Subject: Friends Even in Childhood (1/?) by Penny Daza
From: majick@webquest.com 
Date: 7 Aug 1997 01:43:36 -0700

Title: Friends Even in Childhood  (1/?)

Author: Penny Daza (majick@webquest.com) with a whole lotta help from Quim

DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, The X-Files and all its characters 
            belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Network.
We are NOT making any money out of this experience. In summary,                
No copyright infringiment is intended.  These characters I've            
written about also belong to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson,            
who gave them life, who gave them soul.

Rating: General Patronage

Classification: A little angst, mostly friendship bonding.

Spoilers: none

Summary : Mulder and Scully meet as teens. 

ARCHIVE anywhere.  Retain author's e-mail addys.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  Mulder and Scully share a very special relationship.  We all
know that.  It's the kind of relationship I think, would come from years and
years of friendship.  Not just four or five, so this is my way writing what it
would've been like if they'd met each other as teens. This is an alternate
universe kind of thing.  Give it a chance.   Please.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
Massachussets
1977

Fox Mulder was a good-looking boy.  But he was weird, weird, weird.  

Dana Scully was sick of hearing the same things over and over again in the
girls' bathroom at the high school she had just moved to.

She had to admit, she was truly intrigued in the beginning who all the girls
were always gushing about, but at the same time lambasting like there was no
tomorrow.  Dana figured it was mostly frustration on their part, because from
what she'd gathered, this Fox Mulder character had no interest in any of them
and it was perhaps a collective defense mechanism on their part to nurture their
bruised egos.

Today, a blonde girl about three years older than she had something new to say.

"I'm sure of it - he's gay," she said, brushing her hair back with luxury.  Her
cohorts all blushed at the statement and twittered nervously.

"No foolin', Liz?" asked Cindy, who was the most gullible of the group.

"Yep.  Marsha said that Annie told her that Linda had him cornered in the
football field the other night and she got his hand up her blouse and everything
and like, nothing happened.  He like, pushed her away and stormed off really
pissed." fired Liz.

Dana couldn't stand it anymore.  She left the bathroom, her hair still a mess,
but not really caring.  The airheads inside had reminded her too much of the
conversations her sister Melissa was constantly engaged in with friends she so
easily made no matter how often or where they  moved.

Dana often envied Melissa, but not at times like this.  All she could think of
was the poor boy who was being verbally victimized and labeled as gay just
because he wasn't interested in any of the popular clique.

She brushed the thought away, realizing it was really none of her business
interfering with school rumors and the like when she was just a newcomer.

It had been about a week since they moved to Massachusetts, and for 14 year-old
Dana Scully, just as uneventful as all the other moves.  She hadn't bothered
making any friends at the last stop, her dad and mom had mentioned they would be
there probably 3 months tops, and she feared that the pain of saying goodbye the
last time she had cultivated friendships would be just as bad or perhaps even
worse.

The rest of the day was spent going in and out of her classes.  Almost all of
her teachers requested a little talk with her after each class was dismissed,
asking her how her first week had been.  After her usual answer of 'fine', they
would always follow up with 'Well, I hope everything stays that way during your
stay'.  Apparently, they'd all taken a look into her file and saw she was a Navy
brat not really used to planting roots.  They spoke to her as a hotel
administrator would to a new guest.  It made Dana very sad, but there was
nothing she could do about it.

A few girls had introduced themselves to her and were pretty nice, especially
Lee, who invited her over to dinner at her house over the weekend if Dana didn't
have anything else to do.  She graciously accepted, and the two new friends
swapped phone numbers and promises to call each other.

On her way home, Dana had a small bounce in her steps.  The last stop the family
had made had less-friendly teens.  At this one, she hardly made any effort to
make friends, but already she had a phone number in her pocket and an invitation
to dinner.  She crossed her fingers and hoped this would be the last stop, even
if she didn't really believe it could come true.

She went into her house, calling out she was home just as her mother pulled a
tray of freshly-baked cookies out of the stove.  "How was school today, honey?"
asked Mrs. Scully.

Dana plucked a cookie from the tray, blowing on it and juggling it from hand to
the other.  "Pretty good.  I made some new friends today."

"That's great, honey.  You're more than welcome to invite any of them over, if
you want."

"I know, mom.  One of them beat me to it, though.  Dinner on Friday at her
house, if that's okay with you."

Mrs. Scully smiled.  "Of course that's alright with me honey.  I'm so glad for
you."

She hugged her daughter hard and resumed placing the cookies on a plate before
shooing Dana out of the kitchen to change.

Dana went up to her room, glad that Melissa and her brothers weren't home yet. 
Her siblings were a riotous bunch, always talking and joking, screaming and
laughing.  It was in this respect that Dana felt she never quite belonged.  She
and Melissa were middle children, but Melissa was always like an iguana, in
Dana's opinion.  She changed as she wanted to fit in, no matter how often or how
much, she could always do it.

Her thoughts drifted involuntarily to Fox Mulder.  She hadn't seen him, or at
least she THOUGHT she hadn't seen him, and wondered what his views on fitting in
were.  Apparently, he didn't give a damn, or else he'd be making more of an
effort.

She decided to go back downstairs and offer her a mother a hand making dinner. 
En route to the kitchen, the doorbell rang.  "I'll get it!" she yelled, already
heading for the door.

Dana swung it open, and saw a tall boy, almost six feet with short brown hair
and deep-set eyes.  "Can I help you?" she asked.

The boy looked down at his feet and thrust a small notebook at her.  HER
notebook.  "Actually, it's the other way around.  You dropped this."

Dana took it from him and wondered vaguely what his problem was.  He was clearly
older than she was, but it seemed as though he was withdrawn and had little or
no self-confidence.  "Thanks.  How'd you find me and know who I was?" she asked.

He raised his head and finally looked at her.  What she saw in them made her
sad, although she couldn't fathom why.  "I figured it was yours.  I've never
seen you around school before, and I remembered my mom mentioning a new family
had moved into this house."

Dana looked him over once again, then remembered they hadn't even traded names. 
She extended her hand out to him.  "Dana Scully."

The boy's face froze for a microsecond in anxiety before grasping her hand in
his.  "Fox Mulder."

Now it was Dana's turn to freeze for a microsecond.  She shook his hand, hoping
he didn't detect her hesitation.  "Thanks again."

He nodded and turned around, then walked away from the house.  He'd gotten about
10 feet away when she called him back.  He turned around, a look of surprise and
suspicion on his face.

"My mom just baked a tray of cookies.  They're great.  Want one?" she asked,
then almost winced after realizing how lame that sounded.

Fox stood his ground for what seemed like an eternity.  He wondered what Dana
Scully's hidden agenda could be.  He was sure she'd already caught wind of his
reputation, everyone did whether he like it or not, and he was an outcast plain
and simple.  But her straightforwardness was intriguing and appealing to him for
some reason. Not many 14 year-olds could do that, but it seemed natural and
refreshing.  He nodded and walked back to her front door.

Dana smiled and led him inside, directing him to the kitchen.  Her mother was
washing out the cookie tray, and turned when she heard Dana enter.  She smiled
warmly at the stranger with her daughter.

"Mom, this is Fox Mulder.  He came over to return a book I dropped."

Mrs. Scully wiped her hands on the apron she was wearing and extended her hand. 
"Pleased to meet you, Fox.  Thank you for the favor."

Fox smiled.  "No problem, Mrs. Scully.  Welcome to the neighborhood."

Margaret Scully looked the boy over again.  He had smiled at her, and given her
a firm handshake, but there was a sadness in his eyes that ran so deep she
couldn't believe the man in front of her was only a teen-ager.  It seemed as
though the guilt and pain of ten lifetimes were etched into his beautiful eyes.

Dana reached for the plate of cookies and offered them to Fox.  He took one as
she hopped to the fridge to retrieve milk.  Mrs. Scully excused herself, after
mentioning calls she had to make but Dana knew better.  It was her mother's way
of making Fox feel comfortable in the house by making herself inconspicuous.

She poured him out a glass of milk, silently praying she wouldn't do anything
stupid like spill it.  This was a big step on her part, something she had never
done before.  Invite a boy to her house, one who was older nonetheless, and
serve him food.

Dana felt guilty she had managed to override all of her previous hesitations
about boy-girl relationships simply because this Fox Mulder character so
intrigued her.  But that wasn't even the gist of it.  The bottom line was, she
felt sorry for him.

Biting into the cookie in his hand, his eyes closed.  Dana grinned.  Her mom's
cookies always managed to do that to people.  "Chocolate chip.  Good, huh?" she
asked.

"They sure are," he said, swallowing.  "Best I've ever tasted."

"I'm sure your mom makes great cookies too." 

He stopped chewing suddenly and looked down again.  "My mom isn't what you can
call 'domesticated.'"

Dana regretted the comment.  She made a mental note to herself not to bring the
topic of his mother up again.  She remembered her dad telling her and her other
siblings a while back that not all families were as happy as theirs was, and it
was a sad reality they had to remember not to flaunt in their friends' faces.

A silence fell over both of them.  It was uneasy.  Fox resumed his chewing, then
grasped the glass of milk Dana had poured for him and took a long swallow.

"So," he said.  "Like school so far?"

"It's okay, I guess.  The kids here are a lot friendlier than the ones from the
place I came from."

"You move around a lot?"

Dana passed him another cookie.  "Yeah.  My dad's with the Navy."

"Oh.  My dad.he works for the government too."

It looked like he had just revealed something very important to him.  Dana
resisted pushing him for more information, fearing she'd hit another sore spot.

She stood up and dusted her hands on her jeans.  She was just about to invite
him to dinner when Melissa came bouncing in.

"WHO are you?" she asked Fox directly.  Before he could reply, she turned to
Dana and asked again.  "WHO is that?"

"Missy, this is Fox Mulder.  Fox, my sister Melissa."

Missy looked at him from head to toe.  "Did your mother just KNOW you were going
to be good looking when she named you that?"

"MISSY!!"

Dana's big sister looked at her innocently. "What?"

Fox stood, flustered and stammered, "Er.I think I better go."

He headed for the door, Dana hot on his heels.  "Wait a second, Fox."

He turned and looked at his feet again.  "Thanks for the cookies.  They really
were the best I've ever tasted."

Dana looked behind her.  Melissa was on the phone already, no doubt setting up
her network of friends to investigate the boy she found talking to her little
sister.  Dana sighed.

"I'm sorry about my sister.  She has a knack for coming on too strong."

"It's alright.  I'm used to it." 

"Look.  I'm new here and I don't have many friends yet.  You're the first that's
ever been to my house."

"I've been here all my life and no one's ever come to my house."

Dana didn't know what to say.  She looked at him, silently begging him to end
the uncomfortable silence.

"Do you know where the park is?" he suddenly asked.

"Yeah.  Why?"

"9 o'clock tonight.  By the swings.  Think you can make it?"

She smiled at him.  It gave him courage.

"I'll be there."





Dana walked back into the house, a smile on her lips.  Missy caught it.

"Dana and Foxy kissing in a tree.  KAY EYE ES ES EYE EN GEE."  She sang aloud.

"Shut up, Missy."

"Better be careful with that one, Dana.  EVERYONE says he's weird."

Dana wanted to scream.  There was THAT word again.  Weird.  Was the whole town
in a conspiracy to use that word on him?  She ignored Missy and walked up the
stairs.

"Aww.bet you're DYING to know WHY he's weird." Her sing-song voice one pitch
higher.

"No, I'm not," answered Dana with a maturity that was well beyond her 14 years. 
"Because he hasn't done anything to ME for me to label him weird.  And until
that happens, I am NOT going to judge him."

Missy let out a low whistle.  "Oooooh.  Defensive about your new friend already,
huh?  That's fine.  Puppy love is in the air and at least he's cute."

Dana resisted the urge to scream.  She walked up the stairs as calmly as she
could and headed for her mother's room.

Inside, Margaret Scully was folding laundry.  She smiled at Dana, but it fell
after seeing her facial expression.  "What's wrong, sweety?"

"Nothing.  Mom, can I meet Fox at the playground tonight at nine?"

Margaret put her laundry down.  "I don't know, Dana.  He's an older boy and you
just met him.  Do you see where I'm going?"

"Yes.  But I trust him, mom.  I know I just met him, but I'd really like to go. 
Can I?"

A frown creased Margaret's brow.  "Okay, dear.  But you have to be home by
10:30, or I'll send your brothers, okay?"

Dana smiled and kissed her mom.  "Thanks, mom.  And please don't tell anyone,
specially Missy where I'm going, okay?"

What Dana didn't know was that Margaret had heard the entire conversation
downstairs.  She was proud of her youngest daughter for standing up like that,
and Missy always had a knack of well, coming on too strong.  "I won't dear.  But
remember - 10:30 or the whole neighborhood finds out.  Agreed?"

"Yup.  It's a deal.  Thanks again, mom."

"You're welcome, honey.  Now vamoose and let me finish the laundry."


It seemed to Dana that dinner was taking forever.  Her frequent glances at the
clock only seemed to slow it down all the more, and after she helped her mother
and other siblings wash the dishes up, it was finally time to go.

Missy remained suspiciously quiet about Fox with her brothers, Dana suspecting
that her mother had spoken to Missy about it.

Her mother gave her a knowing glance right before she went up to her room to
change into jeans, a t-shirt and jacket and she was off.  She left her house at
around 8:45, expecting it would take her around 10 or 15 minutes to get to the
park on foot.

The night was cold, and she hugged her jacket tighter around her as she walked. 
She wondered and was faintly worried at what she and Fox would talk about,
they'd only just met and exchanged just a few sentences.  She hoped he was a
better conversationalist tonight than this afternoon.

When she got to the swings, she saw that he was already there, sitting on one of
them, gazing at the stars.  His long arms embraced the chains, linking them with
his hands and he was swinging slowly and steadily to and fro.

"Hi," she said.

He looked at her and smiled.  Again, she saw the pain in them.

He patted the seat next to his.  "Over here."

Dana sat beside him and started swinging herself.  

"I was expecting you not to show up.  I realized a few minutes after I'd left
your house that your parents might not like the idea of you meeting up with a
stranger at this time of the night."

"Mom said it was okay, as long as I was back by 10:30."

"That's fine.  I'll walk you back, okay?"

"Okay.  So what did you want to talk to me about?" she asked.

"Nothing.  I just. I don't know.  I just get lonely sometimes," he answered, his
gaze wandering back to the stars.  "You're new in town and everything and well."

"Well?"

"You seem nice.  'They' haven't gotten to you yet.  Or at least I'm HOPING they
haven't got to you yet."

Dana frowned.  He was speaking in riddles.  "They?"

He nodded.  "'They' being what people say about me."

Fox hesitated then, and he looked at his feet.  "Or have they?"

"You want me to answer honestly?" she asked.

He nodded and looked at her again.

"They have.  But I really don't care."

His eyes widened a little bit right before he smiled.

Dana smiled back.  She didn't know why, but something inside her told her this
was going to be the start of a beautiful friendship.



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

END of 1/?

Title: Friends Even in Childhood  (2/?)

Author: Penny Daza (majick@webquest.com) 

DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, The X-Files and all its characters 
            belong to Chris Carter, Ten-Thirteen Productions and Fox Network.
We are NOT making any money out of this experience. In summary,                
No copyright infringiment is intended.  These characters I've            
written about also belong to David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson,            
who gave them life, who gave them soul.

Rating: General Patronage

Classification: A little angst, mostly friendship bonding.

Spoilers: none

Summary : Mulder and Scully meet as teens. 

ARCHIVE anywhere.  Retain author's e-mail addys.

AUTHOR'S NOTES:  Mulder and Scully share a very special relationship.  We all
know that.  It's the kind of relationship I think, would come from years and
years of friendship.  Not just four or five, so this is my way writing what it
would've been like if they'd met each other as teens. This is an alternate
universe kind of thing.  Give it a chance.   Please.

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



Their friendship blossomed quickly right after that night.  He had walked her
home as promised, but before that they talked about everything and nothing they
could think of.  Movies, music, television, clothes and past friends.  Fox
enjoyed Dana's stories about all the places she had lived in, and she enjoyed
his attention.  He never mentioned his family, which Dana thought was quite odd,
but kept silent about it.

But Fox was careful when they were around school.  He explained to Dana his
reputation would affect hers as well, and while he remained a stranger within
its walls, much to Dana's annoyance, she still appreciated that he was doing it
for her.  They knew each others' locker combinations, and when no one was
looking, would open the other's and leave notes, usually about what time they
could hook up again whether at her house or over the phone.  Fox didn't want
Dana to go to her house.  All he said was that his parents were pains in the
butt and left it at that.

Margaret Scully enjoyed Fox's company.  He usually arrived at their house before
Dana did, because while he headed straight for the Scully's, Dana dilly-dallied
around school for a few minutes chatting with her girlfriends.

It took a little hard work on Margaret's part, but she was glad that her slow
acceptance of him into their home reaped a lot of benefits.  She could see the
pain and trauma in the young man's eyes and by the way he moved, and her heart
went out to him.

It started with her inviting him into the kitchen while she prepared dinner. 
Gradually, she asked him to participate in her cooking by requesting, if he
didn't mind, to pass the mixing bowl or the broccoli in the fridge.  She made
sure he saw her warm smile each time he followed her, and from that, she asked
him to participate in the cooking.

Slowly but surely, Fox became comfortable in the Scully household.  The purpose
of Margaret accomplished.  Now that he was familiar with where everything was,
he now felt at home and welcome.

The boys accepted him without qualm, but Missy was an entirely different matter.
She relied too much on Fox's reputation from her friends, but Margaret knew
Missy had a small crush on him by the way she often watched him.

Dana loved her family all the more for accepting Fox.  After about a month of
merciless teasing from her siblings about her 'first boyfriend', it finally wore
off when they saw firsthand no romance was involved between them.  This was fine
for her brothers, who would not have hesitated to beat him into a bloody pulp if
they knew his intentions were less than pure.

But as much as Fox had wanted to remain a secret in Dana's school life, it was
just impossible.  A lot of the kids would walk by Dana's house and catch a
glimpse of him sitting in their kitchen, or spot him on all those Sundays he
came over to play touch ball with her and her brothers.

All the girls in school suddenly wanted to make friends with Dana, especially
the popular ones.  After hundreds of questions and evading answers, she finally
came up with a standard reply that left the questioner with something to think
about.  "Why don't you talk to him and find out?"

But Fox remained as elusive as his name.  When the secret was out, yes, he
openly spoke to Dana and her siblings in the corridors but no one else.  At
least now Dana actually saw him around lunch and recess, and he often sat beside
her or her brothers if she was absent, but he was always, always silent during
the entire meal, except when it was only him and Dana.

Dana always loved the end of the day.  Fox would be waiting for her at her
house, puttering around the kitchen with her mom.  He knew how to smile more
often now, and she had learned to expect one from him as soon as she walked
through the door.

Today, she knew her mother was cooking spaghetti from the smells that wafted out
of the kitchen.  She walked in on both of them, just as Fox was smacking his
lips together, a wooden spoon poised near his lips.  He looked at Margaret and
looked at the ceiling.

"I know," said Mrs. Scully.  "More oregano, huh?"

Fox nodded his head slowly.  "Just a little, little bit."

She handed him the small bottle.  "Shake away."

Fox opened the bottle just as Dana decided to make her presence known.  "Hey,
you."

He looked up from his task and gave her a smile, just as she anticipated. 
"Hey."

Dana sat at the counter, her usual place while she waited for Fox to finish up
whatever he was helping her mother with.  As soon as he was done with that,
they'd usually go into the living room and watch some TV, and her mom would,
without fail, bring in a tray of snacks exactly twenty minutes after that.

After flipping through the channels and finally finding something worth
watching, Dana took her usual spot.  Fox would always be stretched out on his
stomach, his face propped in his hands, and Dana would rest her head on his
lower back, her legs on top of the sofa.  Her mother had given up warning her
what she was doing to her neck, and both of them LOOKED comfortable.  If  Dana's
siblings didn't come home soon after that, Mrs. Scully figured both of them
could stay that way for hours.  Bill Jr. and Charlie always got home before
Melissa, and as soon as they stepped in would call Fox for some boy talk. 
Basketball was always on their minds, and Bill and Fox had a new project to work
on, which was Charlie's lay-up skills.

In the beginning, Dana resented her brothers for taking away time she had with
Fox.  But seeing him socialize was obviously good for him, and she decided it
wasn't as bad as long as Bill and Charlie didn't hog him the entire night.

It had been about two months since they'd become best friends, and Dana's only
regret was that her father had only gotten to talk to Fox once.  He was away at
sea so often, and the one time he managed to come home since they moved to the
new place, Fox had needed to go home early because his mother was sick.

He had been unofficially adopted by the Scully family.  So great was Margaret's
trust in Fox that two weeks earlier, when a small tea party of Margaret's seemed
to displace the two teens from their usual spot, she suggested to Dana to move
her quality time with Fox up to her room.

Fox liked Dana's room.  The first thing that caught his interest were her books,
and they spent the rest of the afternoon discussing Moby Dick, Siddharta, and
many others.  He sprawled himself over her bed, and invited her to take her
usual position beside him.  Since he was on his back, he pet his stomach,
indicating it was alright for her to place her head there instead.  He read to
her, while absently playing with her hair.  It was comforting to Dana, and yet
again, she found herself wondering in amazement at how close she and Fox had
become.

She knew that not many girls her age had a best friend who was a boy three years
older, and the depth of their relationship transcended about 98% of those who
did.  The girls at school often asked her if she and Fox had ever kissed, and
with a wrinkled nose she gave them an emphatic no.  To her really good friends
she confided it would be as gross as kissing Bill or Charlie.

Dana felt herself get sleepy then.  School had been hectic that day, and she
hadn't gotten much sleep the night before getting a book report finished, in
spite of Fox's help over the phone.  She turned her head to tell him he better
leave, or if he wanted, wait for Bill or Charlie to get home.

But Fox had beaten her to the punch.  She hadn't even noticed that he'd stopped
reading and fallen asleep before she did.  It was not the first time she had
seen him asleep.  But this was the first time she had ever seen him asleep in
her bed.

Dana thought he looked cute.  She wanted very badly to sleep too, and it would
be really comfortable to fall asleep where she was, but she didn't think her
mother would approve, and the carefully cultivated trust between mother and
daughter might falter.  She sighed and retrieved two blankets.  One she used to
cover Fox, the other she used on herself as she sat in the comfortable lazy-boy
in her room right before she fell asleep.


Margaret Scully softly opened Dana's bedroom door.  She smiled at the sight
before her.  Fox was lying vertically on Dana's bed, her favorite book on his
chest, and Dana was asleep on her lazy-boy.

Her tea party had finally wrapped up, and dinner was on the table.  Charlie and
Bill were already home, shooting hoops right under Dana's window, hoping they
would make enough noise to wake Fox up.  They too had peeked into their sister's
room and found them both asleep.

Melissa was off in her room on the phone as usual.

She walked slowly to Dana and gently roused her.  "Honey, it's dinner time."

Dana opened her eyes slowly and stretched, then nodded.  She checked on Fox, and
saw that he was still asleep.

"Invite Fox over for dinner.  But don't push.  He's had dinner here for the last
four days and his mother might get angry if he does it again."

Margaret left the room then, quietly shutting the door.

Dana sat on the bed, about to wake Fox up, when she noticed how his eyeballs
were rapidly moving beneath his eyelids.  She had read about this before.  It
was called Rapid Eye Movement.  She watched, fascinated, the task of waking him
up momentarily forgotten.  His lips suddenly parted, and his hand clenched.  He
suddenly cried out, "Samantha!!!" and Dana jerked back in surprise.  Fox bolted
up, almost knocking her off the bed, his breathing suddenly ragged.  His eyes
were wild, and Dana had to grab him by his shoulders to shake him.  "Fox!! 
Fox!!"

Her cry seemed to frighten him all the more.  He suddenly buried his face in his
hands, and hard, painful-looking heaves wracked his shoulders.  Fox started
crying, and poor Dana was left there to only hold him and rub his back in an
effort to soothe him.


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

END of 2/?


Friends Even in Childhood 3/?


The crying slowed and finally came to a stop, just in the nick of time. 
Margaret called for both of them to come down, and after answering "In a minute,
mom!" Dana turned back to Fox.  He was wiping his eyes with his sleeve, and
couldn't look her in the eye.

"Hey, are you okay?" she asked, still rubbing his back.

"Sorry about that," he said, hiccuping.  

"It's alright.  Do you remember what you dreamed about?"

"Yeah.  But.if it's okay with you I'd rather not talk about it."

Dana considered the statement.  She wanted very badly to ask him who Samantha
was, then decided against it.  Fox would tell her in his own time.  Or so she
hoped.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear right now, but mom's expecting us
downstairs for dinner.  Think you're up to it?" she asked.

He sniffled and wiped his eyes with his sleeve again.  "No.I don't think so. 
I'll just say I'm needed at home and excuse myself, okay?"

Dana nodded and gave him a few more seconds to compose himself before they went
down.



Charlie and Bill looked up as soon as they heard Fox's footsteps.  "Hey, Fox!"
they called simultaneously.  Melissa smiled shyly, then resumed her eating.

Fox high-fived both brothers before Margaret invited him to sit down.  He
already had his own place at the table.

"You know I'd love to, Mrs. Scully.  But my mom.well, she says she doesn't see
me around anymore so I think I should pacify the waters tonight."

"Of course, Fox.  Just remember you're always welcome here, alright?"

"Yes, ma'am.  I'll see you all tomorrow."

Charlie looked up.  "How about we work on my lay-ups again, Fox?"

"No problem, Charlie.  I'll even bring my ball."

Bill grinned.  "Bud, I know how much you hate the girl talk, but I heard Vanessa
Parker talking about you."

Fox was heading for the door, Dana right behind him.  She couldn't wait for what
his response to THAT was going to be.  "Not my type, Bill.  Goodnight, all."

He left then, softly closing the door behind him.

Dana turned and joined the family for dinner.  

Missy was almost beside herself after hearing what Bill said about Vanessa
Parker.  "Bill, you have  GOT to be kidding!"

Swallowing a large gulp of milk, Bill shook his head vehemently.  "Nope.  Heard
it with my own two ears.  She stopped cold when she saw me though.  I guess she
knows about Fox and Dana."

Dana scowled at that one.  "Fox and Dana?  WHAT Fox and Dana?" she asked,
spooning some spaghetti sauce onto her plate.

"Don't worry, li'l sis," assured Bill.  "Everyone knows you and Fox aren't an
'item', and I guess all those things they used to say about him are finally
dying down."

Margaret couldn't resist finally joining in.  "WHAT things?"

Missy jumped right back in.  "Wow.  Where do I begin?"

Dana looked at her sister with a warning.  Missy didn't care, or didn't notice.

"There was this big hullabaloo in town about five years ago.  His sister was
like, kidnapped or something and boom!  What you see is what you get."

"Missy," said Mrs. Scully.  "Slow down before you choke on your broccoli."

Missy let out an exaggerated sigh.  "Okay.  It goes like this.  All the kids say
that Fox has never been a socializer.  And his neighbors were telling me that
even before that kidnapping thing, they'd hear fights late at night over at the
Mulder residence.  Kate even said that her mom saw Fox with bruises on his face
several times, and she said her mom felt sorry for him because obviously his dad
was beating him up."

The entire Scully table was now entranced with the story.  Bill and Charlie had
long stopped eating, their eyes widening with each detail.  Margaret's face was
painted in sadness, as she thought over and over how or why a parent could
possibly do that to their own child.  Even Dana, who had been oblivious for so
long couldn't help but listen.

Missy loved that she was the center of attention.  "Anyway, when that kidnapping
thing happened, Fox got even worse.  He became a like - hermit or something! 
And boy, EVERYONE was talking about Dana because she's the first and only person
Fox has actually spoken to.  And I mean REALLY spoken too."

"I heard about that too," Bill said.  "I didn't know what Fox wanted from Dana
in the beginning.  But it looks like he found a little sister."

Margaret smiled.  You could always count on Bill to make an observation like
that.

Dana sighed heavily.  Well, she thought.  <I was bound to find out.  And now I
have.>

A lot of things were running through her head.  She put two and two together,
and figured that Samantha was Fox's kidnapped sister.  More than ever, she felt
sorry for him, even if she tried hard not to.  She knew that Fox didn't want her
pity, or anyone else's for that matter.

Her siblings went back to discussing and dissecting Fox Mulder.  Dana didn't
hear much of it anymore.  She was too busy thinking.


That night, she lay in bed, having a hard time falling asleep.  She attributed
it to her nap that afternoon, but after tossing and turning for three hours, she
admitted to herself she was thinking about Fox.

She was startled when she heard pebbles tapping softly against her window.  She
got out of bed and looked out to see Fox.  No words were needed.  She
disappeared for a few minutes and emerged from the house, closing the door as
quietly as she could.

Still no words were spoken.  They walked in companionable silence.  It was 3 in
the morning, Dana Scully and Fox Mulder were headed to 'the spot'.  It was a
place that they went to.  A refuge from the harsh realities of life to talk
things through.

The field was vast, the lush green grass always welcoming them to lie down. 
Dana loved this spot.  She and Fox had only been there twice before, but it was
dear to her.  He had pointed out the constellations to her and told her stories.
His voice always soothed her.  She knew tonight it was her turn to do all the
soothing.

They lay down, Fox extending an arm out for Dana to rest her head on.  They were
silent for a few minutes.  Dana turned her head and looked at him.

Fox looked back at her and gave her a sad smile.  "You're wondering what this
afternoon was all about."

She nodded her head.  "I'm here for you."

His arm circled her shoulders, hugging her tight for a few seconds before
releasing her again.  "Thanks, Dana."

It was then that Fox started talking.  He told Dana about the horrible night his
sister was taken.  The bright light, his incapacity to do anything.  How his
parents, in not so many words, blamed him for what had happened simply because
he'd been in the same room when it happened.  The nightmares he had every single
night.  How the family fell apart all the more after what had happened.  And
finally, how his father's methods of discipline were from gentle.

Dana listened, not saying a word.  She fought back tears for her best friend,
and wondered what she could possibly do or say to make things better.

The entire time Fox was speaking, his voice was monotonous.  Like he was reading
from a book, involved yet detached.

Dana sat up, cross-legged and faced him.  She took his hand, interlaced her
fingers with his and pulled him up to face her.

He complied, and looked her in the eye.

"Fox," she started.  "I can't say anything or do anything to make what happened
all better.  But." she squeezed his hand.  "If you need someone to keep the
demons at bay - I'm here for you."

A tear escaped his eye.  He looked down, that patented move of his, then looked
at her again.  "I think I'd die without you, Dana."

She hugged him tight.  After a few seconds, she felt him tug at her gently to
lie back down on the grass.

Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, best friends, fell asleep under the stars.  There
was nothing that could possibly break the bond now, and destiny knew it.

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

END of 3/?

Title: Friends Even in Childhood  (4/?)


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * *
5:26 AM



They'd woken up right before sunrise.  When Dana had opened her eyes, she took a
peek at Fox, who was also just opening his eyes.  They grinned at each other,
then watched the sunrise.  The pink champagne colors washed over the horizons,
flames of orange and purple licking at the clouds.

Fox and Dana had seen sunrises before, but both of them knew, this one was
special.  Because they were watching it with their best friend.

A few minutes later, Fox nudged Dana.  "Want to get some breakfast?  My treat."

"Sounds good.  I'm kind of hungry, too." 

They stood and started walking, but Dana stopped in mid-stride then clutched at
his sleeve.  "Wait!  We need to swing by my house.  Mom might be wondering where
I am."

He nodded and they changed directions.  Fox was a little worried Dana might be
in trouble.  He glanced at her and noticed she was smiling.  He placed his arm
around her shoulder and suspected she had an ace up her sleeve, one that would
be able to pacify Mrs. Scully should she be angry at her daughter who had
cavorted off in the middle of the night to meet him.

They walked into her house a few minutes later, Mrs. Scully already in the
kitchen preparing breakfast for her own family.  "Hello, you two.  Woke up early
to catch the sunrise?"

Dana walked up to her mother and kissed her cheek.  So did Fox.  He really was
part of the family now.

Dana said, "Yep.  Fox wants to treat me to breakfast at the diner mom.  Is that
okay?"

Margaret looked around at the elaborate food she had prepared.  "I cooked enough
for Fox, too, honey.  Why don't you look around first and see if there's
anything here that either of you might like."

Dana turned to Fox.  She had her answer.  He was sniffing at the waffles on the
counter with a heavenly expression on his face.

Margaret and Dana smiled.  Fox straightened up, a small blush creeping on his
cheeks.

"Take a seat, Fox!" laughed Mrs. Scully.

One by one, the Scully siblings came down.  First, it was Melissa.  Followed
closely by Bill and Charlie.  They were all surprised to see him at their home
so early in the morning, but made no mention of it.  Charlie was delighted,
thinking Fox was there to start him off on his lay-ups.  His coach had said he
had improved a lot, and Charlie knew that it was all because of Bill and Fox.

Right after breakfast, the three boys went out to the backyard to play.  Dana
took a seat on the pavement, and was surprised when Missy sat down as well. 
Usually, right after breakfast, some boy or another would drive by and pick her
up, his car filled with other screaming and laughing girls.  Dana wondered what
had happened that day to change that.

She and Melissa watched as Fox, Charlie and Bill played basketball.  Dana loved
the way Fox moved in spite of his height, and his patience with Charlie.  His
face would always change just before he shot the ball, into one of absolute
concentration.  As soon as the ball was released from his hands, it would change
back again.

Beside her, Missy had taken a hold of a little weed growing out of a crack in
the pavement, her expression one of controlled agitation.

Dana touched her shoulder gently.  "Missy?  Something wrong?"

Missy looked at her little sister.  She needed to tell SOMEONE.  ANYONE what had
happened yesterday.  Dana wouldn't tell their parents if she swore her to
secrecy.  Missy trusted her.

She inhaled deeply and told Dana what was wrong.  

Missy told Dana about Carl Litch.  Missy liked Carl.  He was tall, good-looking,
and considered a prize catch in their clique.  Carl had told Missy he had
intentions of courting her several weeks ago, and Missy had been delighted, to
say the least.

What Missy didn't know was that Carl had made a bet with his friends, wherein a
total of $65 changed hands on whether or not Carl would've gotten Missy to have
sex with him within two weeks after he proposed.

Missy had to give it to him.  When, after two weeks, they hadn't even gotten
anywhere NEAR having sex, Carl was still very sweet, caring and understanding. 
Missy never suspected that behind her back, Carl was already painting all sorts
of lurid scenarios of both of them in bed together.

Her girlfriends told Missy, and it broke her heart.  She confronted Carl's
friends in school, her troop of girlfriends behind her to back her up.  One by
one, each boy confessed.  When Missy asked one of them exactly how many people
knew, he gave a vague answer along the lines of just about everyone.  Actually,
the boy continued, he was amazed Missy hadn't heard about it sooner from her
brothers.

Missy had flown to the bathroom then, tears flowing down her cheeks.  Her
girlfriends had consoled her, and swore vengeance.

But Missy knew her reputation was scarred permanently.  Try as hard as she might
not to, she started crying.  Hard.

Fox was the first to notice.  Charlie had just passed him the ball, but it
remained in his hands as he walked over to Dana and Missy.  Bill and Charlie
stopped playing too, concerned why their sister was crying.

Missy had buried her face in her hands, Dana rubbing her back.  How was she
supposed to keep this a secret if she had to explain why Missy was crying?

All three boys squatted to Dana and Missy's level.  

Bill asked, "What's wrong, Missy?" 

Shaking her head violently, Missy refused to answer.  She wasn't all too
concerned about Charlie.  He was still young, but there was no telling what Bill
would do if he found out.  Bringing her big brother into the situation would
only make matters worse.

Fox whispered to Dana, "What's wrong?"  He was genuinely concerned about Missy.

Dana felt helpless.  She looked at Fox, silently telling him she wanted to tell
him, but couldn't.

Suddenly, Bill spoke up.  "This is about Carl Litch, isn't it Missy?"

The dam burst.  Missy cried harder than she ever had in her life.  Bill KNEW. 
Of COURSE Bill knew.  He was a boy, and all the boys knew.  A litany of curses
poured out of her mouth then, like the seasoned Navy-brat that she was.  She was
so busy cursing Carl to hell and back, she didn't notice when Fox and Bill stood
up, and exchanged glances.  Without another word, they left, unnoticed.


Bill and Fox were men with a mission.  It was a Saturday morning, and football
try-outs were being held in school.  Bill knew that Carl would be trying out for
the team.  The tidbit of information would've been meaningless, but it wasn't. 
Not today.

"You don't have to be here, Fox," said Bill.

Fox looked over at Bill, and gave his friend a pat on the back.  "Yeah, I do,
bud.  Even if Missy and I haven't really bonded the way we have, bottom line is
- she's still Dana's sister.  She's still YOUR sister.  So that makes her mine. 
I hope you don't mind me looking at it that way."

"I heard about these things.  I just thought it didn't matter to Missy.  We're
always moving around, and well, it'll just be a matter of time when she can put
this behind her.  But when I saw her cry, it changed things, you know?"

"Yeah, I know."

"Do you want to hear the things this guy said about her to make this easier for
you to do?"

"I don't need to, Bill.  Whatever it was, I know it's bad.  I can only guess,
but I won't even bother."

Bill nodded.  They were about 10 meters from the football try-outs.  Carl was
laughing it up with his buddies.

A sudden hush fell over the group.  Carl, who'd had his back towards Bill and
Fox as they approached, kept laughing at the punch line of some inane joke. 
Finally, he took notice that his friends were staring at something behind him.

Carl could never say he was psychic.  But at that moment, something inside him
was afraid.  Very, very afraid.  He turned his head slowly and saw Bill and Fox.
His face paled by at least five shades.

Bill grabbed the scruff of his jersey.  "Need to talk to you, Carl."

Carl let out a sound that sounded suspiciously like a whine.

Fox grabbed Carl's arm, assisting Bill in hauling him away. The rest of the kids
watched, frozen is fascination.  Cheerleading try-outs were also being held that
day, and the girls in the bleachers were whispering among themselves, their eyes
wide and their mouths agape.

Bill, Fox and Carl disappeared behind the bleachers.  The only sounds anyone
could hear were the very calm and controlled voices of Fox and Bill, and. Carl
crying.  It was starting to reach the level of pathetic.

Missy's girlfriends were gloating.  Carl's friends were afraid.  And embarrassed
for Carl.  Anyone else who was there listening in were enthralled.

A few more minutes later, the three of them walked out from behind the
bleachers.  Carl's face was red, his jersey soaked with snot, a thick layer of
perspiration all over him.  He was also sporting a busted lip.

Fox and Bill delivered him back to his friends.  Bill smiled warmly at him. 
"Monday, dickhead."

Carl nodded.  

Fox placed a consoling hand on Carl's shoulder.  "That lip's going to heal,
Carl.  But if you don't live up to Monday, Bill and I will break something else
that won't.  Got it?"

Carl nodded again.

Bill and Fox left then, the hushed crowd watching them in awe.  Once they were
out of earshot, tongues started wagging at 120 mph.



Dana was in her bed reading a comic book when Fox walked in.  He and Bill had
been gone for over an hour, and she didn't need three guesses to figure out
where they'd come from.

She put the comic book down and sat up.  "So I take it everything's fine and
dandy again?"

Fox grinned.  "Not till Monday," he said, then plopped down beside her and
picked up the comic book.

"What's happening on Monday?"

"You'll see."

Dana took his hand.  "Well, whatever's happening on Monday, thanks, Fox."

They hugged each other again, and settled into bed.  The next three hours were
spent reading comic books and eating Twinkies.



Monday morning at school was a riot.  Everyone was talking about what had
happened at the football try-outs.  Dana's friends were all gushing about Fox
and Bill.  Everyone couldn't wait for lunch break.

"What's happening at lunch?" Dana asked, over and over again.

Her friends refused to tell her, only saying it was going to go down in history.

Finally, it happened.  The entire school was in the cafeteria, and Bill had set
up a table for him, his siblings, Fox and his other friends.

Melissa didn't have an inkling as to what was going to happen.  She found out
about Fox and Bill paying Carl a visit, and that something was amiss, but
nothing else.

A few minutes later, Carl walked into the cafeteria.  Bill and Fox sat back in
their chairs, and watched him with eagle eyes as he walked to the furthest table
on the left side.  He stood at the head of the table, and started talking.  The
kids at the table listened to him, their eyes widening.  The same process was
repeated from one table to the next, until finally, Carl reached theirs.

His head lowered, his eyes still filled with fear, Carl approached Missy. 
"Missy, I'm sorry for what I did.  It was wrong and I apologize.  I hope you can
find it in your heart to forgive me, and I hope that by what I did to make up
for it, you can sleep better at night."

"WHAT did you do, Carl?" asked Missy.

Carl swallowed.  "I just went from table to table and told everyone that all
those things I said about you were not true."

"AND?" Bill asked.

Carl gulped down a gush of air.  "And I told them it could never happen because.
because. I'm.I'm.impotent."

"We had to teach him what impotent meant, first." quipped Fox.

His head bowed low, his shoulders slumped, his reputation ruined forever, Carl
Litch turned around and walked out of the cafeteria.

Missy's eyes were side.  So were Dana's.  Charlie was sitting there, more
confused then ever.  Bill and Fox were grinning from ear to ear.  Bill's friends
were trying hard to control their laughter.

A loud wail startled the whole table.  It came from Missy.  Bill and Fox were
suddenly very afraid they'd gone too far, until the wail turned into shrieks of
laughter.  She was practically crying from laughing so hard, her hands wrapped
around her stomach.

The whole table joined in.  In the midst of all the laughter, Dana and Fox made
eye contact.  Her hand reached beneath the table and squeezed his hand.  His
hand squeezed her knee.

Dana's lips formed the words, "Thank you."

Fox smiled.


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

END of 4/?


Title: Friends Even in Childhood  (5/?)

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


When school got out, Missy had run up to Fox and hugged him hard.  She kissed
him on the cheek and said thank you, and all the walls between them came
crumbling down.

The Scully siblings and Fox were in wonderful moods, and they all met up at the
lake nearby to while the day away swimming.

Dana was feeling very conscious.  Fox had never seen her in a swimsuit before,
and she was aware she had more baby fat on her than necessary.  Her reservations
doubled when she saw Fox slip out of his jeans and t-shirt, leaving on a pair of
well-fitting boxers.

He was thin, but fairly well-muscled, an accomplishment for any 17 year-old
whose only past time was running, eating and an occasional swim.  Dana had a
feeling he would tease her, even if he never had, and decided to pretend she
would rather sit near the shore and dip her feet into the water.

Bill, Charlie and Melissa had already started a game of Marco Polo, beckoning
Fox to join them.  He was already waist deep in the water when he noticed Dana. 
He called out to the others to give him a minute, and walked over to Dana.

The Scully siblings exchanged knowing glances.  All three of them knew Dana was
beginning to be concerned about her body.

He offered her his hand, then a smile.

Dana shook her head no.  "I don't feel like swimming today.  Just dipping my
feet in."

He looked her in the eye.  <Uh-oh,> Dana thought.  <He knows.  Darn this weird
bond of ours.>

"You're just right for your age and height, Dana."

"Am I?"

"Yes.  And you could be a hippo and I'd still think you're cute.  But you're
not, so I think you're beautiful."

Dana was startled by his statement.  Fox had never said he thought she was cute,
much less beautiful.  It thrilled and embarrassed her at the same time.

He offered his hand again, and as Dana lifted her shirt off, Fox helped her. 
They walked to the lake and swam to the others.

Charlie refereed a game of tumble-toss.  Dana sat on Fox's shoulders, while
Melissa was on Bill's.  Melissa and Bill won 3 out of 5, but Fox and Dana
laughed twice as much as they did.

Every time Dana would lose her balance and tumble into the water, she would make
sure so would Fox.  Underwater, away from the eyes of the others, they would
tickle each other, only going up for air when their laughter incited a snort of
water.

Amid the sputters, their laughter would be even stronger.

When sunset approached, they decided to head back home.  They were all
disappointed Fox could not join them for dinner, instead choosing to show his
face around his house for a change.  Dana walked with him a little further. 
Something was bothering him.

"My dad's coming home tonight," he said, the words enough for Dana to understand
the underlying meaning.

"I want you to come over to my place if anything happens, Fox."

He nodded and held her hand.  There was that fear in his eyes again, and Dana
hugged him.  "No matter what time, Fox.  Promise me."

"I promise."

He left then, Dana watching him go.  She and her best friend both knew tonight
was going to be painful for him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

12:00 midnight

The soft tapping on her window didn't wake her.  She hadn't been able to get any
sleep.

Dana launched herself out of bed and went downstairs immediately, silently
opening the door.  Fox was standing there, his head bowed low, till his chin was
practically on his chest.

And Dana knew.

She stood in front of him and lifted his chin up to see the damage by the porch
light.  She winced when she saw the angry black and purple bruise on his eye,
and the cut on his upper lip.

Dana took his hand and led her inside.  They went up to her bedroom, and sat him
down while she got the first aid kit from the bathroom.  She cleaned the wounds
carefully, her fingers light and gentle, then applied the bandages.

"Any more?" she asked.

He nodded and removed his jacket, then lifted his shirt.  An angry gash with
dried blood greeted her.

"He knocked me over and something sharp cut me on the way down."

Dana cleaned the wound and dressed it.  She went into the bathroom again and
came back with a cup full of tap water and a pill in her hand.  "Drink this. 
It'll help when the pain starts up."

Fox took the cup of water and pill and drank both down.  "You should be a
doctor, Dana."

She smiled before telling him what was on her mind.  "This has to stop, Fox.  He
shouldn't be doing this to you."

"This is the last time."

"How do you know that?"

"Because tonight.I fought back."

Dana gave him a hug.  She didn't have the heart to tell him fighting back, in
her opinion, was going to stop it.

They cried in the other's arms.  Even Fox knew it wasn't going to stop.

The pill he had taken was starting to have an effect.  His crying became softer,
and Dana felt the tense muscles relaxing.  She gently extricated herself from
his grasp, the small protest he made futile, his eyes were involuntarily
shutting on their own.

She took his rubber shoes off, then pulled the covers over him.  When she was
sure he was asleep, she turned the light off and left the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Margaret Scully was lying in her bed, waiting for Dana to come.  She had heard
Fox's arrival, then Dana going into the bathroom twice.  She had picked up a few
words that drifted to her bedroom, and knew what had happened as only a mother
would.

She felt sorry for the boy who she had grown to love as a son, and her heart
went out not only to him, but her daughter who was sharing his pain as well.

When Dana crawled into bed beside her and started crying, Margaret wrapped her
arms around her little girl.  She was strong for Fox when she was near him, but
when he wasn't, she could cry out the pain she felt for her best friend.

"It's alright, sweety.  Someday, Fox will be stronger and bigger than his
father.  Not just physically, but in every way.  Because you'll always be there
for him."


XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

END of 5/?


Title: Friends Even in Childhood  (6/?)

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

6 AM


The following morning, Dana woke up in her mother's bed, her mother already
gone.  She stretched and suddenly remembered what had happened the night before
and made a mad dash to her room.  Fox was still in her bed, still fast asleep. 
She sat down beside him and saw in the morning light the extent his father's
abuse.

His eye was completely shut now, the coloring twice as bad as it had been the
night before, and his lip looked like a piece of sirloin cut open by an
unskilled butcher.  She gently touched his forehead, clearing it of his hair. 
Fox inhaled deeply and moved his cheek to her palm.  She cupped it gently, then
remembered the bruise on his ribs.

Lifting his shirt, she was glad the bandage she had placed was still intact,
then replaced his shirt and pulled the covers over him again.  She took a book
out and placed herself into the lazy-boy, deciding not to wake him.  He needed
all the rest he could get.

At 7 AM, Dana saw Fox stir.  He opened his eyes slowly, then jerked a little at
the unfamiliar surroundings.  She stood up and walked over to him.  "Morning,"
she greeted.

He tried to smile back, but his lip hurt.  "G'morning."

Fox sat up, his fingers tentatively feeling the bandages on his face, then on
his chest.  He sighed deeply and said, "Thanks for last night, Dana."

A sad smile swept Dana's delicate features.  There were millions of things she
wanted to tell him, but she didn't know where to begin.

But right now, she needed to get ready for school.  Fox didn't need to tell her
that he obviously wasn't going in that day, and probably wouldn't till some of
the swelling subsided.  It was a good thing he was always at the top of his
class, so he could afford to miss a few days, even if his graduation was only a
few weeks away.

Dana walked over to her closet and selected some clothes and changed in the
bathroom.  When she came back, she sat cross-legged on the bed in front of him,
and took both his hands into hers.

"What's your plan, Fox?"

"Go home.  I'm sure he isn't there anymore.  Rest a bit."

Dana nodded.  "And if he is?"

"He'll do what he usually does.  Hug me and say he's sorry, but I deserved it. 
Then order me into my room."

"You'll be here when I get back from school?"

"Does your family know about this?"

Dana looked down.  "Mom does."

He nodded.  "I don't know how to face Bill, Charlie and Missy with this."

"Don't worry about it.  Bill and Missy will pretend there's nothing there, and
Charlie will bug you where you got those cool bruises."

Fox smiled.  "Let's just tell him you got a little rough with me when we
wrestled."

"Okay," she grinned.  "that ought to be good.  He'll stop pestering me when he
sees what his big sister who's considerably smaller than you can do."


When Dana got to school, Bill, Charlie and Missy asked her how Fox was doing, 
She told them he was okay, and asked them not to tell anyone what had happened. 
Missy said, "That goes without saying."

The other kids in school asked her as well, and she told them he was sick with
the flu, and probably wouldn't be back till the following week.  Everyone seemed
to believe the story, but some of the older kids gave her suspicious looks but
said nothing.

At the end of the day, Dana excused herself from the usual chit-chat she and her
girlfriends engaged in.  She was anxious to see Fox, but was disappointed and a
little worried when he wasn't in her house.

Her mother was worried as well, and suggested Dana give him a call.

She dialed his number.  His mother answered.  "Hello?"

"Hello.  May I speak with Fox, please?"

An abrupt silence.  "He's not home."

Click, and the line was cut.

Dana stared at the phone, disbelieving what had just happened.

"What happened, honey?" asked Mrs. Scully.

"That was his mother.  She said Fox wasn't at home."

"And you don't believe her?"

"I do.  I called the phone in his room.  If he were there, he would've answered,
but where can he be, mom?" her voice was almost cracking in fear.

Margaret hugged Dana.  "I'm sure he's fine, dear.  But he needs to be alone for
awhile.  He'll come back when he's ready."

The day went by slowly for Dana.  Every time she heard a door open, her heart
leapt, hoping it was Fox.  She strained her ears for the sound of tapping
against her bedroom window.  The phone ringing was awful on her nerves.

At dinner time, no one mentioned his name, but it was obvious he was missed. 
Dana was silent during the entire meal, pushing her food around, not really
listening to anything but the door, the phone, and her window upstairs.

She helped her mother clean up, then excused herself and went up to her room.

Dana lay in bed, fighting the fear, pushing it deep down.  She shouldn't -
COULDN'T - think this way.  Fox would come.  She had to trust him.



At 9 PM, something inside Dana tingled.  Fox was on his way over.  She didn't
know how she knew, she just DID.

She stood up from her bed and went to the window.  Fox was outside, picking
pebbles to throw at her window.  She opened it and called out to him.

He was startled, but he gave her a grin.  He still looked awful, with his
swollen eye and injured lip, but he looked like a puppy.  A really cute puppy.

"Hey!" he called.  "I have something for you."

She motioned for him to come up, and smiled when she heard her mother greet him
delightedly, then fuss over him for a few seconds before sending him up to her
room.

"WHERE have you been, Fox?" she asked, trying her best to sound angry.

He was without remorse, giving her a smile as wide as he could manage without
pain, before reaching into his jacket.  He brought out a little box, about 5
inches long and handed it to her.  "Took me awhile to find the right one."

She took the box from him and sat down on her bed.  It was wrapped in a pink,
tissue-like material with a ribbon red ribbon around it.  "What's this for?"

His answer was simple.  "Last night."

"You. you didn't have to get me anything."

"I wanted to.  Open it please.  I really hope you'll like it.  Something to do
with our spot."

She removed the ribbon and wrapping carefully and opened the box.  It was a gold
bracelet with little stars and crescent moons hanging from it.

"Like it?"

Dana didn't answer.  She flung herself into his arms and rained kisses on his
face, words sputtering out of her mouth that didn't make any sense.  A tear
escaped her eye, and Fox chuckled.  "I'll take that as a yes?"

Her head bobbed vigorously up and down.  She thrust her hand out to him,
silently asking him to put it on.

His movements were strong and sure, as though he had rehearsed a thousand times
how he would place it on her wrist.  "I spent the whole afternoon looking for
it.  And when I did, I could picture what it would look like on you.  It looks
great."

Dana was holding her wrist up, looking at the beautiful bracelet.  It sparkled,
as if winking at her, when something caught her eye.  There were little words
engraved on the stars.  She was just about to read them when Fox grasped her
wrist.

"Don't."

"Why not?"

He looked down before meeting her eyes.  "It's not time yet.  Promise me you
won't read the words till I say so, okay?"

Dana felt something tug at her heart.  Something was wrong.  Or something was
going to go wrong.

Fox touched her cheek.  "Trust me."

She grasped his hand and searched his eyes.  "I do."


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

END of 6/?


Title: Friends Even in Childhood  (7/?)

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



Dana heated up some dinner for Fox.  She could tell he had not eaten all day,
and the way he wolfed down everything she placed in front of him led her to
believe the last meal he had eaten had been in her house at breakfast the day
before.

Charlie, Melissa and Bill came down to say hi and exchange a few words.  

Charlie was beside himself - his coach said he was good enough to play in next
week's game.  Bill had more juicy stories about Vanessa Parker.  Vanessa having
confessed to one of Bill's friends she would "just die" if Fox ever asked her
out.  Melissa was bubbly the entire week after seeing Carl walking around school
like a ghost, all of his friends having abandoned him.

But each sibling went up immediately after that - they, like Dana, sensed
something was wrong.  Something that went deeper than Fox's physical injuries.

Dana and Fox washed his dishes after that.  For once, the silence they shared
was uncomfortable and uneasy for both of them.  She could sense Fox wanted to
tell her something, but refused to, and every minute that ticked by seemed like
an eternity.

He left right after that, a sad smile on his lips when he said good-bye.  Dana's
heart wrenched itself into knots at that smile.  It was exactly the first smile
he had given her, the one full of sorrow before she came into his life.  It was
back now, and all that Dana waited for was Fox's solitary figure to disappear
down the street before she let the tears out.

As Dana was in bed that night, her fears caught up with her.  She had found Fox,
Fox had found her.  It terrified her how close they'd become in such a short
span of time, because nobody knew when her family would have to pick up and
leave once again.  How in the world could she get through leaving him by himself
again after everything they'd been through.

It seemed to her that God was playing a cruel trick.  

She buried her face into her pillow and cried.



At the Mulder house, everything was quiet save for the heaves and anguished
screams which emanated from the bedroom of a 17 year-old boy.

A mother or father should have been there to comfort him.  Even a sister.  But
he had none of those loved ones in his life.  In blood he did, but not in heart.

His fists swung violently around his room, knocking all of his possessions down.
He hit the walls angrily, tears streaming down his face as a chant played over
his lips.  Whywhywhywhywhyw.  Why now.

He reached for the letter again from his mother and father.  They didn't even
bother telling him face to face.  The white paper, with immaculately typed
letters effectively ending his life, telling him how we would be off to Oxford
in a few weeks.  A brief history of his parents' covert actions explaining how
they'd been sending his school records since the third grade to a friend of his
father's who was a professor there.  How this was all for the best.  His future.
His career.

The boy, amidst the chaos in his room sat on the floor, depleted of all his
strength.  Even his lips were too exhausted to continue his chant.  He had
finished crying as well, thankful.  But when a single name plowed out from the
depth of his soul, a new wave of tears poured forth.

Dana.


The next few weeks were a blur for the best friends.  Fox still hadn't told her
about Oxford, but the nitpicking ache in Dana that told her her time with his
was limited was there.  Her biggest fear - that her family would up and move
again, was the main source of her concern.  If she only knew.

They took long walks and ventured to their spot almost every night.  On
weekends, they would fall asleep under the stars, Dana's head on Fox's shoulder,
his arm surrounding her protectively.  They would watch the sunrise together,
still lying in the tall grass.  Sometimes, they would suddenly realize they were
both shedding silent tears, and hold each other closer.

Her siblings respected what they were going through.  Inevitably, they had given
up their time with Fox for Dana's sake.

Sometimes they would go swimming in the lake, just the two of them, and these
were the happiest times they had together.  They were the only two people in the
world, surrounded by nature and the comforting other world under the water.

Here they could laugh and tease each other, because it seemed that time had
stopped just for the two of them, but sunset would always come, signaling yet
another day was nearly finished.  And what was in store for them was closer.

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

END of 7/?



Title: Friends Even in Childhood  (8/8)

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



"I need to tell you something, Dana."

Seven words.  And Dana knew her life was going to change forever.

They were sitting in their spot again.  Thousands of stars were littered across
the skies, more than ever they had ever seen.

Dana knew tonight was the day her world was going to collapse.  She had woken up
that morning in Fox's arms, his face buried in her hair.  He had come over
before sunrise, climbing the tree in front of her bedroom and let himself in.

He had smiled sadly at her when she woke up, playing with the charms on her
bracelet, caressing each moon and star like a saddened lover.

They had breakfast together, Fox's treat.  Then swam at the lake till lunchtime.
They ate hotdogs for lunch while they caught a movie.  Then she and Fox went
back to her house so she could collect a large blanket and some pillows before
moving to their spot.

It was dusk when they got there, and they watched as each star came out,
twinkling like diamonds.

Dana turned around to face him, her cheeks already stained with tears.  His
thumbs brushed them away consolingly, before he kissed her forehead with his
eyes closed.  She clutched the front of his shirt, as if by doing so, the bad
news would go away.

Fox stared at the night sky again.  "Graduation is tomorrow.  My parents.
they're sending me to Oxford for college."

Dana inhaled deeply.  And the crying started.  She whispered fiercely, "You're
leaving me."

Fox's arm tightened around her as he started crying as well.  "Dana.god, don't
say it that way."

"You are.  This isn't fair.  I'm the one who always leaves.  And now.you.you're
leaving me behind."

She stood up then, launching herself from his arms.  Her arms wrapped themselves
protectively around her, trying to keep the biting cold away.

Fox stood as well, but made no move to touch her.  "This isn't the end."

Her fury at his words surprised her.  "Damn you this isn't the end!  It IS!  I'M
the one who's supposed to do the leaving, Fox!  NOT YOU!"

"Dana," he said, forcing her chin up to look at him.  "Look at me, dammit!"

She looked.  He was crying too.  "I.  Will.  Find.  You."

Dana shook her head.  "Don't say things that aren't true."

"I AM telling you the truth.  This isn't the end.  Jesus, Dana. " he turned
around, thrusting a hand into his hair, then turned again violently, grabbing
her hand and hauling her against his chest and hugged her fiercely.  His head
bowed, till his lips were against her ear.  "This isn't our destiny.  It's only
the beginning of the journey.  Fate knows it can't keep us apart.  I WILL find
you Dana."

The tears started up again.  Her arms encircled his waist, hugging him closer
till nothing but tiny atoms separated them.



Margaret, Bill, Melissa, Dana and Charlie went to his graduation.  The applause
he received was the strongest than any other of the graduating class.  He had
snagged all the honors, as Dana had suspected he would, and the standing ovation
from his fellow classmates lasted long after he had left the stage.

His mother was there, his father wasn't.  Dana introduced herself, but all she
got was a polite smile.  Dana wanted very badly to give Mrs. Mulder a piece of
her mind.

Dana watched as, after the graduation, Fox approached his mother, his toga
riddled with medals.  She hugged him, but there was a lot of space between them,
as though Fox was too hot too touch, or not worth getting her make-up or hair
ruined for.

She got into her car, her driver opening the door for her and drove off.

Dana snuck up behind him, lacing her fingers into his.  "Congratulations.  Told
you a sweep was in your favor."

He smiled at her.  They had silently agreed what had happened the night before
and what they had talked about was too painful to bring up.  Fox would be
leaving the next day, and the last few hours they had together were more
precious than anything in the world.

Fox took Dana out to dinner that night to the fanciest restaurant in town.  She
dressed up for the occasion, and so did he.  They looked like a very young
couple very much in love, barely able to keep their eyes off each other.

The two nights that had passed after he had told her about Oxford were still a
blur.  Any second spent without the other were spent crying.

Dana had given Fox her most well-loved pillow.  Fox had given her a shirt of
his.

Dana would stare at her bedroom ceiling, her fingers caressing the charms on her
wrist, the shirt to her knees.

Fox hugged her pillow tight in his arms and cried himself to sleep, promising
himself he would bring the pillow with him, and praying her scent would never
leave it.

Fox's flight was at 6 am.  After dinner at 10:23 PM, they headed for their spot.
They had less than six hours together, and many things still needed to be said.

Fox removed his coat and laid it on the ground.  Dana placed her head on his
shoulder, where it belonged.  His arm around her, his fingers caressed her face.

They fell asleep for a few hours, and when Dana awoke, Fox was kissing her
softly on her lips.

Her arms encircled him, her hands playing with the soft, short hair at his nape
as she opened her mouth to him.  It was her first kiss, and his.

Catharsis.  Hope.  

Destiny would find a way.

Dawn came. 

Fox gave her a letter.  A hug.  A caress.  A final kiss.

Dana watched him walk away, into the sunrise.  Out of this life.  But he would
come back because he promised.  The rays of the sun touched her tear-stained
face, and the small smile on her lips.


X************************************************************************************
****X

Dear Dana,

In a few hours, a plane will take me away from you.  The tears in your eyes when
I told you the news will haunt me forever, and when my thumbs reached for your
cheeks to wipe them away, I burned inside.

The love you and I shared will never be duplicated.  For the first and last time
in my life, my soul found its soulmate.  What you were to the world before I met
you matters not, because whatever you were to the world became everything to me.

When I look into your eyes, and I travel to the depths of your soul, and we
share a million thoughts without a trace of a sound, I know that my own life is
inevitably consumed within the rhythmic beatings of your own heart.

The pain will go away, Dana.  But only in the knowledge that my soul will find
yours.

Read the inscription.  It's time.

Love,
Fox.

X************************************************************************************
****X

Dana sat on her bed, and lifted her wrist.  There were five stars on the
bracelet.  She grasped the first star.

<My.>

The second.  

<Soul.>

The third.

<Will.>

Fourth.

<Find.>

Fifth.

<Yours.> 



A promise from Fox Mulder.  A promise from destiny.


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

The End.



Or is it...I'd like to keep this up, but it ends pretty okay here.  What do
y'all think?



Also, the note of Fox to Dana is loosely based on an e-mail I received on why
girls are important to boys.  I would've liked to give credit to the writer, but
none was listed.  If whoever wrote it is out there, very nice work and I hope
you don't mind me using it.







XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

"What a piece of work is man.  How noble in reason,  how
infinite in faculty.  In form and moving how express and
admirable.  In action how like an angel, in apprehension, 
how like a god."

                                   - William Shakespeare


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"I want to believe."

		- Fox Mulder, The X-Files

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