Ok so I just randomly thought of this story. I had been thinking about The X Files recently because someone I know looks kinda like Gillian Anderson. She is taller and built a little differently but still. Her and my mom were talking and she just had this expression on her face that made me realize it. And that got me thinking and then I had this idea. I read a story here that sort of inspired me, but I can't find it again. I procrastinated in writing this down, as usual.

Disclaimer: The X Files don't belong to me, sadly. So please don't sue me, I have no money, except that which I am saving up to buy the boxed set of the X Files, so the owners pretty much get my money anyways

Note: This is my first attempt at an X Files fan fiction but I have some NCIS stories posted here. If you like NCIS you should go check them out. Um please review and let me know what you think. Thanks.

Chapter 1: Another Move, Another First Day

Dana Scully was a navy brat. As much as she hated it, she couldn't change it. She was twelve years old and had lived in almost as many places. Her father had told the family one night over dinner about another of their impending moves.

It didn't affect the other children as much as it did Dana. They made new friends easily and kept moderately in touch with certain ones along the way and managed to forget the others. Dana couldn't do that. She was not as apt to make friends and even less apt to let them go. Ahab had taken her aside that night before bed.

"I know the school year just started Starbuck and you wanted to make some friends this year. But this time I think I have a long term location. I'm going to be gone for a while but when I come back I won't have to leave again for a few months. And this could go on for years. I think you might get to stay there until you graduate. I'll try okay Starbuck?" She nodded at her father's words. "There's two bases close enough to the house. That house might even survive a transfer. I'm going to try. I want high school to be good for you. I want you to have friends you'll have forever. I want you to have time like you haven't had in all the other schools." She smiled and he kissed her cheek as she ran up to bed.

She lay in bed that night thinking about everywhere she had lived. The earliest she could remember was Florida. They had spent almost a year there. She started kindergarten and got to finish the school year but they left the week after. Then they had gone to Texas for about six months. Then it was Georgia. They stayed there about a year. Halfway through second grade she had to leave her friends and be the new kid again. This time it was Monterey, California. They stayed about a year there again. They ended up in Washington after that and stayed for a year, almost to the day. She started to notice patterns and began telling the few people she played with or sat with in class that she would be leaving soon. She was almost always right. After Washington was Maine. They stayed for only ten months this time. After that they moved to Illinois for a year or so. She didn't really like it there. Now they were in San Diego. Her father had said something at dinner about where they were moving next. She wanted to know. She kept a list on a piece of worn paper in her Bible. One of her friends had found it and asked if she was a foster kid. She had said that foster kids kept lists like that. Dana had told her that some of the navy brats, as they were often called, kept lists too.

Dana desperately tried to remember what Ahab had said but she hadn't been really listening. 'Washington!' that was it! But no it wasn't. It was Washington D.C. that he had said. They would be living in Maryland so he could be close to Washington D.C. and Annapolis if he needed to be. She sighed to herself deciding that if one house and one school could survive a transfer she would be happy.

Within a week they were packed and moved. The Navy had their stuff in a moving truck and they were in their car, which had been waiting for them when they got off the plane. The kids walked in and set their stuff in their rooms. As soon as the major furniture had been set up they all began to piece together their rooms. Dana thought as she worked.

'It will be just like my last school. Bill we be Mr. Popular of the sophomore class in no time flat. Missy will make friends and find some spiritual happiness here no matter what this town is like to new freshmen. Charlie will be fine, he always is. He's like rubber, always bouncing back. He will be like Bill, popular, but not because of athletics or attitude, but because it's impossible not to like him. Hopefully he will not be as protective of me as Bill is. Bill can't be protective of Missy really; she's almost as old as him but he has no problem not letting me do things I want. I think it's because I was a tomboy and always getting hurt when I was younger.' She was finally finished with her room and she went outside to see what the neighborhood was like.

Bill had protested but she promised to stay in the front yard and he reluctantly agreed when her mother had told him to leave her alone. Sitting on the front steps she watched the late evening sun. It was already November and it was very chilly. She wore long pants and boots with a long sleeved shirt and a windbreaker. She knew she would have to go in before it got dark and cold. Just then a car pulled up at the house next door and spotted the moving truck as it left. The man that got out waved to her and she smiled at him. He seemed nice. A little girl of about nine came sprinting out the door at him. He was already on the porch at that point and they went inside. A boy about her age had gotten out of the car and looked at her for a moment before she looked up. He smiled. There was something about his smile that made her think she could find a friend.

The boy carried a basketball under one arm as he walked over to the short fence separating their yards. She got up to meet him at the fence. She didn't know, but her older brother was watching from his bedroom window. He had the front bedroom and could see everything that went on. The boy from next door stuck out his hand for her to shake.

"Hi. I'm Fox Mulder. But you can call me Mulder. I don't really like my first name."

"Hi. I'm Dana Scully. I just moved in. My dad is in the Navy so we move a lot. I'm in seventh grade. What grade are you in?" He grinned widely. He liked this girl, she seemed nice.

"Same as you. When do you start school?"

"Tomorrow. Maybe you could show me around a little? I try not to be the new kid for a long time."

"Of course. Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"Yeah. I have a little brother. He's in fifth grade. And I have an older brother in tenth and a sister in ninth."

"Is that your older brother?" Mulder asked, nodding at the window. Dana whipped around to see her brother duck from the window.

"Yeah, he's really protective. Well it's getting late and cold and my mom will have dinner ready soon. I'll see you tomorrow at the front of the school then?" She was begging a little, hoping that her first possible friend wouldn't back out on his offer. He nodded and smiled that half smile.

"Definitely. I'll even introduce you to some people so you won't be new anymore. Good night, Dana."

"Good night, Mulder." As they went their separate ways they realized they had been so caught up in conversation they had been shaking hands for quite some time. Dana blushed as she walked back up her front stairs and into the living room where Bill was waiting angrily.

"What do you think you're doing, talking to a stranger like that?!"

"I was just meeting our neighbors Bill. They seem very nice." This made Bill angry. She had a very legitimate reason to be talking to him. "Mulder is in my grade and he's going to show me to my classes tomorrow. He offered. He's the nicest neighbor I can remember us having." She smirked. Growing up with Bill's overprotective nature had taught her how to push his buttons without getting into trouble or giving him any reason to yell at her.

Maggie Scully called them in for dinner and asked how the neighborhood looked. Dana replied with her information on the neighbors, concluding that she had already made a friend and she was very happy. When Ahab returned from work that night it was late and the kids were almost ready for bed. Before going upstairs Dana had told him that she was happy they had moved and she wanted to stay.

"I'm glad to hear you say that Starbuck!" he replied. "You've never been happy anywhere we lived before. It's a good thing the Navy agreed to let me stay until Charlie graduates!" He smiled as his youngest daughter took in the information and began jumping up and down. She hugged him tightly, kissed his cheek and went to bed smiling.

The next morning Dana was up bright and early to take a shower and pick out something to wear for school. She decided on a warm pair of jeans and a sweater with her jacket.

"You should try to look more girly this year, Dana." Missy told her. She looked down at her outfit. She was dressed pretty girly considering what she looked like the year before. She was short and had red hair though. She thought that made her very un-girly. She made her way downstairs and got up onto a stool at the kitchen counter. She ate a bowl of cereal and talked to her mom. Once the children were ready Maggie got them into the family car and drove them to their schools. Melissa and Bill were first because their school started earliest. They seemed to be fine and it was Dana's turn next. She walked up to the office and got her schedule. She was given a list of the books she would need and was directed to the library. She looked at the clock on her way out. She left the office in hopes that Mulder was already at school. Sure enough he was walking over to the office as she walked out.

He saw her and waved. She waved back and he walked up. "So you need your books?" She nodded and he walked her to the library. The books made a large pile in front of her. The woman asked for her ID number. She pulled the slip out of her pocket and read the number off. The librarian was finished with her books and went back to her tasks. She looked over at the stack and Mulder began to laugh. She could barely see over it when it sat on the counter. She glared playfully at him. It was just so easy to hang out with him. She could feel herself opening up and for once she didn't mind. This time getting hurt wasn't really an option.

He handed her two of the books on top and picked up the rest. He told her that she didn't need to bring any of them to school, they were for homework only. She sighed. "Well where am I going to put them? I don't want you to carry them around all day, and I obviously can't." He grinned.

"I know a teacher. You probably have her for Life Science. Mrs. Aarons." Dana looked down at her schedule and saw that she did indeed have Mrs. Aarons for Life Science. It was fifth period. Mulder looked over her shoulder and smiled.

"You have a few classes with me. First, Fourth, Fifth, and Sixth." She smiled. At least she would have a friend. "C'mon, Dana. I'll take you to drop off your books." School was starting soon and they walked up to the science room. There was a garden outside and Dana liked it already. "Mrs. Aarons?" Mulder looked in and spotted his teacher.

"Mulder. It's nice to see you. But I don't have you in class until this afternoon. What brings you all the way up here?" She noticed Dana standing near him and the books in their arms.

"Mrs. Aarons I would like you to meet my friend Dana. She's new here. She's in your class with me and I told her she could maybe put her books in your room."

"Of course you can dear." Her smile was warm and welcoming. She led them over to an unused shelf and said the books would be safe there and that they could pick them up after school. They still had almost ten minutes and Mulder decided to show her to her classes. They walked all over the campus and she felt like she could make it on her own. He insisted that if she got lost she should just look for him and he would come help her. The school was small. It had two hallways at the bottom near the P.E. area and gym and two more hallways on the other side of the cafeteria and outdoor tables.

She was a little unfamiliar with the idea of indoor hallways. Her last school had been in California where it never snowed and rained very little. He assured her that she would get used to it quickly. The bell rang and they walked to their first class: math. The teacher made a big deal about her being new and having her students welcome her to the class. She thought Mulder looked like he was holding back a laugh the whole time. Then she was seated in front of him and they could occasionally talk or she could ask him to give her directions to her next class as a reminder. When the bell rang to go to second period he told her that he would meet her at her class and introduce her to some of his friends. She nodded and left. He watched her small form walk timidly through the horde of people, 90 percent of whom already knew that it was her first day.

After her second period of history she waited outside the door for Mulder to come get her. She looked right then left and suddenly felt alone. He wasn't there. Then she heard someone making a lot of noise from the end of the hall. She looked and there was Mulder red in the face and walking quickly toward her. "This way." He said, out of breath. They walked to the end of the hall and around the corner to where a girl and boy about their age sat on the floor. "There's a fight outside. First one of the year. Oh sorry. Dana, this is Monica and John. John, Monica, this is Dana. She's new here. She lives next door to me." He motioned for her to sit with them.

"So who's fighting?" John asked Mulder.

"Gerald and Frank again. They just like making waves." They only had a 10 minute break which they managed to talk through. Dana had learned that John and Monica had been best friends with Mulder since kindergarten and had been the closest thing to dating that you could actually manage in middle school, for about six months. They hung out together, held hands sometimes, and walked each other to class. The bell rang and the four stood up. Dana thought she was having the best first day at a new school she had ever had. John and Monica walked toward the hall she had just came from and Mulder started walking to the other hall. "You coming or what? My class is next to yours." She walked quickly to catch up with him and he walked her to class. She sat in her study skills class and waited for her next class, P.E.

The study skills class was a little boring to her, but it could have just been the teacher. Mr. Johnson was nice enough but he was old and talked in a monotone. He pointed to a desk when she introduced herself and then he continued writing on the board. After the bell rang she walked toward the gym and into the girls' locker room. She walked up to the woman in there and told her that she was new and needed a uniform. She had already paid for it at the office. She was given a pair of forest green shorts, a pair of forest green sweats, and a gray t-shirt, all with the school emblem. She pulled the running shoes from her backpack and walked to the locker she had been given. It was a tiny locker that could only be used for gym. She changed quickly and went over to the mirror to put up her hair. It was about shoulder length and she didn't want it in her face while she was running. There were a few strands at the front that popped out. They were the last traces of her bangs. They were too long to be bangs and too short to properly fit into her pony tail. She tried to push them behind her ears and entered the gym. She had opted for the sweats due to the weather.

After entering the gym she scanned the crowd and found her only friends. Mulder was sitting with Monica and John. They had all gone with sweats too. She walked over to them. "Hey guys."

"Hey Dana! Sit down. Our teacher isn't here today. We don't really have to do anything. She won't be back for a while. Her son was born last week. There was an announcement about it the other day. So we have subs for a while." Dana smiled. She sat down between Mulder and Monica. She joined into their conversation easily. For once she felt like she was right where she belonged. Something hit Dana after John had finished speaking.

"What do we do for lunch around here?"

"We usually have lunch together. I meet the guys after I change and we walk to the cafeteria. The food is pretty good. I've heard some of the other school don't have very good food though. You're lucky you're here." Monica told Dana as she smiled. Dana nodded. The bell to dress rang and they parted. Dana got dressed near her locker. As she was puling on her boots Monica walked up and sat on the end of the bench. Dana closed her locker and grabbed her backpack. "Let's go." They walked out together and found the guys waiting at the door of the gym.

The four walked together to the cafeteria and stood in line. It wasn't open yet because the bell hadn't rung. Only the kids who had P.E. were out of class. After a few moments the bell rang and the kids ran to get in line. It started moving and before they knew it the four of them had their cheeseburgers, French fries and milks and were walking to the end of one of the tables. Dana learned that this was where they always sat.

"So Mulder was saying that your dad is in the Navy. Is that why you move around a lot?" She nodded. "Where have you lived?"

"Well," she said in between mouthfuls, "the farthest back I can remember is kindergarten. I got to stay at that school for a year. I know that I've lived in ten different cities across nine states. When I was five it was Jacksonville, Florida. It was nice there and I got to stay for the whole school year. Then Texas, then Georgia, then California, Washington, Maine, Illinois, and back to a different part of California. I didn't really like any of them that much. Maine was the best. There are a lot of lighthouses there. Sometimes my mom would take me to see them. I really like it here though." She smiled at them. "I feel like I have real friends."

"How often do you move?" Mulder asked. He seemed a little worried, like he was afraid that she would leave soon and he wouldn't get to see her again.

"Usually once a year, but this time my dad asked if he could stay put for a while and work at the bases in Washington D.C. and Annapolis. They said yes so we get to stay until my little brother is done with high school!" She was so happy and she wanted them to know that she wasn't going to leave. She hadn't told anyone yet. Mulder looked really happy and Monica and John seemed to be grateful as well. Their lunch time was a pleasant one until someone started yelling from the next table over.

"Hey you! Yeah you! New Girl!" The four friends looked up to see a boy yelling at them. "You're kinda small to be in the seventh grade. What did you like skip a few grades? Maybe you're a fifth grader really! Some kind of egghead ten year old they sent here to make us look bad!" His friends seemed to find this funny and some of the other eighth graders did too. Other than that people were either very quiet waiting for her reply or didn't care and went back to their lunch.

Dana wanted to scream and yell at him the way she did with Bill but the words wouldn't come out. She didn't care about his comment about her being studious, she was, she cared about the small comment. Her mom and sister were not very tall but at her age they had been much taller and she was always afraid of being the shortest person in her family forever because she hadn't found a way to make herself rise above the teasing yet. Mulder and John saw this and jumped up to her rescue yelling at the boy to be quiet and leave them alone while Monica comforted her with the fact that the boy who had said it was pretty much hated by everyone anyways and no one took him seriously.

"Alvin would you just shut your trap for once in your life. I don't see you getting a medal of honor for picking on the new kids." Another eighth grader from the end of their table commented. He seemed to be the only person whose opinion overrode the boy's.

"Thanks Skin Man." Mulder called down the table. "Don't worry about Alvin Kersh, Dana. He doesn't like anyone who isn't his 'crew'. He made fun of me in sixth grade for being tall." Dana smiled and even chuckled a little. They went back to pleasant conversation until their lunch had ended. Afterwards Mulder and Dana said goodbye to their friends and walked to Life Science. Mrs. Aarons was a fun teacher and gave Dana an energetic welcome. She even had the class introduce themselves. She asked Dana where she was from and what brought her to their area. She looked at Mulder who smiled encouragingly, knowing that she was from everywhere.

"Um, I came from San Diego, and my family moved here because my dad is in the Navy and this is where he was transferred to." Mrs. Aarons thanked her and gave her the seat next to Mulder. She had switched the seating chart around so Dana would be able to sit next to the only person she knew who could help her to be caught up on the chapters. The class went by pretty fast and during the hour she noticed that the military alphabet was displayed on one wall and the schedule was written in 24 hour military time. She smiled, knowing this made her feel a little bit better.

Sixth period arrived and Mulder walked with her to their Language Arts class where Monica and John were waiting. They went inside and Dana introduced herself to the teacher. Her name was Ms. Richards. She got the class's attention and announced that they had a new student. Dana waved and the class waved back. Monica raised her hand quickly and was called on.

"Ms. Richards, can Dana sit at our table? We have an open seat and we already know her so we can help her get caught up."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea Monica. Dana, why don't you go have a seat next to Fox." She nodded and walked over, smiling as she sat down with her friends. She mouthed her thanks to Monica who smiled and nodded. School soon ended and they walked back to Mrs. Aarons' room to pick up Dana's books. She grabbed the two small ones and Mulder grabbed the rest. They headed out to the parking lot where Maggie would pick up Dana. They saw her in the car already with Charlie in the back. She opened the door and Mulder set her books on the floor.

"Thanks. Oh, Mom, this is my friend Mulder. He lives next door."

"Hi. Mrs. Scully. I'm Fox Mulder. But you can just call me…" he was cut off by Mrs. Scully.

"Oh. It was very nice of you to help Dana with her books and get her settled into her classes. Thank you so much, Fox. You should come over for supper sometime. Maybe we could have a family meal later in the week." He smiled and nodded. It seemed like her mother was the only person who could call him Fox. He said his goodbyes to them all because his mother was coming to pick him up soon. He waved as they left and he could see Dana waving out her window at him.

Ok so it was long but I don't care. I write long chapters. Well the list thing was an idea that I got from an episode of Bones (which I also don't own) and there are some references to other stuff in here. I used a lot of things from the middle school I went to but the colors are from my best friend's middle school. In this it's 6th, 7th, and 8th in one school. It was really weird for me though, when I was writing I was trying to match the layout of my old school but then I realized that it would have to have indoor hallways and mine didn't because we don't need them in CA. I totally made up the places where Scully lived. There are Navy bases there but idk if she lived there. That's just my guess. Um, this is just my overactive imagination and I decided to make Charlie the stereotypical little brother who wants to be like his big brother but won't ever be. That's about it. Please review and let me know what you think.