Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 4:37 PM

Title: Not Anymore
Author: Susan Frankovich
E-mail: susanf@ticnet.com
Classification: VA
Keyword: Mulder angst-o-rama
Spoilers: after the end of season eight
Archive: Anywhere, just ask first please.
Disclaimer: These characters belong to each
other.  Let's hope the 1013 gang keeps them
that way next season.

Author's notes: As much as I'd like to see
a happy ending for Mulder and Scully, I think
there's always going to be something (or
someone) that will prevent them from having
one...

Summary:  "I can't do this anymore."
******************************************************

Not Anymore
by Susan Frankovich
~~~~~

"I can't do this anymore," he said, lowering
his head and handing William over to her the
moment she walked in the door.

"What?" she asked, situating her squirming son
in the crook of her arm and gently patting his
bottom.  "What are you talking about, Mulder?
Can't do what?"

He looked at William, then his eyes scanned
her apartment, taking in all the various baby
paraphernalia that surrounded him. "This," he
replied, "I can't do it anymore."

Lifting the baby up so his head rested on her
shoulder, she tried to speak, but her heart
was suddenly pounding so hard in her chest
and her throat was closing up so fast it was
all she could do to breathe, let alone say
anything.

Picking up his duffel bag from the corner, he
walked over to the two of them, then placed a
kiss on each of their foreheads and quietly
said, "Please understand.  I have to go..."

And then he left, closing the door without
another word.

When he got outside her apartment building,
he allowed his tears to come, but only for
a moment.

There was work to be done now, and he was
the only one who could do it.

He threw his bag into the back seat of the
dark sedan that was waiting for him, then
got in on the passenger side. "So, did you
tell her why you were leaving?" asked the
thin blonde woman sitting in the driver's
seat.

"No," he answered, looking over at the
window to her apartment and wishing that
he could tell her everything, but knowing
that he could say nothing.

"Alex always said you were good at keeping
secrets," she remarked, turning the key in
the ignition.  "Let's see how well you can
keep this one."

Then she pulled the car out of the parking
spot and drove down the street, taking him
away from a life he was never meant to have
anyway.


~end~

~All my poems and stories can be found at:
https://members.tripod.com/sfrankovich/index.html