A/N: Shorter chapter this time. Trying to get back into the swing of this story. Sorry it's been so long.


"Are you sleeping?" Mulder asked, knocking on Dana's bedroom door.

"Go away," she grumbled.

"I come bearing homework, ditcher."

"I'm sick," she answered.

"I'm coming in. I hope you're decent."

He opened the door and found her in bed, surrounded by wadded up Kleenex. Her eyes were red and puffy and she hadn't even brushed her hair.

"Get away. I have the plague."

He chuckled and sat down on the end of her bed.

"English. History. Biology. Calculus. French," he said, dropping several manila folders onto the bed. She just looked at him.

"Why didn't Monica bring this to me?"

"It would seem that your dashing cousin is taking her out for a surprise after school date."

"Gross."

"I thought you wanted them to be happy."

"Happy, yes. Sappy, no."

"Well look who's so down on love."

"Get outta my room before my dad comes home and tans your hide."

"He's already home. He let me in. So now what are you gonna do?"

"I'm going to throw infected Kleenex at you."

He chuckled as she tossed the tissue at him. She missed.

"You were fine yesterday after school. Other than your surly attitude, you don't really seem sick. What's going on?"

"I'm sick, I just mask it."

"Stop masking it then."

They sat there for a moment and stared at each other.

"I just didn't feel like going to school today, that's all."

"Reason?"

She shrugged and looked down at the blanket in her lap.

"Didn't want to."

"You know, you can say that you don't want to talk about it and I'll leave you alone."

"It's a long story," she answered. He could tell by the look in her eyes that she did want to tell him, but he could also tell that he might not want to hear it.

"I have time," he replied, bouncing the ball back into her court.

"What do you know about Daniel?"

He hesitated. She'd never said anything to him about it, and John and Monica weren't really forthcoming with the little information they had either. He'd heard some locker room scuttlebutt, but he wasn't going to tell her that.

"Not a whole lot."

"We dated last year. It was a good relationship at first. I thought I was in love with him. And then one day everything changed. He was mad at me for everything, even things I had no control over. He'd fight with me over really stupid stuff, and he'd put me down and call me names. And just when I would cry enough and decide to end things, he would apologize, and I would give him another chance. I know how stupid it sounds, but I didn't want to lose him."

"So what happened?"

"Eventually he got mad because I wouldn't sleep with him. After what happened to Missy, he still thought I would be that stupid. He started dating other girls and ended up getting one of them pregnant."

"Wow."

"We broke up at the end of last year. I was a mess. I really loved him, and he goes and does that? I couldn't handle it. I wouldn't say I was depressed, but I was definitely not in a good place. I was kind of at the height of that when you met me. It got better and I was back to normal and moving on, but last night he called."

"What for?"

"He wanted to tell me that he's a daddy now. He has a son. Evan."

"Man, Dana. That sucks."

"I just couldn't think about going to school today."

"So you faked sick?"

"Yeah. I hate that it still bothers me so much."

"Did you think people were going to be talking about it or something?"

"No. No one knows the baby is his. Besides him and the mom, you and I are the only ones that know."

"You didn't even tell Monica?"

"No. It hurt too much to talk about, and by the time I felt like I could, I was too embarrassed by it. She doesn't know anything that I told you. I haven't told anyone."

He nodded.

"You think I was stupid, don't you?" she asked, her eyes slowly meeting his.

"Of course not. Love is a tricky, messy thing. Not everyone is capable of using all their mental faculties all the time. Especially when adolescent hormones are involved."

"You really are doing well in psychology, aren't you?"

He smirked as she sat up a little more.

"Well now that you know the biggest secret I have, you owe me one."

"I'll try to pencil that in."

She smiled.

"I'm going to go home and let you keep faking sick. See you in the morning?"

"I think so."

"It's friend protocol that I hug you now."

"Is it?"

"Most definitely."

He made his way over to her and pulled her into a tight hug, pressing a kiss into her tousled hair.

"If you ever want to talk about it, you know where I live."

"Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He turned and left the bedroom and she sighed, leaning back against the pillows. For all the times Daniel had said he loved her, he had never said it so firmly as Mulder had, just by being there.