Note: OK, I really went overboard this time. I am taking everyone completely out of character. I have to. There have been certain scenes in my head that I have been wanting to use, and this was the only way I could use them. This series is, for the most part, nuts and flakes. Don’t look for any redeeming value in this series. This is pure silliness which I will blame on Spring and the wonderful Seattle weather. –Batela.
*********
The woman approached hesitantly. She had already tried their home, but no one was there. A young girl in the yard next door told her to try Sheriff Skinner’s office.
"Yes, Ma’am, may I help you?" the receptionist asked. The strange woman in front of her was thin and didn’t look well, she was possibly homeless, so Becky spoke gently to her, not wanting to spook her. A child hid behind her skirt, shyly peeking out.
"Could I see the Sheriff? It won’t take long." She clutched at her bag.
"I’ll see if he’s available, can I tell him what it’s regarding?"
"It’s a personal matter." she whispered. Becky nodded and dialed the extension.
"You can go in, first door on the left." Becky directed her down the hall.
The woman walked slowly, holding the child’s hand. She knocked and entered at the bid. The man looked up, his face friendly. Becky had quickly rung him back and said to be extra nice, this one looked like an injured bird.
"Yes, Ma’am, I’m Skinner, how can I help you."
The woman had been afraid to approach him, he seemed so serious and commanding on the television.
"Actually, Sir, I need to speak with Fox Mulder but I’ve had a difficult time reaching him." she spoke in a soft voice. Skinner indicated a seat.
"Well, he’s usually home after 6, you can leave a message with me, if you’d like." He noticed the child peaking out. "Hey, little guy." Skinner gave him a reassuring smile. The boy came forward a little and Skinner gasped, his eyes widening.
"Oh, my God." he whispered. He looked at the woman and she gave a watery smile, nodding. Skinner picked up the phone and hit the speed dial. It was answered on the second ring.
"You’d better come home, now. No, the boys are fine, I’m fine. Just get home." He hung up and stood.
"It’s about an hour from the city. Why don’t we take this back to the house?" he suggested. She nodded, that was probably a good idea.
Mulder raced home, panicking. Normally it took him an hour and ten minutes, he made it in forty-five. He found Skinner in the kitchen, the heart of their home. The woman at the table brought him up short.
"Rhonda??"
"Hello, Fox." She held out her hands for him to take and he belatedly bent to kiss her cheek.
"It’s been, what, about 8 years?" He’d had a brief fling with her and he wondered just how much trouble he was in with Skinner. "Fox, you have another visitor. He’s waiting in the boys’ room." Skinner said gently. Mulder looked at him.
"Huh?" said the walking dictionary.
"Go and say hello, and then come back down here." Mulder could see that Skinner was being insistent so he gave Rhonda’s hands an apologetic squeeze and went on his mysterious errand.
Thirty minutes later, Mulder came back into the kitchen, his face white. He didn’t say a word as he opened the top cabinet, took down a shot glass and the bottle of scotch. He looked at the glass for a moment and took a slug directly from the bottle.
"That’s ... I... you..." he took another slug. Skinner took the bottle away from him and sat him down.
"When.. why didn’t you.. oh, my God, I have a son!"
************
"...so by the time I found out I was pregnant, we had already split up. I did leave you a message with the PBX operator for you to call me. You never did. I thought that you just didn’t want to talk to me anymore. You had that pretty partner, so why should you call me?" Rhonda wrung her tissue and dabbed at her eyes.
"I’d read about you once in a while, in the papers. I honestly thought that you were crazy, coming out with all that monster and alien stuff, so I thought it was for the best that you never knew about him. When all this started a couple of years ago, and I saw that you had been right, I felt so guilty, Fox. I called you again, really I did, several times. I even left notes on your door." She blew her nose. She couldn’t have known that notes and messages had a bad habit of being intercepted during that time.
"I never got any messages, Rhonda. I would never have left you on the lurch, I take responsibility for my actions. I would have helped you, what ever you wanted. I would have been there for you." He rubbed her shoulders. He couldn’t blame her for thinking that he was crazy, there were times when he thought he was crazy. Who wants their kid raised by a crazy father?
She dug into her bag, taking out a large envelope of papers and handed him one.
"I’ve told Adam that you didn’t know about him. I didn’t want him to blame you for anything, it wouldn’t have been fair to either of you. I think he understands, he’s very smart. I’ve done my best to do right by him, given him the best I could." she said, a mother’s pride shining through. Mulder read the paper and frowned.
"What is this? Rhonda, this is a medical report. Am I reading this correctly?" he couldn’t believe what he was reading.
"Yes, it’s correct. I’m dying, Fox. The prognosis is maybe two more months. Brain cancer; it’s in a bad spot, inoperable. I tried everything from kemo to holistic healing. How soap opera." Her laugh was slightly hysterical.
"Will you take him, Fox?" she asked in a whisper, her head bowed. Mulder drew her close, holding her.
"Yes, of course, I will." He looked over her shoulder to see Skinner in the doorway. Skinner nodded, he would stand by Mulder.
Mulder rocked her gently until she stopped crying. He handed her the box of tissues.
"Rhonda, I need to make sure that you understand the situation here. You do realize that I am in a relationship with another man, don’t you? I’m not going to leave him, I do share his bed, in this house. Adam would be living with the both of us and my two godsons." He had a sudden nightmare vision of her relatives descending on them with pitchforks and CPS workers.
Rhonda waved a hand.
"I know and I don’t care. Adam will have two fathers and two brothers. You’re a public figure, Fox, if there were any problems, someone would have dug it up by now. And I would like to think that this small town America wouldn’t have a Sheriff that abused children. I must say, though, I was very shocked when it hit the papers about the two of you. Rocked right through." she admitted.
Mulder smiled a little.
"I think that we were shocked more than anyone else, actually."
She looked at him, her eyes red-rimmed.
"Is he a good man, Fox? Are you happy with him? Is he good to those children?"
Before he could respond, the front door burst open and two small whirlwinds rushed through.
"Hi, Uncle Fox!" they clamored over him, surprised to see him home during the day, stealing hugs and kisses before running off into the kitchen to demand cookies and milk from ‘Uncle Walter!’. Rhonda laughed.
"Well, that answers that."
***********
They set up the couch, which had a hide-a-bed in it, so that Rhonda and Adam wouldn’t have to go to a hotel for the night. Mulder couldn’t take his eyes off the boy, his son. There was no denying who Adam’s father was, he was the spittin’ image, as their rural neighbors would say. His eyes were more blue than hazel, his jaw-line slightly wider, the nose was a definite improvement in Mulder’s opinion. Skinner was amused to point out that Mulder’s pouty lower lip had been given to another generation. All in all, though, there was no denying who young Adam Mulder’s father was.
Mulder spent an hour on the phone, talking with Scully. She had known that one day his past would come back to haunt him. She couldn’t wait to meet his son. He faxed her a copy of Rhonda’s medical report and Scully informed him that everything that could be done, had been done. The best thing that he could do is to make sure that Adam was prepared.
He lay against Skinner’s chest, thinking, as he absently twirled chest-hairs around his fingers.
"Are you ok with this?" Mulder asked quietly. A large hand stroked his back.
"I’m very happy for you, Fox. You’ll be a great father, I know you will, you’ve been wonderful with the twins. You’ve brought out the best in them, despite their dubious parentage, and I know that you’ll be even better with Adam; he has a better set of genes to work with." he teased Mulder gently.
"Hey, you know what we should do tomorrow? Take everyone into the city and do some shopping. Get a bunk for the younger ones and let Adam pick out a bed for himself. He’ll need a dresser, too. Maybe some clothes. Pick up some more groceries. I think we may need to consider an addition to the house, those boys are going to outgrow that bedroom fast."
Mulder climbed on top of Skinner and leaned down for a kiss.
"That’s all I am to you, just a paycheck." he whined. Skinner ran his hands along Mulder’s ass.
"Naw, I love you for more than your money." he squeezed the cheeks suggestively. Mulder licked at Skinner’s lips.
"I knew you had some depth to you." He kissed Skinner hard. "Make love to me." he asked against Skinner’s mouth. Skinner turned him over onto his back and untied his draw-string pajama bottoms. He reached in and cupped Mulder’s genitals, rubbing them gently.
"Did you lock the door?" Skinner asked. Mulder nodded. One embarrassing walk-in had been enough. Mulder shut his eyes and let himself float away with the sensations that his lover was causing in him. He moaned approvingly as Skinner licked at a nipple before sucking on it. That hot mouth and tongue seared a blaze across his torso before heading below his waist. Mulder arched his back and hissed, being mindful of the noise, as Skinner took his cock into his mouth. He kicked off his pajamas, giving Skinner room to prepare him properly. He almost cried out as a tongue entered him.
"God, I love it when you do that." Mulder breathed, he could go all night on that feeling. "Wait wait.." Mulder pushed him away and turned over onto his knees. He hugged a pillow to him, getting comfortable. Skinner spread his cheeks and dived back in with his tongue. Mulder buried his face in the pillow, letting out a small screech as his hips quivered. He rocked back and forth gently as he moaned his pleasure until he couldn’t take it anymore.
"Do it, do it, do it, now, pleeeeazze..." he begged. Skinner sat up and slowly pushed his cock into the tight ass.
"Oh, fuck, yessss..." Mulder bit the pillow as he groaned. Skinner paused for a moment, waiting for the muscles to loosen up, before taking them both for a long slow ride over the edge.
**********
The boys were thrilled with having a new playmate. Adam kept watching Mulder curiously all through breakfast. Mulder wasn’t going into work that day, so he took his time, much to the delight of Ivan and Pavel. Too much childish glee at that hour of the morning was too much for Mulder.
"Boys!" he whistled to get their attention. They looked at him in surprise. "I think that this would be a good time for books. One hour of math, please." They groaned but went off for their workbooks. Rhonda looked at him, also surprised.
"Aren’t they a little young for math?" she asked.
"They’re very bright." was all Mulder said, sipping his coffee.
Rhonda looked proudly at Adam who was sitting quietly, watching everyone.
"Adam reads at a 6th grade level. We have a little problem with numbers, but everything else he just whizzes right through. He was talking sentences at a year."
"Sounds like someone we know." Skinner commented.
"You’ve done great, Rhonda. It’s really good that you’ve encouraged him to learn, you’d be surprised at how many parents hold their kids back simply because they don’t understand why their kid is different from other kids." Mulder touched Adam’s hair, smoothing it. It was the same color and texture as his. Mulder was fascinated by the boy.
"You have a great mom, Adam, do you know that?"
The boy nodded. "Are you really my daddy?" he asked.
Mulder didn’t flinch away from the pointed question. Skinner stood against the counter, watching them. He had been quiet and unobtrusive, wanting to make sure that Adam centered on his new father before getting to know him.
"Yes, I am. Is that ok?" Mulder thought his heart was going to stop as he waited for the answer. Adam stared intently at him. Skinner saw that look everyday, he fell in love with it.
"Can I call you Daddy?"
"That would make me very happy." Adam held out his arms, wanting ‘up’. He was big for 7, but then Mulder was an early starter himself, looking 15 when he was 12. Mulder lifted him with a grunt and settled the child on his lap. He hugged the boy, pressing kisses to his head and face. "Thank you." he mouthed silently to Rhonda.
After breakfast, they walked over to Madison Howard’s office, the local lawyer. Rhonda gave him the papers her own lawyer had drawn up giving Mulder shared custody until her death at which time he would have full custody. They called in the notary and pulled Deputy Hoskins off the street to sign as a second witness.
They reigned in the twins, who never seemed to stop running, and packed them into the van. Skinner had long since given up his Taurus for a family sized mini-van. One did not shop for two growing boys with just a car.
Skinner noticed that Rhonda was looking a little wrung out.
"Are you alright?" he took her elbow and sat her down on the steps.
"Actually, I’m feeling a little tired. It’s been a busy few days for us." she apologized with a small smile. Mulder came over and squatted down.
"Listen, why don’t you stay here? Get some rest. It isn’t too often that this house is quiet." He squeezed her hand, letting her know that it was alright. The men had forgotten that she was a very sick person. She nodded and went to the van first to let Adam know.
"You have fun with your father and Uncle Walter, mind what they tell you." she admonished him. She held his face and gave him a couple of mommy-pecks on his bow mouth. The twins watched curiously. "Love you. Be good."
Mulder accompanied her into the house and put a blanket at her feet as she lay down on the couch. He put the phones on voice mail, and fetched her a glass of water and the remote for the TV before he left. He handed her the cordless phone and his cell phone number with orders to call him if she needed anything.
"Fox?" he stopped at the door and looked back in. "Thank you." she said, half asleep already.
Six hours later, the men were wincing at their poor abused credit cards. A bunk bed set, a child’s single with a red race car head board, a new dresser, a full set of clothes, educational books and toys, a bicycle, a handful of comic books, and lunch at Micky D’s; the men were as maxed out as their credit cards. The twins had begun throwing temper tantrums due to tired feet and the lack of a nap so they were bundled into the van. All three boys were entangled as they fell asleep before they were even out of the city. The boys were maxed out, too. The men let out exhausted breaths.
When they got home, the boys were still asleep so the men carried them into the house and put them to bed for another hour. The van could be unloaded later. It wasn’t D.C., no one would break into the van. Especially the Sheriff’s van. Rhonda was also asleep on the couch. Mulder straightened her blanket. Something about her face made him stop. His heart pounding, he put his fingers to an artery and waited. Her skin was cold. He looked up at Skinner and shook his head. Skinner called Doc Wilkins over to formalize Rhonda’s death.
Mulder smoothed her hair, remembering his one night with her; quite by accident, they had created a miracle that night. He went to wake up Adam.
"Are you awake enough to listen to me?" Mulder spoke softly so as to not wake up the twins next to him in the big bed. Adam nodded and rubbed his eyes.
"Do you remember what we talked about? About how sick your mom is?" He nodded again, his eyes scared. "She knew you were safe now, Adam, so she knew that it was ok to die." Mulder gathered the child into his arms, rocking him as he cried. "Do you want to go downstairs and say goodbye to her? You don’t have to if you don’t want to." Adam sniffed.
"Did it hurt her?" he croaked.
"No, son, it didn’t hurt her. She just went to sleep. Not a regular sleep, it’s a special kind of sleep, where she won’t wake up anymore." Not the best thing to tell a child, but then how else did one explain death?
Adam held tightly to Mulder’s hand as they walked down the stairs together. The smaller hand was sweaty and trembling. They stopped halfway across the livingroom. Adam looked at her. He turned away and Mulder quickly picked him up, hiding his face.
"It’s ok, son, it’s alright." The boy clung tightly to him, shaking, as Mulder stroked his back and hair. Mulder looked over to Skinner.
"I’m going to put him in our bed. He’s going to be traumatized. Would you mind dealing with everything so that I can stay with him?"
Skinner touched both heads with their identical brown silky hair.
"You go on, take care of him."
Mulder nodded and turned.
"Fox? Are you alright?" Mulder leaned around Adam and brushed Skinner’s lips, not saying anything as he carried his son upstairs.
*************
None of Rhonda’s family could be found, a check with Adam said that he had never met anybody, so they buried her in the town’s cemetery. Scully set a couple of agents to track down any family that Rhonda might have left. Adam had a couple of sleepless nights, being afraid that he wouldn’t wake up either, but after realizing that everyone else woke up after their sleep, he began to relax. Being so young helped him to cope. Mulder found a picture of Adam and his mother in her wallet, so he framed it and gave it to the boy, thinking that it might help him.
It only took two more weeks for chaos to reappear.
"Tell me again about the proper use of condoms, Mulder?" Krycek said with a gleam in his eyes after meeting Adam.
"It. Broke." Mulder annunciated. He was becoming irritated trying to figure out just how Krycek always seemed to know when there was something going on that he could stick his fingers into. Mulder had turned the house upside down looking for bugs, he even had the Gunmen come in with their equipment, but nothing was found.
"Yeah, I’ve heard that one before. Try another chapter."
Mulder looked around for little ears, the boys were outside playing in the yard under the watchful eye of Mrs. Chavez.
"Fuck you, Krycek."
A thunder of feet ran in minutes later.
"Alex! Come and see the kittens!" Ivan and Pavel tugged at his hands. Krycek grimaced.
"Kittens. Oh boy." he said, "Mulder, you do realize that they are bio-engineered to be like me, don’t you?" he complained.
"That’s a scary thought, Krycek, however, the FBI could always use more talented agents. They just need their talents pushed in the right direction." Mulder gave him a saccharine smile, one he had learned from Scully. It made him feel like shit whenever she used it on him. Krycek looked as though he were being dragged away to a firing squad.
Skinner felt that this was punishment enough for all the crap Krycek pulled on him in the past. He knew that most of the time Krycek was just full of it; the man didn’t have to visit, he didn’t have to be nice to the boys, and he certainly could have stopped them from dragging him off to see a litter of kittens, if he really wanted to. Somewhere deep down inside, was a civilized human being waiting to break out. Skinner thought that it would be a cold day in hell, but stranger things have happened. He suddenly chuckled; the notorious Alex Krycek, expert assassin and all around bad guy, brought to his knees by two 4 year olds and a litter of kittens.
End pt 4