Misadventures of a Young Special Agent in Training
A Disastrous Escapade
Rating: PG, AU, Discipline, no slash.
Summary: Young Cadet Fox Mulder got himself in big trouble.
Disclaimer: The characters of Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, Walter Skinner, et al belong to 1013 Productions and I and will make no money from their use.
// for thoughts.
Young Fox Mulder quietly entered the kitchen in the apartment he shared with his Captain, AD Walter Skinner and headed straight to the cookie jar after assuring himself that his Captain was in his bedroom taking a shower. He had to be fast because his Captain didn't really approve of him eating cookies or sweeties before meals. A few moments later he sighed in bliss as he wolfed down three chocolate cookies in record time. He was in mid-action to steal another when the phone rang. Annoyed at being interrupted in such a delightful activity, Fox took the cookie and shoved it into his mouth as he went to answer the phone.
"Oh hello Captain Whitefield! Yes Sir, I'm fine. No, I don't have a sore throat. Well, I don't know why my voice is strange. I'm okay, really! My Captain? Hold on a minute please. I'll call him." Fox managed to say at the same time as he swallowed the cookie and dashed towards his Captain's bedroom with the phone in his hand.
"Captain! Captain!"
"Calm down little tyke. I'm sure whatever it is there's no need to shout." Walter gently chided as he walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around his waist.
"Captain Whitefield's on the phone. He wants to talk to you." Fox said between breaths but in a more controlled voice after his Captain's light admonishment.
"Thanks little tyke." Walter smiled as he took the phone from Fox's offering hand. "Good evening James. Really? Thank you for telling me. Hum, I think it's best. See you later."
Walter put the phone down with a thoughtful expression on his face and then started to put on the clothes he had previously selected, a T-shirt and a pair of old jeans, when he spotted Fox picking up something from his open suitcase.
"Fox! What are you doing?"
"Nothing Captain!" Startled at being caught in the guilty act, Fox quickly dropped the red file back to his Captain's suitcase.
He was so excited! He knew it was one of those famous X-files he heard the Seniors Cadets whisper about in the corners of the Academy so many times. They contained all kind of strange events no one would ever believe could happen and for which the FBI didn't have any explanation whatsoever.
// What might this one be about? // Fox wondered, his mind working fast full of extraordinary and fantastic possibilities. Unable to control his rising curiosity for one more second, he bent down to retrieve the file ignoring his Captain's scowl.
"Wow, Captain! Isn't this a *X-file*?" Fox asked almost reverently without tearing his eyes away from the document.
"Indeed. No, don't open it Fox! It does not concern you. Here, give it to me." Walter ordered firmly, extending his right hand imperiously.
Shaking his head no, Fox took a step backwards to put some safe distance between Walter and himself. "But Captain I only want to take a look and..."
"Fox, you'll be entitled to read them when you're older. Not NOW. Come on, give it back."
"But just a very, very quick look." Fox whined, clutching the file closer to his chest.
Observing the enormous pout protruding from the boy's lower lip, Walter said sternly, "No, I forbade you. Did you hear me?" He held up a warning finger when he noted the stubborn determination on the boy's face to keep arguing "End of discussion."
"Ahhhhhhhhh Captain!" Fox complained without letting go of the file, his expression still stubborn.
Walter inhaled deeply and mentally counted to three. He spoke in a deceptively mild voice. "Fox, I don't want to spoil my good mood by giving you a spanking but I will, if you don't stop this useless argument right now and hand me the file."
Fox didn't want to give up such a treasure. Putting his hands on a X-File was every Junior Cadet's dream and his dream in particular. He didn't know what drove him to them but he felt strangely connected. However, he knew that tone of voice very well. It might be soft but even an idiot could tell his Captain was at his limits. From this point he only had two options, obey or get a warm bottom. Although the temptation was great, he feared the weight of his Captain's hand too much to treat getting a spanking lightly. With a heavy heart, he did the only thing he could. He returned the precious file to his Captain's possession.
Walter accepted the file from his trainee's hesitant hands with a sigh and then locked it in his suitcase, safely away from the curious young boy's eyes. He was relieved that Fox had come to his senses because he didn't really want to punish him. He shouldn't have brought the file home in the first place. He should have known that Fox would manage to discover it one way or another. The boy was a natural at putting his nose where it didn't belong. One day X-files could be part of his life but then Fox wouldn't be as immature and impressionable as he was now.
"Believe me Fox it's better this way. You're still too young to be reading this kind of file, so keep away from them." Walter arched an eyebrow at the sullen boy and added, "And keep away from the chocolate cookies too. How many did you have?"
"HOW did you know?" Fox's eyes grew huge in dismay, the X-file completely forgotten for an instant.
// Had his Captain suddenly developed eyes in the back of his head? //
His direct approach got the desired effect of distracting the boy. Walter understood Fox's disappointment all too well. At twelve he'd also thought he could handle everything, even things that were much beyond his maturity. At that time it had been difficult to accept his limitations but now he thanked James for allowing him to be just a kid. Life taught the hardest lessons and besides things happened in their own time. Hurrying things could only lead to greater disappointments and a lot of unhappiness. He interrupted his musings to steal a glance at Fox and could barely suppress a chuckle at the priceless expression.
// Thank you James. You've made me gain some points with my smart little brat for telling me about the cookies. I owe you one. //
"I know EVERYTHING about bratty boys." He said solemnly, his penetrating gaze directed at the youth's face.
Unsure how to take these news, Fox could only stare back at his Captain in awe.
"I used to do the same when I was your age. That's how I know silly." He smiled, "It took James a while to discover it."
The teasing relaxed Fox making him snicker at the remark. "I guess Captain Whitefield wasn't happy when he found out."
The smile on Walter's face became a little bittersweet.
"No, he wasn't. To be more exact, he was furious. James was never a guy to take kindly playing him for a fool. Whatever the reason. And you know how he took healthy nourishment seriously."
"Yeah I know. Broccoli everyday. Argh!"
"Yes, broccoli and much more."
"Just like you Captain."
"What can I say in my defence? I lived with the man for fifteen years, so it's only natural to have acquired some of his habits."
"Then you're saying that one day I'm going to love these awful greens and playing golf?"
Walter chuckled good-naturedly. "I hope so. Now let me finish telling you about my experience with eating cookies before meals. The prank was not worth the consequences if you ask me. I recall ending up with a stinging bottom and having the cookie jar confiscated for three months. So whenever I wanted to eat a cookie, I had to ask James. It was a hard time for me but eventually I learned my lesson."
"Oh Captain Whitefield was so mean to you."
"No Fox, he was not. He loved me and he wanted me to have proper eating-habits, to grow up healthy and well-nourished. And that's what I want for you too. If you want to eat cookies throughout the day you may but not if it spoils your appetite for good food at mealtime. By good food I mean meat, vegetables, milk and fruit." He sighed as he noted Fox's dubious expression about his explanation of healthy nourishment. He could only hope his past experience served as a reminder whenever the boy wanted to stuff himself with sweets and junky food.
"Now come little tyke and let's go prepare dinner. James is going to appear any time soon." Walter couldn't resist one last teasing though as he ruffled his trainee's hair affectionately. "And to counterbalance all the amount of sugar and fat I know you ate, I'll make a special big bowl of broccoli just for you."
"Ahhhhh Captain! Not fair!"
Walter chuckled as he dragged his sullen boy out of his bedroom and towards the kitchen.
In the following day, Fox and Dana were attentively monitoring Captain Skinner's office from behind a bushy ornate tree in the corner of the corridor. It was a little past lunchtime so the corridors in the main FBI building were relatively empty.
"Fox, I really don't get it. Why can't we just act like normal people and ask for your book?" twelve-year old Dana asked with a sigh, not taking her serious green eyes off their target, Skinner's office door. They'd been at this activity for almost forty minutes and she was starting to feel a little annoyed. She couldn't see the logic in doing things this way.
"I've already told you! I don't want my Captain to know that I've forgotten to bring my maths book. He'd be really angry because he'd think I'm trying to skip doing my homework." Fox gave her a lopsided smile tinged with mischievous intention, "Besides it's more fun this way. We can also pretend it's a real case and we're searching the office for evidence."
The last remark made Scully roll her eyes but she came back to her former vigil in no time. With an unpleasant sensation of unease in the back of her mind, though. // What if? // She turned to look directly in his friend's eyes, "Fox, this isn't one of your stunts, is it? I really don't want to get into trouble."
"Scully! What kind of friend do you think I am? I'll never get you into trouble." Although he was lying, Fox said that with all the innocence he could muster. Dana must believe him. He needed her support and besides this would be fun. He was never alone inside his Captain's office. He was sure there would be lots of things to explore.
"Okay Fox, sorry!" She raised her hands up in a conciliatory gesture. "It's just that I don't have my Captain's permission to go into his office without him, and no other cadet does either. So it's strange that your Captain who is a very "by-the-book" agent allows you free access."
Fox and Dana had become great friends since their first meeting two months ago. They were as different as water and wine. While Dana was a very serious and well behaved girl, Fox tended to follow his heart at all time acting first and thinking later, impulses that frequently gave him a mistaken reputation of being a problematic child no one wanted to be close to. He was also a very smart boy with poor tolerance for narrow-mindedness, two traits his less gifted adversaries and instructors couldn't forgive him for. Despite their differences they got along very well and were often seen together both in classes and outside in their free time. Nevertheless, although Dana was very fond of her companion she couldn't overlook the fact that every time they were together they ran into some kind of mischief due to Fox's fertile imagination and tendency to not play by the rules.
Fox bit at the inside of his mouth, // Well, I don't have my Captain's permission but I'm just too curious about last night not to take a look. //
Yesterday night he eavesdropped on a conversation between Captain Whitefield, Scully's Captain, and his own about the X-file his Captain had brought home when he went to the kitchen to get himself a glass of water after they had dinner. The captains sat on the balcony so engrossed with their discussion that they didn't notice him listening to them behind the curtains in the living room. He couldn't help it, not after he heard the words extra terrestrial mentioned. He'd already had an argument with his Captain about the file before Captain Whitefield arrived but aliens were his passion and now that he had confirmation they really existed, he just needed to know more about them. He also knew that if he was caught he would be in big trouble as eavesdropping wasn't something his Captain would easily forgive, particularly if it was about something which was forbidden to him. He would certainly be sent back to bed with a very hot seat due to a very probable encounter with that nasty leather slipper. Thankfully, he hadn't been discovered but he had gone
to bed with every intention of getting his hands on that file. No matter what.
So the real reason why he was here today was to break into Captain Skinner's office in order to look for the file. He learned from his eavesdropping of last night that his Captain would be on a Head of Department's meeting at one o'clock sharp. So once Miss Cook went out to lunch, they would have at least one hour to themselves to rummage around the room. He hadn't told Scully because if he had she probably wouldn't have accompanied him in such a daring escapade.
He shrugged nonchalantly to her more to appease himself of the growing sense of unease that suddenly settled in a knot in the pit of his stomach. In the five months since he became Skinner's trainee, he'd had his bottom paddled more times he could count and for much less than what he was doing today. Although Captain Skinner was a very strict disciplinarian, never hesitating to smack his bottom whenever he thought it was necessary, he was a fair one and spanked him only for misbehavior or blatant disobedience, so he knew exactly where he stood.
"Hey look!" Scully elbowed him in his rib interrupting his musings. Their vigil had finally come to an end. They watched with suppressed excitement Kimberly Cook, Skinner's secretary, walk through the door and head towards the elevators situated on the left.
"Come on, Scully. Let's go!" Fox whispered to Dana gesturing her to follow him.
At the door Fox pulled a key out of his pocket and inserted it into the lock chewing at his lower lip. He smiled in satisfaction a few seconds later when the door opened smoothly. "Hurry!" he urged and they got inside.
In the office, while Scully scanned the room for the missing book, Fox swiftly ran to his Captain's desk and began searching the drawers.
"Hey, look at this Scully. That's it!" Fox grinned triumphantly at his companion as he waved a dark red file in the air.
"What's that Fox? I thought we were here to look for your maths book." The red haired girl arched her eyebrows up haughtily, "You shouldn't be meddling with Captain Skinner's possessions like this. It's not proper."
"This my girl is a X-file!" he announced excitedly. "Come take a look! An ET was discovered at the outskirts of the city near Praxton Hills."
"Fox, aliens and flying saucers don't exist. It's probably some animal mutation and ..."
"Ah, stop it Scully", Fox interrupted, stomping his right foot on the floor impatiently. "Wow, there's even a picture of the alien," he continued in awed fascination.
"Let me see that Fox," Scully moved towards the file in Fox's hand, still unconvinced.
Fox twisted to the right to be out of his friend's reach, "Oh, no! You don't believe it! Isn't it what you've just said?"
Scully's expression became serious as she crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, it's the truth. Besides you shouldn't be reading this file. X-files are not for our eyes and ears yet. We'll only have access to these documents when we're Senior Cadets, not for about six years."
Fox pointed a finger at her direction, "You speak for yourself, because I'm not going to wait that long. I'm going to investigate this case right away"
"Case? Oh, no Fox, don't tell me ...You wouldn't dare!" Scully's jaw dropped open in disbelief.
"Yes I would!" he smiled smugly, barely containing his eagerness, his mind entirely focused on the adventure ahead.
"You'll only get yourself in trouble! You know very well that we can't leave the Academy by ourselves and certainly without our Captain's authorization," she protested trying to bring him to his senses.
A hiss escaped through Fox's lips. "Ah, Scully spare me the speech. I hear enough of them every morning to last me a lifetime. Captain Skinner is a very persistent man!"
"You really should listen to him."
"Don't be such a prude! What are you anyway? A special agent in training or a mouse?"
Dana pressed her lips in annoyance at this provocation tightening her arms around her chest, her frown deep.
// I hate when he does that! // She glared at him mutinously not accepting his challenge.
"I see. Then be careful not to die of boredom inside these sacred walls while I'm outside having fun," he snapped.
"Fox, sometimes you're so immature!" Dana shook her head in disdain.
Fox stuck his tongue out at her, "Mouse Girl!"
Scully was going to rebuke him when suddenly they heard the click of a key in the lock and then footsteps heading in their direction. For a moment they were unable to move and stayed firmly rooted to the spot, staring at each other in speechless horror.
Fox tried to speak but no words came out of his mouth. "Quick! Behind the couch," he finally managed, pointing to the sofa at the back of the room. They made their retreat barely in time as Walter Skinner entered his office.
On the way towards his desk, Walter frowned as he spotted the red cover of a X-file scattered on the carpet in the middle of the room and lying beside it a bunch of keys with an Obi-Wan key-ring. He picked the items up and studied them puzzled. He had a weird sensation of knowing those keys. Then, after a few moments of fast thinking, realization came. He remembered very well buying Fox the key-ring when he took him to see the movie two months ago. It still had the small dent in the knight's lightsaber when Fox had dropped it to the hard floor in the parking lot at that same day. Suspiciously, Walter opened the X-file. His suspicions were confirmed. It was the same one he had brought home yesterday. A hot fury invaded his senses and he saw red.
That brat! How could the boy be that obstinate and disobedient?
From behind the couch Fox searched his pockets at the sound of keys being taken up.
// Oh, no! My keys. I must have dropped them when I ran here. //
He lowered his head into his hands and groaned softly. A few seconds later he dared to steal a glance at his friend and didn't feel reassured by the worry written over Dana's face.
"Sorry," he silently mouthed to her, and she glared resentfully back at him.
"Fox, show yourself right away!" Walter demanded harshly in a furious tone after realizing what had happened.
At their hiding place Fox faced Scully and put a finger over his lips asking for silence.
Walter gritted his teeth and ordered in an angrier voice, "This is your last chance, Fox Mulder. If I have to search for you, your punishment will be much harder."
There wasn't any way he could escape his Captain's rage now. It would only take a few seconds for his Captain to discover their hiding-place. Sighing resignedly, Fox nodded to a wide-eyed Scully, signalling her to get up.
"Ah, so we have two culprits instead of one this time. You two come over here now," Walter ordered strictly, pointing at the space in front of him in the middle of the room.
The youngsters reluctantly complied and stopped in front of the furious Captain with their heads bowed.
"I want to know the reason why you're here," Walter said in his driest tone, his gaze fully directed to Fox's dark bent head.
The youths glanced at each other at a loss for a moment and then Fox took a step forward, "We came here to explore, Captain."
"For explore you mean snoop, Fox?" scowled Walter keeping a tight reign over his temper.
// Damned boy! //
He wanted to shout in anger. Even after being caught misbehaving the boy insisted on not telling the truth.
"Does your exploration have anything to do with this?" Walter pressed on sarcastically tapping a finger on the file in his right hand.
Almost as a whisper Fox said, "No!"
"Don't lie to me boy! You're in so much trouble there's absolutely no reason to make it worse. And look at me when I'm speaking to you!"
Hearing the suppressed anger in his Captain's voice made Fox's heart skip a beat.
// God, but he's mad! //
He lifted his head up to look directly at his Captain's face. He opened his mouth to speak but he couldn't think of anything to say. He knew Captain Skinner would be disappointed, and after they'd worked so hard to build up their relationship, he was suddenly overwhelmed by not only the thought of his punishment but Skinner's disapproval.
"Captain, I..."
"Captain Skinner perhaps I could explain better," intervened Scully as she noted Fox's face growing paler with every second of the stern scrutiny.
Walter moved his head to observe Dana Scully closely. She looked as appalled as him and seemed completely innocent in this whole affair to judge by her flaming face and unhappy expression. He was glad Fox had such a loyal and dedicated friend but sometimes his boy took advantage of the girl's overprotective instincts which seemed to be the case this time. Nevertheless, the girl must learn to restrain rather than encourage her friend's wild ideas if she didn't want to get herself into trouble as well. She was partly guilty if she covered up Fox's escapades and as so she must face the consequences of those bad decisions. Fortunately, Dana was James's responsibility and not his. One brat to deal was all he could handle.
James would say that Fox has become a bad influence on Dana's behavior but she could always resist temptation, or maybe not? Well, thinking more clearly he decided he'd try not to plunge the girl in too much trouble when he told James all about this disastrous escapade. But of one thing he was pretty sure, he would tease his Captain mercilessly for his mistaken assumption that his girl was a paragon of good behavior. He sympathized with the little red haired girl, though. He knew by his own experience how hard it was to resist his charming brat, especially when he had set his mind on something, but still she should know better.
"Cadet Scully, you're not my responsibility but rest assured that I will report this incident to your Captain, so next time you'll think twice before you support your friend in his foolish schemes." Noticing with satisfaction a deeper red blush cover the girl's cheeks indicating he had made his point, Walter dismissed her, "You may go now."
If the whole situation wasn't so serious, Walter would feel highly amused at least to what concerned Dana's part in this mess. So as much as he was very angry with the entire thing, he was also secretly exultant. He would personally tell his former Captain about Dana's role in this escapade.
// It seems James that this time you're going to pay for your taunts about spoiling Fox just to encourage the brat to give me trouble. I can hardly wait to see your face when I tell you that your *perfect little girl* Dana had misbehaved. The little jewel has some imperfections after all. //
Savoring such thoughts of revenge, Walter almost let a smile escape his lips. He caught himself in time though and shot a dark look at his trainee who paled, visibly nervous.
"Now it's between you and me. So start talking Fox."
Fox started to wring his hands trying to decide what he would tell his Captain but at the narrowed gaze Walter shot him, he blurted out, "I...I overheard your conversation with Captain Whitefield last night about this file when I was going to the kitchen to get myself a glass of water."
"But I'd already sent you to bed when we started our conversation."
"You were apparently so absorbed that you failed to notice me behind the curtains."
A long pause of heavy silence followed this admission. His Captain's gaze seemed to penetrate his very soul.
"I see. So now you're getting used to eavesdrop on private conversations. Don't you know it's highly impolite? You..."
"I was just curious! You know how much I like to read about ETs. And now I've discovered that they really exist!" Fox couldn't hold back his smile of pure satisfaction.
The smile on Fox's lips enraged Skinner more than ever. X-Files were not for such young impressionable audience. He couldn't suppress a chill at the back of his neck when he thought of his little Fox involved in such dangerous activities. "Fox, X-files are forbidden to you as well as free access to my office. You know that."
"Why, Captain? How hard could it be to take a look at them? I could help."
"If you do you'll find it hard to sit down, I assure you. Don't test me on this. You are not to read these files without my authorization, am I understood?." Walter paused to take a deep breath before he continued. "What about Cadet Scully? Is she your accomplice in this adventure?"
"No, Sir. She didn't know anything."
Walter grabbed his chin and stared fixedly at his boy. "You never fail to amaze me, Fox. Let me see if I can enumerate each one of your misdeeds. One you intruded into a private conversation you had no business listening to, two you came here into my office without my authorization and violated my privacy rummaging through my things, three you looked at a top secret file you don't have any access to and to which you were formally forbidden by me, four you deceived your best friend for not telling her about your true intentions and turned her into your accomplice. Is there anything else?"
// Yes, the keys. // Fox thought. But one look at his furious Captain made him re-think if it would be wise to confess that now. So he mutely shook his head no.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, Sir."
If his Captain forgot to ask him how he got here, he wouldn't be the one to enlighten him. The list of his sins were already huge to guarantee him a memorable punishment. No need to make it worse.
Walter started to pace back and forth in front of his desk trying to calm himself to be able to deal with his disobedient trainee. It was the same story time and again. Fox misbehaved, he spanked his bottom and then the boy repeated the same mistake at the first opportunity he had. What did he need to do to disabuse the boy from this kind of behavior? He didn't want to think what might have happened if it wasn't his office that Fox had chosen to invade. He could have been expelled from the Academy and his heart would be broken beyond repair.
Fox wasn't blessed with patience and after a while he started to fidget helplessly when his Captain fell into some kind of internal conversation and didn't say anything else for some minutes. In the end his anxiety got the best of him and he asked in a small voice, eyes downcast, "Are you going to spank me, Captain?"
// Look at him Walter, the perfect image of repentance. This time my little tyke I'm going to teach you a lesson you won't soon forget. It can be a bit extreme but perhaps it will work. //
Walter kept the tone as stern as he could, "I'm afraid, young Cadet, you didn't give me any other choice. And this time your punishment is going to be quite severe. It seems my hand and my slipper didn't impress you very much on your frequent trips over my knees, so I realize I have to use something that will leave a more lasting impression."
Fox followed his guardian go to the cupboard with a feeling of dread, it was never good when his Captain called him *young Cadet*. That often led to a quite severe punishment. His fears turned out to be justified at the sight of a thin and flexible rattan stick that appeared in his Captain's right hand.
Walter took a few steps away and made some experimental swings with the vicious-looking instrument in the air.
Fox swallowed hard at the menacing sounds.
Walter then looked at him and ordered him firmly, "Drop your pants and bend over the desk Fox. Let's get this over with."
"Please, Captain. I don't want to be spanked with a cane," Fox begged deeply scared, tears already flooding from his eyes as he remembered the stories of the effects of a cane on a boy's bottom told by the older cadets. But his Captain was adamant. And merciless.
"Fox, I suffered the fiery kiss of the cane on my backside many times during my own training and although it stung like a devil, I survived and so will you. Besides it's for your own good." Walter explained this as gently as he could. From his own experience he knew how terrible a caning sentence hanging above one's head sounded to a young boy such as Fox.
"Please Captain couldn't I take the slipper instead?" he asked with a mixture of hope and tears.
"No Fox," his guardian shook his head and continued to speak in a firm voice. "I decide what your punishment is going to be, not you. And it is not negotiable. So put yourself in position willingly and it will be over soon. Remember that you have only yourself to blame."
Without any other option, Fox walked crestfallen towards the desk and lowered his pants which pooled around his ankles.
"The underwear too," Walter spoke softly behind him. The announcement elicited a strangled sob from the startled boy who after a brief hesitation hurried to comply, pulling down his shorts. After taking a deep breath Fox bravely bent over the table and presented his little naked posterior for punishment. He knew his bottom would be sore for a few days but he trusted his Captain there wouldn't be any permanent damage.
Sighing deeply, Walter took aim and lifted the cane high above his right shoulder, cracking it down with a swift snap of his wrist on the boy's defenseless buttocks. A few seconds later an angry red welt raised on the previously smooth and unblemished cheeks. The high pitched cry didn't take long to erupt from Fox who shifted frantically on his feet, trying to lessen the hot searing sting on his bottom.
"Is that it, Captain?" Fox sniffed in a teary voice, glancing around his left shoulder, a trail of fat tears coursing down both cheeks. Keeping his position while waiting for the cane to descend was one of the most difficult things he ever did during his whole young life. His backside throbbed as if it was attacked by millions of stinging bees.
"No little tyke," Walter sadly informed him. "I'm afraid you have three more strokes." Although the boy deserved every single stroke, he couldn't ignore that a first caning was always a dreadful experience. And the first stroke was also the worst. Ever.
As soon as his terrible predicament penetrated his mind, Fox started to whimper disconsolately, moving his hands to cover his bottom for protection. He took just one stroke and the pain it caused was the worst he had ever experienced. How could he manage three more like this one?
The pitiful sight almost undid Walter and he nearly lost his resolve to keep spanking Fox. But if he stopped now, he would only be doing the boy a disservice to his education. Fox knew too well that what he was doing was wrong and he kept misbehaving. Lenience had no place in the here and now.
So with the fortified conviction of doing the right thing, Walter steeled himself and in a firmer voice ordered the boy to prepare for the next stroke
Fox whimpered and begged him to stop. "Please Captain don't do it."
"Fox, what you did was very serious and you know this. If you don't move back to position right away, you'll be getting extra strokes."
That had an immediate effect on Fox who moved his hands away and resumed his former position over the desk. He clenched his buttocks tightly.
"Keep still Fox." Walter said as he observed the clenching and unclenching dance of those youthful buttocks. When he felt Fox relax a little, he landed the second stroke down with a good amount of force, immediately above the first one.
"Owww", the distraught boy shouted in agony, straightening up from his bent position. "Pl-ease Captain, I can't take another. Pl-ease!" he sobbed loudly, rubbing his seared butt fiercely.
"You still have two more Fox. Get back into position and let us put this caning behind us," Walter quietly said, his heart constricted in sympathy for his young boy.
Between great gulps of air, Fox nodded dejectedly and lowered himself once more over the hard surface of the old desk, his bottom stuck out in the air and his head buried in his arms. He felt a restrictive hand over his back and although it comforted him, he braced himself for the worst.
Swish!
The third stroke hit squarely on the sit spot, making him kick his legs up desperately to alleviate the burning pain. That propelled him further forward positioning his naked bottom at a perfect angle for the last smack. That one landed on the most sensitive skin where thighs met buttocks.
"Yeouchhh!" he wailed in great distress and then collapsed over the desk, crying his heart out.
Walter put the cane back in the cupboard and then wordlessly pulled the boy's body up from the desk and leaning on it, hugged him close with gentle arms. Fox didn't resist him and otherwise relaxed a little, feeling completely safe and loved into the warm circle.
"I...I'm s-sorry, C-captain, I w-won't m-misbehave e-ver a-gain," Fox promised through hiccups.
The absurdity of the promise made Walter choke back a smile and in order to hide it, he bent his head down and kissed the top of the boy's crown without interrupting his rocking. After several long minutes he extracted himself from the tight embrace and put a finger under the boy's chin lifting it gently to look him straight in the eyes. "I won't hold you to a promise you won't be able to keep little tyke, however I hope you'll never invade someone's privacy again. Do we have a deal?"
Fox promptly agreed.
They touched foreheads for a moment and Walter moved his large hands up to swipe the last tears from his ward's face. He then helped Fox pull his pants up and dropping an arm about the boy's tiny shoulders, turned him around and ordered softly, "Now Fox I want you to go to the bathroom and wash your face and then take a nap. I still have some papers to dispatch and you may stay here until I've finished."
The youngster nodded and slowly trailed off to the bathroom, rubbing his sore bottom carefully. He winced as every step seemed to re-ignite the stinging pain all over his battered bottom. And his pants weren't helping either.
"Ouch!" Fox let out the scream the moment his scorched butt made contact with the hard fabric of the couch and rapidly turned over onto his stomach snivelling. Walter rushed to his side and very carefully pulled his pants and briefs down to middle thigh, exposing a pair of bare cheeks that now sported four red horizontal lines.
"Pl-ease, C-aptain! Pl-ease, no MORE!" the sobbing intensified as Fox thought that his Captain was going to punish him again.
"Shhh! Calm down little tyke," Walter reassured him as he lightly stroked the boy's abundant dark hair. "I'm not going to spank you. I only want to make it better. Keep still until I return."
Walter soon returned with a cool wet towel that he applied gently over the marred cheeks. Fox hissed and sobbed even more intensely when the towel connected with his very painful bottom. The boy was so unsettled that Walter sat down next to him and started to massage his back and neck with slow circles in a soothing way. A while later he felt the boy drift into a deep slumber.
Two hours later Walter took a break from the huge pile of boring papers and went to check on Fox who was still sleeping soundly on the couch. He sat there lost in thoughts.
// My little tyke looked so drained and exhausted. Maybe I was too hard on him today. //
Walter meditated worriedly as he watched a crease form on the boy's forehead. He very gently touched a finger over the crease to make it disappear as if doing that he could take all the boy's pain away. He truly regretted having to cane him and Fox didn't take his punishment well. He remembered two months ago when his former Captain had entered his office and had offered him a cane with a flourish. A lump had immediately formed in his throat as the instrument had brought back unpleasant memories of past spankings and Walter had almost felt his bottom twitch.
"For Fox. Believe me Kid with that boy you'll be needing it anytime soon," James said denoting the thin rod with a knowing smile.
But James was wrong. In his case James knew very well that only "six of the best" was a deterrent to him when he was twelve and full of mischief and stubbornness but then he was a tough child, very different from his sensitive little Fox. What he wanted was to discourage the boy from his unorthodox method of doing things and to teach him to follow orders even when he disagreed with them. Walter shuddered at the thought of Fox risking his life in one of his escapades. He could handle without much effort a handful of serial killers and terrorists but he couldn't handle life without his little tyke anymore. He smiled as he recollected his initial refusal to accept the boy to train. It was one the most stupid things he'd ever done. He should have known better when he took his first look at the boy that the little tyke would find a way to penetrate his brick wall of fear and loneliness to be engraved on his heart. Deep. Forever.
Walter smiled fondly at the pout on the lips of his much beloved boy and with infinite care brushed the back of his right hand over the boy's cheeks.
// I want to do the right thing with you Fox. So if I must smack your bottom every day during your training and even after you're a grown man, I'll do it even if it causes me pain because I want only the best for you. I'd never give you up for anything! Not even for your own recklessness and immaturity. The path is undoubtedly going to be difficult but I am confident that together we will succeed. //
"Hi Dana," greeted Fox as he lowered himself gingerly onto his chair for the first morning class at the Academy. His bottom still hurt from the caning he received yesterday but thanks to his Captain's tender ministrations, he could sit down more comfortably today. He sighed.
// At least I can sit. //
He shuddered as he recalled the long hour he stood at the corner of their kitchen this morning. They were having breakfast when his Captain suddenly asked how he had gotten the keys of his office.
"In the drawer you use to keep your guns and your badge."
If he could he'd have swallowed the words back.
"WHAT? You really are a disrespectful little brat Fox Mulder, and you may consider yourself a very lucky boy to not go over my knees right now. Go and put your nose in that corner immediately and don't move until I say you can."
// And looking to those plain white walls I was for one whole tedious hour. //
He was yet very glad to only receive a pair of smacks when he dared take his eyes out of the corner. His Captain was in a really foul mood.
Fox turned his attention back to his friend who was reading her notebook and didn't acknowledge him yet.
"Hey Scully, HELLO!" Fox tried again raising a little from his seat to touch her right sleeve.
Shoving his hand away, Dana closed her notebook with a sharp thump, "I don't want to talk to you. Leave me alone!"
"Scully, what's going on?" Fox leaned back to his chair with huge eyes.
The girl abruptly turned and shot him a hard glare, "Because of your ill-fated prank I was punished!"
Fox shrank back into his place cringing with guilt at those words and said in a worried voice, "I'm sorry! How were you punished?"
"I...My Captain spanked me," she declared red-faced.
"Dana! I'm so sorry," Fox said in dismay lowering his eyes. One second later, "How bad was it?"
"Captain Whitefield slapped my bottom hard. Once," Dana confessed with flaming cheeks, deeply ashamed.
At that Fox jerked his head up, "WHAT? Just ONE swat?" After she confirmed it he burst into a hearty laughter. "One smack!" he repeated chuckling in incredulity.
"It hurt a lot!" Dana defended herself, vexed by her friend's unusual reaction. "I do hope Captain Skinner skinned your butt."
"Well, in fact he did just that," Fox replied undisturbed by his friend's annoyance and again convulsed into a new fit of highly amused giggles.
Scully looked away disgustedly and pouted for a few minutes. But Fox's laughter was contagious and after a few seconds her lips started to twitch involuntarily. She then gave up her resentment and grinned along with her friend.
"Still friends?" Fox asked with a warm grin and a fond sparkle in his eyes after he gained some control over his emotions.
"What can I do? Someone has to back up your mischief, you troublemaker!" she conceded with ill grace, smiling back.
"Well you're no saint yourself. But thanks anyway, partner!" And blowing her a kiss he roguishly said, "I love you."
Dana snorted at that mushy declaration and hastily opened her book as Captain Spender, the old mean history teacher, glared at them.
The End