Disclaimer: Fox Mulder, Dana Scully, AD Walter Skinner and anyone
else directly related to the X-Files is the property of Chris Carter and
10/13 Productions. Cassandra Troy, Tammy Phillips and Don Jenkins and
family are all my own twisted little creations. You know the drill kids,
this is to be passed around free of charge so long as my name stays on it.
They need to know who to blame.
     Oh, and one last thing, I'm blackmailing you for requests. I have
more Cassandra stories in my head, but I need to know if they're gonna be
read. I don't want to waste the room on the server if nobody's gonna read
em. If you really do want to read more Cassandra stories... then I'll
write them.
   Cassy shows up in part 2.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 1/?)

     Dana Scully tied the surgical mask behind her head, over the scrub
hat. The action disguised the hard swallow she took as she crossed the
room to the table and the small form hidden beneath the green sheet. She
hated when it was children. Babies who would never see their parents again
or tease their playmates... those who never had a chance to live. She
wanted to get this bastard. She looked quickly at the door.
      Mulder was outside, waiting. Cases involving kids always affected
him, perhaps more than any other agent. He didn't show it much, but she
knew the signs. He was short tempered and irritable, and his last sharp
twist of wry humor was two days ago. He was going to blame himself if they
couldn't stop this guy. He was wearing himself thin already. 
     With a deep breath she pulled back the sheet to begin working on the
earthly remains of one Becca Martin.  She would never see her seventh
birthday.
                              *
     Mulder looked up from the case file he had gone over at least twenty
times. It was unnecessary, as he could recall most of it at any time after
going over it once. His constant retracing of the words, the dates and
times, the list of sanitary and impersonal information that drained away
the humanity of the victims was not to memorize them. It was an attempt to
pry some missed smidgen of information from them. 
     The profile he had written himself was beside him. It was filled with
what information he could glean. White male, between twenty five and
thirty five years old. Neat and respectable appearance, but something
about him that children didn't like. Intelligent, fast, with a working
knowledge of high tech security systems. In good health. Probably good
looking. Outsider as a child, most likely picked on by other children. 
     All in all it wasn't much. He left no fingerprints, not even a single
dropped hair at the scenes of the abductions, no one has seen him. He
never asks for ransom. He didn't even prefer any racial, gender, religious
or economic group for his victims. They came from all walks of life. The
only common thread was they were all under ten years old.
     Scully cleared her throat to get his attention. He looked up at her.
She had removed her gloves and the mask hung loosely around her neck. She
took a seat next to him and pulled off the surgical cap.
     "Apparent cardiac arrest. We'll have to wait for the lab work but I'd
lay odds we'll find massive amounts of adrenalin and epinephrine in her
system. About forty days since the time of death."
      Mulder nodded. "He kept her two weeks just like the others. Not a
mark on her was there?"
      "No. No signs of physical or sexual abuse. That girl, like the
others, simply should not have died. There is no external cause of death
that can be found."
     "Sure there was Scully, she was scared to death." Mulder tossed the
profile across the hall in a swift move that startled Scully. Separate
pages fluttered to the floor making rustling noises in the silence. "All
this and we still have nothing. Nothing at all."
     He picked up a photocopied map of the US. Six blood red dots marked
the site of a kidnapping victim positively found and identified. The blue
dots were where those bodies were found. There were also twelve yellow
dots. Each marking a place where a child under ten had been abducted or
was missing in a way that matched what little of an MO they had. Twelve
little yellow dots spread over the past year and a half in a wide swath
from Texas to Virginia. From the bodies they had recovered, three in
dumpsters, two in woodland areas and one floating in a river, they had
established that the killer never kept a child longer then two weeks
before he somehow managed to give them all heart attacks. They both knew
each yellow dot most likely meant a body not found. 
     "He always strikes again two weeks after the death of his last
victim. Two week cycles. Harold Connaly was taken three weeks and five
days ago. Meaning he is going to strike again in two days, somewhere over
here." He pointed to the wide area that covered Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland and DC itself. 
      "Our neck of the woods. He's working his way north and east. Why?"
She shook her head. He wasn't following any major highway or river, it was
almost random, only slowly making his way to some northeastern
destination."Can you be sure he isn't going to do this again?" She pointed
to two towns, one in Mississippi and one in Kentucky where he had doubled
back.
     "No. Damnit I don't know what made him do it those times. Nothing
ties the Goldman and Rodriguez families, if there was a personal
motivation against those specific families I haven't been able to pinpoint
it." He closed the folder and ran his thumb along side his nose. "I'm
missing something here Scully. I can feel it. It's right in front of
me.... something so simple... and if I can't figure out my blind spot he's
going to get another kid in two days."
     It had been a week and a half since they were called in on this one.
Only after it was almost certain that four year old Harold Connely was
dead. The previous agent in charge had been Ken Furguson, he had been
close to retirement. He had also thought Mulder was a distinct
embarrassment to the Bureau and certifiable. He had been convinced that
these kidnappings and deaths were exactly the cut and dried case it
appeared on the surface. Ken Furguson had been found dead in his sleep of
a heart attack a week and a half ago. An irony lost on no one and one that
made his assigned partner for this case suspicious. Furguson had been an
asshole, but he was an asshole in good shape.
     Luckily Furguson's partner for this particular case was Don Jenkins.
Agent Jenkins had the exact opposite opinion of Mulder. He was one of the
few friends Mulder had inside the bureau. Jenkins had convinced Assistant
Director Skinner that there was enough strangeness in this case to qualify
it as an X-File. Skinner agreed, and assigned Jenkins under Mulder for
this case, as Jenkins had been working on it for almost six months.
       As if her thoughts summoned him Special Agent Donald Jenkins walked
through the double doors to the morgue. He scanned the mess in the hall
and immediately gathered up the papers Mulder had thrown. Once they were
in order again he turned to the seated partners. "I take it this means we
don't have anything more on the Boogie Man?"
     That was the only other lead they had. Two of the victims, one a year
ago, and one five months ago had seemed agitated before their
disappearance. They had reported seeing the Boogie Man. That the Boogie
Man was going to get them. It might mean he stalked his victims first. But
no one had seen anything other than the victims.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (2/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:34:32 -0500


   Disclaimer attached to part 1.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 2/?)

   Scully shook her head. "No, nothing new."
     "Meaning we can't do a damned thing until he strikes again." Jenkins
smacked his leg, the sound deafening in the small, sterile hallway. "All
we know is that this kid will be ten or under. I hate this." He looked
rather sheepishly at Mulder's tight, emotionless face. "Hey, I'm not
blaming you. I'm just pissed off at this purp. If you can't get into this
guy's head no one can."
     "I'm missing something." Mulder replied flatly.
     "Yah, motive and evidence. Anything resembling a pattern, oh and lets
not forget a real cause of death. Hell should be a simple little thing."
Jenkins snorted. "You're only human. I know you're doing your best, so
does everyone else."
     "And another kid is gonna die if my best isn't good enough." Mulder
stood, gathered his files and walked out, without another word. 
     Scully watched the doors swing behind him for a minute then turned to
Jenkins. 
     Donald Jenkins was the perfect all american poster boy. His buzz cut
blond hair and kindly, crystal blue eyes went with a hard angled, squarish
face. He had a compact body that would have put Stallone to shame. And if
the FBI hadn't dropped their hight requirements they'd have lost out on a
fine agent. He barely topped Scully by two inches. And hated the nickname
"Shorty" as much as Mulder hated "Spooky".
     The first time she had met him she had lemented that the good ones
were always gay or married. Don Jenkins definately fell into the latter
catagory. 
     Jenkins shook his head at Mulder's exit. "It looks like we all need
some rest. Right now I want to get home, wake up Kimberly, give her a big
hug and tell her that daddy loves her. I'm... I'm sending her to her
grandmother in Colorado for a while. She is flying out tomorrow
afternoon." Jenkins ran a hand over his spiky hair. "It's silly I know..."
     "No, it isn't. Knowing this guy is going to strike in this area in
two days... if I had a child I'd probably do the same thing." Scully
reassured him. "It's only natural."
     Jenkins nodded and patted the hand she'd placed on his arm. "Thanks
Scully. Claire think's I'm over reacting. But she hasn't had to face the
bodies... the families for these past six months."
     "Go home Don, give Kim that hug. I'll see you in the morning." 
                              *
     Finding the names of those in charge of investigating him had been
easy. Both times. Furguson was so blind, tracking him and eliminating him
was pathetically simple. His narrow mindedness made him that much more
susceptible. What he'd gathered on Jenkins was perfect, a sign of blessing
even. 
     After eliminating Furguson he had used the same information gathering
trick as he had before. Phone calls in which he disguised himself as a
reporter got him the names of the agents in charge. He was surprised to
find that Jenkins was not taking over as senior agent on the case. He was
now serving under another. It was time for a bit more recon. When Becca
had been found he used his reporter disguise to be there, camera in hand
with a swarm of others. No one noticed he wasn't shooting the dumpster, or
the body being carted away. His photos were of the agents. He sat in his
car looking at the photographs before him. So grim, so determined they all
seemed. He liked to know his opponents, find their weaknesses, bring them
down and savor their fear and pain. It was never near as satisfying as his
fun with the children, but as he saw keeping them off balance as a
necessary evil he might as well enjoy it. 
     He was snapped out of his reverie when he spotted his prime target
leave the building. The man's whole body was tense as a coiled spring.
Good. He was wound tight enough manipulation should be rather easy. He
watched the tall man unlock a blue Ford Taurus and get inside. When he
pulled away his watcher sighed and leaned back in his own car's seat. To
tail him would be to tip him off. He'd most likely be spotted, these
people were trained for such things. But they could not expect or counter
his other method of surveillance. The watcher smiled as he relaxed, and
fell into a trance feeling completely superior to the ordinary mortals
around him.
                                                 *
     Cassandra Troy turned off the Tonight Show with a disgusted press of
a button. Jay was only mildly funny tonight, and something was itching at
her mind, making her restless. Tammy was asleep in her bedroom by now,
maybe it was time she followed suit. She began to take the cushions off
the sofa to pull out her bed when she realized what was bothering her.
Leaving the cushions where they fell she slipped on her sneakers and left
the apartment.
     The problem with becoming too close to people when you are an empath,
she thought as she made her way down the stairs to the first floor, is the
closer you get the harder it is to block strong emotions. And man was he
not only pissed, but worried and frustrated all to hell.
     She knocked softly on his door. It was opened in moments. He must
have just gotten home. His suit coat was off but he still had a garish
paisley tie hanging loose around his neck. He also had a beer in his hand.
     "That won't help." She gestured to the beer bottle, " Want to talk
about it?"
      "Sometimes you can be a real pain in the ass Cassy. And I can't talk
about it. I'm not in the mood, goodnight." He almost closed the door on
her. Cassandra Troy did NOT get doors closed in her face by pissy men. She
threw her shoulder into the door and shoved before it closed. He wasn't
expecting that so she managed to fling the door open and get in.
     "You do know this could be considered trespassing, and I have a gun."
He snarled at her.
     "So shoot me, yell at me, do SOMETHING then sit down here stewing in
your own juices till you blow a gasket." She crossed her arms and glared.
      "Cassy I'm tired, I'm preoccupied and if I can't out think someone
in two days another child is going to die. I don't think a quick fuck is
going to make me feel any better." He didn't get the slap across his face
he was half expecting. He got an impressive right cross that slammed his
teeth together and knocked him off his feet. He must have forgotten that
her idea of a fun past time was bashing people over the head with big
sticks. So much for perfect recall.
       She stood above where he lay sprawled, shaking out her hand. "Does
that feel better or do you want me to pound on you some more?" She smiled
over sweetly. "Don't insult me again Mulder, I don't deserve it. And I
refuse to hit you again. That was the only reason you wanted to piss me
off, or maybe to get into a nice rip roaring fight so you could let off
some of that nicely compacted anger you've shoved inside somewhere. Well
you don't deserve to get pounded on for whatever you think you did and if
you still want a fight and a beating take it to a biker bar. That is the
LAST time I'm rising to the bait. Now," she held out her hand and helped
him to his feet, "if you really would rather burn yourself out then fine,
but remember I'm here if you need me."
       Mulder probed his sore jaw, but managed a grin. "Remind me never to
get into a ring with you."
        Cassy threw up her arms in a 'why me' gesture before heading to
the kitchen. He followed her and watched her dig out some ice cubes before
folding them into a dish rag. He reached out for the ice pack only to have
it yanked away.
        "Get your own. This one's mine." She sat at the table with the
dish rag in front of her before laying her right hand on it, knuckles
down. "I should have known you'd have a hard head."
       "Yes you should." He grabbed the remainder of the ice making his
own pack and holding it to his jaw. "You've seen it enough."
        Cassy laughed. "Ok Mulder, but bad jokes do NOT a problem solve.
I'm your friend, at least I thought I was."
         His eyes darkened. "Your more then that."
         She smiled. Thank God, she sent upwards silently. "Good, I
certainly didn't want to think I was just a convenient lay."
         Mulder looked stunned. His ice pack dropped to the floor. "That's
it... how could I have been so stupid... that's the pattern." He rushed
from the kitchen into his living room, pulling out books and flipping
through them to find the pages he remembered.
          "Was it something I said?" Cassandra followed him, still holding
her own ice pack over her sore knuckles.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (3/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:34:34 -0500


Disclaimers attached to part 1.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 3/?)

      Cassandra sat on the arm of his couch watching as he spread out the
books he'd gathered and put a photocopied map of the United States in the
middle of them. The map was covered with different colored dots. 
     "If you're looking for the Illustrated Kama Sutra, you already showed
it to me." She removed the ice from her hand to examine her knuckles.
She'd be fine. He, however, looked like he was going to have a bruise. She
blushed. She really was not the abusive type. She wasn't going to excuse
herself with a convenient excuse of his anger leaking out to affect her.
No, she'd hit him on her own. Now she was beginning to feel guilty. 
     He held up a book, looking from it to the map on the table and back
before he tore a piece of tracing paper from a pad he'd also taken from
the shelf and began drawing a pattern in yellow hilighter. "That's IT!
He's following this series of ley lines, taking those kids at certain
junctions, and leaving the bodies along the lines themselves. Here and
here, he doubled back to follow those shorter lines." He looked up,
something dangerous and exhilarating in his eyes. "Cassy I could kiss
you." He lay the hilighter tracing over the map and it appeared like a mad
connect the dots game.
     Something raised the hairs on the back of her neck, something pushing
at the edge of her own awareness. She didn't know much about this case of
his, he rarely spoke of any case he was currently involved in, and he
often withdrew from her, and everyone when a case was especially difficult
or personal. Lately a shelled turtle was more social than he was. But he'd
mentioned kids. Oh lord, anything involving kids, especially missing
kids... no wonder he was on the verge of an emotional fall. 
     She licked her lips and forced a smile, a flippant air. "So it was
something I said. Then kiss me already and get to bed. Alone. You look
beat... and not only by me." She stood up and pressed her own ice pack to
his jaw. "Sorry about that. Really." She kissed him, allowing the kiss to
linger a bit, just touch on the sensual as she felt his hand caress her
breast before she drew back. "I'll be upstairs if you need any more
inspiration." She smiled coylyas she removed his hand.  She made as if to
leave then frowned.
     There was something here... in the room. She moved back to his window
and tried to look outside. She could FEEL they were being watched. It was
dark out and the lights were on in here, she admonished herself as she
only saw her reflection against blackness. She tentatively lowered her
first shield, then a second, and was shocked to feel a moment of surprised
pleasure from outside herself then a moment of panic as she tried to grasp
at it. Then nothing. It was gone, and the sensation of being watched with
it.
     "Now that was wierd." She muttered to herself as she began to chew on
her bottom lip. 
     Mulder looked up from the books, he had put his reading glasses on.
"What? Sorry, it's just this case..." He was sexy even in glasses, she
thought to herself then slapped down her hormones.
     "I understand that. You often get bitchy when work is bothering you,
which is seven times out of ten." She smiled briefly, "This is just one of
your worst bouts. No... there was just something watching us."
     He managed to stand from a cross legged position with amazing speed
as he pulled a small gun from an ankle holster. He moved to the window,
pulling her away and placing himself between her and the window as he
looked out. He was smart enough to turn off the desk lamp as he peered
outside. 
     "I don't see anyone." He pulled the blinds closed and frowned at her.
     "Neither did I. There was a presence in the room."
     "A... presence? Cassy are you telling me my apartment's haunted?" He
looked slightly amused as he reholstered the gun under his pant leg. 
     "You are hopeless. No not haunted, at least by anything more then the
ghosts of fishies past. There was someone here, in this room. I felt him.
I may not be a telepath, but something was making my skin crawl and it
left a residual emotional trace. It noticed that *I* noticed then bugged
out. I don't know what it was, I never felt anything like it before."
                              *
     He opened his eyes and sat up in the driver's seat. He was still
parked in the same place. Things were certainly getting much more
interesting. That girl... lovely, beautiful thing with a spirit of fire.
She was like him, she knew how to feel, how to take. He had never known
there were any others. He was always the special one, the hunter. Always
alone, above everyone -special. He had a special purpose.  But that
girl... she was perfect. At long last there was someone he could share
with, someone else who could take the fear and pain and drink it in. She
was not as powerful, not as talented, but she had the spark. She too was a
gift, surely, another gift from the darkness the Eve to his Adam. Surely
with her he could create a new a better breed, the next step in the
evelutionary cycle. As far above man as man was above the animals.
     The fact that if was able to show her all that they were meant to be,
to take her as his willing mate, would further unbalance his adversary was
better then he ever dreamed. 
     He smiled as he started the car, pulling out he decided that this
warranted moving early. Collect the next prize ahead of schedule so that
she could share this. He would share this gift with her so she could know
the power of it. Once she felt the power, the ecstasy, she would be his.
And through her he would topple his foe.
                              *
     Claire smiled at her husband as he opened Kimberly's door.  The seven
year old looked like a perfect angel laying there. Her long golden hair
cascading around her pillow, her arm wrapped around Paddington Bear. She
was still sucking her thumb though, and it leant even further innocence to
the scene. 
     Don Jenkins smiled at his sleeping daughter and backed out of the
door, closing it behind him.
     "Claire, would you mind if I woke her up early tomorrow? I want to
say goodbye before I head out for work."
     "She'd be hurt if you didn't." Claire smiled and massaged Don's
shoulders. "She's very excited about her first solo plane ride you know."
She pushed him as she massaged his stiff muscles, steering him to the
bedroom. "Relax, try to get some sleep honey. I know you'll find this
person."
     Don moved away from Clair and sat on the bed. "What if we don't?
Every body we find Claire, I keep thinking of Kimmy.  I don't know if I
can handle this much more. Yet if I don't... who will?"
     Clair sighed and sat on the edge of the bed next to her husband. "You
are good at what you do. But you have to do what you feel is best. You
know I'll support you whatever you choose. I can't help you make this
decision Donnie."
                              *
     It was really pathetically easy. Pick the lock and cross to
immediately punch in the number code to turn off the alarm before it
engaged. The code was, as he suspected, the child's birthdate. Too
predicable. Everyone was asleep.  Sometimes there were just no challenges
left in the world. He had really expected more from this family.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (4/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:34:35 -0500


Disclaimers attached to page 1.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 4/?)

     Cassandra tossed in her sleep. For once it was she who had the
nightmare, and she could not force herself to wakefulness.
    ::Can you see her pretty lady?:: The voice slithered through her mind,
inescapable, forceful. Visions filled her. She was seeing through someone
elses' eyes. A darkened room. Outside light shining on a sleeping child. A
little girl hugging a teddy bear. ::So sweet, so sheltered. The sheltered
savor fear the best. The easiest to build on.  What do you think this
little one would do if she faced something as basic as a child eating
witch ala Hansel and Grettle or a more modern horror as a hockey masked
madman with a chainsaw. Come share this with me. See the beauty of it.::
    She felt a frenzy of lust and need almost sexual in nature. It filled
her, leaving her longing for something...something part of her mind
recognized and shrank from with dread.
    The child opened her large blue eyes and her face froze in fear. She
opened her mouth to scream only to have a gloved hand encase the lower
half of her face. The fear washed over Cassy, through her. It filled her
and made her tremble. It was this, it was seduction and fulfillment in
one. She broke into a sweat, her stomach churning in rebellion. Cassy
shuddered with it. ::Pull it in. Is it not wonderful?!::
     Cassy wrenched herself awake with a force of will. Still grappling
with the vision she sat up in bed and screamed. She was still shaking in
terror when Tammy burst through the door to her bedroom, a baseball bat in
one hand and Cassy's Derringer in the other. The sight of the small,
slender girl with her short cap of mussed blond hair bursting in like
Rambo snapped Cassy away from the last vestiges of the dream. 
     "Dear God, Cassy what's wrong?" Tammy managed to ask as soon as she'd
ascertained that there was no mad rapist or cat burglar in the apartment.
     "I don't know... but I do know I have to wake up Mulder. Tammy... I
think there is another empath out there, with a gift that's twisted
somehow. Sick." Cassy managed to stop shivering in revulsion. "He's
hurting people."
     Tammy put the bat down and set the gun on the lamp table before
sitting on the edge of the sofa bed. "Are you sure this isn't just some
bad dream ? Some nightmare brought on by spending too much time with old
Moldy?"
     Cassy shook her head. "I know dreams Tam. I can control dreams, even
my own. No, this was from outside. It was real. I felt this presence
before. In Mulder's apartment, and I was wide awake. Tam this guy just
took a kid. A little girl." Cassandra shoved her feet into her slippers
and didn't bother with her robe.
     "Alright, I trust you. I'm coming with you." Tammy took up the bat
again but hid the gun in a kitchen drawer.
                              *
     He hadn't been sleeping. He had the pattern now. He popped a few more
seeds in his mouth chewing them thoughtfully as he scribbled more notes.
Following the kidnappings at junctions of ley lines he was going to strike
in Annapolis or DC tomorrow night. Not much time. Mulder drank the last of
his cold coffee and started a list of streets that crossed the local ley
lines. 
     The banging on his door brought Mulder's attention to the time. He
was tired, but too full of renewed energy and drive, not to mention
caffeine, to sleep. 
     Checking through the peep hole first he saw Cassy's nervous face. 
     "You know three am visits do not have to become habit unless it's an
anniversary." He spoke through the door as he unlocked it and let her in.
He was surprised to see Tammy right behind her, holding a Louisville
slugger in a two handed grip. He held up his hands. "I said I was sorry, I
was a real asshole. You don't have to kneecap me Tammy, really."
     "Shut up Moldy. Cassy talk to him. I have to use the bathroom." Tammy
pushed past Cassy and headed for the right door.
     "Have I ever mentioned how much more appealing her little nickname
for me is when compared to Spooky?" He drawled, then sobered at the look
on Cassy's face. "What happened?"
     Cassy went to the couch and sat down, relating to him her dream
vision, in as much detail as she could. "I'm not crazy, and I KNOW it
wasn't just a nightmare. It was real Mulder, the same thing that was in
here before. He's an empath, maybe more. I remembered you mentioned
someone taking kids at ley lines. They aren't all smoke and mirrors you
know. I mean, I can sense things much more acutely at known junctions, and
along the lines themselves my empathy is slightly improved as well. I
think this is the guy." Cassy had regained her composure as she spoke. Now
she was more angry than scared. "He may have known you were on this case,
and tried to spy on you here, maybe see how close you were getting to him,
and he sensed me. Another empath. He SPOKE to me Mulder, in my head. He
was deliberately showing me how he took this little girl, he made me feel
her fear. He's... drinking it in somehow. It excites and arouses him. He
wanted me to feel the same way I think."
     Sometime as Cassy spoke Tammy had returned and perched in the chair
opposite her friend.
     "He scares them to death." He murmured half to himself. "You are
describing a psychic vampire. There have been several suspected cases of
psychic vampirism throughout history, People who induce strong emotions in
others, seeming to gain in vitality as their victims become worn and
lethargic. Nothing has ever been proven before. If you are right... then
he's moved up the schedule. He shouldn't strike until tomorrow night. Why
change his pattern now?" Mulder pulled out two maps, one of DC and the
other of Annapolis. "Can you tell me where this happened?"
     Cassy bit her lip. "No. Mulder I am not Telepathic, I saw only what
he wanted me to see, felt what he directed to me. He's projective."
     Mulder's phone ringing made all of them jump. He picked up. "Yah,
Mulder."
     "It's Scully. Mulder can you get out here. It's Jenkins. Kimberly is
missing. We think... Mulder it might be our man." He could hear voices in
the background. Police no doubt. Other agents too, as this was one of
their own. 
     "I'm on it Scully. I'm bringing someone along. Someone who might be
able to help." He didn't wait for her barrage of questions, he simply hung
up. "Cassy, hurry and get dressed. Use the stuff you have stored here. 
The daughter of the agent working with us on this case just was reported
missing. I don't think it's coincidence."
     Mulder rolled down his sleeves and shrugged on his shoulder holster
as Cassy ran into his bedroom to find the clothes she kept here for the
times she spent the night.  Mulder froze when he saw Tammy staring at him,
her dark eyes narrowed to slits as she sat on the chair, knees drawn up
before her, arms wrapped around her legs. She looked like a little sprite,
an illusion her pixi cut hair did nothing to dispel.
     "If she's been dragged into this, Moldy, you better take care of her.
Or I'll do more then kneecap you Buster." The look in her brown eyes was
dead serious. 
     "Scouts honor." He held up three fingers then grabbed his jacket and
set about re-knotting his tie.
     "Yah, like you were a scout. Look James Bond, she's one tough cookie,
but she isn't bullet proof. If this sicko really managed to touch her
dreams... he could be after her."


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (5/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:34:39 -0500


Disclaimer attached to part 1.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 5/?)

     Mulder nodded at Tammy. "I am very well aware of that Tink. I'll
protect her with my life. But this guy spoke to her for a reason. I don't
really think she'd be any safer here. At least with me she'll have Scully
and myself watching out for her. Now cheer up and think happy thoughts."
     Mulder inwardly winced at his own words. Intellectually he knew he
was right. Not only could she be protected but she just might be able to
help them find Kimberly Jenkins before it was too late. But if Cassy HAD
been targeted by the kidnapper, it was because of her association with
him.
     Why was it that everyone he got close to ended up in danger, or
worse? Maybe it was time. Time to back away from Cassy before she really
got hurt. If they managed to catch this guy, it was something he would
have to think about. Damnit, it was stupid and selfish but he didn't want
to shove her out of his life. He cared about her, alot. He was just
beginning to realize it might possibly be more then that. And therin lay
the danger. That he had these frightening, confusing feelings for her made
him vulnerable. She could be used against him. 
     "Do you think Cass should bring her gun?" Tammy's voice broke his
downward spiraling thoughts. "I could go get it, and all the paperwork
that goes with it. It might help, if you've managed to teach her to shoot
straight." Tammy nibbled on a thumb nail.
     "It should never come down to her needing it. And she's only licenced
to carry concealed in Virginia. But if worse comes to worse I'll make sure
she is armed." Mulder pulled on his trench coat.
     Cassandra came out of the bedroom in a pair of faded jeans and deck
shoes, but she was wearing a brown sweater that was three sizes too big
with the arms pushed back to her elbows. Standing there, wearing his
sweater she looked much smaller then she was, more vulnerable.  Cassy
sniffed at the sweater's neck. "At least it's clean, and it doesn't smell
like Polo." She smiled slightly. "Sorry, all mine are in the hamper and I
never brought down a new one.I promise to wash it if I get it dirty."
     "We have to go." He handed her his own leather coat to save the time
of her fetching her own from upstairs.
     "Wait!" Tammy pressed the baseball bat into Cassy's hand. "I think
you'd be more dangerous with this then with a gun anyway. And..." Tammy
made a face at Mulder, "you don't need a licence to carry it."
     "Thanks Tam. Go home, try to get back to sleep." Cassy hugged the
smaller woman as they all left the apartment.
     "Yah, right." Tammy huffed, watching them leave. "Like THAT's gonna
happen."
                              *
     The house was full of people, uniformed and plain clothes cops,
Federal Agents and forensics. Mulder blinked as he led Cassy through the
press of people, why was he surprised that Skinner was here? Jenkins
reported to Skinner too.
     Claire Jenkins was sitting on the couch next to Scully. She held a
glass of water, and there was a glazed look to her eyes that spoke plainly
as words that she has been given a sedative. Don Jenkins had not, he was
barely holding on to his sanity as he sat in an easy chair clenching and
unclenching his fists.
     Skinner was speaking with a plain clothes cop, yet he shot Mulder a
questioning look as he nodded to him in acknowledgment. How WAS he going
to explain Cassy's presence? At least she had left the bat in the car.
     Scully looked surprised to see Cassandra as well. She frowned a
little but nodded politely. 
     "What happened?" Mulder stood next to Don.
     "I should have sent her away sooner. Was it my gut telling me she'd
be next Mulder? Some premonition of this?" Jenkins was close to loosing
it. 
     "I don't know. Don, tell me what happened?" Mulder squatted next to
the chair. Next to him a recorder and tracer was being hooked to the
phone, stupid and useless. This guy never contacts the families.
     Don worked his thick, blunt fingers into the arms of his chair,
flexing and gripping, wishing for a throat. "I came home and checked on
her... she was fine. Sound asleep. About forty minutes ago I awoke from a
restless sleep. I had to go, ya know. On the way back I looked in again, I
had this need to reassure myself. She... she was gone. The front door was
wide open. He knew how to get by the alarm system.
     "She had a Paddington Bear didn't she?" Cassandra asked softly, but
everyone's attention was suddenly riveted on her... including Skinner's.
He had just moved close enough to hear.
     Claire made a mewling noise as she gripped her water glass tightly
and Don paled. "Who are you? How did you know that?"
     Mulder put a hand on Don's shoulder. "Easy Don. This is Cassandra
Troy. Cassy, this is agent Donald Jenkins and Clair Jenkins, you've met
Scully."  Mulder looked up to meet Skinner's eyes challengingly. "Don,
Cassy had a dream tonight. She saw this happen."
     Cassy spoke up quickly. "The kidnapper wanted me to see it. Mulder
thinks I might be able to help you find him. Mr. Jenkins... when he took
her, she wasn't hurt." 
     "And how are we to know you are not in league with the kidnapper Ms.
Troy?" It was, of course, Skinner who challenged her. 
     Assistant Director Skinner's glare and wrath had made trained field
agents cower and cringe before. But Cassy walked right up to him and
answered his glare with one of her own. She had to look slightly up to
him, but she did not appear intimidated.
     "This sicko was in my head. It was vile. He dragged me into this
because we have something in common. I want to help save that little girl.
But if you'd rather slap me and cuffs and haul me away FINE. Just know I
won't do you any good in a jail cell." 
     "And why should I believe you? What do you have in common with this
man? Do you have any idea how insane you sound?" Skinner's tone did not
change, but that little vain in his head was throbbing.
     Cassandra put on a smug look and reached out to touch Skinner's
temple.  She pushed her frustration, anxiety, fear and guilt at him and
the Assistant Director fell back a step, a look of shock on his face.
Cassy let her hand drop and smiled. "Was it good for you too?"
     Skinner regained his composure quickly. "What the hell was that?"
     "I am an empath. I deal in emotions. When I am in physical contact
with someone I can even project my own emotions. That is what that was.
The man you are after is at least an Empath, and probably a telepath as
well. He's a hell of a lot stronger than me. He can do things I can't, or
stronger versions of the little things I can." Cassandra closed her eyes
and sighed. "I don't think I can best him, but if he tries to link with me
again I might be able to pin point him, or at least describe what I see."
     Skinner took in the woman before him. Average height, pale skin, jet
black hair in a braid to the small of her back, and emerald eyes. The fact
that she was wearing agent Mulder's jacket was not lost on him. 
     "Sir," Mulder drew Skinner's attention now. "I think this man was
watching us, all of us working on his case. He's trying to eliminate each
of us in different ways. I do not believe agent Furguson's death was
natural. I think the kidnapper killed him the same way he killed all the
kids. I would stake my badge that a chemical analysis of Furguson's body
would show massive traces of adrenaline and epinephrine in his system. He
traced Don here and saw he had a daughter. That Don lived so close to a
specific target area made it a perfect way to remove agent Jenkins from
the equation." Mulder held out the file he had brought, including the map
with the tracing paper pattern of Lay Lines in yellow hiliter. 
     "What is this?" Skinner frowned at the map. 
     

===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (6/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:34:51 -0500


Disclaimer: The x-files and all characters that appear in the show belong
to Chris Carter and 10/13 Productions, just in case you live under a rock
and don't know that. I did not manage to call up Mr. Carter and get
permission to use his characters. I kept getting his answering machine. So
they are all used without permission. 
     Cassandra Troy is MINE, as you all should know by now. As is Tammy
Phillips and Don Jenkins and family. 
     So take it down, pass it around, but keep my name on it so the death
threats go to the proper place. And if you want to read more fan fic with
Cassy in it, let me know. 

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 6/?)

     "It's a map of the ley lines in the United States. Parapsychologists
believe that ley lines are a webwork of electromagnetic streams that
highten psychic abilities and enhance paranormal phenomenon. Several
ancient stone monuments were found to be at the junctions or on the paths
of these ley lines. Stonehenge and the great pyramids being the most
famous cases." Mulder pointed to the file in Skinner's hands. "The
kidnapping sights couldn't possibly follow that pattern by accident."
     Skinner took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Why
is it I develop these headaches only when you're around agent Mulder?" He
sighed. 
     "Sir, I would like Ms. Troy on this case." Don Jenkins had risen from
his seat. "Please sir. If not officially... I'll hire her services. I know
families of kidnap victims sometime employ psychics in the hope of getting
any leads at all."
     "I'm not that kind of Psychic Mr. Jenkins. If I could home in on your
daughter's emotions I would, but this is a densely populated area, and I
can't single out any individual's emotions unless I have strong personal
ties to them. I don't want you to have false hope. The only way I can be
of any help at all is if the kidnapper contacts me again." She did not add
that if they did find the little girl in time she might be able to undo,
or at least start undoing whatever the man was doing to her mind and calm
her a little. 
     "If agent Mulder is willing to officially back your credentials I
will agree to you joining this investigation as a civilian consultant.
Would you agree to this?" Skinner closed the file and handed it back to
Mulder. The fact that Ms. Troy wanted her own limitations clear had
impressed him. Hell, having her emotions thrust on him for two seconds had
IMPRESSED him.
     Cassy's "Yes." was simultaneous with Mulder's "Yes sir."
     "Since we are actually going to treat this seriously, Ms. Troy if you
would be so kind as to give a statement about your... dream." Skinner
guided her away from the others and to the kitchen table where she sat
with a very skeptical looking federal agent.
      When they were out of ear shot Scully grabbed Mulder's arm. "Mulder,
do you really think Cassandra is going to be able to help?"
      "Yes, I do. But more I want to keep her by us at all times. If this
person is sending dreams to her specifically she could be the next
target." 
     Scully nodded, understanding in her eyes. She was NOT comfortable
with Cassandra Troy, not by a long shot. Cassy had pulled a little
demonstration on her like she had for Skinner. Genuine psychic abilities
were hard to accept, even when shoved down your throat. But she'd seen
enough before then to soften her usual skepticism. That coupled with the
fact that Ms. Troy was sleeping with her partner made being around her
awkward. It was made worse by the fact that under different circumstances
she was pretty sure she and Cassy could have been friends.
     Scully also knew how protective Mulder could get. Smothering didn't
even begin to describe it. If Cassandra Troy was in danger HE had to stay
by her and keep her safe. No one else would do. But he couldn't drop the
case either. So this was the only solution for him.
    "Jenkins is off the case, but you knew that. I promised to keep him
updated though." Her abrupt change of subject did not go unnoticed. His
eyes thanked her silently.
     "That would be best. You can't pussy foot around him when it comes to
this guy. He also knows the time limit on us. Two weeks Scully."
     "Two weeks, but he has to stay along these ley line things right? It
will narrow the field quite a bit." 

                              *
     "There, there. We're all nice and cozy now." He stroked the pale hair
of the child lying unconscious in the back seat. "Honey, we're home. At
least for now." He lifted her out of the car and carried her into the
boarded up shop. 
     It had once been a deli. Up until three years ago it had done
moderate business. Now it was empty of everything but the meat case,
refrigerator and a broken table. Dust covered the floor and all visible
surfaces, and the lingering odor of garlic had not completely dissipated
over the years.
      He placed her on the floor in the back store room and moved back
through the building to relock the door. He had made an impression of the
key after filching it from the real estate agent who showed him the
building a month before. By dropping the original key onto the floor of
the real estate man's car after the copy had been made there was no
suspicion.
     The child in back stirred and he hurried to be with her. He wanted to
be the first thing she saw when she opened her lovely eyes. He opened
himself up to her, every nerve tuned to her very presence. 
     She opened her eyes, saw him, and began to cry. 
     "Where am I? What do you want?"
     He smiled. "I want what only you can give me." There was no pity in
his black, dark eyes... only contempt and... hunger.
     He opened his will locking minds with her and he began to weave the
first nightmare. :: What do you fear most Kimberly? What do you fear
most?:: 
     She'd seen a movie once. She'd snuck downstairs to watch it after her
parents went to bed. They said she couldn't see it. It had frightened her,
and she wasn't able to sleep well for a week. 
     Kimberly whimpered as the poorly lit surroundings changed, she stood
in a long hallway with silver piping along the ceiling. There was black
grating under her feet. The man wasn't there anymore. She was alone.
Intermittent red lights flashed along the hall. She recognized this place
and trembled. 
    "Who are you? How are you doing this to me?" She cried into the
hallway.
    ::I'm the Boogie man, little girl. And I need your fear.::
    She heard a slithering, clicking sound behind her, and a looming
shadow just around the corner. A hissing sound. No, it wasn't real... it
couldn't be real. It was just a movie. A silly movie. 
     It moved and she saw the graceful black curve of it's head as claw
like arms reached out for her. She screamed, and she began to run.
     

===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (7/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:34:52 -0500


Disclaimers are attached to part one and part 6.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 7/?)
     
     Cassy gave her statement in a clear and calm manner. The man writing
it all down and operating his little tape recorder was giving her 'the
look'. 'The look' said, where do they find these wakos and why do they
send them to me. Both Cassy and the man with the recorder were relieved
when the interview was over.
     She looked into the living room and saw Mulder speaking with his
partner. The Jenkins' were in bad shape, and even shielded, their fear,
misery and anger pressed in on her. Unshielded, they would have had her
tearing her hair out by now. 
     She shook her head sadly and started across the room. Out of nowhere
reality disappeared. She was in a dimly lit hall, piping running along the
ceiling and floors gave her an industrial feel, murky red lights
flickered. Dark metal grating was underfoot. Oddly out of place was the
smell, a musty odor mingling with garlic. She felt the fear. It was as if
all her carefully wrought shields were as insubstantial as smoke, the
emotion flowed over her. Worse than the fear, infinitely worse... it...
felt... wonderful. It swept over her as a cleansing tide, revitalizing,
energizing. 
     She saw the child, still wearing a powder blue nightgown. The little
girl was running and SOMETHING was chasing her.
     ::Magnificent isn't it? To feel this, to feel this is everything.
Accept this gift. The purity of a child's fear has no equal.::
     Cassandra bit her lip against the exquisite agony of it, tasted her
own blood. Concentrated on the pain, the coppery, salty taste. That was
real, the rest... the rest was illusion. 
     "Kimberly, it isn't real! Fight it!" Cassandra called even as the
child and the matinee horror came towards her. But the little girl gave no
indication of hearing her at all. 
     ::No! You are fighting it. Why fight it. Has anything in your life
felt this good? This complete?::
     Cassandra sobbed and bit her tongue hard, tasting fresh blood. Think
of the pain, she told herself, only the pain. He's wrong... there had to
be something that felt as good... had to be.... seek it, feel that memory.
    Then she was there, and she was fighting for her breath. There were
arms around her and voices shouting. She ignored the voices, focusing on
the feel of the strong, familiar arms wrapped around her, one voice
repeating her name in her ear. The emotions around her battering her
overwrought mind. Fear, anxiousness, worry, confusion, and there... she
clung to the warmth of what touched her as she fought to re-establish her
shields, snap them in place. Then the darkness took her.

      Scully saw Cassandra crossing the room to them and noticed her go
pale. With no more warning the woman's knees buckled and she collapsed. A
uniformed cop next to her caught her before she hit the floor. 
     Mulder moved faster than she did, and he knelt on the floor, holding
Cassandra as she began to shake. 
     Scully checked her eyes, they were rolled back into her head. 
     "Mulder let her go, she's having an epileptic seizure. It has to be
allowed to run it's course." In full doctor mode now Scully noted the time
on her watch.
     Even as he was about to obey, her trembling ceased and she went limp.
     "She's bleeding." He held her closer now that the shaking had
stopped. "Cassy, Cassy can you hear me?" He rocked her gently as he half
whispered into her ear.
     Scully checked her watch. "Three minutes. Has she had these episodes
before?" She moved to check Cassandra's pulse.
     Mulder shook his head. "No. She never mentioned anything like this."
     Cassy moaned softly and stirred.
     "She's coming around." No sooner had the words left Scully's mouth
then Cassandra's thick lashes lifted, and her eyes focused. "Feeling
better?" Scully smiled reassuringly at her.
     "I bit my tongue." Cassy touched her mouth. It looked like she'd
gotten her lip as well. "That was... I don't ever want to go through that
again."
     "What happened?" Mulder helped her up and guided her to  the sink
where she spat blood from her mouth and with the help of some water
managed to get the last of the taste clear even if her lip and tongue were
still a bit sore. She sat down in a kitchen chair someone had been
thoughtful enough to shove in their direction. 
     "He was at it again. He's not physically harming her." Cassy saw Don
Jenkins among those gathered round her. "He's creating illusions.
Projective telepathy. He's making her afraid, and... he's feeding off the
fear." Cassy couldn't meet agent Jenkins' eyes. 
     "And he got into your head." Mulder stated simply. It wasn't a
question.
     "Do you have a history of epilepsy in your family Ms. Troy?" Scully
asked with a frown.
     "No epilepsy. But yes, he was in my head. He's strong...
frighteningly so. He managed to knock down all my shields. He... he wants
me to be like him." She shivered again for a moment. "He forced me to feel
what he felt."
     "Alright! Everybody back to work. We have a child to find. MOVE IT!"
Skinner's tone sent people scrambling, and cleared the area around Cassy
so that only Mulder, Scully, Jenkins and himself were left.
     "Ms. Troy, what exactly did you see?" Skinner crouched before her.
     Cassy looked briefly at Jenkins. He had a right to know... but it
would hurt so much. Would it hurt less to be left to wonder? She felt
Mulder's hand on her shoulder, reassuring. She took a deep breath and
tried to ignore the pain in her mouth. 
     "A scene from 'Aliens' I think. He was using a movie monster to feed
her fear." Cassy frowned slightly and replayed the whole horrible scene in
her mind. "Garlic." She said to herself.
     "What?" That came from all four people around her at once.
     "It was out of place. A movie nightmare, but the smell of garlic,
faint, but unmistakable." Cassy's eyes lit up as she looked up at Mulder.
"The olfactory sense is one of the most basic and instinctive we possess.
It links to our minds in the most amazing ways. I mean how many times have
you smelled something and it instantly brought to mind something else, or
a memory? I think that smell was not an intentional part of the illusion.
I think he simply couldn't block it out, or didn't think to."
     Mulder's eyes darkened. "We need a city map. He's had..." he checked
his watch, "one hour and seventeen minutes since Don discovered Kimberly
missing. He's probably still along a ley line." A map was passed to him
and he spread it out over the kitchen table. Scully brought over the case
file with the tracing paper overlay. Mulder ran a finger in a straight
line along the map, where the line would flow through the city. "He
wouldn't speed, it would risk calling attention to himself. That will give
us about fifty miles in either direction. I need a list of all buildings
along this area from here to here that either are now or used to be
restaurants, take out pizza shops, delis, spice shops, anything that would
have garlic associated with it."


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (8/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:34:53 -0500


Disclaimer attached to parts 1 and 6.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (part 8/?)

     Even as Mulder spoke action was taken. Opinion at the Bureau may be
that Mulder was a few bricks short of a load, but nine out of ten people
also knew he was one of the best at out thinking crazies. Most went with
the 'it takes one to know one' approach.  None of which mattered to Mulder
at the moment, only that calls were being made, and information gathered.
     Cassy sat back a bit and watched the frantic pace those around her
settled into. She had a headache, and pretty much tuned out the noise
around her. The whole scene was amazing, the efficiency the cooperation.
She felt like a fifth wheel. 
     Her full attention did snap back to spoken words as Mulder was handed
a paper twenty minutes after he'd asked for a list. Mulder's boss looked
at it beside him. 
     "Make copies of this list and I want two teams working from here out,
one taking the southwest route, one taking the Northeast. Look into every
one of these addresses."
     "Sir, we'd like to take the northeast." It was Scully who spoke, and
Cassy felt a tinge of jealousy for the wordless communication that passed
between this woman and Mulder. It was not telepathic, it was familiarity. 
     Skinner knew what they were up to. It was the most likely direction
he would have taken. 
     "Mr. Skinner if I go with them maybe the closer we get the more he'll
try to contact me. I don't look forward to it... but now that I know he
can get in my head while I'm awake I won't be as shocked, and I might be
able to trace him."
     "Could further contact be a health risk?" Mulder's eyes bore into her
across the table. "Another seizure..."
     "Can't be avoided if he really wants to get in. I'm pretty sure I
can't stop him if he is determined. I promise I'll go to the hospital once
you people get this guy, and I'll submit to every EEG and Cat scan you
want me to have."
     "Alright, but if we find anything you stay in the car."
     Cassy felt the surge of protectiveness flow over her. She smiled and
gave him a small salute. "Aye, aye sir. But sir... can you buy me a
popsicle? My tounge still hurts." 
     Cassy heard Scully laugh softly behind her.
     Good. Jokes were good. It would keep her from lingering over how
strong Kimberly Jenkins' fear had made her feel, and how wonderful it
felt. That way lay the path of madness.
                              *
     The child had passed out. Stupid, useless when they were unconscious.
It was not going as well as he had hoped. 
     Oh her fear was wonderful, delicious. The woman... her name rang in
his head, he'd gleaned it from her mind as she fought against him.
Cassandra. Lovely name. Sensuous, so like her. Yet she did fight him. She
did not accept his gift. He knew she felt it, he knew she was as
intoxicated with the fear as he was. Yet she had tried to STOP him. 
     It was the man. A normal, untalented, ordinary human. She had tried
to focus on him as the pleasure of the girl's fear surrounded her. He was
holding her back, keeping her from her destiny. Like a submissive fool she
allowed him to hold her back. 
     He looked at the pictures he had taken at the dumpster. One had been
gone over with red marker. An X over the blond man's face. 
    A shaking hand lifted the second picture. This face was studiously
devoid of emotion except for the eyes. The eyes were haunted. What pain
lay there? The Boogie Man would find out. He didn't simply want this one
off the case. He would no longer be satisfied to elude this hunter. No. He
wanted to destroy him. Shred his mind, wring every drop of fear and pain
from his soul before the kill. And she would watch. Feel it all, and know
who was the greater, where her destiny lay.
     He used a thumbtack to pin the picture to the wall. His research gave
him a name. Fox Mulder. A stupid name for a foolish hindrance. 
     He picked up the last picture. The small red haired woman. Here was
where the pain could start. She was Mulder's assigned partner. He had
experience with law enforcement. Partners, at least long standing ones,
had special bonds. 
                              *
     Cassy sat in the back seat, the dawn was approaching. She was
exhausted. She had maybe an hours worth of sleep last night.
     She peered through the huge glass windows of the 24 hour quickmart to
see Mulder at the counter already.
     She heard a chuckle from the front seat. Dana Scully was examining
the map and list of addresses in her lap, but she was shaking her head.
     "Wanna let me in on it?" Cassy leaned forward a bit. 
     "I just had a picture of you sending him out for scented feminine
hygiene products." 
     Both women were laughing when Mulder got back into the car.
    "What?" He held out three fudgecicles.
    "Nothing." Cassy took the offered stick and peeled off the wrapper.
The cold felt wonderful against her still burning tongue.
     "Nothing like a nice healthy breakfast." Scully looked askance at the
popsicle in her hand before giving up and eating it. "The first address is
six blocks from here on Calvert Street. It used to be a pizza shop,
deliveries only." 
     Cassy pulled out her baseball bat and cradled it across her lap.
Scully gave her an odd look.
     "I know." Cassy managed around her fudgecicle before removing it's
soothing coldness to speak more clearly., "I don't plan on getting out of
the car. But I feel better with it. I'm good at bashing people with
sticks. Ask Mulder."
     Scully leaned over to peer at Mulder's faintly bruised jaw with a
raised eyebrow. "I was going to ask about that..."
     Cassy blushed in the back seat and Mulder gave Scully his whipped
puppy look. "She beats on me mom."
     "That was my fist, not a stick. I have yet to whack you with a
stick." Cassy defended.
     They pulled up to the closed shack that had been their destination.
Cassy braced herself and dropped her outer shields, feeling the emotions
of the people in the city around them pressing in. She tried to focus on
the building in front of them, but was unable to get anything at all. That
could just mean he was better at hiding than she was however.
     "Be careful ok? I don't feel anything out of the ordinary, but that
will not make me feel better if either one of you get shot." Cassy settled
into the back seat as the two got out to check the building.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (9/?) PG-13
Date: 16 Jan 1996 14:35:07 -0500


     Disclaimers attached to parts 1 and 6.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 9/?)

     They were gone for ten minutes. It seemed longer as Cassy's hands
sweated against the bat she held in a death grip. But all her anxiety was
for nothing. They both were shaking their heads as they returned to the
car.
     "Nothing. No one's been in there for months, unless you count the
rats." Scully offered as Mulder started the car.
     The second place on their list was a specialty spice store, still in
operation. It had vacant apartments above it.
     Again Cassy stayed in the car. The town was waking up, and she
watched many different people heading to jobs, school, ordinary lives. It
suddenly occurred to her that she hadn't called in to work, and she hoped
Tammy would remember that little detail. They were gone for longer this
time. They had to contact the building manager and get permission to
search the empty rooms, and she gathered when fifteen minutes passed that
they either got permission or were phoning for a warrant. 
     She was feeling useless again. Sitting in a car, doing nothing was
not helping anyone. But how could she help. The town and surrounding
communities created enough emotional 'noise' she'd never be able to use
her gift to track them, unless HE decided to go after her again. Cassy
shuddered. What he was doing was inhuman, vile, and incredibly seductive.
What kind of person was she to feel such raw pleasure as the force fed
fear flowed through her? She pressed her forehead against the cool glass
of the car window. 
     She was a good person, she told herself silently echoing the words of
her councilor Dr. Hauman, it's our actions and ability to tell right from
wrong that make up personal morality. What this man was doing was WRONG,
no matter how good it felt. He was no different than a drug addict. That
he was forcing some of his high on her didn't make her bad either. She
knew it was wrong and wanted to part of it. Didn't she?
     Her head was hurting again when Mulder and Scully returned to the car
once again.
     "No luck." She sighed and looked over Scully's shoulder at the map
and list. "Now where?"
     "Pitt Street. An Italian restaurant up until a month ago. It's been
purchased by a new owner but no reopened yet." Scully folded the map and
Mulder pulled out. 
     "Are you alright back there?" Mulder asked over his shoulder.
     "Tossed between a nervous breakdown and terminal boredom but doing
fine." Cassy swung her legs up so she sat across the whole back seat.
"I've got an idea. You said this guy was a psychic vampire right? I mean
it fits with what I've felt. I might not be able to drown out an ocean of
emotion around me... but I should be able to notice a whirlpool."
     Mulder frowned, "What do you mean?" 
     "I mean he drains emotions. It's what he's good at. He's lazy about
it though. Look at him, he takes kids mostly because he won't have to work
very hard to make them afraid. He works along ley lines and junctions so
they will augment his powers and so he won't have to push himself. He's
lazy. We are currently following the line he's most likely on. Meaning
*I'M* more sensitive too. If I don't focus on any particular set of
emotions I just might be able to 'feel' the 'tides'. All this background
noise is very much like being in a river or ocean. A person who sucks up
emotion should make a difference in the currents... shouldn't they?"
     "Don't you risk getting his attention going out looking for him like
that?" Mulder's concern was valid. She had to nod admission.
     "Yes. But if he get's into my head again I'll be ready and I'd STILL
be better able to pinpoint him. Look at this rate... he could leave town.
He has to know we're looking for him. He may start acting against his
established patterns, like he did with the kidnapping itself, just to
throw you off."
     "She has a point Mulder. He may even kill Kimberly at any time and go
after other game." Scully turned in her seat. "Can you do that while we
move?"
     "Hey! She isn't doing anything. I don't think it's worth the
risks..."
     Cassandra smiled slightly as she closed her eyes and lost the rest of
Mulder's tirade. She was feeling all the emotion around her, dulling it to
a white noise roar. It took a lot of concentration to NOT focus on what
was around her, especially with Mulder's agitation and anger so close.
Felt like he realized she wasn't listening. Oh well...
     The tides did flow around her, ebbing and flowing. Serene and
peaceful, so easy to loose herself in and never return. No! Focus. She
felt an odd current. Faint, moving against the rest of the currents. 
     Vocalize it. Force the mouth to form the words as the mind was
elsewhere. 
     "East. A current is wrong, running east." 
     She didn't hear or feel response as she flowed with the current, and
was abruptly seized. 

                              *
     Mulder kept checking the rear view mirror. Cassy appeared relaxed,
her eyes closed and her breathing regular. Damn her. She was putting
herself at unnecessary risk. 
     Scully was turned in her seat watching Cassy more closely. Mulder had
to try to divide his attention between the road and the mirror, and the
sound of a blaring horn outside made him realize it just wasn't going to
work and he had to watch the road.
     He pulled completely over when he heard Cassy gasp.
     He brought the car to a stop and unbuckled as he swung around to look
into the back seat. She was shaking again.
     "Damn! Cassy!" He reached for her only to have Scully stop him. 
     "No Mulder, any restraint and you'll risk hurting her. You have to
allow the seizure to run it's course."
     "This isn't a seizure Scully, he has her, and you know it."
                              *
     The child had just come around when he started to play a new version
of the game. He started with Hansel and Grettle, just as he'd mentioned to
Cassandra. Kimberly came fully awake locked in a cage. Outside the cage a
cackling crone opened an oven and used a wooden board to pull out a lump
of something. The blackened corpse of a child popped and sizzled on the
end of the paddle. Kimberly whimpered, her eyes wide as she peed herself.
     He was about to move up the illusion when he felt a tug. Faint, but
moving closer. He mentally reached out and grasped Cassandra.
     ::I knew you'd come to me. You cannot resist what I can offer you.::
     Cassandra struggled in his mental grasp. She then did something
totally unexpected. She let loose a wave of love and comfort, acceptance
and hope. It washed over him in a blinding light. Making him shrink in on
himself for a moment. The emotions were pure, almost as wonderful as a
child's fear. But while he drank them in... they were not aimed at him.
They were aimed at the child who had ceased her whimpering. Her fear did
not go away, but instead lightened, a a glimmer of hope came to her heart.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (10/?) PG-13
Date: 17 Jan 1996 15:07:51 -0500


Disclaimer attached to parts 1 and 6

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 10/?)

     It took him nearly a full minute to realize Cassandra was using HIM.
She could not project her emotions without physical contact. She was using
the fact that he was 'feeding' from both her and the child, making him a
conduit to give the girl hope. With a mental slam he ceased his contact
with the child and reached into Cassandra's mind. He felt her rising panic
as he touched her thoughts. Grabbing what he needed he released her.
    He leaned against the wall and looked at the huddled form of Kimberly
Jenkins as she lay in a fetal position clutching at her head.
     "Don't feel false hope Kimmy. It was no angel, and I can hurt her
too." 
     He felt her begin to dispair again and smiled to himself. Cassandra
had tried to oppose him, but in doing so she gave him all he needed. 
     He reached out and grabbed Kimberly's small wrists in one hand. He
produced a roll of duct tape from a pocket and began taping her wrists
together, careful not to cut off circulation, yet keep the binding tight
enough to prevent escape. No, to hurt her body too much would allow her a
way to escape his illusions. He'd learned that the first time. 
     She whimpered as he stuffed a rag into her mouth and taped over it
before shoving her small form into a cupboard door. She'd be able to
breathe in there. He braced the door closed with a chair under the knob. 
     His captive secured, he left the building, carefully locking it
behind him. He had plans. Glorious plans. And Cassandra Troy had given him
the means to complete them.
                              *
     Cassy came around with a gasp, her body drawing her into an upright
position. Her eyes focused on the frightened and concerned faces before
her. Her shields were down again, and she felt another bruising assault
first from the world at large but more keenly from the
fear/relief/anger/concern directed at her from two sources in the car's
front seat.
     She closed her eyes and drew her shields up again. The onion layers
separating herself from all around her, allowing her to feel for herself.
The last layer up she again opened her eyes. Her headache had erupted into
real pain now, she hadn't suffered a migraine like this in a long time.
     "Just what the Hell did you think you were doing?" She should have
expected the angry words. She had to force herself to remember that he was
angry because he cared. Otherwise she'd have bitten his head off in
return.
     "He's to the east a bit, further north, none of the addresses along
the western edge of the line are viable." Cassy offered as an answer as
she clutched her head in shaking hands.
     "Cassy what happened?" Mulder's voice was softer now. He had noticed
the tears sliding down her cheeks.
     "I tracked him part way. I was doing the right thing. But he must
have sensed me somehow. He grabbed me. But he was still connected to
Kimberly when he did. I thought fast and used him as a link to Kimberly,
sending her some affection and care, trying to give her hope. He caught on
to what I was doing and cut us both off. It hurt."
     "Scully how far is Mercy? Cassy you are getting to a hospital now."
     "Screw you Mulder. He knows what I was doing. I have a Migraine, but
nothing I haven't had before. AFTER you get this guy I get myself checked
out. THAT was the deal." 
     Scully shook her head with a small smile. "I have no more worries
Mulder. She's perfect for you." 
     Mulder was scowling. 
     "Look, other than put her on medication nothing can be done for the
seizure aspect of these attacks. I'm not even sure that would work
considering the cause of these episodes. The best way to stop these
attacks and minimize the health risk to Cassy would be to stop this man."
Scully reasoned calmly.
     Cassandra almost cheered despite her headache. Almost. When this was
over she was going to have to see about being a bit more friendly to
Mulder's partner. She had to admit she had been more then a little
standoffish around Dana Scully out of pure jealousy. Cassy knew no matter
what happened between herself and Mulder, Dana Scully would always be
closer to Fox. She would always be his best friend, the one he'd turn to
first. And damnit it hurt. But it couldn't be helped... indeed, it was
even understandable. So it was up to Cassy to shove her pettiness behind
her and accept the olive branch she sensed had just been held out to her.
     Knowing he had been outvoted by two very stubborn women Mulder was
silent as he drove to the next place on their list. Cassandra HAD
eliminated ten places with her little stunt. Saving them a couple of hours
at least.
     "Ok the next address to the east of this line is?" Cassy offered.
     "A failed Sub-way. Let's go Mulder."
                              *
     The building was in a shopping plaza that only managed to keep half
it's shops open. The rest of the glass fronted establishments had windows
either soaped over or covered with cardboard from the inside, shielding
them from the prying eyes of the public.
     They had called ahead ten minutes ago. The realtor handling the sale
of the shops had agreed to meet them there and have the places open. He
was waiting in the parking lot.
     "You those FBI folks?" He asked shakily. His eyes darting to the
empty storefronts nervously. He was obviously uncomfortable with the
thought that one of them might hide a kidnapper and his victim.
     Scully and Mulder showed their badges and the fortyish man in the
gold jacket looked at them carefully, matching faces to the pictures.
     "I didn't open 'em yet. I figured if he's here... maybe someone with
a gun better be close by." He shrugged a bit.
     Mulder managed a tight smile. "Good idea Mr. Niles."
     He jingled the ring of keys. "I'll go in with you though, and make
sure things are locked up behind you. I can't imagine anyone using any of
these stores to hide a kidnapped kid."
     Mulder sighed. "Open the doors and stay outside. I'd rather you
stayed out of the way if there is any reason for things to get dicey."
     "Whatever you say sir." Mr. Niles led them to the first door. 


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (11/?) PG-13
Date: 17 Jan 1996 15:12:32 -0500


Disclaimer: Yes, we all fall down and worship at the feet of Chris Carter,
who created the wonderful world of the X-Files and who owns all of it. We
grovel before the master. We are unworthy dogs who can only make pitiful
attempts to mimic him.
CC probably has more money then God by now, while I am dirt poor, so it
really wouldn't be worth his time to try to sue me anyway.
    Cassandra Troy and all characters who never showed up in any X-Files
episode are my own paltry creations.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 11/?)

     Cassandra watched from the car as Mr. Niles opened the door and
Mulder and Scully entered with their guns drawn. They came out in five
minutes and moved to the shop next door to the defunct Sub-Way, the
reasoning being the smell might have penetrated the nearby stores as well.

     Something was nagging at Cassy, but with her raging headache she just
shoved whatever it was aside. She lay down in the back seat, closing her
eyes to seek some relief from the pain.
                              *
     Mulder cursed softly when he saw that this store had once been a drug
store, it was filled with shelving, now empty of products, but still
creating convenient hiding places.
     Mulder managed not to jump when Mr. Niles voice came from behind him.
"There is a lock on the door to the back storeroom." 
     Mulder nodded to him. "Scully, go with him and check it out." He eyed
the pharmacist's area in back. Another good hiding place.
     Scully moved along the side wall, Mr. Niles following nervously
behind. He saw the Real estate man fumble with the lock and finally open
the back storeroom before following Scully inside. 
     Mulder moved across the isles, making sure it was all clear before
proceeding to the Pharmacist's counter.
                                   *
     Scully felt Mr. Niles behind her as she swung, gun out, around the
first storage shelf. Nothing. She began to turn to tell the man it might
be better if he left when she felt something press into her side, and a
jolt of electricity tore through her. She fell limply to the floor.
     The man behind her re-pocketed his stun gun and removed the gold
jacket, letting it drop to the dusty ground before he hefted the
unconscious woman up and over his shoulder. Good thing she was small, he
thought to himself. He kicked her dropped gun at the door. She wouldn't be
needing that, and it would be one more thing to distract her partner.
     He used the keys he'd taken from the man who now occupied the trunk
of the car in the parking lot to open the back exit. His own car was
waiting right outside.
                              *
     "Scully it's clear." Mulder called as he made his way to the door of
the store room. What was taking her so long? He hadn't heard anything.
     He paused at the door. "Scully?"
     Pushing the door open the first thing he noticed was the gun the door
pushed before it cleared. Then the jacket lying in the dust.
     "SCULLY!" He searched the room frantically. She was gone. The rear
exit was open. 
     He Brought out his cellphone and dialed a number he had filed in his
memory.
     "It's Mulder. I'm at the Oakcrest plaza on Hanover. I saw our man,
and I think he has Scully." His voice held the tight edge of rising panic.
He didn't hear Skinner's response over the phone as he cursed and ran out
to the front of the store. Bursting through the door he looked at the blue
Ford Taurus to see no one in the back seat.
     "NO!" He ran to the car just as Cassy's head popped up from the back.

     The relief was brief. Scully was still missing.
                              *
     Cassy saw Mulder's pale face, and noted at once that there was no
sign of Scully or the real estate guy. She opened the door and climbed out
of the back seat, bat still in her hands.
     "Mulder what is it?"
     "He was no real estate agent. He took Scully."
      Cassy's eyes flew wide. "How? I mean she was armed..."
     "I don't know. He went into the storeroom with her and when I checked
on him two minutes later he was gone, out the back door. How did he know
where we'd be?"
     Cassy gasped and leaned against the car. "Ohmigod! He's a telepath...
what if he managed to get the list we were checking out of my head. Oh
God... it's my fault, my fault..." Her knees went weak and she slid down
the car to sit on the asphalt.
     "You couldn't have anticipated this." Even as he spoke he heard the
distant sounds of sirens. He remembered the phone in his hand and held it
to his ear. It wasn't a dial tone, just Skinner's voice issuing orders.
     "Sir?"
     "Glad you could rejoin us agent Mulder." The sharp words bit over the
phone. "Police are on their way, as are a forensic's team. Mind telling me
just what happened?"
     Mulder slid down the car to sit next to Cassy as he repeated the
whole story. 
     Cassy fought back her own sense of guilt and raging headache as she
felt Mulder's panic pull at her. This was not the first time he'd lost his
partner. It was only pure luck that had allowed her recovery on two other
occasions. Cassy took Mulder's hand in her's, only to have it pulled away.
He was withdrawing again, and she couldn't let that happen.
     "Mulder. Listen to me, he's an expert on these games. He's
eliminating everyone tracking him, and that means you too. Killing
outright is not his style. Not yet anyway. But if he pulled where we were
going from my head he may well have found out what might drive you crazy.
So he took her. But he made a mistake Mulder..." She saw it was only rage
holding him together right now. "Mulder, we may not be the best of
friends... but I may have spent enough time around Scully to track her
emotions. He may have just given us a tracking device."
     "If she's alive. And conscious." He spit out.
     "She's alive. I'd feel it if she died violently this close to me. And
if he wants to play with her head he needs her conscious. We'll find her."
Cassy pressed reassurance on him as she touched his arm.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (12/?) PG-13
Date: 17 Jan 1996 15:13:26 -0500


Disclaimers attached to parts 1, 6 and 11.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (part 12/?)

     It seemed to take forever after the police and forensics teams
arrived for them to both give a detailed description of the suspect. Both
Mulder and Cassy wanted to get moving, and they were not allowed until
full statements were given and an APB put out on the man who had posed as
Mr. Niles.
     The real Mr. Niles was found soon enough. He had been shoved into the
trunk of the car the imposter had been waiting near. He was quite dead.
     Cassandra downed a handful of aspirin with a small bottle of juice
then waited in the passenger seat of the Taurus. Forty five agonizing
minutes after Scully had disappeared Mulder finally slipped back into the
driver's seat.
     "Well?" He looked at her expectantly. 
     Cassy raised an eyebrow at him. An hour ago he'd had a fit about her
reaching out with her gift. My, how situations change. She sighed and
closed her eyes. She thought of the emotional signature of agent Scully.
It was a psychic scent. Over time her emotional signature would change,
but it had been about an hour since Cassy had felt Dana Scully's emotions
thrust on her. Like any good bloodhound she sought for any whiff of that
particular signature.
                                   *
     Scully awoke in a room filled with light. Something buzzed in her
head for a while, and she quickly realized that she was on her back,
strapped to a hard table. It was eerily familiar, and her heart rate sped
up in response to the first wave of panic that hit her.
     Two faces loomed into view, faces from a nightmare, or from Hell. 
     "No... no... you're dead." She struggled in the restraints.
     "Yes... your friend got a little too close for comfort." The oriental
man smiled without humor. "And so Dr. Ishimaru had to die. But my work
continues. Dying is very liberating Miss Scully. It allows certain
freedoms." He held up a hypodermic, watching some clear fluid bead at the
tip.
     She fought against the rising hysteria, her body trembled in terror.
No! The second man... he was dead. Well and truly dead. She had seen
Mulder gun him down. He had no place in the nightmare of the white room,
or train car, or whatever this place was. 
     "No, damnit. YOU are dead." She twisted, feeling the restraints bite
into her. "You were no part of THIS. You were nothing more then a warped,
delusional, psychotic. This isn't real."
     Donnie Pfaster just gave her a tight lipped smile. "I brought you
here Dana. I get to play with you when they're done." She felt his hand
stroke her hair and she fought the rising urge to vomit. "Such lovely
hair." He purred.
     "Later. First there are a few more tests." Dr. Ishimaru pushed
Pfaster away as he lowered the needle to Scully's arm.
     Her mind screamed out in denial. This was utterly impossible. Not
real. Not real at all. It couldn't be. 
     A thought struck her. A picture of Cassandra Troy with a popsicle.
Scully bit the inside of her cheek, hard. The pain was immediate and tears
welled in her eyes. She focused on it, probed at the soreness with her
tongue while telling herself this wasn't real.
     The room faded, and her head was filled with a roaring noise before
intense pain in her skull nearly blinded her. 
     "Damn. Now you see why I prefer to work with children." She heard the
voice before her. She looked up to see the man whom she had thought to be
a real estate agent. She had thought him to be in his forties in the
parking lot, but his now wet hair had lost it's grey, and some of the
lines on his face were gone. He'd used makeup to age himself. 
     "Regain your strength agent Scully, we'll play again soon enough. I
imagine your partner is quite frantic by now." There was a sick enjoyment
in his eyes. "But now I have to go keep Kimmy company. I don't want her to
feel too neglected."
     He had been standing in a doorway and the door now closed. "No! No,
you son of a bitch! Come back here. Leave her alone!"
     She swung her feet but couldn't reach the door. She surveyed her
surroundings desperately seeking a means to escape. A bare lightbulb
provided illumination. She felt the pain in her shoulders, drawing her
awareness to her hands, tied together with duct tape and looped over a
meat hook so that her feet barely touched the floor. She was in an empty
freezer unit. It was not cold, so the unit had been turned off for some
time. She looked to the closed door with renewed fear. If it had a good
seal... she could suffocate in here.
     Scully forced her breathing to slow. This could be an illusion as
well. She probed at her sore cheek, but it didn't fade. Ok, so maybe this
part was real. And he was outside that door somewhere... mentally
torturing Kimberly Jenkins.
     Scully sawed her bound wrists against the dull meat hook.
                              *
     Cassandra's brow furrowed. Mulder watched her carefully for the first
sign that she was again in the Boogie Man's grasp. It took about five
minutes before she opened her eyes.
     "Fifteen miles northeast. I'm leaving some shields down. The closer
we get the better I'll feel her."
     "You found her?" He started the car and pulled out onto the main
road.
     "Oh ye of little faith. Yah, but it's gonna be a game of hot and cold
till we are on top of the place. The bad news is... she was scared
spitless Mulder. I think he might be playing his head games with her."
Cassandra didn't WANT to tell him that, but he had to know. 
     "Are you going to call for backup or what?" Cassy looked at him
strangely.
     "Not until we get there. Look Cassy, we're lucky Skinner's taking you
as seriously as he is... but he'd never pull other search units away to
play a game of hot and cold follow the leader. No, we wait until you say
we're right on top of the place... THEN we call for back up."
     Cassandra nodded in understanding. She was shaking a bit as she left
her mind open enough. A hint of anger/ fear/ helplessness/ determination
marked the trail now.
      "Go right here." She pointed to the next intersection. They
couldn't, it was a one way street. "Shit." 
      Mulder kept going to the next street over. There they could make the
right. "Which way back or forward?"
     "Ahead." Cassy's mouth twitched a little at what she felt. "You
know... she's pissed off more then she's afraid." Her eyes darted to all
the side roads. "Left here. Oh please not another one way street..."
     It wasn't. They made the turn easily.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (13/?) PG-13
Date: 17 Jan 1996 15:13:57 -0500


Disclaimers attached to parts 1, 6 and 11.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 13/?)

     He watched the child writhe in terror.
                              *
     In her mind Kimmy couldn't see. She was somewhere cold and dark, and
she was standing in some slimy cold stuff up to her knees. Every once in a
while something in the slime would brush her leg. Or she'd hear a gurgling
sound. She was crying freely now. 
     She wanted her mommy. She wanted her daddy who had always made the
bad guys go away before. But they weren't here. Only the dark, and the
thing in the slime.
     It grabbed her ankle and she fell, screaming. Something awful filled
her mouth, and she spat the slimy liquid out even as she was dragged
forward by her ankle. Her screams echoed back at her. No one answered
them. No one ever did. She couldn't get a hold of anything as she was
pulled. Nothing at all. Then the thing let go, only to wrap around her
body. Dim light filled the tunnel she was in now, allowing her to see at
last. It was a tongue. It was dragging her to a wide open mouth with rows
of sharp teeth.
     She renewed her screams.
                              *
     The waves of panic washed over him. It swept away the mild headache
dealing with the woman had given him. It filled him with its power. Yes.
Yes. YES! 
     His body rocked slightly as he sat before the child. She had slipped
into the comforting arms of oblivion for a while. Soon enough she'd be
ready to feed him again.
     He looked at the closed door of the refrigeration unit. It was
probably time to give her some air anyway.
     He opened the door to see her hanging limply from the meat hook. A
trickle of blood seeped from underneath the tape holding her wrists. She
glared at him with loathing and hatred.
     "Now see, you went and hurt yourself. I could have told you this
wasn't sharp enough to cut through the tape, and you aren't heavy enough
to break the tape as many times as I have it wrapped." He smiled at her.
     "Who are you? Why are you doing this?" Her anger flowed from her,
lovely in it's strength.
     "I'm the Boogie Man. That's what they call me anyway." He jerked his
thumb behind him and moved to the side so she could see the child crumpled
on the floor just in her line of sight. 
     "Bastard." She spat. "Why do you pick on children? Why do you do
this?"
     "Because the fear of children is not only the strongest emotion, it
is the easiest to induce. It is what I was born to do. Do these answers
enlighten you at all? I didn't think so. You simply cannot comprehend the
magnitude of what I am." He made no move to get any closer to her. He knew
she'd strike out with her feet if he came in range. If he tried to retape
her wrists she'd fight as well. So she would have to suffer the
discomfort.
     "I suppose I can't play with you anymore can I? I mean, your arms
must hurt something awful, and your wrists are probably burning. That
would be an annoying distraction. What a shame. You really are quite fun.
Your terror, when it is properly aroused, runs quite deep. You could keep
me fed for days."
     "I hope I gave you indigestion." She spat pulling once more at her
wrists.
     He chuckled. "You have a refreshing sense of humor Dana. Your anger
is refreshing as well. I am not limited to fear you know. I can take in
just about any emotion. It is just that fear is the most... delicious." 
     He stepped back through the door. "I have to go now. My guests will
be arriving soon. I really think I should be ready for them don't you?
You'll have enough air to breathe for a while more anyway. After that...
it probably won't matter any more." As he swung the door closed again she
could swear she heard him humming "Here Comes the Bride".
                              *
     "Ahead! It's just ahead!" Cassy pointed slightly to the left.
"There!" She closed her eyes. Yes. Dana Scully was here. In that building.

     It was a boarded up corner store. The letters DE and I still hung
above the door. 
     Mulder pulled into an old parking lot and reached for his phone. He
froze mid movement. 
     Cassy frowned. "Mulder, what's wrong?" 
     She saw him slump over at the same moment she felt the anger/terror
flow from him. 
     "NO!" She shook his shoulder. That son-of-a-bitch got him. 
     "Not if I can help it." She closed her eyes and thrust herself into
Mulder's dreams. It wasn't the cautious, controlled entry she had always
taken with him before on the numerous times she had either banished his
nightmares or created more interesting and pleasurable dream settings.
This was the violent jolt of panic.
                              *
     She almost didn't notice that she had succeeded, she was still in the
car, still parked outside the deli. But the scent of Garlic was stronger
here, and Mulder was NOT in the car. Of course, the best illusion was one
based on fact. Mulder may not even realize this wasn't real.
     She opened the car door and hefted the Baseball bat in her hands. 
     So far she was going unnoticed. She didn't know the extent of this
guy's power, maybe he couldn't really concentrate on more then one adult
mind at a time. She certainly hoped not.
     She ran to the side door of the building. It was slightly ajar.
     "Welcome to my parlor..." She whispered as she opened it and stepped
inside.
                              *
     Mulder heard a child whimpering up ahead. He tried to make as little
sound as he could as he moved through the empty shop area. The sound was
coming from the back. He strained his hearing. No sign yet of the backup
he'd called. 
     Suddenly blinding light struck him from the door way. He
instinctively raised his arm to shield his eyes. Then he heard Scully
scream.
     With no further thought he ran into the light, his gun ready. At once
he was unable to move, unable to speak, almost unable to breathe. 
     ::It's come full circle at last.:: the voice in his head was
terrifyingly familiar.  ::Don't worry, she'll be all right.::
     He couldn't even scream.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (14/17) PG-13
Date: 19 Jan 1996 00:44:54 -0500


Disclaimer attached to parts 1, 6 and 11.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (14/17)
    
     Cassandra moved through a dimly illuminated hall. The only source of
light was a blinding glow at the end. By now she felt the fear battling
with rage coming from Mulder. She suspected what she might find when she
reached the light.
    She had no sooner entered the room of light than the light itself
faded. She saw Mulder, he'd been standing just inside a door on her left.
He fell, his knees giving out from under him.
    "Mulder... Fox this isn't..." Her words were drown in a rush of air
and a roar. She felt incredible heat at her back, searing. She smelled
burnt hair and immediately dropped and rolled. Flames filled the hall
she'd just come from, and the door behind Mulder. She checked, and sure
enough the ends of her hair had been aflame, indeed she might have gone up
if she hadn't rolled.
    Mulder was trying to push himself up off the floor, blind panic in his
eyes, rolling over her. The heat was intense. Smoke filled the room and
she scrambled on hands and knees to his side.
     She looked around, by now the flames covered all the walls and were
starting on the ceiling. Debris began to fall as  flaming cardboard
ceiling tiles dropped randomly.
    She touched Mulder's arm, he was shaking. Fire. What had made the
mysterious Boogie Man choose this illusion? Was Mulder afraid of fire?
He'd never confessed such a fear to her.
    "Cassy." She looked into his eyes, seeing a naked terror there. "We
have to find Kimberly, quickly. They took Scully." He tried to get up
again. "I can barely stand."
     Cassy gripped his shoulders. "It's not real. Mulder listen to me, you
are still in the car. You were overcome before you could even call for
backup." 
     She saw his eyes gaze at the flames, felt the panic rising to drive
her mad, along with him.
     "Mulder, do you trust me? I know you don't trust easily... but do you
trust ME?"
     He took a shuddering breath, the air scalded his lungs, and the smoke
added to the burning. He coughed, but nodded.
     Cassy fought against the fear. She knew HE was here somewhere,
feeding off it. Feeding off Mulder, enjoying this twisted game. She felt
the fear become lost in the anger that flowed over her, a red haze of
rage. She felt her mind reach out... Only to snatch it back with an effort
of sheer will that almost tore her apart. NO, she would not do that again.
Never again. But if it was the only way to save Mulder...
     She shook her head. No, he wasn't in PHYSICAL danger. Not yet anyway.
And to allow her mind to strike out would only feed this adversary more,
not drive him mad with guilt, fear and pain.
     "Come on." She helped haul Mulder to his feet. "You and me, together.
We walk right into it. Face the fear." She took his arm.
     She saw the raw terror as much as felt it, the doubt in his eyes. 
     "TRUST me." She took his hand. He looked at her and nodded. The roar
of the flames, the intense heat sucking away every drop of moisture in
their bodies drained him of the ability to speak.
     His grip on her hand was painful, she could almost feel the bones
grind together as she ran with him at the flames, rushing headlong into
the fire. She felt it then... an outpouring of pure love, it came from
within herself and bathed him in it's protective embrace. He was nearly
gibbering mad with terror, yet he was willing to run to the heart of that
fear for no other reason than her word.
     She gasped, opening her eyes to see that she was still in the car.
She turned to Mulder. "See, I told you so."
     He hadn't moved. He was still slumped against the door.
     Cassy considered her options. If she went back in then she could very
well be thrown out again. That is what must have happened, for she would
never have exited the illusion without him of her own volition. 
     Physical stimuli, it had helped her fight it before. She leaned over
and kissed Mulder's lips. No response. Oh well there was a first time for
everything. She bit her lip. Ok, so pain it was. She pinched his thigh,
hard. Nothing. What? She slapped his face. Once, twice, to no response.
    She pulled the phone from his limp fingers. It didn't have a speed
dial option. Should she call 911? No it would take to long to explain. The
answer came to her at once. There was an automatic redial. She jabbed the
button and heard the pulse tones  then a single ring.
     "Talk to me." The words barked into her ear.
     "We're at the corner of King George and East. Ms. Scully is inside,
and the Boogie Man is inside Mulder's head. Get your people out here now
Mr. Skinner. He's doing things to their minds, and I can't just sit by and
let it happen."
     "Yes you will, Ms. Troy, you sit in that goddamn car until trained
officers arrive. Do you hear me?"
     "Sorry... I think this is a bad connection. Your breaking up
something awful. Come again?" She hung up.
     Feeling a sense of deja vu she slipped from the front seat of the
car, the baseball bat in hand. No need for side doors. The bastard knew
she was coming. She heard the cellphone in the car ringing urgently and
ignored it.
                              *
     It was pitch black, and cold. The only sound was that of his own
breathing. 
     "Cassy?" He didn't like the way his voice cracked. She had been by
his side in the middle of Hell, he'd trusted her and she brought him...
here. No where. Nothing, not even the sound of her breathing. 
     Alright, once they leapt through the flames they should have either
burnt to a crisp, or somehow gotten clear, OR he should have snapped out
of it, if she was right, and it looked like she was, then everything
around him was the invention of the Boogie Man. All illusion. And he was
in the car. Great. So how do you get out, he thought to himself. He HAD to
get out. Scully needed him, Kimberly Jenkins needed him, even Cassandra
needed him. 
     Oh God, Cassandra. He rubbed at his face in the darkness. He'd been
holding her hand, and at the moment the thought of actually jumping into
the fire had been enough to occupy his mind and turn his bones to jelly
while twisting his guts. But now... now he remembered the emotions that
swept over him as they had made the jump. A warm cocoon of comfort and
completeness. Love. It had come from Cassandra, of that there was no
doubt. He shook his head, he'd have to deal with the ramifications of THAT
later. Right now he had to get out of this place. This darkness that only
existed in the mind of a madman.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (15/17) PG-13
Date: 19 Jan 1996 00:45:04 -0500


Disclaimer: Insert the disclaimer of your choice here.
Warning: This part is rated PG-13 due to language, innuendo and
situations. 

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 15/17)

     Cassandra held the bat carefully, not too tight not too loose. She
moved through the empty store front.
     "Ok, I'm here you son-of-a-bitch. Come out and face me."
     There was no answer. She saw the open door to the back room and moved
to it cautiously, listening for the slightest sound. There was breathing,
coming from the other side of a butcher block counter in the center of the
room.
     She moved through the door with a quick look to either side, ready to
smash in the head of anyone lurking there. Nothing.
     She rounded the counter with her bat raised to strike. It was
Kimberly Jenkins, curled into a ball. Her wrists and mouth covered with
duct tape. Cassy dropped to one knee and checked the girl's pulse.
Erratic, but strong. Her eyes were closed, so she had to assume the child
was out cold. In order to get rid of the duct tape she'd have to put down
the bat. But then Kimmy wasn't going anywhere right now anyway. Cassy
stood again, scanning the room, her outer shields down.
Fear/rage/frustration emanated from the door of the walk-in freezer unit.
Scully? Yes, the woman was in there, and conscious.
     Cassy couldn't see a single sign of the self proclaimed Boogie Man.
She opened the freezer door with one hand, the other still clutching the
bat. Dana Scully was against the far wall. Her hands over her head. She
too had been bound with duct tape.
     Cassy took a step toward the other woman, but Scully's eyes went
wide. "Behind you!" 
     The words hadn't even completely left Scully's mouth before Cassandra
felt a shove from behind. Then the door slammed closed.
     "Oh shit." Cassy turned to shove against the door. It didn't budge.
There was no handle on the inside. 
     Damn... Mulder was out there, completely helpless. What had she done?
                              *
     He'd felt her enter the building, her light shining like a beacon he
could not ignore. But she had managed to interfere with his games. Just
moments before she'd started putting together the keys of how to escape
his illusions. And she'd used that knowledge to help the man. 
    The resistance was painful. If he had not fed so well from the child
it might have been debilitating. But he had been able to separate her
consciousness from agent Mulder's and to lock the single most annoying
person in his life into a tight little place in his mind. 
     But concentrating on the physical and the non physical worlds at the
same time was straining. She was here, so close to his trap, he had to
divert some of his attention, enough to watch from his hiding place on top
of the freezer unit as she walked into the room, checking on the child
before heading for the door beneath him.
     When she walked through the door he lost more concentration as he
swung down, dropping behind her to shove her further inside. For the
moment she could share the prison with agent Scully.
     That done, he could now focus his full attention on destroying the
man.
                              *
     For a moment the darkness seemed less oppressive, and the silence was
not as engulfing. Mulder was suddenly aware of an ache in his leg, and a
faint stinging in his cheeks. The very fact that those feelings were so
out of place forced him to focus on them. 
     With a jolt he was back in the car. His head hurt. That was an
understatement. It felt like a whisky hangover minus the nausea. His
cellphone was on the seat beside him. Cassandra was not. 
     With a curse at the stubbornness and downright foolishness of women
in general, and one in particular he got out of the car. The cellphone
rang. He picked it up in irritation.
     "Mulder." He winced at the ache just speaking sent through his head.
     "Mulder, backup in on the way. Please tell me Ms. Troy is with you."
The sound of a car horn over the phone told Mulder Skinner was on the road
himself.
     "No sir she is not. I don't have any choice sir. I'm going in. Get
that backup here as fast as possible." Mulder hung up before Skinner had a
chance to order him to stay put. He switched off the phone for good
measure. 
     He checked the front door. It was open.
     "Oh dear, you know agent Mulder, your mind is a terrible waste." The
voice came from everywhere, and the pain slicing through his head gave
Mulder an idea why. He was a projective telepath as well as a psychic
vampire. He not only spoke the words, but forced them into Mulder's mind.
The speaker, however was no where to be seen. 
     "I'm sorry I allowed myself to get distracted by your lady friend.
You and I could have played for such a long time."
      "What have you done with them?" Mulder searched every corner of the
store front for some sign of the man to no avail.
     "Oh what a pair they are. You realize your little red haired friend
is quite expendable. She has such rich fear though. She is quite exquisite
in her own way. Do you have any idea how much most women fear rape agent
Mulder? How wonderful that fear can be?"
     "But Cassandra..." There was a chuckle coming from everywhere at
once. "once I teach her all we are meant to be... what a wonderful bride
she will make. I haven't yet had the pleasure agent Mulder... is she any
good? Does she scream? I think she likes it rough. Are you ever rough? Is
she twice as lovely when you make her come?"
     Mulder ground his teeth. This guy was baiting him, and he was being
none to subtle about it. He wanted Mulder to get angry, careless. Well the
anger was there, but he wasn't about to let it make him completely stupid.
     The door to the back room was open. He had to be in there, on the
other side. Now, how was he armed, and where were the hostages?
                              *
     Cassandra fished her miniature pocket knife from her front jeans
pocket. It took a bit of sawing, but she finally managed to cut Scully
down. Dana winced as she slowly lowered her arms. Pain stabbed through her
shoulders as over strained muscles repositioned themselves.
     "Are you okay?" Cassy carefully removed the tape from Scully's
bleeding wrists.
     "I've been better. What the Hell are you doing in here? Where is
Mulder?"
     Tears blurred Cassy's vision. "The Boogie Man got into his head. My
God Dana, he's helpless out there."


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (16/17) PG-13
Date: 19 Jan 1996 00:45:12 -0500


Hey, the Disclaimers are attached to other parts. 
WARNING! This part is PG-13, possibly R rated due to language, innuendo
and violence.
I want to take this opportunity to offer my thanks as there will be no
room in the next post. First to Barbara Lake, my mom who doubles as my
editor. She is all that stands between you and all the misplaced 'then'
and 'than's. And my sister Megan, who offers medical expertise where
needed. Thanks guys. And Thank you to everyone who wrote to me demanding
more of Cassy. I hope the ending of this story doesn't disappoint you too
much.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 16/17)

     "Think we can bust it open?" Scully motioned to the door. 
     Cassy looked around and stood on tip toe to bring down the meat hook
so recently adorned by Scully.
     "Let's hope the seal is dry rotted." 
     Scully nodded and both women checked along the door for the best
place to begin prying. Scully found a spot a bit wider than the rest and
Cassy applied the hook, pushing on it. It didn't budge. 
     "Feel up to lending a hand?" Cassy managed through gritted teeth. 
     Scully tested her aching shoulders', alright, but she couldn't get
her hands on the hook, not in any position that would give them leverage. 
     "My legs. I'll put my back against yours and brace my feet on the
wall. I'll push against you. Do you think your arms and ribs can take it?"
At Cassy's nod she continued. " If this works, prepare to fall."
      Cassy braced her palms against the hook and bent forward a little,
feeling Scully press her back against her. The force increased on her back
and Cassy pressed on the hook, her hands trapped between her ribs and the
metal. 
      "One, two, three... HEAVE." Both women gave everything they had at
the end of Scully's count. There was a satisfying hiss just as the hook
gave and both women fell. Cassy on her stomach and Scully on her back on
top of her.
      "Cassy are you alright?" Scully spoke softly as she quickly rolled
off. 
      "No problem. I didn't need those ribs anyway." She got to her knees
and pushed against the door. It gave an inch then stopped. "It's got a
padlock."
      "The sides of this freezer are aluminum. It can't be that strong.
Let's put our shoulders to it." Both women stood and got into position.
     "You know this guy's problem?" Cassy said as she readied to rush the
door. 
     "He's a psychopathic megalomaniac?" Scully quirked an eyebrow at her.
     "He's a psychopathic megalomaniac with no IMAGINATION. He uses movie
ideas on the kids, I don't know what he did with you, but unless Mulder's
fear of fire is a NEW thing he was playing on old fears with him. Nothing
at all original."
     Scully shook her head. "So how does that help us?"
     "No matter how smart you are, if you have no imagination someone is
bound to out think you. Ready?"
                              *
     Mulder kept his eyes on the open door way. Two could play at this
particular game.
     "I doubt you'd be able to handle the job. Cassy doesn't like passive
men. You have to put a little effort into it. Cassandra's definitely high
maintenance."
     "So, you think I am unable to be aggressive?" The voice around him
chuckled.
     "Only with people who can't fight back. And really, where is your
sense of originality? You need to be a bit more inventive."
     He couldn't tell if he'd managed to piss the guy off, but the silence
may have been telling.
     There was a groaning sound from the back, not human, the sound of
straining metal.
     "Fuck." That was the Boogie Man. He was distracted. There was a
crashing noise, then another. It was now or never.
     Mulder moved through the door, sweeping the room. Nothing. All of a
sudden the door of the freezer burst open, and Scully and Cassy spilled
out.
     Where was the suspect, and where was Kimberly Jenkins?
                              *
     The first shove moved the door a bit. Scully and Cassy met each
other's eyes and nodded. "One, two, THREE!" The padlock gave and they
spilled out. Cassy landed on her side, but Scully managed a controlled
roll that brought her to a one kneed crouch between one breath and the
next.
     Cassy managed to get up and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw
Mulder standing in the door, gun out and ready. But where was the Boogie
Man?
                              *
     "Hello!" He stood up from the other side of the counter, one arm
wrapped around Kimberly Jenkins' neck, the other hand held a gun to her
head. "I know, not terribly original yet again. But hey, I'm under
pressure." 
     The child was awake, and her eyes were large with fear. Her mouth and
wrists were still taped. 
     "Now if you'll excuse me... we can continue this at another time." He
backed toward the door, his eyes darting back and forth between the three
people facing him. Only Mulder had a gun. Cassy spied the baseball bat
laying inside the freezer.
     "Don't even think it honey. I can blow her brains all over that wall
before you managed to even pick it up."
     "Then take me." Cassy edged a bit closer."It's me you want anyway,
isn't it? Not the kid, you can pick up another kid anywhere, but where can
you find another empath? Do you think I want to face life never feeling
that rush again? Take me. They won't shoot you as long as you have me with
you."
     "Oh how touching." He sneered. "But I somehow doubt you plan on being
a willing hostage. You are too brainwashed by foolish morality."
     He took another backwards step for the door.
     "I'm not going to let you leave here." Mulder's voice was steady.
     "I don't think you can stop me." He smiled and pain lanced through
Mulder's head, on top of the previous headache his vision swam. His skull
was about to burst.


===========================================================================

From: rhonddal@aol.com (RhonddaL)
Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative
Subject: NEW: THE BOOGIE MAN (17/17) PG-13
Date: 19 Jan 1996 00:45:25 -0500


  Disclaimer attached to various other parts of this story.

     THE BOOGIE MAN
     by Rhondda Lake
     (Part 17/17)

     Three things happened at once.
                              *
     Kimberly Jenkins saw the Boogie Man hurting Mr. Mulder. She knew Mr.
Mulder and Ms. Scully, they'd been to her house before. They were her
daddy's friends. Trying to remember the things she had seen on TV she
arched her back and slammed the back of her head into the Boogie Man's
face. It hurt, a lot. But she heard him scream, and it felt good. He made
her scream enough. It was pay back time.
                              *
     Cassy saw Mulder clasp at his head and she saw Kimberly strike.
Without thought she rushed forward and grabbed the Boogie Man's gun hand,
drawing it upwards. A gunshot tore through the air.
                              *
     Dana Scully dove for the baseball bat inside the freezer as the shot
rang out. The Boogie man had dropped Kimberly and was wrestling with
Cassy. She had both hands wrapped around his gun wrist, and he had grabbed
a fist full of her hair, yanking her head back. His nose poured blood.
Kimberly had managed to break it.
     "You bitch!" He snarled into her face.
     Cassandra Troy smiled at him, despite the pain. "Glad you realized
it." Then she was in. Her hands around his wrist were the contact she
needed. She pushed into his head, pure emotion. Disgust, loathing, hatred,
fury she pounded them in on him. This wasn't the loss of control she had
suffered before, and she knew he would only feed off of what she did, but
the initial thrust of her attack caught him off gaurd. For a moment he was
stunned, then he began to drink it in, draining her.
                              *
     The pain of his attack faded the moment Kimberly had smashed the
Boogie Man's nose with the back of her head. He heard the gun shot and
focused, seeing Cassandra wrestling the man for his gun. Kimberly was
scrambling on her knees to get away, crawling awkwardly toward Mulder. He
tried to get a clear shot but Cassandra and his target kept twisting, if
he fired he could hit her.
     "Cassandra drop!"
     She didn't. Instead both figures stiffened. They froze, and a
heartbeat later Cassandra began to shake, the same tiny convulsions she
had had at the Jenkins' and in the car. He aimed for the self styled
Boogie Man's head. Before he could fire a resounding CRACK filled the
room. Both Cassandra and the Boogie man fell, revealing Scully behind
them, with the base ball bat. She'd clobbered him in the back of the head.
     Kimberly's crying was the only sound in the room until the distant
wail of police sirens filtered through the shop's walls.
     Cassandra moaned from under the suspect's bulk. She opened her eyes
and started to push him off. At that moment his grip on her hair tightened
and his gun pressed under her chin. 
     "You were supposed to understand." His pain filled eyes bore into
hers, and they were empty of anything human. "You go too bitch."
                              *
     Skinner was the third to pull into the parking lot, throwing his car
into park he saw Mulder's Taurus, and the other officers scrambeling out
of their cars, weapons out as they moved to surround the building.
     They all heard the single gunshot from within.
                              *
     Kimberly held on to her father for dear life. She had never seen her
daddy cry before. She didn't know daddy's could cry. But Mommy's tears
came as no surprise. She looked back at the car she had come home in. Nice
Mr. Skinner sat in the front seat, looking into the back seat where Mr.
Mulder sat looking really funny. Like he couldn't breath right. Ms. Scully
kept touching his arm. She would make him feel better. Kimberly knew it. 
     Kimberly herself was fine. She knew the Boogie Man had been inside
her head, and none of it was real. She knew she'd have nightmares for a
while, and she would have to talk with someone who would explain it all to
her, to make HER feel better. But for now she was home. Mommy and Daddy
loved her, and that was all that mattered.
                              *
     Skinner smiled briefly at the sight of the family's reunion. But that
smile disappeared as he looked into the back seat. Right now lectures on
proper procedures and following orders, not to mention hanging up on their
superiors were NOT what those two needed, especially not agent Mulder.
     "I want you to see the department councilor first thing tomorrow
agent Mulder, no ifs, ands or buts. That much at least will be by the
book." He had a hard time maintaining his glare into the rear view mirror.
     "But for now I'll take you to Mercy. You are going to be unmanageable
until you see for yourself that she's fine. And Agent Scully, I want you
checked out there as well. You've been through a lot."
                                *
     Mulder stood in the waiting room, too tired to pace, to anxious to
sit. When Cassy was wheeled through the door he managed to smile. They
hadn't bothered washing the blood away and she was pitifully pale. The
smile turned into a grimace.
     "Yah, I bet I look bad. With the stuff they gave me for my head I
could care less though." She smiled, there was a glassy look to her eyes.
"They should sell this stuff on the street."
     "Then I'd have to arrest you." He hugged her gently. "We have to
talk..."
     "You know I'd usually be the last one to stop you when you are
feeling comunica... comun... when you want to talk. But right now I'm so
High I can probably see the rooftops, and I'm still a bit shaky. It isn't
every day I get a man's head blown off in front of my face. It's not a
very nice experience." She reached up to touch her hair. "If I don't go
home and get his blood and grey matter out of my hair I'm going to have a
very unbecoming fit of hysterics. I think the lovely drugs have held them
off this long." 
     He nodded, understanding. "Don't worry too much Mulder. I'm sure I'll
get over it. I saw you out of the corner of my eye, and I managed to wrap
myself in as tight a shield as I could manage. His death was painful...
but more manageable than it would have been if I were unprepared." She
smiled a bit, weakly. "Take me home, and come see me tomorrow. We do have
a lot to talk about."
     Cassy's head hurt even contemplating the coming conversation. She'd
seen his fears before. Seen his nightmares, but never had she seen him as
close to loosing it as he had been tonight. And now he knew... He knew
that she loved him. And he was commitment shy. She wasn't looking forward
to tomorrow.
     But all she wanted to do now was sleep. Sleep, without nightmares.

THE END!