From: taffyxf@yahoo.com
Title: Forgive Us Our Trespasses
Author: Taffy Northwood
E-Mail: taffyxf@yahoo.com
Rating: NC17 (now and then)
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 1911 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 - Mr. and Mrs. Fox Mulder's
story - Part 21
Katie tiptoed down the back stairs to brew herself a
cup of tea. She didn't want to disturb the servants,
who seemed to take it as a reproach if she did
anything for herself.
Mulder was working in the library. She could have
tapped on the door to ask if he wanted a cup. It
should have been a simple thing to do, but things had
never been simple for them.
She sat in the kitchen, waiting for the kettle to
boil.
Mulder had business with Diana Fowley, business he
wouldn't discuss. Katie could have pointed out that
Mulder & Traut had half a dozen vice presidents, not
to mention another partner, who might have taken on
the burden. For that matter, Fowley Steamships could
hardly be a one-woman operation. But no, this
business had to be carried on by Mulder and Diana
alone. Alone together.
Katie knew what Missy or Shayna would think, if she
had confided to either one that her husband was seeing
his old fiancee on the sly.
But they would be wrong. Mulder was domineering,
moody and sometimes quite blind, but he wasn't
unfaithful. Something was going on between him and
that horrible Mrs. Fowley, but it wasn't that.
The kettle bubbled on the stove, and Katie filled the
teapot. Maybe she would surprise Mulder with a cup of
tea.
She could bring him a cup of tea and tell him in all
sincerity that she did trust him. It distressed her
that he conducted secret meetings with Diana,
especially given her history of manipulation and
deceit, but Katie knew down to her bones that Mulder
loved her, and she loved him as well.
Mulder would be as glad as she was to end their
stalemate. The tension would melt from his jaw,
and he would take her in his arms.
But she wouldn't let him, not right away. First they
had to come to an agreement about the clinic. Mulder
knew what it meant to her, and he knew she was needed
there. He would have to stop berating her about the
hours and the so-called danger.
She poured a cup for herself and sat down at the table
to drink it.
Why was Mulder so stubborn, believing Spender's
version of the argument with Chaco? To hear "dear
Cornelius" tell it, Walter Chaco would have positively
killed her if Mr. Xavier hadn't intervened.
Nobody asked "dear Cornelius" why his manservant just
happened to be there, waiting by the clinic door.
Katie couldn't ask him either, not without driving
Mulder into a panic.
There was a creak from the doorway, and she looked up
to see Walter Skinner push past the swinging door.
"Katie." He sounded surprised as he greeted her.
"I was just having a cup of tea. Would you like
some?"
He took a cup for himself and sat down at the table.
She knew he must be wondering why she was alone in the
kitchen, with Mulder upstairs, but she was grateful
that he didn't ask. She returned the favor by not
mentioning the deepening friendship between him and
Miss Muir.
"How is your book coming along?" she asked instead.
He shrugged.
"I've put it aside for the time being."
Katie smiled. Sparking and courting took far more
time than Walter Skinner had probably realized. It
was no wonder he hadn't gotten much writing done
with the lovely Eustacia Muir around.
Both of them turned at the sound of the back door
opening.
"Come on, let's get you something to eat..."
Katie froze, the teacup half way to her mouth. She'd
been wrong--her husband had not spent the evening
sequestered in the library after all.
Mulder entered the kitchen, a small figure emerging
from behind him. Katie gasped at the sight of Kevin
Kryder, dressed in outlandish clothing, tear tracks
staining his cheeks. The teacup clattered against
the saucer as she set it down a bit too quickly.
"Mulder, what's going on?" she asked, rising from
her seat at the table.
"I...ah...ran into Kevin," he answered, his gaze
flicking from her to Skinner across the kitchen
table. "It wasn't safe for him to stay where he
was, so I brought him home."
Katie nodded, rising from the table and crossing
to them. "You poor child. Are you hungry?"
Eyes cast downward, Kevin shrugged and turned his
face away. "I gotta wash my face," he murmured.
"I'll show you where you can wash up," Skinner
said, rising from the table. Kevin eyed the
stranger in the room warily, but Skinner's
calm, steady kindness seemed to reassure the
boy as he nodded and followed the big man out
of the room.
Katie took Cook's apron from its hook by the
door and covered her dress, wrapping it nearly
twice around her slim waist. She took eggs, milk
and butter out of the ice box and set them on the
table. She cracked three eggs into a shiny copper
bowl, a recent replacement for one that now
resided in the nursery.
"I didn't even know you'd gone out," Katie said,
her back to Mulder. "Where did you find him?"
Mulder hesitated, to Katie's exasperation.
"Then don't tell me," she said, turning to face
him.
"The Bowery. I was down on the Bowery."
"At night. You didn't go to look at a property
in the dark," she said sharply, because surely
that would have been his explanation.
"I'm sorry, Kate, I can't tell you more."
There was an agony of frustration in his voice.
"Then don't. Just don't lie to me," she said.
He held her gaze, but any reply was left unspoken
as Skinner and Kevin returned to the kitchen.
The boy's face was now clean, the edges of his
hair damp. His flowing shirt was covered
by a navy blue sweater of Skinner's, the sleeves
rolled up and the hem nearly at his knees.
Katie beat the eggs with a bit more force than
was necessary, then spooned some butter into a
frying pan. As she cooked the eggs and cut some
bread, Katie watched Mulder take a seat next to
Kevin at the table. She couldn't hear what Mulder
said, but Kevin shrugged and shook his head.
"Who is this boy?" Skinner asked, quietly, as he cut
a large slice of bread and buttered it.
"He spends a lot of time down at the clinic," she
replied, as she piled the eggs on a plate. "I
think he's been mistreated very badly."
Skinner didn't reply, but she watched as his
expression softened. He poured a large glass of
milk for the boy and brought it over to the table.
"Here you go, Kevin," Katie said as she set the
[continued in next message]
--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)
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