Title: Eyes In The Night Author: Virtues & Vices (AKA Virtie) E-mail: virtuesandvices@aol.com Web Site: http://www.geocities.com/fanficcorner/ Rating: R, for language and sexual situations. Category: MSR, X-File Classification: TR - Adventure/Romance Spoilers: If there are any, they're too tiny to mention. Archive: Anywhere, just let me know. Summary: Sequel to "The Letter". One does not have to read the first to enjoy the second. Mulder and Scully, having been separated for more than a year, are reunited on an X File. "Someday" and "Wambli" are sequels to this one. Disclaimer: Mulder, Scully & Skinner are not mine! Moira, Justin & Cat are. I am making no money off any of them! The lyrics to 'Breathe' are also used without permission; sorry, Faith. Dedication: This is dedicated to all my friends, equine and human, at Double Eagle Stables in Spokane, Washington. Especially, the real Virtie: I miss you! ************************************************************ EYES IN THE NIGHT Mt. Spokane State Park Eastern Washington State The Killer had had a hard night. This victim had fought him harder than most. But he had prevailed, as usual. Even after the torture and rape, she had still had the guts to fight him when he had started to choke her. He'd had to work at killing her. Yet, because of that, the thrill had been more intense. Watching the life fade from her eyes had been more exciting than before. Now the Killer tossed the body down the ravine, smiling when he heard the splash of it hitting the water in the creek below. There were many people that hiked in this area. Someone would find the body soon, maybe even tomorrow. Fear would reign yet again in this town. "The Beast strikes again." He could just see the headlines. The Killer heard a noise. For a second, he felt panic. Had someone seen him? Had he been made? His eyes scanned the dark forest. He heard a coyote far in the distance. Then, a rustling sound. He looked up. It was the sound of a branch rubbing against another branch, and sitting on it was an owl. A Great Horned Owl he believed. It sat there, its great big yellow eyes watching him, almost as if it knew what he had done. "Stupid bird," he muttered, then turned and walked away. ************************************************************ Spokane Police Department 6 A.M. A young woman walked in the police station and demanded to see the officer in charge of "The Beast" case. When questioned, she simply said she knew where to find the body of the most recent victim. 'How?' she was asked. "Because I saw him put her there." ************************************************************ 5:37 P.M. Alexandria, VA The first thing Mulder did when he got home was turn on the computer, letting the hard drive warm up while he changed from his suit to a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Then he sat down to check his e-mail. It was the same routine he had every night. For years, his computer had been simply a tool, an assistant with work, helping him with research and writing reports. In the last year, however, it had become so much more. Now it was his lifeline to Scully. For about a month after Scully had left DC for her new job as ASAC of the Spokane, Washington FBI, Mulder had hardly heard from her. Depression had set in, and the Bureau's insistence that he work with a new partner hadn't helped. But then Scully had e-mailed him about a case she was working on. Communication had been established, and Mulder wasn't about to loose it. For the past several months afterward, they had stayed in constant contact through their computers. Mulder complained about things like his new partners, and Scully complained about things like the weather. Now as he called up the message she had left for him, he felt anticipation run through him. Not unlike going to work back when Scully had been his partner. It had taken him a while after she left to figure out that it had not been the job but her that had made him look forward to every day. Today, though, there were just two words from the woman he would forever consider his partner: "Call Me." Mulder was startled, but more than happy to do just that. He had talked to Scully directly only twice since she had left, once from work in response to the case she had e-mailed him about, and once just a few weeks ago, when she had called him to wish him a merry Christmas. He quickly got off-line and picked up the phone, dialing a number he had never used but knew by heart. "Scully." Mulder couldn't help but smile at the sound of her voice. "Hey, it's me." The phrase sounded a bit rusty to his ears, but familiar. He sensed Scully smiling on the other end of the line. "Hi," she said. "You're lucky. I was just about to walk out the door." "Going where?" He looked at his watch. "Don't you still have a couple more hours to work?" Spokane had a three hour time difference. "I'm going out to interview a possible witness," she explained. "If she's got what I want, then I may just solve this case without your help." "What kind of help will you need if she doesn't?" He heard her sigh. "Mulder, I think I have an X-File." ************************************************************ US Federal Building Spokane, Washington It turned out that Scully's witness wasn't very credible. A quick call to Mulder that evening confirmed that he (and his partner) would be on a plane to Spokane the next morning. Scully's nerves were hopping. It had been a little over 13 months since she had seen him. God, she had missed him. Still did if the truth be told. Now was a chance to work together again. How had he changed? she wondered. And would he see the changes in her? She had grown her hair out a bit, often wearing it in a French twist or a bun. And she had loosened up a bit. She went out with a couple of new friends on occasion, and had even dated a time or two. But nothing serious in either romance or friendship. There was no one she could confide in like she could Mulder. Her computer had become very important to her as of late; it was her contact to her best friend. Then why was she so nervous about seeing him again? Well, she was his superior now. He and his partner were coming at her official request to the Seattle Field Office. Would he treat her differently now? Would he become distant because of her position? Or less, because of that kiss? Sure, it had been over a year, but Scully had never forgotten that kiss. She had never really believed Mulder looked at her in a romantic, sexual way; she had always believed that he thought of her as a little sister, a replacement of sorts for Samantha. But that kiss had changed things, at least for her. The phone rang and she picked it up. "Scully." "Agent Scully, it's Monroe." Justin Monroe was one of the 10 agents assigned to Spokane. "We found another body. It's pretty old, but it looks like it's 'The Beast's' handiwork." 'The Beast' is what the Spokane press had dubbed the serial killer that had been stalking the city for the past five years. She and Monroe were the only federal agents on the task force set up to catch him. Scully was the only one on the team of city, county and federal officers that had any experience with serial killers. She had only been working on the case for the last 6 months, when the locals had given in and called the Feds for help. Scully got the directions to the body from Justin, then left a message with her assistant to let Mulder know where he could meet her when he got in. Excitement at his impending arrival still high, Scully set out to do what she did best: catch the bad guy. ************************************************************ Spokane, Washington Heading north on Division Mulder had called the federal office right after he and Cat disembarked, learning that Scully was at a crime scene north of town. Now in his rental car, he drove through Spokane, following the directions given to him by her assistant. He glanced over at Cat. Mulder had gone through three "partners" after Scully had left. None of them had stood him for long. But Cat had been with the X Files for four months now, and they had developed a good working relationship. Catherine O'Neil was young and ambitious, a typical agent, Mulder supposed. She had a great sense of humor, and was at times very chatty. Standing 5'8" in her bare feet, in heels she stood almost as tall as Mulder. She wore her brown hair short, like a boy's, and rarely wore skirts. At 30 years of age, she was a self-confessed tomboy. Even though she never worked on her looks, she still managed to look beautiful, and people, especially men, quickly warmed up to her. Her open mind was a plus. She was a good agent and a good partner...but she wasn't Scully. Today, Cat was unusually quiet, fiddling with the file in her lap. "Something wrong?" Mulder asked. Nervous, brown eyes looked over at him. "How can you ask that?" She said with a smirk. "We just traveled across the U.S. for a case we know nothing about." He nodded to the file on her lap. "You've got the case right there." "This is not an X File," she held up the folder. "It's a serial killer. Sick, but nothing paranormal." She looked out the passenger side window. "There must be more." "I'm sure there is," Mulder responded dryly. Scully wouldn't have told him there was an X File if there wasn't. "Just as I'm sure that that's not what's really bothering you." She was so easy to read, unlike Scully. Cat sighed. "I'm just a little nervous about..." "About?" "About meeting Scully." Mulder glanced at her, a bit puzzled. "Why?" "Oh, come on." Cat turned to him again. "Mulder and Scully, together again. You two are only the most legendary pairing in FBI history!" "I wouldn't go that far," Mulder insisted. "Besides, you weren't nervous when you first met me." "Like hell I wasn't," Cat murmured, then nodded to a road sign up ahead. "Colbert Road. Isn't this where we turn?" Mulder didn't dwell on the change of subject. He was about to see Scully again. He couldn't wait. ************************************************************ County Road 12 Outside of Colbert, WA When Scully saw the rental car pull up, her heartbeat got faster. 'Calm down, girl,' she told herself. She rose from the squat she had been in to examine the remains and walked towards the car. A tall, leggy brunette stepped out of the passenger side. Cat O'Neil, Scully presumed; and Mulder isn't letting her drive. Some things never change! Then her eyes zeroed in on the tall man exiting the driver's side. Though it was February, the day was unusually sunny, and Mulder had his sunglasses on. He took them off when he spotted her and a slow smile spread across his face. She couldn't help but smile back. 'God, he's beautiful,' she thought. As they walked toward each other, Scully looked him over carefully; he hadn't changed a bit, and she was glad. Mulder stepped in front of her, his eyes bright. "Agent Scully." His voice was low, and Scully knew he was trying his hardest to stay professional in front of the other agents and officers. She, too, tried to act normal. He gestured to the woman behind him. "My 'partner', Catherine O'Neil." O'Neil stuck her hand out. "Pleased to meet you." Scully shook O'Neil's hand, noticing how the agent's palm seemed a bit damp, despite the 30 degree temperature. 'She's nervous', Scully realized, startled. "And you," she replied. "I've heard a lot about you." She glanced at Mulder. "Mostly good, amazingly enough." O'Neil blushed and also gave Mulder a sidelong glance. Mulder looked surprised, as if he never knew his partner COULD blush. Then, looking at Scully again, he nodded to the barely visible corpse behind her. "The latest victim?" "Actually, no." Scully started to explain. "Not the most recent. These remains appear to be about 6 to 8 months old. But it does look like 'The Beast's' work." The three started toward the body. Mulder's arm brushed Scully's. She wondered if it was deliberate. She wished O'Neil and the others were gone, so she could say 'hi' to Mulder the way she really wanted to. She satisfied herself with taking a deep breath inward. He still wore the same cologne. Scully introduced them to Agent Monroe and the other officers, then detailed 'The Beast's' work. It was thought that the man had been killing hookers in this Spokane area for more than five years. His MO had rarely changed; rape, torture, then death, usually strangulation with an article of the woman's clothing. The body was then dumped away from the scene of the crime, usually north of town in the mountains, or sometimes in the Spokane River which ran through the city. Seventeen dead prostitutes in the last five years. Eight other unsolved cases could very well be his work, too. If any woman had survived one of his attacks, she wasn't coming forward. After the woman's remains had been bagged and taken away, Scully had the forensics officers set out to comb the surrounding area for clues. She wasn't expecting them to find anything, but she never gave up hope that the killer might make a mistake. She turned back to meet Mulder, O'Neil, and Justin back at Mulder's car. Mulder was leaning against the car, his sunglasses on once again. Though she couldn't see his eyes, she felt his gaze on her. "Fascinating case, Scully." She stopped in front of him, and O'Neil and Justin, who had been talking small talk, turned toward them. "But where's the X File?" Scully's mouth twisted into a small smile. "Would you believe that I'm having so much trouble with this case that I just wanted your help and knew you wouldn't come without promise of an X File?" She heard O'Neil gasp lightly, but ignored her. Mulder shook his head and said without hesitation, "No, I wouldn't." "Would you believe I just wanted an excuse to see you?" she asked tentatively. Mulder opened his mouth as if about to answer, then closed it and shook his head again. "No. You'd never let your personal wants get in the way of work." She could tell he liked the idea, though. "O.K." she said finally. "Follow us," she nodded to Justin. "We'll take you to meet her." As she got into her car, she heard O'Neil ask Mulder, "Her?" ************************************************************ Black Hawk Stables North Spokane Mulder and Cat followed Scully and Monroe through the scenic neighborhoods of North Spokane. Lovely houses, most with several acres of land, stood sentinel along the banks of the Little Spokane River. Eventually, they drove into an area that had more pastureland than houses. Horse country. They pulled off the blacktop onto a gravel drive, passing a sign that read "Black Hawk Stables-Lessons-Training-Boarding". Paddocks with Thoroughbred and Warmblood horses lined the drive. The agent's cars stopped in front of a small house sitting next to a large indoor, riding arena. "Wait here," Scully told them, then walked inside a little door in the side of the barn marked 'office'. She came out with a young woman of about 25 years of age. She had long, dark blonde hair pulled back into a braid, and pale blue eyes peered out from behind a pair of wire-rimmed glasses. Dusty jeans and a well-worn sweatshirt completed the picture. She looked, Mulder thought, like your typical, horse-crazy kid who preferred mucking out horse stalls than dealing with people. Scully brought her over to the other agents. "This is Moira Anderson. She's the assistant trainer here." She looked at the woman. "Moira, this is Agent O'Neil. And this is Agent Mulder, the one I told you about." Moira shook hands with Cat, and then Mulder. Her hand was callused from hard work and strong, despite her small stature. "You're the one who'll believe me?" she asked him. Mulder glanced at Scully. "That depends. What is it you want me to believe?" "I saw the 'Beast'." Moira looked at the gravel beneath her feet. "I saw him when he dumped his last victim." Mulder waited. When the obviously shy woman said nothing more, he tipped his head closer and asked, "Why is that hard to believe?" She sighed. "I wasn't myself at the time. I was..." she trailed off and looked at Scully who nodded her encouragement. "I was seeing it through the eyes of an owl. I watched him drag her body out of his car and then throw it into a ravine, from the branch of a tree." Mulder didn't hesitate. "Could you identify him?" Moira looked surprised. It wasn't the question she had been expecting. "I don't... I don't know." She glanced uneasily at Cat and Monroe. "Owls see differently than we do. They can't see color, but they can focus very well, and they see movement easily. Their night is just a darker version of their day. I didn't see the car that well, but I can still see his face. Whether or not I'd recognize it through these eyes, I can't say." She took a deep breath. "If I can help catch this guy in any way, I will." Mulder looked hard at Moira for a moment, making the woman shift on her feet uncomfortably. He was positive she wasn't lying. "Scully, can I have a word with you, please?" Scully walked over to the side of the arena building, and Mulder followed. "You believe her, don't you?" He was amazed that she would believe something so 'out there'. "I didn't want to believe her," Scully smiled tightly. "But she did know where the body was, and she's very convincing. It took a long time before she finally told me HOW she 'saw' him." She looked up at him, confusion in her eyes. "Mulder, she says she can see through the eyes of any living animal. That she can transport her consciousness into another living thing and to see what it sees and feel what it feels!" "Can she control the mind of the animal she inhabits?" Mulder had heard of people who could transfer like this. "No," Scully shook her head. "She says she's just 'along for the ride'. Sometimes she can tweak its curiosity a bit, but that's all. That's how she got the owl to watch what the killer was doing. Owls are naturally curious animals." Mulder stepped back, an expression of mock amazement on his face. "Why Agent Scully! You really DO believe her!" Scully almost blushed. "Like I said, she's very convincing." Mulder looked back at Moira. Cat was talking to her, and she was gradually looking more relaxed. The tall, blonde and 'handsome' Monroe was looking at the young woman like she was some kind of freak. Which, Mulder supposed, she was. But she was also a healthy, attractive woman who seemed much more comfortable with animals than with people, most likely due to her 'oddness'. "Mulder," Scully moved closer. "Moira has become a friend of sorts. She wouldn't tell anyone about her ability but me, and the only one I've told is Justin." "Who doesn't believe," Mulder interjected. "I requested your help by saying I needed your profiling expertise. But I really think that with Moira's help, you can catch this guy." "If you believe her, why do you need me?" Scully thought for a bit. "Maybe because I really am uncomfortable doing this sort of thing without you by my side. An X File is an X File, and you are in charge of the X Files." She smiled a bit. "And besides, it was a really good excuse to see you again." Mulder felt his expression soften. "It's good to see you, too, Scully." He nodded toward Moira. "Let's get inside, sit down and talk with her before Cat talks her ear off. I want to hear her story." ***** End of 1/6