Title: Picture Imperfect Part 01/03 Author: Deenalynn Author e-mail: dee@sunwave.net Category: XRA Keywords: MSR Archive: Yes, just keep my name and address attached please Spoilers: None Rating: PG -13 Language Feedback: Please! Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox Broadcasting. No infringement is intended. Summary: What if Mulder's life depended on Scully being willing to believe? Thanks: To Kathy, without her wonderful cheerleading this would never have been written and without her editing it would not be readable. To the 'Storytime' gang, you are all an inspiration. For Jake Picture Imperfect 01/03 April 18 Washington DC 12:13 pm Special Agent Dana Scully sighed deeply as she removed the prophylactic gloves and turned away from the body on the table. This one was just like the others she had seen in the past two weeks, perfectly healthy stable adults taking their own lives. It would have made no sense at all except that all five of these people had lost their significant others to some sort of accident only hours before they ended their own lives. It wasn't terribly unusual for suicide to coincide with the loss of a loved one, but the numbers in this case where just a little to coincidental. The fact that all of these people had been to see the same psychic only a couple of days prior to their deaths had caused Scully's partner, Fox Mulder, to label these deaths an X-File. Scully looked up to see her partner poke his head into the bay "Hey Scully, you all done?" "I am, but I don't have anything for you that you didn't already know. The tox screen came back clean and there was no sign of anything physical that could have caused mental breakdown. Michael Jasper died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, most likely caused by the extreme anguish at the loss of his longtime girlfriend." She glanced again at the body of the thirty year old man on her table and wondered, not for the first time, what she would do if the person she loved above all others were to die suddenly. "Well, I'm hoping that this psychic can help shed some light on this," Mulder said quietly, having similar thoughts. "Just give me a few minutes to change and we can head out," Scully said over her shoulder as she headed for the locker room. April 18 Alexandria, Va. 2:01 pm "So what did this woman say when you called to make the appointment?" Scully's words were muffled around the sandwich she was eating as Mulder negotiated traffic. Mulder cast a sideways look at his partner. "Well..." "Mulder, you 'did' tell her we were with the FBI?" "Scully, I want to see her in action. I want to know what it is she does and if she 'is' involved you know that the chances of her doing her thing are negligible if she knows we are from the bureau." "And how are you going to get her to 'do her thing'? We don't even know what her 'thing' is." Scully said quietly "We have no idea why any of those people went to see her, so how are we going to ask for the same service." Sometimes, not often, but sometimes, logic actually worked with Mulder. This didn't appear to be one of those times. "We know that all of the suicide victims were involved in serious relationships with people who died in accidents soon after they visited this Lois Morgan. According to friends and relatives of the deceased, they visited her as couples, so it only makes sense to me that these visits had something to do with their relationships." Mulder smiled sweetly at his partner. "Sooo..." "You have got to be kidding me! You want to go to this woman and pretend we are a couple, don't you?" "It may be the only way to find out exactly what happened. This is just too coincidental Scully, in the last twelve days, ten people with a connection to this woman have died. She is somehow involved. I can feel it." This was Mulder at his most convincing. "Mulder, five of these people died in unrelated accidents. The other five were suicides, how can they possibly be connected? As far as we can tell none of these couple knew any of the others." As much as she hated doubting her partner's intuition, there were times when Scully just couldn't keep her misgivings to herself. "I know it's a leap, Scully, but I 'KNOW' that there is something here," Mulder said as he parked in near of the store front office of Lois Morgan. "Listen, we go in there and pretend a little, she does her 'thing' if there is nothing to see what harm is there?" "I'm not sure Mulder, it just doesn't feel right." "Don't worry about it. After all those other people were really couples and we are just pretending, right?" He looked at her carefully. Scully avoided his eyes. "Right." Little bells tinkled in the distance as the entered the dimly lit shop. The reception area was simply and tastefully decorated with expensive looking antiques. Scully glanced around at the beautiful furnishings, "Being psychic must pay better than I thought," she whispered to her partner. He simply nodded. "Hello! May I help you?" An attractive woman in her early thirties appeared from behind the curtain to their left. "Yes, we have an appointment to see Lois Morgan." Mulder answered with a smile. "Well, that's me, and that must make you Fox and Dana." She smiled brightly. She was nothing like Scully had expected. In her mind, psychics were all eccentric crackpots who dressed and acted the part. Lois Morgan was wearing a well-tailored, conservative suit, not too unlike the one Scully herself wore. Her fair hair was worn in a short, attractive cut around a friendly, open face. All in all she looked more like a doctor or lawyer than a crackpot. "If you two would care to join me in the other room we can begin." Morgan turned and ducked back behind the curtain. Scully and Mulder looked at one another, shrugged and followed. The back room was more what Scully had expected, the dim light had a rose cast to it and the faint smell of incense lingered in the air. The walls were hung with beautiful, dark-coloured tapestries and there were candles on almost every surface. At the centre of the room was a low table surrounded by large soft-looking cushions. It was on the cushions that Morgan signaled Mulder and Scully to sit. "First, I will speak to you together for a few moments, then I will speak to Miss Scully alone." Morgan seated herself on the cushions across from the agents. Mulder glanced up sharply. "How do you know her last name? I made the appointment using our first names." Morgan smiled. "I think you will be very surprised at what I know Mr. Mulder." The partners glanced at each other. "Please don't be nervous. There is nothing that will be said here that is not the truth. After all, Mr. Mulder, isn't the truth what you seek so diligently?" Morgan put her hands on the table and indicated for them to do the same. "I am going to hold your hands for a few moments. This will help me get a feel for the connection you have to one another, and exactly what it is you are seeking by coming here." She covered the agents' hands very lightly with her own and closed her eyes. "You have a very strong connection to one another. You each feel an almost spiritual bond to the other. You have worked very hard together to find the truth, yet are unable to face those truths which are closest to you. You have come here today not to find answers about yourselves or each other, but about the others who have come to see me." Morgan opened her eyes and looked at Mulder. "You believe something I said or did caused the deaths of those people!" Her expression was one of absolute horror. "I am sorry, Miss Morgan, but you are the only connection we have in all of these deaths and I have a very difficult time with such an alarming coincidence." Mulder kept his tone soft so as not to intimidate the woman. "Agent Mulder, I have been in this area for almost a month now and business is booming. I have acquired almost two hundred clients in that time, most of them repeat business, all of them very much alive. I am sorry for what happened to those poor people but I can assure you that I had nothing to do with it." Lois Morgan was either telling the truth or it was an Oscar worthy performance. "Was there anything special about the service they sought from you, maybe something you don't get asked for very often?" Mulder knew there was a connection, he was just no longer certain it was anything intentional on the part of the psychic. "I would have to check my logs to see exactly what it was they had done." Morgan go up from the table. "It may take a few moments, please make yourselves comfortable." She left back through the curtain. Mulder could tell it was taking considerable effort on the part of his partner to keep from commenting. He watched her for a moment, then said, "Okay, Scully, you can say it now." Scully gave her partner a very unconvincing look of wide-eyed innocence "Why Mulder, I have 'no' idea what you could possibly mean." Mulder just looked disgusted. "Fine, play it that way. We both know that something weird happened to those people..." "No, Mulder, 'we' don't know that, 'you think' that." She glanced at the curtain "All we 'know' is that ten people are dead." Scully looked at her partner, "I just thought of something, Mulder." "Hmm?" "Our Miss Morgan didn't ask us the names of the clients we wanted information on." "She didn't ask us our last names either, Scully." "Mulder, you are rather well known in the circles I'm sure Miss Morgan travels in. Chances are she has heard your name and seen your picture. It is 'not' because she is psychic." "Here we are," Lois Morgan came back through the curtain, "I have found the people you are looking for." "Would you mind telling me how you knew who it was we were referring to?" Scully asked. "I saw them when I was in your mind Agent Scully." The very suggestion of someone being in her head was enough to make Dana Scully shiver. "I'm sorry Miss Morgan but I have a... difficult time with so-called psychic ability." Lois Morgan smiled, "Yes I know." She flipped through several pages in the large leather-bound book she was holding. "As far as I can see, all of these people just wanted the usual relationship reading. "Will he marry me?" "Will we still be together in ten years?" that kind of thing. There is nothing all that unusual...oh dear!" "What?" Mulder sat forward. "These couples all went through a hypnotic reading." Morgan flipped through more pages of her notes. "Oh, no! I 'have' noted that in all five cases one of the partners was particularly upset after the reading." She looked pleadingly at the two agents. "You have to find out -- I have to know if something I did caused this." The young psychic looked close to tears and Scully patted her hand. "I am sure it is just a coincidence." This earned her a sharp glance from her partner. "Why don't you explain to us what a hypnotic reading is so we can look into this more thoroughly." Morgan looked at Mulder who nodded reassuringly. "Just after I discovered my 'talent,' I met a woman who taught me to use hypnosis to show people exactly what it was I see when I look into their minds. In the hypnotic trance I am able to get closer to a person. With most people this allows them to actually see the same visions I do." She was calming as she spoke, "I do this all the time, at least thirty percent of my clients request this service. You don't think that..." "Do you remember what it was you saw when you connected with these people." Mulder was looking more and more intrigued, much to his partner's dismay. "No, I'm sorry, I'm never able to remember what it is I see under hypnosis." "You go under? I assumed it was the client." Mulder looked thoughtful "Do you self-induce?" "We are both put under, and no, my assistant induces us." "Is your assistant here today?" "Yes, she is. Let me go get her." "Mulder what the hell are you up to?" Scully hissed, "Please tell me you are not going to undergo this ridiculous treatment!" Mulder looked at his hands and then up through his lashes at his partner. "Actually..." "NO!" Scully shouted, then lowered her voice. "Mulder, you can just forget it. I am not going to allow some stranger to hypnotise me and then go poking around in my head. Absolutely not!" "Scully, I would be more likely to notice anything out of the norm while you were under. 'I' know what to look for. Do you?" "Mulder, this could be dangerous. People have died after having this done." Fox Mulder looked his partner square in the eye. "Do you honestly believe the I would 'ever' intentionally endanger your life?" "NO!! No, of course not, but..." "Scully, we know we are looking for something and we are aware that something strange may be going on. Those other people were not. They were alone and unprepared. I will watch you every moment, and if I think anything untoward is happening, I am capable of bringing you out of the trance." He reached over and covered Scully's hand with his own. "We have to find out if what is happening here has contributed to the deaths of those people. If it has others could be in danger. You know I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe." This earned him a soft smile. "I know you will. I'm just very uncomfortable with this whole situation." "I know, but I can't see any other way." Lois Morgan chose that moment to return. The woman who followed her looked exactly like one would expect a psychic to look, from the top of her turbaned head to the tip of her pointy shoes, this woman had it all. "Special Agents Dana Scully and Fox Mulder, this is my assistant Luna." She even had the name. The woman looked unsmiling at the agents and nodded. Morgan rolled her eyes indulgently. "The agents would like to ask a few questions about some of our clients who have undergone the hypnotic treatment recently, Luna." Luna sat at the table and turned to Scully. "What can I help you with?" It was Mulder who answered. "Over the last couple of weeks several people who have come to Miss Morgan for her services have died. They have all undergone the hypnotic reading and we hoped maybe you had noticed something while they were under that may help us figure out why they died." Luna turned her gaze to Mulder. "I am generally unaware of what is happening during a session. Neither Miss Morgan or the client says anything as a rule. On the rare occasion that someone does react outwardly, it is usually just a small exclamation and I have never heard anything coherent." Mulder turned back to Morgan. "We would like for Agent Scully to undergo the reading." As the psychic began to shake her head Mulder continued, "I am capable of bringing you both around if anything not to my liking begins to happen Miss Morgan. We need to know what is happening here and this is the only way I can see to find out." "I just want you to know that I am not all that comfortable with this, Agent Mulder." Morgan looked at Scully. "If something I am doing is harming people, I don't want to continue" "We know that, Miss Morgan, but wouldn't you feel better knowing for sure?" Poor Morgan. Scully knew from experience that the woman didn't stand a chance when Mulder smiled sweetly at her. Morgan sighed. "All right, I will do it, but I need your word that if you suspect, anything I want you to stop it. I refuse to harm anyone else." "I can promise you, Miss Morgan, that I would never allow anyone to harm my partner." Morgan smiled. "I guess I knew that." She moved to sit beside Scully on the cushions. "Luna will begin to put us both under. All you need to do is give me your hand and relax." x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~ 'Dana? Can you hear me?' 'Oh, God, I can hear her voice in my head,' was all Scully could think. 'Well, that was the idea after all was it not?' There was an obvious smile in Morgan's 'voice'. 'I suppose it was. So now what do we do?' Scully wasn't yet convinced that she wasn't hallucinating. 'I am going to do the same thing for you that I...' 'Excuse the intrusion ladies.' A third, definitely masculine voice, interrupted Morgan. Suddenly Scully found herself standing in a large airy office. The sun shone through the windows behind the desk, upon which sat a name plate: Assistant Director Dana K. Scully. "What the hell is going on here?" "Ma'am?" Scully turned to face the young man standing in the office doorway. "I um..., can I help you?" Scully wasn't sure what else to say. "Uh ... AD Scully, your husband called and he isn't going to be able to make dinner tonight." The young man watched her carefully as she made her way around the desk. "Ma'am, is something wrong?" "What? Oh ... no, I was just thinking, thank you." Scully looked at the surface of the desk, praying for inspiration. She found no help. "Was there anything else?" "No, ma'am." With another confused look at his boss, Kyle Jessup backed out the door. Scully sat down behind the desk and began to go through the things on its surface. There was a small desk calendar that caught her eye. It said the current date was April 18, 2019. Scully simply stared at the calendar; this had to be a hallucination. She then took a closer look at the computer that occupied one corner of the desk. It was unlike anything she had ever seen before, there was no keyboard that she could see and the screen was only about an inch thick, there was a slot in the bottom of the screen that appeared to be a smaller version of a CD ROM and there was a small microphone protruding from its front. The screen currently bore the Bureau logo "How do I get more information out of you when you have no keyboard?" "Please use either voice or touch command to request information." The computers voice was soft and masculine. Scully jumped, "What the hell is this, Star Trek?" "Bad command" Scully gave the computer a dirty look, "OK, tell me today's date." "The current date is April 18, 2019." Scully reached out to touch the screen and it came to life displaying an index. She carefully read through the listed options and touched on personnel. "Please state name of employee." "Dana Scully." The screen changed to show a picture of her, but not her. She had lines around her eyes, and around her mouth were very prominent frown lines. Her hair had faded to the colour of old pennies and she didn't look like she smiled very often. She skipped through the standard stats until she saw something that made her do a double take Marital Status: Married, 03/16/09, Dr. Mitchell Tyler MD What the... "Computer request information: Special Agent Fox Mulder" The screen changed displaying the same picture of Mulder she had last seen in his ID. Then she stopped cold DOB: 10/13/61 DOD: 04/19/99 "Oh, God, that's tomorrow!" "Bad command." "Oh shut up!" How could this be happening? How was it possible that she was in a future in which there was no Mulder? Just the thought made her throat tighten. Scully got up and began pacing around the room. Mulder's file provided only very basic information, and said nothing about how he died. Kyle looked up, startled as the door to the inner office was flung open. "Yes, ma'am?" Scully glanced at the name plate on the desk, "Kyle? I um ... I need you to get me the files we have on Special Agent Fox Mulder. He ... he died about twenty years ago." "Yes, ma'am, I know who he was. Did you want his whole file, ma'am?" This was interesting, Mulder and Scully's partnership was legendary; made even more so by his untimely death and the rather nasty rumors about the way his partner had handled it. "No ... uh ... just get me the report on his death, please." She had to turn away. Kyle Jessup had been Dana Scully's personal executive assistant for five years and he didn't miss the tears in her eyes as she returned to her office. April 18, 2019 Washington, DC 7:15 pm Dana Scully stared blankly at the report in front of her, just as she had been doing for the last two hours. This just wasn't possible. They were supposed to find the truth beat the bad guys, and live happily ever after, together. She had it all worked out. It wasn't right that he should die like this. All the times they had been in danger, all the crazy things that had happened to him, to them, for him to die like this ... God, it was so unfair. Scully jumped a foot when she heard the knock on her office door. "Come in." "Where the hell were you?" the tall, handsome man who burst in shouted. "Pardon me?" There was something about him that was slightly familiar. "I get a call at the hospital from Jennifer saying that my wife couldn't even be bothered to show up at the restaurant and that you didn't even bother to call and let them know you weren't coming. I know Jen isn't your favourite person, Dana, but the least you could do is call and let her know you aren't going to be there. She is, after all, my daughter." So this must be Dr. Tyler, the husband. 'Your husband, Dana.' "I'm sorry I got caught up in work and didn't realise how late it had become. I will apologise to Jennifer." That sounded reasonable. "Don't bother. It's not like you were all that missed. You never say two words around my family anyway. Jen just wanted to make sure you were all right." 'Now why do I doubt that?' Scully was beginning to understand the frown lines. "What are you working on that has you so enthralled it made you forget about your family?" Dr. Tyler moved toward the desk. Scully closed the file quickly. "It wasn't anything important. Just some personnel reviews." "Well, I'm glad you blew off my family for something important. Are you coming home tonight, or are you going to stay in town-again?" Tyler turned to leave. "I uh... I guess I'll just stay in town." "Fine" As the door slammed behind the man she was married to, Dana Scully became truly afraid for the first time. "How could I have married someone that cold, that..." Then she realised why he looked so familiar. He could have passed as Fox Mulder's older bother. "What I am I supposed to do?" She asked the room at large and then feeling lost and alone, lay her head down on the desk, only to be awakened by her assistant poking his head in through the door. She jerked upright as he said, "Assistant Director Mulder, your husband is on the phone." "What did you just call me?" Scully stood up and moved toward the young man. "A-assistant Director Mulder, ma'am." Kyle Jessup had never seen his normally cheerful boss look like this. "I said that AD Mulder is on, line one ma'am." Scully felt the colour drain from her face and rushed to the phone on the desk. She punched what she hoped was the appropriate button "H-hello?" "Hi, sweetheart, I just wanted to let you know I'm snarled in traffic and it looks like I am going to be about fifteen minutes late for our meeting." It was his voice but how... "Mulder?" Her voice sounded weak. "Dana? What's wrong? You sound a little odd, and when did you start calling me Mulder again?" Oh, Dear God what was happening to her? "F-fox, I um, I really need you to get here as soon as possible." Her voice was trembling almost as bad as her hands. "I am about twenty-five minutes out, Day, I'll get there as quick as I can. You just hang on, okay?" "I... just get here." "I love you, angel." "I... uh, I love you too... Fox." She heard the click as he disconnected the cell phone. As she looked around the office she realised that it was different. While before it had been well-decorated and beautiful, it had been rather impersonal. This office had touches everywhere that claimed it as hers, from the collection of brightly coloured ginger jars adorning an elegant cherry shelf, to the pictures prominently displayed on her desk. The desk! She grabbed the name plate and turned it around: Assistant Director Dana K. Mulder. Oh! Scully immediately turned to the computer. Tapped on it and said, "Please get me personnel files for Dana K. Sc... Mulder and Fox W. Mulder." The picture of her that came up was radically different from the other one. In this one the lines around her mouth looked more like laugh lines and she was smiling. She scanned the information: Marital status: Married 02/27/02 Fox W. Mulder D Phil Children: Daughter, Kaylen Marie 04/14/03 Son, Jacob Andrew 09/08/05 OH! How? It wasn't possible -- well, they may have adopted but... "Assistant Director Mulder is here, ma'am." Kyle's voice interrupted her thoughts. The office door opened and there he was. "Dana, what's wrong? You sounded a little out of it on the phone." It was definitely him and had he ever aged well. He came around her desk to kneel by her side. He reached out and cupped her cheek. When she smiled shyly, he returned the smile with a rather passionate kiss. "I..." clear the throat "I need to speak to you, Mul... um, Fox." She looked at him more closely. Hair liberally salted, face more lined, but those eyes, that smile, they were still her beautiful Mulder. "What is it, sweetheart? Nothing's happened to the kids?" "No, no, it's just... Fox, what can you tell me about Lois Morgan?" "The psychic?" She smiled at his amazing powers of recall, and nodded. "We solved that case. Don't you remember it took some work but we were finally able to figure out that it was... 'Oh, I don't think so Agent Scully.' The voice from before, the one that had interrupted Lois, was back in her head. 'I think you'll have to work a little harder than that to find the answers you seek.' End part 01/03 From dee@sunwave.net Sun Jan 10 10:55:41 1999 Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 16:48:36 GMT From: Dee Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Repost:Picture Imperfect 02/03 Title: Picture Imperfect Part 02/03 Author: Deenalynn Author e-mail: dee@sunwave.net Category: XRA Keywords: MSR Archive: Yes, just keep my name and address attached please Spoilers: None Rating: PG -13 Language Feedback: Please! Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox Broadcasting. No infringement is intended. Summary: What if Mulder's life depended on Scully being willing to believe? Thanks: To Kathy, without her wonderful cheerleading this would never have been written and without her editing it would not be readable. To the 'Storytime' gang, you are all an inspiration. For Jake Picture Imperfect 02/03 'What is going on? Who are you?' Scully wanted a better look at her life with Mulder. 'That matters not Dana. What does matter is very soon you are going to have to make a choice. A choice that will impact the rest of your life. At the time it may seem very simple and of little consequence but it will change the course of your life forever. You have seen the results of this choice. It is now up to you to choose the life you want.' The voice was deep, soothing, and altogether unfamiliar. 'What is the choice?' Scully could hear the tremble in her mind's voice. 'Oh, no, Dana, this choice will come to you in your life. You will have no warning that this is the choice of which I speak.' 'So what you are telling me is that some time in the near future, I am going to have to make a decision. One choice will lead me to an unhappy marriage to a man I don't love but who happens to look like my partner; the other will lead me to a happy life with a man I love and our two beautiful children?' 'That sums it up quite nicely, Dana.' 'Who the hell are you to play games like this with peoples' lives?' 'Ah ... but if I tell you that, it would take all the fun out of it, wouldn't it now?' 'Is this what happened to those other couples? You gave one the chance to save the other and they couldn't handle the guilt when they failed?' 'It is not my fault that humans are creatures of such weak constitution. They had the freedom of choice the same as you do. They chose to take their own lives. I had nothing to do with that decision.' 'Why are you doing this? Why play these games?' Scully was fast losing control. 'Because I can, and humans are such vastly entertaining creatures. Good bye for now Dana, I give you back into the rather inept hands of our Miss Morgan.' "Wait I need..." 'Agent Scully, what's wrong? You are extremely agitated.' Lois Morgan's mind voice once again came through loud and clear. 'I need to wake up now, Miss Morgan. I need to speak to my partner.' 'Of course, I will tell Luna.' x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~ Suddenly, Scully was aware of the room around her. "Mulder?" "I'm right here, Scully." Mulder's voice became more anxious when he saw the look on his partner's face. "Scully, what is it? What happened?" "We need to get out of here, now!" She stood and exited through the curtain. Mulder turned to Lois Morgan with a quizzical expression on his face. "I'm very sorry, Agent Mulder, I don't remember, as I said before, but your partner should be able to remember most, if not all, of what happened during the session." Mulder turned and followed his partner out, only to find that she had left the office altogether and could be seen standing beside the car in the rain. The day was gray and drizzly and Scully was getting wet, but she didn't care. How the hell was she going to know which choice was the important one. It occurred to her that it would happen within the next twenty-four hours -- Mulder's file had said that he had died tomorrow. God, this was confusing! Scully wasn't even sure if she should believe any of this, or consider it to be a hypnotically induced hallucination. 'I can't take that chance, if this is real and I do nothing, I could lose him. I have to believe it's real.' Mulder was startled when his partner jumped as he reached for her. "Jesus, Mulder!" "Scully, I walked right up to you." Now he was really worried, it wasn't like her to be high strung. "I'm sorry, I was lost in thought." Scully climbed into the car when her partner unlocked the door. Mulder got in behind the wheel and turned to his partner "What happened in there, Scully?" Concern deepened the lines on his forehead. "Let's go to my place. We need to talk." Scully turned pleading eyes on her partner. "I really don't want to do this in the car." "I can do that." Mulder pulled out into traffic. April 18, Georgetown, Washington DC 7:17 pm Scully busied herself puttering around the apartment getting them something to eat, something to drink and generally trying to come up with a way to explain what had happened. For his part, Mulder sat on her couch and watched her move around the kitchen and living room. Something had happened to her, that much was obvious. It took a lot to rattle Dana Scully, and being rattled usually pissed her off. "Scully, come sit down and tell me what the hell is going on." Mulder patted the seat next to him. She eyed the seat beside him as though it hid a land mine and sat in the armchair across from him instead. How was she going to explain this to him without making him uncomfortable? They had never really spoken about a future together. It was just something she knew in her heart would happen. Mulder reached across and took her hand> "Tell me what happened, Dana" She had to smile at the use of her first name. She doubted he even knew he did it, but Scully was very aware of this particular habit, he only called her Dana if he was worried. Scully patted his hand and began her story. April 18, 1999 Georgetown, Washington DC 8:39 pm Mulder sat wide-eyed and silent on the couch. Scully sat beside him, quietly watching, as he tried to absorb what she had just finished telling him. She had switched seats when she had reached the part about how he died. He turned to face her, "Two kids?" Scully just gaped at him. After everything she had told him, was this all that had registered? "Yes, Mulder, two kids, but only if you survive tomorrow." "You and me, both ADs, happily married with two kids?" The smile began as a twitch of his lips and blossomed into a wide grin. "Sounds about right." "Mulder, did you hear what I told you? Sometime in the next twenty-four hours, a decision I make will determine whether you die." It was driving her crazy that she couldn't seem to make him see the seriousness of the situation. Mulder could see that his partner was close to tears. "Scully, we know how I'm supposed to die sometime in the next twenty-four hours. We even know how and where I'm supposed to die. It really shouldn't be all that difficult to prevent it from happening." "Well good, it's settled then. You are staying here tonight." "Hold it a minute, Scully, I didn't say anything about spending the night here." Contrary to popular opinion at the office, overnights were not on the agenda unless one of them was OD'ing on bad water. Scully scrambled off the couch to catch up to her partner. "Mulder, if you leave and something happens to you, I will never forgive myself. Take my word for it, I know." Scully grabbed his arm as he headed for the door. "Please, Fox..." Two could play his little name game. Mulder smiled gently at his frantic partner. "Okay, Scully, I'll stay here if it will make you feel better." "It will." Scully removed her hand from his arm "Let me go get some blankets and a pillow for you." "Uh, Scully?" She turned back to face him. "It's only nine o'clock" "I know, but this way, when you fall asleep halfway through the movie I won't have to worry about how comfortable you are." She grinned at him knowingly. "Movie?" "I bought 'The African Queen' yesterday and haven't had time to watch it, so I figured..." "Sounds good. I'm always in the mood for a little Bogie." Scully went to get the blanket and Mulder went out to the car to get the overnight bag he kept in the trunk. April 18, 1999 Georgetown, Washington DC 11:18 pm Dana Scully was indulging herself. It wasn't something she did often but every once in a while she liked to just look at her partner. He was sound asleep on her couch, having made it through the first half hour of the movie before dozing off. 'You really are a beautiful man. I promise I will do whatever it takes to protect you.' She tucked the blankets more firmly under his chin, turned out the lights, and went to bed. Scully was awakened by the sound of the ringing phone but it stopped before she had a chance to answer it. Hearing Mulder's voice from the living room, she realised he must have answered it. She glanced at the clock as she pulled her robe on, 3:17 am! "Scully, Scully!" Mulder yelled. "What is it, Mulder?" "It's Bill on the phone. Your mom's had a bit of an accident." "What?" Scully grabbed the phone. "Bill, what's happened to Mom?" "What the hell is he doing answering your phone at three o'clock in the morning?" Her brother's bullhorn voice blasted through the line. "None of your damn business. What happened to Mom?" There were times when Scully had to work very hard to like her brother. "She slipped and fell on the stairs." "Oh, God, is she okay?" "The doctor says she has a badly sprained wrist and a slightly sprained knee." "Thank God." Scully felt her heart start to beat again. "Yes, well, she is going to need a bit of help around the house for a few days. They're keeping her in the hospital for observation since she does a have a bump on the back of her head." "That's very normal Bill, they just want to make sure there's no concussion. They'll probably release her tomorrow afternoon if everything checks out." "Yeah, that what the doctor here said." "Well, at least you and Tara are there to give her a hand when she goes home she might have a tough time getting around with a sprained wrist and knee." "How long will it take you to get here Dana? We're at MGH." Scully looked at her partner. "I, um, hmm, I can't come Bill." "WHAT?" Mulder could hear the explosion from across the room and started shaking his head. "Scully, you have to go, this is your mom. Go get dressed. I'll drive," he whispered. "NO! I can't take that chance." "Dana, what the hell is going on? Our mother is in the hospital. Get your ass up here NOW!" "Bill, the doctor said she would be fine. Tell her I love her and that I'll see her tomorrow." There were tears in Scully's eyes as she said this. "My God Dana, what has he done to you that would make you forget about your mother." "Fuck you, Bill!" This effectively stunned both men silent. "I have been there for Mom more times in the last ten years than you have in your entire life. For that matter, so has Mulder, so don't you dare feed me this bullshit about not being there for her because it isn't going to work. Now tell 'our' mother that I love her and that I will explain everything when I see her tomorrow." Scully slammed the phone down and started pacing the room. "Scully, you have to go see your mom," Mulder pleaded. She turned to face him and there were tears on her face. "Mulder, this is the choice. I had to choose between going to my mom and staying here with you. Don't you see that? If I go to her you will die. My mom is going to be fine and we are staying right here. I will explain it to her, believe me she will understand." She smiled through the tears. "Actually, Mom is more likely to believe this than I am. Goodnight, Mulder." "Scully?" He waited until she turned back to face him. "Thank you. I don't really know any other way to say it." "You are very welcome, Mulder." She reached up and kissed his cheek. "'Night." "'Night, Scully." Mulder sat awake for quite a while after Scully had turned in. He felt rotten that he was going to be the cause of more hard feeling between Scully and her jerk brother. Unable to sleep, he began prowling around the living area of Scully's apartment. He had been there many times before but usually during a crisis and had never really taken the time to look at the way his partner lived. The furniture was pretty and practical there were knick-knacks scattered about, and knowing his partner, there was a story behind each one. The mantle bore pictures of her family in various combinations and, to his surprise one of him. The was a shelf above the desk that held a small collection of little fat jars in bright colours. He could get used to a room like this. April 19, 1999 Georgetown, Washington, D.C. 8:54 a.m. Scully woke to the sounds and smells of someone preparing breakfast. "Whatcha makin'?" she said around a yawn, as she made her way into the kitchen, pulling on her robe. "French toast and bacon." He smiled at her slightly glazed expression and handed her a cup of coffee. "Here you look like you need this." He grinned at her again as he took in the sleep-flushed cheeks, tousled hair and oversized terrycloth robe. "Mmmmm, thank you." She took a sip. "Breakfast smells wonderful. How much longer?" She watched her partner flip the toast expertly. He was dressed in the sweat pants and T-shirt he had slept in, and his eyes still looked slightly drowsy. It was a sight she could get used to waking up to. "About two minutes." He handed her the orange juice "Here, put this on the table and have a seat." Scully went to sit at the dining room table. "Turn the radio on, Mulder. I like to listen to the news while I have breakfast." They were eating the delicious food in companionable silence, listening to the morning, news report when suddenly, Scully stopped cold. "And there was a double tragedy on the streets of Baltimore early this morning. An ambulance enroute to Maryland General Hospital was struck in an intersection , forcing it into a third vehicle. Baltimore Police say the driver of the ambulance and the driver of the third vehicle were killed instantly. no names have been released and police say alcohol may have been a factor. In other news..." Scully just stared at her partner for a moment. "Mulder..." "Scully, we don't know if that was the accident you saw in the report." Mulder got up and took his empty plate into the kitchen. "But Mulder, that could have been us. The timing was right if we had gone to see my mom. In the report, there were three vehicles involved in the accident that killed you." Scully leaned against the counter, "I know this sounds crazy to you, Mulder..." Mulder laughed, "I am the 'last' person who should call anyone's ideas crazy, especially yours." He reached for her hand, "Why don't you go hop in the shower, get dressed and go visit your mom. I'll stay here if it makes you feel better. I want to contact the boys and have them take a closer look at both Morgan and Luna. I'll do a little research and see if there have ever been any other occurrences like these ones." He smiled at her and turned to start cleaning the kitchen. Once he had finished tidying the kitchen, Mulder could hear Scully in her bedroom, her shower finished. After his own quick shower he went back out to the living room to find Scully sitting on the couch wearing a pair of leggings and a big, soft looking, green, sweater. Noting that her hair was damp and her face was bare, Mulder asked, "Did I keep you from getting ready? I'm sorry." "You didn't keep me from anything. I'm not going anywhere." "But..." "Mulder. I know damn well that if I leave this house you won't stay here more than two minutes. I am not going to take any unnecessary chances. My mom will be fine. I am staying right here." She crossed her arms and glared up at her partner. Mulder frantically tried to come up with a solid sounding denial, failing, said instead, "Scully, you have no idea how much I appreciate this, but, you don't have to watch over me for the next," he glanced at the mantle clock, "fourteen and a half hours." "Mulder, please try to understand how important this is to me. The future I have in store for me, without you..." She turned her face away from him. "I was old, and sad, and lonely Mulder, all because I didn't have you." She turned to look at him, smiled sadly, then rose and went into the bedroom. Mulder watched the door close behind his partner. He realised that he had been taking this whole situation less than seriously. For him it was just another distant threat, Scully had to live with the results. She had seen what her life would be like either way and had chosen him. Mulder stood and went to her bedroom door knocking softly he said, "Scully? Can I come in?" "Yeah." When he opened the door he found her sitting on the bed wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Scully, I'm sorry if I hurt you. I'm just having a tough time relating to this one." He sat beside her and reached for her hand. "If it will make you feel better, we can stay in today and do the research on the phone and on the 'net.'" "You weren't there, Mulder, you didn't see the difference in my life. I will 'not' allow that horrible future to happen." Scully turned blazing eyes on her partner. "I can't." "Okay. Then let's get to work. We have to be able to find out what has been happening in order to stop it. I don't believe that who or whatever is doing this is going to just stop 'cause we know about it." Mulder stood up and offered his hand to Scully. When she took it he pulled her into his arms. She hugged him back, 'hard.' When she pulled away Scully looked up at Mulder and smiled. "For a while there, I thought you were trying to get yourself killed to avoid marrying me." Mulder laughed and threw his arm around her shoulders as they returned to the living room. "Not a chance, you promised me I get to be an AD. I'm gonna hold you to that one." They spent the rest of the afternoon trying to figure out what may have happened to Scully and the others. Mulder called the Lone Gunmen to enlist their 'research' skills. They had both Scully's laptop and her desk top computer plugged in and were both searching the internet looking for any similar occurrences. It was nearing four in the afternoon when the phone rang. "Mulder. Yeah, just a minute Bill." Sully grimaced as she took the phone. "Hello." "Why is it that that man answers your phone more often than you do, Dana?" Her brother sounded even more belligerent than usual. "What do you want Bill?" Scully sighed. "I want to know when my sister is planning on coming to see our injured mother. I want to know why that same sister seems to think spending time with her crazy partner is more important than her family. That's what I WANT TO KNOW!" Bill's voice had risen in volume until he was yelling loud enough that Mulder could here him from halfway across the room. "Bill, I told you, I will see Mom tomorrow and I will explain everything to her then. Mom will understand, Bill." "Well, tomorrow just isn't good enough, Dana." "I'm sorry, Bill, it's going to have to be." "Tara and I can't be expected to spend our entire vacation looking after her. She's your mother, too." Now it sounded like her brother was whining. "Oh, now I get it. You and Tara had plans for tonight didn't you?" No answer. "DIDN'T YOU?" "We made these plans ages ago, Dana. Tara was really looking forward to tonight. I don't want to disappoint her." "Tough. You have conveniently been absent every time anything has happened in this family, Bill. When Dad died, you had to get back home and couldn't stay after the funeral. When I was missing, you didn't even bother to show up to help mom get through it. When Missy died you couldn't be here. You sent FLOWERS. When I got sick you showed up and made things miserable for everyone. When I found out about Emily, instead of trying to help me through the worst time of my life, you ranted and raved about how everything was Mulder's fault. So if you have to cancel your bloody plans in order to stay and help OUR mother, that's just too damn bad. Consider it your turn." With that she slammed the receiver down and slumped into the chair. Mulder approached his partner carefully. "Maybe you should go." "No. Bill can damn well 'do' something for this family. My mom would kill me if she found out I had left you at a time like this." "But I don't want to be the cause of problems between you and your brother." "Mulder, my brother is an asshole. I know, you know it, and my mother knows it. He'll survive." She smiled up at her partner's concerned face. "Let's get back to work. The sooner we find out what the hell is going on, the sooner I can tell you more about what I saw in our personnel files." End part 02/03 -- dee@sunwave.net From dee@sunwave.net Sun Jan 10 10:55:47 1999 Date: Fri, 27 Nov 1998 16:50:10 GMT From: Dee Newsgroups: alt.tv.x-files.creative Subject: Repost:Picture Imperfect 03/03 Title: Picture Imperfect Part 03/03 Author: Deenalynn Author e-mail: dee@sunwave.net Category: XRA Keywords: MSR Archive: Yes, just keep my name and address attached please Spoilers: None Rating: PG -13 Language Feedback: Please! Disclaimer: The characters in this story belong to Chris Carter, 1013 Productions, and Fox Broadcasting. No infringement is intended. Summary: What if Mulder's life depended on Scully being willing to believe? Thanks: To Kathy, without her wonderful cheerleading this would never have been written and without her editing it would not be readable. To the 'Storytime' gang, you are all an inspiration. For Jake Picture Imperfect 03/03 April 19, 1999 Georgetown, Washington DC 7:24 pm They had worked steadily for a couple of hours, and had just taken a break for dinner. when the phone call came, "Hello?" "Hello, Agent Scully. How are you this fine evening?" "Hello, Frohicke. Have you guys found anything?" Scully really didn't have the time to deal with Frohicke's flirting. "As a matter of fact..." Mulder took the phone. "What did you find, Frohicke?" "Fine. We found that this same thing has happened at least six times in the past five years." "Are there any connections?" "It would seem that these strange occurrences follow your Miss Morgan around. There have been similar incidents the last two places she has lived." "But, you said this has happened six times?" Mulder tilted the phone so Scully could hear what was being said. "Yeah, that's what we can't figure out. The last three, including this one, have happened in her presence. But we haven't been able to connect her to the four before that." "What about her assistant, Luna. Where was she before she hooked up with Morgan?" Mulder really didn't think Lois Morgan had anything to do with it. He couldn't explain why, it was just a gut feeling. "Well, that's another problem. As far as we can tell, 'Luna' didn't exist before she started working for Lois Morgan." "Are you sure?" As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Mulder knew he had insulted his friend. Odd though they may be, the gunmen were always thorough. "Sorry, Fro. It's just frustrating having to sit here and wait." "You'll excuse me if I don't weep for you. I would hardly call being stuck in an apartment, with your brilliant and beautiful partner a hardship." Frohicke had never made any attempt to hide his admiration of Scully. "Listen, Mulder, we are going to try a few new places to see if we can't dig up a little more information on your Luna. If anything pans out we'll call. Are you spending the night at Scully's again?" "Do I want to know, how you know, that I spent last night here?" "No." "Fine. Call when you find anything." Mulder hung up and turned to his partner. "You may want to get one of the exterminators from work to come spray for bugs." "I'd rather kill Frohicke." Scully watched as her partner went to the kitchen and returned with a bottle of wine and two glasses. "Unfortunately, that isn't an option." Mulder sank back down beside her on the couch. "I haven't been able to find a damn thing that even remotely resembles what we are looking for." He gestured towards the computer with his wine glass. "Well, the boys seemed to have had a bit more luck. Why don't we relax for a bit? If I have to look at that screen for much longer, I'm gonna end up with square eyes." Scully took the offered glass of wine and sat back on the couch. Mulder watched his partner for a few moments until she raised a quizzical eyebrow at him. "I was just trying to figure out why you are so willing to believe this is real. If this had happened to anyone else, you would be quoting chapter and verse about confabulation and the powers of suggestion." Scully took a sip of her wine. "Actually, I'm not completely convinced that that isn't exactly what's happening here." "But...?" "'But' I'm not willing to take the chance that there is any possible way this could all be real. I have to treat this as though I believe because the consequences... Well, let's just say it's not worth the risk." "That's another thing that puzzles me. You seem to be so willing to accept a future in which we have a life together." Scully just smiled at him. "Hmmmmm." "Have you ever considered it? Us, I mean." Again the smile. "Hmmmmm." He smiled back. "Me too." He took a sip of his wine. "I always thought of it as kind of the prize for beating the bad guys." He grinned. "You know, the hero gets the girl." Scully's eyes widened. "Hero?" "You know what I mean." "Yeah, I do. That means we must get the bad guys pretty soon. According to my personnel file, we get married in February of 2002" "Less than three years, huh? So how long before that do you think we will get together?" "Guess we'll just have to wait to find out, won't we?" Mulder reached out and touched her cheek "But..." The ringing of the phone interrupted whatever he was going to say. "Mulder!" "Relax big guy. You'll get your chance." Now Mulder was going to make sure Scully's home was swept for bugs. "What do you have Frohicke, and make it good." "Your friend Luna? Her real name is Carol Sharp. She's been hanging around psychics for years. Never actually claimed to have any powers herself, just acted as an assistant. Five years ago, she acquired a locket, can't find out from where, but almost immediately these ... things started to happen. People who saw the psychics she worked with began exhibiting strange behaviour. There have been several nervous breakdowns, eight suicides, and more than two dozen fatal accidents." "None of these things happened before she got the locket?" Mulder asked. "Nope. We have a couple of feelers out to see if we can get more on the locket itself. We'll let you know what we find." "Thanks again Frohicke. I'd say I owe you one but since I am probably going to spend the next week hunting down and destroying the hardware you have planted in Scully's house, just be grateful I don't let her have you." Mulder spent the next couple of minutes explaining to Scully what Frohicke had told him. He concluded with, "We have to go see Luna." He got up and reached for his coat. Scully grabbed his arm. "'You' are not going anywhere." "Scully, if she's doing this to people..." "NO! Mulder, if it is her, and it's intentional, she left town the minute we walked out that door. If it isn't, then she'll still be there in the morning." "Scully, I'll drive carefully, I promise." By this time he had his jacket on. Scully grabbed him by the arm again, spun him around, reached up, pulled his head down to hers and kissed him, thoroughly, passionately. When she broke the kiss a moment later, Mulder was rather glassy eyed. "'That' is what you will miss out on Mulder, if you walk out that door. We could have 'that' for the rest of our lives." Scully turned and went into the kitchen. Mulder stood gaping at the doorway through which his partner had passed. He reached up and touched his lips. She had actually kissed him. A real kiss, like she meant it. There was really only one thing he could do; grinning foolishly, Mulder removed his jacket and went to sit at the desk. He was logged into the Bureau database, looking for any mention of Lois Morgan or Luna, when Scully came back into the room. She smiled innocently at him when he turned to face her. "Decided it could wait until morning, eh, Mulder?" "Yeah, well, I'm sure she'll still be there." He had to force himself to meet her eyes. Scully reached out and touched his face. "You know..." She stopped and started to turn away. "What is it, Scully?" "Nothing important, Mulder, let's just get back to work." She went and sat on the couch in front of the lap top and started working. Carefully avoiding looking at her partner. Mulder watched her for a few minutes and then turned back to his own work. April 19, 1999 Georgetown, Washington DC 11:45 pm Mulder's back was telling him it was time to get up and stretch. He turned to speak to his partner and found her sound asleep on the couch. Her head was tilted at an uncomfortable looking angle and her glasses were tipped precariously off the end of her nose. Her cheeks were flushed and her full lips slightly parted. This was a sight he desperately wanted to wake up to every morning for the rest of his life. Mulder turned out the lights, leaving only the gentle glow of the fireplace to guide him. He gently lifted his partner and carried her into her bedroom. He smiled when she snuggled into his arms and was loath to put her down. He laid her on the bed and pulled the comforter up to her chin. "'Night, Scully," he whispered and turned to leave. "'Night, Mulder," came the drowsy reply. Mulder turned down the flame in the gas fireplace and tucked himself in on the couch. He watched as the clock turned to midnight and smiled. Life was good, and it looked like it was gonna get even better. April 20, 1999 Georgetown, Washington DC 7:15 am Once again Scully awoke to the sounds of someone else in her home. Turning to look at the clock, she grinned, they had made it! Mulder was still alive and they had a chance to prevent anyone else from going through what they had. Knowing that her partner was most likely already showered and dressed, Scully headed for the bathroom to begin her morning routine. When she emerged from her bedroom half an hour later she was showered, dressed, and ready to go. "Hey you." Mulder said as he handed her a cup of coffee. "Hey yourself. So, what's on the agenda for today?" "I spoke to the boys and they think they know what's going on." Mulder took a sip of his coffee and sat at the kitchen table. "They think the locket is enchanted." Scully almost choked on her coffee. "Enchanted?" She sat across from him. "You've 'got' to be kidding." "What, now all of a sudden you don't believe? Where's the woman who was frantic that I not leave her sight?" Mulder knew he shouldn't be surprised at this turn, but he was, surprised and disappointed. "I never actually said I believed..." "You kissed me! You told me you believed we have a future together!" "Mulder, I have always believed we have a future together." She reached across the table and took his hand. "Why don't you finish telling me what the guys found out." Mulder stared at her silently for a moment, then nodded "The locket is said to be the home of a malicious spirit. This 'thing' thrives of the pain and suffering of others. Maybe it sees this hypnosis trick as some sort of game, I don't know." "The voice I heard, it said that humans were entertaining." "Maybe it's bored. Whatever the reason, we have to get it away from Luna and Lois." Mulder got up from the table and put his cup in the sink. "And do what with it?" "Destroy it. What it put you through is no game. It was responsible for the deaths of those five suicide victims. It can't be allowed to continue." Mulder pulled on his suit jacket. "You ready to go?" "Yeah." Scully grabbed her coat and they left. April 20, 1999 Alexandria, Va. 9:15 am The closed sign was hanging on the door of Lois Morgan's office when they approached. "I hope that we didn't scare them away. We need to get rid of that locket." Mulder knocked on the door. The place looked dark. A few seconds later, Lois Morgan peeked out from behind the curtains on the door. When she saw who it was her eyes widened. She opened the door. "Oh, thank God. You have no idea what a relief it is to know that what happened to those poor people isn't my fault." Mulder and Scully just looked at each other, this woman was rather disconcerting. "Miss Morgan, we really do need to speak to your assistant. Would it be possible to get her address?" Mulder wanted to get this over and done with. "Of course. She lives in one of the apartments upstairs. We can go there now." Morgan led them through the office to a staircase in the back, it was narrow and dim and Scully shivered in spite of herself. "You okay?" Mulder whispered. "Yeah, this place is just..." "Spooky?" He grinned at her. She shot him a dirty look and refrained from commenting. There was a door on either side of the corridor and Morgan knocked on the one to the left. The door opened a crack and Luna peered out. "Can I help you?" she said rather brusquely. "Luna, you remember Agents Mulder and Scully?" Luna nodded. "Well, they would like to speak to you about those young people who died." Morgan's voice was very calm. "I had nothin' to do with that," was the defensive reply. "It's okay Luna, we don't believe that you did anything wrong." Mulder stepped forward. "May we come in?" Luna hesitated a moment. "Fine." She opened the door and waved them in. Scully couldn't help but stare at the room they entered. It was a small sitting room, made smaller by the fact that every available surface was covered with clutter. There were books on magic spells and psychic powers, covering the coffee table and spilling from the shelves. There were what appeared to be idols of every size, shape, and description. The windows were hung with gauzy scarves in bright colours giving the room a soft glow. 'What is it with these people and candles?' Scully thought looking at the dozens of them scattered around the room. Mulder interrupted her perusal of the fascinating room. "You have quite a collection here, Luna" "Oh, just call me Carol. I'm sure you know that's my real name." "Okay, Carol. We have come to believe that you may unwittingly be causing the problems that Miss Morgan's clients have been facing." "What? That's not possible. I'm not Psychic." The woman looked understandably shocked. "Yes, we know. But the locket you wear when you are working, may be enchanted." "You 'are' kidding, right?" Luna looked at Scully. "Tell me he's kidding?" Scully shook her head. "No, I'm afraid he is telling the truth. There is a legend involving your locket and a spirit. Mul... We believe that when you hypnotise your clients, it gives this spirit access to their minds. It then plays a very cruel and destructive game with them, causing a great deal of fear and anxiety." "But why?" Luna looked from one to the other. "What does it have to gain by this?" "It told me, it finds humans entertaining." "What are you going to do with the locket?" "We'd like to destroy it. We just don't know if that would do the job or not." Mulder had thought about it on the way over. Just destroying the locket wasn't going to be enough. They had to get rid of the spirit. "I have an idea." Three sets of eyes swung to look at Lois Morgan. "I have a friend who ... well, he's ... I'm actually not really sure what he is, but he knows more about magic and such than anyone I know. Maybe he has a way we can get rid of this thing." Mulder and Scully looked at each other. Scully shrugged, "It's worth a try. We don't have any better ideas." Twenty minutes later, a rather ancient butler escorted them into a parlour that put Luna's to shame. Mulder was like a kid in a candy shop looking through the vast collection of books and artifacts contained in the large room. He turned when he heard Scully's quiet gasp. Scully couldn't help but stare at the giant of a man who entered the room with Lois. He had to be at least seven feet tall and was almost that across the shoulders. He had snow white hair worn in a long tail down his back and a white goatee that reached to his chest. He wore a gray robe that reached to the floor and had a gold amulet hanging around his neck. All in all, he was everyone's idea of what a wizard should look like. The huge man smiled, flashing more than the average number of bright white teeth and a deep set of dimples. "So, I finally get to meet the great Fox Mulder," he boomed reaching out and pumping Mulder's hand enthusiastically. "You know who I am?" Mulder looked over at his partner who just smiled knowingly. "Of course I know you. You're all I hear about from Melvin and the boys. Who would have thought, an FBI agent who's a believer." He turned to Scully. "That means this lovely lady is Dr. Dana Scully. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I can see Melvin wasn't exaggerating." "Mr...?" Mulder began. "Drake, Jason Drake." The big man sat next to Scully on the couch. "Now, Lois here tells me that you two kids have a problem." After regaining his composure somewhat, Mulder explained the situation, telling him about the five suicides that had led them to the case, and the other deaths they believed were related to the locket. He also told him in detail about Scully's experience. "So you can see why it is vital that we get rid of this thing," he concluded. Drake turned to Luna, "Did you bring it with you?" "Of course." She handed him the enameled locket. The giant man examined the necklace carefully "Hmm. I think I've seen this somewhere. Let me look." Drake got up and began rifling through the gigantic bookshelf that took up one entire wall of the room. A few minutes later they heard "AHA! I knew I'd seen it before." He set a small leather- bound book on the coffee table. "The locket is meant to be an earthly prison for the spirit. The gypsy who banished the spirit for its nasty pranks may not have know that it could still connect with those who possess psychic powers. The gypsy meant for the spirit to suffer by remaining earthbound. I may know a way of destroying both the locket and the spirit." He looked at Luna, "If you don't mind?" "Of course not, if that thing is killing people I want it gone." Luna was indignant. "Good, good." Drake went back to rummaging through his books. They could hear him mumbling to himself as he checked and discarded book after book. After about half an hour of hunting he finally found the book he wanted. He brought the book to the couch and began reading. A few minutes later he said, "Okay I think I've found the spell that will get rid of the spirit for good." He looked up to find he held everyone's attention. "I am going to need all of you to be silent and still." They all nodded. Drake began to chant unintelligibly. He picked up the locket and turned it over and over in his hands. He then placed the locket carefully on the table picked up a large heavy statue and smashed it down on the locket. There was a brief flash of light and the locket disappeared. "There, done." He grinned at his audience. "Can you all stay for tea?" Mulder and Scully just stared. April 20, 1999 Georgetown, Washington DC 8:20 pm "Yes, Mom, everything is fine." "Are you sure Dana? This must have been very difficult for you?" Scully could hear the concern in her mother's voice. "I'm fine Mom. I just need to rest." "Well, you make sure you get a good night's sleep." "Yes, Mom. Are you sure you don't want me to come by tonight?" "No, Dana, I'm going to turn in early. You stay there with Fox." Scully could actually 'see' the smug grin on her mother's face. "Mom 'Fox' is more than capable of looking after himself." "Yes, I know, Dana" "Goodnight, Mom, I'll see you tomorrow then." "Goodnight, baby, I love you." "I love you too. Bye." Scully hung up the phone and turned to her partner. "You know, she didn't question a single thing I said." "Well, at least someone in your family has an open mind." "Mulder..." They had been arguing all afternoon about what had happened to her, and what they had seen at Jason Drake's house. "Scully, you saw the locket disappear, you saw the visions. You were the one who held me hostage in your apartment. Now your telling me you think it was all ... what? A hallucination?" Mulder was trying very hard to get through to his pigheaded partner. "Mulder, you know I don't believe in psychics and wizards and whatever else those people thought they were. And I certainly don't believe in enchanted lockets!" "What about your visions Scully? How do you explain them?" "Confabulation. Mulder what I saw in those visions isn't anything new. I do live in fear of losing you. I know for a fact that I would never get over it. The other one? I have always believed that we will be together when the time is right." She reached out and took his hand. "As for the other stuff, our jobs, the children. It's wishful thinking Mulder, that's all. It was a beautiful dream, and I intend to work very hard to make sure it comes true." "I don't believe that, Scully. I think what you saw was our future." "What difference does it make then, Mulder? Whether or not the visions were real, we both see the future the same way." He thought about it for a moment and nodded. Then he grinned mischievously. "At least I know I'm not gonna get fired for at least the next twenty-three years." "Shut-up and watch the movie Mulder." The End