Soul Mate
Part One

by Speed and Junior

* * * * * * * * * *


E-mail: HooverArchivesX1@worldnet.att.net & HooverArchivesX2@worldnet.att.net

Fandom: X-files

Pairing: Skinner/Mulder

Rating: PG I suppose

Disclaimer: My apologies to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions and 20th Century Fox Broadcasting for their characters that I am so shamelessly stealing and abusing. I am obviously not going to make one red cent from this.

Synopsis: Mulder loses the love of his life.

Archivists: Please don't change anything and keep my name and email on it. Thanks.



Wanted: One Soul Mate. Must love engaging in long conversations about mutual interests. Looking deeply into each other's eyes. Holding hands. Giving meaningful pats and rubs. Must make me the center of your universe and live each day for the time we spend together. Must enjoy giving spankings. Must enjoy long, tender, nights, spent warming a naughty bottom over your bare knees. Rubs and light spanks a plus. Contact Fox Mulder.

Fox shook his head angrily at the pad of paper in front of him, tearing the sheet of paper he had been doodling on off the pad and ripping it into a million pieces. How on earth could he describe what he was looking for in a single want add? How on earth could he replace the love he had lost? The love that completed him. Fulfilled him. Made him want to wake each morning and draw another breath. It was simple. He couldn't. He was doomed to walk the world alone for the rest of his miserable existence. And to be truthful he had no idea how he had ended up in this position.

Last week things had been perfect. He couldn't have been happier. He had a successful career, a partner that he adored, and the man in his life. Walter. Even saying his name was enough to send the tears cascading down his cheeks for the hundredth time today.

Fox looked down at his trembling hands. Seems like they had been trembling a lot lately. Three days to be precise. Ever since that terrible day that Walter told him it was over. Oh, he still wanted to be friends. Like that was supposed to be a consolation. No more moonlit walks holding hands. No more loving comfort. No more having his warm, bare body to snuggle against at night. No more being held accountable for his mistakes and knowing how much he was loved when Walter ordered him to take down his trousers and bend over his knee. No more feeling his warm hand slapping against his bare cheeks. But, hey, if you want to meet for a cold beer at the corner bar after work once in a while, I'm your man. How is that supposed to make up for all I've lost?

Fox places his head in his hands for the umpteenth time today and shut his eyes tightly, as if by squeezing them tightly he could somehow shut out the pain he was feeling. It never worked.

The ringing of the phone startled him from his position, as he leapt to his feet to answer it, immediate hope that Walter had changed his mind being thrown to the surface of his mind as he desperately clutched at the receiver. "Walter?"

A moments pause and then his partner, Dana Scully's voice came over the line. "No, Fox. It's me, Dana. What's wrong?"

Mulder slunk back onto the sofa, his arms slumped at his sides, the phone cradled between his ear and shoulders. His mouth opened and closed several times, new tears springing into his red-rimmed eyes as he tried to form the right words to say. Somehow speaking the words aloud made everything worse. More real. He finally gasped out a single word. "Walter...."

Dana was quiet for a moment, waiting for Mulder to continue. When no more words were forthcoming, she gently urged him on. "Fox? Is something wrong with Walter? Did something happen?"

Mulder once again replied with silence, his mouth looking like a fish gasping for air as it tried to form the words. "He..... he..... Dana...... gone..... he's gone."

"Gone? What do you mean he's gone? Where did he go? Why weren't you at work this morning? And where were you all weekend?" Dana pressed the phone tighter to her ear, trying to hear any noise on the other end but all was silent. "Fox? Don't move. I will be there as soon as I can. You're scaring me."

Dana pressed the off button on her cell phone, grabbed her purse and quickly exited the FBI building.



Fox sat quietly for several minutes, blinking back tears as his vision focused on the room around him. Everywhere he looked was a disaster. Dirty clothing was strewn about. Plates of untouched food littered the room, attracting the attention of several flies that flew about deliriously happy at the wealth of rotting food to choose from.

Climbing slowly to his feet, Fox began listlessly picking up plates and discarded clothing, making a half-hearted attempt at straightening the room before Dana could arrive and chew him out for living amid such a mess. Fox placed a couple plates in the sink before glancing around the kitchen. It was worse than his living room. The stove was covered with filthy pots and pans and several mysterious-looking stains that he seriously doubted would ever come out. An evil-looking substance had dripped off one counter to pool in a sticky mess on the linoleum. A carton of dangerous-looking milk had been sitting out on the kitchen table for who knows how long and there was a definite stench emanating from that direction.

Glancing down at the dirty clothes in his hand, Mulder rolled his eyes, opened one of the cabinet doors and stuffed the dirty socks and sweatpants inside, quickly closing the door behind them. His gaze fell to the sweaty tee shirt he was wearing. Adorning the front of it was a large catsup stain that had occurred two or three days ago. He couldn't remember which.

Without noticing, he dropped down onto one of the kitchen stools, propping his chin on his hand and gazing into space, his mind wandering again, back to three days ago when Walter had stopped by his apartment.

Fox had been pleasantly surprised at Walter's unexpected appearance and had greeted him warmly, slipping easily into his arms. Walter's arms had slipped around him, his hands cupping Fox's bottom as Walter pulled him into a tight hug that only lasted a moment before he was held at arms length, Mulder's lips still pursed for the kiss that never came.

"Fox. We need to talk." Walter's face was a grim mask as Mulder looked questioningly at him, his pursed lips slowly fading as he stepped back to allow Walter admittance.

"Alright, Walter." Mulder led the way into his living room, nervously pausing to look behind him as he wondered what on earth the problem was. Things had been so great between the two of them as of late. They had spent many an evening together in each other's arms, sweaty from the efforts of their love making, Mulder's bottom glowing a bright cherry red from the spanking activities the two of them enjoyed as a prelude to their love making.

Perching anxiously on the arm of the sofa, Mulder waited until the A.D. situated himself in his favorite armchair. Walter smoothed his pants legs nervously after seating himself, then popped back up to pace the room. Unable to meet Fox's eyes, Walter watched his feet as he walked the length of the large living room and back, while Fox looked on. "Walter, what is it? Whatever it is, it can't be that bad...."

Running a hand over his shiny bald pate, Walter cut Fox off before he could finish his statement. "I'm afraid it is that bad, Fox." Finally bringing his gaze to meet Fox's, Walter looked him dead in the eye while delivering the crushing statement. "It's over, Fox. I can not continue in this relationship any longer. Not the way we have been. Not anymore. I still want to be friends though," Walter finished half-heartedly as if that made a difference for all they were losing.

It didn't matter anyhow. Mulder hadn't heard anything after the initial statement, a loud buzzing noise beginning in his ears as he felt his world crash in around him.

1