Family
Chapter One
Date: August 26, 2001
Fandom: X-Files, AU
Category: discipline
Rating: G
Status: WIP
Archive: yes to Persuaders
Feedback: please whiteoaks@writeme.com, rvclogan@aol.com
Disclaimers: recognizable characters belong to CC and 1013, no money is
being made
Summary: AU, a polio outbreak has caused a new family to come together
The Polio outbreak had spread through the community like a wild fire
during a drought. It seemed no family had been spared its wrath.
Fourteen-year-old Walter Skinner knew he should be happy that his
father, brothers and sisters were still healthy, but it was difficult.
He'd been very close to his mother and her loss permeated every moment
of his life.
The boy took a deep breath, held it for a count of twenty, and then
slowly exhaled. He finished pulling the wet cloth through the wringer,
put the last shirt in the basket, and headed up the stairs to hang them
on the line in the back yard. After his wife's death, Walter's father
had divided her chores between himself and all the children. Walter had
assigned the washing in addition to his normal chores. It made sense;
he wasn't old enough to drive, so he couldn't do the grocery shopping.
He was not a good cook, so he didn't have to prepare meals. He had a
tendency to scorch clothes when he ironed, and he'd never mastered
folding clothes well enough to satisfy his father. He could, however,
operate the wringer washer, he could measure the soap correctly, and he
was certainly strong enough to lift the basket of wet laundry and carry
it outside. He was tall enough to pin the clothes to the clothesline
and observant enough to make sure nothing was dragged through the dirt.
So, besides chopping wood for the stove and keeping the woodbins full,
washing clothes had become his responsibility, his "inheritance" after
the untimely death of his mother.
He glanced idly around the yard as he pinned the wet laundry to the
line. Two of his brothers were hoeing in the garden Carl and Luke
were one year older than Walter and they'd taken to gardening from an
early age. His mother used to say that the twins were born with green
thumbs. It was only natural that the garden had become their
responsibility. They also took care of the family's small orchard plus
their normal lawn chores. In the winter they did most of the snow
shoveling. As long as the work was outside the two fifteen year-olds
were content to do it. Watching them, Walter wondered what it was like
to so attuned to another person. Sometimes Luke and Carl seemed to read
each other's minds. Walter couldn't remember them ever fighting with
each other. He envied their closeness. Walter had never had a best
friend. Luke and Carl were each born with one.
He heard the family's old car before he saw it. If the car were a few
years older they would have needed a crank to start it. His mother had
cherished it, however. It was a symbol of her freedom to explore and
shop for bargains. It freed her from depending on her husband to get
the groceries, plus it meant she could handle it alone when one of the
kids needed emergency medical treatment. With eight active children in
the Skinner family, trips to the doctor and hospital were common.
Walter's oldest brother was now both driver and mechanic. Dave seemed
to be able to tell from just a sound what the vehicle needed to keep it
running. His clothes always seemed to have grease stains as the result
of his constant tinkering. Walter was amazed his mother had never
complained about it. He certainly wanted to-whenever it was time to do
laundry!
A voice called to him from the back door, startling him out of his
reverie.
"Walter, will you help carry in the groceries?" Mandy asked. Just a
year older than the twins and one year younger than David, Mandy had
taken over the cooking chores. Several times a week she made of list of
supplies the family needed. Dave would take it and do his best to
obtain the items at the least cost. His mother had been an expert at
spotting sale items and Dave had learned from her. He watched the ads
in the newspaper and paid attention to signs in the shop windows. He
managed to fill most of the families needs without overspending their
father's budget for food. Today he had both the back seat and the trunk
full of bags that held groceries and animal feed.
"Sure Mandy," Walter replied with a smile. "It won't hurt the clothes
to sit in the basket a couple of minutes." He jogged to the car, and
then took the grocery bags his sister held out to him. As he carried
them to the house, he couldn't help peering into them, curious about
what they held. There were two bags of flour, another bag of sugar, and
envelopes of yeast. He also saw spices, raisins and walnuts. Suddenly
he remembered tomorrow was his Dad's birthday. His father loved spiced
apple cake with raisins and walnuts and he knew Mandy was going to make
his favorite cake for tomorrow night's celebration. He couldn't help
smiling. Spiced apple cake was a favorite of his, too.
The back door swung open just as he approached. It was his youngest
sister. She'd seen him approaching, arms full, and now held the door
open for him.
"Thanks Becky," he said, smiling at the child affectionately. "How's
your hand?"
Becky was the family member who'd been assigned the ironing. Yesterday
she had tripped on her loose shoelace and burned her hand with the
iron. It wasn't bad enough to see the doctor, but Walter knew it really
hurt. He'd helped her run cold water over it while Mandy had gone in
search of the first aid kit and burn cream. He'd been impressed that,
as much as it must have hurt, Becky had never complained and had gone
right back to the ironing when Mandy finished wrapping the burn. He was
sure most other thirteen-year-old girls would have burst into tears at
the very thought, or at least tried to use it as an excuse to get out of
work.
"It's not bad," she answered. "Mandy checked it a little while ago and
said it looked like it was starting to heal."
"That's good," Walter replied, placing the bags on the kitchen table.
"Just be careful. And let me know if you need help with anything,
okay?" Much as he tried not to show it, the boy had a special place in
his heart for his tomboy little sister. He'd do anything to keep her
safe and happy. "I don't mind doing a little extra work if it means
your hand heals faster." He bent slightly and kissed her temple.
Becky shoved him with her unburned hand and scrubbed at her temple.
"Stop that!" she told him, a blush brightening her cheeks. "It's just a
little burn. Now, get out of here so Mandy and I can get back to work.
Don't you have laundry to do?"
"Yes, ma'am!" Walter smiled, saluted and left to finish hanging the
wash. He heard Becky giggling behind him. It was a sound he wanted to
hear more. There hadn't been much laughter in the house since his
mother's death six months before.
Luke and Carl looked up from their gardening. "Was that Becky
laughing?" Luke asked, clearly surprised.
"Yep. I kissed her. She told me to get out..," Walter answered. He
was grinning ear to ear.
"Sounds good to hear her laugh," Carl remarked. "We need to do that
more." He turned to look at Luke. "I think we're done for today."
Seeing Luke nod he turned back to Walter. "Can we help you with the
laundry? We could finish hanging those while you do the next load."
"Oh, that'd be great!" he responded. "I never seem to be able to catch
up with it all. Just bring the basket down when you're done so I can
fill it again."
Walter headed back into the house to start the next load. With Luke and
Carl's help, he might be able to get two more loads done before dinner.
That'd give Matt and Jack plenty to do after dinner. At eleven and
nine, they'd been assigned the task of taking the clothes off the line
when they were dry. Since he was younger and shorter, Jack would hold
the bottom of the clothes while Matt took them off the line. Together
they'd put the clothes in the basket. They could fold the sheets and
towels. Mandy and Becky usually folded the rest of the clothes. And
everyone helped by folding his or her own socks and underwear.
Walter hummed softly as he started the next load. His father would be
pleased at the amount of work they had accomplished today. His Dad
worked such long hours; he had few to spend with his children. Walter
wanted those hours to be pleasant ones.
Frank Skinner drove slowly up the winding road. Two more steep hills
before he could turn onto the road to his home he thought wearily. The
car was old and it seemed to feel each one every time he drove this
road.
It had been another long day; he was looking forward to being with his
children. He missed his wife desperately, but their children made all
the work he did worthwhile. He could see his wife in their faces and
hear her in their chatter as they worked and played. The eight of them
were a living tribute to her and the years they'd shared before her
untimely death.
Frank slowed the car as he came upon a boy pushing a bike up the steep
hill. Recognizing the young man, he stopped when the car drew beside
him. Frank opened the passenger door and leaned out
"Fox? Can I give you a lift?"
Fox Mulder was the son of a neighbor. At only twelve, the boy had lost
his father to polio. His younger sister had also been infected, but
perhaps unfortunately, she had survived only to be completely
paralyzed. She lived in an institute, spending most of her time in an
iron lung. Frank had heard from others that Teena, Fox's mother, had
retreated from the world after the tragedies, leaving Fox to care for
both of them however he could.
The boy did the housework, yard work, and bicycled the long way into
town to pick up groceries for them. Frank had considered stopping by
the Mulder home to talk to Teena about Fox, but he knew she would not
react well to what she'd see as interference. She and Bill had not
socialized with their neighbors. Nevertheless, Frank had gotten to know
their son rather well. The boy had helped him change a flat tire during
a pouring rain once. He'd also helped find Jack when he had wandered
off two years ago. Since then Frank had made a point of stopping to
talk to the boy when he saw him bicycling along the road. He'd even
given him a ride a few times when Fox had groceries to carry. The boy
was polite, helpful and a hard worker. From his own children Frank knew
Fox was exceedingly bright. He'd already skipped one grade and there
was talk that the school had wanted to advance him again when the polio
epidemic had hit. Classes had been cancelled and were only going to
resume next month. Too many had been lost for the school authorities to
open earlier.
The boy scrubbed his face, then turned to look at Frank. There were
muddy steaks on his cheeks where he had tried to wipe away tears.
"Mr. Skinner? Yes, thank you. I'd like that, sir." Fox motioned to
his bicycle, "The chain broke. I was supposed to be getting groceries
for dinner. Now I'm late and I never made it to the store. My Mom's
going to be real mad.... If I can get home fast, and find a spare chain
in the garage, I might still be able to get to the store before it
closes. Dinner will be really late, though...." Fox scuffed his right
shoe against the dirt. "Sorry, that's not your problem. I shouldn't be
rambling on. I would appreciate the ride, however." He looked up and
tried to smile.
Frank put the car in "Park," got out and walked around to the boy.
"Fox, don't worry about the chain. Instead, I'd like to invite you and
your mother to have dinner with my family. We always have more than
enough food, plus Dave can help you fix the bike. He always has several
spare bike chains around. How does that sound?"
The boy smiled at the unexpected kindness. "That'd be great, Mr.
Skinner," he said, then he frowned. "I don't know if my Mom will accept
though, she doesn't like to leave her room much these days."
Frank laid an arm gently around the boy's shoulders. "If she doesn't
want to, you're still invited. I'll have the kids pack up a plate for
your mother. We can take it to her before we eat, okay?"
Fox nodded, his eyes brimming with tears once again. Frank helped him
put the bike in car's trunk, and then they headed for Mulder home.
Frank followed Fox through the kitchen door. Soon they heard Teena's
bedroom door open. "Where have you been?" she yelled angrily at Fox.
"I've been waiting over an hour for you." She was surprised to see
Frank standing behind her son. "Has he done something wrong?" she asked
shrilly.
"No, Mrs. Mulder," Frank answered quickly. "Of course not. The chain
on his bike broke before he made it to the grocery store. I found him
pushing the bike up the hill. I thought I'd take the opportunity to ask
the two of you to dinner tonight. My oldest boy can help Fox fix the
bike after dinner." Frank wanted to dispel Mrs. Mulder's anger. He
wondered if she was always this angry or if this was just because Fox
was late today.
Mrs. Mulder seemed lost for a second. Finally she answered, "Thank you
for your invitation. Unfortunately, I don't feel up to leaving my home
right now."
Frank spoke again quickly before she could continue, "Then, would it be
all right if Fox had dinner with us? We'll bring a plate back for you
before we eat so you won't have to wait very long."
Again, Teena seemed to have trouble following the question. After a
long, awkward silence, she answered. "Yes, that would be all right.
Thank you. I appreciate your kindness."
Frank decided it was best to move quickly. "You're welcome, Mrs.
Mulder. We'll go now and return shortly with your meal." He grasped
Fox's shoulder and led him to the door.
They quickly seated themselves in the car and backed out of the
driveway. Fox gently touched Frank's arm. "Thank you for helping me.
I don't know what my Mom would have done if you hadn't been there."
Frank took his eyes off the road momentarily, glancing at the boy beside
him. "Do you think she would have hit you?"
"No, sir, nothing like that. But sometimes, you know, well, words hurt
worse than slaps. I can't seem to do anything right anymore." The boy
turned to stare out the window.
"Fox, I know it's hard right now. You and your mother have suffered a
great loss. Give it time. It will get better."
"I'd like to believe that, sir," he said softly but his words betrayed
his lack of faith in that eventuality. In the dwindling light, Frank
saw him wipe a stray tear from his cheek. He seemed to hesitate, then
blurted out the rest. "Last night she told me she wished it was me who
was in the hospital or dead, instead of Samantha or my Dad. She said I
was useless...." He stopped just as suddenly and choked back a sob.
Frank pulled the car over the to the side of the road immediately.
"Fox, she didn't mean that, she couldn't mean that," he said quietly.
"You're her son; she loves you. She's just sad and confused now."
He pulled the boy into his arms and tried to give him some comfort. He
held him until the sobs abated, then gave the boy his handkerchief.
"You'll feel better with some good food in your stomach, Fox," he said
gently. "And don't think I'm bragging but my daughter Mandy's a real
good cook."
Fox nodded tentatively, then tried to smile. Frank put the car back in
gear, and they drove the short distance to the house in silence. As he
pulled the car to a stop in the driveway, he reached over and patted
Fox's hand. "Let's see if you agree that Mandy's meat loaf's a real
winner," he said with a wink and a smile.
"Well, since I do the cooking at my house, it won't be hard for her to
impress me," Fox answered with the first genuine smile Frank had seen on
his face that day.
Fox looked around the table. He could not remember when he'd enjoyed a
meal this much. The food was much better than anything he could
prepare. Actually, it was better than anything his mother had made
before... everything had happened. Plus, everyone seemed to like each
other. They talked about things they were doing and teased each other
in a way that made him feel how much they loved each other. It was so
unlike his own solitary meals that he wished he could stay forever.
"Fox, do you want some ice cream?" Walter asked, pulling him out of his
own thoughts.
Fox looked at the bowl Walter was holding out to him. "Yes, please.
It's been ages since I had ice cream."
"You'll like this. Luke and Carl made it yesterday."
Fox took the bowl. "Thank you." He looked at Carl and Luke, "Thank
you, too."
Dave watched as Fox swallowed his first spoonful. He smiled as a
blissful expression formed on the boy's face. His Dad had explained to
him what had happened at Fox's house. While he didn't want all the kids
to know about it, he thought Dave could help him see that Fox had a good
evening. One that he could remember fondly when he returned home to his
cold house and solitary life. It hadn't been hard for Frank to see
Teena Mulder provided no parental presence for the boy.
Once the ice cream was finished and everyone had carried their bowls
into the kitchen, Dave hooked an arm around Fox's shoulders.
"Let's go take a look at your bike now." He gently guided the boy out
of the house. While he hadn't been explicitly invited, Walter followed
them. He'd never really talked to Fox before tonight. Now that he had,
he wanted to get to know the boy better. He'd discovered that Fox was
just as smart as everyone said, but unlike what he'd heard, he was
neither spoiled nor stuck-up. He was bright, funny, and someone Walter
hoped to get to know better.
In the garage Dave took a bike chain off a hook on the wall. Walter
lifted Fox's bike and turned it over so that it was easier to get at the
broken chain. "Looks like this bike has had a lot of use," Dave
commented as he began to pull off the old chain.
"I use it all the time." Fox answered solemnly. "My mother never
leaves the house anymore, so I have to do all the shopping. It's a lot
of work riding up and down those hills carrying bags of groceries. I
guess I should buy a few more chains so I can fix it myself next time."
Dave looked at Fox before answering. "That would be a good idea, Fox.
It never hurts to keep a few spares around." He hesitated for a few
seconds, considering the situation. "I do the shopping for our family.
I could take you with me," he offered. "That way you wouldn't have to
use the bike as much, plus it would be a lot faster. Come winter, those
hills are going to be impossible; you'll never be able to bike through
the snow carrying bags of food."
Fox was amazed at his generosity. "You'd really do that for me?"
"Sure, neighbors help neighbors. Besides, your house is on the way,
it's no big deal."
Fox nodded then smiled, "Thanks. I'd appreciate it. I can't think of
anything I can do in return, except" he paused, then seemed to reach a
decision "I am good at school work. I can tutor your younger brothers
if they need help."
Walter chuckled beside him, "From what I hear, you can tutor more than
Matt and Jack. You can probably help Becky and me too."
"You?"
"Yeah, I'm not great at math. I'm taking algebra this year and-well,
let's just say I know it won't be easy for me. I heard you already flew
through the course, even though you're still supposed to be in grade
school."
"Oh, that." Fox said quietly, looking everywhere except at Walter. "I
got ahead of the class so the teacher gave me an algebra book to keep me
out of her hair. It was fun figuring out the problems, like putting
together a puzzle."
"Well, if you can help me with algebra, I'd be willing to help you with
other things. Dave can take you grocery shopping, maybe I can chop some
wood for you or something." Walter was serious about his offer. He
wanted to go to college so it was very important that he kept his grades
up.
Fox stuck out his hand. "Deal."
Walter shook it and said, "Deal," he said with a grin.
Frank listened to Fox chatter excitedly about Dave's and Walter's
promises to help him. This drive to Fox's home was much happier than
the earlier ones Frank thought. It was good to see Fox happy and
animated. As he approached the Mulder house Fox let out a startled
gasp.
Frank looked at him and saw that the boy had turned pale.
"What is it Fox? What's wrong?" He pulled the car to the side of the
road. He certainly was not going to take the boy home when he was this
upset.
"That car in front of my house? That's Chance Spender's car, he was a
business partner of my Dad's. I-- I don't like him, he smokes all the
time and... and he just makes me feel bad when I'm around him."
Frank listened to the boy. He suspected there was more than just a
feeling that bothered Fox. He knew little about Chance Spender, but
what he knew was bad. The man was a bully; both in business and his
personal life. His wife and son frequently sported bruises.
Speculation was that he abused them, but Cassandra refused to admit it
so the authorities could do nothing. He didn't like the idea of Teena
Mulder being subjected to the man, especially not in her current state.
"Fox. I'm going to come into the house with you. I'll stay until he
leaves. Will that be okay?"
Fox nodded but Frank wasn't certain he'd heard or comprehended. The boy
continued to stare at the car in front of his house. Frank pulled the
car into the driveway. He opened the trunk and picked up the bicycle.
He helped Fox take it into the garage and then walked with him into the
house.
"Fox. Come in here, please," Spender called from the living room. It
was an order, not a request.
Both Frank and Fox walked into the room and Spender was clearly
surprised to see the other man. Frank could see immediately that Teena
had been crying.
"Is everything all right, Mrs. Mulder?" he asked.
Spender spoke before Teena could reply, "Everything's fine. I was just
telling Teena that Bill's insurance plan would cover all her expenses
for many years. She has nothing to worry about when it comes to money.
Talking about Bill is still very difficult for her, as you can imagine."
Frank did not believe a word the man said. Teena did not reply but her
posture and facial expression did not indicate that Spender's words were
even remotely the truth.
Sensing Frank was about to challenge him, Spender rose from his chair.
"It's time for me to get back to my own family. Teena, take care of
yourself and your son now. I'll stop by again, soon." With that he
exited through the front door, letting it slam behind him.
"Mom?" Fox spoke for the first time since entering the house.
Teena smiled weakly, "It's all right, son. I'm just glad you're home,
safe and sound." She looked up at Mr. Skinner. "Thank you for taking
care of Fox today. It's good to know there are honorable people in this
world. I trust he behaved himself at your home?"
"Fox was a wonderful guest. He's welcome back anytime. In fact, if you
ever need a place for him to stay for a few days, we'd be happy to have
him. He fit in like he was one of my own," Frank offered.
"Thank you. I'll admit it's a relief to hear that." Teena rose from
her chair. "It's been a long day, I think I'll retire now."
"Of course, I understand." He turned to Fox, "Remember, you're always
welcome at our house. Come by anytime you want." He turned back to
Teena, "Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you?"
"No, I'm afraid not."
Frank bid them good night but he felt uneasy as he left. His gut told
him Spender was threatening Teena somehow. But, if she wouldn't tell
him, there was nothing he could do, at least not right now.
Three days later, Frank watched from his garage as a sheriff's car
pulled into his driveway. He'd been helping Dave tune up both cars. He
wiped his hands on a towel and walked down the drive to meet the
officer.
Sheriff Lawson got out of the car and walked to meet Frank. "Hi,
Frank. I need to talk with you. I'm afraid it's not about anything
pleasant."
"I'm sorry to hear that Dan. Come on in, we can have some coffee while
we talk." Frank led him back to the house.
After they'd seated themselves at the kitchen table, Sheriff Lawson
began to speak. "Mrs. Mulder committed suicide last night."
"What? How...? Where's Fox? Is he okay?" Frank couldn't decide which
question he wanted answered first. He could only guess at the depth of
Fox's grief. His entire family was gone now.
"She took an overdose of a prescription medication," the sheriff said.
"The doctor had given it to her to help her sleep. Fox found her this
morning. She left a note. It didn't explain much, just that there were
things she couldn't handle. I think someone was blackmailing her, the
note didn't spell it out, but it did read that way, at least to me...."
Sheriff Lawson paused, not sure how to break the next bit of news.
Finally, he decided to just say it.
"She said she wants Fox to live with your family, if you're willing to
take him in, that is. Her lawyer said she contacted him a few days ago
to have legal documents drawn up naming you as his guardian in case
anything ever happened to her."
Frank nodded, stunned by the entire story. But one detail stood out in
importance to him at the moment. "Where is Fox now?" he asked.
"At the jail. I didn't want to bring him here if you didn't want him
and I didn't want to take him to the foster care people if I didn't need
to." Dan gulped his coffee and waited, not sure how this would go.
Frank was a good man but he had no wife and eight children of his own.
This was a lot to ask.
"Fox is welcome here," Frank said firmly. "I told Teena that a few days
ago. She seemed relieved to hear it. I guess we know why now. I don't
know what to say about what she did. I don't think she was dealing well
with her husband's death, or her daughter's condition. But I saw Chance
Spender at her house the other evening and he obviously said something
that made her cry. He said he was just letting her know that Bill's
insurance plan would cover all her expenses for a long time, but I
didn't believe him, Dan. That doesn't help any, I know."
"You're wrong, it does help," Lawson replied. "It gives me someplace to
start. I'm relieved that you're willing to take Fox. I don't need to
tell you how devastated he is-and how scared. He has no other folks
anywhere apparently. He asked one of my men what orphanage we'd send
him to." The sheriff shook his head. "It'll be a big relief for him to
know he's got some place to go, Frank. Let me go get him-"
"No, Dan, I'll follow you to town," Frank said firmly. "I think it'll
help him to see I care. Just let me tell my older kids what's going on,
that they'll soon have a new brother."
Dan was surprised when Frank returned shortly with Walter. "Dave and
Mandy are telling the younger children and the twins have already
started moving things around. Walter wants Fox to bunk in with him, so
we're moving Dave into the attic. And Walter asked to come along when
we get Fox. I hope you don't mind..."
"That sounds good," the sheriff responded, impressed by how quickly the
family mobilized to take in an extra child. Then he chuckled. "I was
wondering where you were going to put him. Even with a house as big as
this, it's difficult to house nine kids."
Frank laughed as he opened the door for Dan and motioned for Walter to
come along. "Dave's been after me for a year to let him move into the
attic. Not that Walter's a bad roommate, but their room is small. With
the way Walter's been growing lately, they've been tripping over each
other in there. Fox is a lot smaller than Dave."
Walter couldn't help chuckling as he headed through the door. "Dad,
almost everyone is smaller than Dave."
The men could hardly disagree. At seventeen, Dave was 6'6" and 220
pounds. The local college had been recruiting him for their football
team when the epidemic hit. Dave had decided to wait a year, catch up
on the schoolwork he'd missed because of the early school closing, and
to help his father while the family adjusted to his mother's death.
Luckily, the college was willing to wait, and had guaranteed him a full
scholarship the following year.
The Mulder family lawyer waiting for them when they arrived at the
Sheriff's office. His name was James Cassidy and he told them he'd
represented the Mulders for fifteen years.
"I met with Mrs. Mulder two days ago to go over all her legal papers,"
Cassidy said. "I'd like you and I and Sheriff Lawson to speak
privately."
Dan Lawson suggested they could meet in his office and motioned for the
other two men to precede him. Before following them, he directed
Walter to where Fox could be found in the break room.
Walter hesitated at the closed door for a moment, then he took a deep
breath and opened it. Fox was sitting at a table, staring at a book.
"Hi Fox" he said.
Fox jumped up from the table, "Walter! How did you know I was here?"
The boy was pale; it was obvious he'd been crying. Walter couldn't help
noticing that his hands were shaking.
"My Dad and I came to take you home with us, Fox. We want you to live
with us. He's talking to your Mom's lawyer right now."
Unsure what to do next, Walter waited for Fox's reply. But the boy
looked dumbstruck, as if this information was too impossible to
contemplate. Walter didn't know what made him do it, but he closed the
distance between them and pulled Fox into a hug. For some reason he
didn't fully understand, he felt very protective of Fox.
Fox leaned into Walter. The other boy was taller and broader and the
hug felt comforting. The fact was, there'd been very few hugs in Fox
Mulder's life.
But soon, he felt a little embarrassed. He slowly pushed back from
Walter and looked up onto the older boy's face. "Thanks," he whispered,
then he began to chew on his lower lip, not certain what to say. Or
do. He sat down and Walter followed suit, taking the chair directly
across the table from Fox. "You and your Dad really want me to live
with you?"
"Uh-huh. And my brothers and sisters want you to live with us too.
We-we like you, Fox." Walter wanted to be sure Fox knew the family was
not just taking him in out of pity.
"You like me?" the boy repeated, incredulous. It was a new experience
for him. "I- I'd really like to live with your family...." Then he
remembered the size of the Skinner family. "Where will I sleep?"
Walter laughed. He understood the boy's concern. But he and his
brothers and sisters had already resolved that one. "In my room," he
answered excitedly. "Dave is moving into the attic." Then he saw the
expression on Fox's face, and realized that the younger boy thought he
was putting Dave out. "He's wanted to move up there for a while now.
He's just too big to fit in the same room with me anymore. And I've got
the bruises to prove it!"
Fox laughed at the mental image and Walter was secretly pleased that
he'd been able to help him forget his grief, even for a brief moment.
He continued, hoping to keep Fox distracted for a while longer.
"Dave is setting up bunk beds for us right now. It'll give us a little
more space. Is that okay with you?"
Fox nodded, amazed and touched by how fast the family seemed to have
adapted and begun working to include him. "Sure, that's fine. I'll
take either bunk, I don't mind.... I can't believe we're going to be
roommates," he added shyly.
"Well, believe it," Walter said. "That is, as long as the lawyer
doesn't have anything that says we can't. Your Mom left a letter saying
she wanted my Dad to be your legal guardian. I just don't know why the
lawyer is here now but--" He saw Fox start to panic and rushed to
reassure him. "Don't worry, Fox. My Dad will fight to have you come
home with us." He laid a hand on Fox's arm. "I was hoping we could
become friends, but this is even better."
The simple statement shocked Fox. "You mean that? No one has ever
wanted to be my friend before." He hesitated, and then asked, "How
come? Why do you want to be my friend?"
Walter looked directly into Fox's eyes. He wanted Fox to know that he
was telling the truth. "Because I like you. When you came over to the
house the other night I didn't think I would. You kinda have a
reputation, you know.... As a know-it-all, a stuck up kid who thinks he's
better than everyone else. Then I spent some time with you and found
out you're not like that at all. Like I said, I was hoping we could
become friends. Maybe even best friends.... I always wanted a best
friend but I never found one."
Fox stared at him and Walter was suddenly afraid he'd gone too far.
"I mean, we seem to like a lot of the same things..., " he added.
Fortunately, Fox knew what he meant and that the other boy was speaking
from his heart. "I'd like to be friends, Walter," he said quietly.
"I-- I think I'd like to be your best friend. I n-never had one before
either."
Walter nodded. He was glad Fox had understood. And even happier he
wanted a best friend, too. It was a good start.
Fox lapsed into silence again and Walter sensed he was thinking about
his mother. The older boy knew those moments would come, and that Fox
would need to deal with his loss. He himself had been through the same
thing only six months before. But tonight, he wanted to keep the boy's
mind diverted.
"Anything you want to ask me about living in the Skinner house, Fox?
It's pretty chaotic to outsiders, I guess. But not to us...."
Fox looked up, startled. He had just been wondering what it would be
like to be part of that household. "Well... any rules I should know
about? I'd hate to break them the first night."
"Rules, oh man, we've got lots of those," Walter replied, leaning back
in his chair. "Seriously, my Dad's kinda big on rules. And
consequences. He's real good about talking to you and making you
understand stuff, but if you ignore the rules, you're in trouble. My
Mom used to say he had a soft heart and a firm hand."
Fox looked worried suddenly. "What do mean a firm hand? What does he
do?"
Walter blushed a little, not sure he was ready to confess all of the
details yet. But he also recognized that Fox was making an important
decision about his future. The older boy decided it was more important
for Fox to know than to try to maintain his own dignity right now.
"Well, he... spanks us," he answered slowly. "Sometimes. When we deserve
it...."
Fox's eyes widened with alarm. "He does? I mean-I mean, lots of kids'
folks do, I kn--know that," he stammered. "But- he doesn't really hurt
you, does he?"
Walter laughed despite himself. "Well, it hurts when you get spanked,
Fox. That's kinda the point...." Then he realized the boy was truly
frightened and he rushed to explain further. "He doesn't lash out and
hit 'cause he's mad or anything. If you disobey a rule, he spanks you
but only after talking with you about it. If you don't agree, he'll
listen to you. But, you have to be honest. If you think you can just
argue your way out of a spanking, forget it, don't even try. He won't
spank you, but he also won't trust you. Trust is real important to my
Dad. He says a family has to trust each other as well as love each
other to be successful. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Yeah, I do." He hesitated a moment, then blurted out the rest.
"Walter, the idea of being spanked scares me. My father used to get
angry and hit me sometimes, usually when he was drinking. Sometimes he
really hurt me.... Your father doesn't do that, does he?"
Walter was shocked. He'd never experienced that kind of anger, from
either of his parents. "No! My Dad doesn't ever spank us when he's
angry, well, at least not when he's the angriest. That's why he always
talks to us first. Partly so we understand why we're being spanked.
But I also think he wants the time to calm down, especially if we've
done something really stupid or dangerous. And my Dad doesn't drink,
Fox, so you don't have to worry about that." He recalled with a pang
that his parents used to have wine on their anniversary or for special
holiday meals. But now, Frank never touched the stuff. He didn't do a
lot of things that reminded him of his lost wife.
Thinking about her loss made Walter's eyes brim with tears and he ducked
his head to hide them.
But Fox saw his distress and looked the other way, giving Walter some
privacy. "I guess you still miss your mother," he said quietly.
Walter nodded, then he sighed heavily. "Yeah, I do. And you'll
probably feel the same way about your Mom, Fox. It takes... a long time
when you lose someone you really love."
Fox nodded. He did feel bad about his mother but in a small corner of
his heart, he was also relieved. And that made him feel guilty. He
couldn't share that with Walter though. The other boy would not
understand, could not understand. Fox had known Mrs. Skinner only
briefly but she bore no resemblance to the mother Fox had lived with for
the past several years.
They sat in silence until finally, Fox needed to change the subject.
"Thanks for telling me about your Dad," he said simply. "And for
letting me live with you. I-didn't know where I'd end up and... I was
really scared, Walter."
Walter rubbed a hand across his eyes, still embarrassed by how easily
memories of his mother brought tears. But tonight Fox was the one whose
loss mattered most. He rose and went to sit in the chair next to Fox.
Then he tentatively laid an arm around Fox's shoulders. Fox tensed for
a moment, but then he laid his head on Walter's shoulder and let his own
grief begin to surface. The two boys stayed there quietly; giving each
other comfort as best they could until Mr. Skinner came to take them
home.
In the other room, Jim Cassidy had presented surprising news to Frank
and Dan Lawson.
"Mrs. Mulder wanted to make sure your guardianship of Fox could not be
challenged. She was positive you wanted the boy and she wanted the best
for him. To her you were the best. Besides naming you as guardian she
had me draw up legal papers to prove this was her decision. She stated
there is no other family, besides his institutionalized sister. She
signed affidavits stating that her husband was physically abusive to Fox
and included supporting documents from various doctors who treated Fox
at different ages. It seems Bill Mulder was very careful not to go to
the same doctor twice...."
Frank Skinner and Dan Lawson were both shocked but they held their
reactions in check as the lawyer continued.
"She also gave me papers to be opened after her death that give evidence
that Chance Spender was trying blackmail her. The man wanted her to
turn her son over to him. He was threatening to have her
institutionalized in order to obtain custody of Fox. She also has
documentation showing that Spender abused his son Jeffrey. It's more
than enough to ensure that Spender will never lay his hands on Fox. I
only hope Cassandra Spender takes the opportunity to free herself and
her son from him. The man is evil personified."
Frank shook his head sadly. "I thought Spender was threatening Teena
somehow, I just had no proof. I'm very glad she was so thorough in
making sure that Fox will be coming home with me. Thank you, both of
you. He stood and shook both of the other men's hands. "I'd like to
collect my boys and take them home now, if that's okay. The sooner we
get home, the sooner we can settle into being a family."
Both boys jumped to their feet when Frank entered the break room.
"Ready to go home, boys?" he asked with a huge grin.
"Yes, sir!" they answered in unison.
"Good. Fox, think you'd like to be my son? I'd like to be your
father." He knew he was pushing things, but he wanted Fox to know right
away how much he cared about him already. In a strange it felt like Fox
was just coming home - for the first time. Like he had belonged with
the Skinner family all along.
"You really want to be my father?" Fox asked, his voice breaking.
Walter had said it, but somehow it hadn't seemed possible until now.
"Yes, son," Frank said with quiet confidence. "Fox, I very much want
you to be part our family. Is that okay with you?"
Suddenly Fox flew into his arms, shaking with sobs. Frank picked him
up, taking him into big, muscled arms. "Well, I guess we'll take that
as a 'yes,'" he said lightly, exchanging a satisfied smile with Walter.
But Fox kept sobbing and he continued to hold the crying child, letting
him get it out. Soon Frank fell into a routine he'd developed with his
own kids over many years. He began rocking the boy, rubbing circles on
his back and murmuring softly. "It's okay. It's gonna be okay. You
have a family that wants you and loves you. We want you Fox. We want
you."
When Fox's sobs finally subsided, Frank placed the boy back on his feet
and lifted his chin so he could see his face. "What do you say Fox? Do
you want to be my son, Walter's brother?"
"Yes, sir. More than anything." Fox stared straight into Frank's
eyes. He wanted this man to trust him, to love him, to be his father
more than anything in the world.
"Did Walter tell you about the rules?" Frank asked, with mock
sternness. But a smile lifted the corners of his mouth.
Fox laughed, as Frank had hoped, "He didn't exactly tell me the rules,
but he did tell me what happens if I break them."
"Well, that's a pretty good start, I'd say," he laughed, gathering both
boys into a brief hug. Then he propelled them toward the door. "Let's
go home, boys."
The ride home was quiet. Fox nodded off shortly after they left the
sheriff's department. He sat between Frank and Walter with his head
leaning against Walter's shoulder. When Fox's head settled against him,
Walter and his father exchanged smiles. Then the older boy gently moved
his arm to hold Fox securely against him. He continued to hold him
until they arrived home.
"Fox, we're home," Frank said quietly. He rubbed Fox's hair hoping to
wake the boy without startling him. He was rewarded with a sleepy smile
as Fox rubbed his eyes and looked around, at first surprised to see he
was still with Frank and Walter. In a small corner of his heart, he had
feared it was all a dream.
"Sorry, I didn't get much sleep last night," he mumbled by way of an
apology.
"It's okay, son," Frank replied. "But I want to get you inside now.
The rest of the family is waiting to greet their new brother. And then
I think everyone will need a good night's rest. It's been a long day."
Fox followed Walter out of the car. Watching him, Frank silently
wondered why the boy hadn't slept well the previous night. He'd found
his mother in the morning, the sheriff had said. But he decided he
could pursue that topic later. Frank was a man who believed in putting
first things first. And the first thing to do right now was to get Fox
settled and feeling at home with the Skinners.