Title:Never Again (1/1)
Author: RocketMan >lebontrager@harding.edu<
Disclaimer: Mulder and Scully belong to CC, 1013, and Fox. No
infringement is intended.
PLEASE REMEMBER: In this show, Mulder has not yet had regression therapy
from that doctor, and does not believe his sister was taken by aliens.
Only after he delves further into such cases does he decide that his
experiences with his sister constitute all the classic symptoms of an
abduction. 

POST--TRAVELERS

Never Again

When Fox Mulder made it out into the sunshine, after the dispairing
dimness of the older man's apartment, he stood there for a long time
trying not to think.

The wind glanced across him and plyed tag with the leaves and the slight
chill of fall made him wince.

Or maybe it was the truth that made him wince.

His own father.  His own father.

He shrugged deeper into his coat and ambled toward his rental car,
estimating the time it would take to get back to the VCS and then home.
His wasn't looking forward to spending much more time with Patterson;
the man would have his hide for taking off like that and investigating a
case that he would deem worthless.

His own father.....Mulder still couldn't get over it. Still couldn't see
why or how his father had managed to get caught up in all of it. Had the
Red Scare frightened him too? Or did he know of the . . . creatures
coming out of men's mouths and killing?

What were they? Had someone made up these disgusting things to kill off
Americans, or had it been something much larger than that? His father
was used to collect the men or women with the creatures in them,
supposed Communists. So his father was on the side of good. . . right?

But to set him up to be killed by that thing . . . that wasn't good.

What had happened so long ago to make everything come down to this?

These questions were like cannons booming within him, or explosions that
uprooted every good thing he had ever come to see in the government. It
made him naseous to think that he actually worked for such an
institution.
~~~~

The lights were off when he finally made it home that night, not
realizing that it was two o'clock in the morning until he had opened the
door.

Marie was sitting on the couch, her face still and stiff.

He felt a kind of shudder go through him.

He knew what was coming.

"Why'd you leave, Fox?" she said, and her voice was trembling.

She knew he couldn't stand weak women. He gritted his teeth and pushed
the door open.

A thud stopped him and he looked down.

His bags were packed and propped next to the wall beside the door.

"Marie, come on, you know I didn't mean to get back so late."

"You didn't even tell me where you were. You didn't leave a note or tell
anyone at your office or -"

"Marie, look, let's not do this right now. I've had a really bad day and
I've learned some things that have upset me alot."

"I'm sorry, Fox. I can't live like this."

She stood and came to him, her hands shaking and bare of her ring, her
eyes crumbling as she hurt him.

"I can't let this go on. You always loved my strength; well, here it is
again. I can't let you hurt me anymore."

"Marie, honey, please. Not tonight. I need you."

She pushed away from his eagerly seeking hands. "All you need Fox, is an
occassional warm body. I need something more. Please, leave."

His guts twisted into tight balls of rejection and acid seethed through
his stomach.

She left him standing there, moving her long, sinewy body through the
living room and to their bedroom.

Hers now.

It had been her apartment before their marriage; it was only fair it was
now too.

He knew she would hate him if he crawled after her; he would hate
himself if he did too.

He picked up his bags, glanced once more at the brief moments of
happiness he had once shared with this woman, then pried the gold
wedding band off his finger.

He set it on the television and walked out.

Why did he always fall for the ones that broke his heart?

Never again, he promised.

Never again.

end
adios
RM
==="Poor Fox. He always falls for the long legged, brown haired women
who end up trampling him."--my friend 
"Which is why he's perfect for Dana Scully."--me===