Subject: REPOST Stomping Grounds 5/7 by Heather Hopkins

Dana couldn't stand it.  The last day of school before the beginning of spring
break was inching 
forward at an agonizingly slow pace.  What was worse, Fox wasn't there.  He
had taken the day off in 
preparation for his trip to England.  Nancy & Bobby tried to cheer her, but
nothing lifted the dark cloud 
hanging over Dana's head.  She tried to remind herself how much she missed
Ahab, how wonderful 
it would be to see him again.  The image of her father made her smile but
could not lift the heavy ache in 
her heart.  She glanced out the window, stifling the urge to jump up and run
out.   Lunch was dreary 
and uneventful.  As she made her way to 6th period Biology, normally her
favorite subject, 
(when her lab partner was there,) she was stopped in the hallways by Ms.
Ripley, the office secretary.  
"Dana I have a message for you...." she handed her an envelope and continued
through the hallway.
Dana froze, immediately recognizing the familiar handwriting.  She smiled
tracing her fingers over the 
ink, Fox had such beautiful handwriting.  She was suddenly overcome by
nervousness and tucked the 
note into her binder, scurrying in to the biology lab just as the bell rang.
Mr. Munekee glanced up at 
everyone, grinning.  
"I can see you are all almost as thrilled as I am to be here this afternoon.
As a method of passing the time, 
let me suggest that you open your textbooks and try to locate the answers to
the questions written on
the board.  Consider it an open book scavenger hunt.  Anyone who locates 100%
of the answers correctly 
will receive an A for the week.  Books flying open, her classmates hurried to
the task at hand.  
Dana opened her book slowly, and withdrew the envelope, turning it over in her
hand.  She raised it to her 
face and inhaled deeply.  No, it wasn't perfumed, she knew better than that,
but it did carry a lingering trace 
of his aroma.  She sighed for a moment, then tore it open.  Joy spread across
her face as she read it.

Dana-
Hey.  Sorry I'm not there to make the last day of the semester.  Mom seemed
pretty intent on making sure we 
were prepared for the trip.  It seems funny since we won't even leave `til
Monday.  I wanted to tell you 
although I'm really excited I will miss you.  As soon as I have my address, I
`ll write you, and probably 
before that as well.  I want us to spend some time together & talk before you
leave to meet your dad.  
I'll be waiting out front at the beginning of 7th period if you're bold enough
to skip!!
I dare you!!  (he had underlined the word dare, and beside it drew a smiley
face)
Fox

She beamed, re-reading the letter several times before finally putting it
away.  Looking up, she scanned 
the questions and began to jot the answers down on her own.  She smiled.  The
textbook wasn't even 
necessary.  Fox would have loved that.  He always made her feel as if her
textbook mind was a gift, not a 
brainy curse.   Finished, she began to tap her fingers absentmindedly on the
table until Mr. Munekee 
interrupted her.
"Dana? If you have completed your work, you may bring it up here and be done
for the day."  
He smiled at her.   "And that goes for the rest of you as well.  Once you're
finished, get out of my sight! 
And have a safe week," he added. The room was filled with excited murmurs as
students continued their 
frantic rush to get out of school early.  Dana gathered her books up and
dropped her paper on 
Mr. Munekee's desk.  "Thanks, Mr. Munn, she offered then waved,  stepping out
the door.  
She breathed an audible sigh of relief and hurried to her locker.  Putting her
workbooks away, 
she paused to brush her hair quickly, then made for the front door.  She
inhaled deeply, and closing her 
eyes, uttered a short prayer.  Let him be there, please, let this
work.......she exited out the front of 
the school and stopped short, her heart sinking.  Fox was there all right,
waiting in his car as promised.   
And standing outside the car, a pouty brunette was scolding the driver in her
best little girl fashion.  
She seemed  visibly upset.
Dana turned to go back into the school building when Fox spotted her.
"Dana!"
She turned and saw him smile and wave her over.  "C'mon, we need to get going
!"
Smiling self consciously, she strolled over towards the car, trying her best
to appear casual.
"Uh, Hey Molly," she offered, rather flippantly.
For her effort she was rewarded with a dark sneer.
Suddenly the expression "If looks could kill" held more meaning to her.
She made her way over to the passenger side door.   Fox leaned over and opened
it for her from his seat.
As Dana slammed the door shut, he leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the
lips.
Stunned, her eyes wide, she turned to Fox, who was rolling up the window.
"I'm sorry Molly, but like 
I told you, it's really over between us."
If Molly said anything or did anything, Dana was completely unaware.  She
simply sat there, stunned 
by what had just transpired.   She turned to look at him, her eyes asking an
unspoken, but rather 
obvious question.  She felt like a deer facing oncoming headlights.
Grinning his evil wicked wonderful grin, Fox  looked over at her. "What?"
Dana blinked for a moment then started to regain her conscious thought.  
"What do you mean,  What?  What do you think I mean?"
"Huh?"  He acted perplexed, as if he really didn't have a clue.
"That thing-just now-with the kiss-what was that?"
"Let's just call it an encore of the night after prom, a command performance, 
and a way to get Molly off my back."
"So, a command performance for an audience of three??"  She looked annoyed.
Dana enjoyed the kiss, she really really enjoyed the kiss.  And on a certain
level maybe even relished 
the fact that it had happened in front of Molly.   But it was a level she
strove to avoid.  
And she despised the idea that the kiss was orchestrated as Fox's signal to
Molly that the relationship 
had ended.  No, that kind of behavior was too much like Molly herself.
Fox started to say something. He bit his lip and paused, then began again.
"Dana...."
"Yes?" 
"That was a dumb thing to do, I'm sorry."
She considered this.
After a few minutes of silence, Fox started to squirm.  Dana reminded herself
she had less than 24 hours to 
enjoy his company.   Knowing his discomfort, she decided to let him off the
hook, *sort of.* 
But not too easy.   Still silent, she turned and stared at him, her eyes an
unreadable sheet of cool blue ice. 
And then it came to her.    As they pulled up to a stop light he turned
towards her.  The cold blank
expression she fixed on him was having its effect.  When she sensed the timing
was right, 
(she swore she saw sweat begin to bead on his brow), she did it.  With his
questioning eyes still 
locked on hers, she turned her gaze down to his feet and moved slowly up his
body.  As she hit his now 
surprised face, she turned her gaze down once more and briefly fixed on his
lap.  She then looked him 
straight in the eye, expression unreadable again, and raised an eyebrow.  
"What?" he quizzed her nervously, what?"
She acted as if suddenly roused from a trance.  "What?"
"What do you mean what?" As soon as he had spoken the words, he realized what
had just happened.
Dana was triumphant.  "Gotcha!"
"You've got nothing!"
"Oh no, I really had you worried there..." She chuckled good naturedly and he
returned it with a smile.
"OK, maybe for like a millisecond."  He mimicked her gaze up down and up
again.  "What exactly was 
*that*, anyway?"
"I dunno, Fox, mental payback maybe, or just being silly, I guess.  It's just
that whole ...thing...in 
front of Molly, I'm not sure I understand."
Fox's face turned softly serious.  "I really am sorry Dana, for using you that
way-in front of her to 
make a point..." When he saw how downcast the expression was which crossed her
face, he continued.
"I didn't plan it, it was just very spontaneous-I wanted her to know that I
don't have those feelings for 
her anymore, and that...."he paused, wanting to chose the next words very
carefully, "that I think 
I want to have-that I do have..those feelings," he looked at her with an
intensity which gave her 
goosebumps, "for you."
He pulled into the driveway of his house, and put the car in park.  He turned
the engine off and 
turned towards her, his arm on the back of the seat behind her-close enough to
touch her-
(God, he wanted to touch her) but unsure.
He waited patiently for her reply.
She looked out the window.
Without looking at him, she began.... "Fox, I'm just not sure that *those*
feelings are a good idea right now."  
He started to say something, but she interrupted, "please Fox, let me finish-
this is hard enough as it is."
(Oh god o god..think think think, -just look at him-he wants to be with you-
just look at him)
She looked towards him for just a moment and he could see them pooling in her
eyes, tears she 
refused to release. She turned back to look out the window.  "I'm going away
tomorrow ,Fox, and then 
you're leaving Monday  for the rest of the school year and-" she paused,
trying to hold back the tears,  
"and it's good that you go-it's an incredible opportunity-heaven knows I'd be
on a plane this second if  
I had a chance like that-" (OK, not *this* second-I'd freeze this moment in
time if I could!)  
"But it's not fair-to either of us to start something tonight which we know
would  be a long distance...thing."  
I've tried it Fox, and it's just..." she halted choking a sob which was trying
to escape, "it hurts too much."
She turned towards him, a tear running down her cheek, expecting to see anger
or confusion or resentment.  
What she saw instead made her heart very nearly break--his eyes-his face were
filled with pure love and
concern-perhaps even fear.  He rested a thumb against her cheek, brushing away
the tear, softly 
turning her head to face him.  
"Dana, I would never-I could never..,ever hurt you.  I know it sounds like a
line, but I've never met 
anyone like you-I don't know how to explain it except to say I can't imagine
not knowing you-being 
near you.  And I know that whatever time I can spend with you before I leave-
before Oxford-before life-
before our lives -go on, well it would be a precious gift.  However (and he
emphasized this) you're 
willing to give it."  
She looked at him, tears now streaming from her eyes. "I just don't know
Fox....I..."
She could no longer hold back the sobs and Fox slid over to her, holding her
against his chest, 
letting her tears flow.  She wrapped her arms around him trying to commit the
sensation to memory-
his soft clean scent, the warm, solid curve of his back, the feel of his arms
around her shoulders, 
holding her, his heartbeat pounding.  
Fox must have understood her hesitation.  Suddenly a nagging thought occurred
to him.   He turned 
her face towards his.   "Dana-I don't want you to think that I'm asking you-I
mean, this isn't about, 
what I'm trying to say is that I'm not trying to...." embarrassed, he felt his
cheeks burning.  
"What I want is to assure you that I'm no Zack Heflin.  I just want to spend
the night--he locked his gaze 
upon hers-or as much of it as possible, with you.  And I'm not asking you,
to...to...I mean, of course if you 
wanted to I would love to I mean....argh."  He sighed in exasperation.
Dana smiled at how embarrassed he seemed by the whole matter.  It made her
heart soar to know that 
he respected her wishes so fervently and earnestly.  That the choice was hers
to make.  "So are you 
asking me out on a date?"
Fox brightened. "Yes."
"Well it's about damn time."  Dana grinned.  "What do you want to do?"
"Well right now, I'd like to show you my room..."
Dana raised both eyebrows.  
"And the rest of my house--my mom is home--no monkey business, I swear."
Nodding her approval, Dana acquiesced.  "O.K."
It was a nice little house, smaller but nicer than the one they were renting,
Dana noted.  Still, there was a 
quiet sadness to the home, something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
She knew Fox had a 
sister, and that something had happened to her.  It was an obviously painful
subject for Fox, 
one she had not pursued.  She found herself gazing at pictures on the wall,
merriment in her eyes as 
she came upon his baby pictures.  "Oh, this is nice, Fox, really nice."
"I didn't realize you were into kinky naked pictures."
He came up behind her rather abruptly, "what?"
She motioned to an incredibly embarrassing picture his mother had displayed of
him holding on to a 
coffee table.  He was obviously just learning to walk, and stark naked except
for a pair of cowboy boots 
and matching hat.
He groaned.
"You know, Fox, Nancy is on the yearbook committee, if you like, I could pull
a few strings and see that 
this gets added in next to your senior portrait..."
"You wouldn't dare!"
"Oh, now if  it's a dare, I  have no choice but to follow through."
"Yeah well to do that you have to live through today!" He threatened her
teasingly, and 
began to tickle her.  Dana stood stifling a  yawn.  "Uh, Fox, she asked, "you
may not realize it, but 
having an older brother and sister, you build up immunity to certain
tortures."
He looked into her eyes, fooled for a moment, then caught a twitch at her
mouth. He continued until 
finally, giggling, she could hold it back no longer OK! ok! ok! , I give up!,
I relent!, now please, cease fire!
Her gasping laughter subsided to a giddy heavy breathing as she sank to her
knees.
"I had you going there for a second."
"You did not, he replied indignantly, "I knew you were trying to trick me, you
had nothing!"
He looked at her face, slightly flushed from laughter & realized he had never
truly realized how beautiful 
she was. "Wait."
"Hold on a second--don't move."
Dana frowned a little, but remained there, letting her breathing return to
normal.
"Dana."  She looked up and saw stars as a blinding flash went off in her face.
The Polaroid camera spat out a picture as she got up to cover her face *flash*
another one went off.
"Fox! Cut it out!"
"Aww come on Dana, you have to give me *something* to remember you by in
England," 
"Oh I'll give you something to remember me by, all right, she threatened,
yanking the camera out of his 
hands, but not before he made off into the living room with the still
developing pictures.
She gave the camera the once over, and turned in the other direction, towards
his room.
"A-ha, just as I thought!" *Flash*
The sound of the camera going off drew Fox towards the rear of the house.
"What are you doing?"
"Gathering evidence, she grinned, then turned and flash, the camera went off
in his face.
"I should have known you were a KISS fan," she laughed, waggling her tongue at
him Gene Simmons style.
"Honestly Fox, how you managed to pass as cool all these years is beyond me!"
All Fox could see were little white spots.  Blinking, he complained, "hey!
that was a long time ago-
-I just haven't found a poster to replace it with."
"Mmm-hmm" Dana's tone smugly told him she believed everything but.
"Gimme that!" He reached for the photos, but she waved him off. "Unh -uh-uh"
"Maybe we can exact a trade. You show me yours....." She stopped, wary of the
implication.   
"Never mind."
"No, no, Fox teased her, this is starting to sound interesting, please
continue."
"He looked down at the still developing photos in his hand.  The first one was
incredible. 
She was looking up from her crouch on the floor, incredibly un self-conscious.
Her expression was soft, 
her blue eyes clear, and a slight trace of an almost smile on her lips.  He
turned eagerly to the next one,
and laughed so hard he nearly fell over.
"What?" Dana was obviously irritated.
He flashed her a quick glance of the photo. She was reaching towards him,
mouth agape, her eyes in
an expression she hoped never again to see, her face contorted  in a weird
grimace.
"Give me that!"
"Oh no, this is too precious, I could never..." he began.
"Just give me that!"
"Now now Dana, lets come to an agreement."
"I'll trade this for the photos of me & my room."
She examined them both for a second, and feigned agreement.  Nodding she
offered them out to him 
with one hand.
As he held it out to her, she dropped the Kiss photo and grabbed the one of
her, snatching back the 
hand which still clutched the photo of Fox in the hall.  No way was she going
to give that one up.  
It was a far cry from a great portrait, but his serious expression was
captured perfectly in that moment.  
"I'd say that we are just about even, Fox.  Now if you don't mind, if our date
has concluded, I'd like to go home."
Fox leaned up and looked at her, his eyes filled with concern. "I'm sorry
Dana-I thought..."
"It's OK Fox, I'm only kidding.  What I would like to do is decide on our
plans are so I can call Mom."
Fox looked relieved. "Oh." phew.
"They sat at the kitchen table going over the available choices of movies in
local theaters.  They 
agreed on "Alien" which was showing later that night at the El Rey on the
other side of the point.  
It was a bit more of a drive than most kids took, but the idea of avoiding any
friends from school was a 
great motivation.   Neither one wished to share the other with anybody.  Fox
drove Dana home, and 
promised to return in an hour.  She practically floated to the front door,
which was opened by an irritated Bill.  
"Where the heck have you been Dana?"
Surprised to hear him call her by her full name, she nonetheless ignored him.
"Mom, I'm going out with Fox tonight, ok?"
"Well it's about time...cutting it a little close aren't we, Dana?"  Her
mother smiled.  
"Be home by midnight, K?"
Dana was up the stairs in a heartbeat.   "OK Mom, thanks Mom!"
Bill started to interject something, a complaint, since they were leaving the
next day.
Both Missy & his mom instantly shot him the look, and he drew back, silenced.
They then smiled at one another.

They enjoyed dinner at a local cafe together, and had a good time at the
movie.  Both of them 
realized there was still more that they wanted to say.  Lingering outside in
the theater parking lot, 
Fox dropped his head down to meet Dana's.  "I wish we had more time, it's
almost 10:30 now."
Dana met his gaze.  "I really do have to get home on time, mom always waits
up.  But I have an idea..."
Any idea which came from the mind of the stunning beauty before him had merit.
"What?"
"Take me home now-early" her heart skipped as she saw the instantly wounded
expression cross 
his face, "and then come back for me a little bit later.  I'll sneak out and
have Missy cover for me if need be."
His face lit up. "Are you sure?" She nodded. "Ok-ok, but how do I get your
attention?"
"You've always had my attention," she purred, smiling.
Appreciative, he grinned back, "Ok,  how do I let you know when I'm there
without alerting the media?"
"Don't you watch  TV?  Just toss a pebble at my window!"
"Which window?"
"Hmm, they all have mini blinds-but it's on the top floor on the right."
Seeing doubt in his expression she made a face.  "I'll  leave a mark or
something at the window, all right?"
"Will that work?"
"Works for me." He grinned.
As they pulled into her driveway, they both fell silent.  Dana's heart racing,
she started to turn the handle on the door. 
Fox pulled her hand away...."Don't."
Confused she turned towards him.
"We don't want to....arouse suspicion, he murmured, his eyes lowered.  We just
arrived.  If you go bolting in there
right away, your mom'll know something's up.  No teenager leaves a date that
quickly...except for Zack."   
He smiled mischievously.
Smiling at his brilliant logic, she agreed.
"Oh yeah, that's a very important point....You're absolutely..."
He leaned over to her, his hands on either side of her face.  The kiss was
gentle yet so demanding, it took her breath
away.  Moments after the initial shock wore off, he drew back slightly, his
eyes heavy with desire.
She took one look at him then returned the kiss so fervently it almost
startled Fox.   She tasted 
faintly of peppermint as her soft lips explored his.  He opened his mouth and
she parted hers, 
welcoming his tongue greedily. 
Fox realized he had underestimated this petite girl once again.  His
adolescent dreams of this fiery 
redhead paled in comparison to the real Dana.  He answered  her passionate
kiss in kind, biting 
gently at her lower lip, planting kisses along the side of her face and neck.
She gasped at his caresses 
then pulled his mouth back to hers, teasing it with her tongue.  He accepted
this, and pulling her close 
against him ran his hand through the silky soft flames of her hair.  He
inhaled deeply, taking in the 
incredible overwhelming scent of her before she pulled away a little bit.  She
was breathing rather 
heavily, her face flush and her eyes were glassy.  
"Fox? Walk me to the door?"
He could tell by the expression on her face that she did not want to stop any
more than he did.  
But Dana  possessed a reserve he lacked in moments like this.  Grumbling good-
naturedly, he agreed.
As they stepped up to the porch, Dana turned and flashed him a knowing smile,
winking.
She spoke a little louder than necessary.
"Thanks alot, Fox, I had a really nice time tonight! She bugged her eyes out
at him.
"Yeah, me too Dana.  Have a nice spring break!"  He made a face & stuck his
tongue out.
She waggled a finger at him, eyebrows arched with curiosity.  
"Yeah, have a good flight & write me when you get there."
"Oh I will, if I can find the time....."  He was cut short as she jabbed him
in the gut.
"Yeah, well, Ok......good night then."  She turned as if to go inside when he
grabbed her by the waist 
and pulled her close to him as if in a very passionate embrace, then paused to
give her only a slight peck 
on the cheek.  "I wouldn't want you to think I'm easy," he  said with a
twinkle in his eyes.
Dana feigned mock disappointment.  "Why not?"
He raised his own eyebrows up and down.  "Hmm, good question....why indeed?"
Gazing at her with an intensity that sent a shiver of pleasure corsing through
her body, he claimed 
her mouth with his, and for a moment they were one.
Breathless, they drew back, their gaze never lifting.
"Good night Fox," she murmured.
He smiled very softly, his hand on her cheek.  "Good night Dana."
She closed the door behind her and met the gaze of her family. 
"Yes?" 
They all stared at her, as her mother broke the silence, smiling. "Hi honey,
did you have a nice time?"
Dana wasn't ready for all this right now, and ran up to her room, closing the
door behind her.
Missy came in.  "You all right, Dane?"  Dana looked up at her older sister,
smiling through tears.
"Yes and no."
Missy sat down on her bed, perplexed.  What do you mean?
Dana wiped a tear from her eye.  Missy I need your help.  Missy raised her
eyebrows in concern.
As Dana related the story, Melissa found herself surprisingly nonplused.
Her concern for Dana's spirit overriding her concern for Dana's virtue, she
agreed.
She went down to her mom and outlined the details of Dana's sorrow at leaving
Fox, and her fear 
of never seeing him again.  She explained that she and Dana were going to
share a room that night & 
try to talk it out.  Margaret agreed wholeheartedly.  She knew the tolls a
military life could take on a 
young woman were difficult ones, and was grateful that her daughters were able
to comfort 
one another so readily.   "If she needs anything, Missy, I'll be in my room."
"Thanks, mom."

Dana was elated.  The plan was going fine.  Her brothers were asleep in their
room and her mother 
would soon be as well.  Luckily, Dana's room was nearest the stairs, and her
Mother's the farthest, 
all the way to the end of the hall.
Missy, how should I signal Fox which window is mine?
"How about a candle," Missy suggested? "One if by land, two if by sea?"
Dana tossed a pillow at her.  "This is romance, not a revolution!"
"I don't know Dana, the idea of my baby sister sneaking out to meet a boy
sounds 
pretty revolutionary to me..." This time Missy ducked and avoided the pillow
sailing towards her.
"I know," said Dana, "give me a lipstick you don't like."
Melissa frowned, then went to her dresser and removed one in a deep shade of
red.
"Here, this was never my color, anyway. I really don't think it's you,
either..."  
She trailed off as Dana shot her a look that said she should have known
better.
Switching on the desk lamp, she made a big red X in the pane of  one of the
windows.
"Tic tac toe, anyone?"  she offered.
"Seems to me like it's Fox's move now" was Missy's smug reply.
Dana's face turned serious.   "What am I doing Missy?"  Her shoulders sagged a
little.
"Following your heart.  If this guy is the one for you, nothing can keep you
apart."
Gratefully, Dana looked up at her older sister, her eyes misting a little.
"I'm serious, Day-I don't know how else to say it except that I truly believe
love always finds a way.
Maybe not at the exact moment you ask the question, but eventually it's
answered.  I know it may
sound a little trite, but I mean it.  Do you love him?"
Biting her lips, Dana nodded meekly.  "I think so."
"And does he..."   Missy stopped when she saw the expression in her sister's
eyes.
"Yeah, of course, how could he not?"
Dana hugged her tightly.
"Now as your older sister I do feel compelled to explain a few things first."
She handed Dana a 
small foil square which she had removed from her wallet.  She couldn't duck in
time to miss the pillow, 
which landed squarely about her head.  
"Missy!" Dana exclaimed, her eyes widening.
"Hey you're my little sister and I just wanted to make sure you were protec...
Dana interrupted her.  "Missy I'm going to be a doctor someday, I think I've
got the birds & 
the bees covered.  Besides," she added, her eyes flashing, "I'm not sure
that's going to be part of the 
plan tonight. We haven't really ... discussed it yet."
Missy eyed her with disbelief, her mouth twisted & head to one side. "He's a
guy, right?"
She pressed the condom into Dana's hand.  "You'll *discuss* it.  Trust me."
Dana blushed, and tucked the condom into her jeans pocket.  She knew better.
Fox was not the type 
of guy to pressure her into anything.  She smiled, remembering his discomfort
earlier when he was so 
worried that she might think that was all that he wanted.  No, she was safe
with Fox.
The question was, was Fox safe with her?

Subject: REPOST Stomping Grounds Part 6/7

For a short time, Dana paced nervously.  She knew Fox would wait until the
rest of the lights in the house were out before trying anything.  After a
while, the idea that he had experienced a change of heart became a nagging
thought.  She considered slipping out on her own just to clear her head
when she heard a click at her window.  Heart racing, she hurried over and
peered out.  As a flood of relief washed over her face, a new concern
presented itself.  What was she doing?  She had always been a child of
logic and reason, even very young.  But when she waved down to Fox, who
was grinning like a schoolboy, she also waved those fears aside.  This was
it. Their last chance together for months.  For one time in her life, Dana
was going to ignore the calm level headed side of her brain and think with
her heart. 

The drive over to Dana's filled him with dread.  What if she changed her
mind?  Or her mother suspected?  What if she were caught sneaking out.  As
badly as he wanted to see her this night, he didn't want to put her in a
compromised position at home.  Then his thoughts turned to their date
earlier that evening.  She had surprised him with her interest in seeing
the Ridley Scott movie, Alien.  He would have pegged her for wanting to
see a chick flick or documentary.  But as they sat beside one another in
the darkened theater, one arm around her, and the other holding her hand,
he understood.  It was a terribly suspenseful film, and he was gratified
as more than once he had the opportunity to enjoy the sensation of her
clinging to him at particularly fearsome moments.  The creature in the
film was horrifying and the special effects quite good.  Holding her
there, her hand willingly placed in his, he marveled at the unending
surprise which was Dana Scully.  As he turned onto the street, he pulled
in front of the cottage two doors down from the Scully house.  He killed
the engine and quietly slipped into Dana's back yard. "Yes!"  It was an
easy matter to determine which window was hers.  The light was on and a
big red "X" was drawn directly onto the pane of the window.  He mentally
hugged Dana for her brilliant conniving mind. "I guess X marks the spot,"
he said to himself as he looked for a small pebble or something.  Dana was
right.  He did feel rather like a character from an after school special
version of Romeo and Juliet, or perhaps the Brady bunch.  But her
cherished the feeling all the same.  He flicked the stone lightly at the
window, flinching as he narrowly missed hitting the one next to it. 
Holding his breath, the stone collided into the appointed window with a
light crack.  Barely a second passed before he saw Dana at her window,
waving excitedly to him.  His head swam with the mere sight of her.  She
motioned him around to the front, and he nodded and waved in return.  Fox
stood off to the side of the front porch silently thanking the powers that
were for the gift of this person in his life.  Hearing the click of the
door as it opened, he turned expectantly.  She looked at him with such
joy, he wondered how he had deserved this moment.  Do I look like that to
her?, he mused.  Pushing the thought away, his grin widened as she flew to
his side, nearly tripping in her hurry.  "Shhhh" he admonished her with a
glint in his deep brown eyes.  "Shhh yourself," she said, feigning
indignance.  "So where are we going?"  "Well, I kind of thought I'd leave
that up to you..."  Dana eyed him with amused exasperation.  "Tell me
again which one of us has lived here his whole life?"  "OK, I can take a
hint,"  Fox replied.  "I did have some...ideas."  "Well you know how I
like your ideas," she enthused, slipping her hand around his waist.  Taken
aback momentarily by the comfort & ease with which she drew herself to
him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, leaning her even further
against him.  She rested her head into his chest and sighed contentedly. 
Fox dropped his chin onto the top of her head, comforted by how right this
felt.  As they came to his car, both were hesitant to break from the
casual but intimate contact. 

As they got in the car, Dana leaned over to Fox and kissed him lightly on
the cheek, her breath hot and light on his face, her lips soft and moist. 
He felt his legs twitch.  "What was that for?"  She blinked at him. "For
this--for right now--for today--and....for me."  He gazed at her and took
her chin in one hand.  He kissed her softly on the cheek.  "This is for
right now."  He brushed his lips against the other cheek, making Dana
shiver with pleasure.  "This is for today."  He leaned over towards her
ear and pressed his lips against it, moving his hand from her chin to her
shoulder, and bringing the other hand to rest on the back of her neck, and
holding her gently but firmly,
 whispered, "and this is for me.."  Fox began to trace his lips against
her ear, moving down the graceful curve of her neck, his touch searing her
wherever he kissed. Dana felt as if a million tiny electric shocks were
shooting through her brain.  Without realizing it, she moaned.  Fox paused
from his tender ministrations, a look of delight heavy in his eyes. 
"Hmm....so perhaps that *was* more for you than me," he joked softly. 
"Well then," she replied, her blue eyes softening, "then *this* is for
you."  Surprise gave way to sensation as Dana parted her lips softly and
pressing her mouth upon his, teased him gently with a delicate motion of
her tongue.  She explored his mouth and took his lips between her teeth,
gently nibbling on them.  As he yielded then responded with a fervor of
his own, she accepted his tongue and gave in to the need pounding in her
head.  Kissing with eyes first closed then open, they regarded each other
as their hands sought solace upon their bodies. Pushing back a bit, Dana
managed to speak huskily.  "Fox, I don't want you to get the wrong idea,
but could we do this someplace else?"  Fox inhaled sharply, then letting
the air escape his lungs in a rush, agreed.  "For obvious reasons, I
thought we'd avoid the harbor point."  Smiling wryly, she nodded in
agreement.  "So, we could go to my place or maybe to the beach.  I know
it's a little chilly for that but I brought along some.... provisions.  I
also have access to a few vacant summer cottages."  Dana raised an eyebrow
at this, but decided to let it go.  "Hmm, why don't we go to the beach and
then if need be we could always retire to a cottage."  This seemed like a
plausible solution, and so they went on their way.  The drive over was
very nice.  Dana scooted close to him, her hand entwined with his, the
radio playing softly in the background.  When they arrived at the beach,
Fox parked the car but instructed her to wait inside.  He bustled about
outside briefly, then with a mischievous look, helped her out, asking her
to close her eyes.  She complied, and with Fox leading her, felt the
warmth of a fire upon her face. 

She opened her eyes to see a blazing campfire set before her, with what
could only be described as a midnight picnic.  Blankets were strewn about
the sand, Fox had brought along a thermos of hot chocolate, a bag of
marshmallows and provisions for S'mores.  "I hope this doesn't seem too
hokey, " he half apologized, I'm just not the drinking kind." "Its
wonderful Fox, she whispered, her eyes aglow, it's..perfect!"  She
shivered a little.  "Come here, he offered, holding up a fuzzy blanket. 
They sat down on a quilt he had spread out, and he drew her up against his
chest. Dana sighed blissfully and snuggled in.  They sat there like that
for a few minutes, just enjoying the feel of one another.  Fox rested his
chin against her head, massaging her shoulders.  Dana drew her head to one
side, granting him an inviting view of her soft warm neck.  It was an
invitation he readily accepted.  Hungrily, he drew his lips to her neck,
nibbling and biting playfully.  She let out an involuntary gasp at the
tingling touch of his mouth. "Fox."  He tugged at the neck of her sweater,
exposing her shoulder.  She shivered as he continued to delight her, his
mouth hot and hungry on her skin.  She tasted salty and warm and sweet. 
Fox felt as if he could continue exploring the secrets of this woman
through the sunrise.  She breathed his name again, barely audible, "Fox.." 
He moved a hand cautiously towards the front of her sweater.  She clasped
his hand in hers and pulled it into the soft inviting confines of her
sweater, holding it gently against the rise and fall of her chest. 
Cupping her gently, he leaned back towards her and claimed her mouth with
his once more.  She turned herself to face him, gently stroking the back
of his neck.  "Mmmm Dana," he breathed.  He eased himself down onto the
blanket, bringing her alongside him.  His eyes alight with the reflection
from the fire and with a fire all their own, he seized her gaze, and
intertwined his fingers with hers. She looked breathtaking in the light of
the fire, her face cast with flickering shadows and love.  She searched
his eyes with a burning intensity which asked him an unspoken question,
giving him her answer all at once.  An answer which promised love.  He
startled himself with this thought. Love. It all seemed so fast.  Was it
love which lit her eyes so?  He had taken an almost immediate liking to
this splendid girl almost instantly.  She had a wit and a fire about her
that was a blessing to behold.  But love?  Fox had never put Love into any
equation before, and it scared him a little.  Suddenly, leaving was thrown
into a whole new light and his carefully balanced world seemed suddenly
quite precarious.  His throat tightening, he found it difficult to
breathe. 

Dana looked up at him, her piercing blue eyes reflecting concern.  Their
hands still intertwined, she pull his against her heart.  "Fox?" she
questioned, worriedly.  (Am I that transparent, he wondered?)  He had
always been something of a skeptic where matters of the heart were
concerned.  Facing the beautiful young redhead alongside him, he felt that
wall crumbling, and considered facing life as a believer.  "It's all right
Dana, it's just that..."  His heart broke when he saw the look of
dejection in her eyes, as she turned her head down.  "No!" He lifted her
chin up.  "Let me finish..."  He eyes flickered with something unreadable,
and she nodded.  "It's just that while I want this, I hadn't really
thought it through. I didn't consider the consequences or the
implications...for either of us, he added.  Dana I want this more than you
know--he smiled softly and could swear he saw a flush of rose in her
cheeks. "But I don't want this to be a goodbye. I think we should wait. 
We should save this for our hello.  I'm not sure I could go and leave you
after........he trailed off with a sigh.  At first, Dana couldn't believe
her ears.  She had looked into her heart and relinquished this moment to
him. That he would be the one to receive the gift that her youth could
give but once.  And after everything that had happened between them, to
think he did not want her.  Disappointment threatened to overwhelm her,
until as he continued, she caught the expression in his face, and
awareness flooded her brain.  He didn't want a parting gift.  He wanted
more.  She felt a sudden pang of guilt for the hormone induced thoughts
she had just entertained.  "Oh Fox!" she breathed.  The look of doubt on
his face gave way to relief and then something more.  "Then...it's
Ok?.....you understand?" he inquired.  She fixed a steady gaze of warmth
upon him, squeezing his hand tightly.  "Yes," she replied fervently, "I
can't believe it on one level, but on every other level...Yes!"  "She
winked at him with an impish grin.  "Just don't make a habit out of it,
OK? I'm not sure my ego can take too much more chivalry!"  "Oh, I promise
to be anything but gentlemanly for the rest of the night," he assured her
menacingly.  Dana made a futile attempt at scrambling away but he caught
her up and pulled her against him roughly.  She acted as if she was about
to protest when her eyes flashed and she quickly sealed his mouth with
hers.  Still exploring his mouth, she nudged him over a bit and then in a
swift motion rolled over him so that she was on top, triumphantly
straddling him with one leg on each side.  Fox's expression of surprise
gave way to a leer.  "Um, Dana, you know all that stuff I just said about
waiting , uh, well I was thinking, *perhaps* it was a little rash of
me..."  Dana jabbed at him smugly from her perch atop his suddenly
uncomfortably tight jeans.  "I don't think so," she answered, playfully
squeezing him with her thighs. He reached up and dragged her face down to
his, keeping her on top, but pulled flat against him.  Dana could feel his
arousal pressing into her stomach as she lay on upon him.  It left her
feeling giddy.  Combined with the sensation of his hands upon her, under
her shirt, along her back, Dana was overcome with the desire to press back
into him.  Hungrily, she answered his kisses searching along his body
until she came to the smooth hard swelling in his jeans.  Fox groaned
wildly.  They weren't going to give in completely this night, but that
didn't mean other outlets could not be found.  They continued on this way
for what seemed an eternity.  Each one exploring the other eagerly, but
with restraint, so certain unsafe borders were never breached.  She
marveled at his response to her touch, stunned that she should have such
an effect on him.  And Fox, warmed by her enthusiastic reply to his
kisses, continued the loveplay until they could both stand it no more. 
Wordless, they lay before the crackling fire, Dana spooned into Fox,
content in the silence of their company.  "Dana?' "Mmm-hmm?"  "Hungry?" 
"Mmm-Hmm!" she answered, the inflection belying a hunger for something
other than food.  Fox got up and set about to prepare for roasting
marshmallows.  Dana undid the lid of the thermos, and poured a single cup,
plopping a marshmallow in.  She waited for Fox to return, and offered it
to him as he sat before the fire.  He handed her the stick as he sipped
gingerly from the cup.  Mmmm, he murmured, pulling her to him again,
delicious!"  Fox closed his mouth on hers and Dana delighted in the warm
chocolaty taste of him.  "What, no marshmallow?"  He smirked at her, and
took the roasting stick from her hands.  "Hey you nearly burned it!" he
joked.  "Well my mind was on other matters, " she countered suggestively,
trailing a finger alongside his chest, hooking it into the loop of his
jeans.  Distracted from the task of removing the molten confection from
the stick, Fox gasped suddenly. "Ouch!"  He waved his hand about, gingerly
blowing on it where the burning hot marshmallow had stuck to him.  "Let me
see that," Dana ordered, a hint of concern on her face.  Examining it
closer, her expression changed to amusement.  "Baby," she chided him,
"it's not the least bit inflamed."  "Well it still smarts, he whimpered, a
trace of a pout on his puppy dog face.  Dana softened and took his
marshmallow coated finger to her lips, kissing it tenderly.  "Is that
better?' she queried innocently.  "A little bit" he murmured hopefully, a
slight smile evident on his lips and in his eyes. He gasped again, but
this time not from pain as Dana took his finger to her mouth, gently
sucking on it and swirling her tongue around it.  "Maybe my finger isn't
inflamed," he groaned, his breath suddenly heavy, "but I am."  Dana
continued the attack on his injured digit, manipulating her mouth in such
an excruciatingly pleasurable manner Fox felt as if he would faint.  He
started to pull at her again, but she remain steadfast.  "Un-uh" she
refused, licking the tip of his finger and giving it a final kiss before
stopping.  "Where is my s'more?"  "Funny that's exactly what I was
thinking," he retorted, his lower lip sticking out in a mopey expression
which Dana adored.  "You mean you want *s'more* too?" she giggled, then
squealed as he made a dive for her.  "Oh, I'll give you *s'more* all
right," he threatened, as he pursued her around the campfire.  The merry
chase continued for a moment and Dana dived back onto the quilt, laughing
as Fox tackled her from behind.  He pulled her over onto her back, &
holding her down gently, marveled at how beautiful she was.  Sensing a
slight change in mood, Dana looked into the deep forever of his eyes.  And
felt a heaviness tugging at her heart.  "Fox, we don't have a whole lot of
time left, she began, "could you just hold me for awhile?"  He smiled
broadly in agreement, and held out his arms to her.  She snuggled against
his chest, her eyes damp.  He looked at her briefly, then regarded the
night sky.  "Dana, do you suppose we're alone in the universe?," he asked. 
Somewhat relieved at the change in direction, she considered the question. 
"Well, I don't really think there are "Alien's" lurking out there like we
saw earlier today she answered, smiling as he grabbed her abit tighter. 
But a once a friend of mine told me something her father had said
before...she faltered a little, not wanting to ruin the moment with a
painful memory.  He brushed a hand against the back of her hair, silently
giving her time to continue.  "He told her that given the infinite
universe, filled with billions of stars and billions of solar systems
filled with billions of planets, well, if we were the only ones, it would
sure seem like a terrible waste of space."  Satisfied with her answer, he
joined her in once again gazing up at the night sky.  Dana pointed out a
few constellations and the planet Venus, and they continued in easy
conversation, neither wanting to break the spell of the moment with
reality.  Before long, without realizing it, they fell asleep in each
other's arms. 

Fox felt a chill, and looked around, momentarily disoriented.  As his eyes
focused on the still form of the sleeping redhead beside him, his reverie
was interrupted by the faint pink and orange glow on the horizon.  It was
almost daybreak and that meant his time with Dana was almost at an end. 
Conflicting emotions warred within him.  She looked so serene and
beautiful in sleep, he could not take his eyes off her.  If he woke her,
she might want to leave.  If he didn't wake her, he would miss what
fleeting time they had left to share in each other's company.  Still
undecided, he snuggled up against her.  Dana stirred a little then rolled
over to face him.  Her eyelids fluttered open, registering a passing
confusion which was quickly replaced with a twinkling smile.  "Hey," she
murmured softly.  "Hey yourself," he replied gently, brushing his lips
upon her forehead.  "Morning sleepy."  "With a faint trace of alarm, she
started, looking up to the still dark sky then scanning the horizon,
taking in the distant glow.  "It looks like almost daybreak, Fox, what
time is it?"  He checked his watch.  "5:27," he replied, "we still have a
little time left."  He tried to look upbeat, but his eyes belied their
mutual frustration.  Dana sighed lightly.  "I'm going to have to go pretty
soon, Fox, my family will be awake in a little while."  Fox nodded.  "Stay
for the sunrise?" he asked.  Her blue eyes softened and she smiled. 
"Umm-hmm!"  She sat up a little and leaned against him.  Pulling the
blanket tighter around them, Fox encircled her in his arms, and leaned his
chin upon her shoulder.  Dana could hear him breathing and felt his breath
warm against her cheek.  She reached up and squeezed his hand.  "Screw the
sunrise Fox, look at me."  Amused by her choice of words, he turned
towards her.  "I'll never forget this Fox, ever."  Fox tried to ignore the
sadness in her voice, which echoed a pain of his own.  He tried humor. 
"Thanks, are you trying to imply that I might?"  She rolled her eyes
sheepishly. "No, I just want you to know that..."  Fox interrupted her.
"It's OK, I know-I feel the same way, Dana."  She looked down for a
second. When she looked up he leaned in and kissed her.  She blinked back
tears, trying hard just to concentrate on the moment, to commit every
touch and sensation to her memory.  He must have sensed this, for he
pulled back a little, concern in his eyes.  Dana shook her head.  Fox
understood.  Words failed them both, and the best they could do was to
hold one another.  He pressed his lips gently against one eyelid, then the
other.  He brought his forehead to hers, holding her head with both hands. 
A solitary tear streamed down her face.  She parted from him and planted a
kiss on his brow tenderly, and closed her eyes.  They embraced tightly,
and she whispered into his ear, gulping a little, "OK, Fox, we'd better
go..."  He mutely agreed and gathered up their things.  Silently, they
walked to the car.  She got in as he placed the blankets and provisions in
the trunk.  Halfway to Dana's he started to say something, then stopped. 
She reached over and took his hand in hers gently.  She searched her mind
for something to say, some word to commemorate the moment
something-anything that would make the transition easier.  Nothing came to
mind.  After another long silence, they both began to speak at once. 
Embarrassed, they both tried to yield to the other.  "Go ahead, Dana." 
"It's OK Fox, you go on."  "No, I insist, ladies first."  "I was just
going to say that once we arrive in Annapolis I could call you but then I
realized that not all the family housing units have telephones."  Dana
felt a little awkward.  "What was it you were going to say?"  Fox sighed. 
"Well I was just going to tell you I could write to you there but I
realized that mail from the UK probably wouldn't arrive before you left. 
So I'll just write to you at your home address."  "Yeah, that's a good
idea."  Dana's reply was less than enthusiastic.  "And then I'll send you
my address at Oxford," he added.  "Oh, good.  That'll be great."  Dana bit
her lower lip. Why in god's name couldn't she bring herself to be more
pleasant?  Because you feel anything but, she reminded herself.  Fox
turned his attention back to the road and Dana looked absent-mindedly out
the window.  Before they knew it, they were on Dana's street.  He parked
the car several doors down and turned off the engine.  "Dana?"  "Fox,
let's not make this any harder on each other than it already is?"  Dana's
emotional self-preservation had kicked into overdrive.  She refused to let
the tears show.  Taken aback momentarily from the chill of her tone, Fox
began to understand.  He wanted so badly to touch her, to make her see the
impact of this moment for him, but knew she needed her distance.  Knew
that it would help a little with the hurt which would ultimately come with
separation.  He let himself out and came around to the passenger side
door, opening it & helping her out.  He opened his mouth to speak, and she
silenced his words with a final kiss.  They lingered that way for what
seemed like ages, until the sound of a door interrupted their
concentration.  They looked up to see Mrs. Scully on the porch of their
home.  "Oh shit, Fox breathed.  "It's all right, she reassured him. "I'll
talk with her.....um, so I'll see you around later then?"  "Uh, yeah," he
stammered, "later."  Have a good trip.  You too.  He watched as Dana
strode up to her mother's house, head held high.  He noted with some
relief that Mrs. Scully's expression did not seem one of anger or
indignance, but motherly concern.  She nodded to him as Dana walked up the
steps. Opening the door to their home, they both turned and waved for a
moment.  Then the door closed & they were gone.  Fox let out a loud sigh. 
Turning the key in the ignition, he headed the car home, alone in his
thoughts. 

Subject: REPOST Stomping Grounds Part 7/7


"Dana?"  Her mother's question was not an angry one.  It was not an accusation
or reprimand, but a simple concern.
"Are you OK, honey?"
Dana sniffled a little.  "Yeah, mom, I'm fine."
"You know you don't have to act stoic with me honey, Ahab's not here right
now."
"I know mom, I really am fine."  Dana headed up the stairs.  Almost to the
top, she paused.  
"Mom? We didn't...I mean....nothing happened, mom, we just wanted to say
goodbye."
Margaret Scully tried hard not to smile.  If only Dana knew her mother's heart
as well as she in turn knew Dana's. 
Then she would've known there was no need to defend her actions.
Margaret sobered a little.  Something had happened in the hours between dusk
and dawn.  Something that she knew 
in time, would become either a source of great pain or great joy to her
youngest daughter.   
Recognizing the expression she had seen in Fox Mulder's eyes as he watched
Dana walk away from him, she hoped 
for the latter.

Spring vacation was surprisingly pleasant.  For whatever reason, Bill was in
an unusually good mood, and even called
Dana by her real name, and not "D.K." or even "Doc."  The time she spent with
Ahab was wonderful.  He was
delighted to hear about their accomplishments in school, and intrigued by her
descriptions of Fox.  
"Sorry I didn't get to meet this young fellow, Starbuck.  But I trust your
judgment.  If  you trust him, well that's
good enough for me."
"Well you'll get to meet him eventually, Ahab, he'll be back in time for
graduation in June."   Dana beamed.  She was
so happy at the prospect of seeing Fox that she missed the exchange of worried
glances between her parents.
When she wasn't on walks with her father, Dana spent time with Missy, talking
over recent events.  She couldn't help
but feel that something was amiss.  While as sensitive as always, Missy seemed
uncharacteristically solemn.
Before long it was time to pack up and prepare to head back to Chilmark.  Even
though she knew Fox 
wasn't there, Dana still longed for the sense of connection that Chilmark
afforded her.  As she finished
packing her things together for the return trip in the morning, Missy came to
her door.  "Day? Mom and 
dad want us all to come down for a second."  Dana looked up, slightly puzzled,
but joined her brothers 
and sister around the dining room table.
"OK everybody, I have an important announcement to make.  As you all know my
transfer to Annapolis was a
temporary one and I've spent the last few months running around the eastern
seaboard.  As of 19:00
 hours last night my tour here has ended and I have new orders to return to
Miramar.  We're going home!"
Bill and Charlie whooped, and Missy smiled broadly then  shot a worried glance
to her younger sister.
Dana had a blank, bewildered expression.
In times like this Ahab had always relied upon his Starbuck to help him gather
enthusiasm for 
another move.  She was his staunchest supporter, after her mother.  But this
time the expression 
in her eyes belied a sense of betrayal and hurt.   CAPTAIN?Mr. Scully felt a
pang of guilt for the 
life he had chosen and it's effect on his youngest daughter.
Quietly, Dana excused herself from the kitchen table and slipped into her
bedroom.  Her mother and 
father exchanged looks, and Margaret Scully turned to follow her daughter.  
Still whooping it up with his older brother, Charlie turned as his favorite
sister exited the room in silence.  
"What's wrong with Dana, dad? I thought she loved San Diego."
Captain Scully patted his son on the head.  "She does, son, but I think this
time Dana has made some 
friends that she really doesn't want to leave behind."
Not quite getting it, but satisfied with his father's answer, Charlie
continued on excitedly, chatting 
about the friends and places he was looking forward to seeing again.

Margaret knocked softly at the door to Melissa & Dana's room.  Hearing nothing
she stepped inside to see Dana
sitting quietly, contemplating the window.  As she sat down beside her,
Margaret saw that tears were streaming down
Dana's face.   Torn  by her daughter's atypical expression of emotion, she
placed her hand upon her shoulder and
waited with her.
Finally Dana spoke, in barely more than a whisper.  "How much time, mom?"
Margaret sighed. "We're driving there tonight to gather our personal things
and we'll leave in the morning."
Nodding her head, Dana continued.  "Well I won't have much of a chance to say
goodbye to anyone, not even my
teachers."  It was more a statement of fact than a complaint.
Margaret agreed. "Well you can write to everyone and explain it to them, I'm
sure they'll understand, honey."
Dana blinked as tears continued to stream down her face, but still silently.
"Not everyone will," she whispered.
Her mother swallowed as a lump formed in her own throat.   Facing a situation
she dreaded.  As before, Dana was
being separated from a love with no choice but to accept it.  Unlike San
Diego, however, they weren't being
transferred to an exciting exotic locale.  And the boy Dana was leaving
behind, without even the benefit of a proper
goodbye,  was decidedly unlike Steve.   She had never quite understood Dana's
initial attraction to her first boyfriend.
But the Mulder boy--he was a different matter.  Brooding, serious, and good-
looking, with a brilliant mind and a
ready wit, he was definitely more of an match for her daughter.  And he cared
deeply for her, that much was obvious.
Still Margaret reconciled matters in her mind, Dana was so young and had so
much ahead of her.  In time she would
find another boy to equal and replace the feelings she had for Fox.  Until
then, it was best to wait, and be patient, and
let her daughter get by it in her own way.
Lost in her own misery, Dana barely noticed when her mother got up to leave.  
"I'm here if you need me, Ok, Dana?"
Oh, how Dana despised the piteous looks her family gave her when she was hurt.
It made her feel weak and more
vulnerable, knowing her feelings and emotions were evident to others.  She
steeled herself a little.
"OK mom, thanks.  I'll be fine."
Fine. The word rang hollow and cruel in Dana's mind.  As if she could ever
truly be "fine" again.  She had lost Fox
already, after barely even finding him, and now he would be lost to her
forever.
"I didn't even get to say goodbye...." she whispered to no-one in particular.
Taking a page from her journal, she
began to write a letter.  "Dear Fox....."

Despite the bustle and excitement around him, Fox sat silent and alone on a
couch in the Student's UNION.
He thoughtfully contemplated the picture in his hands, tracing his finger over
the lines as if contact might suddenly
bring with it some hidden memory lost to him.  Even possessed of a
photographic memory, Fox wanted more.
So engrossed was he that he failed to notice the form lurking behind him,
assessing his posture and manner with a
trained eye.  The good looking American hadn't given her a sideways glance in
a week.   Her trained eye did not fail
to notice the subject of his attention and Phoebe Green grinned wickedly with
the thought of a challenge.
"She's rather sweet looking....your sister??"
Fox turned round and was overwhelmed by the presence of the sandy haired
female. She stepped forward into his
personal space, her eyes lingering on his.
"Uh...excuse me," he replied.
Phoebe motioned to the slightly worn Polaroid in his hands.  "The snap, there,
is that your sister? She's cute."
Her tone icy, words chosen carefully, she brought the full weight of her
sexiest smile to bear, licking her lips.
(This was too easy.  In a day, he'll deny ever knowing her.)
His deep brown eyes faltered for a moment, then fixed back upon her, meeting
her gaze without hesitation.
"No, she's not my sister, she's my girlfriend back home, and yes, she is
beautiful."
Taken aback by his resistance to her charms, Phoebe re-assessed him  (OK, not
the usual American tosser then.)
"Lucky girl," she conceded, "too bad she's not here."  She shifted the books
in her arms so that their weight pulled
down the neck of her sweater a little.  Her eyes widened.  He wasn't even
giving her a sideways glance. 
Perhaps this moody little yank was a subject worthy of her full attentions.
Mental gears turning she switched to a traditional psychological approach.
"What's her name?" she purred.
"Dana."
"Dana," she breathed, "what a beautiful name. Have you written her yet?"
Unnerved a little bit by Phoebe's attentions, Fox faltered.  "Why?"
She smiled conspiratorially, "Well it's just that a lovely bird like that
probably doesn't take too well at being lonely."
"Far away as you are now, you need to be reassuring her  of your affections."
Fox eased his guard down a little.  The friendly British girl seemed less
forward than he originally surmised.  Not
every girl other than Dana was a man hungry harpy, he reminded himself.  Like
Molly.
"Well actually yes, I have. He pulled an envelope from his coat pocket.
"That's one of the reasons I'm here in the
UNION...I need to get this mailed off to her so she knows I made here all
right.
Phoebes eyes flashed with pleasure and she grinned wildly.
"Well this must be your lucky day...."
"Uh, Fox."
"Well this must be your lucky day then, Fox...it just so happens I work in the
student message center and if you need
to post a letter to your love, then I'm your bloke!!  My name's Phoebe, by the
way,"  she added.
Shaking hands he felt a surge of relief.  He had been suffering from lack of
contact with anyone besides his mother
since he'd arrived.  And she was leaving in another week, going on to Germany.
Being a bit  younger than some of
the current Oxford students, he felt a bit wary & out of place.
Confronted by a friendly face, and a pretty one at that, he relaxed.
She guided him on through the hallways.  "Yeah, I'm here every morning for
pick up of the post and then back in the
afternoons after class, that's when you'd collect your mail.....from me.
Fox counted out the change and looking at his watch, thanked her, handing her
the letter.  
"It's really good to meet you Phoebe, maybe I will see you tomorrow when
classes start?"
"And every day when you pick up your mail!," she reminded him sweetly.
"Oh yeah, he enthused, well, gotta go, see ya!"  He strode off through the
crowd of students.
Phoebe watched as he was swallowed up into the assemblage of bodies.
She licked her lips a little, her smile turning up as her eyes flickered.  
"Oh yeah," she murmured to herself.  She looked around quickly then tore up
the letter and dropped it into the trash.
This was going to be easier than she had thought.  And far more enjoyable than
her usual mind games.   Yes, it was a real shame that the post could be so
unreliable.  She had a feeling it was going to get even worse.
Grinning darkly at the prospect of a new conquest, she pulled the blinds up
from her window, turned her attention to the queue of students lined up for
their mail.  

Subject: Stomping Grounds:Epilogue NC-17!

Stomping Grounds:Epilogue NC-17
By Heather Hopkins  <Dana1muldr@aol.com>

It had been almost a month since they were safely returned to Washington DC
The X-files were reopened. However, while they both would deny and refuse to
admit it, things were not the same for either of them.

After the initial weeks of being partnered together on the X-Files, they had
sworn to put away their high school memories. Both of them hurt, stunned by
the belief that the other had forgotten, Mulder & Scully put everything into
the
job. Mulder often took off on his own, in a seemingly careless manner which
tortured Scully. He never intentionally meant to hurt her, but he did. Mulder
had to prove he still could be independent and capable on his own.
For her part, Scully promised to never again let him in to her heart, or see
her
pain. Even in the direst circumstances she kept a brave front, always insisting
she was fine. It drove him crazy. It was something of a testament then, to the
both of them, that despite all this their partnership and in turn, friendship
flourished. Events which surely would have sundered the strongest love only
served to strengthen the bond between them.

But one night, in an almost-moment, walls were brought down. And then,
as it had so many times before, fortune intervened. This time the culprit was
no
government trained assassin, no mutant or psychopath. Fate^Òs intervention
came in the simple form of a virulent Africanized honey bee. Returning from
the events in Antarctica, both Mulder & Scully returned to old habits.
Deny everything.
Believe the Lie.
Pretend it never happened.
And it was tearing them apart.

Their current assignment, in the middle of the Arizona desert, had taken its
toll
on them physically & emotionally. After Antarctica, Scully thought she could
never be warm enough again. Whitney, AZ had proved her wrong. And
Mulder^Òs head injury was exacerbated by his own physical demands in the
field. He had something to prove, even if he wouldn^Òt admit to himself what it
was. But now the case was wrapped up.
In a rather non-X-File fashion, the killer was an extremely average human
being with no unnatural or supernatural gifts. Unless you counted his taste for
homicide. But with Fadale locked away and local law enforcement breathing a
sigh of relief, they allowed themselves to relax. Facing a long hot night in
what
passed for government approved lodgings before their flight back to DC early
the next morning.

"So, Scully, what^Òll it be?"

She shot Mulder a tired exasperated look.
"Unless you^Òve found a restaurant with facilities inside a meat locker, I
believe
it^Òll be bed".

Mulder tried his best bright eyed schoolboy look to no avail.

"It^Òs so hot Mulder, why don^Òt you call me when the sun goes down?"

"Scully, could I see your neck for just a moment?"

Getting the joke, she smiled weakly. "It^Òs OK, Mulder, I haven^Òt ordered pizza
in weeks."

Seeing that his usual chiding was getting him nowhere fast, Mulder relented.
"All right," he agreed. "I didn^Òt sleep too good last night anyway, maybe I^Òll
take a nap. It is pretty damn hot out here right now."

"Maybe if you ask, they^Òll transfer you to a room with just a sofa and you can
get some rest."

Mulder twisted his mouth in a wry expression. "Oh Scully, now *that* was
funny. I^Òm glad to see the heat hasn^Òt affected your sense of humor... you
still
don^Òt have one!"

Nodding her head, stifling a slight chuckle, Scully opened her door turning
round before she closed it-- "see you later, Mulder!"

After her door had closed, Mulder smiled, wiping his brow. At least she
sounded a bit more like her old self. The joking between them had always been
a source of great comfort in times of fear, anger, even sickness. In many ways
it
was a thermometer of their relationship. Thermometer. He realized how hot
and sticky he felt in his "bureau approved" suit. Unlocking the door to his
room, he stepped into the cool interior, breathing an audible sigh of relief.
He
stripped and made for the bathroom, amused by the idea that his partner had
driven him to yet another cold shower.
Once that was finished, he flopped onto his bed, luxuriating in the wet
sensation of cold. Grabbing the remote by his bed, he began flipping channels,
pausing on what appeared to be a 24 hour adult channel. Oh well, he thought to
himself, he could always take another cold shower.

As soon as she entered the room, Dana stripped off her suit and sat in front of
the A/C unit. The frosty air sent icy shivers of delight across her flesh. She
remained that way for several minutes, when she heard the sound of water
running in the room next door. Mulder was taking a shower.
Still feeling hot, tired from the heat, she collapsed onto the bed, reveling in
the
smooth, cool feel of the comforter. Relaxed at last, she began to drift off.
Until a noise from Mulder^Òs room awakened her. Confused and disoriented for
a moment, she remembered where she was. Then unsettled by the sound of
moaning next door, she automatically grabbed her sig, and leaned against the
shared portal, listening. It took about 2 seconds for her to realize Mulder
wasn^Òt
in mortal danger. Unless you count a cranky partner poised to shoot him a
second time.
She shook her head, laying her gun down on top of the TV.
She opted instead, to take a bath. The idea of soothing music and relaxing in a
bubble bath was incredibly decadent. Dana liked it immensely. As the water
ran, she poured a capful of fragrant bath crystals in and brushed her hair.
Before she stepped in, she turned off the tap and listened. She groaned. There
it
was, same channel. Dana let out an exasperated sigh. Not really wanting to
disturb her disturbed partner, but unwilling to share his entertainment,
she decided to fight back a little. She strode into her room and flicked on the
television. She didn^Òt care what was on as long as it wasn^Òt *that*. She found
a
suitably bland film and turned up the volume. Maybe he^Òd hear her TV and
realize it was a two way street. She grinned to herself.
She set her suitcase on the table in her room, edging over her laptop. It
nearly
fell to the floor. She pushed it in slightly, confident it was secure. Dana
went
through her suitcase, pulling out her silk bathrobe. Nothing like a few
creature
comforts to make her feel at home. She reached in for her portable CD player.
She rarely had the opportunity to use it, time with Mulder was usually spent
going over casework.

Carefully setting the player on the top of the toilet tank, she gingerly
stepped
in. The water was perfect. Not too hot, but not too cold. She sank up to her
neck
in bubbles, mindful of the cord, and felt relaxed for the first time in a week.
Mmmmmm, she breathed sighing contentedly. As the first strains of her
custom made cd began, it occurred to her that she really ought to get a small
gift for Frohike. Leave it to him to act on an off handed comment, and come up
with the best birthday present she^Òd received in years. OK, one year,
if you count the keychain. But by Mulder's admission, she had another three to
go before she needed to worry about Mulder^Òs next gift. Using new cd writing
technology, Frohike had tailor-made a cd for her, with some of her favorite
quiet songs off of a variety of albums & tapes. Mulder liked to tease her about
Frohike^Òs amorous obsession, but she saw it as a very thoughtful gesture. And
she really loved the combination of musical scores, ballads and instrumentals.
All hand picked with her in mind. Before the third track had begun, Scully was
sound asleep.

Mulder remained engrossed in the particulars of the movie on his tv when
sounds from Scully^Òs room jarred him out of his reverie. Shit, he breathed.
If he could hear Scully^Òs movie...?... if he could hear hers, it meant she
could
hear his... he felt his ears flush. Stepping off the bed, he turned the volume
down.
Realizing he was already dry, he slipped into a pair of boxers, then pulled on
a
pair of jeans. He wished he^Òd brought shorts, but they hadn^Òt seemed
appropriate G-man wear. He smiled. Not very *macho*. Turning the tv off, he
listened again next door. Either the movie had ended, or Scully had changed
the channel.
Intrigued by an idea, he turned his tv back on, slowly switching channels until
he found the one which mirrored the sounds coming from Scully^Òs room.
It was the beginning of a slasher movie called Shocker. He laughed out loud.
If Scully was actually watching this, she was either keeping her secrets really
well, or she was really really bored. Taken with the perverse pleasure of
knowing & watching what Scully was watching at the exact same moment, he
sat on his bed. In typical guy fashion, he found himself caught up the plot of
the
B-film, amused by it^Òs theatrical take on serial killers.
Funniest of all was that the actor playing the villain really looked alot like
Skinner. He made a mental note to present the AD with a copy of it come
Christmas.

He started to lean back onto his bed when a sudden crash next door brought
him to his feet. "Scully?" he hollered at the adjoining door, "You ok in
there?"

Hearing no reply, he opened his door, but found hers locked. "Scully?" he
shouted again, a hint of panic evident in his voice. Erring on the side of
caution, he went out his front door and knocked on hers.

"Room service" he called wryly, rapping on the door, knowing it would fool no
one if in fact there was an intruder. Pulse racing, he tried the doorknob. And
felt his heart sink as it slowly turned in his hands. His partner would never
leave a hotel door unlocked. His gun ready, he burst through the door striking
the proper stance, prepared to level the gun at an unseen invader. "FBI!"
Mulder scanned the empty room.

Sweat beading on his brow, he saw the bathroom door was closed.
He listened intently and heard nothing. With a lump in his throat, he gently
pushed it open with the barrel of his sig. He stepped in, nearly dropping the
gun on the floor when he saw her.

Although he should have been greatly relieved to see his partner was alive &
well, the lump in his throat only tightened. Scully was relined in a bathtub
filled with bubbles, (rather strategically placed, he noted,) fast asleep. She
had
headphones on and he thought he could make out the faint sounds of music.
He wondered idly what Scully listened to in the bath. She stirred.
"Shit," he mouthed, backing out the door, but not as quickly as he should have.
He couldn^Òt avoid taking a lingering look at the woman who had been his
companion, confidante, partner and friend for the last 5 years. The woman who
had been the girl he wanted so many years ago.
The girl who had forgotten him, who hadn^Òt wanted him in return.

He wished there was a way to see the tattoo she had gotten in Philadelphia.
She had been naked in Antarctica, but circumstances precluded any looking.
At that time, the absence of her clothes was a liability that nearly cost them
their lives. They were lucky that a rescue party arrived before they had both
frozen.

Luck -the word took on new meaning for Mulder as he gazed appreciatively at
Scully^Òs shapely legs. And quickly, luck deserted him, as shivering with
gooseflesh, his partner fluttered her eyes open.

Her eyes wide with shock, she just gaped at him for a moment.
His eyes wide with shame, he began to murmur an apology, forgetting she had
headphones on.

"MULDER!!" She bolted upright for a second, then seeing his gaze drop down,
she sank back into the bath. She whipped the headphones off. "Jesus Christ,
Mulder, what the hell are you doing?"

"Get out of here!!" She commanded.

Mulder retreated faster than she^Òd thought possible. Stunned and shaken from
the unexpected start, she lay there fuming. Realizing she was shivering and
that
the water had cooled, she stepped out of the tub, slamming against the door to
insure it was shut. She turned the lock, and breathing heavily, leaned against
the door for support. She suddenly felt sick and dizzy... and... and...
something
else. She saw the look in his eyes when she caught his gaze, and it was
definitely not a brotherly one.

Since the near kiss in his building she had felt that he^Òd regretted his
actions,
and had immersed himself back into the X-files, and as far away from that
night as possible. But that look. It reminded her of a starry night years ago,
and
a beach. And a boy who didn^Òt seem to mind being called Fox, but had quickly
forgotten her.
Immersed in thought, she dried herself off, almost stepping out of the bathroom
stark naked. She paused & donned her silk robe, checking herself in the mirror.
Instinctively she pulled it up and around her, trying to further conceal
herself.
She started to open the door then hesitated. She smoothed the silky fabric down
and straightened the sash. If Mulder had come for an eyeful, maybe she
wouldn^Òt completely disappoint him. Doubtless he had been *encouraged* by
his movie selection. Her eyes darkened at this prospect, & Dana decided to give
him an earful as well.

"I just don^Òt understand," she continued.

Fox began to get a little defensive. While guilty in some respects, his
original
intentions were good. "Look, I heard a crash, and you weren^Òt responding. How
was I supposed to know you had zoned out in the tub?"

Scully continued to eye him with a skeptical glare.
She had to make some concessions to the man she had trusted with her life for
more than 5 years now, but he was not entirely innocent either. His guilty way
of avoiding eye contact acknowledged as much.

"OK, I can see that my laptop did get knocked over, Mulder, but that^Òs hardly
call for a raid."

"Well Scully when you didn^Òt answer me and your door was unlocked, I got
nervous."

This gave her pause. While she wouldn^Òt readily admit to it, had the
circumstances been reversed, she would have acted similarly. "I can accept
that," she conceded. "But what was that in the bathroom-with the eyes, and
the... thing?" Scully gestured somewhat wildly.

Mulder looked confused. "The thing?"

Frustrated with all this, Scully blurted out. "Mulder you were ogling me, admit
it!"

Mulder fixed his gaze at a point on the wall above her and started to speak.

"Mulder, I^Òm over here," she complained. "You had no trouble looking at me a
minute ago."

He met her angry stare, his hazel eyes flickering green with emphasis. Simply
by making eye contact with Mulder-his expression heavy and uncertain, sent a
jolt of electricity through Dana. She softened a little, and paused, allowing
him
time to continue.

He took a deep breath. (This is it, he thought to himself. Ultimate dishonor.
Might as well come clean) "Scully... Dana" he corrected himself. The gorgeous
win stars that acted as a window to Scully^Òs soul blinked with surprise at his
use of her first name. "I^Òm sorry... and I^Òm not sorry. When I bolted in here I
was afraid something bad had happened."

"Now that it *has*," he grimaced, "I might as well explain myself."

She nodded him to continue, her expression masking any emotion.

"Remember in the hallway before... when you told me you were leaving?" She
nodded. "Scu...Dana, it wasn^Òt just your leaving that upset me. I meant
everything I said about how you^Òd saved me and kept me honest, how you
complete me. I still feel that way." She bit her lip and closed her eyes for a
moment.

"But Dana I^Òve felt that way for years..." he paused. "long before we were
partnered on the X-Files."

She shot her eyes open, stunned at what she was hearing.

"Mulder?" she began, a note of warning in her voice.

"No let me finish now before I chicken out..again. I know you either don^Òt
remember or don^Òt want to admit it, and I^Òve dealt with that. But you...I...I
never forgot what we were in Chilmark. Never."

Scully^Òs face was a mixture of anger, and frustration and something indefinite.
But her tone was gentle. "You^Òre bringing that up now, Fox?" (it slipped out)
"After all this time and all I^Òve had to do to put it behind me..." She paused
for
a breath. There was an icy edge to her tone now, and Dana Scully, Ice Queen,
was back.

Her soft expression was gone, replaced by the cool unreadable exterior Fox had
grown to hate. When he saw that face, it meant he was being shut out.

"I^Òm surprised you admit to it now, after all this time, Mulder. It was just
High
School-only a few months of high school at that. I^Òve gotten over it Mulder,
I^Òm
not 16 any more. But since you seem to want to bring it up, no I didn^Òt forget
it
either. How could I?" She shot Mulder a bitter glance. "And how could you?"

His bewildered expression only served to further her anger.

"You were leaving for England Mulder, why did you have to do it?
If I meant so little to you why ruin it for me and make me think you felt
something more...she let out a strangled sob, only to forget me?"

Mulder got mad. "Scully to my way of thinking, you^Òve got it backwards."
(This isn^Òt happening , he told himself, not now, not after all this)

"Not to my way of thinking, Mulder. Since you never wrote, I got your Oxford
address from your mom. Mulder, you never answered a single one of my letters.
I actually thought my world was coming to an end when I realized we were
leaving Chilmark."

She rocked her head into her hands for a moment, then continued.
"And when I discovered you were with the Bureau-I even thought for a
second-when we were partnered..." she threw her hands up in disgust.
"Mulder, you didn^Òt even recognize me."

Something was nagging at him from the back of his mind, and Mulder didn^Òt
like it. But Scully had triggered his defensive nature, and he was damned if he
would let it slide. "Scully, I didn^Òt write? What are you talking about? I sent
you a dozen letters the first month alone. You^Òre the one who never replied,
and when I returned for graduation, you were gone...."

He shook his head, memory reeling from the pain of that long ago moment.
"And you think *I* forgot? How could I not know everything about you while
you were at Quantico? Head of your class, hot shot doctor on the up & coming
list, that whole mess with Jack? No, I knew. Gave me some surprising insight
to your "ice queen" title. Do you really think it was merely coincidence that I
had a copy of your senior thesis on my desk the day we met? *Again*?," he
blurted, correcting himself.

Scully sat there, absorbing the weight of his words. It just wasn^Òt possible.

Mulder regarded her out of the corner of his eye. This was more painful than he
had imagined. She seemed genuinely shocked by his words and he was stunned
by her version of events. She was slumped onto the bed, head down in a
defeated manner he was unaccustomed to. It made him uncomfortable to see his
partner like this.

She looked up, tears streaming from both eyes and he realized how wrong he^Òd
been. How could he possibly have tricked himself into believing Dana didn^Òt
care, that she^Òd forgotten. Unconcerned with the details, he sought his solace
in
the Truth. A truth which Scully was desperately trying to conceal. Mulder drew
his partner into his arms, breathing soft words of comfort.

"I didn^Òt know-I didn^Òt realize. I^Òm not sure what happened, Dana, but I did
try
to write you-I never forgot. I couldn^Òt-didn^Òt want to. Forgive me for thinking
you had?"

Dana clung to him, his honeyed words a feast for her ears. She pulled tighter
to
his chest, comforted by the closeness which hid her face from view. She turned
her head a little.

"Fox," she murmured.

He shivered with delight in the way his name rolled off those lips.

"I believe you. After 5 years of trust, I can^Òt ignore my instincts." She
sighed.
"It^Òs just that after so much time I guess it was easier to believe the lie.
For both
of us."

"That night in the hallway, I honestly thought leaving the Bureau was my only
option. I couldn^Òt bear the thought of being forced to go to Utah-of losing you
again. So I tried to take control....and wound up losing it. When you told me
*everything* you looked so hurt-I couldn^Òt bear to think I was causing you pain
and when I kissed your forehead , it was like everything I^Òd been trying to
deny
came through...and then..." she trailed off, wiping tears from her eyes.

"And then that Goddamn bee!" he added, a trace of humor in his tone, his eyes
brightening.

Dana let out a cry that became a laugh. "Yes," she said, looking away as she
pursed her lips. She backed away as Mulder reached gently toward the collar of
her robe, pulling it away from her neck. Her beautifully smooth porcelain neck.
He brushed her skin lightly and it sent shivers of pleasure through her body.

"No bees here."

She met his eyes, her gaze frozen. She reached up to his hand and pulled it in
front of her, inspecting the tips of his fingers. "No marshmallow, either."
His moment of confusion giving way to wide-eyed awareness, he gulped for air
as she drew a finger lazily to her mouth, taking it gently between her lips.

The gulp gave way to a guttural groan.
Scully was doing things to his fingers he had only imagined.
Things his mind had relinquished to a distant memory.
Things that were suddenly making his breath heavy and his head swim.
His knees buckled a little. Smiling, Dana relinquished possession of the
affected digit slowly. "And I thought I had a good memory," he slurred. "Dana,
if this is all too sudden, too soon, we can...."

"Mulder-Fox..." she corrected, "Too sudden??"
"Don^Òt you think that we have both waited long enough for this?"

"Sorry" he whispered sheepishly, "years of denial, holding back....bad habit."

Dana started to remove her robe, but Fox stopped her.
"Let me help you," he murmured his voice thick with longing.
Dana shivered a little again as he gently undid the sash of her robe and parted
the sides away from her body to slide off her bare shoulders. He breathed
heavily, taking her in.

"My, god, Dana, you^Òre so beautiful!" He walked round her, his gaze never
leaving her. When he caught sight of the place where a small circular tattoo
adorned her back, he kneeled boldly behind her. His hands on her hips, Fox
gently brought his lips against the design.

Dana raised up on her toes for a second as Fox^Òs mouth made contact with her
skin. She gasped. "Mul-drrrr."

Still fully clothed, he stood up and brought her roughly against him.
The contact of his hands on her skin left a trail of sensitized flesh. Dana
grew
hungry, longing to reciprocate. She slipped her hand underneath his shirt,
urging him to remove it. As he complied, she trailed her fingertips across the
muscular expanse of his chest. She gently rolled a thumb along his nipple,
hardening it instantly.

Fox rocked his hips against her naked body, letting her know the impact she
was having on him.

She slid her hand tentatively into the waist of his jeans. He groaned loudly,
and pushed himself into her. Giddy with desire, she fumbled with the button of
his jeans.

He waited patiently for a moment, & as the button was released, shoved the
confining garment down over his hips, and stepped out of it.

Dana smiled approvingly, and brazenly ran her hands over the curve of his
backside. (How many times in as many years had she longed to do this very
thing) She ran her hands carefully along the side of his hips. Fox took her
chin
in his hand, bringing her face to his, and kissed her urgently.

Any need for modesty abated, Dana slid her hand into his shorts and grabbed
hold of him.

Fox gasped, his body reeling with sensation, his mind reeling at the vision of
this woman in his arms. Every fantasy come true...and then some.
He quickly stripped off the shorts and dropped back onto the bed, pulling her
down on top of him. She brought herself up to straddle him, and he could feel
the moist heat between her legs. It made his arousal all the more insistent.

"Now this seems familiar," he crooned huskily. (Was she blushing?)

She bit softly at her lower lip, smiling while her eyes burned brightly.
"I can^Òt believe you remember that!"

"What^Òs the point of an eidetic memory if you can^Òt do anything with it?"

Dana giggled softly as he grabbed her and pulled her mouth to his.
She nibbled at his lower lip and then sealed his mouth with her own,
exploring once more with her tongue.
Fox began to plant kisses along her face, making his way towards her ear.
He tongued along the outside gently then sucked a little on the lobe, biting
softly but not too hard. His breath heavy in her ear, Dana moaned out loud
when his nipping grew fiercer.

"Scuuuly"
"Dana"

Her mind exploding with fireworks from every caress, she continued to moan.
"Oh, Mulderrr, oh God"

"Dana"
He brought his thigh between her legs and she squeezed against it eagerly.

"Mulder, yes."

The sight of her, arching into him was more than he could take.
He brought his weight to bear on one side and flipped her onto her back.
Supporting his weight on one arm, he gently slipped his hand between her legs,
stroking her at the outside, then gently parting her lips to press his fingers
deep
within her. She cried out softly.

He played his fingers in and out of the drenched folds until he found the
sensitive head of her labia. Scully was breathing hard now, moving and
squirming under his touch. He gently kissed her neck and moved his head
down to the supple expanse of her breast. He suckled at the already hardened
nipples, rolling his tongue along them then blowing gently, while stroking
firmly against her vulva. He could feel her body tensing in anticipation under
his touch.

She moaned again and urged him "Please Mulder--Fox, oh," she moaned, "I
want you now."

No further urging was necessary. He brought himself against her passage,
then gently thrust into her a little, pulling out again and thrusting back into
her
a little more until finally he was at the hilt. He gasped for air as the heat
of her
body enfolded the entire length of him. He slowly began to rock in and out of
her while the walls of her body gripped at him.

"Oh, Dana, oh Sculllly, oh yes, god"

She urged him deeper, and met each thrust with her hips, her hands pulling at
him closer, deeper, all the while her mouth searching hungrily, tasting heat
and
sweat and skin wherever her lips touched.

He brushed a stray hair from the side of her face, and kissed her deeply.

As she lay beneath him, meeting each thrust with an urgency of her own,
Scully concentrated, trying to commit the moment to memory. The heat of their
bodies together, the gentle weight of him upon her, the slippery momentum as
he slid easily in and out, threatening to bring her to climax before him. She
wrapped her legs around him, squeezing tightly and groaned softly. "Oh Fox..."

He sensed her impending zenith, and quickened his pace in response.
His breathing shallowed and he started to pant a little more with each thrust.
"oh god  Oh Scully...Oh god...yes...yes.."

She murmured words of encouragement and matched his cries with gasps of
her own. As his movements became more erratic, Mulder lifted her legs a little,
deepening his thrusts.

"C^Òmon Scully, oh god , just a little bit more oh god, you^Òre so beautiful"

Her eyes clenched shut, Dana writhed beneath him as a surge of pleasure tensed
up within her and blossomed into a million tiny explosions throughout her
body. She quivered beneath Fox just as he arched his head back and his body
spasmed. Fox gulped for air, and grabbing hold of her arms pulled her to him
as he rolled onto his side. He continued panting like that for a moment, sweat
dripping from his brow.

Dana exhaled sharply as her body went through tiny aftershocks. She stretched
her legs out, twitching a little and squeezing him gently between her trembling
thighs.

He looked over at her tenderly. She placed a hand on his cheek, ran her index
finger across the contours of his face. His dark brooding eyes clouded with
love
and wonder.

She blushed a little, smiling, and laid her head against his chest, feeling the
pounding of his heart. She listened as his breathing slowly regulated itself,
each
steady breath becoming less labored and more hypnotic. She felt her muscles
relax, her eyelids grow heavy. Tightening her arms about Fox, she whispered,
"I love you, Fox...." before nodding off to sleep, dreams answered, safe at
last.

He marveled at the sight of Dana in his arms-warm and real. He shut his eyes,
replaying the scene in over in his mind, relishing every detail, her eyes wild,
body tensing and writhing with pleasure.

She whispered her love to him and he felt his heart fairly breaking,
overwhelmed by the ease with which she had given herself so completely. Fox
sighed with a contentment he^Òd never imagined possible, and stroking her hair
gently, he whispered "I love you Scully" into her ear and laying a kiss upon
her
head, joined her in sleep.

The truth would have to wait until tomorrow. This day, at last, belonged to
them.
FINIS!!