TITLE: Tinkerbell
AUTHOR (S): Spooky152, but I had story 
ideas from Biasong
RATING: Umm, PG-ish?
SPOILERS: Spoilers? We got lots of 
stinkin' spoilers:Beyond the Sea, Tooms,
How The Ghosts Stole Christmas, Arcadia 
(pant, pant) One Son, Triangle, Fight 
the Future
KEYWORDS: X File, MSR
SUMMARY: Mysterious murders in a small 
town lead Mulder and Scully into a 
cult of so-called faeries
DISCLAIMERS: (To the tune of I Will 
Survive)
First I was afraid, I was 
petrified
I though CC would stand 
forever by my side 
But the he lied
So I lay down and cried
I knew right away
They weren't mine
Even though I love them 
dearly he would not give 
them up
Even though I love Mulder 
and Scully too
But he lied
So I laid down and cried
They aren't mine

FEEDBACK: I am holding the Lone Gunmen 
for ransom until you guys give me some 
feedback. I know that's not much ransom, 
but Mulder was already taken and Scully 
is just too scientific for me. 
Spookymulder152@yahoo.com,spooky152@private.as 
or biasong@aol.com

Hi from the bottom of the totem pole. 
This is a story BiaSong (formerly 
Spright) and I thought of after having 
a 7-hour X-F marathon at my house. I 
apologize for the disclaimer, but 
those 'Remember The Seventies' CD 
commercials were on and you know how 
easy songs can get stuck in your head
AND NOW ON WITH THE 
SHOW.................................

--------------------------------------


Home of Rae and Phalene Walker
Pennyville, Maryland
August 5th 7:10PM

Rae shoveled the last bit of creamed 
corn into his mouth, then set the 
plastic spoon back into its 
compartment on the TV tray. He stared 
blankly at the TV screen, watching as 
a televangelist explained eloquently 
that if everyone watching the 
broadcast would send $50 to the 
address below, their souls would all 
be saved from the fiery furnaces of 
hell. Rae picked up the remote and 
changed the channel.

"Hey, I was watching that!" said his 
wife Phalene, reclining next to him in 
her pink Lay-Z-Boy.

"Well, too bad,' Rae remarked. He 
settled on a sitcom and the two 
watched in silence.

BANG!

"What the hell was that?" Phalene said 
worriedly, crouching behind her chair.

"I don't know," Rae said, slowly 
easing toward the door. He silently 
slid into his mud-caked Redwing boots 
and grabbed the flashlight lying next 
to the door. Phalene hurried 
wordlessly into the kitchen, taking 
the empty TV dinner plates with her.

Rae pushed open the front door and 
stepped out onto the porch. There was 
an eerie taste to the air tonight, and 
the Bug-Off machine buzzed even louder 
than usually.

"Come out, come out, wherever you 
are," Rae called out teasingly, his 
gun resting vulnerably on his right 
side. "Come on," he cooed, "I know 
your out there."

Meanwhile, Phalene was in the kitchen, 
polishing a steak knife. As she put 
down the cotton cloth, she paused to 
admire her reflection and light 
reflected directly into her eyes. She 
squinted, then put the knife down on 
the table as she reached up to wipe 
her eyes.

BANG!

Phalene jerked her head up.

"Rae?" she called out timidly. "Rae?"

She picked up the steak knife and 
walked out onto the front porch. She 
looked around, but Rae was nowhere to 
be found.

"Rae? Rae, where are you? Rae-"

She was cut off by her own scream, and 
the knife fell, clattering on down the 
stairs, landing handle-first in the 
petunia bed.

FBI Headquarters
Washington DC
10:02AM

Dana Scully walked into the office she 
shared with her partner, Fox Mulder, 
half-asleep and dead tired. Her 
mother's birthday had been yesterday, 
and she'd spent last night at Maggie's 
house after the party. Mulder had been 
there too, but he'd left around 10. 
Paperwork, he'd said. Scully had 
realized by now that it wasn't 
paperwork he was interested in after 
checking last night's Pay-Per-Veiw 
listings.

She opened the door to the office, 
finding Mulder's back to her, sitting 
in front of what Scully recognized was 
a new computer. Bedside him was 
several half-empty Styrofoam cups and 
a package of sunflower seeds.

"Mornin' Sunshine," she said, setting 
her briefcase on the desk.

"Hey, Scully," Mulder said, barely 
noticing her entrance.

"I see you got a new toy," she 
commented, walking over to stand 
behind him.

"We," he corrected her. "Skinner said 
that he'd bought a new home PC and 
gave us the old one."

"Anything interesting on it?" she 
asked, looking at the screen.

"Not unless you count the very advance 
Freecell and Solitaire games he 
bothered to download," Mulder answered 
sarcastically, picking up a seed and 
popping it in his mouth.

Scully gave him a little half-smile, 
then, opening her briefcase, pulled 
out a large, fat manila folder full of 
(surprise!) paperwork. She pulled a 
pen out of her purse, sat down at 
Mulder's desk, and began.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

About an hour later, the phone rang. 
Mulder, still engrossed in Freecell, 
made no motion to pick it up, so 
Scully, after capping her pen, did.  

"Scully."

"Agent Scully, I need you and Agent 
Mulder to report to my office in a 
half-hour," said a voice on the other 
end, presumably Skinner.

"Yes, sir," Scully replied and hung 
up.

"Mulder, Skinner wants to meet with 
us," she reported, turning to face 
him.

"Did he say why?" Mulder asked, 
reluctantly shutting down the computer 
and polishing off the remaining 
coffee.

"No," Scully replied, organizing her 
files back into their respective 
cabinets.

"Let's not go then," Mulder said, 
sitting back down in his office chair 
and propping his feet back on the 
desk.

"I only wish we had that opportunity," 
Scully said, then knocked his feet off 
the desk. The impact sent him 
spinning. "Let's go."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

"Agent Mulder, Agent Scully," Skinner 
nodded as the two agents came in his 
door. "Please sit down."

Mulder and Scully complied, then 
leaned casually back, waiting for 
instructions.

"Agents," Skinner began, "I received a 
call from Field Agent Thompson this 
morning. Apparently, two days ago, a 
man was found on the front porch of 
his home, murdered. Several claw marks 
were found around his body, but so 
were footprints. I'm sending you to 
Pennyville, Maryland to find the 
killer."

"Sir, isn't this more of a VCS case 
than an X-file?" Scully asked.

"It seems so on the outside, but, as 
Agent Mulder puts it so well, it has a 
paranormal scent around it. Besides, 
the other agents didn't want to do it,"
Skinner replied, and Mulder let out an 
amused chuckle. "Your plane for Baltimore 
leaves tomorrow at 8AM. Contact Agent 
Thompson at this number when you get 
there." At this point Skinner pulled 
out a card from his desk and handed it 
to Scully, who tucked it in her 
pocket. "Due to the recency of these 
events, we've been unable to make any 
residential arrangements."

"Am I to understand that we're on our 
own in the hotel way?" Mulder asked, 
an evil glint in his eye.

Skinner nodded and said, "If there 
are no questions, then you are 
dismissed."

Scully and Mulder arose from their 
chairs and walked out. Before Mulder 
got his foot out the door, Skinner 
called, "Agent Mulder?"

Mulder turned around. "Yes sir?"

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," 
Skinner said, and to Mulder's 
surprise, he winked. Mulder gave his a 
little half-smile, then turned to 
catch up with Scully.

Pennyville Visitor's Station
11:21AM

"Thank you for coming so quickly, 
agents, "said the chief of police. 
Mulder nodded curtly, and Scully 
handed him the report she'd finished 
reading. "We've never seen anything 
like it."

"Any idea of the origin of the 
battering done to the man?" Scully 
asked.

"No, but we did find these around the 
body," the chief said, and produced a 
black evidence bag. As Scully took it 
from his hand, she noted the weight 
and shape of the objects inside.

"Feathers?" she asked skeptically. 
"Could we be dealing with a raven 
attack or something of that notion?"

"Not by these standards," he said. 
"These are swan feathers."

"And apparently, swans don't have 
talons," Mulder said, putting the 
report aside and examining the 
feathers. "Do you still have the 
body?"

"It's still in storage," the chief 
said.

Mulder turned to Scully. "Are you 
ready for another autopsy today?"

"Its not exactly what I want to do," 
Scully replied," but that's what I'm 
here for."

Mulder turned to the chief. "May my 
partner here be allowed to examine the 
body?"

"Sure," the chief said. "Agent 
Thompson said you probably need a 
facility, so we got you one set up at 
the Station. I'll take you there, if 
you'd like."

Scully nodded.

"Sir, do you have Mrs. Walker's address?" 
Mulder asked. "I'd like to ask her a 
few questions."

Cedar Sets Trailer Park
12:05PM

"So, Mrs. Walker, did Rae have any 
grudges against anyone that would lead 
someone to do this?" Mulder asked.

Phalene, dressed in a matronly pink 
housecoat, shook her head.

"Are you sure, Mrs. Walker? None at 
all?" he pressed.

"Rae was a big 'people person', " Phalene 
said. "He was the type of person 
everyone was comfortable with. He was 
voted 'Best Personality' by his high 
school class and served on the FARO 
council for about a year."

"The FARO council?"

"Faerie Art Restoration Organization."

Mulder gave her a look. She followed 
up:

"We're not witches or anything, if 
that's what you're thinking. Just 
people restoring the ancient Faerie 
arts . . . Its not the occult or 
anything, Mr. Mulder. There's no way 
anyone in FARO would do this to Rae. 
He was-"

Mulder's cell rang. He excused himself 
and pressed the TALK button.

"Peter Pan here."

"What?"

"Oh, hi Tinkerbell. What's up?"

"Defiantly not my mood after being 
called 'Tinkerbell'. Anyway, I found 
something on the corpse I need you to 
take a look at. Do you have the time?"

"Yeah, I'm almost done here. I'll be 
over there as soon as I can." Mulder 
ended the call and turned to Phalene. 
"Mrs. Walker, I'm sorry, but my 
partner just called to inform me that 
she has new information that might 
lead to the finding of your husband'' 
killer. As you see, I really must go."

"Its okay," Phalene said. She got up 
and led him to the door. "Do you have 
hotel accommodations, Mr. Mulder?"

"No, but I'll find something."

"Good luck," Phalene said, opening the 
door. "FARO is holding its annual 
convention this week. The hotels are 
booked up pretty solid."

"I'm sure we'll manage," Mulder said 
as he stepped out onto the porch.

Pennyville Police Station
Room 206
12:45 PM

"Hey, Scully," Mulder said as he 
walked through the door. "What did you 
find that was so 'important'?"

Scully didn't turn around, but said, 
"Come see for yourself."

Mulder walked up beside her and she 
handed him a pair of gloves. She took 
a long, deep breath and turned the 
body on its stomach.

On the corpse's back were two 
distinguishing black marks. They were 
both slightly raised, and positioned 
near the shoulder blades. Scully 
looked up at Mulder, waiting for his 
reaction.

"Well, what are they?" he asked 
lightly, running his fingers over 
them.

"At first I thought they were burn 
products," she said, "but then I 
noticed the shape. No burn source, no 
matter how high tech, could ever 
produce scorch marks in 2 perfect 
ovals in this position relative to 
each other."

"And even if they could, that doesn't 
explain for the raised section." 
Mulder finished.

"Exactly," Scully said. "Now, Mulder, 
look at your fingertips."

He looked at them. A gooey tar-like 
black substance oozed onto his palm. 
"What is it?" 

"I don't know exactly," Scully said. 
"I sent it to DC for a lab test. The 
results should be back in a while."

"Do you have any idea of how the marks 
got here?" Mulder asked.

"No, but the inside of the marks are 
filled with the same black substance 
on the outside. Also, a winged joint 
was found in each mark. These 
structures are similar to the winged 
structures found in birds, 
specifically those of waterfowl. How 
these got on a human-"

"Is the X-File!" Mulder said, his eyes 
displaying the glint that Scully knew 
oh-so-well as Fox Mulder on the hunt.

"There is scientific evidence proving 
this happening. A cartilage like 
structure can grow on a fetus' back, 
subject to a birth defect called-"

"Come on Scully," Mulder said. "This 
is bone we're talking about. I saw it 
and touched it. This is no cartilage. 
I saw it. Besides, this man has no 
defect of the sort. His medical 
examination papers from last week 
prove that."

"Why was he in the hospital last 
week?"

"Rae was found near the town pond, 
half naked and freezing to death. 
These papers say he had no idea of how 
he got there. Phalene took him in to 
make sure he hadn't caught anything."

"And the examiner didn't notice the 
marks?" 

"Apparently not. There's no notice of 
any abnormalities."

"Who was the doctor? Maybe we could 
talk to her."

"Verdania Adams. A med. student from 
Pennyville State. Senior last year."

"Could we talk to her?"

The phone rang. Scully removed her 
gloves and said into the phone, "Dana 
Scully."

Mulder tuned out her conversation and 
began examining the body his own way. 
He looked inside the bumps, and the 
goo oozed out.

"Thank you, Agent Thompson," Scully 
finished her call and hung up, turning 
to face Mulder. "That was Agent 
Thompson down at the forensics lab. 
The sample I sent down there is gone."

"Gone? What do you mean, gone?" Mulder 
asked, pulling off his gloves.

"I mean gone. The tube I had Fed-Exed 
is missing. It must have been 
intercepted on the way there."

"Well, lets just get some more," 
Mulder said, taking a scalpel and 
scraping some off into a tube. "Here."

"That's not all he said," Scully said, 
putting the tools back into a drawer.

"What other 'wonderful news' did he 
give us?" Mulder asked.

"Verdania Adams was found dead 2 hours 
ago. Our murder has struck again."

Later that day
9:45PM

Mulder was snapping pictures on the 
newest victim while Scully read from 
the file Thompson had sent along with 
the corpse.

"Twenty-five year old female, Verdania 
Adams. Recent graduate of the local 
Pennyville University, majoring in 
medicine. Found dead in a canoe, on a 
lake nearby her residence. Several 
blows to the neck with sharp objects 
preceded death. Subject 
apparently bled to death."

"Rough night," Mulder commented dryly, 
setting down the camera and strapping 
on another pair of sterilized gloves. 
"Scully, help me here."
	
With joint effort the two rolled the 
body on its stomach, the blood quickly 
draining to its chest. Mulder looked 
up at it shoulder blades.

"Check it out, Scully," Mulder said, " 
Apparently Rae and Verdania died with 
the same marks." He traced them with a 
gloved hand.

Scully bent over the autopsy table, 
skimming her fingers over the marks. A 
black substance coated her finger. 
"The same substance covers both sets 
of marks. It is likely-"

"Though highly illogical."

"That Rae and Verdania both developed 
the same genetic disfigurement due to 
exposure, "Scully finished.

"Exposure to what?" Mulder asked.

"I don't know exactly," Scully said. 
"Did you find out anything at Rae's 
home that could lead to this?"

Mulder paused. "According to Mrs. 
Walker, Rae belonged to a group called 
the FARO-Faerie Art Restoration 
Organization. When I questioned Mrs. 
Walker about it, she claimed it didn't 
have anything to do with the occult, 
but-"

Scully let out a snort. "Mulder, you 
think these people were murdered by 
modern-day Tinkerbells? No wonder you 
answered the phone the way you did."

"No, I'm not saying that," Mulder 
said. He reached into his pocket and 
pulled out two evidence bags, which he 
laid side-by side on the table.

"Black swan feathers,' he stated, 
while Scully looked doubtfully on. 
"According to the information I've 
gathered and the cases I've read in 
the X-Files, this is part of a chain 
of murders stretching over a period of 
200 years. Each case has stated a 
possible link to the Black Swan Faerie 
story written by Hans Christian 
Anderson."

Scully raised an eyebrow. "And so, 
Mulder, were supposed to believe that 
some psychopath over 200 years old is 
running around, turning children's bed 
time stories into serial killings?"

"No, but in other folklore, there have 
been mentions of this so-called Black 
Swan Faerie that lead people out of 
their homes and slaughter them," 
Mulder explained, "Mulder explained.

"But Mulder, swans-neither black nor 
white-have talons or claws or anything 
else that could cause the puncture 
marks seen on both Rae and Verdania's 
bodies. Also, the location of these 
bodies puzzles me. According to this 
legend and the files, all the victims 
were found in the open. In a secluded 
back porch and the bottom of a leaking 
canoe, don't really fit the 
description." Scully countered.

"Technically, a pond is out in the 
open," Mulder replied. "It is also I 
swan's native habitat. The Cedar Sets 
trailer park has a small fishing pond 
in the southern edge, even though it 
is near a major metropolitan area."

Scully's growing discomfort and 
fatigue had gotten to her. Finally, 
after a few moments of silence, she 
spoke up. "C'mon, Mulder, lets just go 
to a hotel and leave. We'll work on 
the case tomorrow."

And for once, Fox Mulder did not 
argue.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX

Days Inn
Room 103
11:09 PM

Hours later, a sleepy-eyed Dana Scully 
barged into her hotel room, toting her 
bags and nearly slammed the door on 
Mulder trailing behind.

"I can't believe there was just one 
room in all of Pennyville, "she 
groaned. Mulder just shrugged and 
said, "At least it was double bedded."

Scully set down on her bed and reached 
for the phone. Mulder picked up her 
laptop and plugged it in a jack in the 
wall.

"Hey mom," Scully said after a few 
seconds of silence. "Its 
Dana...yeah... Skinner gave us a new 
case..."

As Scully continued chatting with her 
mother, Mulder reached over and took 
the channel listings, looking for 
something to perk his interests.

"Yeah, Maryland...uh-huh...-Mulder!" 
Scully interrupted the conversation 
and lunged over toward Mulder, 
catching a firm grip on the remote. 
Apparently Mulder had done enough 
channel surfing, for he had settled on 
a screen that read Mature Audiences 
Only: Contains Explicit Nudity.

"Mulder...give... me...the...remote" 
she said sternly, wrestling it away 
from him and flipping to ESPN. "Hey 
Mulder, look. The Knicks are 
on...watch them."   

Mulder gave her a disgusted face that 
plainly told her what a bore she was, 
then watched with interest as the 
cheerleaders came onto the screen.

"Sorry, Mom, just Mulder...so, where 
were we?" Scully was saying. 

After the cheerleaders disappeared 
from camera, Mulder disappeared into 
the bathroom, presumably to take a 
shower. After Scully ended her phone 
call, she flipped channels for a 
while, landing on CNN.

Mulder's cell phone rang. Reaching 
into his coat pocket, she pulled it 
out and said, "Scully."

"Agent Scully?" came the commanding 
voice. Scully cringed when she thought 
of all the things running through the 
AD's mind at that time, but recovered 
quickly. "Yes, sir?"

"Isn't this Agent Mulder's line?"

"Yes, sir," Scully replied, proud that 
her voice did not wobble.

"Normally, I would ask for an 
explanation as to why you're answering 
his phone, but I think I'll skip it 
today, "Skinner said, and Scully 
breathed a silent breath of relief. 
"Where is Agent Mulder?"

Scully was about to reply, but Mulder 
stepped out of the bathroom, dark hair 
damp and towel wrapped loincloth style 
around his hips. Obviously Mulder was 
not one for modesty. She handed him 
the phone, mouthing 'Its Skinner' to 
him. He took it and said, "Yes, sir?"

Scully leaned back on her bed, eyes 
focused on the television set but 
using her peripheral vision to scan 
every inch of her partner, thinking 
unpartner-like thoughts that she 
chided herself for thinking, but kept 
doing it anyway. 

"Yes, sir. I understand sir. I'll fax 
you our evidence report as soon as 
possible, "Mulder clicked off his 
phone and tossed it over toward his 
suitcase. Scully gave him a 'you slob' 
look as she went over to pick it up 
and put it in his discarded suit 
pocket.

"Expecting to sleep in your clothes 
Scully?" Mulder teased. Scully raised 
one copper-colored eyebrow and walked 
into the bathroom with her suitcase.

Mulder chuckled and seized the remote 
Scully had unsuccessfully tried to 
hide. He flipped over to one of his 
favorite channels, but it didn't 
really interest him since he knew 
Scully was in the next room. In fact, 
it made him feel uncomfortable.

<Shit, Scully> he thought to himself, 
and gritted his teeth. She always had 
a way of getting under his skin, 
consciously or unconsciously. But, 
that was part of what made him feel so 
attracted to her.

Scully stepped out of the bathroom, 
with the same nightgown he had seen 
during the Falls at Arcadia case, with 
the same terrycloth headband. But, 
something was missing.

"What happened to the alien-green face 
mask?" he taunted. She rolled her 
eyebrows and retorted. "I forgot it. 
Besides, aren't aliens gray?"

Mulder grinned into his pillow, then 
rolled over quickly. "Hey, Skinner 
said that he's sending us the lab 
results on that substance you sent 
down to forensics."

"Did he say what they found?"

"Nope, "Mulder snuggled close to the 
pillow. " He wouldn't say much, just 
that you'd be surprised."

Scully got into her bed and flicked 
off the TV. "Pleasantly or not?"

"Like I said, he didn't say much, 
"Mulder said, and flicked the TV back 
on. " Keep it on. I fall asleep to 
this stuff."

Scully flicked it off. "I can't sleep 
with it on. Keep it off. "

Mulder flicked it back on. "Like I 
said, I can't fall asleep with out 
it."

"Like I said, I do, " Scully said, 
annoyed, and flicking it back off. 

A few silent seconds passed and Scully 
thought she'd won the battle. She 
snuggled back into the covers and then 
as she was on the brink of 
consciousness when-

"AND FOR FIFTEEN NINTEY-FIVE YOU CAN 
OWN THIS MARVOLUS CHINA SET, MODELED 
AFTER THE SET BOUGHT BY QUEEN ELIZABETH
THE SECONED ON HER 35TH BIRTHDAY---"

"MULDER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Silence.

"Thank you."

More Silence.

"TWENTY-FIVE HUNDRED SATISFIED 
CUSTOMERS SINCE DAY ONE-"

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx
X

Home of Phalene Walker and the late 
Rae
7:15 AM

"According to Phalene's taste in 
décor, she seems to support your 
theory fully, "Scully commented as she 
sat down to the dining table.

"You know I hate to say this, "Mulder 
said smugly, and Scully mouthed 
sarcastically "I told you so.'

Scully, exhausted from not getting 
enough sleep last night, countered, 
"But what makes you so sure that we're 
dealing with these so-called faeries. 
Why couldn't it be some deranged 
serial killer of something out for 
revenge? Taking insurance on past 
grievances or plotted revenge against 
an old enemy?"

Mulder opened his mouth to answer, but 
before he could, Phalene walked in 
with a skinny, well-scrubbed teenage 
girl with sunbeam-colored hair and a 
mouthful of wiry braces, toting a tray 
with a pink plastic pitcher and four 
glasses on a tray. "I brought you some 
lemonade you can sip on while we 
talk."

Mulder nodded and picked up a glass, 
filling it to the brim before passing 
it to Scully, who gave him a look 
before passing it back to the un-
identified girl.

"Agent Mulder and Scully, I'd like you 
to meet my niece MaryBeth Evans. I'm 
her legal guardian since her parents 
died in a tragic accident a couple 
years ago."

"Tragic, " echoed MaryBeth looking out 
the window listlessly. Mulder and 
Scully exchanged glances.

"Mrs. Walker," Mulder began. "My 
partner and I came here today to 
discuss further details of your 
husbands death. This is valuable 
information that possibly will be used 
in a court of law. Now, Agent Scully 
and I are going to ask you and 
MaryBeth a few questions that we're 
going to record on tape, alright?"

They both nodded. Scully produced the 
recorder from her pocket and flicked 
it on. "This is Agents Mulder and 
Scully reporting on case 859013. The 
focus of this case is the death of one 
Mr. Rae Walker of Cedar Sets Trailer 
Park, located in Pennyville, 
Pennsylvania. Subjects of 
interrogation are Ms. Phalene Walker, 
wife of the deceased, and MaryBeth 
Evans, niece of the deceased."

Scully placed the recorder softly on 
the top of the table, carefully not to 
bang it loudly. Mulder started with 
the first question.

"Ms. Walker, did you know of anyone 
who might have held a grunge against 
any member of your family, yourself 
and MaryBeth included?"

Phalene sighed. "Mr. Mulder I already 
answered that question when you first 
came here."

"This is for the purpose of the legal-
case, Mrs. Walker. Now, do I need to 
repeat the question?"

"No, I know what its is, "Phalene said 
stubbornly. " Like I told ya earlier, 
I don't know of nobody who'd hurt any 
of us."

"But you did say that you belong to a 
profiting, widely unknown 
organization, correct?" Scully 
queried.

"Yup."

"Would you state the name?"

"The FARO. Faerie Art Restoration 
Organization. MaryBeth here belongs to 
it too, don't you MaryBeth?"

"Yes, Aunt Phalene." MaryBeth spoke in 
her listless southern drawl, still 
staring out the window.

"Could you tell us what the FARO does, 
exactly?" Mulder asked.

"Sure, MaryBeth here will help me, 
won't you MaryBeth?"

No reply. MaryBeth was still gazing 
out the window oblivious to the goings 
around her.

"Well, Vivian Raqovich, she's the 
group leader, helps us restore all 
these old Faerie legends and stuff 
'round here. Real convincing stuff, 
too. I never would have imagined I'd 
get involved in all this witchcraft 
hocus-pocus, but she can sure make a 
body believe in that stuff!"

Scully switched off the tape recorder 
when Mulder nudged her in the side. 
"Mrs. Walker, do you have this 
Vivian's address?"

"Sure do. Why, y'all want to interview 
her too?" Phalene asked.

"Sort of, "Mulder said, and they all 
got up. As Phalene waddled out of the 
room to get Vivian's address, he 
turned to Scully. "You thinking what 
I'm thinking?"

"Probably not, "Scully said. " But 
it's worth a try."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

3.4 miles from the Home of Vivian 
Raqovich
9:55AM

"So, as far as we know, this Vivian 
could be in your case a mad-dogged-
Tinkerbelle and in mine a deranged 
serial killer?" Scully asked on the 
way there.

"How about this, "Mulder asked. " We 
compromise and it'll be a serial 
Tinkerbelle?"

"Be serious, Mulder, "Scully 
reproached him.

"I am being serious," he replied 
innocently. "I think if both of our 
theories could find a common link we'd 
both be right."

"Sure, like that's ever going to 
happen, " Scully muttered as the 
pulled into a winding boulevard of 
trees that lined the driveway to a 
sprawling Victorian gingerbread 
farmhouse.

"I'd like to can Vivian the 'head 
faerie, if I may, " Mulder said to no 
one in particular.

"Mulder, why do you keep on insisting 
that we're dealing with faeries here? 
Faeries are purely myth and legend. 
You know that, I know that, even the 
Gunmen know that, although I wouldn't 
put it past Frohike."

"But apparently the members of FARO 
don't, "Mulder said precisely.  
"Besides, I doubt the Gunman, even 
Frohike, don't either."

"Yeah, I forgot what an influence you 
have on them, "Scully half-growled. 
Even though not many people enjoyed 
arguing with their partners, it had 
become a routine, almost normal 
circumstance surrounding their 
relationship. Scully, as Lydia had 
picked up, enjoyed this aspect, 
especially when she came out on top. 

The car stopped and Scully and Mulder 
stepped out, slamming the car doors 
shut. 

"Nice place, "Mulder commented. He 
picked up the miniscule tape recorder 
Scully had custom-ordered from one of 
the Bureau's nearest office and pinned 
it on the back of his tie, turning it 
on.

They walked up to the front steps and 
Scully rang the doorbell. She turned 
over to straighten his tie, but Mulder 
swiped her hand away, whispering, 
"Stop it. "

The door opened, and a short, chubby, 
pleasant-looking woman in a black 
uniform answered the door.

"Hello, I'm Agent Mulder with the FBI. 
This is my partner, Agent Dana Scully. 
We were sent here to make contact with 
one Vivian Raqovich, who we were told 
lived here. "

"Yes, I'll get her, " the woman said, 
opening the door wider. " Please come 
in and make yourself comfortable in 
the library. I'll get Ms. Raqovich. 
Straight down the hall, two doors to 
your left."
Then the little woman disappeared down 
a long, dark and narrow hall.

"Somehow I feel like Twilight Zone 
music should be playing in the 
background now, " whispered Mulder to 
Scully as they made their way down the 
hall.

"Here's my first question, "Scully 
whispered back.   " How does the 
president of a little club like FARO 
be able to afford a maid with no other 
work credits?" 

Mulder shrugged as he opened the door 
to the library. 

Inside were numerous armchairs 
strategically placed in groups of 3 
around the room. Several oil lamps lit 
the room, and sunshine poured in from 
an opposing wall. It gave Scully the 
chills as she remembered how many 
horror flicks she had seen as a 
teenager had started in similar rooms, 
but then rebuked herself for thinking 
such childish thoughts.

After Mulder and Scully were settled 
in opposing armchairs, the door 
creaked open and a pale, tall dark-
headed woman stepped in. She had 
piercing eyes that could only be 
called violet, and her hair fell to 
the small of her back. When Mulder 
stood up to greet her, the top of him 
head came to her chin.

"Vivian Raqovich, I assume?" Mulder 
said and the woman nodded. "I'm Fox 
Mulder with the FBI and this is my 
partner-"

"You can skip the introductions, " 
Vivian interrupted in a low, throaty 
voice. " Estelle told me who you were. 
We can sit down now."

As they were seated, Scully felt the 
hairs on the back of her neck tense 
up. She'd never felt so nervous 
interrogating a suspect until Luther 
Lee Boggs, but even then she was under 
personal connection leave from the 
case. There was something about this 
woman; some sense or something that 
caused Scully to be on her guard at 
all times. She could tell Mulder felt 
it too, when his muscles tensed up 
underneath his suit.

"So, what did you need to discuss with 
me?" Vivian asked, arranging herself 
in a black armchair with three fluffy 
pillows she had acquired after they 
were laying dormant on a library 
latter.

"Actually we were sent her to 
interview you, "Scully said, awakening 
her tongue.

"Don't you mean interrogate?" Vivian 
asked saucily.

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked. 
Vivian let out a hearty laugh.

"What do you mean? I'm not stupid. I 
read the news, I watch television. I 
know you're here about the deaths of 
two FARO members, " Vivian answered, 
resting her head against the bridge of 
the chair-top.

"Well, since you know why we're here," 
Mulder said testily, "then maybe you 
could go on and give us testimony."

Scully shot Mulder a warning glance. 
She knew Mulder better than anyone 
else, and she off all people knew that 
Fox William Mulder DID NOT like being 
bossed around. 

Vivian laughed, her head rolling back. 
"Well, just a little quick to the gun, 
aren't we?"

"No, " Mulder replied, annoyed. " Just 
a little impatient. Excuse my 
manners."

"It's alright, " Vivian said. Scully 
watched, perturbed that Vivian did not 
make amends but rolled right over 
Mulder's moods, ever the woman 
steamroller. That was one quality that 
Scully admired, even though she did 
not exactly approve of. "Where shall I 
start?"

"How about where you were the night of 
each murder?" Scully said, glancing at 
the device hidden under Mulder's tie. 
He gave her the slightest of nods and 
she turned back toward Vivian.

"Well, on August the fifth at around 
seven I was watching television in my 
bedroom. I'm an early sleeper, and I 
had to be prepared for the upcoming 
FARO planners meeting the next 
morning."

"Do you have anyone who can confirm 
this alibi, Ms. Raqovich?" Scully 
asked.

"Estelle came in to turn off the 
television at seven-thirty and she had 
sent me in my room at seven."

Mulder glanced at Scully ever so 
slightly. Scully, who had mentally 
cleared Vivian of that murder already, 
proceeded to the next question.

"Where were you the day Verdania Adams 
was killed?" she asked. Vivian gave a 
luxurious yawn and answered, "I was in 
the garden, working on the tomato 
patch. Several people were with me, 
including some non-FARO members."

Scully stood up. Obviously, in here 
mind, Vivian was cleared. Mulder 
stopped her. "Scully, could I have a 
moment alone with you?"

"Can't it wait, Mulder?" she asked, 
eager to get back to the hotel room 
where the fax from Skinner was 
waiting. He looked at her urgently, 
and she reluctantly walked into the 
hall with him.

He shut the door behind him. "Scully, 
the woman is obviously guilty."

"Guilty, Mulder?" Scully asked, 
surprised. "How exactly do you explain 
that?"

"I'll tell you later, " he said, 
pulling her closer. " I don't feel 
really safe all of a sudden."

Scully felt an eerily cool wave pass 
over her. She shivered. "Me neither, 
Let's get out of here."

Neither agent noticed the little woman in
a maid's uniform slip coyly down the hall.

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Days Inn 
Room 103 
9:58 PM

Mulder looked up from Scully's 
computer when she came barging in the 
hotel room, toting 2 large bags.

"Any luck on that background check?" 
she asked, throwing down the bags and 
removing her suit jacket.

"Yeah," Mulder said, clicking on the 
send button. "Byers just sent me a 
whole truckload of stuff an this 
chick. Did you know her favorite food 
is broccoli?"

Scully didn't bother looking up as she 
spread the papers over the two beds. 
"Anything helpful?"

Mulder clicked on the new message that 
had appeared on Scully's inbox. He 
scrolled down. 'Vivian Georgina 
Raqovich. Born April 22, 1960. Never 
married, suspected of a homicide-
turned murder case in '88. She has a 
steady income, but Langley said no 
source has been found yet, unless you 
count a subscription to the National 
Family Opinion Service. Any luck with 
you?"

"That substance found of the victim's 
shoulder blades has been linked to 
five different chemicals, all 
originating from a plant not far from 
here. It could be just an allergic 
reaction."

"Since when do allergic reactions have 
talons?" Mulder asked. "Bye, the way, 
Frohike wants to discuss threats to 
the country over coffee next week."

"That guy never gives up, does he?" 
Scully asked, smiling for the first 
time in days. "Tell him my schedule's 
kinda full."

The room was silent for a few hours, 
with nothing but the shuffling of 
papers and the tip-tap of keyboards, 
along with the vast exchange about 
Frohike and the other Gunmen occurring 
rarely.

After awhile, Mulder connected the 
computer to the printer and it spat 
out several word-splattered sheets, 
which he handed directly to Scully, 
commanding, "Read."

She skimmed it then looked up. "So 
Rae's obituary had a mistake in it 
and Vivian's birth certificate can't 
be located. So what?"

"The mistake in the obituary wasn't 
any little mistake, "Mulder said. 
" It said that Rae had died a whole 
day earlier."

"And your point is?" Scully asked, 
putting her glasses back on. Mulder 
flicked on the tape recorder.

"-On august 5th around seven I was-"

He clicked it off. "How could she have 
known that Rae died August 5th if she 
wasn't the murderess?"

"He belonged to her organization, 
Mulder, "Scully explained patiently. " 
Mrs. Walker probably called."

"No she didn't," Mulder said, whipping 
out another sheet. "This is Phalene's 
phone bill up until now. No calls were 
made to Vivian's house."

"What if she came over?" Scully asked, 
still dismissing the fact that Vivian 
killed them both.

"I talked to her," Mulder said. "She 
never came over."

"Ever heard of word of mouth?"

"Yeah. Only MaryBeth knew until the 
day before the funeral and you know 
her.."

"She could have been at the funeral."

"No register signature. It was 
required at the door, "Mulder said, 
grinning. He loved it when he knew he 
would win an argument with Scully. 
Plus, this X-File, which should have 
been routine, was rapidly turning into 
that sensational throb that ran 
through his veins whenever he was 
getting ready to solve a bona-fied X-
File.

"Any explanation before I write this 
up?" said Scully, closing a three-
pronged notebook. Mulder looked at 
her, shocked.

"You're giving up this early?" he 
asked, dumfounded. She nodded. "I 
figured I owed you one. So, anything?"

"I do have a theory on how the people 
were abducted," Mulder began. Scully 
took off her glasses and leaned back 
up against the headboard.

"First, Verdania gathered together 
this group of people, "Mulder began. " 
She lead them to believe that they're 
really faerie's out there.."

As Mulder droned on and on, Scully 
felt her eyelids droop. She tried to 
stay awake, to pay Mulder the same 
curtsy he had given her while she 
explained her theories, but she was 
just...so...tiered...
  
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Mulder finished his speech and looked 
over at Scully. Instead of seeing her 
with her skeptic look, he saw her 
asleep, sprawled halfway on his bed, 
papers kicked astray on the floor, 
conveniently leaving just enough space 
for a person Mulder's size to fit.

He looked around, like he felt he was 
a naughty child getting ready to steal 
from somewhere, and curled up next to 
Scully, his arm wrapped around her 
waist.

It felt good, almost natural to be 
cuddled up next to Scully, with the 
top of her head a comfortable spot to 
rest his chin, and her hand touching 
his (how did that get there anyway? 
:)) He snuggled up closer, listening 
to her soft breathing as she lay 
floating in Dreamland, another 
dimension where secret hopes and 
passions lay, where the key to 
unlocking one's mind was fixated 
inside, only to be unlocked by 
one...if only he could be that one...

He shivered, and pulled up the 
comforter with his free hand. He had 
always hoped to do something like this 
with is partner, whom he had 
'worshipped from afar' for the past 
seven years. He hated that cliché, but 
somehow it expressed how he had felt 
about Scully since they had been 
paired together. He had also hope she 
would be awake, but he kept reminding 
himself small steps lead to giant 
leaps.

Scully murmured something and 
unconsciously snuggled up closer to 
Mulder. He wrapped his grip around her 
more securely, never wanting this 
moment to end...

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx


Scully awoke slowly, as she became 
aware of sudden pressure on her body's 
side. Instead of unfamiliarness, she 
recognized it as Mulder's body heat, 
projecting toward her as she mentally 
noted the pulled up comforter, the arm 
wrapped around her waist, and his face 
buried in her hair. She squeezed his 
free hand ever so gently as to not 
wake him, and lay there basking in the 
glow of her affection for the sleeping 
man lying next to her.

She had no idea how he'd gotten there, 
and didn't really care. She pulled his 
hand up to her lips and kissed it 
gently, then rested it against her 
cheek. She had wanted to do this ever 
since that stakeout on the Tooms case, 
but work and different clauses always 
wormed their way in. She slowly 
shifted her legs, and Mulder stirred 
slightly.

"Mulder?" she asked softly into the 
abyss of night. There was no answer 
from the sleeping form lying next to 
her.

"I love you." There, she had said it. 
She had spent nights alone in her 
apartment thinking of that night after 
Mulder was hospitalized after the 
Queen Anne incident. She had never 
forgiven herself for not returning the 
sentiments he had declared to her, and 
had made her mind up after the 
quarantined account with Diana Fowley 
that she would let him know.

The moment had never seemed right 
beforehand, though she had wanted it 
to be. Oh, how she had wanted it to 
be.  

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx


Mulder awoke once again. This time, he 
sensed that Scully was awake, even 
though the lights had been turned out. 
He didn't want to move, and Scully 
seemed to convey positive body 
language toward the situation.

He squeezed her hand and she jumped, 
but settled back in to her position.

"Do you want me to move, Scully?" he 
breathed quietly, hoping she'd say no.

"No. Just hold me. " she replied, and 
he kissed her hair, savoring at the 
moment.

Time passed. Eternity could have come 
and gone and the two agents could have 
never missed it.

"Mulder?" came the voice, softly.

"Yes?" he said back, hugging her 
tightly to him.

"I love you."

He felt a smile spreading over his 
face. She tensed up, but then he 
quickly said, "I love you, too."

She shifted around so she faced him 
and brought her lips to his.

To Mulder, all the bombs in the world 
could have just exploded and 
colonization could have begun, but he 
didn't care. There he was, kissing 
Dana Katherine Scully, the woman he 
loved more than any in his life. He 
never wanted the moment to end, and as 
he sat there kissing her, he couldn't 
believe what he had missed out.

Scully remembered as a young teenager 
what her sister Melissa had told her 
about her first kiss.

"Fireworks explode, the world turns 
upside down, and everything just fades 
away, " she had said.

Well, Dana wished that Melissa could 
have been there because when she 
kissed Fox William Mulder, she saw the 
fireworks, she felt dizzy, and the 
whole world rejoiced. She couldn't 
believe what she had been missing out 
of the long seven years.

*******************
Sometimes you drown it out
With all your rage and thunder.
Sometimes you drown it out
With all your tears.
And then one day
You wake up and you wonder
'Where in the world have I been?'

So listen with all your heart
Hold it inside forever.
You may find all your dreams 
Have already come true.
Look inside and find the part
That's leading you. 
It's a beat of a heart
*******************

Room 103
9:25 AM
Scully slowly awakened, checking her 
still-on watch. 9:25.

"Mulder?" she called out. "Mulder, you 
there?"

Somewhat disappointed that he wasn't, 
Scully got up and went to the bathroom 
to shower and change. When she 
returned, Mulder still had not 
returned.

Scully sighed and opened up her 
laptop, going to try and finish the 
report before they left. She couldn't 
believe that he had ditched her so 
soon after what had happened last 
night, but this was Mulder she was 
talking about...

When the screen on her computer 
was cleared from the screensaver, 
she noticed a message box at 
the bottom of the screen. She clicked 
on it and began to read.

HES GONE BECAUSE HE KNOWS TOO MUCH

It was signature-less, but Scully knew 
who it was. She scrolled down to the 
bottom of the document where a set of 
coordinates were typed. She got out 
her map from her pocket and studied it 
carefully. 

She got up and went back through the 
room, picking up Mulder's cell phone 
and her own. She made a quick call to 
the local PD (which wasn't much 
considering Pennyville's population), 
requesting back up. Then, she got into 
the waiting car outside.

"I'm coming, Mulder, " she said to 
herself. " Hang on."

XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Scully pulled up next to Pennyville's 
pond. She checked the coordinates on 
her machine, and then stepped out of 
the car, casually resting a hand on 
her holstered Smith & Wesson.

"Mulder?" she called out, walking 
toward the water's edge. "Mulder, can 
you hear me?"

"He can't, ' replied a familiar voice, 
and Scully watched a tall figure slink 
out of the room. 

"Vivian, " she said quietly. " What 
the hell did you do to him?"

Vivian laughed, her wicked lounging 
laugh that echoed through the forests 
and sent shivers down Scully's spine. 
"Oh," she said casually, letting her 
eyes drift to the shimmering water, " 
he's around."

Flabbergasted, Scully followed 
Vivian's gaze, and after realizing 
what she meant, ran to the water's 
edge. On the way, she tripped and 
started falling face-first into the 
shimmering waters below.

BAM. Scully felt shivers retract back 
into her elbows, and she looked at the 
surface she had hit. It was till the 
lake, all right, but not the 'water' 
she'd expected. This substance was 
more like glass than water with no 
permeation and a damn good punch.

"Shit, " she said, then stood back up. 
"Vivian, where the hell is he?"

Vivian still stood there, her faux 
manufactured perfume leaking over 
toward Scully and filling her 
nostrils. She sneezed and repeated 
again her request, except a little 
more louder and frantic, "VIVIAN, TELL 
ME WHERE THE HELL MULDER IS OR I'LL 
KILL YOU!"

Vivian, ever the calm one, still stood 
there, taunting, "I doubt it."

Scully sat there, lungs burning from 
her most recent outburst, wondering 
why the hell the police hadn't gotten 
here yet. She fumbled for her gun and 
upholstered it, facing it point-blank 
at Vivian's chest.

"You, know Vivian, I've known some sorry 
SOB's in my life, and I think you're going 
to join them if you don't do as i say. Now, 
Tell...me...where...he...is...," she 
breathed, finger poised on the 
trigger. She wasn't going to take the 
chance of loosing him, not after what 
had happened last night.

Vivian smiled coyly, but instead of 
replying, there was a brilliant light. 
Scully turned, and shielded her eyes. 
When she looked up, Vivian was no 
longer there.

Instead a beast only described as a 
black swan/human hybrid stood there, 
fingertips sprouting black talons, 
poised and ready to lunge at Scully's 
throat. Scully fired her gun, but it 
didn't faze the creature, but seemed 
to anger it. It began to run toward 
Scully wildly.

Scully sat there, her body tensing up 
but still steadied her feet and kept 
on firing. The creature didn't slow 
down and Scully felt that she would 
have to bail before...

"Stop," commanded a loud, hearty 
voice. The creature stopped and turned 
around and Scully craned her neck to 
see who it was.

It was MaryBeth Evans. Shy, listless 
MaryBeth, whom both Mulder and Scully 
had dismissed as pure fluff, was now 
gazing right into the eyes of the 
terrifying creature, commanding it to 
stop.

The creature looked from Scully and 
MaryBeth quickly, as if trying to 
decide which she should harm first. 
After lingering its gaze on Scully, it 
decided that it could finish off this 
little wisp of a girl and come back 
for Scully later, It staggered toward 
the girl.

Scully gasped as she watched the 
creature's fingers contract, realizing 
what it planned to do to the girl. 
MaryBeth made no motion of escape. 
Scully reached for her gun on the 
ground, but MaryBeth looked at her, 
her eyes telling her to put it away. 
She did, and sat there watching.

When the creature reached MaryBeth, it 
raised its claws, poised to strike, 
and there was another brilliant flash. 
Scully closed her eyes and shielded 
her face with her forearm.

A few seconds later, it was all over.

Scully slowly opened her eyes, 
blinking to regain her sight. When 
everything came into focus, she knew 
something was wrong. Vivian was no 
longer there, but a white swan, 
cleansed of its dark heart was 
swimming happily in the pond. MaryBeth 
was no longer the quiet girl they had 
seen at Phalene's farmhouse, but a 
being only described as a Faerie.

Scully looked around dazed, and saw 
Mulder resting at the water's edge. 
She looked up at MaryBeth and 
whispered, "Thank you." The medium 
nodded, and vanished into a volume of 
light.

Scully scrambled to the water's edge, 
where Mulder was reviving himself.

"Scully?" he asked, looking into her 
face. "What happened?"

"You were right, " she said, and 
leaned down to give him a kiss.

Mulder lifted his head up to meet her 
lips, but before they kissed, he 
managed a small, "I told you so."

--------------------------------------


That's it. Feedback is very much 
appreciated @ 
spookymulder152@yahoo.com or
spooky152@private.as

I hate the 
"This is my first fic excuse, but its 
true for this one, so don't be to 
harsh.  :)

The song "The Beat of A Heart" excerpt 
in this fic is from the Where The 
Heart Is soundtrack. I think it's by 
the Warren Brothers, but I'm not sure

PS. I know in Beyond The Sea Scully 
fell asleep with the TV on, but lets 
just ignore that for the purpose of 
this fic

PPS: For all you paperback XF readers,
yes, I do realize the part about Frohike
and Scully discussing threats to the country
over coffee was mentioned in EBE. I happened
to like that book, though, so it was a little 
homage to it.

PPPS:(Just one more thing before the Goss
volunteers get really ticked) You can visit
Spooky152's Shipper Haven at the following:
www.geocities.com/marajadeskywlker/shippers-haven,html
Have Fun!