*DISCLAIMER*---This is quite monotonous, isn't it? Oh well....here it goes. All characters copyright Fox Broadcasting, Chris Carter, and Ten Thirteen Productions..yes, they did "make this." Not I, I only borrowed the characters. Well, that was a little more interesting now wasn't it? Huh! Anyway guys, feel free to e-mail me at empyrean@pcix.com. And yes, I'll even accept flaming---if you don't like it..by all means..speak up! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X-FILES #67586 ANIMAL INSTINCT By Elyce Peterson MAIN STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 10:05 P.M. The couple had just finished eating dinner, and were walking down Main St. towards the theater. As they walked by a deserted alley, the woman stopped. "Wait." she said to her companion. "I want to show you something." She took his hand, and lead him into the alley. "What is it, honey?" asked the man. "What do you want to show me?" "This!" the woman yelled, jumping onto the man, breaking his neck with her bare hands. It happened so quickly, that he didn't even have a chance to scream. His death was instantaneous. The man dropped to the ground, a pool of crimson blood poured out of his mouth and nose. "To bad." said the woman smirking to herself, "He was actually kind of nice." The woman then bent down, and enjoyed her meal. F.B.I. HEADQUARTERS J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING WASHINGTON D.C. Mulder sat in his office, with his feet up on his desk. As usual, there were files everywhere, books strewn about, and a bag of sunflower seeds, overflowing onto the desk. As Mulder consumed the infamous seeds, he studied a new X-File intently. He had received it with his morning paper. This was just his kind of case, "spooky." Scully walked through the door, shrugging off her brown trench coat. "Morning." she said smiling. "Morning." said Mulder, vaguely prying his eyes away from his file. "What's that you're reading, Mulder?" she asked, walking towards his desk. "It's a file, that I received anonymously with my morning paper." "An X-File?" asked Scully inquisitively. "It would look that way, Scully. There's record of multiple murders, all in Chicago-all unexplainable. All the victims were male, middle-aged, and were found with their necks broken-their craniums totally severed from there spines. The only thing is...there were no signs of struggle, or use of a murder weapon. The only evidence found were deep scratches, along the neck-or what was left of it." "Left of it?" intervened Scully. "Yeah." continued Mulder. "The bodies also appear to be eaten, and gnawed away at. There were only trace amounts of skin left intact, on the corpses." "So, if there was no evidence of a murder weapon used, then how were these men killed, Mulder?" "My guess..of the top of my head..by human hands, and by sheer force." "Mulder, you can't be serious. An average person could not even come close to doing that kind of damage with their bare hands. Unless..unless they developed some kind of super-human strength. Do you know how much force it would take to sever the cranium from the spine?" "No. But obviously it's not impossible." "It would take a lot more than even..than even an anvil to the head." "Scully." said Mulder smiling sardonically, "This isn't Loony Tunes." "Mulder, I'm just trying to say that it is impossible for someone to sever the skull from the spine with just their bare hands. There had to be some other outside influence." "Yeah, that or someone has really been eating their spinach." "Mulder, this isn't Popeye either." "Ooh, touche." said Mulder giving Scully his best hurt little boy look. "Anyway, Mulder, what is our interest in this case-other that the obvious?" "Well, for one thing, the case has never been closed, and then there is this." said Mulder handing Scully a computer print- out. "Skinner called me in to give this to me. It's a police report. There's been another murder in Chicago. Same cause of death, and like the rest, the body has been nearly all eaten away. Scratch marks were found, also. And get this Scully- they're from human fingernails." Scully sighed emphatically. "So what you expect me to believe, Mulder, is that there is someone out there, that is killing men by basically ripping their skulls off of their spines-with their bare hands, might I add, and then eating them?! Don't you think that what you're suggesting is just a little unbelievable, Mulder?" "Not just a little unbelievable, Scully, but extremely unbelievable. That's why we have to get to the bottom of this. Skinner has officially assigned us to this case, and we are leaving for Chicago in two hours. By the way, Scully, you look great today." "So do you, as usual." Mulder smiled, and blushed slightly at this comment. Scully then leaned over Mulder's desk, and kissed him tenderly. "Mulder, now, since this is our first official investigation since, well, we decided to consummate our relationship-maybe we should set a few ground rules beforehand." "What, you mean no public displays of affection?" asked Mulder grinning boyishly. "I don't know, Scully-I might not be able to control myself." "Well, it won't be easy for me either, Mulder-but we're gonna have to try. I don't think that people will appreciate us investigating a murder, and having our hands all over each other at the same time. So, as soon as we step out of the plane to Chicago, our relationship is strictly platonic-just like before." A wide mischievous grin spread across Mulder's face. "What?" inquired Scully cautiously. "What about on the plane, and at the hotel we stay at?" "Mulder!" Scully exclaimed laughing. "Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying! Well, since we'll be off limits from each other for a while, there's only one thing we can do." "What's that?" questioned Scully, her curiosity heightening. "We get all our feelings out now, before we leave. Let me see," said Mulder looking at his watch, "we still have an hour and forty-five minutes. I'm game if you are, Scully." Mulder then got up out of his chair, and started walking towards her. "Aren't I always?" she said seductively. "Yeah." replied Mulder in anticipation. Mulder was now right up close to Scully, their bodies touching. Mulder placed his right hand behind Scully's head, and brought it towards his face. Scully wrapped her arms around his neck, and he brought his right hand down onto the small of her back. They then kissed passionately, and Mulder started backing Scully up against the desk. They reached the desk, and while they kissed steamily, he lifted her onto it, and pushed everything off the desk. Scully grabbed Mulder's tie, and pulled him down on top of her. Just as they started to undress each other, Skinner came walking through the door. "Aghhhh. You didn't lock the door." groaned Mulder breathlessly. "I didn't know that I would have to." replied Scully, regretfully rebuttoning her suitcoat. "Ahem, am I interrupting something Agent Mulder, Scully? interjected Assistant Director Walter Skinner. "No sir," piped in Scully, "Mulder and I were just going over our next case." "Yes, Agent Scully, I'm sure you were." "Is there anything in particular that you would like to discuss with us, sir?" asked Mulder, slightly annoyed. "Well, as a matter-of-fact, Mulder, there is. I came by to let you and Scully know that you would be leaving for Chicago, a little earlier than planned. You'll be catching a flight in a half hour-I expect you to be ready, preferably with all your clothes on." Skinner then left, obviously impressed with that last dig he had gotten in. "Well, he's taking our situation surprisingly well, wouldn't you say, Mulder?" "Yeah, splendidly." retorted Mulder, extremely unenthusiastically. "Well, I guess we'll have to put our plans on hold." she reasoned. "Guess so." he replied glumly. "One more thing, Mulder. Where did you get the file in the first place? I mean, who put it into your paper?" "I've been thinking about that, Scully." said Mulder, still a little preoccupied, and eying Scully's figure. She had on a forest green suitcoat, with a knee-length skirt. "Mulder." interjected Scully. "Let's try to keep our minds on work, okay? Now what were you saying?" "Well, um, oh yeah...I have been thinking about who must have supplied me with the file, but I am not really sure. It could have been anybody, but I'm willing to bet that it was my so-called, 'friend at the bureau.' Whoever he or she may be." "Ah." replied Scully. "Well, I'd better go pack." "Alright." said Mulder. Scully, now fully dressed, hopped down off of the desk, and quickly kissed Mulder. "I'll see you later." said Scully starting to leave. Just then, when she started to walk away, Mulder caught hold of her hand, swept her up in his arms, and kissed her, longing for more than just to be kissing her. When he let her go, she was quite breathless. "The next few days are going to be hell." said Mulder. "Tell me about it." replied Scully. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CHICAGO AIRPORT 11:31 A.M. Mulder and Scully got off the plane at Chicago airport. They then went to the rental car agency, and rented a car, Ford, as usual. Scully started driving the car. "Where to, Mulder?" asked Scully. "From the looks of this file, we should head towards Main Street. That is where the most recent body has been found." "Mulder, why do you think that the killer eats his or her victims after brutally murdering them?" "I don't know, Scully. It could have something to do with the killer having to have some kind of trophy from his victims-in this case a meal, or, maybe the killer has some kind of biological deficiency, in which he or she needs the flesh of men to survive." "Huh! I highly doubt that second notion, Mulder. Why would human male flesh be necessary for anyone to survive, and what is so special about the flesh of men? Both men and women are made up of the same genetic makeup, except for men having the hormone testosterone. Even so, testosterone is only found in certain parts of the body-definitely not the whole body. If the killer needed testosterone, for reasons unfathomable to me, why wouldn't the killer eat just those specific areas. Nothing in this case makes sense, Mulder. Where are we supposed to start." "Here, I would imagine." answered Mulder, nodding towards the yellow tape sectioning off the murder scene. Scully turned the car into the alley, and the two agents got out. A tall, dark-haired man walked towards them. "Agents Mulder and Scully, I presume." stated the man smiling. "You presume correctly." said Mulder holding up his badge, and Scully doing the same. "I'm Sergeant William O'Connor, of the Chicago police department. I hear that you're here to investigate the most current of the serial murders in Chicago. "Yes. We're here to investigate these murders, and hopefully close this file." stated Mulder. "You're gonna have an extremely hard time solving them Agent Mulder." "Why do you say that?" inquired Scully. "Well, we've had our best field agents, and detectives trying to make sense of these murders. Nothing seems to add up. Not one suspect has been found-no witnesses either. As for the motive, well, we can't find any. We don't understand why someone, or how someone, could murder a person in such a brutal way, with no evidence of a murder weapon whatsoever. And why a person would eat another human being, well, to me is unfathomable." "How do you know that a human being ate the victims-I mean, how do you know that an animal didn't come along and eat its fill?" asked Scully rationally. "Well, there are a few reasons for me to come to this conclusion. For one thing, there aren't many animals here in downtown Chicago that would be capable of consuming a human being. It isn't like we have any stray bears wandering around. Another thing is that, well, I mean, what are the odds? There has been seven murders so far, including the most recent-all with the same cause of death, all have been eaten away. You can't think that there is an animal that can eat all those people in such a limited time frame. All the murders have happened within a month of each other, and no animal can be that hungry." "None of this information that you are giving us is relevant. It still doesn't prove that a human was the one to do these heinous acts." "Hold on now. You haven't heard the rest of it, Agent Scully." "Oh, I can't wait for this." groaned Scully. Mulder lightly chuckled. He loved when Scully put up a fight, for what she believed in. She had done it to him many a times. He was curious to see how the sergeant would escape her rational cynicism." "Teeth marks." stated Srgt. O'Connor blatantly. "What?" asked Scully incredulously. "Teeth marks." repeated Mulder, just to see how far Scully was willing to be pushed. She looked at him, slightly annoyed, but she knew that he was just trying to get on her nerves. "What about teeth marks?" questioned Scully. "There were teeth marks found all over the bodies." "So?" prodded Scully. "They were human teeth marks, Scully." stated Mulder, not finding the sergeant's game amusing anymore. "Are you sure?" asked Scully, gaping widely. "Positive." said the sergeant. "The lab results came back from forensics a few hours ago. The guys at the lab estimate the killer to be from twenty-five to thirty years of age." "So the killer is around the same age as his or her victims." said Mulder. "Exactly." agreed Srgt. O'Connor. Finally, Scully was convinced." "Unbelievable." gasped Scully. Mulder smiled. He had finally proved to her that he was right. The body was now covered up, and on a stretcher. Scully walked over, still a little shocked, and pulled the cover sheet off the corpse. Scully couldn't believe her eyes. All that was left of the body was a skeleton (cranium severed from the rest), torn ligaments, a small amount of muscle tissue, and basically no skin. Hers eyes widened, she could see teeth marks, and she knew from previous experience, that they were, in fact human. She turned, and saw Mulder. His eyes urged her to keep probing the corpse for evidence, though she was disgusted. She looked back, and noticed something. On a piece of skin, of the few that were left, Scully saw a scratch, but what really caught her attention was the piece of a broken fingernail embedded deep within the flesh. "Mulder." she beckoned. Mulder walked over. "Take a look at this. I think that it is a fingernail." Scully pulled on some prophylactic gloves, and Mulder pulled some tweezers, and an evidence bag from his front pocket, and handed them to her. She gently eased the nail from the body, and lifted it up into view. Scully's gaze settled on something. "Mulder." she said. "I could be mistaken, but I think that there is nailpolish on this nail." Mulder looked closer. "You're right Scully. I see it too." Sure enough, there was maroon nailpolish on the bit of nail. "Well, I guess our list of possible suspects has been dramatically cut short." said Mulder smiling sardonically. "I should hope so." responded Scully, smiling up at Mulder. "The killer must have broken her nail when she attacked the victim. What is this victim's name?" "His name was Brian Coplan. He was thirty-six years old, and lived here in Chicago." Mulder stated. "His sister, Marie, came by this morning and identified the body." interjected Srgt. O'Connor. "Is she the only relative of Mr. Coplan's, that lives in the Chicago area?" asked Mulder, massaging the back of his own neck. "Yes. Brian Coplan's parents have been notified, but they live in Oregon...which is quite a ways away. When Marie saw the her brother, though he was nearly unrecognizable, she knew it was him. It just shows how strong the bond between siblings is, even in death." After the sergeant finished, Scully and Mulder looked at each other, remembering the loss of their sisters. Scully broke eye contact with Mulder, and looked down. The sergeant saw the agent's responses, and realized that he had struck some deep feelings in them, and so decided to stop talking about the subject. The agents had been at the crime scene for three hours now. Scully lifted up her gaze from the ground, to Srgt. O'Connor. "Srgt. O'Connor," began Scully, "I want you to send the body to forensics, and tell them that I'll be over in an hour to perform the autopsy myself. Mulder and I are going tho get a late lunch, and check into a motel. Scully had read Mulder's mind. He was extremely hungry, because the plane food hadn't been so good. He recalled himself describing it as 'worse than hospital food.' Mulder was also tired from his flight, and thought it a good idea to check into the motel to get some rest. "Will do, Agent Scully." smiled the sergeant. Scully and Mulder walked back to the car, and this time Scully climbed into the passenger's side of the vehicle. "So, you still sticking with your original theory, Mulder?" "Absolutely." he responded. Scully smiled, knowing that Mulder's mind was already processing information a 'mile a minute.' This was going to be, as usual, a wild ride. He was already enjoying the thrill of the chase. Mulder and Scully decided to stop and eat at a local cafe. Scully got coffee, with cream, and no sugar, and a salad. Mulder, got an iced tea, a hamburger, and french fries. They did not talk very much, but glanced at each other with longing, ever so often. At one point, Scully felt Mulder's hand reach under the table, and caress her leg. Scully shot a quick, forbidding glance at Mulder, and he took his hand away. "Patience." whispered Scully. Mulder sighed, and flagged over the waitress. Mulder and Scully split the bill, and continued on their way. They reached the Windy City Motel, and got out of the car. "I'd like two singles for a week." said Mulder flatly, to the attendant. The attendant punched some numbers into the computer, and handed them their keys. He was #23, and she #24. The agents went into their rooms, and to their surprise, the rooms were connected to each other with a door. Mulder opened the door, and found Scully standing with her door open on the other side. "Easier access," said Mulder smiling sardonically, "they would have to do this to us." Scully smiled girlishly, her face flushed with color. "I'm going to forensics, Mulder. I'll call you from the autopsy bay." "Call me?" asked Mulder quizzically. "Yeah. Mulder, you're exhausted. You really should get some rest." In fact, Mulder was exhausted, and didn't argue. Mulder yawned. "Well...call me if you need anything." he said, taking hold of Scully's hand in his. "I will." she said, squeezing his hand tightly. With that, she left. FORENSICS LABORATORY CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT 4:15 P.M. Scully was now changed into full doctor's attire. She had on green scrubs, with a white lab coat on over them. She was also adorned in safety goggles, a hair net, prophylactic gloves, and her fiery hair was pulled back into an elastic, at the nape of her neck. She turned the overhead light on, the corpse lay on the table, covered with a thin blue sheet. Scully picked up her taperecorder, and dictated her findings. She pulled the sheet off of the body. "Today is Monday, December 2, 1995. I am about to perform an autopsy on a man named Brian Coplan. Date of death, December 1, 1995. Time of death, unknown. Immediate cause of death seems to be force to the head and neck." Scully leaned over the body, and peered closely at the neck. "The cranium appears to have been severed from the neck-actually dislocated from it. No signs of a murder weapon used." she said, pacing around the body. "The body seems to have been eaten, and gnawed away at-chewed up, so to speak. There is very little skin or muscle tissue left, there are still some tendons and ligaments visible." Scully looked at a chart, and stated, "The urinalysis, toxicology, and blood work appear to be clean. On what minuscule pieces of flesh left, there are various scratches, and teeth marks. They appear to be of human origin. I am now proceeding to cut the body open, to check for anything internally abnormal." Scully took the scalpel, and cut straight from the base of the neck, and down through the torso. She peeled the layer of stringy tendons away, and looked at the internal organs. "Everything seems to be in order." she said into the recorder. "No liver damage, stomach lining appears to be normal, no signs of ruptured kidneys or spleen, lungs are nice and clean-obviously a non-smoker, the reproductive organs seem to be in check, the large and small intestines show no abnormality." Scully shifted her glance upward. "Odd." muttered Scully. "The heart shows no signs of stress, which is always a factor in violent death. The only way that the heart could have functioned normally while the victim was being murdered as he was, was if death occurred instantaneously, without this man realizing what was happening. This kind of death, I would think, would take quite a few trys to accomplish, if, in fact, it had been done by human hands alone. The murderer had to have been someone that this man trusted, someone that he didn't expect. Still, I am unclear on how this murder could have possibly been accomplished so fast, unless...unless the murderer was unusually strong." Those last words that Scully had stated, really disturbed her. Had Mulder been right? Did the murderer have super-human strength? "Dana, you can't be serious, stay rational, there has to be some other logical explanation." she thought reassuringly to herself. Still, she couldn't shake the unsure feeling that loomed about her. Scully began to continue the autopsy. "The upper two vertebrae, closest to the cranium, are utterly razed. They are totally shattered. The cranium is held on to the spinal cord by a mere piece of cartilage,-I'm surprised that it has held for this long! My final conclusion, as a physician in forensic medicine, is that this man died of, as unbelievable as it sounds, a dislocated skull. The force was so great, and so fierce, that death was instantaneous. After the initial cause of death, the body seems to have been mauled. It appears to have been eaten, leaving almost no distinguishing features. If not for this man's wallet, and his sister's reassurance, the police would not have been able to identify him." with that, Scully pulled the cover sheet back over the corpse, shut off her taperecorder, cleaned up the autopsy bay, and called Mulder. She dialed, and the phone rang. "Brrrrg! Brrrrg!" then an answer. "Mulder." answered the familiar monotone voice, which Scully knew all to well. "Mulder, it's me." replied Scully. "Hey, Scully." greeted Mulder, his voice slightly perking up. "Did you find anything?" "Yeah, Mulder, I did. It's quite disturbing, actually." "What is it, Scully?" asked Mulder, with a concerned undertone in his usually calm voice. "It's Brian Coplan's heart." she said. "His heart?" asked Mulder, slightly puzzled. "Yeah, for such a violent form of death, Brian Coplan's heart appeared to have been surprisingly calm. There is no sign of stress, ruptured blood vessels, or cardiac arrest. These things are always quite imminent in violent death. The only way that such an unaffected heart could have been possible, is if he did not know what was coming to him, that means-" "That means that the killer must have been someone that Brian Coplan trusted." interrupted Mulder. "Exactly." confirmed Scully. "The only thing is, Mulder, I don't understand how such a violent, and difficult way to achieve death could have been carried out, in a time period short enough not to cause extreme stress on the heart. It's, it's practically impossible for an average human being to achieve this kind of strength and agility." "Maybe the killer isn't an average human being, Scully." concluded Mulder. There was silence on the line for a few seconds. "I'm,...I'm beginning to wonder about that myself, Mulder. I really am." WINDY CITY MOTEL 8:00 P.M. Scully had returned from the forensics laboratory, and was in the shower. She unwound as the warm steam rose swirling around her. For a moment, she found herself fantasizing about how she wanted Mulder in the shower with her, his moist body caressing her's, but quickly changed her thoughts, realizing that it couldn't happen, at least not while they were on the case. Scully resented that it had to be this way, but she realized that it was for the best-and hoped that Mulder understood. Scully closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on the hot, soothing water, against her back. Though she tried, there was one other thought that she couldn't shake. She thought about how horrible it must have been for Brian Coplan, to totally and utterly trust someone, and then have that person turn around, and suddenly kill him, not to mention, eat him afterwards! Scully shuddered at this thought, and shivered. The water had turned much colder, and Scully realized that she had been in the shower for quite a long period of time. She turned off the water, stepped out of the shower stall, and grabbed a towel, which was annoyingly just long enough to cover the upper portion of her thighs. She cursed at the wretched thing, and proceeded to walk into the motel room. To her surprise, she found Mulder standing in the connecting doorway. She looked at him blankly, not quite understanding how he got there. "It wasn't locked." he responded, as if reading her mind. He was dressed in black silk boxers, partially covered with a robe. He seemed tired, and yet determined. "I just got a call from Srgt. O'Connor. There's been another one, Scully. Only a few streets down from where Brian Coplan was murdered." "You're kidding me!" exclaimed Scully, practically dropping her towel. "Nope." said Mulder, laughing at her clumsy gesture. "This time, though, there was a witness, and she got a license plate number. I'm going to get dressed, we're expected down at the scene in a half hour." said Mulder, turning towards the doorway to his room. "Okay, I'll get dressed." said Scully, still struggling with the damn towel. Mulder turned. "Oh, and Scully." "Yeah, Mulder?" Mulder surveyed her predicament, and noted the pathetically small towel covering Scully. "Nice towel." he said grinning mischievously. "You think so?" she asked. Then, with no forewarning, she flung the towel off, and threw it at him. "If you like it so much, it's yours!" she exclaimed. He was just barely able to catch it, and Scully shut her door, leaving Mulder in pleasant astonishment. "That ought to take care of him for a while!" giggled Scully to herself. She then proceeded to get dressed. MAIN STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 9:00 P.M. Scully and Mulder were in the car, driving to the crime scene. The sergeant had told them that it had taken place a few streets away from the elder crime scene. The newest murder had happened on Tremont Street-a few more miles up Main Street, on a branch-off. While in the car, Mulder had a sly grin on his face. He never looked over at Scully, but she knew that he was thinking about the incident with the towel. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but now, she knew that he wasn't going to forget about it anytime soon. "Mulder, will you please wipe that incideous grin off your face?" she asked smiling. "You could always just cover my face with a towel!" he exclaimed good-naturedly. Scully's face turned beet-red. She turned her head, shying away. Mulder smiled, and nudged her face with his hand. "I'm just kidding, Scully, it was actually a very good performance-I didn't know that you had it in you!" Scully laughed. "You'd be surprised." responded Scully coyly. "Would I?" asked Mulder rhetorically. "I can't wait to find out." They both smiled. "You know, Mulder," began Scully, "it's to bad you didn't bring a camcorder, you could have added my little fiasco to your collection." Mulder laughed. "I probably wouldn't have even been able to press record, you really took me offguard!" he said. She smiled. "There would have been a serious consequence to taping you though, Scully." "Which is?" asked Scully. "Frohike would make me let him borrow the video!" "Well, nix that idea!" she laughed. "I wouldn't want him calling me any more than he already does!" Mulder started to crack up. Scully had never seen him laughing so hard! "Mulder, watch the road!" Scully exclaimed. Mulder swerved to avoid a parked car, and stopped laughing. "Looks like we're here." said Scully, taking in the scene. "Guess so." agreed Mulder. There were police cars everywhere. The agents saw Srgt. O'Connor walking towards them. They got out of the car, and walked towards him. "Agents Mulder, Scully, thanks for coming here on such short notice. As you already know, there has been another murder. "Yeah, we know." said Scully. "I assume that the latest victim has the same cause of death, and the same characteristics as the last." "Yes, he does." said Srgt. O'Connor, lowering his head a bit. "His name was Mark Richter." the sergeant stumbled while speaking. "He, he wa-.....he was a close friend of mine from college. It's so strange, we were supposed to go golfing together tomorrow-and now...and now he's gone." Mulder and Scully looked at each other, and knew what they had to do. "Srgt. O'Connor," began Scully. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest. This must be hard for you, and the state of mind that you're in now, definitely isn't beneficial. Maybe this case is to close to you personally." The sergeant looked contemplatively at her. "She's right, Srgt. O'Connor. You need time to grieve. Just tell us who the witness is, and the license plate number, then you should get home. Agent Scully and I will take care of this." said Mulder reassuringly. "You're right, I should get home, God knows, I could use the rest." said Srgt. O'Connor trying to put on a happy face, and mask the pain. "The witness's name was Laurie Greenbough. She says that her car had broken down, and she was waiting for a tow- truck, when she saw the murder. She also said she got the license plate number of the car, and she said it was 174-TYI. Ms. Greenbough lives in a condo, a little further into town, on 811 Satchel Street." "Thank you sergeant." said Scully smiling. "Don't you worry, we'll catch this killer...I guarantee it." The sergeant then turned and walked away. Mulder and Scully then walked ahead to view the corpse. What they saw made them both shudder simultaneously. The corpse lay on a stretcher, totally mutilated. There was absolutely no skin left. The body looked just like a slimy, mucusy, bunch of stringy tendons and muscle tissue, all heaped together in one large, bloody mass. There were, though, some visible skeletal structures protruding from the heap of remains. No one would have been able to recognize the corpse as human, if it hadn't been for the scraps of clothing, and wallet found at the scene. Scully gasped and turned away. Mulder too, lowered his gaze, for he felt he couldn't stomach it. Scully forced herself to look back and examine the head, and saw clearly that it wasn't even attached, it had been placed beside the body, and had been propped up against the neck. The cheek and jawbones were clearly visible, and Scully felt faint, a sudden wave of nausea came over her. She grasped on to Mulder's arm for support. "Mulder," she groaned, "I think I'm going to throw up." Mulder had, had his gaze locked on to the crimson stump of a neck left on the corpse, and almost didn't realize what kind of a state Scully was in. He then noticed her clinging on to his coat, and realized that she really wasn't well. "Oh, oh Scully, we've got to get you out of here, just keep hold of my hand." said Mulder, taking her hand in his. Scully did as she was told, but couldn't quite make it to the car. She then let go of his hand, bent over, and vomited so much, that Mulder wondered whether or not her insides were still inside of her. When she had finally stopped throwing up, she walked over and leaned on the car. She looked extremely worn-out. "You O.K., Scully?" Mulder asked touching her shoulder. "Yeah Mulder, I'll be fine." she said, forging a smile. "That body, it, it just got to me, that's all." "Gese Scully, I haven't seen you get that sick since our experience with the Kindred. Are you sure you are going to be alright?" "Yeah, I'm O.K. I'm feeling better all ready." said Scully. "We'd better go and find Laurie Greenbough, and try and dig up some facts." "Okay, then off to 811 Satchel Street." agreed Mulder. 811 SATCHEL STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 10:30 P.M. The agents pulled up to the condo, and parked the car. Mulder got out, and then went around to the other side of the car, and opened the door for Scully. She looked surprised, Mulder didn't open the door for her very often. "What's the occasion, Mulder?" she asked smiling. Mulder gave Scully a reproachful look. "Scully," he said in his best taken-a back voice, "how could you expect anything less from me?" "You are an extremely unpredictable man, Mulder." "But you know that's why you love me so much, Scully." "I knew there had to be a reason." responded Scully. Mulder grinned. "Do you think that it would disobeying the ground rules if I put my arm around you, Scully." he asked, laying on the charm. Scully hesitated, but then gave in. "Okay, but don't push anything else, after all, we've got a case to solve." "Moi?" he asked. "Don't worry, I'll be a perfect gentleman." Scully smiled, and Mulder put his arm around her. It felt great to be close to him, though she wished they could be closer. They then walked into the condo. As they walked in, a man was walking by in the opposite direction. Mulder stopped him. "Excuse me sir, but do you know a Laurie Greenbough?" he asked. "Sure," said the man, "I'm the landlord. She's in apartment 27B." "Thank you very much." said Scully. "Anytime." said the man. Mulder and Scully proceeded to the elevator, and got in. "Going up." said Mulder. The elevator started going up, when Scully hit the 'emergency stop' button. "What's wrong Scully?" asked an extremely concerned Mulder. Scully looked him straight in the eyes. "Mulder, I've been thinking, and I feel really bad about something." "What do you have to feel bad about, Scully? questioned Mulder. Scully looked down towards her feet. "I..I just feel that I might have offended you in some way. "Offended me?" he asked. "How do you think that you offended me?" "Well, I just didn't want to give you the wrong impression about why I didn't want to be with you. It's not that I don't want to Mulder, I mean, I really want to, I don't think you realize how much I want to, but I just-" "Scully, stop, you don't have to explain it to me, I understand. It probably is for the best that we don't express our feelings on the job, you're right in thinking that it could jeopardize our careers...and I would never want to be partnered with anybody but you. Scully, you're the only person that has ever given me the time of day, you really respect the journey, though you don't necessarily believe in everything about it. If waiting until we're back home in D.C. to act on our feelings makes you more comfortable, then I'm willing to make that compromise. You're definitely worth waiting for." "Thanks, Mulder." said Scully, touching his arm. "I'm glad you understand." Scully then pushed the button again, and the elevator proceeded on it's journey. When the elevator stopped, the agents got out, and searched for apartment 27B. "Over here." said Scully, pointing to the number that they were looking for. Mulder walked over, and knocked on the door. A woman, who looked about fortyish opened the door. "Hello, I'm Agent Fox Mulder, and this is my partner, Dana Scully, we're with the F.B.I. Is there a Laurie Greenbough at this residence? asked Mulder. "Yes, I'm Laurie Greenbough." stated the woman, who didn't look a bit surprised to see them. "Srgt. O'Connor told me that you'd be stopping by. Please, come in." Laurie opened her door a little wider, allowing Scully and Mulder into her apartment. She then showed them to the couch. "Ms. Greenbough, we were informed that you were a witness to the latest of the murders here in Chicago, the murder of Mark Richter." said Scully, in the process of sitting down. Laurie didn't answer, looking as though contemplating where to begin. "Ms. Greenbough?" prodded Mulder. "You did witness the murder didn't you?" "Yes, yes I did. You see, I was driving along Tremont Street, when my car broke down. I had called a tow truck on my cellular phone, and was waiting outside my car for the truck, when I saw a man and a woman walking down the street." Laurie hesitated. "What did you see, Ms. Greenbough?" asked Mulder attentively. "I, I saw them about to get into their car, when the woman stopped the man. I don't think she saw me, or she wouldn't have done what she did next." "What did she do next?" asked Scully, joining in on the interrogation. "Well, she...she jumped up on to the man all of a sudden, and snapped his neck...with her bare hands." Mulder's eyes lit up, and Scully noticed. "She, she just ripped his head right off his neck, and then, as soon as his body dropped to the ground, she started tearing away at his skin, and started eating him!" Scully gasped. "Ms. Greenbough, you mean to say that this woman just killed Mark Richter, and started literally eating him?!" Scully inquired, and yet exclaimed at the same time. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to say, Agent Scully. I saw it with my own two eyes." "Ms. Greenbough," began Mulder, "how did you get a glimpse of the license plate?" "I was so scared, that I just hid behind my car, and the woman never noticed me. When she started driving, she did so, like she was looking around to see if anyone was there. That's when I saw her license plate number. I assume that the sergeant already gave it to you?" asked Laurie. "Yes, we have the number." responded Mulder. "Did you get a good look at the woman, Ms. Greenbough?" queried Scully. "It all happened so fast, I'm, I'm not sure, but I know for sure that she was white, and had dark brown hair. I was to frightened to really notice anything else." "Thank you for your time Ms. Greenbough. I'm sorry that you had to witness this murder. We'll contact you if we have any further questions." Mulder said. "Come on Scully, let's go." Mulder put his hand on Scully's shoulder, and led her out the door. WINDY CITY MOTEL 12:15 A.M. Scully was exhausted. She and Mulder had just gotten back from Laurie Greenbough's apartment. Mulder had said that he needed to talk to her, so she avoided going to sleep. Scully figured that she'd get comfortable though, so she changed into some violet, cotton pajamas, and pulled half of her hair into a small ponytail. She turned on the t.v. and flipped through the channels, and passed by various commercials for psychic networks- she'd had her share of those before, gave up, and turned the t.v. off. She then heard a knock on the adjoining door. "It's open, Mulder." she said. Mulder came in, wearing sweatpants, and a t-shirt, obviously, he was thinking the same thing as she had been. It was going to be a long night, so they might as well be comfortable. Mulder also had a bag of sunflower seeds in his hand. "Seeds?" he asked. "Sure." said Scully. Under any other circumstances, Scully would've refused the seeds, because she felt that they made a mess, but she was hungry, and she did like them, even though she despised that Mulder ate them all of the time. Mulder smiled and handed her the bag. She took a few, and gave the bag back. Scully had been sitting indian-style on the bed, and Mulder came over and sat beside her. She fumbled with the seeds, but finally cracked the shells. Mulder though, a skilled professional, had no trouble cracking open the salty seeds. "Good?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, they are pretty good, actually." she responded. He grinned. "What did you want to talk to me about, Mulder?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about the case. I wanted to know, in your opinion, how we should approach this. What should our next move be?" "Well Mulder, I think that the first thing that we should approach is to I.D. the license plate number, and find out who the car belongs to. But you should have known that, you've been doing this longer than I have. There's something that you're not telling me isn't there? Quit beating around the bush, Mulder. What did you really come in here to talk to me about?" Scully was right. Mulder had wanted to talk to her about something else, something that would upset his partner very much. "Scully," Mulder hesitated as he spoke. "I had gotten a message about a call from Washington. Skinner had called, and wanted me to call him back, so I did. There has been an emergency in your family. It's your mother, Scully, she's very ill." "Oh my God!" gasped Scully. "Scully, I, I'm so sorry." Mulder said, leaning in to comfort her. "Wha-, what's wrong with her?" asked Scully, fumbling through the sentence. Mulder looked at his partner, and answered. "Skinner said that she has suffered a stroke, he said that it was stress induced." Mulder said quietly. Mulder heard Scully take a quick, sharp breath. He knew that she was trying to hold the tears back. He knew that she was trying to be brave for him. "You okay, Scully?" he asked, even though he knew the answer. Scully didn't respond, she just kept her gaze set on the floor. After a moment, Scully responded, but not quite answering his question. "Has her condition stabilized?" she asked, still not looking at him. "The doctors have stabilized her, but she is very weak from her ordeal. There isn't much more that they can do for her." Mulder responded, recalling what he had heard. Scully absent- mindedly pushed some strands of her warm red hair behind her ear, and wiped her eyes with her fingertips. Mulder reached over, and touched her face, urging her to make eye contact with him. "Scully, you don't have to be brave for me." he whispered. Scully couldn't hide anything from Mulder, even when she tried her hardest. She finally gave in. Scully's full lips started to quiver, and salty tears swelled in her penetrating, azure eyes. "Oh Mulder," she wept, "it just isn't fair." "I know, I know." he whispered. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her in close to him. She hugged him tight, as if she never wanted to let go. He lowered his head onto hers, and comforted her the best he could. WINDY CITY MOTEL 7:30 A.M. Pristine, warm sunlight shone through the window of Scully's motel room. Small patterns of sunlight speckled her face like filigree, which caused her to stir. She groggily opened her eyes, to find herself alone, and tucked neatly into bed. She remembered being in Mulder's loving embrace, but not much after that. "I must have fallen asleep." she thought to herself. She then remembered why she remembered being with Mulder the previous night. He was trying to comfort her because of her mother...her mother, now she remembered, her mother was sick. Scully was about to dive off the bed and get dressed, when she noticed something. It was Mulder. He was asleep in the chair next to the bed, he must have stayed with her to make sure she was alright. "Oh." thought Scully, "How could I ever ask for anything more? I don't know what I'd do without him." She then hastily got dressed, though doing so quietly, so as not to wake up Mulder. Once ready, she gently touched Mulder's face, to try and coax him into waking up, and he did. He opened his eyes, and smiled. "Hey." said Scully quietly. "Hey." he responded, looking at how the sunlight highlighted her auburn hair with golden embers. He thought she looked like an angel. "Mulder," she began, "I have to go home. I have to go and see my mother-to make sure she's alright. I want to take the 'bunny' back to Washington, and get to the hospital." this she said all in one breath, as though trying to convince Mulder that it was a good idea. Mulder though, needed no convincing. "Sure, Scully. I think that you should go and see your mother. I can handle the case while you're gone. Besides, your mother needs you right now." Scully was in awe. She hadn't expected Mulder to agree so willingly. He was full of surprises. "You sure you can handle the case alone?" she asked, feeling a little bit guilty. "Positive. I'll do my best until you're ready to come back. Hopefully by then, I will have shed some light on this case." CHICAGO AIRPORT 8:00 A.M. During the car ride to the airport, Mulder told Scully that her mother was being kept at Maryland State General Hospital. Mulder and Scully were now at the airport, and saying their goodbyes. "You sure your gonna be O.K. on your own, Mulder?" "Don't worry, Scully." said Mulder reassuringly. "I can handle it. I just hope that your mother is okay-and that you are going to be okay." Scully smiled impishly, and then kissed Mulder on the cheek." He blushed. "Thanks." she said simply. "I'll see you when I get back, alright?" "Of course." responded Mulder. Scully then boarded the plane back home. CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT 10:30 A.M. Though Mulder was extremely worried about Mrs. Scully, and Scully, he tried to keep busy, and work on the case. From the airport, he traveled to the police station, and attempted to find out who the license plate number belonged too. It took about forty-five minutes, but Mulder eventually identified the plate. It belonged to Cassandra A. Quintal, a thirty year old accountant, whom lives on 1287 Oxford Road, in apartment #47. "Bingo." said Mulder coyly to himself. SOMEWHERE ABOVE NEW YORK STATE 11:00 A.M. Scully sat stiffly in a window seat. She did not really like flying, it made her nervous, so she didn't at all enjoy the view. She kept wondering how her mother was, hoping for the best. She also hoped that Mulder was okay investigating on his own, though deep in her mind, she knew the answer to that question; Mulder was fine, he can handle this himself, and is without a doubt, probably the best field agent that the bureau has, though they probably wouldn't readily admit it. Still though, she couldn't shake the strange uneasiness that she continually felt. "Oh, Mulder." she thought. "Please be alright." 1287 OXFORD ROAD APARTMENT #47 11:15 A.M. "Knock! Knock! Knock!" Mulder rapped on the door. "Ms. Quintal? Ms. Quintal, are you home?" asked Mulder loudly. Mulder got out his gun, and checked to see if it was loaded. It was. Mulder knocked, and called one more time, but there was no reply. Mulder turned the doorknob, just out of curiosity, and to his surprise, it was open. "No one leaves their doors unlocked this day and age." he thought to himself. He then turned the doorknob all the way, and pushed in-the door swung open. Mulder viewed the scene cautiously, held his gun straight out in front of him, not knowing what to expect. He searched every room, but found nothing. Cassandra Quintal was nowhere to be found. Something was there though, lurking in the shadows, carefully avoiding Mulder's glance. It moved as quick as a cat, and just as noiselessly. While Mulder stood, thinking about his next move, it watched him, trying to picture the warm, soft flesh under the suit and trench coat. It stared at Mulder's head, and neck, wishing to do what it does best...kill. "This is going to be an easy one." it thought to itself. "But not now, not yet." Mulder eventually gave up, and headed out the door, he would be back. Mulder shut the door behind him, and walked down the hall. Meanwhile, it came out of the shadows, into full light. It,.... was Cassandra Quintal. MARYLAND STATE GENERAL HOSPITAL RECOVERY WARD, ROOM 201 12:37 P.M. Scully walked into her mother's room, and found her in a deep sleep. Scully walked over, and took her hand. "Mom?" she asked, squeezing her hand. Margaret Scully opened her eyes exhaustedly, and gazed upon her daughter. "Dana." she said smiling wearily. "How are you, honey?" "I'm fine, mom." she answered, tears coming to her eyes. "More importantly though, how are you?" "Oh, I'm okay, just a little groggy. Dana, I'm so glad that you're here." "Me too mom." she answered. "The doctors told me that you had a massive stress induced stroke...how did it happen?" Her mother stopped smiling, and sobered up. "I'm not sure, Dana. I remember coming home from buying groceries, and walking up to the door, but nothing after that...just that I fell on the steps." "Oh, mom." gasped Scully. "I'm so happy that you're alright! Thank you for not leaving me, I...I don't know how I could live without you." By now, Scully was all-out crying. "I, I would miss you so much!" Scully couldn't stop the sobs from coming, and so she gave up on trying. "Oh, Dana, sweetie, come here." Margaret beckoned her daughter to sit down on the bed, and lay her head down on her chest. Scully did as she was asked, and was comforted by her mother. "Dana, I love you so much, and if there is one thing that I won't do, it's leave you. I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon. You, your brothers, and I are all that are left of this family, and we're going to stay that way." Margaret stroked Scully's hair away from her face, and she stopped crying. "I love you too mom." she said, wiping her eyes. Margaret smiled, and started to drift off to sleep. "I'd better go, and let you get your sleep. I'll come back to visit later, O.K.?" "Alright, honey." replied Margaret sleepily, her condition catching up with her. Scully stood up, wiped her eyes, and smoothed her cream blouse, and burgundy suit. "Goodbye mom." "B..Bye...Bye Dana." replied her mother, drifting steadily into sleep. Scully then walked out the door. There was a doctor attending his rounds in the hallway, and Scully stopped him for a moment. "Excuse me doctor?" she asked. The young doctor swung around, and met Scully's gaze. She could have sworn that she had heard him say 'whoa', but she just disregarded it, because she was loyal to Mulder, but she did smile at the comment. "Yes." he answered, boastfully smiling. "I was just wondering who was in charge of a patient named Margaret Scully." "I am." he aswered with an air of pathetic dignity. "I am also a medical doctor, my name is Dana Scully. I would like to see the medical notes on my mother." "Oh...of course. I'll be right with you." he responded, but not with quite as much boastfulness this time, realizing that he was being confronted by an equal. The young doctor turned, and walked towards the desk. He came back with the clip notes on her mother. "Here you go." he said. "Your mother, as I'm sure that you're aware of already, has suffered an extremely serious, stress-induced stroke." Scully studied the notes intently. "Yes, I'm well aware of that doctor. I see that you have her on a steady dose of morphine, but I suggest that you lower the dosage, it seems to be causing her to sleep excessively." "Really? I haven't noticed that. I'll take it into consideration Ms. Scully." Scully was extremely irritated with the incompetent young doctor now. "No, doctor...I'm sorry, I didn't get your name-" "It's Osbourne, Dr. Osbourne." "Dr. Osbourne, from one practicing physician to another, and also a relative of the patient, I am recommending that you take my advice." "In other words, you are ordering me to lower the dose of morphine." Scully stared at the doctor with her deep, icy green eyes. "You could put it that way." she stated bluntly. "Okay,...I'll lower the morphine, but I just have to say that I don't appreciate you telling me how to take care of my patient, Ms. Scully." "Well Dr. Osbourne," Scully retorted, "I don't appreciate you taking care of my mother so incompetently. You should have realized her reaction to excess morphine." "Well-um...you-" stuttered Dr. Osbourne. "Thank you for your time." she said curtly, and walked away. SCULLY'S APARTMENT ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND 3170 W. 53 RD. #35 1:39 P.M. During the ride home, Scully had time to cool off from her ordeal with the irresponsible Doctor Osbourne. It really bothered her that her mother would be getting anything less than the best care. Scully now took out the clip notes on her mother's condition. She started reading again, and sat down on the sofa. She was happy to find out that her mother's condition was gradually improving, and that there were no permanent side effects. After finishing the notes, Scully heated up some vegetable soup for lunch, curled up on the sofa, and attempted to watch some television. She couldn't find anything that didn't remind her of Mulder, though. Basically, all that was on were soap-operas, which, of course, are about romance, sex, danger, etc.-many of those things, she found, could pertain to Mulder in a variety of ways. She smiled to herself, as she thought about these things. Scully continued to flip through the channels, with no luck whatsoever. Again, Scully gave up on her television set, and turned it off. She then finished her soup, and got up to call Mulder. She grabbed her cellular phone off the end table, and dialed. "Brrrg! Brrrg!" No answer yet. "Brrrg! Brrrg!" "Mulder." answered the deadpan voice. "Hey Mulder." replied Scully cheerily. "How're ya getting along without me?" "Hey Scully." said Mulder, now extremely enthusiastically. "I'm doing fine, but as I'm sure you know, it's just not the same without you. How's your mother?" "She's going to be alright, and there are no permanent side effects to the stroke." "Scully, that's great." "Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it. So, you find anything new in the case?" "Actually, I did. I traced the license plate number, and found out that the car belongs to a thirty year old woman named Cassandra Quintal. I went to her apartment today, but she wasn't home, and I didn't see anything suspicious. I plan on going back later today, and interrogating her. So, when are you planning on coming back, Scully?" he asked, full of yearning. "I'm not sure, Mulder. I think that I should stay with my mother for a few more days." "Sure." Mulder responded. "Whenever you're ready to come back, I'll be here." "I know you will, Mulder." Scully felt like saying more, to tell him that she missed him, and thought about him constantly, but didn't. She also had a strange feeling, which she had previously defined as 'woman's intuition,' but didn't know why. "Mulder, be careful, O.K.?" "Of course, Scully." he responded, with an air of curiosity in his voice, but didn't probe into the comment further. Scully was grateful. "I'll see you in a few days." said Scully. "I can't wait." said Mulder. After Scully hung up the phone, she sighed, and clasped it close to her. Something was very wrong, she could feel it. Cassandra Quintal's Apartment 1287 OXFORD ROAD #47 2:01 P.M. After Mulder got off the phone with Scully, he decided to leave the Police Department, and try Ms. Quintal's apartment again. Mulder was now outside the apartment, and knocked on the door. Just then, a tall woman, with dark chestnut hair opened up the door. The woman, surprisingly, was just as tall as Mulder. It took him a moment to get used to not having to look down and speak. "Hi." she said smiling. "Who are you?" "I'm Special Agent Mulder, F.B.I. Are you Cassandra Quintal?" asked Mulder, holding up his badge. "Yes, yes I am. Why are you here? Why would the F.B.I. be looking for me?" "Ms. Quintal, you are the main suspect for the murders of eight men, over the past month. Your license plate number was taken from the murder scene of Mark Richter. That is how I traced you, and found out your address." "You've got to be kidding me." said Cassandra, staring incredulously. "No, Ms. Quintal, I'm not. A witness claims that she saw a woman, caucasian, with dark hair commit the murder of Mark Richter, and leave in your car." Cassandra shifted nervously, and glanced about the room. She was in a loss for words. "Ms. Quintal, where were you on the night of December, the second?" Cassandra glanced towards the window, as though her view was asphyxiated on a far off point. After a pause, she returned her stare towards Mulder, and he noticed her eyes. They were blood red, and the pupil was dilated into a slit, like a cat's. "I think you know." she hissed. Just then, she grabbed Mulder by his shirt collar, and pulled him into the apartment, for they had been standing in the doorway. Cassandra flung him on to the sofa, and paced about. He was amazed by her strength, and in awe of it. "You know," she began, her eyes gleaming with evil, "I was going to let you live a little bit longer, until you started with the questions, but now, I guess I'm going to have to kill right away." Mulder's hand dove for his holster, and he grabbed hold of his gun. Though Mulder was quick, Cassandra was quicker, and as Mulder pulled out his gun, she pounced on to him. "You're my ninth, and last victim, until my soul may rest for another twenty years. Usually, I do this with a little more class, but in your case, I've changed my mind." Cassandra was now on top of Mulder, pinning his arms, and breathing down his neck. Mulder struggled, but it was no use. Cassandra was too strong. "Why do you do this Cassandra? Why do you need to kill men?" Mulder searched for some answers, between struggling. "I wish I knew." she replied, "But I guess I was just born this way." "It doesn't have to be this way Cassandra." said Mulder. "I'm sure that there is someone that can help you." "You fool! No one can help me." Mulder could feel her body tensing up, and knew, like an animal, that she was about to strike. Mulder suddenly yanked his arm loose, and shot his gun. A bullet whizzed by Cassandra's head, and now raging with anger, Cassandra struck Mulder's temple, with her sharp-nailed hand. Mulder began to feel light headed, but he also felt Cassandra ripping at his flesh, and before she had a chance to dislocate his skull, Mulder shot his gun once again, and heard a sickening thud. The scratching, and tearing ceased. Mulder's eyes then closed, and his world faded to black. CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 5:14 P.M. Scully hadn't been able to take it, though she felt she needed to be with her mother, she had a horrible feeling that something had happened to Mulder. She had called his cell phone number about ten times, each without an answer. She had also called the Chicago Police Department, but no one had heard from him yet. Scully rented another car, after leaving the airport, and gone to the station. Scully burst through the door of the department, causing everyone to stir. "I need backup!" she yelled, her voice steady. "What?" asked Srgt. O'Connor. "It's Mulder." she responded. "Something's happened to him! The last I heard, he was headed towards Cassandra Quintal's apartment." "Agent Scully, how do you know that something's happened to Mulder." "There is no time for questions, Sergeant. I just know. Please, just assign some backup." "Alright, alright." responded the Sergeant. Srgt. O'Connor called for backup, and told Scully the address of Ms. Quintal. "Remember I told you that I'd catch this killer Srgt.?" asked Scully, putting on her black, F.B.I. swat team jacket. "Yeah." he answered. "Well, I'm about too." CASSANDRA QUINTAL'S APARTMENT 1287 OXFORD ROAD #47 5:31 P.M. Scully, leading the swat team, stood behind Cassandra's door. "On three, one...two...three!" yelled Scully kicking in the door. Scully held her gun, at eye level, and cautiously, entered the apartment. She held her back to the wall, while the others ran in, to check the other rooms. Scully walked towards the sofa, which was turned away from the front door, and saw signs of struggle everywhere. There had been much fighting. As Scully walked carefully towards the sofa, she began to feel uneasy, and she saw blood stains all over the carpet. She got to the sofa, and peered around the arm. The sight she saw next, would haunt her for years to come. It was Mulder. His clothing was all torn apart, and there were deep, claw-like scratches along his chest. His head had a large, egg-shaped welt on the side of it, and he was barely breathing. There obviously had been extensive blood loss. "Oh my god!" said Scully, taking a sharp, quick breath in, and pressing her eyes shut, as though thinking that when she opened them up again, everything would be fine...but it wasn't. Scully rushed over, and crouched down next to Mulder. "OFFICER DOWN! OFFICER DOWN!" she yelled breathlessly. Many of the officers rushed over, and one went to the phone to call the ambulance. "Don't you leave me Mulder." she said, stroking his blood stained face. "I need you, Fox. You promised you'd be with me always-don't you dare break that promise." "Agent Scully!" yelled one of the officers, holding on to Cassandra. "We found her trying to escape out of the window." Scully rose from Mulder's side slowly. A sudden wave of anger raged through her. "YOU!" Scully screamed, lunging towards Cassandra. Just before Scully reached her, two of Scully's fellow agents grabbed hold of her arms, and held her back. "Agent Scully! Control yourself!" yelled her fellow agents. Scully calmed down, and they let go of her. She walked up, and looked straight into Cassandra's predatorial eyes. "I swear to God," she began, "if Mulder dies, I'll kill you." "I wish you would." retorted Cassandra, grimacing from the pain of being shot. "Cuff her." said Scully coldly, and walked away to attend to Mulder." CHICAGO HOSPITAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ROOM #178 7:50 P.M. Mulder lay in a hospital bed, connected to respirators, I.V.'s and various monitors. He had been in a coma for several hours now, and was showing no signs of improvement. Scully hadn't left his bedside once. There had been severe trauma to his brain, and there had been some hemorrhaging, which had induced the coma. Mulder's wounds had also resulted in extensive blood loss, and that made his condition worse. Soon, the day passed into night, and still no change. Scully, did not want to leave, but was ordered to by the hospital staff. She returned to the motel, showered, and got dressed. She did all this like a zombie, going through these actions numbly, not caring. All she cared about, was that Mulder got better. She drove back to the hospital, and it was now midnight, and Scully was back by Mulder's side. She took his hand. "Mulder," she began, "I know that you can hear me. Do you remember when I was in a coma, and you stayed by my side, and when I was awake again, I told you that I had the strength of your beliefs? Well, I believe that you can make it through this, I hope that you have the strength of mine." Scully lowered her head, and closed her eyes. She kept hold of Mulder's hand. "I know that where you are now, seems so warm, and so save. I know that you are deciding whether or not to come back to this life. Please come back Mulder. I need you. Believe it or not, the world needs you. Without you, no one will ever know the truth, I'll never know the truth. I love you Mulder. I always have, and I always will. Scully started to cry warm, salty tears, and held Mulder's hand against her face. "The truth is out there somewhere, Mulder, and I know that you are the one that is meant to find it. Don't give up, please." With that, Scully leaned over, and kissed Mulder on the lips, her tears falling on to his face. She then sat back down, and hid her face in her hands, her hair cascading down over them. An hour passed, but Scully never left Mulder's bed side. She wasn't going to give up on him. Scully then heard something, a faint groan. She looked up, and wiped her eyes. Mulder stirred. "Dana." he muttered. "Mulder, Mulder, you're alright." she said smiling. "Thank you for believing in me." he whispered quietly, reaching for her hand. She took it. Mulder turned his head towards her. "I heard you, Dana. Thank you for your faith." "Always." she said, clasping his hand in both of hers. Mulder smiled. TWO WEEKS LATER CHICAGO MENTAL TREATMENT, AND EVALUATION CENTER Mulder stood, staring through a glass wall at Cassandra Quintal. He still bore a few scars from her attack, but had no resentment towards her, only pity, and curiosity. He recalled the one fleeting second, when she told him that she thought that she was born that way, how he felt that he almost understood. He watched her, pacing around in her glass surroundings, like a caged animal on display. Though she was a monster for what she had done to the eight men, and himself, Mulder still felt sorry for her, but he wasn't sure why exactly. Mulder then heard footsteps coming towards him, and he didn't even have to look to know that it was Scully. She walked up to him, and touched his shoulder. "How are you doing?" she asked. "I'm fine." he said smiling down at her. "Mulder, I ran some tests on Ms. Quintal's D.N.A., and found out that it is feline in nature. I don't understand how that can be, but I checked numerous times for a mistake...and yet, that still doesn't explain why she needed human male flesh." Scully turned from Mulder, and looked towards Cassandra, who now, was staring at the two agents, with her freakish ruby eyes. Scully turned away, and looked back towards Mulder. Mulder still kept his gaze fixed on Cassandra, and then spoke. "Maybe some things can't be explained, Scully. Maybe she was just born that way." Scully cocked her head to the left, and gave Mulder a contemplative look. "Or maybe it's our job to explain them." she responded. "Maybe." he said quietly. "Let's go Mulder." urged Scully. "You go ahead, I'll catch up to you." he said, and then leaned down, and kissed her softly. She touched his face, and looked deep within his eyes. "Alright." said Scully. She then turned, and walked away. Mulder stood, and continued gazing into the glass imprisonment for a few more minutes. Cassandra sat, huddled in the corner, glancing about tensely. Mulder closed his eyes, turned, and walked away. He couldn't help everyone. He had tried, but some people, creatures rather, don't want to be helped. The truth was out there though, and he would find it. Scully was right, it was his job, his destiny. Scully knew that Mulder wouldn't be long, so she had waited for him at the elevator. Mulder reached her, and smiled. "Hey." she said. The agents then got onto the elevator. "Going up." stated Mulder. "Mmm, hmmm." Scully agreed, walking towards Mulder, and starting to unbutton his shirt. Mulder didn't try to resist. "Maybe we ought to use that 'emergency stop' button for something more useful." she whispered into his ear. "But I thought that you didn't want to do this on the job." he said. "The case is closed." she responded, in between kissing his neck. "If this is what's going to happen every time we close a case, maybe I could get some more work done." he said, smiling sardonically. "Works for me." said Scully, pinning Mulder against the wall. Mulder kissed Scully passionately. Then, the elevator doors closed. Inspiration: Picture of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in bed on the cover of the "Rolling Stones" Yearbook 95' *DISCLAIMER*---This is quite monotonous, isn't it? Oh well....here it goes. All characters copyright Fox Broadcasting, Chris Carter, and Ten Thirteen Productions..yes, they did "make this." Not I, I only borrowed the characters. Well, that was a little more interesting now wasn't it? Huh! Anyway guys, feel free to e-mail me at empyrean@pcix.com. And yes, I'll even accept flaming---if you don't like it..by all means..speak up! XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX X-FILES #67586 ANIMAL INSTINCT By Elyce Peterson MAIN STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 10:05 P.M. The couple had just finished eating dinner, and were walking down Main St. towards the theater. As they walked by a deserted alley, the woman stopped. "Wait." she said to her companion. "I want to show you something." She took his hand, and lead him into the alley. "What is it, honey?" asked the man. "What do you want to show me?" "This!" the woman yelled, jumping onto the man, breaking his neck with her bare hands. It happened so quickly, that he didn't even have a chance to scream. His death was instantaneous. The man dropped to the ground, a pool of crimson blood poured out of his mouth and nose. "To bad." said the woman smirking to herself, "He was actually kind of nice." The woman then bent down, and enjoyed her meal. F.B.I. HEADQUARTERS J. EDGAR HOOVER BUILDING WASHINGTON D.C. Mulder sat in his office, with his feet up on his desk. As usual, there were files everywhere, books strewn about, and a bag of sunflower seeds, overflowing onto the desk. As Mulder consumed the infamous seeds, he studied a new X-File intently. He had received it with his morning paper. This was just his kind of case, "spooky." Scully walked through the door, shrugging off her brown trench coat. "Morning." she said smiling. "Morning." said Mulder, vaguely prying his eyes away from his file. "What's that you're reading, Mulder?" she asked, walking towards his desk. "It's a file, that I received anonymously with my morning paper." "An X-File?" asked Scully inquisitively. "It would look that way, Scully. There's record of multiple murders, all in Chicago-all unexplainable. All the victims were male, middle-aged, and were found with their necks broken-their craniums totally severed from there spines. The only thing is...there were no signs of struggle, or use of a murder weapon. The only evidence found were deep scratches, along the neck-or what was left of it." "Left of it?" intervened Scully. "Yeah." continued Mulder. "The bodies also appear to be eaten, and gnawed away at. There were only trace amounts of skin left intact, on the corpses." "So, if there was no evidence of a murder weapon used, then how were these men killed, Mulder?" "My guess..of the top of my head..by human hands, and by sheer force." "Mulder, you can't be serious. An average person could not even come close to doing that kind of damage with their bare hands. Unless..unless they developed some kind of super-human strength. Do you know how much force it would take to sever the cranium from the spine?" "No. But obviously it's not impossible." "It would take a lot more than even..than even an anvil to the head." "Scully." said Mulder smiling sardonically, "This isn't Loony Tunes." "Mulder, I'm just trying to say that it is impossible for someone to sever the skull from the spine with just their bare hands. There had to be some other outside influence." "Yeah, that or someone has really been eating their spinach." "Mulder, this isn't Popeye either." "Ooh, touche." said Mulder giving Scully his best hurt little boy look. "Anyway, Mulder, what is our interest in this case-other that the obvious?" "Well, for one thing, the case has never been closed, and then there is this." said Mulder handing Scully a computer print- out. "Skinner called me in to give this to me. It's a police report. There's been another murder in Chicago. Same cause of death, and like the rest, the body has been nearly all eaten away. Scratch marks were found, also. And get this Scully- they're from human fingernails." Scully sighed emphatically. "So what you expect me to believe, Mulder, is that there is someone out there, that is killing men by basically ripping their skulls off of their spines-with their bare hands, might I add, and then eating them?! Don't you think that what you're suggesting is just a little unbelievable, Mulder?" "Not just a little unbelievable, Scully, but extremely unbelievable. That's why we have to get to the bottom of this. Skinner has officially assigned us to this case, and we are leaving for Chicago in two hours. By the way, Scully, you look great today." "So do you, as usual." Mulder smiled, and blushed slightly at this comment. Scully then leaned over Mulder's desk, and kissed him tenderly. "Mulder, now, since this is our first official investigation since, well, we decided to consummate our relationship-maybe we should set a few ground rules beforehand." "What, you mean no public displays of affection?" asked Mulder grinning boyishly. "I don't know, Scully-I might not be able to control myself." "Well, it won't be easy for me either, Mulder-but we're gonna have to try. I don't think that people will appreciate us investigating a murder, and having our hands all over each other at the same time. So, as soon as we step out of the plane to Chicago, our relationship is strictly platonic-just like before." A wide mischievous grin spread across Mulder's face. "What?" inquired Scully cautiously. "What about on the plane, and at the hotel we stay at?" "Mulder!" Scully exclaimed laughing. "Hey, you can't blame a guy for trying! Well, since we'll be off limits from each other for a while, there's only one thing we can do." "What's that?" questioned Scully, her curiosity heightening. "We get all our feelings out now, before we leave. Let me see," said Mulder looking at his watch, "we still have an hour and forty-five minutes. I'm game if you are, Scully." Mulder then got up out of his chair, and started walking towards her. "Aren't I always?" she said seductively. "Yeah." replied Mulder in anticipation. Mulder was now right up close to Scully, their bodies touching. Mulder placed his right hand behind Scully's head, and brought it towards his face. Scully wrapped her arms around his neck, and he brought his right hand down onto the small of her back. They then kissed passionately, and Mulder started backing Scully up against the desk. They reached the desk, and while they kissed steamily, he lifted her onto it, and pushed everything off the desk. Scully grabbed Mulder's tie, and pulled him down on top of her. Just as they started to undress each other, Skinner came walking through the door. "Aghhhh. You didn't lock the door." groaned Mulder breathlessly. "I didn't know that I would have to." replied Scully, regretfully rebuttoning her suitcoat. "Ahem, am I interrupting something Agent Mulder, Scully? interjected Assistant Director Walter Skinner. "No sir," piped in Scully, "Mulder and I were just going over our next case." "Yes, Agent Scully, I'm sure you were." "Is there anything in particular that you would like to discuss with us, sir?" asked Mulder, slightly annoyed. "Well, as a matter-of-fact, Mulder, there is. I came by to let you and Scully know that you would be leaving for Chicago, a little earlier than planned. You'll be catching a flight in a half hour-I expect you to be ready, preferably with all your clothes on." Skinner then left, obviously impressed with that last dig he had gotten in. "Well, he's taking our situation surprisingly well, wouldn't you say, Mulder?" "Yeah, splendidly." retorted Mulder, extremely unenthusiastically. "Well, I guess we'll have to put our plans on hold." she reasoned. "Guess so." he replied glumly. "One more thing, Mulder. Where did you get the file in the first place? I mean, who put it into your paper?" "I've been thinking about that, Scully." said Mulder, still a little preoccupied, and eying Scully's figure. She had on a forest green suitcoat, with a knee-length skirt. "Mulder." interjected Scully. "Let's try to keep our minds on work, okay? Now what were you saying?" "Well, um, oh yeah...I have been thinking about who must have supplied me with the file, but I am not really sure. It could have been anybody, but I'm willing to bet that it was my so-called, 'friend at the bureau.' Whoever he or she may be." "Ah." replied Scully. "Well, I'd better go pack." "Alright." said Mulder. Scully, now fully dressed, hopped down off of the desk, and quickly kissed Mulder. "I'll see you later." said Scully starting to leave. Just then, when she started to walk away, Mulder caught hold of her hand, swept her up in his arms, and kissed her, longing for more than just to be kissing her. When he let her go, she was quite breathless. "The next few days are going to be hell." said Mulder. "Tell me about it." replied Scully. CHICAGO, ILLINOIS CHICAGO AIRPORT 11:31 A.M. Mulder and Scully got off the plane at Chicago airport. They then went to the rental car agency, and rented a car, Ford, as usual. Scully started driving the car. "Where to, Mulder?" asked Scully. "From the looks of this file, we should head towards Main Street. That is where the most recent body has been found." "Mulder, why do you think that the killer eats his or her victims after brutally murdering them?" "I don't know, Scully. It could have something to do with the killer having to have some kind of trophy from his victims-in this case a meal, or, maybe the killer has some kind of biological deficiency, in which he or she needs the flesh of men to survive." "Huh! I highly doubt that second notion, Mulder. Why would human male flesh be necessary for anyone to survive, and what is so special about the flesh of men? Both men and women are made up of the same genetic makeup, except for men having the hormone testosterone. Even so, testosterone is only found in certain parts of the body-definitely not the whole body. If the killer needed testosterone, for reasons unfathomable to me, why wouldn't the killer eat just those specific areas. Nothing in this case makes sense, Mulder. Where are we supposed to start." "Here, I would imagine." answered Mulder, nodding towards the yellow tape sectioning off the murder scene. Scully turned the car into the alley, and the two agents got out. A tall, dark-haired man walked towards them. "Agents Mulder and Scully, I presume." stated the man smiling. "You presume correctly." said Mulder holding up his badge, and Scully doing the same. "I'm Sergeant William O'Connor, of the Chicago police department. I hear that you're here to investigate the most current of the serial murders in Chicago. "Yes. We're here to investigate these murders, and hopefully close this file." stated Mulder. "You're gonna have an extremely hard time solving them Agent Mulder." "Why do you say that?" inquired Scully. "Well, we've had our best field agents, and detectives trying to make sense of these murders. Nothing seems to add up. Not one suspect has been found-no witnesses either. As for the motive, well, we can't find any. We don't understand why someone, or how someone, could murder a person in such a brutal way, with no evidence of a murder weapon whatsoever. And why a person would eat another human being, well, to me is unfathomable." "How do you know that a human being ate the victims-I mean, how do you know that an animal didn't come along and eat its fill?" asked Scully rationally. "Well, there are a few reasons for me to come to this conclusion. For one thing, there aren't many animals here in downtown Chicago that would be capable of consuming a human being. It isn't like we have any stray bears wandering around. Another thing is that, well, I mean, what are the odds? There has been seven murders so far, including the most recent-all with the same cause of death, all have been eaten away. You can't think that there is an animal that can eat all those people in such a limited time frame. All the murders have happened within a month of each other, and no animal can be that hungry." "None of this information that you are giving us is relevant. It still doesn't prove that a human was the one to do these heinous acts." "Hold on now. You haven't heard the rest of it, Agent Scully." "Oh, I can't wait for this." groaned Scully. Mulder lightly chuckled. He loved when Scully put up a fight, for what she believed in. She had done it to him many a times. He was curious to see how the sergeant would escape her rational cynicism." "Teeth marks." stated Srgt. O'Connor blatantly. "What?" asked Scully incredulously. "Teeth marks." repeated Mulder, just to see how far Scully was willing to be pushed. She looked at him, slightly annoyed, but she knew that he was just trying to get on her nerves. "What about teeth marks?" questioned Scully. "There were teeth marks found all over the bodies." "So?" prodded Scully. "They were human teeth marks, Scully." stated Mulder, not finding the sergeant's game amusing anymore. "Are you sure?" asked Scully, gaping widely. "Positive." said the sergeant. "The lab results came back from forensics a few hours ago. The guys at the lab estimate the killer to be from twenty-five to thirty years of age." "So the killer is around the same age as his or her victims." said Mulder. "Exactly." agreed Srgt. O'Connor. Finally, Scully was convinced." "Unbelievable." gasped Scully. Mulder smiled. He had finally proved to her that he was right. The body was now covered up, and on a stretcher. Scully walked over, still a little shocked, and pulled the cover sheet off the corpse. Scully couldn't believe her eyes. All that was left of the body was a skeleton (cranium severed from the rest), torn ligaments, a small amount of muscle tissue, and basically no skin. Hers eyes widened, she could see teeth marks, and she knew from previous experience, that they were, in fact human. She turned, and saw Mulder. His eyes urged her to keep probing the corpse for evidence, though she was disgusted. She looked back, and noticed something. On a piece of skin, of the few that were left, Scully saw a scratch, but what really caught her attention was the piece of a broken fingernail embedded deep within the flesh. "Mulder." she beckoned. Mulder walked over. "Take a look at this. I think that it is a fingernail." Scully pulled on some prophylactic gloves, and Mulder pulled some tweezers, and an evidence bag from his front pocket, and handed them to her. She gently eased the nail from the body, and lifted it up into view. Scully's gaze settled on something. "Mulder." she said. "I could be mistaken, but I think that there is nailpolish on this nail." Mulder looked closer. "You're right Scully. I see it too." Sure enough, there was maroon nailpolish on the bit of nail. "Well, I guess our list of possible suspects has been dramatically cut short." said Mulder smiling sardonically. "I should hope so." responded Scully, smiling up at Mulder. "The killer must have broken her nail when she attacked the victim. What is this victim's name?" "His name was Brian Coplan. He was thirty-six years old, and lived here in Chicago." Mulder stated. "His sister, Marie, came by this morning and identified the body." interjected Srgt. O'Connor. "Is she the only relative of Mr. Coplan's, that lives in the Chicago area?" asked Mulder, massaging the back of his own neck. "Yes. Brian Coplan's parents have been notified, but they live in Oregon...which is quite a ways away. When Marie saw the her brother, though he was nearly unrecognizable, she knew it was him. It just shows how strong the bond between siblings is, even in death." After the sergeant finished, Scully and Mulder looked at each other, remembering the loss of their sisters. Scully broke eye contact with Mulder, and looked down. The sergeant saw the agent's responses, and realized that he had struck some deep feelings in them, and so decided to stop talking about the subject. The agents had been at the crime scene for three hours now. Scully lifted up her gaze from the ground, to Srgt. O'Connor. "Srgt. O'Connor," began Scully, "I want you to send the body to forensics, and tell them that I'll be over in an hour to perform the autopsy myself. Mulder and I are going tho get a late lunch, and check into a motel. Scully had read Mulder's mind. He was extremely hungry, because the plane food hadn't been so good. He recalled himself describing it as 'worse than hospital food.' Mulder was also tired from his flight, and thought it a good idea to check into the motel to get some rest. "Will do, Agent Scully." smiled the sergeant. Scully and Mulder walked back to the car, and this time Scully climbed into the passenger's side of the vehicle. "So, you still sticking with your original theory, Mulder?" "Absolutely." he responded. Scully smiled, knowing that Mulder's mind was already processing information a 'mile a minute.' This was going to be, as usual, a wild ride. He was already enjoying the thrill of the chase. Mulder and Scully decided to stop and eat at a local cafe. Scully got coffee, with cream, and no sugar, and a salad. Mulder, got an iced tea, a hamburger, and french fries. They did not talk very much, but glanced at each other with longing, ever so often. At one point, Scully felt Mulder's hand reach under the table, and caress her leg. Scully shot a quick, forbidding glance at Mulder, and he took his hand away. "Patience." whispered Scully. Mulder sighed, and flagged over the waitress. Mulder and Scully split the bill, and continued on their way. They reached the Windy City Motel, and got out of the car. "I'd like two singles for a week." said Mulder flatly, to the attendant. The attendant punched some numbers into the computer, and handed them their keys. He was #23, and she #24. The agents went into their rooms, and to their surprise, the rooms were connected to each other with a door. Mulder opened the door, and found Scully standing with her door open on the other side. "Easier access," said Mulder smiling sardonically, "they would have to do this to us." Scully smiled girlishly, her face flushed with color. "I'm going to forensics, Mulder. I'll call you from the autopsy bay." "Call me?" asked Mulder quizzically. "Yeah. Mulder, you're exhausted. You really should get some rest." In fact, Mulder was exhausted, and didn't argue. Mulder yawned. "Well...call me if you need anything." he said, taking hold of Scully's hand in his. "I will." she said, squeezing his hand tightly. With that, she left. FORENSICS LABORATORY CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT 4:15 P.M. Scully was now changed into full doctor's attire. She had on green scrubs, with a white lab coat on over them. She was also adorned in safety goggles, a hair net, prophylactic gloves, and her fiery hair was pulled back into an elastic, at the nape of her neck. She turned the overhead light on, the corpse lay on the table, covered with a thin blue sheet. Scully picked up her taperecorder, and dictated her findings. She pulled the sheet off of the body. "Today is Monday, December 2, 1995. I am about to perform an autopsy on a man named Brian Coplan. Date of death, December 1, 1995. Time of death, unknown. Immediate cause of death seems to be force to the head and neck." Scully leaned over the body, and peered closely at the neck. "The cranium appears to have been severed from the neck-actually dislocated from it. No signs of a murder weapon used." she said, pacing around the body. "The body seems to have been eaten, and gnawed away at-chewed up, so to speak. There is very little skin or muscle tissue left, there are still some tendons and ligaments visible." Scully looked at a chart, and stated, "The urinalysis, toxicology, and blood work appear to be clean. On what minuscule pieces of flesh left, there are various scratches, and teeth marks. They appear to be of human origin. I am now proceeding to cut the body open, to check for anything internally abnormal." Scully took the scalpel, and cut straight from the base of the neck, and down through the torso. She peeled the layer of stringy tendons away, and looked at the internal organs. "Everything seems to be in order." she said into the recorder. "No liver damage, stomach lining appears to be normal, no signs of ruptured kidneys or spleen, lungs are nice and clean-obviously a non-smoker, the reproductive organs seem to be in check, the large and small intestines show no abnormality." Scully shifted her glance upward. "Odd." muttered Scully. "The heart shows no signs of stress, which is always a factor in violent death. The only way that the heart could have functioned normally while the victim was being murdered as he was, was if death occurred instantaneously, without this man realizing what was happening. This kind of death, I would think, would take quite a few trys to accomplish, if, in fact, it had been done by human hands alone. The murderer had to have been someone that this man trusted, someone that he didn't expect. Still, I am unclear on how this murder could have possibly been accomplished so fast, unless...unless the murderer was unusually strong." Those last words that Scully had stated, really disturbed her. Had Mulder been right? Did the murderer have super-human strength? "Dana, you can't be serious, stay rational, there has to be some other logical explanation." she thought reassuringly to herself. Still, she couldn't shake the unsure feeling that loomed about her. Scully began to continue the autopsy. "The upper two vertebrae, closest to the cranium, are utterly razed. They are totally shattered. The cranium is held on to the spinal cord by a mere piece of cartilage,-I'm surprised that it has held for this long! My final conclusion, as a physician in forensic medicine, is that this man died of, as unbelievable as it sounds, a dislocated skull. The force was so great, and so fierce, that death was instantaneous. After the initial cause of death, the body seems to have been mauled. It appears to have been eaten, leaving almost no distinguishing features. If not for this man's wallet, and his sister's reassurance, the police would not have been able to identify him." with that, Scully pulled the cover sheet back over the corpse, shut off her taperecorder, cleaned up the autopsy bay, and called Mulder. She dialed, and the phone rang. "Brrrrg! Brrrrg!" then an answer. "Mulder." answered the familiar monotone voice, which Scully knew all to well. "Mulder, it's me." replied Scully. "Hey, Scully." greeted Mulder, his voice slightly perking up. "Did you find anything?" "Yeah, Mulder, I did. It's quite disturbing, actually." "What is it, Scully?" asked Mulder, with a concerned undertone in his usually calm voice. "It's Brian Coplan's heart." she said. "His heart?" asked Mulder, slightly puzzled. "Yeah, for such a violent form of death, Brian Coplan's heart appeared to have been surprisingly calm. There is no sign of stress, ruptured blood vessels, or cardiac arrest. These things are always quite imminent in violent death. The only way that such an unaffected heart could have been possible, is if he did not know what was coming to him, that means-" "That means that the killer must have been someone that Brian Coplan trusted." interrupted Mulder. "Exactly." confirmed Scully. "The only thing is, Mulder, I don't understand how such a violent, and difficult way to achieve death could have been carried out, in a time period short enough not to cause extreme stress on the heart. It's, it's practically impossible for an average human being to achieve this kind of strength and agility." "Maybe the killer isn't an average human being, Scully." concluded Mulder. There was silence on the line for a few seconds. "I'm,...I'm beginning to wonder about that myself, Mulder. I really am." WINDY CITY MOTEL 8:00 P.M. Scully had returned from the forensics laboratory, and was in the shower. She unwound as the warm steam rose swirling around her. For a moment, she found herself fantasizing about how she wanted Mulder in the shower with her, his moist body caressing her's, but quickly changed her thoughts, realizing that it couldn't happen, at least not while they were on the case. Scully resented that it had to be this way, but she realized that it was for the best-and hoped that Mulder understood. Scully closed her eyes, and tried to concentrate on the hot, soothing water, against her back. Though she tried, there was one other thought that she couldn't shake. She thought about how horrible it must have been for Brian Coplan, to totally and utterly trust someone, and then have that person turn around, and suddenly kill him, not to mention, eat him afterwards! Scully shuddered at this thought, and shivered. The water had turned much colder, and Scully realized that she had been in the shower for quite a long period of time. She turned off the water, stepped out of the shower stall, and grabbed a towel, which was annoyingly just long enough to cover the upper portion of her thighs. She cursed at the wretched thing, and proceeded to walk into the motel room. To her surprise, she found Mulder standing in the connecting doorway. She looked at him blankly, not quite understanding how he got there. "It wasn't locked." he responded, as if reading her mind. He was dressed in black silk boxers, partially covered with a robe. He seemed tired, and yet determined. "I just got a call from Srgt. O'Connor. There's been another one, Scully. Only a few streets down from where Brian Coplan was murdered." "You're kidding me!" exclaimed Scully, practically dropping her towel. "Nope." said Mulder, laughing at her clumsy gesture. "This time, though, there was a witness, and she got a license plate number. I'm going to get dressed, we're expected down at the scene in a half hour." said Mulder, turning towards the doorway to his room. "Okay, I'll get dressed." said Scully, still struggling with the damn towel. Mulder turned. "Oh, and Scully." "Yeah, Mulder?" Mulder surveyed her predicament, and noted the pathetically small towel covering Scully. "Nice towel." he said grinning mischievously. "You think so?" she asked. Then, with no forewarning, she flung the towel off, and threw it at him. "If you like it so much, it's yours!" she exclaimed. He was just barely able to catch it, and Scully shut her door, leaving Mulder in pleasant astonishment. "That ought to take care of him for a while!" giggled Scully to herself. She then proceeded to get dressed. MAIN STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 9:00 P.M. Scully and Mulder were in the car, driving to the crime scene. The sergeant had told them that it had taken place a few streets away from the elder crime scene. The newest murder had happened on Tremont Street-a few more miles up Main Street, on a branch-off. While in the car, Mulder had a sly grin on his face. He never looked over at Scully, but she knew that he was thinking about the incident with the towel. At the time, it seemed like a good idea, but now, she knew that he wasn't going to forget about it anytime soon. "Mulder, will you please wipe that incideous grin off your face?" she asked smiling. "You could always just cover my face with a towel!" he exclaimed good-naturedly. Scully's face turned beet-red. She turned her head, shying away. Mulder smiled, and nudged her face with his hand. "I'm just kidding, Scully, it was actually a very good performance-I didn't know that you had it in you!" Scully laughed. "You'd be surprised." responded Scully coyly. "Would I?" asked Mulder rhetorically. "I can't wait to find out." They both smiled. "You know, Mulder," began Scully, "it's to bad you didn't bring a camcorder, you could have added my little fiasco to your collection." Mulder laughed. "I probably wouldn't have even been able to press record, you really took me offguard!" he said. She smiled. "There would have been a serious consequence to taping you though, Scully." "Which is?" asked Scully. "Frohike would make me let him borrow the video!" "Well, nix that idea!" she laughed. "I wouldn't want him calling me any more than he already does!" Mulder started to crack up. Scully had never seen him laughing so hard! "Mulder, watch the road!" Scully exclaimed. Mulder swerved to avoid a parked car, and stopped laughing. "Looks like we're here." said Scully, taking in the scene. "Guess so." agreed Mulder. There were police cars everywhere. The agents saw Srgt. O'Connor walking towards them. They got out of the car, and walked towards him. "Agents Mulder, Scully, thanks for coming here on such short notice. As you already know, there has been another murder. "Yeah, we know." said Scully. "I assume that the latest victim has the same cause of death, and the same characteristics as the last." "Yes, he does." said Srgt. O'Connor, lowering his head a bit. "His name was Mark Richter." the sergeant stumbled while speaking. "He, he wa-.....he was a close friend of mine from college. It's so strange, we were supposed to go golfing together tomorrow-and now...and now he's gone." Mulder and Scully looked at each other, and knew what they had to do. "Srgt. O'Connor," began Scully. "Maybe you should go home and get some rest. This must be hard for you, and the state of mind that you're in now, definitely isn't beneficial. Maybe this case is to close to you personally." The sergeant looked contemplatively at her. "She's right, Srgt. O'Connor. You need time to grieve. Just tell us who the witness is, and the license plate number, then you should get home. Agent Scully and I will take care of this." said Mulder reassuringly. "You're right, I should get home, God knows, I could use the rest." said Srgt. O'Connor trying to put on a happy face, and mask the pain. "The witness's name was Laurie Greenbough. She says that her car had broken down, and she was waiting for a tow- truck, when she saw the murder. She also said she got the license plate number of the car, and she said it was 174-TYI. Ms. Greenbough lives in a condo, a little further into town, on 811 Satchel Street." "Thank you sergeant." said Scully smiling. "Don't you worry, we'll catch this killer...I guarantee it." The sergeant then turned and walked away. Mulder and Scully then walked ahead to view the corpse. What they saw made them both shudder simultaneously. The corpse lay on a stretcher, totally mutilated. There was absolutely no skin left. The body looked just like a slimy, mucusy, bunch of stringy tendons and muscle tissue, all heaped together in one large, bloody mass. There were, though, some visible skeletal structures protruding from the heap of remains. No one would have been able to recognize the corpse as human, if it hadn't been for the scraps of clothing, and wallet found at the scene. Scully gasped and turned away. Mulder too, lowered his gaze, for he felt he couldn't stomach it. Scully forced herself to look back and examine the head, and saw clearly that it wasn't even attached, it had been placed beside the body, and had been propped up against the neck. The cheek and jawbones were clearly visible, and Scully felt faint, a sudden wave of nausea came over her. She grasped on to Mulder's arm for support. "Mulder," she groaned, "I think I'm going to throw up." Mulder had, had his gaze locked on to the crimson stump of a neck left on the corpse, and almost didn't realize what kind of a state Scully was in. He then noticed her clinging on to his coat, and realized that she really wasn't well. "Oh, oh Scully, we've got to get you out of here, just keep hold of my hand." said Mulder, taking her hand in his. Scully did as she was told, but couldn't quite make it to the car. She then let go of his hand, bent over, and vomited so much, that Mulder wondered whether or not her insides were still inside of her. When she had finally stopped throwing up, she walked over and leaned on the car. She looked extremely worn-out. "You O.K., Scully?" Mulder asked touching her shoulder. "Yeah Mulder, I'll be fine." she said, forging a smile. "That body, it, it just got to me, that's all." "Gese Scully, I haven't seen you get that sick since our experience with the Kindred. Are you sure you are going to be alright?" "Yeah, I'm O.K. I'm feeling better all ready." said Scully. "We'd better go and find Laurie Greenbough, and try and dig up some facts." "Okay, then off to 811 Satchel Street." agreed Mulder. 811 SATCHEL STREET CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 10:30 P.M. The agents pulled up to the condo, and parked the car. Mulder got out, and then went around to the other side of the car, and opened the door for Scully. She looked surprised, Mulder didn't open the door for her very often. "What's the occasion, Mulder?" she asked smiling. Mulder gave Scully a reproachful look. "Scully," he said in his best taken-a back voice, "how could you expect anything less from me?" "You are an extremely unpredictable man, Mulder." "But you know that's why you love me so much, Scully." "I knew there had to be a reason." responded Scully. Mulder grinned. "Do you think that it would disobeying the ground rules if I put my arm around you, Scully." he asked, laying on the charm. Scully hesitated, but then gave in. "Okay, but don't push anything else, after all, we've got a case to solve." "Moi?" he asked. "Don't worry, I'll be a perfect gentleman." Scully smiled, and Mulder put his arm around her. It felt great to be close to him, though she wished they could be closer. They then walked into the condo. As they walked in, a man was walking by in the opposite direction. Mulder stopped him. "Excuse me sir, but do you know a Laurie Greenbough?" he asked. "Sure," said the man, "I'm the landlord. She's in apartment 27B." "Thank you very much." said Scully. "Anytime." said the man. Mulder and Scully proceeded to the elevator, and got in. "Going up." said Mulder. The elevator started going up, when Scully hit the 'emergency stop' button. "What's wrong Scully?" asked an extremely concerned Mulder. Scully looked him straight in the eyes. "Mulder, I've been thinking, and I feel really bad about something." "What do you have to feel bad about, Scully? questioned Mulder. Scully looked down towards her feet. "I..I just feel that I might have offended you in some way. "Offended me?" he asked. "How do you think that you offended me?" "Well, I just didn't want to give you the wrong impression about why I didn't want to be with you. It's not that I don't want to Mulder, I mean, I really want to, I don't think you realize how much I want to, but I just-" "Scully, stop, you don't have to explain it to me, I understand. It probably is for the best that we don't express our feelings on the job, you're right in thinking that it could jeopardize our careers...and I would never want to be partnered with anybody but you. Scully, you're the only person that has ever given me the time of day, you really respect the journey, though you don't necessarily believe in everything about it. If waiting until we're back home in D.C. to act on our feelings makes you more comfortable, then I'm willing to make that compromise. You're definitely worth waiting for." "Thanks, Mulder." said Scully, touching his arm. "I'm glad you understand." Scully then pushed the button again, and the elevator proceeded on it's journey. When the elevator stopped, the agents got out, and searched for apartment 27B. "Over here." said Scully, pointing to the number that they were looking for. Mulder walked over, and knocked on the door. A woman, who looked about fortyish opened the door. "Hello, I'm Agent Fox Mulder, and this is my partner, Dana Scully, we're with the F.B.I. Is there a Laurie Greenbough at this residence? asked Mulder. "Yes, I'm Laurie Greenbough." stated the woman, who didn't look a bit surprised to see them. "Srgt. O'Connor told me that you'd be stopping by. Please, come in." Laurie opened her door a little wider, allowing Scully and Mulder into her apartment. She then showed them to the couch. "Ms. Greenbough, we were informed that you were a witness to the latest of the murders here in Chicago, the murder of Mark Richter." said Scully, in the process of sitting down. Laurie didn't answer, looking as though contemplating where to begin. "Ms. Greenbough?" prodded Mulder. "You did witness the murder didn't you?" "Yes, yes I did. You see, I was driving along Tremont Street, when my car broke down. I had called a tow truck on my cellular phone, and was waiting outside my car for the truck, when I saw a man and a woman walking down the street." Laurie hesitated. "What did you see, Ms. Greenbough?" asked Mulder attentively. "I, I saw them about to get into their car, when the woman stopped the man. I don't think she saw me, or she wouldn't have done what she did next." "What did she do next?" asked Scully, joining in on the interrogation. "Well, she...she jumped up on to the man all of a sudden, and snapped his neck...with her bare hands." Mulder's eyes lit up, and Scully noticed. "She, she just ripped his head right off his neck, and then, as soon as his body dropped to the ground, she started tearing away at his skin, and started eating him!" Scully gasped. "Ms. Greenbough, you mean to say that this woman just killed Mark Richter, and started literally eating him?!" Scully inquired, and yet exclaimed at the same time. "Yes, that's exactly what I'm trying to say, Agent Scully. I saw it with my own two eyes." "Ms. Greenbough," began Mulder, "how did you get a glimpse of the license plate?" "I was so scared, that I just hid behind my car, and the woman never noticed me. When she started driving, she did so, like she was looking around to see if anyone was there. That's when I saw her license plate number. I assume that the sergeant already gave it to you?" asked Laurie. "Yes, we have the number." responded Mulder. "Did you get a good look at the woman, Ms. Greenbough?" queried Scully. "It all happened so fast, I'm, I'm not sure, but I know for sure that she was white, and had dark brown hair. I was to frightened to really notice anything else." "Thank you for your time Ms. Greenbough. I'm sorry that you had to witness this murder. We'll contact you if we have any further questions." Mulder said. "Come on Scully, let's go." Mulder put his hand on Scully's shoulder, and led her out the door. WINDY CITY MOTEL 12:15 A.M. Scully was exhausted. She and Mulder had just gotten back from Laurie Greenbough's apartment. Mulder had said that he needed to talk to her, so she avoided going to sleep. Scully figured that she'd get comfortable though, so she changed into some violet, cotton pajamas, and pulled half of her hair into a small ponytail. She turned on the t.v. and flipped through the channels, and passed by various commercials for psychic networks- she'd had her share of those before, gave up, and turned the t.v. off. She then heard a knock on the adjoining door. "It's open, Mulder." she said. Mulder came in, wearing sweatpants, and a t-shirt, obviously, he was thinking the same thing as she had been. It was going to be a long night, so they might as well be comfortable. Mulder also had a bag of sunflower seeds in his hand. "Seeds?" he asked. "Sure." said Scully. Under any other circumstances, Scully would've refused the seeds, because she felt that they made a mess, but she was hungry, and she did like them, even though she despised that Mulder ate them all of the time. Mulder smiled and handed her the bag. She took a few, and gave the bag back. Scully had been sitting indian-style on the bed, and Mulder came over and sat beside her. She fumbled with the seeds, but finally cracked the shells. Mulder though, a skilled professional, had no trouble cracking open the salty seeds. "Good?" Mulder asked. "Yeah, they are pretty good, actually." she responded. He grinned. "What did you want to talk to me about, Mulder?" she asked. "I wanted to talk to you about the case. I wanted to know, in your opinion, how we should approach this. What should our next move be?" "Well Mulder, I think that the first thing that we should approach is to I.D. the license plate number, and find out who the car belongs to. But you should have known that, you've been doing this longer than I have. There's something that you're not telling me isn't there? Quit beating around the bush, Mulder. What did you really come in here to talk to me about?" Scully was right. Mulder had wanted to talk to her about something else, something that would upset his partner very much. "Scully," Mulder hesitated as he spoke. "I had gotten a message about a call from Washington. Skinner had called, and wanted me to call him back, so I did. There has been an emergency in your family. It's your mother, Scully, she's very ill." "Oh my God!" gasped Scully. "Scully, I, I'm so sorry." Mulder said, leaning in to comfort her. "Wha-, what's wrong with her?" asked Scully, fumbling through the sentence. Mulder looked at his partner, and answered. "Skinner said that she has suffered a stroke, he said that it was stress induced." Mulder said quietly. Mulder heard Scully take a quick, sharp breath. He knew that she was trying to hold the tears back. He knew that she was trying to be brave for him. "You okay, Scully?" he asked, even though he knew the answer. Scully didn't respond, she just kept her gaze set on the floor. After a moment, Scully responded, but not quite answering his question. "Has her condition stabilized?" she asked, still not looking at him. "The doctors have stabilized her, but she is very weak from her ordeal. There isn't much more that they can do for her." Mulder responded, recalling what he had heard. Scully absent- mindedly pushed some strands of her warm red hair behind her ear, and wiped her eyes with her fingertips. Mulder reached over, and touched her face, urging her to make eye contact with him. "Scully, you don't have to be brave for me." he whispered. Scully couldn't hide anything from Mulder, even when she tried her hardest. She finally gave in. Scully's full lips started to quiver, and salty tears swelled in her penetrating, azure eyes. "Oh Mulder," she wept, "it just isn't fair." "I know, I know." he whispered. He wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her in close to him. She hugged him tight, as if she never wanted to let go. He lowered his head onto hers, and comforted her the best he could. WINDY CITY MOTEL 7:30 A.M. Pristine, warm sunlight shone through the window of Scully's motel room. Small patterns of sunlight speckled her face like filigree, which caused her to stir. She groggily opened her eyes, to find herself alone, and tucked neatly into bed. She remembered being in Mulder's loving embrace, but not much after that. "I must have fallen asleep." she thought to herself. She then remembered why she remembered being with Mulder the previous night. He was trying to comfort her because of her mother...her mother, now she remembered, her mother was sick. Scully was about to dive off the bed and get dressed, when she noticed something. It was Mulder. He was asleep in the chair next to the bed, he must have stayed with her to make sure she was alright. "Oh." thought Scully, "How could I ever ask for anything more? I don't know what I'd do without him." She then hastily got dressed, though doing so quietly, so as not to wake up Mulder. Once ready, she gently touched Mulder's face, to try and coax him into waking up, and he did. He opened his eyes, and smiled. "Hey." said Scully quietly. "Hey." he responded, looking at how the sunlight highlighted her auburn hair with golden embers. He thought she looked like an angel. "Mulder," she began, "I have to go home. I have to go and see my mother-to make sure she's alright. I want to take the 'bunny' back to Washington, and get to the hospital." this she said all in one breath, as though trying to convince Mulder that it was a good idea. Mulder though, needed no convincing. "Sure, Scully. I think that you should go and see your mother. I can handle the case while you're gone. Besides, your mother needs you right now." Scully was in awe. She hadn't expected Mulder to agree so willingly. He was full of surprises. "You sure you can handle the case alone?" she asked, feeling a little bit guilty. "Positive. I'll do my best until you're ready to come back. Hopefully by then, I will have shed some light on this case." CHICAGO AIRPORT 8:00 A.M. During the car ride to the airport, Mulder told Scully that her mother was being kept at Maryland State General Hospital. Mulder and Scully were now at the airport, and saying their goodbyes. "You sure your gonna be O.K. on your own, Mulder?" "Don't worry, Scully." said Mulder reassuringly. "I can handle it. I just hope that your mother is okay-and that you are going to be okay." Scully smiled impishly, and then kissed Mulder on the cheek." He blushed. "Thanks." she said simply. "I'll see you when I get back, alright?" "Of course." responded Mulder. Scully then boarded the plane back home. CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT 10:30 A.M. Though Mulder was extremely worried about Mrs. Scully, and Scully, he tried to keep busy, and work on the case. From the airport, he traveled to the police station, and attempted to find out who the license plate number belonged too. It took about forty-five minutes, but Mulder eventually identified the plate. It belonged to Cassandra A. Quintal, a thirty year old accountant, whom lives on 1287 Oxford Road, in apartment #47. "Bingo." said Mulder coyly to himself. SOMEWHERE ABOVE NEW YORK STATE 11:00 A.M. Scully sat stiffly in a window seat. She did not really like flying, it made her nervous, so she didn't at all enjoy the view. She kept wondering how her mother was, hoping for the best. She also hoped that Mulder was okay investigating on his own, though deep in her mind, she knew the answer to that question; Mulder was fine, he can handle this himself, and is without a doubt, probably the best field agent that the bureau has, though they probably wouldn't readily admit it. Still though, she couldn't shake the strange uneasiness that she continually felt. "Oh, Mulder." she thought. "Please be alright." 1287 OXFORD ROAD APARTMENT #47 11:15 A.M. "Knock! Knock! Knock!" Mulder rapped on the door. "Ms. Quintal? Ms. Quintal, are you home?" asked Mulder loudly. Mulder got out his gun, and checked to see if it was loaded. It was. Mulder knocked, and called one more time, but there was no reply. Mulder turned the doorknob, just out of curiosity, and to his surprise, it was open. "No one leaves their doors unlocked this day and age." he thought to himself. He then turned the doorknob all the way, and pushed in-the door swung open. Mulder viewed the scene cautiously, held his gun straight out in front of him, not knowing what to expect. He searched every room, but found nothing. Cassandra Quintal was nowhere to be found. Something was there though, lurking in the shadows, carefully avoiding Mulder's glance. It moved as quick as a cat, and just as noiselessly. While Mulder stood, thinking about his next move, it watched him, trying to picture the warm, soft flesh under the suit and trench coat. It stared at Mulder's head, and neck, wishing to do what it does best...kill. "This is going to be an easy one." it thought to itself. "But not now, not yet." Mulder eventually gave up, and headed out the door, he would be back. Mulder shut the door behind him, and walked down the hall. Meanwhile, it came out of the shadows, into full light. It,.... was Cassandra Quintal. MARYLAND STATE GENERAL HOSPITAL RECOVERY WARD, ROOM 201 12:37 P.M. Scully walked into her mother's room, and found her in a deep sleep. Scully walked over, and took her hand. "Mom?" she asked, squeezing her hand. Margaret Scully opened her eyes exhaustedly, and gazed upon her daughter. "Dana." she said smiling wearily. "How are you, honey?" "I'm fine, mom." she answered, tears coming to her eyes. "More importantly though, how are you?" "Oh, I'm okay, just a little groggy. Dana, I'm so glad that you're here." "Me too mom." she answered. "The doctors told me that you had a massive stress induced stroke...how did it happen?" Her mother stopped smiling, and sobered up. "I'm not sure, Dana. I remember coming home from buying groceries, and walking up to the door, but nothing after that...just that I fell on the steps." "Oh, mom." gasped Scully. "I'm so happy that you're alright! Thank you for not leaving me, I...I don't know how I could live without you." By now, Scully was all-out crying. "I, I would miss you so much!" Scully couldn't stop the sobs from coming, and so she gave up on trying. "Oh, Dana, sweetie, come here." Margaret beckoned her daughter to sit down on the bed, and lay her head down on her chest. Scully did as she was asked, and was comforted by her mother. "Dana, I love you so much, and if there is one thing that I won't do, it's leave you. I'm not going anywhere, anytime soon. You, your brothers, and I are all that are left of this family, and we're going to stay that way." Margaret stroked Scully's hair away from her face, and she stopped crying. "I love you too mom." she said, wiping her eyes. Margaret smiled, and started to drift off to sleep. "I'd better go, and let you get your sleep. I'll come back to visit later, O.K.?" "Alright, honey." replied Margaret sleepily, her condition catching up with her. Scully stood up, wiped her eyes, and smoothed her cream blouse, and burgundy suit. "Goodbye mom." "B..Bye...Bye Dana." replied her mother, drifting steadily into sleep. Scully then walked out the door. There was a doctor attending his rounds in the hallway, and Scully stopped him for a moment. "Excuse me doctor?" she asked. The young doctor swung around, and met Scully's gaze. She could have sworn that she had heard him say 'whoa', but she just disregarded it, because she was loyal to Mulder, but she did smile at the comment. "Yes." he answered, boastfully smiling. "I was just wondering who was in charge of a patient named Margaret Scully." "I am." he aswered with an air of pathetic dignity. "I am also a medical doctor, my name is Dana Scully. I would like to see the medical notes on my mother." "Oh...of course. I'll be right with you." he responded, but not with quite as much boastfulness this time, realizing that he was being confronted by an equal. The young doctor turned, and walked towards the desk. He came back with the clip notes on her mother. "Here you go." he said. "Your mother, as I'm sure that you're aware of already, has suffered an extremely serious, stress-induced stroke." Scully studied the notes intently. "Yes, I'm well aware of that doctor. I see that you have her on a steady dose of morphine, but I suggest that you lower the dosage, it seems to be causing her to sleep excessively." "Really? I haven't noticed that. I'll take it into consideration Ms. Scully." Scully was extremely irritated with the incompetent young doctor now. "No, doctor...I'm sorry, I didn't get your name-" "It's Osbourne, Dr. Osbourne." "Dr. Osbourne, from one practicing physician to another, and also a relative of the patient, I am recommending that you take my advice." "In other words, you are ordering me to lower the dose of morphine." Scully stared at the doctor with her deep, icy green eyes. "You could put it that way." she stated bluntly. "Okay,...I'll lower the morphine, but I just have to say that I don't appreciate you telling me how to take care of my patient, Ms. Scully." "Well Dr. Osbourne," Scully retorted, "I don't appreciate you taking care of my mother so incompetently. You should have realized her reaction to excess morphine." "Well-um...you-" stuttered Dr. Osbourne. "Thank you for your time." she said curtly, and walked away. SCULLY'S APARTMENT ANNAPOLIS, MARYLAND 3170 W. 53 RD. #35 1:39 P.M. During the ride home, Scully had time to cool off from her ordeal with the irresponsible Doctor Osbourne. It really bothered her that her mother would be getting anything less than the best care. Scully now took out the clip notes on her mother's condition. She started reading again, and sat down on the sofa. She was happy to find out that her mother's condition was gradually improving, and that there were no permanent side effects. After finishing the notes, Scully heated up some vegetable soup for lunch, curled up on the sofa, and attempted to watch some television. She couldn't find anything that didn't remind her of Mulder, though. Basically, all that was on were soap-operas, which, of course, are about romance, sex, danger, etc.-many of those things, she found, could pertain to Mulder in a variety of ways. She smiled to herself, as she thought about these things. Scully continued to flip through the channels, with no luck whatsoever. Again, Scully gave up on her television set, and turned it off. She then finished her soup, and got up to call Mulder. She grabbed her cellular phone off the end table, and dialed. "Brrrg! Brrrg!" No answer yet. "Brrrg! Brrrg!" "Mulder." answered the deadpan voice. "Hey Mulder." replied Scully cheerily. "How're ya getting along without me?" "Hey Scully." said Mulder, now extremely enthusiastically. "I'm doing fine, but as I'm sure you know, it's just not the same without you. How's your mother?" "She's going to be alright, and there are no permanent side effects to the stroke." "Scully, that's great." "Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it. So, you find anything new in the case?" "Actually, I did. I traced the license plate number, and found out that the car belongs to a thirty year old woman named Cassandra Quintal. I went to her apartment today, but she wasn't home, and I didn't see anything suspicious. I plan on going back later today, and interrogating her. So, when are you planning on coming back, Scully?" he asked, full of yearning. "I'm not sure, Mulder. I think that I should stay with my mother for a few more days." "Sure." Mulder responded. "Whenever you're ready to come back, I'll be here." "I know you will, Mulder." Scully felt like saying more, to tell him that she missed him, and thought about him constantly, but didn't. She also had a strange feeling, which she had previously defined as 'woman's intuition,' but didn't know why. "Mulder, be careful, O.K.?" "Of course, Scully." he responded, with an air of curiosity in his voice, but didn't probe into the comment further. Scully was grateful. "I'll see you in a few days." said Scully. "I can't wait." said Mulder. After Scully hung up the phone, she sighed, and clasped it close to her. Something was very wrong, she could feel it. Cassandra Quintal's Apartment 1287 OXFORD ROAD #47 2:01 P.M. After Mulder got off the phone with Scully, he decided to leave the Police Department, and try Ms. Quintal's apartment again. Mulder was now outside the apartment, and knocked on the door. Just then, a tall woman, with dark chestnut hair opened up the door. The woman, surprisingly, was just as tall as Mulder. It took him a moment to get used to not having to look down and speak. "Hi." she said smiling. "Who are you?" "I'm Special Agent Mulder, F.B.I. Are you Cassandra Quintal?" asked Mulder, holding up his badge. "Yes, yes I am. Why are you here? Why would the F.B.I. be looking for me?" "Ms. Quintal, you are the main suspect for the murders of eight men, over the past month. Your license plate number was taken from the murder scene of Mark Richter. That is how I traced you, and found out your address." "You've got to be kidding me." said Cassandra, staring incredulously. "No, Ms. Quintal, I'm not. A witness claims that she saw a woman, caucasian, with dark hair commit the murder of Mark Richter, and leave in your car." Cassandra shifted nervously, and glanced about the room. She was in a loss for words. "Ms. Quintal, where were you on the night of December, the second?" Cassandra glanced towards the window, as though her view was asphyxiated on a far off point. After a pause, she returned her stare towards Mulder, and he noticed her eyes. They were blood red, and the pupil was dilated into a slit, like a cat's. "I think you know." she hissed. Just then, she grabbed Mulder by his shirt collar, and pulled him into the apartment, for they had been standing in the doorway. Cassandra flung him on to the sofa, and paced about. He was amazed by her strength, and in awe of it. "You know," she began, her eyes gleaming with evil, "I was going to let you live a little bit longer, until you started with the questions, but now, I guess I'm going to have to kill right away." Mulder's hand dove for his holster, and he grabbed hold of his gun. Though Mulder was quick, Cassandra was quicker, and as Mulder pulled out his gun, she pounced on to him. "You're my ninth, and last victim, until my soul may rest for another twenty years. Usually, I do this with a little more class, but in your case, I've changed my mind." Cassandra was now on top of Mulder, pinning his arms, and breathing down his neck. Mulder struggled, but it was no use. Cassandra was too strong. "Why do you do this Cassandra? Why do you need to kill men?" Mulder searched for some answers, between struggling. "I wish I knew." she replied, "But I guess I was just born this way." "It doesn't have to be this way Cassandra." said Mulder. "I'm sure that there is someone that can help you." "You fool! No one can help me." Mulder could feel her body tensing up, and knew, like an animal, that she was about to strike. Mulder suddenly yanked his arm loose, and shot his gun. A bullet whizzed by Cassandra's head, and now raging with anger, Cassandra struck Mulder's temple, with her sharp-nailed hand. Mulder began to feel light headed, but he also felt Cassandra ripping at his flesh, and before she had a chance to dislocate his skull, Mulder shot his gun once again, and heard a sickening thud. The scratching, and tearing ceased. Mulder's eyes then closed, and his world faded to black. CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 5:14 P.M. Scully hadn't been able to take it, though she felt she needed to be with her mother, she had a horrible feeling that something had happened to Mulder. She had called his cell phone number about ten times, each without an answer. She had also called the Chicago Police Department, but no one had heard from him yet. Scully rented another car, after leaving the airport, and gone to the station. Scully burst through the door of the department, causing everyone to stir. "I need backup!" she yelled, her voice steady. "What?" asked Srgt. O'Connor. "It's Mulder." she responded. "Something's happened to him! The last I heard, he was headed towards Cassandra Quintal's apartment." "Agent Scully, how do you know that something's happened to Mulder." "There is no time for questions, Sergeant. I just know. Please, just assign some backup." "Alright, alright." responded the Sergeant. Srgt. O'Connor called for backup, and told Scully the address of Ms. Quintal. "Remember I told you that I'd catch this killer Srgt.?" asked Scully, putting on her black, F.B.I. swat team jacket. "Yeah." he answered. "Well, I'm about too." CASSANDRA QUINTAL'S APARTMENT 1287 OXFORD ROAD #47 5:31 P.M. Scully, leading the swat team, stood behind Cassandra's door. "On three, one...two...three!" yelled Scully kicking in the door. Scully held her gun, at eye level, and cautiously, entered the apartment. She held her back to the wall, while the others ran in, to check the other rooms. Scully walked towards the sofa, which was turned away from the front door, and saw signs of struggle everywhere. There had been much fighting. As Scully walked carefully towards the sofa, she began to feel uneasy, and she saw blood stains all over the carpet. She got to the sofa, and peered around the arm. The sight she saw next, would haunt her for years to come. It was Mulder. His clothing was all torn apart, and there were deep, claw-like scratches along his chest. His head had a large, egg-shaped welt on the side of it, and he was barely breathing. There obviously had been extensive blood loss. "Oh my god!" said Scully, taking a sharp, quick breath in, and pressing her eyes shut, as though thinking that when she opened them up again, everything would be fine...but it wasn't. Scully rushed over, and crouched down next to Mulder. "OFFICER DOWN! OFFICER DOWN!" she yelled breathlessly. Many of the officers rushed over, and one went to the phone to call the ambulance. "Don't you leave me Mulder." she said, stroking his blood stained face. "I need you, Fox. You promised you'd be with me always-don't you dare break that promise." "Agent Scully!" yelled one of the officers, holding on to Cassandra. "We found her trying to escape out of the window." Scully rose from Mulder's side slowly. A sudden wave of anger raged through her. "YOU!" Scully screamed, lunging towards Cassandra. Just before Scully reached her, two of Scully's fellow agents grabbed hold of her arms, and held her back. "Agent Scully! Control yourself!" yelled her fellow agents. Scully calmed down, and they let go of her. She walked up, and looked straight into Cassandra's predatorial eyes. "I swear to God," she began, "if Mulder dies, I'll kill you." "I wish you would." retorted Cassandra, grimacing from the pain of being shot. "Cuff her." said Scully coldly, and walked away to attend to Mulder." CHICAGO HOSPITAL INTENSIVE CARE UNIT ROOM #178 7:50 P.M. Mulder lay in a hospital bed, connected to respirators, I.V.'s and various monitors. He had been in a coma for several hours now, and was showing no signs of improvement. Scully hadn't left his bedside once. There had been severe trauma to his brain, and there had been some hemorrhaging, which had induced the coma. Mulder's wounds had also resulted in extensive blood loss, and that made his condition worse. Soon, the day passed into night, and still no change. Scully, did not want to leave, but was ordered to by the hospital staff. She returned to the motel, showered, and got dressed. She did all this like a zombie, going through these actions numbly, not caring. All she cared about, was that Mulder got better. She drove back to the hospital, and it was now midnight, and Scully was back by Mulder's side. She took his hand. "Mulder," she began, "I know that you can hear me. Do you remember when I was in a coma, and you stayed by my side, and when I was awake again, I told you that I had the strength of your beliefs? Well, I believe that you can make it through this, I hope that you have the strength of mine." Scully lowered her head, and closed her eyes. She kept hold of Mulder's hand. "I know that where you are now, seems so warm, and so save. I know that you are deciding whether or not to come back to this life. Please come back Mulder. I need you. Believe it or not, the world needs you. Without you, no one will ever know the truth, I'll never know the truth. I love you Mulder. I always have, and I always will. Scully started to cry warm, salty tears, and held Mulder's hand against her face. "The truth is out there somewhere, Mulder, and I know that you are the one that is meant to find it. Don't give up, please." With that, Scully leaned over, and kissed Mulder on the lips, her tears falling on to his face. She then sat back down, and hid her face in her hands, her hair cascading down over them. An hour passed, but Scully never left Mulder's bed side. She wasn't going to give up on him. Scully then heard something, a faint groan. She looked up, and wiped her eyes. Mulder stirred. "Dana." he muttered. "Mulder, Mulder, you're alright." she said smiling. "Thank you for believing in me." he whispered quietly, reaching for her hand. She took it. Mulder turned his head towards her. "I heard you, Dana. Thank you for your faith." "Always." she said, clasping his hand in both of hers. Mulder smiled. TWO WEEKS LATER CHICAGO MENTAL TREATMENT, AND EVALUATION CENTER Mulder stood, staring through a glass wall at Cassandra Quintal. He still bore a few scars from her attack, but had no resentment towards her, only pity, and curiosity. He recalled the one fleeting second, when she told him that she thought that she was born that way, how he felt that he almost understood. He watched her, pacing around in her glass surroundings, like a caged animal on display. Though she was a monster for what she had done to the eight men, and himself, Mulder still felt sorry for her, but he wasn't sure why exactly. Mulder then heard footsteps coming towards him, and he didn't even have to look to know that it was Scully. She walked up to him, and touched his shoulder. "How are you doing?" she asked. "I'm fine." he said smiling down at her. "Mulder, I ran some tests on Ms. Quintal's D.N.A., and found out that it is feline in nature. I don't understand how that can be, but I checked numerous times for a mistake...and yet, that still doesn't explain why she needed human male flesh." Scully turned from Mulder, and looked towards Cassandra, who now, was staring at the two agents, with her freakish ruby eyes. Scully turned away, and looked back towards Mulder. Mulder still kept his gaze fixed on Cassandra, and then spoke. "Maybe some things can't be explained, Scully. Maybe she was just born that way." Scully cocked her head to the left, and gave Mulder a contemplative look. "Or maybe it's our job to explain them." she responded. "Maybe." he said quietly. "Let's go Mulder." urged Scully. "You go ahead, I'll catch up to you." he said, and then leaned down, and kissed her softly. She touched his face, and looked deep within his eyes. "Alright." said Scully. She then turned, and walked away. Mulder stood, and continued gazing into the glass imprisonment for a few more minutes. Cassandra sat, huddled in the corner, glancing about tensely. Mulder closed his eyes, turned, and walked away. He couldn't help everyone. He had tried, but some people, creatures rather, don't want to be helped. The truth was out there though, and he would find it. Scully was right, it was his job, his destiny. Scully knew that Mulder wouldn't be long, so she had waited for him at the elevator. Mulder reached her, and smiled. "Hey." she said. The agents then got onto the elevator. "Going up." stated Mulder. "Mmm, hmmm." Scully agreed, walking towards Mulder, and starting to unbutton his shirt. Mulder didn't try to resist. "Maybe we ought to use that 'emergency stop' button for something more useful." she whispered into his ear. "But I thought that you didn't want to do this on the job." he said. "The case is closed." she responded, in between kissing his neck. "If this is what's going to happen every time we close a case, maybe I could get some more work done." he said, smiling sardonically. "Works for me." said Scully, pinning Mulder against the wall. Mulder kissed Scully passionately. Then, the elevator doors closed. Inspiration: Picture of David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson in bed on the cover of the "Rolling Stones" Yearbook 95'