Happiness: Frohike's Day Author: shawntaw Category: Au Rating: PG Disclaimer: I didn't create these amazing characters, so no one's paying me. But here's my two cents anyway: If it was ME writing this show, Scully probably never would've had a baby (kinda hard to keep having adventures with Mulder with a kiddo) and we would've seen the emotional ramifications of Mulder's abduction and subsequent return. Oh, and no brain disease (or if so, then show him dealing with it for goodness' sake!) Yes, Doggett. Love his character and love RP. No, Reyes (nothing against AG, just there seems to be no place for the character) and what ever happened to the wonderful, caring Skinner from Season 8? Now, he's a shadowy figure again?! Come on... And I definitely would not have killed the Lone Gunmen. And bring back the CSM!! He was oh so delightfully evil!! (shiver) Um..I think that's it. That said, I would also like to say that I thank God for CC because he was genius enough to create these wonderful characters, even if I don't agree what he's done with them. Feedback makes me very happy at shawntaw@hotmail.com :) TO DANI WHO HAS MADE A WEBSITE OF MY STORIES: www.geocities.com/corran_14776/shawntaw.html Thank you.:) Summary: Title says it all:) Note: You say the Lone Gunmen are dead? (fingers in ears) I can't hear you! I can't hear you! The next few "Happiness" stories will focus on "the guys" in tribute... Another Note: I decided to leave the looong disclaimer above the way it is until I am through with my Lone Gunmen tribute. It helps to vent my frustration... ****************************************************** Frohike woke at the sound of his digital alarm and groaned, throwing his arm over his eyes. *I don't wanna get up* But he knew that it was his turn to cook breakfast and that if he didn't a head start before the other guys woke up, he'd never get the Tex-Mex meal done in time. *Um..Huevos Rancheros..Sopapillas?* He was wondering if they had enough frying oil when he heard the muffled moan and hurried "Shhhh.." through the wall his bed was up against. Frohike's eyebrow rose. That was Byer's room. A slight grin forming on his face, Frohike scooted sideways on his bed until he had his ear pressed to the thin drywall between their rooms. "If Frohike hears us, I'll never hear the end of it," he heard Byer's muffled, breathless voice declare. "Well, then you should probably try to be quieter," Kim said back, just as breathless. Frohike stifled a chortle at that. "How can I, when you do...that..," Byers' voice trailed off into a sigh. Kim's only response was to breath something that Frohike couldn't quite make out. Byers' gasped and then, to Frohike's surprise, growled. He pulled his ear from the wall and stared at it for a moment, stunned. Quickly, he went back to his listening. " -that's it, Kimberly, no more teasing," Byers' said in a low voice that Frohike had certainly never heard him use before. Kim giggled and gasped sharply. Frohike, shaking his head and wearing a grin, pulled his ear from the wall. *Whoa. He's an animal under those suits and tyes.* Definitely awake now, Frohike got out of bed and stretched his arms as high as he could reach. His pajamas consisted of a tattered Harley Davidson shirt and some cut-off sweats. He walked bare-foot over to his chest of drawers, picked out some jeans and a t-shirt, found the fingerless gloves that kept his hands moderately toasty but allowed him nimble use of his fingers for fine work, and walked to the small closet. He picked out his favorite black leather vest and a belt and shut the sliding paneled door. Another loud giggle and a "shhh.." sounded again over by his bed. Frohike snickered to himself as he left the room and headed for the bathroom down the hall. ******************************************************** Following his normal routine for the mornings when it was his turn to make breakfast, it was his job to wake up the other guys when he was done getting ready for the day. Shutting the bathroom door behind him and adjusting his glasses, he stepped up to Byers' door. A leer lit his face as he knocked loudly and yelled, "Hey! Byers! Time to get up!" He heard frantic shuffling behind the door. "Uh, thank you, Frohike," Byers' voice sounded wide awake. Frohike debated for a moment whether or not to greet Kim in a similar fashion, but decided against it. At least Byers was finally getting over Suzanne. Frohike decided to cut him some slack. He ambled down the short hall and stopped at the room across from his. He could hear the low strains of The Ramones playing behind the door. Langly always slept with music playing. Frohike pounded on the door. "Dude! Time to get up!" No response. Frohike pounded again. "I'm up. I'm up," came Langly's muffled response, no doubt from where his head was covered up by his pillow and a comforter. Frohike nodded, satisfied that everyone was awake and started toward the kitchen. While the guys got ready, he'd whip up his breakfast creation. ******************************************************* Byers showed up a little late for breakfast, looking a little frazzled, but dressed in his usual conservative suit and tye. Langly and Frohike looked up at him as he entered the kitchen. "Sleep in?" Langly said, reaching for his morning soda and taking a big slurp, "That's not like you, dude. You sick?" "Ah, no, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, Langly," Byers fussed with the knot in his tye. "Looks good, Frohike," Byers said, sitting at the small table in the kitchen area. Frohike kept eating, but wondered where Kim was. Had Byers snuck her out the back or was she waiting for him in his room? To his utter and complete shock, Kim walked into the kitchen at that moment. *He's admitting she stayed the night?!* Frohike couldn't believe that she was walking around out in the open. *Must have been her idea..* Three men stared at her, frozen. Byers turned bright red, but stood and, like the gentleman he was, offered her his chair. "Here, Kim. I'll pull a chair from one of the computer stations." She smiled hesitantly at the guys. Her eyes twinkled and her smile widened when her eyes met Byers'. "Thanks, John," she finally said and sat. Her clothes were rumpled, but very proper as she sat and stared back at Langley, who seemed stunned. Byers' blush deepened as he disappeared around the corner to get a chair. He appeared a moment later, rolling a chair up to the table. Frohike scrambled from the table to go fix the lady a plate. "Dude," Langly finally said, looking at Byers with respect. "Shut up, Langly," Byers' said under his breath as he leaned across to grab the cup of coffee Frohike had set on the edge of the table for him. ******************************************************* As Frohike did the breakfast dishes, after Langly had wandered into the computer area, Byers was arguing with Kim at the table. "Let me escort you home," Byers was saying. "John, I can take a cab without you. Don't worry; I'll be fine," she patted his hand. He scooted his chair closer to hers and glanced up to see if Frohike was listening to them. Frohike pretended to be enraptured with cleaning the dishes and began to hum. "I want to see you again," Byers whispered, "Soon." He glanced at Frohike again and, satisfied that he wasn't looking, leaned over to kiss Kim lightly on the cheek. Kim smiled, turned her head and caught Byers' lips with her own in a soft, quick kiss. "You will," she said and then stood to leave. Byers escorted her to the door, leaving Frohike alone in the kitchen. *Hmmm...could be serious..* Frohike mused to himself as he cleaned up the kitchen. After cleaning up after breakfast, Frohike ambled into the computer area, wiping his hands on a dishcloth. Langly was underneath one of the computer stations, muttering to himself. Byers sat at another station, staring at a computer screen. The text made it apparent that he was working on a column for their paper, but his fingers had stalled on the keys and it was obvious by his expression that he was daydreaming. "So, guys. What's up today?" Frohike said, plopping down into another chair. "Damn station's down again. I'm about ready to chunk this hunk of junk," Langley said from where he worked, "And I was in the middle of a chat with a hacker who said that he had some juicy tidbits for that Area 51 thing we're working on." Frohike snorted, "Sure it wasn't Mulder pulling your chain again?" "Better not be, dude, or this time he's had it," Langly threatened. "Whatever, Goldilocks," Frohike said under his breath and rolled his chair over to Byers. "Whoo-hoo," he said, waving his hand in front of Byers' face and causing him to blink, "You in there, Lover-boy?" Byers blushed. "I-I was just working on the editorial column for the next issue." "Sure you were," Frohike waggled his eyebrows at his friend, "So, you and the delectable Kimberly are getting pretty serious, huh?" Byers cleared his throat, "I'm not sure. It seems so, doesn't it?" Frohike took one look at his face and decided to leave him alone. Byers was obviously very taken with Kim and also VERY confused about what this might mean to he and Suzanne should she ever return. Which Frohike didn't ever think would happen. He patted Byers on the shoulder and stood, "Well, if you ladies don't need me today, I've got some stuff I need to do. I'll see you guys later." Langly waved a tool at him and Byers nodded. "Langly, don't forget its your turn to do supper," Frohike added as he walked toward the door. "Sure thing, MOM," Langly muttered loud enough for Frohike to hear. He rolled his eyes as he slammed the door on his way out. ********************************************************************* At first, Frohike wandered. Most people didn't know this about him, but he loved to be outside. He wasn't an "outdoorsy" guy. He didn't camp-out or go hiking or anything. He just like to be outside. He also loved to people watch. Being in the city, it was easy to satisfy both these passions. Eventually, he ended up at the homeless shelter where he'd spent a little time many, many years ago. Something else that most folks didn't know about Frohike. That suited him just fine. "Melvin!" a large man wearing a baseball cap, well-worn t-shirt, and tattered jeans greeted him at the door. Tinfoil peeked out from under the hat and glinted in the sunlight. "Marcus!" Frohike pulled the man into a huge hug and then pointed at the foil. "They got you to wear it UNDER the hat. Big improvement, man," he smiled at his friend. Marcus grinned, "They said I might be able to get a job if folks can't see my protection. I have an interview at that fast-food place on the corner next week! My case worker set it up, Melvin!" "That's great," Frohike said with honest enthusiasum, "Hey, is Sarah here today?" "Yeah, just follow the smell of vegetable soup," Marcus waved him in the door. Frohike stepped in the door and breathed in the delicious odor of someone cooking in the back kitchen. As he passed through the living area, several people waved at him and greeted him by name. He stopped to introduce himself to a couple of newbies and dug some ever- present candy from his vest pocket to give to two little girls who peered wide-eyed at him from around their mother. "Don't worry. That's Melvin. He's one of us," A man sitting on the bunk next to the hesitant mother reassured the woman. She smiled tenatively at him and accepted the treats for her children. "Thanks." He smiled back at her and at the girls, "No problem." He hoped that the father was with the family as well and was protecting them from the undesirable element that dwelled in parts of the shelter's community. "Sarah's in the back, Melvin," the man spoke again. Frohike nodded and continued his trek to the kitchen. ********************************************************************* He heard her before he saw her. "This needs more garlic. Someone run to the store and get me some garlic. Betty, did you wash the breakfast plates, because I think there is going to be quite a rush at suppertime once word gets around that it's veggie soup..." Sarah kept on talking as she bustled around the small, worn kitchen. Giving orders, giving complements, pushing up her sleeves and pitching in. "Sarah," Frohike called with a grin. The round, matronly woman spun around with wide blue eyes. Wisps of gray hair fell out of the ponytail she thrown up in her haste to start cooking. He noticed that she'd put a huge, neon flower as a patch over one of knees in her blue jeans as she stepped quickly to him and enveloped him in a hug. Frohike was finally able to read her t-shirt when she held him out at arm's length to take a look at him. It read "World's Best Grandma." "Melvin! You haven't been around in weeks! How ARE you?!" He couldn't help but grin. This was the woman that had introduced him to cooking and instilled in him a love of it. This was the woman who'd been a substitute mom to him all those years ago. And when he'd needed a swift kick in the butt, she'd given him one. And when it had just been too hard to give up the bottle, she'd helped him kick that as well. He owed a lot to this woman. "I'm fine, Sarah. Just been busy; the usual. How're things going?" And then he listened to her usual cheerful chatter about the news around the shelter. Who got a job and was able to leave. Who was back...AGAIN and who the newbies were. Who died. Who overdosed...committed suicide..died on the streets. Then came her usual subtle requests. Would he mind fixing the leaky sink? Would it be too much trouble to talk to a young man who was going through a rough time? Did he think he might be able to convince Marcus not to wear the damn tinfoil to his interview? Frohike agreed without blinking. He could refuse Sarah nothing. ********************************************************************* It was almost suppertime when he came meandering back toward the Lone Gunmen 'lair.' He held a small storage container of vegetable soup. He had to beg off supper at the shelter tonight; the guys were expecting him back. He was stunned when a government-issue Ford Taurus pulled up beside him and a sexy red-head leaned out of the driver's side window. "Hi stranger, need a ride?" she said in an exaggerated, breathy voice. He felt the crooked grin blossom on his face. "Does Mulder know you pick up strange men when you're driving around town?" he said as he approached the car. "It's a team effort, big boy. We couldn't help it; we like what we see," Mulder responded from the front passenger seat, leaning over Scully to look out a Frohike, waggling his eyebrows. Frohike put on a disappointed face, "Hey, Scully, I don't share well with others. Ditch the skinny guy and I'll show you a good time." Scully looked sorely tempted for a moment, causing Mulder to get a small worried wrinkle on his forehead. She saw it and burst out laughing. "You're too easy, Mulder," she chuckled and waved Frohike to the back door, "Get in, Frohike, and stop teasing poor Mulder before you give him grey hair." Frohike was laughing to himself as he got into the car with his bantering friends. He listened to their back and forth as they pulled away from the curb. Out the window, he watched the people going about their business. Rushing home from work. Going out on dates. Jogging. Playing in the park. He rolled down the window a bit and breathed in the crisp twilight air mixed with just a little bit of car exhaust. The breeze ruffled his hair. He realized he felt comfortable. Happy. Satisfied with his life. *You've come a long way, baby* Frohike huffed in amusement at his thought. But it was true. And he was glad of it. *********************************************************************