Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996
Generations 25:Ghosts From The Past

Greetings. Back again, can you believe it? Well Mac has been hinting
about Grandpa for quite some time now and we thought we'd finally do a
little something with that. In this story Mulder confronts his past
with the help of someone he's reluctantly co me to depend on. It's
got lots of Mulder angst and some hints of coming attractions.

Rated R for that word. Not too many third season spoilers--mostly
just hints--like I said in the last story if you've been reading much
off the newsgroup they shouldn't come as much of a surprise.
Romance--of course it's me--isn't it? Not really a case just hints
about what has been going on.

E-mail me at 72620.3447@compuserve.com or Eowyn7@ix.netcom.com
Eowyn. CC: macspooky@erols.com if you get a chance.

Disclaimer stuff. I don't own Mulder, Scully, Skinner or Meg. I'm
just borrowing them to play. Chris Carter is the person who I
borrowed them from and I promise to give them back when I'm done, only
slightly dented. The other characters you find in this story don't
belong to me either. They belong to Macspooky and her most excellent
Generation series and are used with her full permission. This is not
part of my Fusion series. Please feel free to circulate this or any
of my other stories around with only two conditions. One: keep our
name and addresses attached and two: if you want to put it in a zine
or something like that let me know because we want a copy. Deal?
Okay. On with the show...

Ghosts From The Past
By Macspooky and Eowyn
Chapter 1
"Running Interference"

It was Sunday afternoon about two and a half weeks after
Patrick Steven Wolf and Brenda Stephanie Margaret had been born and
Dana Katherine Scully Mulder was finally getting to the point that she
felt almost normal. Her clothes still didn't fit and she had about
ten pounds to lose before getting back to her normal weight but she
was feeling almost energetic for the first time since she had had that
flu. If it didn't mean leaving her babies she might have been bugging
her boss to let her come back to work, but she really wanted to spend
the remaining nine weeks of her maternity leave getting to know them.
Besides, her sleep was constantly interrupted and she needed more time
to get them on a schedule. Even with all the help she had, being a
mother to twins was not easy. Fox was being wonderfully cooperative
by working in Behavioral Sciences doing profiles rather than field
work. He seemed to be enjoying the unaccustomed break. She hoped his
contentedness would last through her maternity leave. Backing him up
was a job that she trusted only to herself.
She smiled as she watched her step-father slap Fox on the back
before they headed out to the back to discuss cars, vans and she would
bet, work. They avoided discussing work around her because they knew
how much she missed it. That was frustrating for her and she'd
probably give them grief about it in a couple of weeks if they kept it
up but for now she'd put up with it. After all, she had plenty to
think about, diapers, nursing pads... and laundry... mountains and
mountains of laundry. It was incredible how much wash two infants,
each less than 7 lbs. could generate!
Walter had changed in his, well if not attitude to Fox, he had
definitely changed in the way he expressed his feelings towards his
son-in-law. He'd become much more open and even a little more
physical. He would even hug him when he left from an visit and seemed
to have dropped the walls he used to keep Fox at a distance. Before
they had kept each other at a distance only letting the walls come
down in times of crisis. Well there had been lots of those recently.
It made Dana happy to see the change, although there were times when
it saddened her a little too. She was human after all, and she missed
Ahab, her own dad, wished he had known Fox, sometimes wished it were
her own dad with Fox. But then again Fox might not have dropped his
walls as easily for Ahab.
There had always been something special between Mulder and
Skinner. Even all the way back to the Tooms case. She'd been shocked
when Skinner hadn't tried to break the alibi that she had given
Mulder. His reaction told her that he hadn't believed her and yet she
knew somehow that he'd never believed her partner had been guilty of
beating up Eugene Tooms. And Mulder had later told her about the
conversation Skinner had had with him after she had been dismissed.
The AD had apparently tried to get through to him very hard about his
harassment of Tooms. About the career risk he was taking for both of
them. Mulder couldn't stop it though because he knew that it would
mean another death. Looking back now she realized that AD Skinner
could have stopped Mulder and her from their surveillance of the
suspect, the fact that he hadn't meant that even then he was trusting
Fox and his judgement. Dana was only sorry that Fox had been proved
right. Someone else had had to die to prove it though.
Then there was the time that Mulder had stormed into his
office right in the middle of a meeting. That was the first time she
had wondered about the AD. He'd let Mulder come in and complain and
hadn't even slapped him down. Fox had seemed to feel that making an
ass of himself, as he had described to her later on, in front of a
bunch of big wigs was enough punishment for storming his way into the
Assistant Director's office. It never seemed to occur to him that
that sort of behavior just wasn't done and that Skinner had
transferred agents to field offices in the middle of nowhere for less.
But Fox Mulder had done it with impunity and simply been told to get
back on the case. Her then partner, now husband, had never realized
that he was the talk of the Bureau for days after that. The next
agent to try something similar had ended up on temporary assignment in
Fairbanks, Alaska. Two months in the frozen north in January and
February... she shivered at the thought. After that she noticed that
Fox just automatically assumed that Skinner would support him. They
would fuss, yell and act like they could barely tolerate each other
but the AD had always come through for them when needed.
Still, she was glad that Walter had made a conscious effort to
drop the walls and she didn't think that he had done it because of
recent crisis. He had seemed to instinctively know that Fox was
having trouble relating to his son and was trying to give him the
support and a loving example to help him overcome his fears. The
surprise birth of Patrick seemed to be reviving a lot of unhappy
memories in the man she had married.
Her husband had never talked much about his family life, if
you could call what he had family. From things he had let slip over
time and things Ed Tillot, his step father, had said she knew that
Fox's father had always been cold and distant with him and that he had
on occasion beat him. The last time had been shortly after Samantha
had disappeared and was so severe that Bill Mulder had been brought up
on charges and Fox had been sent to live with his Aunt Sophia until he
was old enough to be out on his own. His mother, if not outright
rejecting of him, had been unable to face the raising of a son alone
and even when she had remarried had not wanted William Mulder's son
around. Dana tried hard to forgive her for that but the best she had
been able to do was to avoid thinking about it when his mother was
around. She didn't want those feelings of anger at his mother to
taint their relationship. Fox loved Ruth after all, and having Dana
and her on the outs again would only serve to hurt him. So Dana
recognized and accepted her own anger but tried not to let it color
her actions towards the woman. This last week had tested that
resolve.
His mother, her husband and his two sisters had just returned
to Massachusetts after a week long visit with them and the new
babies. Although the girls had been a joy, it had been a very
stressful visit. Every time Fox would start to warm up to his son, he
would look up and see Ruth looking at him with fear in her eyes and
withdraw again from his baby boy, seemingly afraid to hold and love
him. He didn't have the same trouble with his daughter simply doting
on Brenda. Dana would give a months pay to find out what had happened
to cause this but Ruth was silent on the subject when pressed by Dana.
She almost seemed to be afraid that Fox would abuse the boy. Well he
wasn't Bill Mulder and Dana most definitely wasn't her, but the
woman's constant watching had affected Fox. Ed, his mother's husband,
had tried to talk to him about it but Fox had closed him out. He
refused to discuss the subject and avoided being alone with both Ed
and his mom after the first couple of days. Fortunately the Tillot's
had stayed at a nearby hotel, although Jen and Amy had spent one night
on the sofa bed spoiling the babies and puppies and generally making
them laugh. They had managed to convince their parents to take two of
the puppies when they had left, and now they all had homes. That at
least had been a relief. Something positive had come from the visit at
least. Having his mother around all the time, however, would have
been too much of a strain. As it was, when they announced that it was
time to head back several days earlier than planned, the girls were
after all missing school, she hadn't protested or invited them to stay
longer. She had promised the girls they could come and stay during the
summer, however, to forestall complaints. Besides, she loved them,
and Fox was crazy about them. Even Walter had warmed up to them, and
of course, Aunt Sophia, who had intelligently laid really low during
Ruth's visit, had spent time with them whenever their mother was not
around.
Her mom and step father had stayed away the first few days so
that Fox's family would have some time with them and the babies but
Mom had detected the strain in her daughter's voice when they were
chatting over the phone and had suggested that dinner might be nice.
Over dinner Mom had been wonderful trying to draw Ruth out and keeping
the conversation moving with family tales. Walter had been the
surprise. It hadn't taken him more than a couple of hours to catch on
to the effect Fox's mother's attitude was having on her son. He saw
the withdrawal, and the nervousness Fox suddenly developed around
Patrick, but unlike Ed he hadn't tried to talk to him about it.
Instead, whenever they were alone or it was just Meg or Dana he had
started relaxing his barriers and opening up to Fox more. He had told
him, actually them, more about his childhood, and especially about his
father, in the last few days than she had learned in the entire time
she had known him. Fox hadn't said anything and Dana wasn't sure that
he even realized what Walter was up to but he had listened avidly.
She had been afraid at first that all these stories about a happy
childhood would hurt her husband and make him jealous but instead he
seemed to find them fascinating. In fact in a very rare instance of
Mulder actually talking with his step father she had found him
questioning Ed a little about his childhood. So Dana had Ruth on the
one side feeding Fox all that garbage that William had fed her about
being tough on a boy as though she couldn't quite make up her mind
whether it was a good thing or a bad thing, and Walter with a little
help from Ed trying to show him how wrong that was. Walter also kept
encouraging him to hold both his children and not just his daughter.
Dana hadn't realized what her step father was up to at first,
until on the night before the Tillot's left she saw Walter's reaction
to Ruth's behavior. Fox had been in the family room playing with the
babies while he and Walter discussed some case files. Since their
dinner together earlier in the week Skinner had been spending at least
part of his evenings over at their house, ostensibly to discuss cases
and to stay out of her mother's hair as she worked in the new house
that they were going to be moving into in a week or two. Walter
brought his own son to give her mother time to work uninterrupted.
Often right after dinner, she would find Walter and Fox in the family
room with the three babies playing and chatting away. Dana had
wondered a bit about it, thinking that Ruth might resent Walter's
presence but she hadn't said anything realizing that Fox needed the
break from his mother's constant scrutiny and fears. Dana found
herself thinking that if she heard Ruth say, "But your father always
told me that... fill in the blank with lousy advice..." one more time,
she might strangle the woman. She was grateful to Walter, for his
presence, although she was beginning to think she would kill for an
evening home alone with her husband and babies... for even just an
hour.....

At one point Walter had gone to the front hall to get his
brief case and Dana was headed into the family room to ask Fox a
question. They had both come in, from opposite sides of the room, to
see Ruth giving Fox that fearful look and worrying at him that he was
spoiling his children, read that as son, Fox again withdrew into
himself and put his son down. Dana had looked over at Walter to see a
look of barely suppressed anger on his face. She knew how he felt but
she didn't know what to do about what Ruth was doing to her son.
Walter apparently did know what to do. His face took on a neutral
expression and he joined Fox on the couch and began to discuss work,
cutting Mulder's mother out. Not long after Ruth had wondered off,
Dana had glanced back in to find that Fox was again holding his son as
he and Walter continued to discuss the case. Her step father was
holding Brenda in his lap, while the Little Fox slept on a blanket at
their feet. Ruth had wandered into the kitchen at that point to see
Dana smiling at her husband and step father. She acquired a fearful
look upon seeing the hostile expression on her daughter-in-law's face,
the one Dana had not quite been able to suppress when the woman had
made her entrance. It wasn't long after that the Tillot's had decided
to head back early.
That had been just fine with Dana. Fox didn't need his
mother's attitude right now, and she had tried tactfully to let his
mother know that she was not helping as she had stood in the kitchen
putting dinner dishes away.
"You know, Ruth, when we were growing up, my father always
held the boys and played with them. There is nothing wrong with
it. My daddy was a wonderful man..."
"I... well... I guess so... I mean... still, Bill was very
smart about some things and...."
"You needn't guess, Ruth. My daddy WAS a wonderful man."
Dana's nerves were frayed. She was tired at this point in the
evening, and although she had been careful not to raise her voice,
more annoyance that she had intended crept into her tone.
Ruth backed away.... "It's... it's so confusing
sometimes... I mean..."
"There's nothing confusing about it, Ruth. If William Mulder
had been such a wonderful parent, the courts wouldn't have sent your
son to live with his aunt.... I'd suggest you get yourself
unconfused." Dana sighed. At that point she heard Patrick screaming.
That meant it was time to feed him... again. Without another word or
thought, she left Ruth standing there while she tended her baby. The
next day they had announced they were leaving. Dana had offered up a
prayer of thanksgiving unaware that her mother-in-law was in a snit.

The following afternoon, after the Tillots had left Walter
wondered into the living with the little Fox in hand laughing while
Dana nursed Brenda. Patrick was napping quietly having just finished
his dinner. "So, Walter, are you two taking Fox's toy apart?"
"No I'll leave that to Kevin. He showed up fifteen minutes
ago with that new engine part and drafted Mulder into helping.
Tinkering on cars is not one of Mulder's favorite activities. I don't
know who enjoys the new sports cars more. Fox and I who love driving
them or your brothers who love taking them apart and putting them back
together. They worked on mine last weekend and it runs like..."
Walter paused here not wanting to use the phrase 'pure pussy' which
had been used by both Mulder and her brothers to describe a smooth
running engine. He concluded with, "a dream now. I think they are
kind of depressed that it's working so well 'cause now they won't have
an excuse to take it apart for awhile. Bill's supposed to be over
later this afternoon to help Kevin set the timing. Whatever that is."
"They love to tinker with cars. From about the time Billy was
fourteen he and dad started buying old cars and rebuilding them, then
as the other boys got older they joined in. Hey I even learned quite
a bit myself. I can change the oil and spark plugs on an older car
and on some of the other old models I can adjust the carburetor. I
can also change the belts on a lot of models."
"Fox never said anything about that."
"He doesn't know. It's never come up in conversation and if
you think I'm going to tell him that I can work on his Mustang you're
nuts. He can draft my brothers in when it needs work. I could just
see myself at eight months pregnant trying to adjust the carburetor.
No thank you."
Walter laughed. "I promise not to tell."
She smiled at him and decided to talk to him about what was on
her mind. She wasn't sure how to start.
Her step father could tell by her pensive expression that
something was troubling her so he asked, "Is something wrong, Dana?"
"Not really. I just don't quite know how to thank you for
helping Fox over the last week. I have no idea what we would have
done without you."
He didn't pretend not to know what she was talking about.
"Has his mother always been like this?"
"I think so. After they took Samantha she had a break down
and Fox was sent to live with Aunt Sophia. Even after she recovered
and remarried she still wouldn't let Fox come to live with her and Ed.
She acted like he was contaminated because he was Bill Mulder's son.
You know he's got to spend more time with his sisters in the last year
or so than their entire life up to this point. I thought she had
begun to work through her fears and to accept that her son wasn't to
blame and now this visit has brought it all back. Especially
a... Little Wolf." <Watch yourself Dana. Fox will kill you if you
let his pet name for Patrick out to Walter.> She smiled to herself
thinking of it. Skinner would probably be in a snit when he found
out... <Leave it to her Fox.> "I don't know if she feels guilty about
the way she let Bill Mulder treat Fox or if she is afraid that Fox
will treat our son the way his father did him or if she thinks that
Bill was right about being harsh on a boy to make a man of him and
that Fox is going to turn our son into some kind of a wimp by loving
him like he does. Hell, it may be a combination of all three but
whatever it was her attitude towards Fox on this visit broke his
heart. Sometimes I get so mad at her I'd like to tell her to get out
of her son's life and not come back. Trouble is that would only hurt
Fox more. Jeez, for all I know maybe she's just a hopeless ditz
brain..."
Walter smiled thinking she had hit the nail right on the head
<leave it to Scully> but just nodded and sat silently for a couple of
minutes before asking the question that burned in his mind. He hated
to pry but maybe the answer would help him to figure out how to
approach his son-in-law and help him over his fears. "What happened
between Fox and his father? I mean other than the beating that got
him removed from his custody."
"He told you about that?" Dana asked surprised.
"Not exactly. He let it slip last summer when we were
discussing something. He clammed up almost immediately but I've got
some pull, so I read the police files and talked to a few people.
Strictly on the QT. There weren't too many people willing to talk but
from what they said I got the impression that William Mulder was very
hard on his son and a cold and distant father, who after his daughter
disappeared went a little crazy and almost killed his son."
"Well then you know about as much as I do. Other than to hint
at it he's never talked with me about it. In fact, from the few
comments that Aunt Sophia's made, I don't think he's ever talked to
anyone about it. It would probably do him good to do so but I think
it's buried so far down that he doesn't know how to get at the pain
and the guilt. I know that's it's left him with a dark side that he
has to fight to keep in control at times."
"Yeah. The last thing a sensitive boy like Fox needed was to
be beaten into shape. It's amazing he's survived as well as he has."
Dana nodded as she disconnected Brenda. "He was doing really
well until our son was born..." She hesitated over the name causing
Walter to wonder what she normally called the baby. "Little Wolf's
birth has really pulled all his fears, pain and anger to the surface.
And his mother sure didn't help with her fearful looks and attitude.
As if Fox could ever be like his father."
"He could, Dana, any of us is capable of darkness but he is
really fighting hard to overcome it."
"Well you have been a great support to him these last few
days."
"I did my best. You know I was surprised that he didn't back
away and tell me to butt out."
"You aren't the only one. He froze Ed out when he tried to
talk to him. It's a testament to how much he's come to trust you."
Walter smiled at her words. "It isn't one sided, Dana." Was
his slightly embarrassed comment. "Well I'm going to see how they're
coming with the car. See you later. Oh, and by the way, you do us a
favor and keep our little girls as Meg calls them till after we move
into the new house?
"Sure," smiled Dana...."truth is, I think Fox is going to miss
those puppies more than he let's on although it was a relief when Jen
and Amy each took one."
As he returned to the garage out back she smiled to herself.
Walter was an astute judge of people. Where Ed had tried to get Fox
to talk about his 'feelings' Walter had opened up and talked about his
own.

Later that evening Fox had gone upstairs to put Brenda to bed
and Dana was finishing up nursing her son when Thing growled at the
door. She got up and peaked out the front door to see Walter coming
up the stairs. Opening it before he could knock she smiled at him.
"I'm on my way to pick up Meg at the new house and I left my
briefcase here last night. I need to go over some files tonight."
"Fox was going to bring it in the morning. It's in the living
room." She pointed at it over by the couch.
He nodded and went to get it when they heard Fox coming down
the stairs.
"Hey, Shorts, is Wally Wolf done at the tap? It's his
bedtime. Little Bren is out like a light."
Skinner stood up and turned to look at Mulder an unreadable
expression on his face. <Wally Wolf! No wonder Dana had stopped
herself twice today. That was their nickname for the baby. Sheesh!
Wally Wolf! Great if this ever got out at the Bureau. I don't have
to guess who coined this one.>
Fox stopped cold in the door an, "Oops" slipping out of his
mouth.
Dana gave him an I told you so look and handed over Wally
Wolf. "I've got something to do in the kitchen, Fox." <You're on
your own.>
<Thanks, a lot.>
As Dana left she heard Skinner's voice. Very firm, very
stern.
"Mulder."
"A... I'm... Ah gee I can call him anything I want. I think
it's cute..." At his father-in-laws stern look his voice faded off.
"It sounds like a character in the Winnie the Pooh books I'm
reading to Little Fox."
"I think Wally Wolf is cute." As what Skinner had said sunk
in Fox looked up from contemplating his feet and grinned. "I know you
think Little Squirt is a child prodigy but reading to him?"
Now it was Skinner's turn to check out the walls, rather than
meet his son-in-law's amused eyes. "I know he's a little young but he
likes to hear my voice. It helps him go to sleep when he's restless.
Especially in the middle of the night." He finally met Fox's eyes and
grinned. "No one and I mean no one at the Bureau better hear about
Wally Wolf."
Fox smiled at him and nodded, "They won't hear it from me.
Promise. Hey, Dana, Walter's getting ready to take off come say bye."
"Well you still have your head and other body parts," at this
she paused and gave him the once over letting her gaze linger on
certain private areas. "I guess this means you did some fast
talking."
"Hey you call him Wally Wolf, too." Dana just grinned.
"Anyway we made a deal. I can call Little Mulder Wally Wolf provided I
don't do so at the Bureau." He grinned over at Skinner. "Right,
Walter."
Skinner smiled and nodded. He found it flattering that not
only had Fox named his son Steven after him but now he'd nick named
him Wally Wolf. <Lord help me I wonder how long before this gets out
to the family.> As a thought occurred to him he asked, "Does Meg know
about this?"
Dana Scully Mulder suddenly found the walls, ceiling and
carpeting fascinating.
Fox elaborated. "Dana slipped day before yesterday when she
was talking on the phone to Mom. She said that Mom had to hang up she
was laughing so hard."
<Well that explains her snickering all night before last.>
"One of these days, Mulder, one of these days."
"Mom thinks it's cute."
"I just bet she does, Scully. I'll see you tomorrow, Mulder.
Try not to piss Cranston off, tomorrow at the meeting."
At Fox's smile he shook his head. <Mulder wouldn't be Mulder
if he didn't piss Cranston off.> Walter thought to himself as he
headed home. <Then again... Cranston was a lot of fun to piss off...>

===========================================================================

Disclaimers part one

Ghosts From The Past
By Macspooky and Eowyn
Chapter 2
"Together We Stand"

A Week and a half later
Smoke filled the AD's office. Walter Skinner had about
decided that he didn't give a damn how cold it was in mid-March he was
going to open the f**king window. The SOB before him was up to
something because there had been too many damned meetings of late.
Walter was beginning to feel like a one legged man lived upstairs and
that other shoe was never going to fall. He sighed and called come in
when there was a knock on the door.
His assistant came in and shut the door behind her. She
looked a little discomforted. "There is a woman to see you sir."
Skinner raised his eyebrow. From the look on his assistant's
face this was something out of the ordinary. "I'm busy in a meeting
now. Ask her to come back later."
"I told her that sir but well she... She said it was an
emergency and that she needed to see you and that to tell you she
needed to tell your fortune."
<Now who the hell.... ahhh.... hmmm...?> "What does she look
like?"
At this question Angela rolled her eyes. "She looks to be in
her fifties or sixties but she has bright blue grey hair, permed.
She's wearing the strangest color of purple suit that I've ever scene
and she's about five seven or five eight. Stands very straight and
her eyes are very sharp. I normally wouldn't disturb you but..."
"It's okay Angela. Give me five minutes and then show her
in." He looked pointedly in the direction of his visitor. His
assistant realized that meant give him time to get rid of the SOB.
She nodded and left.
He turned to the other man. "This woman sometimes babysits
for me and I wouldn't want to upset her. She's a very good sitter and
my wife would be very upset if we lost her." Nothing like telling the
literal truth, no need to give away her relationship to Fox since she
had been so careful to hide it. "Would you mind if we broke for about
half an hour?"
Cancerman stood up and nodded. <What was up with Skinner? I
would love to get a look at this woman. There's more to this than
meets the eye.> He left but only to go into the connecting office
interested to hear what he could.
As Fox's Aunt Sophia was shown in Walter was aware that
something was different about her. She appeared less ditzy than
normal but much more upset than he had ever seen her. She didn't
bother with pleasantries. "Do you know where Mulder is?"
"Yes he went up to..."
"I know where he is. Why did you let him go?"
"I don't understand? A dying relative is reason enough for
some leave time."
"Look, Mr. Skinner, I don't know how much Mulder has told you
but he is in no way shape or form up to facing that old bastard alone.
I'm not up to facing him without a knife in my hand, and I've had a
lot more experience."
"From what Mulder said the man's over ninety and his health
has been failing for sometime. I assume that his grandfather want's
to straighten things out with him before he dies."
"That old bastard doesn't' give a damn about anyone or
anything except of what use they can be to him. He used his children
as pawns and he'll use Fox as a pawn if you let him..."
"I don't know what you think I can do and Mulder is quite
capable of handling himself."
"Normally yes, but the old bastard has been manipulating him
and everyone else for a long time. I don't know what he has in mind
but whatever it is it will hurt Fox." Sophia began to pace the office
talking almost to herself. "I'd get Dana to go but she's got the
children to think of and I don't think her support is really what he
needs. She's a woman and the SOB won't respect her... He needs you
there. You've got to go up there with him and be there for him."
"It's not any of my business and I wasn't invited..." She
interrupted him before he could finish.
"Look I don't know what he's up to. But whatever it is will
harm Fox! I know that. Absolutely! I wish I could give you more but
I can't, all I know is that it's imperative that you get up to the
Cape ASAP. Please. You'll regret it if you don't." With that she
turned and flew out of the room.
<Boy is she melodramatic. Guess with everything she's been
through she has reason to be afraid of the old man but Fox can handle
himself.> Walter sighed to himself...<This is one time I'm going to
trust Fox.>
Cancerman sat in the other room. <So the old bastard was
finally dying. Good. Who the hell was that woman? How did she know
about Liam Mulder? And why did the old man want to see Fox Mulder,
the grandson that he supposedly hated?> He took several long puffs on
his cigarette his mind lost in thought.

Half an hour later Walter Skinner and the man known as
Cancerman were back in their meeting. The AD looked up from a file
they were discussing to find the smoking man again distracted. That
was three times in fifteen minutes. <What the hell was wrong with the
man? At this rate we will finish a week from tomorrow.>
"Would you like to postpone this meeting until later?"
Cancerman came back from wherever his mind was slowly. "Yes.
Perhaps that would be best." He got up gathered his papers and
started to leave. He turned at the door to Skinner's office. Almost
against his will he started to talk.
At first Skinner was confused, then as he realized the meaning
behind the other man's words he felt a coldness grip him.
"That woman... William Mulder Senior. I've never met a
colder crueler man. He uses people. If he's sent for Fox Mulder it's
not for the boy's good."
He turned to leave.
Skinner's voice stopped him. "Is this altruism on your part."
A cold smile crossed the other man's face before he answered.
"You never knew where you stood with Liam Mulder. He'd smile and hug
you one day and order your execution the next. It would be my bet
that he wants to settle all those real and imagined grudges that he's
kept hidden over the years and now that he's dying he wants to release
vengeance. He'll use Mulder to reek that vengeance."
"Mulder wouldn't do..."
"The old man is a master manipulator. He'll make it seem that
the only way to achieve justice is his way. He's played with the
boy's mind most of his life... And no it's not altruism on my part.
For all I know I may be on the list." He raised his eyebrows at the
AD turned and walked out the door.

Walter Skinner tried to ignore what Sophia and Cancerman had
said to him. <Trust Fox. He can handle it.> But the voices kept
interrupting his thoughts... He's been manipulating him all his
life... his father was cold and distant... the old man will use him
for vengeance... settle the scores... justice... truth... Dad...
"Walter? Walter!" He shook himself and looked up at his
wife. "What's wrong? Something is bothering you." Meg was
worried. She had rarely seen her husband like this. The last time was
when they thought that Fox had been killed in New Mexico. <Fox!? No
that had been worse. That was when she had realized that no matter
what Walter Skinner said about the man he called his most irritating
agent, he cared for him. He had been devastated when he thought the
boy was dead and all the more so because he hadn't been able to get
him to trust him. She had suspected that that went for her daughter,
as well, but he had never said. "Is there something wrong with Fox?"
Walter got up and started to pace. "I don't know? Sophia
seems to think that I should go with him to see his grandfather." At
her puzzled look he got even more frustrated. "It's none of my
business. Fox won't thank me for it... he can handle it but I can't
seem to forget it. Besides someone else said the same thing. Damn
I'm being idiotic. I'm just going to drop it and trust Mulder to
handle it. I've got to show him that I trust him. We're moving this
week end after all and you need me here. There... sorry, Meg, I
didn't mean to get distracted. The subject is dropped."
Margaret Scully Skinner sat quietly for awhile thinking about
what her husband had said. Dana hadn't seemed to think there was a
problem with Fox going to see his grandfather alone. She would have
liked to go with him but the weather was too cold to take a long trip
with such small children and with Dana nursing. Fox hadn't seemed
very worried about going to see the old man before he died. Yet she
could tell Sophia had been upset about something when she had come
over yesterday, and Sophia was not one for wearing her true feelings
on her sleeve. She looked up at her husband he was still pacing and
sighed.
"Walter." he stopped pacing and looked at her. "Sit down. I
feel like I'm watching a tennis match." He collapsed on to the couch
next to her.
"You're worried about him aren't you?"
"I know it's unreasonable of me. I've got to learn to trust
him."
"You do trust him, dear. But I know I've heard you say it at
least a dozen times that at one time or another everyone needs back
up. That's why agents have partners. Maybe this is one of those
times for Fox." She sighed, "I know I sure wish you had had some
backup that time you were shot in the coffee shop even though I didn't
know you that well at the time." She didn't like to think about that
too much. He had been shot, and she had wanted so badly to go to the
hospital then, but they were barely friends at that point, at least in
theory. She found out later that Dana had been there for him. Of
that she was very glad.
"But if I show up and I'm wrong it'll look like I don't trust
him. I do... it's just that..."
"Every now and then everyone needs support. That's what
families are for. So go up and be his backup. If you're wrong you
can always blame it on Sophia."
"I don't know it's probably too late already."
"No he was driving up today, going to stay at Ruth and Ed's
tonight and go see his grandfather in the morning. If you catch an
early morning shuttle you should be able to catch him at the
retirement home."
"What about moving this weekend. I don't want to put it off
another week. I want to get settled into the new house just as much
as you do."
Meg kept a straight face. She didn't want to hurt her
husband's feelings but this little trip would be a god send. He was
driving her crazy with the moving details. He had the same military
background that Bill had had, but when they had moved in the past,
Bill had always already been somewhere else... except once... and they
hadn't slept together for two weeks after that. Unlike her family who
had had to move frequently to follow her husbands navy career, Walter
had moved only four times in his entire life and his ideas where
unrealistic and impractical and he was HERE. If she could get him to
go THERE for the move... yes... that would be very helpful. <Maybe
that was Sophia's idea all along, to get him out of my hair. Now to
handle this just right...> "Dear, the Scully brigade can handle things
just fine. The McBride's are going to watch the kids while the kids
help me move. Except of course for Dana who is going to be in charge
of food and errands. I'm sure we can get along just fine without
you."
Walter sighed and nodded wondering if the whole thing was an
attempt to get him out of their hair. He was sure that by this time
tomorrow he was going to feel like a prized idiot but if today was
anything to go on he wouldn't get any work done anyway from thinking
about it. "Would you call and get his grandfather's retirement home
address from Dana. Try not to let her worry. Tell her I have business
in the area or something and then can you get me on the first shuttle
up to Boston? I'm going to go pack for a couple of days, just in
case." He gave his wife a long kiss hoping that after her last
follow-up visit with Amy they could again resume relations. He missed
her that way. <Just a few more days. One thing was for damn sure.
For the next year or so he was using condoms. Random ovulation or
not.> He grinned remembering the ration of shit Fox had given him the
other day when he had caught him buying a box at lunch.
"Counting the days, Wally?" Skinner had learned a few things
about dealing with his son- in-law over the last year and one of those
was to give as good as he got.
"You're just jealous, Mulder. You've got weeks to wait."
Mulder had grinned at him rather like the Cheshire cat. In
theory, they had awhile to wait, but he wasn't about to tell Wally
about how his wife had literally jumped him the night before, slapped
a foil packet in his hand, and told him exactly what he could do with
it. He had argued of course that the babies were only three weeks
old, but not too hard since she had seemed rather desperate... yeah
right... for her sake... he hadn't argued too hard. Hell, she'd
grabbed the damn package and snapped that latex on so quick, he'd
barely had time to argue. Good thing too. The babies had just been
having a catnap.
Walter had looked at him and said in a stern tone, "Mulder."
Fox had looked embarrassed and replied, "Hey it wasn't my
idea."
At Walter's skeptical look Fox had shrugged and his voice
sounded just like a teenagers when he said. "Honest, Dad, she seduced
me."
Walter had looked at his son-in-law in disgust but opted to
remain silent, telling himself that it wasn't a race about who got to
sleep with their wife first.

__________

The old man talked on. His mind still sharp but his body was
quickly failing. He knew the boy was listening, and although somewhat
hostile to him, would still do as he wanted. He had too. It was his
last chance for revenge against those bastards who had taken his
project away claiming he was too old... Him... too old... even the
obedient one, little bastard... breathing cigarette smoke in his face
and telling him he was too old. Who had started the project? Who had
made the money to fund it in it's early stages? Who had supplied the
eggs and initial material? Yeah Bill's son would do exactly what he
wanted. All it would take would be a few more hours. The boy was
more resistant than he had expected. Must be that damned new wife,
but still he was beginning to weaken. Soon he would be his, the old
man thought with contempt. This one wanted to be... needed to be
loved... and that could always be used. Liam Mulder would have his
final vengeance and if his grandson was jailed or died in the process,
well he'd never liked the stupid bitch his son had married anyway.
Damn kid had made the same mistake he had... had not married decent
breeding stock... produced week offspring. Well, for him it hadn't
mattered. He'd never been one for putting all his eggs in one basket,
and he had had a daughter who had been strong willed... yeah... to bad
that bitch Sophia hadn't been a boy, but she had served her purpose in
the project.
Fox Mulder felt worn out. First his mom and now the old
man. God, the sight of the man disgusted a part of him knowing what he
had done to Aunt Sophia, but he couldn't help himself, couldn't help
finding himself feeling twelve again and a failure. He never could do
anything right. Mom was supposed to be better but she seemed to have
fallen back into her old gloom and doom habits and she couldn't seem
to stop looking at him like he was going to develop a second head or
something. The birth of his son seemed to have shaken her. Now this,
facing this man...
<Damn I wished I could have put this off until Dana could have
come.> He thought in desperation. But he needed to find out what the
old man knew, and his heart was failing fast. Aunt Sophia thought he
knew something, Gran had been suspicious, hell he would bet even
Cancerman thought the old bastard knew something.
He caught himself, <What was the old man saying now? He had
been silent, almost dozing for a few moments but he seemed to have
gotten his wind back. Something about a price to be paid and how
justice was to be done. Do I want justice? Of course... and
answers.> The old man talked on.
"What price would you pay, Young Fox, for justice? If you
seek truth there is always a price. Your father knew that boy. Do
you? Or are you a wimp that expects something for nothing? Do you
know how to fight, boy?"
"Of course, Grandfather." That famous word... wimp...
"You sure, boy." <Almost." The old man thought, <Just a
little while longer and I'll have him.>
Fox found himself slipping into the old patterns of his youth.
He'd never been able to please his father and since he couldn't please
his father then his mother wasn't satisfied because she got blamed for
his failures. It was his fault his father yelled at his mother, his
weakness that led to Samantha's abduction. Fox had never been able to
please the old man before him either. As a psychologist, he knew
clinically exactly what was occurring here, but he felt almost
helpless in the presence of this old man. He felt again like the
screw up he had been told he was as a child. No adult who he had
cared about had ever thought him good enough. <Tired... so tired of
fighting...> His body sagged, his shoulders slumped, head started to
bow. He tried to reach inside for the strength to resist but he'd
spent his entire childhood listening to these messages and he didn't
know how, couldn't seem to muster the strength to fight.
The old man thought to himself that he had him now, when a
stranger walked into the sitting room. "Hey, you, now. What do you
want? This is private?"
The tall man simply nodded at the old man and walked up behind
Fox Mulder and briefly squeezed his shoulder. Fox straightened,
turned and looked up into Walter Skinner's face. "Sorry I'm late,
Fox. My business in Boston kept me longer than I'd planned." Skinner
held out his hand to the old man and said.
"You must be William Mulder, Fox's grandfather. I'm Walter,
his father-in-law. Told him I'd join him and help him set the house
in order after the tenants moved out."
Fox was stunned. <What the hell was Skinner up to and why
hadn't he told the old bastard who the hell he was? And what is he
doing here, anyway?>
Walter had moved over behind his grandfather to get a chair
and as Mulder looked up into his face again, he was startled by the
expression there. So many emotions conveyed with a single smile.
Compassion, strength, acceptance, and love. As Walter moved the chair
over beside Fox his expression again became neutral and almost stupid?
Well if not stupid, then blank.
Special Agent Fox Mulder remembered again his training and who
he was, no longer was he the little boy who had failed everyone but a
man determined to get the truth.
The old man couldn't pinpoint what had happened or exactly
when but he had lost his grandson. <Surely this rather stupid man who
was the boy's father-in-law couldn't be behind it. Fox had better
taste than to admire so dull-witted a man.> That was the only thing
that he'd ever liked about the boy was that he appeared to have
inherited his smarts from his grandfather. Liam Mulder began to get
irritated. He hadn't worked so hard all his life rising from the son
of an itinerant farmhand in Ireland to millionaire status... he hadn't
worked to shed every ounce of his hated accent and found his own
corporation and initiated scientific investigation into genes before
anyone else, only to lose now. He cursed silently. He would not
lose. He simply would not. He couldn't get the boy to do what he
wanted, couldn't get him to feel like the failure he was. He needed
him to want to prove himself to him so that he would wreck vengeance
on his enemies, but every time he seemed to be making head way young
Fox slipped away again.

For another half hour after Walter Skinner arrived the game
was joined, but the old man knew he had to be very careful what he
said now. This man was an outsider. He became more subtle, even a bit
friendly, almost loving. For the most part Walter's mere presence was
support enough to fight off the old bastard's tricks but every now and
then if one hit too close to home Walter would say or do something
that appeared stupid or off the wall and Mulder would look startled
and come out of the blue funk that had started. Finally the old man
claimed that he was tired and told Fox to come back tomorrow. He
sounded almost whiny. The implication being not to bring his
father-in-law but Walter, after having watched the old bastard, wasn't
about to let Fox face him alone. The man was purely vile and knew
every button to push. He must have been the one Fox had gotten his
brains from because he was way ahead of them on several occasions.
The only thing that had saved them was that he had been out of the
game so long that his talents were rusty. So in the end they had
gotten more out of him than they had given up, although it hadn't been
much. They had won the round, but just barely.
They walked side by side out of the retirement home each lost
in his own thoughts. Walter was carrying his overnight bag which he
had stashed behind the entry desk. "So I take it you didn't drive or
rent a car?" Fox asked.
"No I caught the train out of Boston. Much quicker at that
time of day. Getting a taxi from the station to here was the hard
part."
"I don't recall inviting you. Maybe I should just leave you
here?" Fox felt very shaken and started to take some of his anger out
on Walter.
Walter threw his bag in the trunk that Fox had opened for him.
He turned to face his son- in-law knowing full well that he had every
reason to be angry and not wanting to say anything that would hurt him
further.
"So I take it you would have preferred me to mind my own
business and not come interfering." Walter's tone was unemotional,
very cool.
But Fox remembered the look he had given him when he had first
come into the retirement home. And something... a wall so high and
solid that it had never come down since the day his father beat him
with a two by four, finally gave way and he spoke the truth from his
heart shocking both himself and Walter.
"I've never been so glad to see anyone in my life. I don't
know why you came but I'm glad you did." He grabbed his father into a
brief hug before pulling away and going around to unlock and open
Walter's door and then doing the same for his own.
"I'm staying at my dad's house, would you like to stay there
with me, go to a hotel or my mom could put you up. Very luxurious,
her place. I stayed there last night."
"At your dad's with you if it won't put you out too much. I
thought you were going to sell the place?"
"The housing market was down and I didn't need the cash so the
estate attorney recommended that we rent it out for a year or two
until the market picked up, or maybe keep it as a rental property.
The tenants moved out last month and I've been too busy to decide if I
want to keep it or sell it. So I had all the boxes that I'd had
packed and put in storage moved to the house to go through some this
weekend. It won't be much of a break. Sure you don't want to go to a
hotel?"
Skinner decided that if Fox could open up a little so could
he, "I'm not here for a break I'm here for you."
Fox gave him a side long glance as he drove, quietly accepting
his friend's words. "How did you know I needed you? I didn't even
realize that I was in trouble until you walked in the door."
"You're not going to believe this." At Mulder's skeptical
look he laughed, "Yeah, I know you believe a lot of things but
Cancerman's the reason I came."
"Now that I do find hard to believe."
"I was in a meeting with him when Sophia showed up. He went
into the other office but apparently listened. She was very
distressed, even for her. She was afraid of what your grandfather was
up to."
"Yeah she tried to talk me out of going but I'd been putting
off talking with the old SOB for months and I knew time was running
out." As a thought occurred to him he started to laugh. "You don't
mean to say she showed up at the Bureau? Do you?"
Skinner nodded laughing back. "She told Angela that she was
my fortune teller and needed to talk to me. Didn't identify herself
to anyone so don't worry, this won't add to your mystique but to mine.
I swear, Angela thought one of your X-files had walked into the
building. Has your aunt always been this flamboyant?"
Fox laughed, "She's gotten worse with age but she's always
been a bit eccentric. So what did Cancerman have to do with it?"
"Well after she left we started our meeting back up but he
couldn't concentrate so we called a halt. As he was leaving he told
me that your grandfather was one of the cruelest and meanest SOB's
he'd ever known and that if he wanted to see you it wouldn't be in
your best interests. He seemed to think that he was going to use you
to exact vengeance on those he thought had wronged him."
"So this was for my benefit?" The sarcasm dripped form
Mulder's voice.
"I didn't buy that either but his last comment was that he
might be on your grandfather's hit list so it was self interest. That
I could buy. You've gone after that smoking bastard before so I
didn't figure it would be a stretch to get you started on him again.
So did you get the feeling that that might have been what he was up
to?"
"You know now that you mention it. That could well have been
what he was getting at." Fox was silent for awhile replaying the
conversation between him and the Liam Mulder before Walter had shown
up. "He asked me if I was a good shot..."
"What was with you in there, Mulder? What was he doing to
you?"
"Playing on some old memories, but they are long gone now."
Walter let the subject drop knowing that it wouldn't do to push Fox.
He'd talk when and if he wanted to, and from everything he'd heard Fox
probably wouldn't talk at all. They drove on to the ferry to Martha's
Vineyard in silence.

===========================================================================

Disclaimers part one

Ghosts From The Past
By Macspooky and Eowyn
Chapter 3
"Haunted"

They stopped and picked up Fox's things at his mother's before
going on to Fox's dad's house. He could tell that his mother had not
been happy to see Walter but wasn't quite sure why, though of course
she was the ever gracious hostess. For his own part Fox was glad to
have Walter along since his mother didn't seem to harp on all the
negative stuff while he was around. Ruth had invited them to stay for
lunch and they had accepted. The conversation ranged over his
mother's classes, how his little sister's were doing in school and
what college they would attend in the fall.
The girls wanted to go to Georgetown in DC but his mother and
Ed were pushing hard for Wellesley, Yale or Harvard.. Suddenly in the
last couple of weeks they had been talking about totally unacceptable
schools such as University of Chicago, Northwestern, Sanford and UCLA.
His mom had been horrified at the thought of her daughters half way or
clear across the country. Fox suspected that this was his sister's
way of getting to attend Georgetown. Washington, DC where their
brother lived suddenly sounded not near so dangerous as clear across
the country with no relatives near by.
"It's too late to apply to most of these school for fall
admittance anyway, Mom, so there isn't any need to worry."
"That's what Ed and I thought but it seems that Amy and
Jennifer have applied to over twenty-five schools across the country
and with their grades and SAT scores have been accepted by all of
them."
Walter thought he might offer a suggestion. "Did they apply
to William and Mary in Virginia? That would be close to DC and their
brother but not in the middle of a large city. It might be a good
compromise."
Ruth looked up startled. She wanted to reject the idea
outright, she was very jealous of Walter's relationship with her son
but the idea had it's merits. Closer to home would have been
preferable but in Virginia near Fox would be better than those awful
California schools. "I'll talk to Ed and we'll look into it, Walter.
Thankyou for the suggestion."
"It's a good school and I think you'll like it." <Yeah, and
it's not practically right next door to the FBI either. Those two
girls are damned smart. Too smart.>
"That's a good idea. You want me to talk to them later and
see if they might be interested, Mom?"
"Let me talk it over with Ed first but then, yes, maybe that
would help. They seem to listen more to you than they do their own
parents. They just hand on every word your wife says... take it as
gospel." His mother's voice began to take on that whining quality
that so grated on his nerves. Little alarm bells went off... not
Dana... but your wife.... what the hell was going on now?
Fox looked over to see that Walter had finished and spoke.
"Well, Mom, I've got at least thirty boxes to go through this weekend,
grandfather wants to see me again tomorrow and I'm supposed to be back
at work Tuesday so we'd better get started. I really don't want to
put anything back into storage. It either gets given away or I'm
going to ship it to DC."
"Are you sure you don't want my help, Fox?" The offer was
half hearted at best, the last thing she felt up to facing just now
was going through Bill's things but it irritated her that Walter was
up here helping. She didn't understand why Fox had invited him and
why someone as important as Walter would take the weekend to help her
son go through his father's things. Bill had always told her that
when you worked for the government your job had to come first. But
then, maybe that was a lie too.... He had left her alone much of the
time to raise the two children. She'd had servants but that wasn't
the same.
Even Ed who dearly doted on his two daughters was a very busy
man. <So what the hell was the Assistant Director of the FBI doing
helping her son pack up. Why didn't he just mind his own business?>
Ruth Mulder Tillot was as sensitive as her son but not as insightful.
She knew there was something about Walter Skinner's relationship with
her son that was bothering her but couldn't figure out what it was.
She decided that she would have to talk to her counselor about it.
Maybe together they could figure it out. Lately she really had been
confused. Seeing Fox standing over the crib looking at little Patrick
had brought back so many painful memories... memories she thought she
had dealt with... and that Dana... such a know it all... never
confused... thinking that it was so easy to just unconfuse yourself...
What could she know? How would she know what it was like to lose your
baby girl, to wait and wait and have her never come home.... She had
tried to love Dana. She really had. She had tried to help with the
babies... and the woman had just yelled at her. That had really hurt.
She'd been trying to express her feelings and... well, Dana had just
gotten annoyed.

Thirty boxes can either go very quickly or very slowly. Most
of these were the slow variety. They'd found the bedding and towels
without too much trouble and the kitchen boxes had been well marked.
Besides they planned to order take out for most of the food and had
only bought the bare necessities, such as milk, coffee and sun flower
seeds at the store. They had a place to sleep and something to eat
with. Skinner found himself laughing at Mulder's childish habit. He
could still remember the agent who took over the wire tap detail from
Mulder swearing that the agent he relieved must have a parrot because
no human could consume that many seeds. The man obviously didn't know
a bored or nervous Mulder, Skinner thought to himself. Right now
Mulder was working up quite a pile. Walter wondered how much he and
Dana argued about it. Dana was decidedly a neatnick, a trait she had
apparently gotten from her military father, although Margaret kept a
lovely home. It occurred to Walter that to Fox, this house was
probably haunted. If it hadn't been, he would have been a fool to
sell it. It would have made a wonderful summer home.
Walter had the easy job. He went through the household stuff
and listed it down, re- boxed it a more orderly manner and moved it
into a stack to be donated. Anything he had doubts about, he put in a
separate box for Mulder to look at later. He found it ironic that
whether he was here or at home he would be going through boxes,
packing up and unpacking. From his last conversation with Meg, she
wasn't missing him at all. Well she wasn't missing his help in the
move. Personally was another matter and her words brought a smile to
his face. <Just a few more days to her recheck with Amy.> The Scully's
apparently had moving down to an art and his presence would interfere
with the artistic process. It seemed that he was too detailed and
orderly in some areas and not detailed enough in others. Well she had
promised that he could unpack his own office so he wasn't too
concerned about the rest of it. Actually he was glad that she was
assuming the responsibility because he hated moving. It made him
grouchy.
Meg had asked how Fox was doing and Walter had replied fine,
which was true now. He didn't tell her that Sophia had been right
about the old man and that his presence had been needed by Fox. No
sense in worrying her, unnecessarily. He was here now and would ride
this out with his son-in-law.
Fox had been quiet most of the afternoon. He seemed to
appreciate having someone there with him to go through the boxes but
he didn't appear to want to talk much. He was lost in thought most of
the time and a sadness had settled over him. Walter didn't pry. He
remembered how hard it had been, even with his sister's help, to go
through all of his mother's things and pack them up to save or donate
to charity. And his mother's death had been natural. Fox had been
putting this off almost two years now and Walter knew it had to be
hard to face all these memories. Even for someone who worked with
violence on a daily basis losing a loved one to murder was still
traumatic and painful and that didn't take into account all the other
baggage that had gone on at the time. He also realized that Fox
missed Dana terribly. The younger man was never quite complete when
she was not around. Sometimes it seemed almost as though, in spite of
the fact that their relationship was not always easy, they were
soulmates.. one not whole without the other, an idea which he would
have debunked entirely if he had not been married to Annie all those
years. For ten years after she died he'd felt incomplete, a part of
his soul had been missing, then he had walked into Scully's hospital
room and found it. Walter Skinner knew that he was a lucky man to
have found two such wonderful women in his life.
Finishing taping up the box he was working on, Walter stood up
and stretched. The work wasn't hard but it was tedious. Boxes had
been packed rather haphazardly by whoever had been hired by the
estate. He looked around the room. Not much to show for a life and
very little of a personal nature. Fox had paid to keep the phone
hooked up for these few days and had rented the house furnished.
Walter was glad for these facts because it would allow them to stay at
the house and work late into the evening. Hopefully they could get
most of it done tonight and Saturday, leaving Fox some time on Sunday
to spend with his mom and sisters, after the meeting with the old SOB
of course. His companion hadn't said any more about it but Skinner
hoped to broach the subject over dinner so that they could plan a
strategy for getting more information out of him.
As Walter was opening another box and considering possible
interrogation approaches, Fox stood up suddenly and spoke for the
first time in over an hour.
"I need some fresh air. I'll be back." He practically ran
out the door. His father-in-law looked up and debated following him
but decided to give him some space.
Forty-five minutes later dusk was fast approaching and there
had been no sign of Mulder's return. It was getting cold out and
Mulder had run out in jeans and a short sleeve t-shirt. Walter was
getting worried. He finished the box he was working on and then went
over to where Fox had been working and looked down. It didn't take a
genius to see why he had gotten upset. A photo album was opened about
mid-way through. Walter turned to the beginning and began to leaf
through.
At first it appeared to be a normal family but as he turned
the pages Walter realized that almost all the pictures looked posed,
formal. There were very few candid shots and everyone of those
appeared to have been taken by Fox. Skinner wasn't sure how he knew
it, but he did. One of his mom, one of his dad and several of a young
girl that Skinner recognized as Samantha. And finally one of a young
boy. The picture wasn't composed very well. If Walter had to guess
he would bet that it had been taken by Samantha. The perfect picture
album of a perfectly normal family on the surface but it was all
illusion. Even the short look that Skinner took through the album
told him that this wasn't a real family, especially when he compared
it with the Scully albums he had seen. They had been full of warmth
and love of people living and caring for each other. This album was
pure image and with the exception of the half dozen pictures taken by
the boy Fox and the one by Samantha there was no life or love in the
album. <No wonder her loss was so devastating to him. She was the
only real thing in his life.> Another thing that astonished him was
just how much the infant Fox looked like a single baby picture of
Bill, and how he looked like Patrick... identical... three
generations. Cancerman had been right about the child's physical
appearance when he had shown up at the hospital that day. Perhaps
that was a part of what was bothering Fox, and his mother... too many
bad memories represented in that one tiny body, a body that looked so
much like Fox and his father.
About two thirds of the way through the album the pictures
stopped. The last pages had only contained formal school portraits of
Fox Mulder. The last one appeared to be his college graduation
picture. Again, the resemblance to a younger Bill Mulder was
astonishing. The rest was blank. Walter Skinner wondered about the
man Bill Mulder was and could have been. A couple of hours with Fox's
grandfather coupled with what Sophia said gave Skinner a pretty clear
picture of how Bill Mulder had been raised. He felt sorry for the man
who had missed out on the life of his son, whose whole life could be
reduced to a precious few boxes of personal effects that weren't all
that personal. Walter Skinner shivered at the thought of how close he
and Fox had come to just such a life. If it hadn't been for Margaret
and Dana... but they were there, and crying babies, crazy family and
all he wouldn't trade it for the world.
He checked his watch as he looked outside. Still no sign of
Fox and it would be dark soon and it was definitely getting cold. He
went to the thermostat and turned up the heat, then grabbed a
sweatshirt and a down jacket for Fox. Putting on his own heavy
clothes, he headed out to look for his straying agent.
The beach was only a short walk away and Walter headed towards
it. Somehow he knew that that was where Fox would be. He found the
younger man sitting on the remains of an old set of stairs looking out
to sea. His son-in-law didn't lookup or speak as Walter approached.
But Walter was sure that he knew it was him. Sitting down quietly a
couple of steps behind him he handed him first the sweatshirt to put
on and then the jacket. Mulder turned back and gave him a disgusted
look but did as he was silently told. They sat, looked out at the sea
and said nothing as the light started to fade.
Fox Mulder then gave Walter Skinner and himself one of the
biggest surprises of both their lives. He started to talk about what
his life as a child had been like. Never before had he told anyone
about it... not really... not in any kind of detail and definitely not
about how he felt about it all. Hell, he'd avoided most of his adult
life even thinking about the pain associated with his childhood. But
suddenly right now he needed someone to listen... not just someone but
Walter Skinner... a good friend who would not pity him, and never
repeat what he had been told, and so Fox talked... and Walter Skinner
listened.
"Nothing I did was ever good enough for my father. Only once
in my entire life did he ever tell me he was proud of me and that was
the night he was killed. He was proud because I'd kept my politics my
own and hadn't fallen into the trap he did. Something to be proud of,
huh?" Sarcasm dripped from his voice.
"I'd say that was one thing to be proud of, Mulder."
"You know I was first in my class both in high school and
college, I played on two state championship basketball teams in high
school, was the leader of our state championship debate team, won
several academic scholarships and so many academic awards that I
couldn't keep count. My teacher's throughout school were always
praising me for my intelligence and diligence studying but he never
once gave me a word of praise for anything I did.
"I can count the times in my life that he hugged me on one
hand and still have a few free fingers. And, mom, she would never
stand up to him. Sometimes she'd whisper to me that I'd done good,
but she was always careful not to let him catch on. He'd beat
me... no not bad and I wouldn't even call it abuse... at least not the
kind that kills kids.... yeah, I know what you've probably heard and
you're thinking that I'm just not willing to admit it but until after
they took Samantha it wasn't quite abuse. Then it slipped over into
child abuse but before that, well it was strict and hard and frequent,
but it never did more than sting for a little while. Even when he
used the belt it didn't raise welts, a few red marks maybe but they
would fade quickly. He was careful. The physical wasn't the worst
part for me... for me it was never being good enough. He constantly
criticized everything I did. Lazy, stupid, wimp, irresponsible... over
and over and over. And he wasn't the only one. By her very silence
mom seemed to agree and...
"That old bastard in the nursing home... you know what his
nickname for me was? The illegitimate brat. Samantha he mostly
ignored. Females weren't worth bothering about. You know I have a
feeling that's why she was taken instead of me. Grandfather thought I
might be useful to him down the line but he didn't consider Samantha
to be worth much. To this day I don't know whose choice the abduction
was and if it was me or her that my father wanted to keep. I keep
hoping that he chose to keep her and that the old bastard overrode the
decision. I could forgive Dad almost anything except him letting them
take her and leave me..."
Walter held his silence. He knew that Fox wouldn't appreciate
the thoughts that were running through his father-in-law's head at the
moment. He couldn't help but be glad that he had Fox Mulder in his
life and he didn't want to imagine a life without him or what might
have been done to him if he had been the one abducted. He had never
known Samantha.
"You want to know what's really pathetic and sad about it
all... and why I loved my father?" He turned to look at Walter for
the first time his eyes full of pain... a pain so deep that he'd never
been able to release it with tears. "Underneath it all I knew he
loved me and was doing the best that he could. As he beat me in that
damned drunken rage I knew it was himself he was beating, himself he
hated... I wanted to hate him but I couldn't because I could sense
that deep down underneath it all was a darkness and pain that he could
never get out of. His soul was buried so deep and in such darkness
that no one could reach him. He was so very alone. Mom wasn't a
companion but another dependent. I know he chose her but she never
stood by his side. Not like Dana stands by me. God, even now,
Walter, I feel so sorry for him. Every time I hold my son and love
him... everytime I touch Dana... and our daughter our beautiful
daughter... I realize just what my father missed out on."
He turned to look at Walter briefly and ask, "Did you look at
the album?"
At Walter's nod of yes he continued. "It was so empty... so
hollow... no depth... He tried so hard to make it real but it was all
illusion and in the end it slipped through his fingers like
sand... like so many grains of sand... I feel so sorry for him and so
lucky... so very lucky..." His voice faded and broke on the last word
and he began to cry into his hands. His heart breaking.
Walter who was sitting a couple of steps up was wondering what
to do when Fox leaned his head against his father-in-law's knee and
held on to his calf. Walter touched his head briefly amazed at Fox's
willingness to let him in and at the depth of his caring and
understanding of the man who had hurt him so. The tears didn't last
very long. They subsided slowly, but Fox didn't move for a long time.
He was like a little kid holding on for dear life to a favorite
stuffed animal for comfort. He began to talk again, this time about
himself.
"I'm so scared of ending up like him. There have been a few
times... not many thank God... but a few that I've been awful that way
to Dana. It scares me how vicious and cruel I can be and how
manipulative. Just like that old bastard with me earlier today.
Withdrawing my love and approval so that I can get what I want... even
about little things. Do you remember the trip the amusement park? The
one you and Mom cut out on?" He looked up and back and saw Walter
smile. He managed a bit of a smile himself recalling the look on
everyone's face when Walt and Meg had pulled out of that parking lot.
"Smart move on mom's part not to expose you to that right
away. Dana didn't want to go but I pouted until she gave in, then I
go off with the rest of them and leave her stuck with all the babies
because she doesn't like rides. You know it really irritated me when
her family did that and there I was, using her just like the rest of
them. But I'd never gone to one before and I wanted..." His voice
faded again and he paused before continuing. "Since I found Dana, Mom
and you," the 'and you' was said so softly that Walter could barely
hear it, "I've spent the time trying to fill in all the pain and hurts
and emptiness of a lifetime."
He sat up and looked out at the sea again. "Kind of a futile
endeavor, huh?"
Walter wanted to take his son in his arms and hold him close
but he refrained. He doubted Mulder would have appreciated it. They
were males after all in this society, and that would have been
unacceptable. Instead he squeezed his shoulder and left his hand
resting there.
"Fox, you can't make up for all you've lost. That's gone, and
besides it's made you what you are today..."
"Yeah a f**ked up mess."
Walter shook him gently. "No, it's made you one of the most
caring empathetic person's I've ever met, male or female. You got
inside the minds of serial killers not because you are like
them... yeah I know that's what you're afraid of but it's not
true.. you've never been in any danger of becoming like them.
Whatever the demons that occasionally come out they are all your
own..."
"That's supposed to be comforting?"
"I'll get back to that later... The reason you can get into
the mind of a killer so well is that you have a brilliant mind that
can piece all the parts together and what separates you from the rest
of the brilliant minds is that you can feel their pain, you understand
the agony within them and that helps you predict their actions. It's
a terrifying combination and I don't blame you for wanting out after
awhile. The weight of all that pain must have become unbearable."
Fox nodded. "The cases they put me on kept getting worse and
worse... I knew that if I didn't get out soon that the pain would push
me so far down in a hole that I'd end up killing myself in a few more
years. I would have never been able to claw my way out. But I still
have my own demons. And they are pretty horrible. You have no idea
what I was like to Scully after the Phoenix case."
"Oh, I've got a pretty good idea. I was the one who took care
of her in the hotel room. Do you have any idea about how close you
came to losing your babies? And I don't mean to that mad man in
Arizona."
Fox looked up confused and startled. "What do you mean?"
"That flu that Dana had. The one I told you about in my
office when you took a swing at me." At Mulder's nod that he
remembered Walter continued. "Well one of the women in my sister's
congregation had the same thing, she was a little farther along than
Dana but she got severely dehydrated and that caused her to go into
labor early and she lost her baby. Yours were twins, I don't have to
tell you how much smaller they were and the likelihood of their
survival that premature do I?"
Fox nodded no horrified at the thought. And Dana hadn't said
a word to him. Dana, his anchor.... the source of everything
beautiful in his life
"Dana wasn't trying to neglect herself she was just so sick
that she couldn't think straight, By the time I got to her she could
barely walk. So when I realized that she was on her own and how sick
she was I called Amy and she prescribed something for the nausea.
Dana was finally able to keep some fluids down, but I have a feeling
that a few more hours..." His voice trailed, off and he knew that Fox
was about to start beating himself up again. Well Walter wasn't going
to allow that either.
"Stop it right now, Fox." His voice and tone were an order.
"I didn't tell you that so you could wallow in your guilt. You use
that damn guilt to avoid changing. You need to accept responsibility
and then figure out what you're going to do about it, not keep kicking
yourself over the past."
Fox looked up startled. He'd never realized it before but
that was exactly what he did. By concentrating on the guilt he
avoided the need to change. He didn't become a horrible human being
too often but when he did.... <Shit.> "You would have made a pretty
damned good psychologist yourself, Wally."
"You can call me Wally from here to eternity but I'm not
letting you distract me."
A chagrined look appeared on Fox's face. "You can be a pretty
brutal bastard yourself."
"I didn't work my way up through the Bureau without learning a
few things, Fox. Now the question is what are you going to do to keep
your dark side in line?"
"I don't know. I try, but it still slips out every now and
then. This last time though, Dana got fed up. She was looking for
apartments to leave me. Scared the shit out of me."
"Scully will only put up with so much."
"So I learned. I've really been trying since then."
"I know. I can see the difference."
"Can you? I keep thinking that maybe I'm succeeding but then
that week with mom and Ed visiting... The way she kept looking at me.
Oh, I wanted to thank you for what you did, running interference and
all." Walter smiled at him and nodded. Fox continued, "Then today
with grandfather... well I suddenly found myself back in that hole
with no way out. If you hadn't shown up."
Walter leaned forward and put his arm around his son's
shoulder. "You have a family now. And although we can't change what
is past we're here to help you out of that dark pit any time you fall
back in. You don't even have to ask, Fox, we'll be there pounding on
the walls as soon as we realize you're there. It'll take time but I
know that you can do it. There are a lot of great family memories to
make. Like the first time you forget to cover Wally Wolf's shooter
and you get it between the eyes."
"That happen to you yet with Little Fox? And I thought last
summer would have taught you."
"I refuse to comment on the grounds... Come on it's freezing
out here and I'm hungry. What was that comment Scully made once?
That's right... Why can't you ever have a mood someplace warm."
Walter stood and reached down a hand to Fox and pulled him to his
feet. They headed back to the late Bill Mulder's house.

===========================================================================

Disclaimers part one

Ghosts From The Past
By Macspooky and Eowyn
Chapter 4
"Exorcism"

Dinner was Chinese take out that Fox had called and ordered
and they had driven out to get. Walter had figured that Fox would
want to put some distance between them after the scene on the beach
but instead he seemed to not want to be alone. Too many painful
memories Walter guessed. They ate quietly as they worked some more on
the boxes.
He'd been going to go back to working on the household boxes
but Fox had called him over to look at some stuff of his father's and
then started to talk. As he went through the box Fox talked about
friends he had made during his time in New York with Aunt Sophia, and
teachers and how they'd helped him with their support. "Each year
there was a new one though. Nobody stayed around for long, although
they would remember my name and say hi when they saw me in the hall at
school. I got teased allot at first for being teacher's pet but then
I developed a smart mouth and that took care of that. 'Course then I
wasn't quite so popular with the teachers." He grinned over at Walter
and Walter laughed.
"I bet not. With your brains you probably had the class in
stitches and drove the teachers to distraction. I still remember your
telling me that one of your goals in the FBI was to find Elvis.
Sheesh, Mulder, even back then you had big balls. All that practice
came in handy for use against the Assistant Director."
"Now that's not fair. You quit playing it straight first. I
was very well behaved until you made that comment about Freeman, and
implied that he lacked a certain part of his anatomy. I'd come to the
same conclusion myself in his interview with me. You know it's your
fault I joined the FBI. You misled me."
"Now what the hell are you talking about? I never lied to
you."
"Yes you did. You led me to believe that there were people
under those robot facades."
"Now you're being caustic."
"No I'm not. You're the exception, Walt. You really care
about the job and making a difference. You stick to you're
convictions no matter what danger it puts you in and you don't go
around bullshitting people. I know that your career's important to
you, but you've never sold out your beliefs to get ahead. And most of
all you're willing to accept others for what they are and not try to
make them fit into your mold."
Walter was stunned. <This is what Fox thinks of me?> He felt
very flattered.
"When I worked in Behavioral for Patterson... I really wanted
to please him. Hell I've spent my life trying to find a father figure
that I could please." At Walter's startled glance Fox gave a
sarcastic laugh. "I'd have to be a pretty poor psychologist to not
recognize one of my own prime motivating factors, now wouldn't I?
I've been looking for a father that would be proud of me since I could
remember. Mine never could give me that. Anyway for awhile I thought
Patterson might be that. But I couldn't make myself over into his
image. I couldn't be like him and eventually when I saw the toll it
was taking on him... Well I decided that I didn't want to be like him.
He couldn't accept that, couldn't let me be myself, find my own way.
He took my need to find a different path as rejection. You know I
wasn't trying to be rebellious but if I got anything from my dad it
was an independence to be myself. He beat me to make me a man but he
never tried to make me fit some kind of mold. He let me find my own
path.
Skinner thought <Yeah, right... till he nearly killed you when
you were 12 and Sophia took over,> but he said nothing. Let Mulder
have some good thoughts about his father too... It couldn't hurt. The
man was, after all, dead."
"Anyway with Patterson he couldn't handle that I
wanted... needed to do it differently than he did. And the darkness
of the job... it was taking it's toll on me so that when I found the
X-files they were a way out. I didn't want to end up alone like Bill
and my father. Course I ended up feeling like a failure, I'd let
someone down who I looked up to." Fox sighed, "Again." Fox shook his
head and went back to work on the box handing Walter stuff to either
pack to DC, throw away or give to charity.
"Fox, just because you don't do everything perfectly, doesn't
mean that the people who care are going to stop loving you. You don't
have to earn love, at least not that way. Real love... it's because
of who you are, not what you can do for somebody, and that kind of
love doesn't go away because you fight or disagree or don't live up to
some unrealistic expectations. You're too hard on yourself... expect
too much. Perfection isn't a requirement to be loved.
"I broke my father's heart when I enlisted. He was terrified
for me... imagine it... he'd already lost one son and here was his
last one, stupid and arrogant enough to think he was invincible. But
when I came back from Nam, my father hugged me hard and loved me. To
this day I know the heart attack he had while I was over there
shortened his life and worry about me contributed to that attack. But
no matter what I did, what stupid mistakes I made, he never stopped
loving me. Real fathers don't. You don't have to agree all the time
just be willing to work through the differences." Fox smiled at
Walter and continued on with his task.
"I'll keep that in mind the first time Wally Wolf wants to
stack the blocks his way..." he said with a chuckle.
Walter had given him a lot to think about. Suddenly he
couldn't wait to get home. After he hugged Dana, the first thing he
was going to do was pick up little Wally Wolf and tell him he loved
him, no matter what. They worked silently together until they came to
an old wooden box at the bottom of the pile.
Fox gasped when he opened it. Walter looked over his shoulder
into a box full of awards and prizes that looked like they dated back
to kindergarten or first grade. Blue ribbons, certificates of
achievements, candid snapshots of both Fox and Samantha. And they
were all carefully labeled in Bill Mulder's distinctive handwriting.
Fox picked up each one carefully and studied them. He didn't notice
the tears running down his face until Walter handed him his
handkerchief. He looked up at his father-in-law in embarrassment, but
before he could say anything Walter commented.
He nodded towards the box of mementos and said, "I'd say
that's the work of a proud father."
Fox just nodded trying to collect himself. "Sorry I'm being
such a wimp."
"Fox, going through a late parent's effects is difficult even
at the best of times and in the best of circumstances and you've got a
lot of baggage to work through and an old bastard to face tomorrow.
There isn't a thing wrong with crying."
"Yeah right. I bet you do it all the time."
"No, I was brought up in the same culture as you were where
men didn't cry. So, no I don't cry very often. I did however cry
when I helped my sister go through our mother's things and when my
first wife died. Hell, when Annie died, I didn't even want to live
anymore. The only thing that kept me going was knowing how hurt she
would be if I didn't."
"So the last time you cried was... what...? Ten... fifteen
years ago?"
Walter sighed. He really didn't want to get into this... he
definitely didn't want to admit this to Fox Mulder. But shit the
young man had opened himself so much today that he couldn't bring
himself to shut him out.
Fox wondered what Walt was thinking. He looked put out and
like he didn't want to talk. "Hey, look, it's none of my business..."
Walter interrupted. He didn't look at Fox but somewhere out
the dark window as he said, "The last time I cried was when Scully
came back from New Mexico and told me you were dead. I could see the
devastation she felt, so I knew that she believed what she said. So I
went through the motions for the rest of the day and went home and let
go.
"You don't have a corner on guilt. I felt like it was my
fault that I couldn't get either of you to trust me, that maybe I
could have done something. That I should have done something. And
there was Scully, right in the middle of danger and she wouldn't let
me near. It was the last thing I thought I could do for you and that
was keep her safe and she kept me at arms length, kept shutting me
out. I kept trying to catch her out of the office. Hell, Cancerman
was constantly under foot with his minions and they were determined to
crucify her and I couldn't find out what was going on and Margaret was
busy dealing with her own and her daughter's grief. God that was one
hell of a week." Walter rubbed the back of his neck in frustration
and anguish over the memory. That week was one that he did his best
to avoid thinking about.
"That night when you walked in alive... Well I knew that I'd
been given a second chance and I decided there and then that I didn't
give a damn what it took. I was going to help you two even if it got
me killed." He finally turned to look Fox in the eye. "I've never
regretted that decision."
Fox smiled, nodded and looked back down at the box. He didn't
know what to say to Walter. It was comforting to know that they were
on a two way street, however. "I'll have to show this to Dana. You
know I'm torn between anger at him and pity for him. The pain he
caused... the emptiness in my soul that it's taken me thirtyfive years
to finally find someone to fill. I want to scream at him, 'How could
you?' But then I realize how alone he was, how empty his life and I
just feel sorry for him, and wish I could have somehow gotten through,
somehow have shared with him some of the joy I've found."
"That last night... did you reject him or accept his love?"
"I was pretty drugged up, but I remember hugging him back and
holding him as he died."
"Well then I imagine that he knew that you loved him and that
was enough."
"I hope so. Look, let's call it quits for tonight. This was
the last box of personal effects, so the others we should be able to
knock out quickly tomorrow after we go talk to my grandfather. I want
to get out of here and get some coffee or hot chocolate at this place
I know. Used to hangout there during junior high and high school when
I came back to visit. We can plan out our strategy for interrogating
the old man. Although I must say you play the fool well, Walt. You
even had me going for awhile there. Figured they must have cloned you
with a dumb duplicator.."
"I had to improvise but it seemed to work. He won't be as
easy to fool tomorrow. He's as smart as you, very shrewd and very
mean and he'll have had the night to think about things."
"No shit. But we have an advantage. He hasn't changed much
so I know him pretty well. I on the other hand have acquired a family
and my strings can't be pulled as easily as before. The SOB has a
temper, we can use that as a weakness. I'm sure that's where I got my
vile temper from and if we turn the tables on him about mid-way in and
let him see that he can't control me like he used to... well we've got
to shake him up or get him to lose his temper but if he does I bet we
can get information out of him. Let's go form a plan of attack."
Walter nodded his agreement and said, "I could use some hot
chocolate."
They packed up the last box of Bill Mulder's personal things
and headed out to the diner for a break.

_______

He paced back and forth, chatted with the staff and other
residents of the nursing home, and kept an eye on Fox and his
grandfather from a distance. They had talked and debated until late
last night at the diner but it had all come down to the realization
that they stood the best chance of getting information out of the old
man if Fox played along. Both had been reluctant but the old man's
health was failing and this would probably be the last chance to get
anything out of him and it was obvious that he knew something. The
question was how much of what he said could be believed? Walter and
Fox had discussed the previous visit and compared it with what
Cancerman had said, they had reluctantly come to the conclusion that
everything they learned was going to be suspect. It was all part of
the old man's attempts to get Fox to settle the score for him. Still
there might be enough truth in what he said to give them several
leads, and if they could shake him up maybe even more would come out.
So after having said good morning to Fox's grandfather, Walter had
excused himself and watched and waited providing silent support to
Fox.
They had been lucky that the sun room which residents of the
retirement home could reserve for family gatherings or business
meetings had glass french doors on both sides. It would allow Fox to
signal Walter when he was ready to turn the tables and it allowed him
to look at Walter and gain strength when the old man's words got too
close to home. Fox found that he hadn't even really needed to look at
Walter, just the knowledge that he was there and with it the memory of
Dana and his children was enough to counter the old bastard's
criticisms and keep him from falling into the same old self condemning
behavior.
Fox had derived his own personal strategy. Whenever it was
starting to get to him, he would focus his mind on the conversation he
and Dana had had on the phone the night before. It had started with,
"Hey, I miss you, Scully... talk dirty to me..." The old man had been
particularly vicious today. He'd gone through all the old stuff
leaving out everything he had done wrong of course, and had finally
moved on to the death of his 'beloved' son. <Beloved my ass.> Thought
Fox to himself. <You used us both as little more than tools. Sophia
doesn't bear thinking about.>
The SOB blamed his father's death on him and pointed out his
failure to stop or even catch the killer. "Right there in the same
house. Boy, your father deserves justice."
Fox let his shoulders slump and his head bow. It wasn't hard,
his grandfather's words still had the ability to sting, to play on the
guilt that was so much a part of his nature even though he knew what
the old bastard was up to. He glanced up briefly to see Walter
sitting quietly in the other room reading some reports that he had
brought along. He thought of Dana. His father-in-law glanced up
briefly and nodded at him. Mulder felt the confidence behind that nod
and fought off his demons. <Time to see what Grandfather has in
mind.>
"What do you want me to do, Grandfather? What would you
consider justice?"
"I'll give you the names of some people. They were behind
your father's death... and a lot of other things as well... don't
deserve to live. You make sure justice is done, Boy. The law will
never touch them they are too cleaver and too well protected,
especially that smoking man... bastard... You have to take care of
them." The old man reached down and retrieved a small document case
and handed it over to Fox.
Fox Mulder took the case, opened it and examined the contents.
About fifty sheets of paper and a dozen floppy disks were inside.
"This will tell me all I need to know? Will it tell me what happened
to Samantha?"
"These are the men you need to deal with. Don't you worry
about why. The documents give you background information on how to
handle them and the disks have the details of some of their projects.
Also what they've done to deserve death. You got the balls for this,
Boy?"
Mulder straightened up and nodded at Walter indicating that he
was ready for him to come in before replying. "I've got the balls to
make sure justice is done." <Now's the time to shake him up. See if
this stuff will stand up to scrutiny.>
As Walter entered the old man looked up slightly upset about
the intrusion. He'd wanted to get the boy to promise to execute the
men on his list but he'd got him to agree to justice for them and they
both knew what justice meant. <Didn't they? Why the hell Fox was
hanging around with this stupid fool was beyond him. Must be some
slut he married to put up with her stupid father like this.>
Walter Skinner walked over to Fox and squeezed his shoulder
looking down at him. <You okay?> He asked silently.
<Yeah. Fine. Thanks.> Was the silent answer.
<Ready for the next stage?>
Fox nodded. <Ready.>
The old man watched this exchange in silence. He was an
astute observer and what he observed in the silent conversation shook
him... Something about this Walter had changed... He didn't appear
near as foolish as before and an air of authority suddenly surrounded
him. And the boy's reaction to him. The boy relied on him he could
tell and respected him. <How the hell could he respect such a fool?>
Then Walter spoke shaking him further. "Did you get what you
came for, Mulder?"
"As much as I'm likely to get. Not much truth but maybe some
leads."
"What do you mean, boy? I gave you truth." The old man
defended. The boy had to do what he wanted.
"You gave me what you wanted me to hear. Whether there is any
truth in it is yet to be seen. But don't worry, I'll use it to the
best of my ability to get justice for all concerned. You can count on
that."
Walter reinforced what Fox had said, "You can count on both of
us to work to find the truth and see justice done, Mr. Mulder."
"You work with my boy at the FBI?"
"Not with exactly."
"Didn't I introduce you, Grandfather. This is my boss, FBI
Assistant Director Walter Skinner. Walter, this is my grandfather,
Liam Mulder."
"Where'd you hear that, boy?" The man's temper snapped. Very
few people knew about that... very few. How he had hated his
people... especially those Catholics... and working for
them... inferior... well he was different.
"From my wife's late grandmother," Fox suddenly pulled a
picture out of his wallet. Walter saw that it was one of the pictures
taken in Ireland... a wedding picture. It was the same as one of two
portraits Mulder had hung over his mantle at home. He had had Gran's
old wedding photo enlarged, and then hung one of he and Dana next to
it.
The old man gasped. Mary... it was Mary Elizabeth
O'Connor... but it couldn't be... there had been no color pictures
then. Suddenly he was confused. Now there was a woman... that Mary
O'Connor... but what had she done? Married that weakling of a brother
of his instead of a strong man like himself. He could have kept Mary
in line.
"That's my wife Dana, Grandfather. Looks just like her
grandmother, don't you think?"
"You lied to me, Boy. You're not interested in justice."
"On the contrary, Grandfather. Both Walter and I are
determined to see that justice is finally done. Thankyou, for this."
He held up the case. "Hopefully, this will help right allot of
wrongs."
The old man was beside himself with anger. The boy wasn't
going to do what he wanted. Wasn't going to exact the vengeance on
those he wanted punished. The little bastard had married the grand
child of his former sister-in-law. <Damn the boy was full of
surprises. How the hell had he resisted the conditioning?> But as he
watched the brief interaction between the two men before him he knew.
He realized with the insight that Fox was so noted for that the boy
had found the father he'd always sought, someone who accepted him for
what he was and wasn't trying to get anything from him or use him for
his own ends. No one would be able to use a father like role to
manipulate Little William again. <Assistant Director of the f**king
FBI, the boy had certainly found a powerful and well connected
mentor.> Deep down the old man found a trace of admiration for the
young man before him. Despite everything he'd come out on top. <Well
there is enough truth in the information I've given him to cause
plenty of trouble for my former associates and enough money to give
the boy the ability to do so. I just may get my vengeance after all.
It may take a little longer but the bastards can twist in the wind
wondering what Little William is up to. Yes.> He nodded to himself.
<Vengeance will come.>
Walter and Fox watched the old man. He looked pale and upset
but as they watched his expression changed to one of satisfaction.
Then he spoke. "You don't like my truth, Little William, then go find
your own." He nodded at the pouch he had given him. "There's enough
truth in there to give you a start and a surprise for you when I'm
dead. Which won't be long. No sense hanging around. You can go now.
I won't be seeing you again. By the way I prefer to be cremated.
Don't remember if I put that in my will or not so take care of that
for me."
He then turned to Skinner who he addressed as an equal for the
first time. "Adopted him, have you?" At Skinner's nod of yes Liam
Mulder nodded back, "The boy'll give you a lot of trouble." At
Skinner's unguarded smile the old man did something that Fox had
never heard before. He laughed. Not a bitter laugh, but an amused
laugh. "Take it he already has. Well you wouldn't have adopted him
if you didn't like challenges. You're both in a game now that may get
you killed but I guess you know that."
He looked Fox straight in the eye now, another thing he
had never done before. "Fox William, I'll tell you the truth now but
I doubt you'll believe it. Call it my dying gift to you so that you'll
owe me one. I don't know where your sister is. Didn't know since the
day she disappeared... I always suspected that Bill did it to keep her
out of our hands. Of late I've had my doubts as to whether he was
behind it or not. He always claimed not but... She
disappeared... whether it was Bill, someone else in the project or
something entirely different, I can't tell you. I always thought they
did it as a club to hold over me or your father but no one ever used
it so now I have my doubts about who was behind it. I was also there
when the banshees came for my nephew. I saw them. That started me on
the course I took, all the way back then." The old man sighed almost
wistfully, "Well, if you married O'Connor stock, maybe it didn't all
go for nought in the end. That's all, Boy. Be on your way. Have
kids."
With that the old man pulled himself to his full height his
shoulders only slightly bent and with the aid of a cane walked slowly
out of the room.
Walter Skinner and Fox Mulder exchanged looks, both thinking
the same thing, both wondering what the old man had meant by that last
remark.
<We'll talk later, in private.> Fox squeezed the document case
in his hand and motioned towards the door with it. Their business
here was over.

It had been a tiring morning for both of them so they stopped
at a restaurant on the way back to get some lunch. They didn't talk
much, both were lost in their own thoughts. Fox was wondering what
the disks and papers contained and if there would be anything in them
he could use to find out more about the experiments that had been
conducted and who had been behind them. He was also debating what had
happened in the retirement home. <What did the old bastard's attitude
at the end mean... and could he believe what he had said about
Samantha? And if he did believe what he said, was it good news or bad
news?>
Walter Skinner was worried about the old man's perception. He
was concerned that his and Fox's relationship was becoming too
obvious, and it didn't take a stretch of the imagination to see that
relationship being used against them if it became known. Walter had
given up denying the relationship. At least to himself. What they had
gone through together since Thanksgiving made denial... silly. The
god awful fight that had gone on seemingly forever... Meg's
c-section... and then Dana's twins. Walter still remembered last week
when he had, out of habit, made some comment implying that Fox Mulder
was a pain and he wished he wasn't related to him. He hadn't meant
it... it was just habit, but Meg had stopped what she was doing, put
her hands on her hips and given him the look.
"What?" he had asked defensively.
Meg had shaken her head and sighed before letting him have it
right between the eyes. Every now and then he got a glimpse of where
Scully had gotten the balls to stand up nose to nose with the best of
them in the old boy's club that was the FBI. This was one of those
times. His wife had declared, "Walter Skinner, you can deny it all
you want, make believe it isn't true and pretend that it's not the
case. But you have loved Fox Mulder as a son since the day I met you.
I doubt you know why or can even say when it happened. Denying it
isn't going to change the facts. Neither is all the macho posturing
in the world. If he hadn't married Dana or you hadn't married me
you'd still feel the same. Maybe not so openly but the feelings would
still be there. So accept the fact and learn to live with it. And
quit making such silly statements." She'd turned on her heel and left
him there gaping as she walked away.
<Okay. Denial might be silly but keeping those feelings from
getting out at work wasn't. It was a necessity.> Yet Fox's
grandfather had pieced together the relationship within minutes of him
entering the room today. <Of course we were trying to shake him up a
bit.> Still he knew that they had to be careful. His superiors were
still giving him grief about supervising his step daughter. <If only
they knew.> He shook his head. <Supervising her wasn't near the
problem for him that supervising Fox was.> Walter knew that the love,
respect and trust he felt for his son-in-law meant that he got one
hell of a lot more leeway than most other agents. <Oh well his record
justifies it and I'm not changing now. But I'm going to have to be
careful and keep it very businesslike at the Bureau.> Course it hadn't
helped that they had named their sons after each other.
"So, Walt." Mulder's voice interrupted his deliberations.
"What's bugging you?"
He thought about denying it but knew that they'd have to talk
about it eventually. "I'm worried about how easily your grandfather
picked up on our relationship."
Mulder nodded. "We wanted him to see some of it but he was
quick. Do you think we're obvious?"
"I certainly hope not. If this gets out at the Bureau..."
"You don't have to tell me. I don't happen to want a new boss
either. Just got you broken in."
Walter smiled at him. "Don't you mean broken down."
Fox smiled back, shrugging. "Either way. We'll just have to
be careful."
"Agreed." Skinner changed the subject. "So what do you think
about the stuff he gave you?"
"My guess is that there are a lot of fabrications, a lot of
twisted truth and some major leads. It'll probably take months to
sort out which is which. I doubt that I'll ever get to the bottom of
all of it. I'm going to get copies of everything made the minute we
get back and give you a couple of sets for safe keeping."
"Good idea." Walter saw the look that Fox shot him and asked.
"Okay, now it's your turn. What's bothering you?"
"What do you think was going on with that old SOB there at the
end?"
"What?"
"Calling me William, telling me about Samantha, and the
banshees and the stuff he said to you?"
"I don't know about the Samantha information. I've never
believed in little green men..." As Fox started to interrupt he held
up his hand to silence him. "Fox, I've always thought you were
gullible about that area. But after what we saw in Ireland... I don't
know anymore. And to hear old Liam say it... You've got a lot more
courage than I ever gave you credit for and probably a lot more
curiosity than is good for you if you chase what I saw every chance
you get. I'd prefer my world view not to include aliens from outer
space, thank you very much." He saw his companion smile at his words.
"No I don't believe... at least that's what I'm going to keep telling
myself for awhile. As to who took your sister?" Here Walter shrugged
his shoulders. "We may never know but I'll be by your side to help
you try to find the answers. But I'm not going for a ride in one of
those things, even for you."
Walter's words gave Fox comfort and made him smile.
Especially the picture of tall thin grey men trying to get Walter into
their space ship.
Seeing that smile Walter gave him one of his own before
continuing. "As for calling you William... is that rare? It's your
middle name isn't it?"
"He's never called me anything but boy, or little brat my
entire life."
"Then I'd say you won his respect at the end. That is about
all you can hope for. I don't think the man is capable of love." At
Fox's nod of agreement he concluded. "As for what he said to me. I
think that was his way of acknowledging us as winner's in this latest
hand and of showing off one last time that he can read people easily."
He looked down at their empty plates.
"Let's go finish up at your house. There are only seven or
eight boxes left. We should be able to knock them out tonight, then
you can spend tomorrow with your family up here. I'll catch a shuttle
down to DC tomorrow afternoon."
"I've been thinking about that. As much as I'd like to spend
time with my sisters I don't feel up to facing mom again. How 'bout I
stop by there in the morning and then you want to ride back to DC with
me. If you're good I might even let you drive the mustang." Fox
grinned at him.
"It sounds good to me but it won't win me any more brownie
points with your mom."
"Yeah, what's with you and her? I noticed she wasn't as
welcoming as usual."
"My guess would be that she's jealous. It doesn't take a
rocket scientist to know I've been sticking my nose in where it
doesn't belong the last few weeks."
"Not as far as I'm concerned. Don't worry about it. We'll
drive home together tomorrow."
They rose together and left the restaurant.

===========================================================================

Disclaimers part one

Ghosts From The Past
By Macspooky and Eowyn
Chapter 5
"New Ghosts"

The boxes were packed. Someone from William Mulder's lawyer's
office would come on Monday to make sure the boxes and furniture would
be shipped to Fox's DC home. A local charity had sent a special truck
out to pick up all of the furniture and household goods that Fox was
donating. The house was bare and decidedly empty. Fox and Walter had
packed their bags in preparation to move to a local hotel. As
luxurious as his mother's house was it had been a hard few days and he
didn't want to face her now. They were sitting at his dad's desk, it
was one of the few pieces that he had wanted to keep, and idly talking
when Fox's cell phone rang.
"Mulder."
"Is this Fox William Mulder?"
"Yes."
"Could you come to Chase Brook Retirement Center as soon as
possible?"
"Why? What's wrong? I was just there this morning."
"I'd prefer not to discuss this over the phone. I have some
bad news about your grandfather."
"I see. I'll be right there."
After he hung up Walter raised his eyebrow in question.
"That was the retirement home. I think grandfather's dead."
He looked a little stunned as an idea occurred to him. "Do you think
they had him killed?"
"I don't know about that. No sense speculating until we get
there."
They grabbed their bags, turned out all the lights in the
house and locked up.
When they arrived at the retirement home they were treated to
a song and dance by the manager and his grandfather's doctor. Fox
Mulder got tired of the bullshit quickly and cut to the point. "Cut
the crap. You two don't show up for just any death. Do you think my
grandfather was murdered?"
Both men looked horrified. The nursing home manager finally
spoke. "No, Mr. Mulder, no one at the home abused your
grandfather..."
Fox interrupted him, "I never thought that they did. But that
doesn't answer my question."
The manager was getting more flustered by the moment. Why
would they think that someone would kill a harmless old man. Yes, he
was a mean SOB but you didn't kill men for that. "No, we believe... I
mean that is to say..."
Even Skinner's patience was beginning to wear thin. If they
had had him killed then they'd be coming after the pouch that Fox had
and neither of them would be safe until a few dozen copies had been
made and safely hidden. "Look. We both work for the FBI so cut to
the chase and quit trying to spare our feelings." Skinner ordered.
The manager paled even more but got to the point. "We believe
that your grandfather took his own life, Mr. Mulder."
Walter and Fox exchanged looks. <Yeah, right.>
"We'd like to see the room and the body."
"I don't know if that would be advisable..." His voice
trailed off as he saw the looks on the faces of the men confronting
him. <Murder. I don't need that kind of gossip.>
"Very well, gentlemen. If you'll follow me." He led them
down the hall talking as they went. "The doctor feels that he
ingested some form of poison. Since your grandfather had a medical
science background he would have been able to chose one to meet his
needs. It was very fast acting."
"Were any strangers seen around the house today? Did anybody
come to see him after we left this morning?" Fox began grilling the
manager when he felt Walter's hand on his shoulder.
<Take it easy.> Fox understood his father-in-law's silent
message and backed off.
They went in and looked around the room. It didn't appear to
have been searched, nor did it look like any force had been used.
Still that didn't mean much considering the men they were dealing
with. Fox and Walter examined the body carefully. No external
injuries no sign of force. They exchanged looks wondering if they
should send for Scully to do an autopsy.
Walter found the piece of paper first, it was sticking out of
a medical text on the night stand and handed it to Fox. The hand
writing was spidery, but Fox recognized it as that of his grandfather.
The message was short and to the point. /My choice, m y terms, then
and now./
"So?" Walter asked.
Fox nodded feeling relieved. "I think they're right and it
was suicide. I don't think anyone would make up a note like this.
Short and to the point but in his own way. If they faked it it would
probably say something about his declining health, pain et cetera.
This gets the message across but with out any feeling or sentiment.
It's cold and cryptic just like him."
Walter nodded. Still instead of two rooms at the hotel he was
going to suggest that they get one. It would be safer that way just
in case they had read the situation wrong. And tomorrow he was going
to see about getting duplicates of those documents made. No sense
waiting and risking trouble.

Neither man slept well. They both missed having their wives
in the bed beside them. Mulder was glad that the hotel had been able
to get a room with two queensized beds. He hated full sized, no place
for his feet and having to share a bed with Skinner just didn't bare
thinking about. The way he reached for Dana half the night when she
wasn't beside him he knew that he either wouldn't get any sleep or
would embarrass himself in the middle of the night by grabbing the
wrong person. He'd been a little reluctant to share a room but he
knew Walter was right. They would be safer together than apart until
the documents his grandfather gave him were safe.
Walter, for his part felt much the same as Fox. He'd started
the night on one side of the bed and worked his way across in the
middle of the night looking for Margaret. <Amazing how quickly I've
gotten accustomed to having someone beside me.> It was always bad when
he was under stress and sleeping last night with one eye opened
waiting for an attack was definitely stressful. They'd propped a
couple of chairs and the table by the door and the window had the desk
in front of it. Even being on the forth floor neither man had wanted
to chance it. They had also requested a room that had guests all
around it. The desk clerk had looked strangely at them over that but
hadn't argued. The more people to disturb the less likely to be hit
at the hotel. Even with all these precautions they'd still slept with
their guns under their pillows. When the wake-up call had come at
seven am both men had set up gun in hand aiming it at the phone.
Walter a little quicker to wake up had chuckled and said,
"Don't shoot, Fox, we'll never explain it."
Fox had uncocked his gun and smiled sheepishly.

As they were preparing to check out Sunday morning the phone
rang. "Mulder."
"Mr. Mulder. My name is Henry Blake and I'm your
grandfather's attorney. I was wondering if you could come by tomorrow
morning to discuss his estate?"
"I'm planning on leaving town tonight. At my grandfather's
request he's been cremated and we are entombing his ashes this
afternoon. I need to be back to work Tuesday."
"Would you meet me at my office this afternoon after the
entombment?"
"Is that really necessary?"
"Mr. Mulder as your grandfather's sole heir we need to discuss
the estate."
"His heir? I didn't know he was leaving me his estate. Can't
you just drop me a letter..."
"This is a little more complex than could easily be handled by
mail. However, if you want me to fly down to Washington or if you
want to come back here at a later point...."
"No that's alright. We'll stop by about 2:30 if that's
alright. Fine. See you then."
Fox looked up at Walter. "You heard?" At his father-in-law's
nod he continued, "I figured he'd leave his money to charity or
something or maybe in trust to hire hitmen to take out his
enemies... hell I don't know. But after being called the little
Bastard all my life I sure as hell didn't figure he'd leave me
anything. He should have left it to Aunt Sophia."
"From what you've told me I don't think she'd take it. Do
you?"
"No I guess not. I'm not sure I want it either."
"So how much is it?
"No idea. Maybe a couple of million. Can't see how it could
be much more. He always lived well so I assumed that he spent it as
he made it. He's been retired over twenty years from most everything
as far as I can tell and lived well since then. Actually I'm
surprised that there is enough left to worry about. Oh well, maybe
the lawyer just wants to get it over with. Come on let's get to the
funeral home and make sure everything's taken care of."
"Some how I doubt that, Fox," sighed Skinner. "It's Sunday.
I doubt he would be calling you at this hour on Sunday if it weren't
something very out of the ordinary, or potentially lucrative."
Fox just nodded thoughtfully. He wasn't at all concerned
about the lucrative part. It was the out of the ordinary that
interested him. As it was turning out, his family was not just
dysfunctional but a true enigma as well. From what Gran had told him,
it had all started with Liam. Interesting... they had sent Scully to
spy on him... hmm... a coincidence... it had to be a coincidence... or
had it been.... really.... The possibility that they were pawns was
mind boggling. No... he was being unduly paranoid.... or was he?
As they drove to the funeral home Skinner listened to his
fears and didn't accuse him of being paranoid. Fox wasn't sure
whether to be comforted or fearful at the fact that Walter thought
there might be something behind his suspicions.
His boss' words stopped him from being too upset, however.
"So, Fox, what would you do differently if you're right? Divorce
Dana."
At his son-in-law's quick nod of no he laughed, "I didn't
think so. So if they did send her to you because she was Mary
McBride's grand daughter send them a thankyou note. I'd sure as hell
bet they didn't plan for it to work out like this. I probably
wouldn't have met or at least had reason to get to know Meg if it
wasn't for the two of you being paired so if you find out someone was
behind it let me know who and I'll send them a present every year on
my anniversary."
Fox smiled back at Walter. He was right if they had sent him
Scully he should send them a present.

"Mr. Blake I'm not really sure that I want the money that my
grandfather left me. Some of his dealings weren't the most ethical
and I don't like taking money made at the expense of others." Fox
Mulder was addressing the middle aged attorney who currently
represented his grandfather. He did not trust the man.
"Well I really can't say about that." Blake said
quickly. "Since I took over Mr. Mulder's affairs, most of his earnings
came from him playing the stock market. He was a very good judge of
stocks and has extensive holdings in several companies. He's
particularly fond of high tech companies, particularly those in the
biotech area. Not very common in a man of his age."
"Still I'm not sure that I want to mess with his estate.
Maybe I should just donate it to charity." Mulder wasn't paying
attention to the lawyer but Skinner was and the look of shock on the
lawyer's face at that comment made Walter Skinner curious.
Putting a restraining hand on Fox's shoulder Skinner asked,
"Just how big of an estate are we talking about, Mr. Blake?"
The lawyer stuttered a bit. Personally, he had always thought
this account to be rather bazaar and wasn't really comfortable
handling it, but neither had any of the senior partners been either.
Otherwise such a large account wouldn't be in the hands of a junior
partner. From rumors that had flown around the firm when he started
many years ago the transactions in this account used to be alot
stranger. So in trying to rise in the firm during difficult economic
times, he hadn't argued when it had been assigned to him by the powers
that be.
"Well it's hard to say. There are stocks, bonds, a
considerable amount of property, some cash of course. None of it has
been valued recently so we'll have to go through that process. My
best guess is that once everything is done and the taxes are paid, you
should inherit somewhere in the neighborhood of twenty five million
dollars. Give or take a few million."
"What? You've got to be kidding?" Mulder was shocked. He
would have thought the old bastard would have thrown all his money
back into whatever nefarious project he had been working on. On the
other hand, perhaps he had been clever enough to get the government to
fund it for him.
"I'm quite serious, Mr. Mulder. You're grandfather was very
astute with his investments. For example he invested in Microsoft in
the early eighties. Quite heavily actually. That investment alone
accounts for a fifth of his estate. This firm has handled his
business since the early forties and he has been an astute money
manager."
"I don't want it."
Walter's hand settled again on his son-in-law's shoulder.
"May we have a few minutes to discuss this, Mr. Blake."
The attorney nodded. He didn't know what to think of William
Mulder's grandson. Any man he knew that heard he was heir to a large
fortune would have been ecstatic. Instead Fox Mulder looked
horrified, sick, like he wanted to throw up. This fed his suspicions
that all was not what it seemed to be with the late William Mulder,
and he found himself wishing he could be rid of the account entirely
but the revenue generated by the firm for handling such a large
account would be sorely missed. As Mr. Blake walked out the door, he
heard the young man say in an appalled voice.
"My god, Walter, what am I supposed to do with that kind of
money?" The door shut cutting off the rest of the conversation.
"Calm down, Fox, and think before you act." Walter sighed.
How many times had he wasted his breath giving Mulder that sort of
advice in the past and what the hell had he really become embroiled
in? This was far more involved than an obnoxious old man destroying
his family. Whatever was going on, it was truly insidious... and he,
Walter Skinner, had landed right in the middle of it, not only in his
capacity as AD at the FBI but on a deeply personal level. Still, he
thought, he wouldn't trade Margaret.. wouldn't trade the family, <Who
am I kidding.> He thought to himself, <I wouldn't trade knowing Fox
for anything.>
"Think? About what? About who he killed to get that kind of
money or maybe how he sold out his country during the war... or what
he did to my aunt? What do you want me to think about? I don't want
his blood money." Fox got up and began pacing. <Twentyfive million!
I'm going to be sick.>
Walter walked up to Fox and grasped him by the upper arms
stopping his pacing. "Are you calmed down enough to listen?"
Fox shook his head no. "Hell I can barely manage what my dad
left. It's a lot of work. Although the investment broker you
recommended has been a lot of help. But still twentyfive... I don't
want it or need it."
"Fine, then put it away and let it sit. Your kids might feel
differently."
"No, that kind of money only brings unhappiness."
"So don't tell them. Come on, Fox. Sit down and listen."
Sometimes Mulder really was too good to be true. For all his dark
side, in some ways he still managed to be naive. Skinner supposed
that was an indicator of the younger man's innate goodness, something
he had apparently inherited from Gran McBride's first husband, but
still....
Mulder finally stopped pacing and sat down in a chair across
from his father-in-law. Skinner sighed... finally.... <How many times
have I had to wait him out in the office?>
Walter continued. "For now at least I think you should take
it. Later if you want to give it away, fine, but now you might be
able to use it. Money brings power, especially in Washington.
Campaign contributions, Pacs, lawyers, you know the deal. With this
kind of money you can fight the conspiracies."
"Money corrupts. Money's not going to do it."
"No, not alone, but it will help in the right hands. If they
do succeed in closing the X-files at some point in the future this
kind of money will assure that you can continue your work and still
take care of your family. Hell, when they boot me out on my ass for
being caught dead with you," he chuckled, "you can take care of
Margaret and the Squirt."
Mulder couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah, well I would
anyway, Walt..."
"I know that you think," said Walter rolling his eyes, "that
the three to four million your father left is a lot, but it wouldn't
last very long if you lost your job and tried to continue your
investigations. Private detectives, trips and research doesn't come
cheap. Hell later you can set up a foundation for the investigation
of the paranormal if you want. But now and more importantly accepting
the inheritance gives you the right to investigate all your
grandfather's old records and the money to do so. You said yourself
that you didn't think he came by all this honestly. So access to all
of his files might give you some leads as to what companies have been
benefiting from the experimentation that has been going on. Right now
you have the right to follow up the paper trail that this kind of
money leaves. If you turn it down you won't. That's an extensive
list of names he gave you even if a lot of them are false.
Investigating them to find out what's true and what isn't isn't going
to be cheap. It's up to you, son, but my advice is to take the money
now and use it to do what good you can."
Fox Mulder thought about all that Walter had said and sighed.
"I'm never going to get my check book down to a reasonable level.
Look I'll tell Dana, and Aunt Sophia, of course. She's got a right to
the money if she wants it. You can tell Mom, but let's not tell
anybody else. Well I suppose I should look on the bright side."
"And that is?" Skinner was very curious to know what Mulder
would think of as the bright side in this whole situation. <Anyone
else would think the money was it. Not Fox of course.>
"I have an excuse to never have to do my taxes again. Dana's
been bugging me about them the last couple of weeks, that we need to
sit down and do them. I keep telling her that I should hire somebody,
but she says we can handle it. Now there is no way."
Walter started laughing and couldn't stop. The tears rolled
down his face and still he laughed. Fox looked at him puzzled and a
bit indignant. Finally his boss collected himself enough to speak.
"Only you would think that the only benefit to twenty five million
dollars is that it can get you out of some paperwork."
"Well," said Mulder with a sigh, "let's go get this brunch at
mom's out of the way so that we can go home. By the way, I'm not sure
that I trust any lawyer that worked for my grandfather and his cronies
do you have anyone that you could recommend to help settle the estate.
I'm also going to need someone to investigate that paper trail your
talking about."
"I know a few people that I think we can trust. I'll
introduce you when we get back to DC."

The meal had gone alright, elegant and perfect of course as
was everything of a social nature that Ruth did. Sitting and
observing, Walter couldn't help it but be amused by the contrasts in
Mulder's life. Scully had a lovely home too, but it was different.
It was a house in which you could be comfortable, in which something
was always going on. Somehow, he couldn't quite picture the dog
peeing on Mulder's shoe in this environment, or any parrot being
permitted to say anything as crass as "Open your legs, Scully." Poor
Fox raised in this cold sterile environment, no wonder Dana and her
family seemed like a warm fire to him.
He realized that he had been daydreaming and that the girls
were inviting him and Fox out to see to see the horses their father
had finally broken down and bought them after years of saying no.
Well, he supposed he didn't mind. It wouldn't take long. All of a
sudden, however, Fox's mother said she needed to talk to him, so
Skinner found himself bracing for the inquiring minds who wanted to
know.... everything... and he left Mulder alone with his mother.
Hoping that he would be able to relate to the two teenaged Mulderlike
dynamos who had Uncle Wally by either arm and were dragging him to the
stable.
And surprisingly enough he was. They thanked him for
recommending William and Mary and said that they had talked their mom
and dad into visiting it in a couple of weeks. "This way we'll get to
see more of Fox and Dana." Jennifer had commented.
Amy continued, "Mom's afraid of Fox and Dana. She's always
been so overwhelmed by strong people. He'll be able to understand us
better, don't you think, Mr. Skinner?"
Walter raised his eyebrow at Amy's change from Uncle Wally to
Mr. Skinner. She laughed up at him in a tone that was decidedly
Mulderish. "We just call you Uncle Wally to throw Mom off and give
Fox a laugh. He likes to see you cringe we noticed."
Jenn jumped back in. "But we know it's best not to irritate
the person who we want to be our boss one day. Don't tell Mom though
because if she realized that we were interested in the FBI she'd lock
us up for life. Probably send us to finishing school in Switzerland.
You know she actually talked about it. Yuck! How awful."
"Can you imagine." Amy piped in, "Learning gourmet cooking,
how to run a large house with staff, throw dinner parties... Being
trained to be some rich man's accessory."
"We definitely had to stop that idea. Wasn't easy. We
shopped around for someone who had their sister go over and then she
ran off with one of the art teachers to Paris. Last they had heard
she was an artist's model in Paris. You know the kind that doesn't
wear much when they model." Jenn grinned up at him and winked.
"You should have seen Mom and Dad's face."
"That's the last we heard about Switzerland."
And so they went on. Walter was impressed. The girls were
young and naive and had a bubbly quality that would probably go away
as they matured but beneath all that they were smart, brilliant
actually, tenacious and very good judges of character and behavior.
They worked together excellently as a team and knew how to get what
they wanted. Also they were willing to sacrifice to achieve their
ends. That surprised him in children of such well off parents.
Normally children with so much weren't willing to give up anything.
Didn't understand the concept of delayed gratification. At least in
his experience.
Jennifer and Amy however talked about how they had used their
allowance for several months to fund their college applications. He'd
never thought much about it but at between twentyfive and fifty
dollars an application applying to all the schools the girls had must
have cost a few thousand. Both knew that if their parents caught on
to what they were doing they would have made them chose only a few
schools but they were determined not to be stuck close to home even if
it meant academic scholarships and working their way through. Their
determination and willingness to sacrifice at so young an age made
Walter realize that in ten years he might be very happy to have them
as agents. Especially since they showed a bit more political savvy
than Mulder by switching to calling him Mr. Skinner for their talk.
Amy explained that it was best to get on the good side of a man that
might well be the director by the time they applied.
<Very charming and very flattering. These girls would one day
be a force to be reckoned with,> was Walter's thought as he examined
their new horses.

"What is it, mom?" asked Fox. His mother had seemed okay
during the meal, but now seemed nervous. He supposed it had been too
much to hope that he would be able to simply enjoy his sisters and
leave.
"I... I was doing so much better... I mean.... my therapist
said that I have to talk to you about Dana...."
"She's fine. What about her?" he asked.
"Well, maybe you can provide me into some insight into why she
is so hostile towards me. I just don't understand it."
"Dana? Hostile?" he asked. He hadn't seen Dana being hostile
towards his mother. Somehow, he decided, he didn't think that he was
going to like this discussion.
"She yelled at me....." Suddenly the woman burst into tears.
From old habit, Fox slipped his arm around her... falling back into
old patterns.... always falling back.... feeling twelve years old
again....
"When... when did Dana yell at you?" he asked her.
"When we were visiting. I tried... I tried to tell her that I
felt so confused because in some ways your daddy was a smart man
and... well... I just wasn't sure about what he told me about
boys... I mean... you're the only one I have...."
He sighed. Yeah, his mom sure had done some backsliding in
her recovery. He supposed it was to be expected, but another battle
between she and Dana was the last thing anyone needed, and somehow, he
just couldn't picture Dana yelling at his mother. He released her
from his embrace.
"She said that her daddy was a very nice man and held his sons
all the time and.... then... when I expressed some
doubt.... well.... she told me I had better unconfuse myself... as if
I could.... as if... I..."
Suddenly Fox was tired of it... just plain old tired. He
suspected he saw the scenario here. His mother had inadvertently
insulted Dana's father. Dana would not have yelled, but she wouldn't
have tolerated it either. She would have made certain Ruth knew she
had committed a faux pas. That was just Dana and he loved her for it.
Oh, Lord. Why him?
"Look, mom...." he said suddenly impatient, "Dana is my wife,
okay? I don't know what went on between the two of you, but don't try
to drag me into it. That woman is the source of all the joy in my
life...."
"Even if she insulted me...."
"Mom, I doubt she did, except in your own mind. Besides I
would say that Dana is right. Going by how she and her brothers
turned out her father was a wonderful man. Dad was wrong. And I
don't plan to make the same mistakes he did. I'm going to love and
hold Patrick Steven just as much and as often as I can. That way he
won't spend most of his adult life looking for a father's love and
approval. It took me almost thirtyfive years to find someone that
would love me like I am, that wasn't trying to get anything out of me,
didn't want or need anything from me but to love them and be myself."
"Dana is certainly a remarkable..."
He interrupted her sarcastic reply before she could continue.
"I wasn't only thinking about Dana. I've got a family now. People
who love and support me through good times and bad, even when I'm
wrong they don't shut me out. And I want to tell you something, Mom,
I thank god that I've found that father because if I hadn't
Grandfather would probably have sent me out as his executioner to take
his revenge on all the people he felt wronged him. That was exactly
what he was trying to do this weekend, why he called me up here before
he killed himself. He gave me a list of names of people he wanted
justice done to and he fully intended that I kill them."
"Fox, you can't really believe that?"
"Ask Walter, he was there, and he believes it."
Fox Mulder held his mother's shoulders and finished, "I plan
on loving my son. If that makes you uncomfortable because you can't
accept that the way you and dad raised me was wrong. I'm sorry, but I
won't live with your fearful looks every time I hold him in my arms."
"I don't..."
"Yes you do and if you felt that Dana was irritated with you
that's probably why. I think it's time you started thinking about
someone other than yourself again. For awhile there, I thought you
were...."
"Fox.... that's...."
"Mom, did it ever occur to you that my wife had just given
birth to twins, one a breach, after a 30 hour labor with no pain
medication? Maybe she was just goddamed tired and worn out. Whatever
it is that's bugging you, get the hell over it, because no one is
going to come between my wife and me again... ever... Accept the past
that you can't change and let's make a better future. I have a father
now, that gaping hole has been filled. I can't undo the past but I
plan on enjoying the future. I hope you'll enjoy it with me and my
family." He walked away leaving his mother standing there opened
mouthed.
Ruth was confused. What did he mean that he'd found a father?
That didn't make any sense... Dana's father was dead. So who was he
talking about? She looked out the window to see Fox join his sisters
and his boss. Walter exchanged looks with Fox and then came up beside
her son, grabbing his shoulder and squeezing it. Fox slapped him on
the back and the frown on his face cleared.
<That insensitive bore? How could he?> But then she started
to think. Walter Skinner had always seemed to be around during their
visit, at least the last part of it. This had really irritated her,
didn't he realize that he was intruding? She had come to the
conclusion that he was simply a work-acholic bore who refused to
recognize that Fox might want to spend time alone with his family.
Now she saw the week in a new light... What he had done had been
deliberate he was protecting Fox from her. How dare he! ...but it
was him that had just made her little boy smile.
She suddenly felt jealous, sad, lonely and bereft, feeling
like she had lost her son. Meg Skinner he called mom and now she knew
that he considered Walter Skinner as a father. It hurt... it hurt a
lot but she realized that he hadn't shut her out of his life
yet... even after all he had been through. She knew that there was
still a chance to be part of his and her grandchildren's lives if she
would work at it. Ruth Mulder Tillot was determined to try.

===========================================================================

Disclaimers part one

Ghosts From The Past
By Macspooky and Eowyn
Chapter 6
"New Beginnings"

"Some psychologist I am," sighed Mulder in the car as they
headed toward the ferry and home. He'd just finished describing what
had gone on with his mother while Walter was out looking at horses.
"Sounds to me like that was just what she needed, son," said
Walter. He chuckled suddenly, "Sounds like something my sister might
have said in the course of her pastoral counseling. Lisa doesn't
believe in victims. Ten to one she does... get over it... I mean..."
"We'll hope. I'd really like her to be a part of my kid's
lives. I didn't have any real grandparents. That old SOB sure didn't
count."
Walter decided to bring up a subject that he didn't think
Mulder had considered. "You might ask yourself if you're ready to be
a father to two teenage girls.
Mulder looked up startled. "Hun... what?"
"You're sisters. Especially if they go to Georgetown or
William and Mary. Which, I will inform you, they are determined to
do. A big part of their motivation is to be near their cool older
brother."
"I'm not a father figure."
"Fox, you're more than old enough to be their father and they
are going to need and want your advice and guidance. So far they have
been pretty good, but I got to have a good long talk with them today
and they are getting tired of Ruth's and Ed's over protectiveness.
They are well aware that the horses were bought as a bribe to keep
them at or near home for college and it isn't going to work. I'll let
you in on another secret that I don't think their parents have picked
up on, you either for that matter. They've got your photographic
memory."
"You're kidding?"
"I got to watch them last month and then again today and
believe me they do. They do the same thing you do, pull random and
minute details out of seemingly nowhere. When I mentioned that a lot
of reading and rereading was necessary in college and that they would
probably be studying a lot I caught them exchanging secret smiles."
"Surely Mom and Ed would have picked up on it."
"You're mom's been pretty self absorbed and by the time it
would really start to make a difference to the girls I think they
decided to keep it a secret. You might try asking them. I think
they'd tell you."
Fox nodded thinking that he'd better get to know his sister's
a lot better and fast if he was going to be watching out for them when
they came to college. "Maybe I should encourage them to stick closer
to home?"
"I don't think you'd be able to. They have at least three
full academic scholarships and if anyone tries to force them to stay
nearby I get the feeling that they will use them. They are very
determined. I'm just hoping that they are level headed enough not to
go too crazy when they get away form home. I think the DC area would
work nicely. They won't have to rely on just you and Dana but they'll
have the Scully clan to depend on as well. I think they feel sort of
lonely and want a big family. Hence all the effort to attend college
near where you live."
Fox nodded wondering if Walter was right. He'd come to admire
and respect his father- in-law's judgement so he imagined that he
probably was. Catching a look that Skinner threw him out of the
corner of his eye Fox asked, "I saw that look. What's bothering you?"
"I've got some other news about your sisters that I don't
think you're going to want to hear."
"You've just informed me that I'm about to become a surrogate
father to two teenage girls what could be worse than that?" Fox
smiled at Walter.
"I'm not sure but something about the way they talk or for
that matter don't talk about a certain subject... Well I could be
wrong but I don't think I am..."
"What have they got boyfriends?"
"I wish it were that simple." Walter took a deep breath
knowing that what he had to tell his son-in-law was going to upset
him. "Fox, I think one of their goals in planning on joining the FBI
is to look for Samantha."
He heard Mulder's sharply in drawn breath and knew the
devastation he must be feeling.
"Oh god, Walter, you've got to be wrong. Surely you're
mistaken."
"I don't think so. It's not the personal quest for them that
it is for you but they have a burning curiosity about her and a desire
for the truth. Seems that that runs in the family, too."
"I've got to talk them out of it. Think of the danger... this
search almost destroyed my life... if it hadn't been for Dana I'd have
eaten my gun a long time ago. The secret organization isn't going to
put up..."
Walter reached over and grasped his companion's upper arm,
getting his attention. "Listen very carefully to what I am about to
tell you, Fox. First answer me one question. Could anything or
anyone have talked you out of your search for your sister?"
At his son's nod of no he continued. "I think it's going to
be the same with your sisters. They have your stubbornness and
determination and your need to know. The fact that they aren't as
emotionally involved as you are might work to your benefit. If you
try and discourage them you'll just drive them underground and they'll
hide things from you. I think the best you can hope for is to help
train them so that they will at least be prepared for what they face."
"But how do I do that?"
"Teach them what is important, what lines not to cross, how to
deal within and without of the institutions they will have to work
with. In less than five years they will be considered grown up and
ready to face the world on their own. Even if they go o n to graduate
school like they plan it will still be less than ten years before they
are out on their own. Help them get ready. If you manage to direct
their energies in another direction... great... if not at least
they'll be prepared for what they'll have to face and even more
importantly than that they'll have us to turn to. They won't be on
their own like you were."
Fox smiled at Walter glad that he wasn't alone anymore and
determined that if his sister's were to get involved that he wouldn't
let them be alone either. He thought about Walter's words and also
determined to do his best to distract the girls from his quest. <Time
to think about husband hunting.> It hadn't worked with him but
maybe...

Fox stopped in front of his house and looked at it for a
moment. The sun was shining, and he realized how good it was to be
home....
"Admiring your mansion?" inquired Walter.
"Yeah, yeah I am. I never thought I'd admit this, but I'm
glad I bought it. Let's go in and find the family."
Dana melted into his arms immediately, her customary reserve
gone when she saw him come in with Walter. It hadn't been long, only
three nights but it seemed like so much more. Both Fox and Walter had
a weary look to their faces. She kissed her husband allowing the
passion to overwhelm her for a few brief minutes. Waiting till bed
time was going to be hard.
Walter tried to remain a little more dignified primarily
because Margaret was nursing the little Fox, who was one child that
did not like to have his meals interrupted and let the whole world
know it when they were. But once he had sat down next to her on the
couch he realized how much he missed her and how glad he was that she
and her family were so wonderful. He put his arm around her shoulder
planning to settle for kissing her cheek, but by the way she smiled at
him, it was obvious that Amy had given her the go ahead they had been
waiting for. He couldn't wait to get home. It had taken Meg a little
longer to heal, and it had been difficult on both of them to be
patient. He felt himself falling into her eyes and his lips met hers.
It was a long kiss and he was thinking about asking little Fox to
share when he heard Mulder cough and clear his throat. Walter looked
up a bit embarrassed to have forgotten where they were. Dana and Fox
with their arms around each other were smiling down at them on the
couch. By the grin on his son-in-law's face he could tell that an
obscene comment was being thought of, if not said. Margaret's
presence had a restraining effect on Fox's more untoward comments.
"I've got coffee and sandwiches," said Dana finally breaking
away. "Might be the closest thing you get to a meal with all the
unpacking left to do at home, Walter," she smiled.
"Sounds good, babe... I'm starved..." said Fox. He headed
into the family room and looked at his children, he moved toward's
their bassinets. Brenda was asleep but Patrick's eyes were wide open.
"Hey there, Wally Wolf," he said softly, "you're awake." He
picked up the baby and held him up. The tiny face, so like his own,
looked down at him with incredibly blue eyes, his mother's eyes. Fox
lowered the infant, cuddling the boy to his chest. "I love you,
Patrick. You make me so happy. I'll always love you, and I'll always
be proud of you no matter what you do."
Suddenly Wally Wolf let out a terrible noise. Fox held him
away. "See what I mean... such talent.... uh... I seem to recall a
certain woman promising me she would never buy cheap diapers... Let's
go Wally Wolf... I'll change you and then me. We'll both smell better
and yellow doesn't match these pants."
Walter had come to the door of the family room. He laughed at
his son-in-law, "What is it about you, Mulder, that has this effect
and I have news for you there aren't any diapers, no matter how
expensive, that don't leak at one time or another."
Fox walked towards Skinner, the look on his face surprised
Dana, he was more relaxed and open than she could ever remember him
being. The sadness that was so much a part of his being seemed to
have gone. "I take it that's the voice of experience, Walt?"
Walter just grinned and slapped him on the back as Mulder
passed him.
Dana smiled and exchanged a look with Walter Skinner as Fox
left the room. She was full of questions. "How was it up there,
Walter? Was Sophia right?"
Smiling down at his step daughter he wondered how much to tell
her. What had gone on between Fox and himself was something for the
other man to discuss if he chose to but some of it she would have to
know. He decided to tell her the basics and let Fox fill in the
details. "Yes, Sophia was right. Fox's grandfather planned for his
grandson to be his executioner. Unfortunately for the old man's plans
Fox wasn't the easily manipulated little boy he remembered. Seems
he's found a family to give him stren gth."
Smiling at him she said, "Thanks for being there for him."
He nodded uncomfortably. "It was hard and there were a lot of
memories for him to face but he faced them and I think that he's
finally past them."
"His childhood must have been rough and going back there
brought back all those memories."
"Yes, it was, but it's in the past for him now."
Dana looked up startled. The way her step father talked... he
must know... Fox told him? She could hardly believe it Fox had never
been able to discuss his pain with anyone but it seems that finally
he'd opened up. Tears glistened in her eyes as she said, "Well I'd
better get the sandwiches."
Meg and Walter stayed for another hour talking and eating.
Dana covertly watched the interaction between her step father and her
husband. The differences were subtle but they were there, Fox had
finally accepted his painful past and put it behind him. And along
with that he had come to accept Walter Skinner as the father he'd been
looking for all his life. She smiled at the thought as she watched
them playing with their sons. Fox had good taste.