From: Cathey Date: 27 Aug 2003 05:06:18 -0700 Subject: [all-xf] New: In Love and Baseball (1 of 5) Source: atxc Title: In Love and Baseball Author: Cathey Scully Rating: Strong R Spoilers: None Category: R, S, AU, Pre-XF Keywords: Mulder/Scully Romance, Alternate Universe, Pre-X-Files Feedback: If you like it, tell me so, please! CatheyScully@the-pentagon.com and Foreverxphile@adelphia.net Archive: Sure. Just drop me a line to tell me where it goes. Summary: Baseball brings everyone together, but for young Mulder and Scully, is it too much? Disclaimer: I'm too exhausted to worry about a snappy disclaimer, so I'll go back to my age-old, they're not mine, so don't sue me dammit. Notes: God I'm exhausted, so forgive me for any issues that this fic has. ~ # ~ Fox Mulder tightened his grip on the bat and waited. The cage was only his for another half hour. He had to get back in shape; tryouts were in a week and a half. He grunted and swung, getting just a small cut of the ball. He growled and waited for the next pitch. After another series of crappy foul tips, Fox signaled for a time out and went to grab his Gatorade. Then he saw her; the red-headed girl that he was fascinated with. He knew that she was a year behind him, just a sophomore, but he would just look at her and feel his throat tighten. She was beautiful, small stature with fair skin and bright blue eyes. Fox blushed when he realized that his body was reacting to his visual perusal of the girl. And he didn't even know her name. Sighing, he went back to hitting. Sighing deeply, Fox focused, or he tried to. He wasn't hitting worth a damn. Even worse so now that he'd spotted her. Now even his swing was weak. "Choke up a little," a voice said from behind him. "Huh?" he looked around, and then his gaze settled on her. She smiled softly. He walked over to the fence and placed his hand near hers. "I said, choke up a little. You look like it's gonna bite you." Fox swallowed nervously. "Was that all?" "No, why don't you come with me, and I'll show you more of what you're doing wrong." "Uh, okay," Fox nodded to the guy operating the machine. "Done for today, Steve. Thanks." "You nervous 'bout tryouts?" the girl asked as they began to walk. Fox looked surprised. "How'd you know?" She touched his Wilson High Baseball shirt. "Kinda gave it away." "Right. So Miss Expert, how'd you become such a know it all?" "Anyone with one working eye could see that you weren't playing for shit," she remarked. "I figured that machine wasn't going to do the trick, so I might as well try. Four years of baseball camp can do that." "Well I might enjoy your help more if I knew your name." "So ask," she grinned up at him. He swallowed loudly, having forgotten a moment who he was talking to. "It's Dana," she smiled softly, answering the question he was too chicken to ask. "I'm-" "I know. I see you around a lot." Fox nodded, speechless. He followed Dana into an unused field and set his gear down. She grabbed a ball and reached for his mitt. "I'll pitch, you work on hitting," she called, heading to the mound. Fox nodded, shouldering his bat, he took deep breaths to calm his hormones. He tried not to think about the glimpse down her shirt that he'd gotten. Dana grinned at him from the mound. "You know, I don't bite. You can talk to me instead of staring all the time." "I don't, stare," he protested. She laughed heartily, making his insides tingle. "You do," she argued as he swung for an obvious ball. He retrieved the offending object and tossed it to her. He shook his head, concentrating not on the way her lips moved as she spoke, and definitely not on the shapeliness of her body. He barely noticed the ball sailing past him. Dana laughed again and he looked back at her. "What?" "Maybe I should go. I seem to be distracting you more." "NO!" he said too quickly. "Let's talk. Maybe after I get to know you, I won't stare." Dana grinned, "Sure." The two of them settled on the grass of the outfield. Fox sat with his back up against the fence and rested his hands on his pants. Dana stretched out at his feet. "Why do you want to waste time staring at me?" she asked, grinning. He looked over at her. "You're beautiful." Dana flushed. "Is that why you're too chicken to just talk to me? I see you practically every day, but you never say anything." "Didn't think you'd want to talk to me." "I approached you, remember? I saw you staring earlier." "You didn't approach me, you insulted me," he reminded her. "Aww, did you get your manly feelings hurt?" she teased. "Thanks." "For what?" "Letting me know I suck." Dana shook her head. "You don't suck, usually. I've seen you at conditioning." He looked down at her. "You've seen me?" "My brother, Bill, he's also trying out. He's also mine and my sister, Melissa's ride home. So we have to stay around." "Bill...Scully? Shit, he's your brother? He's one of the best guys trying out." "He's all around athletic I guess. He played football for years. He's a senior, looking for another patch for his jacket." "Bet he'll be first pick." "If you're not playing like shit, you'll probably be first pick." Fox considered this. "You wanna try pitching a few more to me? I won't disappoint this time." "Nahh, I kinda like learning about you." "You do, huh?" "Yeah, gives a personality to attach to the eyes that are always following me." Fox lowered his eyes. "Sorry. I forget sometimes that I'm not the type people want looking at them." "Fox, I don't believe that you hurt her," Dana murmured. "I mean, sibling rivalry is human nature, but you'd never hurt your sister." "Thanks." Dana sat up and settled beside him. Their shoulders touched and he looked away, a bit overwhelmed. "So I'm beautiful, huh?" "Yeah, you're, you're amazing." "You're not exactly a troll yourself." "Thanks, I think." "I watch you at practice, mostly." "Well hopefully all that practicing will be worthwhile." "It will be, just concentrate on baseball and cold showers," she giggled. "How bout this," he offered shyly. "I make the team, and you take me out on a date." "Do I get to nitpick your playing?" Dana asked, laughing. "Kidding. You know, it is Friday," she offered. "Last time I checked anyway." "Why don't I take you out tonight?" "You're kidding." "Nope. I'll even pay and everything." "Well, you don't have to go that far to get me on a date with you. I'll pick you up at 8:30?" Dana smiled. "Okay. Want directions to my house?" "What road do you live on?" Dana told him, and he nodded. "I know where that is. I can find it. 8:30, right?" "Sure." "Well, I'll let you get back to the game you were watching." "Walk with me?" "Sure." Dana smiled widely at him. He grinned back, feeling his insides flutter once more. End of Part 1 Part 2 A week or so later, Dana stood at the gate to the baseball field, watching her brother and Fox hit, pitch and field to show that they were good enough to be on the team. Neither knew that she was there, and she wanted to keep it that way. Fox would get nervous, and Bill would start showing off. Dana smiled and leaned against the fence. Fox Mulder was... he was, indescribable. He made such an effort to avoid staring. He didn't know that she secretly loved it when she would catch him looking at her. The head coach blew the whistle, effectively ending tryouts. Dana watched as Fox collected his mitt and grabbed a couple balls. As he ran a hand through his hair, her fingers itching to do the same. Dana watched as her brother clapped Fox on the back and pointed her out. She was caught. Fox grinned and waved. Dana waved back and waited for them to end practice. Once it was over, the two sweaty guys sauntered over to her. Bill engulfed her in a nasty, sweaty, smelly hug. Dana wrinkled her nose and squirmed in his embrace. Bill grinned, ruffling her hair and letting her go. "Gross, Billy," she straightened up and smiled at Fox who was still behind Bill, hanging back as if he were pondering his intentions. "Hey Dana," he grinned. "Hey, how'd it go?" she asked, holding out an arm to beckon him to her side. He looked down at her. "We'll know by tomorrow," he shrugged. She poked him in the side. "You did fine. Why don't you go shower then we can get something to eat?" "Sure. Bill, you wanna come?" "Nope. My baby sister looks like she wants you to herself." "Very funny," Dana drawled, her fingers twisting around one of Fox's belt loops. He lifted his arm and lowered it to wrap around her shoulders. "I'll see you at home sis. Be back by nine." "Yes mom," Dana rolled her eyes. Bill grinned and turned toward the gym locker room. Dana squeezed Fox's waist. He looked down at her and they both smiled softly at each other. "You did great. They'd be stupid not to pick you." "So you approve, Miss Expert?" he grinned. She nodded, laying her head on his shoulder. His smile faded and he hugged her back. "Sorry I'm so smelly." "I'm over it, aren't you?" "Yeah babe, I'm over it," Fox murmured, squeezing her tiny waist. Dana smiled at his use of her new nickname. "I'll go get clean and then we can go eat." "Kay. I'll meet you at your car," Dana released him and began to walk away. Half an hour later, Fox spotted Dana seated on the trunk of his car. She was leaning against the back window with her eyes closed. He walked up slowly, trying not to make a sound. He set his bag on the ground and leaned over to kiss her. Dana wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back. "Which Beatle are you?" she asked, grinning. "Very funny. Were you sleeping?" "Not really. Trying to get a tan, mostly." "Your cheeks are a little red," he remarked, brushing kisses over her cheeks. Dana stretched, sliding her arms around his neck again, drawing his mouth back to hers. Fox braced himself against the trunk and tried not to fall over as they shared soft kisses in the school parking lot. His wildest dreams were coming true. The girl he'd dreamed about for months was kissing him like he was her air supply. God it took all his self control not to ask her to have sex right there. Sometimes he hated being 17. His hormones never listened. "Damn, I just took a cold shower, too," her murmured against her neck. Dana laughed, kissing him again. Part of her panicked at the implication that she turned him on. They'd only formally known each other for two weeks. Last Saturday, they'd shared their first kiss. Now he was talking cold showers? He must have sensed her discomfort, because he pulled away, smiling comfortingly. "Now your cheeks are really flushed." Dana smiled easily, realizing that he wouldn't hurt her, or the relationship that they were building. Glancing at her reflection in the window, she saw that her eyes held the same glassy, aroused look that his did. "Wow," she reached up to touch his cheek. "I think a cold shower for both of us is in order," she blushed, "but not together," she added. "I know babe. Let's go, I'm starved," Fox helped her down and put his gear in the trunk while she got into the car. Smiling softly, he walked around to the driver's side to take them to dinner. ~ ~ ~ The next day Dana slid from the back of Bill's car and walked toward her locker. Fox was already here, somewhere. Now she just focused on getting to her first class. While she stood at her locker, Fox crept up beside her. His hands slid over her shoulders and down her torso, crossing and landing on her belly. His lips tickled her ear, making her giggle. "Gee, you're happy to see me," she remarked. "Yeah babe, I am. Guess what?" "Hmm, what?" "I made it." Dana spun, tossing her arms around his shoulders. He lifted her up and swung her around. She kissed his nose. "I told you that you'd make it!" "Practice starts next week. I want you to be there." "You know I will be." Fox grinned, setting her down and taking her satchel from her. She made sure she had everything she needed in her locker and turned back to him. "I'll walk you to class," he murmured into her hair, kissing her temple. ~ ! ~ Stretching, Dana gathered her books and shoved them into her bag. Practice was just about over. Fox and Bill would be bombarding her in a few minutes. Luckily she'd run out in the middle of practice and bought food for them all. Bill and Fox jogged over to her, each grinning. She looked at them quizzically, wondering what they were so happy about. Part of her also wondered why the hell her amazingly overprotective older brother was managing to get along with her boyfriend. "Hey. I've got dinner." They dropped beside her. Both leaned in to drop kisses on her cheeks. Fox's lips stayed behind and slid across her cheek to capture her lips. They parted with a smack. Fox grinned, tossing his arms around her shoulders and together they opened his chicken sandwich. Dana laced their fingers together and looked over at Bill, who was stuffing his face animatedly. "Wait, wait, you went and got food? You took the car?" Bill asked. "No, I got on my broom and flew. Of course I took the car. I do have a license, Bill. That's why I have a set of keys." "You can borrow my car next time. So long as I get food," Fox added, making her grin. "No, it's okay. You're right, Dane. I just don't like the thoughts of my baby sister out there all alone." ~ # ~ 2 Months Later "Mmm," Dana murmured, tilting her head and letting Fox's head slide farther down her neck, almost to her shoulder. They were curled up in the back of his car, necking happily. Fox turned slightly, shifting so that she wouldn't feel his arousal. Dana smiled ducking her head to kiss him. In the absence of his mouth, his hands left her back and slid under her shirt. Dana licked his lips and pulled away, kissing his jaw. "It would probably be a good idea to stop. If you want to stop." "If you want me to." Dana smiled, tugging him on top of her. "I can't say that I want to have sex, but I won't be opposed to petting." Fox grinned, shifting his hips. "Kissing?" "That's an option too." Dana glanced at the clock. "Shit! I have to be home in five minutes." Fox moved off of her, letting her straighten her clothes and climb into the front seat. He opened the door and stood outside for a moment to try to get his excitement to go away. Then he realized that they'd both be in deep shit is she was late. Her dad was home on leave and Fox definitely hadn't made a good impression on him. When William Scully had walked in, he had been in the middle of a teasing and wrestling match with Dana. Although Dana had ended up on top, William had glared at him disapprovingly. Twenty minutes later, Dana looked down at her hands as Fox pulled into her driveway. God her entire body was still tingling. If only they hadn't had to stop. "I um, come in with me." "I love you," he blurted. Dana touched his face, leaning in to kiss him. "I love you too, Fox. Please come inside with me." "Sure babe," Fox squeezed her hand. They made sure they were relatively presentable and walked into the house. Surprisingly enough, the firing squad wasn't waiting for them. Dana looked into the living room and found Melissa watching TV. "Mis, where's mom?" "Dad took her out to dinner and a show. They'll be home late," Melissa looked at her watch, "You're lucky, chick." Dana felt Fox's hand slacken in relief. She turned and quirked a grin. He shook his head, wrapping his arms around her waist. She brushed her fingertips over his mouth, smiling softly when he kissed them. "You wanna stick around for a while?" "I better not, babe." "You sure?" Dana asked, as smile in her voice. "Mmhmm. I'll see you at school on Monday." "Okay," Dana settled her head on his chest. He took a deep breath and murmured. "Just for a little while." "Good," Dana smiled and dropped her arms, leading him into the living room. He dropped down on the floor and settled his head beside her knee. He smiled when her gentle fingers landed in his hair. That was his last conscious thought till morning. ~ @ ~ Three and a Half Months Later Dana sighed pleadingly. They couldn't not let her go. She had to. She hadn't missed a game since the season began. She'd had to miss about a week's worth of practices, but never a game. She couldn't miss a game, and especially not a tournament. "Please Mom. Please, I want to go. Bill will be there the entire time. And there's a huge group that's going." "Dana, I know good and well why you want to go, and it happens to be a certain boy who needs to get his head on straight and stop his endeavors to get into your pants." "Mom, this is not about Fox. This is about you not wanting to let me go overnight without you. Mom, I'm 16. I'm going off to college in just under 2 years. This isn't about my wanting special 'alone' time with Fox. He's going to be with the team most of the time anyway. I just wanna see them play." Margaret Scully sighed. "Give me tonight to think it over." "Thanks Mom." "That wasn't a yes, Child." Dana shot a grin over her shoulder. She found the signed permission form on her bedside table the next morning. Excitedly she dressed for school and went to wait for Missy. She was practically jumping with excitement as Fox opened her door for her at school. "Hey babe, what's got you so thrilled?" he asked, grinning as she tugged him along to the office and slapped a sheet of paper down. He realized that it was the signed permission form. She giggled and left the room with him in tow. Once they were at a safe distance away, Dana stopped and tugged Fox's head down to hers, kissing him thoroughly. "I'm riding the bus home to pack, and I'll be back in time to leave." "I'll make sure you get a spot on the team bus. We get a charter bus when the others get a lousy-ass school bus." "'Kay. I need to get to class. I'll see you at lunch," Dana kissed him again. "I love you." "I love you too, babe. See you later," he grinned and slapped her gently on the ass as she walked away. Dana sighed happily as she settled into her seat. She couldn't wait till that evening. He was getting her a spot with the team, with him. That meant that they'd have some time together. That meant making out and snuggling on the bus. She couldn't wait till that afternoon. End of Part 2 ****Please Note, this Part is Rated Strong R for Sexual Situations**** Part 3 Dana settled on her bed, regarding her roommate quietly. She and Rose weren't best friends, but were close enough to be able to share a hotel room without killing each other. Rose grinned at her in the mirror. "So how was the ride down? Fox keep ya entertained?" she teased. "Quite," Dana giggled. "Actually that was what I needed to ask about. My brother and Fox want to go have some food at a real restaurant, but it's not exactly allowed for me to go with them. Can you cover for me, if needed?" "Sure. Have fun. When will you be back?" "I'm not sure I will be. At least not for tonight," Dana started. "Dana! You're not!" "Fox and Bill are rooming together, and if it's too late, I'll just bunk with them," she explained. "Ahh okay. Yeah sure, go ahead." Dana grinned. "Thanks," she grabbed her purse and rushed out of the room. She walked between Fox and Bill as they went to find someplace good to eat. She knew it was so they could both protect her if needed. They finally decided on a bar and grill and were soon looking at the menu when Dana spotted the game room. "Cool! Before we go back, can we see what they have?" Both guys nodded, making her grin. "I could wipe the floor with your butts at pinball," she challenged. "You're on." Dana laughed, taking a sip of her coke. Fox's fingers were sliding over her sides, causing her to laugh involuntarily. "No fair, you're just trying to make me laugh so I won't be as tough when I kick your ass," she accused. "Not true," Bill interjected, "He's doing that so you won't be as tough when I kick your ass." All three of them laughed. Four hours later, the three entered the hotel lobby, trying unsuccessfully to quiet their laughter. Dana leaned against Fox's arm feeling drunk without having had any alcohol. Fox grinned down at her, wrapping an arm around her waist and leading her toward the elevator. Bill looked at them expectantly. "Calling it a night already?" "What else were you thinking?" "There's a pool. We could take a dip." "In our clothes?" "I'm not letting you skinny dip anywhere near each other, so yeah," Bill grinned, his seriousness underneath the smile. Dana looked at the clock, then shrugged. "Why the hell not? Your first game isn't till 10 tomorrow." They both patted her on the back as they walked. Two hours later, Dana led Fox up to his room, her hand shaking and not just from the coldness of the air on her wet skin. She and Fox had stolen away from her brother once the rest of the team showed up ready to party. They both agreed that they'd rather have a party of their own. So here they were, sneaking up to his room, both terrified in an amazing way of what would happen. Once Fox opened the room up, Dana turned to face him, a soft smile on her face. He bent, taking her face in his hands and pressing his lips to hers. She curled a handful of his wet shirt in her fist and kissed him back slowly, sensually. "Let me go rinse the chlorine off. Then you can do the same," she whispered, kissing his bottom lip. "Kay. I'll just, watch TV." "'Kay," Dana whispered, turning and walking away. She hesitated a moment, but then entered the bathroom without turning back. By the time they'd both showered, Dana was tingling all over. Her hands shook as she took the tags off of her newest acquisition, a silky nighty and matching robe. She'd bought it earlier that evening from one of the shops right next to the restaurant. Both Fox and Bill thought that she'd bought a couple souvenir t-shirts. Once she'd draped herself in the purchase, she reached in the bag for the other big purchase of the evening, condoms. Taking a deep breath, Dana left the bathroom. Fox was seated on his bed, the covers drawn down and one of the hotel towels spread out over the fitted sheet. She smiled slightly and stepped into the room, drawing his attention away from the episode of I Love Lucy that he'd been watching. His jaw seemed to drop, and she couldn't resist teasing him a little. "Does this mean you're gonna be staring at me now?" He reached out for her hands, "Babe, if you look as good without that thing as you do with it, I'll be staring all day everyday for the rest of my life." "Ahh, so nothing's changed then," she squealed when he pulled her down beside him. His lips quickly silenced her, diverting her attentions to other areas. They lay side by side kissing for quite a while slowly letting their hands join their lips. Finally Fox looked up for permission and Dana granted it, silencing any words with a sensual kiss. No words were spoken for a long time. ~ @ ~ Dana leaned over, pressing small whispers of kisses on Fox's chest. She smiled, settling her head back on his shoulder. Her hand came up to rub his skin gently, making him smile and turn to press a kiss into her hair. "I should go back to my room. Bill will be back anytime now." Fox looked at the clock, and then raised an eyebrow at her. "I don't think he'll be coming back. It's almost 3 am." "I don't have any clothes to stay here." "I don't see the problem," he chuckled, kissing her temple. The arm that was wrapped around her waist sprang to life, stroking her side and dipping down to her butt. "How do you feel?" he asked softly, pressing his lips to her forehead. "Alive," she answered, "but sore. I may still be, you know, bleeding," she whispered softly and sighed, feeling ashamed. "It's okay, babe. I know enough about the female anatomy to know it's natural. Love you." "I love you too, Fox." He shifted to face her, his fingers lacing with hers. She smiled tearfully, scooting closer to him. She bit her lip, but he tugged it from her mouth with his own. "Babe, did I hurt you?" he asked softly, brushing his thumb over her lips and then stroking her cheek. "Did I hurt you?" he repeated. "No, I'm just, overwhelmed. And really happy." "Good, on two accounts," he smiled, rolling her over and kissing her mouth hungrily. She responded heartily, arching her body into his touch. They groaned as one. "I don't want to hurt you," he whispered. "Are you okay to do this again?" She nodded, her hand becoming active. He rubbed her skin soothingly, breaking away from her mouth to lavish attention on more of her body. His hands lowered further causing her to moan softly. "Does that hurt?" "No, no, I'm okay. I'm not-?" she broke off, knowing that he'd understood her question. Fox scooted down her body, kissing each spot of skin underneath his lips. She twisted her hand in his hair, demanding more attention, which he didn't give. "Uh-uh, you're fine," he murmured, making her sigh with relief and frustration as he returned to suckle her neck. She scratched his head lightly before reaching out for another condom. She grinned, pushing him onto his back and taking the lead. ~ @ ~ Bill Scully stumbled back into his room. It had been a bad idea to stay out with the team. Deryk and Evan had brought margaritas for everyone, and now he was pleasantly buzzed. Alright, he was drunk off his ass. With some trouble he managed to find his room number. Far more trouble ensued when the task of inserting the card. Finally he got the sequence right, and the damn door unlatched. Bill quickly turned the knob so that the entire process would not have to be repeated. Pushing open the door caused the room to be bathed in the soft light from the hotel hall. Bill looked inside and froze, sobering immediately. Fox was on top of Dana, his lips pressed into her neck as their bodies moved beneath the covers. Dana was no spectator though; one of her hands was clutching Fox's hair while the other was gripping his shoulders. "What the fuck do you think you're doing!?" Bill roared, storming as much as he could over to them. Dana's eyes widened as they landed on him, and she pushed Fox off of her. She pulled the covers over her nakedness. "Bill, its not-" "What the fuck were you doing with her?! She's not your damn slut!" Dana sniffed the air, trying to be as calm as she could. "Bill, you're drunk. Just calm down. Fox didn't make the decision for me." Bill lunged past her toward Fox. "The hell he didn't!" He fell, his head landing mere inches from the wall. Fox tugged him to his feet and led him to the other bed, having taken the moments that Dana had used to try and diffuse the situation to pull on boxers. "Just sleep it off, man," he mumbled. Dana appeared at his side and reached for his hand, squeezing it gently. He looked at her quickly and she handed him a shirt. "Let's sit on the balcony," she whispered. He nodded, smiling at her choice of clothes, his from earlier. They settled into a chair, Dana curled up on his lap and shivering until Fox's arms came around her. She sighed, resting her chin on his arm. She yawned and tilted her head to find the junction of his shoulder and arm. "Leave it to my brother." "Shh," he whispered. "I would have done the same had I found my sister with one of my friends. He's drunk, so he'll be a little more reasonable when he sobers up." Dana nodded, rubbing her cheek against his t-shirt sleeve. He kissed the back of her head, resting his cheek on her hair. They fell asleep in that position. End of Part 3 Part 4 Three Weeks Later "Dana, you're forbidden to see that boy again." Dana stopped short, her ass getting slapped by the screen door. She'd just gotten home from practice. The last practice of the season, and she hadn't even stayed to goof around and waste time with Fox. "Excuse me?" she asked. "The way he touches you is inappropriate, the way you respond to it is reprehensible, and until you get your head back on straight, and even after that, you won't see him again. Fox Mulder is a bad influence on you," her mother ranted. Dana blinked. This was coming out of left field. She and Fox had barely spent time at her house since they came back from the tournament, and had only been intimate twice in that time. She knew that Bill hadn't ratted them out, even as angry as he'd been. They had been able to reason with him, using the strategy that he would be hypocritical, since he hadn't been 'innocent' since his junior year. So he relented, simply warning Fox that he'd kill him if he ever got Dana pregnant, or if he ever hurt her in any way. "We're just looking out for your future, Dana," her mother followed up, her tone shifting to a soothing one. "Now, we'll allow you to call him and break it off, but you're banned from seeing him again." Maggie held out the phone. Dana blinked dazedly and took it from her. She dialed slowly, aware of her mother's watchful eye. "Fox, it's me." "Hey, I told you that you'd miss me." "Fox, I, we need to talk." "What's wrong?" he asked. Dana bit her lip, fighting back anger and oncoming tears. "I can't see you anymore." "What? Dana, what's going on? Why not?" "I just can't. Um, I'll," she stopped. "I'll miss you," she whispered. "You know I will too. But if this is what you want, I'll go with it." "It, it is," she stuttered. "I love you." "Me too," Dana echoed. "Bye," she whispered hanging up the phone. Maggie nodded approvingly, but Dana didn't acknowledge her, she simply turned and ran up the stairs, sobbing. ~ ! ~ The next day, Dana left the bus, having not been up to riding with her siblings. She shifted her bags and trudged into the building. Choking back a sob, she realized that she couldn't let it end without at least being honest with Fox. A spark of anger flared through her at the idea that she was being manipulated by her parents, and she squared her shoulders and marched off to Fox's locker. He stood stiffly, staring through his things. She made a decision to forget her parents' order. Her relationship with Fox was right, no matter what they said. She set her things down in the room directly opposite him, and then walked over to his back. Instead of speaking, she reached out and slipped her fingers into his pocket. He loved it when she held onto him like that. Dana opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out. He turned at the contact, gaping like a fish seeking air. "Dana, what are you doing here?" With a small cry, she wrapped her arms around his neck, stretching up on tip toes to hold him tightly. "Sh, she made me call. They told me I couldn't see you anymore. I don't care what they say, Fox. I don't care. You know I didn't mean what I said last night, don't you?" Fox released her, nodding softly. "It was all for your parents benefit then?" "Mmhmm," she nodded, rising up to kiss him. He turned his head at the last minute and she was presented with his cheek. "Fox?" "Just go to class, Dana. I'll talk to you later." Dana drew back, hurt. "Okay." She began to walk away, but whirled back around. "What's your fucking problem? I sat up half the night trying to keep myself from calling you and begging you to forgive me. I came to you first thing, and I told you the truth." Fox crossed his arms. Dana reached out to curl her fingers around his hand. He softened slightly, relenting and letting their fingers tangle. She raised his hand to her lips. "I didn't want to lie to you, Fox. I did it to make them happy, and now that they have what they want, I can have what I want." She ignored the bell that signaled their tardiness to class, instead wrapping his arm around her and pulling his head to rest on hers. She kissed his neck and looked up at him. "I love you, Fox. I love you, and I don't care what they want me to do. I want you, and I hope you know that. You'll never be like anyone else, Fox." She started to pull away, but he held her tighter and bent to pick her up. She laughed, slamming his locker for him as he started to move. "Where are you taking me?" "Someplace private." "What about class?" "What about it?" She laughed, bending to kiss him. He carried her into the unoccupied drama room which because it wasn't a normal class, had regular furniture instead of desks. Namely, a couch. He locked the door behind them, and then walked in the dark over to the couch. The moment he set her on her feet, Dana tugged his head down to hers. Their hands began tugging at clothes. "Do you have anything?" she whispered. "Yup." "Good," she grinned, sucking gently on his bottom lip. ~ ! ~ Two weeks later Dana reached out to straighten the pillows on the couch. Bill had paid her forty bucks to clean the living room so that he could have friends over. Her consolation and entire reason for doing it was that Fox would be there. "Hey, we're back." Dana sat up. Three guys from the team came pounding in. They cheered when they saw her. "Yes! The lucky charm is here!" They grinned, grabbing her in a huge bear hug. Danny kissed her cheek. "Mulder said he'd show up later. Once your parents leave." "Kay, thanks you guys," Dana smiled. She was busy spreading pizza sauce on Alex's face as retaliation for spilling soda down her shirt when Fox appeared in the doorway. She slapped the pizza over Alex's eyes and rushed over to Fox. He grinned, leaning down to kiss her slowly. Their audience hooted and the couple slowly left the room. Fox sighed, his nose bumping hers in an Eskimo kiss. Their eyes slid open in unison making them laugh softly. Dana's arms curled around his back and they wound together in his shirt. "Would you believe me if I said I missed you?" She whispered. He pressed his lips to her hairline. "I would. But I think you have no reason to miss me. Just cause we're sneaking around with this relationship doesn't mean that we don't see each other." "And we don't need to talk every day, or see each other every day. I know," she murmured. They laughed, squeezing each other again. Dana was glad that even as important as their relationship was to her, that she hadn't let it get in the way of her life. That she hadn't let the attentions she gave Fox take away from the time she spent with her friends. She always ate lunch with her best friend, and always hung out with her group of friends before, during, and even after practices. That was what she liked about her relationship with Fox. Even though it was new for them both, they could go a couple days at a time without talking to each other. They would have to, because otherwise they might start to get cranky with each other. Fox kissed her cheek and they released each other only to loop arms and walk back into the living room. They sat together, side by side but not touching while Dana laughed at the other guys. They were playing on Bill's new Nintendo system and fighting for the controller. Once they got to a point in the game that they couldn't beat, Dana stood up and went over to them, taking the controller from Danny. She quickly made it through the level. Grinning, she dropped the object and went back to her spot, only to be pulled sideways onto Fox's lap. A couple of the guys cheered and whooped, making Dana blush slightly. Fox rolled his eyes and bent his knees to give them both more support. Dana relaxed and smiled over at her brother, thanking him for giving them this time. At two am Dana stretched and climbed out of Fox's arms. He grabbed her hand, kissing her palm. She smiled, leaning down and kissing her forehead. "I'll see you later." "'Kay," he patted her hand. Dana smiled, bidding goodnight to those who were still awake, and leaving the room. Bill watched both her and Fox before calling him over. "Why don't you go with her?" "I uh, no, I shouldn't. Besides, this is your shindig, I didn't come just to see your sister." Bill snorted. "Bullshit, Man. I'm not gonna force you, but I'll come and get you if my folks come home early." Fox bit his lip. "You're sure?" "Yeah. I just, don't wanna hear it from down here." Fox laughed. "You do know that you're encouraging me to have sex with your sister?" Bill nodded slowly. "Don't remind me. Just go before I change my mind and kick your ass for thinking those things." Fox nodded and broke into a grin. "Sorry to run out on the party, but no offence, Dana's prettier." Bill barked out a laugh. ~ $ ~ Fox stroked the soft skin of Dana's right tricep and kissed her shoulder softly. She smiled, using her unoccupied arm to stroke his cheek. They separated slowly and Dana sat up, pulling the sheet around her. She rested her head on Fox's shoulder. "So my big brother actually sent you up here?" "Cross my heart. He also told me that he'd come sneak me out before your parents got back." "Mmm," Dana hugged his arm. "I'm glad Bill likes you and trusts you. It's just my parents who don't want to understand." "They will, eventually. Just not while you're living in their house." "Wanna run off with me and elope?" "Sure, why not?" She looked at him. "Seriously?" "Mmmhmm. After school gets out, we'll go find someone who'll do it." "Oh Fox," Dana breathed, wrapping her arms around his neck. "That's crazy. You're crazy. The suggestion was crazy." "So let's do it," he kissed her nose. "That's what it's all about. Let's get married." Dana only squeezed him tighter, unable to believe that they both were serious. End of Part 4 Part 5/Epilogue Dana looked out the window at the town below her. They'd really done it. They'd really gotten married. No hesitancy, no disruptions, just them and a Delaware Justice of the Peace. Now they were married. She was married. At 17. They had decided to wait until she turned 17. At 17 they could get married without needing permission. So, three weeks after her birthday, Bill arranged for her and Missy to come to Annapolis for a visit over spring break. When they arrived, Fox was also waiting for them. After a few days, Dana and Fox took off and drove to Delaware. Bill and Melissa followed once they found out. "What are you thinking about?" Dana turned, surprised to hear him awake. She smiled, shrugging. He smiled back, crooking his finger to draw her near. "Just thinking," she settled, reclining sideways on the bed and laying her head on his chest. He smiled softly, bending to kiss her mouth. "Thinking about what?" "Our lives." "It'll be okay, Dana. I promise." "My parents are going to flip." "So we make sure this is completely secret." "They still managed to determine some of the specifics before." "I'll take care of it if it happens, Dana," he promised, his fingertips sifting through her hair. She smiled up at him. "They are well meaning." "I love you." "I love you too. How are we going to handle everything when we get home?" "Same as before. I don't know of any other way until after you graduate." "That seems like forever from now." Fox chuckled and bent to kiss her again. "Hey, we have that kind of time now." Dana smiled. Yes, they had all the time in the world. END Read anything you liked? Let me know: CatheyScully@the-pentagon.com or foreverxphile@adelphia.net