From: "Eileen S. Whipple" Date: Sun, 30 May 1999 15:29:53 Subject: Anything For You 1 of 3 Title: Anything for You Authors: Eileen S. Whipple & Sara aKa G-Woman Classification: pre-XF MSR, angst. Rating: PG-13 Summary: First love is never quite forgotten. Disclaimer: CC and 1013 own the X-Files and we are just borrowing it and fooling with it! Sara's notes: Hey everyone... G-Woman here.. I wanted to say thank you to friends on the net, specifically the Teenage Davidites.. you guys are AWESOME.. also thXs is due to Elizabeth and most everyone at Sequoia who has dealt with my past obsessions (X-ample: Val Kilmer, getting new E-mail addys) and my most recent and current obsessions, aKa the X-files, the Cure, and (Of course) getting new E-mail addys! (some habits never die!)... also Thanks to the god who dropped CC on his head when he was just a lad, and for doing the same to us. Thanks are most especially due to David Duchovny, and my personal idol, Gillian Anderson... But I think the most Thanks of all is due to Ms. Eileen Whipple, who took a young and (I must say) awful fan-ficcy writer under her very gracious wing, and supported her through all the bad ficcy's I-- I mean she had written.. Luv ya 4ever babe! Eileen's notes: I've been writing for about four years now, and this is the first real Shipper story I've written. I had the Shippy inclination way back in 1995 but I went to become a NoRomo, and became a Fence Sitter just as I got on the Net. When I met Sara, she soon showed me that being a Shipper was the way to go. I never totally became one, and I don't think I ever will. Thanks goes out to several people, and not necessarily due to this story, just because of their support for my writing in general. Let's see... Lauryn, Wen, KwikSilvy, Laura... and there are tons more but I can't thank everybody in here. It will take up most of my space! And I must thank good ol' Sara immensely who showed me that living as a Shipper could be fun, even though she became a finishipper recently. I love you anyway, girlie! And I think Gillian and David are snazzy! Authors' Notes: We decided that since this probably never happened in X-Files history, we could creatively manipulate the pilot episode to fit our needs. It's not that bad, really. ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* Anything For You by Eileen S. Whipple & Sara aKa G-Woman November 1998 - May 1999 ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* July 1979 Dana Scully stepped off the yellow bus and looked around. The camp looked boring with cabins and trees and grass, nothing she hadn't seen before. She felt a tap on her back. "Dana, don't forget your bag," her friend, Rachel Boyd, said. Dana turned around and took her heavy duffel bag from Rachel. The bag belonged to her father, Captain William Scully Sr.; it had "Property of U.S. Navy" printed across the front. Margaret Scully always packed too much when her daughter went to camp. "Everything but the kitchen sink," Rachel said. She had a small purple suitcase that she was carrying quite easily. "That's so cliche." Dana lugged the bag onto her shoulder and started walking to the large log cabin that held the head counsellors' rooms and the cafeteria. "I hope we're in the same cabin this year. Last year was really bad." The California air was hot and dry. Dana's T-shirt was damp under the arms and her black shorts weren't helping at all. She smelled of coconut sunscreen; she wouldn't dare go out in the bright sun with her fair skin unprotected. The two girls strolled across the grass slowly. "I cannot wait until next week. I can't believe I'm turning fifteen." Rachel was nearly skipping. "How was your fifteenth birthday?" Dana shrugged and tossed her long red hair over her shoulder. "It was normal. I didn't feel different. Some hormones began raging but nothing more than that. It's not what it's cracked up to be. Besides, sixteen is the important age." The cabin lists were posted on the logs. Six sheets hung from nails and there was barely a division between the boys' and girls' names. "Co-ed camp! Aren't you glad, Dana?" "I guess." She was squinting to read the names. "Hey, Rachel. Can you read this? My glasses are in my bag and I don't feel like getting them out." She leaned back to let her friend read the list. "Oh yes! We're in cabin nine with Elisabeth Crane, Tanya Carrigan, Danielle Benson and Evelyn Reed. I don't know who they are but we're together." Rachel had the tendency to get overexcited about small things. Dana was used to it. "Let's go find it," she said flatly. She wasn't looking forward to spending two weeks at Camp Lakeside Fun. The name was stupid and didn't convince her. Her parents urged her and she decided to go, mainly because of Rachel. She also knew that Shawn Slater was going. He was the most popular guy at her high school and she was one of many girls who found him attractive. He was a junior and Dana, a sophomore, occasionally helped him with his homework. She excelled in all her classes especially the sciences. Dana was well-liked at school. She was popular *and* did well in her studies. She was rarely teased for having her nose in her biology text book or writing her poetry. She was a creative, intelligent teenager. "They obviously trust us a lot," Rachel commented after finding their cabin. "I mean, there's a guys' cabin just through those trees. I saw the counsellor as we were walking over and he's hot." "Really? I didn't see." Dana threw open the cabin door and went inside to claim her bed. Fox Mulder fanned himself with the brown clipboard. This was not how he'd planned on spending his vacation but he had to get away from his mother and father and their constant bickering. They got angry at each other easily, despite the fact they were divorced. Fox always thought the fighting would be over after they'd divorced. He was also trying to save up money for university. Amazingly, he'd been accepted at Oxford, of all places. He was surprised. He glanced through the trees and saw a group of girls entering the cabin on the other side. He'd seen the counsellor that belonged to that group and she was somebody he was looking forward to speaking with for more than a few minutes. She was simply introduced to him as Anna and seemed quite interesting; John, the head of the camp, had insisted all the counsellors meet and chat for several minutes. "Are you the counsellor?" Fox turned and saw several teenage boys. All were dressed similarly, wearing shorts, T-shirts and baseball caps. Each had a bag on the ground. "Yeah. Come inside and settle down. Grab your beds." One boy said to his friend, "This camp sucks but at least Dana's here." "So you really like her, Shawn?" "She's so smart, and she's pretty. I know you think she's not that great, Jake, but she's so sweet." Jake replied, "She's a nerd. She's teacher's pet. Besides, whatever happened you dating the popular girls? The really popular girls, if you know what I mean." He nudged Shawn with his elbow. Fox rolled his eyes. The boys he was supposed to lead were about fifteen or sixteen, and he could tell. He was nearly eighteen, and he knew Jake's type, so concerned about dating the cheerleaders and the homecoming queens, or the girls who put out. He'd graduated that past spring but in his junior year, he'd realized looks weren't the only part to a girl. He became interested in their minds and began dating smart girls. It was the best thing he'd ever done. "Get inside, Jake and Shawn," Fox said loudly, unsure of any other boys' names. That was what his clipboard held--the cabin list. He counted six boys and six names on the sheet. He herded his campers into the cabin and as he was doing so, he looked through the trees one more time, hoping to catch a glance of Anna. He saw a girl sitting on the steps but it wasn't the counsellor. This girl had beautiful red hair and pale skin, nothing like Fox had ever seen before. He stared for a moment, then shook his head and went inside his cabin, his new home for the next three weeks. Three days later... "O.K. girls. Listen up everybody!" yelled one of the counsellors at what sounded like the top of her lungs. Mrs. Griffith stood up after every one was quiet. "Ladies, before we start eating I'd like to make an announcement. There is a surprise activity tonight and we think every one will be delighted. There is to be a dance tonight." Rachel gasped and looked over at Dana. "Dana, did you hear that? I can't wait! Oh my gosh Oh my gosh Oh my gosh! What am I going to wear?" Dana rolled her eyes at her overexcited friend. She glanced around the crowded mess hall until her eyes rested on Shawn. He waved at her a bit, and she blushed. "Dana? Dana?? Earth to Dana are you there?" Dana was snapped out of her reverie by Rachel, who was by this time hyperventilating. "What, Rachel?" She snapped back. "Come on! I'm too excited to eat! Let's go!" Fox was looking forward to the big dance later that evening. He was going to ask Anna first, although she wasn't who was was his mind. He wanted to know who that red-haired girl was. He'd seen her on her cabin porch but she'd been elusive during their free time. She'd been at all the activities and he could tell she wasn't enjoying herself, simply by looking at her face. She wore that look every time he saw her. He was always so busy watching his rowdy charges, he never had a chance to talk to this beauty. However, it didn't stop him from admiring her. One time he'd watched her run, playing Capture the Flag. She was graceful and fast. He'd turned his head, staring at her calf muscles as they tightened with each stride. He'd always been perceptive but this was pure torture. That was precisely what he was going to do that night at the dance. Rachel had actually convinced Dana to wear a skirt as part of her outfit for the dance. Dana had only agreed because Rachel was so thrilled for her, because Shawn was at the camp and there was a dance, and the moon was full. Rachel was a hopeless romantic and would do anything for her friend's love life. "You look wonderful, Dana," her counsellor, Anna Nelson, said. "Do you have your eye on any guy in particular?" "No," she lied. Rachel laughed. "But I know Rachel likes the boys' counsellor from through the trees," she blurted out. "You cow!" Rachel shrieked, punching her friend. The two of them broke into laughter. "His name is Fox," Anna said. She straightened her purple sundress. "He's very sweet but he's nearly eighteen." Dana held out her hand. "Anna, can you help me put this on?" She held a beautiful gold chain with a delicate cross on it. "I only took it off because we went swimming." Her counsellor took it from her. "I know what you mean. This is too beautiful to lose. Did you get it for your birthday?" Anna carefully put it around Dana's neck and closed the clasp. "Yeah, from my mom." She ran her fingers through her long hair, then checked her outfit in the mirror. She tucked in her tight green tank top and turned to the side, trying to look at her profile. "I'm surprised nobody's had panic attacks about this dance. Everybody in this cabin is so frantic to be perfect for the dance." That was very true. The rest of their cabin mates were in the large bathroom in the woods. There were no outhouses there. The girls and boys each had a large washroom with several flushing toilets, showers, sinks and mirrors. Even though it wasn't an outhouse, the place still smelled awful. "Well, since you two are ready, why don't you head over to the hall? I'll catch up when the other girls get back." Anna grabbed her brush off her bed and pulled it through her wavy brown hair. "Come on, Dana." Rachel grabbed her friend's hand tightly and pulled her outside. "Rachel! Quit running! It doesn't matter if you get there on time or not! It's just a stupid dance!" Dana had called out to her but Rachel wouldn't listen. Dana's pace slowed considerably as her excited friend quickly ran to the dance hall. Rachel was almost through the door when a tall, handsome camp instructor fell into step with the redhead. "Hello. My name is Fox Mulder. What's yours?" "Dana," she snapped. "Hi Dana! Are you new here?" "Yes, actually I am." "What seems to be the problem?" "Oh my friend just ditched me. It seems she's all excited about the dance thing." "You don't like dancing?" "It's not my favourite hobby." "Here's my turn off. I've gotta go but maybe I'll see you at the dance?" "Sure." Dana felt bad as she watched the older boy walk away, after all, it wasn't HIS fault that she was being dragged to some god-awful dance. Plus he did seem kind of nice. she thought. "Dane, I'm glad you're here." Dana looked up and saw Shawn standing in front of her. She was trying to stay unnoticed by sitting in the corner of the cleared-out cafeteria. Unfortunately and fortunately, Shawn noticed her. He was the only one she let call her "Dane"; it was a habit that started while she was tutoring him. "Hey Shawn." She gave a small smile, taking her head out of her hands. "Where's Jake?" "Trying to smooth-talk that girl over there. I think she's in your cabin." He pointed to a girl with short dark hair. "Oh, that's Danielle. She'd probably go for Jake but I'm not too sure he'd like how *slow* she goes when it comes to relationships." Shawn laughed. "Dane, would you like to dance?" He stuck out his hand. "Sure." She couldn't refuse. Her favourite song "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac was playing on the turntable and Shawn Slater had asked her. Dana stood up and took his hand. Fox watched as Dana danced with Shawn Slater, one of his campers. Dana had said dancing wasn't her favourite hobby but she looked like she was enjoying herself. He was planning on asking her to dance after the song was over. He hoped being a camp counsellor wouldn't scare her off. "Dreams" ended and girls were squealing as Rod Stewart's "Do Ya Think I'm Sexy" started. Fox was going to make his move. Shawn had left Dana's side to talk to his friends and now, the gorgeous redhead stood alone. She didn't look devastated that Shawn had left her. Fox took a deep breath and strode over to the girl. He knew she couldn't be more than sixteen but he didn't mind. He was only seventeen, for three more months. She looked up and smiled. He was surprised. Never in the three days they'd been there had he seen her smile. She'd always worn a frown. "Hi, Fox," she said. "Are you coming to ask me to dance?" "Would you like to?" he asked. "Sure, but first, let me apologize. I didn't mean to treat you like crap before. I just hate it here. I liked doing what I wanted to do." Dana hooked her arm through his. "No problem, Dana. I wasn't thrilled about working at a camp but I had to get away from home." They began dancing and Fox was so taken by Dana's grace, he barely heard her ask, "Where are you from?" He shook his head. "Oh, Massachusetts. What about you?" "Everywhere." She laughed at the look on his face. "My father is in the navy. We've lived all over the place. Massachusetts is far. Why'd you choose to work in Cali?" She never stopped dancing, moving as if that was what she'd been born to do. "My parents were fighting and I was sick of it. I had to get away, plus I have to save up money for university." He was dancing but not as much as Dana. "I'm going to Oxford." "Oxford? Wow, I'm impressed." She wore a huge grin. "I don't mind this dance after all." Fox and Dana stayed together for most of the dance. Fox danced with Anna twice and Dana went with Shawn for "Stairway to Heaven". The last song was going to be "Get Down Tonight" by KC and the Sunshine Band. "Hey, Dana," Fox asked over Shawn's shoulder. "Can I walk you back to your cabin?" "Sure, if you don't mind, Shawn." She raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead." Shawn made a sweeping motion with his arm. "Be my guest. I'll be back in our cabin later." "It's kind of chilly out here isn't it?" Dana asked, pulling her thin sweater closer to her. "Yeah it is. Do you want to borrow my coat?" Fox asked. "Sure." Fox took off his coat and wrapped it around Dana. "Thanks, that's much better." She said. After a long, uncomfortable silence he sighed and looked up at the stars in the deep blue-black sky. "Isn't the night sky pretty? I mean, all the stars up there. It kind of puts you in your place, doesn't it? It humbles you a little, don't you think?" Dana turned her eyes to what seemed to have caught Fox's attention. "Yeah. They are really pretty. When did you take an interest in stars?" "Oh when I was about twelve. I've really always been into science fiction stuff. You know like Star Trek and everything. But when I was twelve it kinda all hit home." He chuckled. "So to speak." "Why? What happened when you were twelve?" Fox's grin immediately changed as if a dark cloud had passed over him. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...." Fox interrupted. "Oh no. That's O.K. You couldn't have known." After another long silence, the two were finally approaching Dana's cabin. "I've had a good time, Fox." "Me too. Maybe we could do this again sometime." She handed him his coat. Slinging it over his shoulder, he reached one hand to touch her cheek. "Goodnight, Dana." "Goodnight, Fox." "Shit." Shawn swore. He put down his binoculars and came out of the bush where he had been hiding. Slipping into his cabin, he hopped up onto the top bunk which was his bed. "If anyone says anything to Fox about how I came in late I'm gonna beat your head. Understand?" He threatened. All the boys silently nodded in unison. Dana woke up late the next morning. She was glad it was a free day, although she suspected that it was because some of the counsellors, eighteen and over, were probably drunk. She hadn't seen anybody drinking but they could have done it after the dance. She knew Fox hadn't been drinking. She'd observed *a lot* while he'd walked her to her cabin the night before. She sat up and stretched. Her cabin mates weren't in their beds. Dana checked her watch. It was nearly noon, and her fellow campers were probably getting something to eat. She was starving. She threw her blankets off and stood up. Dana slipped into clean clothes and brushed her hair. She wanted to look nice, just in case Shawn was outside playing football with his friends. She sat on the edge of her bed and put on her sneakers. She quickly made her bed and left the cabin. She shaded her eyes from the sun as she walked down the porch steps. She was startled when she heard, "Hey Dane!" She squinted and saw Shawn heading her way. "Hey Shawn. How are you doing?" She shoved her hands in her pockets. "I'm okay. I missed you last night, after the dance. What's up with you and the guys' counsellor?" he said, being as straightforward as anybody could be. "Oh, Fox? We're just friends. He walked me back to my cabin." It was true although she thought Fox was attractive. Dana looked around. "Have you seen Rachel?" "She's at the lake with Jake, Danielle and a bunch of others." He asked bluntly, "Did Fox kiss you?" Her eyes widened. "No! He hasn't. Like I said, we're just friends." Shawn's voice became quiet as he said, "I hope *we* can become more than that." He'd shocked her, and she nearly collapsed when he walked over to her, leaned down and kissed her on the lips. He left after that. Dana's knees were weak, the way love songs said first love made girls feel. She was confused. Why did she have to feel attracted to Shawn *and* Fox? She never usually had a guy liking her but now it was two at once, or so she suspected. Perhaps Fox thought she was simply a kid, since she was younger. She had another week and a half to figure something out. Anna was watching her girls when Dana walked over to her and asked if she could talk. Anna gave control of her girls to one of the other camp counsellors, Kristen, and then left with Dana. "What's up Dana?" "Well, I'm having serious guy problems." "Really?" "Yeah. Do you know Fox? The camp councellor for the boys?" "Yeah, I'm familiar with him." "Do you know Shawn?" "Yeah, I do." "Well at the dance, I started kinda hanging out by myself and Fox came over and asked me to dance. He is the biggest sweetheart and I ended up just dancing with him the whole night and he walked me to the cabin. Then I went to bed. When I woke up it was close to noon so I got up and dressed and everything, and then I went out to go find you guys, and Shawn came up to me and just flat out asked what my relationship was with Fox. I told him that we were just friends and then he kissed me." "Do you like Fox?" "I'm not sure." "Well, was it a good kiss??" "I don't know. That was kinda my first kiss." "Really? Well did it make your knees go a weak like they do in really sappy movies or was it really forced." Dana blushed. "Well, my knees are still really weak." "Well, I'm very excited for you then! Your first kiss!!" The two girls hugged and then went back to the lake to play with the other girls. "Hey Fox! What's up?" Anna came bouncing towards him. He sat alone in a corner of the counsellors' lounge. "Nothing much. I'm just going over some paper work I have to fill out before I go to Oxford." "Sounds like fun. Can I play?" "I don't think so. It's REALLY boring." "O.K." "How are your girls?" "They're fine. One of them in fact, just got her first kiss this very morning." "Really? Which one?" "You know I can't really say, but for a kiss I will tell you who it is." Fox REALLY wanted to know so he leaned over and kissed Anna softly on the lips. Just as he was pulling away, her hand snaked around, grabbed his head and deepened the kiss. Fox pulled away, trying desperately to have her let go of him, but as fate would have it, she had to come up for air sometime. She finally released her grip on him and whispered, "Dana". Fox's face couldn't get any whiter. ------- Anything For You (2/3) ------- Dana sat on the dock. Her lips were still tingling from her first kiss. It was everything she'd wanted it to be. All her years of practicing kisses on pillows with her sister Melissa had been of no use. Shawn had done it so quickly, she didn't really have time to react. Now she had to deal with everything she remembered her sister telling her. She'd asked Melissa about sex and boys around Christmas, when she was still fourteen. Melissa was sixteen, very *experienced* and had told her little sister about everything. Dana knew Shawn had just kissed her and it was a little early to worry about anything too serious but she had to be prepared for whatever came her way. "Hey, Dana." Rachel came up behind her friend. "Where have you been?" "I went to talk to Anna." She dangled her feet in the water. "I was looking for you after I got up but Shawn said you were at the lake. Then I didn't have time to talk to you while Anna was watching us." She was debating whether or not to tell Rachel about Shawn's kiss. She had to; Rachel was her best friend. "What did you want to talk about?" "Um, after I woke up, I talked to Shawn and just before we parted ways, he, um...he kissed me." Rachel's eyes widened. "Oh my goodness, Dana! Congratulations! Was it any good?" She wasn't jumping around. She was taking it well. "I don't know. It was my first kiss. I have nothing to compare it to." Dana smiled. "Do you still want me to hook you up with Fox?" Rachel gave a mysterious grin. "No. I think you like him. What are you going to do? Shawn or Fox?" Dana scowled. "That sounds really gross, and I'm not sure. I like Shawn and he's actually kissed me and I think Fox just thinks I'm some little camper. I think he is sweet and cute. I don't know. I'm so confused." "Come on. I want to go get a drink. You have forever to think about what you're going to do." Fox paced around his cabin. He was frustrated. Why hadn't he kissed Dana the night before? Why had he let Shawn do it? Why did he agree to kiss Anna? He'd liked her the first day but only until he saw Dana. Now, he hoped Anna thought he'd kissed her only to get the secret out. He was going to ask Dana to go to the bonfire with him that night. He'd heard that bonfires at Camp Lakeside Fun were "make-out city". He didn't want to make out with Dana. Well, not exactly. He *did* want her to know about the crush he had on her. He wanted to hold her hand so Anna and Shawn would leave them alone. He barely knew Dana but he wanted to get to know her. He heard the door open behind them. It was Shawn. "Hey Fox. Got a date to the bonfire tonight?" "No, not yet. I was thinking about asking someone but I haven't yet." "You should ask Anna. Man, she's hot." Fox bit his lip. "Maybe." Then he said, "I heard from Anna that you kissed one of her campers. A girl named Dana." "Oh, Dane. She's a sweet girl. I think she's great. I plan on moving in on her. She was so surprised when I kissed her. She looked like it was her first kiss or something." "It was, but be careful. Don't push her too much." Suddenly, Shawn pushed him. "Why? You think she'd give *it* up to you? I've known her for nearly two years." "She's fifteen and I know she's smart enough not to give *it* up to anybody while she's so young." Fox didn't retaliate. He didn't want to sink to Shawn's level. "Well, I saw the way you looked at her last night and if you do again, I'll beat your ass." Fox stood up straight. "I'd like to see you try, and I'd like you to stop spying on me. Why don't you just ask Dana out if you like her so much? I'm sure she's intelligent enough to see through you." "She's smart but only when it comes to school." Shawn turned around and stormed outside. "Hey Anna. What's happening?" "Oh nothing. How are you, Fox?" She wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm fine. Are you going to the bonfire tonight?" "Yeah, and I'm going to bring some of my girls too." "That sounds like fun. I hear they have a new storyteller this year." "Yeah, they do. But who goes up there to read stories?" "What else would they do?" Anna looked up at him, a little surprised. "This is your first year here, isn't it? I didn't know that you didn't know. I'm just going to have to show you." Of course Fox knew what went on there.... He just didn't want to do that with Anna. "Anna, I have to go. Maybe I'll see you around sometime." He managed to escape out of her snakelike grasp. Fox had ended up going up to the bonfire with Anna. He saw many couples going up before and after him. When they had gotten up there, they sat on a logs around the big fire. Fox got them settled and then Anna reached up, and pulled his face down to her. Stroking his cheek, she began to explore his mouth with her tongue. Then Fox heard a familiar laugh. He looked up and saw Dana and Shawn coming their way.... Dana grinned as she held Shawn's hand; she was with the most popular guy from her school at a bonfire where everybody who brought dates would make out. She saw that Fox was busy with her counsellor's tongue in his mouth. Dana saw that he was uncomfortable. Anna took a breath and asked, "Dana, have you seen Danielle?" "You're the counsellor and Fox is Jake's counsellor. How am I supposed to know where they are?" Dana laughed as Fox went back to pretending he liked kissing Anna. Anna was pretty but she was not really his type. Dana thought. "Sit down here, Dana." Shawn pulled her down onto a log and had his lips on her immediately. She just followed his lead, not knowing what to do. She shivered as he ran his hand through her red hair and down her back but she could see his eyes were focussed on Fox. Shawn had an "I'm-better-than-you" look. After a few minutes, Shawn began slipping his hand under her shirt, just in the front and not too high. She was surprised. "Shawn, what are you doing?" He removed his hand. "Sorry." He looked over at Fox. "Dana, come with me for a walk. Perhaps we'll find Danielle and Jake." He pulled her to her feet and they started walking down a nearby beaten path. Fox watched as Dana and Shawn left the bonfire. He pulled away from Anna. "Hey, Anna, what's up with the woods?" She took his hand and traced the lines of his palm with her fingers. "Well, the bonfire is where the campers make out. The woods is where they go to..." She trailed off but he knew where she was going when she put her hand on his thigh, dangerously close to his groin. "Crap!" He jumped up. "I have to help Dana!" "Why?" Anna asked. "She's a big girl." "But Shawn is planning on having sex with her. I don't think he's going to take no for an answer." He started walking. Anna grew angry and grabbed his wrist. "Fox, if you leave to save your young crush, you can forget about us. Dana is just a little girl compared to me." Fox turned around, his eyes flashing with anger and determination. "She may be, but Dana isn't a bitch." "Shawn, where are we going?" Dana asked. The woods around her didn't look familiar. She didn't want to get lost. "There's a clearing up ahead. I want to show it to you." They were startled by a figure running toward them at full speed. It was Danielle and her face was streaked with tears and eyeliner. Jake followed her, slowly, grinning. "Hey, Shawn, Dana." "What's up with Danielle?" Shawn tightened his grip on Dana's hand. "I showed her the clearing, if you get my meaning. She couldn't take the pain." Dana was confused. What was so painful about a forest clearing? "Come on, Dane." Shawn pulled her into a walk. "See you tomorrow, Jake." "Good luck, Shawn." Jake started running. Fox knew the plan. It was the plan of every teenage boy who had a remote chance of getting laid. He had no idea where he was going but he decided to follow the path as far as he could. He passed the crying Danielle Benson and a few minutes later, a grinning Jake Arnold. Seeing that made him hurry up. He would do anything to stop Shawn from hurting her. "Here you go Dane." Jake led her on to a picnic blanket to the side of the clearing. "You just sit down and make yourself comfortable. Shawn will be right back." Jake grabbed their only flashlight, turned on his heel and walked back on the path that he had just come off of. Dana all of the sudden felt more alone than ever. It was pitch black and all she could hear were people moaning. And it was very cold. She shivered as she wrapped her arms around herself. "Dana. I know you're scared and cold so come with me, quick," she heard Fox whisper in her ear. He pulled her to her feet and she took his hand as she ran behind him until they got to the regular path. "Did Jake try anything with you?" Fox asked urgently. "No. He just walked me to that clearing and left me. He said Shawn would be back." "Well, come on. Let's go back to camp now." "O.K." The two walked in companionable silence when: Dana fell down and clutched her ankle in pain. She had twisted her ankle in a dip in the path. "Are you O.K.?" "Yeah. I only twisted it, but I don't think I'll be able to walk back to camp." "Well." Fox grinned. "I think I can handle this." She looked up and saw the gleam in his eye. "Fox. This isn't really necessary. I can hobble around." "Oh no, I wouldn't allow it." With that, he swept her up and carried her back to camp. "Fox, there's my cabin." "I know." "Well here, just drop me off here on the porch and I'll go to bed." "No. I got you this far. I might as well just put you off to bed." He managed his way up the stairs. "Which one is yours?" She pointed to one of the top ones on the right. "Well here you go. Anything else, milady?" Dana giggled. "Well, it would help if you could take off my shoes. Do it carefully, please." "Of course." He slipped off the shoe expertly, then went to the refrigerator and got an ice pack. "Wow. Your ankle really is swollen up. You should stay off of it for a while." "Yessir." "...And so then he just left me there! Can you believe him? Of all the nerve this guy's got--" Fox froze as a familiar voice came up behind him. "Well," Anna said, her voice dripping with honey. "I see our dearest Fox is putting poor Dana to bed." "Goodnight, Dana. It appears I have to leave now. Get better." Fox tousled her hair and left to go to his own bunk. "Dana likes Fox," Anna said cruelly in a sing-song voice. "Did Shawn *fuck* you, Dana? I heard that Jake was keeping watch for him so you wouldn't run away." Dana sat up in her bed. "For your information, he did not fuck me. I'm not a whore, like you." Anna was fuming as Dana continued, "That's the only reason you took an interest in Fox. You wanted to get laid. Fox is too kind to do that. That is not why he took an interest in you, Anna." "You bitch! How dare you!" Anna moved to her quickly. "Go ahead, Anna. Beat me up. It's not like I can run from you or anything." Dana felt power--nothing like she'd ever felt before. She was standing up for herself. Anna was winding up to punch her when Rachel rushed in. "Anna, what the hell are you doing?" She shoved the counsellor. "Dana, I heard from Fox that you hurt your ankle." "I did, but I'm fine now." She flashed a false smile at Anna. Fox stormed into his cabin, looking for Shawn or Jake. Shawn was rummaging through his backpack and Fox caught him off guard. "You little son of a bitch!" The boy turned around, releasing what he had in his hand. Several condoms fell at Fox's feet. "What the fuck do you want?" Fox grabbed him by his shirt. "You little bastard! I know what you were planning. Let Jake keep watch over Dana while you get all the preparations made so you can weasel your way into her pants." He shoved Shawn against the wall. "You touch her, or any girl, for that matter, and I will castrate you." He let him go. "Jesus, Fox. You know how it is for guys. A girl gets them all hot and bothered and they have to relieve themselves somehow." Fox scowled. "Use your damn hand then! Just as long as you don't rape some young girl." "I don't need this shit." Shawn walked out the door. Fox sighed. He hoped Shawn wouldn't try anything with any other girls. It was his duty to stop some of the jerks in the male society. Shawn and Jake were two of them. Dana awoke suddenly to somebody sobbing. She reached for her flashlight and turned it on to check her watch. It was nearly two o'clock in the morning. Anna was fast asleep so she decided to check out the noise. She knew it was a mistake as soon as she got to her feet. Her ankle throbbed as she moved across the floor quietly. She shivered as she opened the door and the cool air produced gooseflesh on her bare legs. Dana saw a figure sitting on the steps of the cabin. "Who are you?" she whispered. The person turned around. It was Danielle. Her face was still streaked with tears and makeup. She immediately put her head in her hands, as if she was trying to hide from Dana. "Danielle, what's wrong? Why aren't you in bed?" Dana took a seat next to the crying girl. "Dana, you've got to promise me you won't tell anybody. I know you saw me earlier in the woods and I know where you were going." "You can talk to me. I won't tell anybody." "Dana, Jake raped me. He doesn't think he did anything wrong because I was flirting with him. I let him touch me underneath my clothes but I never said yes to having sex with him. I told him no over and over." "Oh, Danielle, I'm so sorry." She put her arm around Danielle and reached up with her free hand to wipe a tear away. "Jake told me what Shawn was planning to do to you. He was going to do the same thing, but Shawn was going to use condoms." Danielle broke into a fresh batch of tears. "Dana, I don't want to be pregnant." Dana was so shocked. The kind Shawn she'd helped with homework had planned to rape her. She would've told him no if he'd asked to have sex. Dana wished Danielle wasn't pregnant either but she had to tell somebody. "Danielle, I promised you I wouldn't tell anybody about what you told me but we have to get you examined by a doctor." The girl's eyes widened in horror. "No, I can't. Nobody can know." "The person I want to ask to help won't say anything, and if somebody asks, we'll say you felt really sick and had to go to the doctor." Danielle frowned. "We're two hours from San Francisco. I don't think there's a hospital around here." Dana felt some hope. "You'll let us take you if the person I ask can drive us." Danielle nodded slowly. "But nobody else can know." "Hold on." Dana pulled herself up. "Let me get a blanket, my sandals and some money and I'll go get help." Fox opened his eyes and turned over in his bed. He was startled when he saw Dana standing in the doorway. "Dana, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be off that ankle," he whispered. "I need your help. I need you to drive us to a hospital." He shot out of bed. "Who's 'us'?" He threw on his t-shirt before putting on his shoes. "Danielle. She's in bad shape and I want her to see a doctor. I know you have access to a vehicle." "What's wrong with Danielle? Is she ill?" Dana grabbed his hand. "In a way. I'll let her tell you during the drive." Dana kept her arm around Danielle as Fox drove. She couldn't know what the injured girl was thinking, how she was hurt. All Dana could do was whisper things to her. "What happened, Danielle?" Fox asked, looking at her. She was huddled up against Dana; they were both under the blanket Dana had grabbed from the cabin. She spoke quietly. "A boy named Jake hurt me. He's in your cabin. He raped me tonight, in the woods, in the same spot where Shawn had planned to have sex with Dana." Fox hit the steering wheel. "I am so sorry, Danielle. I thought they'd just been after Dana. If only I'd known sooner about Jake's plans. I saw you crying but I didn't want to intrude." "Yeah, well, what's done is done. I just have to make sure I don't get pregnant." She turned to Dana. "Dana, it hurt like hell. It still does. I am so glad they left you alone." Dana gave a small smile. She was glad they had too. "Dana, you know, you're a really sweet girl. Danielle is so lucky to have a good friend like you." Fox and Dana were waiting in the emergency room of Holy Family Hospital. It was in a fair-sized town called Myriad. Danielle was being checked out by a doctor. "You really think so?" Dana said. "I always imagined you thought of me as a little camper that your girlfriend watched over." "Anna is *not* my girlfriend!" he exclaimed, surprising Dana. "Sorry. It's just... I thought you might think that." Fox put his hand on her bare knee. "I think about you the way I think about Anna and Danielle: you're a beautiful young woman." She smiled. "Thanks." She placed her hand atop his. "I hope Danielle will be okay. I don't want Jake to get away with this." "But Dana, we've got to respect Danielle's wishes. I know how hard it will be but it's up to her to talk." He moved his index finger, stroking her flesh, startling her. "Sorry." "It's okay." She looked down. "You know, my friend Rachel has a crush on you. She used to watch you through the trees." "I watched you, Dana. The first day I saw you at camp, you were on your cabin's steps. You intrigued me." He reached up and pushed some hair out of her eyes. "You and your red hair." Dana braced herself for what was probably coming. She didn't care about all the people around her as Fox leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. She shivered when he placed his hand on the back of her neck. After, he moved to whisper in her ear: "Are you okay with me kissing you?" She nodded. "Yeah but just as long as you don't break my heart." She kissed him back, hard. They were interrupted by Fox being tapped on the shoulder. "Excuse me, son." It was Danielle's doctor, Nicholas Weiss. "Sorry to disturb you but I'd like to keep Danielle for another half-hour. She's going to need your help getting into your vehicle. I administered an anesthetic to give her some stitches because of some tearing. I want her to be in a reclined position so the stitches themselves don't tear." "Sure, Dr. Weiss." The man looked at Dana. "I know you're friends with Danielle so you should try to get her to talk to a counsellor. She's been through an extremely traumatic event." Dana nodded. "Fine, sir. I'll see if she'll talk." "Why don't you kids get something to eat? The cafeteria is in the basement but it's not very big." "Can we bring Danielle something to eat?" Fox asked. Dr. Weiss said, "Sure. I'm sure she's starving." Fox took Dana by the hand and they walked to the cafeteria. Their relationship made a quick transition in the next two days. They became more than just friends. They didn't make their relationship too public in case there was a rule against counsellors dating campers. "Dana, I brought you a drink." Fox gave a cup to his new girlfriend before sitting beside her on the dock. "Apple juice? That's my favourite, you know." She smiled, putting her hand on his thigh. "So how's Danielle?" "She's doing better. If she misses her period this month, she has to get a pregnancy test done." Fox took a sip of his juice. "Well, I had a nice little talk with Jake and Shawn, about how to treat women." "Did you punch Jake?" "Uh, yeah. I told him that if he raped any more girls, I'd murder him." "I'm glad. Danielle was telling me about what happened and he caused her excruciating pain. Did you tell him that?" Fox put his arm around her. "I told him that he made it so she had to get stitches due to vaginal tearing and bleeding. The stupid bastard didn't even care that he'd probably scarred a pretty young girl for the rest of her life." "Why do people do such awful things? What could ever possess someone to hurt another?" Dana said. "I've always wondered the same thing. That's why I'm going to study psychology at Oxford. I want to know what people think, why they do the things they do." Dana decided to change the subject. "So you really watched me since the first day of camp?" "Yeah. You looked like somebody I'd like to know and maybe date." He grinned at her. "It was pure torture watching you play Capture the Flag." She blushed. "To anybody else, that would sound scary, like you were stalking me." "I wish I'd said something sooner to you. Now, we're leaving in two days. I'll have to get your address." Fox kissed her cheek. She frowned. "That's not really a good idea because of my dad being in the navy. We may move on short notice." "I'll take that risk. Anything for you." ------ Anything For You (3/3) ------ Camp Lakeside Fun was closing for the year. Fox had only spent a few days with Dana. He cared for her and didn't want to let her go yet. He'd loved talking to her. She hadn't asked about his family, the subject he wasn't very comfortable talking about. Somehow, he felt connected to her. She was an intelligent girl, very much into her study of the sciences, yet she hadn't laughed when he asked her about believing in life from beyond the stars. She'd just said, "I'm not sure." Now was a time for goodbyes. However there were no tears. They were past the age of crying. They felt an immense sadness that they couldn't spend any more time with each other. They were in an embrace by the bus Dana was to get on in five minutes. Fox liked the feeling of her head on his chest, his hand stroking her hair. However, he nudged her when Danielle approached them. The girl looked like she hadn't gotten too much sleep in the past few days. "Dana, Fox, I don't mean to intrude but I'd like to thank you both for helping me." Dana touched her arm. "No problem. We would have done it for anybody who needed help." Danielle hesitated before handing them both slips of paper. "This is my address. I'd like to keep in contact with both of you. Dana, I'll get your address on the bus but I hear you're off to university in England, Fox. Perhaps you can write to me in your spare time. When you're not writing to Dana, that is." She gave a small smile. "Sure, Danielle. That won't be a problem." Fox grinned. She shifted. "Well, I'll leave you two alone. See you on the bus, Dana." She went to get her bags. Fox put his hand on Dana's neck and traced her cheekbone with his thumb. "I am going to miss you so much. I just wish I had something to give you to remember me, just in case we never see each other again." "Fox, I'll remember you no matter what. Just send me a picture when you get to jolly old England. That's all I want. I'll send you one of me when I can. Now, will you help me--" He cut her off by pushing his lips against hers. She simply basked in this joy; she knew there was a chance she might never see Fox again. After a few minutes, she managed to say, "Can you help me onto the bus?" *** "Sure." He grabbed the bags that were on the ground. He followed her up the bus stairs. Rachel sat at the back beside Danielle. "Dana, we saved you the seat across from us." "I think Danielle should sit up front. The back is too bumpy," Fox said, setting the bags on the seat behind the driver. "Rachel, why don't you come sit up here as well?" The two girls agreed and came to the front. "You are so lucky, Dana," Rachel whispered. Before Fox got off the bus, he gave Dana another long kiss. "We'll see each other again. I'm sure of it." Saying the last goodbye was the hardest thing he could have done. Dana felt the same way. "Dana, sweetheart, there's a package for you on the kitchen table!" Dana heard her mother call as she came in the door after school. "It's from England." Dana threw her book bag down and dashed into the kitchen. It had been nearly three months since she'd left Fox at camp. She hadn't heard from him since then but she knew that he was probably extremely busy with school. The package was small and wrapped in brown paper. In the corner where the return address was, it said "F. Mulder". She tore the paper off and found a small white box. Carefully, she removed the lid. Inside was a piece of paper. She unfolded it and read: To Dana, I miss you so much. I'd really like to see you again. Perhaps when I'm back in the States. I hope us having to go our separate ways didn't break your heart. Do you remember saying that the only way I could kiss you was if I didn't break your heart? Look under the photo of me. Fox She smiled when she saw the picture of him; he was smiling, standing against a tree. Dana moved the photo out of the box and gasped at what she saw. A gold ring sat atop a bed of cotton. It had a heart on it, with an opal and an amethyst embedded in the gold. It was their birthstones. Dana slipped it on her ring finger before rushing off to write Fox a thank you letter. She couldn't believe this was what he wanted her to remember him by; it was so extravagant and beautiful. But it made her want to see him again. Thirteen years later... Dana Scully put on the small opal earrings and checked herself once over as she turned to open the door. She twisted the knob and pulled the door open to reveal the current love of her life, Steven Withbart. Steven was suave, debonair, and rich. "Are you ready, Dana, my love?" he asked, bringing her hand to his lips and gently kissing it. She blushed. "Of course, Steve. Let me go get my purse." He patiently waited for her return, then beamed as she took out the keys to lock and shut her door. He took her hand and lead her to his car. "Dana, you look positively ravishing tonight." He let his eyes wander down her body, surveying the twenty-eight-year-old redhead, who was wearing a sleek, form-fitting hunter green velvet dress that had a slit up to mid-thigh, and a neckline that was nowhere near her neck, but down about mid-breast. It was an off the shoulder dress that looked like it might have cost a fortune. Steven and Dana's date had gone very well. After dinner and dancing, the two had gone for a romantic stroll in Washington Square Park. "Dana, look at that bird over there." He pointed off toward the trees. "Do you think that he knows what he's doing, or where he's going in life?" "I've never really thought about it before. I guess maybe so." "I believe that every living thing had a purpose, a plan and a soulmate to share it all with. I believe that whatever happens to that poor creature, whether it be that he dies tomorrow, or lives on to be the missing cure to AIDS, there is a plan." "That sounds logical." Dana nodded. Steven stopped abruptly. "I also believe that the same it true for humans." His voice lowered significantly as he got down on one knee and presented her with a small jewelry box. "Dana Katherine Scully, will you become a part of my life? Not only as a friend or a lover, but as a soulmate?" Dana lowered her head. "Steve, can I have a few days to think it over?" "Of course Dana, after all, we do have forever together, I hope." He said as he got up, took her arm, and led her home. The next day... Section Chief Blevins peered at Dana from over his bifocals. He was an old man with white hair, slightly balding, and looked to be quite plump. "Agent Scully, I have a new assignment for you. Have you heard of Agent Mulder?" "By reputation only, sir." "And what have you heard of him?" "I've heard that he is extremely brilliant, but has his head too deep to the paranormal. I've also heard that some of the kids in Quantico called him 'Spooky'." Section Chief Blevins nodded. "Now you have a new assignment. You are to work with Agent Mulder on the X-files. You are to report to there as soon as we are finished with this meeting." "Yes sir." "Any questions?" he paused for a moment, watching her shake her head. "Well then, you are excused. Good day Ms. Scully." *knock knock* "Nobody down here but the FBI's most unwanted!" came the call. Dana slowly pushed the door open. "Hello?" she glanced around the room. "Anybody here?" "Who are you?" "I'm Agent Dana Scully. Are you Agent Fox Mulder?" "That would be me." Dana almost jumped when she saw the head pop out over the papers that were on what she thought was a desk. She walked over to him. "Nice to meet you. I'm your new partner." "So they sent you here to spy on me?" "Um... I don't think so. If I am, I don't know, I can assure you." "Of course you know." She sighed, exasperated. "So, Scully, who did you tick off to get stuck with this detail?" "Actually, I'm looking forward to working with you." "No you aren't. You just can't wait to get away from old spooky Mulder, right?" "Mr. Mulder, if you're trying to drive me away, it's not going to work. I'm very persistent." "I'm sure you are but I would really like it if you just did your work and not get in my way." Dana raised her hands. "No problem. Where can I sit?" Mulder put his glasses back on. He thumbed behind him. "There's a desk back there. Knock yourself out." She made her way through the mess to the small desk. It was covered with folders so she guessed this was also his desk. "Hey, Agent Scully, are you prepared to go to Oregon?" "Um, yeah," she said, moving some books off the chair that was behind the desk. She jumped when Mulder suddenly exclaimed, "Hey! Wait a minute!" He walked back to the cluttered desk. "Can I ask you a question about your childhood?" "Sure but I may not answer you, depending on what the question is." "Did you go to summer camp? When you were in your mid-teens?" Dana raised an eyebrow. "Yes, at some camp in California." "Called Camp Lakeside Fun?" he said eagerly. "Yes. Why?" She rested her head on her hand. "When I was fifteen." His eyes widened. "Oh my goodness. It *is* you!" He bent down slightly. "Don't you remember me?" "No, not really." She narrowed her eyes. "Fox Mulder, camp--" "Counsellor! I'm sorry I didn't recognize you." "So this is what you grew up to be! Wow!" Dana frowned. "Well, what happened to your career as a psychologist?" "I have my B.A. in psychology." She looked down at her hands. "What happened to us? You used to write letters all the time but two years later, they just stopped." Mulder avoided her glance. "I'd met somebody by then." He looked up and saw Dana's straight face. "Oh, that's nice. I mean, we had to move on. However, it really hurt when you said you'd write but you never did." Dana picked a stray thread from her blazer. "I know, and I'm sorry but my relationship and school took up my time. Then I moved out of the dorm and I lost your address." She stood up. "Listen, *Mulder*, you don't have to explain. We're co-workers now. We're partners. That's all I want to be. I have a boyfriend." "Fine, *Scully*. That's the way it'll stay. And whoever this guy is, he's a lucky man." Mulder flashed a smile and had it returned with a less enthusiastic half-smile from Dana. OREGON, MARCH 22, 1992 "Dear Journal," Dana Scully wrote: "F-- I mean, *Mulder* and I are getting along well... still no mention of summer camp. Although I wish he would. Whenever I bring it up, he always finds a way to change the subject. I might confront him tonight. I say might because I'm afraid that he will hurt me once our protective barriers--Scully and Mulder--are gone, and Dana and Fox are are all that are left. I'm afraid we won't have the same chemistry, the same connection that we had before, and that would be disappointing. I'm afraid he doesn't remember all that we were once upon a time, when we were children." Dana thought to herself, after reading and re-reading her journal entry. She took a deep breath, put the aging notebook down, and stood up. Smoothing her hair, she opened the door to her motel room and gasped. Her new partner stood out there, his hair tousled by lack of sleep. He looked as surprised as she was, being just ready to knock at her door. "Scully" came from his mouth. "Not Scully. Please. Call me Dana." "No. Dana... Dana was a young woman at camp. You are Scully, the FBI agent." "No, Mulder. I am Dana Scully. Both the girl at camp and the agent. I'm still the same person you knew at summer camp. I'm just older." "No Scully. You are Scully. I cannot have you. Dana, I could have, but Scully--" "Why don't you let me be Dana tonight? Please?" Her eyes darted to look at his hazel ones, waiting for some sort of reaction. "Dana," He breathed, "I've missed you so much." He pulled her into his arms. "I've missed you too, Fox." She felt his body tighten at the sound of his first name. "Not Fox. I'm Mulder." "No. No. No. You are Fox. You are the man I knew at camp. You always will be. Fox and Mulder are the same person." "You don't understand Scully. The only people who have ever called me 'Fox' are people who have hurt me. Fox has died. A long time ago. I doubt he'll ever live again. Samantha, and my mom and -- and you." His eyes, which had previously been darting around looking at the stars, now pierced into hers with a uncharted magnitude. You hurt me, Dana. That's why I can't call you Dana. Dana hurt me when she stopped writing. That's why, for right now, can't you be Scully?" "I love you Mulder. I love you too, Fox. Dana loves you both. She just wished *you* hadn't stopped writing. It was so hard to cope, not knowing what happened." "If you had only asked, Dana. If you had only asked, I would have come running from England to be with you. If you had only asked." His last sentence hung in the air. The silence was almost palpable, as was the tension. Scully lowered her head. "This isn't right. Not now. I have a fiance and I love him. This wouldn't be good. When I decided to come here tonight, I didn't even think of him but I am thinking about him now." "You're engaged? You never told me that... Wow, that much time has passed." "Fox--Mulder, it's been thirteen years since I've seen you and I don't think it's proper to just leave my current boyfriend to go back to one I had when I was a teenager, one who stopped writing because he got a new girlfriend." "That hurt." "But it's true." Scully pulled away from him. "Did your girlfriend tell you to stop writing to me?" "No. I just forgot... Phoebe had nothing to do with it." She sighed. "That's even worse. You did it on your own." "I'm really sorry, Dana. I didn't know I'd hurt you so much, but I never imagined you'd be one to hold a grudge." "We have to get to work, Mulder. We'll discuss our camping days later." "Sure." Scully was excited as she picked up the phone when she arrived home from the airport. The long flight from Oregon had made her wired. She quickly dialled a number and let the phone ring. "Dani, it's Dana." Danielle Benson gave a small squeal over the phone. "Hey, you! How have you been?" She cut to the chase. "Guess who I was partnered with at the FBI?" There was silence before Danielle asked "Who?" "Fox Mulder." "Oh my goodness! You're kidding? What's he like now?" Scully sighed. "Really weird. We were investigating a case about a UFO. He's into that." "So how is everything with Steve? Everything okay on the soon-to-be homefront?" "He doesn't know about my past with Mulder, if that's what you mean." Scully sat on her couch, rubbing her neck with her free hand. "Mulder? No first names?" Danielle chuckled. "We're professionals." "Well, say hi to him for me. I wonder if he'll remember me." Scully said, "I'm sure he will." "Bye, then, Dana. Enjoy your night." Danielle and Dana had stayed friends since camp, and now they lived an hour from each other. They spoke on the phone often and now that Fox was back in her life, Dana knew she'd be seeking Danielle's advice more than usual. Working with F-- Mulder would be hard because she couldn't get rid of the memories of what they'd been for a few days in that summer thirteen years before. A week later... When Scully came home, she had a message on her machine from Steve. "Dana, honey, it's Steve. We need to talk. Call me." My fingers were trembling as I dialed his number. Then something shocked her. A woman answered. "Hello?" she said in a cheap, floozy voice. "Hi. This is Dana." Scully's voice sounded confident. "Is Steven there?" She giggled. "Stevie!" she called. "It's Dana. Are you home?" "NO! I don't want to talk to her ever!" His voice was slurred. "Tell that bitch to go screw someone else since she gets so much practice!" Dana hung up the phone before she could hear the end of the conversation. Tears sprang to her eyes as she called another familiar number. "Mulder?" she almost whispered. She could here moaning in the background, and then she heard a button click. "What is it, Scully? You sound horrible." "It's my fiance. He-- he... I mean..." "Calm down Scully. What happened?" "He thinks I'm cheating on him. He called me a--" That's when the tears came. "Scully, I'll be right over." They both hung up their phones and after ten minutes, Scully heard a small knock on the door. "Scully?" She practically ran to the door. Opening it, she saw him standing there in a pair of black jeans and a navy blue T-shirt. "Mulder!" Scully cried as a fresh wave of tears struck her. His arms came around her. His head rested on hers and he stroked her auburn hair. "It's O.K.. Everything is O.K." He led her by her hand to the couch and he sat down, patting the seat next to him. Scully burrowed her head into his chest and he held her. "I loved him. I was gonna marry him. He thought you and I were--" Scully could feel his body stiffen against hers. Her head came up to look at his expression. It was total shock. Trying to cover up what she just said, "It doesn't matter what he thought. All that matters is that he didn't trust me." She continued, "It always happens like this. I get involved and then the other person loses all faith in me." His face contorted into a frown. "Not every time. When we were Dana and Fox...I mean.... Dana, I always trusted you with my mind, heart, and soul. It never mattered how far away you were from me. It didn't matter when we lost contact. Scully, I would have given my life for you at anytime. I had always, in a deep part of my mind, believed that you would too." His face looked up to hers as a kind of confirmation. His eyes, silently asking in a language that could never be written, if she felt the same way. As an answer, Dana dipped her head in and met his mouth with hers. The kiss was light, almost gentle, until the more primitive forms of their selves began to take over. His tongue entered her mouth to taste her, and seemingly liking what he found, began to devour. She lifted her head from his. His eyes were closed in sheer delight. He was mouthing "Scully" over and over again. She put a finger to his lips. "Not Scully tonight. Dana." His eyes came open. "I love you Dana. I will love you forever and ever. Just as long as--" Her eyebrows shot up. "Just as long as what?" "Just as long as you promise me you'll kiss me like that for as long as I live." "Amen." She whispered as she dove in again. END Tell us what you thought. Eileen: whipples@connect.ab.ca Sara: fanficcychic@hotmail.com Thanks for reading!