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 couldn't take his eyes off her.  If he woke her, she
might want to leave.  If he didn't wake her, they 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 Sunshine."
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.
"Oh, 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 felt 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 appropriate to 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 he 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.

"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 like him, well that's good enough for me."
"Well you'll get to meet him eventually, 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.   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 to him 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 Scully felt a momentary pang of guilt for
the life he had chosen and it's affect on his youngest daughter. She had
never complained about the many hardships Navy life had put them through so
her pain was all the more difficult for him to bear.
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.  Once again, 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 exotic locale.  And the boy she was leaving behind,
without even a proper goodbye, was so decidedly unlike Steve.  She never
quite understood Dana's initial attraction to him.
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 him 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 Union Hall.
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 a 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 failto 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'd 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. As far away as you are from
her 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 am here in the Studen Hall...I need to get
this mailed off to her so she knows I made it here all right."
Phoebes eyes flashed with pleasure and she grinned wildly.
"Well this must be your lucky day...." she paused expectantly....
"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 abit  younger than
some of the current Oxford students, he felt a bit wary & out of place.
Confronted by a friendly face, and not a bad looking  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 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 and send 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.
She smiled darkly at the prospect and pulling the blinds up from her window,
turned her attention to the queue of students waiting for their mail.