This story is based on the characters and situations created by Cris
Carter, Ten Thirteen Productions and Fox Broadcasting. Used without
permission and no infringement intended.


Eulogies
by Caroline Maher (Unicorn83)
2/11/95


     It had to be the coldest day of the year, Agent Dana Scully was
shivering from the numbing cold and trying to face away from the blasting
wind.  Every step she took crunched the frozen ground as she shifted her
weight from foot to foot in a vain effort to keep warm.  Of all the days
for Mulder to pick to reopen an old case requiring heavy footwork,  it had
to be today.  Mulder, of course, was dressed in pants which made it easier
for him to stay warmer.  Damn. Scully looked over at Mulder and cursed
quietly under her breath but only steaming vapor erupted from her blue
quivering lips.
     Mulder knew she was angry.  And why shouldn't she be? He had been
putting off the preliminary footwork on this old investigation for some
time now.  He had procrastinated until Assistant Director Skinner had asked
for some idea about what investigations they were currently involved in and
there were none.  While it was true that both Mulder and Scully were
enjoying a "lull" in their investigations at the present time, which of
course allowed them some free-time to catch up on paperwork, Skinner
however was being pressed from all sides about reopening the X-files and he
needed some justifications.  Well, actually just one would be enough. He
couldn't very well keep the X-files open when there weren't any, so, Mulder
had decided this was the best time to re-open some old cases, this one in
particular, much to Scully's current dismay and obvious discomfort.  He
truly wished he could do something to make her more comfortable.  She
looked miserable but he knew she'd never complain.
     "Mulder....I'm cold, hungry, and parts of me are numb...how much
longer?"
       Wrong again, he thought.  Mulder looked sympathetically at
Scully, "Almost done...why don't you wait in the car?"  
     "Because, if I'm not here now.. you'll have to brief me later anyway."
Scully said with finality.  And at this particular moment, Agent Dana
Scully wished she had chosen the easy life, sitting indoors behind a desk
at a medical practice treating patients rather than becoming one.  Ah, the
life she left behind.  Briefly she thought about Adam Grey, the Surgical
Resident she was dating when she made the decision to join the bureau
almost two and a half years ago.  By now he would be married with a kid or
two. I'd guess he's probably no longer available.  It would have been an
easy decision to make, but not one that she would've been happy
with...there would always have been that nagging doubt about whether or not
she could've been an agent.  But then she knew better... and she wouldn't
change a thing... except maybe if, just once in a while, she and Mulder
could go someplace warm for an investigation.  God, anyplace has got to
better than D.C. in the middle of its coldest winter.
     Just when Scully was beginning to wonder if Mulder was human after
all, he spoke "Coffee? I'm buying."  Those had to be the best three words
she had ever heard him utter in a long time, or at least in the past 3
hours.  
     Mulder knew that Scully was cold.  Really cold. And as soon as he
started the car, he turned on the heat.  It wasn't that he wasn't cold
himself, it was that when his mind was occupied nothing else seemed to
matter.  But right now, he thought, Scully was right.  It was as cold
as....
  
     Special Agent Jack Pellinino waited outside the cell for the on-duty
corrections officer to assist him with escorting the "alleged" perpetrator
to a questioning room.  He used the term "alleged" because at least two
people who were still alive had seen Ricardo "Eulogy" Gonzalez pull the
trigger and kill a federal agent.  That agent, to be specific, was from the
Drug Enforcement Administration, a sister branch of the F.B.I. under the
Department of Justice.  And Jack knew that the Attorney General would push
for the death penalty in this case.  That is, if the witnesses could stay
alive long enough to testify.  Ricardo "Eulogy" Gonzalez was aptly
nick-named his first time in the joint by his fellow inmates.  Anyone who
spoke out against him, crossed him or was a witness of any kind turned up
dead and now was no exception.  But Agent Pellinino planned to be the first
exception to the rule.  After all, weren't rules made to be broken?

     Fox Mulder was heading back home and looking forward to his greasy
"dinner in a bag" from Taco Loco and the Rams vs. Cowboys football game. 
Had Scully been here he knew she would've taken one look at the menu
du-jour, shake her head and "tsk, tsk" at Mulder. However, with Scully safe
at home, he knew that he would be free for the next few hours to "act like
a man".  Which included catcalls and curses at the TV, walking around in
his underwear, drinking lots of beer and doing things which most women,
especially Scully, would frown upon. Yup, it had been weeks since Mulder
was free enough to express himself like that and he was actually looking
forward to it.  Until his beeper went off...

     Agent Jack Pellinino waited patiently by his phone for Special Agent
Fox Mulder to return his call.  What kind of a name was that anyway?  Fox
Mulder?  It was said around the bureau that Fox "Spooky" Mulder had been
one of the best and brightest young agents to emerge from the academy in
years.  He was a young, brash agent earmarked for glory.  He was the
youngest agent to ever enter the Violent Crimes section right out of the
academy.  Which was most likely due to his Phd in psychology with tendecies
towards criminal behaviors that attracted their attention in the first
place but then once he was in, he became a valuable asset to the
department.  An asset the weren't willing to part with, even when he began
opening the old closed "X-Files" out of curiousity.  Until a new Assistant
Director stepped in and wondered where Mulders loyalties lay, and Mulder,
being young and eager, decided to make a name for himself through the
unusual, unexplained cases gathering dust in the Bureau's Washington
basement.   And that was his fatal mistake.  Fox Mulder was going nowhere
fast but then Jack Pellinino didn't care one iota for what Mulder did in
his spare or professional time for that matter, he only knew one thing. 
His partner was dead and he wanted something to be done about it and Mulder
appeared to be the man to do it.

     Dana Scully was just watching the last few moments of an old Humphrey
Bogart movie when the phone rang.  Absentmindedly she answered, "Hello?"
but her eyes never left the TV screen.  
     "Scully, it's Mulder..."  
     Scully was immediately drawn back to reality when she heard his voice,
"What's wrong?"  
     "Remember how you've been looking forward to going someplace warm?" 
     Scully felt Mulder drawing her in, "Yeah?" 
     "Well, today you got your wish."  
     "Mulder, stop fooling around..." 
     "Who's kidding around, I was getting ready to sit down and watch THE
game and now we gotta pack... the flight's already booked, we leave at
eight."  
     "You're not kidding Mulder... where to?"  
     "Well, at least it's someplace you've never been."  
     "I'm almost afraid to ask... where?" 
     "Florida... and bring your suit."

     As they settled down in their seats for the start of their flight to
Florida, Scully pulled out a magazine, "I just got the new issue of the
Victoria's Secret catalog today, you can have it next if you like Mulder?" 

     "Very funny, I already read it, mine was delivered two days ago. Now
quit kidding around, you know I have to read this file before we land, so
stop trying to distract me."
       Scully looked demurely at Mulder over her Victoria's Secret catalog,
"Who Me?"
      "That's exactly what I
mean... tease."

     Agent Jack Pellinino was waiting impatiently for Agents Scully and
Mulder at the airport. He was doing his best to appear congeneal but knew
he wasn't fooling anybody.  Agent Pellinino was a "lifer" at the bureau and
about 3 years shy of retirement.  He had been ROTC in college and then
spent four years in the Army MP's before leaving to join the bureau. He
believed  in the old Hoover ways at the bureau, "pick from the military or
law enforcement" for your agents.  He wasn't sure how he would appear to
these two "softies", a Phd and an MD in the field, what next, nuns?  Well,
who cares, after all, they did graduate from the academy.  How bad could
they be?

     Mulder was first off the plane, and the first to spot Pellinino. Not
that Agent Jack Pellinino was hard to spot in a crowd with his dark blue
suit, white shirt, blue tie and rumpled raincoat.  But it was the look
about him that just screamed "federal agent".  He had his greying hair cut
short, close cropped, and wore dark tinted glasses.  He was in good
physical shape, especially for his age, which Mulder approximated at 40-44
years, stood about 6 ft. 3 inches and had the most intense stare Mulder had
seen in a long time.  He looked almost haunted.

     Pellinino read a brief profile on the two agents, but their appearance
was a bigger shock to him.  While he was expecting an eggheaded
psychologist and an equally stern asexual MD, he was relieved to notice
they looked normal by all outward appearances.   The agent known as Mulder
walked straight up to him, called him by name and shook his hand warmly and
firmly, then introduced his partner.  They had an almost casual way about
them, denoting familiarity with each other beyond the traditional sense of
partnership. The kind of partnership that usually took years to develop.
Like he did with Robert Wong, his deceased ex-partner.  Robert had a wife
and two kids.  It was senseless and brutal that anyone should die like
that.  But while Jack knew death was inevitable, even for himself, he could
think of many less painful ways to die than to be beheaded in a freak car
accident.  He knew that Ricardo "Eulogy" Gonzalez somehow had a hand in his
partners death but now he had to figure out a way to get these agents to
believe him and investigate further.

     Mulder was almost ready to ask about the connections between Agent
Pellinino and Gonzalez when the agent voluntarily began the story.  He told
the story about how Gonzalez was a cuban druglord who had killed many to
protect his secrets, his drugs, and then threw their bodies into the
Everglades to feed the gators.  He had bought off many small time officials
in Florida and continuously avoided the long arm of the law until agents
from the Drug Enforcement Administration got involved.  Beyond bribes or
extorsion attempts, they carefully planned their case and bided their time
for Gonzalez, waiting for a mistake.  Which he made.  Agents had planned a
stake-out and when Gonzalez himself sentenced a man to death, agents
flooded the building and a firefight ensued.  One agent was killed at close
range. When the boom fell, Gonzalez was arrested along with other members
of his crime family.  But any time federal agents approached one of his
partners or lackies, they would react violently and swear they'd never
"roll-over" for fear of reprisals from Gonzalez's long arm.  Many promises
were offered that the arm of the law was longer but there was only one
taker. At least there was one taker until two days ago.  The witness
mysteriously died while in protective custody.  That was when they decided
to call into the FBI and ask for assistance.  
     Mulder and Scully were quiet momentarily, absorbing all they had been
told.  Scully cleared her throat and politely inquired about the body from
protective custody.  
     "I knew you'd want a look at it so we've kept it on ice just for you.
And how about you Agent Mulder...?"  
     Mulder looked over at Pellinino, "I want to meet Gonzalez."

     Agent Jack Pellinino dropped off Agents Scully and Mulder at their
hotel and proceeded home.  He knew what would be waiting for him, it was
always waiting for him when he got home, no matter the time.  Dinner.  When
he headed into the darkened house, he knew his family was already fast
asleep as he would be in about 15 minutes.  But first he needed to take the
edge of his appetite.  
     As he entered the kitchen, there it was, dinner. Wrapped in plastic
sitting on the counter.  Sanity in an insane world.  The routine and
regularity which kept him from quitting or killing himself like other
agents in the past.  And he would kill anyone who dared to disturb his safe
routine, especially Gonzalez, who threatened it from afar.  Jack Pellinino
sat down and began to consume his dinner.

     Scully and Mulder had just gotten comfortable and were preparing to go
over tomorrow's agenda when the phone rang.  Scully's eyes begged Mulder to
answer, so he did. 
     "Hello, Yes, this is he... I see, we'll be right over, Thanks."  
     Scully's eyes grew large with concern, "Mulder, What's going on?"  
     Mulder dropped the phone back on its cradle, "It's Pellinino, he's
dead, grab your coat we're driving over."
  
     There was nothing special about Pellinino's body.  Scully made a
cursory check of him before he was "bagged" and rolled out on the gurney. 
It appeared to be a heart attack.  Scully looked across at Mulder who was
examining Pellinino's last supper, checking for traces of poison or
something else?  Mulder sent her a searching gaze and she gave him the
answer he sought, "Heart attack".  
     Mulder relaxed and nodded.  It appeared that Pellinino's death was by
natural causes.  The police were talking in hushed tones to the family
gathered in the other room and Mulder felt it only appropriate that he
extend the Bureau's condolances before they departed.  "I'm sorry Mrs.
Pellinino, I didn't have a chance to really know your husband but I know he
was a good agent...."  
     Mrs. Pellinino slowly nodded and dabbed at her swollen, bloodshot eyes
with a tissue, "Thank you, agent...?"  
     "Mulder, ma'am."  
     Mrs. Pellinino looked up when Mulder introduced himself, "Agent
Mulder... you came to investigate Robert's death."  
     Mulder looked slightly surprised that Mrs. Pellinino would know who he
was and why he and Scully were there, "Yes.. we came to help your husband
uncover the strange circumstances surrounding a number of deaths..."  
     Mrs. Pellinino touched Mulders arm with concern, "I don't believe Jack
died of a heart attack... and neither do you... please be careful... people
are dying."  Just as Mulder was prepared to quiz Mrs. Pellinino about her
last statement, one of her children called to her and she excused herself
to attend to her distraught family.  
     Scully interrupted Mulder as he was obviously contemplating  following
 Mrs. Pellinino, "She seems to be holding up well considering..." 
     "Yeah, I guess. Bureau families are usually prepared for things like
this... you know with counseling and support services." 
     "Mulder, I think I'd like to watch the autopsy on Agent Pellinino...
just to be sure."
     "To be sure of what?" 
     "I don't know... let's just say I don't want to leave any open
possibilities."

     First thing in the morning, Mulder went to Wentworth Maximum Security
prison to visit Gonzalez.  Scully on the other hand, had preferred to stay
behind and attend the autopsy of the agent and double check some of the
other autopsy records as well.  That was the beauty of their relationship,
she stuck to the things she was good at and so did he, that way they were
the most productive and never got in each other's way.  
     Mulder approached the guardroom and asked about speaking to Gonzalez. 
Of course he had to show his badge and sign the log.  Curiousity won over
and Mulder flipped back a few days noting the frequency of names who
visited Gonzalez, including Agents Robert Wong and Jack Pellinino.  He made
a mental note to get photocopies of the logbook before he left the facility
and he headed down the hall to meet with "Eulogy".

     Scully had watched as the coroner opened Pellinino's chest to rule out
"foul play" but appeared surprised when he got a good look at the ex-agents
heart.  He motioned towards Scully to come forward and give her
professional opinion on the matter.  Agent Jack Pellinino's heart was as
healthy as could be.  No swelling, striations or bruising.  He had
obviously not died of a heart attack. That much was certain.

     Agent Mulder spent the better part of an hour speaking with an
unremorseful, unrepentant Gonzalez.  Gonzalez appeared unconcerned with his
present state of incarceration and even believed that he would be
exonerated in court on the charges of killing a federal agent.  He refused
to share any useful information with Mulder and even inquired as to the
current state of health of Agent Jack Pellinino.  
     As a disgusted Mulder turned to leave, Gonzalez extended his
condolances to the family of the dead agent with a smirk and after Mulder
let the door slam, Gonzalez yelled out, "I was referring to Jack, you'll
send them my regards won't you Agent Mulder?" 
     Mulder stopped as if slapped in the face, information on Pellinino's
death had not been released pending autopsy results which meant....

     Scully was waiting impatiently at the motel for Mulder when he
returned from the prison. 
     "Gonzalez sends his regards",  Mulder removed his jacket and sat down
heavily in a chair.  
     Scully looked confused at Mulder's first choice of words, "Why?"
     "He said, I must have an attractive partner because I didn't bring her
with me to the prison...."  
     "And how did he know your partner was a woman?"  
     "He said he could just smell a hint of your perfume on me, and he
noticed a number of your hairs clinging to my topcoat." 
     "And?"  
     "And next time you can argue with him, maybe he'll call me
attractive..." Mulder visably shuttered at the thought, "forget I said
that... what'd you find out?"  
     Scully leaned back on the table behind her and crossed her arms.  Oh
no, Mulder thought, here it comes. 
     "Pellinino was murdered."  
     "WHAT?" Mulder flew out of the chair into a standing position,
"MURDERED?"
     "Before you ask how, it looked as if he blew an aneurism after we
ruled out the heart failure, but we couldn't find any traces of clots
either."  
     "So now what."  
     "We wait for the results to return from the labs which will confirm or
deny my suspicions."  
     "Which are?"  
     "Mulder, I don't believe he died of natural causes, I have reason to
suspect.." 
     "Foul play." Mulder sighed aloud and turned his back in thought.   
     "So what next...?"  
     "Well, maybe tomorrow you'd like to try a hand at being the bad cop
for a change."
     "Very funny Mulder, I mean did you learn anything useful?"  
     "You mean other than the psychotic monster called Eulogy wishing his
best to Pellinino's grieving family?"  
     "Why did you tell him..."  
     "I didn't, and neither did any of the guards... Pellinino's death is
being kept quiet... which means..."  
     "This Gonzalez has a man on the outside." 
     "My thoughts exactly."  
     "Now we just find out who."

     The lab results were discouraging to say the least.  Scully had put
her faith in the fact that this case could be solved on "hard evidence"
rather than the supposition they usually thrive on.  Wrong again.  Well, at
least Mulder wasn't rubbing it in.  In fact he seemed almost in a good
mood, maybe I should take advantage of this while I have a chance, maybe
I'll even get dinner for it.

     Mulder had gotten copies of the prison logbook after much cajoling and
threats of impeding a federal investigation.  He was very proud of himself
until he checked the book, it failed to list the names of all the visitors
who came and went at Wentworth Penitentiary, particularly those visiting
Gonzalez.  It only kept track of those visitors coming in on off-scheduled
visiting hours.  Well, at least Mulder had copies of all the "official"
visits to Gonzalez.  He could see the DEA and FBI agents who visited him
regularly but what he really needed to know was who else?  It meant another
trip to the jail, maybe this time he'd even bring Scully along.  No, even
he wasn't that cruel.

     "Dammit Mulder, I said I want to go",  Scully was being adament again,
"I never asked you to protect me, so don't."  
     Mulder shrugged with resignation, "OK, if that's what you want, but
don't say I didn't warn you."  They were leaving the parking lot and
entering the compound while the argument ensued.  
     As Scully and Mulder entered the lobby, a few guards turned their
heads to look in Scully's direction with wonder and few more just stared
openmouthed as they passed.  
     Mulder was quick to comment, "Catching flies?"  And they passed on
without incident.  Mulder paused again before the main door and looked at
Scully, "You're sure?" and she pushed him through.  
     As if the catcalls and whistles weren't enough, men reached out
between bars to try and touch Scully as they passed through the cell block
to see Gonzalez.  It was all that Mulder could do to keep his eyes straight
forward and his hands in his pockets, balled tightly in fists though they
were, to prevent himself from decking the more 'graphic' cons as they
passed the cells.  He knew Scully must be mortified by now but she wanted
to be present when he spoke to Gonzalez and by all outward appearances, she
was keeping her composure.  
     When they finally reached Gonzalez's cell, the guard had to unlock the
door to let them in.  He obviously was expecting visitors because he was
sitting up in his bunk with his back to the wall facing the door. "Well,
Agent Muldour... I see you brought company."  
     Mulder cleared his throat at the obvious mispronunciation of his name,
"This is Agent Scully... my partner." Mulder felt it necessary to interject
that little piece of information so Gonzalez would understand the
boundaries before they began.  
     "And a nice looking partner she is too... you're a very lucky man."  
     Mulder felt uncomfortable that Gonzalez found Scully attractive, but
then again, most of the people he knew noticed that too.  Scully,
obviously, took no notice at all to Gonzalez's comments.  
     "So I take it this is not a social call...?"  
     "No, Agent Scully and I would like to ask you a few more questions..."
 
     "No more questions, if you want more questions, go through my lawyer."
Gonzalez was making it quite clear that he would no more cooperate with
them than he did with the others.    
     Scully felt it was time to interject, "Mr. Gonzalez, Agent Mulder and
I are just curious about a few things." 
     "Oh, and what things are those?"  
     "We just want to make sure that you fully understand that cooperating
with us could significantly reduce your sentence and..."  
     Gonzalez laughed, "From what, the death penalty to two consecutive
life sentences? Obviously a real bargain."  Gonzalez leaned back into his
bunk and folded his arms across his chest. "No deal... find someone else to
peddle your cheap promises to."
     Mulder felt the need to play 'bad cop' at this time by jumping in,
"Listen, two federal agents are dead and I know you have something to do
with it and I'm going to find out what."
     Gonzalez looked over at Mulder's outburst and smirked, "And don't
forget the witness who died an unfortunate death as well... while in
protective custody so I'm told." 
     Mulder moved closer, "Are you admitting to that too?"  
     "I'm not admitting to anything Agent Mulder. I'm only repeating what
I've been told."  
     "Oh, and where might you have heard that?"  
     "Look around Agent Mulder, word travels quickly in my world... can you
say likewise... GUARD, GUARD."  The guard returned to view and Gonzalez
motioned towards the two agents, "Please escort our friends to the exit, I
think they're finished."
     Mulder stopped on his way out and returned his steely gaze to
Gonzalez, "Not likely." 
     As Scully and Mulder  began heading back down the cellblock, Gonzalez
yelled at their backs, "But your partner is always welcome Agent Mulder...
it does get lonely in here sometimes."
     "Mulder, we learned nothing from him... it was a waste of time."  
     "Not completely, I asked the guards who else visits Gonzalez and they
said a young cuban woman who could be a girlfriend or sister."  
     "And now we have to find out who she is."  
     "That's easy, he said for all questions refer to his lawyer... and
that's just what we'll do... but didn't you notice he knew about the dead
witness?"  
     "So?"  
     "Scully, that information was kept classified, even his attorney
wouldn't know."

     The attorney turned out to be of less help than they'd hoped, he
refused to even relate the information of relatives, or visitors regardless
of the threat.  Mulder's next step was to get a judge to allow them access
to the phone records of Wentworth.  But in the meantime, he'd promised
Scully a nice seafood dinner at a local retaurant and he knew she'd insist
on getting her way.  But wouldn't you know, right in the middle of dinner,
his cellular phone rang, it was one of the guards at the prison, "That
young woman was visiting today, right now, and you'll have to hurry and
catch her." 
     Mulder mumbled something about detaining her as long as possible,
threw some money down on the table and ripped off the plastic bib to pull
on his jacket while explaining the situation to Scully, who did likewise. 
They got to the prison in 12 minutes flat, obviously Mulder was driving.

     The young woman was sitting in an anteroom when Scully and Mulder
pulled up and ran inside to meet her.  The guards let them use the anteroom
for questioning.  Scully began to speak with her in a polite, concerned
tone, she seemed like a nice, gentle girl.  She was Gonzalez's sister and
he took good care of her.  Did she know what he did for a living?  No, she
never gave it a thought, why?  Mulder hit full stride when he explained
Gonzalez's lifestyle.  She refused to believe it, all lies, lies to support
a federal frameup.  He was nothing like the man they described.  They'd
been born and raised in Miami and he'd jumped from job to job to keep the
money coming in.  They were poor but happy. He'd taken good care of her and
her mother.  But he'd only started making money in the last few years. 
Mulder related how the DEA had tracked his rise within a cuban drug cartel,
and how he'd 'bumped off' his predecessor and increased the volume of
business.  She still refused to believe. Then Mulder told about the dead
federal witness, the two dead agents with families and most likely more to
follow.  He told her how he didn't want to become one of them, and how she
should consider her position in this matter.  She laughed and said that
he'd believe her "no matter" what they said.  She was family.  But Mulder
threatened to implicate her in the previous "unfortunate" deaths, as she
had both method and motive to commit the murders.  
     At this the young woman grew scared, "Why me?"  
     Scully added quickly, "Because you know how he's doing it...killing
these people and we need to know."  
     "If he knew I was even talking to you... I'd be dead, I can't." she
dropped her head into her hands.   
     "You'll be dead either way.", Mulder knew he had her scared.   
     "Why?"   
     "Because, word might just get back to him that you're talking with us
anyway... otherwise, you'll be prosecuted as an accomplice in the murders."
 
     "You can't prove that!" 
     "Try me, he doesn't know you didn't cooperate, and I won't say
otherwise." Mulder was reeling her in.   
     "He'll believe me..."  
     "Will he... if we're seen following you all over town, shadowing your
every move?" Mulder almost had her.   
     "NO, you can't!"  
     "I will." 
     "But Agent Mulder, you don't know what he's capable of.."  
     "Damned if I don't... he's killed 6 people that we know of... maybe
more." 
     "And he'll kill more before he's through." Scully interjected.  "And
we need to know how." 
     She looked imploringly at Scully for help, "I don't know."  
     Mulder sensed her reluctance, "BULLSHIT!"  
     The girl began to break down, "I said I don't know."  
     "HOW?" Mulder was scenting blood as the girl began to shake.  He
always had a tendacy to shout when the fight was almost over as if he was
driving home his point.  
     "He'll kill me. He'll kill both of you!"
     Scully looked over at Mulder for support, "It's a chance we have to
take... all of us"
     "Help us stop him first before he kills again... tell us HOW!" Mulder
was almost there, he could feel it.  
     "I can't" she began to sob uncontrollably.  
     Scully motioned for Mulder to speak with her in the corner but not
before he threw in, "You mean you won't."  
     "Mulder I'm not really sure if she knows..."  
     "She knows, I'm sure she knows." Mulder turned and walked back. "You
mean you really don't care about those people he's killed or their
families... their lives destroyed." 
     The girl looked up, tears running freely "You can't stop him." 
     "At least I'll try." Mulder put in.  
     "But why me?"she looked beseechingly at Scully.   
     Scully moved closer, "Because you're the only one who can help."  
     "Besides, you won't believe me if I told you how."  
     Mulder crouched down in front of her and touched her knee in a show of
support, "Try us... you'd be surprised what we believe."

     "Black magic, Mulder...you want me to believe in black magic?"  
     "Not exactly, it's called Santeria... the cuban version of Voodoo...
now Scully, you said you'd try to believe." 
     "No, I said that I'd be willing to listen to your beliefs, I never
said they were mine."
     "Scully..."
     "Look Mulder I'm trying to understand but..."  
     "So try harder."  
     Scully grunted in futility to try and end the argument.  
     "Scully, do you remember April 1989... when Mexican police uncovered
15 victims of a cult of cuban drug smugglers?" 
     "Weren't those people used as sacrifices for something?"  
     "Yes, the leader believed the sacrifices made them immune to bullets
and protected them from arrest."  
     "Wasn't the leader...?"  
     "Yeah, some immunity... he was killed two months later in a shootout
with mexican authorities... all I ask is that you keep an open mind."  
     "Of course you'd say that now, I lost the coin toss on who stays up
first."  
     Mulder rolled over in the queen sized bed and settled down for sleep
as Scully on the other hand got to sit up and watch him for the next four
hours until it was her turn.  Sleeping in shifts.  Ridiculous.  This girl
was convinced that she and Mulder were in danger and needed to keep an eye
on each other. God, I hope he doesn't snore.

     Mulder yawned as he was finishing up the last few hours of his watch
before dawn.  Scully had slept peacefully despite the fact that Mulder got
to stare at her sleeping form all night.  He felt like a peeping tom with
permission.  Of course there was nothing to peep at per say, since Scully
slept in sweats, but then all a man needs is a good imagination.  
     Trying to take his mind off that last idea, Mulder concentrated on the
task at hand.  Gonzalez's sister, Lydia,  had insisted they not let
Gonzalez touch them or an article which belonged to them because his touch
meant death.  All those who died had physical contact with him in one form
or another.  No problem there.  While his mind was otherwise occupied,
Scully appeared to be having the stirrings of a nightmare, or so it looked.
 
     Mulder, once he'd noticed, decided to wake her just to be sure.
"Scully, Scully?"
       She didn't seem to be responding to his voice, so
he decided to nudge her gently, "Scully?"  No response. Mulder's tone took
on more urgency when Scully's breathing became more erratic and she didn't
react to his touch, "Scully wake up, it's Mulder." After being previously
unsucessful, Mulder felt the need to grab her by the shoulders and give her
a good shake, which did the trick, "SCULLY."

     Dana Scully woke up with a start from her nightmare, a man had been
chasing her down a darkened street and reached out to grab her, grab her
and...
     Scully pushed violently against the man's chest knocking him off the
bed and onto the floor as she grabbed for her gun on the nightstand.  She
always sleeps alone and she knew this man was here to kill her. Her heart
was beating like a triphammer in her chest and she felt cold and clammy,
the gun slippery in her grasp as she shouted at the intruder,  "DON'T MOVE,
FBI!"

     Mulder knew he was in trouble.  Scully's nightmare was more than it
appeared, so he remained frozen to the floor where he'd fallen.  "Scully,
it's me... it's Mulder."  
     Scully wasn't sure who the man was but she knew it couldn't be Mulder,
"That's impossible," she hissed between clentched teeth. "Mulder doesn't
break into my room at night and try to kill me."  
     "Scully, I wasn't trying to kill you, I was trying to wake you... you
were having a nightmare."  Oh God, he thought, she's going to kill me. Say
something only she'd know.  Scully was reaching for the light but keeping
the gun trained on him.  When the light went on, he saw the wild look in
her eyes and he grew afraid.  "Scully..."  
     "Shut up... I don't know who you are or how you got in here..."  
     "Scully, listen to me... it's Mulder, we're in Florida investigating
an X-file..." Mulder slid slowly back up against the bureau and farther
away from her gun.  
     Scully, the wild look still evident, had the gun pointed directly at
Mulder's chest, one shot was all she'd need, "I said don't move."  
     "You're hallucinating...you're imagining someone else...but it's
me...go ahead and ask me something...please." Mulder was reduced to
begging. "Ask me anything." 
     Scully was looking directly at the intruder, her gun not moving, and
she grew unsure.  She rubbed a hand across her tired eyes, her head
throbbed from the efforts of keeping her eyes trained on the intruder. Was
she dreaming?  She had to be sure, "Tell me about Sam."  
     Mulder sighed, the once feral look was disappearing fast from Scully's
eye, but she still hadn't put the gun down. "She was my sister...and I
loved her...they took her away from me...and I haven't seen her since."  
     Scully's gaze wavered, the gun began to drop slowly, and the haze
lifted from her eyes...it was Mulder..Oh God, she'd almost shot Mulder.  
     "I'm sorry... I... "  
     Mulder was up in a flash when she recognized him and gently removed
the gun from her hand, cradling her in his arms.  "It's OK Scully, she
warned us."  
     "Mulder... I almost shot you...I, I didn't recognize you... what's
going on?"  
     "I don't know, but tomorrow I'm going to find out."

     The search of Gonzalez's room revealed nothing about Scully's little
problem but did uncover some personal effects from the other deceased
agents and the witness.  A business card, a pen, etc. It told everything
Mulder needed to know.  Somehow, he was casting spells on these people
which made them die.  And now it was going to stop.  
     Gonzalez, of course,  disavowed all knowledge of the items but it
didn't matter anymore because another witness had agreed to step forward to
testify, including Gonzalez's sister Lydia, and the case would continue to
be prosecuted.  This time the good guys would win.

     Mulder and Scully were packing up to leave when the call came in from
the prison, Gonzalez was dead.  He was stabbed in a cellblock brawl and
died instantly.  They couldn't seem to contact his sister as the next of
kin, did Scully or Mulder know how she might be reached?  
     Mulder volunteered to speak with Lydia, after all, it was the least he
could do, they would stop on the way to the airport.

     When Mulder entered Lydia's unlocked apartment, he knew something was
terribly wrong.  Scully and Mulder  slowly passed from room to room, guns
at ready, until he came to the bathroom. Lydia was dead.  She had cut her
wrists lengthwise.  Scully estimated the time of death as being less than
an hour, ironically about the same time Gonzalez must've died.  
     So they waited until the police arrived to give statements and secure
the scene before they began to head for the airport.  The police listed her
cause of death as suicide and neither Scully nor Mulder could disagree with
their findings. Curious, Mulder called to check on the health of the new
witness, who still appeared to be OK.  The courts would continue to
prosecute the remainder of Gonzalez's men as planned with no more
mysterious deaths to slow them down. 

     Two months later, Mulder, sitting behind his desk pouring over a new
X-file didn't notice Scully breeze in with the paper.  She dropped it
uncerimoniously on the desk in front of Mulder, "Read the headline."  
     Mulder looked up quizzically, "Who told you I can read? It's a nasty
rumor."  His eyes drifted quickly over the headline - FEDERAL WITNESS DIES
IN CUSTODY, MISTRIAL FOR CUBAN DRUGLORDS.  He looked imploringly at Scully,
"What happenned?"  
     "Well, as near as I can figure it, my friends in the DEA did a little
checking and it seems Gonzalez wasn't acting alone."  Mulder looked back at
the paper, then at Scully, who continued, "Gonzalez's lieutanant knew all
about the second witness...as did their attorney."  
     "An inside job?"  
     "It appears that way. The DEA is conducting an internal investigation
of the case to uncover the mole, if one exists... so it appears that it
wasn't black magic after all."   
     "It's called Santeria... and if it wasn't..." Mulder pointed at the
headline, "then how do you explain that?"   
     "What, the death of the second witness?"   
     "Yes." Mulder folded his arms waiting patiently for Scully's
explanation.
     "That. Simple, it was an accident."  
     "An accident," Mulder stifled a laugh. "How many people do you know
are killed in freak boating accidents every year?"  
     Scully immediately became defensive, "It could happen."  
     "He was decapitated... Scully."  
     "Well, it could happen."  
     "Remind me never to take vacations with you...and what about your
waking nightmare?"  
     "What about it?"  
     "Scully, you almost shot me that night..." 
     "Hallucinations due to sleep deprivation are common.." 
     "Oh, please...now who's grasping?"   
     "I don't believe I have to defend myself to you Mulder..good thing
this case is closed."  
     "Why?"  
     "Because I think if I had to spend another minute with you locked up
in that room, I definitely would've shot you."  
     "I have news for you Scully, you probably should have."


The End.