From: Rotem Shahar Date: 24 Feb 2002 16:10:14 -0800 Source: atxc Part 7 *~*X*~* They walked up the path to the front door. Dana went to open the door, but found it to be locked. The door was never locked. Her mom always made sure that the door was unlocked when it was time for the girls to return home from school. Dana pounded on the door. "Mom?!" To her surprise Bill, her older brother, answered the door. "Bill? What are you doing here?" she asked him as they walked inside. He was supposed to be working. "Oh, I was fired." He said nonchalantly. She knew it was a big deal, but figured that her mother had already expressed her deep disapproval, and decided not to say anything. "What's going on? Where's Mom?" Dana asked. "She's at the hospital with Missy." Dana gasped. "Why? What happened?" "Well, apparently she woke up with a headache but didn't say anything, and it just got worse during school. She got the chills and all but insisted she was okay when her friends asked. When she got to her third period class she sat down at her desk and passed out, and the teacher called the paramedics. And Mom's been there with her since. They didn't find anything seriously wrong with her, so they're releasing her. They'll be home pretty soon." "So, what's wrong with her?" Fox asked. "Just a bad case of the flu." Bill responded, sending Fox a venomous glare. Fox ignored it and looked at Dana. She shrugged and they went up to her room, leaving Bill in the living room. They typed up the ending to their story and emailed it out for editing. It didn't take them long, and they were done before Dana's mom returned with Missy. They headed down to the kitchen to grab a snack to eat. *~*X*~* Mrs. Scully pulled into the driveway and got out of the car. She walked over to the passenger side to help Missy. They entered the house and Bill rushed to the door to see how Missy was doing. Fox and Dana dropped their dishes into the sink and also went to check on Missy. As the three approached them Mrs. Scully told them to stay back, she didn't want anyone else getting sick. "I want both of you to find somewhere else to stay for at least tonight and tomorrow night." She told Dana and Bill. Charlie was already at a friend's house that afternoon, so she called his friends parents and arranged a sleep over. Dana looked at Fox and he nodded. He went to the kitchen and to call his mom and came back a few minutes later. "Yeah, you can stay over." Fox told Dana. She smiled and went upstairs to pack. Fox followed her up and sat on her bed next to the bag that she was hastily throwing clothes into. She stopped and looked over at him. Fox had dropped his eyes to his hands. "Hey, what's wrong?" Dana moved to stand in front of him and lifted his chin with her hands. "Mom wanted me to let you sleep in Sam's old bedroom. I, I can't. I'm sorry, Dana." "It's okay, Fox. I understand. Let me call Sarah real quick. Can you give me a ride? If not, I can get Bill to do it." "No, no, no. I didn't mean you couldn't stay with me. I just meant that you'd have to STAY with me." Fox emphasized the word stay, his eyes pleading with Dana to understand what he was talking about. "You mean, us, in the same bed?" Dana squeaked out. "Yeah. If that bothers you, I can take the couch and you can have my bed." Fox amended quickly. "Your mom won't mind?" Dana asked cautiously. Fox shook his head. "I'm sure she won't even be lucid by the time we get there. The question is, will your mom mind?" Dana thought for a moment before making a decision. "What she doesn't know won't hurt her." She spoke quietly. "I'm comfortable if you are." "I'm okay with it." Fox whispered. Dana looked down at Fox. "I guess since we're going to be roommates we shouldn't do this." Dana bent her head and brushed a kiss over Fox's lips. He pulled her tightly against his chest and she braced herself on his shoulders trying not to do exactly what happened. They toppled backwards, Dana landing on top of Fox who didn't break their kiss until they heard a gasp from the doorway. "Bill!" Dana screeched. "Don't you know how to knock?!" "I did Danes. You were too preoccupied to notice." Bill stepped forward. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't either pound him into a pulp or tell mom then pound him into a pulp." "Because I'll kick your ass if you try either one." Dana's voice took on a hard edge. She climbed off of Fox and her bed. "Damn it, Bill, we weren't doing anything you haven't done with your girlfriends. I know Dad's rules, I know Mom's rules and I'm insulted that you think I would disobey them." "Dana, do you want a ride to wherever you're staying for the next few days?" Bill asked changing the subject. He'd deal with Dana later. "No, I don't. I can definitely see why you got fired, Bill. You're too much of a jerk." Dana remarked pulling Fox off the bed and grabbing her bag before shoving Bill out of the way and walking the two of them out. After they got to Fox's and got Dana settled in, they got on his computer and checked to see if their story had been edited yet. It hadn't, and so they wandered around the Internet for a few hours until Dana's stomach growled. Fox smiled and offered to make dinner, for which Dana eagerly jumped off his lap. After dinner they decided to watch some TV and cuddle on the couch. They turned in around midnight, when despite their continued distractions of kissing till they were breathless, Dana nodded off with her head against Fox's chest. Fox lifted Dana up, carrying her into his bedroom and waking her gently so she could change for bed. "I would have done it myself, but I'm more than pretty sure that's overstepping my bounds." Fox whispered as Dana cuddled back up to him under the covers, her face resting sleepily in the crook of his neck. "It's okay either way. I trust you." Dana whispered before succumbing to sleep. Fox smiled drowsily and pressed a soft kiss to Dana's forehead before closing his eyes for the night as well. The alarm woke Fox the next morning and he slapped at it bleary-eyed. Dana was still curled up against him, her hand gripping his shirt tightly, sound asleep. After a quick look at the clock, Fox realized that it was still set for two hours earlier than necessary, the time he would get up when he was driving to pick Dana up. He reset the alarm for two and a half hours later, hefted Dana farther up on his chest, and went back to sleep. The next time Fox woke, Dana was no longer on top of him, but snoring softly on her back with his head resting on her shoulder and his body flung across hers. Sneaking a glance at the clock, Fox gathered that they still had an hour before school and he nestled back into Dana's arms for a few minutes more. He woke later to find Dana sitting on his stomach, dressed for school. She grinned down at him. "Morning Fox. Sleep well?" Dana leaned down and gently kissed Fox. "Best I've slept in years. I think I wanna keep you." "I'm all for it. Come on, there's breakfast on the table and we gotta move if we wanna be at school in time for Espanol." "What'd you just call me?" Fox joked and sat up, forcing Dana to have to grip his shoulders to keep from falling. "I said Sus ojos estan magn'ficos por la maana." Dana grinned as she spoke. "Your eyes are gorgeous in the morning." She translated. Fox grinned. "Tu eres magn'fica toda la tiempa." He answered, bringing her lips to his. "Good morning indeed." He mumbled and allowed himself to be dragged from bed. School was dull. Duller than normal. She and Fox decided to take advantage of Fox's senior privileges and went off campus for lunch. They were spotted at a little caf laughing and grinning as they ate their burgers and shared a plate of fries. After school that day, Dana and Fox decided that they didn't want to go to his house immediately. So they drove to the beach. Fox wrapped his arms around Dana and rested his chin on her head. "Do you believe in fate, Dana?" "What do you mean?" She asked, looking out at the water, the breeze ruffling her shoulder length hair. Fox smoothed the unruly strands back. "I mean, like to believe that from the moment we were conceived, there are specific paths that we have to take in life. That we meet the people we do, because we were destined to meet them." "I don't know. I guess I haven't actually given it that much thought. That's more of my sister's area. She's really into the crystals and junk." "Really? I never would have pegged Melissa for being into that stuff." "She hides it well." Dana grinned. "Wow, I just realized that you're graduating in a week and a half. Where are you going for college?" "Um, I'll be around here for the summer, then in the fall I'm going to start at Oxford." "Oh." Dana's expression fell. "What's wrong?" Fox gave Dana an extra squeeze before turning her to face him. "Nothing's wrong Fox. I just looked at the time. We should be getting to your house so we can do our homework and see if my friend has edited our story yet." "Okay," Fox agreed, knowing she was lying but deciding to let it drop. Dana stood and pulled Fox up with her. She gave him a soft kiss on the lips before fishing his keys out of his pocket. Dana grinned at him and took off for his car. *~*X*~* They reached his house and made their way to his room. They started his computer and got out their homework while they waited for the computer to connect to the Internet. Fox went to the kitchen to get them snacks while Dana checked her email. When Fox came back with peaches and chocolate chip cookies Dana told him, "She did it! Now we just have to fix it up and we're done!" "That's great!" Fox exclaimed. "Lets do that first so we have it done and over with and not have to worry about it any more. Then we can move onto the rest of our homework." "Sounds good to me." The editing didn't take them very long, and within twenty minutes they were printing out the final copy of their story. They made a cover page and stapled it all together, putting it in a folder for safekeeping. Then they started on the rest of the homework, and worked until their stomachs were growling so loudly that they couldn't concentrate. "I think it's time for a break." Dana suggested. "I agree." Fox said as he got up to stretch his legs. They had finished their math homework and Spanish homework and were working individually, Dana on her English essay and Fox on his economics assignment. After picking up the remnants of their snack, they walked into the kitchen, discussing what they wanted to eat. "Macaroni and cheese is easy to make." Fox suggested. "How much money do you have on you?" Dana asked, startling Fox. "Twelve dollars, but I have more money in my room. Why?" "Let's just order a pizza." Fox picked up the phone as Dana kissed his cheek. "I'll pay you back Fox." *~*X*~* They went back to Fox's room and worked until the pizza arrived. Fox paid as Dana got out paper plates and they brought the food back to his room. Dana sat, pizza in one hand, pen in another, and she continued working as she ate. Fox closed his economics book as he took his second slice. "You're done?" "Nope." Dana gave him a confused look. "I'll do it during second period." She shrugged and kept working. Fox watched her. A few minutes later Dana asked frustrated "Would you stop that?" "Stop what?" Fox asked, feigning innocence. "Stop looking at me like that. It's distracting." He scooted closer to her and kissed her shoulder. "Better?" He grinned. "No," Dana groaned as she turned around to face him. "I'm almost done." She said as she softly kissed his lips. "Then we can play." She turned back around and finished up her essay. *~*X*~* The next few days all blurred together. School. Homework. Studying for finals. Not much time for anything else. Missy got better and was back at school right on time to start studying for finals. Dana, Bill and Charlie all moved back home; back to their normal routines. Bill had found a new job while he was away and had promptly started working. Fox and Dana missed seeing each other and actually spending time together, but they knew that they both had to study, and that school was almost over. They'd have all the time they wanted then. Finals came. Finals went. They were both well prepared and found them extremely easy. It was time for Fox's graduation. *~*X*~* Speeches. Lots and lots of speeches. They all sat, listening to what seemed to be every single person who was ever involved in the administration of the school drone on and on. Fox checked his watch for the twelfth time in seven minutes. These speeches were never-ending. He looked around, trying to spot Dana through the masses of people. He was about to get up and find her, under the pretense of going to the bathroom, when the valedictorian and salutatorian were called up to speak. He sighed deeply and remained seated. Their speeches were relatively short and soon enough the top ten of the class were being called up to receive their diploma covers in rank order. Fox was fourth. The top 10 percent were called up next, also in rank order, and then the rest of the student body alphabetically. They were all pronounced graduates and walked backstage, where they received their actual diplomas. *~*X*~* She couldn't find him. She'd run backstage as fast as she could when the ceremony was over, but by the time she had gotten there, he was gone. She made her way back to the reception hall and scanned the people, finally spotting him talking to his parents. As she approached she heard his father say, "You should have been valedictorian." "Dad, don't start." His father got angry. "You should have been number one and you know it. You should have -" "Fox!" Dana yelled. He turned to find the source of the voice, then pulled her into a hug and whispered "Thank you" in her ear. She kissed the base of his neck in response. "Congratulations." Dana told him. He smiled as he turned back around to face his parents. "Mom, you remember Dana. Dad, this is Dana Scully." "Nice to meet you." Dana said as she shook his hand. They talked for a bit about what their plans were for the summer, then Fox's mom said she was tired and went home, leaving his dad to drive him back later. *~*X*~* "I don't like her." Fox's father stated as soon as they had gotten into the car. "She's only going to cause trouble." "What?!" Fox exclaimed. "You don't know her. You know nothing about her and have no right to make that type of judgment!" "I got you a summer job in Maine so you'll have money to spend in Oxford. It'll keep you out of trouble. Away from Dana." Fox was outraged. "I'm not taking the job." He said calmly. "You will take the job. You will be at the airport on Monday and you will get on that plane." His father growled. "I'm not taking the job." Fox repeated more forcefully. "You will take the fucking job!" His father yelled angrily as he lifted his hand off of the steering wheel and smacked Fox across the face. They pulled into the driveway. Fox dashed out of the car hoping he could make it to his room before his dad did any more damage. He wasn't that lucky. End of Part 7 Part 8 *~*X*~* Later that night, Dana was awakened from her light slumber on the couch by a soft knock. Sighing, she glanced at the movie marathon that she, Missy, Sarah, Kristen, and two of Missy's friends were watching. "Who's that?" Missy asked, not looking up from the TV. "I don't know. I'll get it before they wake Mom, though." Dana drew her blanket around her shoulders to give herself some cover over the skimpy p.j. set she was wearing. She walked to the door and pulled it open. There stood Fox, bloody, bruised and crying. "Dana, I'm so sorry to come over here so late, but I--" Fox babbled. Dana shushed him by placing a gentle finger on his lips. "Come on," she whispered. "I'll get you cleaned up. You can crash in my room if you want." Fox squeezed Dana's hand. "Thanks. I'd kiss you, but even talking hurts." "It's okay. I understand." Dana gave Fox's hand a squeeze and sat him on the toilet seat to fix him up. Once she was done with his face, he turned and lifted his shirt. She saw that his back was mottled and had a few cuts on it. Dana's breath caught in her throat. "He did this to you, Fox? Fox, you should go to the hospital. Something could be broken." "I'm okay. I'm just bruised. I can't go to the hospital." He whispered. "Why not?" Dana asked, cleaning the wounds on his back. She smoothed her lips over his bare shoulder. "Because they'll ask too many questions. And besides, I've already got my doctor right here." Fox smiled. Dana smiled back. "You have company downstairs." "They'll wait. You said you'd be busy so Missy and I decided to invite some people over. It's just Sarah and Kristen and two of Missy's friends." "Oh, okay." Fox looked down at his hands. "I shouldn't have bugged you. I'm sorry." "Fox. What happened tonight?" "Dad and I got into a fight." "About what, Fox?" "He, he said that he got me a job in Maine for the summer so I wouldn't be able to spend time with you. He said that I'm a loser and I need something to do. I told him I wasn't taking the job, and we argued and he told me I'd be on the plane on Monday, and I said I wasn't going. And then he hit me. We were already at my house and, well, when you stayed over you saw how my mom would go and drug herself to sleep. She had, and so he just kinda kept hitting me and hitting me." "What about your back?" "He hit me with the metal end of the belt." "Oh god, Fox." Dana grimaced and Fox slipped his arms around her waist, putting his head against her stomach. She ran her hand through his hair and bent to kiss his forehead. "I'm not going to take the job Dana." "Okay. Don't cry Fox." Dana gently kissed Fox's face. "Do you feel up to coming down and watching movies with us? 'Cause you can sleep in my bed if you want." "Where will you be sleeping?" Fox asked. Dana opened her mouth. "I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I meant that I didn't want to put you out of your bed if you were going to sleep in it." "Who says I wouldn't want you there? I'm planning on sleeping in the living room with everyone else, but if you want me to stay with you I will. But I'd like you to stay with me in the living room. They won't ask questions if you don't want them to." "I want to be with you." Fox whispered in such a way that made Dana's eyes fill with warm tears. "Okay. You ready to go watch some really bad horror movies?" "No." Fox reached up and cupped Dana's neck, pulling her head down for a kiss. "Now I'm ready." "Good. I'm not." Dana grinned and wound her fingers through Fox's chin length hair. "I love your hair." "Dad says that it makes me look like a girl. And he doesn't want a girly son." "It doesn't make you look girly. I love it." Fox leaned up and kissed her. "Good." They smiled at each other and kissed again. Their arms wound each other tighter when Sarah banged on the door. "Hurry up in there, Dana. I have to pee." "In a sec, Sarah." Dana called, and smoothed her fingers lightly over Fox's cheeks. He stood and took her hand, and they opened the door together. Sarah turned to enter and saw Fox. Her eyes widened. "Fox, what happened?" Fox lowered his head a bit and gave Dana's hand a squeeze. "Um, actually, actually, I don't really feel like talking about it." "Okay. That's cool." Sarah smiled and went into the bathroom, closing the door behind her hurriedly. "See? That's all you have to say if they ask." Dana smiled and snuck a kiss before leading him back to the living room. Later that night, Fox dozed off on the couch with his head on Dana's lap. Dana ran her hands through his hair soothingly. In his sleep, Fox gripped Dana tighter and murmured her name. She bent her head and assured him that she was there before reclining and looking back at the TV. She noticed that Kristen looked a bit miffed by Fox's presence and the familiarity with which Fox curled around Dana for sleep. Dana saw that one of Missy's friends, Beki, looked jealous. Missy and Carol didn't seem to care either way about Fox being there. "Is he gonna stay here all night?" Beki asked rudely. "Yes. Is there a problem?" Dana replied, trying not to sound bitchy. "Well, why would he want to stay here?" "Maybe he wants to spend time with Dana." Sarah suggested, not missing a beat. "Why would he want to do that?" Dana's head dropped and Sarah fixed Melissa's friend with a look that clearly said 'shut up before I kick your ass.' "Because he's my friend and I'll stay by him. And not because he's a 'trophy' to me." Dana answered, her voice dripping with venom. "A 'trophy'? What the hell is that supposed to mean?" "Do I need to speak slower? Is it that hard to understand?" Dana snapped. "Do I have to spell it out for you? You're a bitch who likes to play on guys' emotions." "Oh really? And what does that make you? A manipulative bitch?" "Oh, you are so lucky I'm over here." Beki stood. "Bring it on, bitch." Dana started to lift Fox's head out of her lap when his eyes opened slowly. He looked up at her and shook his head. Then he closed his eyes and rolled onto his side so she couldn't lift him. Dana smiled down at Fox's head. His hand had grasped hers and she felt him brush his lips over her knuckle. "Fox says you're not worth my time." Dana smirked. Beki sat down, still fuming. They drifted off soon after that, and Dana snuggled down onto the couch with Fox, wrapping herself around him. She rested her head in the crook of his neck and kissed his chin. In his sleep he smiled. "Buenos noches magn'fico." She whispered. "Vale por la maana, hermosa." Fox answered, mischievously. He rolled over and pulled Dana close. In the dark, his lips sought hers. When they parted, Fox nuzzled her hair. "You thought I was sleeping." "You were." "Not anymore. I've missed you these last few days. I'm sorry that I've been so distant and busy." "It's not your fault. You've had a ton of stuff to do. I understand." Dana pulled him close and kissed his nose. "Thank you for not getting into a fight about me." Fox kissed Dana's forehead. "She really wasn't worth it. Although, I am flattered, really." "Half the girls in this room have a thing for you, Fox." Dana told him, unconsciously pulling him closer. "Oh really, and who would they be?" Fox teased, half wanting to know the answer. "Kristen, Missy, I'm not quite sure about Carol, but Beki does, and then there's..." "There's who?" Fox asked, leaning closer to Dana. "Me." Dana admitted. "Good." Fox smiled slightly. "Cause you're the one I want." "That's really good." Dana leaned in, about to lower her lips to Fox's. "Cause I won't let them have you." She smiled and kissed him gently. "How's your face?" "Better. But I'm fading fast." Fox yawned to prove his point. Dana kissed him again and settled down with her head on his chest. "Night Fox." "Night Dana." As Dana snuggled in, Fox whispered, "Mi amor." "Mi corazon." Dana whispered back, smiling against his T-shirt. He smiled and kissed her hair. They fell asleep, secure in each other's arms. The next morning, Maggie walked downstairs and into the living room, expecting to see her two daughters and four of their friends. She was greatly surprised to see Fox holding her younger daughter securely, both of them asleep and Fox's face bruised once again. She crossed over the carpet to Dana and shook her shoulder gently. Dana groaned and turned away from her mother. "Go 'way." Dana mumbled. Fox pulled her closer, his nose burrowing deeper into her hair. "Dana," Maggie whispered. "It's time to wake up." "Nu uh." Dana tugged Fox's arm tighter around her. He grunted and turned them onto their sides facing away from Maggie. Maggie smiled. She decided to let them sleep and go make breakfast for them all. Maybe the aroma would awaken them. Maggie was flipping pancakes and didn't hear the door open, shut, and she didn't hear her husband tiptoe up behind her until he whispered. "Boo." "Ahh!!" Maggie jumped, the pancake she was flipping nearly flying into the air. She turned around and smiled as her husband leaned in and gave her a kiss and hug. "William, what are you doing home?" "There was a problem with the steering mechanism on the ship. They gave us leave. So I came home as soon as I could. Where are Starbuck and Melissa?" "They're in the living room asleep." Maggie answered without thinking. "Okay, I won't wake them." William said, making Maggie sigh in relief. After she was sure he'd gone upstairs to put his things in their bedroom, Maggie ran into the living room and shook everyone awake. "Dana, your father is home. You and Fox need to wake up before he comes down here." Dana opened one eye and mumbled. "Repeat that." "Your father's home. He doesn't know about Fox being here. You need to wake up Dana." Maggie thought for a moment. "If Fox wants, he can go up to your room and sleep some more." Just then Fox groaned. "I'm awake." He rasped. "Thanks for letting me crash here, Mrs. Scully." Dana scooted off of him and allowed Fox to sit up. He sat up and draped his arm over the back of the couch. Dana leaned in to him and rested her head on his shoulder. "How ya feeling Fox?" "Sore. But I'll live." "Good." Maggie smiled at them. "Everyone else is in the kitchen eating. Why don't you two join them?" "We'll be there in a minute, Mom. Thanks." Dana smiled. Maggie patted Dana's hand and left the room. Dana sighed and leaned farther into Fox. He tilted his head and placed a kiss on her forehead. "My dad wasn't supposed to be back so soon. Actually he wasn't supposed to be back for another month and a half." "Are you upset that he's home?" "No. I'm just worried about other things." "About me?" "Yeah, I'm worried partially about you. Mostly I'm worried about how he'll react to you. I mean, I'm not exactly experienced in the relationship department, so he's never had to get used to me having a boyfriend." "I see what you mean. I can split if you want me to." "Nope. Dad and everyone else are just going to have to get used to having you around." Dana smiled and kissed him lightly. "I would have done that earlier, but my mom was in the room." Fox kissed her again. "It was worth the wait." Dana's stomach growled in response. "I want food." She stated and stood. Fox followed her lead and they walked together to the kitchen. They were outside the door when they heard Beki's voice ask. "I mean, what does he see in her? She's a little runt." "Yea, I know." Missy agreed. "Especially knowing how young she is and all, why is he still with her? He could do so much better. Like me, for instance." "Or me." Beki joined. "She's got a horrible attitude. And hell, her fashion sense could use a little work. She's just generally bad for anyone." "Well, she is my sister, so she's gotta have something in her that'll attract guys. But why him? Why not some geeky sci-fi spouting guy from her computer club?" Dana drew in a breath. It hurt that her sister would say things about her. At the same time, she knew it was because Missy was jealous. Dana had never had anyone like Fox be super interested in her, and Missy had, so she couldn't handle the fact that Fox didn't like her. Fox squeezed Dana's hand and they entered the kitchen together. Beki and Missy fell silent as they entered, but Carol kept talking. She was facing away from the entrance and didn't hear them come in. "Maybe she brainwashed him or something." She suggested, ignoring Beki and Missy's silent pleas for her to shut up. "God knows she's smart enough. He might think she'll be an easy lay." She continued. Missy kicked her to try to get her to stop, but Carol just glared at her and kept talking. Dana walked past Carol and kicked her chair, alerting her to their presence. They silently took some cereal and milk from the counter and went outside to join Dana's friends. Missy got up to follow her. "Dana!" She called out. "Wait!" Dana ignored her and kept walking, slamming the door in Missy's face. Missy walked back into the kitchen, deciding to let Dana cool off a little before trying to talk to her again. As soon as they had put their breakfast down on the table on the sun porch, Fox pulled Dana into a hug. He kissed her lips as he reassured her. "Ignore them. They don't know what they're talking about." "But they're right, Fox! What could you possibly see in me that they don't have?" Dana asked him, exasperated. He threaded his fingers through her hair as he told her "In you I see a caring, intelligent, and compassionate person. You don't care what other people think. You don't pretend to be someone you're not just to fit in with a certain group of people. You're you." He finished and kissed her again. She kissed back. They broke apart when Kristen coughed. Fox and Dana grabbed two plastic chairs and joined Kristen and Sarah at the table. "So, what happened?" Sarah curiously asked. Fox and Dana looked at each other and Dana shrugged. "Lets just say Missy and her friends weren't being very nice and leave it at that." Fox said. "So, what are we doing today?" Kristen asked. "I dunno. I was thinking we could go to the beach or something. Did you bring bathing suits?" Dana inquired. "Damnit! I knew I forgot something!" Kristen exclaimed. "Well, there goes going to the beach." Sarah glumly stated. "Ok, well, how about..." Dana trailed off. "Oh! How about ice-skating? Bowling? Pool? Mall? Movies?" Dana rapidly asked. "Or we could go back to sleep," she said as she yawned. "As wonderful as sleep sounds right now, I'm gonna go with pool." Fox told her. "I want to go bowling." Sarah said softly. "Why don't we go see a movie?" Kristen interjected. "Wonderful." Dana sarcastically commented. "What time do you all have to be home?" She asked. "If I can be dropped off at home it doesn't matter what time, but if my parents have to come get me, it's at about three thirty. I wish my car hadn't died." Kristen lamented. "At least you can drive without an adult by your side," Dana told her. "I have to be home by two. We're having relatives over so I have to clean my room and help cook and all." Sarah said. "So that gives us about two hours to do something till you have to leave. By the time we get dressed and figure out what we're doing it'll be eleven or so, and then we'd have to get there and get back so that you could be home on time." Dana figured. "Then we can't see a movie. But we can still go bowling and play pool." Fox rationalized. "Kristen, which would you rather do?" "Can't we do them both? Don't they have pool tables at the bowling alley?" "Yeah, we could do that." Sarah said after thinking it through. "OK, so lets get ready and go!" Dana told them as she got up and brought her empty bowl back into the kitchen. They spent the next 25 minutes cleaning the living room and getting ready to go. As they were about to leave Missy and her friends approached Dana. "Dana, look - " "No, you look!" Dana yelled. Kristen, Sarah and Fox felt it would be wise if they waited outside. Dana continued. "I'm fucking sick of this. Ever since we started having history together you've been like this. What did I do to piss you off so badly that you'd ignore me completely during school and be a complete bitch to me at home? What did I do to deserve this from you?" She didn't wait for an answer, opting to head outside, slamming the door in Missy's face for the second time that morning. Dana took a few deep breaths as she slowly walked towards her friends. They had decided that they'd all go in the same car, and just come back here to gather their belongings before leaving, rather than two of them having to drive over and leaving all their stuff in the car. Captain Scully heard yelling and came down to see what all the commotion was, but by the time he got downstairs Dana and her friends were gone and Missy and her friends were watching some soap opera on TV. *~*X*~* They rented shoes and a lane for an hour and promptly started bowling. The competition was fierce. Dana won the first game scoring 132 points; Kristen came in second with 131 points, and Fox and Sarah tied for third with 86 points. The next game Kristen won, having 141 points; then Fox; then Sarah and then Dana with 99 points. They were in the middle of their third game when the hour ran out. "No!" Fox yelled as the lane shut off. "I was doing so well!" "Yeah, yeah." Dana pouted. "I'd be in the lead right now if you hadn't distracted me like that last turn." "I did not." He stated. "Did too." She replied. They argued back and forth for a few minutes like little children before Dana decided to stop this nonsense. After she said, "Did too" a final time she kissed him, effectively stopping him from responding. She pulled away and took off her bowling shoes, and slipped her sandals back on. The group returned their shoes and went to choose a pool table. "Did too." He mumbled. She'd get her revenge. They played teams, two on two, Dana and Fox versus Kristen and Sarah. The first round ended relatively quickly when Sarah hit the eight ball in on her first try. The second round was full length, ending when Fox scratched as he hit in the eight ball. They had time for one more game and decided to switch the teams around. Dana and Kristen played against Fox and Sarah. Dana decided that it was time to exact her revenge. Each time it was Fox's turn to shoot, Dana would be whispering in his ear, nipping at his neck, or leaning across the pool table like they do in all those TV shows, showing just a bit too much cleavage. Not only did Dana and Kristen win, Fox hadn't made a single shot during that round. Revenge was sweet. "You cheated." Fox stated as they walked out of the bowling alley back to the car. "Did not." "Did too." "Did not." "Did too." "Here they go again." Kristen whispered to Sarah. "I wonder how long they'll go this time." "Hey, can you give me a ride home? I don't know if I want to be stuck here with those two in childish mode." Kristen said, only half joking. "Sure, not a problem." Sarah said knowingly. They kept arguing until they got in the car. It seemed like they had every intention of continuing this argument, but when the first chords of "Champagne Supernova" came on the radio, they both looked at each other and smiled. Fox took her hand in his and they sang along. Sarah and Kristen didn't know what this song meant to them, but they were just glad that they didn't have to listen to their childish banter any longer. They got back to Dana's with exactly enough time for Sarah to drive herself and Kristen home. Dana and Fox walked back inside after Kristen and Sarah had pulled out of the driveway. "Starbuck! I'm glad you're home." "Ahab!" She squealed as she launched herself into her father's open arms. "I've missed you." He told her. "I missed you too, Ahab." "And who's this?" her father asked. "Oh, sorry, this is Fox Mulder. He just graduated from our school and is going to Oxford in the fall." "Nice to meet you." Fox said as he shook Captain Scully's hand. "Nice to meet you too." "Dana, do you have any plans for next week?" Her mother asked as she walked down the stairs. "Not at the moment, why?" She asked suspiciously. "Because we have a little trip planned to go visit everyone back in LA" Maggie told her, trying to gauge her reaction. Her face held a mixture of joy, excitement, and anticipation. But under her thin mask of happiness was regret and fear. She didn't want to leave Fox. Not even for a week. Where would he go? He surely couldn't go back home. His dad would - She didn't want to think about what his dad would do to him. "I'll go tell them we're coming." Dana finally said as she made her way to her room. Fox followed. End of part 8 Part 9 *~*X*~* "I don't want to go, Fox," Dana whined. "I want to stay here." She flopped onto her bed. "No, you don't mean that, you want to go. You want to see your friends again." "Of course I want to see them again, but I want to stay here with you." She paused. "Maybe you could come with us?" Dana asked him hopefully. "I wouldn't want to intrude on a family vacation." He told her. He lay down next to her and pulled her towards him. "It's only for a week. You'll be back before we know it." *~*X*~* The week passed quickly, and all too soon it was time for Dana to pack and make sure she was ready to leave the next day. *~*X*~* "You done packing Starbuck?" Her dad called out to her. "Almost." She yelled back. "Good because you have company." She put the rest of her clothes into the suitcase and walked downstairs, putting her wallet and keys in her pockets on the way. *~*X*~* Fox and Dana had reached the movie theater right in time to buy their tickets and for the movie to start. When they entered the theater they thought they'd made a mistake. There was no one there. It was completely empty. "Maybe they printed the wrong number on the ticket stub?" "But then there'd be other people here." They sat down, Dana leaning against Fox, and the movie started. "This is strange. Why isn't there anyone else here?" "I don't know but I'm not going to let it bother me." Fox told her as he nipped at her neck. She turned around and claimed his mouth with hers. "Lets get more comfortable." Dana said when they parted for air. They moved up the armrests that separated the chairs and lay down across them. After watching forty-five more minutes of the movie, they understood why there was no one else in the theater. Fox trailed soft kisses up and down Dana's neck, making her sigh contentedly. His fingers traced patterns up and down her arms. His hands then moved from her arms under her shirt to draw on her stomach and back. Fox felt her relax against him. Dana stilled his motions as she rolled over, moving her hand under his shirt and placing it on his chest as the other pulled his mouth towards hers. "I'm gonna miss you." Dana told Fox between kisses. Fox's hand started to work its way upward only to be stilled by Dana's hand. She looked at him for a few seconds and made her decision. She let go of his hand, granting him permission to continue. The movie had ended and the credits were rolling, though neither of them noticed. When a group of noisy kids entered the theater, saw the credits rolling and left, they broke apart. Fox looked at his watch. "We should get you home. You have to wake up early tomorrow." Dana reluctantly agreed. *~*X*~* "Where are you going to stay when we leave? Are you going to go back home?" Dana asked him as they drove to her house. "I'm not sure yet." Fox answered her honestly. "Here." Dana said as she took her key out of her pocket. "You can stay at my house while we're gone." "Dana, I can't ask you to do that. You haven't even asked your parents. What will they say?" "You didn't ask. I don't care what they say. We don't have to tell them. You can sleep on the floor tonight and come to the airport with us and then when we leave you can go back to my house and stay there all week." Fox wanted to argue back but she had a good point. They never had to know. Her plan just might work. He accepted the key without any more argument and added it to his key ring at the next red light. "We're gonna quickly stop by my house so I can get some clothes for the week, okay?" "Sure." *~*X*~* Dana's parents were already asleep when they got back, so they didn't have to deal with her father's questioning about why Fox was staying over. Unfortunately, Missy was awake. "So, where were you?" She asked them innocently. "At the movies," Dana told her. "How was it?" Missy asked. "Boring." Dana answered simply. "There were people leaving in the middle." Fox interjected. "Besides us, the only people left in the theater by the time the movie had ended was this old couple sitting a few seats down from us." He smoothly finished. Missy didn't believe them. She had a feeling something had happened during that movie. She tried a different approach. "So, what was the movie about?" "We wouldn't know. We fell asleep sometime during the first fifteen minutes and only woke up when the lights came back on." Dana replied. "The old couple liked the movie. They stayed to watch the credits." Fox continued. Frustrated, Missy tried once more, this time a bit more directly. "Bullshit. What happened between you two during the movie?" "We told you, Missy. We slept." She could tell that they were lying, but left it alone for now, certain that Dana would tell her once they were alone. She changed the subject. "Why is Fox still here?" "'Cause he can't go home. Goodnight, Missy." Dana and Fox made their way up the stairs and into Dana's room to get ready to go to sleep. *~*X*~* They awoke early the next morning, and after leaving her parents a note, they set out. The note read: "Mom, Ahab: Fox and I went out to breakfast. He's gonna bring me to the airport. I know what time our flight leaves, I know which gate, and I have my luggage - call me if anything changes. Love, Dana" *~*X*~* They went to the park, spread out the picnic blanket and sat down to eat. They brought fruit, cereal, orange juice, and milk. When they finished eating they threw away the garbage and gathered everything else and put it back in the car. After wandering around the park a bit they came across a small playground. They took turns pushing each other on the swings, pretending they could fly. It was a nice escape from reality. They pretended he didn't have to take her to the airport - that she wasn't leaving for a week. Then his watch beeped, signaling that it was time to go. Slowly, they made their way to the car. *~*X*~* The car-ride ended too soon. They had reached the airport. *~*X~*~ She checked her bags and was just left with her carry-on. They were early and went to wait near the gate so her parents wouldn't worry when they got there. "Do you know where you're staying?" "Not yet, but I think we're going to stay at some hotel near our friends. I'll call as soon as I find out." She promised. He hugged her tightly. "I'm not leaving just yet." She told him. "Oh, here comes the rest of my family." Fox turned around and sure enough, there were Dana's two brothers and Missy walking in front of her parents. He released her and turned around to face them. After he shook hands with Mr. Scully, they all sat down to wait. Fox and Dana sat in silence, dreading the moment that her flight would be called and she'd have to board the plane. A week. It was only a week. They'd talk on the phone almost every night. Somehow that didn't reassure either of them. Mrs. Scully handed Dana her boarding pass, knowing she and Fox needed a few minutes to say goodbye. Fox and Dana both looked at her gratefully. She led the rest of her family towards the plane. They turned to each other and embraced for the last time. As Dana went to kiss Fox he said "But your father doesn't know. What if he sees?" "I don't care." She said as she forcefully kissed him. "I'm going to miss you so much Dana." She pulled him tighter against her. "I'm going to miss you too. But we'll talk almost every day. Phone...email..." She said, trying to convince them both. "Final boarding call." They heard over the speakers. "I guess I have to go." Dana said sadly. "I wish you were coming with us." "I wish I was coming too." Fox reluctantly let her pull out of the hug, but he held onto her hand. They didn't let go until she had given her boarding pass to the flight attendant. She was the last to board the plane. *~*X*~* Fox watched her disappear onto the plane and then walked back to his car. He didn't realize he had been crying until he checked the rearview mirror to see if he could pull out and saw his reflection. *~*X*~* Dana took her seat next to the window of the plane, buckled up, rested her head against the window, and cried herself to sleep. *~*X*~* Charlie shook Dana awake when it was time to land. She sleepily stretched her legs as best as she could in the cramped space in front of her. She then closed her eyes and prepared to land. *~*X*~* Their suitcases were the last to arrive. Their rental car wouldn't start. The air conditioner had died. They waited for three hours before they could get another car. Their hotel reservations had fallen through. They drove around the city for an hour and a half before finding a hotel with three adjoining rooms. They had been served lunch on the airplane, but that wasn't considered food. Dana had slept through it and the rest of the family was just as hungry. Off they went to search for a good restaurant. They didn't believe that their day could get worse. But after not being able to decide on which restaurant they were going to eat at and spending another half-hour driving around in circles, they had changed their minds. Dinner was even worse. They waited twenty-five minutes to be seated. A waitress never showed up to take their order. After complaining to the manager their order was taken. Another forty-five minutes had passed and their food had yet to arrive. They stopped a different waiter as he passed by and asked about their meal. He was clueless. They found the manager again, who apologized for the delay. It had just so happened that the waitress that was serving them had finished her shift for the day and hadn't told anyone she was serving someone. Their food was served. It was cold and undercooked. Another half-hour was passed waiting for their food again. Charlie's order was incorrect. Another fifteen minutes until he got his food. When they were given the check they went back to the manager. They had been charged for soup, an extra meal, and dessert, all of which they didn't order. They got the meal for free. When the finally made it back to the hotel they all agreed upon going to sleep, praying that this bad luck would be gone the next day. *~*X*~* When she was sure that Missy was sleeping, Dana got up, got her cell phone, and went outside. She sat down on the cement and dialed. *~*X*~* "Hello?" Fox answered sluggishly. "Sorry for waking you up." "Not a problem." He said, waking up immediately when he realized who it was. She told him about their day and the horrible luck they'd been having, and how they hoped it wouldn't follow them into tomorrow. She added that she missed him. They talked for well over an hour before Dana said, "I really should go. I'm supposed to wake up in four hours. Why we have to wake up so early, I have no idea, but we do." She went back inside and gave him the hotel phone number along with her room number so he could call her. They said their goodnights and hung up. *~*X*~* Dana crawled back into her motel bed and fell asleep, tired from the days experiences. *~*X*~* Fox tried to sleep but couldn't. He got off the couch and went upstairs to Dana's room and lay down in her bed. He soon drifted off. *~*X*~* "Go 'way." Dana mumbled as she rolled over. "Lemme sleep." "Starbuck, wake up. It's time for breakfast." Her father told her gently. "Lemme sleep Ahab." She said. He pulled the covers off of her in response. She groaned unhappily as she got up and got dressed. *~*X*~* They all regrouped in the hotel lobby. Dana was the last one to get there. She got her breakfast - cereal and milk - and sat down at the table. They discussed their plans for the day and decided that Dana, Charlie, Missy and Bill would all call their friends from the hotel room and see what they could plan. Half an hour and numerous phone calls later they had their day planned. They'd drop Missy and Dana off at their friends' houses, each staying the night for a sleep over. Charlie would also be dropped off at his friend's house, but picked up later that night. Then they'd go rent another car so Bill could do whatever he wanted. *~*X*~* Dana was dropped off first. She got her bag out of the trunk and made her way to the front door. She knocked on the front door and waited. A few seconds later she heard someone unlocking the door. "Dana!!" Kim squealed as they hugged. "I missed you so much. It's different without you here." "I missed you too. Come on, it can't be that much different." "Come on in, I have to go call everyone!" Dana followed Kim inside and they headed towards her room. An hour and twenty-three minutes later everyone was at Kim's house. Danny and Paula had arrived within minutes. Alex and Drake were there after half an hour. Cassie and Jessi were the last to arrive. They ate lunch and talked for a while, catching up with what had happened to each of them since they last spoke. After they finished eating Cassie suggested, "Why don't we go to that water park we wanted to go to that time before you left?" "Where we didn't go 'cause it rained?" Alex asked. "Yeah, lets go there!" Drake exclaimed. "Isn't it kinda far? Would we have time to get there and spend time and get back?" Jessi reasoned. "Ok, well how about we just go wander the mall? I'm sure I can find something to buy." Kim asked in all seriousness. Dana laughed. "Some things just don't change. Lets go." Kim led them through the parking lot and into Macy's and headed straight for the cosmetics section. "No, Kim, don't..." Danny tried to convince her. "Kim! Come on!" Jessi yelled. "You don't need any more make-up" Dana tried to reason. "I always need more make-up!" Kim told them. Alex and Drake tried to drag her out of the store but to no avail. They went through this each time they went to the mall. Each time they hoped they could persuade her to stay away from the cosmetics section. It never worked. "You know what? I need a new hair dryer. How about some of us stay with Kim and some come with me, and then we'll be done in here faster," Jessi told them. "And if you're staying with Kim it's your job to try and convince her to leave!" Drake said. He'd obviously chosen to go with Jessi. Dana, Alex and Danny stayed with Kim while the rest went with Jessi to find the hair dryers. "Here, try this color." Kim insisted. "I'm not trying it, Kim." "Why not, Dana?" They'd had this argument a thousand times. Both Alex and Danny knew it by heart. "Because my sister has enough of it for both of us." Danny chimed in, in a mock-girly voice. "But you never wear it." Alex continued in an equally high-pitched voice. "So?" Danny replied. "So try it!" Alex insisted as he and Danny cracked up laughing. "Very funny." Kim sarcastically remarked as Dana tried to hide her grin. End of part 9 Part 10 *~*X*~* "What the hell took you so long?!" Alex asked when Jessi, Cassie and Drake finally returned. "Well, first we couldn't find them. We asked a person who works here and they led us around the store, but didn't show us where they were! So, we said thank you and went to find a different person. They showed us where they were but Jessi couldn't choose. We finally made her just grab one but then we couldn't find our way back here!" Cassie finished. Jessi thrust the box at Dana and told her to read it. "Why?" "Just read it and you'll see!" "It's different." Cassie giggled. "-WARNING: Always remember the incompatibility of electricity and water, and use caution," was written on the bottom of the box. "See?" "It's different." "They're crazy" Drake whispered, receiving a jab in the ribs from Jessi. Dana laughed a bit uncomfortably at the complete closeness they all displayed. She suddenly felt utterly out of place. She had a new life now, and she didn't fit in here anymore. Shaking that thought off she turned back to the group. They purchased their items and entered the mall. "Oh! There's a concert at the end of the week, I think it's the day before you leave...We're all going. Want to come? It's not sold out so getting you a ticket wouldn't be a problem..." Alex trailed off. "Who's playing?" "Staind, No Doubt, Blink 182, Eve6, Marvelous 3, and a bunch of local bands." Drake replied. "Sounds good to me. I have to ask my parents first but it should be ok - I hope." Dana told them. "I'm sure it wont sell out, we can just buy your ticket at the gate if your parents say yes." Jessi added, speaking from previous experience. They wandered around the mall for a bit and then decided to go rent a movie. *~*X*~* The movie didn't interest Dana. Everyone else had agreed on it and she had just gone along with it, not particularly liking the movie they had chosen. It was too girly, too sappy, too lame, and worst of all, it made her miss Fox even more. Dana grabbed her cell phone out of her purse. She excused herself quietly and found Kim's bathroom and dialed her home number, hoping that Fox was there. "Hey," Fox answered on the third ring. His voice was soft and Dana felt better instantly. "Hey there," Dana whispered. "What's up?" "I miss you." Dana whispered again. "I miss you too Dana. But are you having fun?" "I guess. They're watching a movie that I couldn't care less about right now. It's a chick flick. " Fox chuckled. "I know how you hate those." "Actually, I sorta liked the last one I saw." "Or didn't see." Fox countered. Dana smiled at the memory. "That was good too." Dana rested her chin on her hands. "I wish you were here." "I wish you were with me too." "Fox, everything's so different now. I barely know who everyone is anymore. They're all different than from what I remember." "Maybe you're the one that's different Dana." Fox presented gently. "I don't know. And that bothers me." Dana whispered again. "Hey," Fox spoke gently. "I think you're wonderful just the way you are." "Thank you Fox. You haven't heard anything from your Dad have you? About not taking the job?" "No. Haven't heard anything, but if I do, I'm hopping the first plane out to LA. Is that okay?" "Is that okay?" Dana repeated. "Fox I only wish that you could just hop on a flight out here." "I'll talk to my mom tomorrow then." Fox answered. "You're not serious. Fox!" Dana practically shouted. She lowered her voice. "Fox if you're kidding I'm going to hurt you badly." "I'm not. If I'm lucky, mom'll agree just so she doesn't have to think about me for a while. If I'm really lucky, I can get her to pay for it." "Okay. My phone is dying, I should go recharge it. Especially since you might be flying out tomorrow." "All right. I do suppose that sleep might be a good idea." "Possibly." "Night Dana. I'll call you tomorrow with the plan." "Night Fox." "Remember, don't sweat whether everyone's changed, just be yourself and have fun. Night, love you." Fox whispered, the words slipping from his mouth before he could stop them. "I will. Goodnight, love you too." Dana whispered, hanging up the phone reluctantly. She exited the bathroom and found the charger for her phone and plugged it in, not bothering to turn the phone off. When she sat down on the couch next to Kim, her friend leaned over and asked. "The same guy we talked about a few weeks ago?" "Yep." Dana told her. "We worked everything out." "Good. What's he up to with you away?" "Not much. He might fly out here tomorrow. Things aren't great at home and so he needs to get away." "Who's coming?" Jessi asked, tearing her eyes from the TV. "Dana's boyfriend." "Boyfriend!" Jessi shrieked. Everyone turned to face Dana and Kim. Dana groaned and buried her face in a pillow. "Thanks Kim." She mumbled. "Dana!" Jessi grabbed the pillow. "I can't believe this! Dana 'I'm never gonna date cause men are pigs' Scully has a boyfriend. Dana, you've been holding out on us. Spill!! What's his name? What's he like? Is he cute? How long have you been going out? How'd you meet?" Jessi fired off questions at rapid speed. Dana blushed. "Um we went to school together. He was a senior last year. He was in half of my classes. We've been together about a month and a half, give or take. He's wonderful. He's sweet, funny, caring, and absolutely adorable. He's very handsome. He has this beautiful hair and his eyes are gorgeous and piercing. You guys just have to see him to know what I'm saying." "What's his name?" Cassie asked again. Dana opened her mouth to answer when her cell phone chirped. Dana jumped up to get it, but Cassie the group's track runner beat her to it. "Hello, you've reached Dana Scully's personal answering service. If this is her hottie boyfriend, please hold," Cassie thrust the phone at Dana and laughed. Dana shot her a dirty look and put the phone to her ear. "He, hello?" Dana answered, hating the stutter that she used to have as it made an appearance. "Hottie huh? Dana, what exactly have you been telling them?" Fox teased easily and Dana relaxed. "I've got an update." "Oh? Tell me." "I'm booked on a flight to arrive at LAX at 1:00 tomorrow afternoon. Mom agreed to everything and I just finished booking my ticket." "Fox," Dana breathed. "You're really coming out here?" "Yup. I'm staying the rest of the week and we're probably on the same flight home." "Good." Dana grinned, thinking of the possibilities. "What's your flight number?" Dana looked at Kim silently asking if they would be able to go pick Fox up. Kim nodded affirmative. "We'll be there to pick you up." "Flight 1326. Great, I'll see you tomorrow." Dana mentally wrote down his flight number and walked out into the hall. "See you tomorrow. Sleep well." "I will. Get some sleep yourself," Fox answered. "I love you Fox," Dana whispered for the second time that night, finding the words surprisingly easy to say. "I love you too Dana. Night." "Bye," Dana hung up again and went back into the other room for more good-natured teasing. The next day Dana and her crew crammed into the car and drove to LAX. They decided to hang at the gate until Fox got there. While they waited they acted like little kids and gave everyone in the group piggyback rides. The personnel thought they were nuts, but they didn't care. After what seemed like an eternity, Fox's plane finally landed and taxied into the gate. As the passengers began to disembark, Dana scanned the crowd for Fox until Cassie elbowed her. Dana looked in the direction that Cassie pointed. Fox was looking around, obviously trying to find her. Dana smiled and walked over to him, looping her arms around his neck. Fox followed suit and wrapped his arms tightly around her waist to lift her off the ground. Dana giggled and touched her lips to his for what she thought would be a short, chaste kiss. Fox however, set her back on her feet and deepened the kiss. Dana threaded her fingers through Fox's hair and allowed the world to slip away. They broke the kiss slowly. Fox grinned and wiped at the lipstick that had smudged off of Dana's lips. He kissed her softly again before whispering, "Hi." "Hi yourself," Dana smiled. "Come on, let me introduce you to everyone." They grinned at each other and broke their embrace so Dana could lead him over to her shocked friends. After introductions were made they went to baggage claim to get Fox's duffel bag. Dana was happy that her old friends had accepted Fox so warmly. It certainly made things easier for them. They went to Wendy's for lunch and spread out into a booth and a normal table. Dana decided that she didn't want a chair and sat in Fox's lap instead. She smiled happily and carried on loud conversations with everyone while she ate her spicy chicken sandwich and drank from Fox's coke instead of her own. "Dana said you guys have been going out for a while." Alex commented. "Yeah. About a month and a half, almost two months," Fox answered, trying to figure out why Alex was the only one who didn't seem to like him. "Way to go. Dana and I went out for.. a day before she broke my heart." Dana pshawed. "You survived Alex. Besides, who is it that you were with the very next day?" "When was this?" Fox asked stealing fries from Dana's plate. "Sixth grade," Alex smirked. Fox barked out a laugh and nearly choked on the fry he was eating. Dana patted his back gently. "Easy there. Chew the food and swallow it, don't inhale it," Dana advised. She soothingly ran her fingers through his hair and turned to Cassie. "Don't you love his hair?" she asked, grinning over Fox's head. "Yep." Cassie agreed, reaching up to touch Fox's head. Dana slapped her hands away playfully. "Nobody touches my boyfriend's hair but me." Dana laughed. Fox looked at Alex. "She's going to be so pissed at me," he chuckled as Dana stiffened. "Why?" "I have a hair appointment on Tuesday." "No," Dana protested. "Don't worry, I'm not chopping it all off, just cutting off the ends a bit so it doesn't look half as scraggly." "Nu huh. I'm not gonna let you do it." "Sorry babe. I gotta," Fox grinned and rubbed Dana's legs where her miniskirt ended. Dana pouted playfully. She pulled his hands away from her waist and slid out of his lap. Dana gave his hands a squeeze and attempted to walk off. Fox tugged her back and leaned up for a kiss. "You only love me for my hair," he pretended to pout. Dana leaned down and kissed his nose. When she was done, she straightened and flounced to the bathroom. Everyone watched her go. Her old friends contemplated some of the changes they'd seen in Dana. Fox turned back around and took a sip of Dana's drink. "You know, in the entire 5 years I've known Dana, she's never once worn a skirt that short or walked off like that." Alex commented. Fox looked at Cassie questioningly, and she shrugged. Kim grinned at him and started a conversation about college and the others didn't say anything. Conversation lulled and Fox began to feel uncomfortable. He excused himself and went outside to be by himself. They watched him go, each thinking something different about Dana's friend. They had just started horsing around when Dana walked back from the bathroom, having changed into tattered, faded jeans and a halter-top. "Where's Fox?" She asked. Alex pointed. "Out there. Guess he doesn't like us." "What happened?" Dana asked. "We were talking colleges and then he got all pensive and went out there. Tell him I'm sorry if I said anything offensive," Kim spoke softly in that manner that just made her Kim. "I'm sure it was nothing you said Kim. But I'll talk to him. Are you guys almost ready? Can you give us a few minutes?" "Yep. Take your time." "Thanks," Dana shifted her bag and walked out of Wendy's. She walked to stand in front of Fox where he sat on Kim's Explorer. She rested her hands on his legs and pushed herself up next to him. "Hey," she prompted. "Hey, where'd the change of clothes come from?" He asked, avoiding her eyes. "Didn't feel like wearing the skirt anymore. And I brought a change of clothes with me in my bag," Dana explained. "Oh," Fox was silent. "What's wrong?" Dana asked softly. "Just thinking," "Bout what?" Dana pried. She took Fox's hand and laced their fingers together. "Dana, what were you like before you moved to the Vineyard and met me?" Fox asked. Dana looked surprised. "Fox, Alex was just kidding around," Fox shrugged. Dana turned his face to meet hers. "Fox, before I met you, I was incomplete. Both here, and here," Dana pointed to her head and her heart. Fox smiled softly. Dana smiled back and wrapped her arms around his neck. She lightly kissed his cheek and whispered, "Don't let Alex bother you about who I was before, Fox. He never really got over the fact that we weren't suited to be anything other than friends." Fox pulled Dana closer. "What about me?" "I don't think you're Alex's type, honey." Dana smiled into his cheek. He laughed and tickled her waist. "That wasn't what I was asking." "I know. But it made you smile," Dana kissed his chin. "You asked if we're suited to be nothing but friends. I don't think so." "Good." Fox smiled and kissed her forehead. The others took that opportunity to exit the building. "Everything all settled?" Drake asked, clapping his hands together. "Yea. We're good," Fox answered. He slid off of the car and lifted Dana down. They all got in the car and drove off. Their first stop was Kim's house. She left the car running and rushed inside. A few minutes later she came back outside carrying a bunch of sweaters. "What're these for?" Cassie asked. "Guys, brace yourselves, cause we're going ice skating." Kim giggled from the drivers seat. "Ice skating?!" Dana asked incredulously. "What's wrong with ice skating?" Fox asked. "Oh, umm, last time I went ice skating this kid knocked me over and I ended up breaking my wrist," Dana told him, obviously embarrassed. "How long ago was that?" he asked, more concern in his voice than anything else. "I got the cast removed a week before I met you. That's why I sometimes still wear a brace," She answered, not looking at him. Fox kissed her temple to reassure her. "Come on Dana, It'll be fun," Jessi tried to convince her. "We're here!" Kim announced barring further argument. They entered the rink and rented ice skates. After putting them on they dragged Dana onto the ice. Everyone raced ahead, leaving Fox and Dana to skate at their own pace. Dana had finally relaxed and was having fun skating when she lost her balance and slipped. Fox reached out to catch her. Then two things happened. Gunshots were heard and something exploded. Popcorn and pretzels and icee flew everywhere. People fell to the ice screaming. Blood splattered in patterns across the ice. If you looked closely you could see a butterfly in one pool of blood and a rose in another. The sirens were getting closer and closer. Help was on the way. The police rushed in, promptly arresting the three shooters, while the paramedics came in and assessed the situation. They called for more ambulances. Then the news crews arrived on the scene. The media were like gnats swarming to a light. Drake, Jessi and Alex where wheeled out of the ice skating rink on stretchers along with seven others. The paramedics gave everyone else a cursory examination, making sure that they weren't badly injured and sent them out of the building. Once outside Kim made her way to her car, hoping everyone was ok. A few feet away she spotted Fox and Dana. His arms were wrapped around her and he was whispering words of comfort into her ear. As she got closer to them she could tell that Dana was crying. "I'm never going ice skating again Fox," Dana told him, only half joking. Fox mumbled something into her ear, hoping to calm her. "Dana?" Kim asked. Without words Dana turned around and embraced her friend, letting her tears flow. Cassie ran up to them a few seconds later hugging them both with all her strength. "Where are Jessi and Alex and Drake?" Kim asked, wiping away her tears. "They - They were taken to the hospital," Cassie told her, still sniffling. The four got into the car and drove to the hospital, hoping they'd be allowed to see their friends. End of Part 10 Part 11 *~*X*~* When they reached the hospital, Kim and Cassie called Drake's, Alex's and Jessi's parents while Dana and Fox tried to find out what was going on. The doctors wouldn't tell them anything. They waited. Everyone's parents arrived, looking incredibly worried, but relieved to see that not everyone had been hurt. And still, they waited. A doctor finally came out to talk to them, stating that their injuries weren't severe and that they were all being kept overnight for observation, to be released the next morning. Jessi had five stitches in her right arm where a piece of debris had hit her. Drake had a large oval-shaped black and blue mark on his side where part of the popcorn machine had hit him. He was being kept overnight because the doctors had been worried about internal bleeding, and Alex had a minor concussion from hitting the ice. They were allowed to see their friends, but soon visiting hours were over. Dana, Kim, Cassie and Fox all went back to Kim's house to get a few hours of sleep. They had all discussed it, and after coming to an agreement with everyone's parents, Kim would go pick Drake, Alex and Jessi up from the hospital after they were released and would all go back to Kim's house to hang out. It was already Wednesday and they all needed their strength in order to go to the concert Friday night. *~*X*~* The next day, everyone lounged around Kim's house. Once Alex and Drake were tired, Fox announced that he was going to get a hotel room nearby so that Kim and her parents didn't have to worry about another person staying with them. Dana decided to go with him, knowing that the others needed rest. Cassie and Jessi hadn't slept much the night before. Kim asked her if it was a good idea. "Dana, I mean, Fox is a great guy and all, but are you sure you want to stay in a hotel with him?" Kim asked as Dana gathered her overnight bag together. "Kim, Fox would never hurt me. We know our boundaries and what's acceptable. Don't worry. I'll be fine." "Are you sure? You could stay here, my parents don't mind. They love you." "Yes!" Dana insisted. " Kim, I know you want me to stay here," "So why won't you? Fox is a big boy; he can be by himself for a night. I don't want you getting hurt, no matter how wonderful a guy Fox seems to be." Dana hugged her friend, "Kim, you're worrying for nothing. Don't you think if I didn't trust Fox implicitly I wouldn't be going with him?" Fox walked in, as Kim was about to respond. Fox grinned and wrapped his arms around Dana's waist. She leaned up and looked at him, her eyes shining. Fox gently kissed a bruise above her eye. She'd hit her head on his elbow the day before when he tried to shield her from debris. "You almost ready?" "Yeah. Tell Kim that you'll keep your hands to yourself if I stay with you. She thinks you're going to jump my bones the minute we're alone," Dana smiled. "Kim, I've met Dana's father, I've met Dana's brother, I solemnly swear, that I will keep my hands to myself," Fox raised one hand comically. "Use the other hand Fox," Dana whispered, laughing. Fox quickly switched hands. "See? It's just fine." "Okay. If you say so," Kim looked unconvinced. "I do!" Dana insisted. She pulled away from Fox and hugged her friend. "Call my cell if you need me." "I will. Call me with where you guys are staying so I'll know." "We will. Let's split so we can make sure we get a good room. One with two beds," Fox added for Kim's benefit. "All right. Night you guys." "Good night Kim," Dana took her bag and grabbed Fox's hand. He gently gripped her fingers and took Dana's bag from her. They walked to the living room and bid everyone goodnight before moving to the car. Later that night after going to three hotels, they were finally settled in. They'd changed into pajamas and were lying on one of the beds under the intention of watching TV. Dana pulled Fox's lips to hers. He responded enthusiastically to her kisses. Soon they were engrossed in one another and hands began to wander. Dana's cell phone rang and they both groaned. Dana reached over and picked it up, answering breathlessly. "Hello?" "Dana honey, we saw the news, but we haven't been able to get a hold of you. Are you all right?" Maggie jumped in immediately. "We're fine mom. Alex, Drake and Jessi were injured, but not seriously. They're just fine too." "We?" "Oh, me, Kim, Cassie and Fox." "Fox?" Her mother repeated. "He flew out yesterday. He was with us at the skating rink," Dana didn't mention that they were currently lying in bed together. "All right," Maggie paused, wondering if her daughter was hiding something. "Well, I just wanted to make sure you're okay. Your father and I were worried. Especially since we didn't get a call from anyone." "Sorry mom. We didn't realize that we had been filmed." "Well, I only saw you for a split second, but I knew it was you somehow." "Sorry again mom. Good night. Tell Ahab I love him." "I will. Goodnight Dana," Maggie hung up the phone and Dana did the same. Maggie turned to her husband. "Fox is here," she told him. "That's nice," he answered sleepily. "William, you told me the purpose of this trip was to try to get Dana to not be quite as dependent on Fox." "Maggie, I'm trying to sleep. We'll discuss this tomorrow." "Fine," Maggie settled down in bed and attempted to sleep. She didn't mention to William that she'd had to call Dana's cell phone because Kim had told her that she wasn't at her place. Dana rolled back over to Fox. He smiled gently at her and opened his arm, content to hold her after her mom's interruption. Dana smiled and kissed him again. "She was just worried. Now where were we?" Fox flipped her onto her back and moved down to suckle her neck, "here." *~*X*~* Hours later, Dana woke to Fox's tossing and turning. In his sleep, his hands gripped the sheets. "No, leave her alone," he called out. "No, Dana!" Fox shot up straight in bed. He blindly reached out for her in the dark. Dana stilled his hands and embraced him, letting him bury his face in her neck. "Shh, I'm right here. I'm right here Fox," she whispered, toying with his hair. "They were hurting you. They were hurting you," he chanted. "Nobody's hurting me, nobody will hurt me," Dana assured. "I'm right here." Fox held her tightly. His hands clutched her back, so roughly that it was beginning to hurt. Dana ignored it and held him tighter. She shifted so that she was fully on his lap. Dana pulled her head back and brushed her thumbs over his face. "Look at me," she commanded softly. Fox met her eyes. His were slightly damp and she wiped them away. "I'm right here," she assured. Fox didn't answer. He merely pulled her head forward and crushed her lips to his. Fox ran his hands over her back, lifting her pajama top and slipping his hands underneath. Dana arched her back and kissed him harder. When they broke for air Dana panted, leaning over Fox. "Stop. We need to stop." "You're right," Fox agreed. He released Dana and got up to go into the bathroom. She looked questioningly at him then understanding dawned and she nodded. Dana reclined again and closed her eyes as she heard the shower go on. Twenty minutes later the shower stopped and the door to the bathroom opened. Fox walked out dressed back in his pajama bottoms and settled on the other bed. "Fox?" Dana asked "I think it's a good idea for me to sleep here tonight. To reduce the temptation." "Okay," Dana draped across the bed. Fox slid from the other bed and went over to the side of Dana's bed. He bent and kissed her softly. "We're doing the right thing Dana." "I know. It just feels..." Dana trailed off. "I know," Fox assured. "Put it this way, though, we gotta have something to look forward to," he grinned and kissed Dana's head. Dana laughed. "Night Fox." "Night dear," Fox moved back to his bed and they fell asleep, each pondering the decisions that had been made that night. *~*X*~* The next morning Fox awoke to Dana's cell phone ringing. Dana was still sound asleep so he picked it up. "Hullo?" he answered, his voice thick with sleep. "Fox? Is Dana there?" Kim asked. Fox cleared his throat. "No, she's still asleep. What's up?" "Well, the concert's at 3 and we just wanted to see if you guys were going to come and hang out before we leave." "Let me ask Dana. I'm sure she'll want to. Hold on," Fox set the phone down on the nightstand. He knelt beside the bed and shook Dana awake. He placed butterfly kisses on her eyelids and cheeks. "Kim's on the phone, Dana." "Mmm. Okay," Dana sat up and took the phone from the table. Fox moved to kiss her forehead and she turned away. Five minutes later Dana had worked everything out with Kim and was heading to the bathroom to shower while Fox dressed. Once they were ready, Fox and Dana headed to the car and stopped by Burger King to get some Cinimini's for breakfast. They didn't talk about what had transpired the night before, and breakfast was spent in a strange silence. Once they were done eating, they headed back over to Kim's. Everyone was waiting outside for them. "Come on! Let's go! We don't want to be stuck in that line forever." Jessi told them as they rushed to the car. They drove with the radio blasting, everyone singing along. No one noticed the tension between Dana and Fox, or if they did they didn't mention it. *~*X*~* Kim got in the will call line to get their tickets while everyone else went to stand in line. Dana and Fox purchased their tickets and walked to the group slowly. "I didn't know we were coming with them," Fox stated. "Oh, yeah. We're going to the concert Fox," Dana told him. "Well that's a big help now," he said. "I thought so too," she replied grinning. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I guess I just assumed that it would be okay with you about coming." "I'm over it," he tentatively took her hand in his. She squeezed it, letting him know it was okay. That they were okay and that everything would be fine. Kim joined them in line, tickets in hand, as the gates opened and everyone made their way into the park, getting as close to the stage as possible, not wanting to miss anything. "We should get shirts first. They'll all be sold out at the end if we don't get them now," Cassie told them. "Plus, it's just the local bands playing now. Nothing worth seeing." Everyone agreed and they made their way out of the pit. They bought their shirts and made their way back to the outskirts of the pit, wanting to save their energy for the good bands. Marvelous 3 came on soon and Alex and Drake dragged them in. They slowly made their way to the stage, avoiding falling crowd surfers and flying bottles. *~*X*~* The concert ended and they made their way back to the car. They hadn't eaten for seven hours. The last thing they ate was the funnel cake Drake had managed to smuggle into the pit. "First open restaurant we see we stop at." Dana told Kim. She nodded in consent and they were soon at Denny's. Denny's was surprisingly busy at 1:30am. "Why are there little kids running around?" Drake asked. Alex shrugged as the hostess seated them. They were loud, obnoxious, sleep deprived and annoyed the hell out of the waitress, but they had fun so they were happy. They left a pretty nice tip so the waitress was happy too. They got back to Kim's house at 2am and Fox and Dana went back to the hotel. They each took a shower and went to sleep, after taking a few minutes to talk about everything. By the time they drifted off, this time in each other's arms, the tension between them about the previous night had dissipated. End of part 11 Part 12 *~*X*~* They woke up at 10am, leaving themselves enough time to pack their things and check out of the hotel. They went back to Kim's house to spend a few more hours with Dana's friends before Dana's parents came to pick her up. Fox left an hour early, so Dana could have time to make her good-byes and they decided that he would meet her family at the airport. After he left, he drove through LA in his rental car. As he drove he thought about the conclusion he'd come to. He'd made the decision yesterday at the concert. It would be better for them both. Easier too. They were too close. He was too close. He needed her too damn much. It couldn't, wouldn't work when he eventually had to leave, so he was taking the initiative and ending it before he lost the courage to end it. She didn't need him dragging her down. She had a great future in whatever she did. She didn't need him and his problems in the way. When he got to the rental place, he turned in his car and took the shuttle to the airport. While Dana was in the shower that morning, he'd called and exchanged his ticket for an earlier flight. When he got to the airport, he told the woman at the counter of his gate to give a message to Dana when she got there and then he boarded the plane. Fox was miserable the entire flight home, even though he knew it was for the better. When he got home, he went over to Dana's and cleaned up, taking away all signs that he'd been there while they were gone. He even changed Dana's sheets for her, making sure that she wouldn't know that he'd slept in her bed for those few days. He wrote her a note and left it on her bed before going home to his place and packing his things. His father had paid for his dorm room at Oxford from the beginning of July on to the month after he graduated. It wasn't a dorm actually, but an apartment just barely off campus. If it wasn't ready for him to move in, he'd just rent a room in a hotel till it was. Then life would go on for both him and Dana. He reserved a ticket to England for the red eye flight, knowing that once Dana got home later that night, there'd be no leaving, he wouldn't be able to summon the courage. Once he'd loaded the car with as much as he wanted to take to England with him, he wrote a note to his mom, asking her to send the rest of his stuff soon. Almost sadly, he went to all the places on the Vineyard for the last time. He visited the places he'd been as a child, the places he hadn't been in years. He went back to the park where he and Dana had escaped when he'd poured his heart out to her about his sister. He went to each place that held a memory of Dana, and then he drove to the airport and waited for his flight. He was at his gate when he saw her. Walking with her family, leaning against her mom who was obviously comforting her. His chest ached and he stood, about to go to her when the flight attendant came over the intercom and announced that his plane was boarding. Fox looked at Dana's back. Half of him willing her to turn around and also half hoping she just kept walking. He wasn't prepared for what happened. *~*X*~* It was hard for Dana to leave her friends. Since her talk with Fox about not knowing everyone anymore, she'd made the extra effort to make sure she didn't become an outsider in the group. As many friends as she'd made after her move, once she got her bearings she still felt more at ease with her LA crew. "Are you sure you can't stay for longer Dana?" Jessi asked. Dana glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. Cassie huffed and twisted Dana's head back to being straightforward. Cassie was fixing Dana's hair in a style that she assured Fox would love. "I wish I could. But I need to go home. You know, get some sleep for the fist time in a week and a half. But I'm sure I can convince my parents to let me come back out here once I get my summer stuff done." "Urg they gave you work for the summer?" Kim moaned. "Yup." "I bet she just really wants to spend time with Fox without her nosy friends around," Cassie teased in a singsong voice. Dana swatted playfully at her. "Well, of course, he is my boyfriend after all." "Yea, we noticed how cozy you two were the other day when you could barely keep your hands off of each other." "We weren't that bad," Dana defended. "You were," Alex countered. "It didn't bug us though," Kim smoothed over the situation. "You guys looked so cute together," She grinned, reaching over to pinch Dana's cheeks. Dana slapped her away, grinning. "It was interesting to see how much he followed you around like a puppy." Dana blushed, "He doesn't do that." "Ooooohhhhhh yes he does," Jessi giggled. "He's got it bad for you, Dana." Drake laughed, "And judging from the blush I see, our Dana has it bad for him too." Dana opened her mouth to answer when Kim's mom called up to them. "Dana! Your parents are here!" Cassie's hands worked faster. Kim called down to her mom and told her that they'd be there in a second. Once Cassie was done Dana gathered her things and gave each of her friends a hug. "You guys come and visit me too, okay?" "Definitely," Cassie grinned and hugged her friend tighter. "Have a safe flight. Give Fox a hug for me and tell him good luck at Oxford in case I don't get out east before he leaves," Kim whispered. "Will do. Bye you guys," Dana turned to leave Kim's room behind the others. Alex called her back and hugged her again telling her that he was sorry for being somewhat rude to Fox, at the time he hadn't seen how much she really cared for him. Dana said goodbye one last time and left Kim's house. She sat in the back and steeled her emotions, not having thought that it would be this hard to leave again. She looked forward to Fox's presence, where he would hold her hand and tell her it would get easier. *~*X*~* They got to the airport and ran to their gate, having checked most of their bags. They got there about five minutes before the plane started to board, but Dana didn't see Fox anywhere. She looked around, making sure she wasn't just missing him. He wasn't there. By the time they announced for passengers to begin boarding, Dana was worried. After her parents had gone ahead of her, she went up to the woman behind the desk. "Excuse me, can you tell me if Fox Mulder has confirmed his seat? I was supposed to meet him, but he hasn't arrived yet." The woman typed something into the computer. "I'm sorry Miss, Fox Mulder upgraded his ticket to an earlier flight. He did leave a message though. Are you Dana Scully?" "Yes." "Then this is for you," she handed Dana a folded sheet. Dana thanked her and walked over to grab her carry on bag, all the while reading Fox's note. "Dana, Sorry I couldn't fly home with you today. I remembered this morning that I had some things I needed to do this afternoon. Forgive me? Love Fox." Dana was puzzled, what things could he have to do? She sighed, knowing that they must be good reasons otherwise he would have stayed around. *~*X*~* The flight was uneventful; Dana was stuck sitting next to Charlie, who lucky for her went to sleep about ten minutes after take off. Dana was left alone with her thoughts, wishing that Fox were there to talk to. She wondered if since he had gotten home earlier, that he was going to meet them at the airport. She hoped so, it had been hours since she'd kissed him and that was far too long for her. The flight seemed to go by quickly and soon they were landing. Dana eagerly exited the plane, hoping to see Fox. As she looked around the gate, she saw nobody that she recognized. Her heart sank, but she pushed it back and focused on getting home so that they could see each other. As if she sensed her daughter's mood, Maggie stepped up behind Dana and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Maybe he got delayed and we'll see him on our way out." "Maybe." Dana agreed, shifting her bags. They walked through the airport. Dana continued to look around, hoping to see Fox. Her mom squeezed her tightly around the shoulders and Dana leaned further against her mother. Bill Jr. suggested that they go to the Crown Room to unwind for a few minutes before leaving for home. The rest agreed and they made their way to the Crown Room. As they walked, Missy noticed someone she thought she recognized and told the others to go on. Dana decided to stay behind and leaned against a column heavily. She saw Missy tap the person on the shoulder and sit down next to them. *~*X*~* "Get lost around the airport?" Melissa asked snidely. "What do you want Melissa?" Fox asked, being careful to keep his face forward. "You really have no idea how in love with you my sister is, do you?" "That's exactly why I'm leaving. We need to get along without each other." "I'm sure that's what Dana thinks as well. Specially considering you were supposed to meet her at LAX." "I left a note." "I know, I read it. So what else did you do in the hours you were home before you came back here to fly to England?" "Just go away Melissa." "Did you sleep with her while we were in California?" Melissa asked suddenly. "Have you slept with her?" "No, for your information, I haven't. Not when we were in California, not ever." "Does that bother you?" Melissa asked, trying to get him to tell her why he was suddenly leaving. "No. No it doesn't. Dana means more to me than that." "Okay, fine. I'll go away, but she won't. She loves you Fox, talk to her if you're really going to leave. She deserves better than a note hours after you've already left. She's part of your relationship too." "I guess you're right," Fox admitted. He dropped his head into his hands and then straightened. "Where is she?" Fox stood when Melissa did, looking in the direction she was facing. There he saw Dana, looking positively dwarfed against the pole. As she stared out at her sister and her boyfriend, Dana's expression moved from joyful to melancholy in a split second. Melissa waved her over, and Dana slowly made her way to them. Dana stopped next to her sister, and in front of Fox. Melissa whispered something in her sister's ear and hugged her briefly. "You'll be okay lil sis?" Missy asked. Dana looked hard at Fox who nodded. She then turned to Melissa and nodded. Missy gave Dana a final squeeze and turned to walk off. Dana set her things on the floor and crossed her arms over her chest. Fox lowered his head at her gaze and she took his silence as an opportunity to think. She looked down at his bag and spoke finally. "You were going to leave," she moved her eyes back to his, he shrank back visibly from the steel in her gaze. "You were going to pack up and just walk out of my life like you'd never been here," she blazed, accusation evident in her voice. Fox lifted a hand to touch her shoulder. She jerked away. "Don't, just don't touch me," she spat, blinking back the tears that had mysteriously formed in her eyes. "Dana," Fox started. "Please don't be angry, I thought, I thought it was the right thing." "Well you were pretty damn wrong," she snapped. "And don't fucking tell me not to be angry, I'll damn well be angry if I want. What I want to know right now is why?" Fox didn't answer, he merely reached out, open palmed for her hand. Dana stared at it for a few moments before giving in and placing her hand in his. Fox brought her hand to his lips, kissing the pad of each finger before taking out a pen and writing something. He kissed her palm again and released her hand, sitting down allowing her time to read his message. Dana rested her hand in his shoulder when she had finished. "I asked why, Fox," she spoke, her voice hard. "Telling me you love me doesn't explain why you were going to leave me." "Don't you get it?! That is why I'm leaving. I love you too much. I need you too fucking much! I can't function correctly without you beside me. You're the first person in years to want to touch me without the intention of hurting me. And I know that eventually I'm going to lose you too, so why battle the inevitable?" he spoke bitterly, his own eyes filling with tears. Dana didn't say anything. Fox looked up at her to find a shocked expression on her face and shoved himself away from the chair and over to the window overlooking the tarmac. He studied the chaos below, wondering how it seemed to never cease. Fox felt and hand on his back and turned, Dana stood behind him, arms open just enough to know that there was an invitation. He slipped into her arms and buried his face in her shoulder, letting the tears flow. Dana wrapped her arms tighter around him and she spoke to him softly, afraid to do more than whisper, lest her voice crack and the tears fall. "Shh, Fox, don't cry. I love you so much you'll never lose me. Even after you get a new girlfriend and tell me to get lost." She cradled his head against her and kissed his temple. Eventually his tears subsided and he raised his head from her shoulder. "You didn't snot on me, did you?" she asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood. "Nope, no snot," he answered, wiping his eyes. "Good," Dana smiled slightly. "They're starting boarding in about five minutes," Fox whispered, making Dana's smile fade. "Don't go," she whispered. "I need to. If I'm going to do this, I have to start sometime." "You have a month. Don't leave me yet." Fox ran a finger down her face, brushing his thumb over her wet cheeks. "You really want me around still?" "If there was some way that you could still go to Oxford and not leave me, I'd find it," she whispered. Dana kissed his cheek. "Come home Fox." Fox looked down at Dana, gazing at her, his eyes shining. Even tearful and slightly sunburned, she was the most gorgeous girl he'd ever seen. He kissed her forehead gently before looking up to the flight counter where the flight attendant had just announced that his plane was boarding. Dana took his face in her hands and kissed him gently, bringing his focus back to her. As she stared into his eyes she saw the indecision. "It's your decision Fox. I won't push you anymore," Dana told him, kissing his lips and pulling away from him. She picked up her carry on and looked at him sadly, standing by the window still. She blew a kiss to him and mouthed 'I love you' before turning to walk away. Fox looked out the window again. His gaze swept to the long line of passengers ready to board the plane, and then to Dana's retreating back. Her shoulders were hunched and she continued to walk, not looking back. He walked over to his bags and made his decision. End of part 12 Part 13 *~*X*~* Dana trudged back toward the Crown Room. She could barely see where she was going because of the hot, blinding tears that coursed down her cheeks. Hey eyes burned from the increased amount of salt filling them. Her hands shook and her knees felt weak. She'd thought that he would have stayed. That he loved her enough to stay. She'd been mistaken. Taking a deep breath, Dana wiped her eyes when she saw her elder brother exit the Crown Room. She sniffed and straightened her shoulders, trying to put on a brave face. Missy glanced at her sister and immediately saw through the facade, giving her sister a tight hug. Maggie noticed the display from her once estranged daughters and automatically questioned what was wrong. "Nothing really is wrong mom. Its just Fox told me that he would meet us here and he hasn't shown." "Maybe he got stuck in traffic, or at security. And if not, maybe he's planning a surprise for you at home," Maggie offered comfortingly. "Maybe," Dana whispered, her eyes filling again. She turned to Missy once more and sniffed. Missy squeezed her sister's shoulders and whispered in her ear. "He's not worth it Dana." Dana opened her mouth to answer when she heard a voice call out, "There you are! I've been looking all over for you!" Dana and Melissa turned to the source of the outburst. Fox was steadily approaching, a bright smile on his face. As she looked back at him, they communicated with their eyes. His apologized profusely, hers told him she forgave him. Dana handed Melissa her bags and sprinted over to him, tossing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Fox gripped her waist and buried his face in her shoulder, inhaling her familiar scent and mumbling his apologies. Dana kissed his cheek gently to get him to look at her and whispered, "You didn't leave." Fox shook his head and brushed his lips over her chin. "I couldn't do it to either of us. Plus, how could I refuse an offer to come home with the most beautiful girl in the world?" Dana grinned and squeezed him gently, allowing him to set her feet back on the ground. She heard everyone approach and she smacked Fox lightly. "Took you long enough!" "I'm sorry!" Fox defended playfully, running from Dana's slapping hands. "It took me forever to find a place to park," he lied directing his comments at Dana's parents. "You're forgiven," Dana smiled, giving Fox a squeeze before turning to Missy and taking her bags from her sister. Melissa stepped forward, hugged Fox, and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "You made the right decision Fox," she told him quietly. "I know I did," he agreed, taking one of Dana's bags from her and pulling her into his side. Dana settled her head on his shoulder. Fox brushed his lips over her forehead. "How long were you looking for us Fox?" William asked. "A little while, but most of the time it was me trying to find a parking space," Fox answered. "You know, I'm wired. Why don't we go play some basketball?" Dana reached up and stroked his cheek. "It's too late sweetheart. Play tomorrow," she mumbled sleepily. "If you say so. Who's up for a game tomorrow?" Fox asked, as they started to walk slowly. "Me!!" Charlie screeched. Fox smiled into Dana's hair and kissed the fine red strands. "Anyone else?" Fox asked, looking at Dana's father and brother. Since he and Dana had started dating seriously he'd made a special effort to be on Dana's brother's good side, and he hoped that he was on Dana's father's as well. "Sure. We're in," Bill Jr. answered for the two of them. "Cool. Dana?" he asked. "Mm wha?" Dana raised her head from his shoulder, looking at him bleary eyed. Her battle with her emotions had left her exhausted. "Nothing. Go on back to sleep. Let's get you home," Fox pulled her tighter to him and motioned for everyone to walk in front of him. Dana fell asleep again in the car on the way home. Her head still rested against Fox's shoulder while he drove, half listening to Charlie babble from the backseat. After the first week of knowing Fox, Charlie had really taken a liking to Fox. On more than one occasion, Fox and Dana had had to sneak out for their dates because Charlie wanted to tag along. "Fox?" Charlie asked. "Yeah bud?" Fox answered, looking at him in the rearview mirror. Fox skillfully turned onto Dana's street. "Do you really like Dana?" Fox looked down at his girlfriend and kissed her eyelids gently before answering his question. "Yeah. I really, really like Dana. She's my best buddy. We're really close." "My parents say you're too close." "Mom and Ahab don't know what they're talking about," Dana mumbled. Fox chuckled and Dana snuggled closer. "They don't understand," she whispered, settling more firmly against Fox and closing her eyes. "Hey, don't go back to sleep on me now. We're almost home," Fox ran his hands down her cheek. She grunted and was asleep again. After they arrived at Dana's, Fox carried Dana up the stairs to her room while her parents unpacked. She was light in his arms, despite the fact that she was slumbering. Before he'd started up the stairs, he'd looped Dana's arms loosely around his neck, and after he'd entered her room and shut the door, her arms tightened and her head rose from his shoulder. She brushed her lips over his, quickly taking a gentle kiss a little farther. Fox shifted her in his arms and kissed her back, walking slowly to her bed and gingerly setting her down on the clean, fresh sheets. He took his arms from around her back and started to slide away from her, but Dana pulled him back so he was partially on top of her. "I need to go get your stuff out of the car," he choked out as she licked and nibbled her way up to his ear. "Leave my stuff," she growled. Fox pulled back and stared into her eyes. She looked back at him, her eyes heavy lidded. "You're exhausted Dana. Let me go get your stuff so you can go to bed." "I don't wanna go to bed," Dana whispered throatily. "I want you." She took his face in her hands and crushed their lips together. When he responded to her kiss, Dana removed one hand from his face and dropped it down to run over the rest of his body, lifting his shirt up to his shoulders. She lightly raked her fingernails down his muscular flesh, making him shiver and moan softly into her mouth. "You like that?" She asked, breaking the kiss for air. "Oh yeah," Fox whispered, allowing her to pull his shirt over his head. He reached down blindly to pull Dana's top up past her stomach. With one hand he ran his fingers lightly over her smooth baby fine skin. Dana mewled when he pulled away. "Where are you going?" she asked, sitting up. "Stuff. Your stuff, my stuff, somebody's stuff," he pronounced slowly, pulling his shirt back on and straightening his clothes. Dana wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed his ear. "Want me to come down and get everything with you?" "I think that'll be a good idea," Fox licked his already moist lips. "The cool air could do us both some good." Once they were outside, Fox told Dana that he was just going to put her stuff in her room for her and go home. "Why?" Dana pouted. Her lower lip protruded and Fox bent, nipping at it gently. "Cause you're too hard to resist when you look at me like that. And therefore, I can barely keep my hands off you." "You don't have to keep your hands to yourself. I think I like it when you don't," Dana smiled easily and leaned against the car. "I don't trust myself Dana. If anything was to happen, we'd both regret it." "I'd never regret being with you Fox." "Dana. We can't. For so many reasons." "I know the reasons Fox. But I also know my heart." "And if your heart really wants this, it will have no problem waiting." "My heart will wait. But only if yours will too." "I could wait forever," Fox assured. "Okay, come on, it's late, I don't want you driving home," Dana grabbed her satchel and held out her hand to Fox, leading him back inside. They debated about sleeping arrangements. Fox didn't want to sleep on the bed with Dana and so she insisted that he would sleep on the couch in her room. "Hey, I don't want you to be able to sneak out on me. Now, go get ready and I'll make up the couch for you." "Alright," Fox kissed Dana on his way to her bathroom. They settled in for the night. Dana in her bed, and Fox on her futon that was two feet away. Dana reached out blindly in the dark for Fox's hand. Gripping her fingers warmly he asked what was on her mind. "Fox, will you still love me after you go to Oxford?" her voice was soft, childlike, and sleepy. Fox smiled into her hand and contemplated his answer. "Dana, the only thing that could make me stop loving you is amnesia." "Okay, night." "Goodnight love." Dana released his hand and shifted on her bed, facing away from him. She allowed her thoughts to drift and her breathing to even out and eventually drifted into slumber. She was dreaming, something she hadn't done in a long time. In her dream Fox was there. He was singing to her, but she didn't hear the words. She heard the message they conveyed. He was telling her he loved her and that she's saved him. Before her dream faded from consciousness, Dana remembered holding Fox tightly and telling him that she loved him too, that he'd saved her as well. They'd saved each other. And that's what mattered. *~*X*~* End of part 13 THE END!!! Finally! Bonus points to anyone who can guess what "Oasis" song the last part is based on. Send us feedback!! RattyAndBo@xfilesfan.com ~*~Ro~*~ get our fics first: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/battyandrosfics 'Prolific Poetry Person' (name courtesy of Prolific!Peggy) Ratty and Bo - All Our Sites http://www.expage.com/rattyandbo "It makes sense in a twisted way." ~Complications: Cathey Scully "He'd been a stupid, lonely, asshole before she'd brightened his home, his office, and his heart." ~Only Lonely: Cathey Scully