No Worries
Disclaimer: I don't Own the X-Files peoples. but Jenny is all
mine, to do with as I see fit. the others are just used for free.
Note: no spankings yet, but give me time
Thanks Joey for Betaing
I am a feedback junkie, please support My habit *grins*
The phone ringing woke them both up. "Hello?" Walter had
answered it. "Yes, this is he.. yes.. oh my God!"
That got Fox's attention, he sat up in the bed "What's
wrong?" he asked.
Walter held up one hand still speaking into the phone "Yes, I
will be right there. Yes, thank you, " he hung up the phone,
the color had gone out of his face.
"Walter? What's wrong?" Fox was concerned, he had
never seen his boss and lover, his life partner like this
before.
Walter was up out of the bed, and dressing as he
answered "That was the hospital, there's been an accident,
Sharon .. " his voice cracked.
Fox was up and getting dressed "I'll drive you" he said,
Walter just nodded. Fox pulled his partner into his arms for
a tight hug, before they finished dressing. All the way to the
hospital, Walter kept pushing back the worst of his
thoughts, trying to stay calm.
Once there, Walter went right to the desk, "I am Walter
Skinner, I was told Sharon Skinner was here?"
"Right this way Mr. Skinner" the nurse said, leading them to
a small waiting room, "the doctor will be right with you"
Walter paced the small room until Fox caught his hand,
squeezing it, no words spoken, just quiet support. A
moment later, the doctor walked in, the men dropped hands
and faced him. "How is Sharon? " Walter asked
immediately.
"I'm Doctor Cho," the doctor shook their hands, "Please sit
down, Mr. Skinner," Cho said. After they all sat Cho began
"There is no easy way to say this Mr. Skinner, Sharon
Skinner was brought in with severe trauma as the direct
result of an automobile accident; however, she had also
been shot, through the window of the vehicle. She was
brought here and worked on but was DOA, I am sorry Mr.
Skinner."
Tears formed in Walter's eyes, Fox wrapped his love in a
hug.
The doctor continued "Your daughter, was also brought in."
"Jenny?? Walter gasped, his eyes huge in the fear. "She is
fine Mr. Skinner, a few bruises and contusions, but she can
be released anytime.
Walter was a mix of emotions, grief for losing Sharon, and
relief that Jenny was still alive. "I want to see my daughter"
Walter stated firmly.
The doctor led them to a small examination room, before
going in Walter turned to the doctor "Does she know about
her mother?" he asked.
"Yes, she knows, she was holding her mother's head when
the ambulance got there." Cho said
"Oh my God." Fox gasped
Walter winced, that was a lot for anyone to go through, let
alone a child.
Doctor Cho opened the door to the examination room.
Walter walked in the room, Jenny was sitting up on the
examination bed, her back to the door, but turned when she
heard it open. "I want my clothing n .." she stopped, seeing
her father. "Papa?" she whispered, her eyes wide. A
moment later she seemed panicked, as if she were
terrified, Jenny slipped off the examination bed as Walter
walked towards her, backing away, the tears filling her eyes,
"ohh papa, I didn't mean it, I tried to take care of mother like
you said, I .. "
Walter gathered his child into his arms, rocking her,
comforting her with soft words. "I know baby, shhh it's ok
now, Papa's here, there was nothing you could do baby."
Fox remained back, letting them have this moment, this time
together.
Jenny was 14, with long dark hair and her fathers eyes.
She was a thin child, and even thinner right now, her head
was bandaged, and there was a large dark bruise on her
face.
"They shot her Papa, they shot mother without a thought. If
she hadn't wrecked the car, they would have shot me, too,"
Jenny was saying, her voice shaky but not breaking yet.
"Shhh its going to be okay."
She saw Fox. "Who is that?" she asked.
Walter paused a moment, they had never told Jenny of
their relationship, there had been no need really. Sharon
rarely let Walter visit with his daughter. But Walter knew
now was the time for honesty. "This is Agent Fox Mulder,
Jenny, he works with me, and lives with me."
Jenny looked at Fox a moment, then her father,
"Roommates or lovers?" she asked frankly.
Fox thought Walter was going to choke at that one. "Life
partners" Fox said.
Jenny nodded, "So that makes you like my step mom then,
right?"
This time it was Fox's turn to choke, "Yeah, something like
that"
"The doctor said you were OK to go with us, Jenny." Walter
said, "Let's get you some clothing, and we will take you
home." Jenny nodded woodenly, still not totally aware of
what was going on. Walter found a nurse. Jenny's clothes
were unwearable, so she gave her some scrubs, and let
them check out. While Fox took Jenny the scrubs, Walter
spoke to the doctor and nurses, making the first
arrangements for Sharon.
In the car, Jenny sat curled up in the back seat, her eyes
distant watching the lights go by as they drove. Fox tried to
keep up a bit of chatter, but finally became silent. Once at
the Crystal City apartment, Walter let them all in, "Are you
hungry, Jenny?" he asked.
Jenny shook her head "No, not hungry, don't worry about
me. I just want to go to sleep."
Walter showed Jenny to the guest room, "her room now" he
thought. Jenny laid down on top of the blankets and curled
up in a little ball. Walter took a blanket from the chest, and
covered her, hugging her tightly. "I am so glad your OK
baby." He said. Jenny didn't answer just closed her eyes.
Walter walked back into the master bedroom he and Fox
shared. "She is so closed" Walter said to his lover, Fox
drew Walter into a tight hug. "We will be there for her."
Walter nodded.
The next morning, Fox woke to a tickle in his nose, as if
someone's hair was caressing him, "Walter, you naughty "
he began his hand caressing, then he leaped out of bed as
if scalded, that was a BREAST he touched. Blinking in
shock, he looked down at the two sleeping forms, Walter
was on his side of the bed, no problem there, but in the
middle, between them was Jenny. She looked so young and
sweet, her dark lashes like soot on her alabaster cheeks.
Fox made a mental note to check who was in bed before
caressing next time.
"Don't worry " Jenny said not opening her eyes, "I know you
didn't meant to feel me up" she opened her eyes as Fox
blushed 12 shades of red.
"What?" Walter said sitting up in the bed "Jenny what are
you doing here?"
"Don't you remember, I live here now" Jenny said.
"I mean in this bed" Walter cut his child off.
"Oh that," Jenny shrugged "I couldn't sleep, so ... was that
OK papa?
Walter looked at Jenny, then Fox, then back to Jenny
again "Its fine baby"
Jenny stretched looking like a cat, her body so thin. Walter
decided the first order of business was breakfast. It had
been a month since they had brought Jenny back form the
hospital, a hard month with the funeral, and deciding what to do
with Jenny. Not that it had really been that much of a
problem. Jenny was a bright capable young lady, very lost
now that her mother was gone and not too close with her
father. Walter and Fox debated on if they would send her to
boarding school. It was Fox who nixed that idea.
"She has been though enough Walter, she needs a home
and her father."
Walter agreed with him, he hadn't wanted to send Jenny
away, but was still a bit concerned, what did he know about
raising a daughter, he was just getting used to raising Fox.
Jenny and Fox got along very well actually, Jenny looking at
her father's life partner as a mother, letting Fox fuss over her,
tempting her with the bits of junk food and other things, seeing she got
enough rest. And Jenny was very at ease with Fox, looking to the younger man
very much like a surrogate mother.
Walter watched the two, never once thinking this happy little
family was going to stay that way .. both Fox and Jenny ere
too headstrong and willful and set each in their own ways to be complacent for
long.
The day after they brought Jenny home from the hospital,
Walter made the arrangements for Sharon's funeral, contacting family, the
funeral home, the florist. Jenny was fairly catatonic most of the day, not
sleeping but not awake, and Fox, bless his soul, went to the store, getting
toiletries and clothing for the unmoving child. It was Fox
who coaxed Jenny into eating, and soothed her nightmares
those first few days, keeping her company in the early
morning hours, when neither could sleep. Walter often
found them, curled up on the couch together, not touching,
Fox at one end, Jenny at the other, each in their own
exhaustion endued sleep.
To be continued...