Written to frustate everyone in general ;) ~~~
Skinner knocked on Sharon's door and a man who had to be at least five years younger than Mulder answered the door. He was blond, fit and Skinner was certain he had the wrong apartment.
"May I help you?" The boy's voice was low, soft and sexy.
"This is Sharon Skinner's residence?" Skinner asked.
The boy asked, "And who are you?"
"I'm Walter Skinner, her husband." The older man was frustrated as he saw his ex wife in the background.
"Don't listen to him, Avery, we are divorced," Sharon said as she moved up beside 'Avery'.
Skinner stared at his wife in shock. Standing beside the young man was a very different Sharon than he was used to. Her hair was longer and wilder than he'd ever seen before and she wore a clingy gauzy material that looked like it belonged in the bedroom and not standing in the doorway.
"Sharon? You did call me; I didn't know you had a guest." Skinner did his best to hide his frustration.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Walter, this is Avery. He is helping me with some new designs for one of my clients." Sharon was an architect, which had intrigued Walter at first when he met his wife long ago. "Avery, this is my ex-husband."
"Nice to meet you," said the young man.
"May I come in?" Walter asked, a bit concerned that Sharon was standing so freely in an open doorway wearing such a garment. She had always seemed so reserved while they were married.
"Of course." They stepped back to let Walter inside the apartment. He looked around in shock. She had changed her furniture from the comfortable academic setting he'd seen once before to a free spirited, younger style. He was floored.
"Do you like the new style? Avery helped me pick it out." Sharon's hand caught the younger man's and Walter had to stop from gaping at them.
Regaining his bearings, he murmured, "May I have a word, in private, Sharon?"
She lifted her brows but turned to Avery. "Do you mind going to the bedroom? Walter and I should talk alone."
"Oh, not at all. See you in a few."
When the blond man left them alone, Walter observed, "You've changed."
She just smiled and said, "Avery has helped me see a few things differently."
"Oh, I see. Er, what was this about some paperwork not filled out properly?" Walter changed the subject, not interested in his ex wife's love life.
"Jordon told me that there were some papers that inadvertently weren't signed completely. He had faxed them over to me but didn't tell me anything else. I called him trying to see if this means we weren't officially divorced but he was out."
Jordon was their divorce lawyer and had seemed competent at the time. Walter shook his head.
"He still hasn't returned the call?" Walter asked anxiously.
"Relax; he called while you were on your way over. He says we just have to sign the appropriate places, fax it to him, then everything is good to go."
"Oh good." Walter followed Sharon to the living room where the documents lay ready for them.
She handed him a pen and he signed where she indicated. Then she signed after he did.
"That's it. I hope I didn't interrupt anything important. I was just anxious since I hadn't heard from Jordan right away."
"Not at all," Walter said automatically.
"I will fax this straight away to his office." She stood and he did as well.
"Well, I guess I'd better go. Paperwork to do."
"Drive safely."
He smiled tightly then left his ex-wife's apartment. Once he was back in his car, he stared into the darkness and wondered what had become of his wife. Part of him was glad she had moved on but another part was uncertain. His wife was an X-File. He snorted. She always was enigmatic to him. He never could understand what her needs were and how to best fulfill them while they were married. That odd exotic creature he met tonight looked nothing like the woman he'd married. What was unsettling was the fact he was the one who had changed since they first met.
When they met, they both were young and full of hope for the future, even though they'd been through some tough times during the Vietnam War and after. It wasn't until he'd joined the FBI that things changed. No, Walter had to admit that the changes were mainly in himself. He became distant, though he would deny it when she tried to talk to him about it. They had married believing that money wasn't important in their lives and ended their marriage because the only thing they seemed to talk about was bills.
She certainly has changed, though, for the better, Walter thought. That young man must be good for her. His brow furrowed when he thought of the young, blond man. He didn't like the feeling of - he refused to name it jealousy- whatever it was he felt. Then he grinned, remembering his own young man he'd just had in his arms tonight. In a desperate need to claim the man that slipped from his fingers earlier, he drove toward Alexandria.
Fifteen minutes later, he knocked on apartment 42, anxious to prove there was nothing in the world to feel -anything- about what Sharon was doing with her life. He waited patiently then knocked again. Nothing. Damn.
His cell phone rang. "Skinner."
"Sir, I hate to call you so late but I need to fly to Birmingham tonight."
"Mulder, where the hell are you?"
"I'm in my apartment." Mulder lied easily.
"No you're not, I'm here waiting for you to answer the door!" growled Skinner.
There was a long pause. "You're at my apartment?"
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you-it doesn't matter. Where are you?"
"I'm on my way to the airport," Mulder admitted sheepishly.
Walter sighed. "Very well, Mulder. We can talk when you return."
"Thanks, sir! I can't wait to talk with you later.."
Walter heard a dial tone. He was wondering now if having a relationship with his most flighty of agents would distract him from the knowledge his ex wife was dating a young stud.