In Hind Sight
Rated: M

Chapter 1: In Hind Sight

It was late November 1976. He was 12 and she was 8. He was tall for his age, athletic; short dark hair which no matter how many times his mother brushed, spiked at the top; and green eyes which his family joked changed depending on his mood. She was petite, she could have been a ballerina if the tomboy inside her had not thought 'yuck'; long auburn red pigtails; and piercing blue eyes. He was the sitter and she was the baby. In hind sight he was too young to be left in charge, they were too young to be left alone; but her father was receiving a medal and he wanted the rest of the family to be there. Her case of chicken pox meant she had to stay at home. Unlucky for him amidst a back fence conversation, his mother had told hers, "Both Fox and Sam have had the chicken pox'. In hind sight she should have stayed at his. In hind sight. If hind sight had happened she might have not been taken, and he may not have dedicated his life so far searching the skies for her.

Both families had to move within a year, his north and hers east. The neighbourhood gossip was inescapable.
"Well I think both parents are to blame, fancy leaving two children on their own in the dead of the night"
"With them at home just next door"
"Why did no one hear her cries?"
"I heard it had something to do with his father's work"
"I heard it was hers"
"I heard that the little boy murdered her, before raping her, and his family helped him cover it. You know his father does work for the government"
"I heard that she was abused, by her own father none the less and that he would get the two boys to help him, her little body could no longer take the punishment. Times have changed the streets are no longer safe"
"Times have changed; the streets are no longer safe and I thought we lived in a pleasant suburban neighbourhood"
"And the families are so well connected to high officials, if they can't find someone, who can? Whose child is safe?"
"Bob said it will devalue the property. Even if we wanted to, we couldn't afford to move"
"I just feel sorry for her mother"
"I feel sorry for his"
"My heart goes out to the girl, that's if she isn't dead and buried face down in some field"
"Mine goes out to the boy, imagine him having to live with that for the rest of his life".

Fox William Mulder graduated from high school with a 4.0, he went on to graduate top of his class at both Oxford and the FBI academy. He joined the FBI in the winter of 1990, not long turned 25; following in his father's footsteps and fulfilling a 15 year ambition. His father was proud, he guessed; and his mother too in a sort of way; although they had both witnessed and suffered first-hand the price for working within the government. Unlike him they had not been surprised when he received his acceptance letter from the FBI academy, a few short days after applying; they only prayed that it would not remove too much of him. He did know however that they would not be overjoyed by his career decision and felt that he was wasting his talent; but his whole family knew what happened to 12 year old Fox and how that still scarred him today. His family begged him to forget, put it behind him and carry on with his life; but every year on her birthday he would plant a tree for her and re-vow to one day find her.

It was early January 1991 when he spotted her; their eyes both clocked each other, and they instantly knew who the other was. It was by accident; looking back on it he still couldn't believe it because he was not even looking for her. But there she was; frail; her hip and collar bones protruded through her skin; her concaved stomach, what a thick winter jacket should have protected from the harsh New York City winter. Not the leather black hot pants, fawn cropped fake fur jacket and 7 inch silver buckled stilettoes that she did adorn. Still the big blonde ringlet wig must have kept in some heat. Despite the weather, her body stood strong against the wind. She attempted to shrug him off and made an exit to the left, but he moved with her.
"No you don't not after 15 years" he muttered.
Although impossible, she understood him and started to walk towards him.