Promise Ring
by Sara Lynn
*DO NOT ARCHIVE WITHOUT PERMISSION* I like to know where my story goes.
SUMMARY: The reason why Mulder was wearing a ring…
SPOILER WARNING: Travelers (It will make no sense if you haven't heard the stuff about the wedding band)
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNING/CLASSIFICATION: MSR -- cause I can't write anything else.
DISCLAIMER: Fox Mulder & Dana Scully are mine. I've got them on my wall (does that count?)
Martha's Vineyard
March 1978
Dana sat on the wooden bench outside the school waiting. It was the weekend and she should have been nowhere near school, but this was their meeting spot. Fox was in trouble, she just knew it. She looked up and saw him. His head was hung and he shuffled his feet along the sidewalk. "Hi." She shouted as she rushed up to him.
"Hi." He turned his head not wanting to look at her.
"Fox, what's wrong?"
"Nothing."
She didn't believe it. " Let me see you're face."
Fox looked her in the face and saw what he feared. Her horror.
Dana pulled on Fox's hand to lead him to the bench. Once they were both seated, she looked more closely at his face. His left eye was swollen shut. His cheek was a bright red threatening to turn purple in a heartbeat. His lip was cut and blood still trickling out down his chin.
"Did he hit you again?"
"Yea." She hated to imagine what would set off Fox's father on another abusive spree. "He was drunk. He gets this way when he's drunk."
"Did you tell him about making Valedictorian?"
"Didn't get the chance."
Dana wanted to clean him up and glancing down at her watch, she saw it was close to dinnertime. "Are you going home tonight?"
"Not if I'm smart."
"Do you want to spend the night at my house?"
Fox looked up at her and started laughing. "Your dad would blow a artery!"
"He's on leave."
"Your mom?"
"I'll tell her what happened. She'll understand"
Fox nodded in agreement. He stood up and looked down at Dana with a smile. "Race ya home." And without another glance, he was off.
Dana sat on her bed cross-legged waiting for Fox to play his hand. He looked over the top of his cards, wagging his eyebrows to get a laugh out of her. She just did it back. Fox placed a card on the pile from which Dana pulled. "Gin."
"Damn."
"So where's my prize?"
Fox smiled as much as he could with a hurt face and leaned in to place a kiss on Dana's lips.
"Fox!" The two teenagers pulled back and looked away from Mrs. Scully. "You're going to make me regret letting him sleep in here, young lady."
"Please Mom? Fox can sleep in Missy's bed. It's better for him that the sofa. Besides it's too small for him. Nothing will happen if he sleeps in here."
"Dana, you know lying is a sin."
"I promise. Please?!?"
Mrs. Scully gave her smirk of skepticism before leaving. She did however, to Dana's surprise, close the door most of the way. The two teens looked at each other with a smile. Fox walked over to the window and sat down in front of it. Dana moved to sit as well. She expected to sit across from him, but instead was pulled into his arms. Her back to his chest.
"Thank you."
"For letting you stay here?"
"That, and for being my best friend."
"You're welcome." She turned slightly to place her head on his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you."
"It's not forever."
"Feels like it."
"That's because you've only been alive 15 years."
"You're gonna have another black eye if you think my chronological age has anything to do with my maturity."
Fox squeezed her closer, trying to smile in spite of his injuries. "See? That's why you're the only woman for me."
"Would you be mad if I gave you something?"
Fox felt Dana move out of his hold and move to her jewelry box. He watched her and felt like he was going to cry. She was his, but not for much longer. He was leaving for college and she would go on in high school for another three years. He wondered what would happen. Would they keep in touch? Would she fall in love and marry someone else right out of high school? He looked up as she came back to him.
"My mother swears that when she was pregnant, my father gained as much weigh as she did. Well, he had to get a new wedding ring and gave this one to me. And I want to give it to you."
"Dana, I can't." Fox shook his head adamantly, but Dana still continued.
"It's a promise ring. It says you and I will always be together and one day we'll get married."
Fox looked at her smiling face and leaned over to place a kiss on her lips. Dana reached around his neck and let it deepen. He pulled her closer to his body. She gasped slightly and pulled back for a second.
"I take it the physical part of marriage appeals to you right now?"
"Sort of. It's definitely a … difficult... image not to consider."
"I know." Dana moved into Fox's hold and curled up in his arms.
"So I have to promise to marry you? But what if…" Dana quickly turned and placed a finger over Fox's lips.
"Well, how about we say that if fifteen years pass and we lose contact and don't get married… No more promise."
"So we'll have to find each other." Dana turned in his hold and took his left hand in hers. She placed the ring on his finger and the seal the promise with a kiss.
J. Edgar Hoover Building
March 1993
Fox Mulder sat at his desk staring at his name blotter. He had made something of himself. He was a special agent in the FBI … even with all the crap he had to deal with in his life. He looked at his hand and saw the slightly tarnished ring on his finger. It had yet to come off, but the promise was up. Today… Fifteen years ago today he made the promise to wait for her. Finally, he came to terms that she was not coming back to him. Reaching over with his right hand, he removed the ring and placed it in a small envelope in his desk.
Fox moved thoughtlessly as he walked up the staircase to Section Chief Blevins' office. He sat in the chair and listened to more crap about his performance and the disappointment of the bureau. Finally he got to the part were Fox was getting a new partner. His ears picked up when Blevins said it would be a woman. He was almost in shock when the name Dana Scully was mentioned.
On the walk back to his office, The idea of working with Dana was incredible. The same girl he loved, that would take care of him, was his new partner. He waited fifteen years for her and she was back as promised. However, he was worried. What if she didn't remember the promise? What is she was married? Well, he was going to check into that. Cause his Dana was back, like she promised.
THE END