From: taffyxf@yahoo.com
Title: Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Author: Taffy Northwood
E-Mail: taffyxf@yahoo.com
Rating: NC17 (eventually)
Category: AU, MSR
Archives: Just ask.
Feedback: Never in bad taste
Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully, Skinner and any
other XF characters are on loan only.
Summary: In 1909 New York City, there were two
distinct and separate worlds: that of the very wealthy
and that of the very poor. Could love bridge the
great divide between those worlds for two star-crossed
lovers?
Author Notes: Like a huge part of the fandom, I've
become absolutely dotty over AU fic. This is my
modest attempt to put Mulder and Scully into another
time and place. Please be aware, this is a
work-in-progress.
Forgive Us Our Trespasses - Katie Scully's story, part 7
"We should go to Italy for a honeymoon," Mathew said as
he trailed a finger along her ribcage to circle her
nipple. "We could ride in a gondola in Venice and
I'd cover you with kisses."
"Mathew, we can hardly afford a day at Coney Island,
let alone a honeymoon in Italy," she said, laughing
as his finger tickled her skin. She took his hand
and brought it to her mouth to press a kiss to the
palm.
"We can dream, can't we?" he asked. Catlike, Mathew
stretched his long body beside her, arching his back
and expanding his chest. He was as naked as the day
he was born and more beautiful than anything she'd
ever seen in her life.
"I suppose," she conceded. "But Italy? It would
cost a fortune."
He rolled onto his side, drawing one long, bare leg
up to bridge her thighs. "Maybe it wouldn't be just
a dream. I may just come into a bonus soon."
"From work?" she asked, stroking her hand along his
flank. He nodded, almost purring at her touch.
Good lord, she felt quite debauched, lounging naked
in her bed with Mathew, both of them sated from
lovemaking.
This was her only time with him, these days. Mathew
had warned her three weeks ago after they'd made love
for the first time, that he had to concentrate on work
for a while so he could be free to marry her. The
days were long and lonely without him.
The time he was able to spend with her was precious
beyond gold. Mathew always came by late at night.
Just like that first night, he announced his arrival
with pebbles tossed against her bedroom window.
Being with Mathew felt like a dream. He took her in
his arms and kissed her, and the world fell away. He
made love to her, and it was as if they were the only
two people on earth.
Katie was shocked by how much she enjoyed physical
relations with Mathew. As a girl, she'd had little
exposure to the sexual act. Her mother never spoke
about it beyond admonishments not to let a boy "take
advantage of her." Katie supposed her mother had been
waiting for a wedding before telling her anything
about the act.
The comments she'd heard from the more forward of
the nursing students were that it hurt and once a man
got what he wanted, he often moved on to another girl.
No one had ever told Katie how wonderful it could be,
how amazing it could feel. She'd read a clinical
description of the sex act in a physiology textbook.
But Katie was completely unprepared for the
heart-stopping power of her response to Mathew.
He said she was "a natural." She wasn't sure what
that meant, but Katie felt vague worry that she was
on her way to becoming a wanton woman.
She loved these moments after lovemaking and
before sleep. She would tell Mathew about her day
and all the goings-on at the settlement house. Mathew
rarely shared anything about his daily life, saying only
that his work was hectic and miserable.
"You deserve a bonus after all your hard work," Katie
said. "But do you really want to spend it all on a
trip?"
"You're the real bonus," he said. "You're my prize
at the end of the day. I think you're right about
Italy. Maybe we could put the money toward a little
house off Washington Square Park."
"A house?" she asked, delight creeping into her voice.
"A sweet little house," he replied. "Big enough for
a baby or two. With a cozy bedroom for us to make love
in and sunny kitchen where you could fix breakfast every
morning."
"Glad to see you have your priorities in order, Mr. Fox."
"I most certainly do. Sex, then food. And photography,
of course--I'll have a darkroom in the basement where I
can develop my pictures. And a little office. I plan
to make my living from those pictures, some day."
Some day. She lived for some day.
Mathew nattered on a while longer about the house they'd
buy and the backyard it would have where he'd hang a
swing from the largest tree and she'd plant climbing
roses. Katie fell asleep to the warm drone of his voice.
The next morning found them following their usual routine--
an early breakfast of jam and bread and coffee and a kiss
at the back door. Katie sighed as she watched Mathew
slip through the gate at the far end of the backyard.
Turning away from the door, Katie set about cleaning up
the kitchen and washing the dishes. While this was
Katie's day off from the settlement house, it would
hardly be a day of rest. Maggie Scully did her washing
on Thursday and Katie was expected to help her wash and
hang the sheets and towels for the whole boarding house.
Katie didn't mind hard work, but she wasn't looking
forward to a day at the boarding house. Late nights
with Mathew meant Katie struggled through exhausted days
on little sleep. But the tension between Katie and her
mother was the real reason her feet were dragging this
morning.
The kitchen set to rights, Katie washed up and dressed
in one of her older shirtwaists and a gray skirt that
she'd patched after tearing it on a nail. Laundry
day was hard on clothes and she didn't want to ruin
the few nice things she owned.
Amy Jacobs would be in soon to teach her first English
class of the day. The students were mostly people
employed on the nightshift and young mothers. It
wasn't at all unusual for Amy to have three or four
babies attending class in their mothers' arms.
Up until a few months ago, Amy had shared the house
with Katie, sleeping in the room that Mathew had
slept in the night Tom Colton had beaten him. After
her brief demonstration of independence, Amy had
yielded to family pressure and moved back to her
parent's home. Katie missed her, but couldn't help
being glad at the turn of events that provided her
and Mathew with such glorious privacy.
Mr. Blevins, the chief trustee of the settlement house
committee had advertised for an additional staff member
to ease some of Katie's burden. While Katie welcomed
the help, she fervently hoped the new employee wouldn't
be interested in living at the house.
Pulling the door closed behind her, Katie looked up
at the sound of wood hitting wood. Shayna Berkowitz
was on her back steps, beating her broom against the
railing and sending billows of dust into the air.
"Good morning, Shayna," Katie called out.
Shayna nodded her head, uncharacteristically quiet,
[continued in next message]
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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