Written for a Picture Challenge at The Nursery Files.

Disclaimer: I do NOT own any of the characters mentioned. All credit to Chris Carter,Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Studios. I make no money doing this and mean no copyright infringement.

Poor Little Fox Mulder. Sitting by the roadside hanging his head.

Mom and Dad had been arguing again. He was only nine years old, but he had to get out of the cottage, his sister ran off to the neighbours crying, and what was he to do?

To top it all off, the kids at school just before summer let out made fun of him for being a Trekker. His mother said, "Let him have hi sfantasies. Dad said, "Kids have a great imagination."

Those comments were of no comfort.

Things were getting rather tough at home, and at that cottage. That smoking man who visited made him feel awful. He called him a "Little Spy". Nutcase.

The music he loved never helped. Science fiction and the paranormal did. It made for sense to him than anything that was happening in the rest of his life.

What the future held for him he didn't know.

Little boys need love and inspiration. Lately, he wasn't feeling much of that lately. It seemed that nothing could console the boy Fox.Then a stranger happened by, and saw the pain on his face.

"What's up?" The young woman asked.

"Everything's down," Fox replied.

"How so?"

"Well, my parents argue a lot, one of my father's friends is a mean guy, and I just can't take mcuh lately. So, I came out here to be myself and sort things out."

"Seems all right, I guess. But I have children and wouldn't let them live like that!"

Yes, it was sad to see a little boy sitting alongside the road looking so miserable.

"Look," the woman told him, "I have three little red-haired kids I had to buy some soda pop for, and you shouldn't be out in the hot sun like this. I think you should go home and get some water into you, and it's nearly lunch time, so don't let so much get to you. God has plans for you, so don't worry about anything other than what you need to do. If you need anyone to talk to, just remember you do have friends in this world, and we're always around about this time because my husband's in the Navy. Now, get up and remember your parents just love you."

"Well, all right." Fox said reluctantly. He had his doubts. "I am kind of hungry, and thirsty. I guess I should go."

"You'll run into one of us one of these days, so put your head up andenjoys these years. They're the best."

Fox gave that some thoght and ran back to the family cottage. A lot would happen in the coming years. He was going to ensure that.

END