| Later that night, Doggett, Scully, and Piper’s two sisters were sitting at the dinner table. Piper’s mother was stirring something in a pot, Piper’s father was outside cooking hamburgers on the grill, and Piper was looking for something in the refrigerator. Piper took salad dressing out of the fridge and brought it over to the table. She took her seat and began to pour herself a glass of soda. “So, there was no evidence as to who took our TV?” Suzanne, Piper’s sister, asked. “Not that the police found.” Scully answered. “I mean Agent Scully and myself were sleeping right upstairs and we didn’t hear or notice anything out of the ordinary.” Doggett responded. “Maybe you need a hearing aid then.” Piper retorted. “You know what’s really weird.” Lynn, Piper’s other sister began. “They only took the TV which is probably the most expensive thing we own.” “Piper said that before.” Scully said. “What does it mean?” “Not much really.” Piper answered. “That reminds me of the Sims. If you get robbed they only take the most expensive object.” Suzanne explained. Doggett looked over at Scully who glared back at him. “Hamburgers are done.” Piper’s dad said as he walked in. He put the plate of hamburgers on the kitchen table. Piper smeared ketchup on her hamburger bun as both Suzanne and Lynn grabbed hamburgers. Doggett poured himself a glass of diet coke while Scully scooped a spoonful of macaroni and cheese on her plate. Piper’s mother began to scream. Piper dropped the ketchup on the table as she looked over at the stove but her mother couldn’t be seen. Flames engulfed her entire body and she was rolling around on the floor. Doggett ran over to her as Scully ran to the other room to get a blanket. Piper’s father had run to get a fire extinguisher. Piper and her sisters just sat, not knowing what to do. Piper felt as if she was frozen. She couldn’t move, speak, or think. Her mind went blank and she couldn’t take her eyes off her mother’s burning body. Scully ran over with a blanket as Piper’s father came with the fire extinguisher. The flames quickly went out as the kitchen was covered in a black cloud. A voice emerged from the puff. “Piper call 911!” Scully screamed as she emerged from the kitchen into the dining room. She looked at Piper and then turned back to run into the kitchen when she saw that Piper wasn’t moving. “Piper, now!” Piper shook and nodded. She got up and ran into the living room. She picked up the portable phone and quickly dialed 911. She spoke to the operator as she heard her mother’s cries from the other way. Piper hung up the phone and ran into the dining room where Suzanne and Lynn were still sitting there frozen. “The paramedics are on their way.” Piper yelled. * * * * Six hours later, Piper was jarred awake by a telephone call. She opened her eyes and saw Suzanne talking to someone on the phone. A tear formed in Suzanne’s eye and it rolled down her cheek. Piper gasped, realizing what had happened. Lynn walked in, holding a glass of water. She first looked at Piper and then at Suzanne. She dropped her glass as Suzanne hung up the phone. “That was dad.” Suzanne paused. “Mom’s dead.” She said as she started to cry hysterically. Piper stood up and ran into her sister’s arms. Lynn walked over and embraced her two sisters. The three of them began to sob. They just stood there, holding each other. Chapter 4 4:23 AM February 19, 2001 Alexander Residence “You don’t think she did this, do you?” Scully asked Doggett. He was lying down in Lynn’s bed thinking about the events that had taken place since he and Scully had been there. Scully sat down in a chair at Lynn’s computer table. “She couldn’t have done this. She was sitting at the table with us.” “But before she sat down she was at the refrigerator right next to her mother.” Doggett reminded Scully. “And what? Do you think she attached a wire to her mother, sat down and then pressed a button that caused her to blow up? Think about what you’re saying, Doggett.” “No, see he can’t think.” Piper said opening up her sister’s door and walking in. “He’s incapable of thinking anything else but that I killed my own mother and stole my own TV.” “Did the last police officer leave?” Scully asked, ignoring Piper’s remark. “Yea, about five minutes ago.” Piper responded taking a seat on her sister’s floor. “So you’ve been listening to us ever since?” Doggett wondered. “This is my house and I’m allowed to go where I want.” Piper retorted. “Didn’t your mother every teach you not to eavesdrop?” Doggett asked sarcastically. “You little…” Piper shouted as she stood up and went to jump on Doggett. Scully scrambled to her feet and held Piper back before she could land on Doggett. “That’s enough!” Scully yelled. “Piper, go to your room.” “You’re not my mother!” Piper yelled. “No, your mother’s dead.” Doggett said. A tear rolled down Piper’s cheek. She glared at Doggett and then shook her arm free of Scully’s grasp. She walked out of the room and down the hall. Scully listened as she went into her room, slamming the door behind her. “What do you think you’re doing?” Scully asked looking sternly at Doggett. She had her hands on her hips and she tapped her foot impatiently. “You may not like her but she’s still a young adult and you have no right to speak to her that way.” “Speak to her that way? What about the way she treats me? What ever happened to treat your elders with respect?” “I guess she missed that one between finding her friend dead and identifying an unrecognizable body. Look, she’s going through a lot. Her mother just died, as you so abruptly pointed out. Leave her alone.” Scully began to walk out the door. “Where are you going?” “To talk to Piper. Maybe I can repair our relationship before she shuts me out of her life forever.” Scully said as she walked out the door. She closed the door behind her and walked down the hallway. She walked to Piper’s door and knocked. “Go away.” Piper said through the door. Scully could tell she was crying and that she probably didn’t want company but she had to talk to her. “Piper, it’s me. I want to talk to you.” Scully said. “I don’t want to talk about it.” “Please Piper.” Scully whispered. There was a long pause. “Come in.” Piper said. Scully opened Piper’s bedroom door and stepped inside. All the lights were off. Scully could see a glow coming from Piper’s ceiling. She looked up and saw glow in the dark stars and letters stuck to the ceiling. She looked down at Piper who was lying face down on her bed. She sniffled and rolled over to face Scully. “I’m sorry about him.” Scully apologized. “No need to apologize.” Piper said. “He’s just a bad word anyway.” “You don’t know him, Piper. I know he’s not Mulder but he’s a good agent and he wants to help.” “How? By telling everyone that I killed my own mother and stole my own TV? Is that what you believe?” “Of course not.” Scully said silently. She sat down on the edge of Piper’s bed. Piper sat up and turned on her touch lamp. “Mulder would have some kind of explanation. A theory or a reason why all this is happening. Why is it always me?” “I don’t know.” Scully said. “But I do know that Doggett and I are both here to help you.” “At least now you believe me that I was on the phone with Maxine. Do you know who called you?” “I checked it out. The person who called us did call from your house.” “Well, it wasn’t me. Besides we only have one line and I was on the phone with Maxine. How is it possible that the call came from my house?” “I don’t know. That’s something I haven’t figured it out yet but I promise you I will.” Scully paused. “Is it possible that…never mind.” “No, what is it?” Piper asked as she grabbed a tissue from her shelf. She wiped her eyes and then blew her nose. “Is it possible that one of your friends called us down here?” “How could you even ask me that?” Piper asked, taken aback. She was shocked that Scully would suggest such a thing. “When we got the call the person immediately asked for Agent Mulder. Now I know that Kyla had a crush on him.” Scully said. Piper began to shake her head. “Is it possible that she was so desperate to see him that she orchestrated this entire thing?” |