August, 2003
Disclaimers, and what not, are in Chapter 1.... I like feedback : JordanXF9@CS.com
SPOILERS for this chapter: Reference to Mulder's fish in season 8 (Three Words, I think.) One other thing I wanted to say....I mention the movie 'Finding Nemo' in this chapter. I know it's not out on video yet, but for the sake of this story, it is. (Finding Nemo does not belong to me, as if you didn't know.)
Chapter 2:
-----------------------------
"Long Time Coming" - Oliver James
Everybody wants to be loved / Every once in awhile / We all need someone to hold on to just like a helpless child / Can you whisper in my ear / Let me know thats all right / It's been a long time coming / Down this road / And now I know what I've been waiting for / And like a lonely highway I'm trying to get home / Love's been a long time coming.............
---------------------------
"Yeah," Krycek paused uncomfortably, "well, it's true that you don't have a mom....but...you do have a dad."
"They said I didn't." Nikolas said defiantly.
"I know. They didn't tell you the truth..."
"Who's my dad?" Nikolas asked curiously.
"I am." Krycek answered. "They never told me about you...I'm so sorry...." Tears were running dowm his cheeks. "I would never have let them hurt you....if I had known. Nikolas...I'm sorry, sorry...." He pulled the boy close to him and gave him a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes, until Krycek pulled away so that he could see Nikolas's face. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you, okay? I promise."
Nikolas seemed to be taking it all in. His liitle brain was trying to keep up with the flow of information, and then, out of all the questions he could ask, he says, "Who's Mulder then?"
Krycek and Mulder exchanged a glance. "He's a friend." Krycek answered confidently, pausing to see if Mulder would refute the statement. "He helped me find you."
Nikolas nodded, satisfied with that answer. "So, I can call you my dad?"
"Of course...if you want to," Krycek replied. Nikolas gave a little smile and then snuggled up to Krycek, pulling his blanket over himself and Krycek's lap.
"And I'll live with you?"
"Yeah.." replied Krycek.
The last thing Mulder wanted to do was interupt this scene of domesticity, but they had planes to catch. Also, he wasn't sure that, after this revelation, Nikolas would want to be seperated from his father. This might take some time.
"Alex....we should start getting ready to go."
"Yeah, I know." But he didn't move. He didn't want to, for once in his life....he had a place where he wanted to stay. A few minutes later he got up.
"C'mon Nikolas, you have to take a bath then we have to get ready to go." He picked him up and brought him into the bathroom. While Krycek was helping him with his bath and getting him ready, Mulder packed what little they had brought with them. Krycek brought Nikolas out to Mulder so he could shower himself.
"Want some breakfast?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah."
Mulder gave him a muffin and some juice that he had from the convenience store. Shortly after, Krycek emerged from the bathroom. Now he had to tell Nikolas that they weren't going home together.
"Before we go...Nikolas, your going to go on the plane home with Mulder..."
"And you too." Nikolas added.
"No...no, I have to go on a different plane because there's something I have to do before I go home. You'll be okay with Mulder though and I'm not going to be too long."
Nikolas had tears in his eyes, and Krycek picked him up and sat him in his lap. "I don't want to leave you, but it's only for a little while. You'll have fun with Mulder." He paused and then, as an afterthought added, "He has fish." As if that would make everything all right. Did he even know what fish were?
Nikolas buried his head in Kryceks shoulder. "Don't want you to go." Nikolas mumbled.
"I know, buddy. I know."
Mulder stood up and grabbed the duffel bag, motioning for Krycek to hurry up. Krycek stood, carrying Nikolas and they all left for the car.
The drive to the airport was quiet. Krycek sat in the back with Nikolas. When they arrived, Mulder was lucky to find a somewhat close parking spot. He got out of the car and so did Krycek. Krycek went around the car to Mulder's side to get Nikolas out of the backseat, but stopped before he opened the door.
"Mulder?"
"Yeah?"
"Um, since he's only got those clothes that he's wearing, I figured maybe if you went out you could grab him something else, so here." Krycek handed him some money he pulled out of his pocket. Mulder took it but he had a feeling that's not what he had wanted to say.
"Sure."
"And, uh....thank you...not just for taking him while I'm in Russia...but, helping me in the first place." He paused, "You know it was a pretty stupid thing to do. I could have been setting you up."
Mulder laughed. "I took my chances. And your welcome. The past couple of days have been 'different' to say the least....But I'd do it again if I had to. I learned something anyway."
"What's that?"
"You can be a nice guy.....sometimes."
Krycek smiled and opened the door.
They got inside the airport and after their goodbyes, they set off in different directions.
MULDER'S APARTMENT 1:33 PM
"Here we are." Mulder said opening the door and walking in with Nikolas, hand and hand. He encouraged the boy to enter the living room. Mulder followed behind him and went to check his answering machine that sat on his desk. The light flashed. He pressed the 'play' button, knowing full well who it was going to be.
'Mulder, it's me. Just wanted to see if you were home yet. Call me when you get this, I'd like to know what's going on.'
Scully. He owed her an explanation, but he wasn't sure he had one that would make much sense. He told himself he would call her later and turned to Nikolas who had walked over to the fish tank and was staring at them with fascination.
"You like them?"
He nodded excitedly.
"Do you want to feed them?"
"OK."
Mulder poured some fish food flakes into Nikolas's hand and then lifted him up so he could place them in the water. Then, he put him down so he could continue to watch them.
"They're eating it!" he observed happily.
"Yeah, well they haven't had anything since I left so they're probably *really* hungry. Speaking of hungry, do you want something to eat?"
"Yeah...please."
"Okay, let's see," Mulder walked into the kitchen with Nikolas trailing behind him. He didn't have high hopes for what he would find there. Probably nothing for a suitable lunch. As he predicted, there wan't anything that could even be scraped together to make something 'decent', nevermind something good.
"Why don't we go out to eat? C ' mon let's go."
-------------------
Mulder drove to the closest 'McDonald's', figuring that most kids like it there, why should Nikolas be any different. Even though he's probably never had it before in his life.
Mulder ordered Nikolas a happy meal and got himself a cheeseburger and fries. He took out his wallet and paid the kid behind the counter, and for the first time since the airport he remembered he had Krycek's money is his pocket. When they took their seats, Mulder pulled out the money he had been given and counted. Two hundred dollars. How much did he think he was going to spend on clothes? Although it does make since, considering that the only things that Nikolas owns are the T-shirt and jeans that he's wearing and the blanket that Mulder had taken back at the warehouse. He seemed to be attached to that. That had been one thing Mulder was happy he thought of on the spur of the moment. Things probably would have been a lot harder had he left the blanket.
"Can you open this?" Nikolas's voice pulled Mulder out of his reverie. Nikolas held out the toy that had come with his meal.
"Sure," he said taking the toy, "there you go. Hey look, it's a fish." It was one of the toys from the movie, 'Finding Nemo.'
"Just like yours!" Nikolas said excitedly.
"Yeah. You know I used to have one that was blue just like that."
"There were no blue one's at your house." Nikolas answered.
"She's not there anymore, I went away for a long time....and, uh, she didn't make it." Mulder finished uncomfortably.
"What was her name?"
"Molly," answered Mulder.
"You could get another one." Nikolas offered.
"I was thinking about doing that, I just never got around to it." He drank some soda and then added, "Maybe we can get one today, you can pick it out for me."
Nikolas was really excited and he finished eating as quickly as possible so they could get going.
MALL 3:45 PM
They stopped at 'Old Navy' first. Mulder picked out some things, with Nikolas's help. Two pairs of jeans, Two pairs of khaki's, two T-shirts (one blue and one grey), a long sleeve red T-shirt, and a black sweater. They spent almost eighty dollars there, which left enough to go shopping somewhere else.
They walked through the mall heading toward 'Gap Kids,' Mulder figured they would have some good stuff. He never shopped for a kid before but he thought he was doing a pretty good job. On the way they passed the 'Disney Store.' Mulder caught the sight of Nikolas's eyes when he saw all the toys. He wanted to go in, but he didn't ask.
"Why don't we go in here?" Mulder asked smiling.
Nikolas didn't even answer, he ran right in. He walked around looking at each and everything and Mulder followed him, letting him take his time. They reached a display of 'Finding Nemo' merchandise which made Nikolas very happy.
"You can get something if you want," Mulder told him, "and what about this shirt, huh? Do you like it?" Mulder held up a 'Finding Nemo' shirt.
"Yeah!"
"Okay, well pick out something else, and then we'll get going because we still have to go to another store."
After much internal debate, Nikolas decided on the stuffed blue fish, 'Dory.' Mulder paid for the two items and they left the store and headed towards their previous destination. They entered the kids 'Gap' and Mulder looked around, Nikolas was no help, he was busy carrying the bag with his stuffed fish and he didn't seem to notice much else. Mulder grabbed a pair of black cargo pants that he thought would look cute and a white polo T-shirt. On his way to the register, a rack to his left caught his eye.
He walked over and picked one of the items off the hanger. Mulder thought. He paid for the pants and shirt, and the little black leather jacket.
On the way out of the mall they stopped in the music/video store and Mulder purchased the 'Finding Nemo' video. As he was buying it he realized that Nikolas's fascination with fish probably didn't have so much to do with the fish themselves, and more that they were probably the only animal he's ever seen. It would make things a lot easier if he knew exactly what had happened over the past four years.
They left the mall and went to the first pet store they came across. Nikolas, after almost half an hour, picked out a fish that was yellow and green.
They headed home and as Mulder looked in the rearview mirror at Nikolas, he noticed that for the first time he looked *really* happy.
Continued in Chapter 3..........
Disclaimers, and what not, are in Chapter 1.... I like feedback : JordanXF9@CS.com
SPOILERS for this chapter: Reference to Mulder's fish in season 8 (Three Words, I think.) One other thing I wanted to say....I mention the movie 'Finding Nemo' in this chapter. I know it's not out on video yet, but for the sake of this story, it is. (Finding Nemo does not belong to me, as if you didn't know.)
Chapter 2:
-----------------------------
"Long Time Coming" - Oliver James
Everybody wants to be loved / Every once in awhile / We all need someone to hold on to just like a helpless child / Can you whisper in my ear / Let me know thats all right / It's been a long time coming / Down this road / And now I know what I've been waiting for / And like a lonely highway I'm trying to get home / Love's been a long time coming.............
---------------------------
"Yeah," Krycek paused uncomfortably, "well, it's true that you don't have a mom....but...you do have a dad."
"They said I didn't." Nikolas said defiantly.
"I know. They didn't tell you the truth..."
"Who's my dad?" Nikolas asked curiously.
"I am." Krycek answered. "They never told me about you...I'm so sorry...." Tears were running dowm his cheeks. "I would never have let them hurt you....if I had known. Nikolas...I'm sorry, sorry...." He pulled the boy close to him and gave him a hug. They stayed that way for a few minutes, until Krycek pulled away so that he could see Nikolas's face. "I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you, okay? I promise."
Nikolas seemed to be taking it all in. His liitle brain was trying to keep up with the flow of information, and then, out of all the questions he could ask, he says, "Who's Mulder then?"
Krycek and Mulder exchanged a glance. "He's a friend." Krycek answered confidently, pausing to see if Mulder would refute the statement. "He helped me find you."
Nikolas nodded, satisfied with that answer. "So, I can call you my dad?"
"Of course...if you want to," Krycek replied. Nikolas gave a little smile and then snuggled up to Krycek, pulling his blanket over himself and Krycek's lap.
"And I'll live with you?"
"Yeah.." replied Krycek.
The last thing Mulder wanted to do was interupt this scene of domesticity, but they had planes to catch. Also, he wasn't sure that, after this revelation, Nikolas would want to be seperated from his father. This might take some time.
"Alex....we should start getting ready to go."
"Yeah, I know." But he didn't move. He didn't want to, for once in his life....he had a place where he wanted to stay. A few minutes later he got up.
"C'mon Nikolas, you have to take a bath then we have to get ready to go." He picked him up and brought him into the bathroom. While Krycek was helping him with his bath and getting him ready, Mulder packed what little they had brought with them. Krycek brought Nikolas out to Mulder so he could shower himself.
"Want some breakfast?" Mulder asked.
"Yeah."
Mulder gave him a muffin and some juice that he had from the convenience store. Shortly after, Krycek emerged from the bathroom. Now he had to tell Nikolas that they weren't going home together.
"Before we go...Nikolas, your going to go on the plane home with Mulder..."
"And you too." Nikolas added.
"No...no, I have to go on a different plane because there's something I have to do before I go home. You'll be okay with Mulder though and I'm not going to be too long."
Nikolas had tears in his eyes, and Krycek picked him up and sat him in his lap. "I don't want to leave you, but it's only for a little while. You'll have fun with Mulder." He paused and then, as an afterthought added, "He has fish." As if that would make everything all right. Did he even know what fish were?
Nikolas buried his head in Kryceks shoulder. "Don't want you to go." Nikolas mumbled.
"I know, buddy. I know."
Mulder stood up and grabbed the duffel bag, motioning for Krycek to hurry up. Krycek stood, carrying Nikolas and they all left for the car.
The drive to the airport was quiet. Krycek sat in the back with Nikolas. When they arrived, Mulder was lucky to find a somewhat close parking spot. He got out of the car and so did Krycek. Krycek went around the car to Mulder's side to get Nikolas out of the backseat, but stopped before he opened the door.
"Mulder?"
"Yeah?"
"Um, since he's only got those clothes that he's wearing, I figured maybe if you went out you could grab him something else, so here." Krycek handed him some money he pulled out of his pocket. Mulder took it but he had a feeling that's not what he had wanted to say.
"Sure."
"And, uh....thank you...not just for taking him while I'm in Russia...but, helping me in the first place." He paused, "You know it was a pretty stupid thing to do. I could have been setting you up."
Mulder laughed. "I took my chances. And your welcome. The past couple of days have been 'different' to say the least....But I'd do it again if I had to. I learned something anyway."
"What's that?"
"You can be a nice guy.....sometimes."
Krycek smiled and opened the door.
They got inside the airport and after their goodbyes, they set off in different directions.
MULDER'S APARTMENT 1:33 PM
"Here we are." Mulder said opening the door and walking in with Nikolas, hand and hand. He encouraged the boy to enter the living room. Mulder followed behind him and went to check his answering machine that sat on his desk. The light flashed. He pressed the 'play' button, knowing full well who it was going to be.
'Mulder, it's me. Just wanted to see if you were home yet. Call me when you get this, I'd like to know what's going on.'
Scully. He owed her an explanation, but he wasn't sure he had one that would make much sense. He told himself he would call her later and turned to Nikolas who had walked over to the fish tank and was staring at them with fascination.
"You like them?"
He nodded excitedly.
"Do you want to feed them?"
"OK."
Mulder poured some fish food flakes into Nikolas's hand and then lifted him up so he could place them in the water. Then, he put him down so he could continue to watch them.
"They're eating it!" he observed happily.
"Yeah, well they haven't had anything since I left so they're probably *really* hungry. Speaking of hungry, do you want something to eat?"
"Yeah...please."
"Okay, let's see," Mulder walked into the kitchen with Nikolas trailing behind him. He didn't have high hopes for what he would find there. Probably nothing for a suitable lunch. As he predicted, there wan't anything that could even be scraped together to make something 'decent', nevermind something good.
"Why don't we go out to eat? C ' mon let's go."
-------------------
Mulder drove to the closest 'McDonald's', figuring that most kids like it there, why should Nikolas be any different. Even though he's probably never had it before in his life.
Mulder ordered Nikolas a happy meal and got himself a cheeseburger and fries. He took out his wallet and paid the kid behind the counter, and for the first time since the airport he remembered he had Krycek's money is his pocket. When they took their seats, Mulder pulled out the money he had been given and counted. Two hundred dollars. How much did he think he was going to spend on clothes? Although it does make since, considering that the only things that Nikolas owns are the T-shirt and jeans that he's wearing and the blanket that Mulder had taken back at the warehouse. He seemed to be attached to that. That had been one thing Mulder was happy he thought of on the spur of the moment. Things probably would have been a lot harder had he left the blanket.
"Can you open this?" Nikolas's voice pulled Mulder out of his reverie. Nikolas held out the toy that had come with his meal.
"Sure," he said taking the toy, "there you go. Hey look, it's a fish." It was one of the toys from the movie, 'Finding Nemo.'
"Just like yours!" Nikolas said excitedly.
"Yeah. You know I used to have one that was blue just like that."
"There were no blue one's at your house." Nikolas answered.
"She's not there anymore, I went away for a long time....and, uh, she didn't make it." Mulder finished uncomfortably.
"What was her name?"
"Molly," answered Mulder.
"You could get another one." Nikolas offered.
"I was thinking about doing that, I just never got around to it." He drank some soda and then added, "Maybe we can get one today, you can pick it out for me."
Nikolas was really excited and he finished eating as quickly as possible so they could get going.
MALL 3:45 PM
They stopped at 'Old Navy' first. Mulder picked out some things, with Nikolas's help. Two pairs of jeans, Two pairs of khaki's, two T-shirts (one blue and one grey), a long sleeve red T-shirt, and a black sweater. They spent almost eighty dollars there, which left enough to go shopping somewhere else.
They walked through the mall heading toward 'Gap Kids,' Mulder figured they would have some good stuff. He never shopped for a kid before but he thought he was doing a pretty good job. On the way they passed the 'Disney Store.' Mulder caught the sight of Nikolas's eyes when he saw all the toys. He wanted to go in, but he didn't ask.
"Why don't we go in here?" Mulder asked smiling.
Nikolas didn't even answer, he ran right in. He walked around looking at each and everything and Mulder followed him, letting him take his time. They reached a display of 'Finding Nemo' merchandise which made Nikolas very happy.
"You can get something if you want," Mulder told him, "and what about this shirt, huh? Do you like it?" Mulder held up a 'Finding Nemo' shirt.
"Yeah!"
"Okay, well pick out something else, and then we'll get going because we still have to go to another store."
After much internal debate, Nikolas decided on the stuffed blue fish, 'Dory.' Mulder paid for the two items and they left the store and headed towards their previous destination. They entered the kids 'Gap' and Mulder looked around, Nikolas was no help, he was busy carrying the bag with his stuffed fish and he didn't seem to notice much else. Mulder grabbed a pair of black cargo pants that he thought would look cute and a white polo T-shirt. On his way to the register, a rack to his left caught his eye.
He walked over and picked one of the items off the hanger. Mulder thought. He paid for the pants and shirt, and the little black leather jacket.
On the way out of the mall they stopped in the music/video store and Mulder purchased the 'Finding Nemo' video. As he was buying it he realized that Nikolas's fascination with fish probably didn't have so much to do with the fish themselves, and more that they were probably the only animal he's ever seen. It would make things a lot easier if he knew exactly what had happened over the past four years.
They left the mall and went to the first pet store they came across. Nikolas, after almost half an hour, picked out a fish that was yellow and green.
They headed home and as Mulder looked in the rearview mirror at Nikolas, he noticed that for the first time he looked *really* happy.
Continued in Chapter 3..........