Something Fishy Is Going On

Fox William Mulder journal entry #3

Today, I began to notice something was "off" about Goldy. She wasn't the same fish. Sure it looked like Goldy and it seemed to act like Goldy, but it just wasn't Goldy, somehow.

End of journal entry.

He took off his glasses and returned to staring at his fish on his desk. He had been watching Goldy for the past few hours. Pondering why it wasn't Goldy, and he still couldn't come up with a good enough reason, as to how it couldn't be Goldy. If it looked like Goldy, and seemed to be Goldy, than it must be Goldy. But it wasn't! He just knew it. It wasn't his fish in that bowl.

His sister stood in his doorway, "Fox! Dinner's ready. Come on. I'm hungry." She was impatient for him to follow her downstairs to dinner. He scowled at her, unhappy at being disturbed.

"Okay, Sam, just give me a minute."

He chewed on his pencil and gave his fish one more last look before following his sister to dinner.

Dinner went okay. His parents were still in a fit about taking last week off for a family trip. It had ended rather unhappily with his parents arguing over things that supposedly kids wouldn't understand until they were much older. He sighed and threw himself down on his bed. He turned to face his fish. Once more observing her, he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was that was telling him that this wasn't his fish.

A week earlier Alex was passing by the Mulder's like he usually did every day after school. It was a Friday, and Mr. Mulder was putting some suitcases in to the trunk of the family car. Alex had heard from a friend that the Mulders were leaving for the week while school was let out due to a food poisoning epidemic. Which is odd, in itself, considering all the rules and regulations and tests, all the measures that are taken to secure good cooks, and food preparation staff so that such problems as food poisoning wouldn't occur.

Not that Krycek cared about such things, it was just something stupid which Mulder had been fixating on like all the other whacked out stuff over the years, which was never proven. What Fox Mulder obsessed on; so did Alex Krycek, so that he could get a better insight into his sometime friend sometime enemy. Fox Mulder and his "investigations" had him knowing this stuff.

Fox Mulder believed that the epidemic was a conspiracy, by the Health Administration Board...the agency he believed had been doing the poisoning. All because the people who had died, were in some way involved in the overthrowing of a rule concerning Tuna Surprise, or something to that nature. He pedaled on by. He didn't want Fox seeing him, and coming to some stupid conclusion concerning who knows what all Fox Mulder added up in his head, to pin on Alex Krycek. Giving him his reputation as a bad boy. He rounded the corner, and ducked his bike behind a bush. He sneaked his way back to some bushes that faced the Mulders' and waited for them to leave.

Once they were gone. He made his way to their house. He looked every which way, to be certain there was nobody around to catch him. He climbed up the tree and stepped on to the little brick ledge that was under the windows.

Fox's window was locked with an old switch lock. It took only a powerful magnet to pull the lock back into unlocked position. He had found this out during a study session when he had been stuck, partnered to Fox in "special," education classes.

They were put in to those classes because they were "mature," meaning, more intelligent than their fellow classmates. He had been bored. And had been playing around with the magnets they had been given to use for their studies. The assignment had been due the next day. But that still hadn't detered him when it came to his experimentation with the magnet and Mulder's window lock. That was how he knew to open the window with the magnet.

He opened the window, and checked on the fish. It seemed to be okay. He took out his little green note book, and a pen. He checked the day on the calendar, and made a note to himself. "Goldy" seems to be fine. Must feed it tomorrow night. Must clean the bowl, and change its water by Sunday night. Alex flipped his note book closed, and stuffed it back in his coat pocket. He took the small canister of fish food by the side of the bowl, and took a pinch out, and sprinkled it over the water. He watched as Goldy swam to gobble up the food. Yep, that was one hungry fish. He stood watching it eat, and fondly remembered the fair at which he had won that fish. He had given it to Fox as a gift for being his friend, for taking him along.

That had been one of the best days of his life. No one had harassed him about his accent, or for being smarter than they were. Alex had first broken into the Mulder's home about two months ago when the Mulders had left on a weekend outing. Fox had basically ended up calling their friendship off for some reason that still eluded Alex. He told Alex that he was no longer welcome at his home. Well, that was fine with Alex. Fox didn't have to be his friend in order for Alex to still be Fox's friend. That fish was all the invite, and symbolism he needed to let him know that he was still Fox's friend. As long as that fish lived, so did their friendship. That was simple enough right? Right!

So when the first Goldy had died Fox hadn't noticed, because he was off with his family on some outing and Alex, well, he was just spying on the fish. Being sure Mulder did well by Goldy. That jerk had killed Goldy!

He knew Mulder couldn't have done it on purpose, no way!

So he broke in and replaced it with one he had bought from the local pet shop. And ever since then, he would check in on the fish, every now and then, to be sure the thing wouldn't die.

The Mulder's would be back Sunday night, Alex exited out the window feeling that the fish should be fine until Sunday afternoon. It was Sunday afternoon, and Alex had returned as he had noted in his book. Only to find "Goldy" was floating belly up in the water at the top of the tank. He stared in shock for a small bit then he turned and went out the window. He shimmied on down the tree, and rushed to the local pet store, to find there were no more normal goldfish, the color of Goldy. There was one goldfish. It had one tiny little flaw, though. It had a minute white spot covering one tiny, little scale under the fin.

He checked out several other pet stores, to his frustration, none of the fish, not even one was remotely the right color of Goldy. By four o'clock Krycek was desperate. He needed a fish, and he needed one now! There was no more time. He returned to his normal pet shop, and shelled out the fifty cents for the little gold fish, that was nearly perfect except for the one little white spot. He only hoped Mulder would be just as clueless to the switch-a-roo, as the other two times before this one.

He clamped the plastic sandwich bag between his teeth, and climbed his way up the tree into Fox's room. He set the fish down, and went to work filling the water bowl. Mixing in the right amount of chemicals in to the water, before he poured in the new fish. He left with ten minutes to spare, or so he thought, as he ran around the corner. He pedaled madly a way to his home for dinner. His parents were bound to be worried about him, for being out for so long.

Fox had spotted Krycek as he disappeared around the corner. Two hours later Fox realized his fish, Goldy, had a white spot under it's fin, that hadn't been there before.

Fox William Mulder journal Entry #4

I am now certain that my previous suspicions concerning Goldy are correct. My fish was kidnapped by aliens, and that was made possible due to Alex Krycek, the lying rat bastard! He helped them take my fish! I am now more than ever convinced Alex isn't my friend, no matter what he claims to be.

He closed his journal and chewed on his pencil studying his new fish.

End of journal entry.

The next day at School during recess, Fox gathered his friends, Dana and the lone gunmen. He told them his theory about his fish, and what had been going on with Goldy.

"Goldy was abducted."

"How do you know that?" asked Frohike.

"She was abducted three times and how I know this, is because Goldy wasn't like Goldy..." he was interrupted.

"It's a fish, Mulder. Fish do what fish do; there is no difference."

"You would say that, Krycek, because you're the one who's been helping them abduct my Goldy!"

"For Christ sakes, Mulder, I didn't abduct your fish."

"You're a liar, Krycek! And a thief! You helped them to take Goldy. And you let them do terrible experiments on her!"

"I'm out of here!"

"You're not going anywhere Krycek!"

Mulder grabbed at Krycek, they ended up on the tile floor of the hall way. Wrestling, rolling around, punching, and kneeing each other. All the while Mulder cried out accusations against his misunderstood friend, Alex Krycek.

Vice Principle, or V.P. for short, VP Skinner arrived, stopping the fight by grabbing Alex by the back of his jacket, and Mulder by the back of his shirt. Hauling them both up in the air feet dangling.

Skinner cried out, "What's going on here? Stop it now!"

He shook them both to make his point, as they tried to grab at each other again.

Alex was first to gain his voice, "Just Mulder being Mulder."

"And what is that supposed to mean Mr. Krycek?" asked VP Skinner disapproving and stern as usual.

"He claims I stole his fish Goldy, to have terrible experiments done on it."

"Well, did you?" demanded Mulder.

"Mulder, don't be so stupid! You went away and your fish died. I replaced a dead fish. I've replaced that damn fish twice before."

Mulder looked skeptical and was about to say something more when Alex continued.

"Mulder, Goldy died two months ago! The only thing that's been done to that fish, is it was stuck with you! I should never have given you a fish! You keep on forgetting to feed it, and clean the bowl. But do you ever notice the bowl or the food? No! That fish wasn't abducted, Mulder. It DIED! You're a lousy pet owner. I feel sorry for you!" Before Mulder could reply Krycek continued. "It's stupid and ridiculous of you to blame everything, and anything that happens in the world on me, Mulder. And claiming I abducted your fish! Get a Life, Mulder, you jerk."

"Yeah well I saw you running from my house. I saw you sneak into my room, with my fish. You replaced after you abducted it so I wouldn't be suspicious."

"GOD! There's no talking to you is there? Read my lips, Mulder. And this is the truth. Goldy wasn't abducted! She was flushed down the toilet. She was floating belly up on the water, dead. And I'd swear she was smiling in gratitude, to finally be done with this life. Done with being stuck with a suspicious, relentless, absent minded dork like you!"

"How could you starve Goldy like that? I gave her to you, as a gift Mulder. How could you be so irresponsible? She was a symbol of my friendship to you? Ya Jerk!"

There was anger, and pain in Krycek's voice; sparkling in his dark green eyes was indignation and sadness at being misunderstood. Suspiscion and accusations and anger turned flared to uncomfortable guilt for Mulder. All Mulder could do was say, "Jee I'm sorry, Alex, really. I'm sorry. I really did love Goldy. I just couldn't keep track of then I fed her, or not. And for the food, and cleaning her bowl. well I just assumed it was my mother who was doing that."

"You boys are coming with me. Detention for you both, and I don't want to hear any more of your theories on why detention is really an evil alien experiment in disguise, Mr. Mulder."

Both boys made eye contact giving each other knowing looks as if they were telling each other it was worth a shot, even knowing Skinner would never believe the truth about detention.

"Nothing either of two will say is going to get me to let you out of detention."