Date: Sun, 29 Jun 1997 08:45:42 -0400 (EDT) From: shell < skmcam@aol.com > Subject: Best of What's Around (0/2) Title: Best of What's Around (1/2) Author: shell Rating: PG (Language) Classification: XR Spoilers : Momento Mori Keywords: Mulder/Scully romance Summary: The agents try to protect a girl with extraordinary power and along the way she teaches them a thing or two. Distribution: Anywhere, with my email address and name. Gossamer already has a copy. Disclaimers: The X-Files is owned and created by Chris Carter, 1013, and Fox. "Best Of What's Around" is by the Dave Matthews Band. Trust me when I say I am making absolutely no money from this. Story Note: Friendshippers beware!!! Lots of romantic moments, but all around good clean fun. There is some bad language, and depending on what you consider violence, a bit of that too. Lots of laughs, a bit of angst and our two favorite agents all come together to make quite a lively story. Author's Note: This is my first attempt at fanfic. I've been procrastinating about sending it in, but well, there isn't going to be a better time. So send me your questions, comments and all around opinions of my little tale. All email is greatly appreciated. Special thanks to Mary for her time, patience, and all around great advice. Kudos and accolades to LAG. Hell, she let me shoot her. Well here we go... Best Of What's Around (1/1) by shell 12:32 PM March 25 Syracuse University, Syracuse NY Eggers Hall Michelle hated Syracuse. Good school, terrible weather. Standing outside of the building she was forced to fight the blustery wind and large flakes of snow. She shuffled from one foot to another, looking out at the snow covered buildings and the people scurrying to them. The door of the building opened and a well dressed African American woman walked out. She looked older, but Michelle knew she was probably in her early 20's. She looked down at her baggy jeans and sneakers. With her long legs and plain features she could easily be confused for a man. Her only touch of style was the black pea coat she wore. And even that was a concession to her mother. A Christmas gift that she could wear with nice dresses and suits, but Michelle thought it looked better with jeans. "Do you have an extra cigarette?" the well dressed woman asked. "Oh, yeah, sure." She fished in her pocket and pulled out her pack and a lighter. "Hope you don't mind Light 100s." Michelle handed the woman a single long cigarette and her lighter. "Good luck lighting it. This wind is hell." At that moment the door of the building slammed open. An older looking man, late 20's, early 30's stomped out. He had on jeans and a camouflage jacket. He looked a bit on the crazy side, his wide eyes staring at the well dressed woman. "You! This is all your fault!" He started screaming at her, pointing and flailing his fists in the air. "I would be at Harvard if it wasn't for you! I'd have a job if it wasn't for you! I'd be in this law school if it wasn't for you!" The woman looked shocked. "But...but...I don't even know you." She looked into Michelle's eyes, terrified. "Look, man, I can see you're having a really rough day." Michelle stepped in front of the woman. "Let me blow off my class, I'll buy you a coffee, better yet tea, and we'll talk this out." The man just stared blankly though Michelle at the woman. Then he put his hand in his jacket pocket. He pulled out a gun. Michelle saw the gun waving in the air just feet away from her. <> Nothing. <> <> <> The woman screamed. <> <> Michelle just stood. The man went pale. He dropped the gun and ran. The woman continued screaming, running to get help. Five bullets laid strewn on the ground at Michelle's feet. All were pressed in at the front as if they had hit a wall. Michelle opened her hand. There was the last bullet. It was crushed a bit where her fingers had gripped it. Then she heard the sirens. 7:18 PM Delta Shuttle Flight 501 It wasn't that Scully didn't like flying, it was the turbulence that she hated. And flying to Syracuse during a Nor'Easter was not on the top of her list of fun things. She looked over at the man sitting next to her. He was looking at faxes, chewing on the peanuts that the stewardess had given her. He was listening to head phones. He looked up when he felt her eyes on him. He pulled the head phones down. "Scully listen to this. I think it's the Muzac version of 'All Along the Watchtower.'" She rolled her eyes. From the first moment she met Special Agent Fox Mulder she knew two things: He was smart and he was strange. Not strange in a bad way, but definitely strange. He believed in things that most people thought were fantasy. UFO's, aliens, psychics, even Bigfoot. In other words the X-Files. And now they were off on a new one. "Mulder what exactly are we doing?" "The Macarena?" The Look. Mulder could even identify it in the dark. Dana Katherine Scully. Doctor. Special Agent of the FBI. And his partner. She usually allowed him so much joking before she shot him the face of Don't start or I will hurt you.' Tonight she had even less of a sense of humor. He straightened in his seat. "Some nut who didn't get into law school tries to take out a minority student, because he thinks she took away his position. The guy fires six shots." "Was anyone hurt?" "This is where we come in." He leaned in to her and smiled. "Michelle Monroe, 21 year-old student, steps in to 'mediate'. He unloads four feet away from her." "Oh God...what's her condition?" "Well....fine. Five of the bullets landed at her feet. She caught the sixth." "Be serious, Mulder." "I wish I wasn't. Right now this kid is pretty shaken up. She calls her roommate. Her roommate calls her father. Her father calls his brother, Blevins." "Michelle Monroe's uncle is Blevins?" "No, Michelle's roommate's uncle is Blevins. So Blevins calls Skinner and Skinner calls us and that's what we are doing." He smiled. "So Blevins believes this?" "I think Blevins believes in family relations." "Attention passengers, this is your captain speaking. We are about to make our final decent into Hancock airport. It is 28 degrees and light snow is falling. Enjoy your stay in Syracuse." "Ah the wonders of spring in Central New York." Mulder put his head phones back on. He glanced at Scully. She gripped the arms of her seat with a concerned look on her face. He put his hand over hers. "Come on. We're having fun." She forced a weak smile and turned to look out the window. 8:45 PM University Hospital Syracuse, NY "Mulder you told me that she wasn't shot, the bullets were duds, why is Michelle here?" "I never said the bullets were duds." "They had to be. It's impossible for someone at that range, at any range, to catch a bullet." Now it was his turn to roll his eyes. They checked in at the information desk and were told that Michelle was being held on 4B. As they got off the elevator they realized that she was being held on the psychiatric floor. "Mulder, they usually don't hold a person for trauma on the psychiatric floor." Scully pressed the button on the wall for admittance to the wing. A short, thin woman in her 40's came to the door. "Federal Agents here to see Michelle Monroe." "You'll want to see Dr. McCool then." The nurse let them in and went to get the doctor. "Scully I don't like this place." Mulder was frowning. "Afraid they are going to lock you up?" "Honestly?" "I won't let them. Trust me." She smiled at him and touched his arm for support. "You must be the Federal Agents." Dr. McCool was a pudgy man, round all over. He didn't have much hair and wore glasses too small for his round face. Mulder thought. "I'm Agent Mulder and this is Agent Dana Scully. We're here to see Michelle Monroe." "Of course. I must warn you she is a bit hostile." "Well she was just shot at for no reason. I think that would make anyone hostile." "Oh it would Agent Mulder. Maybe we should talk..." "Dr. McCool, why is she in the psychiatric ward?" Scully interrupted the doctor before Mulder said something they would both regret. "When the police found her, she was sitting on the ground screaming about the voices she was hearing. They tried to calm her. Then we tried to give her a sedative and well things got a little strange." "Strange, how?" Scully hid a small smile. "Well...ah...we...um couldn't get the needle near her. I can't explain it. Maybe you should just talk to her. I just want her out of my area. She's a pain in the ass." Now Mulder had hit the breaking point. "Have her parents been contacted?" "I don't know." Mulder's fist slammed into the wall. Both Scully and the doctor stared at him. "Dr. McCool I think we would like to just see Michelle now if we could." "Of course Agent Scully." The doctor's eyes never left Mulder. He led the two agents to a small room. Through a two way mirror they saw a girl in her 20's seated in a plastic chair at a plain white table. Her head was cradled in her hands, brown hair covered her face, her elbows propped on the edge of the table. Her hands were visibly shaking. Dr. McCool led them into the room. "Michelle, there are two FBI agents here that have come to talk to you." She didn't look up. "Thank you doctor. We'd like to talk to her alone." He looked at Scully, then Michelle and finally Mulder before leaving. When the door closed Scully took a seat across from Michelle. Mulder stood near the corner of the room. Michelle looked up. "You know, he's listening right now." She looked at the mirror. "I can make him go if you want." Scully was trying to be soothing. "Just thought you would want to know Agent Scully." At this both Mulder and Scully looked at each other. "How did you know my name?" "I heard it." "How?" She pointed to her head and put her head back in her hands looking down. "Is there any way I can have a cigarette?" "Why did they lock you up here?" Mulder strode over to the table. Scully just stared at her partner. "He's trying to get me to tell you that I'm telepathic, isn't that right Agent *Fox* Mulder?" Michelle glared at him. "You said it." Mulder was trying to be cool and not show his excitement on his face. "You thought it." At that moment the door opened. "Michelle?" "Hi Dad." She got up and hugged her father. Steven Monroe was a big man, at least 6'5" and 275 pounds. "Mr. Monroe, I'm Agent Scully. This is Agent Mulder. We're here to just ask a few questions." Mr. Monroe was obviously harried. "Oh, um Steven Monroe. What's going on Michelle?" "Dad, I didn't try to commit suicide." Michelle looked down and sat back in the chair. "Mr. Monroe, Michelle was shot at today. We are here to investigate," Mulder interjected. At this Michelle sat back and stared at Mulder. Mulder's head turned and he stared back at Michelle. Mulder continue to stare at Michelle. She just stared back. "Mulder, you OK?" Scully touched his shoulder. "Hmmm?" "I'm going to talk to Mr. Monroe. Do you want to stay here?" "Actually, I'm going to take Michelle for that smoke. You think you can get her out of here tonight?" "Probably. With the two of us, her father and Dr. McCool cheering us on, it shouldn't be a problem." Scully looked up into Mulder's eyes. "You OK?" "Yeah." He was still watching Michelle. She wasn't convinced. She squeezed his arm and walked out of the room with Mr. Monroe. 9:37 PM Front of University Hospital It was nice to be outside. Even in the wind and slight snow, Michelle felt better having a cigarette. She looked at Mulder. "All right Agent Mulder you want to know what's going on. Well so do I." "Just start at the beginning." "I was born in a little town..." "Today!" Michelle smiled. "The guy. He just wigged. He pulled out the gun and then..." She took a deep drag of her cigarette. Mulder could clearly see she was pained. "Why did you try to protect that girl? The report says that you don't even know her." Michelle looked into Mulder's eyes. She knew where he was going. She just shook her head at him and then looked up at the sky. Through a few broken clouds she could see the moon. "Agent Mulder what you really wanted to ask was, Were you trying to get yourself killed?" He just stared at her, but let her continue, his face stoic. "I didn't know he had a gun until he pulled it. At that point it was too late." Another drag. Then a deep sigh. "Last year I attempted suicide. My folks are still on edge. I'm in therapy, but it doesn't help them." "Why'd you do it?" She looked at him and smiled. "Rough life at the office." He took that cue to change the subject. "So what about the bullets?" She fished into her pocket and pulled out a dented bullet. "Oh you mean the catch of a life time." She tossed it to him. Mulder got under a street lamp to get a better look at it. There were dents in the bullet. He curled his hand around it and his fingers fit into the dents with a little squeezing. He looked at Michelle's smaller hands and back at the bullet. "How?" "How the fuck should I know?" She threw the rest of her cigarette into the street. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have cursed. I'm trying to cut down." Mulder just nodded. "I don't know what happened. The first shot went off and I didn't even flinch. It was like slow motion. I watched the bullet flying at me, then it like hit something and fell. Then he fired four more times. Each time I just watched. Then I got scared, so I put my hand up. The bullet came at my hand and I just closed my fingers around it." She held her right hand up to show him. "The bullet was hot, but I didn't notice. Then...um..." She lit another cigarette. "Go on Michelle." Mulder gently pushed. "Then I heard voices. Thousands of them. I didn't know what was happening. They wouldn't stop." He saw a tear fall down her cheek. He reached out to put his hand on her shoulder, but she stepped away. Then she faced him. "Agent Mulder, I was suicidal, but never delusional. That never happened to me before." "What were the voices saying?" "Everything. School. Friends talking. Even people making out. On a Tuesday afternoon, some people." She smiled to break the tension. "That's funny. That's what my shrink says. I guess technically you're a shrink too." All he could do was nod. "Have you always been able to do this?" Mulder pointed to his head. "No." She looked down and took a drag. "How do you do it?" She looked at him frowning, very serious. "When the voices stopped, I noticed that I knew what people were going to say before they said it. So I just started concentrating and poof, I know. You're the first person that I've actually 'talked' to though." "Could I communicate back to you?" She just smiled. Mulder smiled back with enthusiasm. They both started laughing. "You want to see what else I can do?" Mulder nodded excited. She pulled a dime out of her pocket and laid it flat on her palm. It started to rise a full six inches off her hand. Mulder could see the strain of concentration on her face. The dime dropped back into her hand. Michelle was sweating and breathing heavy. She took another drag. "It's a lot harder to do that then the head thing." Michelle started to look at the door of the hospital. "This one's for you." A police officer emerged from the door. "Hi Michelle. How are you doing?" Then to Mulder, "You must be Agent Mulder. I saw Agent Scully upstairs. I'm Lieutenant Matt Williams, Syracuse Police department." They shook hands. "Agent Mulder maybe we should talk in private." He looked over at Michelle. "They'll be no need for that." Mulder looked over at Michelle. She just smiled at him and smoked her third cigarette. "Agent Mulder we have a problem. The shooter is still out there and we think he might still come after her." "I thought the shooting was racially motivated?" "It was, but now Michelle is the only one that can ID the man." "What about the other woman or people inside the building?" "Agent Mulder, for a city we don't get a lot of shootings. And on the Hill that was our first one ever. They're just kids up there. They don't pay attention. And the black girl was so shaken up she doesn't even know what day it is. You're girl's statement and description is all we got." "A man fires six rounds on a busy college campus and your only witness is the victim?" Mulder was getting visibly upset. "We have another problem. The media is all over this. Michelle is being heralded as some kind a hero. But with our nut case still out there, all this media attention..." "Is going to make things worse." Mulder looked up to find Michelle standing next to him. Mulder looked into her face. She was frowning. "Let's go talk to Scully." At that moment, Scully and Mr. Monroe walked out of the building. "Michelle you are checked out of here conditionally. You must either be with us or your father at all times." "Yeah..uh huh...sure." Michelle looked at her father. "Dad if you hurry you can still make the 11:35 back to Boston." Mr. Monroe looked hurt. "Michelle, I'm not going to leave you here. Didn't you hear, that nut is after you. I want you to come home. Tomorrow morning we..." "Dad, I have just four more weeks here. I have to stay. You need to go home. Mom needs you. Anyway a cycle is closing so you have to be at the office." "Work will wait..." "Dad, I'll be fine. Agents Mulder and Scully will be here and Lauren will keep me in line." "But what about..." Michelle sighed. "Dad, please. Trust me." He hugged her. Mulder and Scully turned away to let the father and daughter have their moment. "Lt. Williams, can you get Mr. Monroe to the airport?" "Of course, but what do you want to do about the press?" Mulder looked at Scully. She shrugged. "OK. Tell them that she is still in the hospital for shock. That's it. No more information. Our nut case will probably figure out she's not there, but beef up security just in case." "Agent Mulder?" "Yes, Michelle?" "Can I just go home now?" "I don't think that's a good idea, Agent Mulder. On that campus she'll be wide open." "So what do you recommend, Lieutenant? I go to jail?" She was visibly angry. Lt. Williams scratched his head. "Agent Scully and I will be with her. I want a car with two men outside her place though." Michelle smiled. The two agents and the lieutenant made their arrangements and said their goodnights. Michelle hugged her father good-bye. With that over Mulder and Scully led Michelle to the rent-a-car. Michelle then took the lead letting the two agents drop back. "Scully, she is amazing!" "Mulder, she must have just heard us before we went in." "No Scully. This is different. She was in my head. She raised a dime. This is real." Scully rolled her eyes. Scully stopped walking. Mulder bumped into his much shorter partner and looked down at her. "Scully, what's..." Michelle had turned around and was staring at her. "You are not going crazy and yes, maybe you are spending too much time with him, but this is real." Scully's knees wobbled, but she steadied herself. "OK. When am I getting married?" Mulder just looked at his partner, very confused. "Who do you think I am? The Stupendous Yappi? I can't see the future." "See there..." "Look Dana, I only know what's in your head. Since you aren't even dating anyone I guess marriage isn't on the top of your list right now. Not that you don't want to get married..." Michelle's lips curved into a wicked smile. Scully went pale. "What, wha, how?" Mulder laughed. Scully moved from confused to angry. "You have no right to go into my head!" "I didn't. We'll not exactly. I mean I can but well..." Now Michelle took the role of the embarrassed one. "Look some thoughts are just out there. I can't miss them. I didn't go digging." Michelle looked at both of them. "I didn't dig for either of you. I hear what you're thinking, then I just kinda go in your head when I talk to you. I was not looking at your dirty most hidden secrets. Anything I hear is right on the surface." She turned around and walked to the blue Ford Taurus. "Well are you going to open the door, or am I going to sleep in a parking lot tonight?" 11:35 P.M. South Campus Apartments "Honey, I'm home." Michelle had never been more relieved to be in her apartment. The campus housing was set up like a duplex, from the outside it looked like building blocks all lined up in a row. On the inside Michelle and her roommate, Lauren, had made it a true college home: Posters on the walls, empty alcohol containers and a stereo with a CD collection that would shame most DJ's. "You're back. You're OK. Why didn't you call me back?" Lauren jumped up from her blanket covered chair. She was much shorter then Michelle with long blondish red hair. Right now she just looked relieved to have her roommate back. Mulder and Scully hung back in the doorway while the girls exchanged quick hugs. Scully looked out to be sure that the police car was parked in sight of the apartment. "Oh boy have I had a day." Michelle lit another cigarette. "Lauren, these are FBI agents Mulder and Scully. They'll be baby-sitting me for the next couple of days." Lauren eyed both agents, but her eyes settled on Mulder. His tall lean looks and dark hair drew her immediately. "Come in, sit down. I guess my uncle sent you guys." "Yes, he did," Scully answered, but Lauren's eyes were locked on Mulder. Michelle just shook her head and smiled slightly. she thought to herself. Michelle plopped down in the chair Lauren had occupied and Scully and Mulder took seats on the couch. Lauren pulled a chair near to Mulder's end of the couch. "Laur, you'll be impressed. I'm now a repeat offender at the psych ward." "They put you there again." Lauren's eyes left Mulder long enough to see Michelle's pained sarcasm. The four sat in silence for a few moments, staring at the television. A music video showed, but its volume was muted. They just watched the screen in silence. Not enjoying the quiet, Michelle spoke up first. "You two wanna see my room?" They both nodded and followed Michelle up the stairs. "Lauren has the big room, but I don't have much stuff to make it matter. I just wish I had more wall space. " Scully noticed that the room, the size of her bathroom at home, was covered wall to wall in posters. She noticed a familiar I Want To Believe' poster above the unmade twin bed. She continued to look at the sports memorabilia: New York Yankees pennants and hats, a New York Rangers jersey draped over a chair and a New York Knicks poster. "Sports fan?" Mulder asked as he measured himself against a life size poster of Patrick Ewing. "Just a bit," Michelle replied. Then Mulder saw the books on her trunk/night stand. "Scully, I have found a kindred spirit. Look at these books. 'Watch The Skies.' 'The Gulf Breeze Sightings.' And one of my favorites 'Project Blue Book Revealed.'" He held up the books and then sat down on the bed. His expression changed to a frown. "I'm sorry about...oh...shit...I didn't mean..um...I mean it was just there...I just heard..." "It's OK Michelle, I'm used to it." Scully looked confused. As Mulder started to play with the large brown bear on the bed, she caught on. Scully's head jerked to look at Michelle. Mulder's head was still down and didn't notice. "It's OK Michelle." "What's OK?" Mulder looked up now. Scully started to stutter a reply but Michelle interrupted. "Nothing. I think you should leave now. I mean, you guys should go to your hotel and get some sleep." Mulder stood up. "We can't leave you alone." "I won't be alone. Lauren is here. The cops are outside. I even have Mr. Bear. I am the epitome of not alone." "Michelle I don't think that's a good idea." "I agree with Agent Scully." Lauren was standing outside her bedroom door. "But the both of you can't stay. Only one couch you know." Michelle pleaded to herself. "So Mulder can sleep on the couch and Agent Scully can go back to the hotel and get a good night sleep." Michelle sighed. "No, I don't want any of you here tonight. I'm stuck with you though." She glared at Lauren. "He won't come tonight. I just need some sleep in my own bed with no one around. OK?" < Will the two of you please trust me?> Scully and Mulder looked at each other. They didn't need to read each other's minds to know what the other was thinking. "OK, but we'll be here early. I want you to lock the door as soon as we leave and don't open the door unless it is one of us." Mulder handed her his card. "My cell phone number is on it. Anything weird, call. Understand?" "I thought my father was on his way back to Boston?" "I'm not old enough to be your father." Michelle smiled. Mulder stuck his tongue out at her in response. Michelle stood at her front door and waved good-bye. "Now you kids have a good night and stay out of trouble." She closed the door and locked it as directed. Lauren looked at her. "I want one of him." "There's a few months until your birthday. Anyway he's spoken for." Lauren frowned. "Always the good ones. Taken or gay." Michelle smiled. 12:35 AM March 26 Embassy Suites, Carrier Circle It had been a very long day and now all Scully wanted to do was get some sleep. She opened the door to their hotel room. With travel budgets being slashed, the two agents were forced to share a suite instead of two separate rooms. The front room contained a couch, that would pull out to a bed, a desk with chair, lamp and TV. The bedroom was furnished as sparsely with the bathroom off to its side. Mulder used the bathroom first while Scully got ready for bed. They hadn't spoken since they left Michelle's . When Mulder left the bathroom, Scully walked past him without a word. He frowned and settled on just unpacking and going to bed. If he did it fast enough he could be out of the bedroom before Scully was finished. No such luck as Scully walked out of the bathroom just he was hanging his jacket. She looked sad. "Scully, you OK?" "Hmmm....?" Her sleepy eyes looked at him as she got into the bed and under the covers. "Are you OK?" He repeated. "I don't understand. It's impossible..." She was shaking her head, her auburn hair falling into her face. "But Scully, with all the evidence you can't deny..." "I'm not denying it Mulder, I just don't understand it. I do understand that there is so much that is not known about the human brain, but I can't comprehend how it is at all possible that out of nowhere Michelle can have these...these abilities." "Well she does." Mulder felt a rush of exhilaration. So many times he was forced to fight all her scientific knowledge to get her to see things his way. Right now, though, his partner believed and even agreed with him. "I know." Scully sighed. She leaned her head back against the pillow but did not close her eyes. "Mulder do you ever think about getting married?" Mulder shrugged his shoulders. "I don't think anyone would put up with me. Hell I don't think anyone is interested." "I don't think you have to worry about the interest part." "What do you mean?" "You didn't notice?" "Notice, what?" "She was flirting with you." "Michelle was flirting with me?" "Not Michelle. Her roommate!" Scully rolled over on her side and propped her head up to watch Mulder set up his couch. He didn't pull out the bed, he just laid his blanket and pillow down, then sat down to take his shoes off. "I can't believe you didn't notice. It was so obvious." "Scully, I may not be old enough to be her father, but close enough." He was smiling and got up. "Go to bed Scully. We have to get to class early tomorrow or the professor will be mad." He closed the door to her room. Scully turned the lamp off. Light flickered in under the door. She rolled on her back and stared at the ceiling. 8:02 AM South Campus Apartments <> "I hate my life." Michelle rolled out of bed and hit the floor. <> "Michelle? Lauren?" "I'm coming!" Michelle opened the door to see the two agents looking neat and awake. They couldn't say the same about her. She was wearing the same jeans as yesterday, obviously slept in. An extra large T-shirt hung down over her jeans. Brown hair sticking in too many directions. "Good morning sunshine. I'll assume we woke you?" "Fuck off Mulder." "Michelle?" A voice called from upstairs. "It's OK Lauren. It's just the Feds." Michelle walked over to the coffee table. She cleared away some papers and found her glasses. "Sight is good every once in a while." Then she spotted her cigarettes. "These are better." Mulder sat down on the couch while Scully went into the kitchen. "Do you want me to make coffee?" "Dana, I would love you forever." Michelle replied as she lit her cigarette. Mulder paled as Michelle eyed him. She smiled. He didn't look any happier. Michelle picked up a small ash tray. She noticed one of the butts in the small pot. She stood up and walked to the stairs. "Lauren have you been smoking Morley's?" "I never smoke them." "Has anyone, here?" "No, why?" "Just asking." Mulder and Scully looked at each other. "So I guess I'm in more trouble than I was in yesterday." Michelle walked to the sliding glass door. It was locked but the dowel was not in place. Mulder came over and inspected the locking mechanism on the outside. Small scrapes were visible in the paint. "Why didn't he kill me?" Michelle looked at Mulder. "He's not the same man that shot at you." "But you think he wants something from me." She held up the butt. "Who is he?" "We don't know." Scully said quietly. "We call him the Cancer Man. He's very powerful. Very dangerous and now he wants you." "It's always good to know you're wanted." Michelle poured herself a cup of coffee. She drank half of it black, crinkled her nose and proceeded to add three Equal packets into the mug. "Great coffee, Dana, if you want to kill someone." The two agents looked at her. "Whoa, tough crowd. You two have got to lighten up." "You're in a lot of danger Michelle. Now would be a good time to be serious." "I'll have enough time to be serious when I'm dead, Dana. Look, I'm going to die at some point, so I'm not going to let a nut case with a gun or a cigarette smoking assassin get me down." Michelle turned on the TV. Mulder watched her. He knew she was putting up a front for them. Michelle got up to go upstairs. "I'm going to take a shower. If I hurry I might make my 9:35. Western Religions, you're gonna love it." When Scully heard the shower go on she turned to Mulder. "We can't let her go to campus. First it would be a media circus and second she would be a sitting duck on the campus." "So what do you want to do with her Scully? I agree we have to keep her safe, but how?" "Well letting her go out in the open won't help." "It appears keeping her locked up didn't either." He picked up the Morley butt and crushed it in his fist. "Mulder we have to protect her from him." He knew what 'him' she was talking about. The man behind her abduction. The man behind her cancer. The man that hurt Dana Scully more than anyone could possibly deserve, all because she worked on the X-Files. The two heard the shower stop and looked up the stairs. "What do you think Scully?" "We get her on a plane. Out of here. Anyplace. Now. " "All right. I'll make the arrangements." He pulled out his cell phone and began to dial. Suddenly the phone flew from his hand and up the stairs. "I've been practicing. Let me get dressed. Then I, you know, the party in question, will decide what we are going to do." Her door slammed. Mulder and Scully just sat on the couch staring at the stairs opened mouthed. 1:47 PM Goldstein Student Center After much arguing and compromise, Mulder and Scully convinced Michelle that she could not go to campus for class. They did lose out in their attempts to get her to leave town. She argued that she was "paying too much for the fine accommodations and lovely weather to leave." The final concession was that Michelle could go to the student center to get lunch and check her E-mail. Mulder went with her while Scully had stayed to check in with Lt. Williams. Mulder now sat next to Michelle in the computer cluster. While her fingers worked over her keyboard, he struggled to use his mouse. Finally Michelle leaned over and typed something on to his computer. Mulder was looking at the NICAP home page. "So why haven't you told Scully how you feel?" Michelle's eyes were locked on the screen in front of her. "Feel about what?" Mulder looked nervously around the empty cluster. "Um...I don't know, maybe how you feel about her." "We're partners. It would make things complicated." He frowned. "So why didn't you tell your roommate about your thing?" "What thing?" She countered. He just waited. "I don't think my roommate would want to know that I could know everything she was thinking. She's already confused about what happened yesterday. If I want to talk to her, in my own special way, I will. For now I think I'll stick to verbal communication. Wait a minute: we were talking about you." "Oh were we?" "Look Mulder, you really shouldn't waste time with her. I mean after everything that has happened..." Michelle stopped herself. Mulder continued to stare at his screen, not wanting to look at her. "Sorry." "We should get lunch and head back." Scully was sitting at the kitchen table when they walked in. She had cleared off an area on the table so that she could do some paper work, but Michelle put a bag in that spot. Michelle took her sandwich and a soda out of the bag. "I'm going upstairs." As she left Mulder sat in the chair across from Scully and started to eat. "Mulder, what's going on?" "Nothing." She wasn't convinced. "Mulder?" "Nothing, OK!" He got up and took his sandwich to the couch. She looked at him. He was sulking on the couch. "I'm going to go check on her." "Fine." Scully sighed deeply as she walked upstairs. She looked into Michelle's room. "Michelle?" "I'm in Lauren's room." There she sat at her roommates computer clicking away at some game. "What are you doing?" "Playing Minesweeper." "Oh, I have that on my laptop. I'm not very good at it." Michelle just shrugged. "So what happened with you two?" Scully decided that getting directly to the point would work best. "I have a tendency to speak before I think. Usually Lauren makes me wear a rubber band and snap myself before I say something stupid. I forgot the rubber band today." Scully just nodded. Then she closed the bedroom door and sat down next to Michelle. "Um...well....Michelle...about what you know....about...well." "Why don't you just tell him how you feel?" Scully stared at a poster of 'The Scream'. "It would make things....complicated." Michelle thought to herself. Scully now looked at the computer screen. Michelle had no obvious moves that she could see. "Now what do you do?" "I guess. You know, take a risk. Sometimes you hit a bomb and blow everything. Other times..." She clicked on a grey square. The rest of the board opened up and she typed her name in as new high score. She turned to Scully. "It turns out better than you hoped. Maybe you should try it sometime." Scully just stared at the screen. 7:35 PM South Campus Apartments Michelle was at her wits end. Mulder had started to talk to her again after much prodding and general kissing up. But after two soap operas, four cartoons, and countless games of Sonic the Hedgehog, all she wanted to do was go upstairs and be alone. Lauren wasn't helping the situation. Since she had gotten back from class, she had been practically sitting on Mulder's lap. He didn't seem to notice, but Scully was fuming. Finally Michelle had had enough. "OK, it's time for the kids to leave. Playtime is over. I am going to cook myself some dinner. Maybe watch a little more TV, then go to bed. You on the other hand will be dinning at one of Syracuse's fine dinning establishments on me and the rest of the country. Now I can see you are not too enthused by this, but well you have no choice. I've lived by your rules all day and now I want you out." Scully sat up. "We can't leave. After the break in last night your veto was forfeited. We'll both be staying here." Michelle sighed. "Then at least go out to dinner. Just give me two hours to myself. Look you can put a cop in the front and back Just, I don't...well...Hell. I just don't like people. They get on my nerves. Now you're good people and all but I want my space!" Now it was Mulder's turn to sigh. His nerves were as shot as Michelle's, making him absolutely no use to anyone. Between their fighting and dodging Lauren, he just wanted out. "Scully, maybe it would be a good idea to go out a little while. Just for dinner. You're going to need stuff from the hotel anyway." Scully looked exasperated, but she knew it was two against one and she would not win this fight. After a bit more prodding and the stationing of the police officers in the front and back of the building, Michelle got Mulder and Scully to leave. She sat down on the couch, laying her head against an arm rest. Lauren swiveled her chair to face her. "I can't believe you made him leave." "I can't believe you!" Michelle threw the baseball hat she had been wearing at her. "What?" Lauren tried to look innocent. She put the hat on. "Next time he comes in just sit in his lap and maybe he'll get the hint." They both laughed. They sat together and watched Beverly Hills '90210'. They joked and laughed through the whole show. When it ended Lauren turned to Michelle again. "Are you scared?" She was serious. "Nah." "I'd be. Hell, I am." "Trust me," Michelle stood. "I won't let anything happen to either of us." She started up the stairs. "I promise." "Does that include anything happening' with Mulder?" "Yes." She closed the door to her room. she thought. She flopped down on her bed without changing and spread an afghan over herself. She closed her eyes and started to drift away, blocking everything from the last 48 hours out of her mind. Then she heard the gun shot. 9:12 PM Fred Grimaldi's Steak House, Carrier Circle Scully had to admit it had been a nice dinner. After going to the hotel to pick up some of their things for their stay at Michelle's, they settled on the steak house across the street. They talked all through dinner. Mostly shop talk and about Michelle, but it was still casual dinner conversation. Now they were just finishing their coffee waiting for the check. Something, though, had been nagging at the back of her mind. "Mulder, um...why were you so angry at Dr. McCool yesterday?" He lowered his head, not exactly sure how to answer her question. "He was being a jerk towards a patient. He didn't know the extent of Michelle's problem and she obviously wasn't being helpful, but he didn't need to be an ass about it." "So that's all?" Scully didn't want to push, but she wasn't buying his excuse. "He just didn't care. I don't like that about doctors." "I care." He smiled at her. "But you're a special doctor, Scully." "Oh, you mean because I only work with dead people?" "But even though they're dead you still care." She contemplated her response. "Yes, I do. And he should have too. I've just never seen you lose your temper like that before." "I'll behave better. I promise." He winked at her. "Well since you started this Twenty Question game... why did you ask me about marriage last night?" "I don't know." "It's just, you've seemed kinda preoccupied with it lately and I don't just mean since this case." She just looked down at her coffee as she stirred it with her spoon. Mulder just waited for a reply. She took a deep breath, "When I was little I had a dream of marrying a knight in shinning armor. Someone that would protect me and respect me and love me for who I was.." "And now?" Mulder started to push. "After everything that has happened..." Her lips tightened into a thin line. "I've been abducted, returned from the dead, had cancer." On the last word her eyes closed. Mulder saw her pain. The cancer had disappeared as strangely and suddenly as it had appeared. Deep down they both knew it was not natural, though they celebrated its apparent cure. Scully looked him in the eye. "Mulder, I'm getting older faster than I'd like to admit. I can't even remember the last date I went on. Time seems to be running out for me. I just don't want to end up alone." She looked down again. Mulder put his hand on top of hers. "Scully...Dana you won't..." His cell phone rang. "Mulder?" "You have to come back now. Lauren's been shot." 9:53 PM University Hospital Surgical Waiting Room Mulder and Scully had talked to the police officer and Lauren's doctor. The gun man came up behind the cop stationed in the back and knocked him out. Lauren had her back to the glass door wearing Michelle's hat. He fired one shot and hit her in the shoulder. She was in good condition and will be released in the morning. The shooter was still loose. The agents' concern now was Michelle. They could see her though the window as she sat alone in the waiting room now, like she had been in the examining room just 24 hours earlier. Her head was down. She ignored the no smoking' sign and took erratic drags. Before they walked into the room, Scully grabbed Mulder's arm and stopped him. "Do you think it was Cancer Man?" Mulder shook his head. "No, not his style. If he wanted to kill Michelle he would have done it last night. If it was him, Lauren would be dead. This is our nut case shooter." They opened the door and walked in to the waiting room. "This is all my fault." Michelle said without looking up. "Michelle there is nothing you could have done." "I told her I wouldn't let anything happen to her, Dana. I promised her." She looked up now. They saw her red eyes, tears running down her face. She stood. "I made you two leave. I left her alone. I should have stopped it." She started to leave the room. Mulder caught her arm. Michelle looked up into his eyes. "It should have been me. Damn it, why wasn't it me?!" Mulder put his arms around her, as Michelle broke into powerful sobs. Scully could see the tears forming in his own eyes. She knew what he was thinking. Michelle pulled away, distancing herself from Mulder with a step. "I'm gonna go get cleaned up. I won't go far." She walked out the door, closing it behind her. She stopped just out of sight. With Mulder's head down, he didn't see Scully's reaction to Michelle being in her head and what she had said'. Michelle then walked to the bathroom. With her mind left alone, it now raced with what she could do for her partner. For Mulder. For Fox. His back was turned to her. Scully walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her head against his back. "It's OK Mulder. Everything's going to be OK. I'm here." He tensed at first, then relaxed completely. She felt his body shake as he released his pent up emotions. He tried to speak though his sobs. "It's happening to her, what happened to me." "Mulder, Lauren is going to be fine. Michelle will see her in a little while and she will be OK too." "No she's going to be haunted by this. Michelle's different..." "She's like you Mulder." "I don't want her to turn out to be me." He turned to face Scully, her arms still around his waist. "I lost Samantha. It should have been me. They took you. They hurt you. It should have been...." She placed her hand against his face, her fingers covering his lips, so he couldn't finish. "Mulder, it's not your fault. None of it. I don't blame you." "You should." He tried to step away from her, but Scully held on. "But I don't. You're my best friend. I know you would never hurt me. Mulder, I trust you with my life." She held him close and he hugged back, resting his head on her shoulder. "Dana, I ..." "Oh...shit...sorry." Michelle walked in. The two broke their hold and turned to look at her embarrassed. "Um...Lt. Williams wants to see you." He just nodded slightly as they walked to see the lieutenant. -- End -- Best Of What's Around (2/2) by shell 1:42 AM March 27 South Campus Apartments Michelle had gotten her second wind. She skipped into the apartment, flicked on the stereo and went to the glass door to inspect the repairs made while there were at the hospital. Michelle had been able to talk to Lauren at the hospital before they left. Her roommate was drugged and it showed. She had been giggling uncontrollably and she flirted with every doctor that came into see her. The wound on her shoulder was slight. Lauren actually seemed excited, with her parents out of the country, her boyfriend was coming up to stay with her. Mulder had decided that it would be safer if she stayed at their hotel room instead of the apartment. A free hotel room with her boyfriend, what more could Lauren ask for. Michelle was highly relieved to see her roommate all right. She had even convinced Lauren not to call her uncle, keeping Mulder and Scully out of trouble for at least a little while. The two agents weren't as energetic as their charge. They dropped down on the couch, not even removing their coats. Lt. Williams had not had good news for them. Their nut case was still on the loose. The media now knew that Michelle wasn't in the hospital and were on the prowl. With the help of Michelle's parents though he was able to leak out that she was on her way back to Boston. They would catch on in a day or two though. The only good news was that they had a name for the nut case: Simon Elliot, a pre-law student, who was not accepted into the SU Law School because of academic ineptitude, not racial considerations. Michelle now fiddled with the CD player. A song came on with deep bass and heavy guitars. She turned and looked at Mulder and Scully. She put the volume up a bit more. They still didn't react. "Oh God, you are old. Look at me. I'm working on a good no hours of sleep and I'm awake." She casually walked towards the kitchen. "All I have to say is that cigarettes are the true energy booster." She picked up an object and hid it behind her back. "Who needs ginseng? I have nicotine." She pulled the object out from behind her back. "And of course a water gun." She proceeded to spray both Mulder and Scully. They tried to shield themselves with their hands to no avail, while Michelle just laughed. Mulder stood up. "What's wrong with you?" He was yelling. "Your roommate was shot tonight and you are skipping around here fooling around like nothing happened." Scully looked up at Mulder. She couldn't believe that he had just yelled at her for trying to let off some steam. It wasn't like him. Michelle let the gun drop from her hand. She stared at Mulder. "Just because I don't react like you do, doesn't mean I'm nuts. I'm not the one who sulks." Now she was yelling. "I know this is all my fault. I can deal with that. This," she pointed to the gun and the stereo, "is how I deal with it so I don't shoot myself. Don't judge me Mulder, you of all people have no right!" At that she stormed upstairs. Her door slammed. Mulder was still staring upstairs. "Mulder..." "Don't Scully, just don't." They stayed silent for a few minutes. "I'm going to sleep in Lauren's room." She started to walk upstairs. "Scully." She turned and looked at him. "I'm afraid of being alone too." "I know Mulder, I know." She went up to Lauren's room and closed the door. 2:15 AM South Campus Apartments Michelle paced her room. She was angry. The pacing had made her hot. She climbed across her bed to open her window. She stared out at the darkness. She could see scattered other apartments with lights on, people burning the midnight oil. Then Michelle saw him. It was at first just a reddish orange glow that caught her eye under a tree. Then she saw the outline of the man that was holding it and she knew to be afraid. She threw open her door and scrambled down the stairs. Mulder had been laying on the couch, sat up and watched her run to the front door trying to get the locks undone. He heard Scully coming down the stairs. "Mulder what's going on?" She already had her pajamas on. "He's out there." Michelle finally got the door open and ran outside. Mulder and Scully followed also running. Michelle looked around when she got to the tree. She searched frantically. Mulder caught up, Scully just behind him, trying to pull shoes on as she walked. "Who was here, Michelle?" "Him, the Cancer Man." She still looked around. Scully looked at Mulder. "Michelle, I think you're imagining things." "He was right here. I saw him. I 'heard' him." Mulder looked around. He believed that someone must have been there. He looked down at the snow that covered the grass, but there were too many tracks to be able to identify a new one. Michelle was looking down with her hands on her temples, as if it would help her to find the man that had been standing there. Then her eyes focused on a spot and picked up something from the snow, A Morley cigarette butt. "Yeah, I have a great imagination. I can make things appear out of thin air and everything." The sarcasm in her voice was cutting. She walked back to her apartment in silence, the two agents a few steps behind. Scully stopped. "I'm going to see if the cops saw anything. I doubt it but it may help." She started to shiver in her peach silk PJs. "Scully, go inside, you're freezing. I'll go." He started to walk to the patrol car. "Oh, by the way, I like the color." Scully blushed and waited for him to return. Michelle had already gone upstairs. "He was sleeping!" Mulder slammed the front door. "The police officer?" Mulder just nodded and settled himself down next to Scully. "Mulder, why does he want her?" He looked into her eyes. There was concern and a hint of fear behind them. "She's an oddity. I mean imagine by just thinking she could know all the secrets, all the answers. The truth." He sighed. "That scares him." "Why didn't he just kill her?" Scully lowered her head not wanting to see his eyes on her anymore. "Stalling? He wants to use her? She was genetically engineered by aliens and now she has to go back to the home world?" Scully looked at him with an eyebrow raised. When she saw his smile, she couldn't help but giggle. "I don't know why Scully. I'm not going to let him take her though. I'm not going to let her take him from..." His voice trailed off, but Scully knew how it ended. He put his head down. All Scully wanted to do was put her arms around him again, but resisted the urge. She allowed herself to place her hand on his head and smooth down some stray hairs. She stood up. "Mulder we need a vacation." "Can we go to Disney World?" "Whatever you want to do." "I won't even puke on the Tea Cup ride." "Goodnight Mulder." "Night Scully and ...thanks." He turned the light off. 3:45 AM South Campus Apartments Scully woke up with a start and knew she was not alone. Scully's eyes adjusted to see Michelle outlined by the glow of the computer screen. She heard the rapid clinking of the keyboard. "What are you doing?" "I forgot I have some stuff to do for my group project. It's one thing blowing off all my other classes, but I don't want to screw over my group." Scully sat up. "Michelle, how does Mulder feel about me?" "You don't want me to tell you." She continued typing. "You want to hear it from him." "I'm sorry I asked you, I just..." "You're afraid of being hurt." The printer started buzzing and Michelle turned around to face Scully. "There is nothing wrong with that. It's just. .. I like you guys. I wouldn't want to hurt either of you by ...well..betraying any confidences." She picked up her papers. "Go back to sleep." Michelle left the room and went downstairs. Mulder was laying on the couch, awake. "Are you still mad at me?" "I don't know Mulder." She walked into the kitchen and got a can of soda. "I have to go to campus tomorrow and I need to buy cigarettes. Do you wanna come?" "Scully's not going to be happy." "She'll deal. I don't really see any of my nuts coming out in daylight." "Maybe you're right." "I'm always right." She went upstairs and finally got some much needed sleep. 12:11 PM Syracuse University Main Campus "We could have driven to campus." "There would have been no place to park." "I'm an FBI agent. I can park anywhere I want." They had just gotten off a very crowded bus from South Campus. They had been able to sit next to each other, but three people had stepped on Mulder's foot. "Welcome to Syracuse University. This is the biology building. That's the architecture studio." She was pointing like a stewardess and giving him her best campus tour. As they came to Eggers, her pace started to slow. She lit a cigarette and stopped at the corner. The wind was blowing at the baseball cap she wore as a semi-disguise. Flurries were starting to fall which stuck to her glasses. Outside the building a small memorial had been set up. Michelle and Mulder watched as a girl with long blond hair walked up and put a white flower on the ground with many others. A sign propped up against the building read Unity'. Michelle sighed. "Maybe this isn't a good idea. We can get your stuff to a group member later." "No, I'm OK. It's just harder than I thought it would be. I'll just wait here until I see somebody from my group, then we can go. "Michelle?" Both Michelle and Mulder turned, his hand instinctively reaching for his gun. "Ryan, hi. I brought the stuff." "We didn't think you'd be here, so we got an extension. How are you? Are you OK?" "I'm OK Um...uh...this is Agent Mulder. He's here to baby-sit me." "Hi, nice to meet you. Are you going to class today?" "No, but I do have something for you." Michelle riffled though her back pack and pulled out some papers and the water gun. "You get to keep 'em in line today." He took the gun and smiled. "We missed this Tuesday." He looked nervous for a second, then gave Michelle a quick hug. She was surprised. "I gotta get to class." He started to back away "Michelle were really proud of what you did and I'm glad you're OK." "Thanks. Um...get to class, I don't want to be your excuse for being late." She waved good-bye. "Let's go home Mulder." "Ohhh someone likes someone." "Wow Mulder, I didn't know you were psychic in addition to being a jerk." She rolled her eyes frowning. "What? Didn't like the china patten he picked out for the two of you?" She back handed him in the stomach, hard. "Shut up Mulder. He saw me. He saw me screaming about the voices. He feels sorry for me." They walked back to the bus stop in silence. Standing there she lit another cigarette. "Michelle, I have to ask you something. What did you 'hear' from him...Cancer Man?" Michelle bit her lip. "I'm not sure. It's like when someone is farther away from me it is harder to 'hear'. I just got little clips. Am I making any kinda sense?" He nodded. "He was thinking about me. He knows what I can do. He wants something from me. That's when I freaked out last night. I wanted to know what he wanted from me." The bus arrived and they rode back to her apartment. In front of the house Michelle turned to face Mulder. "OK now I want to know something from you. Why don't you let people call you Fox?" He was taken aback, surprised by the question no one dared to ask. "You know why." "No, I don't. I told you that I wouldn't dig and right now I'm doing my best to keep all your thoughts out of my head. I want to hear you say it." She just stared at him and waited for his reply. Mulder took a deep breath. "Every time I hear someone say my name I hear my sister, Samantha calling to me, when she was taken." He turned away from her, pretending to be interested in the parking lot. "Does Dana know that?" "No." "You should tell her." "Why? So she could pity me?" "No, so she could love you." He heard her go inside. 8:43 PM South Campus Apartments "Michelle what the hell are you doing?" For the past two hours she had been sitting in front of her stereo, frequently changing CD's and tapes. Mulder had been watching the Knicks game and Michelle's last choice of song was getting on his nerves. "I'm making a tape." She stuck her tongue out at him and squirted him with the water gun she had positioned next to her. "How many of those do you have?" "Enough." Scully smiled. It had been a light hearted night, with no major outbursts from either Michelle or Mulder. With the song finished Michelle turned around to face Mulder and Scully. "What happens after Elliot's caught?" "What do you mean?" "Well what happens to me?" Mulder paused. He had not thought about it. He looked over at Scully, who was equally perplexed. "Michelle, I think it is important for you to have your abilities tested. I mean we should find out the physiological effects of your powers on the rest of your body. Possibly your abilities are attainable by everyone. With some proper testing..." "You mean you want me to be a lab rat, huh, Dana?" "No, of course not. But I do want to be sure that you are safe in using your powers." "I don't know if I could really deal with everyone watching me. Look at how I deal with just the two of you. I don't like doctors anyway. No offense." Sensing that the conversation was not going well Mulder interrupted. "Well what do you want to do?" "I don't know." Michelle laid back on the floor. "Use the force for good not evil." Mulder just shook his head at her, when his phone rang. "Mulder?" "Agent Mulder this is Lt. Williams. We got Elliot." "Where is he now?" "Well he attacked one of my men and things got a little out of hand if you know what I mean. We got him at University Hospital for treatment." "Do you want Michelle to ID him tonight?" "No, tomorrow will be fine, but I'd like you two down here." "We're on our way." Michelle and Scully were looking on intently. "They got him." Michelle said quietly and looked down. "Yes. Scully and I have to go down there. I'm going to put a cop right in here with you. No fooling around. Understood?" "Aww...you always take all my fun." They left and the officer came in. He made himself comfortable on the couch and started changing channels quickly. Michelle got up and looked out the back window at the road. She heard the sirens before she could see the multiple fire trucks speeding up the street. The officer looked out. "If you want to go up there, go ahead. It's not a big deal to me." The cop looked at her , then the fire engines and back at her. "I'll be back in a few minutes." Then he ran out the door. Michelle turned off the TV and all the lights in the apartment. She pulled a chair to face the back window. She lit a cigarette, sat down in the chair and waited for the man she knew was coming. She didn't have to wait long. As if out of the darkness itself, a black figure came up to the glass door and opened it. "Took you long enough." The man was in his late 50's or early 60's easily. He had gray hair and if Michelle didn't know better thought he could have been someone's grandfather. "Sit down, get comfortable. I gather we have a lot to talk about." The man silently sat down facing her and lit a cigarette. "So, let's see. Where should we begin? Well you've been stalking me for the last few days. And as much as you have been having fun with it, it's getting a little old for me." He just continued to smoke. "Ah, the silent type. You know, there are other ways I can do this." His cigarette slowly but forcefully came out of his hand. It floated above the ashtray for a second before it was crushed out. The man just stared at her. "So now that I have your attention and you've had mine, talk. What do you want from me?" "Why do you think I want something from you?" His voice was smooth without any trace of fear. "You wouldn't be here if you didn't." "Maybe I'm here to kill you." Michelle sighed. "Look we can do this the easy way or I can hurt you." "I don't think you will." Michelle just shook her head slowly in disgust. The man suddenly doubled over. His hands were furiously rubbing at the sides of his head, in obvious pain. He was silent except for a low groan. Then he sat up and dropped his hands to his sides, as if the pain was gone. He straighten in his seat. "Did that get your attention?' "Yes." "You're afraid of me for what I can do, but you know you can't kill me. You want me to work for you." "Yes." "Well at least you're better then Mulder. He still tries to lie to me." Then Michelle's eyes opened wide. She knew this man's most horrible secret. Suddenly the man was picked up into the air and pinned to the glass door. He was a least a foot off the floor and his arms and legs flailed where not pinned. Michelle stood up and started to pace. Then she looked straight into his cold eyes. "All right here's the deal. You give me money and cover and I will vanish." The man dropped to the floor. "But I want Mulder and Scully protected. If they are harmed in anyway all bets are off and you and your little Consortium are finished. Do you understand me?" The man stood up, straightened his jacket and lit another cigarette. He just nodded slightly. Michelle started to walk upstairs, but turned around. "How can you even 'think' about hurting him?" The man looked at her. "I do what has to be done. I've watched presiden...." "Yeah, yeah, yeah. 'I've watched presidents die.' The question is, have you ever watched family die?" She continued up the stairs into the darkness. 5:42 AM March 28 South Campus Apartments She was gone. When the two agents returned to the apartment, four police cruisers were in the parking lot. Mulder knew right away what had happened. He had taken her away, like Samantha and Scully before her. The Cancer Man had again taken someone that meant something to him. Mulder now sat on her bed, clutching a pillow. Scully was downstairs supervising the officers trying to find finger prints or any clue of what had happened or where she had gone. The weren't going to find anything and he knew it. Scully came upstairs and just looked at him. "Mulder, there is nothing that we could have done." "You don't believe that either, Scully. We left her wide open for him." Scully sat down close to him. "She trusted us, Scully. I let her down. I know I didn't know her long, but there was something about her." "Mulder the two of you are...the same." Scully held his hand and he gripped back. "I think she's OK though. I just have that feeling." Mulder nodded. "You know her bear is gone. Mr. Bear." "Her coat and back pack are gone too. Probably some of her other things were also taken." "Do her parents know yet?" "Yes, they are on their way up here." "We should wait and talk to them. I want them to know that I'm sorry." "They will." She sighed. "When is this all going to stop Mulder?" She looked into his eyes, imploring for an answer. "When we find the truth." She leaned her head against his shoulder, tears were forming in her eyes. "The truth," she whispered. 3:48 PM May 17 Meakauer Park Bethel, Connecticut Lauren had called Mulder early in the week to tell him that a memorial service was being put together for Michelle. She hadn't been missing for two months but her parents wanted to do something. Since Michelle had grown up in Connecticut and her family and friends were there it was decided that a bench and plaque at a local park would be dedicated to her. They wanted Mulder and Scully there. As the two agents drove into the parking lot they were surprised to see all the cars and people in attendance. Most of them were young, in their 20's. "For someone that didn't like people, a lot of people liked her." Mulder commented as they got out of the car. He felt over dressed in his business suit, while everyone else was casually dressed for the unseasonably hot spring day. In the background music was playing. "Mulder, that song. Michelle played it the night..." Scully didn't finish. "The night Lauren was shot and I yelled at her. I know." "Agent Mulder?" The two agents turned to see Lauren. "I'm glad you came. Michelle would have wanted you here. I guess there is no news huh?" "No, I'm sorry there isn't." "Just hoping I guess.." Then a voice from a loud speaker announced the beginning of the ceremony. "Come this way so you can get up close. Michelle's parents want to talk to you before you leave." Mr. Monroe stood by a microphone in front of the new bench. He looked nervous to be talking in front of the large gathering of people. "Um... I want to thank you all for coming today. I know that a lot of you have come from pretty far away and rearrange your schedules to be with us. I know Michelle appreciates it." He started to read from note cards in his hands. "Michelle is a special person. She touched more people lives than she probably knows. She would be the first to admit that she had her problems, but I know we all look past them to see the real Michelle. Even when she was at her toughest points, she still had a sense of humor. Those damn water guns of hers." The crowd laughed. Mulder leaned into Scully. "I'm glad to know we weren't the only ones that got wet." Mr. Monroe shuffled his cards and continued. "Camille and I love our daughter very much and we know all of you do too. Until she can come back to us, safe and sound, all we can do is remember. Remeber Michelle as she was, the good with the bad, the smiles and tears. Just remeber her and love her." With that he turned and uncovered a plaque in the ground. Mr. Monroe turned back to the mike. "As Michelle would, I want you all to stay and have fun. Talk about her and laugh, just as Michelle would do if she was here." He walked away from the mike and up to a tall woman with short brown hair. He hugged her. Then the two started to mingle in the crowd, hugging various people. Mulder walked up to the plaque. It read - Michelle Monroe, Daughter and Friend, In Laughter We Know Her Love. Mulder put his sunglasses on and turned to Scully. "Let's go home." Scully looked at Mulder. Behind his glasses she could see the pain in his eyes. "Agents Mulder. Agent Scully." The tall brown haired woman was in front of them. "I'm Camille Monroe, Michelle's mother. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to speak to you in Syracuse. I was a bit emotional up there." "We understand, Mrs. Monroe. We are both very sorry about Michelle." "Thank you Agent Scully. Michelle spoke very highly of you both. There are some things of hers that I want you to have. They are in the car." Mulder and Scully followed Mrs. Monroe though the crown. Mulder saw Ryan standing in a crowd of people wearing Syracuse clothing. The young man just glared at the agent. He frowned. At the car, Mrs. Monroe pulled out a brown cardboard box. She set it down on the ground. "I know you two did all that you could for Michelle. You were there when Steve and I should have been. She looked down. "Michelle was never good at telling people how she felt about them, but she likes you two very much." Mrs. Munroe hugged both Scully and Mulder. They said their good-byes. "Agent Mulder!" Lauren came running up to the car. At that moment a black Jeep Cherokee pulled out of the parking lot at high speeds. Lauren just stared at it. She looked pale and flustered. "What is it Lauren?" "Well...um..." She looked into the area that the jeep had just left. "If you knew anything about Michelle you would tell me, right?" "Of course, we just don't have any information. Why?" "Well....I....I just guess that I want to see her so badly, I am." She looked down. Suddenly she kissed Mulder on the cheek. "Michelle would have killed me for that." Lauren walked away leaving Mulder dumbstruck. Scully put the box in the car on her lap. She looked through it. Two posters. A blue water gun. Her UFO books. Her Yankee hat. Scully sighed as Mulder go into the car. "She's alive and they know it!" "Mulder they want to believe..." "No Scully they know. Mr Monroe talked in the present tense about her. Lauren thinks she's seen Michelle." He looked into the cardboard box. "How would Mrs. Monroe have known what stuff to give us? Scully she's here!" "Mulder, I know you don't want to believe this, but she's gone. Something would have turned up by now." "No, she's here. That jeep..." "Mulder, stop it!" "Why can't for just one moment you believe?" Scully sat back in her seat and did not reply. Mulder started the car and pulled out of the parking lot, catching one last look at those there to remember. 9:32 PM May 23 Mulder's Apartment Mulder studied his reflection in his fogged up bathroom mirror. He had just gotten out of the shower after his run. Usually a good run made him feel better. It let him release his tension and emotions, all the anger that was pent up inside him. Tonight it didn't help. Scully hadn't said more than ten words to him since the memorial. All week at the office, she did her paper work and stayed out of his way. The last two days she had spent at Quantico to do some lectures and, he thought, get away from him. He sighed. Resigned to another night alone, he flopped down on the couch to watch television. He started to drift off when the phone rang. He dropped it as he tried to pick it up. "Shit...hello? "Mulder?" "Scully, what's wrong?" "You need to come over here, right now." Her voice was wavering. "Where are you?" "Home." "I'll be right there." He grabbed his jacket and ran out the door. 10:02 PM Scully's Apartment <> "Scully?" She opened the door. Her hands were shaking and her eyes were red and puff. "Scully what is it?" She pointed to a box on her kitchen table. It was opened. He walked over and looked in as she closed the door. Inside the box was a brown teddy bear, a pink water gun and a audio tape. Mulder picked up the bear. "This is Michelle's." "I know" Scully picked up the tape. In big letters it read - Play me with Mulder. "I just got home a little while ago. This was outside. It is addressed to me, but there is no return address. The post mark is D.C." "Have you listed to it yet?" He was still holding the bear. "I wanted to wait for you." She walked over to the stereo and pressed play. The two sat down on the couch. A song came on. "They played this at the memorial." Mulder was now looking at the water gun in his hands, while Scully hugged the bear. "It's the Dave Matthews Band." "How do you know?" "Melissa used to play it for me." They sat listening to the song. When it ended a familiar voice spoke. "Hi kids! If you don't recognize my voice, it's me, Michelle. Yes, I'm alive and well. I'm just laying low for a little while. I saw you guys at my memorial. Nice bench, huh? Picked it out myself at Home Depot. Obviously, mom and dad know I'm OK. We did the service thing to try and give closure to everybody else. Leave it to me to throw a great party and not even be able to enjoy it. I guess you guys got the stuff from my mom. I decided though that I wanted to give you something a bit more personal. Hope you like them. Take good care of Mr. Bear. I just wanted to thank you two and let you know I'm OK. If you need me, my folks know how to contact me. I've got my eyes on you two though, so watch out. Love ya." Her voice ended and another song came on. It sounded strangely like the theme from Sesame Street. "You were right." "I'm always right, Scully." They both laughed. Mulder looked into Scully's eyes. "It's good to see you smile again." He started to lean into her and brushed the back of his hand against her cheek. Scully felt his breath on her lips and trembled at the feeling. She pulled back. "Mulder, I..." Mulder got up quickly. "Scully I'm sorry. I shouldn't have. He opened the door and looked at her, his face a combination of defeat and embarrassment. "I...I'm so sorry." "No Mulder, wait." The door slammed. Scully sat on the couch and began to cry. She clutched the bear, wishing she could have taken back those last few seconds. The song ended and Michelle's voice began again. "Well I told myself that I wasn't going to do this, but I just don't trust that you guys will get it right on your own. You see, you two are perfect for one another. It's kinda Spooky'. I know bad pun. But seriously it's like the first song said. You 'make the best of what's around.' I mean this is kinda corny but, you guys are partners, best friends and you love each other. There is really nothing in your way but, well, your fears. So now don't you feel stupid that a 21 year old kid had to tell you this. Hell I'm resigned to knowing that I will never find anything as special as what you two have. So Mulder tell Scully you love her and Scully you tell Mulder you love him. Kiss and live happily ever after. It's the least you can do after all the shit I've gone through." Scully just stared at the stereo. She stood up and unconsciously rewound the tape and listened to the first song. <> Scully stopped the tape, took it from the stereo and ran out the door. 11:21 PM Mulder's Apartment <> "Mulder? I know you're here. Open the door." < He heard a key in the door. Scully walked slowly into the apartment and closed the door behind her. The apartment was dark. "Mulder?" "What Scully? Didn't get enough at your place and had to continue my humiliation here?" His voice was cold. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness she could see his outline laying on the couch. She ignored his words, turned on a light and put the tape in his player. "Listen to this." He sat up. "Haven't I heard enough?" "Shhh." She sat down next to him. Mulder tried to shift away. "Scully, we heard this song." "Mulder listen to the words." "But..." "Shhh." When the song ended Mulder got up and stopped the tape quickly, not wanting to hear Michelle's voice again. "So?" "Didn't you hear? 'You and me have a better time than most can dream.'" She stood in front of him, putting both hands on his forearms. "'We make the best of what's around.' Michelle said it later on the tape. It's scary, but she's right, about everything. I've just been afraid to admit it". Mulder just stared at her, frozen under her gentle hold. He tried to take a step back, but Scully held on. "Scully, what are you trying to say?" His words were barely whispers. "I'm saying, I think we're good together. You and me. I mean..." Scully reached up on tip toes and touched her lips gently to his. She stepped back and looked away, then back into his eyes. In her deep blue eyes Mulder saw her vulnerabilities, her trust in him and her love. "Mulder...I...." "Dana, you can call me Fox." She smiled. "Are you sure?" "I think I'm ready to hear it from your lips. I...I love you." Scully sighed. "Fox, I love you too." They stared at each other, not sure what to do next, not wanting to break the moment. Mulder made the first move, taking a tentative step forward. He slowly slid his arms around her waist. Scully wrapped her arms around his neck. She tried to reach up and Mulder just smiled. He leaned down and their lips met again. It started out tentative, the two still holding on to the fears hat had kept them apart for so long. As the kiss progressed all fears were released and passion took over. After what felt like an eternity, they broke the kiss breathlessly. Mulder held Scully close as she rested her head against his chest. "Why did we wait so long to do this?" Scully lifted her face up to look at him, still resting her chin against his chest. She smiled. "Because you were afraid." "Oh, I was afraid?" "Fox, shut up and kiss me." Mulder smiled at her. He leaned down and the two kissed again. The light turned off, but neither of them seemed to notice. Out on the street a girl stood under the street lamp and smiled as the light went out in Mulder's second floor apartment. She took a deep drag from her cigarette. She tossed her cigarette into the street and closed her black coat around her tighter. She got into the driver's seat of a black jeep. She lit another cigarette and took one more glance at the window. She could barely make out the outline of a man holding a woman, but she knew what was happening. She started the engine. She sighed and took another drag. She pulled away into the night, still smiling. -End- So that's it. What do ya think? I'm working on a sequel, with our favorite smoking woman, so tell me what you would like to see. I love email! And Mary...thanks again for putting up with me ;> ************************************************************************ **** shell skmcam@aol.com "It's not the finely detailed insanity that you've come to expect from me" Believe the lie....because the truth always sucks. ************************************************************************ ****