From: ephemeral@ephemeralfic.org
Date: 13 Sep 2001 19:13:26 -0000
Subject: The MonStar Mystery by FoxFireX
Source: direct

Reply To: FoxfireX@hotmail.com


Title: The MonStar Mystery
Author:  FoxfireX
Classification:  MSR, C
Rating:  PG
Spoilers:  Not really
Summary:  Married Mulder and Scully do a favor 
for Skinner on the set of a tv show
Disclaimer:  Nope, not mine, don't sue me Surfer Boy
Authors Notes:  This is a compilation effort, really, 
and a labor of love as we say good-bye to our dear friend,
 Mon.  Thanks to all those mentioned herein, as I have used 
all of their names for characters not owned by FOX.  We will
 miss you, Monnie.  All our love from Fox, Lynn, Cella, Pet
 and Becks.  Keep in touch, babe.
Dedication by Petal:  Monica, there are precious things that
we cherish in life, one of them in friendship.  You are our
friend, and now you are leaving.  Even if an ocean
separates us, our memories and love go with you.  So we,
Fox, GG, Lynn, Becks, and me, Petal would like for you
to take this with you.
--
The Mulder residence
Georgetown

"Home at last, I am exhausted" Dana Mulder tossed her purse 
on the table in the entryway, Fox close on her heels.  She 
tossed her keys next to her purse and slid her jacket from her
shoulders.  As the couple crossed into the living room, they
could hear laughter emanating from down the hallway, in the 
direction of the bathroom.

"The wheels on the bus go round and round...."  Monica stopped 
short when she realized that she had a larger audience than she
intended.  She carried William from the bath, wrapped in a large
towel and gurgling happily at her song.  Although only 15, Monica
Bofill was blessed with more common sense and inner strength than
most people twice her age.  She was truly a find, the daughter
of Margaret Scully's best friend with a easy smile and a natural
way with children.  The Mulder's trusted her with the most 
important thing in their lives, their son.  "Sorry, I didn't 
know you guys were home."  Monica tucked an errant strand of 
warm brown hair behind her ear.

Fox was the first to reach out for the baby.  "Don't be 
embarrassed, that happens to be one of my favorite songs." 
He tucked his small son next to his chest, and headed for 
the couch.  Dana watched him go with the faraway look of a 
woman in love, as she so often did when her husband held
their son.  She would never forget to be grateful for the
gift of them both.  Mulder's return from his abduction, 
and the conception of their child were both miracles that 
she did not take for granted.

Dana smiled at Monica, "Unfortunately he's not kidding.  
Sings it all the time.  I'll be home for the rest of the
week, Mon, so we don't need you until Tuesday, is that ok
with you?"  Dana had cut her teaching schedule at Quantico
to part time, not willing to be in the field anymore, and 
not wanting to put in too many hours away from home.  Fox's
private practice was flourishing, his ability to work with 
children amazed everyone.  He was a natural dealing with
troubled kids, probably in no small part to having had a 
troubled childhood himself.

"Sure, that's fine with me, Mrs. Mulder, I'll just go get 
my things."  Monica was active in community theater, often 
bringing scripts to memorize while William napped.  The
apartment the Mulder's rented after their marriage was 
in Georgetown, at Dana's insistence, was in an older
brownstone.  Hardwood floors throughout the living room 
and dining room that continued down the hall echoed Monica's 
footsteps to the study that doubled as a guest bedroom when 
necessary.  "My aunt is picking me up, she's in town shopping.
I'll call her cell."  She scooped up her back pack with her
cell phone in it, and dialed her mother, as she gathers her 
belongings, picking up toys as she went to return to 
William's room.

"You don't have to do that, Mon, Fox would be happy to 
drive you home."  Dana poked her head into the study, 
Fox yelling "no problem" from the living room sofa. Good
baby-sitters were next to impossible to find, she wanted
to make sure that Monica stayed happy.  

"No, really, that's ok, my aunt Lynn loves to come to the
city to shop she can be here in no time."  The phone in 
the living room was ringing, Fox was taking care of it, 
while Mon was wondering if he had gotten a diaper on William, 
before the inevitable happened.

"Scully!  You're not going to like this."  Mulder was coming
down the hall with William.  "That was Skinner, he wants to
see us".  Dana knew she was in trouble, he didn't call her
Scully much anymore, but he was rapidly returning to G-man 
mode, she could feel it.  Whatever Skinner said to him, it
had him going.

"Skinner wants us to come to his office, he has......awwwww 
no William, not on daddy!"  Monica tried to suppress a giggle
as she took William from his now wet dad.  

"Let's get a diaper on you, little one."  She could hear the 
Mulder's talking in the living room, their voices quiet but
gaining volume quickly.  As she placed William on the changing 
table and went to work, she could tell the conversation was
over.  Dana's footsteps resounded down the hall on the wood 
floor.  

"Monica, I hate to bother you, but we have to make a quick 
trip to DC, could you possibly stay with William a little 
while longer?  We can take you home later, or you're more 
than welcome to spend the night and I'll drive you home in 
the morning."  Dana's agitation was obvious, "I'm sorry, if 
you need to go I'll understand, I don't really know why I'm
letting him talk me into this in the first place."

"No, that's ok, I would be glad to stay.  You go ahead."
Monica set her bag back down.  Tonight my favorite show 
is on, so I'll get William settled and turn on the TV, 
it'll be fine."

"What's on Thursday nights that you like so much?"  Dana 
was taking her son from Monica, kissing his soft head, 
thinking she really didn't want to leave him again.  But, 
what choice did she have?  At least here with Monica, 
William would be safe.  If she left her impetuous, albeit 
incredibly sexy husband to his own devices, who knew what 
would happen to him.

"MonStar.  I love that show.  Its great, shows the strength 
of women, that we can kick some butt, too.  Without being
the dork fest that Xena is."  

"MonStar, isn't that the one with Rosa Rolon in the lead? 
Fox!  Isn't Debra's sister Rosa Rolin?  The one on TV?" 
She headed back down the hall toward the living room, 
Monica on her heels.

"Um, yeah, it is.  Remember she showed up at the wedding 
with an entourage?  The producers of her show insisted
she bring body guards and the whole works.  The reporters
were waiting outside the church, I thought Skinner was going
to pop his cork.  I don't think he realized what a circus 
his wedding would turn out to be marrying into a famous
family."  Mulder was putting his jacket back on, having 
had to change his suit thanks to his son.  He took William 
into his arms again, while Scully slipped her shoes back
on.  He felt a pang of regret, leaving again so soon.
He tried to tell himself that it would be a quick trip, 
but it didn't make the pain of parting with his child any 
easier.  The only thing in the world more important to him
than his son was his beautiful wife that had given him this miracle.

"Wow!  You've met Rosa Rolon?  I can't believe it.  That
is so cool!"  Moncia took William from Mulder as they 
prepared to leave.  "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

The couple left their apartment, taking a familiar 
route to the J.Edgar Hoover building, for whatever was
waiting for them there.

--
FBI Headquaters
J. Edgar Hoover Building

"Thanks for coming, both of you, its great to see you again." 
Walter Skinner came from around the desk to shake first
Mulder's, then Scully's hand.  He looked stressed.

"No problem, good to see you to.  How's Debra?"  Scully 
took the chair he offered, Mulder followed suit.

Skinner smiled at the mention of his wife of less than a
year.  "She is why I called you here, I need some "unofficial"
help and I couldn't think of anyone I'd rather ask.  She's
worried about the safety of her sister.  There's been a 
murder.  One of the crew, I don't have many details yet,
they aren't releasing them to the press.  It seems to be
an inside job, though, and Debra is afraid her sister 
might be a target.  The NYPD is handling the case, but 
they aren't getting much corporation from the production 
company.  They are willing to 'contract' out some security
measures, have a discreet entity come in and make some 
suggestions on how to keep Rosa and the rest of the crew
safe.  I thought, you two could do that, and at the same 
time, maybe find out who the killer is."  He finished in
a rush, as if he expected to be interrupted or immediately 
refused.  Mulder looked at Scully, New York, that was not
good.  That meant leaving William for an extended period
of time, and with her still nursing, it wouldn't work. 
Not to mention, he didn't know how either of them could 
be away from him that long.  Man, what a crappy position 
to be in, he thought.  They both owed Skinner so much, 
they were loathe to refuse him, but how would they do
what he asked?  Their gazes remain locked, they retained 
the ability to read each others thoughts and emotions. 
They warred with them for awhile.  At last Scully spoke.

"How did the crew member die?" Stalling, that's what she was 
doing, getting more information about the case while she thought
over their options.  He was grateful for it, he didn't know what
he was going to say to Skinner.

"That is still a bit of a mystery, it seems that he was killed
by his computer.  Someone must have rigged it somehow, but no
one has been able to figure out how, yet.  There was one
witness, at least she says she witnessed the event, apparently 
she's Rosa's assistant.  She said that a hand came out of the 
computer screen and touched the victim in the chest, then he
fell over dead.  There were blisters on the chest, and his 
heart was burned.  Black.  And no one can figure out how."  
Mulder unconsciously leaned forward, it sounded like an X File,
and he was suddenly all ears.  The time and distance from his
basement office had not tempered his desire to explain the
unexplainable.  At this point, Scully knew what would come 
next.  They would be heading to New York.  Refusing Skinner 
was really never an option, and coupled with this type of 
case, it was inevitable.

She decided to take the heat off of Mulder, and spoke first. 
"All right, we'll go.  I think we can pack and be there 
tomorrow, would you let the production company know we're 
coming? "  She stood, both men looked at her as if they 
weren't sure who or what had taken over her body.  Mulder 
stood, too, and followed her lead, the corners of his eyes
tightening in silent question to her.  Skinner stood to 
shake her hand again.

"Thank you, this means alot to me, and Debra, too."

They were on the elevator heading back down to the parking
garage before Mulder questioned her.  "Are you sure about 
this?  I mean, it may take a few days in New York to solve
this, and.."  he trailed off as the doors opened.  He
placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her 
to their car.  Some habits never died.

"We couldn't very well deny helping Skinner, and besides, 
we're taking William with us."

"We are?"
"Yes.  We'll ask Monica to go with us, and if she can't, 
we'll take my mother.  They can stay in the hotel, and he'll
be near us."

"You've thought this through that fast?"

"If I'm going back out into the field, our son is coming 
with me.  I won't leave him here, he's too young to be 
separated from us for that long.  I won't let you go alone,  
we both know what happens when I'm not there to watch your 
back."  Well, there was no denying her logic, so he remained
quiet and let her finish.  "We'll check with Monica and Lynn, 
if she stays in a secure hotel near the set, I think
they will both be ok during the day while we work."  That
was why he let her make the decisions in matters of their
domestic affairs, she was precise and to the point when it 
came to their family.  Besides, it kept him from having to 
worry about screwing stuff up and getting in trouble.

--
The Plaza Hotel
New York City

"Are you sure you're ok with us leaving you here Monica?" 
Scully handed William over to her, a worried frown creasing 
her brow.  She was having second thoughts now that the time 
came to leave.  Setting Monica and William up in a hotel had
been surprisingly easy, the girl had jumped at the chance 
to go to New York.  Monica's aunt Lynn would be coming in a
few days, to check up on her and lend a hand if needed.  
Scully had no fears that Monica was not capable of caring 
for William, but this was Gotham, after all, and there was
much at stake.  

"We'll be fine, I'm not afraid.  The security men here act 
like they know what they're doing, and no one else knows I'm
here, so it will be ok.  You guys go solve the crime, and don't 
worry about us.  If I need anything, I'll call your cell.  I know 
Mr. Mulder never turns his off", she shared a teasing smile with 
Scully.  Mulder passed by Monica heading out the door, he paused 
to drop a kiss on William's head, hesitating for a fraction of a 
second allowing his eyes to flutter closed.  He hated to leave
his son, thankfully he was staying with Monica, or it might be 
unbearable.  

"Are you insinuating that I can't get along without my
phone?"  Mock indignation did not become him.  At the moment,
his phone rang, causing Scully and Monica to laugh.  The Mulders 

started out in the hall, hand in hand, Monica closed and double 
locked the door behind them.  She did not take this responsibility 
lightly, and had promised herself to be careful.  She had brought
scripts, books, and a lap top with her.  She was, at heart, a 
computer whiz and loved to stay in touch with her cyber friends.  

William settled down for a nap in his crib without a fuss. At
six months, he was really grounded in his routine and fairly
simple to care for, as babies go.  Monica pulled out her 
computer, hooked it up and jumped online.  

--


Set of the MonStar
Television show
New York City

"Thank you for coming so quickly, I'm afraid Walter thinks
I'm being overly cautious, but she is my only sister."  
Debra Skinner grasped first Scully, then Mulder's hand.  
She was small, similar in build to Scully, with long dark 
hair and fascinating yellow/green eyes.  She was the antithesis
to Assistant Director Skinner's bulk, and he treated her like
a porcelain doll.  He would do anything she asked, including 
pulling the Mulders in on an 'unofficial' case.  Mulder 
understood, the need to protect was strong in men like he
and Skinner that had spent way too many years seeing the 
dark side of humanity.  He envied Skinner's ability to shelter 
his wife, Scully would not be coddled so.  He loved her for it,
he did, her strength was one of the first attributes he fell
in love with, but sometimes he wanted to wrap her up and keep
her safe.

"We're glad to help, really."  Scully smiled, she had liked 
Debra from their first meeting.  Her sister, however, was a 
bit of a prima donna for her taste.   She was the biggest 
television star out there at the moment, and it was impossible 
to forget it in her presence.

"I can take you to the scene of the....death.  No one will
believe it was a murder, but I'm telling you that it was 
just a little strange to be a simple accident."  They followed
her down a large hall, built out of props and movable walls
all housed inside a huge warehouse.  "No one but me, that is,
and I am getting tired of everyone calling me paranoid"  
Mulder and Scully exchanged amused looks.  Debra missed it, 
however, and kept up her quick pace.  She made a corner and 
opened a door that seemed to appear from nowhere, opening and 
going inside the small office required ducking under the 
yellow 'police line' tape.  The computer sat on a small desk,
it looked like a normal computer.  No sign of damage of any kind.

"Has it been dusted?"  Mulder fixed his gaze on the screen, 
he wanted to switch the computer on to see what he could find.

"Yes, it has.  The room is yours, I need to go check on Rosa, 
if you two will excuse me.  If you need anything at all, give
a shout, someone will find me.  Thanks again, both of you, 
for coming.  I'm sure it wasn't easy to leave the baby.  I 
know it would be hard for me."  

"We have him close by, we didn't know how long we were going
to be gone."  Mulder sat to boot up the computer as Scully
moved to stand behind him.  "You should have one of your 
own, you're a natural with Will."  Scully's smile was soft, 
as she watched Debra leaving the room.

"If only I could convince Walter to let me have a baby, I'd
be right there.  He's afraid he's too old now.  See you later." 
She closed the door behind her.

"Skinner with a newborn.  I can picture that."  Mulder was
concentrating on the screen in front of him, opening files 
and searching contents.  Scully leaned in behind him, resting
her forearms on his shoulder.  She briefly thought of all the
years she spent wanting to be able to touch him this way while
working on a case, and brushed off the sense of lost time with
a feathery kiss to his temple.  His eyes closed briefly, and
he hummed in the back of his throat.  No one would ever know
the depth of his love for this woman, probably not even the 
women herself.  "I can't find anything so far that looks 
suspicious.  I wonder if I can get Esther to come give me a
hand."  He leaned back and caught the back of his wife's
head with his hand, rubbing lightly just for the contact.

"I would laugh, but I know you're not joking.  Even if you 
could find her, what would you ask her?  I mean, she can't 
possibly be everywhere on the net at the same time, maybe she
wouldn't be able to help."  She was proud of herself for 
sounding so supportive of his wild ideas.  Scully was working
hard on keeping the 'you're crazy Mulder' tone out of her
voice most of the time.  She figured it would not do for their
son to grow up assuming his mother thought his father should be
committed for his own good.

He smiled, knowing she was stretching her limits here. 
"I'm just thinking that whatever it was that resembled a 
'hand' that came from the computer, might have been visible
from the inside, too.  But, I don't even begin to know how
I would reach her anyway.  Let's go talk to some of the 
crew and cast members, ok?"

"Sure, as long as you don't flirt with Rosa."  Scully's 
eyebrow was up, as she sauntered out of the room, Mulder 
on her heels.

"I do not flirt."  Mulder deadpanned.  They had had this 
conversation too many times through the years for him to 
think he had a prayer of winning.  He was a one woman man, 
now, and he was confident that she believed it.

"Sure, fine, whatever."  He gaped at the back of her head. 
Just exactly how in the hell did he get into trouble here? 
She chuckled when she realized that his footsteps were not 
following her.  "I'm kidding, really, come on."  He shook his 
head and flashed a smile of relief, and decided it was safe 
after all to follow her out.

--
Rosa Rolon sat in her make up chair, with a bevy of people 
surrounding her, all chatting at once.  She took it in stride.  
She was, after all, the reason these people were employed.  She
had a dark beauty that spoke of long steamy nights.  Her voice
flowed over her audience like warm brandy, eyes dark as an 
unclaimed fantasy.  Her figure was considered at first too lush 
to satisfy an American audience, but her incredible sex appeal 
soon changed the networks minds.  She was a throw back to the
age of voluptuous women, unafraid of their sensuality, with the
elegant and sultry motions to entice any man into a frenzy. 
She was a gold mine, and she was pampered as such.  She had
merely to snap her fingers and her wishes were granted.  
Consequently snapping was her favorite pastime.  Mulder and
Scully were allowed to pass her body guards, and stood off 
to the side, waiting to get her attention over the cacophony
of voices surrounding her.  They exchanged looks, both 
thinking it was time to move on.

It was then that Debra found them again.  "Hey, you two 
ready to speak to Rosa?  Hold on just a minute.  All right! 
Everybody take five!"  Mulder and Scully jumped at the loud 
voice the normally soft spoken woman used.  On cue, everyone 
hovering around Rosa but for Brittani, Rosa's personal
assistant packed up and wandered away, leaving them to speak 
to the  biggest female star on television.  Debra smiled at
them, gave her sister a pointed look as she left.

"Um, Ms Rolon, I'm Fox Mulder, this is my wife, Special 
Agent Dana Mulder.  Can we ask you a few questions?"  Rosa's 
gaze flowed over Scully, and rested on Mulder, with an obvious 
increase in interest.  Her slanted eyes gave her a feline 
appearance when she lowered her lids in her patented seduction
gaze, that she now had fixed on Mulder.  The gaze did not miss 
Scully's notice, either.  She took a small step in front of 
her husband and looked Rosa in the eye.

"Could you tell me what you know about the death of the 
crew person?"  Scully smiled slightly to keep it light, but 

the look in her eye and her body language clearly screamed
'hands off of my man', she rarely was the possessive type,
but when the green eyed monster woke up, watch out.

"Not really, I'm afraid, I wasn't in the vicinity when it 
happened. I'm so sorry, I wish I could be of more help. 
Britt was with me the whole day, too, and she didn't see 
anything either, did you darling?"  The petite brown haired 
beauty at her elbow shook her head silently.  Brittani was 
Rosa's right hand, she never went anywhere without her.  
Brittani knew that thousands of young girls would love to 
trade places with her, meeting the best and brightest of the
television industry, and she was smart.  She knew that the
way to Rosa's finicky heart was keep your mouth closed, 
unless you're telling her how wonderful she is, and agree
with everything.  After all, how many girls her age got 
to travel with the biggest star on television?  Not to
mention being unobtrusive allowed her to be in the room
with many of Rosa's conversations with her man-of-the-moment,
George Clooney.  Even someone as young as Britt could 
appreciate how attractive he is.  " If you will excuse me,
I have to get on the sound stage.  Please feel free to
call on me again."  She extended her perfectly manicured
hand around Scully reaching for Mulder.  He took it, not
wanting to be rude, after all, despite the eyebrow arching
to the ceiling on his wife's face.
---
MacRae's Diner

"Ok, we've spent hours talking to dozens people who
collectively know the sum total of zip, what now?"  
They were facing each other across a Formica table that 
had seen better days in a booth by the window of MacRae's 
Diner.  The diner's claim to fame was the location to the
studio, and it's round the clock hours.  Beyond that it had 
little to recommend it.  Scully had thought they were through
with sitting in dumps discussing cases, but, truth be told,
she was enjoying herself.  She had called Monica to check
on her and Will, and everything was going well with them. 
She leaned back as the waitress approached.

"What'll it be?"  Mulder looked up at the voice and had to
smile.  If ever there were a stereotype for a diner waitress,
this was it.  Her nametag pinned on top of a linen handkerchief
to her uniform said "Marcella".  She was tall and thin,
early to mid 40's by his guess, bright red hair piled high 
on top of her head, bright lipstick, bright eyeshadow, bright
green earrings.  She was bright.  She nearly blinded him to 
look at her.  He almost wished for a camera, to capture a 
piece of Americana that had to be seen to be believed.  Mulder 
turned on what his wife called his lady-killer smile.

"Coffee, please, and you wouldn't happen to have any sweet
potato pie, would you?"
No woman was safe from the Fox Mulder flirting grin. 
Marcella was no exception.  She was writing while thinking 
she would love to show this hunk the finer points of the
storage room, when the woman with him spoke.

"Just coffee, please, he's watching his cholesterol."  Poor 
thing, Scully thought, she's being reeled in by Mr. Congeniality
over there.  Unfortunately for him, it wasn't going to gain 
him a slice of pie.  They had started their family life late,
and she fully intended him to stick around for many years to 
come.  Consequently she had become a fanatic where his daily 
intake was concerned.  She watched his weight and his cholesterol
level like a hawk.  Not that he appreciated her efforts.  
He figured if he continued to run and swim, he could continue 
to eat like he had in his 20's and 30's.  His luck that the
love of his life was a doctor. Marcella returned with the 
coffee, smiling her pearly whites at Mulder again.  

"Lemme guess, you two are investigating the death on the set,
right?"  She crossed her arms on the back of the booth, 
leaning just enough to allow Mulder a peek down her cleavage,
her gum keeping time with her thoughts.

"Yeah, we are.  You know anything about that?"  Uh oh, Scully
thought, his lady-killer smile was up to mega watt level. 
Poor thing never stood a chance against him.  Mulder leaned 
slightly over the table to show his interest.  Whatever 
information Marcella had, Scully was certain that her husband 
would have it in the palm of his hand in no time.  At that
moment, her cell rang, she slid out of the booth to let the 
newfound buddies talk and took a few steps toward the counter
to answer."

"Mulder."  She loved doing that, threw people off all the 
time.  She had given Mulder quite a shock when she decided to 
take his name.  He was sure she was too modern to drop her 
surname, but it had not been a difficult choice.  She wanted 
the same name as her husband and her son, it seemed natural to her.

"Mrs. Mulder, this is Monica.  I think you need to come see 
this.  There's something strange going on on my computer. 
Someone is asking for you and Mr. Mulder.  I must admit, I 
don't know how this person found me, or got into my system."  

"Mon, who's voice is that in the background."

"My aunt Lynn just arrived, she's getting reacquainted with 
Will.  Can you guys come back and see what this person wants?"

"We'll be right there."  Scully shut her phone and sighed.  She
had to pull Mulder away from his new found friend, and she 
didn't think that the lady in question was going to be too 
happy with the intrusion.

"Fox, honey, we have to go.  That was Monica on the phone, 
and the baby is missing us."  She smiled sweetly, one of the 
definite advantages of taking his name, she got to use his 
given name whenever she wanted.  She couldn't very well call
him by her last name, too, could she?

"Um, ok.  Well, thanks so much for your help, I'll be in 
touch."  Mulder scooped up his keys, dropped money on the 
table and followed his wife out the door.  He turned to 
spare Marcella one last smile, and was gone.

Marcella gathered the cups and the cash from the table. 
Why are the gorgeous ones always married or gay?  He was
definitely the handsomest thing to sit in her section in
a while.  She made her way to the register, making a 
mental note of the total and the amount of money he left.  
Well, he was sexy, but cheap. His tip and five buck will 
buy me a new pair of support hose, she thought.

-Plaza Hotel-

The Mulders rushed in the door, Fox stopping to scoop up 
Will from Monica's aunt Lynn,  Dana crossing the room 
impatiently to see what Monica had for them.  He watched his 
wife's brow furrow in concentration, as he planted a kiss on 
Lynn's cheek in greeting.  He was getting used to the extended 
family that he and Scully we're gathering.  He hadn't had a
"normal" family life since he was a young kid, and he found 
that he liked having people in his life to share the big and 
the little things with.  Lynn had come along with Monica, and
she was the type of woman you could tell anything to.  She had
one of those personalities that made you want to sit down and
talk.  She was a blessing for Dana, having had lost her other 
girlfriends along the journey with him. She wouldn't allow him 
to speak of all that she had lost during their partnership.  
She insisted that she did it for her own reasons, and she had 
made the choice to stay.  He went with it, because it made 
living with the guilt so much easier.

"Fox, come here."  Dana's voice had an edge to it.  "Don't you
dare say 'I told you so', but I think it's Esther."  Her
eyebrow threatened to disappear into her hairline.

He crossed the room with Will still in his arms.  "You're
kidding.  I was kidding, Dana.  How do you know it's her?" 
All he found on Monica's computer screen was an instant 
message box, with a screen name "TwilightTime" and a blinking 
cursor.

Monica rose from her chair to make room for Mulder.  "I tried 
to talk to her, but she won't respond to me.  She popped in 
and asked me to call you to the computer to talk.  Weird.  I 
don't know how she found me, or how she knows that I am with 
you."  Mulder sat down in front of the screen, at the same 
time, the dialogue box flickered.

TwilightTime:  Hey, long time no see.

The cursor blinked at him, he didn't know what to do next.  
Chat rooms were not his forte, he began to type, hoping it 
would go through.  When he hit the enter key, a screen name
had been posted for him.

TrustNo1:  How do you know who I am?

He heard Dana's snort at the screen name chosen for him. 
Whoever this was, they must really know him.

TwilightTime:  I can see you.  I never forget a pretty face. 
                 I see you finally made an honest woman 
               out of your partner.  And a baby, too, congrats.
TrustNo1:  Thanks.  I can't believe I'm having this conversation.
TwilightTime:  Why not?  You believe anything.
TrustNo1:  Very funny
TwilightTime:  So, you wanna know what happened at the
              set of the MonStar show?
TrustNo1:  You know?
TwilightTime:  I see things in here, I haven't been idle,
             you know.
TrustNo1:  So, you found him, you found David Markham and you're
        together and all that?	               
TwilightTime:  It's beyond comprehension.  I miss having
                a body at times, but we adjust ;). 
                So, your witness said a "hand" came from the 
                computer and killed that man. 
TrustNo1:  That's the story
TwilightTime:  Didn't happen that way
TrustNo1:  What do you mean?
TwilightTime:  Look, when your computer is on and
               you're on the net, you are open to certain things.  
              But physical contact?  No, didn't happen.
TrustNo1:  You're sure?
TwilightTime:  Very
TrustNo1:  So, we're looking for a real person, not an web monster?
TwilightTime:  Always knew you were smart.  Listen, gotta run.
TrustNo1:  Will we see you again?
TwilightTime:  Could be, ya never know ;)

The dialogue box closed.  He leaned back in the chair, 
looking into his wife's eyes.  She clearly didn't know 
what to think, either.  "Ok, so we're back to the set, 
then, there has to be something we missed."

Scully sighed and sat down on the nearby sofa. 
"Tomorrow, Fox, Please?  I'm exhausted, and I need 
to nurse Will."  He passed the baby over, chastising
himself for forgetting about her discomfort at being 
away from the baby for long periods of time.

Lynn stood up and placed her hand on Mulder's shoulder,
brushing her dark hair out of her eyes.  "Well, since 
you two are here for the evening, I think Mon and I will
go catch some sites."

"Translation, shop till you drop?"  Mulder smiled up at her.

"Same thing, darling, same thing.  What better sites to see 
than the inside of department stores?  Come on, Mon, let's
go paint the town green."

Kicking his shoes off, Mulder settled on the sofa next to
his little family.  Will was drifting off to sleep in Dana's 
arms, he reached out a finger and traced the baby's cheek 
grazing lightly up the slope of his wife's breast.  This sight 
never ceased to amaze him, and he was always happy that she 
let him sit with them and watch, making him part of a process 
that he otherwise couldn't be.

"You know, I think the key will be Brittani, the assistant.
She sees everything that goes on there, and tell nothing. 
We need to start with her tomorrow."  It made him smile that 
she could be drifting in and out of sleep, nursing their son 
and still keep her mind on the case at hand.

"I think you're right, the question is, how do we question 
her without Rosa around?  She never goes more than a few steps
from her."  He picked up Will to burp him, and allowed Dana 
to start taking her clothes off for the shower.

"That's where you come in, big boy.  You distract her, 
I'll get Brittani off to the side."  He was sure it was
a good plan, but since she was naked and heading into
the shower, he didn't actually hear what she was
saying. He made an agreeing noise, but at that moment
he would have agreed to jump 15 schoolbuses on a minibike, 
if she would have asked.

She came out of the shower, taking Will with her and it 
was his turn.  He found up he could clean up fast, with
his naked wife in the bed waiting.  Toweling his hair, 
he rounded the corner to the bed to find his wife and 
son sound asleep, Will still nursing intermittently. 
Thoughts of sex with Dana fled, and he was content to 
spoon up behind her, reaching over her head to stoke 
the baby fine hair on his son's head.  He was soon asleep, too.

--
Set of the MonStar
Television show

Rosa was impressed with Mulder's good judgment, wanting 
to talk to her alone.  After all, how much could you actually
accomplish with a man's wife hanging around?  She swept off
toward her dressing room in a flurry of robes, with a
decidedly scared looking Mulder following in her wake.

Brittani made to follow them, was interrupted by Scully 
stepping in front of her.  "Do you mind if I ask you a 
question, Brittani?"  Scully smiled her toothy 'I'm your
friend' smile, hoping to win the girl's confidence.  The 
girl looked nervous, but agreed.  To her surprise, Dana led
her out of the studio, and across the street to MacRae's. 
They settled in the same booth that she and Mulder had used 
the day before, Marcella coming over to take their order.

"Where's that handsome husband of yours today?"  She pulled
out her pad.

"He's not accompanying me today, we'll both have a Coke,
and maybe some fries?"  Brittani nodded her head.  "Thanks."
Scully effectively dismissed the waitress, wanting to make
use of the limited time she would have with Brittani.  Marcella
jotting their order down, walked off muttering to herself,
"Hope she tips better than him."

"Ok, Brittani, we both know that you have insight on everything 
that goes on around the set.  That's what makes you so good at 
your job.  Tell me, what happened?"

Brittani twirled a lock of her dark blonde hair for a second, 
seeming to weigh her options.  Finally she spoke.  "It was an
accident.  That's all.  There are large mirrors used on the set
to catch the sunlight and increase the lighting for the cameras. 
I turned a couple of them, so Rosa could look at herself better
in a new gown she was wearing on her date with George that night.
It was getting late in the evening, the sun wasn't coming in 
through the skylights at the time, and I never considered the 
consequences of repositioning them. The next morning, Tom sat 
down in front of the computer terminal, and a few minutes later
the sun hit the skylights, bounced off all the mirrors and hit
him in the chest.  I had no idea that something like that could 
happen.  I'm really sorry."  She was looking down at the table 
top, her voice no more than a whisper.

"So, why didn't you tell anyone, Brittani?  It was an accident,
you didn't intend to hurt anyone."

"Because, I didn't want Rosa to get angry, that I told about
moving the mirrors around so she could see herself.  We aren't 
supposed to move the equipment around like that.  I didn't want 
her to look bad."  Scully's cell rang, causing Brittani to get 
hold of herself, before she started to cry.

"Mulder."  

"I call you just to hear you say that, you know that, right?"  
Well, at least he was still alive, after being in Rosa's clutches.

"I've solved the mystery, Fox, it was an accident, nothing more."  
She looked across at Brittani, feeling sorry for the girl.

"You have to do one thing for me, though, you have to smooth the
way with Rosa for Brittani, apparently she's afraid that 
reporting what happened will make her angry."

"No problem, we're great friends now."  Mulder chuckled, imagining
her eyebrow shooting for the starts again.

"You just make it ok for her, and I'll be there in five minutes. 
That's not long enough for you to get into trouble."

"You wound me, Dana."  

"Not yet, but you let me catch you in the grasp of a certain
actress, you will understand the meaning of pain."  Her voice
was honey sweet.

"Oh, well, in that case, lemme off this phone, so I can
remove Rosa from my lap before you get here."

"You're very funny, you know that?"  She and Brittani were
crossing the street, heading back toward the studio.  "I'm closing
in on you, buster, so you'd better make yourself presentable
within the next thirty seconds, or else."  She pushed the metal
side door to the studio open, and almost rand into him.  He
still had his phone pressed to his ear, smiling that smile at her
that melted her resolve to be irritated with him every time.

"I love you, you know."  Aw damn him for being so sweet just
in time to save his own ass.

"I know."

End

More Authors notes:  Way down here at the end, where no one but
those near and dear will read it anyway.  Special thanks, guys,
once again.  You trusted me with this assignment, to write a 
story for Mon, and despite the fact that I am the world's
greatest procrastinator, you stayed up late with me to get
it done.  You all mean the world to me, you know who you are.
Fox


--