Spirit of Friendship (4/16) by Jason Cleaver (argo@easynet.co.uk) and Barbara Nice-Miller (SpookyJedi@aol.com) Disclaimed in Chapter 1 *********** Scully stared at Mulder, mouth agape. "Did you say *missing*?! And what about Missy? Is she Ok?" Mulder finished buttoning his shirt and sat down on the bed to put on his shoes. "The nurse that called didn't have any more information for me. She did say that the police were already on the way, though." He stood up, grabbed his weapon, ID and car keys from the bedside table and was across the room to the door in a flash, his partner right behind him. Mulder strode down the corridor, deep in thought, Scully following. Then he stopped abruptly, and turned to stare at his partner intently. Scully instantly knew what he was looking at. In all the excitement in the hotel room just a moment before, she had forgotten about what she'd done. "What?" she asked, hiding her smile and thinking to herself that there were *definite* advantages in being able to change your appearance. Mulder walked in a circle around her, frowning. "Something's different about you Scully," he said. The corner of Scully's mouth twitched. "Oh?" She was struggling not to laugh now, and it was an effort. If she was still breathing her face would be red from holding it in. She started to walk towards the elevator. Mulder caught up to her and hit the button, his mind still working furiously. The lift arrived in moments and they both stepped in. As the doors closed, Mulder's face lit up with a combination of elation and surprise. "Scully! You're *taller!" If anyone with the requisite psychic abilities had been standing close by, they would have heard peals of laughter coming from behind the closed doors. * * * * She walked down the street, trying not to be too obvious about staring at the lighted doorways around her. Mortals had come a long way since she had been locked away in that mine! Her partial link to the boy had given her a lot of information about the state of the world, but to see it was truly amazing. But this was no time for sightseeing. She was free once more, and this time, no mortal could imprison her! Oh, she'd been surprised by the cripple at the place of awakening, but had only given part of her Name. Without the rest of it, she was unstoppable. The world was quite literally laid out at her feet. But she was still weak. The men who had come into the mine had been useful in giving her the impetus to jump into this body, but only just; she had not been strong enough to send the spirit on. The man she had fed on had given her strength enough to defend herself against the cripple but little else. She had to find food soon, or be pulled back to His grasp again. But there was no one on the streets. The hour was obviously late; the mortals were asleep in their homes, thinking themselves safe. Fools. A lighted doorway called to her. It seemed that some places still remained open, despite the lateness of the hour. Good. There would be sustenance aplenty inside. But she still had to do something about the clothes she wore; appropriate for getting out of the hospital they may have been, but within the... club she would stand out noticeably. And until she was strong enough, the last thing she wanted was to be noticed. She watched as a group of mortals left the club, laughing and joking amongst themselves. If what they were dressed in was normal for such places then the clothes she wore were not suitable for a place like that. She glanced down an alleyway, and saw with her enhanced vision, a girl propped up against one wall, sleeping. Her clothes were not ragged or dirty, and she seemed to be the same size. Waves of alcohol came off her; she doubted the girl would wake up if she exchanged their clothes. She moved forward into the alley. Inside was a wall of sound and smell. She would have hesitated to call the noise the mortals were dancing to music, but there was a tune to it. The smells however were more familiar; lust, hope, desperation, all the familiar fragrances of humanity. She made her way to the bar and ordered a drink, paying with the money in the girl's pockets. She felt him before she saw him. His eyes had tracked her as she entered and made her way to where she now stood. Where other's eyes had watched then turned away, his stayed. She turned to look; he was closer now, coming up to her. She almost laughed at the difference between image and reality. He thought himself as a seducer, a predator, someone of mystery. Confident in his ability to seduce, to conquer. And projected that image through clothing and attitude. Dark glasses in a place like this! The reality was so different. Soft, with no idea about women other than what he'd read in books and been told by friends. Still, he would do for now. She put on a welcoming smile as he stopped in front of her. She would enjoy this one, draw out the moment as long as possible, let him feel he was really trying. Give him one last battle against difficult odds. Make him want her so badly he could taste it. He smiled, showing white teeth against dark (fake?) tan. "Hi. My name's Jeff. What's yours?" She looked behind to one side, at the musicians on the stage. Above their heads picked out in colored lights were the words THE LILI PADD. She looked back at him, and smiled tentatively back. "Lili." she said. Jeff reached out and shook her hand. "Hi, Lili. Come here often?" Lili struggled against the urge to laugh in his face. <> she thought gleefully. Out loud she said "No, this is my first time. You?" This was going to be fun... * * * * By the time the elevator door opened in the lobby, the agents had regained their composure somewhat. Although Mulder was still at a loss as to how Scully had managed to add inches to her height and change her clothes. No matter how many times he asked, she just simply smiled enigmatically at him with a twinkle in her eye. As they exited the elevator and hotel, heading for their car, Scully leading this time, Mulder took a moment to think about what just happened. Laughter. Smiles. Joking. How long had it been since he'd heard Scully laugh? Or even given him one of those wide "just-for-you-Mulder" smiles? The ones he cherished because they were so few and far between. He honestly couldn't remember the last time. And even though this case was deadly serious and no laughing matter, he was glad she was able to smile, even for a moment. <> his little inner voice piped up. <> he answered it, <> Mulder looked at the red head walking in front of him before hanging his head. <> The ride to the hospital was spent in tense silence, both wondering what they would find upon their arrival. When they reached their destination, Scully laid a hand on Mulder's arm, stopping him before he opened the hospital doors. "Please, find Missy first." He gave her a little grin. "I'd already planned on it." Then he opened the doors and stepped into chaos. * * * * Rapid City Regional Hospital Amid the sea of blue uniforms, Sergeant Petra Jankovitch of the Rapid City, South Dakota Police Department walked stiffly down the hospital corridor. Her face was a mask of stone, but under her cool exterior, her emotions were barely in check. She strode down the hallway until she reached a small, dark alcove. Stepping inside, she put her back against the wall, hung her head and let a single tear escape to roll silently down her face. Had it really been only 30 minutes since the call came in to the precinct? It felt like a lifetime ago. She'd heard the words "Rapid City Regional Hospital" and immediately requested to be the supervising officer at the scene. She kept telling herself it had nothing to do with May. After all, there were hundreds of employees at the hospital. What were the chances that the dead nurse was May? But the closer she got to the hospital, her feeling of uneasiness grew and grew. And when she finally walked into that hospital room and pulled back the sheet covering the body on the floor, her heart nearly stopped and most definitely shattered into a million pieces. <> She remembered sucking in a sharp breath at the sight of her lover's face, cold and pale in death and hoping no one else had heard. The fact that Petra was gay was no secret, but she had always kept her activities outside the precinct intensely private. Therefore, no one knew who her lover was. Which was now to her advantage. For there was no way her supervisors would let her be a part of this case if they knew she was personally involved. And this was most certainly personal. Because she was going to get the bastard who did this if it was the last thing she did. After one last look at May's body, she steeled herself then began barking out orders to the other officers and detectives in the room, before going to interview the nurse who had found the bodies. Nurse Hannah Wray had been looking for her friend May to take their usual coffee break together. Stopping at the nurses station, she found out May had been assigned to check in on a new patient, Dana Scully, in room 362. Hoping to still catch her friend in room 362, Hannah hurried upstairs and found a scene that she would not soon forget. May, dressed only in her underwear, lying on the floor with her head at an unnatural angle. A security guard, slumped against the far wall, eyes open and unseeing. Another young woman with reddish hair, crumpled in front of a wheelchair. And an empty hospital bed. Hannah cried out for help then checked each person. May and the guard were dead, but the red haired woman had a faint pulse. She was immediately moved to another room at the same time the police were called. After talking with Hannah, she inquired about the patient and the young woman in the wheelchair. Imagine her surprise when informed the patient was an FBI agent. Because her first thought was that the patient had committed the murders then escaped, most likely wearing May's uniform. But an FBI agent? And the injured woman was her sister? Something just didn't add up here. She was standing at the nurses station getting an update on Melissa Scully's condition when the coroner wheeled May's body out of the room. The sight of that black bag and knowing what was in it nearly broke Petra's resolve. As it was, it sent her fleeing to this small alcove before she completely broke down. <> She picked her head up and wiped away the tear just in time to see one of her officers and a doctor striding quickly down the adjacent hallway, calling out, "Agent Mulder! Agent Mulder! Over here, sir!" Mulder? Ah, yes. Agent Fox Mulder, Agent Dana Scully's partner and the one who had brought her here. Clearing her throat and composing herself, Petra stepped out of the alcove to go meet Agent Mulder herself. * * * * When Mulder and Scully entered the hospital they were surrounded by a swarm of blue-uniformed police officers. Mulder grabbed the first one he came to and flipped open his ID. "Agent Mulder, FBI. I need to speak with the officer first on the scene." Before the officer could answer, Mulder heard his name being called. Looking up, he saw Dr. Helman and another officer striding quickly towards him. Mulder, with Scully next to him, met the doctor halfway down the hallway. "Dr. Helman, what happened? How is Melissa Scully?" he demanded. "Melissa regained consciousness a few minutes ago. She's doing just fine. I could find nothing physically wrong with her. She was not hurt in any way, I do believe that she had a fainting spell. Not surprising, considering what she must have found when she opened that door....." he trailed off as the officer next to him spoke up. "But she's refused to tell us exactly what *did* happen, insisting on speaking only with you, Agent Mulder." "Where is she?" "Downstairs, room 201. But before you go, I do believe Sergeant Jankovitch would like to speak with you." "Indeed I do," came a female voice from Mulder's left. Mulder turned to see a tall woman with long, dark wavy hair walking toward him with her hand extended. "Agent Mulder, I'm Sergeant Petra Jankovitch, Rapid City P.D. I'm heading this investigation. You and I need to talk." "Fine, but we can do so on the way to check on Melissa Scully." Without waiting for her reply, Mulder turned and headed for the stairway, Scully at her ever-present position beside him, taking in everything being said. On the way to Missy's room, Mulder gave Petra the condensed version of why he and Scully were in Rapid City, leaving out the fact that his partner was separated from her body. "So you came here to investigate the deaths in the Comdex mine because you think some sort of *demon* did it?" Petra questioned, disbelief evident in her voice. Mulder sighed. "Yes, that's right," he answered tiredly, in no mood to explain the X-Files right now. And he was saved from more questions by their arrival at Missy's door. As he stepped through, Missy sat upright in bed and called out to him. "Fox!" And she almost called out her sister's name when she saw her fuzzy aura, but refrained just in time as Petra walked in also. "Fox, I need to talk with you *alone*," demanded Missy. Mulder looked at Petra. "If you don't mind, I'd like a few minutes alone with Melissa. I'll be happy to answer all your questions when I'm through," his tone of voice inviting no argument. Petra stared at Mulder for a long moment. Something was going on here that she didn't understand, but if she pushed, Agent Mulder would probably make this an FBI investigation and she'd never get anywhere. "I'll be waiting right outside," she said evenly, before exiting the room and pulling the door closed behind her. Scully, forgetting that her sister couldn't hear her, asked, "Missy? Are you all right? What happened?" Mulder reached out and touched Scully's arm then repeated her questions to Missy, adding, "What did you see?" Melissa answer was simple and straightforward. "Hell." Mulder blinked. "Come again?" Melissa went on to describe what happened after she saw Dana's body emerge from the hospital room dressed in the nurse's uniform. About the unsuspecting security guard's death and her own terror of looking It straight in the eye. "I've never experienced anything like that before. Whatever's inhabiting Dana's body is pure evil, pure darkness." "What happened after you confronted It? How did you get into Scully's room, unconscious?" Mulder asked. Missy shrugged. "I wish I could tell you. One minute I'm demanding to know what It's name is, It flies into a rage and the last thing I remember is It's hand on my throat. Then I woke up here." Mulder began pacing. "I've got to tell you, Missy, I'm beginning to feel a little out of my depth here. And it takes alot for me to admit that!" Missy held up her hand. "I've already called Albert Hosteen from here. He's on his way. But you've *got* to get me out of here so I can meet him at the airport." He nodded. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." He stopped pacing to look at her. "Your best guess, Missy. What do you think It wants and where do you think It's going?" She looked him straight in the eye. "Freedom.....and I honestly don't know." Scully had remained strangely silent this entire time, lost in her own thoughts. Was this why The Messenger told her she must come back to this world? Was what whatever is inhabiting her body the "greatest threat" of the world's existence? "Scully? Scully, you Ok?" Mulder's voice roused her from her musings. She turned to face him. "No, Mulder, I'm *not* Ok. My body, without *me* in it has just killed two people and disappeared! And I have no idea what's going on!" At his hurt expression, she instantly regretted her outburst. She sighed. This wasn't his fault, really, she shouldn't take out her frustrations on him. Her tone softened. "I'm sorry, Mulder. I shouldn't have--" He interrupted her with a curt, "Look, don't worry about it, Ok?" Further discussion on the matter was curtailed when the door opened. Petra stuck her head in. "Agent Mulder? I think you should come with me. I've just been informed Billy Cumin has become quite upset and hysterical." * * * * Before Petra relayed to Mulder Billy's condition, she'd done a little eavesdropping. On Mulder. Ok, Ok, so it wasn't exactly ethical, but she was determined to get to the bottom of this case. And boy, did she get an earful. Along with a memory jog. After listening to Melissa Scully's explanation of what happened outside that hospital room it began to awaken a memory from her childhood. But it wasn't until she remembered Agent Mulder's comment about a demon in the mine, did it come back to her. She must have been about 9 or 10 years old. She had been born and raised here in Rapid City, living with her parents, older brother and her grandmother. Her grandmother had always been a bit eccentric, but Petra loved her dearly. Grandmother became friends with the Sioux Indians living on the reservation near their house. She was fascinated with their culture and spent most of her free time with them. Then when she came home she would sit Petra on her lap and tell her Sioux stories. She would sit enthralled, listening to her grandmother tell the tales. Then one day, Petra was invited to go with Grandmother to the reservation. She was thrilled! When they arrived that evening, they had been invited for dinner, Grandmother introduced her to her friend, Gentle Spring Rain. They took an instant liking to one another and Gentle Spring Rain introduced her to three young Sioux girls, all about Petra's age. She and the girls spent the evening playing and eating, their laughter drifting throughout the reservation. New friendships were born that night. When the sun had finally set and the stars shone bright in the ebony sky, Gentle Spring Rain had gathered everyone around a roaring fire and began to tell a Sioux legend. A legend about an evil spirit, a demon spirit, who preyed on men and could steal people's souls. At the time, Petra had though the story nothing more than a way to frighten children. But now, after what she'd just heard Melissa Scully say, she wasn't so sure. Not so sure at all. She needed to make a phone call, and quick. **************** END CHAPTER 4 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spirit of Friendship (5/16) by Jason Cleaver (argo@easynet.co.uk) and Barbara Nice-Miller (SpookyJedi@aol.com) Disclaimer in Chapter 1 ******************* Petra had no more than made it back to room 201 when the same officer who'd been with Dr. Helman and Agent Mulder upstairs came up to her looking for Mulder. He had information on Billy Cumin. That's when she'd opened the door and stuck her head in the room. Mulder sighed and raked a hand through his hair, looking back and forth between Petra and Missy. He wasn't finished talking with Missy and now Scully was upset. But this whole mess started in the mine, so he'd better find out what was wrong with Billy. "Ok, I'm on my way," he told Petra, "But first I want Melissa released." "Dr. Helman never admitted her, so she's free to go whenever she likes," Petra replied. Mulder looked at Missy. "I'm fine, Fox. Now go. I've got your cell phone number. I'll call." Petra broke in. "But I haven't questioned Ms. Sully yet--" Mulder took hold of Petra's arm and steered her back out into the hallway. "I already have. I'll fill you in. Shall we go?" he asked, heading for the stairway. <> thought Petra as she followed Mulder,<> * * * * "So where are we going and who called about Billy?" Mulder questioned as Petra maneuvered her squad car out of the hospital parking lot. "Billy's apartment and Billy's roommate," she answered. "Seems Billy woke up screaming tonight about demons and spirits. He was absolutely hysterical and his roommate couldn't get him to calm down. Billy had told him all about what happened in the mine, so he called the station house and the desk sergeant tracked you down here." Mulder shifted slightly in his seat to look behind him into the backseat. There sat Scully, looking out the window, seemingly lost in thought. But she saw Mulder turn and averted her gaze from the passing scenery to give him a small smile. She wished that they were alone so they could talk. She hoped Mulder wasn't upset with her for her outburst. The stress of this whole situation was taking it's toll on both of them. As she gazed upon his face, she noticed the worry lines that creased his forehead and the dark circles under his eyes. Because of her. And she again thought about her decision whether or not to leave this plane of existence. What she wouldn't give to see Mulder smile and laugh again like in the hotel elevator. But she believed that as long as he continued to worry about her, his smile would be as rare as a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. She sighed and turned her face from his to once again gaze out the window. For not the first time that day, Mulder wished he and his partner were alone. When she turned and looked at him her expression was unreadable, and he wanted to know what was going on inside that mind of hers. For he was again afraid she was thinking about letting go. <> There was that damn little voice again. <> He told it, then turned back around as they reached their destination. Petra pulled her squad car up behind another one in front of Billy Cumin's apartment building. They entered the two story brownstone, climbed the stairs to the top floor and went to apartment 208. Mulder knocked and the door was answered by a Rapid City police officer. "Agent Mulder?" he questioned. "Yes, that's right," he answered then stepped aside and gestured to the woman behind him. "And Sergeant Jankovitch." The officer stepped out of the way as Mulder and Petra walked in the apartment. Billy was laying on the old, overstuffed couch against the far wall of the living room. He appeared to be asleep. Mulder turned to the officer. "I was told he was hysterical. What's going on?" he asked, puzzled. The officer sighed. "Believe me, when I got here he was completely freaked out. Ranting on about demons and spirits. Wouldn't stop carrying on until I promised to get you here. He calmed down a few minutes later and laid down where you see him. His roommate, Thomas, decided to spend the night at a friends and left about five minutes ago. Can't say as I blame him." Mulder nodded his head. "Thanks, he looks pretty manageable now, we can take it from here." The officer touched the brim of his hat then made his way out of the apartment as Mulder and Petra approached Billy. Mulder squatted down near Billy's head and gently shook the young man's shoulder. Billy shot up into a sitting position so suddenly he nearly toppled Mulder over. Billy's eyes were wide with fear and darted around the room, looking for an unseen enemy. Mulder grabbed hold of Billy's arm. "Billy! Billy, it's Agent Mulder. Calm down, you're Ok." Billy released a shuddering breath as his eyes came to rest on Mulder's face. "I thought It was here. I thought It found me," he croaked. Mulder glanced over his shoulder at Petra and Scully before looking back at Billy. "Ok, Billy. Start from the beginning. What happened?" Billy took a deep breath and swung his legs over the couch into a sitting position as Mulder and Petra situated themselves also. Mulder perched himself on the coffee table near the couch and Petra sat in the only chair in the room, notebook out and pen at the ready. Scully hovered in the background. "It's the demon," Billy began, nervously picking at a thread on the couch, "It's out of the mine and It's coming to get me. To kill me, too." "Why do you say that?" questioned Petra. "I think it's searching for me, I...." he paused, "Oh, how am I going to explain this?" He ran a hand over his face before continuing. "I thought I was having another nightmare. I've...I've had them since the mine. But this was different. I still had that same feeling of terror, but instead of reliving what happened in the mine, I felt like I was *possessed* by the demon that killed my friends and coworkers. It was like it was in my mind with me. And then...then I realized this was no nightmare." He stopped and looked directly at Mulder. "I didn't want to tell anyone about this but you. No one believed me about the demon except you. You're the only one who didn't act like I was crazy." "I believe you, Billy." replied Mulder. "Tell me what you think is happening." "Whatever we woke up in that mine is out and in the city. Why it didn't kill me, I don't know, but I'm beginning to wish it had. Agent Mulder, when I woke up, terrified, the visions didn't stop. When I opened my eyes, I didn't see my room here, but a hospital room. And," Billy swallowed, "and a dead man and woman lying on the floor." Mulder heard Petra and Scully both suck in a sharp breath at that. Mulder knew what they were thinking, albeit both thoughts were a bit different, but he knew. "I've never been so scared in my life," Billy continued. "I didn't know what was happening to me. I screamed and tried to run, but I fell out of bed and hit my head on the nightstand. The vision disappeared and I was back in my own room. I wanted to dismiss it as another nightmare, but it happened *again* about 20 minutes later. I was standing in the kitchen, drinking a glass of water, when I felt that same feeling of terror come over me. Then suddenly I wasn't in my kitchen, but in the city. There was no sound, just lights, bright lights. It was a bar or nightclub. And I felt *It*, looking, searching for something or someone. Then I realized it wasn't an 'It', but a 'her'." Mulder sat up a little straighter at this news and felt Scully move up to stand directly behind him. "Are you telling me the spirit is *female*?" questioned Mulder. Billy looked hard at Mulder. "We're not dealing with a disembodied spirit anymore. It's not just a presence like in the mine. It's *inside* a human body now. A female one. And for some reason, I'm seeing what she's doing. That's what these visions are." "Wait, back up a second here," interjected Petra. "This is all just a bit overwhelming for me. But for the sake of argument, let's say you *are* able to see what this demon is doing. How in the world do you know it's in a female body?" "Because I saw her," Billy said simply. "She walked up to the bar and I caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror behind the counter." "Describe her," demanded Mulder, afraid of where this was heading. "All I could tell was that she wasn't very tall and had red hair." Scully's hand grabbed Mulder's shoulder so hard he nearly winced in pain. As it was, it was all he could do not to let his shock show on his face. "Then what happened?" asked Petra, oblivious to Mulder's reaction. Afterall, she had no idea what Scully looked like. "The last thing I remember is her shaking hands with a man. And when she touched him, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of pure evil. I dropped the glass I was holding and it shattered, jolting me back into my kitchen. When I realized what was happening to me, I went a little nuts, started screaming for Agent Mulder, and here we are." Billy reached out to grab Mulder's wrist. "You *have* to help me!" he cried. "Make it stop!" "Billy, calm down. We're going to figure this all out." Mulder stood up and tilted his head towards Petra while removing his cell phone from his pocket. "Sergeant Jankovitch will get you something to drink while I step into the hallway to make a phone call." Petra gave Mulder a slightly quizzical look, but set her notebook down and made her way towards the kitchen. Mulder turned to face a very pale Scully and gestured slightly with his head. He wanted Scully to follow him out to the hallway. Mulder could barely contain himself and started speaking rapidly in a low voice as soon as he closed the door. "Jeez, Scully! Do you know what this means?! Billy is seeing *your* body! That has to be it. The hospital room, the dead bodies, the red hair.....everything! This is all starting to come together now." Scully could practically see the wheels turning in Mulder's head as his brain worked furiously to come up with a theory. "Think about it," he continued, "this whole situation started in the mine. Your spirit becomes separate from your body during the rockfall, leaving your physical body open for 'possession' if you will, and in pops the demon--" "But why me?!" Scully broke in. "Why not you or Billy? Billy was unconscious when he was found and so were you when I found you. Weren't you two 'open for possession'?" Mulder paused for a moment, thinking. "Maybe It couldn't take just any body. Maybe It *had* to take a woman's body. Billy said It picked up a guy at that nightclub. Who says a demon can't be female? And you *were* the first woman in the mine since that crew released It." Scully opened her mouth to reply, to argue. Then closed it again. It was so like Mulder to come up with a theory that defied logic, defied the normal scheme of things. But she was standing in a hallway, while her body was out walking around, doing who knew what. She smiled, wanting to laugh instead. She'd never thought this day would come; Mulder was going to be delighted. "You're right, Mulder." she said. "It does make sense." Mulder blinked in astonishment. "Scully, did you just agree with me?" Scully gave a tired bark of laughter. "What do you want, an official record with two independent witnesses?" She looked up at Mulder. "What else?" "Ok, then we have Missy describing your body getting up and walking out of the hospital room and the same feelings of terror and evil that Billy described. The demon's taken control of your body, Scully and Billy is our link to it. Something happened in that mine. I don't know what, but Billy was the only survivor and now he's psychically linked to your body.....he's our key to this whole situation." Mulder concluded. Whatever Scully's reply was, Mulder didn't get to hear it, because from inside Billy's apartment came a terrified scream. "NOOO!" ************ END CHAPTER 5 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Spirit of Friendship (6/16) By Jason Cleaver (argo@easynet.co.uk) and Barbara Nice-Miller (SpookyJedi@aol.com) Disclaimers in Chapter 1 ************* Mulder burst through the door, his weapon appearing in his hand seemingly like magic. Scully, too, reached for her own gun instinctively before remembering she was not armed and, as a spirit, she would be quite ineffective as back-up. Billy sat on the couch right where Mulder and Scully had left him, but he was white as a sheet and shaking like a leaf, eyes unfocused. Petra bolted out of the kitchen at the same time Mulder came through the door. Mulder immediately knew what was happening. Billy was having another vision. And from the look of it, he was trying to block it out. Mulder holstered his Sig and was across the room in three long strides, grasping Billy's upper arms. "No! Billy, don't fight it. Tell me what you're seeing," Mulder pleaded. Billy shook his head back and forth. "No....no.....no! Make it stop!" "It won't stop unless you help me!" Mulder gave Billy a shake. "Tell me what you're seeing," he said again, more calmly. Billy swallowed deeply and slowly nodded his head, Mulder's words sinking in. He closed his eyes and concentrated on the vision..... * * * * The door banged open, and Jeff walked backwards, holding Lili in his arms. She had wrapped her legs around his waist, so he had her weight; he was surprised by how light she was. Not that he was in any condition to notice much; their mouths were fused together in a long senses-shattering kiss. Lili tore her mouth from his and began to bestow short wet kisses down his neck, unbuttoning his shirt as she went. "Bedroom." she murmured between kisses. Jeff regained enough sense of self to enter the right door and the pair practically fell onto the bed, still kissing. * * * * Billy's face went from pale to flushed. "She's.....she's with the man from the nightclub and they're.....kissing." Mulder's eyebrows went up at that. That *definitely* was not was he was expecting. * * * * Clothes fell away as fast as buttons and zippers would allow. Lili reached out and stroked him gently. Jeff groaned and lay back beneath the waves of pleasure that threatened to engulf him. * * * * Billy started to squirm on the couch. "What?" questioned Mulder. "What are you seeing?" "I don't like this, I don't want to watch anymore...." "Come on, Billy. You can do this," coaxed Mulder. * * * * She lowered her mouth to him and began a gentle sucking motion, her eyes looking up at the helpless figure. Not yet.... She pulled her mouth away and climbed up him, replacing mouth with her body, and began rocking back and forth. The sensation, so long denied her due to her imprisonment, almost carried her along with it. He was close though, and the time was near. * * * * Billy's breaths started to come in short gasps. "They're .....they're making love." Mulder sat straight up. <> "No.....no, something's not right," continued Billy. "She wants something, needs something. I can feel it. This isn't about sex." * * * * His body exploded with pleasure beneath her, and she took more than was given, draining him further. Jeff lay there gasping. He'd never felt so good! Or so tired. He looked up at the woman still lying on top of him, a smile on her face. "That was.... Incredible!" He managed. "I'm glad you liked it," She replied. "My turn now." Her blue-grey eyes suddenly turned a deep burning red, and fear punctured the fuzzy warmth that held Jeff suspended. Her mouth came down on his. * * * * "NO!!" Billy's scream shook the walls, causing Mulder, Petra and Scully to all take a step back, shocked at Billy's sudden outburst. "Oh God, oh God," chanted Billy, "She killed him! She killed him!" "Killed who?! The man she was with?" called Mulder. "Yes! Yes! She ate his soul, just like my friends in the mine! Oh, God! Make it stop!" Billy pleaded. * * * * Lili climbed off the body and sat beside him, looking down at the husk. She had taken a little too much this time, much more than the soul. That was the problem with using sex, she mused, you took nutrients too. The harder the orgasm, the more you took. And it was *so* much fun coaxing a really big one. She looked at the clock beside the bed. If the boy's memory served her right, it would be light soon. She did not mind the light, but she did not want to go out in it until she was stronger. The hotel room would serve very well as a bolt-hole. But something worried her. All the time she had been playing with Jeff, she had felt as though someone was watching. She closed her eyes and saw, as if through a dense fog, a woman and a man she recognized from the mine. The link was two-way! * * * * "She knows!" Billy moaned. "Knows what?" Mulder asked. "That I'm there!" Billy's eyes flew open and he arched upwards from the couch with a strangled scream. * * * * <> <> <> <> <> <> <> * * * * One minute Billy was standing in front of Mulder and the next he was slumping to the floor. Luckily, Mulder reacted quickly enough and caught the young man before he hit the floor and lowered him back down to the couch. Mulder looked to his left at Petra. "Get me a cold washrag, hurry." Petra hurried to the bathroom as Mulder hissed to Scully, "Scully, get over here, quick! I know you can't touch him, but what do you think's wrong? Did he just faint?" Mulder hoped Scully's diagnosis was fast; all he needed was Petra coming back and finding him talking to thin air. Scully leaned over Billy's inert form and shook her head. "No, he didn't faint. Look at his eyes, he's already in REM sleep. But how could he have fallen asleep that fast?" She sighed. "God, Mulder, this is all so--" "Spooky?" supplied Mulder with a wry grin. Petra came back in the living room just then and Mulder stood up to look down at Billy's sleeping form. "I'd like to get a couple of uniforms in here," he said. "Preferably female. If she does come for him, I'd like to stop her here." Petra shook her head. "You won't need to." she replied quietly. "She won't kill him; she needs him to stay here." <