From: taffyxf@yahoo.com
I'll post directly to Ephemeral--no archive.
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 - Fox Mulder's story. Part 11
Katie had lost her job and her home. Fox's breath
caught in his throat as he contemplated the enormity
of her plight.
"They fired her and put her out on the street?" he
asked Skinner.
"She had friends, family," Skinner tried to reassure
him.
"I ruined her. Her work, her home, her virtue. I
took them all."
Skinner's silence was his assent.
"I have to find her." Fox was halfway to his feet
when Skinner's hand caught his arm.
"Sit down, Mulder. You'll accomplish nothing by
running off into the night."
"I've got to find her!"
"How do you hope to do that?" Skinner asked.
"Well... She has a friend I can question. And I know
where her mother lives. I'll pressure the trustees of
the settlement house--or you can take care of that.
I know one of her brothers, and I think she has a
sister, too. She's Catholic--I'll try the churches."
"Those are good plans, Mulder. We'll get started in
the morning," Skinner said firmly. His bossiness
held a degree of familiarity and comfort, but the time
had long gone when Fox was willing to be told when to
go to bed.
"Skinner, she could be out there with nowhere to go."
"I don't believe that. I'm sure she knows people who
would take her in."
Skinner's confidence was reassuring, and Fox reminded
himself how resourceful Katie was, how inventive and
clever, and how much everyone around her came to love
her.
"You think she's safe?" Fox asked.
"I'm sure of it." Comforted by that thought, Fox
allowed Skinner to lead him out of the bar.
"Come on. You'll feel better after a good
night's sleep."
Once he was home and in his room, he stripped off his
formal clothes and thought about going to bed. Fox
was sure there was no way he'd sleep tonight with
thoughts of Katie swirling through his head. He'd
go mad if he stayed in his room and brooded.
Fox quickly dressed in casual clothes. Closing his
door gently behind him, he tiptoed down the hall, not
wanting to alert Skinner.
The house was quiet as he descended the back stairs. His
parents were still at the party, undoubtedly under the
most uncomfortable circumstances. It might be cowardly,
but Fox had every intention of postponing the inevitable
row with his father.
He'd hoped the carriage house would be deserted, but a
groom sat just inside the door, dozing in his chair.
"Sir?" the young man asked, rousing from his nap.
"Is everyone home? I...I must've dropped off.
Sorry, sir. Mr. Edgar is going to have my head."
"Only if he finds out," Fox said. "Which he won't from
me. My parents are still at the Phelps. Help
me get my car started."
"Right away, sir," the groom said, as he trotted over to
the car. He worked the hand crank, starting the car and
pulling it forward for Fox.
"You haven't seen me," he told the groom as he slid
behind the wheel.
"Haven't seen hide nor hair of ya, sir."
Though he knew it was pointless, Fox drove to the settlement
house and gazed at the upper floor. The house was quiet
at this late hour, the evening's activities long finished.
A light burned in one room on the third floor but Fox knew
it wasn't Katie's. Memories of the amazing things that
happened in that room flooded his mind until he was forced
to drive away before he lost his mind.
He knew driving through the streets of the east side was
pointless as well. Scanning doorways, peering into alleys--
he wasn't sure what he hoped to find. Surely, he wasn't
going to come across a ragged Katie huddled on a doorstep
and even if he did, she wasn't going to look on him as
a hero, saving her from a life of degradation.
She would see him, instead, as the cause of the destruction
of her life.
Dispirited, he drove home and fell into bed where he
tossed and turned until falling into a restless sleep.
He woke the next morning, exhausted but intent on his
mission. Fortunately, Mulder & Traut was closed on Saturday
during July and August, leaving him free to begin his
search.
"Master Fox, yer skin and bones. Let me fix you somethin'
that'll stick to yer ribs," Cook said as he grabbed an apple
from the kitchen table.
"Next time," he said, tossing her a grin as he flew out the
door. "I'm in a bit of a hurry."
He ate the apple in the car as he drove over to the
Berkowitz home. He had decided to go to her house and
not to speak to her at the settlement house. If she'd
speak to him at all, she was more likely to talk freely
at home.
"Izzy Berkowitz, you better be goin' to the
synagogue," Shayna called out to the bulky looking
adolescent who emerged from the back door.
"I'm goin, Ma, I'm goin'."
"No stickball! I'll hear about it!"
Izzy was still grumbling when he shouldered past Fox as
he approached the house.
"What are you doin' here?" Shayna asked, her eyes narrowed
at the sight of Fox. "Haven't ya caused enough trouble?"
"Shayna, please. Can I come in?"
"Sure, why not. You should see how the other half lives."
Fox entered a hot and stuffy kitchen where a baby sat on
the floor, banging on a pot with a wooden spoon.
"Chaimie, enough already with the banging." Shayna grunted as
she lifted the baby. Turning to Fox, she asked, "So what do
ya want as if I didn't know?"
"How is Katie?" he asked.
"She's all right, no thanks to you."
"I need to speak to her, Shayna. Do you know where she is?"
"Haven't you done enough to that poor girl? Got her fired
and kicked out. Can't ya leave her alone?"
"But that's just why I need to talk to her. It's because
of me she's lost her job. Let me help her--it's the
least I can do."
"Yer right. Ya should help her, but she don't listen to
me and she don't wanna see you."
It was clear Fox wasn't going to get any information out
of Shayna. At least not right now, but he sensed a tiny
bit of sympathy in her.
"Would you give her this?" Fox said, handing Shayna a
business card. "Please tell Katie to get in touch with
my lawyer. Mr. Leamus will see that she gets anything
she needs."
Shayna snorted.
"But first she gotta sign her name that she never met
you and nothin' ain't yer fault."
"No! I'll instruct him to release funds to her, or
argue her cause to the board of trustees. Whatever
she wants," Fox said.
[continued in next message]
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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