Growing Pains

Title: Growing Pains
Author: J.S. Michel
E-mail: jsm25@hotmail.com 
Web: www.geocities.com/js_michel/
Classification: 155-word challenge.
Keywords: Gibson Praise.
Spoilers: The Truth.
Rating: G.
Archive: Please let me know so I know where it's going. 
Disclaimer: Not mine. Thanks, 1013, for sharing your sandbox. 
Feedback: Always appreciated.
Completed: May 22, 2003.
Summary: A day in the life.

--

"Three houses... That's eleven hundred, Mulder."

Mulder slides Agent Doggett his rent and sips the wine they snuck 
from Monica's cousin's cache.  "Gibson, if this game is just chance 
why does this guy always end up with Park Place and Boardwalk?"

I shrug, roll double sixes. 

Agent Doggett refills my coke. A subconscious double-standard:  At 
seventeen he'd already urinated his fair share of bourbon into the 
steaming Georgian foliage, but I'm the same age as his little boy 
would've been.  

"You better start selling off some hotels, Doggett, or your woman'll 
be coming back to an empty wine-cellar tonight."

"And yours to a hung-over bastard..."  

They're radiating worry.  Seeing them like this, whenever Scully and 
Monica are restocking in Abasolo, I can convince myself I'm lucky to 
be alone. 

But later tonight, in my tiny center bedroom, I'll flip distractedly 
through the tired comics they've thoughtfully scrounged for me, and 
I'll take it all back. 

--

Thanks to Why Incision for the challenge, and KristenK2 for "A Day 
in the Life". Feedback is welcome as always.

J.S. Michel 
www.geocities.com/js_michel