Title: Retrieving the Future
Author: Elizabeth L. Iacono
Rating: PG
Category: Story, Angst
Keywords: Pre-XF, Alternate Universe
Spoilers: None
Summary: Elizabeth tries to get her son back.
Sequel to 'The Last Generation'.
I highly recommend reading The Last Generation
first. It'll be reposted at the same time this
story is. On a side note this story is technically
a crossover, being in the same universe as The Dark
Is Rising books, but seeing as none of those
characters make an appearance in here, this is
categorized as just a plain old story.
Archive: Anywhere and everywhere, Gossamer,
Spookys, and Xemplary especially.
Disclaimer: Anyone XF related is not mine.
Anyone else you don't recognize is mine.
Feedback: Makes me very happy. RhiaRamsay@aol.com
Started 8-8-00
Finished 8-12-00
Retrieving the Future
Elizabeth L. Iacono
February, 1974
Martha's Vineyard
Elizabeth Mulder drove her battered old car
down the rural and very deserted roads of Martha's
Vineyard. From her childhood life there she knew
that in the off-season the island's population
decreased largely, and the year rounders were
left there to battle the winter. Granted, her
memories were a little fuzzy seeing as was such
a long time since she'd been there, but there were
some things that just stood out.
She wished though that the reason she was there
now was different. Instead of showing up for the
occasional family visit every few years or so as
had been her tradition, her urgency had been spurred
on by a far worse event. An event that shouldn't
have happened.
Her older brother William Mulder, had given
in to the demands of his work and virtually
sacrificed his daughter to forces unknown,
leaving behind a heartbroken wife and a son
who felt more guilt than he should have.
Elizabeth knew she couldn't do much for Teena,
but she could help with Fox.
She wondered if Bill's coworker's had found
out the truth about Fox. His birth was well covered
up. There were only a handful of people who knew
that Fox was not really Teena and Bill Mulder's
son, but Elizabeth Mulder and Arthur Evans' son.
But the people Bill worked for seemed to be able
to find out whatever they wanted about anyone, so
she had watched her steps.
That wasn't the point right now though. The
point was Fox, and making sure that he grew up right.
Samantha's disappearance would leave a definite scar
on his life, but Elizabeth was going to try her
damndest to make sure the rest of it was good.
The first step to that was taking him out of the
household he was in. She wasn't quite sure how
she was going to accomplish it, but she had to
try, which was what lead to the impulsive trip
to the Vineyard.
Elizabeth pulled the car into the driveway
and killed the engine. She wondered if Fox would
even recognize her. All he knew about her was
that she was the weird Aunt Ellie, who rarely
showed up on the island but always managed to
send Christmas gifts with an exotic postmark on
the box. She didn't feel very exotic today though,
dressed in a pair of jeans and a sweater, with a
belted leather jacket and her hair rather messily
piled on her head.
She got out of the car and walked up the path
towards the house, hearing her footsteps click on
the stones. Without stopping to think about it
she climbed the stairs two at a time and jabbed
the doorbell in with her thumb. Half a minute
later the door opened, with Fox's wary face poking
out from behind it. As soon as he saw her though
his face broke out into a weak smile. "Hi, Aunt
Ellie," he said quietly. She noticed that he was
almost as tall as she was now, and she wondered
where the years went.
"How you been lately, kid?" she asked him,
and he shot her a look. "Okay, stupid question,"
she sighed, knowing the stories of the past few
months. "Is your dad home?" Elizabeth hoped like
hell he was.
"Yeah, he's back in his study," Fox said.
"Just a word of warning though, he's had a bit
to drink."
Elizabeth bit back a groan. "I'll sober him
up," she muttered, and marched back to Bill's study.
She knocked on the closed door and without waiting
for an answer pushed it open. Bill was hunched over
his desk and she heard him say, "Go away, Fox!"
"It's not Fox," Elizabeth said, leaning against
the doorframe.
Bill turned around to look at her, his face
blank. "Elizabeth. So what brings you back to
the island?" he said, and she tried hard to ignore
the sarcasm lacing his voice.
"How could you do it?" Elizabeth asked. "How
could you sacrifice your own daughter to those
bastards?"
Bill stood up and walked over to the small
cabinet that held his stash of liquor. "Samantha
was kidnapped from the house. We don't know who
took her."
"Oh, cut the crap, Bill!" Elizabeth said,
trying not to shout for the sake of Fox in the
next room. "You and I both know that's not the
case."
"You know nothing about my work," Bill said,
taking a long draught from the fresh glass he poured.
"I know enough to know that you all but handed
her over to them, because of their wishes," Elizabeth
shot back.
Bill didn't dignify that one with an answer, he
just leaned back against his desk. "What are you
doing here, Elizabeth? Why did you choose now to
grace us with your little seen presence?"
"I'm here because of Fox. I wanted to see how
he's been holding up."
"Ahh. Even after all these years there's still
the emotional connection," Bill said with a sneer.
"You're damn right there's an emotional
connection, he's still my son!" Elizabeth said
in a harsh whisper. She would have been yelling
for all she was worth, but for the sake of what
little innocence was left in the boy in the next
room she could keep her voice down. "I want to
take him to live with me. You've just proved that
you're not suitable as a parent--"
"And you are?" Bill cut her off. "You forfeited
the rights to his welfare when he was a week old.
You've spent the last twelve years doing God knows
what and you expect me to think that you would make
a better parent to him than me and Teena?"
"At least Teena accepted him as her own son.
And I could be a hell of a lot better parent than
you are." Elizabeth also neglected to mention to
him that due to certain circumstances her and Arthur
were forced to settle down, to lead somewhat normal
lives in order to blend in. Even though they was
always on the lookout for anyone from The Dark,
settling down had its benefits. Like the three
daughters they now had, each one beautiful and
special. But distancing herself from her birth
family meant they wouldn't be told about them.
But it also told her that she could be a damn good
mother to Fox now too.
"That may be, but you won't get the chance to
find out. I'm not letting that boy out of my sight."
"Why not? You've already gave up one child, why
not send the other one somewhere you know he'll be
treated right at least?"
"I don't have to dignify my actions to you of
all people, a flighty young girl who has turned her
back on her family since she was eighteen years old,"
Bill said coolly.
Elizabeth scoffed. "Well isn't that the pot
calling the kettle black. At least I care enough
to try and do something to make them happier. All
you do is give away your children for work of all
things." Bill's hand suddenly shot out to slap her
across the face, but she blocked it with a quick hand
of her own. "Don't even touch me," she growled. At
that moment, she saw something in his eyes. Fear.
"I just have one question for you. What are you so
afraid of? Why are you so damn scared that you have
to have him in your line of sight every day?"
Bill suddenly seemed to deflate and he leaned
against the desk once more. "In my work I've seen
some frightening things, things that no man should
have to ever see. The only way I can keep Fox safe
from them is by keeping him near me. He's staying
with me, and that's final." And with that Bill
Mulder stormed out of the den.
Pausing for only a second to let the feeling
of failure set in, Elizabeth ran after him only to
see his car speeding out of the wide driveway.
"Damn it," she swore.
"Is everything okay?" she heard Fox ask, and
she spun around on her heel.
"Just peachy," Elizabeth muttered, running a
hand over her face. "Sorry. You know me and your
dad don't really get along."
"It seems that Dad doesn't get along with anyone
lately," Fox sighed, sitting down on the couch.
"Has he been that bad lately?" Elizabeth asked,
perching herself in the armchair facing him.
"Well, ever since..." Fox used a wave of his
hand to substitute Samantha's name that he couldn't
get out. Elizabeth nodded sympathetically. "He's
just been horrible. Spends most of his time either
drinking or working." He sunk back into the couch,
looking extremely tired.
"Do you think he's going to do anything?" she
questioned.
"I hope not," Fox muttered.
Elizabeth sighed heavily, knowing that if she
even dared to take him with her now Bill would have
her arrested for kidnapping. She rummaged around in
her jacket for a second, finding a pen and paper.
"Okay, look. If anything ever happens, just give
me a call and we'll see what we can do."
Fox looked down at the paper that she had just
given him. "You're living in New York now? What
happened to Europe?" he grinned at her.
"It got boring," she smirked playfully. "I
better get going," she sighed. "If your dad finds
me back here when he gets back he'll have my head."
Fox looked at the small clock on the mantle.
"If you leave now you'll just be able to make the
ferry off the island."
"I guess that settles it then," Elizabeth said,
pushing herself off the armchair. Fox got up himself
and walked her to the door. "I'll see you soon, kid,"
she said, giving him a quick hug.
"See you soon, Aunt Ellie," Fox said back,
watching her as she walked out the front door.
"And remember," Elizabeth called out as she
walked across the lawn, turning around to look
back at him. "If you need anything at all, just
call me!"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Elizabeth couldn't remember exactly how she
got home, it all pretty much became a blur. She
assumed she took the ferry and then drove, because
seven hours later she found herself standing at
the front door to the Manhattan apartment they
lived in now. She jammed her key in the lock and
pushed the door open to an empty apartment. That
wasn't a surprise to her though, it was late, long
past the girls' bedtimes.
She walked inside and locked the door behind
her. She made her way across the darkened living
room, careful of her steps, knowing that the
potential to trip over a stray toy was especially
high in her home. Heading towards her bedroom,
she saw the sliver of light coming from under the
door told her Arthur was still awake. She pushed
it open to see Arthur laying on the bed, dressed
only in a pair of jeans and watching television.
He looked up at the sound of the door opening.
"I'm guessing by the crestfallen look on
your face that it wasn't a success," Arthur
said as she tossed her jacket on a chair and
collapsed on the bed next to him.
"Nope," Elizabeth said, leaning back into
the pillows.
"You should have seen that coming, you know,"
Arthur said, looking over at her. "After heading
up there so impulsively and from what you know of
your brother." Elizabeth suddenly mused that while
Arthur's Welsh accent had certainly faded after all
his years traveling, it still retained the faint
traces of it, and those traces comforted her.
"I know," she sighed. "I just can't stand
seeing Fox in pain like that."
"Do you ever wish that we hadn't given him
over to your brother?" Arthur asked her.
"Hmmm. Sometimes I do wonder what it would
have been like, to have kept him with us. But then
I think of what it was like back then, before we
were told to settle down. The constant moving
around, what evil we had encountered...it's no
way for a child to grow up," Elizabeth said softly.
Arthur wondered if the slight sadness he heard in
her voice was real or only in his head.
"I would like him to know the truth someday,"
Arthur sighed.
Elizabeth looked over at him. "The truth?
You mean about us and the Dark and everything?"
Arthur nodded. "Someday he will. I left that
note for Teena to give him after she dies, although
I'm hoping she flakes out and gives it to him
sooner. And as for the Dark, Merriman should be
taking care of that. By now, even though he doesn't
remember it, Merriman should have shown him the Book
of Gramarye, remember him telling us about that?"
"Yeah," Arthur said, recalling the
conversation. "Even though he won't remember it
now, it'll still be in his head for when he needs
it."
"Exactly. The book'll have been destroyed by
now though, Will Stanton's finally read it."
Their conversation was interrupted by the sound
of the door opening, and three little heads peeking
around the frame. "What is it?" Arthur asked their
daughters.
"We can't sleep," the oldest one said, carrying
the littlest one in her arms.
"The thunder's scary," the middle one said.
Elizabeth looked over towards the window and saw
the sudden streak of lightning going across it.
"Get up here," Elizabeth said, waving the
three kids towards the bed.
The girls smiled and scrambled onto the bed.
Elizabeth looked over the three dark haired girls
as they buried themselves under the covers.
Iris Branwen was their oldest daughter. She
was seven years old and just as headstrong as her
mother was. Sylvie Calla was the middle child at
three, almost four, years old and a little quieter
than Iris, although she could make herself known
when she wanted to. Bella Rowan was the baby,
who was not quite one year old yet, but had all
the makings of being a mischievous child.
Sylvie burrowed herself into Elizabeth's
arms while Arthur scooped Bella up and Iris made
herself at home between them. They didn't know
that they had an older brother, and Elizabeth
hoped the day would come that they would find out
about him. They had a very interesting family,
one that they should be very proud of.
Her thoughts were distracted by the sound
of Sylvie, Iris, and Arthur arguing about what
they should watch on the television, and Elizabeth
decided to turn herself to a problem that could be
resolved, at least for the moment.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The end...for now.
More stories in this series will be coming.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
'True love, it's the greatest thing
in the world.'
Miracle Max
The Princess Bride
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
'Men will fight bravely and be heroes,
but for a last ditch defense against
any odds, get a mother.'
The Defender
High Wizardry
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
'This is the Fish Patrol in 201. Our
flying fish has flown away. In fact,
things are so rotten around here that
even the pigs won't stay! But we'll
fight to the bitter end! Beware The
Fish!'
Bruno Walton
Beware The Fish
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
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