A/N: Here is Scully's Plan B. A note, my posting might slow down here in the next couple days. It's not the holiday; it's something else. I don't know how many of you have heard the sad news but my hometown just lost 19 men on a crew of 20 to a dangerously wild, wild fire in Yarnell, Az. I am helping their family's' as well as those displaced due to the fire.

High School 11

Mulder was quite happy with his assessment of his girlfriend's friend's situation. As he congratulated himself on his analysis, he missed her eyes lose their fire as she wilted. He didn't get what she was trying to say. The only bright thing about the conversation was that now she was fairly certain that his analysis of himself was correct. She needed to push him, she realized. Glad that her backpack was at her feet she pulled out her notebook and turned to a fresh page and started writing. When she finished she left the notebook on the coffee table and brought her backpack with her to his bedroom where she picked up the work uniform and couple pairs of casual clothes she left here to lounge and sleep in on the weekends. She also packed her spare toiletries that she left in his bathroom. She zipped up the backpack and made her way back into the living room. She tore the couple pages she used for her note out of the notebook and used one of Mulder's envelopes to place it. She ran to the bathroom and took the keys to his apartment off of her keychain and her promise ring before placing both items in the envelope and sealing it. She set it on the counter and placed his toothbrush on top.

Mulder was fairly religious about brushing his teeth at night and she hoped that her placing his toothbrush on top of her letter would cause him to read it. If not she had a couple of notes telling him where to find the letter that she would put on both piles of pillows on the bed and on the couch; she knew he hated the sound that paper crinkling made. She placed her notes where she wanted them and returned to the living room to grab her bag and head home.

"Mulder, thanks for the help; I'll be sure to let her know next time I email her. I'm going home for the night; I'll see you tomorrow." She told him before kissing his cheek and leaving. The tears she tried to hold in finally tumbled down her face and she was amazed that she made it home safely. When she made it home, she went straight up to her room, not to come out until she had to leave for school the next day.

Mulder, for his part, tilted his cheek when she kissed it and went back to his book that he had to finish for a test the next day. When his brain registered the click of the door shutting he swiveled and leaned back on the couch, his feet on the armrest where his girlfriend sat when she was over. That's when he heard the crinkling of rumpled paper. At first he thought it was his book and ignored it and moved around, causing the sound to appear again. He sat up and noticed the paper that looked like it was torn out of a spiral bound notebook. He picked it up and noticed Scully's handwriting telling him that there was a letter for him under his toothbrush and that it was important that he read it when he saw it or one of her notes. Mulder was curious now as to what the letter said, so he put his book down and with the little note in his hand he went to the bedroom and grabbed the other two notes from his bed before grabbing the letter from the bathroom. He threw away the little notes and sat down to read the letter.

My Mulder,
I didn't want to write this letter, I had hoped that you'd realize our problem. But you didn't, so I now feel like this is the only option left to us that won't end in a fight. The story I told you tonight is not true. I had hoped you would remember me saying that the only thing I had back East were a couple of ex-boyfriends. The two people in the story; were us.
I'm the one who felt like she was being pushed away. We were the couple I was asking about. I had hoped that you would realize that it was us; I wanted you to ask me if it was us, if the problem was between us. Then I would have become the Ice Queen and denied it before running off, not because I wanted you to end things with me, but because I'm afraid to lose you. I wanted you to chase me and tell me not to go, to tell me that you couldn't do it without me, that I was your one in five billion.

Now here is what I want you to do. I want you to take these next two weeks to focus on our finals and on us. I won't be around; in fact I've already taken my stuff with me. I want your decision to be made with as clear of a head as possible. I want to show you how hard leaving me will be. Not only for you, but for me as well. For you are my heart, I've left it with you, and with you it will always stay. On the day of graduation; I'll be waiting by your car after the rehearsal thingy we have to do.

What I want for that meeting is for you to take my face in your hands and kiss me like there's no tomorrow. That's what I want, but I want it to be what you want too. If you don't want me, then I won't push myself on you. To that end, this week will be like I was never in your life. Inside the envelope are my ring and my set of keys to your place. I did that because if I left them with me, then every time I see them I would start to cry at where we've gotten to.

Mulder you hold my heart and my future in your hands, and I'm begging and praying on my knees for you not to shatter them and me.

Love,
Scully.

The next two weeks were agonizingly slow for both of them. Dana stood by her word and didn't bother him. The sat next to each other for a couple classes, but she was slightly cold to him; which was something he expected knowing that she couldn't go halfway, it was either hot or cold and right now she was blowing cold.

Finally they were done with review and their AP exams. Now they only had to deal with finals and graduations then they were free from high school and they would have some resolution in their personal relationship as well.

The weekend before finals, both Mulder and Scully's bosses gave them light shifts so they could spend most of their time studying. Both had finally received their letters from the colleges and universities they applied to, but both waited until after graduation to open them. So they could decide where to go together or not.

Finals came, and as hard as they were, both Dana and Mulder felt as though they passed both the finals and the classes. Their thoughts were confirmed when they checked the day after their finals were taken. Both were able to figure out their semester grade from their final grade and their quarter grades. The lowest they scored for over all grads were Bs.

Mulder and Scully were walking together, each graduating with honors, PHS's version of Valedictorian. So they were both at the front of the pack for walking. They saw each other briefly during the senior meeting the morning of graduation. The lined up together and walked down to the football field and their seats in the first row. Assistant Principle Skinner practiced reading everyone's name while two teachers helped the students to stand and sit together.

When they were done, the junior class provided food and soda for the senior class. Dana had volunteered to help pass the food out for a little bit and so was busy, but it didn't bother Mulder who knew she wouldn't want their first true meeting in two weeks to be in front of the rest of their class, even if the results were positive or negative. Finally around noon, the south lot had cleared out and Dana was left with some of the staff who told her that she could go and they'd handle the rest. Dana nodded thanked them and gave the ones she knew a hug before going over to Mulder's Jeep, and leaned against the side.

She saw Mulder running around the track in a pair of running shorts and his chest bare. She felt her heart rate increase and she really hoped that he still wanted her, because she knew that he was the only one for her. She moved to the little pile of rocks that made a seat near the hood of his car and started to read from the small book she brought with her that morning.

Nearly 30 minutes later, Mulder had finished running his laps and had wiped the majority of his sweat from his body and had changed back into his street clothes. He slowly approached his Jeep and didn't see her until he rolled his neck, then he saw her in the rock chair reading. She had probably seen him running and sat down to read while she waited for him. He snuck up behind her and once he saw she was reading Silence of the Lambs, he knew what to say.

"Hello, Clarice." He pitched his voice way down and spoke softly into his ear. She jumped clear out of her seat, dropping her book in the dirt. She spun around, her bare left hand on her throat with her right over her heart.

"Jesus Mulder! That isn't funny; you scared me to death." She told him panting.

"No, that is funny." He told her, his face dark and his voice serious. "What isn't funny: is knowing that the only reason I survived these last two weeks is because I got to see you during class." He told her before grabbing her face gently with two hands and bringing her mouth up to his and kissing her for all he was worth. Her hands started at his wrists, keeping his hands on her face but they soon moved to his face, her thumb sweeping across his cheek, then around his neck. When they broke for air, she kept her head near his by standing on the pile of rocks she had sat on.

"Please tell me that wasn't goodbye." She pleaded with him, her eyes closed.

"No, it isn't; it's a big, giant sorry and please take me back." He told her and she smiled and opened her eyes.

"Always, Fox Mulder. I can only see myself with you, you are all I want." She told him and kissed him softly. She felt his hand move to his pocket and when she pulled back to look, found him holding her ring and apartment keys in his hand. She smiled and let him put the ring on her finger again before putting the keys on her key ring and packing away her keys and the book she was reading before leaping into his arms. Dana felt nothing but love and relief that everything had worked out just fine.

They spent the next 20 minutes talking about their plans for the day and it was decided that Dana would go to work and Mulder would run to his apartment and grab his dress clothes for under his gown and his shower stuff before heading over to her house, where he'd play ball with her younger brother and wait for her quick shift to be over with. They then would hang out until it was time to get ready for graduation. Then after Graduation, they'd swing by her house and let her thank any one there for coming and grab an overnight bag before heading to the grad party at the Y before returning to his apartment.

Both thought it was a good plan. Maggie was happy to see Mulder, as it had been a good long time since he had come over. Charlie was even happier when he learned he was there to play ball with him until Dana got back from work.

Dana was ecstatic at work and it showed. She earned what she normally earned during a Friday night dinner rush in a couple of hours with the richer patrons enjoying a wine and new menu item tasting.

She couldn't wait to get home.