Title: Five Cents, Please
Author: Cinder
Rating: PG-13 for symbolic nudity
Status: new/complete
Archive: Yes
E-mail address for feedback: 13floor@angelfire.com Please!  
Please!  Please!
Disclaimers: Jeffrey Spender is the intellectual property of 
Chris Carter and Luke belongs to ILM.
Notes: These two Freudian (Oedipal/Orestian) boys just begged 
to be put into a Jungian dreamscape. Summary: Spender meets a 
kindred soul.
Spoilers: One Son

Five Cents, Please
******************

Jeffrey joined a sulky young man at the nearly empty bar and 
ordered a Frankenstein's Fury.  Forgive the fruity name, but it 
had been that kind of day.  Vodka pacified him, coke perked him 
up and the kahlua gave the chocolate illusion he was looking 
for.  He had learned a long time ago to just suck in his pride 
and order it when things turned out this badly.  

"Bad day?" the young man next to him asked, as he sucked on 
something green.

"That doesn't begin to describe it.  You?"

"The worst day is always the first.  It gets better once you've 
been here a while.  My name's Luke."  He offered his hand and 
Jeff took it, noticing how soft and dead the palm felt.

"Jeffrey Spender.  Is this the after-life?"

"Oh, yeah."  Luke surveyed the whole beach in a sweeping 
gesture.  "It's kinda pretty.  But nothing ever changes."

"Bit deserted."

"I haven't quite figured that part out yet.  I I have to admit 
that this place has its own kind of lethargy.  It's just so 
quiet and calm.  I haven't been calm in so long."

Jeff nodded.  "I could do with some rest myself."

"Come then.  Let's go lie down in the sun and tell our stories.  
There's nothing else to do."  Luke stepped out into the sun and 
stripped down to nothing, revealing a wiry, golden body.  
Jeffrey shrugged and followed, glad to be rid of the cheap 
suit.  After rinsing himself off in the water, he laid down in 
the sand next to Luke.  "How did you die?"

"My own father shot me."  He saw Luke nod sagely out of the 
corner of his eye.  "It was a shitty end to a shitty life."

"Why would he do that?"

"I was interfering in his plans for world domination.  He 
decided that I was no longer of use to him, so I might as well 
be eliminated.  I had become a liability."

"Good for you."

"What?"  Jeff sat straight up and turned on the naked, young 
man lying next to him.  

Luke sat up on his elbows and smiled softly.  "I said, good for 
you.  You must have been a real problem if he was willing to 
shoot you.  In fact, more than that, I don't think he would 
have killed you unless you posed a major threat to him."

"But "  Jeff sat back on his heels to think about that.  "Well, 
I suppose giving the X-Files back to Mulder really pissed him 
off and that rat, Krycek, probably snitched about me not 
killing the alien.  He told me before he killed me that Fox 
Mulder was a bigger man than I would ever be."  But, then he 
shook his head.  "You don't know this man.  He's evil."

Snorting, Luke sat up to face him.  "Look, I know about evil 
fathers.  Believe me, I do.  If your father is really the 
megalomaniac you say, he doesn't do anything without a reason.  
He would never have killed you if he didn't respect you.  An 
unworthy opponent could be ignored."

"Then why tell me all that stuff?"

"In order to kill a man you must first break his spirit."

Jeff jumped up and away.  "Get away from me!"

"Be calm and sit."

Without knowing why, Jeff sat back in the sand, his heartbeat 
falling back to normal.  "That's what my father said to me 
once, about Mulder."

"And you think I'm him."

Jeff nodded.

"I'm Luke."  He laughed softly.  "I'm not your father in 
sheep's clothing.  I mean, would he have appeared to you like 
this if he wanted to gain your trust and attention?"

"No, he would have probably been Pamela Anderson."

"Who?"

"What planet are you from?"  Jeff smiled kindly.  "She's a 
buxom blonde.  I just you're right.  He wanted to destroy me.  
You really think I was a danger to him?  I think he was just 
getting revenge.  I feel like he was batting a fly."

"Men do not kill their own sons for revenge, not when there is 
still good in them, and everyone but the most bleak individual 
has good in them.  Don't you see, Jeff, you didn't die in vain.  
That's what you're afraid of, isn't it."

"I didn't get to do enough.  There's so much more I know that 
Mulder needed to know."  Groaning, Jeffrey buried his face in 
his arms.  "Why didn't I believe him sooner?  Why did I ever 
laugh at him?"

Soothingly, Luke rubbed his back.  "It's over now.  I'm sure 
that Mulder will find the truth.  It sounds like your father 
somewhat fears him."

"Somewhat?  Terrified is more like it.  Everything he does is 
to kill Mulder and get him out of the way."

Luke pursed his lips.  "He must have feared you more.  He 
bothered to kill you.  You were never inconsequential.  For 
just a moment everything hinged upon you and you must have 
succeeded to have frightened your father so much."  Suddenly, 
he stood.  "Want to go for a swim?  I think we're ready for the 
water now."

Nodding, Jeffrey Spender let his friend help him up and they 
pushed out into the surf together.

---
IcQ# 1795569 
(Let me know where you're from and I'll authorize you.)