had already done it, underlined and followed by five exclamation marks.

“So, I lied,” he said, standing beside her, grinning sheepishly. “I had already written it down when you walked up to get your ball on your first turn.”

“Is that right?”

“Yup. It was a done deal, I just helped it along by manifesting it and sending it out into the universe. There’s power in words, Scully. And in numbers there’s even more.”

“Kiss me,” she said, grinning broadly.

He bent his head and kissed her softly, smiling as he pulled back.

“One last ball. Surprising to no one, I got a spare.”

She laughed as he walked away to take his last turn.

Returning their shoes, they showed the young man behind the counter their scorecard and he nodded, showing no emotion or excitement.

Reaching under the desk, he took out a piece of paper and slid it across to Scully.

“Congratulations. You can fill this out and take it with you.” He took their shoes and walked to the back, not saying another word.

“Well…” Mulder said, looking at the certificate of award and then at Scully. “That’s quite the let down from the bowling pin.”

She laughed as she looked at the paper, asking for her name, the date, and her score.

“This is much easier to transport, however, so I won’t complain,” she said, taking the paper and the scorecard.

He laughed and nodded as he put his arm around her shoulders and led her through the building to the parking lot.

Using a pen once they were in the car, she added the information and smiled. Placing it inside the backpack they kept with them, she relaxed back in the seat and sighed.

“I know what to get you for your birthday,” Mulder said, breaking the silence.

“Is that right?” she asked, looking at him with a smile. “A bowling trophy?”

“No. Although, if we were somewhere permanent, yes.” She laughed and looked at him.

“So what then?”

“A league shirt. Or something like it. You need one now and I’m almost certain we can find one at a thrift store. Some guy named Murray or Big Slim had to have donated one at some point.”

“Big Slim?” she asked with a laugh and he nodded, turning the wipers on higher as the snow fell harder.

“Absolutely.”

“If you do get one, it needs to be pink and say Sandy or I don’t want it.” She grinned at him and he looked at her with wide eyes. She laughed as he looked back at the road and reached for her hand.

“Okay then. The search begins. If I can’t find one this year, I’ll get it for you somehow, sometime. It’s a promise.”

“You’re manifesting again?” she teased and he nodded as he squeezed her hand.

“Power in words, Scully. And even more so in money. It will happen.”

She laughed and then sighed, knowing it would most likely never come to be, but it was what they had lived on the past year. Hopes and thoughts of the future.

He never found her a shirt that year. Or the next. Or even five years later.

But one day, after coming home to find him riveted as he watched a bowling tournament, a gift box was on the dining room table and he stood beside it grinning like a fool.

She opened it and pulled back the tissue paper with a laugh. There was a pink and black button down bowling shirt. In dark pink thread, the name Sandy was stitched above the left breast.

“Look at the back,” he said and she lifted it, turning it around.

On the back was a single bowling pin, wearing a silver jeweled tiara, the number 300 on the neck of the pin. The same dark pink thread from the front, created star-like shapes on either side of the pin.

“It’s been a long time coming,” he said, unbuttoning the shirt and holding it out for her to put on.

“The universe can take awhile sometimes,” she teased and he smiled.

“As well as forgetful men,” he said, buttoning the shirt. “But, I don’t think another one would look as good… Sandy.”

“Why thank you, Danny,” she said in an Australian accent and his fingers fumbled.

“Just… stop that,” he said and she laughed.

Buttoned up, he stepped back and admired it with a nod.

“Good?” she asked, looking down at it with a smile.

“Hmm,” he hummed, reaching for her and pulling her close. Swaying slightly, he sang softly. “You’re the one that I want…”

“Ooh, ooh, ooh,” she replied with a chuckle.

He spun her around, pulling her close as he continued to sing snippets of songs from Grease and they laughed as they danced around the room.

#The X-Files #xf fanfic #msr #happy #bowling #friendly competition #Season 4 #Pre Elegy #Drinking #Celebrations #On the run #Kissing #laughing #gift giving #dancing

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